posted
This is a light hearted question, not intended to start the usual mac vs pc wars, but I wondered last night after watching the Apple WWDC, where we would be in our everyday day lives if Steve Jobs and Bill Gates had never been around.
-------------------- Kevin Gaffney Artistik Signs Kinnegad County Westmeath Ireland 044-75187 kevingaffney@eircom.net Posts: 628 | From: Ireland | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Actually, I'm sure someone else would have come along with something somewhat similar- be it Macrosoft Doors, or Cranberry Galoshes or some other name.
However, we do a big hand of gratitude to what those two have helped us develop.
(edit a typo)
[ June 09, 2010, 07:44 AM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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We would probably still be painting signs by hand and would definitely not be typing responses on an internet forum with a "pc' or a "Mac". I do feel however that with the amount of research involved someone, who knows? maybe xerox would have found a means for us to carry on as good as or possibly even better technologically than we do today. maybe we would all be using copiers to access this forum.Who knows maybe I wouldn't be up all night cramming for an exam on computer applications and finishing up a final project for my courses at tech school tomorrow or er later today,...
[ June 09, 2010, 05:37 AM: Message edited by: Tim Barrow ]
-------------------- fly low...timi/NC is, Tim Barrow Barrow Art Signs Winston-Salem,NC Posts: 2224 | From: Winston-Salem,NC,USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
someone else would have done it or something similiar. although most ideas in the world are great there is always another one with the same or better
-------------------- You ever notice how easily accessible people are when they are requiring your services but once they get invoice you can't reach them anymore
posted
I agree with most of the guys above. We'd still be right here where we're at.
I'd be curious about the history of the development of the computer; my guess is that if it wasn't Jobs or Gates - it would certainly have been someone else within a year.
You have to give both credit for the empires and technology they've brought us - but they aren't the only creative/technical brainiacs out there.
If it wasn't Henry Ford, it would have been another entrepreneur that brought mass produced automobiles to the marketplace.
People will dream, explore, and do.
-------------------- Todd Gill Outside The Lines Potterville, MI Posts: 7792 | From: Potterville, MI | Registered: Dec 2001
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I dunno, where would you be without Henry Ford? Or Edison (more of an inventor than the others)and also a known thief, ask Tesla.
The two you mentioned are more businessmen/entrepreneurs. Jobs is more of a pitchman, Gates a nerdy and smart computer guy who didn't even write the original DOS code. He bought it and repackaged it.
Xerox, HP were major innovators at the same time which Apple pilfered some of the best ideas from. Sinclair and a slew of other small timers contributed greatly to the early personal computer.
I had more fun on a superior machine (Amiga) and before that the Commodore 64. So to answer your question, we would probably all be in the same place, typing on different brands of computers.
-------------------- Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Posts: 2785 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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Yes Todd, but if you use the Henry Ford comparison, remember a certain Me Delorean who also built cars. There's a good example of two car manufacturers going two different routes because one hadn't a clue what the public wanted. Fords products mightn't have always looked incredible, but they did the job they were designed for very well
-------------------- Kevin Gaffney Artistik Signs Kinnegad County Westmeath Ireland 044-75187 kevingaffney@eircom.net Posts: 628 | From: Ireland | Registered: Oct 2003
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Kevin - hahaha.... well, not sure you can compare those two...you're talking past and future.
I'm saying that there were a LOT of Henry Ford's nipping at Henry Ford's tail. He happened to do it first... but if he didn't, he had competitors that were poised to do it (and quickly did do it) soon thereafter.
DeLorean had a lot of issues... but another entity bought bought the company name and supplies entire cars and parts today.
posted
Since computer technology was harvested from the military's secret collection of crashed UFOs the information to build the computers we have now would have been leaked at some point anyway.
Look what they did with the internet...it was taking too long for the public to invent it so they gave the secrets to Al Gore and let him "invent" it.
-------------------- Pat Whatley Montgomery, AL (334) 262-7446 office (334) 324-8465 cell Posts: 1306 | From: Wetumpka, AL USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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I'm grateful things worked out like they did, and we've all made a living off this techno beast, but it makes you wonder if there were other ideas out there that never got off the ground for whatever reason that might have been better even than what we're doing now.
I remember being laughed at when I suggested hard-drives with moving parts were kinda dumb, that it should just be a chip with no moving parts.
Can anyone say flash-drives???
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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I remember reading an article a few years ago about a design firm that has went ahead and patented a design for a "virtual computer workstation desk" that had a glass top- everything is "virtual, 3D and holographic" above the desk- the keyboard is a virtual hologram on the top of the desk- all programs would be run from "the cloud" network...
it was a very interesting article- of course most of the technology was not available yet, but the design firm wanted to help push ahead and think of what the future could be, not just live on past, outdated technology- like alot of the computer companies were doing when Gates and Jobs were trying to get work- IBM thought both of them were hippie freaks, who refused to conform or wear ties and pocket protectors...
someone referred to Ford- he didn't invent the auto, or even the idea of mass production- but he did combine the two concepts to revolutionize not only the automobile industry, but also a different way of thinking that spilled out to countless other industries.
-------------------- Michael Clanton Clanton Graphics/ Blackberry 19 Studio 1933 Blackberry Conway AR 72034 501-505-6794 clantongraphics@yahoo.com Posts: 1735 | From: Conway Arkansas | Registered: Oct 2001
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"Social networking" would include shaking hands. "Live streaming" and "Phishing" would include water and fish. "Surfing" would be gnarly again. "Processors" would be for making cole slaw. "Scanners" would be a cheesy B movie. "Printers" would come home with ink on their hands. "Spam" wouldn't come to you needlessly, but you could still buy it if you like it.
People would speak in complete sentences instead of abbreviated text messages. (I once saw someone actually say "LOL" instead of laughing.)
Your phone would be at home, your messages would be recorded and you'll never miss a call. You'll also STAY IN YOUR FREAKIN' LANE ON THE INTERSTATE!
There would be a need for "Whiteout", a pencil sharpener and a secretary in the office again.
...and we'd all be somewhere else other than sitting in front of a screen our parents warned us would hurt our eyes if we got too close to it. (So...just how close to the screen are you now...and was Mom right?)
Blinnk Blinnk Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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All the stuff you can do now is great, of course, but I enjoyed the actual doing of it a lot more when I was pounding a big Royal with the flying keys (while smoking in the office, heaven help us!), swinging the carriage over after every line, taking the copy to the linotype-setter and getting an enchilada while that was being done, etc., etc.
Same way I like painting and illustration or lettering with a brush more than doing it with a graphics program on the computer. I just prefer dealing with regular stuff like wood, metal, rubber and that, more than rolling and clicking a mouse.
-------------------- dennis kiernan independent artist san francisco, calif, usa Posts: 907 | From: san francisco, ca usa | Registered: Feb 2010
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quote: The future doesn't look as bright. I have seen Star Trek and their computers don't look as good as ours.
Ya, they were MACS.
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Patrick...Recall why HAL was named "HAL" in the movie?
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
Which begs the question...who came first IBM or Bill Gates and Steve Jobs?
IBM, I believe..Bill and Steve just figured out a way to market the technology so that it was affordable to the average Joe?
I remember back around 1962, a buddy and I would wash his older brother's car, a 1962 Chevy convertible. As a reward we'd get to drive it around and "look cool" with the top down. His brother worked for IBM.
At that time there was no such thing as a Commodore, nor a Mac, nor a PC (which started out as an IBM compatible)
Another question...Who DID come up with the Commodore's???
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
The Commodores originally called themselves the Jays, but had to change their name because of the similarly named O'Jays. To choose a new name William King opened a dictionary and randomly picked a word. "We lucked out," he remarked with a laugh when telling this story to People Weekly Magazine. "We almost became The Commodes!"
-------------------- David Harding A Sign of Excellence Carrollton, TX Posts: 5084 | From: Carrollton, TX, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Glad to see they left you sence of humor intact!!!
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
Like many of you, my first signmaking system bought in the early nineties, ran on an IBM machine with a dos based software. It was magical at the time but looking back, was painfully slow. And there were so many workarounds required to perform the simplest of tasks. Still, like many I'm sure, it got me onto the digital bandwagon, for better or worse
-------------------- Kevin Gaffney Artistik Signs Kinnegad County Westmeath Ireland 044-75187 kevingaffney@eircom.net Posts: 628 | From: Ireland | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Is the question is about the men, Jobs and Gates,or about computer technology? If they had not been invented, my quality of life might be far higher. I'd be reading books and talking with my voice and hanging around people rather than this box. I'd be making signs the way I learned and loved. Things would look like they're made by humans.
There is so much more information today and I wonder why I can't remember much of it. I've never been exposed to so much useless 411 until now.
I enjoy the new ways, but far preferred it before.
Also, one of my questions about sign shops I see is "Would that shop be in business if they didn't have a computer?" I would and I was.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6713 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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