Casey Baca - ComputerWorld 1981
New year bug
-Jan 1981
-1980 Leap year screwed up IBM vtam system
-Didn.t recognize it was a leap year previously, so the start of 1981 was an invalid date
-User asks for rebate compensation
-Only one user came forward publicly, could have been more
-Employment agencies use .incentives. to land jobs
IMB PC
-1981 was the birth of the IMB PC
-DOS OS(contract to provide CP/M86 OS)
-Between $1,565-2100 (priced to compete with apple)
-Color graphics
-Basically none of the software made my IBM
Graphics help sculpt
-.What may be the only sculpture in the entire world created with the help of computer graphics.
-Northern lights casino sculpture: 5 story split railing and suspended steel structure
-Sculptor asked for graphics specialist
-Graphics team had no real expectations
-Turned out to be a helpful interface for the artist
Job Outlook
-Predictions for 1982 .DP. job market
-Everything is going up basically
-20% increase in industry
-17% increase in personnel costs
-Basically growing across the board
Computer operators
-Operators concerned of their job path(new role)
-Nevertheless still growing
-Less .physical. computer manipulation, however more responsible
-Less focus on heavy equipment manipulation
-More focus on .high-tech. operators
Who needs DP'ers
-Easy to use Easy-Screen (programmers not required)
-Helps to design and modify screens
-Increases productivity
-Designed for financial docs
Sorting!
-Ad promoting sync sort analogous to baseball
-"Big League Sorting"
-More reliable than baseball (Strike)
Scotch tape brand helps ensure national defense
-scotch disk cartridges guarenteed error free!