While I am on the topic of 1970s technologies, I figure I'd mention a recent eBay purchase (eBay is fast becoming my Internet Archive for physical things), my very first computer, a Time Sinclair 1000. I've been afraid to open the box for the past few months because I was convinced that it would never live up to my memories of it, but 20 pages into the manual (I couldn't read English the first time around), I am hooked. Maybe they were just better at writing manuals back then, but here is how the Sinclair's starts:
Timex Sinclair 1000: Getting Started
Welcome to the world of computing. Before you plug in your new Timex/Sinclair 1000, please take a moment to think about this exciting new adventure. We want to assure you that:
1. You will enjoy computing.
2. You will find it easy as well as enjoyable.
3. You shouldn't be afraid of the computer. You are smarter than it is. So is your parakeet, for that matter.
4. You will make mistakes as you learn. The computer will not laugh at you.
5. Your mistakes will not do any harm to the computer. You can't break it by pushing the "wrong" button.
6. You are about to take a giant step into hte future. Everyone will soon be using computers in every part of their daily lives, and you will have a head start.
I found this such a charming introduction to a product that I went looking at the manuals of today's greats only to be horribly disappointed. The iPhone, my most recent Mac, the Kindleâ all of these devices contain manuals and getting started guides that are at best balloon help for gadget consuming users who can't be bothered to stop to read. I even looked at the manual for the coolest toy I've seen in years: the Lego Mindstorms NXT, only to see similar Powerpoint-like "power arrows" pointing to colorful pictures of half assembled lego projects and Batman-like "Program!" callouts.
Oh what times those were back at the beginning of the Personal Computer boom!