Date   : Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:33:11 +0200
From   : rick@... (Rick Murray)
Subject: BBC Micros used in retro programming class

On 25/08/2010 10:54, Tim Matthews wrote:

> "The BBC Micro has an unforgiving interface"

Only a modern dweeb would be scared by a > followed by a flashing _.

Oh, wait, you want it pointy-clicky. You DO realise the modern 
pointy-clicky would spends more effort in drawing a single character on 
the screen than this machine is actually capable of?


> "That's the fastest this machine can count..."

Faster than you, buddy!

Seriously, his point might seem obvious, but you can't compare an iPad 
with a machine over quarter of a century old and than complain. WTF?


> "The machines also enforced a parsimonious programming style." GOOD.

What sort of Open University reject actually uses words like 
"parsimonious" in normal conversation? ;-)

Okay, that was a bit harsh, but still... I think in those days we KNEW 
how to program. We had to make magic happen, for getting results out of 
such a restricted machine takes skill and knowledge. Not like today 
where you can dimension an array of integers 256x256 to hold a bitfield...

I'd also argue that the Beeb era was the last time computers made sense. 
Okay, the A310 range is a giant heap of logic gates, but much beyond 
that it starts getting too black-boxy. Fast forward to my eeePC, the 
hard work is basically three chips. CPU? Video? Everything-else? I'm not 
sure it is feasible to understand it. The Beeb? Everything had a clear 
purpose and you could understand what one bit did with regards another.
Why the hardware rant? I, personally, don't feel it is possible to 
create good software until you understand what said software is actually 
DOING.

Oh; and yes, I know this implies that everything I've created this last 
decade has been a load of <beep>. I've been using VisualBasic, I'd 
agree. ;-) Still, it is a means to an end. Quickest way to get the job 
done under Windows, even if it is karmically distressing...


All of this said, at LEAST the Beeb is resurfacing. D'you think in ten 
years anybody would want to extol the virtues of MS-DOS 6.22? ;-)


Best wishes,

Rick.

-- 
Rick Murray, eeePC901 & ADSL WiFI'd into it, all ETLAs!
BBC B: DNFS, 2 x 5.25" floppies, EPROM prog, Acorn TTX
E01S FileStore, A3000/A5000/RiscPC/various PCs/blahblah...
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