1977: A Madman Turns 40: 2017- Day 5

    It's Day 5 and I didn't think I'd hit writer's block so soon. Okay- that's not really true or fair of me to say. I've got tons of great 1977 things I want to write about but the dates don't match up yet. 
    I was about to give up in defeat for the day, but then, I realized that an idea was staring me right in the face- computers! 

See, inspiration was staring me right in the face.

For doing work, writing this blog, and keeping my comic book collection, I use a Asus Chromebook (Complete with Dalek sticker that I added myself.) Some folks are Apple people. I'm a Google man- all the way. I'm not like those who hate one type of computer (or it's supporters) as opposed to another. It's just that Google more user friendly for me and my skill level.
    Since I'm looking at computers, I thought I would explore what a computer looked like in 1977...
   

The Apple II.

   In 1977, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Apple released the Apple II. This little baby was state of the art in many ways. It came in a nifty carrying case and was portable with built in keyboard. For many, the Apple II was revolutionary as it also came with game paddles so people could play the video game Breakout on it.

   The Apple II was many people's first personal computer and the model proved popular as it was still being made well into the early 90s. Apple gave away millions of computers to public schools, thus setting into motion the eventual desire and need for a computer in the home.
   
    There was one downfall to this computer- no monitor. You actually had to plug this baby into a TV. But people claim that if you had a really nice color TV, the clarity was remarkable for early computing systems.

(Clip from the Big Bang Theory in which Sheldon meets Apple II co-creator

Steve Wozniak. Note that Sheldon's 1977 version has a monitor, which was an upgrade made available sometime in 1980.)

   '77 also saw the debut of the Commodore 1530 Datasette. This little guy was also portable (though now as much as the Apple II) and had the added feature of a built in monitor. However, the monitor was quite small and the way to save data on compact cassettes, very similar to those used in creating mix tapes, would soon be rendered obsolete by floppy discs which could hold more data and was easier to find where you saved that pesky term paper at. Though the Commodore was the cheaper option it was notorious for being quite slow.

Note the device that looks like a cassette player on the left.
That's because that essentially was what this computer was-
a really expensive cassette recorder

   I remember that my dad bought a Commodore computer in the early 80s. It was about as useful as a typewriter without the paper. What can I say, my family also thought the beta-max was the superior system on VHS, Sega would outlast Nintendo, and that CDs were just a fad...

   Now you might be asking 'what about Atari?" Yes, it came out in 1977, but like I mentioned earlier, I have tons of great ideas to write about. It's just not the right time on the calendar yet. So until then, sit back, enjoy your more modern computer system that by year's end will be considered out-dated and tune in tomorrow for my next adventure as a Madman Turns 40.

Secret Coders (Family Comic Friday)

  When a young girl named Hopper transfers to Stately Academy, it’s a rough transition. Her basketball skills aren’t up to par with the rest of the team, nobody wants to sit with her at lunch, and the really difficult Mandarin teacher is, in reality, her mom! But when she finally makes a new friend named Eni, the pair uncover a secret involving the birds at the school, it opens Hopper up to the world of computer coding. With a myriad of mysterious numbers and locked doors, Hooper and Eni work together to undercover the mystery of Stately Academy.

  Written by Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) with art by Mike Holmes (Adventure Time), 2015’s Secret Coders is a great new series that combines science, mystery, and technology. The book is designed like a graphic novel with mystery activities that the reader is encouraged to solve along with Hopper and Eni.

  Yang was just recently selected as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and I think that this book is an excellent reason why the author was chosen. Already an accomplished writer as well as a teacher in computer science, Gene Luen knows what it takes to make learning fun for kids, such as turning a graphic novel mystery into an undercover manual for computer programming!

  I wish him well in his tenure as a literary ambassador!

  Secret Coders ends with a cliffhanger. Usually, this is a pet peeve of mine, but I got this at the library and it’s the first book in the series, so I can overlook it. However, it won’t be until August of this year before book 2 drops! That’s a long time for kids to wait for a book sequel! (Heck, it’s a long time for me to wait! and I’m 38!!!)

  That being said, there are lots of unresolved conflicts such as the troubling dynamic of Hopper and her mom, why her father just up and disappeared, and what really is going on at Stately Academy. Hopefully, Yang will include a good 2-3 page ‘Story So Far…’ summary in volume 2.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.