Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1982)
Buying q computer? Hou d belter ujolch oull m Guard against sales pitch just a smart shopper tip For many years they were the object of scorn and fear — ominous and unwelcoming blobs of plastic and metal manipulated by myopic scientists But now, as a popular television commercial sug gests, even a monk can crawl out of the middle ages and own and operate a home computer This Christmas, a record number of Americans will also crawl, usually unprotected, into the confusing and exasperating world of computer sales As you browse through area shops in search of the ultimate machine, remember those advertising mes sages that promise buying and operating a personal computer "is so easy, a child can do it Also think back to the time when you first went skiing Remember lying on the frozen ground, skidding down "Bone-Crush Hill,” watching all those cute children who whisked by you, cutting their edges and sending razors of snow at your face Such is the joy of learning the ropes of buying, and attempting to operate, a personal computer Ideally, these tips will make the going easier: Face the music — Once you learn to control your personal computer, it’s a marvelous tool or toy But until you reach that undefinable level of mastery, there's no way of avoiding the misery of the learning process. No matter how easy the salesperson says it will be, there is no escaping the sinking feeling that will occur when you accidently delete a file And there's no avoiding your "user-friendly computer s true repiy oony, nidi file not found,” it will happily inform you "Please try again " Resign yourself to this humiliation, knowing that one day you will control the computer and not the other way around Listen, but don’t believe — If you watch 60 Minutes you know that anyone connected with computers will be a millionaire by the time they're 30 anyway, so don't be in a hurry to pad their pockets. Ask a lot of questions, visit a lot of stores But operate on the theory that everything a salesman will tell you, except for the price, could be a lie or distortion A slander against a noble profession? Kurt Thomet, a salesman for Midland Cascade Corp in Eugene, has no illusions about how his contemporaries operate "I've had a lot of people complain that salesmen are lying to them," says Thomet "Or they'll give misleading information You have to watch yourself out there Meat vs. motion - Remember the "It's not the meat it s the motion" theory With sports cars and sexual glands, it's not the size of the machinery that matters, it's what the operater does with it. That is also true of computers — a reasonably talented computer programmer can do much more with 48K internal memory than a mediocre programmer with a 64K memory, although it may take a little longer, paying an extra $1,000 for real or imagined prestige can be more expensive than it is worth On the other hand, it must be noted that the people that use the meat vs motion" argument are often those who own and operate Volkswagons, small sexual gianus anu smaii personal com puters The point is, decide how much you can or want to pay for a computer before you go shop ping Then stick to that price You can pay little as $89 95, choose to mortgage the house, or spend any increment in between Don't let the salesman give you a feeling of in adequacy because you re not maepenaentiy wealthy Study before you buy — There are many trustworthy sources available for beginners to learn enough about computers to make an intelligent purchase The best avenues are magazine articles The November issue of Money Magazine has an especially enlightening piece Also available through various computer dis tributors are beginners classes You are at a disad vantage in one way because these classes often serve as propaganda sessions for specific brands, but on the other hand they offer good background at a cheap price Realize limitations - Yes. with proper adapta tions, a computer can balance your checkbook, teach you how to fly an airplane, feed the cat and fetch the paper But unless you are a writer, accountant, or legal secretary, there's a good chance that your personal computer will never be more than an expensive toy An intriguing, exciting, wonderful toy perhaps, but a toy nonetheless As the salesman tells you all the wonderful things your personal computer will do for you, keep In mind that you have to teach the computer how to fetch the paper But first you have to teach yourself how to teach the computer to fetch the paper, or else uy n suitwaic? (Jfuyram men v-«n vww The point being. It might be cheaper in the long run just to buy a dog Sharpen those elbows — Computer stores in Eugene are reporting brisk sales this holiday season, so be prepared to tight the crowd Micki Bessler, of The Computer Store, says sales are "a lot better this year compared to 1981 That store sells Apple II Plus outfits tor $1995 Carl Watkins, manager of Computer Solutions Inc . which also deals in Apple Computers, agrees that sales are stronger this year than last year I think it's because the overall knowledge of society about computers has increased in the last year, and the interest generated by the media “ Thomet, who has a Commodore computer dis play at the University Bookstore, says student inter est has been "crazy and wild ’ The prices of his models range from about $200 to $600, and he says because of new technology and because they produce their own microchips, the new Com modores can compete with the $2,000 Apple II Uh uh uh! Caught you with your pants down — don't believe everything you hear or read coming from a salesman, remember? And people be careful out there Computer popularity is soaring among every age group and religious persuasion But don t shop with the mind of a child — it's a silicon-chip jungle out there. 4SIJr-~nr*~ Ask about Appkk Christmas packages. I *ktm Sharpen those elbows when shopping for computers
