That Was the Tech That Was

From the Tech Archives Dept.: I found this pair of pieces in my archives and had a terrific laugh at the enthusiasm with which I celebrated what’s now obsolete in the first piece. The second is slightly less dated, but you’d be hard-pressed to find any of those mom-and-pop mail-order computer stores any more. 

                                                                                 

Format Wars

SMALL USUALLY WINS when you talk home electronics. Just as the cassette conquered reel-to-reel, so has the half-inch videocassette triumphed over the bulky open-reel jobs. Surprisingly, though, the tiny 8-millimeter format never caught on—or has yet to. It wasn't impressive enough its first time out to sway the market; whether any refinement lurks is as yet unpromised.

Navigating the shoals of videotape formats is a confusing proposition, especially for the novice. There are five or six of them to consider, depending how you wish to count, and each has its share of enthusiasts.

To get the abbreviations straight, a VCR is a video cassette recorder: it can record from and playback through a television. They start at about $200, discounted, although you can save a few bucks by buying a video cassette player, which has no record capability. You’re then at the mercy of your local video rental store.

Unlike audio cassettes, which adhere to a standard established by Philips in the late ‘60s, video cassettes came on the scene in two types: Sony’s Beta format and the competing VHS. Although tape width is a half-inch for both, they are housed differently, each side claiming its own path is better.

With a wider immediate availability, VHS overtook the initially popular Beta with a wide lead. Cassettes were a little bigger but the machines got cheaper faster, and soon it threatened to edge the other out. And so the great format wars began. Sony’s response was a high-fidelity sound recording system that offered not only stereo but a frequency response and dynamic range surpassed only by digital equipment. The Hi-Fi system awed the industry, and new Beta machines, designed to play both old and new audio formats, entered the market.

VHS wasn’t far behind. A nearly identical Hi-Fi project resulted in another lead down the track, with new VHS machines sounding just as clean and responsive. Stereo already was available in the old format, now termed “linear,” but the Hi-Fi system was far better-sounding. Be aware of the difference as you shop—a Hi-Fi machine plainly proclaims its capability, and not all of those that offer stereo will qualify.

Today VHS is still the leader, enough so that most video rental shops stock only that format. Your choice probably will depend on tape availability—and the format your friends use.
When considering a machine, a Hi-Fi-equipped unit is on the other side of what was a major price gulf, although such machines are now selling for just under $400. Hi-Fi is worth the investment: even the plain old TV stuff sounds better, although you’ll have to avoid VHS’s slowest tape speed.

Three speeds are available in the VHS format that will play a standard tape in two, four or six hours. They usually are indicated as SP (standard play), LP (long play) and EP or SLP (extended play or super long play). The middle speed should serve most requirements, although many machines refuse to perform slow-motion and freeze-frame at that speed for very technical reasons. You sports freaks will have to go either fastest or slowest.

There was a flurry of interest as Kodak promoted an 8mm design that featured digital sound recording; although some hardware still creeps onto the market, it’s a pretty moribund subject now.

In the interest of miniaturization, there is a VHS-C size available, an extremely costly little tape that allows camcorders to be made much smaller. You play it back through the camera or use an adapter that will allow it play through the regular-sized VHS machines.

On the horizon are more changes: Sony has conceded to the American lack of interest in Beta by pushing its new Extra Dynamic tape-and-machine combo only overseas. In this country, the VHS crowd has a new Super-VHS configuration about to hit the stores. It promises a better picture, enough so that they’re expecting the old VHS to become obsolete. The Super-VHS machines will play your old tapes, but you won’t be able to use the new tapes in old machines. The tricky tech-y term for that is “upwardly compatible.”

It’ll still be a while before the price of the new equipment settles down, so buy the standard equipment without fear: the market is clogged with it. 

– Metroland Magazine, 14 January 1988

                                                                                       

The Chip’s in the Mail

THOSE ADS IN COMPUTER SHOPPER magazine are so tempting: “Complete PC clones for $400! Order by mail!” But it’s just a guy’s name at a post office box in Nebraska and you think you smell some bunco here. Is it wise, or even safe, to buy such stuff that way?

The computer boom has made a cottage industry out of assembling and selling clones of the popular IBM system, and the majority of those who offer this ware by mail have a sincere desire to save a couple of bucks by avoiding the expense of showroom space.

But we’re at the mercy of the many things that can go wrong when too much travels too far in too many pieces. No amount of sincerity will make a bum disk drive work, and successful mail ordering requires that you choose a company that won’t rip you off initially and provides quick, reliable support.

So begin by deciding exactly what you want. Read up on the subject: there are any number of computer magazines on the stands that can help you out. PC World and PC Magazine are the best for IBM-related info.

(If you’re an Apple user, you have cause to despair. They won’t authorize mail sales and try to represent such sales as a terrible insanity. Good luck.)

Read the ads carefully. That great deal looks so good you’re just about ready to buy, but a close inspection will reveal that it lacks a monitor and, probably, disk drive. Be sure to get all the components you need, without burdening your pocketbook with unnecessary glamour items.

A few more pointers that will help you restrict your mail-order activity:

•    Always order on a credit card. The issuing bank offers extra protection should the deal go awry, although you should pay attention to restrictions: often there is a mileage limit involved.

•    Keep a written record of your telephone transactions. Write down exactly what you want; write down exactly what the salesperson promises. Make sure the magic the ad promised is really available: don’t let yourself get hustled into a higher-priced deal if it’s not what you want. They work on commission, you know.

•    Be clear on warranties. Be sure there is a money-back guarantee of you’re not satisfied for whatever reason. If the first company doesn’t provide one, keep calling. There are others that do. Find out who does the repair work—get the name of a service staffer.

•    Ask about shipping delays. Incredible backups are a legend in this business. Federal Trade Commission laws require shipment in no later than 30 days—otherwise you must be offered the option to cancel your order.

•    Above all, check out a company before you place an order. Consult back issues of the above-mentioned magazines to see if ads have been running for at least three months.

All of this is nothing more than should be practiced in any mail-order situation. The magazines often give updates on mail-order companies, and you would do yourself a world of good by obtaining the all-around best book for the beginning user. Its title is “The Secret Guide to Computers” (12th edition, vol. one), and it’s available for $8 from the author: Russ Walter, 22 Ashland St., Somerville, MA, 02144. The book provides excellent information on mail-order strategy.

[UPDATE: As of this posting, “The Secret Guide to Computers” is up to its 34th edition, and, as with all the previous editions, it’s a treasure. It’s now $30, which includes shipping. Russ moved: his address is now 196 Tiffany Lane, Manchester NH 03104-4782. You can find more information online at RussWalter.com, including access to many of the book’s chapters. And you can see my essays about the book itself here (an earlier edition) and here (34th edition). ] 

– Metroland Magazine, 14 January 1988