HANG OUT YOUR SHINGLE

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For one thing, the premium price you pay for new stuff is a flat-out rip-off. New versions of most software programs are just another layer of frothy frosting on a stale cake. For the first time in 30 years of computer development, the newest super-chips are less complex and expensive than their predecessors. Based on RISC (reduced-instruction-set) technology, they are actually cheaper to make than the mechanically more complex but technically less sophisticated Intel 36000/ Motorola 68000 generation of CPUs.

Hollow Promises

Each new generation of CPUs promises to run older software, but "native" programs that use their fullbore capability will remain as "vaporware"-promised but not forthcoming-for months or years. For example, Microsoft Windows '95 (incorporating a hot new Internet-connected on-line service) was promised for spring of its namesake year, but was delayed till summer ...then fall ...and now it won't be released till some indefinite time in '96. To keep us enthralled till then is Bob, an interactive program written by Stanford University sociologists and featuring a smiley face that uses a cozy livingroom metaphor, and learns your operating habits, to weasel you into cuddling up with Microsoft.

"You Never Have Enough Memory"

To so much as load some of the newest software you need at least eight megabytes (eight million bits or "megs" of RAM memory (not to be confused with the permanent data storage that your hard disc is responsible for). But, computers are usually sold with four megs of RAM memory only. With memory chip-scalled SIMMs-priced at about $100 a meg, you can end up paying more for added memory than for the original computer. Unless you are running a NASA moon shot, designing a full-color magazine, or computer generating an animated cartoon. anyone who tells you that you'll need more than eight megs of RAM is lining their wallet with your money.

Bugs

All new hardware and software needs a period of post-release debugging. Remember last fall (of '94), when the Pentium superchip-subject of massive "Intel Inside" ads by its Fortune 500 maker-was revealed by an outside scientist to contain a bug that could ruin complex computations? Intel knew of the problem, but had done its best to hide the glitch—except to Compac and a few other major customers. When the bad news got out, they did a stonewall act worthy of Nixon/Haldeman/Ehrlichmann. claiming that an error wouldn't occur but once in 27,000 years. When IBM estimated publicly that a spreadsheet could be calculated in error once a month without anyone knowing, the furor persisted. Intel then loftily offered replacements, but only if they felt it necessary. Finally, when even the PC mags ventured to complain timidly, they caved and offered replacements to all buyers. Sulkily, Intel declared a multi-million charge-off and their stock blipped down briefly. Software too is released with undetected bugs. We've just learned that the most popular tax-computation software, Intuit's MacIntax and TurboTax, sold by H&R Block, are both flawed and capable of introducing errors that you would not notice till the IRS sent you a surprise invitation to come in for an audit.

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