4/21/1993: Computer Corner begins
Computer Corner was born in the spring of 1993.
WFAA-TV was expanding its Midday news broadcast from 30 minutes to one hour, and I was part of a meeting to help decide how to fill up all that extra time.
Since I had an interest in computers, and that was a topic not generally reported on in mainstream newscasts, I suggested that perhaps in addition to health and entertainment segments, someone could focus on all this new technology.
Our news director John Miller agreed, and said, “OK, you do that.”
Right away, I had to clarify that he meant that I was to be the one presenting the information, since at the time I was strictly a behind-the-scenes kind of guy who had never been on the air at WFAA (and it had been almost 15 years since my mug had illuminated a TV set).
So we decided on the “friendly” name of Computer Corner and I set to work preparing 4 or 5 minutes of material for the first episode, which was not presented in studo, but was rather pre-recorded in the newsroom (I can’t remember why, but it probably had something to do with concerns about how I handled myself on live
TV).
The first episode was broadcast on April 21, 1993, and it focused helping viewers decide if they wanted or needed a computer (and the options that were available). You can watch it above; Here’s the full transcript:
Time now to bring Midday into the computer age. Actually, we have been using computers to bring you the news here at Channel 8 for almost a decade. The person who runs our electronic information network as well as worko, and he suggested that because the power of personal computing is so affordable, our viewers might want to know more about computing basics, new hardware and new software… and we agree. So, taking it easy on the jargon, here's Walt with this week's user-friendly Computer Corner.
You're wandering through the neighborhood computer store. That IRS refund check is burning a hole in your pocket.
“Everybody's getting a computer... I've got to get a computer,” you think to yourself. “But which one?”
Buying a personal computer -- a PC -- has to be one of the toughest decisions for a 90s kind of consumer. First you have to decide between the two major categories: IBM compatible or Apple's Macintosh.
The Mac’s reputation for ease of use is well-deserved. It's the PC of choice for many artistic applications, and Macs are also common in schools. But since Apple is the only company that makes Macintosh computers, they're more expensive than their comparably-equipped IBM-compatible cousins.
You can buy these 386 and 486-type PCs from a wide variety of manufacturers, and prices? They've never been lower.
Software is what you add to a computer to make it do useful things. IBM-style computers have more software available in all categories, and they’ve become the standard platform for business use.
My suggestions, then. Buy a Mac if:
you use one at work
if you or your kids use one at school
if you're a professional artist
Get an IBM-compatible if:
you use one at work
if you or your kids use one at school
if you like to crunch numbers
But before you get out the checkbook, check your decision. If you have no experience in this digital domain, see if you are computer compatible.
The Dallas County Community Colleges and Tarrant County Junior Colleges offer introductory PC and Macintosh classes. The price tag for these non-credit courses is less than $100, an inexpensive hands-on way to help you make the right choice.
And if you don't know how to touch-type, make that a priority (you'll thank me for it!).
Now before we go, here’s a look at our Neat Thing of the Week: It's the Canon NoteJet 486. It looks just like most of the other portable computers available these days, but check it out: Flip up the keyboard, pop in a piece of paper, and it's a printer!
Canon says the unit will cost about $2,500, and you can find it in stores early next month.
In future weeks, we’ll be looking at new software; we’ll help you sort out which computer magazine is for you; and show you where to get a real deal on slightly used equipment.