In '75, at TIF Instruments near Miami Florida, while working there as a Graphic Artist, I saw the company's computer that was kept in a cool room. I remember the young computer operator telling me that very soon there will be small microchips available which uses sixteen thousand units of memory markers per microchip.
My first ownership of a computer was when my older brother and I bought an Atari 800XL home computer in '83. We chose it over the Commodore 64 because it was cheaper and seemed as good. Of all things a computer can do, the use as a comprehensive electric typewriter seemed perfect for my SPIRIT OF ATLANTIS book project I began back then. Although it has since lost some of its 64 K memory, the Atari 800XL (2 MHz?) still works with a TV as a monitor. An Antic software program called "Orbit: A trip to the Moon" by John Reagh was one of my favorite game simulators.
Late in '86, I bought an Atari 520ST for about $600 that only had half a million megabytes of memory. Feeling like a half a millionaire, I was happy to step into the modern Graphical User Interface world at much less cost than other popular computers. One of the main reasons I chose the 8 MHz Atari platform over the Apple and PC platforms was because I thought I could easily transfer my older Atari 800XL text files from my book project to the newer Atari system -- but, as it turned out, this was not the case. By the time I figured out to transfer my text files, I had completely recreated them again on the newer Atari. Also, the hardware and software for the Apple and PC computer platforms seemed way out of my price range. The Amiga home computer -- and its similar GEM operating system, was also an option, but the Atari slogan "power without the price" made sense at the time.
Using a 24-pin dot-matrix printer, the Atari 520ST did a good job in organizing my book project into a presentable layout. Both Atari computers did their job in consolidating my thoughts in print and thousands of hours were spent on learning how computers operate.
Acquiring another Atari computer in '89, an Atari 1040ST, I now had a full one million megabytes to explore more memory intensive programs. Among these were Tom Hudson's Cyber-studio and Degas Elite programs that allowed the use of 3-D graphics with my artwork. Music programs were also a strong side of the Atari platform. With a built-in MIDI hardware interface, the computer was very useful to musicians like myself. Better with a guitar than a keyboard, I did create several songs with the Atari ST -- and could still create more if I had the time.
The Atari 1040ST also came with a 20-megabyte hard drive -- but before I could take advantage of it in my work, it failed when someone "bumped the desk" and the drive head skewed across the drive platter. So without a hard drive, I had to publish my book project by using two floppies to transfer and compile my files. Software programs like PageStream 2.2 and Degas Elite were quite good in graphically arranging the many illustrations I created over the years. These home computers and a Star bubble-jet printer -- together with the use of a Sharp Z-70 copy machine, was all that was needed to create the first printings of my SPIRIT OF ATLANTIS book project.
During the early '90's I held off acquiring any new computers for two basic reasons -- the first, I didn't have the money, and second, I didn't need any more computing power. The Atari platform, although rapidly becoming an orphan system, did the job I needed. However, by the middle of the decade, what I needed was to get on the Internet and explore the many marketing options online. In '96, I could still access the online service of CompuServe with my Atari and visit many forums at 2400 baud. Sending E-mail across the Internet from my Atari by way of CompuServe may still be available even today -- although I have not tried it lately. Not bad for an old home computer from '89.
Before I finally decided to acquire a newer computer platform, I have to say that I'm sorry to see the Atari line of computers become orphaned. I always thought that the Atari OS would be reappear in some portable Apple clone computer because, like the Mac OS code, its 68030 Motorola CPU code was successfully transferred to the PowerPC chip by way emulation formulas. I should add that, although there are workable Atari emulators for both the PC and PowerPC platforms, I never bought any to fully test them out. I still on occasion, when I have time, like to fire up the old Atari and play space games like Frontier Elite 2 and Starglider 2. Other simulator programs like Flight Simulator, Orbiter and A320 Airbus are also still interesting.
As an avid reader of many computer magazines like Byte, Computer Shopper and PC Computing, I was aware of the Wintel juggernaut phenomenon and was willing to join this mainstream computing system -- but still kept an open mind about the PowerPC choice of the Apple Mac OS option. The issue of compatibility is perhaps the most important issue in choosing a new computer platform. After experiencing what had happened to the Atari platform, it seemed like a gamble to choose anything but the common PC platform.
In December '96, the time was ripe for a new computer platform. Was it going to be the common PC option -- with its complex DOS set of command baggage smoothed over by Microsoft's Windows OS, or the unique Apple Mac OS option -- with its less complex set of RISC commands tied to hardware conformity. It seemed like the computer choice was either a business and pleasure machine or a business with pleasure machine.
Since most all of my existing software was not based on DOS or intensive spreadsheet database programs, and since the Mac OS uses a less complex CPU than other common CPU's associated with Microsoft's Windows OS, the choice favored the Apple platform over the common PC platform. I bought a Macintosh Performa 6360 PowerPC that runs at 160 MHz and is still accomplishing exactly what it was bought for.
Actually, both the Window OS and Mac OS have their advantages and disadvantages. The way I saw it in '96 was, although there are several other OS's and CPU's systems that work for many, there were two primary CPU designs that are in serious competition for the harts and minds of future computer users -- the Intel and Motorola chips.
Because both CPU chips are a marvel of micro engineering, it would be a sad day if one design were made obsolete just because certain major software developers were insensitive to the advantages of supporting both platforms. Imagine if only one operating system standard existed in computing -- the drive to improve over the competition would not be there and we all would suffer.
As computer users seeking better computing options for our future, we should encourage software developers to write their programs for both primary Operating Systems that support their respective CPU chips because there are many important lessons to learn in comparing and improving system architecture formats between the platforms. These important lessons take more time and money than some can afford -- but better programs and microchips will be the result in the long run.
The graphical programs by Adobe are good examples of the type of software writing that we need more of. I would not have bought certain modern 3D animation application programs like Ray Dream 3D or Amorphium if it were not available for the Mac OS. And newer game simulators like Micro Prose's Civilization 3 and Graphic Simulations' F/A-18 are just a sample of some software programs I now own because these software companies invested the time and money to write for both platforms.
Computers today are more than just the fancy electric typewriters of yesterday. Rising above all the great business and multimedia programs now available are certain entertainment programs that educate through simulated experiences of what happens aboard certain aircraft during flight. Flight simulation technology is perhaps why computers today run as fast as they do. The need to design the fastest and most effective electronic pathways on computer chips to answer the software commands of flight simulator programs is perhaps why we have over computers running at over 3 GHz today.
In '98, I acquired a 233 MHz WinBook XL notebook PC that allowed me to test my SPIRIT OF ATLANTIS book work in HTML code from the Mac OS on the Windows OS. I also acquired Microsoft's FLIGHT SIMULATOR 98 so I can enjoy the feeling of flying commercial aircraft without the cost and danger of the real thing. Other flight simulators like MicroProse Falcon 4.0, Parasoft's A-10 and Interactive Magic's F-22 can be very educational in how they portray the flight of modern military jets.
And in '99, I bought AIRCRAFT FACTORY by Abacus - which allows the personal design and construction of many aircraft for FLIGHT SIMULATOR. X-PLANE by Laminar Research is a flight simulator program that can develop its own aircraft and scenery projects -- and it's found on both the Mac OS and Windows OS platforms. PRO-PILOT USA by Dynamix works great on my 233 MHz WinBook PC. And the neatest astronomical time and space simulator is from Sienna Software called STARRY NIGHT - a fantastic and accurate way to study our celestial heavens.
Early in '00, I acquired a 500 MHz Hewlett Packard 6640C PC with a K62 AMD processor chip to experience Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2000 program and Electronic Arts' Flight Unlimited 3. The latter flight simulator program implements the first fully interactive, real time, Air Traffic Control System found on a home PC. Terminal Reality's FLY! is one of the most detailed flight-sim I've experienced. In '98 the idea that one could acquire a 500 MHz computer for only $800 would be laughed at. And late in '01, I acquired a 1.5 GHz HP 7959 with an Intel P4 for $950. The speed and cost of modern technology is absolutely amazing!
Perhaps my obsession with computer flight simulation can be traced back to my first exposure to computers when I flew the military B-52 computer simulator in '63 at Walker AFB near Roswell, New Mexico. Little did I realize back then that the evolution of computer flight simulation technology would become a primary means of educational entertainment in the home from computers costing a few hundred dollars.
Designing and testing theoretical aircraft designs that work from the water surface is also very interesting to me -- and what better way to do both from a computer workstation. Using a computer workstation and the 3D modeling program called Armorphium, I created a set of seaplane designs that I believe may revolutionize global marine transportation someday. One design version simply "hops" from site to site using theoretical thermal-electric thrusters -- while the more advanced design uses sub orbital "jumps" through space between sites at subsonic speeds. Although years from actual production, I feel that my seaplane designs can help usher in a new age of aeronautical ships that could make more affordable travel between coastal communities without conventional major airports.
In recent years since '02, I have discovered two Direct X based programs by Ilan Papini called Virtual Sailor and Micro-Flight -- which allows artist like myself to design all types of virtual vehicles, such as boats, planes or even cars, and place them within custom scenery projects that can also be created for the programs. In effect, I have discovered the means to create a virtual universe using these two programs wherein all objects -- including plants, buildings, and even animated animals that fly or swim, can be designed by any good artist with some knowledge and experience in 3d computer modeling. These two virtual computer programs, although similar but different in some aspects, allow for very realistic day and night operations and GPS navigation. The Virtual Sailor program displays dynamic wave action movement in real time -- and the Micro-Flight program is capable of simulating true aeronautical flight. Both programs have online access to many vehicle models in which to experiment with.
Lately, I have created many models and scenery projects for these two programs with the help of a free 3d modeling program called Anim8or. Together with a good paint program, the Anim8or program creates textured 3ds models -- which when used correctly within the simulation programs, can project a very realistic experience in real time on modern computers.
Modern aerospace technology and aircraft flight simulation systems would not be what they are today without the number crunching ability of modern computers. Included in my SPIRIT OF ATLANTIS book project is graphical and historical data that suggest our ancient ancestors once used simple aircraft designs. It is interesting to note that the historical subject of Atlantis and the space shuttle ATLANTIS reflect a unique special scientific link in our imaginations. Perhaps our scientific knowledge of modern aerospace technology can be traced to some ancient flying machines from the lost age of Atlantis.
Someday soon, a virtual reality flight simulator machine of the future will be created and display wondrous views of a virtual world as fantastic as the real one we live on. I hope to be there when it happens.