|  OCT 1982

What Else Does It Do? by STEVE ROSS

What Else Does It Do? by STEVE ROSS More and more people are investing in personal computers. But personal computers are often purchased with only one or two real applications in mind. Many personal computer owners are not programmers, and have no intention of learning to program now, or in the future. As a programmer, I can sympathize with anyone who would rather not. Good programming requires a tremendous investment of time, and frustration. The frustration never seems to completely go away. The question many non-programmers are asking themselves is what else can that nicely packaged machine do for me? Once, the personal computer was only for the ""hobbyist"" -- a person who enjoyed programming everything from the ground up. Now, there are numerous firms who specialize in putting together packaged programs for a new market of people who want to use computers, but are not inclined to do the programming. The emergence of these software packages has opened a new vista for personal computing. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of what all these programs can do for them, and even for those who do see the potential, selecting the right one from the jungle of offerings is intimidating, to say the least!

by STEVE ROSS