I tried to explain the ZX Spectrum to my son. It didn’t go well - Dominik Diamond

[PeterJ]

Link found via Andrew Munro on FB:

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2023/ ... ter-gamers

[R-Tape]

I just fall into the 'Amiga preteens of the 90s category', and I can safely say that when my folks bought me my Amiga 500 there was no pretence of it helping with the homework—it was about games. I learned way more coding on the speccy than the Miggy, despite being even younger and more hopeless with it. I suppose back then there was a sense that it was generally a good idea to keep up with technology, which nowadays has flipped and you're a conscientious objector if you don't keep up.

Maybe it still happens today. Parents buy a giant Ninja family PC, because it’s what they have at work, and then one day their child learns that magic word … Steam.

Some things never change! But these days, it's hard to imagine a pure gamer that is clueless when it comes to a spreadsheet (or is it?).

“No son. It was the ZX Spectrum.”

“Cool name for a console.”

“It wasn’t a console. It was a computer.”

Heh.

[equinox]

I feel the article ought to have stated the age of Dominik's son, who is apparently aware of the "original Nintendo" but still interested in stickers.

And all together now:

Code: Select all

We bought it to help with your homework
We bought it to help with your homework
And the household accounts...

[Nitrowing]

I suppose back then there was a sense that it was generally a good idea to keep up with technology, which nowadays has flipped and you're a conscientious objector if you don't keep up.

Sorry but, I find that I have to explain PC's and tech in general to adults in their 20's
They have no idea of what their phone/laptop/PC is doing, what components are inside or even what software alternatives are available. If these people are "the future" then they better start looking after us older generations or they're screwed when stuff begins to go wrong

[R-Tape]

They have no idea of what their phone/laptop/PC is doing, what components are inside or even what software alternatives are available.

Aye, but I get the impression that we're all further from the nuts and bolts than we used to be. Would it be fair to say that wayyy more of us have a greater surface understanding than we used to, and it's still an elite (forgive the phrase - perhaps I should say people that choose to learn it) that know the nuts and bolts? And just how close are the elite to the nuts and bolts compared to BITD?

If these people are "the future" then they better start looking after us older generations or they're screwed when stuff begins to go wrong

As a university employee, I've been wowed by enough student whizzkids doing raspberry pi stuff and hackaday projects to make me feel safe on that score, but I'll happily join in with this grumble when it comes to queuing for buses (none of them care, even when they've been jumped themselves - ARRGH!)

[worcestersource]

I’d agree with the concept that many, especially the young ‘uns, are removed from the nuts and bolts of computers. My son’s never really explored the setup on his PC and couldn’t tell you what a hard disk is or how it differs from RAM. Goodness knows I’ve explained it enough times to him. I think the kids that know this stuff have a proper interest in it.

I think back in the day, we had to know in order to keep these things running. Now, not so much.

We can liken it to cars. I have one from the 80s and can pretty much fix anything on it (and frequently!). The one from the 90s has rudimentary fuel injection that, astonishingly, has three computers that somehow work together to make it go vroom vroom. Let’s say I leave the engine alone but everything else is fair game. I daren’t touch the modern car, aside from swapping lights or mirror glass.

But back the Speccy. It’s a blooming marvel!

[Daveysloan]

Sorry but, I find that I have to explain PC's and tech in general to adults in their 20's
They have no idea of what their phone/laptop/PC is doing, what components are inside or even what software alternatives are available. If these people are "the future" then they better start looking after us older generations or they're screwed when stuff begins to go wrong

It is funny when you see younger folk laughing at the tech we had growing up, I sometimes get the impression that they think that they invented smartphones and tablets and we were all stupid for not having them.

Thankfully my youngest is a big fan of the Speccy and respects its place in the evolutionary chain. Even if he is more interested in his tablet & Switch, he still enjoys the odd blast on a classic.

The article was funny when Dominic said about streaming Spectrum games as if that was something completely absurd, it isn't though right? At least I hope if isn't!!

[Waldroid]

It is funny when you see younger folk laughing at the tech we had growing up, I sometimes get the impression that they think that they invented smartphones and tablets and we were all stupid for not having them.

You see that a lot in reaction videos to old movies that millennials love to make. They sneer at the "rubbish CGI", despite the film having been made before there was really any CGI.

Ah well. What can you do?

[berarma]

I get the impression that he started talking to his son about the Spectrum when he was already spoiled by the newest technology. I'm talking my 7 years old son about the Spectrum and the response is very different. If I had waited until he went to university things would be much different though.

[1024MAK]

Sorry but, I find that I have to explain PC's and tech in general to adults in their 20's
They have no idea of what their phone/laptop/PC is doing, what components are inside or even what software alternatives are available. If these people are "the future" then they better start looking after us older generations or they're screwed when stuff begins to go wrong

In case you’re not noticed, the fix as far as the young (as well as the non-technically older generations) is to get a new device.

As devices/systems get ever more complex, the “black box” problem gets worse, with ever fewer non-specialist people able to understand enough to actually fix things. Even if they try, it’s either random luck as they try replacing different parts/sections, or by “Googling it”.

This is not just happening with consumer devices, but also in industry.

I do wonder what the future holds, with complex technology getting into everything now.

Mark

[1024MAK]

You see that a lot in reaction videos to old movies that millennials love to make. They sneer at the "rubbish CGI", despite the film having been made before there was really any CGI.

Ah well. What can you do?

You point out that thirty years before they were born, man walked on the moon…

Mark

[uglifruit]

Isn't the 'black box' problem getting ever worse with *noone* really understanding computers, and computers designing their own successors...

... No, wait, that's in the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy

[1024MAK]

Well, PCB tracks are now automatically routed by computers…

Computers are extensively used to design chips, from programmable logic to custom chips…

Compare that to the NMOS Z80 and 6502 which were both designed “by hand”.

Mark

[Ast A. Moore]

Ho–o–old up!

Am I the only one who actually used his Speccy to help with the homework?

Seriously, graphing trigonometric functions and parabolas was both fun and educational, and really served as a great visual guide.

[AndyC]

No I did too. Particularly with some maths things, I found that if I could write code to work things out for me I'd actually end up with a better understanding of how you were supposed to solve the maths.

[flatduckrecords]

No I did too. Particularly with some maths things, I found that if I could write code to work things out for me I'd actually end up with a better understanding of how you were supposed to solve the maths.

Yeah same here - my S3/S4 maths teacher was really supportive of it for that very reason.

[stupidget]

I suppose I t’s just the natural progression of technology. TV’s used to come in kit form as did the zx-80/81 and pc’s. When I started in IT I had to build pc’s , and it was brilliant. Scrabbling around in various plastic boxes for CPU’s, memory, graphics and video cards. I remember being chuffed that I’d built my own office pc with 16mb of memory yes meg, not gig!!! I was doing this until the early 2000’s . I would have absolutely no idea how to build a modern pc.

[Nitrowing]

I suppose I t’s just the natural progression of technology. TV’s used to come in kit form as did the zx-80/81 and pc’s. When I started in IT I had to build pc’s , and it was brilliant. Scrabbling around in various plastic boxes for CPU’s, memory, graphics and video cards. I remember being chuffed that I’d built my own office pc with 16mb of memory yes meg, not gig!!! I was doing this until the early 2000’s . I would have absolutely no idea how to build a modern pc.

I built mine before Christmas, it's really simple now as nothing will physically fit in the wrong place
Yes, the "black box" build of new technology has left many people no option other than take it to a specialist or replace it. Cars and motorbikes went down the same route - most vehicles built after the turn of the century have so many sensors and computers that if something goes wrong, you're stationary. None of those gubbins are necessary for the vehicle to run but they've been designed that way whereas computers are reliant on their tiny circuitry.

[1024MAK]

Am I the only one who actually used his Speccy to help with the homework?

Absolutely not!

My ZX Spectrum was most definitely used to help me through school. Both in maths and in computer studies. In fact, one of my practicals/projects was a submission of a ZX Spectrum program (drawing mathematical graphs) on a cassette tape, along with a listing.

I don’t remember using it for any other homework though. The rest of the time, it was either experimenting with programming, actually writing a program or playing games…
Later on, I got more into the hardware (electronics) side, but I think that was after I finished school.

Mark

[Ast A. Moore]

one of my practicals/projects was a submission of a ZX Spectrum program (drawing mathematical graphs) on a cassette tape, along with a listing.

An impressive curriculum you had, if I do say so myself! None of my schools (I attended several) had anything remotely like that. (A couple of them did have computers, though.)