This article was originally published in the Y.O.U.r CCP/ 
Newsletter - a joint publication of the Yankee Osborne Users 
group and the Connecticut CP/M users group.


                     REFLECTIONS OVER LUNCH
                       by James F. Taylor

I was at a business lunch the other day when the conversation (as 
it often does at business gatherings these days) turned to 
computers.

"What system do you have?" I was asked.

"Kaypro II," I proudly replied.  And like Arlo Guthrie once said, 
"they all moved away from me on the bench."

"CP/M is dead," one of the men at the table said.

"Not at all," I said, "In fact I'm getting new software almost 
every day for my machine.  And you know what?" I grinned, "It's 
all public domain stuff. It costs me only the price of a 
diskette."

The conversation at the table quickly changed to tales of hard 
disks and megabyte spreadsheets.

Listening to the prattle around me, I came to an interesting 
discovery.  Yes, it was true. These people had systems with 
greater memory and more capabilities than my humble Kaypro.  But 
no one was really using much of this power.

It really hit home when the Nuclear engineering consultant 
mentioned that his $70,000 IBM system turned out to be 
incompatible with the software he wanted to use for his customers 
work.  Of course, he said, his clients paid for the equipment, so 
HE didn't lose any money.

Around and around the conversation went.  It finally struck me 
that the only person at my table who was really satisfied with 
what his computer could do was me.  Me and my "inferior" 8-bit 
CP/M machine.

I couldn't resist mentioning the new 32-bit systems and how MS-
Dos would soon be "obsolete."

Suddenly, the conversation shifted again.  You'd be surprised at 
how many people are interested in the new tax laws.

And what is the moral of this little tale, dear friends?

Simply put, it is:

Yes, Virginia, there are more powerful systems then those that 
run CP/M.  MS-DOS has more features, more memory, and companies 
that provide product support.  There are a multitude of magazines 
that sing its praises.  And they even run flashy ads during the 
Super Bowl.

But what doesn't it have?  It doesn't have dedicated people who 
love their machines, who go to the trouble to study every nook 
and cranny of their capabilities and perhaps, more importantly, 
their POSSIBILITIES.  And MS-DOS does not have users that really 
know their machines and who band together to ensure their 
survival.

All-in-all, the worshippers of Big Blue and associated cults may 
have more power and potential than us, but in the long run that 
doesn't really matter.

After all, it's not what you have, it's what you DO with it that 
counts.

                              ****

If you would like to join the Yankee Osborne Users group, send 
$12/year to:
            Betty Scoville
            P. O. Box 152
            Weatogue, CT 06089


If you would like to join the Connecticut CP/M users group, send 
$15/year to:
            Tom Veile
            26 Slater Avenue
            Norwich, CT 06360
            Bett