PC vs ZX - How did it all start? "...So, I have a dilemma - either sell my Spestrum and not suffer (although it’s a pity), or try to bring it closer to a semi-professional PC..."

             
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 │ PC vs ZX                
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    Isn't it time to call Uncle Freud?  │ 
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(C) Protein, 1998                        
                                          
           What nervous faces - there's trouble.
                                          
                         Boris Grebenshchikov
                                          
             The silence was suddenly broken by a
           ria of piercing screams, for
           followed by a rhythmic
           Rondo of distinct blows, nano-
           simim, as it turned out, to the chest
           giant silverback
           male                        
                                          
 Dian Fossey, "Gorillas in the Mist"
                                          
  For quite some time now we have been witnessing
lyami (and often participants) countless
disputes and verbal battles, played out
between supporters of two platforms:
PC and ZX Spectrum.                         
  I, as an avid spektrumist, could too
practice mental jiu-jitsu
pages of newspapers and say a lot of words under-
support to Spectrum, and also to pour
labeled as “these insolent pisishniks.” I
could, as is already customary, express the mind-
new thoughts and brilliant arguments, delve into
problem, carefully dissect it,
consider and draw indisputable conclusions.  
  Is this necessary? Isn't that why I'm so diligent?
engaged by ordinary users and experienced
programmers for several years now? A tol-
something from that?  Look, it's about to come
massacre.                                 
  Maybe, on the contrary, we need to move back
side and see everything from a distance?  
                                          
                                          
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  In the eleventh issue of the magazine"Knowledge-
strength" for 1991 I read an interesting
article.  It was called "Nine Steps"
down, or Quarrels - conflicts - wars" and would-
la written based on materials from Gothenburg
Institute of Social Ecology. Briefly
The meaning of the article can be conveyed by opening it like this:
wok:                                      
                                          
  "We view conflict as a disease.
This disease is common to both people and
social organisms: it arises internally
ri groups or between groups, organization-
mi, communities, nations. In the disease itself
already have all the information needed to
recovery, there is also strength there for this
overcome the disease. Thus, the beginning
treatment will be a diagnosis.  But it is very important
so that the diagnosis is made together with those whom
affected by the conflict. Then it turns
the first step towards resolving the conflict.
There are five important aspects of diagnosis: 
  1. The origins of the conflict, that is, subjective
nal or objective experiences of the parties,
methods of "struggle", events within the conflict
ta, a contradiction of opinions or confrontation. 
  2. Biography of the conflict, that is, its use
thorium and the background against which it progressed;
escalation of conflict, crises and turning points
points in its development.                     
  3. The parties to the conflict, whether individuals,
groups or large communities. Depending on
bridgesthis determines the level of social
al complexity.                         
  4. Position and relations of the parties, form
small and informal; their interdependence
bridges, their roles, personal relationships, etc.  
  5. The initial attitude towards the conflict is ho-
Do the parties want to resolve the conflict themselves?
you are their hopes, expectations, conditions.         
  Like most diseases, conflict
it starts quite innocently and goes from there
further.  But its participants do not notice this -
until things get serious.    
  The development of the conflict resembles a descent down
stairs - we seem to go down step by step -
we walk up the steps, and with every step our
ordinary consciousness and maturity of reason
huddle.  Outwardly this manifests itself in the fact that
we are less and less able to see the real co-
social situation, themselves and their surroundings
life."                                   
                                          
 I didn’t bring these materials here so much
in order to somehow start my article,
and, moreover, not to give it more
solidity, but so that you can
form your own opinion based on the data
this question even before you know mine.
In fact, having read what has already been written and
being aware of the problem, it is quite possible, and
without reading further, figure it all out.     
  So, point one.What do we see when, getting out of the thicket
battles, survey the battlefield as a whole?
Spectrumists and pisishniks are trying furiously
kill or maim each other, or-
blowing parameters of their favorites, hardware
data, software, price
etc.  But all this is just a weapon in their hands -
kah. The goal is completely different. What is she wearing? Here
we won't know. To do this you need to do
a short trip, as they say, "to
depth of history."                           
  And this is the second point.                 
  Where did it all start? "The first swallow"
brewing conflict I found in the first
issue of "ZX-Review" for 1994. "...So,
I have a dilemma - either sell mine
Spectrum and not to suffer (although it’s a pity), whether
but try to bring him closer to a semi-professional
onal PC...", the reader complains.    
 And indeed, when in the CIS markets, in
offices of enterprises, scientific institutions
when IBMs appeared and access to them became
more or less possible, a similar question has become
torment many Specky users. Many
really switched to IBM. And soon
statements poured in: “IBM is better!” Hearing
such, devoted followers of Spectrum
lost the ability to think logically,
were filled with poison and eager to attack, which was not
amazing. (Personally, I think it’s more likely
What’s important is that it was the spektrumists who started
this conflict, because "pussies"much
threaten Spectrum more than
"Spectrum" "pussies".) But just that
I had to really think about this
the phrase: "IBM is better!"                       
  Imagine that on the central
the square of your city looks like some kind of mu-
Zhik and starts yelling: “The Niva combine is the best”
She!" For what, man?                     
  First of all, you need to figure out
what and for whom IBM is better.                
  And here we come to point three -
participants in the conflict.                     
  Who were the first users of Spectru-
ma"?  Mostly they were "iron workers"
radio amateurs - those who were capable of doing
make it with your own hands and who was interested
Sen the process of its manufacture itself. A little
later the number of users joined
amateur programmers.  Very often the first
after assembling the computer, the second
mi.  But these were always creative people
mentality that realizes itself in creating
anything, be it hardware or software.
When the Spectrum appeared on free sale
however, its users were those who
viewed the computer as a toy
means of filling leisure time. What do you think-
those: who was the first to throw Speccy?             
  Indeed, for the game IBM is better - this is
although cruel, but true. And it turns out
those who say IBM is better are right. But
rightjust for yourself.                    
  There are other kinds of IBM users.     
  It is an indisputable truth that the greatest sweat
The desire of any person is self-realization.
The basics of psychology are built on this. Those who
treat the computer like a toy - na-
less aggressive users. They are very
rarely take part in disputes because
don't take them to heart. But there is also
others. They consider the number of kilos
bytes of RAM of their computer as a measure of their
significance without being able or not
wanting to realize oneself in something else. And
These are the most ardent debaters. Their wasps
new dogma - the “cooler” the better. They
They just can’t understand why they’re so proud
Sinclairists.  Although, if you ask them themselves
what is better than IBM, they are like broken
This record will again begin to list ha-
characteristics of your computer.  They don't
so many are trying to increase their importance
(on the shaky ground on which they
build, it’s quite difficult), how many
seek to humiliate someone else.                  
  What about the other side? How can I already pi-
sal, Spectrum users - mostly
creative people.  They assert themselves
creating.                                 
  In ecology there is such a term - ecology.
ical niche, which is defined as
"functional place of a species in an ecosystem."
That is, every place where a species lives andworks, whether it is the ocean floor, mountain
slopes, forest, small cave or something
other.  "Spectrum" is a kind of niche for
this creative layer of society. He ob-
brings people together, helps them realize themselves.
Try one such self-taught talent, or
even the group will be implemented on the PC platform
among monsters like the same Microsoft.
The Spectrum has become, so to speak,
computer of the "technical bohemia" of the countries
CIS.  (And not only technical. Personally, I
neither in electronics, nor in machine codes - nor
kick in the tooth.) Spectrum for spektrumists -
a special world in which they can do something and
are doing this something.                        
  Now we are very close to
important fourth point - relationship
niyam parties.                              
  What do they need from each other? Nothing
new.  The same thing a male gorilla needs
beating himself in the chest - to assert himself. A
who is stopping them? What's all the fuss about?
Just when the outflow of people from the payment system began
Spectrum forms, spektrumists feel
whether a threat to your computer is not easy
a machine, but a means of self-realization. A pi-
the officers accepted their attempts to defend themselves
as an attack on one's means of self-
beliefs.                                
  That's the reason!  A desire to "achieve
truth" is just self-deception. All these
the debates are just as meaningfulus-
How meaningful is the fight between two gorillas?
for a female. If there are two (are they gorillas or people
- it doesn’t matter) they shout and wave their fists,
what they want to achieve now is
true.                                   
  And even if the parties were looking for the truth,
they would not have found her, since there is no one
the truth for everyone.  "IBM is better for the game" -
it's true.  "My IBM has great RAM,
cool hard drive, cool graphics and all the os-
Talent is cool too. So I'm cool too
that one" - if you really think so,
well, for you it's true. "Speccy is mine
computer.  Nothing will make me quit
him,” and this is also true. Different people -
different goals - different truths.              
  What about the fifth point? It depends
You.  Personally, I decided for myself - I didn’t burn -
la! I know what I want from Specky, what can-
gu get from him and what to do for him
bark.  I know that I have none of this
will be with IBM. And no tricks, no
attacks will not drag me into an argument, the result
which can only be the loss of human life
cool hard drive, cool graphics and all the features
Talent is cool too. So I'm cool too
that one" - if you really think so,
well, for you it's true. "Speccy is mine
computer.  Nothing will make me quit
him" - and this is also true. Different people -
different goals - different truths.              
  Whatwhat about the fifth point? It depends
You.  Personally, I decided for myself - I didn’t burn -
la! I know what I want from Specky, what can-
gu get from him and what to do for him
bark.  I know that I have none of this
will be with IBM. And no tricks, no
attacks will not drag me into an argument, the result
which can only be the loss of human life
chesky appearance.                           
  In conclusion, I would like to apologize if
Somebody was offended by my words. I tried
be as objective as possible, and this
very difficult.                             
                                          
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