Dick Perron's home page.

Welcome visitor number since 10/22/1997

About me:

Hardware computer professional since 1968. In my 28 years in the computer service and repair business I've seen computers shrink from room size monsters costing more than $750K to today's desktop systems costing less than $2K, out performing their predecessors by leaps and bounds and we're buying them at the mall....

Some comparisons from 1975 just 22 years ago:

  • 32 bit Scientific Data Systems SigmaV processor. (Like IBM 360) $ 68,000
  • 16KW core memory bank (64KB) That's right 64KB not MB!! $ 75,000
  • I/O channel controller for peripheral devices. $ 50,000
  • 3330 style removable disk w/controller. (100MB per disk) $ 28,000
  • 9 channel 800BPI tape drive. (15MB per reel) $ 18,000
  • 300 LPM line printer $ 15,000
    These systems ran entire hospitals and Universities on 512KB (128KW) of memory, 2 or 3 spindles of 100MB disks, a tape drive and a line printer.
    If Detroit did with cars what the electronics industry did with computers, in 1996 a Cadillac would cost $900 and get 100 miles to the gallon.
  • Click here for the price of an IBM 286 XT computer (with 640KB of RAM) in 1986.

Trivia questions:

What computer (Mfg/model) is generally acknowledged as the FIRST personal computer?

What computer is acknowledged as the FIRST "clone" IBM PC?

What was the first electronic spreadsheet program?

What company produced the first "integrated" circuit?

Trivia Answer.

My hobbies:

  • Fishing, boats and boating. Owner of a Jet drive Tracker Panfish16 the "cadillac" of river boats.
  • Home beer brewing. (Zymurgy)
  • Home beer drinking. (Natural progression)
  • Lions Club International member (13 years)
  • Community service projects. (If you don't give you don't get.)

My WEB starting points:

Check here for your Cadillac Allante information, join the group and get monthly newsletters, technical information on your Allante and an annual AAG convention at different locations across the country with presentations by Cadillac executives, a "Best in Show" competition and mingle with other Allante addicts. Get your Allante T-shirts, sweatchirts and trinkets here as well. Also many links here for auto information from other sources.

Push the button to Email me.
These pages authored by Dick Perron using MS WORD 7.0 and Internet Assistant.