Tom Snyder Interviews Durk Pearson and Jerry Pournelle Pt 2

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In honor of Tom Snyder, and for the sake of historical interest. Tom is fascinated by Durk's and Jerry's prognostications about the(ir) future of publishing, computers and technology in general. Jerry describes his amazing Cromemco Z80-based computerized "glass screen" that allows him to edit his novels with ease, recording them on "magnetic records" before printing the manuscripts on paper using an "automatic typewriter" and mailing them to the publisher. Durk describes the theory behind flat panel TVs. Speculation regarding the connection of wavelength to holographic television ensues which leaves Tom flabbergasted. Jerry predicts the demise of old-fashioned newsprint. Jerry then tells the story of how much computer technology had shrunk since the old days of the Iliac. Somehow the discussion then turns to asteroid mining. Go figure.

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  1. by MOLNER — @ 10:54:44

    LCD's and Plasmas in those days... I thought they were only invented in the 90's! He was talking about asteroid mining and said we could do it back then... but yet it still isnt even in the pipeline, space could be the answer to all our problems

  2. by Jennyann — @ 11:17:43

    Yeah, Jerry Pournelle was quite a prescient man. He used to write a great column for the old Byte magazine called Chaos Manor. he still keeps an online column. He got his wife a Kindle this last X-mas - you know, one of those small flat book reader things that can bypass the middleman and let you read a book on your own pace.... Hey, he was a few years off, but the tech he spoke about came at the right time, just the gizmo did not.

  3. by Asayleus — @ 11:40:42

    Good stuff but where are all the Merv Griffin videos of Durk and Sandy? They were on his show dozens of times.

  4. by AZIBO — @ 12:03:41

    that guy just described wifi, laptops, and search engines in 1979... wow...

  5. by CASSIVELLAUNUS — @ 12:26:40

    He also smoked all the time.

  6. by Rolf — @ 12:49:39

    I miss Tom snyder, he used to let people talk, unlike so many hosts today who can;t sit and listen.

  7. by Worrell — @ 13:12:38

    Shit!! hes speaks about blogs!!! internet WOW only, why can't we see whats coming 30 years after

  8. by DANA — @ 13:35:37

    You're quite welcome, I'm just glad that I found that recording after all these years!

  9. by Kitty — @ 13:58:36

    Holy Crap! Pournelle's is one of the most dead on predictions of the internet I've seen from this time period. Thanks for posting this!

  10. by NDILA — @ 14:21:35

    Pournelles predictions are interesting. He basicly predicts the internet.

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