Captain Wood

Observing the world from my tiny wooden pedestal

Sep 22, 2026

When computers were exciting

A list titled Whole Earth Recommended Organizing Tools (June 1984) categorizes various software and tools, including books, little boxes, bigger little boxes, garbage bags, and computer organizing programs, along with their prices and page references. The page features a vintage computer screen displaying the PFS:WRITE program with accompanying text and reviews highlighting its simplicity and advantages compared to other word processing software. Artificial intelligence is becoming a marketing buzzword with early expert systems mimicking human activities through rule-based approaches, and future advances expected from massively parallel processors and specialized languages. A categorized list from June 1984 recommends hardware tools ranging from easy buys like the Commodore 64 and Apple IIc to relatively difficult buys such as the Sanyo 5559 and DEC Rainbow.