'Fire in the Valley' writes a lot of history 16 years later

Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine (McGraw-Hill, $16.95)<br><br>A big, sprawling, ambitious chunk of a book, Fire in the Valley: The Making of

Friday, March 10th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine (McGraw-Hill, $16.95)

A big, sprawling, ambitious chunk of a book, Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer traces the history of the personal computer from its primitive, hulking, tube-infested forerunner to the sleek, desktop-size computer that most users know. The book was first published in 1984 when the personal computer revolution was beginning to explode, rendering the book obsolete almost as soon as it hit the shelves. Sixteen years later, the progress of the computer industry, particularly the development of the PC, is almost incomprehensible in its scope. This go-round, Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine chronicle the rise of the Internet, the growth of Microsoft and other important computer technology advances. The authors remind us that many experts used to think there would never be a market for personal computers.

Obviously, they were wrong, as the personal computer continues its meteoric rise in becoming a standard part of U.S. households.
Mr. Freiberger and Mr. Swaine offer a frank, sometimes humorous look at computer industry pioneers. Particularly fascinating is the recounting of Ed Roberts' dogged determination to produce the first personal computer, the Altair.

When the Altair 8800 was unveiled in early 1975, after two years in development, it was not overly impressive, but it was a PC, and, at $397 a pop, the price was right. As slow and ugly as it may have been, it opened the floodgates for others to develop their own PCs.

The rest is history.

Fire in the Valley is a well-written, highly entertaining chronicle of how the PC is becoming woven into the fabric of all our lives.

The Geek Squad Guide to Solving Any Computer Glitch
by Robert Stephens with Dale Burg (Simon & Schuster, $15)

The Geek Squad, founded by Robert Stephens, is a Minneapolis-based computer service agency dedicated to demystifying hardware and software glitches. Mr. Stephens and his team of "special agents" have garnered their share of publicity, having been featured in People magazine, Newsweek and on 'Good Morning America.'

Now they attempt to bring their unique brand of practical advice mixed with light humor to the printed page.

In the preface, Mr. Stephens explains why he and the Geek Squad chose the book format, rather than the Internet, to present their solutions to the most common computer glitches: "A book was the logical choice. Books have other advantages, too: they aren't very expensive, they require no batteries, they fit in your laptop bag, they boot up instantly and they never crash."

Sounds reasonable.

But does the Geek Squad guide deliver? The answer is yes and no. A wide range of topics is covered, such as what to do when your printer is having a tantrum or making your modem mind you. Straightforward, no-nonsense advice will relieve the stress levels of frustrated users, but overly long answers to simple problems diminish the guide's friendliness.

Still, readers will mostly be charmed by the authors' light-hearted approach to answering questions as well as by Martha Rose Reeves' computer-related poems, such as "134 Megabytes and Growing."

Sometimes the process of finding solutions to technical problems can be tedious, but the Geek Squad does a good job of averting that. Written in layman's language, it's a good selection for your Aunt Tillie, who just bought a new computer and comes unglued any time something goes wrong.

The Dictionary of New Media: The New Digital World of Video, Audio and Print
by James Monaco (Harbor Electronic Publishing, $19.95)

Those who like dictionaries may be mildly interested in this book. Those who like dictionaries and are deeply involved in the digital world will want this book for their personal bookshelf. In a nutshell, this is a digital media dictionary covering thousands of terms that you need to know in digital media, film, television and print.

James Monaco, who previously taught film and literature at Columbia University and several other universities, is now president of Unet 2 Corp., a developer of Internet software, and publisher of Web sites and DVD videos.
Mr. Monaco asserts that no area has seen a greater explosion of language in the last 15 years than the media. Buzzwords and phrases are born so quickly that it's hard to keep up. He has written this book with the layman in mind. His mission? To clear up puzzlement and confusion with his extensive glossary of terms.

It's not a book you will read cover to cover; rather, it's designed to help the reader understand individual media-related words, especially highly technical terms. Definitions are succinct and accompanied by short, sparely written explanations.

Occasionally, entries are expanded; for instance, if you look up "Disney," you will find a mini-biography that describes the company and the people who lead it. Old terms are mixed in with the hottest, newest words. Thus, you can find the definition for melodrama and a few pages later, for MP@ML.

Mr. Monaco uses a broad brush in his efforts to catalog media terms; those seeking clarification and understanding may find this book a good one to have within arm's reach.

Steve Powers is a free-lance writer in Denton, Texas.