Talking computer
an teach the blind
•sity
Fall
»re)
ntly
iter.
our-
hird
■vrit-
' his
•ting
sta-
> for
dion
a for
sec-
exas
col-
;ame
Uni-
aper
best
mg
s, a
ere
iles
me!
it li
the
aid
day
vid
list.
er- ■
is a
ars
aid
dif
J
By TIM RAVEN
A variety of people and machines
ere attracted by Texas A&M Uni-
ersity’s second annual mi-
rocomputer show Friday through
unday.
The display. Micro Expo 78, held
y the Texas A&M University Mi-
ocomputer Club, was divided into
hree parts and covered two floors of
bidder Tower.
The sixtli floor was a marketplace
r computer-oriented electronics
jompanies from around the nation,
’his part of the exposition was like a
mall shopping mall at a peak hour,
it times, people crowded around
he table-top computers four and five
leep to see some wonder of a new
[linking machine.
An especially popular model was a
eal talker. The computer, shown by
hilip Van Cleave of a San Antonio
ased firm, could actually speak in
nglish, Spanish and Latin. Once a
ord or phrase was typed into the
aachine, the machine would pro-
ounce the word or phrase in the
inguage chosen.
Van Cleave said the machine
ould be used to teach the blind to
ype, or could be used as an “atten-
ion getter" in stores. He said it
ould be hooked to a more complex
omputer for more elaborate tasks.
Most of the computers were pro-
rammed to play games. People kept
usy at backgammon. Star Trek,
oker and other games, while others
Ask About Our
FREE SUMMER
STORAGE
Aggie Cleaners
111 College Main
We have
a vast
s of lection n y
wedding invitations
and accessories.
YARBROUGH'S
Downtown Bryan
205 N. Main
Embrey’s Jewelry
We Specialize In
Aggie Rings.
Diamonds Set —
Sizing —
Reoxidizing —
All types watch/jewelry
Repair
Aggie Charge Accounts
9-5:30 846-5816
watched a bursting kaleidoscope ef
fect of a color video screen.
Also on the dealers’ floor was a
large collection of books, electronic
parts and hardware for sale which
made the area resemble a large elec
tronics store.
The third floor was divided into
two lecture halls and a “hobbyist"
room.
Lectures given Saturday dealt
with specialized aspects of the mi
crocomputer. Lectures began every
half-hour and were filled with tech
nical jargon that kept the lay-person
in the other rooms playing games or
gazing at the various demon
strations.
Hobbyists on the third floor were
quick to point out the newness of
their hobby. Some of them com
pared the $800-$!,000 machines
they were “playing with to
commercial-usage.machines made 5
to 10 years ago for around $100,000.
They said that technological ad
vances in the last few years have
brought the price of microcomputers
within the range of a hobbyist’s poc-
ketbook.
*
&
&
&
&
&
#
&
#
*
&
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
^MIDNIGHT MADNESS^t
All The Buttermilk Pancakes You Can Eat
$ “| 49 or
THE BATTALION
MONDAY, APRIL 24, 1978
Page 3
5 for 99c
WED. ONLY 10 P.M.-2 A.M.
Intcmat tonal
International
Lucille’s
^ildal §hoppe
TUXEDOS
& TUX SHIRTS
from
Al’s Formal
Wear
« w international «
House of Pancakes.
Welcome back to the Restaurant!
103 COLLEGE
1103 Villa Maria
779-8405
and
and
low
h at
;;IS ^
sM'*’
hen* ^
•iml. ^
.. Ki^
. Kaff"*!
D.n^
Delibf 1 !
...b'T
>V k
Pa'p d
j . r . S** |™
Dont
....
\ THE CALVERT HOTELtS
^ Dinner Dance tv
April 28 & 29
Music and Songs by
Cecil Pearson
"Music for all ages"
BUFFET 6:30
DANCE 8:00 - On
$7.50 per person buffet and dance
$3.50 per person dance only
Call 364-2641 for reservations
al Snop
Is Having A Sale!
on nil Spring Formats and
20% off
‘ I
on Special Occasion Dresses
- " Just right for Proms and Balls
(Alterations Extra) r(
% i v' - ’ ' v ' i/ 1 '
.. - ; .j r ' "i 4 :
The sharpest, brightest
small-screen color TV in
RCA history
See it now—the new RoomMate
featuring RCA’s XtendedLife chassis
3211 S.TE*ASAVE.
3RYAKl/TE/AS,77»?1 * _
TEl&PWodE 022-4912 j'AAonTFri. 10:(
. r ' lSat. 10:00-4:(X
• RCA’s 100% solid state XtendedLife
chassis is designed to outperform
and outlast any previous RCA small-
screen color TV chassis
• Low power consumption—uses less
energy than a 75-watt light bulb.
• RCA’s new AccuLine black matrix
picture tube delivers a sharp,
bright, high-contrast picture.
• Automatic Fine Tuning pinpoints and
holds the correct broadcast signal
ONLY
*289
00
ELE<STra©M©S
SEE US FOR ALL YOUR ELECTRONICS NEEDS.
PARTS — STEREO EOF. —T.V.— RADIOS
1921 S. TEXAS COLLEGE STATION
AT HOLLEMAN PHONE: 693-8097
IZOD, get the gator at
the Gentleman’s Quarter
Chemise LaCoste shirts in
fancy stripes of all cotton
and all colors, $20.00
Solids of cotton/polyester
and all cotton in rainbow
colors, $18.00
Ask about our Wardrobe
Account.
Open til 8:00 Tuesday
Nights.
THE
GENTLEMAN’S
QUARTER
3705 East 29th Street
7b 1477 & Country Center