This month I interviewed a scientist and I quickly got out of my depth in knowledge in 2 areas (science and programming), but picked up a very interesting Modus Operandi on another topic that I’ll share with you later in the article.  My interviewee for this month is Carl Deneke, who has been helping with the C++  SIG for several years.  He is also starting up a new intensive course for AlamoPC in C for programming newbies.

Carl is a microbiologist, and says that computers have contributed immeasurably to the field of microbiology. He mentioned the clinical aspect (for data production and storage), the modeling aspect (for drug research and virus and enzyme research), and the pure research aspect (data collection, running statistics, and running instruments). He says that the major advantages of using computers for scientific purposes are the astounding timesaving factor and the ability to print out data sequentially, or to electronically file data sequentially for easy retrieval.

Carl spent several years in microbiology, but is now semi-retired.  A friend recommended AlamoPC to him soon after he moved here form Boston, and he has been a member ever since.  He especially enjoys attending the C++ SIG and the monthly meetings.

Carl goes all the way back to the early days of computers, with names like CPM, Heathkit, Tandy, Apple, and Commodore.  His first machine was an 8086 with CPM as the OS.  Then he built from a kit a Z-100 with dual processors that would run both CPM and MSDOS.  Then he built a 386 PC, a 486-33, a K5 133 Mhz, an AMD 166Mhz, a Pentium 133,  an AMD K5 350Mhz, and a Celeron 430Mhz machine.  He confesses that he still has every one of them!

I asked him where he kept all of these – in a bedroom?  I wanted to know because I now have 4 or 5 machines around the house, and my other half is beginning to complain about me having too many computers.  And this is where I discovered a great MO for multi-computer owners.  He says no, you just don’t put them all in one place: you spread them around, maybe put one under a table, put one in the garage for a couple of weeks,  take one apart, loan one to a friend, and so forth.  Therefore they are never all in one place at the same time. Hmm, interesting idea there!

Along with his interest in the technical side of computing came a developing interest in computer programming, especially with C and C+.  He started with “Small C”, then eventually moved into C++ and our AlamoPC SIG by that name.  Carl claims that programming is easy now, with collections of coding that you string together from the STL (Standard Template Library).  He says you simply build a software program like you do a castle – one brick at a time.

How does he use a computer now?  For news groups, research (as for the new C course), surfing, and e-mail.  He calls computers an “all-consuming hobby”, but admits that he loves his hobby.