Martin Banks, Personal Computer World 01/85 - checked

January 1985

Once upon a time, a friend of mine got a job as a computer operator. When he was ensconced in his chair and had vaguely learned how to twiddle the knobs, he invited me over to visit him in his new abode.

When I arrived, I found him sitting at a large console surrounded by several very large metal cabinets. 'There it is,' he said, 'a Ferranti Atlas computer. 'The Atlas was one of those classic 'computer-the-size-of-a-house' machines, full of thermionic valves and other gizmos. This one also had Gordon.

Gordon, my friend informed me, came with the Atlas from Ferranti. He was the resident engineer and spent his working day rummaging around in the bowels of the machine, clutching a soldering iron and a screwdriver. Making the Atlas work was no job creation scheme: Gordon worked long and hard to ensure that the beast carried out its (now relatively menial) duties. He was also a whiz at making the beast play Christmas carols on its loudspeaker a long, long time before the likes of Commodore and Sinclair came on the scene, but that's another story.

Computing has come a long way since then, to the front parlour, the pocket and beyond. The subject of Gordon, or, more specifically, the subject of maintenance and repair, hasn't come quite so far.

To the majority of professional computer users (that is, those who run mainframes and minis in the traditional way), the need for a fast, reliable maintenance and repair service is well appreciated. A computer system of that type represents a considerable investment, and the best way to make it pay is to keep it working efficiently. This understanding of the subject has been good enough to allow a whole industry of third party maintainers to grow up to complement the manufacturers' service departments. They have accurately costed out the economics of maintenance to the point where every user knows that he is signing for an extra charge of 10 per cent of the purchase price per year as the cost of maintenance. This is all well and good where the purchase price is £50,000 or more; however, 10 per cent of that still represents a sizable chunk of money, and a fair amount of service can be provided for it.

Down at the micro end of things, the situation is rather different. Five thousand pounds represents the all-up price of a handy, small business system - something like an IBM PC, Apple, Macintosh or ACT Apricot, with software and a printer. The majority of computer units sold at the low-end are even smaller than this. A BBC Micro will realise some £40 for maintenance on this basis, while a Spectrum qualifies for a paltry £12.90-worth of service. It's figures like these that have kept many maintenance companies away from the micro-end of the scale, with the IBM PC and Apple products being the smallest machines they will consider handling.

Now, it's true to say that there's a strong school of thought which says that, given the price of some of these home computers, it's stupid to even contemplate maintenance or repair. If it goes wrong, chuck it and buy another (unless you can get it replaced under the warranty, of course).

Things are changing, though. Manufacturers are looking closely at a new class of 'professional' user. Many have launched, or are just about to launch, products into this area. These new machines have a superior specification to the standard home games micros, including the minimum provision of a disk interface (or equivalent) and access to business-oriented software. In many cases, this means running CP/M.

The potential of this new marketplace should not be underestimated. Psion, for example, would not have gone to the trouble and expense of creating its suite of QL-based business packages just on the off-chance that it might sell some. Computer users are developing fast and want to do more than play games. Many can make use of a suitable machine in their work, especially if they're self-employed or running a side-line business. They need the greater power and flexibility of 'professional' hardware and software. They also need the machines to work.

Once people start to depend on their computer for more than entertainment; once that nasty subject, earning money, becomes involved, they're unlikely to look benignly on the computer should it break down. If these new machines don't prove to be tolerably reliable, wailing and the gnashing of teeth will be heard all round.

In part at least, users have failed to appreciate that a computer is much more complicated than a portable radio, that it takes a skilled person to fix one, and they are liable to go wrong. When the system breaks down they'll be amazed at the price being asked to fix it, yet they'll have shunned the option of taking out a maintenance contract at the time of purchase; partly on the misunderstanding that they 'never go wrong' and partly at the horror of 'paying that much, every year!'

Even if such people wanted to take out a contract, the choice is currently limited. Most third party maintainers regard this end of the business as unprofitable - which it is if approached in standard maintenance company style. For them to consider the business in the first place means the user facing an annual contract charge of 50 percent of the purchase price at least - and that's just the charge for ringing the door bell.

There's a living to be made in this market however, even at the lowest end, although the right way to achieve it is still unclear. I would have a chain of franchised repair shops around the country, combining the best of small business with the buying power of a large company to get the best price on spares. Others, such as the recently announced Micro-Repair Club, are attempting to combine the expertise of a maintenance company (in this case, Computeraid) with the backing and actuarial skills of an insurance company (Domestic and General Insurance). Computeraid is part of the Thorn-EMI group, another bit of which puts Spectrums together for Uncle Clive. This inside knowledge means they will happily fix Spectrums and (expectantly) make money out of the £25 annual fee (nee insurance premium).

Whichever way the market is eventually tackled, someone will succeed. If these new machines are to sell to the types of users predicted, they're going to want such a service, and will be willing to pay for it.

end