I’ve always loved computers.

 

Starting with my first personal computer, a TRS80 in the eighties, I have always loved the immediacy of technology. Instant gratification.

If I was born any later I would have been diagnosed with ADHD. But it makes sense, you click a button and it works. That’s progress.

After that, I bought an Apple clone from Dick Smith: the Cat. Then TRS81, Amstrad, Commodore 64, Amiga and finally a true PC. That opened the gates.

I started Jennings Computers in 1986. We were all nerds then, it was a highly competitive and profitable market. We inadvertently lined our pockets with Y2K.

Then the internet exploded, and geek culture became mainstream. But I’m getting ahead of myself..

 

Here’s my notes for a speech I made about ten years ago for the Leopold Lion’s Club. 

<start speech>

My name is Steven Jennings. In 1986 I opened Jennings Computers. Our beginnings were humble, my showroom was a dining room table in my parents house. I remember often having to clear the one demonstration computer from the table so Mum could serve up dinner.

Back then I was the manager, salesman, technician, accounts person and purchasing officer. Now I employ nine people and have offices on Melbourne Road in Drumcondra. Our market is providing services to business and home users.

On the whole I love technology! But, to be fair, there are a lot of things about computers that annoy and frustrate me, so lets cover those first:

They can be unreliable. Even the biggest companies release products that are not up to par.

Some problems can take days or weeks to fix.

They can be expensive to maintain.

They have a steep learning curve.

But the good news is, it is constantly getting better. When I first selling computers they came with Windows 3. Since then, we’ve had Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 3.51, Windows NT 4, Windows ME, Windows 2000 and now we’re at Windows XP.

Windows 3 was really, really hard to use. It was unreliable. If something went wrong, it was really hard to fix.

Windows XP, the latest version, is much easy to use. It senses what you are trying to do and helps out. If something does go wrong, it’s much easier to fix.

Computers are getting better. They can do more than they ever could before. They do it faster. They still crash. But they crash a lot less than they did 16 years ago when I started my business.

If you dont have a computer at home, I am not here to convince you to get one. If you need convincing, you probably shouldn’t buy one.

One of the best clients I ever had was in his early 80s. He came into the office on a walking frame. He said to me, “Steven, I have never used a computer before in my life. But I dont get around as much as I used to, and I want something to keep my mind fresh. I want to learn.” I set him up with a computer, did a couple of followup calls, recommended some good training manuals and didnt hear from him… until six months later. He came in and said “I need to get some upgrades, I”ve outgrown it”. He always paid me cash, he was from the old school. Another six months go by, and he rings me and tells me he needs some more upgrades. I go around to set them up. He was writing his own programs. Now writing programs isn’t easy, I’ve done a little bit of programming, but was nowhere near as good as he was. He was into yachting, and wrote a program that charted the craft onscreen. You could play around with the wind conditions and stuff like that. From that day on, I decided I will never try to convince anyone to buy a computer if they dont want one. You have to be wanting to learn to make it a positive experience.

If you dont have a computer at work, you really don’t have a choice. Yes, they’re frustrating, they’re timeconsuming and they are expensive to buy and maintain. But if you dont use computers at work, I will bet you one of your competitors does. And they will be able to do more things, more efficiently and faster than you can. If you dont use technology in business, its very hard to remain competitive. I want business, especially small to medium sized businesses, to succeed, and small businesses are a dying breed. So I might be a little more pushy if you dont want to use computers in the workplace. I think every business can benefit from computers.

The other area I wanted to talk to you about is the Internet. We starting providing Internet access in December 1999. It has been a struggle. Up until 6 months ago, we still weren’t making a profit. Our competition includes Telstra, AOL, Optus and IPrimus, companies with billions of dollars behind them. I cant afford to compete with them on advertising. I looked at where their weaknesses are: if you have a problem, you cant talk to them face to face. We could offer that. If you do have a problem, you can call them… then wait (look at watch)… wait… wait… 20 minutes later… you might get through to someone. We try to pick up the phone in 5 rings! You will never get the same person twice. With us, if you remember who you spoke to last time, you can speak to them again. The best selling point we had if that we are Geelong owned and operated. It is a great credit to the people of Geelong that if they can find a competitive deal in Geelong, they will go out of their way to do business in Geelong. Our Internet is now making a nice profit every month and we are putting back into the community. We are a major sponsor of local charities.

The internet is a fascinating phonomena. It will become more and more prevalent in our lives. Some of the things you can do on the internet are:

You can send an email (which is basically like a letter) across town or across the world in seconds for free. You can include photos or sound or video in the email too. Its a great way to communicate.

You can find and share information that interests you. One of my clients is into building kit cars. He can find lots of information on building these cars for free on the internet. Before the internet, he’d have to write or fax the company for information and wait for the reply. Or he could join a club and have to travel to meetings, maybe halfway across Australia. If he has a question, he can put it into a forum. He did this the other day and got over 20 replies from other enthusiasts from all over the world. You can also chat live with other people that share your passions. If you have a camera attached to your computer, you can see them while you talk to them!

You can shop 24 hours a day.

You can try out software.

You can share music.

Of course, the internet has it problems too. There are still concerns about privacy, viruses, porngraphy being accessible to minors, reliability and security. The internet has grown so quickly that the computer industry is now playing catch up. A couple of months ago, there was a vulnerability that was discovered which had the potential to shut down the internet. The fact is, the internet has many holes, and if one of these holes was discovered and exploited to its full, some 16 year old whizkid working from his bedroom could take down the biggest communication network in the world. It’s frightening, but it is a very exciting time to be alive.

Computers and the internet are really all about communication. The whole industry is about communication. Your computer will communicate to your TV, your fridge, your television, your workplace, your car and your mobile phone. It will be networked to people and companies around the world. There are a lot of issues to face but it will enrich our lives in many ways.

In the scheme of things, the internet is just the beginning. We have run about 3 miles of a 10 mile marathon. There is an exciting race ahead of us… occasionally we trip, sometimes we head in the wrong direction, after the first mile you realise your shoelace is untied and you need to pause to tie it up. But it is a journey that I find fascinating.

<end speech>

 

As I mentioned earlier, it all exploded, Facebook and YouTube, a computer in your phone, a HD movie studio in your pocket.. the game changed and geek culture is now the norm.

So yeah, I’m out. I did my time on the front line. No regrets. Had the best time and met people that will be friends for life. Of our remaining staff, Jarrod is now working full time at Computer XS and after 22 years of service, Gayle is looking forward to a well deserved retirement.

I have a few projects I’m working on, like www.nothingbutthestruth.com

I’ve always been a staunch supporter of small business, so Cameron McBurnie from Computer XS was the obvious choice to handball my business to. Cameron has commitment, passion and ethics, I’ve known him for about twenty years . I’ll consult with him over the next few months to ensure a smooth transition. If you have any questions, hit me up at steven@jc.com.au, otherwise:

 

COMPUTER XS

4/96 Pakington Street, Geelong West. 3218.

Phone: 03 52232274

Email: cameron@compxs.com.au

Website: compxs.com.au