This reverie began when I heard from S.M. Oliva, the proprietor of the indispensable Computer Chronicles Revisited.

He told me one of the “lost” episodes had been found, and described it in detail.

I double checked my CV; when 7.01 aired, I was just days away from being laid off after 14 months at PC Week.

Those 14 months were the only time in my decade-long Computer Chronicles career that I actually had a job that had something to do with PCs.

That didn’t matter because I was:

• •  a great and experienced public speaker
• •  an award winner in the high school speech event  “Extemporaneous Speaking”[1]
• •  lucky enough to find a great reviewing partner
• •  an entertaining television personality. That’s how I got on five game shows, starting with Wheel of Fortune in Oct. 1983, just two months before my first appearance on the Chronicles on Episode 6 of Season 1.

So, my lack of firsthand journalistic connection to PCs turned out to be not a problem. Besides, as Stewart used to say, “once you learn how to fake sincerity, you have it made.” The only other great lines I remember came from the director of the remote segments. I never did learn his name; I think it was Patrick. In any case, as we closed in on the 15th or 20th take, he always said two things. “Look like you’re having a good time.” And “no one’s dead yet.”

One of my favorite Chronicles stories, about Mic Checks.

[1] Speaking grammatical sentences that made sense and followed a mental outline, after just a few minutes of research

Someone noticed that while I was reviewing Archon in May, 1984, I was sitting in front of a picture of myself. Ego at work.

The tech staff of The Chronicles became sick to death of hearing this story repeated. Each show began with a sound check: people in front of the camera were asked to say a few words so their volume level could be established. I was once told to rein it in. The sound person said, “You are wearing a microphone so you don’t have to speak directly to the people at home.” The people there for that taping know the story is true. The others just wish they’d heard it less often.

Two Gary Kildall stories:

I heard Gary say several times, "If Gates didn't steal CP/M to create DOS, ask him why there is a null at" some particular code location. Kildall says it was a signature to detect code theft. That was good enough for me. 

Gary’s company was originally called Intergalactic Digital Research, as he loved to remind people.