In 1995, I sent this cover letter out with my resume. I managed to get the job, and that forever changed the direction of my career…
Allen C. Huffman
110 Champions Dr. #XXX
Lufkin, TX 75901
Microware Systems Corp.
1900 N.W. 114th St.
Des Moines, IA 50325-7077
Attn: Human Resources
May 7th, 1995
Dear Sir;
I am writing in regards to your Technical Training Engineer position. After learning of it’s availability I immediately wanted to express my interest. I possess a working knowledge of OS-9 which comes from daily use over the past six years and I believe this would be beneficial to your company.
I have programmed under OS-9 Level Two and OS-9/68K with several commercially marketed utilities and applications available. My creations include a sound driver, machine language space game, menu driven user interface library, and various file and printer utilities. Since 1990 I have owned and operated a company which creates and markets OS-9 products. I regularly attend annual conventions as a vendor and also give seminars dealing with OS-9 support and programming.
I have an active interest in Microware’s past, present and future and attempt to follow media coverage of developments such as the use of DAVID in set-top converters and OS-9 in places like Treasure Island in Las Vegas.
I am eager to provide further information about myself and my accomplishments either through an interview or additional correspondence. Feel free to contact me by mail, by telephone at (409) 637-XXXX, or by the internet at “coco-sysop@genie.geis.com”. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Allen C. Huffman
Almost exactly one month later, I received this e-mail:
INET00# Document Id: UX012.BUX0687704
Item 7490898 95/06/05 04:15
From: XXX@MICROWARE.COM@INET00# Internet Gateway
To: COCO-SYSOP Allen C. Huffman
Sub: Technical Training Engineer
Dear Allen,
I would like to discuss the technical training position Microware has open
with you on the telephone. Please call me at Microware, (515) 224-1929 at
your convenience, or email me a time I can reach you.
Sincerely,
XXX
Manager, Technical Training
=END=
It was (and still is) pretty amazing to me that a kid (well, early 20s) who had mostly worked retail was given a shot like this. And all because I went with a CoCo instead of a Commodore 64… Though, who knows, maybe I would have ended up working for Commodore in that universe…
Until next time…
That other Earth’s you wouldn’t even have a chance to ask for a job at Commodore, since they went kablooie a year before that. (Almost to the day.)
Oh, wow, 1994. I did not realize that. I thought they outlasted the CoCo by much longer. The CC stayed active until, when, 1991?
Yes, 1991.
NEC PC-88 -> 1989
Amstrad CPC -> 1990
ZX Spectrum -> 1992
MSX -> 1993
Apple II -> 1993
BBC Micro -> 1994
Either the C64 or the BBC Micro was the last 8-Bit computer standing.
I remember Microware being my dream job as a kid. Of course I had only the slightest of programming experience and only knew OS-9 as a home hobbyist. At the time the thought of them going under seemed remote but they were probably headed towards borrowed time right during this time frame. I remember a bunch of you guys from the Coco/OS-9 online community getting jobs there at the time and thinking how cool that was.
It was super cool! Yeah, I am not sure if any of the “big” competing embedded OS companies were able to survive against free Linux. They had very different models – some had no royalties, but you paid a ton up front and expensive support and tools. This was appealing for large volume things, so you’d see it used in routers and digital cameras. OS-9 had a smaller upfront cost, then royalties. But in bulk, they might be as low as $1. Still, this removed it from competing with low profit consumer items. Lots of missed opportunities over the years. One day I went to work and the sign in the lobby said “Welcome DISH TV” or maybe it was DIRECT TV. There were some neat things that almost happened. I had to buy a suit to meet with one of the top folks from … Netgear? Something like that. I forget what the product was. Crazy times.