November – December 1998 — Vol 20 No 6 ★ 20TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE ★

Overview

★ 20TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE ★ — Pi was founded December 1978. Dave Ottalini opens the issue with a historical retrospective:

"Where were you 20 years ago? It's 1978 and the first human test tube baby has been born in England. Larry Holmes beats Ken Norton to become the Heavyweight Champion. 900 people committed suicide in Jonestown, Guyana. John Paul the IInd becomes Pope and the controversial antiwar movie, The Deer Hunter, debuts on the silver screen.

Here in the Washington area, something just as momentous is born in December of that year—a new computer user group. A club for folks who had purchased an Apple II computer. The Apple IIs were barely a year old themselves—but were an almost instant success. You might call them the 'iMacs of their day.' Amazingly, $770,000 worth of these 'toys' were sold that year. In 1978 sales had grown to $7.9 million. The following year it would move to $49 million."

Ottalini quotes David Morganstein and Bernie Urban's "early Pi History": "there was an understanding that a users group could help all participants, even though each had their own interests and applications."

Members invited to submit memories throughout the issue.

Highlights

20th Anniversary — December 1978 → December 1998

Pi turns 20. First meeting was Saturday February 2, 1979 at Computers Etc. in Silver Spring (per 1979-02 — V01 N01 founding letter), but the December 1978 informal origin recognized here. The discrepancy: Pi sometimes counts from Dec 1978 informal first meeting, sometimes from Feb 1979 formal founding.

Morganstein + Urban early Pi History

Important historical reference: an "early Pi History" co-authored by Morganstein + Urban exists somewhere — referenced here but not reprinted in full. Tracking down that document would be valuable.

"the iMacs of their day"

Ottalini's framing of Apple II in the iMac-launch context (iMac shipped Aug 1998, just 3 months before this issue).

Members Helping Members

Pi's enduring core mission restated — Ottalini frames the 20 years as the same animating purpose.

Member memory submissions

Multiple members submitted memory contributions throughout the issue — a community remembrance feature.

Entities

People: Dave Ottalini (chief historian), Lorin Evans (President), David Morganstein (historical co-author), Bernie Urban (in memoriam — died May 28 1993) Topics: Pi 20th Anniversary, Pi Founding 1978, Members Helping Members, Apple II as iMac of its Day References: Pi Early History (Morganstein-Urban)

Connections to other issues

• Pi 20th Anniversary mirrors the 1989-01 — V11 N01 10th Anniversary issue (Robert C. Platt history piece)
• References 1979-02 — V01 N01 founding letter
• Bernie Urban (died May 28, 1993) memorialized in 1993-07 — V15 N07 — his founding spirit invoked
• Closes Vol 20 — Pi's 20th-anniversary year