So I have my old Toshiba T3100 up and running. I have both MS-DOS 5.0 and CP/M-86 1.1 running on it. I’m looking for a reason to start this machine up and use it. The idea I have is for a dBASE project. In the 80s and 90s VARs would write dBase applications for customers. What I’m looking for is a list of the types of projects that a VAR would have been hired for in the 80s. What kind of useful project could you do with dBase on a system that only had floppy disks or maybe a 10MB hard drive?
Welcome! One thing we mention fairly often is that in the absence of large powerful computers people (and organisations) will do what they need to do on small and not-powerful computers. So, for a general computer of that vintage, I imagine one might use a database for stock control, payroll, accounts, address lists, form letters.
For a portable machine like the T3100, it’s a bit less clear to me. Why might someone on the move, or in the field, need a database? Well, perhaps a product catalogue, or a customer relationship manager. Even an address book, conceivably. Or policy data, perhaps?
For the people who might need data while on the move, perhaps think of brokers, sales people, field engineers, surveyors, possibly lawyers, quality control people, project managers, event managers…
Beyond speculation, maybe we can find adverts from that period: mid-80s.