> What were these high barriers to entry? Cost was one. Hardware wasn't cheap and it would seem to have no practical use except to satisfy one's curiosity. A P

> What were these high barriers to entry? Cost was one. Hardware wasn't cheap and it would seem to have no practical use except to satisfy one's curiosity. A PC for the kids cost about half of our family's monthly gross income. A modem would be 10%. And the phone bill caused tourette's like symptoms more than once.