If computers do anything, they make one think — usually about computers. Heavy computer users know only too well the eye, (mouse) arm, wrist, back and, most importantly of all, brain stress that sets in after three or four hours operating a computer. These symptoms accumulate the longer the hours you put in concentrating on a screen.

This pain can be greatly alleviated by 'user-friendly' programs and programming. Steinberg Cubase, for example, is a joy to use, an essential tool for creating music quickly and accurately. I heartily thank the programmers who realised the importance of a 'Graphic Music Tablet' environment, as opposed to the list-of-numbers systems that preceded it. Still, I await with baited breath the venerable C-Labs' contribution in this area.

But enough of idle speculation and down to the meat of this piece. Do you remember those pains? Of course you do. I'm getting them now just typing this. Computers are nearly always, except for the rich or lucky amongst us, a pain at sometime or another. My first musical computing experience involved a friend's Commodore 64 with a 16-track sequencer — the original list-of-numbers system! (By the way, I know of a Synclavier owner who still uses a portable '64 with that same 16-track program as a drum sequencer!) Simply watching the computer power up and load the program gave me the heebies, and I only just started getting into the program when along came the Atari and Pro24.

At last — a real computer and a real program! For a reasonable price you could buy a decent program and a fast, flexible, but most importantly eminently user-friendly, computer — mouse as standard, windows, menus, built-in disk drive and MIDI. The Atari's working environment is excellent. Plug in, switch on and go. If only all computers were like this...

The Mac does pretty much the same thing, but more reliably. Macs have an air of solidity to them, in contrast to the Atari's tenuous 'please don't crash now' feel. The difference between Atari 'excellence' and Mac 'Excellence' is reflected in the serious pricing of the Mac.

Nowadays I find myself in the unenviable position of almost all poor office workers/apprentice programmers, tapping away at a PC (XT). The PC is something of an 'I'm blank, program me' computer — mice and windows are a long way off when you're in the basic PC environment. Aha! I've just used that word again! The PC presents a very bleak environment to the novice, but with patience and a good deal of hard brain busting it starts to make sense. Basically it can undertake any task to amazing depth, and anything is possible if you are prepared to do a little programming; something most everyday Atari users would avoid like the plague. And with good reason.

Why should computers be difficult to use? Programs, printers, fonts, drives\directories, colours (or lack of), resolutions, autos and accessories can all be at best annoying, at worst terminally destructive to both the user and his or her work. And this is on an Atari with TOS and GDOS — these tasks can take on nightmare proportions on a PC!

The PC's problems can be alleviated by simply throwing money at them, and so far computers and programs have improved faster than the inflation and tax rates can put these benefits out of reach. But in the end we still sit here, bashing away at the damn things — musically, textually, leisurely or otherwise — suffering the consequent mental and physical strain, and burning up precious electricity (never mind the cost; do you know what the environmental impact of electricity generation is?).

But have no fear, the day will soon be upon us when even the most minor of computing devices will be a joy to boot up in any configuration — instant load of any or all programs, display anything you care to throw at the screen, and output to any device without a quibble, all at the speed of light (talking of which, why not make it solar powered, and portable too). Phew!

How about an environment with constantly re-definable menus and hot-keys in all programs, Menu Hold (keep that piece of menu for recall), Direct Memory Enable/Disable and Select, Multi-Multi Tasking (don't ask, just think!). All Input Allow/Edit (control programs with mice, joysticks, pens, touch screens and even MIDI, all at once, or divide program commands between devices), removable cards holding gigabytes of instant-load information, lightning fast processors (or at least fast enough that we don't notice the wait for the number-cruncher), or... woah, don't give all the secrets away!

The other aspect of ease of use is that these wonderful (and ever-more imminent) refinements are reducing user stress, making computer life healthier and more enjoyable. Could life with a dream computer become more relaxing than, well, a long hot bath maybe? That could be quite appealing as an everyday working environment.

But consider for a moment the environment outside, while we busily hack away on screen, regardless of the damage to others through the action of us wanting, buying and using a computer.

Wanting a computer leads to the making of a computer, contributing to the terrible industrial waste and resources problems currently beleaguering most countries of the world, not only the industrialised ones.

Buying a computer means buying an item that has travelled halfway round the world, thereby requiring a good deal of fuel to be burnt, packed in a plastic bag and expanded polystyrene. What is polystyrene? And what expanded it? All very useful stuff once the machine is set up on your desk.

The damage caused by using a computer is probably the hardest to evaluate, since it is also the most subtle. The use of electricity requires the consumption of enormous resources in its generation, lays waste to the environment through the use of coal, and produces constant mid-level pollution through nuclear generation. The computer screen, between 8 and 36 inches in front of your eyes, is constantly pumping out electromagnetic radiation, not just in the visible spectrum, but also microwaves, radio waves and X-rays, which affect skin, bones, eyes, your brain waves, and generally pollute the atmosphere we all have to survive in.

Computers also affect another environment: the social one. You know the feeling. The game is nearing completion after weeks of hair-pulling struggle, and your mate comes round for a chat. Can you pull yourself away? No fear! For a while at least, your best friend is no more than a fly on the wall. There is also a pseudo-therapeutic side to this. People who feel unable or unwilling to participate in society can escape into computers, games-wise, or set up 'Teleworks', working via the computer and never or rarely making contact with their clients.

So, I am awaiting the computer that is: green to build — locally; that endangers neither my environment's nor my health; works fast enough not to annoy me; monitors my physical and mental status; tells me when I'm tired or making more than the average number of mistakes; and even advises me to take a break from work. Would you rather spend hours mentally 'cracking' a computer to make it do what you want, or have it come straight out and ask you?

Roll on the 100% totally safe computer! Roll on the 100% stress-free computer! Call that work? Ouch, back to the present. Save the file... no, wait, save myself! Goodnight.