Some History of Matrix Software By Michael Erlewine

never dared to imagine that I couldown a home because it seemedbeyond my most remote dreams.But all those little astrologyprograms and years of work made itpossible at least to put down a smalldown payment and move in. We did.As mentioned, the house was smalland could only allow me a smalloffice, something like 10x12 feetand here I sit some 34 years later inthat same little room. It is smallerthan my office in Ann Arbor, but Iwas and still am quite happy in it.My brother Stephen (who still livedin Ann Arbor) had begun to help mewith programming, taking overcreating programs on the RadioShack computer TRS-80. By thistime I was supporting theCommodore PET, Apple IIe, and theRadio Shack machine. Oh yes, wetried some other computers as welllike the Osborne II, Exidy Sorcerer,and several small programmablecalculators. And of course the IBMPC was huge. It was not longbefore Stephen and his familydecided to move north and join us.This was October of 1980.Well, it was not just me he wasjoining. My parents and three of myyounger brothers lived here, so itwas a gathering of the clan. Wemoved up to this small Midwesterntown to raise kids and give them thesame experience we had, the abilityto walk downtown without thedanger of anything happening tothem. Big Rapids still could supportthis kind of lifestyle. Ann Arbor hadgrown too large for small townexperiences. It was like going backin time and was worth it. Anyway, bythen and with two kids we wereusing less and less of Ann Arbor‟swonderful resources. It was as ifthey were not there. I was so busy Icould live anywhere and never knowthe difference.Photo: Matrix First ShopPhoto: Inside Matrix ShopThe Was Such a Thing as a FreeLunchBack in the 1980s, Matrix Softwarewas housed in three buildings in asmall complex in Big Rapids. Weactually had a free lunch foremployees every day Mondaythrough Friday. Better yet, on Fridayevenings after work we would havea big dinner for anyone on the staff,their families, and often variousguests from the community.Also we happened to have with us aremarkable chef named Martin Wolf,who was also a very fine poet. Hedid the cooking for the meals onFriday night and food seemed tojust appear soon after he enteredthe kitchen. Now folks, that was a