Bringing it home; a look at how interactivity has changed - and not changed - the Currier family of Anaheim

The Currier household of Anaheim, CA, is one of many families that are increasingly using interactive computer technology. This family is following a path that will be taken by countless others as multimedia and related offerings become ubiquitous in the coming years. Mr. Currier, 45, first became interested in computers in the mid-1980s, and joined a users group. His first system is now in his 13-year-old son's bedroom, while he uses a newer Intel 80486-based microcomputer with a CD-ROM drive. The $280 drive allows the family to run all types of educational multimedia software, such as an electronic encyclopedia. Colleen, the Curriers' 15-year-old daughter, frequently calls electronic bulletin board services to talk with friends over the terminal, and has become much more interested in computers. The family spends about $500 per year on software.