per ling ▁for ▁his ▁insight ▁on ▁the ▁down fall ▁of ▁early ▁laptop ▁manufact urer ▁G av il an ▁Computer ▁in ▁the ▁magazine ’ s ▁December ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁issue . ▁ ▁S per ling ▁started ▁Fast ▁For ward , ▁Inc . ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁and ▁wrote ▁an ▁interactive ▁software ▁program ▁called ▁" P laces ▁USA ." ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁application ▁of ▁its ▁kind , ▁allowing ▁users ▁to ▁we igh ▁their ▁own ▁criteria ▁for ▁what ▁kind ▁of ▁l ifest yle , ▁amen ities ▁and ▁dem ographic ▁features ▁were ▁important ▁for ▁them . ▁ ▁It ▁then ▁used ▁these ▁criteria ▁and ▁weight ings ▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁user ’ s ▁ideal ▁place ▁to ▁live , ▁from ▁a ▁pool ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 0 0 ▁largest ▁metropol itan ▁areas ▁( MS A ’ s ) ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁ ▁An ▁article ▁featuring ▁the ▁" P laces ▁USA " ▁program ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁newspaper ▁USA ▁Today . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁the ▁edit ors ▁of ▁M oney ▁Magazine ▁discovered ▁his ▁work ▁and ▁they ▁commission ed ▁him ▁to ▁compile ▁their ▁" Best ▁C ities " ▁lists . ▁He ▁continued ▁to ▁author ▁these ▁M oney ▁lists ▁for ▁nearly ▁ 2 0 ▁years . ▁ ▁S per ling ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁consult ant ▁to ▁author ▁William ▁G . ▁Z ik mund ▁in ▁the ▁writing ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁book ▁Ex pl oring ▁Mark eting ▁Research . ▁ ▁The ▁" P