Which Was Your First Computer?
How do you remember your first experiences in the digital world? My first computer was a fantastic Spectrum back in 1983, information was recorded with a tape recorder and everybody around was crazy about learning a strange language called BASIC...
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asked 2 years ago
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My first computer was an AMSTRAD. I was quite young so don't quite remember all the specs as such, but I do remember it took floppy disks in the keyboard and had no "memory", as in, when you switched it off it didn't save anything. I remember as well writing out these long as programs to create games, but then, as I say, I had to turn it off eventually and end up losing the game! I also remember a great game that it had, Jet Set Willy. Awesome.
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We had a Radio Shack TRS-80 in the house first then an APPLE II AND went on-line via a 300 baud phone modem to do homework and play games on a Digital Equipment PDP11C which was owned by the local School Board and to which access was available to all students who had any sort of computer with a modem. Our first storage was punched paper tape, later replaced by 5-1/4 floppy disks later replaced by 8" Shugart Floppy Disk Drives. We had absolutely no graphics whatsoever. Everything was line by line computer input and upload first from the system and then from our local Apple II. The first "PC" was an IBM 386. We all learned to write in "Basic" and my son learned Pascall and FORTRAN and went to high school to earn a computer programmer certificate. He worked for a law firm for years using the information he had learned.
Today, people know how to "go on-line" as though that was really technical BUT in reality, having to write programs and be able to de-bug other's programs makes you realize how overly-simplistic it all has become. Too Bad. We were smarter in the old days. Now no one can tell you how everything works or even begin to explain the programming involved. Ha Ha Ha! Hey, when your little sister can make it all work on a plastic toy with a cable hanging out one end, then you know you're not doing anything very complicated or special. Too Bad!
Today, people know how to "go on-line" as though that was really technical BUT in reality, having to write programs and be able to de-bug other's programs makes you realize how overly-simplistic it all has become. Too Bad. We were smarter in the old days. Now no one can tell you how everything works or even begin to explain the programming involved. Ha Ha Ha! Hey, when your little sister can make it all work on a plastic toy with a cable hanging out one end, then you know you're not doing anything very complicated or special. Too Bad!
My first experience with a computer was at school. We had a loan of one from somewhere. It was the size of a fridge and spewed out a strip of paper with holes in it. We did have some teaching on how to interpret this, but I just wasn't interested enough to take it in, I admit.
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Mine was a Speccy too - a 16K Spectrum with rubber keys, and a separate tape recorder was needed to load the games.
I remember the many hours spent typing some BASIC program in from a magazine, only to find that it just wouldn't work. Early lessons learnt in the discipline of 'save often' too!
Many years later (1989?) I bought my first x86 (an 8086) with dual 5ΒΌ" floppy drives and a heavily burnt-in green screen. It was good for only the most basic word processing.
I remember the many hours spent typing some BASIC program in from a magazine, only to find that it just wouldn't work. Early lessons learnt in the discipline of 'save often' too!
Many years later (1989?) I bought my first x86 (an 8086) with dual 5ΒΌ" floppy drives and a heavily burnt-in green screen. It was good for only the most basic word processing.
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Back in 1986, I decided that in order to help my children, it would be wise to invest in a "computer." I knew a few people with Apples, & went out & bought a Mac and all the "toys" that went with it. I bought some "microsoft" programs, etc. I spent about $3K on everything.
As many of us can attest to, "hindsight" is 20/20. I would love to go back to that day & instead of buying the Mac, I would have bought $3K of "Microsoft Stock."
OH well................. ;)
Good Q! Thanks!
As many of us can attest to, "hindsight" is 20/20. I would love to go back to that day & instead of buying the Mac, I would have bought $3K of "Microsoft Stock."
OH well................. ;)
Good Q! Thanks!
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And what would be a better investment nowadays - an iPhone or Apple stock?!
A late bloomer here , but we got an i-mac about 6 yrs ago . LOVE it , but find someone to work on them ?
Can be difficult , but won't use any other system .
They are great....
Can be difficult , but won't use any other system .
They are great....
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My first was a Texas instruments you had to put in all this computer language. I remember it taking me all day to draw mr.bojangles i hated it.
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My first experience on a computer was a "Wang" which was a huge item now as compared to our flat screens and wireless keyboards. Everything was done using DOS and the control keys. Instead of a mouse you would use the keyboard to move around. These skills are good ones to learn instead of relying on the keyboard all the time.
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My first experience with a computer was in 1998. My husband & I had just bought a new house and it was the first time we had ever had room for a computer. We bought an HP from a guy that builds them to your specification. He still does our computer repair. He taught us the basics and I have learned the rest on my own by trial and error. I love it.
I do everything on the computer and wonder how I lived without one!
I do everything on the computer and wonder how I lived without one!
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Back in the 80s we had a computer from Texas Instruments (who wisely now specializes in calculators, among other things). You plugged it into a television, which served as the monitor. You could get a few games for it, or drive yourself crazy writing code, like bilyjax said.
My neighbor's Atari was way cooler, since I was eight!
I remember Apple 2e computers at school around the same time.
My neighbor's Atari was way cooler, since I was eight!
I remember Apple 2e computers at school around the same time.
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I had an Atari 800 (not a gaming system, a computer) with cartridges and a tape recorder for storage. I also had seen some punch card systems but never owned one. It is amazing how much they have changed since then. Computers now have more memory than some of the first hard drives I had seen.
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My first computer experience was with pantium-2 back in the year 2000 when computer studies were newly introduced in our school. All the students were very excited about this machine about which they have heard a lot but know nothing. All that we knew about computrer was how to open "paint" window.
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Same as you, I can't really get rid of my old computers, and always keep them just in case. One of my favourite 'treasures', a blueberry iMac, has now become a brilliant piece of decoration in the living room.
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