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First Computer

My first:

commodore_vic20_1.jpg
 
Me, Shanek, and Segnosaur have the same experiances computer-wise, in that we're all the same age, and all geeks.

I was able to have my dad co-pay on the C64. The Commodore disk drive: just as big as the computer, and just as expensive.

I used C64 all the way until 1994! where I finally upgraded to a pc clone (486DX $1500). Until then, I wrote almost all my papers in college with Bank Street Writer, played endless hours of Ultima 3, 4, & 5, Space Taxi, Manic Mansion, almost every Infocom game ever written, Neuromancer, Wasteland, Murder on the Zinderneuf, etc.

The C64 I had in college had such an overheating problem that I had to put large fan behind it, cover it with a t-shirt, and redirect the airflow thru the back of the machine (which I raised up no stilts to allow more airflow.)

But when I got my first pc-clone, and loaded Wing Commander, I laughed and laughed with glee...
 
bignickel said:
I was able to have my dad co-pay on the C64. The Commodore disk drive: just as big as the computer, and just as expensive.
Click to expand...

Disk drive? Disk drive?

Hmmm....disk drive....

Oh, yes, that thing that I bought to replace the cassette tape drive that wouldn't load anything unless you hit PLAY, nor save anything until you hit RECORD and PLAY!
 
shanek said:
Oh, yes, that thing that I bought to replace the cassette tape drive that wouldn't load anything unless you hit PLAY
Click to expand...
And half the time, not even then. See "R Tape loading error" above.
 
Here's the core of my first computer. The rest was toggle switches, and LEDs and a couple of 128 by 4 bit memory.
 
Cleon said:
My first computer, an Apple II+ that my Dad got when I was just a little tyke. A single double-density 5.25" floppy drive, two paddles (for you young'ns--a paddle is like a joystick, with a knob on the top and a button on the side), and a whopping 48 K of RAM. It still works; I crank it up and play Space Invaders every now and then.
Click to expand...
That was the first computer I had at home, as well. Although, we did eventually shell out ($200?) for the 16k memory expansion, which was a card that barely fit into the computer's case.
 
My first was an Apple II+ in 1981. Cost me $1050 if I remember right, 16K RAM and didn't have a disk drive. The first disk drive was over $750. I still have it somewhere, although it no longer works. Anybody remember 6502 assembler?
 
A few of us oldies started our computing lives on stuff like this.

h90012.jpg


This example is in our computer museum collection in Sydney.
 
I had my first "BASIC" lessons on a teletyper connected to a mainframe on a university via a telephone modem. You called up on a normal telephone and when you heard the whine you slammed the reciever into a holder next to the teletype. You could then communicate. Ohh and by the way we used punch-tape as storage media. Hmmm, them were happy days;)
 
I had a Spectrum. I wanted a BBC micro like mad but couldn't afford one.

I also had an illfated Sinclair QL and a Commadore 128 (which was of no benefit at all over a 64)

Then an Atari 520ST (Which I am still in love with) and then PC.
 
The first machine I used was an IBM 1130, followed close on by a LINC-8, GE 635, and IBM 360.

The first machine I bought was a Heathkit 8080 of some sort. Who can remember?

~~ Paul
 
~1982/83 Mattel Aquarius (4K RAM+16K expansion pack)
Yes, I know they made Barbie. There’s a long and interesting story behind the Aquarius, not that it was in production for long (less than a year I think).

Then an Amiga – which left the Atari ST for dead (I spit on your STs)

Then some overpriced and underpowered 100MHz 486 and on in PC land from there.

I miss AMOS the most. :D
 
Commodore PET 1979

And I still rememember the magic numbers after all these years:

POKE 59468, 12 (or 14)

SYS 64790

and so on.... Ahhh... Golden days.
 
Bonzo said:
My first was an Apple II+ in 1981. Cost me $1050 if I remember right, 16K RAM and didn't have a disk drive. The first disk drive was over $750. I still have it somewhere, although it no longer works. Anybody remember 6502 assembler?
Click to expand...
Hell, I can still remember some of the Opcodes, from before we even had an assembler. Here's 2+2 store answer in $8000, (if memory serves).

A9 02
18
69 02
8D 00 80
 
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