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What was your first computer?

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What was your first computer?

from WinCustomize Forums
This came up in another thread, and I thought is would be fun to carry over.

I still own, and it still works, my Timex Sinclair 2068. Remember being so prod that it came with 72k of memory, that was so much more then the Commodore 64, and when I got the 16 K expansion pack I thought I was a god among 12year olds.

I still think it had the easiest version of basic built in to that ever was. Each key had 4 commands on it, so when programming with it you could white “if then goto” in 3 key stokes. I spent an entire summer righting my very own version of “The Last Straighter” Video game. I found the thermal print of that lately and had quite a laugh.

I even wrote my very own version of “Turtle” a very primitive graphics program. I Remember thinking, “I sure wish there was some way to work on computers and be an artist”. What do ya know it turned out there was.
19,309 views 61 replies
Reply #26 from WinCustomize Forums Top
My first computer was a ZX80, but I was using a NorthStar CP/M computer before that. I later got a PC, but also had a CP/M machine just for fun. There is still public domain software for CP/M arround that I wrote. A while back I encountered it by accident on the internet.
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Reply #28 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Depends on how one defines "Computer" I had and still have an abacas as well as a slide ruler from when I was 10 years old.

If you define computer as one of these boxes with a monitor attached, well then, my first was a Pentium 150 with...(wait for it, here it comes)....***MMX Technology*** (yippee!!)
Reply #30 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Anyone have a The Actavsion Computer?, I forget what it was called.
Reply #31 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Leading Edge 512K RAM with two floppies, one for data and one for the program.

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Reply #32 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Oh, I loved the King's Quest series, those were great games! As were the original Ultimas. And A Bard's Tale.

Ah, the good old days of computer RPGs.
Reply #34 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Victor 386SX25 2 MB RAM (upgradabel to a whoppin 6 MB )
85MB hard drive
1/2 MB Video Card
14" color monitor (.52 pitch )

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Reply #35 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Had an IMSAI 8080 with tape recorder. Also General Automation 16/60 with 8" floppies, paper tape reader, & teletype.
Reply #36 from WinCustomize Forums Top
atari 400.. no drive of any kind.. hehe. it was one of those with a rom cartridge slot for various programs, and a crappy membrane keyboard. hooked up to the tv

then i got an apple ][e my junior year in high school. a single 5.25 floppy. hooked up to the tv

my school had a couple trs80's and my friends had vic's and c64's. i remember going over and playing archon all the time.
Reply #37 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Oh dude, Archon...I remember that...it was a great game!! I loved the C64 version of Zaxxon too.

I still have a bunch of old printers too....A tandy daisy wheel (150 chars per minute) and a Star Micronics are among the oldest still working (not that I use them anymore)

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Reply #38 from WinCustomize Forums Top
8088, 1mg of ram, 20mg hard drive, 13in color monitor,5 1/4 floppy and 3 1/2 floppy. I was running windows 3.1. Thought I was in hog heaven. I couldn't exist today. About $1500, 1990.
Reply #39 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Let me rewind about 17-18 years from now... Oh my! So many good souvenirs, really! My first "real" PC was an XT running @ 4.77MHz (in the full size XT case, yuk!), 256KB of RAM (maybe a bit more), 2x 5 1/4" 360KB floppy drive, Green mono monitor then after CGA Monitor/video card (HUGE monitor!), DOS 2.11. No HD, mouse or sound card (later AdLib Midi cards arrived but costed too much for what they did). I also remember playing with the first Microsoft game (I think) on it which was Microsoft Decathlon. A keyboard killer for those of you who may remember that one!

Wow! How good those years were for a growing 11 years old boy! Being in touch with PC's at their early days in the consumer world surely had the biggest impact in my life.

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Reply #40 from WinCustomize Forums Top
They had Zaxxon for C64?! Man, I can't believe I missed out on that!

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Reply #41 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Mig: Yup...I still have it and play it from time to time. Do you think the copyright is still enforced?

Frogboy: What are the IP considerations for products that are no longer being used/marketed? In other words...would it still (after 20 years) be illegal for me to send Mig (for example) a copy of a game that was written for the C64? Just wondering.

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Reply #42 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Had the Sinclair with the whopping 8K module that plugged into the back and was the size of 2 packs of smokes. I remember typing in I think it was call "Wumpus" at least 3 times before I managed to get it on tape. Then a C64 with the real computer only tape drive. Then a long while later a Apple IIc and then one of the very very first Mac's. Then I got that super powered PC with 486 33mhz with 8Meg and a 540Hd, ooops almost for got the 1200 baud modem

Does anyone else remember playing "House" or "Zork" on a PDP-11? Or the first time you accidentally dropped a box of (Shudder) punch cards.


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Reply #44 from WinCustomize Forums Top
werewolf: was it a Kaypro?

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Reply #45 from WinCustomize Forums Top
zork was already on apple ][ when i played it first you can dl it now and play it in a dos window. there is also a ton of great history about zork and its predecessor online. hmm.. where'd that link go..
Reply #46 from WinCustomize Forums Top
BBC Micro. (You probably have to have been in the UK to remember this)!
6502 8 bit CPU, 32k RAM, cassette deck for storage, later updated to 5 1/4 100k floppy. True luxury. The game? Elite... One of the best games of all time!
Reply #47 from WinCustomize Forums Top
An abbaccus. IBM 8086.
Reply #48 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I DO still have a shuffle-stick...that was our computer when I started secondary school....well before Calculators were available...
Reply #49 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Re Grog's Q on punch cards: I still twitch in card games when someone says "shuffle the deck". Am I the only one here who has coded with the original FORTRAN compiler? Haven't seen anyone yet claiming Univac for their first computer. ( I want to see someone in this thread who makes me feel young)!
Reply #50 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Bankokboy....I believe the 'thing' we were working with when I was in 4th form....[1969] was a FORTRAN...belonging to Melbourne University......punch cards...little perforations you had to pop out with a paper clip...

That make you feel 'younger'?...