Your first computer

[Robert Maxwell]

I am not going to make some huge list, so I'll just say what my first computer was--as in, one that was completely mine.

It was an 80386 clone with 4MB of RAM and a 220MB hard drive. It had a multimedia kit so it had both a sound card and a 2x SCSI CD-ROM drive. It lacked a free interrupt for a modem, alas, due to some asshattery with the chipset. The coolest thing about it was that it was all black. The monitor, keyboard, mouse, and case were all glossy black. Nice contrast with the "beige boxes" that dominated at the time. Of course, now computers are all kinds of colors and shapes, but back in the early '90s it wasn't so.

It was also a tower, and I think towers were just starting to come to prominence at the time.

I worked that computer to death. Even after I got a Pentium system, I kept it around for older DOS games. I've had so many computers since then I can't be arsed to list them all. But none of them have the sentimental value my old black 386 does.

 

[Chaos Descending]

I remember installing software on your computer meant having to know all sorts of goofy ass number and settings for your video and sound cards.

I remember when there was no such thing as "video and sound cards".

I also remember when there was no such thing as "installing software". It either came on a floppy disk or a tape, and you ran it from the floppy disk or the tape.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I remember installing software on your computer meant having to know all sorts of goofy ass number and settings for your video and sound cards.

I remember when there was no such thing as "video and sound cards".

I also remember when there was no such thing as "installing software". It either came on a floppy disk or a tape, and you ran it from the floppy disk or the tape.

Yeah, the first computers I used had no permanent storage built-in. XTs and C64s and Apples, yo.

At least Commodores and Apples had a rudimentary OS built into them. Early IBMish PCs involved so much "bootstrapping" to do anything it's amazing they ever took off.

 

[Brian]

The first computer I ever bought was a Tandy 1000EX, in 1986: http://www.pcmuseum.ca/details.asp?id=100

8088, 7MHz, single low-density 5.25" floppy drive, no internal mass storage, CGA graphics, and a dot matrix printer. I still have it. Though it's been years since it's been powered up.

The first computer I ever had my hands on was a TRS-80 Model III, in 1981: http://www.pcmuseum.ca/details.asp?id=179

It had dual low-density floppy drives (and no internal mass storage). I loved that computer. I especially liked the all-in-one case design. As a little Trekkie, it made me feel like I was in the future.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I learned how to type on Trash-80s. I never found them to be good for much else and was glad when I could use something less horrible.

 

[Brian]

It was fine for learning programming in BASIC.

And playing Sea Dragon.

 

[Santaman]

Ah yes.. BASIC.. Beginners All purpose, Sloppy Instruction Code...

 

[Chaos Descending]

And even better, Visual BASIC!

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I learned how to program from BASIC.

Then, I had to unlearn it. BASIC is evil.

 

[Chaos Descending]

I learned programming in this order:

Logo -> GW-BASIC -> Turbo Pascal -> COBOL -> FORTRAN -> Turbo Prolog -> Turbo C -> C++ -> Visual BASIC

I'm now so confused!

 

[Robert Maxwell]

You think that's bad?

I went from BASIC to perl. (And then C/C++ and MUMPS. Basically, I'm insane.)

 

[Lindley]

I learned in this order:

LogoWriter -> TrueBASIC -> Pascal -> C -> Java -> C With Classes -> C++ (had to unlearn that C with Classes nonsense they had previously called C++)

 

[Chaos Descending]

You think that's bad?

I went from BASIC to perl. (And then C/C++ and MUMPS. Basically, I'm insane.)

You poor thing!

There should be a home for people with your... affliction.

 

[Brian]

BASIC -> C -> FORTRAN -> Ada -> C++

With side jaunts into LISP and Object Pascal, which I don't put in the main stream because they don't deserve it.

 

[Lindley]

I left out Lisp, Standard ML, and Prolog for much the same reason.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Lisp is the most powerful language no one understands how to use.

 

[ToddPence]

My father had a home computer as early as 1978, when I was in fifth grade. It was a SOL.

 

[Trekker4747]

I remember installing software on your computer meant having to know all sorts of goofy ass number and settings for your video and sound cards.

I remember when there was no such thing as "video and sound cards".

I also remember when there was no such thing as "installing software". It either came on a floppy disk or a tape, and you ran it from the floppy disk or the tape.

Oh remember that bullshit too. But having to have the IRQ settings and so-forth of the sound card written somewhere and know that the monitor didn't support more than 256 colors was just something that sticks out to me more when it comes to software and computers.

That's a bit more memorable -to me- than having to just stick the disk in the drive and play it.

Oh, also remember having to write down all of the command-prompt strings to enter so my mom could play her games.

 

[Peak]

I had an C64, then a Atari ST, Amiga 500 and finally I went to the PC world (don't remember the specs for that one, but I guess it was a 486.

Oh, yes. I had a (very early) laptop too. Esselte Office, I think it was called.

My brother had an Spectravideo MSX. I was very envious, it was great.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SVI-728

The best game for it have a PC-remake though: http://www.braingames.getput.com/mog/

 

[Amaris]

I've got an AT&T Global something something laptop that a friend gave me. It's just missing the power cable.