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Do you remember your first computer?

I intended to ask everyone how long they have owned a computer. Instead I thought it would be kind of neat to look how far computers have come by recollecting as much as you can about the first computer you actually owned.

My first computer was built by Magnavox (really). It was a 286 that ran a glorified DOS shell style operating system. It had a 20 megabyte hard drive and 256 kilobytes of RAM. I remember that I later purchased enough RAM to run WIndows 3.2. I can't remember exactly, but I think the total amount of RAM ended up around 1 meg. I was using it to access the Internet through AOL. I can't remember just how slow my modem was, but I had my computer set up next to my TV so I could pass the time while it loaded pages. Basic pictures took several minutes to download. I also remember wasting countless hours playing a military strategery game called Conflict. Because there was so little room on the computer, you had to run the game from a floppy disk.

So lets hear it. It's fine if you don't remember the specs. I'd mainly like to here stories about the experience itself.

Posted by Todd Carpenter on 09/18/2007 02:45 AM

Comments (25)

25 Comments on Do you remember your first computer?

SEP

2007

I dint remember, but I can tell you I still use this Compaq Presario circa 1998. Recently bought a new Sony VAIO laptop, but I like my desktop, I have upgraded it over the years and its not much slower than my new comp.

I do remember the pixelated, disk driven computers of old though. My things have changed.

Computer trivia - in 1977 I work at Radio Shack for exactly six months. During that time Tandy Corporation introduced the TRS-80. We were amazed and spent hours playing black jack. ;^D

The first computer I ever purchased was a Commodore 128, in the mid 1980's. My son used it. I broke it. I really don't remember much about it. I used the word processor and printer that was about all. That is, when I was able to get to it.

My first computer had two 5-1/2" floppy drives and no hard drive. It ran on DOS and had volumes of books to tell you how to get it to do anything.

My first computer was about 9 years ago or so, it was among the first I-Mac's that came out. It was purple, excuse me - grape - and i just loved it - when it worked. Unfortunately it would die on a regular basis. In order to restore it, I would lose all information on it - yep you guessed it, no back-up system. Nobody knew how to work on them, even the store I purchased it at was constantly stumped and they were over 40 miles away. I gave it away when I bought my first PC and never wanted to see it again.

I must say though, the art programs on the MAC were stupendous and I do miss them.

My first computer was a 386 something or other pc. I remember it clearly because the sales person kept pushing us to it (the 386 just came on the market) instead of the much more reasonably priced 286. What's funny is the comment he made about the hard drive space. "You'll NEVER need more than that, you can keep it 20 years and never fill it up!!!"

If he only knew....

My first computer was a Timex Sinclair. It had 2Kb of memory (expandable to 16kb). No disk drives. Shortly after that I bought a Commodore 64.

I don't remember what it was called but I think it had hamsters and squirrels running on wheels powering it. Oye, that was a long time ago and dozens of computers ago.

HP back in '85. I thought I was the smartest person for buying that computer. It lasted until I finally realized that it was so slow and out of date that I had to upgrade. I have had several HPs since, until they started to lock up on me, then I switched to Compaq and it was the same story... now I am a Dell person and I love them even more.

My first was a C-64 and I used to use a punch tape terminal to play a destroy the universe game in 75. For the model you placed the telephone handset in a cradel on the terminal after dialing the host number.

I sure do. It was a Vic-20. Then I upgraded to an Apple II. At that time, the early 80's, IBM had not entered the PC market as of yet.

1994? ish.

I was home with the babies and my forward thinking husband brought home some sort of Apple- Mac Quattro? maybe. Idon't know exactly. He knows how right brained I am and his idea was that it would be much better to teach myself on an Apple machine than the Microsoft. There is a reason I married that man.

We were Mac users until maybe the last 5-7 years, and I want to go back, now that I'm blogging. There is entirely too much that is simple and better on a Mac, that is hair loss inducing on the clunky Windows.

Leon - I had one of those Timex machines as well! What a pile of crap. I didn't even consider it when writing this story.

Laurie - somewhere around 2000 Apple came out with a whole new operating system that is essentially a gussied up face built on Unix. They are far, far more stable now.

Also, I forgot to mention my printer. It was one of those dot matrix deals that had to use the paper with the track holes running down each side. I also remember that I used Word Perfect and Lotus 123.

Mostly long time users so far. I wonder what the chances are of finding an AR member who's first computer is the one they are using today?

SEP

2007

Todd,

here is a good link that you will love it

http://activerain.com/blogsview/142042/Want-to-know-what

Nice Ray. I have a Mac now, but I think my next machine just as easily be a Vista powered PC. MS did a pretty good job copying Appls's OS. ;)

Dude! I got a Dell. No, that was my second computer. My 1st one was a hodge podge that my father in law gave to us when he upgraded in 1998.

Todd,

What I have right now, it is a Turbo Charged Notebook with 4 Partitions,

1) Vista Ultimate 2) Windows XP PRO 3) Windows XP PRO 4) Data Files

I decided the first partition to test Windows vista and get used to,
the second partition it is for my business and work,
third partition it is just for fun and hobbie, test software, install, uninstall, etc,

you know what windows is very dirty when you install and uninstall you can screw the OS, and also I created a clean copy of the third partition if something goes wrong , I made a backup for the entire partition with Norton ghost 12 and you know something goes wrong, voila, in 3 minutes everything is there intact. without the hassle to install drivers and reinstall again windows.

and the fourth you know, do you do not have to move or copy your files when you need to format, they are in a other place.

I love MACS, but still they are just them, when you ask someone if they have a mac or pc the 90% will tell you PC, and they are cheaper than MAC , so I do not know if in the future I will change for a MAc, it will be awesome.

Doreen,

For me Commodore were the best in Video, Multikasking, and Games. I had great times with my Commodore 64 - and Commodore Amiga. it is a shame that Commodore company could not keep it up until these days, if they existed they would be the best computers ever, the best technology, Very similar to MACS, but I liked better Commodore still, on those years Amigas and MACS used the same processor.

Ray Saenz

Another TRS-80 user... which we either affectionately or accurately called a "trash eighty".

Ray,

You're cracking me up. I had no idea you were such a geek!

I actually forgot I had the commodore until I read this post and starting thinking about it. That's what happens when you get old. :)

I also had a printer that used the paper with holes on the sides to feed it through. It was in really good condition, I just recently gave it away. (I hadn't used it for a long time and forgot I even had it)

Doreen, :)

I am not a Geek, Just a simple person trying to share information LOL !!!! I love computers and I can recognize the best computers ever that's all. The printer that you had was a Dot Matrix Printer, I still remember the Margarita ones, the one that had like a wheel kind of typewriter LOL, they were on the same time as the Dot Matrix, but better quality, of course much slower than the dot matrix ones.

for the Commodore were Okidatas and Epson and I do not remember at this time what other brandname were out there on those days, but Okidata and Epson , the Smith Corona was the Margarita one.

What Great times !!!, I enjoyed those computer a lot,