OT: Complete the following statement, "My first computer was a..."

geoschmo · #1 March 27th, 2002, 06:49 PM

...A Timex Sinclair ZX1000. Z-80 processor, 4 Mhz, 2K (Yes, K!) RAM, no disk drive, not even a floppy. They sold a tape drive for it, but I never got one. PLastic Membrane keyboard.

Hooked up to your TV's VHF input for a display if I recall correctly. This was before TV's had Cable jacks and AV inputs mind you.

Booted up into Basic from a ROM chip. Now your cookin' with gas!

For those under 30, just imagine your digital watch with a keyboard and you'll about have the idea of the awesome processing power from this baby.

Geoschmo

[ 27 March 2002: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

Bman · #2 March 27th, 2002, 06:57 PM

My friend was the envy of the neighborhood with his Commodore 64.
Until I got my TRS80 I think it was called. A computer I could use on my lap! It was basically a keyboard with a little 2inch by 6inch (approx) LCD display. I don't recall if it had any sort of drive or way to get stuff on/off it besides using the trusty old keyboard to type it in. I remember spending lots of time writing little BASIC programs that would draw moire art and play neat sounds.

Gryphin · #3 March 27th, 2002, 07:02 PM

Leading Edge Model D (Early IBM Compatible)
4.77Mhz
640k RAM
30MB hard Drive
12" Amber monochrome screen
Price: $3000 1987 (plus or minus)
First Error Message: "Abort, Retry, Fail"
Solution: the stores tech suport told me to RTFM and call back later. I did not know what RTFM ment so I tried reading the "DOS" 3.3 book.

[ 27 March 2002: Message edited by: Gryphin ]

adder_inf · #4 March 27th, 2002, 07:03 PM

Mine was an apple IIe.

I was maybe 6-8, and loved to play in basic.
esp. the beep function

Still suprised my parents did not kill me.

Val · #5 March 27th, 2002, 07:03 PM

The first PC I owned was an Atari 800 - and boy was I impressed with all I could do in basic! I must have made a dozen choose your own adventures by the end of the first week

The first PC I ever used (many years earlier) was the commodore PET (our school received one as a gift), which I believe was the predecessor to the C64.

I do remember the Sinclair as well, mostly being frustrated by it

Suicide Junkie · #6 March 27th, 2002, 07:30 PM

homemade mix & match by my Dad.
Still around, don't know exact stats, but its got something less than 2 MHz, Green & Black monitor, 40 Meg HD, full 640K RAM.

Still plays sopwith, wheel of fortune, and various Basic games: Dad's lunar lander sim, my StarTrek battle game, a bunch of random graphics lifey sims, etc.

wr8th · #7 March 27th, 2002, 07:32 PM

C-64 after I graduated from the Atari 5200 (more of a game console IIRC).

Seven Cities of Gold by EA was my first game, followed by M.U.L.E., Beachhead, Silent Service and RFTS.

Those were the days... used an old 13" B/W for a monitor until the 19" color came along.

PvK · #8 March 27th, 2002, 07:50 PM

Atari 1200 XL. Still set up. Still the most likable. Still plays the best action games.

PvK

Baron Munchausen · #9 March 27th, 2002, 07:59 PM

Tandy 1000SX, which originally used an 8088 at 7.something Mhz (not quite 8) but I found out about the V20 from NEC and bought one. One chip extraction and replacement operation later I had a non-standard but faster machine.

So I was tinkering with even my first computer.

[ 27 March 2002: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

Grayhorse · #10 March 27th, 2002, 08:27 PM

A TRS80 IBM. Use to play a old word based game called Midway. Was the most fun I had ever had with a computer game. Got me hooked on all forms of strategy games. From the TRS80, I upgraded to the Comodore 64, complete with Disk drive. Boy those were the days, and boy does that show my age. Soon Ill be gray in hair as I am in name.