I got my first computer when I was 12, back in 1983. It was a Commodore VIC 20. I soon got bored with it by 1984 and my brothers and I saved all our money (collecting alumium cans) and bought an Atari 800xl for our second computer (1.79 Mhz and 64k memory, woohoo) Ahh the memories I have with that computer! I learned Basic on that computer and ofcourse played many a game on it too. By the time I graduated I no longer used it. I didn't get another computer until 1996, a 486DX4-100. I've upgraded 6 or 7 times since then and am currently running an Athlon 700 Mhz with 256Mb pc133 ram (I have been building them myself since 1997). I also have a Celeron 300 Mhz 128Mb ram hooked up to it on a home network (ethernet) that way my wife and I can be online at the same time <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> . Any other computer geek/hobbiests here with their roots in 80's computing.(I now collect 80's comupters, and boy do I have a collection!)

<FONT COLOR="#6699cc" SIZE="1">[ May 14, 2001 09:26 AM: Message edited by: Urethane ]</font>

Well I am embarrassed to say it was just about three years ago. <img src="redface.gif" border="0">

Well, Not Man, you missed a alot of fun then. My fondest memories are going to Walden books back then and buying the newest computer mag and rushing home with it to type in the programs from it's pages and then saving the games/apps to cassette to be played again later. Ahhh the good old days... *starts a nostalgic walk down memorylane again*

Guess I got my first system about the same time. 1982 or 1983. Like your's, it was a Vic 20. After that I moved up to the C64 and finally onto a TI99/4A with the expansion box. Also like you, I used to get my hands on every book I could and program into the late hours of the night. Some thngs haven't changed. <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> And again, like you, my most recent system's are one's that I have built myself. I found it was the only way to get exactly what I wanted.

My first computer was bought in January 1997. A Packard Bell (do they still make these???) 166MHz, 16MB RAM, 2GB Hard Drive. Top of the line then. I screwed it up in 1999 when I lost Windows 95 and decided to upgrade to Windows 98, not taking into consideration that Windows 98 requires at least 4GB Hard Drive and 32MB RAM. Well, long story short, it really slowed that PC down BIG TIME to the point that it took 15 minutes for it to completely boot up. Rather than putting in more money into it, I decided to upgrade to a new machine in December 1999. A Gateway 400MHz, 128MB RAM, 10GB PC, and I've been happy with it ever since.

My first computer (and current one) I got in July of 1997....hard to believe, eh? <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

You still have the same system you bought in '97? That really is amazing. Wish I still had my system from '97. I'd turn it into a Linux box or something.

I plan on getting a new one next year and turning this one into a gaming computer or something like that <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

I got my first computer back in 1993 and it was a Packard Bell. My ex ended up keeping it. Then my sister bought one in 1997 and when she went to Virginia, I kept it for awhile. Just little over a month ago I got my own Gateway computer.

I see a few others were late bloomers as well <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

The first computer was a worthless piece of crap my uncle gave me. There was nothing on there exept really really OLD games. I only used to for school work when it had to be typed. I think I was like 14 when I got that IBM clone. Now I have my grand father's computer. It's a pentium. You guys would probably call it old cause my grand father got it about 5 years ago I think. But to me it's good!

I got my first computer in March of '99. Just ended up addicted to it. Hoping to get a new one soon though.

Jazzmyn

Well, Shakey, it looks like you and I are the only early adopters here....so far. I can't believe everyone started computing within just the last 4 years. Where are all the geeks? <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

I got my first computer around 1986 or 87, I think. It was a used Laser 128 an Apple IIc compatable, no hard drive, had to save everything on a 5¼" floppy. Got rid of it in 1992, before I moved to Florida.

Got my first comp August 99' from a coworker of my husband. It's a Tandy 166mhz, 32ram and only 2gigs. 2nd comp November 2000' HP, 850mhz, 128ram, 15gig hard drive. This summer I'll be upgrading it to 256.

I got my webtv in 2000 <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> I also now have my brothers computer. I still need to get a new tower or see if it can b fixed <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> 8teesBuff's brother has offered to look at it and see what he can do <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

How do you like webtv topcat? I have heard different opinions about it. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

I'm on Webtv too NotMan. It's great for emails and surfing the web, but there are a lot of things that we can't do like listening to web radio stations depending on the format used and other things like that.
We can print and capture pictures from tv, but until recently we couldn't scan pictures, but you have to have a specially made for Webtv scanner by HP.

Originally posted by Urethane:
<STRONG>I got my first computer when I was 12, back in 1983. It was a Commodore VIC 20.</STRONG>

My first computer was a VIC-20, too! <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> It was 1983, so I was probably 8. I loved that thing. "Big Bad Wolf" was my first computer game... anyone else remember it? It was hard! <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

I remember reading the ads for Compuserve inside the box, and thinking, "Hmm, wouldn't it be nice if my computer could talk to other computers! Of course, I'd need a modem for that, and I can't even afford a disk drive..."

When I took physics for arts geeks in college, (non-calculus physics, whoopee!) there were VIC-20s in the lab, being used as stopwatches for a gravity experiment. You could tell who had them as kids, because we were all dabbing at our eyes and patting the keyboards like they were dogs. LOL.

After that, I had a Tandy, (got it in '88 or '89, so it was one of the junkier 8088 models) and then a wonderful old Dell 286, which my roommate lent me, and it took me all the way through college. Sometimes I really miss Word 3.1. So reliable.

We have a beige G3 Mac tower now, the last of the beige Macs. It's in need of replacement, and I've got my eye on a Titanium Powerbook... or maybe one of the new iBooks, except the displays are teensy. I love my 19" monitor.

Originally posted by Sarg:
<STRONG>I'm on Webtv too NotMan. It's great for emails and surfing the web, but there are a lot of things that we can't do like listening to web radio stations depending on the format used and other things like that.
We can print and capture pictures from tv, but until recently we couldn't scan pictures, but you have to have a specially made for Webtv scanner by HP.</STRONG>

Sounds like they have come a long way since they first started.
<img src="smile.gif" border="0">

The number of my posts is a convnience store 7-11...LOL <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

Originally posted by Not Man:
<STRONG>How do you like webtv topcat? I have heard different opinions about it. <img src="smile.gif" border="0"></STRONG>

I like my webtv<img src="smile.gif" border="0"> Its not like a computer and since Ionly paid about 80$ for the setup I cant complain too much. But, like Sarg, I am limited on what I can do <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> Its great for starting out.

Are they planning any upgrades so webtv users can have more features? <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Just got an upgrade. Before I could not make a list whenever I would reply. I could click on list but nothing would happen. Now its not a problem<img src="smile.gif" border="0"> I forget what my browser reads but its not as high as a computer <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

As long as you can hang out here with us (me) that all that matters <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

I got my computer on January 27, 1999...Then, my husband decided to build his own computer...so, he does that in his spare time...building computers and selling them. His is the gaming computer...And, it is nice not to have to fight with him over the internet! <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

Thats great your husband can fix computers <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> Never know when yours may need repaired <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

Yeah it's like having a doctor in the family.

No kidding, huh? He is always fiddling with them. Sometimes though...I come home only to find my PC spread over the kitchen table...Guess what? I'm going to install a kick-ass _______! It gets exasperating sometimes! LOL

I got my first computer in 1995. An IBM 33mhz with 16MB of Ram. I have had 2 more since then because I managed to upgrade each at least 1 time before moving forward an even then I managed to salvage some things from the previous system to use in the next like the hard drive and memory. This last time (about 4 months ago) I went ahead and invested in the long haul and went with dual processors (PIII 800's).

Even though my first computing experience did not occur untill 1995, I currently do software support and implementation and program in Visual Basic, Access and SQL Server. My wife will tell you that its obvious that computers are in my blood. I even do system and network stuff on the side for my former employer.

Ours was an Amstrad, '89-'90. The next one was an Atari '91. I loved that Atari. Had some of the best games on it. I'll have to see if I can get them on emulators. <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">