I was thinking about the various computers I've used. I grew up in the 70s when home computers were really rare. I think a friend had a ZX80 when I was about 13, but the nearest I came was playing arcade games like Pong.
My first real experience of using a computer was via one of these. We had one at school that connected to a local college via an acoustic coupler. That's something you pushed a telephone handset into and it used sound. This was slower than a modem, but fast enough for what this did.
A few years later I got a BBC Micro. It had a mighty 16kB of memory (upgraded to 32kB by me), loaded from cassette and a fairly puny CPU, but I had a lot of fun with it. When I learned about fractals I had to try making my own. Something like this may have taken hours.
Although I worked with various IBM compatible computers (now just known as PCs) on DOS and Windows I didn't do much at home with computers for a while. Eventually I bought a second hand Amiga 500. That was great for games. Later I got the Amiga 1200. That got upgraded extensively until I was able to use it to emulate a Mac. I didn't get onto the internet for a while, but I was into bulletin boards. I went through various modems in search of more speed.
Eventually I decided I needed to get a 'PC' (I don't like this as a it is used as it just means Personal Computer). I got a Windows 95 machine. That was the last PC that I didn't build myself. I've been through lots since then using Windows 98, NT, 2000. I found Windows frustrating and experimented with Linux. I think it was Red Hat first followed by Mandrake, Knoppix and then Ubuntu, which I have stuck with for many years. I obviously had at least three computers when this was taken. I suspect one was still running Windows as the kids played some games on it.
I'm not into gaming, so I don't need the latest hardware. I've had my current AMD quad-core for a few years and it is fine for running Ubuntu for all my needs. I've seen a lot of changes over the years. From paper printout to multiple screens. There's a whole other history in the mobile devices I've used.
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Memories, memories... I remember loading programs off a cassette drive - that was a bit of a drag 😊
I bought my first 'proper' PC c 1990.
I'd started doing some freelance work and won a pitch to build a database system for a national charity. I didn't think I would get the job but when I did I had to rush out and buy a PC (couldn't really do it at work 😉).
It was a G-Com and cost £3300 if I recall correctly. I remember you had to 'park' the hard drive before moving in those days...
Is scary how much they used to cost. My Beeb probably cost the equivalent of a couple of thousand now
So you've been in the tech world for very long mate, wow your first experience at 13yrs old!
Being from a middle class family, i first had a computer when i had 20 years old, that is 14 years back, it was the first thing i bought from my first work salary, well it was quite expensive and had to pay on a monthly basis!
You made me revive those memories!
Thanks man!
@progressivechef
I got into it at an exciting time. Now we take the technology for granted
Sounds we had a very similar path and experiences with the advances of computing, similar devices over the years and I to am not int gaming but with photo editing I try an keep a fairly up to date PC so the processing power can quickly dot eh editing tasks I run
Thanks for this Steevc. I too am a musician interested in computer history :) On the main desk in my studio site an Apple IIe. Works like a charm.
Upvoted and following you
Cheers,
Bucky
I don't have much old stuff still around. I regret selling my Amiga and Beeb. There is a Spectrum here, but it's not mine.
That is the way of it. There are so many old tech/audio/photography things I got rid of which I regret now. Oh well :)
you are a tech enthusiast :D tech maniac !
Great computers evolution, thank to technology :)
nice post thank you for sharing
I have plans to build a PC for myself i was actually thinking about writing a blog about it
Go for it. I'm sure people will be interested in what components you choose. Building a PC is pretty simple really. It's generally just worked when I did it.
My first computer was a Packard Bell from PC World, which I bought in 1999 for £1000.
It still works, but I had to abandon it in 2007 because it didn't have a broadband port (yes it was a pre broadband computer!) Still, I got a lot of use out of it.
We used to have keep to keep upgrading, but I find a computer can last longer these days unless you are a gamer or do other intensive work.
Good to see that pc's after a long time
How about tablets ? :) Do you consider them PC or as mobile device?
I'd consider them mobile
O my what a nostalgia. Glad to see some of this oldies again.
You guys are lucky to have a rare encounter with the very first computer. None of my generation have witness the evolution of computer.
I yes just because I'm old. There were computers long before this
I graduated from High Scool in 1972 and I remember a letter a friend sent me, by mail, that had been written on a computer. It arrived in a big brown envelope and had one word per page, with tracks at the sides of the paper to allow it to feed through the machine. It was a very short, bulky letter!
I remember printing with that paper. I've used all sorts of printers. These days I have a colour laser that's very nice
Awesome Tech Legend thanks for sharing with us
Yeah I remember these things :)
what an evolutions the computers make huh