Your first (few) non-PC and PC computers

[qualin]

I'm not sure if it belongs in this forum, but maybe I could consider a personal computer to be a "Small Appliance".

So, tell me, what was your first computer you ever recall buying and/or using?

In 1981, I saw a personal computer for the first time, an original SWTPC 6800. I played a few games on it and was hooked.

In 1982, my parents purchased a Commodore VIC-20 for me for my birthday present. It had a whopping 5 kilobytes of RAM and came with a cassette deck which worked most of the time but was slower than slow. It was semi-permanently hooked up to a 14" black and white RCA TV set. I spent many many hours coding BASIC programs on that machine.

In 1986, my parents replaced it with a "GOLDEN II" which was a clone of an Apple //e machine, with a unique lower case function, 2 140 Kb double-density single sided floppy drives and 64 Kilobytes of RAM. This computer was also the first machine that I got a modem for. A Hayes Micromodem II running at 110/300 Baud.

I recall having to use a speakerphone to determine what was going on with the line when I was calling local BBS systems here. Eventually I wore out the on-hook relay.

In 1990, My parents got our first PC. It was a 386DX/25 with 1 MB of RAM, a 40 MB Hard drive, a VGA (640 x 480) display, a 2400 baud modem and a Star NX-1001 9-pin dot matrix printer. (Which I still have today) This was the first system I had with a mouse and a display which had more than two colors!

It wasn't until 1997 when I finally purchased my own PC from scratch. That was an Intel Pentium 166MMX with 16 MB of RAM, a 1.6 GB hard drive and other goodies.

 

[goatfarmer]

My wife had a VIC20.

 

[foraloysius]

I was using computers at work for a while, but when I got curious about the internet it was time to buy a computer. That was in 1997.

I bought a Dell computer with a 15 inch screen. IIRC the harddrive was devided into two parts, IIRC 2.0GB and 1.0GB. It was an Intel Pentium, but I don't remember how fast. IIRC RAM was 32MB. I used it until 2004. I bought another Dell that I used until 2011.

 

[appnut]

My first was in 1982, a Texas Instruments Profesional Computer--8088 cpu, 64K RAM, asnd dual floppy drives--did not get the 5MB hard drive until a year later; a TI Portable Professional Computer (luggable--32 pounds); Then a Texas Instruments TravelMate 3000 laptop PC (16 pounds) (80386); Texas Instruments TravelMate 4000 80486-based laptop (9 pounds); Compaq Presario desktop; E systems Pentium desktop; a Dell AMD-based desktop and now another E-Systems desktop.

 

[dj-gabriele]

- The first computer ever in my family was an IBM PS/2 Model 30, it was a 286 with a 20MB hard disk and 1 MB of RAM, we had it till 1996. It had some early version of IBM DOS, 4 or 5 maybe and later had Windows 3.1
- Then came an Apple Quadra 840AV, I think it was the most hi-end you could buy at the time, but it didn't last much more than the end of warranty and my experience with that brand ended, but it was fantastic as you could see video on the pc ad add subtitles editing from the camera to VCR! It had a caddy cd-rom! I still have the caddy somewhere... (This machine ran System 7.1)
-In 1996 (or was it early 1997?) I had my first "personal" computer: a Pentium 133 with 32 MB of ram and a Voodoo add-on card (first generation) especially for Quake and Tomb Raider, this machine lasted up to 2001. In that year the computer was upgraded with a AMD K6 II 400Mhz and 128MB of RAM, I kept it till 2004. This machine was dual boot Win 3.11 and Windows 95 first and then Windows 98.
- That year I begun university and in 2005 I got my first laptop, a Packard Bell AMD Turion x64 with 1GB of ram and 80GB of disk, it lasted till 2009 when the screen separated from the proper computer. So far this is my favourite machine ever! It even had a remote control and (kind of) subwoofer for better audio, plus it was silent and never overheated, fast and reliable till the end, it had Windows XP
- Currently my laptop is a Toshiba Satellite PRO A300 with 6GB of ram, 320GB of disk and a dedicated videocard with 1GB of memory, it runs Windows 7 x64
- while at home we have an "el cheapo" Acer computer that was trouble from the beginning with a Core 2 duo at 2Ghz and 2GB of RAm and the dreadful Windows Vista.

There has been quite an improvement from the 10 MHz 80286 to the DualCore at 2,4 GHz? Isn't it?

 

[whirlcool]

In 1979 I bought an Apple computer. It looked like a //e but only had 64K and two floppy drives. I knew BASIC from my college days and wrote a few programs for it.

Then in 1983 I bought a Apple //c with a monochrome monitor. The cost for the machine, plus the monitor and Imagewriter printer was $3,300. But I got my first taste of semi professional computing with the Appleworks program, spreadsheet, database and word processor. I had this machine until 1985 when our place got burglarized while we were away on a trip. I also used this machine with a 1200 baud modem to dial up local BBS boards.

In 1986 I bought a IBM PC/AT. This was a fun machine. I used Lotus 1-2-3 on it quite a bit and mainly used it for word processing.

In 1990 I built my first computer. It was a 386-40 with an AMD processor. It had a 20MB hard disk and a single floppy. It also had a color monitor.

From then on it was a series of laptops from Compaq and IBM (the Thinkpad series was my favorite) and for the house several desktops I built myself.

 

[mattl]

I started out in the late 80's with an Atari 400, graduated to the 800.  Had the tape deck and a printer!  Still have then stored in an attic somewhere, wonder if they are worth anything.  Later moved on to a super "Real" computer in the early 90's running windows 3.1! Been building and repairing since then.

 

[jetsystem1200]

First, we had a 1997 Dell Dimension XPS with Windows 95 (upgraded to 98), a 5GB hard drive, 64MB of RAM, an ATI Rage graphics card and a dial up modem. Then, my dad bought a 2002 Mesh Matrix for his business with (I think) an 80GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, Windows XP and a NTL (a local cable company now owned by Richard Branson) broadband connection. We still have this computer, but it runs Linux now. In 2003, we bought a Fujitsu which had a 250GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM, Windows XP (upgraded to Windows 7) and wireless networking. This one now runs Linux as well. We bought a Medion laptop in 2007 when Vista was first out which had an Intel Centrino Duo, a 250GB hard disk, 2GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce graphics. This computer is broken and has given us lots of trouble. My first personal computer was an ASUS Eee PC 901 netbook that ran Linux and had an Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM and a 20GB SSD. It is now a home server that runs Squeezebox Server. My current laptop is a Samsung R580 with a 500GB hard disk, Intel Core i3 processor, NVIDIA graphics and 4GB of RAM (I'm going to upgrade it to 8 some day).

These may not count as computers to you, but I think they are! I have a HTC Wildfire mobile phone that has a ARM processor, 384MB of RAM, a 16GB MicroSD card and is on the 3 network. Also, I have an Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet with 32GB of storage, 1GB of RAM and NVIDIA Tegra 3 graphics. Both run Android.

 

[cfz2882]

vic 20

in 1984 got a closeout vic 20 at monkey wards-it had the cassette drive.
Anyone remember the little sinclair microcomputer that came out around 1981?

 

[revvinkevin]

My history of personal computers

 

 

I have been an Apple/Mac guy since the very beginning!   I talked my mom into buying an Apple IIe, but not just the basic IIe no, we went all out and upgraded to 128K of RAM, the 80 column card (allowing 80 columns of text on the screen) and the Duo (5 1/4" floppy) Disc drive , WOO HOO!   LOL    An Imagewriter dot matrix printer completed the ensemble.   

 

This set up lasted a number of years until I upgraded to the LC II.  But then 2 weeks later the LC III came out, so I returned the "II" and got the "III".   Then next ones were a Quadra 650 with a ZIP drive, a G3 tower (blue & white), then a Mac Mini (a very cool and VERY tiny computer!) and finally the 21.5" iMac I bought a year ago.

 

Kevin

 

[cadman]

Beautiful!

 

[rp2813]

My first experience with a PC was when I worked for a HVAC contractor in 1980.  I don't remember the make, but I do remember the packs of 5"floppies we'd go through.  It sat in a corner and was the only computer on the premises, mainly used by the accounting department.  An employee had a spouse who could get "Verbatim" brand floppies cheap, so that's what we used.  Everything else that happened on a computer was done off site through a timeshare service, and each week we'd get thick tractor-fed print-outs on wide sheets with alternating stripes of blue or green at about 25% color intensity and meet with the timeshare representative to interpret all of it.

 

I remember my cousin, who is several years older than I am, came out to visit around that time.  As we were driving from the airport and catching up on things, I spoke of work and shared with him that management had decided to get an Apple.  He asked, "What's an apple?"

 

[58limited]

My first computer was a TI - 99/4, quickly upgraded to a TI-99/4A (my dad was on the design team so we got free "Loaners"), with memory expansion, program recorder (a tape recorder), and floppy drive. I even had a prototype of the Speech Synthesizer module complete with a binder of design specs. My dad told me to never show that to my friends for fear that it might get stolen.

 

Next in 1987 we had a TI laptop, again my dad was on the design team. Dad moved to Compaq's laptop division and I got an LTE Elite laptop in 1995. My model never ended up in production - it had a slightly different screen and an audio jack that the production models didn't have. Production models retailed for $4000-$5000.  I still have it but the screen is cracked - the bottom 3rd doesn't work. I stayed with laptops until 1999 and got a Compaq desktop, then in 2004 I got a Dell Dimension desktop that I still use - I think it is the best computer that I've ever owned, still fast (I ordered the hottest processor and most RAM that they offered in 2004) and reliable with Windows XP. I had to replace the mother board in 2006 due to a lightning strike. I also have a 2008 Dell laptop for travel, and an ACER that is problematic.

[this post was last edited: 4/14/2012-12:59]

 

[aladude]

Let's see... 2000 iMac G3 Graphite, Special Edition; 2007 Mac Mini; 2009 MacBook Pro 13"; 2011 MacBook Pro 15"

Loved the design of the G3 so much I am currently turning it into a case for the Mini.

 

[passatdoc]

First computer in my office was an IMB 386 running UNIX.

First home computer was in 1995, a generic PC with Pentium 90, Windows 3.1 OS (later upgraded to Win 95), 8 MB RAM, and a whopping 850 MB hard drive (the largest internal HD available then was 1 GB). Had a CD ROM and diskette slot, plus a 28K phone modem. I later moved this computer to my office and did not retire it until 2002, so it lasted seven years.

Second home computer was an IBM brand PC, ran Win 98, I think it was a Pentium 200 or thereabouts. Had a DVD-ROM drive, a never-used-phone modem, and a network card for ethernet (cable internet from 1997). Gave this one away to a friend who needed a computer and could not afford one, when I bought #3. I had installed a CD burner in this one and was the first time I burned CDs.

#3 was a HP brand PC running Win XP, bought in 2002. I think it was designed for Win 98 or Me, and they just overwrote the OS with XP and it worked "ok". I later brought it to the office and loaded Win 2K on it, it worked reliably for another six or seven years before being retired in 2010. It worked much better with Win 2K than it did with XP. This one had a DVD-R burner, i think the first time I could burn DVDs.

#4 was a Dell brand PC running XP. Don't remember the RAM or clock speed. It had a DVD-burner.p Its main limitation was an 80 GB HD, which rapidly became too small in the era of mp4 movies and iTunes. At the time it was purchased, giant hard drives were still very expensive. I probably could have kept this computer longer had I invested in an external HD and used it for storage, but even external drives were still quite expensive then, I remember buying an 80 GB drive for $129 on sale. I wound up wiping off all the data, reinstalling the software from the install disk, and giving it to a low income family at church with three kids in community college whose only computer had broken down. By then, external HDs were cheaper, and they got a "like new" computer whose only limitation was a smallish HD, which they remedied with an external HD (a real bargain not having to buy a computer, only an external drive.) This computer is still in use, having been given to that family in 2009.

#5 and current machine is a Dell PC Win XP Professional, Dual Core Intel @3 Ghz, 3 GB RAM. Not brilliant performance, but gets the job done.

PORTABLES:

1. Given an IBM c. 2004 PC laptop in 2007 by a friend in Sweden whose company updated computers and did not need its old ones. Has a Swedish XP system. It's now eight years old, still works, but small hard drive and creaky performance. 14" screen. Decent travel size but heavy.

2. Bought a Toshiba NB310 Netbook in 2010. Runs on Windows 7, 160 GB HD, came with 1 GB RAM which I upgraded to the maximum of 2 GB. Good performance for a netbook. Does web, e-mail, plays movies, etc., etc., but not a desktop replacement. 10" screen good for travel but too small as a daily driver.

 

[appnut]

TI laptop, again my dad was on the design team.

And David, your dad and that team did a wonderful job on those TravelMates. Your dad was a good man, highly thought of!!! To the good ol days!!! (I worked for TI for 20 years in marketing, David's dad was an engineer).

 

[perc-o-prince]

My first was a Commodore 64 with a floppy drive and a Star Micronics tractor feed printer with color ribbon. Got it in about 1984 from COMB (Close Out Merchandise Buyers) by mail order. I know I still had it when I met Rich in 1988 because I had a box of continuous feed paper that I bought at Building 19 and we didn't have them in Buffalo.

His grandparents bought me a PS/2 for Christmas shortly after we moved back here in 1992.

After that, I think it was the Compaq desktop, HP laptop, Insignia desktop, Sony Viao laptop, now the Toshiba laptop serving double duty as desktop.

Chuck

 

[58limited]

Bob, I remember doing dial-up banking on that Travelmate (Texins Credit Union, of course), I thought that was the coolest thing.  I think the modem was 1200 baud. My favorite game was Battle Chess. We gave that computer to my cousin in the mid-1990s, I wonder if she still has it?

 

I just fired up the LTE Elite for the first time in 10 years. It works! Windows 3.1 too, and Tabworks for the shell. I have another drive for it with Windows 95 but I think it crashed. Too bad the screen is cracked but I see there is a docking station on ebay - that would allow me to use a separate monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Basically turns it into a desktop computer. I tried to find a replacement LCD screen once but since it is basically a prototype there isn't one available. The neatest thing about these Compaq LTEs is the removable hard drive - you can swap drives as easily as a floppy disk (but you had to turn the computer off, of course). I also liked the Trac-Ball mouse built into the monitor half - my all time favorite laptop mouse system. I have always hated with a passion the touch pads or touch "balls" embedded in the keypad that replaced the Trac-Ball.

 

Looks like TI-99/4As are fairly cheap on ebay, so I think I'm going to get a setup.

[this post was last edited: 4/14/2012-15:24]

 

[appnut]

Looks like TI-99/4As are fairly cheap on ebay, so I think I&

david, see if you can find an LED or LCD watch as well as programmable thermostat made in LUbbock while you're on ebay lol. I remember getting my first LCD watch at Employee's store. I thought I'd arrived!!! Now I wish I'd gone ahead and gotten the A806 and DE806 Maytags from the Texins buying seervice available when I started working there.