What Was Your First Computer?

[MGMmjl]

The thread about encyclopedias and the mention of Microsoft Encarta got me thinking about my first computer.

I remember my granddad had an Apple II computer that I played on when I was really little, and I remember having an IBM computer at home at some point too.

But the first "real" computer was a Packard Bell my parents gave me for Christmas 1996. It had something like an 8X CD-ROM drive and a full GB of hard disk space. I thought it was great!

What was the first personal computer you remember having?

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Gateway pc that was set up and mailed - no stores at that point. Consultant talked me into the 128MB storage drive - "likely you'll never need any more storage on a computer than 128MB - that will be plenty...." At the time, I guess it was. How times have changed!!

 

[BlueStarryHat]

It was a refurbished HP running Windows98. It came with AOL and a graphics program called Photosuite 8. I don't remember how much storage it had, but it wouldn't have been much. I tried installing The Sims on it and it couldn't handle it.

 

[NeeseyL]

I'm going to date myself here and say the Comodore 64

 

[soccerdad72]

I'm going to date myself here and say the Comodore 64

I had a Vic-20 before we upgraded to the Commodore 64

After that, we had an Apple IIe

 

[T00dles]

I'm going to date myself here and say the Comodore 64

Mine was a Commodore Vic 20; tape drive and all. My friend had an Amiga, which could boot as a C64. I was so jealous of all the games he could play.

 

[Meriweather]

I'm going to date myself here and say the Comodore 64

That is our house too.....DS used it the most.
We are really old

 

[MGMmjl]

I had a Vic-20 before we upgraded to the Commodore 64

After that, we had an Apple IIe

I never used a Commodore-64, but I remember my granddad had an Apple II computer. The IIe sounds familiar, so it may have been that one. I just remember he had a book that had codes in it for different games, and I would type those up and try to play the games.

 

[mjkacmom]

I brought a similar word processor to college in 1985. I wad an English major so it came in handy. Once I ran out of ink and needed to print a paper, I ended up bringing the whole machine to my professor. https://www.digitec.ch/en/page/the-australopithecus-of-pc-evolution-25542

 

[rangerxenos]

I'm going to date myself here and say the Comodore 64

That's what I learned how to program on in high school. And a computer that ran punch cards as well!

 

[Lumpy1106]

Team Vic-20 here. I remember writing a program that would fast-forward to the game you wanted to play on the tape drive. C-64 had a floppy disc - boy was that ever an upgrade.

Jumpman FTW! I really wish I could find that game on any platform RN.

 

[TippyThomas]

The Acer laptop that I currently own. I haven't owned computers for very long.

 

[SneakyTiki]

TI-99/4A. Wonder what happened to that thing...

 

[lanejudy]

My parents got a TRS-80 when I was in high school. Primarily my dad used it for word processing. I remember playing some kind of game called Ghosts using just the up/down/left/right arrows and the space bar. It was probably 10-15 years later before I had my own computer; it was used and I forget the brand but probably a Tandy.

 

[firefly_ris]

I learned to type on a Commodore 64, and then we got an IBM running Windows 3.1 when I was about 8 I think.

But the one I spent the most time on was an Acer 75MHz desktop with the brand-new Windows 95.

Those were all technically owned by my parents though.... the first computer that I put my own money into was a 500mhz desktop Windows XP machine that my dad and I built after buying all the parts at the Timonium fairgrounds computer show.

 

[DisneYE]

Mine was a Commodore Vic 20; tape drive and all. My friend had an Amiga, which could boot as a C64. I was so jealous of all the games he could play.

Also a C64 user here. Lots of us GenX folks on here it seems
I think most/all >middle class kids in the early-mid 80s had one. then the C128 came out and I never had one.. I remember my parents saying it was way too expensive.. stuck with C64 for a few years.. it had the best games anyway imo.. The Amiga, only the 'rich kids' had them LOL

Then early in university had my first real computer: the legendary Compaq Presario...I still remember getting it for my Bday, I almost fainted I was so excited.. the 80s and 90s were simply incredible decades.. I miss them.

 

[tvguy]

Team Vic-20 here. I remember writing a program that would fast-forward to the game you wanted to play on the tape drive. C-64 had a floppy disc - boy was that ever an upgrade.

Jumpman FTW! I really wish I could find that game on any platform RN.

VIC 20 here too. Still have it. Data recorded on a cassette tape. Other than programming it to fill the screen with a bad word, never used it for anything. Probably about 1984.

Didn't get computers at work until late 1989. Boss was a HUGE Apple fan. Got bids for those computers, owner said the price was too high and to go with PCs. Boss tried to fight until he discovered that none of the software specific to our business was available for Macs.


Our first real computer at home was a Packard Bell with a 486 chip. That was in 1994. Saw no reason to spend more for a Pentium. 170 mb hard drive, CD rom, floppy drive built in. Signed up for Prodigy service, chat boards, research tools and then.....they added Internet access. I remember the first time I went on the Internet, which was a scary prospect. I survived.

 

[Disneefun]

Vic-20 to C64 to the first IBM PC (whatever it was called) with the green text. Having a relative who worked for IBM was kinda cool in those days! In our school's computer classes we used TRS-80's. (AKA Trash 80's.)

 

[NYCgrrl]

Texas Instrument. They stopped making computers shortly after, lol.

 

[Massachusetts]

TI-99/4A. Wonder what happened to that thing...

That's me too. I still have it! Was actually thinking about finding a cathode ray television to see if it still works.