What was your first computer?

November 19th, 2008 · Comments

I just stumbled upon this archive video of a show from 1988 called Computer Chronicles. It’s a feature program all about the Commodore 64, my second computer.

This brings back lots of good memories. My friends use to come over to my place to play Skate or Die, this was back when Tony Hawk was still a professional skateboarder.

The guests also talk about BBSing, which was something I was very much involved with in the 416 way back when.

TRS 80

The funny part is that my first computer wasn’t even the Commodore 64, it was the TRS-80.

I remember learning Basic on it, then recording my programs to the cassette recorder for storage. Good times.

What was your first machine?

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This

If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Here are some quick links to topics I write about often like Twitter, Nashville and Marketing. Thanks for visiting!

Possibly Related Classroom Projects From DonorsChoose.org

Tags: BBS · Ramble · computing · nostalgia

Viewing 29 Comments

driver49 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

My first computer was something called a "MicroDaSys," hacked together by two guys in Hancock Park (LA) in 1979. It had a Z80 process that probably ran at like 2MHz. It had 32KB of RAM and two 8" 256KB floppy drives (one for the program, one for data). It cost like $3k but it ran a word processor called "The Electric Pencil," which could do bold, underline, italics, and, most importantly, rearrange blocks of text. I would have gotten an Apple II but the Apples were not yet capable of upper and lower case characters, and I wanted to publish a newsletter -- desktop publishing 10 years before its time. A couple years later I got an Osborne 1 (the first "luggable"), and around '85 I got a PCXT (10 whole MB of hard drive!).

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

1 /people/driver49/ /people/driver49/following/ http://49chevy.com

Dave Delaney 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

Wow! That's awesome. Do you still have the newsletters? What was it
about?

Cheers,
Dave / www.davemadethat.com

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

4 /people/davedelaney/ /people/davedelaney/following/ http://www.davemadethat.com davedelaney

Andrew Duthie 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

I wouldn't have called it "mine," but mine was also a TRS-80 Model I. We had a II, a III, and a 4P ('portable') after that, then finally a Mac 512k, which became mine when the Mac II came home. (Oh, and there was a TRS-80 Color Computer that was technically the first one that belonged to me, too. I once bought a game for it on audio cassette!)

Ran a BBS on that 512k (with HD20!), but never got permission to open it up 24/7, and of course a BBS that can't take calls all day is a BBS that never goes anywhere.

Driver49: Pretty sure we had Electric Pencil on the Model I or II. I was, err, a bit young to give a dang about word processing, though I did enjoy typing out BASIC games from the magazines.

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

http://www.duthielearning.com/blog

Dave Delaney 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

Ha, that's great. My BBS was run at night and when my mum wasn't home.
With only one phone line, I use to drive her and my brother nuts tying
up the line constantly.

Cheers,
Dave / www.davemadethat.com

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

4 /people/davedelaney/ /people/davedelaney/following/ http://www.davemadethat.com davedelaney

Kieran 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

Oh man, the Computer Chronicles! I remember that show-- it was on public television, probably sometime just before Doctor Who came on..

My first computer was a DEC VT180.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VT180
My Dad worked at Digital Equipment and this was kinda sorta Digital's first entry into the Personal Computing field. It was a monster... and I taught myself how to write in BASIC. We even had one of those War-Games style coupler modems so my Dad could call into work from time to time from home and send in these amazing things called e-mails.

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

http://sleepydad.com

Dave Delaney 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

My friends Dad had a Mac (don't know which one). He introduced me to BBSing,
but it was War Games that got me really interested.

Find me online: www.davemadethat.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davedelaney
Blog: blog.davemadethat.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/davedelaney

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

4 /people/davedelaney/ /people/davedelaney/following/ http://www.davemadethat.com davedelaney

Andrew Duthie 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

I wouldn't have called it "mine," but mine was also a TRS-80 Model I. We had a II, a III, and a 4P after that, then finally a Mac 512k, which became mine when the Mac II came home. (Oh, and a TRS-80 Color Computer that was technically the first one that belonged to me... I once bought a game for it on audio cassette!)

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

http://www.duthielearning.com/blog

kristent 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

My first computer was a Commodore 64 with a small TV as the monitor. I used to play "Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?" and some game (don't remember the name) where you typed in the command/directive for a prince or knight. "Zelda" is the closest type of game I can think of, though. I loved the Com 64.

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

http://kristent.wordpress.com

Dave Delaney 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

I remember a game called Ballyhoo, it's was a RPG that took place at a
circus. I got frustrated with it though... Look Left, Look Right... Pick
Up...

Find me online: www.davemadethat.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davedelaney
Blog: blog.davemadethat.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/davedelaney

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

4 /people/davedelaney/ /people/davedelaney/following/ http://www.davemadethat.com davedelaney

Peter 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

My first computer was an Apple IIc - in service for over 9 years and it still works. Reading @driver49's comment, I'm reminded, also, of my first DTP program called "Publish It" by Timeworks. The package said a mouse was not required, but it was, so that was another $99.00, and still a lot of physical cut and paste and kinkos. Modem was $595.00 and it never did do 1200 baud, only 300 baud. Compuserve, local bbs's. I have lots more stories about that first computer. One little tidbit: The computer came with a bunch of little sample files. One was a midi of a Mozart jiingle. A friend of mine was an elementary school music teacher. I showed him the computer, played the Mozart piece. He said, with amazement, "It has perfect pitch!" I said, "What did you expect? it's a computer,"

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

http://www.fromoutoftheblue.com

Rex Hammock 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

In April, 1984, I sold a car to purchase the first generation Mac.

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

4 /people/RexHammock/ /people/RexHammock/following/ http://rexblog.com r rexblog rex

Dave Delaney 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

Dang! Rex you are a serious ubber-geek. That's a good thing by the way :-)

Find me online: www.davemadethat.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davedelaney
Blog: blog.davemadethat.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/davedelaney

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

4 /people/davedelaney/ /people/davedelaney/following/ http://www.davemadethat.com davedelaney

driver49 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

Dave asked (via e-mail, can't find the comment here): "Wow! That's awesome. Do you still have the newsletters? What was it about?

It was called "Strange Times" and it was a lame attempt at a financial newsletter (log line from Billy Joel: "These are not the best of times but they're the only times I've ever known."

Published at the height of the Carter-era inflation, the first issue had a photo of a dollar bill going down the toilet. Seems even more appropriate now, huh?

And, yeah, I've still got the few issues I turned out around here somewhere. I still like the title, but I've never used it for a blog because somebody beat me to the domain.

--PS

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

1 /people/driver49/ /people/driver49/following/ http://49chevy.com

Dave Delaney 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

Is "Stranger Times" available? LOL!

Find me online: www.davemadethat.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davedelaney
Blog: blog.davemadethat.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/davedelaney

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

4 /people/davedelaney/ /people/davedelaney/following/ http://www.davemadethat.com davedelaney

Nico 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

My first one was a C64 I shared with my brother (and technically my sister too, but she never used it). And now I have a C64 emulator on my phone :)

Oddly, the first computer I had that was mine alone was my Powerbook, only a few years ago...

reply edit reblog flag record video comment

http://idreamincolors.com

Dave Delaney 1 month ago 1 point
Please login to rate.

Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.

I shared my Commie with my brother, but he wasn't that interested in it.
Then my parents bought him an Amiga, since I was always using the C64. I was
so jealous :-)
What's this C64 emulator for your phone? Got a link? What types of phone
does it work on?

D

Find me online: www.davemadethat.com
LinkedIn:

What I'm Up To

MyBlogLog

Google Friend Connect

Where I'll be

Past Speaking Engagements

Nashville Centric

Archives

Meta