Your First Computer

KimW

14 years ago

This type of thread has been posted many times over the years but it is always fun.

This was my first computer,but I had to also buy the optional accessories,not pictured.

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travlinguy

14 years ago

Originally Posted by KimW

This type of thread has been posted many times over the years but it is always fun.

This was my first computer,but I had to also buy the optional accessories,not pictured.

Yep. Me too. Sent away for it from the back of a magazine in 1985. Timex Sinclair. I remember having a manual where you could actually program it for about a dozen or so of its limited functions. I carefully followed the instructions and programmed it to function as a clock.

It took me about two hours. I remember you had to hook it to a TV to display the super-primitive DOS-like characters. After all that work for a simple clock displayed on the TV I decided right there that personal computers was a dopey fad and would go nowhere.

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seasoned

14 years ago

Originally Posted by travlinguy

Yep. Me too. Sent away for it from the back of a magazine in 1985. Timex Sinclair. I remember having a manual where you could actually program it for about a dozen or so of its limited functions. I carefully followed the instructions and programmed it to function as a clock.

It took me about two hours. I remember you had to hook it to a TV to display the super-primitive DOS-like characters. After all that work for a simple clock displayed on the TV I decided right there that personal computers was a dopey fad and would go nowhere.

WOW, THAT was silly! INTEL grew from a chip that was *****FAR***** simpler than that in the Timex sinclair!

The timex sinclair used an improved workalike of a chip that was an improvement on the chip that was an improvment on the one that started intels foray into CPUs! And THAT was considered a special chip. The chip used in the sinclair was STILL used all over, last I knew, and even the one it was designed from was. Supposedly, it is the most used CPU around. Used in cars, disk controllers, microwaves, etc... Yeah, just a fad! As to the chip that started the fad? Happy 41st birthday! OK, OK, they only sold it for 10 years. 8-( I guess it didn't live too long. As for it's grandson? HAPPY 40th! Apparently STILL made today! WOW, I was just a little kid when IT was born! Wikkipedia says the creator had to wait 6 MONTHS to get approval to create it!

Steve

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Jonathan 2.0

Banned 14 years ago

Anyone have a favourite game? Mine would have to be “Bumpy.” Basically a little ball that you have to bounce around mazes etc.

Remember playing this one with my Dad. : )

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taskemann

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Jonathan 2.0

Anyone have a favourite game? Mine would have to be “Bumpy.” Basically a little ball that you have to bounce around mazes etc.

Remember playing this one with my Dad. : )

My first computer was a IBM desktop (I don't remember which model). I was 11 or 12 when I got it and I remember I used to play Heroes of Might And Magic III and Doom 2 all the time on it!

Heroes of Might and Magic 3 - YouTube

Doom 2 - Cyberdemon Vs. Spider Mastermind -...

The old-school computer games was really awesome!

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Jonathan 2.0 Banned 14 years ago

Originally Posted by taskemann

The old-school computer games was really awesome!

Definitely. When I got a PC I enjoyed playing Quake and Duke Nukem. : )

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Quake 1 High Resolution - YouTube
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- taskemann 14 years ago
  
  Yeah! I remember Quake and Quake II too. They were great!
  
  And don't forget Unreal Tournament
  
  Originally Posted by Jonathan 2.0
  
  Definitely. When I got a PC I enjoyed playing Quake and Duke Nukem. : )
  
  ...
  　
  Quake 1 High Resolution - YouTube
  
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KimW

14 years ago

I had mine for a long time when my older brother wanted to borrow it. Never saw it again.

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KimW

14 years ago

I tend to need pictures to job my memory. If I saw the games I would remember if I had them or not.
Now if we were talking Atari that would be an easy yes because I literally owned all of them,the good ones and the bad ones.

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Dan Riffle

14 years ago

Circa 1983, I asked my parents for an Apple II (or IIC or E, I can't remember). My dad came home with a Coleco Adam. The thing was an absolute piece of trash, but it's the thought that counts, right?

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Jonathan 2.0

Banned 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Dan Riffle

My dad came home with a Coleco Adam.

Never heard of that before.

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KimW

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Jonathan 2.0

Never heard of that before.

Jonathan ,
Here's a pic. The Adam actually came in 2 versions, a stand alone and an adapter kit for those that already had a ColecoVision Game system.

http://adam.hollowdreams.com/Misc.%2...con10-029a.jpg

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Dan Riffle

14 years ago

Originally Posted by KimW

Jonathan ,
Here's a pic. The Adam actually came in 2 versions, a stand alone and an adapter kit for those that already had a ColecoVision Game system.

http://adam.hollowdreams.com/Misc.%2...con10-029a.jpg

The power supply for the entire computer ran through the printer. You were SOL if your printer stopped working because it shut down your entire computer.

I had some fun with it, don't get me wrong. I have fond memories playing Buck Rogers. As I look back, my future was dictated by my dad's decision. I was a computer nut by age 4. Had be bought me the Apple I wanted, I'd probably be a programmer or systems engineer. Instead, he bought the Adam and I lost interest in computers during those formative years.

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Joseph Robinson

Banned 14 years ago

The family had an emachines desktop like this one. I remember thinking it was the coolest thing ever:

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KimW

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Dan Riffle

Circa 1983, I asked my parents for an Apple II (or IIC or E, I can't remember). My dad came home with a Coleco Adam. The thing was an absolute piece of trash, but it's the thought that counts, right?

Oh I loved my Adam,but in reality is was a piece of crap,
BUT it was my first experience of getting online. I joined BBS's and was chatting with people from all over, I was in awe.

Originally Posted by Jonathan 2.0

Never heard of that before.

Seriously? Where you from again?

Originally Posted by Joe Robinson

The family had an emachines desktop like this one. I remember thinking it was the coolest thing ever:

Joe, for years I have built my own PCs,Always better value for your dollar in my opinion.
But EMachines came out the same time my kids wanted one for school work and these were really inexpensive when they came out so I bought one.
Took it home and out of the box the CD drive didn't work.
Store I bought it from said they wouldn't take it back and I had to deal with it through the company and the warranty.
Company wouldn't send me a drive,they made me ship the damn 50 lb computer back to their factory in California. Cost me over $50 and almost 2 week turnaround time.
Swore that was the last time I'd ever do business with them.
On a side note,they are still out there but they were bought by Gateway,who you also don't see or hear much about anymore. Used to be they were right up there with Dell.

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Daniel Evans 14 years ago

I had an Amstrad CPC 6128. The one with the disc drive.

Not many people had disc drives in those days. It was the business!

Below is a stock photo, ironically with my favourite game - Barbarian!

Barbarian Amstrad CPC - YouTube
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taskemann

14 years ago

Anyone who have tried the "Larry" games here?

I never got to play them because I was forced to answer a lot of questions when I installed the game to verify that I was over 18. I never made it since it was just difficult questions about American history that I didn't knew anything about on that time...

And what's funny was that they lent out this erotic game at the elementary school's school library.

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KimW

14 years ago

Originally Posted by taskemann

Anyone who have tried the "Larry" games here?

I never got to play them because I was forced to answer a lot of questions when I installed the game to verify that I was over 18. I never made it since it was just difficult questions about American history that I didn't knew anything about on that time...

And what's funny was that they lent out this erotic game at the elementary school's school library.

Your talking about this:

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taskemann 14 years ago

Yeah. It was called "Larry's suit" or something. Maybe it is the game on your picture. I don't remember exactly.

Originally Posted by KimW

Your talking about this:
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KimW

14 years ago

True Dan, also the tape drive was specialized,you either bought Coleco's tapes, which were expensive for the day,or bought bootleg custom drilled ones,usually at user groups meetings. Come to think of it,that was my introduction to user groups.

After Adam, this was my next computer. It was a close-out at Toy's R Us, and I was working there as Christmas help so I got an additional discount,so I think it was like $99.
By the way, I was also Christmas help the year Cabbage Patch kids mania hit.....that was ridiculous.
http://s.ecrater.com/stores/66776/49...834_66776n.jpg