Ask HN: What was your first computer? - Kevin_S
======
davidgould
My first was a homebrew of my own design hand wire-wrapped on perfboard.
Components were a Signetics 2650A CPU, 6KB of 2114 (1024x4bit) static ram, and
a handful of 7400L series TTL glue logic. I got most of the parts from salvage
or donations.

Someone burned me a 2KB eprom copy of the Signetics rom monitor and into
memory assembler. As that did not include documentation I wrote a disassembler
in FORTRAN using works Univac 1108.

The first time I hooked it up it did nothing, but replacing the RC oscillator
with a proper crystal for the clock fixed it. Serial IO was bit banged in
software at 110 baud to a Teletype ASR 33. The RC clock was not good enough to
sync the serial rate. Programs could be typed directly into memory a line at a
time or read/punched from/to paper tape.

It took months, but I was poor and a pre-built computer would have cost
thousands. I never really used it for much, but I did learn a bunch about
digital logic, assembler programming, hardware and software debugging etc.
Probably the most educational thing I ever did.

I remember many evenings sitting up in bed wire-wrapping, quite content except
that my girl friend complained about the tiny itchy bits of insulation
stripped from the wire ends getting into the sheets.

------
twobyfour
First computer I used: original Macintosh in elementary school. Number
Munchers

First computer I programmed: Apple IIgs, the following year. Logo, the turtle.
Also, Oregon Trail

First home computer: x86 running MS-DOS, later in elementary school.
WordPerfect 5.1

First computer I programmed understanding that it was programming: Macintosh
II, middle school. BASIC

First computer I went online with: x86, MS-DOS, middle school. 3600 baud.
Prodigy

First computer of my own: x86, MS-DOS (hand me down former family computer),
high school. Still WordPerfect 5.1.

First new computer of my own: Pentium, Windows 95. College. MS Word and
Netscape.

~~~
jason_slack
We might be about the same age because I identify with most all of these
items!

 _but_ , did you have your own BBS? :-)

~~~
twobyfour
Nope. My only pre-WWW exposure to anything like that was the boards at
Prodigy.

------
thomastjeffery
I have a few answers to this question.

The first computers I used:

Several Pentiums and i486's running MSDOS, Win95, Win98, and Win2000 are what
I grew up with.

First computer I built:

A socket 426 motherboard I got from a large dumpster, an Athlon XP 2600+
(2ghz) from ebay, and an ATI All-In-Wonder 2006 Edition (a Radeon 9600 256mb
with built-in RCA input) my dad couldn't get working in his system.

That video card is why I _passionately hate_ closed-source drivers. As of ~5
years ago, the free Radeon driver has been up to snuff, but alas, too late.

In this span of time, I built several PCs with second-hand parts, and
installed many a GNU/Linux distro (roughly in the order Ubuntu -> Linux Mint
-> Debian -> Archlinux -> NixOS with Gentoo, Debian, TinyCore, Fedora, etc.
scattered between). I even got a 2011 Macbook Pro secondhand, and learned how
to deal with the _abuse_ that is Apple's EFI ( _not_ UEFI) - especially when
the CD drive stopped working - right up until it melted.

The first system I bought parts for (I finally had real money!):

ASUS M5A99FX Pro R2.0, AMD FX-8320E, 2x 4gb 2133 cas10 dimms, 500W semi-
modular PSU, NVidia GeForce GT 720.

Still my main system, but with a couple of AMD RX 480's instead of NVidia, and
a beefier PSU, SSDs, etc.

------
sgt
My first computer (technically it was my dad's) was an IBM XT 5160. With its
blazingly fast 8088 CPU running at 4.77MHz and 640kB of RAM and 10MB of disk,
it was actually pretty fast and fun to work on.

I remember as an 7-year old I wondered what was "boiling" inside the computer.
I found out a bit later it was just the hard drive doing its thing, retrieving
files and such. My dad wasn't technical enough to really explain what it was
doing, but it sure was "thinking hard", he said. We still have that IBM and it
works, 30 years later.

Then later on I managed to save up enough money from working as a paperboy at
12 years old, to buy an Amiga 500. Later to be followed up with an Amiga 1200.

I've gone through so many computers of different makes and architectures; from
Commodore 64, to Sun workstations, SGI workstations and of course PC's mostly
running either FreeBSD or Linux.

Fast forwarding to 2017 and I have a MacBook Pro Retina, and quite frankly I
think it is the best computer ever built.

------
fuzzygroup
TRS-80 Model 1. I still fondly remember soldering in a chip to enable lower
case. Yep that's right -- lower case required a hardware mod via a soldering
iron.

------
FullyFunctional
First was an IBM mainframe at Mærsk, circa 1978

Second was an Olivetti BASIC workstation (not listed on Wikipedia!) at Bang &
Olufsen, circa 1979

The real time sink arrived with a Nascom 2 kit [1] (to be soldered) circa
1982.

Later a Commodore 64 which had the curse of great games and thus didn't
encourage programming as much. I'm glad I started with a computer where the
entertainment was getting it to do something and I feel sorry that kids today
miss out on the wonder of the whole thing.

[1] [http://nascomhomepage.com](http://nascomhomepage.com)

------
eatmyshorts
Apple ][ (not ][+ or ][e, this one predated those)...The keyboard on the ][+
was slightly sculpted to match finger travel and had a slight bit of texturing
on the keys. The ][ had slick, glossy keys and a less ergonomic keyboard. This
thing had:

    
    
      * 16kB on-board memory
      * 48kB memory on add-in riser card 
      * floppy disk drive (this was as expensive as the CPU, iirc)
      * output to a amber-screen monitor

------
oblib
Mine was a used Commodore SX-64 with a tiny 3" monitor. I bought a few apps
for it. One was a Spreadsheet app and that's what I first learned the very
basics of programming with. I didn't it have very long though. I talked
someone into selling me their Mac Plus that was collecting dust on a desk in
their house and sold the Commodore to help pay it off.

From there I bought my first new computer, a Mac PowerPC 6100, then and 8500,
then a used G3 and G4, and now I have late `09 Mac Mini that I bought new on
sale just before they released then next model of those. I've upgraded it with
an SSD and 8GB of Ram and it's still a great little computer. Best I've ever
owned.

------
crispinb
Tandy TRS-80 model 1, 4k RAM. Saw it in a shop on way home from school, jaw
dropped, had no idea what it could do but needed to find out, worked arse off
in summer job, & bought one. Programmed via hand-assembled Z80 using
instruction table photocopied from a library book. It was some years before I
knew of anyone else actually owning a computer.

------
Starwatcher2001
TRS-80 Model 1, Level II. Taught myself BASIC then assembler. Hacked the
electronics to provide lowercase and inverse screen. A few years later I
interfaced it to an Amstrad CPC464 via the parallel port so I could store
amstrad programs on the TRS-80 disk drives. Happy times and my entry into the
industry.

------
cpr
IBM 1130, 1970-ish, high school sophomore/junior, programming Fortran in an
Explorer post (wasn't a Scout) after hours, Teledyne Ryan, San Diego.

Great machine. Single user. CPU drove the printer hammers as each print
position wheel turned one notch. Ran the disk drive and card reader in a
similar micro controller fashion.

------
jason_slack
I was about 9 and my dad brought home a Commodore-64. Every Saturday morning I
would wake up to find some powdered doughnuts and chocolate milk waiting for
me. I would type in and debug programs from "The Gazette" magazine. When they
ran I was so excited. This was the only time I was allowed to eat an entire
box of doughnuts in a day.

We also had a VIC-20 after that sometime. Then a Tandy Color Computer. Schools
had Apple II. When I reached 7th grade we had IBM PC's in a lab and then by
9th grade we had a full on Macintosh lab with various models.

------
xyz6633
Timex Computer 2048
([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timex_Computer_2048](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timex_Computer_2048)).

------
cafard
First used: Univac mainframe, Fortran IV programming class, 1973. Second
programmed: DG mini, probably MV/4000, self-taught assembler, ca. 1987 First
owned: XT clone, 1989

------
DrScump
A Zenith Z-241 (80286, 6MHz, 0 wait states, making it a bit faster than the
8MHz IBM AT with wait states), bought through their academic discount program
and shipped to me.

It came with one 1.2 MB floppy drive, and I added a 360KB. Imagine running C
compiles and MASM links with no hard disk!

It shipped with 256KB of memory. I soon filled out real memory to 640KB. I
later added 1MB of extended memory so I could experiment with DOS/16M-capable
databases.

I saved and bought a 30MB hard drive the next year. Par-ty!

But at night, I got to run mainframes!

------
bitwize
A Commodore VIC-20.

My dad picked it up at Crazy Eddie's for my fifth birthday, mostly so I'd shut
up and not hassle him when he was on his big, multi-kilobuck Tandy computer.

------
mbrodersen
First used: Comet (A Danish CP/M computer with tape storage) First programmed:
Comet (using COMAL and Pascal) First owned: ZX Spectrum 48K

------
taylodl
Commodore 64, though we used TRS-80 Color Computers and Apple II+ at school. I
even had it decked out with the 1702 monitor and the 1541 floppy drive!

------
UYChuH
Power Macintosh 5400...

Reboot at least once a month holding down the command and option keys to
rebuild the desktop files and prevent death!

------
hbcondo714
Tandy 1000:

"The Tandy 1000 was the first in a line of more-or-less IBM PC compatible home
computer systems produced by the Tandy Corporation for sale in its RadioShack
chain of stores"

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_1000](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_1000)

------
saluki
First Home Computer: C64 Still remember sys 64738 First Used: TRS-80
programming class in grade school.

------
drallison
My first encounter with a computer and programming was the SWAC
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWAC_(computer)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWAC_\(computer\))
at UCLA.

------
anotheryou
Compaq Deskpro SFF

I think. Like that: [http://www.stuff.za.net/wp-
content/uploads/2006/09/DSC00402-...](http://www.stuff.za.net/wp-
content/uploads/2006/09/DSC00402-Smaller.JPG)

------
EdwardMSmith
Sinclair ZX-80 with ZX-81 ROM - Dad got the kit and put it together for us.

Then an original IBM PC (5150) as Dad was an IBMer.

First computer I purchased myself was a Mac SE30 for Mathematica.

Got the Imagewriter printer with it, which I later traded straight up for an
Amiga 500. Best deal I ever made.

------
runjake
TRS-80 Model 1 or the Atari VCS, both were purchased around launch. So,
whichever came first.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80)

------
pienight
ZX81 with 16K RAM pack. Slightly less computing power than the fishcakes I had
for tea.

~~~
ianmcgowan
And the RAM pack blu-tacked to stop it flexing and crashing as you type in
programs from a magazine? ;-)

------
jrowley
I'm not exactly sure, but I remember using those pretty iMac G3s in elementary
school. Later on dell desktops, then linux on desktop, and then back to mac
land in late high school. My first memory of Google is around 3rd grade.

------
krapp
TRS-80 Color Computer 2.

Wish I had some interesting hacker stories about it but my family and I did
nothing with it except read and enter Basic programs into it from the manual
sometimes.

------
dragonwriter
My first at home was avTimex-Sinclair 1000 (which my parents got in a special
bundle with the 16kB memory expansion and thermal printer.)

A bit earlier started using Commodore Pet and TI-99/4s and /4As at school.

------
saccamoto
The first one I paid for myself: Powerbook 100, and I still have it! The hard
drive died years ago but never got around to throw it out.

------
hluska
My first machine was a Tandy with 16k of RAM. I think it was a 1000 series,
but I was too busy picking my nose and pretending that I was a Jedi to know
for sure...:)

------
Fjolsvith
First computer I used and programmed: Apple IIe

First computer I was given: Vic 20

First computer I purchased: C64

First computer I went online with: Amiga 500, 300 baud.

First BBS computer: Amiga 3000

------
EADGBE
90's kid. First computer was a slicked-up gateway machine. The only think
cooler than the computer was the spotted-cow-style box it came in.

I still wish I had the box.

------
mhkool
Mine was a Sinclar QL with a Motorola 68008 and standard 128 MB (extended to
640 MB) and two of those tape drives that support tape cartridges with an
endless tape.

~~~
st3fan
You mean KB :-)

------
netrap
I think mine was an eMachines but close after that I built my own. Parents had
an Epson Equity when I was very young but I don't think it was _my_ first.

------
andymurd
Ah, the memories. Here are my first few:

Sinclair ZX81 with 16k RAM add-on

Rubber-key Sinclair ZX-Spectrum

ZX-Spectrum +3 with 3" (not 3.5) disk

Commodore Amiga (I can't remember the model) with an 85MB hard-disk

------
DonaldFisk
The first computer I owned was a Nascom 2:
[http://www.nascomhomepage.com](http://www.nascomhomepage.com)

------
JiNCMG
Vic 20 with no way to store any programs entered. Upgraded to a C64 with a
datasette the following summer. Stacks of RUN and COMPUTE magazines.

------
CamelCaseName
A Dell desktop with Windows ME. It wasn't until university that I realized
that some people hadn't grown up with computers as I had.

------
SKYRHO_
Compaq Presario CQ45 I think. Bought on sale at bestbuy for $300. Everything
prior to this one had been someone else's.

------
jventura
A ZX Spectrum +3, connected to an audio cassete player. But my first PC was a
386DX 33Mhz with 130 MB of hard disk, msdos 5.0..

------
oblib
After reading this I think it's fair to say we're not all whippersnappers
here.

------
psyc
Tandy 1000 HX. 7.16 mHz 8088, 256k RAM, 720k floppy, MS-DOS 2.11, 320x200x16,
and 4 glorious sound channels.

------
vhodges
Vic-20 (Though we used Pet's at school).

------
Johnythree
Homebrew SBC using a MM57106 calculator chip as a processor (1980). Later
another homebrew SBC using a 6502 (1985).

------
RUG3Y
Radioshack TRS-80, later an Apple IIC Plus that was the computer I first
really started learning on.

------
ddgflorida
Tandy Color Computer with 16K of memory. I did my Numerical Analysis homework
on it - early 80s.

------
davidjnelson
The first one I owned: 486dx4 100 mhz with 8mb ram, a 14.4 modem, a 600mb hard
drive, and windows 3.1 ;-)

------
PaulHoule
TRS-80 Color Computer w/ 4K of RAM

------
SliderUp
Timex-Sinclair 1000, Radio Shack Color Computer, Apple IIe, original IBM PC
(floppy drive!)

------
mattbgates
Pentium II ... awesome for Doom :P

------
zmoreira
Osicom 386-SX @ 17Mhz. I used it to work on portuguese medieval texts.

------
canterburry
Commodore 64

------
frankus
TI-99/4A at school, then a Commodore 128 at home a few years later.

------
hugodiaz
ZX Spectrum 32k at home, IBM S/360 with MUSIC/SP at school

------
AbacusAvenger
Atari 130XE, with a bunch of fun game cartridges like Star Raiders

------
iancmceachern
Tandy 1000RLX, the X meant it had a 40 mb hard drive.

------
lsllc
BBC Model B (Acorn). Learned BASIC then 6502 assembly!

------
michalpt
Commodore 64, still have it at home under a bed :)

------
l4yao
386 win3.1

I remember swapping in my 100mb "Games" hdd

------
rurban
DAI Indata, 1980. Too good for that time.

------
mapster
vic-20 and a stack of Byte magazines with programs to type in. then a C-64 and
300baud Hess modem.

------
gregopet
ZX Spectrum

~~~
inkubus
ahhhh... good ol' ZX Spectrum

------
BjoernKW
A C64.

------
0xBABAD00C
IBM PC 286. Am I ancient?

~~~
dmd
Looks like you're one of the youngest in the thread, actually.

------
synapse0
Commodore VIC 20!

------
billconan
it was a 486dx 33 purchased in Germany and made in Taiwan.

------
amunicio
Sony MSX HitBit 75D

------
iisbum
Commodore VIC-20

------
jdmoreira
ZX Spectrum +2A

------
perl4ever
TRS-80 Model 16

------
Joyfield
A Commodore +4.

------
chefkoch
Atari ST 520

------
alltakendamned
Olivetti M24

------
kageneko
Heathkit H89

------
jayro
Atari 800XL.

