The author got started on the US version of the British ZX81 computer. Horrible keyboard and version of Basic, but cutting all those corners to get the price down made an opportunity for a lot of people to get into computers at just the right moment!
It was the device I started on. I think the limitation was part of its value. At age 11 I felt like I mastered it. I remembered the manual front to back. I could write assembly by “POKE”ing the OpCodes directly into memory. It gave me a sense of accomplishment and a desire to keep learning computers at an early age.
Where to start and what to learn these days is almost overwhelming. It’s a good and a bad thing there is so much that is so accessible now.
The author got started on the US version of the British ZX81 computer. Horrible keyboard and version of Basic, but cutting all those corners to get the price down made an opportunity for a lot of people to get into computers at just the right moment!