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(Unverified)Dec 31st 2009 5:11PM

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I remember my first experience with computers was in a computer programming class in high school (Baltimore Polytechnic). Back in 1977, programming was taught on an IBM Mini which used Hollerith punch cards. It nearly put me off computers forever.

But then it happened. I'd ride my skateboard about 6 miles to a Radio Shack where the manager would let me sit all day long to play on a TRS-80 Model 1. I loved that thing. Learned BASIC and just had a grand old time! (Thanks for not shooing away a pesty 14 year old Mr Radio Shack manager - you changed my life!)

The first computer I actually owned was a Timex Sinclair. It's all I could afford and I hated the clunkly input mechansim. Soon after, I was able to get a VIC-20, then a Commodore 64, then a 128, then an Amiga and so on. I had an Osborne portable (25 lbs is portable?). Now it's all homebrew WinTel gear.

I still like booting up MESS and loading emulators of the old boxes. Shoot, when I want to crank out a quick program to do something, I load my 128 emulator and write a quick basic program there. I show my kids what computing used to be like so that they can see just how nice they have it.

You can get the MESS emulator here:
http://www.mess.org/download.php

You'll need ROMs for the old boxes, but a quick search for "MESS ROMs" on your favorite Torrent site will show results. Try it for fun.

Fun - that's what it was like back in those days. Experimenting, learning. Now it's more like work.

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