Geek Nostalgia

Now we'll see how the kids are.

My first computer shared the Zilog Z80 processer with the Sinclair, but that's about the only thing the Osborne Executive shared with the Sinclair.

In the US, I think the Commodore VIC-20 was the equivalent machine -- I think I still have a VIC-20 with a 5K memory pack and a cassette drive to store programs.

http://oldcomputers.net/pics/vic20.jpg
 
Commodore 64 over here. I played Leisure Suit Larry for the first time on that one.
 




Hell, I remember when a damn "Bomar Brain" cost $500 ( back when $500 was "real money" ).

Remember RPN?



Code:
Step  Key-code    Display-code  Comment

01    STO 0       44 32         Store X in register I
02    1           1             Store 1 in X
03    LBL 0       43,22, 0      Label 1
04    RCL 0       45 32         Recall register I into X
05    *           20            Multiply x and y
06    DSZ         43 23         Decrement register I and skip next command when I is 0
07    GTO 0       22  0         Goto label 1
08    R/S         31            Stop program - result displayed in x

 
Last edited:
...The first computer I actually owned. The HP-67. Still the finest handheld computer ever built, IMNSHO.


LOL. I remember being so jealous of HP-67 owners..., until— of course— I got my HP-41CX!




The old joke about the difference between IBM and HP machines ( "You can dump 'em [ HP, that is ] off the back of a truck and they'll still work" ) was exemplified by the HP-67. Man, those things were rugged— and they felt that way, too!




I wonder what today's kids would make of a 5.25" floppy? They probably wouldn't know what it was. :D


 
Took a programming class in high school and used the punch-cards in college, but by the time I needed one for steady personal/business use it was the IIgs. I forget why I switched over to pc's...must have had a good reason at the time. Hmm...

http://oldcomputers.net/pics/appleiigs.jpg
 
This is the first computer I worked (played) with. Wasn't mine, of course, but was a lot of fun.

I started on the model before that - the IBM 1401 - as system manager and assistant programmer with a staff of 25 women. At age 19, leading the team of women was more challenging and educational than the cutting edge technology.

Og
 
I remember when I listed "10 key" on my list of useful skills on my resume
 
The Faber-Castell 2/83N Novo Duplex...slide rule of the uber-geek...

I still have mine...and on occasion, still use it.

I used to have two circular slide rules. One was the equivalent of three feet long, the other six feet. They were used for large quantities e.g. millions of feet.

Og
 
This was my first. Two hundred quid's worth of 6809 CPU.

Apple UK were a different breed, and aimed their Apple 2 at a business market almost exclusively, and making the thing ridiculously expensive. They lost a lot of friends that way.
 
Although I worked with the UNIVAC at work, my first home computer was a Texas Instrument. I think it was called a TI-4.
 
My first one was the Apple IIc. I got it to for the word processing and used it to write the first story I ever sold. Jesus! That was about twenty-five ago.
 
Back
Top