Your first experiences of computers??

[austinbob]

Not sure whether to post this here or in Computer problems - not really a problem though.

With all the talk about Windows 10 - a breath of fresh air - my mind was wandering (as it often does!!) to my early exposure to computers.

I was an Electronics Design Manager and Project leader and my team were working on Z80 and 8080/8086 applications using Machine code and Zilog development systems.
Being a mainly analogue man at the time (late 70's I think) I decided I needed to learn more about all this new magic so a bought myself a NASCOM Z80 based computer kit (PCB, components, keyboard and tape recorder) with results reviewed on a TV at low (very) resolution. Took me a week or two to get it going but you wouldn't believe the satisfaction of getting this relatively simple system to do something useful. It had a machine code compiler and you had to type every command in in hexadecimal and then record the program to tape. Later I had a BASIC interpreter to allow simple programming and programs saved on tape.
I seem to recall the kit had 8k of RAM and I doubled this to 16K at a cost of about £25 or so - a lot of money then. The tape recorder ran at 300 Baud (thats 300 bits per second) and now even average broadband works at 6 megabits per second!!.
Things have obviously moved on now but it would be nice to know (nostalgia interlude) others initial computer exposure.

[keithfre]

My first computer was a Tandy Model 1, with a separate floppy disk drive (that could hold a massive 128K!) and expansion unit. I used it for word processing for my translation work, with a NEC dot matrix printer that cost the equivalent of 500 euros. Initially, if I wanted to make any text bold, italic etc. I had to embed the on-off codes in the text, so the line of text was shortened. Then along came the LeScript word processing program, which was able to take that into account and print correctly.

From there I moved on to a Model 3, which had two built-in floppy drives and didn't need an expansion unit.

As PCs became affordable I managed to skip the dreadful XT and move straight on to a dinky little AT with a small monitor - a black and white display at last, after the green displays of the Tandys.

All those using various flavours of DOS.

That Model 1 was able to do a lot more with its tiny memory than the PC. It had a parallel keyboard interface, so it could detect _any_ combination of keys (JKL, for instance), not just the small set permitted by the IBM configuration with the serial keyboards we're now stuck with.

[Geoff]

I started with a Sinclair Z80 or Z81 kit, then moved over to a MSX machine, I have always enjoyed computers, but programming seemed lik a mine field tried basic but I never could get the hang of it.

Next I bought a computer with windows 3.11 onboard and I think it cost me £1500. And that was the start of one expensive hobby, but an enjoyable one going on to build my own computers, I still build computers for my lads.

[PaulCheffus]

Hi

Started with the ZX81 and prgressed to the Spectrum. I then bought the Opus Discovery disk drive and proceeded to rewrite its operating system.

Since then I have been working as an Analyst Programmer originally on an AS400 but now on PCs using either C++ or VB.Net.

I'm also halfway through my MSc in Computer Science which I am doing part time.

Cheers

Paul

[terrysoham]

Hi,

My first computer was a Texas Instruments TI59 about 1979.  It had 1k of memory but had the ability to store your programs on magnetic cards.   I taught myself programming on it!
Soon after, I bought a Sharp MZ80k which was a Z80 and had a BASIC interpreter on tape which I had to load before each programming session.   I recollect it cost about £800.00 which was a small fortune in those days.

But what changed the face of computing in this country was the Sinclair Spectrum and, equally important, the disassembly of the BASIC interpreter was published as a book.  This meant that thousands of youngsters suddenly found themselves able to follow the workings of the BASIC and write their own games which were extremely sophisticated.  I believe that is was this disassembly that resulted in the computer/programming revolution in this country.

Happy days

As an aside I wonder how many people remember what BASIC means?

[austinbob]

After I finished with the NASCOM I bought (don't laugh) an Intertec SUPERBRAIN computer. Again it was a Z80 based system with two 180k floppy disk drives and built in keyboard and 9" monitor. It ran the CPM operating system. I used the original Microsoft Basic on it as well as a basic word processor.
Here is a link http://www.oldcomputers.net/intertec-superbrain.html
I seem to recall this cost me around £1700 with a dot matrix printer in the late seventies or early eighties.
I use to have so much fun with this, except when the monthly repayment bill came in!!

[austinbob]

Hi

Started with the ZX81 and prgressed to the Spectrum. I then bought the Opus Discovery disk drive and proceeded to rewrite its operating system.

Since then I have been working as an Analyst Programmer originally on an AS400 but now on PCs using either C++ or VB.Net.

I'm also halfway through my MSc in Computer Science which I am doing part time.

Cheers

Paul

When I was working for Thorn EMI in Feltham we used to build the Spectrums and QL's (I think that's what they were called) as a contractor for Sinclair. You wouldn't guess the problems we had getting some of those to work. Those tiny endless loop Microdrive tape drives were a nightmare!!
:'(

[austinbob]

Next I bought a computer with windows 3.11 onboard and I think it cost me £1500. And that was the start of one expensive hobby, but an enjoyable one going on to build my own computers, I still build computers for my lads.

Do you know Geoff - I think every computer I've bought since the early 80's has cost me about £1500. Shows you how much prices have really come down and... how much it really cost us all those years ago!!

[MikeDunn]

Mine would be mainframe exposure at the local Poly, accessed via a teletype from school ... never particularly liked that ...

A year or so later, started using Commodore PETs at school as my proper exposure to computers; they were pretty good for the day !  Around that time, I got a ZX81 (with RAM-pack), while the school got some Zeniths and Tandys (they weren't as good as the PETs though), and some BBCs; they also got a mini - an honest-to-god mini-computer with iron-core memory  8k I think, I can certainly recall 8 sheets of the cores and I think each was 1k ... could have been less.  The IT teacher was an utter geek    His advanced class worked in machine-code only    I never did find out if he restored the mini back to working order ...  By then, I'd moved to the Spectrum (with a Microdrive !) which lasted me a while.

At college was when I had my first exposure to PCs - XT machines with 5" single-sided floppy drives; the OS (early version of DOS) would boot off one, and you'd then swap to an apps diskette (word processing or a spread sheet; think they also had an early graphics app ?  Extremely primitive by todays standards).  They also had luggables - suitcase-sized beasts that had the top-edge folding down to show it was a keyboard, covering a small amber screen & a pair of 5" diskette drives ... weighed a ton !  A bit after that, I was using BBCs before being exposed to the Amiga 1000 (pre-Commodore); and that's when I just had to get a proper computer - the Commodore Amiga 500      Had about 4 of the variants across the years ... including an Amiga 4000 with a massive 320MB hard drive - still have it in the garage 

Wasn't until I entered the (un)Civil Service (in ITSA) that I started using PCs more (ATs by then of course), although the main kit I used was the ICL DRS300 modular systems running C-DOS    Part of my job then was building these as multi-user systems for accessing the DHSS mainframes (you could connect up to 16 terminals to a single host), as well as building them as direct interfaces between the mainframes themselves & the wider user-base.  Moved from there onto PCs and NetWare (again mainly on ICL kit, some IBM, some Seimens) ... lovely server OS that was   

But speaking of ICL ...

we used to build the Spectrums and QL's (I think that's what they were called) as a contractor for Sinclair. You wouldn't guess the problems we had getting some of those to work. Those tiny endless loop Microdrive tape drives were a nightmare!!

Oh, the QLs were fun    ICL bought them all out (we were told) when Sinclair finally admitted they were  , and retro-fitted them with a phone; called them the One-Per-Desk ... we kept as far away as possible from those things !  One per building was bad enough 

Build my own these days; I never find the mfrs put together a spec I like, so this is the only way I get what I require    Although sadly my hands-on @ work is much rarer these days as I now design/architect the infrastructure systems for others to put together.

[Oldman]

Computer at home  zx81 in kit form.
Then graduated to a Commodore.
In 1974 I think it was I was working as a computer operator using an ICL 1901A card based mainframe.
Later in life graduated to Windows 3.1 using a Toshiba laptop, then 98, and onto XP which I stuck with until early this year.

[austinbob]

Build my own these days; I never find the mfrs put together a spec I like, so this is the only way I get what I require    Although sadly my hands-on @ work is much rarer these days as I now design/architect the infrastructure systems for others to put together.

Often thought about building my own but have to say I've been a Dell fan for years now. Before you say anything Mike!! I've never had a problem with any computer I've bought from them - 100 percent reliable - and I've always waited until they have some great deal before I bought from them.
I suppose now I've said that my current XPS system will crash just after I post this!!

[austinbob]

Senile memory kicking in now!!
After Superbrain - I had an Amstrad 1640 (black and white monitor). That had the GEM GUI - early predecessor to Windows by Digital Research - with desktop Icons, low res graphics etc. and... guess what... a 20MB hard disk. That was a real breath of fresh air (forget Windows 10)

[MikeDunn]

I've been a Dell fan for years now. Before you say anything Mike!! I've never had a problem

Moi ?

I've quite disliked some of their product in the past; I'm certainly not a fan of the way the current BIOS cripples the Precision series if you have a lower-spec PSU attached, for example !  However, they have some good units (my M4800 (apart from that BIOS bit) is a decent (albeit heavy !) laptop), and I like their rack-mount servers.

They aren't perfect; no kit is    And they've managed to screw up some orders for me in the past (but have fixed the issue when I've pointed out the order vs the received  ).  One part I'm unimpressed with, though, is their 4-hour support fine-print.  Yes, they'll come out & attend, but if they have to replace something then god knows when you'll get that done !  Had arguments with them on that front, when one of the servers went wrong within 2 weeks of receipt ... motherboard fault, after 2 days of wrangling I ended up telling them to replace the entire server within 24 hours or we'd escalate the issue to board-level @ HQ - theirs & ours - and cancel all our outstanding orders   We had a new board fitted the next day.  Don't like having to play the heavy, but a 4-hour fix is a 4-hour fix - and if they can't do it that's their problem for selling what they can't deliver, and not mine.

[austinbob]

I've been a Dell fan for years now. Before you say anything Mike!! I've never had a problem

Moi ?

I've quite disliked some of their product in the past; I'm certainly not a fan of the way the current BIOS cripples the Precision series if you have a lower-spec PSU attached, for example !  However, they have some good units (my M4800 (apart from that BIOS bit) is a decent (albeit heavy !) laptop), and I like their rack-mount servers.

They aren't perfect; no kit is    And they've managed to screw up some orders for me in the past (but have fixed the issue when I've pointed out the order vs the received  ).  One part I'm unimpressed with, though, is their 4-hour support fine-print.  Yes, they'll come out & attend, but if they have to replace something then god knows when you'll get that done !  Had arguments with them on that front, when one of the servers went wrong within 2 weeks of receipt ... motherboard fault, after 2 days of wrangling I ended up telling them to replace the entire server within 24 hours or we'd escalate the issue to board-level @ HQ - theirs & ours - and cancel all our outstanding orders   We had a new board fitted the next day.  Don't like having to play the heavy, but a 4-hour fix is a 4-hour fix - and if they can't do it that's their problem for selling what they can't deliver, and not mine.

I'm just a single private user of Dell stuff and I have to say I've never had to contact Dell about a problem because I've never had one (now that really is tempting fate). I don't know your background Mike but I guess computers are your business and you have to deal with problems all the time so it must be a completely different deal for you.

[Tdm]

Now you are going back a bit - my first job was in a Bank, then I moved to a Manufacturing Company as a trainee Cost Accountant then using my little grey cells and mechanical adding machines to calculate cost figures.

The Chorley based firm I worked for used a Power Samus 40 column card machine for certain jobs, but the Chairman & MD decided to invest in a new fangled Mainframe Computer from ICT (a 1901 model), to replace the Power Samus and use it to help modernise his Company.

An Aptitude Test was held for a select number of employees within the Firm to program and write Systems for the new Computer, and I came out top and was told I was being send on a 2 weeks Systems Analyst course to Bradenham Manor in High Wickham, followed by a 4 week "Plan" Programming course in Central London.

To further my career I eventually left the Chorley Manufacturing Company and got a job as a Senior Analyst/Programmer at the Fylde Water Board in Blackpool, but after Water Authority Re-organisation in England & Wales I became Financial Systems Manager at the North West Water Authority's HQ near Warrington - a job I didn't enjoy.

After 18 months with the NWWA I moved to the Wyre Borough Council in Fleetwood to take charge of a new Computer Installation there, but eventually left when I was offered a Computer Manager postion at Halton Borough Council in Widnes.

After a number of years there I then moved to North wales when I was offered a better paid Computer Manager's position at Aberconwy Borough Council in Llandudno.

More re-organisation saw Aberconwy merge with Colwyn Council to form Conwy County Borough Council in 1994, and I was offered an Early Retirement/Redundancy package that was simply too good to turn down so I retired from all I.T. work except Home Computing.

From 1999 to 2004 I worked as a North Wales Rural Postman as I was bored, and I really enjoyed it, and only once crashed my little red Postvan. I only gave up being a Postman when we decided to Emigrate to Tenerife in the Summer of 2004.

Languages I was familiar with include :- Plan, Cobol, Fortan, Algol, Querymaster, Nicol, QPG, and a little bit of Unix, besides PC based CP/M and MsDos.

The original ICT 1901 Computer I was brought up with occupied a large Air-Conditioned room, and had a memory of less than 1GB, and used 80 column punched cards for Input
and all output was produced on a Line Printer.

It was only later that first Paper Tape was used instead of Punched Cards, and then Direct Data Entry Devices prior to all Input and most Output being on-line via PCs and dumb terminals.

How things have changed.