First computer was a Commodore 64, dunno what the specs of that thing was. Next was a 386, don't know the specs of that one either. Then I got a Compaq Presario 8702 and that's when I started turning into a hardware geek, so I know the specs on that one:
Pentium 1 Classic 166mhz
24mb EDO SIMM RAM
2MB s3 ViRGE
4MB PowerVR 1 3D accelerator
Crappy soundcard (took Compaq FOREVER to release DirectX compatible drivers so I could never play the newest games)
Proprietory Case
2.1gb hard drive
Pentium 1 Classic 166mhz
24mb EDO SIMM RAM
2MB s3 ViRGE
4MB PowerVR 1 3D accelerator
Crappy soundcard (took Compaq FOREVER to release DirectX compatible drivers so I could never play the newest games)
Proprietory Case
2.1gb hard drive
Got my first computer in 1981 - but calling it a computer was a stretch...
Timex Sinclair 1000, the North American version of this Timex Sinclair ZX-81
Every time you pressed a key (which was more like a touch-sensitive flat button), the screen would refresh. Slooowwwly.
Depth: 6.32 in
Height: 1.57 in
Weight: 12.15 oz
CPU: Z80Z at 3.25 MHz
ROM: Containing 8k BASIC interpreter
RAM: 1K byte internal, externally expandable to 16K bytes
Keyboard: 40 key, w/ graphics and function modes
Display: 24 lines x 32 characters (text) / 64 x 44 pixels in graphics mode (for a whopping 2816 pixels on your screen! At the same time!! :Q)
Storage: "Transfer rate to and from the cassette recorder is 250 baud." Good thing it only has 1K memory.
Floating Point: "Numbers are stored in 5 bytes in floating-point binary form... accurate to 9 1/2 decimal digits" Hope you don't plan to calculate past that...
------------
Second computer was a Commodore Vic-20. Much nicer.
Timex Sinclair 1000, the North American version of this Timex Sinclair ZX-81
Every time you pressed a key (which was more like a touch-sensitive flat button), the screen would refresh. Slooowwwly.
Depth: 6.32 in
Height: 1.57 in
Weight: 12.15 oz
CPU: Z80Z at 3.25 MHz
ROM: Containing 8k BASIC interpreter
RAM: 1K byte internal, externally expandable to 16K bytes
Keyboard: 40 key, w/ graphics and function modes
Display: 24 lines x 32 characters (text) / 64 x 44 pixels in graphics mode (for a whopping 2816 pixels on your screen! At the same time!! :Q)
Storage: "Transfer rate to and from the cassette recorder is 250 baud." Good thing it only has 1K memory.
Floating Point: "Numbers are stored in 5 bytes in floating-point binary form... accurate to 9 1/2 decimal digits" Hope you don't plan to calculate past that...
------------
Second computer was a Commodore Vic-20. Much nicer.
This thread is great.
My first computer was an Apple ][e complete with green monitor and a single (SINGLE SIDED) 5.25" floppy drive.
Following that, 8 years later, I got a 286-10 with a 20 mb MFM hard drive. And a 2400 bps modem. Stupid modem!!! If not for that I could probably have a normal productive life now.
That lead to a neverending money pit of 386s, a few 486s, a few pentiums, a couple P2s, and then a P3 and P4 now. I've probably owned $25,000 worth of computer gear in my lifetime, but luckily I came to my senses and my last system was a $400 dell. Which, incidentally, is cheaper than what I paid for a 486dx4-100 processor not so long ago.
My first computer was an Apple ][e complete with green monitor and a single (SINGLE SIDED) 5.25" floppy drive.
Following that, 8 years later, I got a 286-10 with a 20 mb MFM hard drive. And a 2400 bps modem. Stupid modem!!! If not for that I could probably have a normal productive life now.
That lead to a neverending money pit of 386s, a few 486s, a few pentiums, a couple P2s, and then a P3 and P4 now. I've probably owned $25,000 worth of computer gear in my lifetime, but luckily I came to my senses and my last system was a $400 dell. Which, incidentally, is cheaper than what I paid for a 486dx4-100 processor not so long ago.
The first computer I had was a homebuild from a book I bought. It was an 8080 @ 400kHz with 1K RAM and no storage or display. It had 24 leds for status and 24 toggle switches to hand load code in binary (16 address - 8 data) and a very basic EPROM programmer. I could only program 2708s at the time. Added a hex keypad with scan routines before I was finished.
Next, I had a Vic20 with 5k RAM and a tape cassette drive. I eventually got a 1540 (5.25") single-sided floppy disk with 170k storage. I would punch out the write-protect hole on the other side of the disk and use it also as a double-sided disk (340k). I also bought a 16k RAM module and piggy-backed another 16k for a total of 32k.
Finally, I got a Morrow MD2 (CP/M) computer with a Z80 @ 4MHz and 64k RAM. I had two single-sided floppies with a capacity of 190k each. It was a toss out but I fixed some broken traces on the pcb to the cpu and got it working. I still have this board - but no drives and no software anymore. This is where I used to play early text-only versions of adventure and space invaders.
Next, I had a Vic20 with 5k RAM and a tape cassette drive. I eventually got a 1540 (5.25") single-sided floppy disk with 170k storage. I would punch out the write-protect hole on the other side of the disk and use it also as a double-sided disk (340k). I also bought a 16k RAM module and piggy-backed another 16k for a total of 32k.
Finally, I got a Morrow MD2 (CP/M) computer with a Z80 @ 4MHz and 64k RAM. I had two single-sided floppies with a capacity of 190k each. It was a toss out but I fixed some broken traces on the pcb to the cpu and got it working. I still have this board - but no drives and no software anymore. This is where I used to play early text-only versions of adventure and space invaders.
8086 8mhz, 640k ram, 20mb hard drive, MSDOS 5.22.
Had california games and Word perfect on it as well.
Had california games and Word perfect on it as well.
Tandy TRS 80 -- This thing was basicly a key board with a game cartrige port in the side and a parallel connection in the back for the color printer (it used red, black, and green pens) which printed on calculator tape. It also had another connection for an external tape drive which was basiclly a desktop cassette recorder.
I've still got it some where...
I've still got it some where...
Tandy 1000SL... 8086 goodness back in '88.
384k RAM
5-1/4" LD Floppy (Deskmate ran on top of DOS 3.30)
Tandy 16-color graphics (note: not to be confused with EGA)
Tandy EGA monitor
Soon added a mouse and Citizen dot-matrix printer. Also upgraded to a whopping 640k (and yes, added that famous 'time' card while I was at it) and threw in a humongous 20MB SmartDrive HD. All sold with a boatload of manuals and games for a $100 a few years back, to be used as a child's first computer/learning tool.
Ultima V, SQ2 and Maniac Mansion were among the first games I bought for it and played through. CGA versions of Classic Concentration, Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune and Card Sharks proved to be a great way to waste time with a friend. Fond memories there.
Also tried playing 'It Came From The Desert' on it. Worst... time... ever... trying... to... play... worst... game... EVER. :frown:
384k RAM
5-1/4" LD Floppy (Deskmate ran on top of DOS 3.30)
Tandy 16-color graphics (note: not to be confused with EGA)
Tandy EGA monitor
Soon added a mouse and Citizen dot-matrix printer. Also upgraded to a whopping 640k (and yes, added that famous 'time' card while I was at it) and threw in a humongous 20MB SmartDrive HD. All sold with a boatload of manuals and games for a $100 a few years back, to be used as a child's first computer/learning tool.
Ultima V, SQ2 and Maniac Mansion were among the first games I bought for it and played through. CGA versions of Classic Concentration, Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune and Card Sharks proved to be a great way to waste time with a friend. Fond memories there.
Also tried playing 'It Came From The Desert' on it. Worst... time... ever... trying... to... play... worst... game... EVER. :frown:
I had a 286 I was really young 7-8ish IIRC My dad had a Video Store/VCR/Computer Store
First one I built was a 486dx2 66mhz with a whopping 8Mb Ram I think it had a 340Mb Hdd a BIG 15" Tube and all the wonder of 640x480 VGA Ran Win 3.11
First one I built was a 486dx2 66mhz with a whopping 8Mb Ram I think it had a 340Mb Hdd a BIG 15" Tube and all the wonder of 640x480 VGA Ran Win 3.11
Apple IIc.
I just wish I would have kept it. Would have been fun to turn it on once in a while and check things out
I just wish I would have kept it. Would have been fun to turn it on once in a while and check things out
that was my first comp too, i had been using the monitor, but i burnt out or something about a year ago
Had me a handmedown Apple computer, nice to play with basic and that..
Then got a compaq 5050, 333mhz celeron, 96 MB RAM, 7 or 8 gig harddrive
Built a PC, 750 MHZ duron, 256 MB RAM, 30 gig hard drive (later added a 40 gig), a 16MB PCI voodoo3(updated to AGP 64 MB Kyro something)
Bought a Dell, 2.4 GHZ, 256 MB RAM, 2x 40 gig harddrives, 128 MB something video
Then got a compaq 5050, 333mhz celeron, 96 MB RAM, 7 or 8 gig harddrive
Built a PC, 750 MHZ duron, 256 MB RAM, 30 gig hard drive (later added a 40 gig), a 16MB PCI voodoo3(updated to AGP 64 MB Kyro something)
Bought a Dell, 2.4 GHZ, 256 MB RAM, 2x 40 gig harddrives, 128 MB something video
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