What is your earliest computer related memory?

I'll bet a lot of you believe I was dreaming or hallucinating that paper clip computer book.

Here's a link to someone else's experience with the same book, including a link to a pdf of the same book.

http://lab16.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/paperclip-computer/

The one I remember is "We Built Our Own Computers". http://www.milbo.users.sonic.net/we-built-our-own-computers/index.html

I actually do have a memory from High School, in the 80's. I did know a guy who was in the computer club, and he tried to get me alone in the computer room once........

In college I did take a couple of computer electives......an Intro to Computers, which I waded through sleepily, and an Intro to Computer Programming which I dropped after a couple of weeks.

Didn't doubt you for a minute, but didn't rate the chance of actually getting to see the book. Big "thank you" for the link to the PDF!

I remember that one. My old school library let me keep a copy they were going to throw away.

I'll have to admit, finding that link surprised me too.

And here's the interact

http://oldcomputers.net/interact.html

I bought an unencoded keyboard, that is, a keyboard that was just a matrix of unconnected switches under keycaps (they don't make them like that any more.) which I hand wired, and replaced the original keyboard in a manner similar to the one in the picture using erector set parts to hold it in place. I also rebuilt those goofy controllers by replacing the contacts with real micro switches.

Mine had serious heat problems. I'd spend hours typing in a program and the cassette circuit would die on me and I wouldn't be able to save it. My soon to be wife bought me a Vic 20 for Christmas, and then about a year later, I bought a Commodore 64 and sent the Interact in to snag a $100 rebate Commodore was offering.

To some folks at the time, we were.

We had the color tv with remote, central air conditioning, atari 2600.

Every day there were kids at the house. Mostly during the summer because we had A/C

Dad has an excellent job, makes REALLY good $$$ compared to most jobs.

oh, on Amiga 1000 , it was video and speech analysis, with a bit of 3d , in 1990.
i have done also, without result, but the idea was there, in 1999, something you use now on a daily base, which is called street view. Of course, it was too new for the web in 99, google was a crying baby, and i was already old, but i'm glad to see that my idea was good, as Google does it the same, 8 years after.
the first anim I have done with Dpaint was really so easy to do, so "intuitive" that I still miss that tool
But I miss so much really good software who have never been updated, to follow OS evolution...
I was waiting for power, but every time they give up OS who was slowing down every inch of power we can have with computer evolution.

So, we are quite as slow as in 1990, of course, not for videos compression or mp3, but, overall, we didn't advance a lot, because a system is now 800 Mb at least, and require 1.5 Gb memory, at least...
so, an Amiga, with a ONE Mo system, is a danger for the industry. If it run too fast, and futhfill all your needs, why the industry should update and research for faster processor ?
I can't explain it well with my poor english, but computers are now just a commercial thing, 15 years ago, it was an optimizing and research thing.
that time is over now ...

Eh, eh, Jig. And the Wang computer had an 8 inch floppy, too. Yes, 8 inch !

I hate floppy Wangs, no matter how big they are

I'll put mine away then.

And what do you get when you cross a word processor with a communication satellite?

a collusion off course..

That one turned my face red, I can imagine what it did to yours admitting it.

Answer: a six ton Wang that wants to "reach out and touch someone".

and the weird thing about computers... they got smaller as they got harder.

Walter Williams, probably the best economist in the world today, agrees with me.
http://economics.gmu.edu/wew/articles/09/ThePretenseOfKnowledge.htm
" It is not society that bears the burden; it is some flesh and blood American worker who finds his earnings taken by Congress to finance the health needs of another person. There is absolutely no moral case, much less constitutional case, for Congress forcibly using one American to serve the purposes of another American, a practice that differs only in degree from slavery, which we all should find morally offensive."

My first computer was a Commodore 16 with the tape memory player.
Took me more than 30 minutes to "upload" a chessgame.

Then the Sinclair ZX spectrum entered our home. Simply plug and play on the tv screen and, in colour! Lol!

Then my dad bought the commodore 64 with those large cardboardlike floppy discs.

My first 'real' PC was an IBM 486-DX2 (66 MHz 168-pin ceramic PGA)

Gee, now that i'm looking back at this all i suddenly realize i'm getting old.....

So true.

Talking about old computers and memories affixed to them is about as much fun as listening to paint dry for the generation born into macs and laps and mobiles.

I bet they had nostalgic chats about chain mail in olden days. Before artillery was invented.

So Hurry up, granma and granpa! Don't miss teh bus!

Didn't notice anyone forcing you to read the thread.

Oh I'm not being forced, and its kinda fun in a way. If you think I meant ill, dont get in a quandar. It's funny really coz I meant that peopel liek me treat computers in same way as washing machines. I cant really remember any "first" experience. It's like a TV - when it stops working dump it, dont have memories of a tool.

So this is interesting. In a strange Orwellian manner of speaking. Or more a keen train spotter way. People are lotsa fun when you see what they remember.

I remember my first perfume and that was "Mitsouko" that I snaffled off my mum's bathroom. it's liek that really.

What? You don't talk about old washing machines? What about the 1960s Hoover twin-tubs?

Seriously though, I get what you mean, but can't help thinking that you have missed out. My view is that any interest makes life richer.

Not if it doesn't interest you.

Even though I am a generation ahead of Jig, I pretty much look at this the same way.