Remarkable how many of the folks posting are older; it seems the posts average substantially older than the votes... I guess they have more to post about, though, so it makes sense.

Anyway, 23 here. First computer I worked on was either a C128 or a Kaypro (CP/M machines, for those who don't know; I'm not sure what model, as we had several for a while). Programmed the C= a lot, the CP/M machines less so. When I was about 7 (I think, it's been a while), my sister (2 yr. older than I) and I built a YASBEC. (Yet Another Single-Board Eight-bit Computer, also a CP/M machine. There's a picture on this page) Dad had built/was building one, so we learned how to solder (He brought us a bunch of dead circuit boards; we unsoldered all sorts of components, and then soldered them back on.), and built one. Then, of course, we had to learn how to program it. Assembly and C.
To be honest, I don't remember a time when we had less than 4 computers up and running, and it's been a long time since it was below 6. (Current count: 8 PCs and a Kaypro 10 up in the library.)
Our first PC was a Sharp 286 luggable, IIRC. Never ran Windows 95. Stuck with DOS, then NT 3.51, 4.0, 5.0, and 5.1. Somewhere round about 1998-99, I think, started with Linux. Having thought the DRDOS/4DOS combination I used to run was great (real multi-tasking in DOS, and a usable shell!), I really loved Linux, and, as I came to realize, UNIX. We started with the family computers (Dad's pick) running Mandrake, then moved to Redhat, and since, SuSE and Ubuntu. The more I learned, the more they seemed encumbering, so I eventually installed Slackware when I got my own computer. Been happy ever since; the most UNIXy distro is the best distro.

Right now, I'm a grad student, using a PC with NT5.1 (XP) and Cygwin at my office, the aforementioned Slackware box at home, a hand-me-down laptop dualbooting 98 and RedHat, and the N800. (The lappie really doesn't get used anymore -- it's destined to become a car MP3 player. Probably running mpd, controllable by a console on the dash as well as by the N800. Thus enabling me to crank up the stereo as soon as I'm in wifi range -- a much better locator than some dinky key-fob light-blipping horn-tweeter!)

There, and seeing how boring that is, I've half a mind to cancel this post. It's understandable why the elder members are posting more.

I'm 1<<5 yo


One of my first computer was this (with cassettes and stuffs):

Let me think-- punched paper tape, punch cards, DG Nova, VAX 11-780, 8" floppies, USCD P-System, DOS 1.0, Windows 1.0, GEM, Amiga, OS/2, ArcNet...............

Getting close to the big five-oh.

Linuxrebel, I'll see your nine presidents and raise you one. My first N800 accessory was a pair of reading glasses from Walgreens.

.... 25 .... ouch 1/3 of my life ....

Oh, brother, don't get me started. (Too late.) 11 presidents. Wrote my first computer program in 1960 at the age of 14, in a programming class at the Bronx High School of Science. However I was thrown out of the class for hacking the binary loader*, which normally typed "Program loaded" on the console typewriter, to type a snide comment about the teacher instead.

My first job in computers was operating Cornell University's Burroughs 220 (below), which used vacuum tube flip-flops, was bootstrapped with paper tape, and of course programmed using punched cards.



* The loader deck was 8 punched cards placed in front of a program deck to boot it into the IBM 1620 computer.

(And this page has been viewed times.)

Wow you guys are all oldies! I guess now's the time to shop for retirement homes, eh? I still have many years ahead of me, though they don't appear too swell. Oh, and by the way, I'm 16

Wow. I expected a few more young people than there actually are.

Regardless, I'm 14. First thing computer related was a SNES I got for my fourth birthday.

No kidding! Haha, and I remember when my father bought the first palm pilot, the neatest thing I had thought at the time, of course those were the hazy days of my life (how sad I'm already starting to sound like an old man). On another note, are you an avid programmer?

This was my first computer, which i got for my Christmas in 84.
The Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k. I had it hooked up to a little black and white portable TV in my bedroom. A few years later i thought my world was complete when my mum and dad bought me a ZX Spectrum 128 for my birthday, long with a colour portable TV to hook it up to.

Oh and im 37.