1978: As a Junior in HS, I learned BASIC+ on a timeshared
PDP-11 running RSTS, connected via an acoustic modem
to an ASR-33. Pissed off the 'teechur' by using the
'chad' for confetti. . .
1979: Timeshare company fired; school aquires two OSI C4P's (?).
As a senior, I have little time to play with them,
but seriously covet the OSI SBC's being sold at the
OSI dealership across the street (Back then, HS kids
didn't have the $$$ like they have now).
1980: I flunk out of college, but not before I manage to
finish a programming assignment on the school's
PDP-11 (again running RSTS). I end up playing
Dungeons & Dragons on it all through the winter
recess (sometimes all nite . . .).
1982: I move to California, get a job at a calibration lab.
Purchase a VIC-20 from a co-worker, for $200. Spend
more than that on a 1541 FDD. SPend almost *twice*
that on a VideoPak from Data-20: I get an 80-column
display, and 64k of *paged* RAM (hey, I was single . . .)
1984: Changed jobs, but this new workplace has *no* office
automation whatsoever. We need something to make
plots of test data; my VIC is pressed into service.
The secretary (my future wife) is pleased to learn
that this 'toy' computer can also do invoices.
Boss is too stoned on coke to notice.
1985: I purchase my first SS-50 box at the TRW swapmeet for
$50. I get a Soroc IQ-120 in the deal. I have to shell
out almost $400 for a pair of 400k floppy drives for it.
Mike Evenson introduces me to the wonderful world of
the FLEX OS. I'm seriously hooked.
1986: Stoned boss get fired. New boss orders me to take
my 'toys' home. An IBM-PC/XT is ordered from the home
office. (This is the beginning of the end, folks . . )
1987: Bought another SS-50, and a bunch of parts. I wirewrapped
a centronics printer interface for it, and it works
the first time I try it. Girlfriend can't understand
what all of the yelling and screaming is about . . .
1988: AN aquaintence gives me a TELEX-1186 (actually a re-badged
MAD-186). I add a hard disk, and I now have MS-DOS
at home. Later that year, I bought our first PC: An
80286-12 by DTK.
1989: I get fired from my new job as a sysadmin after only 5
months. Convinced that only masochists (or the mentally ill)
take sysadmin jobs. AT this point a whole room of our
apartment is dedicated to my computers: an H-89, *three*
SS-50's of various makes, and the DTK.
What happens after this isn't important-- like someone else here
said: "It's a disease". Today, my 'collection' fills an entire
basement, and ranges from the original VIC which I bought in 1982
to HP-9000/300's to even a couple of PDP-11 and MicroVAX machines.
My favorite 'big' machines, though, are my DG 88k AViiON's.
They're uncommon, *very* cheap, and (to me, anyway) just *too*
cool!
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Received on Thu Nov 16 2000 - 13:33:34 GMT