What was the very first computer you owned or used ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 06:14:41 pm
content: Mine was, a Science of Cambridge, MK14, self build computer (effectively from Clive Sinclair's, Sinclair Radionics new venture).It was based on the National Semiconductors, 8 bit SC/MP (also known as a 'scamp') microprocessor. With a huge 256 bytes of ram.8 (or 9 if rewired) digit, seven segment (calculator) display, a membrane hex (plus a few more keys) keypad.I did have access to some computers, before this. But it was the first that was all mine and owned by me.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MK14This is apparently the first new thread, since the new "Vintage Computing", sub-forum has started. Apparently a number of existing threads have already been copied into it.

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 06:23:57 pm
content: I used other peoples computers for a while (especially COSMAC ELF, PDP11, ICL1902T & PET) but the first computer I ever bought (after working the summer holidays) washttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangerine_Microtan_65

author: blackbird
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 06:28:57 pm
content: The first computer I've owned was a Sinclair ZX Spectrum, it was a present for my 8th birthday back in 1982. At home we had already Zx80/81 and Commodore Pet amongst others I can't remember now.

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 06:32:57 pm
content: Quote from: NivagSwerdna on July 28, 2017, 06:23:57 pmI changed the title from 'owned' to 'owned/used', so it is more flexible.I've heard lots of good things about the COSMAC ELF, but never used one. The Pet's were really fun at the time.I've heard of the Microtan 65, but not had anything to do with them. But it looks like a decent/useful computer, for that era.Amazingly low price, for something in such a big case, as well.

author: pelule
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 06:34:18 pm
content: My first computer I used was a Siemens System 3003 (https://www.f10479.de/siemens_edv.html)My first computer I owned was a z80 based self-made CPM80 system./PeLuLe

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 06:44:45 pm
content: Commodore 4032:http://oldcomputers.net/pet4032.html

author: nali
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 06:47:30 pm
content: First "proper" computer was probably a Sinclair ZX81. Followed shortly by a homebrew Apple ][ as someone at work managed to get hold of some ripoff blank motherboard PCBs that were doing the rounds, probably around 1982/3.

author: bsudbrink
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 06:53:24 pm
content: Make up your mind!Used: HP-1000 E-SeriesOwned (and still own): Ohio Scientific C1-P

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 06:55:11 pm
content: Used: TRS80, Exidy Sorcerer, RM380ZThe latter got me into slightly tepid water at school when a friend and I edited all the error strings in the basic interpreter to be, ahem, slightly more pointed.Owned: Nascom 2

author: awallin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 07:06:54 pm
content: Commodore 64, with a tape driveBASIC programming, with mysterious PEEK and POKE commands.later got a 5.25" floppy-drive, and also a Pascal compiler at some point.The C64 was replaced with a 286 running at 8 MHz.

author: sarel.wagner
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 07:20:57 pm
content: Mine were an Apple ][, Commodore Vic 20, Sinclair Spectrum, HP 150 and Apple Lisa. Also Later a Commodore 64 and Olivetti PortableStill have a few of them today.Rgrds

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 07:22:13 pm
content: Used, whatever was at the end of the teletype at Manchester Uni and a Commodore PET with, I think, 8K or 16K memory.Owned, Commodore VIC20

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 07:39:01 pm
content: Quote from: MK14 on July 28, 2017, 06:32:57 pmThe Head of Physics at our school built one from the design in Practical Electronics. It was awesome. (I should probably buildhttp://www.cosmacelf.com/gallery/membership-cards/as homage if I ever get the time). You programmed it via switches.. one bit x8 forming one instruction at a time. The bootstrap to enable the external hex page he also built was around 100 instructions... it didn't take long one you had the hang of it an an assistant calling out the hex.

author: rolycat
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 07:57:25 pm
content: Used, Hewlett-Packard HP9810A from 1971 (at school in the late 70s):Owned, Compukit UK101 from 1979:

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 08:03:16 pm
content: Quote from: NivagSwerdna on July 28, 2017, 07:39:01 pmThe RCA1802 microprocessor, has some special (unique at the time), properties (if I remember correctly). It was both CMOS and certifiable for spaceflight/satellites.That (or a similar variant) tiny computer you just mentioned, is just, so, so, cute!1802 Membership Card Powered UpbyTodd Decker, on Flickr

author: darrellg
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 09:04:31 pm
content: Commodore PET with the Chiclet keyboard and built-in cassette drive.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 09:39:53 pm
content: A Yamaha CX5M MSX-1 computer with Midi interfaces (actually my father bought it)

author: Astrodev
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2017, 11:12:01 pm
content: I am afraid I went in the deep end, as at the time I was trying to get hold of an Ohio Challenger but they were in short supply so I ended up going with a TI TMS990/101 TMS9900 (16bit) based board with 2 serial ports and a massive 4K (2K x 16) of RAM, the unusual feature was that it would handle 2 users (provided you had 2 terminals) I am afraid that I had to run it from a Teletype ASR33 which meant that the storage medium was good old paper tape.I still have both the board and the Teletype (don't really use either these days), might be fun to use a modern PC as a terminal to run 70's computer, it wont be the first time as back in the 80's I used a BBC B with a Tek 4010 emulation ROM to run a Data General Nova 820 that I also still have (64K of core memory) was part of an original EMI scanner.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 29, 2017, 12:12:33 am
content: Mine was theSharp MZ-800(released in 1985).Z80A CPU running at 3.5469MHz, 64KB RAM and supported a resolution up to 640x200 (albeit in only 4 of the 16 available colours).Mine had the tape drive, "Quick Disk" floppy drive (which could load 64KB of data in 8 seconds) and the 4-colour plotter printer. It was a pretty powerful machine at the time and the way it utilised sound and graphics hardware was pretty amazing.I spent many hours as a kid playing on that machine. I even learned basic programming usingLogo. I sold it all in the 1990's along with a box full of tapes and disks for $50 -- I now wish I hadn't.

author: Astrodev
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2017, 12:15:18 am
content: Was that the plotter with the 4 colour biro refils

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 29, 2017, 12:17:20 am
content: Quote from: Astrodev on July 29, 2017, 12:15:18 amIt sure was! It drew one colour at a time.The down-side was that it wasn't long before the pens dried out.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2017, 12:26:57 am
content: Quote from: awallin on July 28, 2017, 07:06:54 pmVery similar pathway with C64 and floppy drive added soon after.First real PC was 486 @ 100 MHz (Otech Mobo) with 8 Mb 7ns RAM that cleaned up P100's running the same spec.

author: Jay_Diddy_B
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2017, 12:34:42 am
content: Hi,The first computer I used was a KSR 33 teletype and an acoustic MODEM to link to a remote mainframe. This was around 1970. I believe the MODEM ran at 110 baud, which is 10 characters per second.I used the RCA 1802 COSMAC ELF II as a summer student.The first computer I owned was the Acorn Atom (6502) 4k RAM 4k ROM. I also owned a BBC model B. Acorn developed the Acorn Risc Machine. The Acorn Risc Machine later became ARM.I was a late adopter of the PC, around 1987. My first PC was a 386 I paid $4000.00 it had a 68MB hdd, divided into three partitions. I later bought the 387 Maths co-pro ($750.00) , so I could run Intusoft SPICE.Regards,Jay_Diddy_B

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2017, 12:35:15 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on July 29, 2017, 12:17:20 amThat youtube-video/plotter looks, so cool now!Pity that the pens would run out too quickly and maybe expensive and/or hard to obtain, these days.I just love the way it plots out the schematic. The noise it makes is pretty fantastic as well.I guess the modern day printers (especially Laser), whereby it comes out almost instantly (maybe 3 seconds per page, on a middle of the road, laser printing single sided, with lots of pages at the same time) and silently (in comparison).I suppose I would get fed up with it, after a while, and go back to modern printers. I pity you, that you sold the lot for $50 a while ago. That's life I guess.

author: Specmaster
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2017, 12:44:59 am
content: My first computer was a pocket one, Sharp PC1211 which I still have today and followed by Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K, also still have that as well, Since then there has been many others but all were and still PC clones, the first of which was an Amstrad 1512 with the power supply built in to the monitor.