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in reply to My first computer was...

I had to think long and hard about this. The first computer I *used* was a Univac 1106 -an awesome big machine with, I think, 2 F40 drums of 40K each. An enormous thing - for 1972.

The first computer I had for myself was a Data General Nova 1205, a 16 bit machine with 4KB memory and I/O via a teletype writer - yes we loaded the 3 (or 4) pass FORTRAN compiler on a 10 cps teletype, and punched the intermediate code out on the teletype. It just took forever. Later we even got a graphics terminal for it - a tektronix 4010 storage screen, and programmed crazy shooting games for it.

The first computer I *owned* was a Sinclair ZX 80 with the 64KB expansion pack - I used it for my numerical computing class at university. Ahhh - the joy of fiddling with floats in BASIC on a keyboard that was as responsive as the kitchen table - not to speak of the eyestrain of looking at a monitor that was salvaged from a broken down TV that the local radio shop let me have for lugging it away.

I'd better stop now or the tears will shortcircuit my keyboard.