First computer and internet connection - Page 2

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

Chapter 1

I remember buying a Packard Bell. This however was for my wife as she was determined she/we needed one. She mentioned being able to keep my hockey stats on a spreadsheet, and that convinced me.

She said she would do the stats as she used a computer at work. I had zero interest in learning anything about computers, since she said she would do the hockey stat spreadsheets for my adult league. Don't remember the exact year, but it was before I retired in 1991.

One of my hockey players was big into computers, so I asked him to write down the best specs and brand computer at that time. I do remember it used only a DOS system. I really didn't care until???

I read in our newspaper that there was a Nascar Racing Game for computers. That struck big interest because I was a Nascar and Drag Racing guy. I bought it on a 3 1/2" disk, then sat down and had my wife show me how to turn the danged machine on.

Step by step/night by night, I learned how to turn it on and sign in/sign out on DOS. When I retired there were times I stayed up all night trying to learn more. My wife showed me how to get on the internet, AOL dialup.

Worked until I figured how to find websites of those that knew the Nascar Racing Game. They also spoke computer language, I did not. So learning from the computer geeks was a long slow process just to be able to race this game took me weeks. Little did I know how much I didn't know.

Anyways, i learned little by little and was able to race, but not good enough to even know how to do it online. Even took the computer apart a few times, thanks to my friend. However managed to mess it up and my friend said "you know enough to figure it out. Guess I did, but it took me many overnight sessions for over a week.

More to come?

hckynut(john)

GCR18 · ‎07-03-2013

I remember the year because I had just moved to TN. The year was 1996, compaq and aol dial up.

Bird mama · ‎03-12-2010

@Mz iMac

I love that you named your first pookie, lol.

There are times when you must speak, not because you are going to change the opposing side, but because if you do not speak, they have changed you.

Reba055 · ‎06-23-2014

Mine was a Tandy from Radio Shack. Lol. Look that puppy up if you wanna see how long ago that was.

Marp · ‎03-09-2010

My first computer was a Commodore 64 followed by a Commodore 128. When I first started on the Internet it was through a local Freenet and used command line for navigation. At some point I graduated to Compuserve and Delphi and never looked back.

I do miss the control of my computer I had with DOS though.

What is good for the goose today will also be good for the gander tomorrow.

Nuttmeg · ‎03-09-2010

I brought my first computer in 1987 or 1988. It did not have a hard drive. You would boot it up with MS DOS using a large 5 and 1/4 " floppy disk. You then,put in your program. This was a very interesting time for technology. You could buy programs at your local Shop Rite store for $3.99.

I did not get forum access until my second computer in 1992. A Dell I brought from Staples.

BIX run by BYTE Mag maybe one of the first companies to give average folks access to the web.

glb613 · ‎03-09-2010

I had a Compaq 15 inch all-in-one with AOL dialup. It had Windows 95 and no one else had it. My helpers were just as lost as I was.

Cats3000 · ‎10-07-2013

It was an old Dell desktop. Wasn't great then, either. Finally switched to Mac and haven't looked back.

jaxs mom · ‎04-18-2012

The first computer I bought was built for me, in the 90s for work so it wasn't a brand. I got internet at home around 2000 I'd guess?

Don't Change Your Authenticity for Approval

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

Your posts really make me feel old. I took computer programming in 1974 before it was even offered in colleges. A GTE Data Services company offered a class for the payroll department at the nearby air base and allowed their employees to attend. We learned how to write the programs that allow you to "fill in the blanks."

I received my first MAC in 1984 and later changed to the PC because we used those at work. They had a 64K memory at the time and you couldn't move or shake it or get a magnet close to it or you would lose all of your data!
The PC ran on DOS. I programmed mine at work to play "Happy Birthday" to my boss!

Now I have 2 musical programs that allow me to write the music with my computer mouse, transpose (?) it to Audio and make a disc of the song that will play on any CD player. Made discs for each part in the chorus to use for practice.

Don't remember when we got Juno and email on "dial up."