OK, here they come in more or less chronological order:
- When my parents enlisted me and my best friend in an evening computer programming course for children (on the C64) when I was 7 or 8 years old or so. It was really a dream coming true back then. It was my first contact with a computer in real life, back then computers were something mystical that most people only knew from SciFi litterature and movies. We programmed (very basic) Basic programs. And at the end, before going home, we got to play games, like Skramble (which was my favorite). Looking back, I was totally sold on computers after the first lesson. And from then on over the following years, I started to pick up some English by myself very early on by "reading" English computer magazines of the time, typing in code listings for various programs. I also learned math very early on thanks to this. Well, my #1 most memorable moment in computing, was when I was first introduced to the C64!
- When my dad gave me a Vic20 for Christmas that year. The split feelings between being grateful for the unexpected gift within my newly found interest, but on the other hand the disappointment that it wasn't the C64 I really wanted! (He probably got a good deal on some sale of old stock, and didn't know better. "It's a computer, right?")
- When I finally got the C64.
- When I got my first 1541 disk drive (that almost cost more than the actual C64 IIRC) and finally could level up from the "Datasette"!
- When got the feeling that I finally managed all aspects of the C64 in assembler/machine code. I think there was a book called "the C64 bible" or something like that (doubt it was its real name, but that's what we called it, I still have it in the garage somewhere), describing all its "registers"/addresses, things like interrupts etc. I did small demos with graphics, bouncing scrolls, music, etc.
- When I got my first Amiga, kind of late in the game. It was the A1200, just when it was released (I had many others later on, various models).
- When I first bought my Pegasos 1 (the first batch with April 1 (later replaced for an April 2) and MorphOS 1.0). That felt big, it was very exciting times! I had much expectations on MorphOS. Was kind of immature in the beginning though, but when it started reaching v1.3, v1.4 it had made real progress!
- When we were driving on the countryside and for some reason stopped at some garage sale. And I found three large cardboard boxes full of various C64 gear that I (when I was young) could only dream of. Three C64's of various age and models, 2 1541 diskdrives, 1 C128, a Commodore printer, a light pistol, various cartridges, hordes of disks and cassettes, joysticks, etc. All for ~$40! That weekend turned out to be quite fun! :)
- Seeing that MorphOS actually survived the Thendic crisis (could very well have died at those uncertain times AFAIK) and moved forward almost as nothing had happened (albeit slower perhaps, but also somewhat strengthened) and going into Mac PPC territory. I got myself a Mac Mini (besides my Peg2 G4, Peg2 G3, Peg1 April 2, and Efika 5k2).
I have also had several PC's during these years of course (couldn't really live without them, at least not professionally), but funny enough, I can't find anything about them to fit into "My Most Memorable Moments in Computing".
:)
