I got my start in computing way back in college in 1973 when I took a course in Fortran, programming the school's IBM 360/65. I spent many hours punching cards, dropping them off at the counter and hanging around waiting for a fanfold printout that hopefully didn't say "ABEND" because I had left out a comma somewhere.
From there I went on to get an MS in computer science where I had the great privilege to use the Xerox Alto, the world's first personal computer. I was on the Internet when it was still called the Arpanet and you could count the total number of machines on the fingers of one hand. I then spent the next 8 years looking for a personal computer that came close to the amazing Alto in terms of power and graphics.
The Amiga 1000 was that machine and I bought one as soon as they came out. I loved it but ended up trading it for a 2000 when they came out. I still have that machine and recently began a project of modernizing it by adding networking, a CD drive, and USB (the latter's not going so well as you can read in my Deneb thread here:
http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=60433&page=2).But I still love my Amiga and enjoy playing around with it. It evokes memories of those heady early days of personal computing, back when owning your own computer was something special, and being able to program it was even better.
