Peculiar Stories & Experiences

[Ceyfer √]

Some time ago, the editors here at TNW put out a post that was a collation of our first computing experiences. Given the age range of our staff, it was quite the list. However, once the post was out, a piece of email landed in my inbox that contained stories that not only dealt with a reader’s first interactions with a computer, but also with some of the first computers.

He told me a number of vignettes that we’ll get to in a moment, but first, the story of a friend of the man who got lost inside a computer.

The story was mentioned only in passing during our first correspondence, but I was put in touch with the man in question, and his story is beyond hilarious. Think back to the 1950s, when computers were built of vacuum tubes, and you have the right time frame. This is his story, condensed slightly:

More here & here | TNW

[Bearcat]

Thanks for sharing ceyfer. My first computer experience only dates back to the mid 1980's. They were around when I was a kid, but only the gov't, or universities had them and they filled a whole room.

[leofelix]

My first computer experience only dates back to the mid 1980's.

same here.
It appears that time goes by, sigh.
I had a Commodore 64 (not exactly a Personal Computer) and when I was back home from the University (during the summer holidays) I was used to play some computer games from time to time

[ted]

The Commodore 64 it took forever to load games those were the days

[BigGuy]

Getting lost "in" a computer! That would be "so cool".

[hellnoire]

The Commodore 64 was my first computer, and I'd still call it a PC. It did everything I personally needed in a computer at the time.

[Ceyfer √]

Well if anyone of you could bring back/set-up those motherboards whose size is comparable to a small room that would be still awesome of today's tech environment. I just remembered, I used to play with one of those glass tubes that belongs to a 1950's era electronic device...it took me a while to understand that it was a piece of a ancient Pc that was kept at my grandpa's garage.

I'm a kid of the 90's and it was the in the process of phasing out of the last 16bit -to the incoming 32bit computing evolution. The Windows 95 box was then my favorite pc of that time. Well, regarding to Commodore 64 boxes, it was recently sanctified and is still on sale right now. Hail to all seniors here!

[leofelix]

The Commodore 64 was my first computer, and I'd still call it a PC. It did everything I personally needed in a computer at the time.

But it was not PC / IBM compatible

[hellnoire]

I know, I'm just saying

[MAX]

Thanks for the link
Interesting Read.