UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post - What was your first computer and do you still have it?

n_r_muir · 1st Feb 2009, 5:52 pm

Hi,

The first computer that I ever used was at university in 1967. The Elliot 903 was the size of a desk, programs had to be compiled before they were run. All this and data were all fed in on colour coded punched paper tape. The output was either on punched paper tape or a teleprinter. Eventually it was upgraded with some form of VDU. The small CRT had a number of wires embedded in the bottom front of the tube. These could be used as a crude form of touch screen input.

I bought my first home computer in either late 1978 or early 1979, it was a Tandy TRS80. I opted for the more "powerful" 16K version rather than the standard 4K version.

About three years later I bought an Apple complete with twin floppy discs.

I still have the Tandy and the Apple. The TRS80 still works but sadly the power supply on the Apple burned out after about 5 years. By that time I had moved onto the BBC computer. Yes I still have it and it still works!

1st Feb 2009, 5:52 pm	#132
n_r_muir Hexode Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Edinburgh, UK. Posts: 344	Re: what was your first computer and do you still have it? Hi, The first computer that I ever used was at university in 1967. The Elliot 903 was the size of a desk, programs had to be compiled before they were run. All this and data were all fed in on colour coded punched paper tape. The output was either on punched paper tape or a teleprinter. Eventually it was upgraded with some form of VDU. The small CRT had a number of wires embedded in the bottom front of the tube. These could be used as a crude form of touch screen input. I bought my first home computer in either late 1978 or early 1979, it was a Tandy TRS80. I opted for the more "powerful" 16K version rather than the standard 4K version. About three years later I bought an Apple complete with twin floppy discs. I still have the Tandy and the Apple. The TRS80 still works but sadly the power supply on the Apple burned out after about 5 years. By that time I had moved onto the BBC computer. Yes I still have it and it still works!