What computer did you start with?

Richard S. wrote:

billw wrote:I guess my VHS is toast

off-topic but most stores are starting to drop VCR players, won't be long now before they aren't available. Fortunately I have two brand new ones. One is actually highly sought after model, JVC 9911U which I use for VHS transfers. About $350 used

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Bundle-JVC-SVH ... dZViewItem

You really do know a lot about electronics and computers for a coal man.

Well I've been messing with computers since I was a kid, I had a commodore 64 back in the early 80's. I started with basic image manipulation about 10 years ago, then a basic website and it has just snowballed from there. Video, particularly analog to digital conversions is probably my strongest point. If your a consumer you'll be lucky to get it to DVD with minimal loss. I can make it look better, even for video that would be hopeless for most people or even some "professional" companies.

Richard S. wrote:Well I've been messing with computers since I was a kid, I had a commodore 64 back in the early 80's. I started with basic image manipulation about 10 years ago, then a basic website and it has just snowballed from there. Video, particularly analog to digital conversions is probably my strongest point. If your a consumer you'll be lucky to get it to DVD with minimal loss. I can make it look better, even for video that would be hopeless for most people or even some "professional" companies.

The old Commodore 64...Let's see if I remember:
Load *,8,1

I was never much into programming but the first piece of equipment I worked on was run by a proprietary computer. It was core memory 32k, 24 bit wide. It fit into two cabinets each the size of a dishwasher. It was programmed in machine language. Set 24 toggle switches press enter, move to the next memory location, reset toggle switches, press enter again. After a half an hour of that you hit the run switch and hope you didn't make a mistake placing all those toggle switches in the right position. Ahh, the good old days

Before the Commodore 64 I owned an Atari 400 with a membrane keyboard! (Couldn't afford the Atrari 800)

My first computer had a 8088 processor and was really a glorified typewriter. But it was worth its weight in gold. The 8088 had 1/1000 of the computer power of a modern day computer. I paid about 3k with a printer. My first time online was in 1991. I had a dialup account at a 2400 baud rate.

here's the old Commodore....

Devil5052 wrote:

Richard S. wrote:Well I've been messing with computers since I was a kid, I had a commodore 64 back in the early 80's. I started with basic image manipulation about 10 years ago, then a basic website and it has just snowballed from there. Video, particularly analog to digital conversions is probably my strongest point. If your a consumer you'll be lucky to get it to DVD with minimal loss. I can make it look better, even for video that would be hopeless for most people or even some "professional" companies.

The old Commodore 64...Let's see if I remember:
Load *,8,1

Loved my 64....couldn't afford the tape player backup system so everything was new each day!

A friend's father died and they asked me if I wanted his stash of old computer equipment. Being a pack rat I coudn't resist. Got a pickup truck load of Commodore equipment. All like new, some of it actually unused. Magazines, software, peripherals, etc. Cashed it on ebay for more money that I would ever have believed. They were pleased with the check!

av8r wrote:

Devil5052 wrote:

Richard S. wrote:Well I've been messing with computers since I was a kid, I had a commodore 64 back in the early 80's. I started with basic image manipulation about 10 years ago, then a basic website and it has just snowballed from there. Video, particularly analog to digital conversions is probably my strongest point. If your a consumer you'll be lucky to get it to DVD with minimal loss. I can make it look better, even for video that would be hopeless for most people or even some "professional" companies.

The old Commodore 64...Let's see if I remember:
Load *,8,1

Loved my 64....couldn't afford the tape player backup system so everything was new each day!

A friend's father died and they asked me if I wanted his stash of old computer equipment. Being a pack rat I coudn't resist. Got a pickup truck load of Commodore equipment. All like new, some of it actually unused. Magazines, software, peripherals, etc. Cashed it on ebay for more money that I would ever have believed. They were pleased with the check!

I actually bought their huge, clunky floppy drive that attached to the "64". Made alot of noise but never failed!

I had the drive too, actually had two in parallel if my memory serves me correctly. Maybe it was just two because one died but I definitely had two.

The commodore was best gaming system of its day, there was a program called hack'em that allowed you to copy any game. I had hundreds of them so little work got accomplished on the computer. Yes we all a band of pirates back then, at least in my circle of computer friends.

About the same time...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80


I actually worked for Radio Shak back in the late 80's....The prices for Comptuers back then compared to now? WOW!!!

Richard S. wrote:I had the drive too, actually had two in parallel if my memory serves me correctly. Maybe it was just two because one died but I definitely had two. :D

The commodore was best gaming system of its day, there was a program called hack'em that allowed you to copy any game. I had hundreds of them so little work got accomplished on the computer. Yes we all a band of pirates back then, at least in my circle of computer friends.

I had a "connection" with a stereo repair facility where the techs would give you pirated copies of any two games for one game they didn't already have! (they had page after page of games availableG>)

Richard S. wrote:I had the drive too, actually had two in parallel if my memory serves me correctly. Maybe it was just two because one died but I definitely had two.

The commodore was best gaming system of its day, there was a program called hack'em that allowed you to copy any game. I had hundreds of them so little work got accomplished on the computer. Yes we all a band of pirates back then, at least in my circle of computer friends.

My favorite games where:

1. Zork (Infocom)
2. B-17 (or something like that) where you could assume any position in the aircraft (pilot, gunner, whatever) & fly WWII missions over Europe.
3. Silent Service (Great WWII submarine sim by Sid Meier)

WNY wrote:I actually worked for Radio Shak back in the late 80's....The prices for Comptuers back then compared to now? WOW!!!

Those were the first they had in my school around 7th or 8th grade I think, actually still used them in High School and that was about the time the 286's came out. My Computer science teacher hated me because I'd point out all the things they were lacking and how pointless it was to use them since they were so outdated.

My favorites were Summer/Winter Games, Test Drive, Flight Simulator and i had a disc full of arcade clones that I played a lot. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong etc.

You can play a lot of these games on a PC, you only need a emulator and copy of the ROM image. If you own the game its completely legal to have possession of the rom image AFAIK. MAME is popular one for arcade gamers, if anyone is interested PM me.