The first computers I used to program were probably BBC Micros .. which most schools in the UK had in the late 80s.
Friend's had ZX spectrums, Amstrad CPCs, Commodore 64s .. but my family didn't have the cash to buy any of these.
My Dad did have access to an Amstrad PCW, which was basically a word processor with green screen CRT built in. He'd bring it home for school holidays, and I was fascinated by it.
I'd borrow books from the library that aimed to teach kids how to program. This was the late 80s, and the books were written a while before and referenced earlier computers which weren't so common at the time .. TRS-80s .. VIC-20s.
The books had program code that you could type in to create simple games and demos. I'd spend hours typing in the code, only to learn the version of basic used wasn't compatible with the green screen word-processor my dad brought home.
As an introverted kid, I found the possibilities provided by a computer incredibly exciting and exotic.
Once I'd got the bug, I'd spend pocket money on computer magazines for years. The first time I encountered Linux was in the 90s, when I bought a magazine with a CD-ROM containing a slackware distribution. After installing it, there wasn't much I could do with it .. and I didn't really understand it's importance at the time.
I eventually saved up for a 486DX2 PC which cost me a small fortune at the time .. about £1600.
Friend's had ZX spectrums, Amstrad CPCs, Commodore 64s .. but my family didn't have the cash to buy any of these.
My Dad did have access to an Amstrad PCW, which was basically a word processor with green screen CRT built in. He'd bring it home for school holidays, and I was fascinated by it.
I'd borrow books from the library that aimed to teach kids how to program. This was the late 80s, and the books were written a while before and referenced earlier computers which weren't so common at the time .. TRS-80s .. VIC-20s.
The books had program code that you could type in to create simple games and demos. I'd spend hours typing in the code, only to learn the version of basic used wasn't compatible with the green screen word-processor my dad brought home.
As an introverted kid, I found the possibilities provided by a computer incredibly exciting and exotic.
Once I'd got the bug, I'd spend pocket money on computer magazines for years. The first time I encountered Linux was in the 90s, when I bought a magazine with a CD-ROM containing a slackware distribution. After installing it, there wasn't much I could do with it .. and I didn't really understand it's importance at the time.
I eventually saved up for a 486DX2 PC which cost me a small fortune at the time .. about £1600.
I switched to Linux full-time in about 2005.