First computer was a Coleco ADAM, the *expansion module* version which plugged into the front of my ColecoVision. For some reason BASIC was on the "digital data pack" cassette, which was dangerous due ADAM's "surge of electromagnetic energy on startup, which can erase the contents of any removable media left in or near the drive." The word processor was in ROM for some reason, so at least that couldn't get erased :P . I think after the ADAM bought the farm, my dad got me an IBM PCjr. We were not good at picking successful systems to buy :) . At least the jr came with an incentive, a zero-coupon savings bond at an effective rate of something like 11%!! It cost the retailer on the order of $100 something and matured at $1000.

Mom brought home a genuine DEC VT100 (maybe 102?) that I used to dial in to our high school's PR1ME minicomputer. I remember really liking the smooth scrolling option that terminal had!

-j

First one I owned, 1998 HP Pavillion. It was a left over with Windows 95. Bought it at Win98 launch party at Computer City. 3 mo later, paid 200.00 for a memory upgrade. 2 weeks later built my first AMD machine and have building and refurbishing my own ever since. Really enjoy refub Dell Poweredges.

TI 99/4A. 1981. Built-in Basic. Stored programs to cassette tape. It was heaven.