The first computer I ever interacted with was a 68K compact Macintosh of some description. My grandfather, who was a professor in computer science, had one at home in the mid 80s. I was three years old. It was magic to me. So I turned into a computer nerd.
Now at forty-three, of course, the magic is mostly gone, though I still enjoy computers. I've had many over the years, some of which I still own.
Now at forty-three, of course, the magic is mostly gone, though I still enjoy computers. I've had many over the years, some of which I still own.
IBM PS/1 Model 2121 (?)
My family's first PC, and I'm so lucky to still have it. The manufacture date is January 1991, but we got it in 1993. The power supply for the computer is inside the monitor, so you really need a complete unit to use it.
It broke sometime in the 2000s, but I held onto it and managed to get it fixed a few years back. The hard drive had to be changed since the compression program used made the data inaccessible when the CMOS battery died and the bios lost its settings, but that was just as well. It was only 40 Mb.
I used to know exactly what model this was: a 2121, a 16 MHz 386 with 40 MB hard drive and 2 MB ram. And it is. But searching for it now, you'd think that the 2121 had a different form factor, taller than this one, room for ISA cards, and came with a modem! So on the outside this is a model 2011, and on the inside a 2121? I dunno, Obviously it came in this configuration too, though people seem to have forgotten.
This computer came with a cool built in GUI in ROM, but it's hardly ever used since running DOS 6.22 from the hard drive is preferable.
What's it like to use?
- Noisy. You tend to forget how old PCs sounded when you get used to modern Macs. There's a constant metallic humming coming from the monitor unit. It's not the age, it always sounded like that.
- The CRT is so tiny that compared to a modern setup, it feels like looking though a periscope at what you're doing.
- It runs Windows 3.1 just fine in 640x480. It can do 256 colors, too, but I usually stick to 16 colors, as it's faster.
- No sound card, but the PC speaker has a volume control! It crackles quite a bit when you use it nowadays. Windows can do sound, but without a dedicated card, everything freezes while sounds are playing.
- It does not run Doom. Calculators, oscillators, pregnancy tests and tractors can run Doom, but this computer can't. Not enough RAM.
My family's first PC, and I'm so lucky to still have it. The manufacture date is January 1991, but we got it in 1993. The power supply for the computer is inside the monitor, so you really need a complete unit to use it.
It broke sometime in the 2000s, but I held onto it and managed to get it fixed a few years back. The hard drive had to be changed since the compression program used made the data inaccessible when the CMOS battery died and the bios lost its settings, but that was just as well. It was only 40 Mb.
I used to know exactly what model this was: a 2121, a 16 MHz 386 with 40 MB hard drive and 2 MB ram. And it is. But searching for it now, you'd think that the 2121 had a different form factor, taller than this one, room for ISA cards, and came with a modem! So on the outside this is a model 2011, and on the inside a 2121? I dunno, Obviously it came in this configuration too, though people seem to have forgotten.
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This computer came with a cool built in GUI in ROM, but it's hardly ever used since running DOS 6.22 from the hard drive is preferable.
What's it like to use?
- Noisy. You tend to forget how old PCs sounded when you get used to modern Macs. There's a constant metallic humming coming from the monitor unit. It's not the age, it always sounded like that.
- The CRT is so tiny that compared to a modern setup, it feels like looking though a periscope at what you're doing.
- It runs Windows 3.1 just fine in 640x480. It can do 256 colors, too, but I usually stick to 16 colors, as it's faster.
- No sound card, but the PC speaker has a volume control! It crackles quite a bit when you use it nowadays. Windows can do sound, but without a dedicated card, everything freezes while sounds are playing.
- It does not run Doom. Calculators, oscillators, pregnancy tests and tractors can run Doom, but this computer can't. Not enough RAM.
iMac G3/350 (Blueberry)
I got this at a second hand store where I worked for a while. I've changed the hard drive into an SSD and maxed out the RAM, and in roughly period accurate OSes, it is very capable. OS 9 really flies, and OS X 10.3 Panther is pretty good too.
I have the original keyboard, though I've put it away, as this is mostly a decoration piece now. I'm pretty sure I got rid of the awful puck mouse.
The eject for the optical drive has stopped working sometime in the last decade, with a cd of reference photos of a nude man inside, alas.
I love the design of this. Since I hate cords and am pretty clumsy, I prefer all-in-one computers, and this one looks so fun. I like how older computers were allowed to have a physical precence. Nowadays we all strive for a flat screen and nothing else. If there is any heft, or more than a millimeter of bezel, people complain. I like bezels.
What's it like to use?
- Frustratingly good, like a new computer, but not quite. The OSes are very familiar. It runs the same apps as we do today. But then you run into a wall. It feels like it should be able to go online (it was designed for internet, after all) but it pretty much can't. You can install VLC but today's videos won't play du to lack of computing power.
- Out-of-the-box, the software is not designed for two-button mice, which is very odd and off-putting. It's remedied with third party apps, though.
- Photoshop runs, no problem! Old versions, of course, but what's the difference anyway? In OS X, old Wacom tablets work too.
- By far the best CRT I've ever seen. If you run it in low resolution especially, it's the calmest most flicker-free image you could imagine. The built in speakers are great, too.
- OS 9 shuts down in like one second. Very impressive.
I got this at a second hand store where I worked for a while. I've changed the hard drive into an SSD and maxed out the RAM, and in roughly period accurate OSes, it is very capable. OS 9 really flies, and OS X 10.3 Panther is pretty good too.
I have the original keyboard, though I've put it away, as this is mostly a decoration piece now. I'm pretty sure I got rid of the awful puck mouse.
The eject for the optical drive has stopped working sometime in the last decade, with a cd of reference photos of a nude man inside, alas.
I love the design of this. Since I hate cords and am pretty clumsy, I prefer all-in-one computers, and this one looks so fun. I like how older computers were allowed to have a physical precence. Nowadays we all strive for a flat screen and nothing else. If there is any heft, or more than a millimeter of bezel, people complain. I like bezels.
What's it like to use?
- Frustratingly good, like a new computer, but not quite. The OSes are very familiar. It runs the same apps as we do today. But then you run into a wall. It feels like it should be able to go online (it was designed for internet, after all) but it pretty much can't. You can install VLC but today's videos won't play du to lack of computing power.
- Out-of-the-box, the software is not designed for two-button mice, which is very odd and off-putting. It's remedied with third party apps, though.
- Photoshop runs, no problem! Old versions, of course, but what's the difference anyway? In OS X, old Wacom tablets work too.
- By far the best CRT I've ever seen. If you run it in low resolution especially, it's the calmest most flicker-free image you could imagine. The built in speakers are great, too.
- OS 9 shuts down in like one second. Very impressive.