Tell Me Your Story… Here’s Mine… My First Computer

In 1982, I went with my school friend to WH Smith’s at Wood Green, North London. The shop assistant showed us how to print my name on the screen with the program:
10 PRINT “Andrew”
20 GOTO 10
I was hooked!

I got a Sinclair ZX81 for Christmas and learned how to program and play games like Flight Simulation – but only when I could get them to load from the tape! The tape player just wasn’t up to the job. It was sad and upsetting.

Then I got a new and more reliable tape player and Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k with rubber keys…

Then I got it converted to a Spectrum +.

Forty years later, I still have it and the tape player plus the games.

I retrieved it from the loft. But after a short while, the Spectrum deteriorated. So I fixed it and refurbished it… which led to PopeyMon!

Now I fix the computers and the tape players! 😎

Tell me about your first computer…
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST COMPUTER AND WHEN DID YOU GET IT?
DO YOU STILL HAVE IT?
WHAT WERE YOUR FAVOURITE GAMES?
DID YOU LEARN TO PROGRAM?
HOW DID YOU GET ON WITH THE TAPE PLAYER FOR SAVING AND LOADING? OR DID IT HAVE DISKS INSTEAD?
WHAT DID IT LEAD TO?

Let me know your stories. Comment below or get in touch via the Contact page.