Computing
Tandy TRS-80 computer
MY FIRST computer was a Sinclair Spectrum and I guess that many people of my generation started this way. I had extra RAM in mine though, a staggering 48K if I recall correctly. Programmes (in basic) were loaded via a cassette player and an unwanted black and white TV was used as a monitor (there were no flat screens in those days). The keyboard had rubber keys but at the time it was fun and very 'hi-tech'. Writing simple programmes in basic language was an excellent introduction to the way computers think and act.
The next might have been my dad's Tandy TRS-80 model 1 - the basic model had 4k of memory - but I can't remember much about that although I do recall that he used it to work out car insurance quotations for his clients and later planned and implemented a quoting system utilising several of these machines. Every time the insurance rates changed he would amend the programme , duplicate the cassette tapes (disks were not yet available) and distribute them to other agents around the UK for his head office in Hemel Hempstead. This was revolutionary at the time (late 70's) there being no internet as it hadn't been invented so my father was the forerunner to 'comparethemarket.com' and the like.
I had little involvement with computing until the early 80's when I found myself in Saudi Arabia with a little more money and time on my hands so bought a 8046 PC which had 4 MB RAM and ran DOS. I used Ashton Tate's "Framework" and "DBase IV" applications invariably looking at grey lettering on a blue screen most of the time. These enabled me to write reports and letters and keep quite large databases, although I almost filled up my 40 MB hard disk at times but it was not until Windows was thrust upon the world that I really sat up and took notice of what computers could do for me. I wasn't that impressed with the early Windows operating systems, possibly because I didn't understand them fully and found them very clunky by today's standards. Being surrounded by colleagues who were also computer 'experts', my initial action was to seek help from them without seeing how they solved problems. I subsequently took a more hands on approach when I realised how important these machines were going to be for my work.
For my particular trades, printing, graphics and photography, Macintosh has mostly ruled the waves so I attended courses and became fully conversant with Mac technology in order to achieve my work aims. To further these aims I obtained a pre-power Mac, then a Powerbook from my son.
The advent of cheaper and more powerful hardware and software (both PC and Mac) then of course the internet made things even more interesting and today I use a Pentium based PC in conjunction with an i-Mac 27 in my office and an i-Pad mini for travelling but freely admit to spending far too much time at the keyboard when I ought to be doing other things. It's all so addictive you see, a bit like ink and paper.
The next might have been my dad's Tandy TRS-80 model 1 - the basic model had 4k of memory - but I can't remember much about that although I do recall that he used it to work out car insurance quotations for his clients and later planned and implemented a quoting system utilising several of these machines. Every time the insurance rates changed he would amend the programme , duplicate the cassette tapes (disks were not yet available) and distribute them to other agents around the UK for his head office in Hemel Hempstead. This was revolutionary at the time (late 70's) there being no internet as it hadn't been invented so my father was the forerunner to 'comparethemarket.com' and the like.
I had little involvement with computing until the early 80's when I found myself in Saudi Arabia with a little more money and time on my hands so bought a 8046 PC which had 4 MB RAM and ran DOS. I used Ashton Tate's "Framework" and "DBase IV" applications invariably looking at grey lettering on a blue screen most of the time. These enabled me to write reports and letters and keep quite large databases, although I almost filled up my 40 MB hard disk at times but it was not until Windows was thrust upon the world that I really sat up and took notice of what computers could do for me. I wasn't that impressed with the early Windows operating systems, possibly because I didn't understand them fully and found them very clunky by today's standards. Being surrounded by colleagues who were also computer 'experts', my initial action was to seek help from them without seeing how they solved problems. I subsequently took a more hands on approach when I realised how important these machines were going to be for my work.
For my particular trades, printing, graphics and photography, Macintosh has mostly ruled the waves so I attended courses and became fully conversant with Mac technology in order to achieve my work aims. To further these aims I obtained a pre-power Mac, then a Powerbook from my son.
The advent of cheaper and more powerful hardware and software (both PC and Mac) then of course the internet made things even more interesting and today I use a Pentium based PC in conjunction with an i-Mac 27 in my office and an i-Pad mini for travelling but freely admit to spending far too much time at the keyboard when I ought to be doing other things. It's all so addictive you see, a bit like ink and paper.