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[Iggy]

Originally Posted by commodorejohn

Indeed. It's sad, really - the TMS-9900 would've put it so far ahead of any of its contemporaries that it should've done so much better than it did...only the C64 would've stood a chance against a properly-designed TI-99, and that mostly because of the SID and VIC-II...

Yep, I was really fond of the VDP in that unit.
Its a shame that TI didn't take advantage of the fact that it could do video overlay.
Many sprite boards for the Apple II were based on that component.

I even had one (and a sales offer from TI), while I was investigating building a similar overlay board for Tandy computers.

[commodorejohn]

It was good in the MSX1, as well, and had a great upgrade path with the 9938 in the MSX2. I never did like the PSG much, but that's mostly because it absolutely pales in comparison to the SID, whereas the VDP is more of a fair contender against the VIC-II that just has its strengths and weaknesses in different areas...

[Zordar]

My first machine was the rather obsure piece of technology from Australia, called "Microbee". It was a 3.37Mhz Z80 based computer, with 16Kbytes of RAM, and a
rather unique feature with allowed the computer to retain all data in RAM, even after being shut down. The computer used static RAMs, and has a rechargable battery pack (three AA cells) which kept the RAM alive when the machine was turned off. It was also able to generate a rather high resolution of 512x256 (monochrom) for a machine in its class.
Other then that, it wasn't a very interesting system, it has a two-tone beeper for sound, but a rather expanded & easy to use BASIC. As the pack-rat that I am, I still have all my Microbee stuff, I keep thinking about taking it out & copying the various basic program I wrote to a PC for safe keeping (currently sitting on tapes).......but who know when that's going to happen!

Back in the early 1980's, after seeing War Games for the first time , I asked by parents to buy me a computer. They agreed ,and bought one from the local (and only) computer shop at the time, however, they didn't know anything about these new fangled "computers", and went with the one recommended by the store owner. I remember the store also had a TI-99/4A, a few Apple II clones - yes, clones, would you buy something called "General 64"? , a Microprofessor, Dragon 32, and a few others. Well, the Apple II clones where around $2000 (without a screen or disk drive), and I guess my parents went with the more "affordable" system. They've could have done worse, but the Microbee basically had no support anywhere - you couldn't walk into any computer store and find Microbee related HW/SW. I couldn't even find any books for it, and everything I taught myself was from the original owners manual that came with it.

I took a BASIC course, offered at the same store BTW, and tought myself to program. I also dissected the programs that came with the machine (on cassette tape), and figured out how to do certain things. Eventually, I found a source for more Microbee related items, but had to travel about two hours to the actual importer, which was a tiny home converted into an office. There I had another 16Kbytes soldered it (while I waited), and added a 9-pin brother dot matrix printer - all for the tiny sum of $400. I also bought another book, which gave me more insight into BASIC, and especially, the graphics capabilities. I also learned that they were in the process of "converting" apple disk drives to work with the Microbee, but that never happend before the machine disappeared from the scene (if there ever was one).

I played with the Microbee for a couple of years, until the C64 came out. At that point my parents couldn't afford to buy another computer, so I just bummed off my friends who did have the new/amazing computer. Afew years later, I was able to get a C128 system, which I used for a few years, then sold got an Amiga 500.

[commodorejohn]

Ah, I've read a little bit about the MicroBee. Have you seen the upgraded revival kit version?

[Fester]

Before Amiga, it was a Commodore Pet in the high school computer class. It was all basic programming. At least, half-way through the semester, the school added 5.25 floppy disc drives. The Amiga 2000 was my first home computer.

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by bloodline

So you got a ZX81 with a proper keyboard? That still seem like some kind of upper class luxury from where I'm sitting... Oh?!? What and 16k?!? Posh bastered x

Nah, it was some sort of after market keyboard case you rehoused it in. It was big, fat and unashamedly ugly. However, it was rather easier to type on.

We inherited the lot from my uncle, who previously owned the zx80.

[LoadWB]

For those of you who lament the mis-use of the TMS 9918A and compatriot VDPs used in the TI-99/4A, you should check out the F18A, which is an FPGA replacement of the 9918A with new capabilities and even its own GPU. (Yes, the TI is now capable of multi-processing.) Check out the TI-99/4A Programming forum at Atari Age.

@Zordar: I've been doing some reading on the Microbee as an emulator for it has popped up on AmiNet. Interesting piece of kit.

[kolla]

Before Amiga I used my money on archery and partying, never had an 8bit computer back then

[MiAmigo]

Originally Posted by ElPolloDiabl

What was your computing like before Amiga. Did you think the mouse was for lazy people? Did you program your own Basic games? Memorize about 100 different keyboard shortcuts?

Before my Amiga I of course had a C64. That was in about 1982 or thereabouts. I had just lost my job, but was still living with my family, so it was cool.

My money was limited, so all I could afford was the C64, and a datasette, which I immediately broke! (Dropped it.)

Because of that, I learned how to program 'by accident'. The only way I could play my favorite type-in games from Compute!'s GAZETTE was to type them in. Every. single. Time.

By doing that repeatedly, I actually eventually memorized entire program listings. (My friends found it amazing, and used to quiz me with random lines from the magazine.)

One thing led to another, and I became a programmer (BASIC and ML) and enjoyed a brief career as an 8-bit hacker and fonefreek known as 'Prince BAM!' (Bonus points to anyone who remembers what BAM stood for!).

I mostly hacked cartridge and floppy-based games so I could get them on to a tape machine I borrowed from a friend.

After that word of the 'Lorraine' started to circulate, but it would be almost 5 or 6 years before I finally got one, an A500.

And that's my story!