There are certain things in life you never forget—your first car, your first latte of the day (because let’s be honest, the morning doesn’t officially start until then), and of course, your first computer.
For me, that monumental introduction to the digital world came in the form of the Commodore 64—a glorious beige box of wonder that plugged into the TV like some futuristic oracle of endless possibilities. Sure, today’s laptops are wafer-thin and claim to do everything short of brewing your morning espresso (though, honestly, someone needs to get on that). But back in the day, computers were built like tanks, sounded like dial-up war machines, and had a boot-up time that could be measured in entire seasons of your favorite show.
The Commodore 64 wasn’t just a computer; it was a rite of passage. It was the gateway to pixelated adventures, where I heroically battled my way through choppy graphics and text-based quests, feeling like a tech-savvy genius just for getting a program to load correctly. And let’s talk about loading times—a simple game could take 20 minutes to boot up, giving you ample time to grab a snack, rethink your life choices, and possibly age a few years before the thing was ready to play.
And storage? Ha! Today, people panic if their terabyte drives get full. My Commodore 64 ran on 5.25-inch floppy disks that barely held enough data to write a strongly worded letter, but did that stop me from believing I was on the cutting edge of technology? Absolutely not.
But here’s the real magic of that first computer: It taught patience, persistence, and the thrill of discovery. Whether I was fumbling through the keyboard, trying to understand BASIC programming, or just reveling in the joy of making a pixelated stick figure jump, it was an experience that shaped my love for technology.
Fast-forward to today, and we live in a world where computers fit in our pockets, respond to our voices, and remind us of things we forget (which, let’s be real, is everything). But nothing—absolutely nothing—will replace the magic of that first Commodore 64.
So, to all my fellow OG tech warriors who knew the struggle of cassette tapes, floppy disks, and keyboards that sounded like typewriters—I salute you. We walked so Wi-Fi could run.
What was your first computer? Tell me in the comments!
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