On 4/12/23 23:25, Mike Miller wrote:
> Wait, are you older than me? ...haha.
> I remember those days...out of college before there was computers. 😄
> But I did have an old vector image setter pre 8088 & post script that used an 8"
> Winchester drive... first intro to burning film negatives with machine-coded
> light.
> Mike...from someone born in the 50's.uggg.

:-) Well, not if you were born in the 50s. Very early 60s for me.

8in Winchester drives...

Your post reminded me my 'very' first experience with a proper computer 
came thanks to the electronics teacher at our High School. He personally 
purchased a model 1 TRS 80 and was kind enough to bring it into school 
for periods of time. He let some of us to play with it after hours or 
during the odd teacher in service day. I remember working hard with a 
friend to create our own version of the early mainframe, Dungeons and 
Dragons game - all descriptive text. "You are standing in front of a 
door..." Cassette tape drive for storage IIRC. Black and white TV for a 
display.

Later, built a similar 'personal computer' as one of our class projects 
in college. Wire wrapped components on a board with a z80 as the cpu - 
power supply, tape interface and such from raw components. Switch 
sequences to start the boot up. It also used cassette tapes for storage 
and a small TV for the display. Basic as the inbuilt language, but 
programmed quite a bit in assembly too - using the switches IIRC - no 
assembler program...

Memory is well on foggy though - so might be some of the details are wrong.

Bill P.

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