I've been reading a bunch of (older) posts in which newbies have been complaining that Linux is too difficult for newer users, and products like MS Windows are therefore better for newbies because they are easier. I am among those that believe that Linux is not necessaraly more difficult than Windows, it's completely relative to what you are used to. Which led me to think about this topic.

My first experiece with computers was on a TI-99/4a (not to brag or anything ;-) ) and back in those days, a GUI was non-existant, every computer came with some sort of programming language (even if it was BASIC), programs had to be loaded and saved to the ROM via a cassette tape (floppy disk drives were very new technology), and Scott Adams' text adventure "Adventureland" was the coolest game ever.

So, what is your first experience with computers? Are you one of the lucky ones to start out using Linux instead of Windows? Perhaps something else, like the Commodore Amiga, or Apple IIe? Personally, I've been using Linux for around four years now, and I really wish I had learned about Linux back in 1996 when I gave in to the new Windows trend over MS-DOS--I would have never switched to '95.

I started out with a keypunch and VAX VMS at school, IBM mainfraimes with JCL, line editors, monochrome terminals etc. at work. I used Unix long before Windows 3.1 was released, but I didn't get a PC for my personal use until 1999. I installed RH 6.1 on it within a few weeks.

What's funny is that coming from an "older" background with personal computers (and by "older" I mean early 1980's, pre-Microsoft domination--no offense intended to the REAL old timers...I bow in your presence :-) ) is the apparent lack of any sort of programming language with modern, "mainstream" OS's. I mean, even MS-DOS came with a version of BASIC.

What good is a computer if you can't write your own programs/scripts on it without paying for and installing extra software? I mean, isn't that what computers are all about...telling IT what to do?

The first computer I ever touched was a "Coleco Adam" in the early 80's.
Alan Alda used to push them on TV.
It belonged to my roomate.
It used an audio cassette for storage.
It was a real joke but it used basic and the games were sweet!

my first computer to use was a commodore 64, i used it for about 15 minutes put it back in the box and never used it again... that was about 1988 or so an dI was 8, in 91-92 my mother brought home a 386 machine with dos 3.x installed. that was pimp juice cause I installed Duke Nukem all by myself!

I think MS' vision is computers will tell users what to do, so there's no need for "basic" programming languages anymore. The dancing paper clip might ask a question or two before running a wizard, but there isn't much user input required. If you do something out of the ordinary MS Office will auto-correct your work, reformat the entire document and save it automatically, all without asking you for permission. This greatly reduces TCO and improves productivity. It also lets corps replace people with trained monkeys.

I notice that the subject line says "first computer" while the poll title says "first PERSONAL computer". Big difference! In either case, my answer is "other"--IBM3033 mainframe, or Vic-20. I really wanted an Apple ][, but the Vic-20 costed 1/10 as much, so...

Apple IIe here. Heh.

I had a sinclair xz80 when I was a kid, it was crap! but fun in a crap sort of way.
It must have put me off cos I didnt touch a pc again until 8 years ago and it was dos 6.22 and win3.1, then IBM dos 4 on an old ps/1 (which I still own) and then I worked my way downhill after that.

Either one. Really, I was just interested in the first experience you've had with computers as a whole. The majority of people these days (myself included) started out using personal computers instead of mainframe or mini-computers, but I didn't want to limit the posts to ONLY PC's.

Besides, I was only allowed 10 slots for the poll.

my first one was a commodore 64 (i think, that or some other computer that had a text GUI it would start from (not command line tho like the c64) .... .. then my dad got a IBM computer ... that thing was a piece of trash, couldn't do anything, then we got a PC (and still had the c64 and IBM (that was never sued) and some other computer i had in my room to play chess on)

all in all, i much prefer the c64 as it played lots of games .... PC was only good for browsing the net (which was text based ..... ) and playing some 3d racing game,... as well as making phone calls (it was a bell PC, then we installed win95 in 1995 and it went from useful to a piece of shit, as my favorite program that came with the PC was gone (tho win95 was more useful for browsing files, as the OS before that (win3.1 i think) when you closed a folder i couldn't get it back ...)./................. anyways.. all i miss from the bell computer was a program it come with that made a virtual hallway, in one room was a office, in another a play room and a exit ... it let you do things like call people from your computer by clicking on a phone in the office, or play games in the play room .... made computers sooo easy and fun to use (just point and click on the image) (don't scream at me for pointing and clicking.... i was only about no more then 10 (less i think) and in my defense could at least use the commodore 64 on my own to run games, and simple programing)

First used a ZX81 followed by a Sinclair Spectrum - they both ran BASIC and were a friends. My stepfather put together a computer from instructions in an electronics mag and with his own knowledge - it too ran BASIC and had a green screen monitor.

We got a Commodore 64 as a family computer and my own first computer was a VIC-20.....both ran BASIC. As you can tell, I got to see a lot of BASIC as a kid

Then I was introduced to Amiga's and DOS based pcs at around the same time. And it went downhill from there.....

I used a ZX81 and soon after became the proud owner of a ZX Spectrum with 48K of raw power under the hood. I also used a BBC model B micro at school around the same time - fabulous machines.

Other:

My first computer was a Commodore VIC-20 with a whopping 3.5k of RAM. I had no back up device (tape drives were the common storage medium then, but I couldn't afford it). I use to type in those BASIC programs listed in the old Compute! magazines. Hours of typing only to lose it all when I turned the system off.

Whoa Scott Adams... ? as in the author of Dilbert?