On Thursday, September 20, 2018 at 12:38:05 PM UTC-5, Gary wrote:
> Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> >
> > On Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at 4:43:26 PM UTC-4, Ophelia wrote:
> >
> > > The first computers I had were DOS! My goodness, that takes me back a few
> > > years) I have been through a few different ones since then
> >
> > I had a long hiatus between punch cards and DOS. Missed all of those
> > nifty little toys like the Commodore 64.
>
> My very first computer was the Commodore Vic20. A couple of years
> later I bought the C-64. I loved those basic years when all
> wasn't complicated. I learned to program then too. At first home
> schooling with the help of "COMPUTE!" magazine. I still have
> both of those here in the original boxes too.
>
> Then I started back to college taking computer classes. Learned
> Cobol then just because many large companies still used it and
> needed to convert soon. Back then, no pc's in the computer
> classes or labs. We used an IBM mainframe. Without looking it up,
> I seem to remember an IBM 4341.
>
> Anyway, once I bought a modem for the Commodore, I was able to
> work on the school mainframe as a terminal. Saved me driving out
> there and maybe waiting for a free terminal.
>
> They did have a punch card machine there but not used...just for
> educational historic use. I learned how to use one but never
> actually had to use it.

FIRST computer I used was over a teletype machine with a phone modem interface in 6th or 7th grade in the early 1970's. We'd dial the phone, wait to hear the "carrier signal" then put the phone's handset in the modem cradle and the teletype machine (NO CRT!) would connect to the computer, and we could program in BASIC. Had a punch tape paper roll interface too, to store or read back in programs! I liked a very simple program I wrote I called PaperWaster:

10 Print "CR/LF"
20 GoTo 10

Run this and the teletype's paper feed would empty the paper roll if left unattended!! :-)

I was a BORN hacker, I guess! ;-)

John Kuthe...