Every year it reminds me how I eventually became an IT professional.
My parents took us children to the village restaurant before Christmas. Must have been 1983. Then we were asked what we wish for Christmas and I had not really thought about that, yet. Some of my friends have been talking about a computer. I had no idea what exactly that meant or what to use it for but it sounded cool. Computer. Also I knew that the brand was Commodore.
So when asked what I want for Christmas I said "A Commodore computer".
The next day it dawned on me that it might be a good idea to find out what my Christmas wish actually was. In a toy catalog I found a Commodore C64 computer and decided that must be my Christmas whish. I started collecting the limited info that was publicly availabe about computer.
In a proper Christmas story I would get my C64 and live happily ever after. But my parents were not sure if such an expensive present should be bought.
My mother found a book about the basics of Computers though and I got that later for birthday.
Now I really wanted one. I sometimes took a 30 min. Bus ride to the neighbour university town and there was a department store with a computer department and you were allowed to try them. So all you had to do is use the book to prepare some BASIC programme at home in paper. Take the bus, find a free computer in the store, key the programme in, hope that it works on that version of BASIC and you had a programme.
2 years later my parents seemed convinced that I really wanted a computer and got me a C128. Much better BASIC for structured programming. And from then I happily lived ever after. Or so.
Was going to share a very similar story, I got my first computers for Christmas. We got first a C64 which got me into "programming", but I think it was the Amiga which made me the happiest. It was such an upgrade compared to the C64.
Whenever I feel stress, overworked, or frustrated with colleagues as an IT professional, I remember what got me into programming and all the fun I had with these computers.
Every year it reminds me how I eventually became an IT professional.
My parents took us children to the village restaurant before Christmas. Must have been 1983. Then we were asked what we wish for Christmas and I had not really thought about that, yet. Some of my friends have been talking about a computer. I had no idea what exactly that meant or what to use it for but it sounded cool. Computer. Also I knew that the brand was Commodore.
So when asked what I want for Christmas I said "A Commodore computer".
The next day it dawned on me that it might be a good idea to find out what my Christmas wish actually was. In a toy catalog I found a Commodore C64 computer and decided that must be my Christmas whish. I started collecting the limited info that was publicly availabe about computer.
In a proper Christmas story I would get my C64 and live happily ever after. But my parents were not sure if such an expensive present should be bought.
My mother found a book about the basics of Computers though and I got that later for birthday. Now I really wanted one. I sometimes took a 30 min. Bus ride to the neighbour university town and there was a department store with a computer department and you were allowed to try them. So all you had to do is use the book to prepare some BASIC programme at home in paper. Take the bus, find a free computer in the store, key the programme in, hope that it works on that version of BASIC and you had a programme.
2 years later my parents seemed convinced that I really wanted a computer and got me a C128. Much better BASIC for structured programming. And from then I happily lived ever after. Or so.