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I started with BASIC on Commodore 16 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_16 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_16) and shortly after MOS 6502 assembler

I started with BASIC on Commodore 16 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_16 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_16) and shortly after MOS 6502 assembler back in the mid 80s when I was in my early teens. Commodore 16 had a monitor program build in, all you had to do is type MONITOR and you were able to edit memory directly in machine/assembler code, save it, run it etc (http://www.commodore16.com/php/images/books/downloads/Tedmon.pdf http://www.commodore16.com/php/images/books/downloads/Tedmon...). Later, I got Commodore 64, then 128, then Amiga 500 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiga_500 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiga_500) which was such a joy to program. This is where I got my first exposure to C programming (Aztec C http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_C http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_C) and VIM. VIM was in fact first developed for Amiga where it was known as VI iMitation (hece VIM), and later back ported to UNIX. In the 90s went to university to study math and computer science and that's where I got introduced to "big iron" UNIX (HPUX). In late 90s I did some Windows C++ development, but I now program for all kinds of platforms from Solaris, to AIX to HPUX to Linux to Windows and Mac OS X and in dozens of languages. We even make our own VI, awk compiler, Perl interpreter, std C lib for all kinds of platforms, POSIX APIs port to Windows and others, port of UNIX tools and shells to Windows and a multi million LOC ALM application suite. But today's computing really can't be compared to the experience in the 80s, when you as a kid could master your CPU and know its complete instruction set, its registers and important memory locations and feel completely in control. I shudder when I see where general computing is headed with kids dreaming of owning iPads.

Estragon 15y ago
I learned roughly the same way, except in my case it was a TRS-80 color computer, 6809 assembly, and Forth. I was absolutely fascinated with data compression back then. The CS classes at Uni seemed really boring, so I went into mathematics instead.
kstenerud 15y ago
I remember the Commodore 16, especially their TV ad that used Ringo Starr's "You're 16" theme. It seemed like a weird move since they already had the C64... I also went the Commodore route. I still remember when I got my A501, giving me a whopping 1MB of ram! I used Lattice C, and GCC to a lesser extent. Later, after finding out how hard it was to get ahold of the 3000/UX version of UNIX, I installed NetBSD on my regular A3000. Fun times... I liked the M68k series so much I eventually wrote an emulator for it, which is used in MAME to this day.
dbh937 15y ago
> But today's computing really can't be compared to the experience in the 80s, when you as a kid >could master your CPU and know its complete instruction set, its registers and important >memory locations and feel completely in control. I shudder when I see where general computing >is headed with kids dreaming of owning iPads. I wish too that computers were like they were in the 80's. Growing up now, I remember when to me the System Preferences on a Mac were a place that you didn't go or else you might mess up the computer. Still, with programming knowledge and all, I always get a little bit frightened when I'm about to do something the tiniest bit dangerous that might it so my computer won't turn on, like using `dd` even though I checked the name of the disk I was trying to write at least ten times. I blame it on my generation and the "magic" about computers today that some other HNers mentioned.

Estragon 15y ago

I learned roughly the same way, except in my case it was a TRS-80 color computer, 6809 assembly, and Forth. I was absolutely fascinated with data compression back then. The CS classes at Uni seemed really boring, so I went into mathematics instead.

kstenerud 15y ago

I remember the Commodore 16, especially their TV ad that used Ringo Starr's "You're 16" theme. It seemed like a weird move since they already had the C64... I also went the Commodore route. I still remember when I got my A501, giving me a whopping 1MB of ram! I used Lattice C, and GCC to a lesser extent. Later, after finding out how hard it was to get ahold of the 3000/UX version of UNIX, I installed NetBSD on my regular A3000. Fun times... I liked the M68k series so much I eventually wrote an emulator for it, which is used in MAME to this day.

dbh937 15y ago

> But today's computing really can't be compared to the experience in the 80s, when you as a kid >could master your CPU and know its complete instruction set, its registers and important >memory locations and feel completely in control. I shudder when I see where general computing >is headed with kids dreaming of owning iPads. I wish too that computers were like they were in the 80's. Growing up now, I remember when to me the System Preferences on a Mac were a place that you didn't go or else you might mess up the computer. Still, with programming knowledge and all, I always get a little bit frightened when I'm about to do something the tiniest bit dangerous that might it so my computer won't turn on, like using `dd` even though I checked the name of the disk I was trying to write at least ten times. I blame it on my generation and the "magic" about computers today that some other HNers mentioned.