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Gen-X was the first generation to grow up with home computers not Millennials. Everybody I knew growing up had an 8 bit computer of some sort. Spectrums, ZX-8

by Lio 2y ago

Gen-X was the first generation to grow up with home computers not Millennials. Everybody I knew growing up had an 8 bit computer of some sort. Spectrums, ZX-81s, Beebs, C64s, VIC-20s and Amstrads were everywhere. They were followed in the mid to late 80s by PCs, Archimedes, Amigas and STs. Gen-X typed in BASIC and assembly language programs from magazines in the local newsagent. We peeked and poked to hack our games. We argued at school about which computer platform was best and it meant more than just PC vs Mac. That experience was mostly gone by the time the oldest millennials were teenagers.

matwood 2y ago
I'm not sure they were as widespread as you think. I was born in the late 70s, and while we did get a ti-99/4a when they hit the bargain bin, I didn't have another computer at home until I started college in the 90s. Until then I had to use the computer lab at school because they were simply too expensive for us to own one at home. And the TI I had was of limited use when I had to use it on the family TV and any basic I typed couldn't be saved because we didn't have the floppy drive.
- Lio 2y ago
  Might depend on location but in the UK and most of Europe at least, 8 bit computers were very, very common. The ZX Spectrum went for about £99, that was pretty cheap even back then. The less capable ZX81 was only £49 in kit form. Games consoles were not common here until the 90s because of the wide take up of home computers.
dkdbejwi383 2y ago
> Gen-X was the first generation to grow up with home computers not Millennials. > Everybody I knew growing up had an 8 bit computer of some sort. My anecdotal experience is that while Gen X were the first generation who could have grown up with a home computer, it still wasn't that common until a fair bit later. I'm smack bang in the middle of the Millennial generation, and we first got a home computer when I was 11, and at that time I'd say it was 50/50 whether someone's family had a home computer.

by Lio 2y ago

matwood 2y ago

I'm not sure they were as widespread as you think. I was born in the late 70s, and while we did get a ti-99/4a when they hit the bargain bin, I didn't have another computer at home until I started college in the 90s. Until then I had to use the computer lab at school because they were simply too expensive for us to own one at home. And the TI I had was of limited use when I had to use it on the family TV and any basic I typed couldn't be saved because we didn't have the floppy drive.

Lio 2y ago
Might depend on location but in the UK and most of Europe at least, 8 bit computers were very, very common. The ZX Spectrum went for about £99, that was pretty cheap even back then. The less capable ZX81 was only £49 in kit form. Games consoles were not common here until the 90s because of the wide take up of home computers.

dkdbejwi383 2y ago

> Gen-X was the first generation to grow up with home computers not Millennials. > Everybody I knew growing up had an 8 bit computer of some sort. My anecdotal experience is that while Gen X were the first generation who could have grown up with a home computer, it still wasn't that common until a fair bit later. I'm smack bang in the middle of the Millennial generation, and we first got a home computer when I was 11, and at that time I'd say it was 50/50 whether someone's family had a home computer.