I’ve been working with personal computers since they became available as a kit for electronics engineers or serious electronics hobbyists, like me (soldering and fabrication skills required) in 1976.
I was among the first 3 people to have a personal computer in my county and I’ve built and operated dozens of them since then – both for myself and my personal computer consulting clients.
In fact, I bought Bill Gate’s very first product, a small BASIC interpreter on a punched paper tape. Here’s a picture of my first hand-made computer kit and the university surplus ASR-33 teletype “monitor” (no graphics back then).
ASR-33 Teletype with punched paper tape reader. A carriage return shook the room and could remove careless fingers.
Cheers!
_jim coe
