Way back when, in the dim dark recesses of time – the 1980’s – the first computers I used were of the Apple variety, Apple ][, ][+ and //e to be exact. My father tells of a time even before that where I would mess around on the TRS-80s at the mall Radio Shack, but I don’t really think that counts as “using” them.
During my first couple of years at college, the Macintosh was introduced, and I was even invited to a presentation – I’m not sure how Apple found us in little ol’ Lacrosse Wisconsin and there was no way I had the money for one, but I remember it being very exciting.
I worked in the computer labs at the colleges I attended, first with the afore-mentioned Apple ][s and then with IBM PCs (real ones, not clones, and this was pre-AT days). Then I got myself a Columbia PC (clone) and ended up hip-deep in the DOS PC world after graduation. Along the way I caught back up with the Macintosh with the introduction of the Mac II and for a while had not only a IIc on my desk at work but also a company-owned SE30 at home. When I moved to Atlanta I joined the Mac networking support team at DEC (Digital Equipment Corp), but after a couple of years NT was looking like the future and that’s the direction my career took me.
Now, here I am about 23 years through this computer career of mine, and finally I have something I’ve never had before. I’ve had dozens of PCs and several Macs at the office. I’ve had more than my share of PCs and a few Macs at home, but now I’ve finally got… A Mac of my own.
Not company-owned. Not borrowed from a friend. Mine.
World, meet my new PowerBook, named TullyMars.