I've got a pretty colorful past. I got my first job when I was fourteen-years old, working behind the counter of a fast-food restaurant at Northbrook Court shopping mall in Northbrook, Illinois. After all, I needed to save up money to buy a TRS-80 Model I computer from Radio Shack! Once I acquired my driver's license, I worked in the health & beauty department at Venture. Yes, I was a stockboy. At the age of... Continue Reading

I make no secret of it. I am a 43-year old man who loves playing computer and video games. And why not? I was a teenage when Space Invaders, Asteroids and Centipede took over the arcades. I was sixteen when I bought my first computer, a TRS-80. It was great for primitive gaming. And I've got a great collection of old computer software in a special room in my basement. Perhaps I'll do a video... Continue Reading

Everything has changed. I remember when I first discovered computers. I was in high school when Radio Shack came out with their TRS-80 Model I personal computer. I remember going to the store and staring at it... ogling it... feeling the power of its keyboard... Hey, I guess I just wasn't into girls yet. That time came along eventually as well. ;-) Oh, those were the days. Continue Reading

The information age really does move at the speed of light. Technology is advancing faster than we ever conceived possible. I've been online for 26 years now. In 1980, I bought my first computer, a TRS-80. This machine had 4K of RAM (not 4MB... 4K) and a cassette player that was used as a storage device. There wasn't even a floppy disc drive! I owned a 300 baud modem that I used to dial into... Continue Reading

When I was sixteen years old and purchased my first computer (A Tandy TRS-80), my mother asked me "What are you going to do with a computer?" Many years later, she now knows exactly what I will do with a computer... My mother has been slow to adapt to new technology, but I have nudged her along gently and she now can't imagine not using the Internet to research her adventure travel escapades. Continue Reading

In 1978, I was just a youthful fourteen-year old. But I knew the future when I saw it, and I wanted a piece of it. It was this year that Tandy released their first home computer, the TRS-80, via their Radio Shack stores. As soon as I saw this black and gray beauty, I knew I had to have one. Continue Reading

I will never forget the thrill of seeing my first video game. Pong opened the doorway to electronic gaming bliss and most in my generation have never looked back. I remember when Space Invaders and Asteroids came out, displacing the pinball machine as the game du jour. I remember begging my father for a Fairchild video game system, the predecessor to the Atari 2600. I remember playing games on my TRS-80 and being absolutely floored... Continue Reading

No entries this week because I have been out of town. In Texas, actually, feeding one of my hobbies. I am a collector of old computer games. I grew up playing on my TRS-80 and dos-based PC, and am quite nostalgic about the oldies from the eighties and early nineties. I have not found any stores in the OKC area that buy or sell old computer games, but there are a handful of places in... Continue Reading

I have been into computers since the TRS-80 Model I came out in the late seventies. I am not a programmer, but I can put a PC together from scratch, install an operating system and just about any software. I can tweak a machine under the hood and have been able to solve just about any problem I have encountered. To my family, friends and associates, I am the local computer guru. But even I... Continue Reading

I have been a computer gamer ever since I encountered Space Invaders on my TRS-80 (that REALLY dates me) about 25 years ago. Dozens of computer games are published every year, but only a handful of those I try actually keep my attention for the duration of the game. The last game to do so we Star Wars Galaxies (which has since lost my attention and I am cancelling my account). I had a great... Continue Reading

Here's some great links to make your weekend more meaningful ;-) DVDFile.com - the best place on the web for all things DVD HomeStarRunner.com - funny and on the edge - great stuff for wasting time Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Pages - my very first computer immortalized on this fan page. I owned a Model I with 4K of RAM. Sweet. Lateral Thing Puzzles - In the middle of the ocean is a yacht. Several... Continue Reading

Woke up bright and early to begin our tour of the Nation's Capitol. We found a subway station just across the street from the hotel and were at The Mall in a few minutes. Bam, there we were, surrounded by the greatness that is Washington, D.C. The Washington Monument to my left; the Capitol Building to my right; and The Smithsonian beckoning to us from all directions! It was my first glimpse of the city... Continue Reading

Come and listen to a story of boom and bust. A tale of exhuberent highs and devastating lows. A yarn so dramatic, so engaing, so tragic... wait... wrong story. This is about my experience with the Internet and how I rode the wave from the beginning, only to end up here. Ready? Come gather 'round... Part I: I can do that! I have always been a computer freek. Since Radio Shack launched the first TRS-80... Continue Reading