My Computers (A Work In Progress)

2003 - Homebrew AthlonXP @ 2 Ghz

2002 - Homebrew AthlonXP @ 1.0 Ghz

1998 - Apple iMac @ 233 Mhz

1997 - Gateway Pentium 2 @ 400 Mhz

1996 - Homebrew Pentium 1 @ I forget

1994 - Homebrew 486 @ 80 Mhz

1992 - FastMicro 486 @ 33 Mhz

1987 - Apple IIgs

1986 - Apple IIc

1983 - Apple IIe

1980 - Atari 800

Notes:

1. Technically, the Apple IIgs was my college roommate's machine. I think it was, byte for buck, the finest computer Apple had ever produced up to that time.

2. The Homebrews were constantly mutating, which is why I only gave the CPU speed (Although I know how to do it, I am NOT comfortable swapping CPUs. When the time comes, I get a whole new mobo+CPU preinstalled and move the drives).

3. I loathed the IBM PC series. While I recognized their importance to the "computer biz," they were crude, ugly and badly designed. Among my geek circle, it was a point of honor NOT to have an IBM PC.

4. I remained an Apple fan up to the IIgs. The Macs impressed me, but they were so damned expensive! When I went looking for a new computer late in 1991, I had the choice of spending $1800 on the FastMicro (i486 / 8 MB RAM, 200 MB HDD) or something like four grand (!) for a Mac of equivalent power and capacity. I knew it was all over. Like a lot of people, Apple just priced me out of their market. So I bought my first PC. Later, though, I bought an iMac out of pure curiousity, and enjoyed it.