What was the first system you programmed?

[+Ransom]

That is, what was the first electronic system you gave a series of instructions to, that it then followed out?

 

The first one for me was the Big Trak:

 

 

 

Which you could program to go forward or backward, turn, fire its weapon, or, if you had the optional Big Trak Transport, tell it to dump its load.

 

After that, I believe the next thing was Atari 2600's BASIC Programming (big disappointment!), then a Heathkit computer we had at school (I typed in a Lunar Lander program), and then finally the Atari 400 with Atari BASIC.

 

How about you?

 

[Bill Loguidice]

For me it was my first home computer, a Commodore VIC-20. The first one in school (after the VIC-20) was a TRS-80 Model III.

[+BigO]

TI-99/4a.

That's what my high school could (barely) afford and way more than I personally could afford.

I repaired and donated a few small TV's I had sitting around to help get the program going.

[+--- Ω ---]

Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I

 

For me it was the 4K version of the TRS-80 Model I. I was still in junior high school at the time, so whenever my folks went to town I would go into the Radio Shack store and stand in front of that thing for HOURS! It was a lot of fun.

 

Years later (before I worked for Radio Shack) I went in for some items and was taken by the sales girl, so I banged out a quick program on the Model III they had on display that asked the sales girl out on a date... It worked, we went out for over three years.

[+Gemintronic]

Probably the Commodore PET at school. Good times!

[+5-11under]

Sinclair ZX80, followed by Sinclair ZX81 a year or so later.

[+save2600]

TRS-80 Model III at school. Then my 99/4A at home. Apple ][ and Atari 800 (assembly) at school also.

 

BTW: I remember the Big Trak! That "toy" was awesome!

[+frankodragon]

I think it was a Commodore Vic-20 then a C64 if you count typing programs from magazines and user manuals as programming.

[Random Terrain]

For me it was my first home computer, a Commodore VIC-20. The first one in school (after the VIC-20) was a TRS-80 Model III.

Somebody call the police! Bill Loguidice stole my personal history!

 

atariage.com/forums/topic/164351-your-first-computer/?p=2029694

 

atariage.com/forums/topic/180824-what-does-atari-mean-to-you/?p=2264396

 

atariage.com/forums/topic/236551-show-support-for-a-trs-80-sub-forum-post-here/?p=3205407

[+thegoldenband]

Color Computer 2 here. I still remember a lot of those first programs, both the type-ins and the handful I wrote myself.

[SIO2]

 

]CATALOG

 

DISK VOLUME 254

 

*B 050 INTBASIC

 

 

 

APPLE II

[carlsson]

It must've been by big brother's VIC-20. I managed to get it to crash on my first programming attempt, and yet that only involved PRINT statements!

[+Cafeman]

For me, the TRS "Trash" 80 in 8th grade! Soon followed by a brand new Atari 1200xl.

[PacManPlus]

Jr. High School: (through 1983)

Commodore PET 2001: We had a bunch of them - https://2warpstoneptune.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/commodore-pet-2001.jpg

Personal - TI-99/4A

 

High School: (1983-)

Commodore PET 2001

Until '84, when we got all Apple IIc computers, (and I ended up getting one as well)

Personal - Apple IIc

 

Used the IIc until building my first Intel-386 (around '90)

The IIc is where I taught myself 6502 assembly

 

BTW, I actually had that Big-Trak as well!

Edited October 16, 2015 by PacManPlus

[+Trebor]

It's a toss-up between a simple BASIC program on the Commodore VIC-20 and Logo on the Apple II. Loved that little turtle.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

TI calculator, PET, Oric (at a friend) and then the C64 (still mine!).

Edited October 16, 2015 by Thomas Jentzsch

[Defender_2600]

Simple BASIC program on Commodore VIC-20.

 

Big-Trak as well.

[Emehr]

Not counting the type-in programs on the Commodore 64 back in 83, the first system I actually learned programming on was an Apple II with BASIC in high school. The SuperNES was the new hotness so I was inspired by making shapes scale and rotate on the Apple...very...slowly.

[vitoco]

When I was a kid, I liked to "draw" using the typewriter at my mom's office... my own ASCII art! Then I learned a little about the TELEX machine she had, and started to "save" my artwork in punched paper ribbons, so I could recreate my art later. I don't know if that counts!!!



I started learning BASIC programming in a Sinclair ZX-81 and wrote 2 simple games in about a month. Then I moved to an Atari 800XL and "ported" one of those games

[Alp]

I learned to program on the C64 when I was 6. Made some primitive ASCII games.

[Tickled_Pink]

It was probably the family's 16K Sinclair Spectrum. Just type-in listings. The machine I actually learned to program on was the 800XL.

[fujidude]

Apple ][, followed shortly thereafter by Atari 600XL. It was BASIC on both. Then Pascal on the A2. Then Action! on the Atari. Then a little bit of 6502 assembly on the Atari.

Edited October 28, 2015 by fujidude

[+Apocalypse]

 

And then:

 

[sgmonroe]

Apple II in elementary school. Atari 1200xl at home (and a little PC in a class) my junior high years. Apple IIgs/Mac in high school and an upgrade at home to an XEGS. Actually been thinking about those early days lately...

[+Bryan]

It was either a TRS-80 Model I or a PET when I was in 4th grade around 1978-9. My school system had a small computer lab with both. It was probably the PET because there were more of them.