My Computer.

I have had an interest in computers ever since I first saw a ZX Spectrum. I was eventually able to purchase same at the cost of £140.00 and I still have it in its original box. I even started to write my own programs (small programs).

The next computer I got was in 1992, an Amstrad 386 with a 40mb hard drive, 2mb ram and windows 3.1 all for the tidy sum of £993.25. I thought the power of this computer was amazing. It was not long before I realised that 2mb ram was not sufficient so I started to upgrade first to 4mb then 8mb. The next big step was to increase the hard disk from 40mb to 600mb I also installed a CDROM drive. I did this with the aid of a video which came as part of the kit. At this point I thought that I would never need to make any further changes.

Then came the introduction of the Pentium and I discovered that it would not be practical to upgrade my present computer to a Pentium so when finance became available I decided to buy a new system. I came across a small firm who built computers so I placed an order with them. The computer arrived in 1996 at the cost of £1145.00 and the difference was incredible, with only a Pentium 100.

After some time had passed friends were trying to persuade me to go on the internet. For a long time I resisted the temptation but then I thought Why Not. Back down to my supplier and ordered a Pentium 200. I felt if I were going on the internet then the higher processor would be best. I was fortunate in that my brother had a short time before given me a present of an internal modem which I installed myself, thanks brother. Adding bits and pieces to your computer is easy providing they work first time, if not, then it can be a major problem finding out why they do not work. Its only when things go wrong that you realise how complicated computers are.

Keeping pace with technology, if you can, is an expensive hobby. I note that as the hardware specification has improved so has the software. I don't even try to keep up with the new software now as it appears there are new upgrades for programs coming out about every two years or even sooner. I do not believe that the private individual can keep up with the progress in software and I do not know if I would want to. I believe that when it comes to the private individual the extra items included in the software upgrades are nice to have but not essential.

A number of years passed and it became obvious it was time for a change. This time it was back to a branded PC an Advent with a Pentium III 450Mhz, 64 MB RAM, 6.4GB Hard Drive and a CD-ROM/DVD drive. The cost of this new PC in 2000 was around £500.00 for the base unit and looking back one can see how, over the years, the prices have dropped and the specification has increased.

My next purchase was in 2003, a Compaq Presario 2500 Notebook with a Pentium 4 processor. This purchase was primarily made because I was going to spend some time in America and I felt I needed a PC to take with me. There was some debate as to whether I should buy in UK or wait till I get to the states; I felt it was best to buy here because, on my return, I would not have any complications with power/leads etc. plus I was able to insure the PC before I left on my trip. This purchase set me back a cool £999.99 and to be honest I felt it was slightly expensive and slightly heavy in weight as it was only an average notebook but it provided me with everything I needed.

My latest purchase was in 2004, a Compaq Presario Desktop with a Pentium®4 CPU 2.80GHz with 512MB Ram a 70GB Hard Drive and a DVD/CD-RW Drive. Again I only purchased a base unit at the cost of £530.99.

Now I have, for the moment, stopped increasing or adding bits on to my computer, but for how long? Who knows what the next big development is going to be, of course, when it comes it will be essential that everyone has it. I would imagine that within the next ten years we will all have to start again with a new system as your present one will not be compatible. With a bit of imagination the possibilities are staggering we could even get to the point when the computer takes on a form of life with the internal workings being replaced by liquid!

Well that's the story of my computer perhaps you may have had a similar experience, expensive but well worth it.

The Computer Club.

Can I suggest if you wish to see the presentation in full it would probably be best to save it then view it.

The Computer Club