Technology Veteran

Are you an early or late adopter of technology? What makes you that way?
(Day 15 of my FiftyIn50 blogging challenge)

Simple answer: Early.

I am of an age that desktop computers were very new when I was a teenager.  At the age of 14 my parents bought me my first computer.  Everyone had a Spectrum ZX-81, but I was the proud owner of a Dragon 64.

I quickly out grew it and my next gift was a BBC Micro B.  I wasn't a big game player and I preferred to understand how this magic box worked.  I soon discovered I was a natural at programming.  

Schools were only just starting to get computers when I left compulsory education at 17 years old.  However, I was ahead of the game with my BBC Micro.  I moved into further education taking a one year computer studies course, and then a three year degree in computing.

I have fond memories of programming during my degree.  You had to book time on the computer system to run code.  To save time, you could hand write (on specially formatted paper) your computer code; hand it in to the 'ladies in data-entry'; they would type it, run the code, and print the results ready for you to dissect in a day or two.  How we would laugh at that now.

Thankfully things moved quickly in those three years and we did end up with PCs in labs that we could use, rather than rely on the ladies!

I've never looked back.  Computers have been my whole life.