The first personal computer I ever came in contact with was the TRS-80 Model 1 (Level II) at a friend of my father's in Long Island around 1979. I learned to program basic at his house and practiced during the summer at my junior high school that had a few Model 1's for kids to work with. The school let me come in and play.
With my Bar Mitzvah money in 1980 I bought my first computer, TRS-80 model III (I think it cost me $1200). I learned a LOT on that machine. I belonged to LICA (long island computer association) and one of the guys there operated a TRS-80 business computer. I can't remember what model, (II, 12, 16, etc) but it ran Xenix. He had 2 modems and two phone lines at his house connected to it and granted access to club members. I built a micromint 300 baud acoustic coupler kit, connected my TRS-80 Model III to the phone and over to his Xenix machine. I was hooked and learn a LOT about *nix style operating systems spending HOURS tying up the only phone line in our house connected to it. Really formative years for me. When I left for college, I brought with me the TRS-80 4P. Nice little machine, did all my papers on it. All that "fragmentation" to me was wonderful. Different models, different capabilities it was magical! 73 Eugene W2HX
