I guess it all started back in late 1977, when I was around seven years old. I remember seeing a TRS-80 computer at Radio Shack. I would spend about three or four hours a week in the store just playing with it. I was so fascinated by the buttons and the interaction with the monitor. I had never experienced anything like it. It kind a sort of resembled a typewriter, but with its own screen. I remember asking, in fact begging my parents for one for Christmas. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. For the first several weeks after getting my TRS-80, my parents had to literally pry me away from it. I liked the way the keyboard made a funny clicking sound when you depressed a letter on the keyboard, and seeing that

In Junior High, I quickly lost interest in the TRS-80 in favor of the new, more powerful, Apple IIe computer. The Apple was the first computer on which I learned to program. It was not overly difficult to program, but I found it exhilarating none the less. I loved to see my creations come to life on the screen. I remember one of the programs that I wrote was a simple Tic-Tack-Toe game. Seeing a few lines of meaningless code come together and transform into an interactive user interface left me feeling very satisfied. It was like climbing the highest peek on a mountain. The adrenaline was unlike anything that I had experienced before; even more so than sports. It left me with a sense of personal accomplishment.

letter represented on the monitor, not on paper as with a typewriter. Of course, by today’s standards, the TRS-80 can’t hold a light to the computer chip in my wristwatch.

The next day, Jeff and I shared our experiences putting our computers together; along with a little friendly rivalry to see who got theirs assembled the quickest. Tomorrow, Jeff and I will once gain get together and look for new toys to play with. I don’t know if I am the “Über Geek” or not, but my fascination with technology and my love of gadgets shows no sign of diminishing anytime soon.

This brings me to the present. Currently, I am enrolled in Texas State Technical

Some topics in this essay:
Apple IIe, Technical College, , Christmas Thankfully, Radio Shack, Tomorrow Jeff, screen remember, fascination technology, computers technology, “Über geek”,