Hi there. Following an idea from ral-clan: I'd like to know roughly the age distribution of forum members.
Just to know (please give additional info) if you are a kid of the '80s replaying old favorites or a kid of the 2000's who just started playing with a machine that was born before you.
Age poll
Hmmm... That's kinda tricky for me. I'm 30 now, but will be 31 in less than two months. Which one should I choose? 
Just kidding, I guess I'll enjoy my 26-30, while I can, huh? 
I never owned a VIC-20 before, by the way. When I was a kid, I dreamed about a C64, but couldn't afford it. VIC was an alternative that I was considering, but I never followed-through with it. Only quite a few years later, I finally managed to get me a C64C. Recently, I started getting back into the whole Commodore business. I still remember those dreams that I had then, and it feels great to be able to fulfill them now, no matter what others say (some think I'm crazy).
Some weeks ago, I bought a C128 and a VIC-20, which I'm still determined to make operational again. Once I do that, I'll be a real happy camper! 
Just kidding, I guess I'll enjoy my 26-30, while I can, huh? I never owned a VIC-20 before, by the way. When I was a kid, I dreamed about a C64, but couldn't afford it. VIC was an alternative that I was considering, but I never followed-through with it. Only quite a few years later, I finally managed to get me a C64C. Recently, I started getting back into the whole Commodore business. I still remember those dreams that I had then, and it feels great to be able to fulfill them now, no matter what others say (some think I'm crazy).
Some weeks ago, I bought a C128 and a VIC-20, which I'm still determined to make operational again. Once I do that, I'll be a real happy camper! -
Centallica
- Pinballer
- Posts: 1090
- Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 11:26 am
-
Jogi
- Pinballer
- Posts: 84
- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 2:30 am
- Website: http://www.vic20.de
- Location: Germany
Got mine for christmas 1982, when I was 12. Sold it and bought a C64 and 1541 the next winter which I never regretted back then. Man, did it feel good not having to wait ages for a game to load from tape. Having to wait ages for a game to load from that godawful slow 1541 was way cooler
It would of course have been cool to still have my original VIC but at the time it wasn't an option. Besides, I wasn't sentimental about these things back then. It comes with age I guess
It would of course have been cool to still have my original VIC but at the time it wasn't an option. Besides, I wasn't sentimental about these things back then. It comes with age I guess
Bacon
-------------------------------------------------------
Das rubbernecken Sichtseeren keepen das cotton-pickenen Hands in die Pockets muss; relaxen und watschen die Blinkenlichten.
-------------------------------------------------------
Das rubbernecken Sichtseeren keepen das cotton-pickenen Hands in die Pockets muss; relaxen und watschen die Blinkenlichten.
Bought my VIC in 1981 after some long discussions with a friend about buying a VIC or a ZX-80/81. I'm so happy that I did not bought that ZX thingie
Got to computing by fiddling around with Pet 200x in our school, the old ones with tape included and calculator style keyboards. Man I really wanted such a cool computer! And then suddenly home computers became available, heaven on earth
Unfortunately I sold my VIC in favour of a C64 (and then an Apple II, an Atari 260, an Amiga 500, an Atari Mega ST2, an Acorn Archimedes and then a lot of PC's). Typing this I seem to have had a time where I loved computers with names beginning with A's...
And since the days of the PC's in my home I missed the old feeling about computers which I had as a child and dreamed about getting back those days. Luckily eBay was born and made my dreams come true
Got to computing by fiddling around with Pet 200x in our school, the old ones with tape included and calculator style keyboards. Man I really wanted such a cool computer! And then suddenly home computers became available, heaven on earth
Unfortunately I sold my VIC in favour of a C64 (and then an Apple II, an Atari 260, an Amiga 500, an Atari Mega ST2, an Acorn Archimedes and then a lot of PC's). Typing this I seem to have had a time where I loved computers with names beginning with A's...
And since the days of the PC's in my home I missed the old feeling about computers which I had as a child and dreamed about getting back those days. Luckily eBay was born and made my dreams come true
-
Mike
- Herr VC
- Posts: 4987
- Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 1:57 pm
- Location: Munich, Germany
- Occupation: electrical engineer
I got mine as X-mas present in 1983, shortly after I had turned 11. It was intended as computer for the whole family, but it was monopolised by me within a short time.
The next computers then were: C= 116 (Oct. '85), C= 128 (Sep. '86), Acorn A3000 (Feb. '91), Acorn A5000 (Dec. '92).
The C= 116 suffered a fatal keyboard failure, the C= 128, and A3000 were sold. I kept the VIC-20, the A5000 (and a twin-A5000) up until today. There's also a ZX-81 lurking around - the first computer I actually laid my hands on in 1981, I asked my uncle for it some years later, a C= 64, and the A440 that Schlowski sold me.
Last year I bought a PC laptop, on which I now do most of my private programming activities (mostly in C).
Greetings,
Michael
The next computers then were: C= 116 (Oct. '85), C= 128 (Sep. '86), Acorn A3000 (Feb. '91), Acorn A5000 (Dec. '92).
The C= 116 suffered a fatal keyboard failure, the C= 128, and A3000 were sold. I kept the VIC-20, the A5000 (and a twin-A5000) up until today. There's also a ZX-81 lurking around - the first computer I actually laid my hands on in 1981, I asked my uncle for it some years later, a C= 64, and the A440 that Schlowski sold me.
Last year I bought a PC laptop, on which I now do most of my private programming activities (mostly in C).
Greetings,
Michael
I was born in 1973. My brother bought a Vic-20 in 1982.
PRG Starter - a VICE helper / Vic Software (Boray Gammon, SD2IEC music player, Vic Disk Menu, Tribbles, Mega Omega, How Many 8K etc.)
-
orion70
- VICtalian
- Posts: 4272
- Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 4:45 am
- Location: Piacenza, Italy
- Occupation: Biologist
I did exactly the same, one year later. Upgrading to a C64 was sooo cool back then! But if I dig my memories, the fondest one is when in winter '83 I opened my parent's car trunk and discovered a brand new VIC-20 sitting there for my brother and me... I was so excited! I already had some cassettes to play with, and finally I could try them!Bacon wrote:Got mine for christmas 1982, when I was 12. Sold it and bought a C64 and 1541 the next winter which I never regretted back then. Man, did it feel good not having to wait ages for a game to load from tape.
Oh, sweet memories... All this retro-gaming revival, emulation, the forum, ebay and everything is great, but cannot bring back one tenth of those times.
My story is the same as a lot of you. Like Bacon, I was 12 in 1982 when my parents got me a VIC-20 for Christmas. Came with a Commodore triangular joystick and Omega Race! Great Christmas gift.
I had been hooked on Commodore a few years before when our school got a PET 2001 (built in tape drive, etc.). I love that computer. We were allowed 1/2 hour on it on Computer Day (one day a week). We would mostly load up Space Invaders and play. After a while the administration got wise and insisted we only play "educational games" (there was even a version of Space Invaders made that involved doing math equations to shoot the enemies - not as fun!). Since my mom was a teacher at another school, she sometimes brought their PET home on weekends. I was very spoiled compared to my friends in that regard.
Because Commodore had a great relationship with the Ontario school boards, a lot of parents bought their kids VIC-20s when they were released. All my friends had one, and we would trade tapes.
I remember my parents asked me before Christmas if I would like one of the newly announced Commodore 64s. But I wanted a VIC because that's what everyone else had!
A few years later (like all kids) I wanted to play the better games, and so I begged my parents for a C64. After that the VIC went to my little brother and was basically neglected. Almost all the parts were lost. I even taped bad 80s music from the radio over some of my VIC-20 cassettes.
Only around 1995 did I get nostalgic for the VIC and started buying stuff again. Fortunately the classic video game craze had not started and VIC-20 stuff was DIRT cheap (49 cents per cartridge at Value Village, $2.99 per VIC). I could finally own all the great exotic stuff I had drooled over as a kid. It was kind of a shock to first see a VIC-20 priced at $2.99 that you remembered being purchased for $200 originally.
Honestly, at the time I thought I was the only person in the world who was collecting VIC-20 stuff. I thought I was saving the memory of these games it from oblivion. I also wanted to be able to show my future grandkids what the dawn of home computing had been like. Not until the Internet became popular did I see there were others like me.
As a bonus, I discovered my original VIC-20 keyboard and a few cassettes at home. It had luckily survived all the purgings! That's the one I still use today (although I have about 5 other backup ones purchases at prices too good to resist).
I had been hooked on Commodore a few years before when our school got a PET 2001 (built in tape drive, etc.). I love that computer. We were allowed 1/2 hour on it on Computer Day (one day a week). We would mostly load up Space Invaders and play. After a while the administration got wise and insisted we only play "educational games" (there was even a version of Space Invaders made that involved doing math equations to shoot the enemies - not as fun!). Since my mom was a teacher at another school, she sometimes brought their PET home on weekends. I was very spoiled compared to my friends in that regard.
Because Commodore had a great relationship with the Ontario school boards, a lot of parents bought their kids VIC-20s when they were released. All my friends had one, and we would trade tapes.
I remember my parents asked me before Christmas if I would like one of the newly announced Commodore 64s. But I wanted a VIC because that's what everyone else had!
A few years later (like all kids) I wanted to play the better games, and so I begged my parents for a C64. After that the VIC went to my little brother and was basically neglected. Almost all the parts were lost. I even taped bad 80s music from the radio over some of my VIC-20 cassettes.
Only around 1995 did I get nostalgic for the VIC and started buying stuff again. Fortunately the classic video game craze had not started and VIC-20 stuff was DIRT cheap (49 cents per cartridge at Value Village, $2.99 per VIC). I could finally own all the great exotic stuff I had drooled over as a kid. It was kind of a shock to first see a VIC-20 priced at $2.99 that you remembered being purchased for $200 originally.
Honestly, at the time I thought I was the only person in the world who was collecting VIC-20 stuff. I thought I was saving the memory of these games it from oblivion. I also wanted to be able to show my future grandkids what the dawn of home computing had been like. Not until the Internet became popular did I see there were others like me.
As a bonus, I discovered my original VIC-20 keyboard and a few cassettes at home. It had luckily survived all the purgings! That's the one I still use today (although I have about 5 other backup ones purchases at prices too good to resist).
Noticed now that we have an old sage (>45) here!