How many of us had this experience?

[ral-clan]

I found this picture on flikr.com.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tampastorm/331304574/

It's not me....but I had this exact experience at about the same age.

Anyone else?

[carlsson]

Is that an expression of delight, despair or pure horror?

As far as I know, neither me nor my brother ever got a computer for Christmas or birthday gift. Perhaps some accessories that I had ordered and my parents paid for, but it removes a bit of the excitement.

[PaulQ]

I even had the same pyjamas.

[eslapion]

I found this picture of flikr.com.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tampastorm/331304574/

It's not me....but I had this exact experience at about the same age.

Anyone else?

Well, I got my VIC on November 25th 1983, just one month before christmas so I could have the 8k RAM expansion as a christmas gift...

[jbuonacc]

no, i never had a computer growing up. i can't honestly say i share any of the nostalgic feelings towards all this stuff, i never new a Vic-20 or Atari computer existed until ten years ago. i knew a few people with C64's when i was a kid, but had very little experience with them. we had Apple ][e's in school, and i hated them. when PCs took over i didn't even notice, and never owned one of those until 2003. sorry to say...

i would imagine i had a similar look on my face when getting a NES system back in '87 though, having bought Metal Gear two months prior.

[Bacon]

Me and my brothers got a VIC-20 for Christmas 1982 when I was twelve, so I had the exact same experience.

[Boray]

I got my c64 for Christmas, but I knew about it and it wasn't even wrapped in...

[Victragic]

I loved that VIC box - it promised so much more than I could ever make the machine do...

Our family had a jinx of Commodore computers - the first one we bought always didn't work.. the first VIC we brought home had faulty colour RAM, the first Plus/4 3-Plus-1 didn't work (which might have been a good thing) and the first 64 had a dud video display..

First day of getting a working machine was the day of the local Christmas parade - Dad bought one, plugged it in, saw that it worked, then we had to leave it and watch winter wonderland scenes melting in 35 (C) heat.. (one of the oddest Australian traditions is that we still associate Christmas with winter).. that was one long parade..

-G

[vic user]

that's more or less how i looked when we got an Intellivision

[Doppleganger]

Ah, I remember my dad bringing home the Vic-20 and hooking it up to our 19" Heathkit TV.

Ah, the good 'ol days.

[damnstraight]

Thats exactly how my younger brother looked when he opened his vic 20. As for me I never had a computer as a kid, I was married with two kids when the Vic came out.

[ral-clan]

I was transferring some old home movies to DVD today (these were originally on Super-8 film). In the film from Christmas 1982 I announce that I got a VIC-20. That confirms it...as I had almost forgotten if it was 1982 or 83.

So was the VIC was released officially in 1981 in Canada? Or was 1982 the first Christmas it was available?

The C-64 was released when? 83? If so then my memory is screwy somewhere. I seem to remember my parents almost trying to talk me out of asking for the VIC-20 before Christmas, saying they had heard there was a new, better computer out by Commodore (or coming out)? But late 1982 would be pretty early for this (considering my parents did not follow the computer maket at all). I guess someone in the know must have told them about the impending C64.

[Jeff-20]

It's not me....but I had this exact experience at about the same age.

Anyone else?

Mine was something like this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=a8q-elxC6gU

[carlsson]

Please tell me that video was staged?

[Jeff-20]

The best part is when he is opening the other gift while looking over his shoulder at the first gift...