I wasn’t lucky enough to be born with knowledge of computers, the BBC-B and the Acorn Electron were in classrooms still when I left school. Perhaps my inspiration for the front cover of a primary school magazine was an insight into the future?I did own a ZX Spectrum + I banged on to my parent’s for ages about an educational use computer and computer’s being the future. I instead spent hours playing flight sim’s and Elite. Big shout out to Paul for introducing me to Elite and teaching me how to dock at a space station.
I remember taking the insides out of my mates ordinary Sinclair Spectrum to put inside the case of the ZX+. Mine had popped because Timmy and I had been playing Bobble Bubble for far too long. It went out of the first floor bedroom window when smoke started billowing from the small fire inside.
Timmy had broken the power cable connector on his older version – so I set about taking the bits off both to make one which would work and eventually succeeded – We completed Bubble Bobble.
Fast forward 10 years and a computer system was to be installed at work, then after a long trip away – I came back to work at a similar company and a new computer system was soon being installed there too. These bloody things were starting to take over.
My first PC was purchased from a small back street shop in the wrong end of Bristol – it was built to order. I am sure they got used to me visiting every other Saturday morning to have it put back to working condition – always paying close attention to what they got up to inside this big white shiny box.
A few years later we spent more money buying a new PC from people who have now become Plumbers – which is a little ironic. They did not know what they were doing with computers – as I soon found out – but they were a lot cheaper than PC World.
Another PC built for us by a Specialist online service – was never set up correctly in the first place. That is when I decided to take the DIY route and started playing around inside the big shiny box for myself.
Even with technology today – another decade on – I am still amazed at just how little you get inside of shop bought machine – for all those hundreds of pounds happily spent.
I have now built myself a few computers from scratch and for friends or family, installed software, upgraded, repaired, cleaned, removed nasty things or just pressed the on button for some. Seeing how much PC World is charging the masses – I feel I can no longer do it all totally for free.
Computer building and repair does tick all the boxes – within the limitations I need to set myself on a daily basis.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
