Computer

My first experience with a computer was during my school days in Machang, Kelantan. Back then not many schools in this country have computers, let alone a computer lab. Then again my boarding school was special. I quickly became fascinated with that incredible machine. I always look forward for the weekly computer class, usually in the afternoon. The computer that I first used in 1993 had Windows 3.1 installed on them. I bet some of you might even never heard of them. I learned to use Microsoft Office, learn typing, printing and stuff. I also learned my first programming language there, MS Basic. It took me like a month (4 classes) to master that language. By the end of my computer class, I started coding advance programs on the computer to show off to my friends. I became so obsessed with the computer that one day, during the weekend, I rallied a few of my friends and we broke into the computer lab just so that we can use the computer. We did that for a couple of weeks until we finally got busted by a teacher. I couldn't remember what's the punishment that was meted out to us. Probably nothing serious or else I won't forget it like this.

After I finished school, my dad bought me my first ever computer. Actually I've been nagging my dad to buy me a computer ever since I was 10 (1990) but they probably cost a fortune then. So it's only 7 years later that I only got my hands on my own PC. I still vividly remember that day in Kota Bharu Computer Center (KBCC), one of the few existing computer store in the entire state back then. The computer costs us a cool 2000 ringgit, quite expensive by today's standard. My first PC was an IBM clone (naturally) with Intel Pentium II 166 MHz processor inside with MMX technology. The main memory was 64MB EDO, the hard drive was only a meagre 3GB and the OS was the now extinct Windows 95. Later on my mom bought a Canon Buble Jet printer for another 400 ringgit so that I can type and print her school works.

Since I was out of school, I had plenty of time to explore my computer inside out. I spent hours clicking through every files and folder. Read all the help files for every programs installed and experiment all sort of things with my PC aside from playing FIFA 98 day and night of course. After 2 months, I was already bored with my PC so I started tinkering with the final frontier for the computer world. the Internet. At first I went to the local cyber cafe in Pasir Mas town but I soon found out they were quite a burden for me (RM3 an hour) and the place was like crowded 24/7. Then my good mate Suhairiman taught me how to do a dial up connection from home. I borrowed my uncle's user name and password to go online. Although the Internet was still at it's infancy back then, already I found out the world wide web was exploding with so much knowledge and information. Since I only had a single telephone line, I only get to use it in the morning when my mom and grandma is out and late at night when everybody's asleep. I learned to create websites (at Geocities), chatted for hours with people from all over the world on MIRC and do practically everything I can think of on the Internet. There was a time when I got to know this Russian girl and she was like really into me. She even persuaded me to come visit her in Balakovo (a town in central Russia). Said she would have a fur coat ready for me if I ever come. Aaah those young and innocent days.

Soon enough though, the telephone bills started to swell up dramatically and let's just say my Mom wasn't too pleased to see it. So I slowed down with the Internet and not long after that I got shipped off to do matriculation in johor Bharu. In JB I didn't bring along my computer so I had to kindly ask my new friends to use theirs. Heck, some even charge me 2.00 ringgit an hour to use them. So stinky. After matriculation, I got into UPM and I bought my second computer. Actually my mom paid for that. It was my uncle's old MyGenie PC. I don't remember the specs but it was slightly faster plus it has radio and TV card on board as well. The picture and sound were hardly clear. Apart from that I had a horrid time finding all the drivers for that PC. It took me almost a year to collect them all. After that I had 2-3 more computers mostly Pentium IIIs, all of them clone/not branded and very low end.

I used to have an old but really fast 3.0 GHz Pentium 4 PC with nearly 2GB of RAM not to long ago. Then somebody came into my house and decided to borrow it, permanently. Currently I own another old Pentium 4 PC, 1.2 GHZ where most of the parts was salvaged from various sources. Broken PCs, obsolete PCs that somebody throw away at me and sometimes I would buy the parts from Imbi or Low Yat plaza. Some new, most of them used parts. Although I play games a lot, I don't plan to purchase any high-end gamers box yet. Even if I can afford to, I'd probably buy a Mac, any Mac. That's my dream machine for now. And that's my story about computers. My first and last notebook ever was the Asus EEE PC 4G netbook. Too bad somebody borrowed that too along with my P4 PC.

Is it any wonder that I now work in the IT field dealing with all sorts of computer day in and day out? I really got to thanks my Dad for buying me my first PC 10 years ago. I doubt it I would be this proficient with computers now I he hadn't bought it then. Thanks Dad.

Yeah you guessed it. Today's prompt was Computer.