"jeff" wrote in message
...
My lab had one older "mini computer," a DG Nova with limited core memory
(8K?) and a teletype with paper tape reader, that we we used as a
programmable calculator. It was loaded with Basic and was ready to go on
powerup. A machine like that, but with 64 kB and floppies became my first
"personal computer" in 1979.

That sounds like a Commodore 64.
I started with one of those and still have the complete outfit includung
monitor,floppy drive etc., and loads of operating manuals telling you how to
'poke' and 'peek' to get the result you wanted.
Classic museum piece now, I think. I'll keep it until it becomes really
valuable.
Did some good work on it though. My wife wrote a book, quite a long one and
illustrated with many photos , and on my C64 I set the whole thing up as
'camera ready copy' and saved the whole cost of our computer outfit when we
went to a publisher with it. You had to load the word processing programme
every time you booted up but once loaded it was a pretty decent programme.
There was 'superbase' too-quite a useful database programme which also had
to be loaded each time you needed it.
Was that all really almost 30 years ago??