Collector – Andrew Stephen

Collector – Andrew Stephen

Collector – Andrew Stephen – I was lead into collecting by nothing more than misty-eyed nostalgia. My first computer was a Sinclair ZX81. In the early 80s, at 10 or 11 years old, I taught myself to program a ZX81 which was on display in a local electronics shop and eventually convinced my parents to buy one. In 1997 I realised I could use the Internet to try to find a ZX81 again …and play my favourite game of its time – Mazogs.

Microbee – Alan Laughton

Microbee – Alan Laughton

Collector Alan Laughton. “Back in the 80’s I was also a stamp collector, so collecting came natural.  But for computer games, there was a scarcity of games for the Microbee at the time, so one collected everything you could, be it a type-in, public domain, downloaded from a RBBS, swapped with a friend, etc.”

My start in the games industry

My start in the games industry

I’ve been making games for a while and what got me into games as a kid was a visit to the Lismore Show. I grew up in rural NSW and a trip to the Lismore Show was a big event – it was basically lots of cows and horses and ferris wheels. A number of tents were set up to show off different things and in one of the tents was a computer exhibition. In the exhibition they had a PET computer running a game called “Colossal Cave”, which was written by Crowther and Woods.

The Poly Computer: NZ’s purpose-built school computer

The Poly Computer: NZ’s purpose-built school computer

The New Zealand government’s Development Finance Corporation partnered with Progeni Computers, in Lower Hutt, to form Polycorp. The Poly-1 was manufactured by Polycorp and became available in 1981. Meanwhile the original prototype team had pitched a concept successfully to the Minister of Education, for a commitment to support the computers’ development and guarantee take-up of a certain number of Polys into NZ schools.

Early 80s games, and their huge influence on my (non-IT) career

Early 80s games, and their huge influence on my (non-IT) career

I was never in the “gaming scene” or “gaming culture” as such. I was never a member of a software-swapping “club” nor did I spend many night and weekends gaming with my peers. Unlike many retro-gaming enthusiasts, who remember the games of their school and teenage years, by the time I got my first computer (the Dick Smith System 80) I was already 23, married and hard at work.

‘Little’ computers

‘Little’ computers

What was the games computer in your house?  Did your household spend up big, or opt for a ‘little’ computer?  Was the purchase a big deal occasioning much research, or did it just arrive?  Did it plug into a (the?) TV or separate monitor?  What are your abiding memories of using it?  Please tell us your story, better still if you have pictures!

Microbee – a local AU computer

Microbee – a local AU computer

The Microbee was an Australian computer designed, built, and marketed by Applied Technology, in Gosford, N.S.W.  Originally released in February 1982, it was intended for the schools market but also had a wide and deep following amongst home users.  A considerable amount of software was published locally for the Microbee, through Honeysoft.  Many titles were games.

Build your own computer

Build your own computer

In the long 1980s decade, some hardly souls in both New Zealand and Australia built their own computers.

New Zealand Microcomputer Club legend, Selwyn Arrow, recalls building his first computer (or part thereof):

It was either Christmas 77 or 78, more likely 1978…A copy of Byte magazine arrived…I read it twice, including all the ads.  It just opened up a whole new world…

User Groups

User Groups

Were you a user group sort of person?  What did your user group do?  How did you find out about it?