How did you learn about computers?

[Kryptonite]

Almost everyone I know who has a computer problem comes to me when they need help. When asked my knowledge level I say average.

I'm curious how others learned about computers, especially the experts here who answer the most difficult questions and have hundreds if not thousands of posts.

To everyone who helps others: Thanks!!!

Krypto

PS In my case I purchased one of the first Mac's back in 1985. I paid $2700.00 for it. That included a software suite which was about $300.00
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Macintosh
My Dad got a one of the first PC's that wasn't a DOS only computer. It seemed tediously complicated. But instead of joining the fight of which computer as better I joined a PC user group and learned how to use a PC from them. Besides the User group I read lots of magizines and always read manuals. I still have both.

[The Saviour]

I received an AAS degree in Business Administration in 1989, minoring in Data Processing and Accounting.

My first computer was a Timex Sinclair...I've been fascinated with computers ever since.

When I first went to Technical College...I was taking all types of programming languages:  Basic, Fortran, RPG and COBOL.  I haven't used any of them since.

I spent quite some time at a local ISP in my area as a Tech Support Rep...found it to be a nowhere job and started up my own shop.

I've been building and repairing computers since 2003...I also delved into Telecommunications products and web design.

This forum is a great and I'm proud to be a part of it...

[contrex]

I was taken on an educational visit to see a mainframe when I was at school. This was in 1965. I was already interested in electronics as a hobby, mainly radio and hi-fi. When the first 8 bit computer kits came out in the late 1970s I was ready with my soldering iron. i built a Nascom, and an Exidy Sorcerer, and an Acorn Atom. The only way to get the things to do anything was mainly to write software yourself so I got to grips with Z80 and 6502 assembler and various flavours of BASIC, Pascal, and C. Later on I had a BBC Micro, a Sinclair ZX80, a Sinclair QL, and have built or bought about 15 different PCs from an 8088 PC-XT up to a P4. I am mainly self taught from books and magazines.

[Calum]

Long story . . .
I used to play on the computer all the time, and knew nothing about it (Win95, this was in 1996 when I was 5).
In 1999 we got a new PC with Win98, and I spent the next few years envying all the people with WinME, Win2K and WinXP because I thought they had to be better, they were newer.
Near the end of the computer's lifetime I got into trying to clear some space because my games took up the entire 10Gb HDD and messed it up a few times.
In 2003 or 2004, the computer died and we phoned a guy to fix it.  He decided to build a new one using the CD drive from the old one, and charged up £300 for it which wasn't a bad price.  This was the time I really got into it, I wanted to learn more about it because it was new, it was exciting, it had XP!
So I taught myself a lot about the software aspects by trial and error (it's a wonder I never destroyed it!).
Then, maybe 6 months later, I started to realize how bad it was, and I wanted my own computer.  So I started buying computer magazines and learning form the internet.  Therefore, everything I knew before October 6th 2006 was sort of self taught, learnt from trial and error, magazines or the internet.
On that date I became a member of this form, and realised that what I had considered a vast amount of knowledge was, in fact, nothing at all compared to the long time members here.
Since then I have stuck around and continued learning from magazines and trial and error, but I have also learnt a lot from this forum and the people on it.
I'd say I probably learnt 50% of everything I know on the subject of computers and related devices on forums I belong to, amd probably 90% of that from this one.

[reaper_tbs]

woah calum.... my explanation was going to be exactly the same. except i've been working with ''pc's'' since 94 i've mainly been interested in graphics application and making my own hardware/software mods and such the whole time though.

[GuruGary]

My computer history (hopefully not too long):

My first "computer" was an Atari 400 that I got for my birthday (I think) in 1980 when I was turning 11. It took cartridges, hooked up to a TV, came with a built-in keyboard and 2 joysticks.  I think the only 2 cartridges I had for it in the beginning was Asteroids and BASIC (I can't remember if BASIC was built-in or if it was on a cartridge).  After several hours of playing Asteroids I decided to "play BASIC".  I quickly figured my way around the "BASIC" program and found that I liked it.  I wrote small, simple programs including a few games.  The computer didn't have any type of storage (not even a floppy or tape drive) so I had to write down my code on paper or it was gone forever when my mom came and turned off the computer.  I eventually got a cassette tape drive for the computer to save my code on.  I then joined program called "Atari Program Exchange" (APX) and I wrote a few (really lame) programs for Atari in my spare time.

A couple of years later I upgraded to an Apple ][ e.  This computer was a lot better than the Atari. I think it had an entire 16k of RAM, and even had a floppy drive that could hold ~ 112k of data!  I upgraded it with the 80 column text card (the built-in 40 column text card wasn't cutting it) and a printer port, and all that was only about $1500.  It was on this computer that I began learning about filesystems and assembly programming, and even wrote a small operating system for my Apple.

I finally bought my first PC in 1989 which was a Compaq DeskPro 386s/20.  It came with 1 MB of RAM, a 20 MB hard drive and a VGA controller.  That high-resolution 640x480 display was amazing at 16 colors.  It was on this computer that I started learning DOS (version 3.31 was out at the time) and PC programming.

My first "computer course" was in High School.  It was called "Computer Math" and it was the first computer class our school offered, and the only computer class offered at the time (I think our school with about 3,000 students had a total of 12 computers which we just got that year).  After my first year in college, I changed my major to Computer Science.  During that same time I was working for a computer company as a software engineer.  I tested software and wrote programs for test automation, and tools and utilities to make my job easier.  After that is when I got into IT support and fixing computers / setting up networks for a living.  Most of this knowledge came from understanding how computers work to know what the possible solutions could be for whatever problems it was having.  Also a lot of trial and error.

[CBMatt]

I learned a lot through good old-fashioned experience.  I got my very first computer when I was 4 (it was an older model; 1988 maybe?).  Being only 4 and never having used a computer (except to play Frogger at a friend's house), I knew nothing about it.  All I knew was that it took big funny-looking B-drive disks.  Funny, I actually managed to find quite a few games in that format at yard sales.  Anyway...the computer only had MS-DOS.  It was a bit confusing at first, but I had an MS-DOS For Dummies book that I would read now and then, I believe.  After using it long enough, it was second nature.  One day, my grandpa brought over an old version of Windows on floppy disks, but the GUI was so foreign to me, I got confused and only used it for a total of maybe two hours.

That really has nothing to do with the question, though; I just felt like sharing a little story.  Since then, I have owned four other PC's and each one has taught me different valuable things.  Unfortunately, my solution to a lot of major problems was reformatting.  But as time went on, I learned to fix more and more problems.  When Google came along, this became much easier and I was able to fix even more problems.  Then one day, I decided to join Computer Hope and like Calum, I learned vast amounts of information from some of the members here.

Before coming here, I had never slaved a hard drive.  Heck, I had never done anything inside of a computer, nor had I even thought of doing so.  Now I can do it with my eyes closed.  It's funny when I look back because I used to think it was so hard.  Back then, the main thing that kept me from upgrading my computer(s) was the steep installation fee.  I wish I would've known how easy it is at the time!  Several years ago, I actually thought that if I wanted more space, I was going to have to have some soldering experience.

Of course, my area of experience had always been software.  I wasn't as dumb as I sound; I just knew very little about the hardware of a computer.  Anyway, the point is: everything I have learned has been from experience (anything I help with is likely a problem I have personally dealt with) and this forum.  I've still got a lot left to learn, though, of course.

[2k_dummy]

It was thrust upon me by the powers that be when I was tasked with writing the Bible Code. Moses made things more difficult because he was not a very good writer and couldn't spell worth a *censored*. I was constantly having to redo those stone tablets he insisted on.

[reaper_tbs]

It was thrust upon me by the powers that be when I was tasked with writing the Bible Code. Moses made things more difficult because he was not a very good writer and couldn't spell worth a d**n. I was constantly having to redo those stone tablets he insisted on.

this was? javascript? VB?

[2k_dummy]

If I divulge the nature of the code, mankind would go totally nuts. It contains the entire past, present, and future of mankind and the heavens and Earth.

[reaper_tbs]

If I divulge the nature of the code, mankind would go totally nuts. It contains the entire past, present, and future of mankind and the heavens and Earth.

and George Bush?

[Calum]

If I divulge the nature of the code, mankind would go totally nuts. It contains the entire past, present, and future of mankind and the heavens and Earth.

and George Bush?

Dude . . . he said mankind.  Not monkeys.
http://www.bushorchimp.com/

[honvetops]

now now Calum*
if you believe in evolution, that is a natural progression and shall I say, I have no acquiescence to that comment ~!   

[Kryptonite]

My first computer was a Timex Sinclair...I've been fascinated with computers ever since.



This forum is a great and I'm proud to be a part of it...

I agree with you about this forum!

You also reminded me about that Timex Sinclair. If i'm not mistaking it was also sold under another name but was the exact same "computer" ( wish i still had it ) It used a cassette player/recorder as a hard drive.
What in the world did you do with it as far as use and after you moved on to bigger and better things?

[Kryptonite]

It was thrust upon me by the powers that be when I was tasked with writing the Bible Code. Moses made things more difficult because he was not a very good writer and couldn't spell worth a d**n. I was constantly having to redo those stone tablets he insisted on.

TOO FUNNY!!!

i'm glad i asked this question....it also shows how old some of us are 

[The Saviour]

My first computer was a Timex Sinclair...I've been fascinated with computers ever since.

This forum is a great and I'm proud to be a part of it...

I agree with you about this forum!

You also reminded me about that Timex Sinclair. If i'm not mistaking it was also sold under another name but was the exact same "computer" ( wish i still had it ) It used a cassette player/recorder as a hard drive.
What in the world did you do with it as far as use and after you moved on to bigger and better things?

Not sure if the Timex Sinclair was sold under another name...probably "ZX80".

There weren't too many options available back then for that thing.  It was just a little larger thatn a calculator back in those days...and when I say "calculator" I mean a calculator from the "70's".  You're right...it did use a cassette player as a form of storing and transferring media.  A small printer was also an option for it.  I think that was about it.

I just bought it because it was the "thing" back in those days.  The first program I ever keyed into that thing was a prgram that displayed an Analog clock on your TV screen.  It took several pages of code to enter.  When it was all said and done...you could sit and watch the boring image on your TV for hours.  I was young and easily amused.

It was a good way to learn Basic...so I continued to screw around with it...just learning the language...

At that point in my life I was more interested in women than computers...funny how things change.

[TehGerg]

I started out in i think 2001 i had a p2 400 and i was in the marines.  We didn't have a computer repair place on base and i was in okinawa so i started to teach myself.  After i got out i started working at a computer repair place in town and now i am doing help desk at another local company.  Right now i have a couple of computer jobs that keep me busy but i am best with hardware

[Chilly]

How I learned about computers is 1 computer engineering class, 2 Computer Programming classes. Now How I actually learn about computers... I went on www.wikipedia.com learn most of my stuff there, www.google.com for futher infomation, www.computerhope.com (I was googling and this site came up) for it's Dictionary, and other computer websites from google. When I was 11 my dad bought me my first computer, a Compaq computer which I played Roller-Coaster Tycoon all day... (Good times). So then I was interesting about the computer on how it worked...