It would have been back in 1985 when Santa gave me my first computer. It was an Apple ][c, and I loved it. I wrote my first ever program on that computer, in Apple BASIC. It kicked ass. I made a menu for warez with falling snow, and music.
The first computer game I ever owned, was The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, by Infocom. It took a whole disk. Now it is a java applet that takes a second to download. It was also the first game I ever finished. Highlite: if you put a towel over your eyes you are safe from the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal. It assumes that since you can’t see it, it can’t see you.
The first time I ever cracked software was on that machine. I used a tool made by “Cracktain Cap”. He was so 1337 back then, today this blog is possibly his only memorial on the web. Google doesn’t know him. It was an Apple employee who gave me the cracking software.
I have fond memories of the hours I spent with that machine. I imagine that my parents felt that giving me this computer would somehow enable me for the future. Given my occupation I would have to say that they were spot-on. Thanks Mum and Dad.
HHG2G was not the first electronic game that I ever owned. That honour goes to Donkey Kong on Nintendo Game & Watch. Remember Game & Watch? They were the shit in the early 80s. Everyone spent both Little Lunch and Big Lunch playing, and you would swap them amongst your friends. Donkey Kong was the best though. It had 2 screens.