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Speak and Spell
In 1978, Texas Instruments introduced the first talking educational hand held computer, but it was marketed as a toy for kids. I was seven when I got a Speak and Spell for Christmas and I thought it was such a fun way to learn how to spell and it seemed so sophisticated. Much better than having to check the dictionary every time I forgot how to spell a word. -
Atari Video Computer System
In 1972, co-founders Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney created Atari, and my friends and I would spend countless hours and quarters playing Atari games at the local Arcade. So when my mom bought me the Atari Computer System, it made me feel so cool and special to be able to play the same Arcade games at home with my friends. We could take our time mastering Donkey Kong while saving our quarters to spend on Now and Later candy. -
First Home Computer
Honestly, I couldn't tell you what type of computer my first computer was. I didn't have much experience with computers at the time, and I really only used it to check my email. I remember it had a microphone and I could make phone calls from it. I felt inept early on, but once I began to use it for things other than checking my emails, I enjoyed it a lot more. -
Beep Me!
I bought a beeper when I was 26. If I was out of the house and someone wanted to speak with me, they'd beep me their number, and I would call them back on a public telephone. Seems kind of silly, but back then it was deemed cool to have a beeper. It made me feel professional and important. -
Phones Are Smart?
In 2011 I bought my first Smartphone, the Samsung Exhibit 4G. It was an entry level Smartphone which was perfect for me at the time. Having my first Smartphone made me feel like I was staying in touch with the modern world. This technology was the wave of the future and I wanted to stay in the know. Technology evolves at the speed of light so I'm grateful for my early exposure to it because I'm open to trying new things and staying in touch with new generations of people.