My Apple History

With the passing of Steve Jobs, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on the impact Apple Computers has had on me.  Here is a rundown of my "main computer" Macs.  I haven't included those acquired for my (rather out-of-control) collection.

• It all started in the mid-1990s and involves playing the original version of Cyan's Myst with Simon Wright on his Apple clone (the brand was Umax if my memory serves me correctly).  Simon and I used to prepare all our group assignments on this setup (he had a scanner and a printer as well I think).  This got me hooked on all things Apple.
• In the mid-1990s my folks bought us a second hand Apple Macintosh IIci (8MB/80MB) from Simon's Dad's work.  It was fantastic.  Mum and Dad then splashed out and bought a brand new StyleWriter 1200!  I still have the IIci and StyleWriter.  Years later I discovered the IIci had come with a Nubus ethernet card, making it even cooler.  The IIci remains my favourite Apple product.
• After a few years of University studies I purchased (for a ridiculously high price) a Performa 5400 (160MHz/32MB/1.6GB).  Not one of my better decisions.  I foolishly chose the higher clocked 603-based Mac over the slower clocked 604-based one.  I bought my first (of many) boxed Mac OS version for the 5400 - Mac OS 8.5 (I updated to 8.6 by downloading all of the disk images over a 33.6 modem).  I did get it to boot MkLinux from a 250MB Zip Disk (once).
• Early in the piece I purchased (for about $500 I think) my first PowerBook, a PowerBook 150 (4MB/500MB).  I sold it a few years later.  I spent a while trying to find more RAM for it but had no luck at all.  I now have a handful in my collection...
• My next PowerBook was a PowerBook 1400 (133MHz/Passive Matrix Screen/40MB/1.3GB) and a PowerCD (as the 1400 had no internal CD drive).  I sold the PowerBook a while later but have kept the PowerCD.  I think I paid about $1400 for this.  The 1400 also ran MkLinux briefly...  Needless to say I have kept the reasonably rare and unusual AppleCD in my collection.
• For the last few years of Uni I had a Lombard G3 PowerBook (400MHz/192MB/6GB) until upgrading to a brand new PowerBook G4 12" 1GHz (256GB/40GB).  Later I upgraded the RAM to 768MB and the hard disk to 320GB.  This is the only new Macintosh I have ever bought.
• The latest upgrade (nearly three years ago now) was a second hand MacBook 2.16GHz (2GB/120GB).  I later upgraded the hard disk to 320GB.  I'm currently typing this post on it!  It has been a good work horse.
• I guess I should also include the iOS devices.  I started with a 2nd Generation iPod Touch (8GB), followed with an iPhone 4 (16GB Black, I was a late adopter) and the latest acquisition has been an iPad 2 (Black/Wifi-only/16GB).  They are incredible pieces of kit.

For the record I think it is perfectly normal to remember the specifications of all computers you have owned.