I've been fascinated by computers my whole life, starting with the first PC we got when I was five years old—a Packard Bell 386 SX running at 20 MHz. It's been incredible watching the evolution of home computing from those expensive, disconnected machines to today's small, low-power, ultra-connected devices.

Early Days

I started programming when I was about eight years old with a couple of books I checked out from the library on BASIC. Being limited to books and tribal knowledge at that young age held me back a bit, but once we got internet access—first via Prodigy, then AOL and various other local ISPs—I was quickly unblocked and continued to learn as much as I could.

Fond Memories

I have a lot of fond memories of DOS, early versions of Windows, Mac OS (OS 8, 9, and X) and Linux, and seeing the evolution of how we interact with machines, for better or worse. Each era brought its own quirks and challenges, and living through those transitions gave me a deep appreciation for how far things have come.

Looking Forward

I continue to enjoy watching how computing evolves, most recently the rapid adoption of AI. It's an exciting time to be someone who has been paying attention to this space for decades—the pace of change today makes the leap from dial-up to broadband feel almost quaint by comparison.