TOD:
My first introduction to computers was in 1979-1980 when the library at the Defense Information School (located at that time north of Indianapolis at Fort Benjaming Harrison) installed six units. I don't know what kind they were, but they were linked to a number of mid-western colleges and universities. I learned some programming and wrote some quizzes for students to help them brush up on their Associated Press Stylebook knowledge. Couldn't remember how to do it today to save my life.
From there, I went to USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, that had a Wang computer system. The entire ship was linked to it and I learned all I needed to know to get work done on it. We even prepared the text for our daily newspaper on the Wang.
I had exposure to other PC systems, later, in Naples, Italy, and on the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), using mostly WordPerfect. When I started working with the County of Alameda, they were using Wang. A few months later, we shifted to HP computers and MS Word.
I got my first personal PC in 1996 or 1997. PacBell was offering a free Compaq Presario unit for any DSL service subscription. The rate was $39.99 per month. After 24 months, the computer was "bought." I've had the same DSL service all these years (which is now $59.95/mo.), but I replaced that tired old Compaq unit last November when I bought my new HP system with a 24-inch flat-screen monitor. I know the Compaq probably should have been replaced much earlier, but it served its intended purpose very well. I've still not managed to get it out of the Condo, either.