Well, at least you got to experience the "innocent" and magical beginnings of the extremely integrated general-purpose computer, still very open to tinkering. I

Well, at least you got to experience the "innocent" and magical beginnings of the extremely integrated general-purpose computer, still very open to tinkering. Its overspecialized modern logical conclusion, and I'm not talking about the retro scene here, is not something I want to be associated with. My personal computing life began much later, in the early 90s, in a very strange place filled with people whose very personal philosophies, and computer experiences, were a much better fit for x86 land. But this is something you rarely see explored in the thinkpieces that often make the rounds here.