Well, it's definitely a matter of personal opinion. But I chose the phrasing that I did because, like you said, the C64 was the first "Ford." Were there other computers on the market already? Absolutely. But they were expensive and widely considered "exotic." I really believe that without the C64, it would have taken a lot longer for the idea of home computing to catch on, on any sort of wide scale. To me, that widespread accessibility marked the beginning of the revolution. But I can see your point as well.

Haha! How well I remember the "computer wars." We all insisted that our particular system was the best imaginable, though that never stopped us from drooling over whatever our friends had! How fun is it that all these years later, we're right back at it? Thanks for the memories!!

I know exactly what you mean. I used to love going to check out my friends' computers. My father worked at a computer store a bit after this time frame (VIC-20 era) and I used to spend hours in the store. Occasionally he was even allowed to bring one home for the weekend. Did you have the How to Program in BASIC book with the green cover? I absolutely treasured that book!

Sorry, the above was from me...I forgot to sign in first ;)

Hey Alex, If you're just getting started with the slide rule, I highly recommend this site: http://www.sliderules.clara.net/a-to-z/a-to-z.htm You'll find everything you can imagine there, from a history of slide rules to super-simple step by step instructions. It's a great resource! A fair word of warning...the slide rule can be surprisingly addictive! I suggest getting started at the beginning of a weekend, when you have plenty of time to play. Have fun :)

I bet your daughter would just love the slide rule! Gifted kids (of which I was one) seem to go nuts for cool novelty devices. Watch out...she may be better with it than you are after a few weeks of practice ;) Have fun!