Date: Wed, 07 May 1997 22:59:43 -0500
From: John and Brenda Abernethy <abernethy@sprintmail.com>
Subject: My first video game......

Dear Dennis, 
Wonderfull site, Many memories came from checking it out, and I am glad
to see that a museum of such exists <at least on the net>.

It was 1982, and I had drove my parents crazy, spending too much time in
the arcade. I was 13 and spent the summer working for my father at his
shop. I mostly enjoyed going downtown to get things, because I would
visit the arcades, or  for lunch, which usually took an hour as I had to
defend the earth against maurading invaders. My parents decided that if
I got a home game system, I would be less apt to go to arcades. So, they
made a deal that I would save half, and they would pay the extra. I
saved all summer <and sweated out not plugging quarters>, and sure
enough we went and bought a Magnavox <it was the keyboard that apealed
to me>. Durring that winter, I played all sorts of games, the most
memorable was pick-axe pete. The system became boring though and friends
and I would take apart the cartrages, plug them in and out with the
power on, to see if we could mess with the programing. My best friend
that Christmas received an Intellivision, thus my Magnavox started to
collect dust. I spent the next few years competing with him from sea
battle, to night crawler. We stayed up until light came round again.
When we went to the cottage, we had to take his Intellivision. In 1985
my parents moved across the city, and I found another friend who had an
Apple IIE, WOW! I hounded my parents on the virtues of computers, how
great it would help me at school <of course I failed to tell them of the
games>. At the time an Apple cost about $1000.00, not an easy thing to
convince your parents to buy. That year I spent alot of time at school
after hours using there Apples. That Christmas, I found an Apple II+
under the christmas tree, actually it was a clone. My parents saw that I
had learned how to make the computer do neat tricks <before the system,
I would be in a shop and lead my Dad to a computer, hit a few keys, and
watch his jaw drop in amazement>. They thought after long discusion that
if they bought me a computer, I may become a great programer, or
Philosopher, scientist, etc.... Well, From that Apple I learned how to
type thanks to many a long night Defending the realm for Lord British,
Basic, and how to build wild-cards <to copy games>. Well, eventually I
went to collage and earned a degree in computer science. I spent about a
year building systems for private individuals, but hated it. 
Now I fix time.

I must go dust of that Magnavox when I visit my parents this fall.

Best Regards
John J Abernethy
Horologist