How much did you pay for your first computer?

[Push Upstairs]

I have no idea how much my first computer cost. It was a home built that I pieced together a few years ago with parts bought from Newegg. Probably $500-600, but it recently got a new case.

All the previous computers I've ever used, stretching back to the late 80's, were bought by my parents. So, those were "free".

[Damaniel]

My *first* computer was an Atari 65XE -- it cost $150, but it was bought as a gift so it doesn't really count.

The first computer I paid for was a Packard Bell P133 with an amazing 8MB of RAM and 1.2GB hard drive. With a 14" monitor it cost me $2200. I remember looking at Pentium Pro-based PCs also, but they were way more expensive (a PPro200 with 24M of RAM and 2GB hard drive was nearly $4000). I worked a lot of hours to pay for it (back in high school, working part time) and the other things I eventually bought (28.8 modem, anyone? )

[ryborg]

With half of the money from my paper route and the other half from my grandma as a gift, I paid almost three grand for my Power Mac 7100 in '94. It came with a whopping 700 MB HD and 66 MHz of power! Somehow, I ended up getting my money's worth, as it lasted all throughout high school and most of college.

While I no longer use Macs and generally loath Apple products, I'll always look back fondly at that system.