2. WebTV: It brought the siren song of the internet to my too-poor-for-a-pc household. I never imagined I could spend so much time and have so much fun reading.

3. Xbox: The first machine that brought the magic of online gaming to the unwashed console playing masses.

4. Gateway PC, 166Mhz Pentium with MMX: My first computer, it was a beast that blew through Starcraft and Jedi Knight with style and flair. It hosted my first direct-dial multiplayer experience, and made me a much happier introverted middle schooler.

5. Motorola CLIQ: Not the most popular cell phone, but it was my first smart phone – and the combination of a physical dpad and emulators meant it had unlimited hours of entertainment – with me – at all times.

Sony Vaio VGN-u750p
Learning how to do research and accessorize back when the internet was still young, wound up getting a really cool PC, and then just a couple of months late, Sony released the new version, stealth style, making my purchase price seem completely exorbitant. A really cool handtop, the start of the UMPCs, and still waiting for some killer apps.

Compaq iPaq of some kind
My first taste of a PDA and the Windows Mobile OS. Led me to purchase a WinMo smartphone: the HTC Universal, which is one of my fav gadgets.

My first digital camera
allowed me to make money on ebay selling things and take pictures and vids of my girlfriend. Took it on deployment too. i would never take pictures before digital: the hassle of film was just that: a hassle. Now I take pics ALL the time.

Motorola v550
My first relevent cell phone. I was now able to send and receive text messages, and take a few pics and send them.

Delorme GPS SW and dongle
A product of failed research on the net, I decided to use my own dollars as research capitol. It’s a passable and highly aggravating solution, leaving much UI wanting. Since the upgrade to the EVO, it’s been sidelined.

Laptop stand
I ordered an all metal laptop stand for my car, to put a laptop running GPS software on it. Excellent solution, and people always ask about it too, since I removed the passenger seat.

My second laptop
It was a hand me down, and I had to fix it many a time. It was my first usable laptop. It bounced around ownership several times, and then left the family/friend circle. Sad to see it go, as it was with me through my deployment.

The Internet
I have only managed to truly leverage the power and information capacity of the Internet after having worked in Tech Support and finding answers all day long.

2)Texas Instruments 99 series home computer- first computer we had when I was a kid & I was hooked for life on computers & technology

3)an Emmerson portable cassett player- I could take my music everywhere & listen to what I wanted, not what my parents played on the radio

4) GE VCR w/ wired remote- could record shows while I was at school then control playback from the couch while I had a snack & relaxed before homework

5)a pre-paid candy bar style Mitsubishi cell phone I had around 97 or 98. Had a bag phone a few years before & it was so clunky I gave up on it. Wanted a phone that was truly portable for emergencies and quickly became addicted to cell phones, was also the first phone I recall having sms capabilities & was amazed by it. Now I can’t imagine not having a cell & texting abilities…….the addiction grew from that little “disposable phone” to being permantly tied to my smart phones & using my cell to manage & organize my life. Current phones I have are an HTC Pure plus a cheapie LG Neon for things like trips to the water park & my old Razr V3XX that I can’t bear to part with and a Samsung Captivate on the way to me :)

2. Pong. TV was no longer just TV.

3. Apple II+. My first computer.

4. Osborne 1, my first “portable” computer and Data General/One, my first *really* portable computer (even if you couldn’t read the screen in anything short of perfect light).

5. StarTac. After carrying a bag phone and a massive hand-held device, I remember my shock at not being able to find it in my pocket or briefcase because it was just that small. My first “unconsciously portable” device.