Yes, it's Christmas time, and if you give gifts to others you're sure to give something related to technology. Luckily, I grew up in a house where new technology was appreciated. Mom and Dad used to make sure anything electronic or scientific was on the board when it came to Santa time.

The best technology gift I ever received was my freshman year of high school. Timex Sinclair had just released a new PC and my parents got me one. They even chipped in and bought the 16K memory pack, too. 

The poor Timex Sinclair computer was so underpowered. Black and white video with a membrane keyboard, you had to use an audio cassette player to store and load your programs. I hacked that thing to death, learning how to type, program and even how hardware worked. 

That first stepping stone led to more computers of different types and then into the IBM PC compatible route. The single gift of a simple PC started me on a life long love of technology.

I wonder what gifts today do that for kids? 

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