Personal Computers: A Gateway to Personal Computing

Abstract. This article is a personal journey, from the early days of batch processing to the modern personal computing era. The journey begins in the early 1970s and starts with the punch cards at the computer centre of the University of Jyväskylä. The use of minicomputers (HP 2100 series) gave a different view – how to collect and process data with a computer. Honeywell timesharing systems made it possible to use the computer near to me, in the classroom. Early personal computers gave a feeling of freedom. In this article, I describe how the hobbyists promoted the development of computing and discuss how I took part in early software production and its use. Lastly, I briefly consider what it means to have a connection to the world using a computer at home