My first computer

Being from an Indian middle class family, I realized at a very young age that I always had an innate fascination with computers. I specifically remember one incident from my 2nd standard (year 2002) when my father was posted in a far off place as a part of his service in Indian Air Force. My mother asked me to write a letter to father in which after exchanging some regular pleasantries I immediately jumped to the part of demanding a computer. It took 4 years for this demand to materialize and I still remember the feeling of butterflies in my stomach when my father finally went to buy a computer. My first computer was an assembled one with modest 256 MB RAM and 80 GB hard disk. While the computer was being set up by an engineer I was unable to contain my excitement and was ready to pounce on my PC at the slightest opening to do so. But disappointment took over me when after assembling & setting it up the engineer has to take away the mouse to test it on some other device. But the curiosity got the better of me as I just saw it as a challenge and learned to operate it by pressing every key from the keyboard and few commands that we had learnt in school. This first interaction later blossomed into an unspoken but caring relationship between us. I remember the days when I got really worried when my PC got overheated due to continuously running games. So the bottom line is : I developed a very strong and emotional connection with my computer and no one told me it was weird to do so.

I often wondered how it would feel like if my PC machine had an actual personality. Of course I had to. Running a latest game that no one expected to run on my computer or acting extremely slow when I am trying to show of my computer speed to a friend can't be mere coincidences. So here is my piece of writing in which I tried to bring my PC's personality to life:

1st Run : October 2006

Me, a 12 year old kid

Me: (Screaming) Hi ! Finally I have you. You look so beautiful with this windows XP. Tell me what you can do ! Tell me what you can do ! Quick !

Comp: Whoa ! Whoa ! Easy there kid. Oh, look at you ! You are so desperate. Am I assembled?

Me: Yes ! You are assembled. Please teach me something !

Comp: Alright! alright I'll teach you. (Thinks for a while) Hey, kid I don't sense a mouse like thing attached to me. Do you see it?

Me: We don't have a mouse today. But please teach me anything you know. I know nothing.

Comp: Cause you are John snow.

Me: What? Who is John snow?

Comp: Don't worry kid. You will get that joke one day. Ok, then.

Place your fingers on arrow keys and use tab button to navigate through options……………..

One week later

Me: I'm bored . I've seen paint, word, media player. What else you can do?

Comp: Have you ever heard of games???

Me: Oh! I almost forgot ! Games!! Wait I'll bring one from my friend.

Comp: You don't need to go. I have them installed.

Me: Yes, but they are boring and I don't understand Minesweeper!

Comp: Boy you haven't checked every folder yet ;-)

Me(goes to folder): What is this Road rash? vCop2? Mario?

Comp: Try them all.

(After 3 hrs. with watering eyes)

Comp: Hey, kid you might wanna switch me off.

Me: Why?

Comp: It's been three hours, your eyes are all watery and I'm heating badly. Can’t you hear the buzzing fan noise? I'm tired.

Me: Why is heating a problem? How does it affect you? We were taught that computers are machine. They don't experience fatigue.

Comp: And who taught you this?

Me: Our computer teacher. He made a PowerPoint presentation on his computer to teach us.

Comp: Poor soul.

Me: What did you just call my teacher?

Comp: No, I meant the computer. And kid you play games really well but don't make it a habit.

Me: Whatever.

1 month later…………..

Me: Wow! You are so amazing. You are able to run games that none of my friends pc is able to run.

Comp: Thanks, feels good to hear that.

1 year later………

Me: Hey buddy, I've brought this game from my friends. Would you install it for me? I don't know how to install.

Comp: OK, insert the CD.

Me: It's DVD.

Comp: Ops! ,it is the big one then?

Me: Yes, it's Prince of Persia warrior within.

Comp: But I don't think i would be able to run it. I'll give it a try.

Me: But it ran on my friend’s PC ! You should be able to run it too. He bought his PC last month

Comp(murmuring):Now I'm getting some competition. And watch carefully how I install it.

Comp: Hey buddy it's done .Try it.

Me: Graphics aren't what I expected but I'll manage. And why it is lagging?

Comp: You should be grateful that at least it's running. And try reducing the resolution.

Me: I love this game. It's amazing. Thank you.

2 years……

Comp: Buddy, I am not feeling well. I think something bad has happened to me.

Me: Yeah, you are behaving strangely for last few days. Tell me what happened?

Comp: The last game you installed had virus with it and it has made me terribly slow and corrupted my system.

Me: The virus attacked you because we didn't have the anti virus installed. But the damage is done. What do you suggest then?

Comp: Get an expert and reinstall windows.

(I start smiling)

Comp: No, no, no! Don't give me that smile. I hate that.

Me: What smile?

Comp: that *I'm gonna do it myself smile* it scares me.

Me: Don't worry nothing wrong will happen.

Comp: You sure?

Me: Ummmmmm……..Sure.

Comp: Well that's comprehensive.

Me: No, please let me do it .

Comp: Oh god save me! I'm at mercy of a kid !

Me: You better start praying to the kid because he's the one that is going to save you.

(After reinstalling windows and formatting by myself)

Me: Hey,buddy how you are feeling? Looks like you are born again.

Comp: ahh.. it feels new. Uncluttered.Cant believe you actually did it. Thanks and oh wait….what is it , Norton antivirus?

Me: Yeah, but it's a trial version only.

Comp: That'll do for a while.

Me: I've disabled many unnecessary startup services and have defragmented your each drive to make you faster even more.

Comp: Thanks, I feel it now. You sure have come a long way.

After internet….

Me: hot………

Comp: Ahem……you might want to use incognito mode .

Me: what's that? A secret tab?

Comp: Yes, here you go.

Me: hot models.

Comp: Just hot models. LOL! I know you can do better.

Me: Better? I don't know exactly what I want.

Comp: Let me help you. Ever heard of categories before?

Finally 2012……….

Comp: Bro, I find it hard to play even your 1080p videos. I don't think I'll be of much use to you.

Me: That's okay. I didn't complain.

Comp: I can't run those high graphic end games of yours.

Me: I'm a grown up now, I don't like them anymore. And I want you to know that you've still got a long way to go.

Comp: I can't believe you were once a desperate teenager with only games on your mind. And now you are acting all maturely.

Me: Yeah, but is still haven't got that John snow joke.

Comp: There's still time buddy.

Me: Yes, there always is.

Thanks for reading :-)

I would love to hear about your feedback on this. You can mail me at [email protected] or we can connect over Instagram (pranjul.tyagi23).