I was interested in electronics for as long as I can remember, but at some point around age 12, I really caught the computer bug. Computers in the 90s were basically just complicated electronic devices, and in those days, breaking out the soldering iron to install some new memory was not unheard of.
By the age of 14 I was building computers for other people, and my parent’s basement was basically converted into a computer repair shop.
By the time I graduated high school, I had built dozens of computers for friends, family, businesses and even a few computer labs, and had earned more than a dozen professional certifications. It was a great time to be into computer hardware - I had boxes of computer parts arriving every week, and always love the thrill of a new CPU, faster CD-ROM drive, and a better modem. My how the times have changed! These days, I guess we can just look forward to new cloud features, but I’ll never forget the smell of a brand-new motherboard 😄