We're probably of very similar age, as I feel much the same.
That being said, I do think there is something special about that era of machines, even outside of our right-place/right-time nostalgia for them. I cut my early computing teeth first on a Timex 1000, later on a Commodore 128, and finally an Amiga.
The Timex was... ok. It was fun enough to pfaff about with, but so limited that it didn't really capture my attention in a special way. The Commodore? Amazing. It is responsible for my entire technical career trajectory. I loved exploring its edges. It was a powerful-enough system that Real Things™ could be done, yet still simple enough that the entire machine could live in your head, so to speak.
The Amiga? It was amazing, but it was almost too much. I couldn't hold the whole machine in my mind any more, and had to rely of greater level of abstractions to get things done. What was doable was incredible, but there was an undeniable sense of loss, too. At least for me.
That being said, I do think there is something special about that era of machines, even outside of our right-place/right-time nostalgia for them. I cut my early computing teeth first on a Timex 1000, later on a Commodore 128, and finally an Amiga.
The Timex was... ok. It was fun enough to pfaff about with, but so limited that it didn't really capture my attention in a special way. The Commodore? Amazing. It is responsible for my entire technical career trajectory. I loved exploring its edges. It was a powerful-enough system that Real Things™ could be done, yet still simple enough that the entire machine could live in your head, so to speak. The Amiga? It was amazing, but it was almost too much. I couldn't hold the whole machine in my mind any more, and had to rely of greater level of abstractions to get things done. What was doable was incredible, but there was an undeniable sense of loss, too. At least for me.