What would we be doing now?

I saw on Facebook that 27 years ago today, the fist Macintosh home computer was available for purchase. Which reminded me of this story.

A couple of weeks ago Bentley was either a) begging to play the iPad or b) whining that he doesn't have an iPad of his own. He asked Chod if he had his own iPad when he was 5.

Of course Chod answered no.

Bentley was surprised, "Why not?"

"When I was 5 we didn't even have a computer. It wasn't until I was 6 that the first home computer was even available. Before that computers were huge and you had to use punch cards on them. When I got my computer merit badge we used the computers at Ricks College that used the punch cards."

The story continued with more nerdy details than I can remember, but it confirms that Chod has always been a geek.

My parents may have had to walk to school uphill, both directions, in the snow. But Bentley's dad had it rough too, he grew up without an iPad. And he was alive when BYUIdaho was still Rick's College.

Wow. He's old.

Just think, if it wasn't for that first computer 27 years ago, there would be no iPad.