First I'll start with I was born in November of 1970. By the time I was 7 or 8, home computers, and video consoles were starting to become a normal thing.
While I don't really remember our first console, I have a vague impression that we owned an Atari Pong, more specifically I remember something called a Tele-Games Pong console, sold by Sears.
While this is my first memory of a video game, I wouldn't really call it a console. The first true console I remember was owned by my friend who lived down the street from me. He had an Atari 2600, another friend of mine had a Magnavox Odyssey 2. For some reason my family saw Pong and thought, that is good enough. I doubt we bought it when it first hit the market, thou we could have. It much more likely we got second hand when the new shiny Atari 2600 came out.
So I was stuck with Pong, I honestly don't remember playing it much, I remember hanging out at my friends house and playing on the 2600. This started my love for video games, honestly, it's the first console I can remember, the sounds, the controllers, etc. He even had the Atari Basic cartridge.
As far as me, I remember when the Apple II came out in 1977, and how the high school had some. They started to offer free basic programming classes. And I begged to go and learn, there wasn't an age limit, anyone could go learn. I happened to be the youngest in the class thou, but I picked it up programming faster then most of the other people.
I started to ask for a home computer, and keep getting told that we just couldn't afford one. I keep it up asking daily, while my friends and neighbor all started to get computers. My neighbor that lived across the street got a Commodore Vic-20, my friend who's family really like Atari, got an Atari (something), another friend got a Timex Sinclair. I was able to keep up with all of that, I would go to a local book store and buy Compute Magazine, and read books about programming.
Finally one day, I was able to get a computer for Christmas. By this time I was asking for a Commodore 64, it happened to new on the market, and from everything I remember reading, and hearing about it was just so much better then the Vic 20. I remember finding the box that I was sure was the Commodore, only to open to find a TI-99/4a, another package had a bunch of TI Cartridges, and another had the TI tape drive, and joysticks. That feeling of sadness that I felt - but my parents tried. Honestly, I know what happened - As Commodore took more and more market share, TI lost more and more - finally discounting the systems to the point that they were affordable.
I was sad, but I hooked it up and started playing with it, I started looking at the Compute Magazines, and typing games in, I started playing the games, I remember fondly Wumpus, Alphiner, Miner 2049, TI-Invaders, Munch Man, and so many more. This was my first computer, this was my first "real" video game console, and it only took 5 or 6 years to get one. I worked around the house for money to go buy books written for the TI, and subscribed to Compute Magazine.
I learned what I could about it. While it's not really a video game console, this is what I consider to be my first console, the games were good, and fun. The graphics were descent, the bonus of it also being a computer made it more special to me. I could spend my time programming my own games (or at least games found in magazines and books), I could learn how to debug errors, and figure out how to make graphics and sound. And because this was near end of life, Cartridges were cheap, and stores has a lot of them. Things like the disk drive, and memory upgrades were not as easy to find, nor were they cheap when you did find them.
By now thou, my friends and neighbors had all upgraded. Commodore 64 here, Atari (something) there, NES, Atari 7800. I think even a master system or two. I was starting to get to the age of being able to get a job, and I made it my goal to get a Commodore 64. Finally I did. By the time I could get one the prices had dropped, I finally had the Computer I wanted, with games, disk drive, modem, and printer.
My time line maybe a little off here because I'm sure I was in high school, but the next memories I have is going to Radio Shack, and marvel at the size of the pocket computers, and the TRS-80 Model 100. One day I would finally get my hands on those as well.
Now as far as a game console only, I have no real memory, I'm sure it was a NES, and I'm sure it was 2nd or 3rd hand by the time I got it. I'm sure that by the time I got it, the Sega Saturn and Playstation was already on the market.
But by the time I reached my mid twenties I had acquired, mostly from making trades, A Sega Genesis, SNES, PS1. And over the years, I've owned many consoles, 3DO, CD-i, Atari Jaguar, N64, Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube, XBox, Xbox 360, WII, WIIU, PS4. And finally a Nintendo Switch.
I have bought and sold video games both as a hobby and as a business. I've sold all my consoles, and bought it all back more times then I care to admit.
My love for video games started early in my life, and has never really ever left me.
I still own many systems, and many games. One day I may even get around to playing them all.
My current collection, NES, SNES, N64, 3DO, Saturn, PS2, Dreamcast, PS4, WII, WIIU, and Switch. I recently gave my Xbox 360 and games to my grandson because he loves to play the "classics". His Xbox Series X stopped working and he was driving everyone nuts to get him a new one (I remember those days.) I guess he got my hand me down, just like I got a second hand Pong console.
Over the years, I've come to the conclusion that I am a Nintendo fan. As I have far more games for those systems then any other I own.
I still own a TI-99/4a and a bunch of cartridges, thou it's not my original TI. I'm not sure what happened to that. I also picked up an Apple IIc, and recently sold my Commodore 64. I live in a small apartment, and just didn't have the room to leave it hooked up, it needed to go to someone who will enjoy it. Beside in todays world, emulation is a thing, and works pretty good. And I also own a retro-games Commodore Maxi console. I can still enjoy my C64 if I need to, only now it's just a little different.
At the time of this writing I'm 54, since I already am having a hard time with the time-line of my life. I thought it better to write out what I think I remember and when I think I remember it. Thou this is not to say it's at all a complete time line - or even close. I have owned many other computers and terminals, and have worked on and played on machines like a Digital VAX/VMS, and unix boxes. But those were/are owned by large universities, and don't count as a home video game console.
