For me, as a technology enthusiast, a PC upgrade was the best Christmas present many years ago because it had a huge impact on me and I still look back on it fondly today.
Christmas presents can be as varied as the pattern of paper in which they are wrapped. Occasionally an unwrapped present lies unnoticed in the corner that same evening or is simply completely forgotten. And some gifts can have a big impact on someone.
The best gift I ever received for Christmas had such an impact on me. A small piece of hardware for my computer, more precisely a graphics expansion in conjunction with a racing game, turned me into a technology enthusiast 25 years ago.
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Christmas presents with different effects
Each gift can elicit a different reaction. There are Christmas presents that make you happy. Either because you explicitly wanted them or they are simply unexpectedly good. Then unfortunately we also have the kind of presents that you would have liked to do without.
And there are gifts that you look back on with pleasure years later and here I go one step further that can have a lasting impact on someone. I received a gift like this on Christmas Eve 25 years ago.
It was a 3D add-on card for the first computer I ever owned. At that point I wasn’t particularly interested in computers and their hardware. Up until now I only saw it as an option to play on a platform other than consoles.
A technology gift gave me lasting enthusiasm for PC hardware
This inconspicuous piece of hardware was my best Christmas present (Image via Wikipedia)
Thanks to my experiences with this 3D accelerator card, my interest in technology and especially PC hardware was awakened. This little piece of hardware managed to turn my computer from the discount store into a gaming PC overnight.
The best thing about it was that you could customize more and more as your knowledge increased. It opened up completely new ways for me to rebuild my computer the way I wanted. Like this user, who inexpensively converted a gifted computer into a gaming PC.
This initial experience with the 3D additional card still has a great impact on me today. Since then, I have been connected to the IT world both professionally and privately. I’m more interested in technology than ever and still enjoy tinkering with my gaming PC.
A game showed me what a small piece of hardware was capable of
That same Christmas Eve I installed the “3dfx Voodoo 2” card in my computer. This 3D accelerator card only worked if an existing 2D graphics card was already present in the system. Both cards were connected to each other via a so-called loop cable.
My PC game collection was still quite manageable at the time. So I went with the next best game that I knew would benefit from Voodoo 2. My choice fell on Need for Speed II in the Special Edition. The difference in graphics was huge and really impressed me.
I’m still loyal to the Need for Speed racing game series today, even though the last parts of the series were often criticized. Of course the graphics are now out of date. Nevertheless, NFS II: SE gave me the first real feeling of speed in a racing game 25 years ago.
Have you ever received a great gift that got you through the stressful Christmas days? Or did you have a similar experience with a (technical) gift that had a lasting impact on you?
If you want to help your family with technical problems over Christmas, we have a few helpful tips for you: 4 tips if your relatives ask you for IT support at Christmas – “I have a problem with the computer, would you like to take a look? ”