i remember, for typing in that machine code for the c64 you needed an editor. wich of course you had to type in by yourself too 
Uhh, didn't know that all of you were on the c64 (the enemy) side back then. 
Anyone had fun with ZX Spectrum, the zilog z80 and all that funny nonstandard hadware Sir Sinclair came up with? Like the microdrive tapes and the printer that printed on toilet paper?
While we talk about specialized chips and remember old times, do you remember the Amiga? Why was the Amiga so revolutional? It had (i think 4) programmable chips, each doing specific tasks. The same goes today with GPU's: parrallel, specialized. Having an additional programmable chip for physics is quite a logical step.
This is turning out to be a good way to gage forum member ages. XD If you think the C64 was tough you should have seen my ENIAC. You wouldn't believe the number of FPS vacuum tubes yield.
@vear: tehre were quite a few reasons whi amiga was so popular/revolutionar. it had colors a lot of them. i remember that while lauging at the ZX people i was envying the amiga people. and amigas had sound. high quality sound. it was the multimedia computer
… and it (the amiga) had shaded 3D graphics !!! which at that time i had never seen before
(i played elite on the C64 (wireframe) before but that was it for 3D)
I remember seeing a friend playing a game in full colored shaded 3D where You went from iland to iland in a carrier with a laser turret to
conquer as much as You could from the computer.
After that astonishing expirience i went streight to the shop to get me one of these.