I remember my family's first PC, a state-of-the-art 486 back when everyone assumed optical media were going to be a passing phase, and installing Dune 2 for the first time, watching the amazing pixellated intro movie with PC speaker-beeped music. And then six months down the line when my dad caved and bought a sound-card, I stood around the kitchen table helping him install it, learning to ground myself, how to handle PC components, how to put just the right amount of pressure on a PCI card to settle it in its slot.

I'm always amazed at how many computer-literate people I know are afraid of what's inside their PCs, as if it's powered by some dark magic they dare not disturb. I have my dad to thank for teaching me otherwise.