Even worse when you were running a fossil because your parents saw a merely-working computer as good enough. Boy, I would really like to get into 3D modeling. Windows 98SE can't run Maya PLE, Blender chugs, I guess we're using Anim8or. Not that we're getting many polys out of 700mhz and integrated graphics. Did we run out of space on our 16gb hard drive? Let me just run CCleaner and... Oh, there goes everything. And no backups. (Why spend money on a second hard drive?)

The day we finally got an XP machine and I could actually run Flash and PS and Maya and go months without having to take a hacksaw to my storage count was one of rejoicing.

Never did get beyond parsing a spritesheet and changing the animation based on inputs in Gamemaker, though.

Getting capable machines and software into the hands of the youth is in the industry's best interests, really. Not just enabling the next cohort of employees; you head off competition. Otherwise folk're forced to learn workarounds to the "system requirements" and "cost" of industry standards.