Howard's affinity for interactive fiction began with his very first experience with a computer altogether. In 1982, at the age of 12, Howard walked over to a TRS-80 Model III on display at a Radio Shack store in Brooklyn, New York. Reading the screen of riveting text he was instantly captivated. The game was Zork. Howard volunteered his time to work in that Radio Shack store in exchange for computer time.
While most, if not all, labor laws of the time were broken in the process, Howard did indeed get all the time he wante more...