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Parallax Inc. and Dr. Dobb's Journal proudly present...
The Vintage Computer Festival 3.0
For the third year in a row, the Vintage Computer Festival is back to
thrill and amaze you with the history of one of the greatest inventions
in all of mankind, the computer!
The Vintage Computer Festival is for YOU! We don't care which
computer
you think is the best. We don't care what machine you grew up
with, or
first fell in love with, or still use today. The VCF is a celebration
of all computers and their history! Come share the joy of computing!!!
This year:
* More great speakers!
* More great exhibits!
* More great vendors with Cool Stuff to sell!
* More fun games and contests, including the Nerd Trivia
Challenge!
* Tour The Computer Museum History Center!
* And of course, FREE STUFF!!
In short, plenty of stuff to indulge all your SENSES:
HEAR the speakers! SEE vintage
computers! TOUCH them too!
SMELL their electronics!
But please don't TASTE them!
"The mission of the Vintage Computer
Festival is to promote
the preservation of 'obsolete' computers by allowing
attendees to
experience the technologies, stories and people
that embody the
remarkable tale of the computer revolution."
If you haven't yet experienced the VCF, DON'T MISS THIS
ONE!!!
Register Early and $AVE!
Register by September 15 and pay
only $20 per person. That includes
access to the entire event all weekend, including the
speakers, the
exhibit and the flea market. Kids 17 and under are
admitted free,
and as always, parking is free too!
To pre-register, send a check or money order to:
Vintage Computer Festival
4275 Rosewood Drive PMB#29-161
Pleasanton, California 94588
For ultimate convenience, please visit the VCF website
for more
information as well as a handy registration form ready
to print.
http://www.vintage.org/vcf/register.htm
The Speakers
Horst Zuse
Horst, the eldest son of early digital computer pioneer
Konrad Zuse,
will be giving a lecture on his late father's machines
and will
focus on the computer businesses that Konrad later founded
to market
his ideas.
Jon Titus
Who can forget one of the earliest of kit microcomputers,
the Mark-8?
Jon designed the Mark-8 around Intel's 8008 microprocessor
and wrote
the construction article that appeared in the July 1974
issue of
Radio Electronics--a milestone in microcomputer history.
Todd Fischer
Todd bought the assets of IMSAI after their bankruptcy
and continued
to manufacture and sell IMSAI products under the Fischer-Frietas
Corporation. Todd consulted with MGM for the movie
_War Games_ and,
as a treat, will be bringing along for show and tell the
actual IMSAI
8080 computer that co-starred in the film.
Michael Wise
Mike contends that his Sphere Computer circa 1975 is in
fact the
first integrated "Personal Computer". Some people
think he has a
valid claim to that title. Come hear his story and
decide for
yourself.
Stan Veit
Stan is an early chronicler of the microcomputer revolution,
and also
a participant. Stan started one of America's first
computer stores in
New York, and in the process forged relationships with
some of today's
revered pioneers, including Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak,
whom he
shared a booth with at the first West Coast Computer Faire
where the
Apple ][ was debuted
to the world.
Ed Kramer
Ed has been creating computer graphics since the days when
it was done
using mainly analog video devices. Today he's a
Sequence Supervisor
for Industrial Light & Magic doing computer generated
graphics and
special effects for such films as "Deep Impact", "The
Mummy" and
"Star Wars: The Phantom Menace".
Jim Willing
Our admired and beloved VCF Celebrity, Jim will wax philosophic
on
various themes of stupendous relevance. This year,
Jim will help
the aspiring vintage computer collector restore their
machines to
operating condition with "Debugging for Dummies", and
will also
give you tips to help you revive ancient copies of your
favorite
computer games in "Dead Media Society".
Liza Loop
Liza heads up the LO*OP Center, a non-profit organization
dedicated to
improving education through innovative thinking.
Liza introduced
the first Apple into public schools in 1976 (in fact the
first Apple 1,
given to her by Steve Wozniak) and the world has never
been the same
since. Liza will be bringing along the Apple 1 and
other historic
machines for show and tell.
Eugene Kim
Eugene recently left Dr. Dobb's Journal as Senior Technical
Editor to
start his own consulting firm. He'll be giving a
lecture on the
history of free software, a very relevant topic considering
the
free-software movement is in full force in today's computing
arena as
evidenced by the escalating adoption of GNU/Linux.
Curt Vendel
Curt is the founder of the Atari Historical Society (check
out his
great website at http://www.atari-history.com)
and has amassed an
amazing collection of Atari artifacts and company history,
including
some one-of-a-kind Atari prototypes. Curt will be
bringing along
some of these prototypes for show and tell.
Roger Sinasohn
Roger is an avid collector of early portable computers
and will be
giving a talk on the history of the Kyocera 85, a.k.a.
the Tandy
Model 100, a.k.a. the Olivetti M10, a.k.a. the NEC PC-8201A.
Doug Salot
Doug's research has uncovered what he believes to be the
first
"personal computer". Forget the Apple
][, the Altair or even the
Alto. Doug's pick as first PC goes all the way back
to the 1950's.
Designed by Edmund Berkeley, an unsung hero of computer
history,
Doug intends to win Berkeley the prominance and praise
that he feels
is much deserved by this virtually unknown computer visionary.
Plus!
Workshops by Parallax on their amazing little BASIC Stamp.
Get
a preview of this cool little device by visiting their
website
at http://www.parallaxinc.com.
For complete speaker information and schedules, point your
favorite
web page viewing software at http://www.vintage.org/vcf/speakers.htm.
The Vintage Computer Faire and Exhibition
This year, the Vintage Computer Festival exhibit will feature
the
exhibits of individual collectors, all vying to win first,
second
or third place in eleven categories, plus the coveted
"Best of Show"
award. The winner of the "Best of Show" ribbon will
also win
fabulous prizes.
This year, we want YOU to exhibit the pride of your collection.
What better way to demonstrate your enthusiasm for your
hobby than
to be an exhibitor at the Vintage Computer Festival.
Exhibitor information can be found on the Vintage Computer
Festival
website (http://www.vintage.org/vcf/exhibit.htm).
The Vintage Computer Flea Market
Every year the best deals on vintage computer items can
be found
at the Vintage Computer Flea Market. Here are only
a few of the
amazing items sold at last year's flea market:
* Apple 1 (no, we're
NOT kidding!)
* SWTPc 6800
* A rare computer by "the digital group"
* Morrow Decision 1 (S-100)
* California Computer Systems (S-100)
* Apple Lisa 2
* And much, much more!!
If you've got old computer stuff that you'd like to sell,
there's
no better place than the Vintage Computer Flea Market
at the
Vintage Computer Festival. Please visit our website
for rates
and regulations (http://www.vintage.org/vcf/vendor.htm).
The Nerd Trivia Challenge!
Hey trivia fans! Think you got what it takes to survive
the Nerd
Trivia Challenge? If you qualify, you'll be pitted
against two
other players in a battle to determine who is the undisputed
master
of computer history trivia. Answer the most questions
correctly
and you could walk away with $50
in cash plus some other nifty prizes.
Lightweights need not apply, this contest is geared towards
the
serious computer history enthusiast. For contest
rules please visit
http://www.vintage.org/vcf/ntc.htm.
Tour The Computer Museum History Center!
The Computer Museum History Center boasts the largest collection
of historic computer artifacts in the world. Their
collection
includes rare, one-of-a-kind computers and artifacts that
date
back to the early part of the century and beyond.
A tour of the History Center's "Visible Storage" warehouse
will
be organized on Sunday, October 3. Tickets are limited
and so
advanced registration is recommended.
FYI: The History Center is on the move, and is thrilled
to announce
plans to build a permanent museum to be dedicated by 2007.
You
can help the History Center achieve its goal by becoming
a member.
Information about becoming a member of the History Center
can be
found at http://www.computer-history.org.
Meet Fellow Computer Collectors!
The VCF is the premier gathering for collectors of vintage
computers.
What better way to enjoy your hobby than by meeting other
like-minded
individuals to share stories and information about your
computer
collection. Register in advance by September
15 and save $$$! Visit
http://www.vintage.org/vcf/register.htm
for details.
Visit our Sponsors!
Without our sponsors, the Vintage Computer Festival could
not be
a reality. It is our wonderful sponsors that enabled us to bring
you the Vintage Computer Festival year after year.
Demonstrate
your appreciation by visiting them on the web:
Parallax, Inc.
http://www.parallaxinc.com
Parallax manufactures the BASIC Stamp, a versatile
microcontroller with a built-in BASIC language that is
suitable for most any electronics and computer hobbyist
project.
Dr. Dobb's Journal
http://www.ddj.com
Dr. Dobb's Journal is the oldest continually running
microcomputer journal, in existence since 1975. It
features monthly articles and columns geared towards
the computer programming professional.