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The 2015 Vintage Computer Festival East is April 17-19 (Video)

Posted by Roblimo on from the they-don't-make-them-like-they-used-to dept.

The Vintage Computer Festival East is where you go to see working computers from the forties through the eighties. It's held at the Information Age Learning Center (InfoAge) in Wall, New Jersey, a site that is full of electronics history on its own. In addition to displays (including a number of items for sale), there are sessions on topics ranging from "Keyboard Restoration" to "Fixing what's hopelessly broken." Event volunteer Evan Koblentz, today's interviewee, says that most of the several hundred people the event draws every year come from the United States, but there are always at least a few international visitors. And if New Jersey isn't your thing, there are other Vintage Computer Festivals you might want to attend. To get current news about these events, you might want to sign up for the VCF email list.

11 of 23 comments (clear)

  1. and Southeast by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    http://www.vintage.org/2015/so...

    SouthEast is May 2 and 3 in Roswell, Georgia, just up Georgia 400 from Atlanta.

  2. If New Jersey isn't your thing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Then you can give back A/C electricity, the light bulb, UNIX, etc... We will gladly take it back, including trans-atlantic communications. We will take it all back. Thank you very much.

  3. The one thing I admired about the C64 by GoodNewsJimDotCom · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The thing the C64 has on todays machines is: No matter what software you ran in it, you could boot it up again cleanly. Maybe they should work on getting back that positive trait on modern computers. Even you have to separate the boot hard disk from what can be read/written to, it would be so worth it. Virus fears are the reason I hesitate to browse boldly, or to download and run any .exe.

    --
    God spoke to me
    1. Re:The one thing I admired about the C64 by Eunuchswear · · Score: 1

      So use a live cd.

      --
      Watch this Heartland Institute video
    2. Re:The one thing I admired about the C64 by rrohbeck · · Score: 1

      You can do that with any computer unless you assume BIOS or hard disk fuckery.

      It's called an install disk. Separate the storage media for your data and your OS and you can reinstall your OS (or restore from a backup) when needed.

      --
      thegodmovie.com - watch it
    3. Re:The one thing I admired about the C64 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      So use a live cd.

      You know what boots faster than a live CD? A C-64, an Apple II, a TRS-80, ...

      Windows, OS X and Linux may be a lot prettier and far more powerful than yesteryear's computers and operating systems, but I had a heck of a lot more fun learning on those than I do using today's computers.

  4. Re:Save yourself some money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    For only $5 I'll walk you through my basement and show you my old computers.

    it's a trap.

  5. Re:Save yourself some money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Silence of the RAMs.

  6. Re:Save yourself some money by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

    It puts the 5 1/4" floppy in and hears the drive head hammer again.

  7. Wish I was nearer to this by griffo · · Score: 1

    Having owned a Telletype ASR33 in high school and a plethora of hardware, I wish i could attend!

  8. My first pocket calculator by amplesand · · Score: 1

    When I was a twelve (or so) I was given my first pocket calculator, the entry level Citizen 800D (version 1 or 2).

    http://ernst.mulder.com/calcul...

    It is at my parents home and my father still uses it for everyday calculations, as I've upgraded many time since then. :)

    I'm not sure exactly which version it is, version 1 or 2. They used different processors for each version.

    version 1 http://mycalcdb.free.fr/main.p... unlisted processor
    version 2 http://mycalcdb.free.fr/main.p... NEC uPD940C (1975)

    A friend later had the model 801D which had memory buttons. Awe.

    Didn't touch a computer until four years later.

    Memories :)