At 07:01 AM 8/9/2007, Liam Proven wrote:
>I've tried to make a couple of points which seem to have sunk unnoticed.
>While you're all happily arguing about the comparative virtues of
>various models of generator, I have pointed out that there are already
>very large-scale computer shows happening in the UK on a regular
>basis: the commercial LAN parties.
Yes, you're right - classic computers can tag along at many sorts
of events. I recently attended the Midwest Gaming Classic:
http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
Most of the place was jammed with delightful old pinball and
stand-up arcade machines, and exhibitors selling parts to
rebuild the same, but they also had a side event with a
display of many 70s and 80s PCs and gaming consoles.
It was quite well done. There were many models I hadn't seen in
person before. Some were running, some under glass. The web
site reminds me that at least
And both the young kids and the old-timers seemed to be enjoying
that part of the exhibit. (I was baffled to see my own boys
(9, 10, 12) to spend a half hour cheerfully playing Doom on
a network of old G3 Macs.)
It was held in several ballrooms of a hotel / conference center.
Loading docks were available and apparently they handled the
power concerns.
For the non-USAians, Oconomowoc (pop. 12,000, my old home town)
is about 30 minutes from Milwaukee (pop. ~1.7M region) in the Midwest.
Exhibitors and attendees drew from Chicago as well, roughly two hours away.
Gaming is huge, and there's always a game or two you can run on
a classic machine, so there's historical overlap and I'm sure
the gamers would be very receptive. Retro is cool and you guys
are holding the keys.
- John
This is getting boring!
American law stops at the twelve mile limit anyway.
Unless somebody has a trademark registered in the UK then this whole
thing is nonsense.
If somebody wants to organize shall we say an 'Elderly Electronics Expo'
in the UK then good.
Rod Smallwood
-----Original Message-----
From: cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org
[mailto:cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Liam Proven
Sent: 09 August 2007 12:47
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: UK VCF or equivalent
On 07/08/07, Gordon JC Pearce <gordon at gjcp.net> wrote:
> On Mon, 2007-08-06 at 16:28 -0700, Sellam Ismail wrote:
>
> Incidentally:
>
> > *IF* you put on an event of your own and choose to call it the
> > "Vintage Computer Festival", *THEN* I will bury your event. Do what
> > you like, but find your own name.
>
> This is why I wouldn't call it VCF or have anything to do with the US
> VCFs in any case. The mere fact that someone has enough ego to go
> "It's
> *MY* name and if you use it I'll *crush* you, muahahahaha" puts me off
> any further involvement.
Actually, you have my pretty much complete agreement on that point.
Saying "look, it's my name, I run a business, please talk to me about
using it", fine, no problem.
Saying "it's mine, you want to steal it, I will hunt you down" - well,
that bespeaks some very poor things about the person making the
statement.
--
Liam Proven * Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/liamproven
Email: lproven at cix.co.uk * GMail/GoogleTalk/Orkut: lproven at gmail.com
Tel: +44 20-8685-0498 * Cell: +44 7939-087884 * Fax: + 44 870-9151419
AOL/AIM/iChat: liamproven at aol.com * MSN/Messenger: lproven at hotmail.com
Yahoo: liamproven at yahoo.co.uk * Skype: liamproven * ICQ: 73187508
Hi all --
My dad's had an IME 86s calculator in his office for years, since he rescued
it from his school's surplus sale a dozen years back. Cool old desktop
unit: 16 nixie tubes for the display, and a square root function! :)
He's interested in finding a copy of the manual for it -- anyone out there
have a lead?
Thanks in advance...
Josh
Ok, back again to clear up some misperceptions.
1) Yes, I am subscribed to the list, but I have message delivery turned
off. I still just don't have time to plow through the dozens of messages
a day this list generates. I really would like to re-join the discussion
as a regular but time prevents this.
2) I do scan the archives regularly to see what people are discussing.
>From time to time I chime in. Invariably, someone (willfully or
otherwise) misinterprets what I say, and chaos ensues. Sigh.
3) Gordon Pearce:
> I would call it something completely different if I was going to run
> one. If people are going to get all precious about their valuable
> trademarks then sod 'em.
I'm not getting "precious". I've put a lot of time, energy and MONEY into
developing the Vintage Computer Festival. If someone wants to put on an
event that celebrates vintage computers, fine! More power to you!!! Just
don't use the name "Vintage Computer Festival" unless it's actually
organized under the tutelage of the VCF.
*IF* you put on an event of your own and choose to call it the "Vintage
Computer Festival", *THEN* I will bury your event. Do what you like, but
find your own name.
> Sellam, if you're so enthusiastic as to set up a "rival" VCF to spite
> someone setting up a VCF-a-like, why not just set up a VCF in the UK?
I would love to, Gordon. Perhaps you'd like to offer to be the local
coordinator?
As I've said numerous times previously (why do some people seem to miss
this part?) I am always happy to expand the VCF to locations throughout
the world, where ever there is enough interest to have an event where
enough people will attend to justify the enormous commitment of time and
money that is involved. I will share with you my hard won experience and
secrets in pulling off a successful event, share my large list of contacts
to help book speakers, help attract and organize exhibitors and vendors,
get the word out through the VCF mailing list, help with advertising, and
even help with financing.
4) Jules Richardson:
> I suspect a lot of people will underestimate the time, money and effort
> needed to organise and promote something like this. Anything making that
> a little easier seems invaluable.
Indeed. Between the first two events I lost something like US$5,000.
Aside from some occasional monetary sponsorship throughout the years
(totalling maybe US$3,000) the event is completely financed by me and/or
the local coordinators. The key is to find a venue sponsor: i.e. someone
that would be willing to give you a space to hold the event for free or
for very cheap. Otherwise, the admission you have to charge regular
attendees and the fees you would have to charge exhibitors and vendors
would be too high. Even in the early days I didn't believe charging too
much for admission because I want as many people to attend as possible.
Admission to the VCF has always been cheap (I think the most ever charged
was $15 per person per day).
The matter of TIME is the bigger expense. People don't realize how many
little things need to get done, and how all those little things add up to
hours and days and sometimes weeks of time.
As an aside, I've had numerous discussions with Jules and Adrian Graham
over the years regarding a VCF UK, but so far the stars have not aligned
properly due to various issues and constraints (usually those dealing with
TIME).
All it takes is one person to say, "I will do it". Once that happens,
the ball starts rolling: a date is selected, an announcement is made, and
then it's just a matter of filling the blanks. So, again, if anyone is
interested, just say the magic phrase ;)
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
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According to a book I just read, the model of the fuse used on the German WWII V-1 Flying Bombs
was the "Z80A."
____________________________________________________________________________________
Got a little couch potato?
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Hi,
I am restoring some S-100 boards and am looking for documentation.
Specifically, for these S-100 boards:
Bob Mullen TB-1 (bus extender with logic probe)
Morrow's Microstuff MMSP2 (serial/parallel ports)
Measurement Systems and Controls Inc, Model DMB-6400 (64K DRAM)
Matrox ALT 512-AS (video graphics)
VectorGraphics Flash-Writer (video text, *not* the Flash-Writer II)
If anyone has documentation, especially schematics, for any or all of
the above, please contact me. I think Herb as one of them which I
will be ordering soon but the rest appear to be unavailable on the
internet as best I can tell.
I am able to scan documentation so if you have paper copies and could
either make a copy or send me the original and I will return it as you
request. I will pay for shipping, handling fees, as appropriate etc.
Your help is much appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Andrew Lynch
PS, I posted this on comp.os.cpm but no responses yet. I will send any
copies I get to the usual S-100 archives assuming I get sender's permission
to do so.
>
> If Bletchley Park might be able to do a VCF in two or three years
>> time, maybe we could do something much simpler in the mean time,
>> without using the VCF name. Just a get together of anyone in the UK
>> with an interest in old computers and hopefully a few who would want
>> to exhibit theirs. Who would be interested and about how much space,
>> if any would they want?
>
>
> My thoughts were developing along the same lines, the key question
> surely is
> numbers.
7 replies so far from the UK.
> How many do we think would attend, and could some core events be
> lined up to to ensure a worthwhile experience? I'm thinking here of
> the
> datacentre visits that (I think) were run from VCF Europe last year
I see. Probably the biggest concentration of these in the UK is still
central London, though I'm out of touch with that side of things.
> and the involvement of industry alumni that the US events have
> enjoyed.
Many of the real pioneers (who are still alive) are in the Computer
Conservation Society. Maybe we could involve them, I am a member but
I don't attend meetings (except one as a speaker).
> It's not like we don't have a few home-grown pioneers - Clive
> Sinclair and various Acorn people spring to mind.
Ah, you're talking more modern pioneers, ones of the microprocessor
era. Yes indeed. Alan Sugar's probably free now :-) Just kidding. Do
we have any contacts or ideas on how to contact them? Isn't it Sir
Clive now by the way, we don't want to put anyone's nose out of joint
>from the first contact.
Roger.
Does anyone make an interface card that will permit a "thumb drive" to be
addressed by the classic machines?
Some time ago, I had a sound card on my Packard-Bell 486SX20 machine. It
plugged into the motherboard. There was no specific provision for it in the
BIOS, but the CD-ROM connected to it acted like a "D" drive from Windows
3.1. I don't remember ever trying to access it from DOS, though.
Perhaps, instead of being plugged into the motherboard, this interface could
have the hard drive's ribbon cable plugged into it.
Does anyone make such a beast?
OK, branching off another thread. There probably aren't many, but there are
a few clones that I'd consider "interesting." I'd say the PCjr counts, it
was a pretty strange system - the unsuccessful IIgs of the PC world. Sidecar
expansion slots, IR keyboard and cartridges...
The last of the PS/2's had some strange designs. The 95 was really strange -
a fold-out power supply design with a spring loaded plunger power supply
connector. C2 level hardware, which meant if you forgot the BIOS password
you're SOL. I'd count the whole MCA based PS/2 line as a string of oddities
in the PC world.
There were some really odd Japanese designs as well. My favorite is the FM
Townes, which was a hybrid PC and game console. It ran a proprietary OS, but
could run language-localized Windows. It also had an oddball graphics system
that could overlay multiple screen modes over each other, so you could play
full-motion video games with text overlay.
