- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Museum Report 2020-10-18
by Jeffrey Brace 18 Oct '20

18 Oct '20

Two visitors came with high interest and were taking pictures with a high end camera. They both had experience with mainframe computers. The woman said: "I used to verify the keypunch cards of everyone on the 030. The mainframes would fill the whole room. I programmed in COBOL, but preferred programming in assembly. I used to have a IBM PC portable that had a bigger screen than that." They both recognized a lot of the machines in the museum and were amazed that there were so many of them working. They asked if we made our own parts to repair them. Other things I did: 1) Updated the event board in the hallway. 2) Got the Atari 1200XL hooked up with Fujinet plugged in. It needed a micro USB for power. It works great! I tested it out by playing Jumpman. 3) Took care of some other administrative tasks. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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System Source Repair Workshop November 14 & 15
by Jeffrey Brace 18 Oct '20

18 Oct '20

The Vintage Computer Federation and the System Source Computer Museum are hosting a vintage computer workshop on Saturday November 14th and Sunday November 15th 2020 at: System Source Computer Museum 338 Clubhouse Road, Hunt Valley, MD 21031 Plenty of free parking, short walk from Baltimore’s light rail (Gilroy Road Stop) We will open at 9:00 AM on Saturday November 14th, 2020 and will lock up by 7:30 PM. We will go to dinner afterwards. If you are interested in dinner, then please indicate on the signup form. We will open at 9:00 AM on Sunday November 15th and lock up at 5:00 PM Accommodations: Try https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g41196-Hunt_Valley_Maryland-Hotels.html Feel free to talk with others about sharing a room. Food: There are plenty of restaurants within a short drive. We will have a catered Indian buffet on Saturday at cost ($12.00?) and catered Barbecue ($12.00?) on Sunday for those who sign up. We will feature tours of the museum throughout both days and several mini- workshops: - Retrobright workshop (bring your yellowed plastics) - Pre-industrial computing class - Learn to use a slide rule, and various types of Abaci - Hot Metal Typesetting (3500 lb word processor) If you need a machine to work on, please let me know. We have lots of computers awaiting restoration! Let others know what you are working on. If you have unusual needs, (220 Volts, fork lift, etc please email Bob Roswell at museum(a)syssrc.com Bob Roswell broswell(a)syssrc.com https://museum.syssrc.com 410-771-5544 x 4336 Sign up for the repair workshop is here: < https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Z72yC72x5PmN4jb0Aw8uK3x0sQwMAk-0Opu… > -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member, VCF East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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VCF artifact repair workshop 10/24 & 10/25
by Jeffrey Brace 18 Oct '20

18 Oct '20

VCF has a list of artifacts that need repair in the museum and the warehouse. We are looking for volunteers to come and help us repair them. Anything is fair game to repair *with permission*. These are artifacts either in the museum or warehouse. We want to get the ones in the museum working first as we like to have as much hands on working computers in the museum as possible. We are also looking for good or better demos for the computers in the museum. Any volunteers working on VCF stuff are *not* charged a fee this repair day and stay for free in the Sandy bunkroom. VCF will likely even pay for a simple breakfast (Dunkin Donuts) and lunch (Pizza). Date: October 24 & 25, 2020 Time: 10AM to midnight (24th), 10AM to 6PM (25th) Building: CDL, 9032A Signup here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PC9h_XgDNuKPhEVFC6_PMjt9SlKeLMhZgfq… NEEDS REPAIRING: Mac Portable (needs good power supply and machine testing) TI Portable SWTPC HeathKit H89 Zorba (monitor) NEEDS DEMOS: Mac Portable TRS-80 Color 2 Challenger 2P Atari Mega STE? OREL Sinclair SX 80 clone SX 81 SWTPC TRS-80 Model I Osbourne 1 HeathKit H89 Zorba Commodore PET Atari 1040ST Amiga 1000 Commodore PET Zorba -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Museum Report 2020-10-17
by Jeffrey Brace 18 Oct '20

18 Oct '20

Dennis was docent today and got a few nice visitors despite being such a nice day outside. One was very high interest and loved the Commodore 64/The Printshop bedroom exhibit. Another really loved the IBM 1130 and the original IBM PC. Looks like visitors are starting to come back as the weather gets cooler. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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VCF Photo Archive
by Christian Liendo 17 Oct '20

17 Oct '20

Does VCF have a photo archive? I have all these photos from older VCF events and get togethers and I just want to share them

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Another CBM B Series on Ebay
by jaj＠totallyamused.com 16 Oct '20

16 Oct '20

>-------- Original Message -------- >Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] Another CBM B Series on Ebay >From: Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> >Date: Fri, October 16, 2020 9:18 am > > >Here is a nice complete B128 system. In addtion to everything else The >book that comes with this is very useful and the software included shows >that there is useful software and that the person actually used this >computer. Also included is the best display for a B series system, better >than the color monitors made by CBM for a monochrome monitor. The USI is >the recommended display for B series computers and hard to find. Wow, indeed, that is nice, and turnkey - ready to go. I used to drool looking at that ad in Compute's Gazette when Protecto started selling those for $795. I had dreams of getting one of those as an alternative of using a C128 to run my BBS. It's a shame those never caught on. I've never researched, but CBUG created some software for the B-series, I'd be interested to find if they ever developed BBS software for it. Justin

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Another CBM B Series on Ebay
by Bill Degnan 16 Oct '20

16 Oct '20

Here is a nice complete B128 system. In addtion to everything else The book that comes with this is very useful and the software included shows that there is useful software and that the person actually used this computer. Also included is the best display for a B series system, better than the color monitors made by CBM for a monochrome monitor. The USI is the recommended display for B series computers and hard to find. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Commodore-B128-80-System-from-Protecto-with-8050-D… Bill

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Nov VCF Swapmeet!
by Ethan O'Toole 16 Oct '20

16 Oct '20

Hello, Looking forward to the Swapmeet in Nov. Question... have you all thought about putting the word out on places like reddit /r/battlestations or Facebook groups? IS there a flyer by any chance and a communications channel to handle the weather rain day swap over? - Ethan

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...
by Glenn Holmer 15 Oct '20

15 Oct '20

On 10/15/20 3:29 PM, Brian L. Stuart via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > Tom Haigh and Mark Priestley do give talks on ENIAC, but I know that > recently their work has been focused on other things. Tom Haigh spoke about ENIAC at VCF Midwest in 2016; it was excellent. https://www.lyonlabs.org/commodore/eccc-2016/200-eniac-presentation-1024x76… -- Glenn Holmer (Linux registered user #16682) "After the vintage season came the aftermath -- and Cenbe."

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Next Year's show - VCF East 2021
by Bill Degnan 15 Oct '20

15 Oct '20

I think it would be great if we all brought ENIACs and had a big mega exhibit. I'd like to see that. On Thu, Oct 15, 2020 at 12:15 PM Brian L. Stuart via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Though very few of us are quite old enough for it to be > revisiting our youth, next year is also the 75th anniversary > of the unveiling of the ENIAC. I don't know if there's > room for observing the event in the formal proceeding, > but I'm planning on another ENIAC-related exhibit for > next year and if anyone else would like to do something > along that theme, I'll be glad to work with you. > > Thanks, > BLS > > > > > > > > On Monday, October 12, 2020, 2:45:25 PM EDT, Jeffrey Brace via > vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > > > > Our next show is planned for April 9, 10 & 11, 2021. > > The theme is : > 1) 4004/8080 microchip > 2) Text adventure games > > Everyone is free to do any (approved) exhibit outside of these themes. > Some are doing the IBM PC 5150 anniversary > Some are doing the USA release of the Commodore Vic-20 > > We have some exciting possibilities for speakers for this show. > Michael Tomczyk - confirmed > Bill Mensch - confirmed > Harry Bawcome - not confirmed > Scott Adams - not confirmed > Willian Crowther - not confirmed > David J. Bradley - not confirmed > Ken Williams - not confirmed > > More to come! > > We still have t-shirts available here: http://vcfed.org/wp/t-shirts/ > > -- > ========================================= > Jeff Brace > Vice President & Board Member > Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner > Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity > http://www.vcfed.org/ > jeffrey(a)vcfed.org > cell: 732-759-1783 >

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AOL CD and other old PC software...
by William Sudbrink 15 Oct '20

15 Oct '20

Like most of us, as a result of COVID, I've been mostly stuck at home. Consequently, I've been going through and organizing a lot of boxes of old stuff that just accumulated and I did not consider to be part of my vintage computing collection. However, I have noticed (and chuckled over) the fact that others are collecting computers and software that I "just used". Anyway, I'm finding stuff that I think others may appreciate more than I and I'm wondering about its value. First, I have what I believe is a pretty early AOL CD and I understand that it may be collectable. It includes the original silver, blue and red cardboard sleeve that reads (in part): America Online CD-ROM! IT'S NEW! IT'S FREE! Now with World Wide Web Browser! Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Most of what I find with Google seems to be related to a boom about five years ago. I have also found boxes full of other software, along with their original packaging. Original DOOM, original Lemmings, Wing Commander, Wing Commander II, Falcon, several old Microsoft Flight Sims, etc., etc. Thanks, Bill Sudbrink -- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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rubber rejuvination
by Herb Johnson 15 Oct '20

15 Oct '20

Various automotive vinyl cleaners have some "plastic restorers". Classic is NuVinyl brand in the original white container; there's new mixes now. Some of these auto products also add a shiny coat, that can be scuffed off. All these contain "plastisizers" to replace those dissipated by age. The chemistry of rubber products can be interesting. - regards, Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT comcast DOT net

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Looking for (hopefully working) mouse for Amiga 500
by Mark Whittington 15 Oct '20

15 Oct '20

Picked up an A500 from a friend but there's no mouse. Does anyone have one they'd be willing to part with for something less than the cost of a week's groceries, and would also be willing to drop in the mail to VA? In the meantime I'll be trying to arduino something together. Thanks in advance. Mark

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Mail list issues
by Herb Johnson 15 Oct '20

15 Oct '20

test message sent 8:45PM 10/14/2020 a previous message took many hours to be posted a prior message to that was rejected after 12 hours. Jeffry Brace is aware of the situation. I can observe all posts on the vcfed.org archive Web page so no need to "ack". - regards Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT comcast DOT net

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Mail list issues
by Tony Bogan 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Having some mailing list issues this afternoon (Wednesday 10/14) If you can see this, the issue has been fixed. If you can’t see this...... ;-) Tony Bogan Sent from my iPhone

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List test
by Jeffrey Brace 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

I'm testing this list. If anyone gets this message, then please reply. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Test Sent 6:40PM 10/14/2020
by Jeffrey Brace 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Seems like list messages are delayed many hours. Still trying to figure out the problem. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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rubber rejuvination
by Jeffrey Jonas 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

I'm no chemist but I've read that glycerin rejuvenates rubber. "AT-205 re-seal" is in auto parts stores. Audio deck chemical kits had rubber roller conditioner. What's best? -- Jeff Jonas

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test, ignore
by Herb Johnson 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Testing, have trouble posting to list. - regards Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT comcast DOT net

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Informix for SCO XENIX (fwd)
by Mike Loewen 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Sean Ellis has made the disk images available on OneDrive: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2020 10:34:38 -0500 From: Sean Ellis via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Reply-To: Sean Ellis <seanellis9(a)gmail.com>, "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> To: Al Kossow <aek(a)bitsavers.org>, "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Subject: Re: Informix for SCO XENIX Thanks Al. For those of you not on LisaList I've uploaded the ZIP to OneDrive: https://1drv.ms/u/s!ApXzHz2ZC305hscHvjo3mOu8loaSxw?e=uOFV9G The one downside is that while the disks seem to read error-free, it needs an activation key which I don't have. I have to wonder if the info on OS/2 Museum is of any use here? http://www.os2museum.com/wp/tales-from-the-xenix-crypt/ On 10/14/20, Al Kossow via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote: > On 10/14/20 8:09 AM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote: >> On 10/13/20 6:53 PM, Sean Ellis via cctalk wrote: >>> Just wanted to let you all know that I've found a copy of Informix >>> 3.11 for SCO XENIX on the Lisa 2... anyone interested? >>> >> >> please get these to ray arachelian >> https://lisalist2.com/index.php/board,1.0.html >> > https://lisalist2.com/index.php/topic,118.15.html > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Cleaning Franklin cases
by Herb Johnson 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Regarding cleaning chemicals, "Simple Green" is pretty useful stuff. It contains ether, which is a good but not overly aggressive solvent that dissipates rapidly. It is more aggressive than alcohol but of course it's also a kind of detergent which must be washed away. It's commonly available in spray bottles or nonspray. I'd wear rubber gloves and work outside for any cleaning with chemicals, if I were you. This stuff is not good for you. Regards, Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info

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Informix for SCO XENIX (fwd)
by Mike Loewen 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Could we use this for the museum? Contact Sean Ellis. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:53:58 -0500 From: Sean Ellis via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Reply-To: Sean Ellis <seanellis9(a)gmail.com>, "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org Subject: Informix for SCO XENIX Just wanted to let you all know that I've found a copy of Informix 3.11 for SCO XENIX on the Lisa 2... anyone interested?

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Test Post
by Jeffrey Brace 14 Oct '20

14 Oct '20

Please ignore. Testing to make sure that the list is working properly. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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VCF East 2020 on YouTube, Discord, Facebook
by Jeffrey Brace 13 Oct '20

13 Oct '20

We plan on dissecting the long Day 1 and Day 2 live streams into pieces and then uploading them separately. In the meantime, all of the pre-recorded videos are on YouTube for everyone to see. The YouTube streams for Day 1 & Day are still up. Day 1 is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=344AmR3CwnQ Day 2 is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=344AmR3CwnQ Our channel videos are here: https://www.youtube.com/c/VintageComputerFederation501c3/videos Our Discord server can be found here: https://discord.gg/u4ybsBK Some stats (so far) on our show: *Discord*: We had a peak of 334 people on our server. 1,000 messages on Sunday. *Facebook:* 3,350 people reached on FB, 178 engaged 2,517 impressions on Twitter, 51 engagements *YouTube* *Day 1: * Views 669 Watch Time: 153.1 Peak concurrent viewers: 204 Average view duration: 35:18 Impressions: 1900 Unique viewers: 1100 *Day 2:* Views 1439 Views 158 Watch Time: 59.5 Peak concurrent viewers: 168 Audience view retention: 43.11 Impressions: 2600 Unique viewers: still processing *Top individual videos (as of 10/12/2020):* The Interactive Atari - Jason Moore - 51 CRT Repair - Ian Primus - 33 Commodore Assembly - Jeff Salzman Harry Bawcom - 30 Bil Herd and Dave Haynie - 28 Atari 8 Bit Bot - 20 Fujinet - 9 Chip 8 - 6 Printers - 3 Also: We still have t-shirts available here: http://vcfed.org/wp/t-shirts/ -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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VCF T-shirts
by Jeffrey Brace 12 Oct '20

12 Oct '20

I had made an order a month ago for anyone wanting a t-shirt to be picked up on-site at InfoAge. I got a limited response. Now I have some people asking me if they can buy one. I can do a special order for those who still want a VCF 2020 t-shirt. However this will be the last order and I will not order any extras. For anyone that wants it mail ordered to their house you can go to: http://vcfed.org/wp/t-shirts If you want one that you can pick up from our museum, then send me a private e-mail with your preference in color (Green, Amber), size, quantity. Go to the above address to see what the t-shirts look like. Cost of t-shirt is $20. Ordering online adds to the cost a shipping charge. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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VCF East 2020 was a success!
by Jeffrey Brace 12 Oct '20

12 Oct '20

Phew!! I'm glad to get a day off from work the day after the show. I need the rest! It was a long, yet very rewarding weekend. It took a lot of time and effort to make this show happen. I enjoy doing the show because I see the joy that others get from the show. It was a disappointment for me and many of you that we couldn't do a live show this year. Some people recommended I simply cancel, but I refused. I pushed forward to find a way to make the show happen and make it fun, exciting and inspiring. I believe that happened. It was a challenge for me to balance work, other VCF events and my personal life for this event. It was very difficult to fit in the time in my busy life. It was also difficult to transition to a virtual show which I had never done before. There was a learning curve for the technology and logistics of doing a virtual show. I had the benefit of VCF West and other shows which had gone before me and to learn from them. I also had the benefit of volunteers who had experience in the technical aspects of implementing a virtual show. We still had the inevitable technical hiccups, glitches and failures, yet for the most part things went well. Myself as well as others had to learn something new for this show. Many exhibitors learned how to record, edit and render videos for their exhibits. It was a challenge for them as well. Some things I did last minute (like create Discord channels for the show), but I think for the most part things ran smoothly. We learned a lot from doing this show that we didn't think about beforehand (sometimes adjusting on the fly). For example, we learned from Day 1 and made Day 2 better. If we ever do another virtual show, we will improve upon it. Also we plan on making a true hybrid for next year's show with in-person and virtual experiences. I couldn't have made this show happen without the help of many volunteers. I want to thank the follow in helping me to make this show happen: Kay Savetz, Andy Diller, Chris Fala, Corey Cohen, Adam Michelin, Tony Bogan, Bill Inderrieden, Marcus Mera, Jason Perkins, Ian Primus, Alex Jacocks, Jonthan Sturges, Jeff Salzman, Kaz Kuroi, Anthony Bolan, Amiga Bill, Mike Brutman, plus all of the exhibitors, instructors and presenters who submitted videos, answered questions live, and participated on discord channels. Without all of these volunteers this show wouldn't have been as great as it was! -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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OT: I need a job
by Andy Meyer 12 Oct '20

12 Oct '20

Folks, I'm being hit particularly hard by the pandemic lockdown. Basically, I'm about to run out of savings. If anyone knows of any remote/wfh opportunities, please contact me off list. My skillset includes such vintage computer arcana as CP/M, MBASIC and RS-232 serial interfacing. TIA, Andy N2FYE

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OT - Amazon Prime Day is October 13th!!
by Martin Flynn 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

Just a reminder: Amazon Prime Day is October 13th. If you are shopping on Amazon, start here: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-4133714 Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to the VCFed. This link works even if started shopping already Go to https://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-4133714 and pick up where you left off. More details on the Smile program are here: https://org.amazon.com/

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] slight diversion, was "Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I"
by Brian L. Stuart 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

On Sunday, October 11, 2020, 1:50:25 PM EDT, Jim Scheef via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Are you sure that Aiken was aware of Babbage? Babbage is still > not well known > even today. Jim, The most telling information is that the first chapter of the manual of operation is titled "Historical Introduction" and discusses Babbage. The chapter is introduced by a quote from Babbage that begins: "If, unwarned by my example, any man shall undertake and shall succeed in really constructing an engine..." In the back of my mind, I seem to remember some references where Aiken mentioned being inspired by Babbage. However, I'd have to do some digging to actually find such a reference. BLS From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> On Behalf Of Brian L. Stuart via vcf-midatlantic Sent: Sunday, October 11, 2020 11:41 AM To: vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org Cc: Brian L. Stuart <blstuart(a)bellsouth.net>; Jeffrey Jonas <jeffrey.scott.jonas(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] slight diversion, was "Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I"

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RE: [vcf-midatlantic] slight diversion, was "Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I"
by Jim Scheef 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

Brian, Are you sure that Aiken was aware of Babbage? Babbage is still not well known even today. Jim From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> On Behalf Of Brian L. Stuart via vcf-midatlantic Sent: Sunday, October 11, 2020 11:41 AM To: vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org Cc: Brian L. Stuart <blstuart(a)bellsouth.net>; Jeffrey Jonas <jeffrey.scott.jonas(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] slight diversion, was "Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I"

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slight diversion, was "Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I"
by Jeffrey Jonas 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

Jim Scheef: > My memory sort of distills down to the factoid > that the Mark I had almost no ability to branch in a "program" That's why the "Turing machine" is so important: it describes the bare minimum required for true automatic operation. I had that sort of epiphany in Jr High School when learning programming the Compucorp 025 Educator programmable calculator. [The Olivetti Programma 101 was in the corner, already obsolete but I poked at it and admired its features such as magnetic card reader/writer] Most programs were just automating a specific formula. But the real power of the computer was the BRANCH statement. Then it could make DECISIONS, not just spew numbers. [That's why many folks pigeon-holed computers as super-duper calculators, calling them "number crunchers". It was a step up from rooms of people doing repetitive calculations such as book-keeping or trig-tables. That was the mindset for the IBM ASCC / Harvard Mark I until Grace Hopper, Alan Turing and other saw beyond such self-imposed limitations.] Back to the Compucorp: not all functions had keys. The stylus-punched cards allowed access to many more instructions and features. The keys allowed "special functions" such as ONE test and branch to a fixed location. But programming with cards allowed for many test-and-jumps allowing for much more complex programs! And THEN you can write "real" programs :-) Before you say "I'm glad we no longer have such limitations", please be aware that deep down, many systems have similar limitations. Many microcontrollers and the early PDP processors had only ONE interrupt to a fixed location (vs. vectored interrupts). Bear-skins and stone-knives indeed :-) My point being that in addition to what you learn about the machine, the context is part of the story too.

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I
by Jeffrey Jonas 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

There are some glorious YouTube videos of Grace Hopper showing the wide paper-tape containing the programming, and how she had to literally patch it (cover holes, add holes, etc). I vaguely remember her mentioning how it was an early form of parallel processing: calculations could be run simultaneously on each functional unit (so long as there were no data hazards). Such optimization was meticulously planned by hand. In a way, we're revisiting that with super-scalar RISC, DSPs or EPIC (Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing). My point being there's WHAT it can do (instruction set, data paths) and then there's HOW it was used. The compelling historical element is how it was all PEOPLE, not software. But Grace Hopper's Flow-Matic was an amazing leap forward. Like Alan Turing, she understood that computers can process SYMBOLS and handle all the drudgery of programming! -- jeff jonas

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VCF Day #2
by Jeffrey Brace 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

DATE: Sunday October 11, 2020 TIME: 9AM to 6PM WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/vintagecomputerfederation501c3/ ASK : DISCORD: https://discord.gg/u4ybsBK OR E-MAIL: microphone(a)vcfed.org SCHEDULE: http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/vcf-east-2020-… -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783 <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> Virus-free. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] slight diversion, was "Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I"
by Glenn Roberts 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

Interesting story. I was looking at the (very nice) one on eBay (202637078233). Fascinating machine. I don’t see a card reading mechanism - was that a peripheral? Sent from my iPad > On Oct 11, 2020, at 5:09 AM, Jeffrey Jonas via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: >

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VCF East 2020 - DAY 2! Show Info
by Jeffrey Brace 11 Oct '20

11 Oct '20

DATE: Sunday October 11, 2020 TIME: 9AM to 6PM WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/vintagecomputerfederation501c3/ ASK : DISCORD: https://discord.gg/u4ybsBK OR E-MAIL: microphone(a)vcfed.org SCHEDULE: http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/vcf-east-2020-… -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783 <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> Virus-free. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> <#m_-39417124773546024_m_-1446870299784931767_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Glitchworks live tomorrow!
by Jeffrey Brace 10 Oct '20

10 Oct '20

Glitch will be streaming live in his Twitch channel. See the info here: https://twitter.com/systems_glitch/status/1315051896512622593 -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783 <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> Virus-free. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

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VCF East 2020 Show Info
by Jeffrey Brace 10 Oct '20

10 Oct '20

It seems the last e-mail was blank. Did it go through this time? DATE: Saturday October 10 & Sunday October 11, 2020 TIME: 9AM to 6PM WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/vintagecomputerfederation501c3/ ASK : DISCORD: https://discord.gg/u4ybsBK OR E-MAIL: microphone(a)vcfed.org SCHEDULE: http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/vcf-east-2020-… -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783 <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> Virus-free. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I
by Duane Craps 10 Oct '20

10 Oct '20

There is a manual on Bitsavers :http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/harvard/MarkI_operMan_1946.pdf On 10/9/2020 12:47 PM, W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic wrote: -- Duane Craps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp On 10/9/2020 12:47 PM, W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic wrote: -- DuaneCraps sdɐɹɔ ǝuɐnp

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VCF East 2020 Show Info
by Jeffrey Brace 10 Oct '20

10 Oct '20

DATE: Saturday October 10 & Sunday October 11, 2020 TIME: 9AM to 6PM WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/vintagecomputerfederation501c3/ ASK : DISCORD: https://discord.gg/u4ybsBK OR E-MAIL: microphone(a)vcfed.org SCHEDULE: http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/vcf-east-2020-… -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783 <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> Virus-free. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campai…> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] IBM to break up 109-year old company to focus on cloud growth
by Dave McGuire 10 Oct '20

10 Oct '20

On 10/9/20 6:40 PM, madodel via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > Are businesses still buying mainframes? Google that. They're bigger now (market wise) than they ever have been. If you have a bank account, or an insurance policy, your data is stored on a mainframe. (which is where you really want it to be) -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Free Livingston PortMaster 2 board
by RETRO Innovations 10 Oct '20

10 Oct '20

On 10/9/2020 7:10 PM, Jonathan Sturges via vcf-midatlantic wrote: Looks like the main board in a PM2 or 2e. Jim -- RETRO Innovations, Contemporary Gear for Classic Systems www.go4retro.com store.go4retro.com

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Free Livingston PortMaster 2 board
by Jonathan Sturges 10 Oct '20

10 Oct '20

> Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2020 17:31:32 -0500 > From: RETRO Innovations <go4retro(a)go4retro.com> > To: vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org > Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Free Livingston PortMaster 2 board > > On 10/7/2020 5:11 PM, Jonathan Sturges via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > > Any pics?? I have a PM in need of a board, but there's quite a few > options for a PM2, I think > > -- > RETRO Innovations, Contemporary Gear for Classic Sorry for the delay, this is the board (I hope this link works for everyone): https://photos.app.goo.gl/wkjEbP1wrCMZJmFr5

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RE: [vcf-midatlantic] Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I
by Jim Scheef 09 Oct '20

09 Oct '20

Bryan, I do not represent to be a resource on these machines but have read many books on the history of computing. Most of what I've read about the Mark I was in books with chapters on Howard Aiken or Grace Hopper. I seem to recall that the Charles J. Bashe/Emerson W. Pugh book about early IBM machines, IBM's Early Computers (1985), had some information. My memory sort of distills down to the factoid that the Mark I had almost no ability to branch in a "program" owing to the instructions being read from a rather wide punched tape and thus being sequential. I suspect your friend is looking for more depth, but the bibliographies of these books may put him on the right trail. Jim From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> On Behalf Of W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic Sent: Friday, October 9, 2020 12:48 PM To: vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org Cc: W. Bryan Caudle <bcaudle(a)ctsi.net> Subject: [vcf-midatlantic] Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I

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IBM to break up 109-year old company to focus on cloud growth
by Christian Liendo 09 Oct '20

09 Oct '20

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ibm-divestiture/ibm-to-break-up-109-year… First person I thought of was Conner.

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VCF East 2020 Show Info
by Jeffrey Brace 09 Oct '20

09 Oct '20

DATE: Saturday October 10 & Sunday October 11, 2020 TIME: 9AM to 6PM WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/vintagecomputerfederation501c3/ ASK : DISCORD: https://discord.gg/u4ybsBK OR E-MAIL: microphone(a)vcfed.org SCHEDULE: http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/vcf-east-2020-… -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I
by Bill Degnan 09 Oct '20

09 Oct '20

I have one of the books published by Harvard that describe the operation of their Mark 1-4 series accumulators, just attempted to skim it...not easy stuff. The book is on display in the cabinet by the door at Kennett Classic Bill On Fri, Oct 9, 2020 at 12:48 PM W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > Greetings! I hope everyone here is doing well. I was contacted recently > by > a gentleman from the University of Heidelberg who is doing research on the > IBM ASCC, otherwise known as Harvard Mark I. Specifically he is looking > for > understanding of its theory of operation and how the accumulators are used > in calculations. While I have some general knowledge and there are some > resources online, he was hoping to connect with someone with more extensive > knowledge of the machine. If anyone here would be interested in talking > with him, please let me know and I will introduce you, and feel free to > share this with your network(s) if you feel you know someone who might be > able to help. > > > > Thanks! > >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I
by Brian L. Stuart 09 Oct '20

09 Oct '20

I studied it some back in college when I stumbled across the manual for it in our library. But that's been quite some time. So my memory is bound to be rusty at best. However, I have recently gotten a reprint copy of the manual and would be happy to help out if you can't find anyone more suitable. BLS On Friday, October 9, 2020, 12:48:07 PM EDT, W. Bryan Caudle via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: Greetings! I hope everyone here is doing well. I was contacted recently by a gentleman from the University of Heidelberg who is doing research on the IBM ASCC, otherwise known as Harvard Mark I. Specifically he is looking for understanding of its theory of operation and how the accumulators are used in calculations. While I have some general knowledge and there are some resources online, he was hoping to connect with someone with more extensive knowledge of the machine. If anyone here would be interested in talking with him, please let me know and I will introduce you, and feel free to share this with your network(s) if you feel you know someone who might be able to help. Thanks!

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Looking for some knowledgeable with the Harvard Mark I
by W. Bryan Caudle 09 Oct '20

09 Oct '20

Greetings! I hope everyone here is doing well. I was contacted recently by a gentleman from the University of Heidelberg who is doing research on the IBM ASCC, otherwise known as Harvard Mark I. Specifically he is looking for understanding of its theory of operation and how the accumulators are used in calculations. While I have some general knowledge and there are some resources online, he was hoping to connect with someone with more extensive knowledge of the machine. If anyone here would be interested in talking with him, please let me know and I will introduce you, and feel free to share this with your network(s) if you feel you know someone who might be able to help. Thanks!

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] VCF East 2020 Kit Available!
by systems_glitch 09 Oct '20

09 Oct '20

Yeah, I wish I could've found a socket that worked for them -- I tried Mill-Max, Aries, and even some vintage QUIP-64 single wipe sockets a friend had (his business had used the R6501Q in the early 90s). All of them result in the outer pins getting bent on insertion, and pulled the other way if you try to remove the R6501Q. I have RFQs/sample requests out to a few other IC socket manufacturers who list QUIP-64 in their catalogs, but I'm not hopeful on those either, so we decided to just ship the kit with no sockets and tell folks to solder them in directly. What's the point in a socket if it messes up the chip legs going in *and* out, right?! Thanks, Jonathan On Wed, Oct 7, 2020 at 11:24 PM ajpierson1 via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > I look forward to the arrival of mine. Should be an interesting > experience soldering a quad inline package.-Alexander 'Z' Pierson Sent from > my pocket telephone > -------- Original message --------From: systems_glitch via vcf-midatlantic > <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> Date: 10/7/20 9:06 PM (GMT-05:00) To: > Kelly Leavitt <kelly(a)catcorner.org> Cc: systems_glitch < > systems.glitch(a)gmail.com>, vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] VCF East > 2020 Kit Available! Kelly, your order didn't quite make it onto today's > shipping list but willgo out tomorrow! Everyone who ordered before 1200 > Eastern time got theirsshipped out today.Hopefully we'll never have to do a > virtual workshop again, but if we do, Ithink I probably need to aim to > start shipping kits a month out, even if itmeans some folks put them > together beforehand.Thanks,JonathanOn Wed, Oct 7, 2020 at 3:29 PM Kelly > Leavitt <kelly(a)catcorner.org> wrote:> Just ordered mine. Probably won't > get it on time, but it looks like fun.>> Great job Jonathan.>> Kelly> > ------------------------------> *From:* vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> on> behalf of systems_glitch via > vcf-midatlantic <> vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org>> *Sent:* Monday, > October 5, 2020 9:58 PM> *To:* vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org>> *Cc:* systems_glitch < > systems.glitch(a)gmail.com>> *Subject:* [vcf-midatlantic] VCF East 2020 Kit > Available!>> Tindie listing:>> > https://www.tindie.com/products/glitchwrks/glitch-works-r6501qr6511q-single…>> > forums thread:>> > http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?73828-ANNOUNCE-VCF-East-2020-Kit-…>> > Nothing like getting something done right before the due date, eh? Work > has> been crazy and, fortunately or unfortunately, due to a possible > coronavirus> exposure we self-quarantined for the last two weeks and I was > able to> finally wrap up the user manual and assembly guide for the 2020 > VCF East> workshop kit!>> This year's kit was intended to fit in with the > overall 6502 theme of VCF> East 2020; however, I didn't want to do a 6502 > SBC since there's a lot of> good ones already available, and I felt like we > needed something more> unique. I happened to have some Rockwell R6501Q > "single-chip microcomputer"> processors, which are a 6502 core with some > changes in a funky "QUIP-64"> package -- if the plastic Motorla 68000 is > the "Texas cockroach," this is> the chip package version of a house > centipede :)>> The R6501Q is 6502 core but adds a few instructions, and has > I/O and> control registers in zero page. Stack also lives in zero page. > This> provides a little bit of a challenge in porting existing 6502 code. > The> EEPROMs included in the parts kit are loaded with the Enhanced Woz > monitor,> Steve Wozniak's 6502 monitor from the Apple 1 days. We're working > on ports> of EhBASIC and Tiny BASIC as well. They're not done yet -- > EhBASIC is going> to be a much larger project, but Tiny BASIC is very > nearly done and should> be available for testing this week. Both can be > loaded in over the serial> port without reprogramming the EEPROM.>> Anyway, > check out the Tindie listing for more information, links to source> code, > and a link to the PDF manual (which has schematics, of course). We're> > going to try and livestream something during Virtual VCF East this > weekend.>> Thanks,> Jonathan>

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VCF East 2020 Q & A
by Jeffrey Brace 09 Oct '20

09 Oct '20

Use this link to get to the Discord channel for asking questions during VCF East 2020: https://discord.gg/u4ybsBK We will ask questions live. If you don't want to use Discord, then you can send an e-mail to microphone(a)vcfed.org. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member Vintage Computer Festival East Show-runner Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org cell: 732-759-1783

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