- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Semi-OT: Win 95 kernel file needed
by Evan Koblentz 18 Mar '20

18 Mar '20

Got it from someone. Thanks for playing, everyone... On 3/18/20 10:38 PM, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote:

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LSSM COVID-19 shutdown, and a plea for help
by Dave McGuire 18 Mar '20

18 Mar '20

Hello VCFers. I am posting this with the permission of the VCF Steering Committee. Dear friends of LSSM/MACT, Due to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, we are suspending in-person visits to the museum, effective immediately, until May 31st. While our museum is free for visitors, much of our operating funds come from donations from in-person visitors, and the loss of that revenue stream puts us at significant risk. Even while shut down, we must pay our normal monthly expenses, such as utility bills, to maintain our security systems and minimal climate control, for the safety of our exhibits. In the past, our donors have helped us drive to far-flung places to pick up vintage hardware, restore systems, and keep things going here. Now, we must ask for your help to cover these expenses. Up until now, I (Dave McGuire, founder) have personally absorbed any financial shortfall, but my work as a consulting engineer in embedded systems (under McGuire Scientific Services, LLC, http://www.mcguirescientificservices.com) has come to a sudden halt as my clients scale back operations. Honestly I don't know how I'm going to keep the power on at home, much less at the museum. Some of you may be in a better situation than me, and I'm asking you personally to help LSSM/MACT survive. The COVID-19 pandemic will deeply affect our society, but it is my hope that we can come out of it in one piece. Building and running our museum has taken years of hard work by our team, and we're looking forward to reopening to the public once this pandemic has run its course. We plan to do our part to help society return to some semblance of normalcy after this crisis has passed, but we can't do it without your help. You may donate via PayPal or check. Our PayPal address is donations(a)mact.io. Checks may be made out to Museum of Applied Computer Technology, and mailed to 924 4th Avenue, New Kensington, PA 15068. Thank you for your support, and for being a friend of LSSM/MACT. Thank you, Dave McGuire President/Curator, LSSM/MACT

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Semi-OT: Win 95 kernel file needed
by Evan Koblentz 18 Mar '20

18 Mar '20

Long story, but I need the kernel32.dll file from a later version of Windows 95. Two requirements: - It must be from 95, not 98 or newer - I have version 4.00.950, so I'm looking for a more recent version - You can send it to me by email or a download link (original Microsoft links found by Google no longer work) - I need it ASAP. Tonight would be awesome Reach me off-list: evan(a)snarc.net

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April 4 & 5 Repair workshop cancelled
by Jeffrey Brace 17 Mar '20

17 Mar '20

Due to an abundance of caution. The April 4 & 5 repair workshop is cancelled. The Covid-19 virus is spreading rapidly and even small groups can be at risk. I will schedule a new repair workshop when things look safe to meet. -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member, VCF East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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InfoAge Closed until April 24
by Jeffrey Brace 16 Mar '20

16 Mar '20

>From the CEO of Infoage (Mike Ruane): *"To All –Due to the impact of the corona virus on our community, InfoAge will be closed to all visitors and all tours and public meetings will be suspended effective immediately until Friday, April 24. On April 15, we will review whether we will open on the 25th or continue to be closed. Please pass this information on to your org members and volunteers.However, organizations can use their own discretion as to whether or not they wish to work on their sites or various projects. Many of our volunteers are in the “at-risk” category and should stay at home if at all possible.I adapted the following from the CDL email on the virus: Be aware that the COVID virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person, and especially between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet). COVID is transmitted through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes and these droplets land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Therefore: if you have any common flu symptoms — coughing, sneezing — please refrain from visiting the InfoAge. It is an unnecessary risk, even if you are not presenting the additional COVID symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath.To learn more about the virus and what you can do to protect yourself and your family and friends, please visit the Centers for Disease Control website https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html. <https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html.>”Please take care of yourselves. "* -- ========================================= Jeff Brace Vice President & Board Member, VCF East Showrunner Vintage Computer Federation http://www.vcfed.org/ jeffrey(a)vcfed.org

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Wang 2200 at Unique thrift store in Fairfax VA
by Clint 16 Mar '20

16 Mar '20

If anyone on the list is interested in this sort of thing, there is a dirty, but apparently complete Wang 2200 at the Unique thrift shop in Merrifield/Fairfax VA. They're asking $499. They are fine with plugging stuff in and poking around with it. Not my thing, but these seem to be quite rare.

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Lemonade RE: Blantant Attack on Kennett Classic!
by Jim Scheef 15 Mar '20

15 Mar '20

Bill and all, Jeff has verbalized what I was thinking. To help people make a vacation of the two events, we need a list of fun places to visit - places geeks like us would find interesting - to fill the intervening week. The first thing I found is the Marshall Steam Museum (10 minutes from Kennett Square). Altoona and Gallitzin may be too far. Jim -----Original Message----- From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces(a)lists.vcfed.org> On Behalf Of Jeff Salzman via vcf-midatlantic Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2020 8:12 PM To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> Cc: jsalzman(a)gmail.com Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Blantant Attack on Kennett Classic! Making lemonade out of lemons... wouldn't it be an incentive for those regular visitors who travel long ways to to attend VCF East to also hang around the area for less than an additional week to attend Kennett Classic? Especially those who would would be flying in and might justify staying a few extra days to do so. Why pay for two sets of round trip flights if they wanted to go to Kennett Classic, too? Not trying to incite violence here. It's just a thought. On Thu, Mar 12, 2020 at 7:02 PM Dean Notarnicola via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > We had no choice. September and November were out. Considering the only > two weekends at our disposal were the one we chose or the same one as your > event, we jumped through hoops to avoid rescheduling on the same dates as > your event. and considering the circumstances under which we had to do so > we would hope you would understand. > > > On Thu, Mar 12, 2020 at 6:49 PM Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic < > vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > To schedule vcf east less than a week before our event is a blantant and > > ignorant obnoxious affront to us! We consulted with vcfed so as not to > > infringe with the events and plans of the federation and this is what we > > get in return. How unprofessional. I ask everyone to stand behind us to > > protest this decision. Please be human and decent, we did everything to > > space our event. We offered to volunteer at vcfed! If you continue to > > pursue this, the working relationship between our two groups will be > > permanently damaged. > > > > Bill and Karen. > > >

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On our hobby
by Adam Michlin 14 Mar '20

14 Mar '20

Definition Federation: the formation of a political unity, with a central government, by a number of separate states, each of which retains control of its own internal affairs. Thinking back, I started my involvement in this hobby around 1993. My computers weren't so vintage then, I had no idea what CP/M was or any awareness of machines prior to the Apple II. I had to give up that collection in 2004 to move to NJ. What I remember most of all was that it was a lonely hobby. My interest was rekindled when I started teaching Computer Science in FL around about 2008. I'm a huge believer in teaching history in any subject I teach and it seemed obvious to not only teach the history but to show the history. I had kept a Mac SE from my first collection that had traveled from CA to NJ to FL and used that as my first prop in teaching Computer Science and, by extension, Computer History. I was lucky that we had a district warehouse (that makes the VCF warehouse look small) where all the old tech went to rest (we couldn't recycle for complicated financial reasons). And thus began my second collection. Primarily Apple II.. because, well, schools and Apple II. I then left my job as a CS teacher and moved into the music retail industry. As such, I again had to give up my collection. Still the hobby was lonely. I moved to NJ to again teach CS in 2014. Kept only my one Apple IIc. But something different happened. I found you people. My classroom became stocked with machines donated by people like Tony Bogan, Dean Notaricola, Alex Jacocks (and I'm forgetting so many, sorry!).It would take me pages to list just the knowledge I've gained from everyone reading this very email. Thank you to each and everyone of you. The hobby wasn't lonely anymore. We are the Vintage Computer Federation. We are not just a museum and warehouse in Wall, NJ. We are not just an online forum or mailing list. We are people. We are people throughout the world. We are events throughout the world. We are growing and the nature of growing is that there will be conflicts. I, however, look at the conflicts as a good thing rather than a bad thing. It is easy to avoid conflicts... don't grow. I dream of a world where we have so many workshops that people have to choose. That people in Maryland have a Maryland workshop, NJ in NJ, NY in NY, and PA in PA all on the same day because there are too many events to avoid date conflicts. Heck, I'd love to see an Idaho workshop! And, of course, someone really needs to get going on that North NJ workshop less than 10 minutes from where I live. ;) As one the primary people responsible for the VCF Social Media, I have done my best to promote *every* organization that does anything at all to push our hobby in a positive direction. LCM, CHM, museums and other organizations in Holland, Finland, Russia, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland.. on and on and on. As a Steering Committee member, I have pushed very hard to increase access to our collection to members and create a formal way for organizations to borrow our artifacts for display in their own museums. I do all this because I have a vision that VCF exists to promote the hobby. The entire hobby. This is what a Federation does. Yet the nature of a Federation is that independent entities (officially or unofficially) within it will sometimes have conflicts. But I don't see conflicts as a bad thing. I see conflicts as an amazing problem created by a growing hobby. No one is trying to create conflicts, but they will arise. We will, however, overcome them together to take this hobby to the next level (or four). I just can't imagine going back to that lonely hobby. -Adam

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Gosh, forgot about Pi Day!
by Jim Scheef 14 Mar '20

14 Mar '20

Sorry, I really am a geek.

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Was Lemondae, bicycling NJ
by Neil Cherry 14 Mar '20

14 Mar '20

If you get to central Jersey again and don't mind riding the roads I know a lot of good areas to ride. What speed do you avg and how far do you like to ride? I usually do centuries during the summer and for some reason our speeds have dropped to just 15 - 16 mph avg over the entire ride. We ride the flat lands of NJ and I know a lot of Pine Barrens rides. Even if you can't ride with us I can toss together a route or two for the area of Spotswood/Monroe Twp to the shore, south or out to the Sourlands (almost the Delaware). -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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