Summer '11 has vintage computer events for everyone

I frequently hear from computer history enthusiasts and collectors who want to know where they can see, touch, and acquire vintage computers in person. Lucky for them, summer 2011 is a fine time for carbon-based exploration of our favorite silicon-based toys.

There's something for everyone, from weekend-long history carnivals to machine-specific conferences to fascinating lectures.

Kicking off the summer technology history tour is the Vintage Computer Festival East 7.0, May 14-15, at the InfoAge Science Center in Wall, New Jersey. VCF East, produced by me, will feature more than 20 exhibits, six lectures, two hands-on workshops, and much more. Proceeds benefit the InfoAge museum, which is a grassroots, all-volunteer endeavor to turn a former secret Army Signal Corps research laboratory into a modern learning center.

Soon after is the Dayton Hamvention, May 20-22 in Dayton, Ohio. While not technically a computer event, the Hamvention always includes hidden treasures for vintage computer fans.

Next up is KansasFest 2011, a strictly Apple II (and Macintosh) event, July 19-24 in Kansas City, Missouri. "KFest" as it's known is essentially a hackathon focused on interesting tricks, new retro products, and anything related to the Apple II series.

Of course, wherever someone shouts "Apple II," there's always someone else who shouts, "Commodore 64!" and the digital flame wars ensue. Thus, the Commodore Vegas Expo will be held July 23-24 in Las Vegas. This year's CommVex celebrates 30 years of the VIC-20. There will surely be plenty of buzz about the new Linux computers that wear Commodore 64 and VIC labels from Commodore USA. The company also makes Amiga-branded systems, but as for the classic Amiga interface, a well-placed source told me that Commodore USA is trying to purchase the rights to Amiga Inc. and its AmigaOS. Commodore USA CEO Barry Altman declined to comment on that, but if he makes the move then he'll have some feathers to smooth among Amiga fans.

Yet another Vintage Computer Festival, the VCF Midwest 6.0, closes summer on September 24-25 in Lombard, Illinois. It's held in conjunction with the Chicagoland Commodore Expo.

There's also a full slate of summertime lectures at the Mountain View, Calif.-based Computer History Museum. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen will discuss his new autobiography this Monday; Britain's Computer Conservation Society chairman David Hartley will lecture about Sir Maurice Wilkes and the EDSAC replica on May 11; and IBM veteran Jerome Svigals will talk about the history of magnetic striped media on June 29.

On an informal basis, there are vintage computer clubs forming around the Western hemisphere. Hobbyists are currently forming machine-agnostic clubs in Atlanta, Calgary, Seattle, and Johannesburg. Hobbyists in the Chicago area have an existing group, and those in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the U.S. have MARCH -- Mid-Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists, which I co-founded in 2005.

If there aren't any events or clubs in your region, then start your own. It's easy. You do not need any legal entities or corporate support. Just form a listserv, post on the popular hobby discussion sites (such as the cctalk mailing list and the vintage-computer.com forum), and make a page on Facebook. Remember, for every one "active" hobbyist like you, there are a dozen others with a closet, garage, or basement full of their own history -- but they just need you to make them feel at home.

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