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Any Vintage/Old Computer Collectors out there?

Avatar Eleanor Spenceley
I'm thinking of organising a meeting (outside of WAMUG) for vintage computer collectors where people can share information, talk about their favourite machines, perhaps buy or swap items.

This would not just be for old Macs (though no doubt they will be a major part of it since I've 'one or two' lying around here), but any machine from the 70's, 80's and early-mid 90's... (Say something at least 15 years old!)

The location would be at Crumpets Farm, Lytchett Matravers, Poole. Time would be a Sunday afternoon.

Would there be anyone interested from WAMUG in coming to such a meeting?

Regards,

Martin

Re: Any Vintage/Old Computer Collectors out there?

Avatar Euan Williams
Ah, the mesochipic era... (Jervis mark)

I have several non-Mac 'home' computers from the '80s and early '90s which were given to me (with software tapes and discs, even manuals) by an enthusiast friend's widow.

Any convivial opportunity would be welcome to work out what is worth keeping from recycling schemes, since I have no idea how to set them up and turn them on (I'm a Mac person, "enuf sed" -- Molesworth). Mostly they use a TV as monitor, but some have their very own. Electrical safety may be an issue after so many years.

Meantime I have found this site: > http://www.computermuseum.org.uk/ < but haven't explored further.

At the opposite end of the scale, the Computer Conservation Society, a joint venture between the British Computer Society, the Science Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester deals with larger "mainframe-ish" machines. For unfathomable historic reasons they send me their journal "Resurrection" which is also available as a free .pdf from their site:

> www.computerconservationsociety.org/ <

and the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park is very active: > http://www.tnmoc.org/ <

Could these concerns be part of your proposal? Does anyone else have a peculiar chunk of electronics in their attic?

Euan.

Re: Any Vintage/Old Computer Collectors out there?

Avatar Eleanor Spenceley
Regarding the above:

http://www.computermuseum.org.uk/ - Too far away, not a club as such.
www.computerconservationsociety.org - Machines too big and too old. Though interesting to watch at a distance!
http://www.tnmoc.org/ - Too far away, though I did approach them with a rare offering, but got shown the door (after offering was taken). Perhaps something is going on there since their website has not been updated for a while and they still are not properly catering for their members. (Some of their incentives have yet to materialise).

This is just a meeting where like minded retro/vintage computer users can talk about their old machines and pool their knowledge. What they have in mind during to meetings is open to discussion and perhaps the odd visit to the above establishments going forward.





Re: Any Vintage/Old Computer Collectors out there?

Avatar Euan Williams
I agree, and support your proposal ;-)
Euan

Re: Any Vintage/Old Computer Collectors out there?

Avatar Eleanor Spenceley
I've created a Yahoo group called Wessex Vintage Computer Group to get things rolling, allow people interested to introduce themselves, discuss what the meeting should do and organising the first meeting. No doubt I'll post meeting information here as well.

So far I've got 10 people (outside of WAMUG) interested in forming the new group. One person has been using a Sinclair ZX81 to send text messages (sort of!).

Re: Any Vintage/Old Computer Collectors out there?

Avatar Eleanor Spenceley
I've got the first date booked in for the Wessex Vintage Computer Group

Sunday 17th April 2011. 14:00 - 17:00.

Location: Crumpets Farm, Lytchett Matravers here is a map to get there:
http://crumpetsfarm.com/Other%20Pages/map.html
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=crumpets+drive&iwloc=A&hl=en

The workshop can cater for 20 or so people, so invite your friends as well.

Agenda:

Unless there's an earlier machine we can get hold of, I can do a light 15-20
minute talk on the Apple II (specifically the europlus) circa 1978.

Plus anyone else has got to demo, bring along or want to talk about. So far there's a possible appearance of a Commodore Plus/4...
 
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