ECCC/VCFMW 2014

The ECCC (Emergency Chicagoland Commodore Convention) and VCFMW (Vintage Computer Festival MidWest) shows again cooperated to create a memorable retro-computing experience for the lucky folks who were able to attend. Our little family of geeks descended on Lombard, IL, USA (in the Chicago area) on September 13-14, 2014. Click pictures to embiggen!

The ECCC exhibit hall: the usual suspects are milling about, networking and looking for deals.

The presentation schedule. Unfortunately, goog was unable to do his Comet preso, but we look forward to seeing it at the next show.

goog deep in thought. The machine on the left (partly in frame) has the Comet prototype connected.

Frankencelery ponders the mysterious shapes of spinning electrons.

My machine, showing the demo program for my PROMAL presentation. It took half an hour to get it set up in the other room, but eventually the demo gods smiled on me.

A new Koala pad user tests out his acquisition on my machine by using the GEOS Koala pad driver.

Schema brought his motion-control glove again, which proved irresistible.

Jim Brain takes time out from soldering and selling to socialize.

jasmaz provided a Q-Link station, with three clients connecting to his server via a Xyplex terminal server.

And the 'scope comes out! Who knows what secrets it uncovered?

Somehow it just looks right this way, doesn't it?

The boys with their toys.

An Amiga. Look closely and you'll see a Bernoulli drive. Not sure if there was anything to mount in it...

Jack Rubin with a PDP-8.

Mike Lee with some AT&T Unix machines (Julian behind him with his PDP 11/23).

Someone actually brought a VAX 11/780. How it was brought downstairs is unknown, but it was exhibited in the hallway.

At the other end of the spectrum, someone hacked a credit card reader to run CP/M. I really think I've seen everything now; of course, I say that every year.

Bob Applegate, a Franklin engineer, has an ah-ha moment. He had some very rare Franklin machines with him.

This year, we were graced with two Apple I machines!

Jim "Trixter" Leonard showed full-motion video at 4.77MHz. Now I've seen everything... oh wait, I just said that.

Some Alpha machines, in complete working order.

Keep calm and shift left!

The traditional after-party in full swing. I'm told that people were still there at 04:00.

goog says goognite. See you all at the next show!