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Concert
Downpoly - Music from the TRS-80 Microcomputer and Orchestra 90
Presented by:
Downpoly
Music both sequenced and played using the Tandy Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 4 Microcomputers. Running custom synth software to drive the Orchestra 90 attachment and sequence MIDI controlled synths and drums. Come see how the TRS-80 joins the music!
About the Presenter
A binary life of music and computers, Downpoly is where the Microcomputer meets 20+ years in musical experience. Bringing a rock-synth sound, the act uses both analog and digital semi-modular synth and percussion to bring to life a musical sound all it’s own.
Presentation
"Over the RAINBOW": A 12 Year Journey through the Color Computer's Most Influential Magazine
Presented by:
Dr. Boisy Gene Pitre
The RAINBOW Magazine was the premier monthly periodical for the Tandy Color Computer (CoCo). It lasted longer than any other magazine for the CoCo and provided a lifeline of information to users around the world. In this presentation, Dr. Pitre brings the story of the magazine to life, discussing its history and impact on the Color Computer and its adherents.
About the Presenter
Dr. Boisy Gene Pitre is a computer scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, author, speaker, professional software developer, musician, computer historian, and retro-computing hobbyist. He has worked in the software industry since 1992, focusing on embedded, real-time and mobile computing. His retro-computing interests lie primarily in the home computers of the 1980's, notably the Tandy Color Computer (aka CoCo). Along with Bill Loguidice, Boisy co-authored the book ''CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy's Underdog Computer'' (2013), published by Taylor & Francis.
Presentation
1 Bit of Soviet Core Memory
Presented by:
Mark Frederick
In this session we will discuss magnetic core memory, it's theory of operation, including an example of a single bit core module from the Soviet era. We will also show a demonstration of the memory module and discuss ways attendees can begin their own core memory module journeys.
About the Presenter
Mark Frederick’s journey in technology was fueled by a childhood obsession with dismantling electronics and programming on an Atari 800XL. This early curiosity evolved into a career in computer science, where he moved from consultant to a software architect and strategic leader developing enterprise grade solutions. Today, Mark is a co-founder of MākuSafe, a recognized thought leader in industrial safety, and a co-author of the book Safety and Wearable Technology.
Mark specializes in solving complex problems at the intersection of IoT and Artificial Intelligence. Beyond his work in modern safety technology, he is a dedicated vintage electronics enthusiast who enjoys reverse-engineering and implementing legacy technology alongside contemporary solutions.
Presentation
BASIC - Personal Computer Revolution Years (1975-1980'ish)
Presented by:
Cory Smith
Continuing from we left off during last year's presentation ("BASIC The First 10 Years."); we will dive deep into the BASIC's role during the birth of the personal computer revolution.
About the Presenter
A veteran software developer for over 35 years working on projects ranging anywhere from major e-commerce sites such as RadioShack and Interstate Batteries to applications that are at the heart and soul of over 4600 radio stations around the world. Continues to give back to the developer community as the founder/president of the BASICSIG and blogging through AddressOf.com. Previous developer community positions include past president of the Fort Worth .NET Users Group (10 years) and president of the Dallas/Fort Worth DNUX (Dot Net User eXperience) Group (6 years). He is also an alumni member of the INETA (International .NET Association) Speakers Bureau and the South Central Developer Guidance Council. He’s been repeatedly awarded as a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional)… 12 times (years).
Presentation
From Time-Sharing to the Desktop: Why Multitasking Took Over 20 Years to Come Home
Presented by:
Steve Lewis
Multitasking and time-sharing defined computing in the 1960s and 1970s, yet were largely absent from early personal computers. This presentation examines how those early principles were eventually incorporated into microcomputers, leading to a convergence by the late 1980s. Multitasking did not arrive on the desktop— it was incorporated from decades of prior mainframe experience. This is a historical journey of that progress, with some interesting stops along the way.
About the Presenter
Steve Lewis graduated from University of Florida, College of Engineering,
B.S. Computer Science and M.S. Computer Engineering. He has had an interest
in vintage computers ever since finding an abandoned Commodore PET in a
dumpster in 1988 while walking home after school. After college, Steve
has worked at Lockheed since 2001, working with both embedded processors
and raised-floor room servers for various aerospace applications.
Presentation
How I Recreated the Apple Lisa Inside an FPGA - The (Open-Source) LisaFPGA Project
Presented by:
Alex Anderson-McLeod
Have you ever wanted to mess around with a "real" Apple Lisa, but haven't been able to because of how rare they are? Well, there's finally a solution! Alex has spent the last 9 months implementing the entirety of the Lisa inside an FPGA (no software emulation of any kind) and designing a low-cost PCB around it with plenty of nice modernizations and improvements over the original machine. In this presentation, Alex will discuss his efforts to complete this project and the insane challenges he faced along the way, complete with a deep dive into the design of the physical PCB and the Lisa itself in SystemVerilog. If you love Lisas, hardware design, or FPGAs, you won't be disappointed!
About the Presenter
Alex is a computer engineering PhD student at the University of South Carolina who really love cats and the Apple Lisa computer. He enjoys collecting, repairing, and writing software for Lisas and has reverse-engineered and created open-source replicas of several of the Lisa's boards. He also created a low-cost ESP32-based hard drive emulator for the Lisa called ESProFile and figured out how to compile the Lisa's OS from source and presented on that last year. For his latest (and arguably greatest) project, he's implemented the entire Lisa inside an FPGA!
Presentation
LGP-21 vs. Bendix G-15 Restorations
Presented by:
David Lovett
A compare and contrast of what it took to restore the 1956 Bendix G-15 and the 1963 LGP-21.
About the Presenter
David Lovett runs a small Youtube channel called Usagi Electric in which he restores vintage computers and equipment. Most notably, David recently finished restoration on a 1956 Bendix G-15, the oldest running digital computer in America. He's currently working on restoring a 1963 LGP-21, another Bendix G-15, a 1964 NCR Computronic, a TI-980 minicomputer, as well as some scientific test equipment.
Presentation
Life Before IoT: The Evolution of M2M Communications
Presented by:
Jason Smith
This presentation explores the surprising history and technical ingenuity of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications before the era of the modern Internet of Things (IoT).
Long before every toaster had an IP address, vintage hardware was already ""talking"" across specialized networks to automate the world. This presentation dives into the evolution of machine-machine data exchange, moving from the mechanical pulse of early teleprinter (Telex) networks to the sophisticated packet radio and industrial telemetry systems of the 1970s and beyond.
We will examine the clever hacks and robust protocols—like RS-232, X.25, and early Modbus—that allowed disparate systems to communicate without human intervention. Attendees will see how legacy M2M foundations paved the way for today’s hyper-connected world and learn why these ""primitive"" methods were often more reliable than their modern counterparts.
About the Presenter
Jason R. Smith has spent three decades coaxing machines to talk to one another. His passion is getting things to communicate when they weren't designed to. He loves using open source solutions to work around proprietary problems. Jason works as an IT/OT Manager in the public utility sector.
Presentation
Loading… Please Wait: Bringing COMPUTE!'s Gazette Back After 30 Years
Presented by:
Edwin James Nagle
In July 2025, COMPUTE!'s Gazette returned to print after a 30-year absence — and this is the story of how it happened. Edwin "James" Nagle, owner of the COMPUTE! trademark and Publisher of the revived magazine, takes attendees behind the scenes of Year One: from acquiring a beloved brand and securing the historical copyrights to the original 1979–1994 COMPUTE! and COMPUTE!'s Gazette archive, to building an editorial team and producing ten plus issues and growing covering the retro scene. The talk covers the business realities of publishing a niche print magazine in 2025, the editorial philosophy of honoring the original run while serving today's retro community, and what the copyright acquisition means for preserving and extending this chapter of computing history. Expect a candid look at the challenges and surprises of Year One — and what's coming next.
About the Presenter
Edwin "James" Nagle is the Editor and Publisher of COMPUTE!'s Gazette Magazine and CEO of RETRO!, a vintage computing and retro gaming retail store in Lakeline Mall in Austin, Texas. He holds the COMPUTE! trademark and operates COMPUTE! Publications, Inc., which relaunched the iconic magazine in July 2025 after a three-decade hiatus. A central focus of his work has been the acquisition and recordation of the historical copyrights to the original COMPUTE! and COMPUTE!'s Gazette archive spanning 1979–1994 — an effort to ensure this foundational era of personal computing history is properly preserved and documented. A lifelong retro computing enthusiast, Edwin is passionate about connecting the golden age of personal computing with the thriving community that keeps it alive today.
Presentation
TMS340 Family - The First Programmable Graphics Processor
Presented by:
Karl Guttag
The presentation will cover the creation and market of the TMS340 family of graphics processors and other interface integrated circuits. It will discuss how the TMS34010 started as a successor to the TMS9918 "Sprite Chip" and the "battle" with Intel's 82786 and early EGA/VGA coprocessors, and how the TMS34020 almost ended up inside the first color Mac.
About the Presenter
Karl Guttag has 48 years of experience in Graphics (TMS34010/20), Image Processors (TMS320C80/82), CPUs (TMS9995 and 99000), display devices (TMS9918/28/29), and new DRAM architectures (VRAM and SDRAM). He was with Texas Instruments from 1977 to 1997 as an I.C. architect and became the youngest T.I. Fellow in the company's history. From 1998 through 2022, he worked for four display device and systems startup companies, serving as CTO of three (Silicon Graphics, Syndiant, and Navdy) and co-founder of two (Syndiant and Navdy). His blog, KGOnTech (www.kguttag.com), started in 2011. The blog primarily covers display devices and systems for augmented reality, HUDs, and projection systems, with occasional coverage of computer and video game history. He is a named inventor on 150 U.S. patents, including those on graphics Processors, Video DRAM, and SDRAM. He has a BSEE from Bradley University and an MSEE from the University of Michigan.
Presentation
The Journey RLLs On: More Misadventures In Data Recovery with Dave Dowdy
Presented by:
David Dowdy
At the end of VCF Southwest 2025, there was much left to be done in the attempt to recover data from a long-forgotten RLL-formatted piece of spinning rust. In this presentation, we'll go over what's happened over the last year, and how far we've come. Suffice to say, there were many major wins, a few twists, and some disappointment. It's been said that often, the journey is more important than the destination - and while it's not over yet, the journey has certainly been worthwhile. Join me for a recap of where we started, where we are, and what's to come in 2026. See where we've been along the River of Bits, and how the journey RLLs on.
About the Presenter
Dave once heard from a friend that "the good thing about standards, is that there are so many to choose from." He feels the same way about hobbies. Ranging from art to music, gaming to hardware and software development, Dave does indeed do many things.
Enthralled by computer technology at an early age, Dave started with a pawn shop TRS-80 Color Computer 2. Within a year, he moved over to the Commodore 64 and expanded into more than just BASIC programming. Now, well into his 40's, his passion for homebrew hardware and software development shows no signs of stopping.
Presentation
The PDP-8: DEC's Value-Engineered Marvel
Presented by:
James Taylor
The PDP-1 was where "Spacewar!" was born. The PDP-11 was the native soil for UNIX. The PDP-10 was an AI hacker's dream machine. The PDP-8 is less celebrated, and was designed with a different set of rules. Join me for a deep dive into why I think the PDP-8 is an ingenious example of value engineering, and what we can still learn from it 61 years later. We will talk about its history, architecture, legacy, and the multiple ways you can run one today!
About the Presenter
James is a software engineer living in Conroe, Texas. He is a longtime lover of historical computing, with a particular love for minicomputers and their operating systems. On the rare occasions you don't find him tinkering, emulating, or designing, he is probably out pulling shenanigans with his nerdy family.
Workshop
Create TSR's (aka "drivers" for MS-DOS) using QuickBASIC!
Presented by:
Cory Smith
Did you know there was a time, with the right commercially available tools, QuickBASIC could produce executables that could be smaller / faster than similar applications written in other languages... all while using the BASIC language? In this workshop we will cover these tools and then set out to build a working TSR (terminate-stay-resident) application for MS-DOS using these tools and cover some of the nitty-gritty details of the process. (Note: Some understanding of software development is helpful for this workshop.)
About the Presenter
A veteran software developer for over 35 years working on projects ranging anywhere from major e-commerce sites such as RadioShack and Interstate Batteries to applications that are at the heart and soul of over 4600 radio stations around the world. Continues to give back to the developer community as the founder/president of the BASICSIG and blogging through AddressOf.com. Previous developer community positions include past president of the Fort Worth .NET Users Group (10 years) and president of the Dallas/Fort Worth DNUX (Dot Net User eXperience) Group (6 years). He is also an alumni member of the INETA (International .NET Association) Speakers Bureau and the South Central Developer Guidance Council. He’s been repeatedly awarded as a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional)… 12 times (years).
Workshop
Hands-On with QBasic
Presented by:
Cory Smith
Let's write some code... no previous experience necessary!
About the Presenter
A veteran software developer for over 35 years working on projects ranging anywhere from major e-commerce sites such as RadioShack and Interstate Batteries to applications that are at the heart and soul of over 4600 radio stations around the world. Continues to give back to the developer community as the founder/president of the BASICSIG and blogging through AddressOf.com. Previous developer community positions include past president of the Fort Worth .NET Users Group (10 years) and president of the Dallas/Fort Worth DNUX (Dot Net User eXperience) Group (6 years). He is also an alumni member of the INETA (International .NET Association) Speakers Bureau and the South Central Developer Guidance Council. He’s been repeatedly awarded as a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional)… 12 times (years).
Workshop
Replay-7-Zero Workshop with Vince Briel
Presented by:
Vince Briel
Build the new Replay-7-Zero multi system hand held kit in a workshop setting. This is a ground up build with custom circuit board, layout and case. Solder the kit, assemble the system.
About the Presenter
Vince Briel brings over 40 years engineering experience and more than 30 years teaching skills.
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