Panels & more
match game-hollywood squares hour
Satuday @ 3:30pm
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Taking the place of a YouTubers panel at VCF Southwest 2025 is the Match Game - Hollywood Squares hour!
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YouTubers and notable figures of the retro computing community will make up the Match Game panel and Hollywood Squares board while members of the audience will have an opportunity to be contestants!
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Scheduled to appear:
David Murray (The 8-Bit Guy)
Adrian Black (Adrian's Digital Basement)
June Tate-Gans (Nybbles and Bytes)
David Lovett (Usagi Electric)
Colby (clabretro)
Thomas Cherryhomes (FujiNet)
Ian Mavric (TRS-80.com.au and Tandy Assembly)
1970s vintage computing panel
Friday @ 3:30pm
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Join an star-studded cast of panelists who will discuss the hardware and software that were typical of vintage computing in the 1970's.
Speakers
alex anderson-mcleod
Recompiling the Past - Building the Apple Lisa's OS from Scratch
Satuday @ 10:30am
Alex and Will will talk about their efforts in building the Lisa OS from the source that was released by Apple in early 2023. They will cover the challenges posed by hardware and storage limitations, wading (or swimming) through an ocean of source code – around 800,000 lines over 1,300+ files – and the difficulty in building 40 year old Pascal source on the hardware it was intended to run on. They will provide a demonstration of what the build process looks like (with real Lisa Pascal code!) and highlight how LOS works at a fundamental level, along with some examples of the first practical patches to the OS since it was last officially released.
About Alex:
Alex is a grad student at the University of South Carolina pursuing his PhD in Computer Engineering who has an intense interest in 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 and tester for the Lisa called the ESProFile and his most recent project has been compiling the Lisa OS from source.
vince briel
PicoBoy Build Workshop
Sunday @ 9:00am
​Join Vince in a workshop where you can build your very own PicoBoy GameBoy Hardware Emulator. Kits can be purchased Friday or Saturday at the PicoBoy table in the main hall.
About Vince:
For 13 years Vince ran Briel Computers where he recreated several vintage computer replica's. He was featured in Welcome To Macintosh documentary and he has had articles written on replica 1 project in Wired Magazine. Vince now resides in North Dallas area working for Splunk.
Dr. terry britt
Vintage Computing Experience as Autobiographical Memory
Friday @ 2:00pm
Home computer use in the 1980s and 1990s, like media in general, creates experiences that become autobiographical memory for each person. Everything from programming to productivity software and games to user group gatherings are, to some extent, recalled memories later in time and allow us to mentally and emotionally re-experience the past - the time, the places, the items and the people with which we engaged. This presentation gives an overview of these concepts as well as insights into the scientific research examining why vintage computers, software, and accessories remain an integral part of our individual life stories.
About Dr. Britt:
Dr. Terry L. Britt returned to The University of Texas at Tyler as a faculty member in fall 2019 after having graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2013. He subsequently earned his master’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin in 2015 and subsequently became the second-ever doctoral teaching fellow at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, where he earned his Ph.D. in December 2018. In 2022, Dr. Britt officially opened the Media and Communication Research Laboratory (MCRL) at UT Tyler, featuring equipment used in his research in media neuroscience, specifically examining autobiographical and collective memory connections to news and entertainment media, personal computing, and video games. He can be reached at tbritt@uttyler.edu or mcrl@uttyler.edu.
thomas cherryhomes
FujiNet State of the Union 2025
Sunday @ 9:00am
A look at the state of FujiNet today, and where it will be going for the next year.
About Thomas:
Thomas Cherryhomes has been working on FujiNet with Joe Honold since 2019, and is dedicated to bringing FujiNet to each and every retrocomputing and retrogaming platform in existence, by working together with each and every one of our sub-communities to do so.
david dowdy
RLLing On A River Of Bits: Data Recovery Or Bust!
Friday @ 2:00pm
This segment discusses the ups, downs, and all-arounds encountered while trying to pull data from an old block of spinning rust. The catch? Knowing nothing about low-level internals of magnetic storage. The result? Knowing slightly more than nothing about low-level internals of magnetic storage! The stress? Knowing that the data held within may be rare, and key to filling in pieces of a niche in computer history. So come along on a journey of headaches, heartaches, and successes as we navigate the River of Bits.
About David:
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.
Lee Felsenstein
Me and My Big Ideas - Counterculture, Social Media, and the Future
Sunday @ 12:30pm
About Lee:
Lee Felsenstein entered the University of California at Berkeley in September, 1963 as an unremarkable EE student. The next year, when the Free Speech Movement revolution exploded around him, he resolved to find how he could help technologically, and became an explorer in tech.
Later, when the counterculture arose, he focused his quest on media to support development of communities. His path took him through the underground press and on to Silicon Valley where he encountered computer networks -- then to a "technological commune" in San Francisco where he would help bring Doug Engelbart's old mainframe back to life for the counterculture and set up the first public social media computer system. And then there were personal computers to design.
Lee has worked in Silicon Valley for 55 years, designing analog and digital electronics and trying to create the ultimate tool for community development -- he is a Fellow of the Computer History Museum and an author/publisher with his new book -- "Me and My Big Ideas".
karl guttag
The TMS9918 - The First Sprite Chip
Saturday @ 12:30pm
About Karl:
Karl Guttag was one of the six engineers that designed the TMS9918 in 1977, his first design at Texas Instruments. He whent on to leaded the design of the TMS9995 and TMS90000 16-bit microprocessors. Starting in 1982, heading up the strategy and design of the TMS34010 and TMS34020, the first fully programmable graphics processors. He was instrumental in the architecture of the first Video DRAM and helped with the definition of the first Synchronous DRAM. He led the architecture of the TMS320C80/82 Image Processors with four DSPs and a RISC CPU on a single device. He was made the youngest TI Fellow in the history of Texas Instruments.
After leaving TI, he became the CTO of several startups in the display field including LCOS device and Heads Up Displays. Today he is best known for his blog KGOnTech (www.kguttag.com) which discusses Augmented and Mixed reality displays and optics.
sellam ismail
The Long and Winding Road
Saturday @ 9:00am
For the first time, Vintage Computer Festival pioneer Sellam Ismail has come up with a way that you can keep track of your computer collection so that when the time comes you can pass without worrying about how your collecting will.
raymond jett
SMD Soldering Workshop
Sunday @ 10:30am
Learn surface mount soldering skills. 24 Kits are available and required for this workshop. They can be purchased Friday and Saturday at the Arcadecomponents.com table in the main hall.
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About Raymond:
Raymond started in the hobby back in 7th grade. Being the prototypical teen nerd, he spent too many hours at his local Radio Shack stores answering questions about parts while hanging out and shopping. For the past 17 years, he has run Arcadecomponents.com where he fixes arcade game and vintage computer logic boards, sells components online, and offers repair advice for folks doing their own work.
steve lewis
RS-232 Then and Now
Sunday @ 2:00pm
Sending a byte of data from one computer to another is something we take for granted today. RS-232 was a specification defined in 1963 to help standardize a means for machine to machine communication. But this specification borrowed concepts from many years earlier. This talk discusses the RS-232 relationship to 1870's Baudot telegraphs, 1920's teletypes, 1960's modems, and how this standard is still in use today.
About Steve:
Steve Lewis holds a Masters in Computer Engineering from the University of Florida. He is a Senior Software Engineer for Lockheed Martin with over 20 years experience in the aerospace defense industry, primarily supporting Advanced Product Development (ADP). Steve has had a passion for vintage computing ever since first finding an abandoned Commodore PET in a dumpster in 1988.
ian mavric
The System 80 (TRS-80 Clone) and the Japanese Model I
Saturday @ 9:00am
History lesson about lesser known TRS-80 Model I "compatible" and even lesser known TRS-80 Model I made in Japan.
About Ian:
Ian have been a TRS-80 enthusiast since the beginning and now supports all machines from the Model I up to MS-DOS Tandys. Hardware, software, repairs, restoration, accessories... if Ian doesn't know, it's not worth knowing. Working out of Melbourne, Australia many people have accessories by Ian to fix and upgrade their TRS-80 systems. He is in a unique position to talk about little-known (outside of Australia) the TRS-80 compatible known as the System 80 in Australia, Genie-I in Europe, and the PMC-80 in North America. As a bonus at the end of the talk a rare look at the Japanese TRS-80 Model I version never destined for release in the USA.
edwin nagle
Reviving Compute!'s Gazette Magazine after 35 Years
Friday @ 12:30pm
Edwin Nagle talks about the challenges and benefits of reviving Compute!'s Gazette Magazine after 35 years
About Edwin:
Edwin Nagle is the President and founder of COMPUTE! Publications, Inc., the company spearheading the revival of the iconic Compute!'s Gazette magazine. Driven by a deep-seated passion for the entire spectrum of 8-bit retro computing, encompassing beloved brands from that era, Nagle is leading the charge to bring back the publication for a new generation of enthusiasts.
His commitment to the world of classic computing has fueled the relaunch of Compute!'s Gazette, which is slated for July 2025. The revived magazine will broaden its original focus, embracing the diverse landscape of all 8-bit retro computing systems. Nagle envisions a monthly periodical, available in both print and digital formats, that is both nostalgic and relevant to modern enthusiasts across the global retro computing community.
boisy pitre
8-bit Brain Surgery
Saturday @ 2:00pm
A survey of two projects that replaced the 6502 from Atari A8 and Commodore 64 machines with a 6809 processor.
About Boisy:
Boisy is a long time retro computer enthusiast and author of the book “CoCo: the Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer “
keith sink
My Two Years with Clippy
Friday @ 3:30pm
This presentation is a history of Clippy and the Answer Wizard that started in Office 95. I will detail about the project and how the Answer Wizard worked. This presentation will demo samples of the other characters that made it into other geographical markets. I also talk about the pop culture influences in media.
About Boisy:
Keith Sink has been a part of the Northwest computer industry for over thirty years. He's had many experiences in the industry, including databases, game development, front-end and back-end design. Keith’s worked for Microsoft, a few dotcom startups, and a string of consulting companies. He retired from the computer industry as a Data Scientist and enjoys his time repairing and teaching about retro computers.
cory smith
Hands-On with QBasic Programming Workshop
Friday @ 1:30pm
Let's write some code... no previous experience necessary!
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BASIC: The First 10 Years
Sunday @ 10:30am
Before the personal computer revolution, before the introduction of the Altair... BASIC was already making great strides in democratizing computing; this conversation will be diving into events leading up to the birth of BASIC and following first 10 years before Bill Gates changed the world.
About Cory:
Cory Smith is a genuine fan of the BASIC computer language and software developer by profession using some variant of BASIC (for the most part) over the past 30 plus years.
zoe smith
Vintage Computing for Kids
Sunday @ 2:00pm
Hey kids! Did your parents force you to tag along with them here today? You may be asking yourself, "Why do they get to have all the fun?" Well, join me, 12-year-old Zoe Smith, vintage computing fan (with a special fondness for Macs), for a special presentation to get the word out to YOU (a kid) from, well, a kid! I'll show you why vintage computing is the best hobby for EVERYONE! I’ll try to include humor, some interactive elements, tons of cool facts, and more!! Get ready to experience fun, factual learning that should hopefully get you to love this fantastic hobby as much as I do!! And yes, adults are also welcomed and encouraged to participate.
About Zoe:
Zoe Smith is a twelve-year-old vintage computing nerd, thanks to her father, Cory Smith. She's just getting started in sharing her passion for the hobby.
michael stieb
The MiniDisc Experience - MDLife
Saturday @ 2:00pm
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Please join Michael (Gunner5), the organizer and founder of MDCon for their presentation on MiniDisc’s technology, history, and the current state of the format. We are learning and advancing the capabilities of MiniDisc at a rapid pace.
About Michael:
Michael (Gunner5) is the founder/organizer of MDCon. The purpose of which is "MDCon is dedicated to preserving and promoting MiniDisc technology through engaging, in-person gatherings around the world."
william tooker
Recompiling the Past - Building the Apple Lisa's OS from Scratch
Satuday @ 10:30am
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Alex and Will will talk about their efforts in building the Lisa OS from the source that was released by Apple in early 2023. They will cover the challenges posed by hardware and storage limitations, wading (or swimming) through an ocean of source code – around 800,000 lines over 1,300+ files – and the difficulty in building 40 year old Pascal source on the hardware it was intended to run on. They will provide a demonstration of what the build process looks like (with real Lisa Pascal code!) and highlight how LOS works at a fundamental level, along with some examples of the first practical patches to the OS since it was last officially released.
About Will:
Will is a systems architect (that knows just enough to be dangerous) who's had a lifelong obsession with the Macintosh... and now the Lisa. He has developed open-source versions of Lisa hardware, such as the CPU and RAM cards and a replacement PSU, and has been working on designing low-cost Mac/Lisa peripheral adapters for some of the less-common hardware out there.
david williams
Applesauce+ in your retro toolkit?
Saturday @ 10:30am
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A deep dive into the new Applesauce+ and related hardware and software. Find out how the Applesauce+ makes working with retro disks easier and faster than other systems. Diagnose disk drive issues, image old diskettes, write new ones, fix damaged disks, extract files for use on modern systems as well as converting image formats are just a few of the things you can do with the Applesauce+. Don't have the Applesauce or Applesauce+ hardware? You'll find out how the free Applesauce client software is still a useful and valuable tool in your retro toolkit.
About David:
David Williams has been programming since the days when ASR 33s with acoustic couplers where your main access point to the computer. He has worked on a wide range of software from DNA sequencing for the Human Genome Project to systems for the public safety market, oil and gas industry and even some video games. These days he is mainly focused on restoring old systems and archiving software and documentation.
hidemoto yamauchi
The brief history of Japanese PCs
Friday @ 12:30pm
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The Japanese Personal Computer has a unique history because of the Japanese Electronics industry and its need to support the Japanese language. This presentation covers the brief history of the Japanese PC industry, from the beginning, the single-board computer, to its downfall due to its adaptation of the IBM PC architecture. The presentation describes historical Japanese PCs such as NEC PC Series, Fujitsu FM Series, Hitachi Basic Master series, Sharp MZ series, X68k, and other notable PCs.
About Hidemoto:
Hidemoto Yamauchi started his personal computer experience with the NEC single-board computer in Akihabara Electronics District in Tokyo and has built his career as a Software Engineer in Japan and the United States. He enjoys writing code for both modern architecture and retro computers and building hardware.