Madrobby
Experienced Member
Hi there!
I’m originally from Vienna, Austria but I live in rural Pennsylvania now, in Bucks county. It’s quite the change from a European city that’s been there for thousands of years to 10 acres in the American countryside (a tale for another time!). :D
I’ve started collecting computer stuff when I was little, but unfortunately due to multiple moves and life happening lost almost everything from back then (80s/90s stuff). I intermittently started to collect again in the early 2000s but this year the collecting bug truly hit me, helped by a visit to VCF East where I found many a kindred spirit.
Right now, I’m trying to find and reconstruct some computers from my past, which is really enjoyable when finally find some part you’ve looking for a while, but also frustrating because many things that are commonplace in Europe were never sold in the US...
My first computer back in the 80s was, rather not typical for the times, a Commodore PC-10 with 256k memory and an MDA “graphics” card that came to me via my cousin who interned at a computer store, and he ended up not really wanting it. This machine, as lackluster as it was, sparked my interest in computers, and set me on a career path as a programmer and later owner of a software company.
I do miss the times when you could actually fully understand each individual component of a computer, and how they all work together. Early computers provide a fascinating glimpse into human ingenuity, the personalities of their creators and the times and circumstances that led them to be built in the first place.
One particular field of interest of mine, amplified by an exhibit at VCF East, is computers that sort of live a double life; combining multiple different architectures, like the Commodore SuperPET, the C-128 or Apple’s DOS compatibles (what else should I look at, let me know your suggestions about your favorite computer chimeras!)
Anyhow, thank you VCF for having me and letting me part of this shared interest of preserving, collecting and first and foremost enjoying old computers!
-Thomas
I’m originally from Vienna, Austria but I live in rural Pennsylvania now, in Bucks county. It’s quite the change from a European city that’s been there for thousands of years to 10 acres in the American countryside (a tale for another time!). :D
I’ve started collecting computer stuff when I was little, but unfortunately due to multiple moves and life happening lost almost everything from back then (80s/90s stuff). I intermittently started to collect again in the early 2000s but this year the collecting bug truly hit me, helped by a visit to VCF East where I found many a kindred spirit.
Right now, I’m trying to find and reconstruct some computers from my past, which is really enjoyable when finally find some part you’ve looking for a while, but also frustrating because many things that are commonplace in Europe were never sold in the US...
My first computer back in the 80s was, rather not typical for the times, a Commodore PC-10 with 256k memory and an MDA “graphics” card that came to me via my cousin who interned at a computer store, and he ended up not really wanting it. This machine, as lackluster as it was, sparked my interest in computers, and set me on a career path as a programmer and later owner of a software company.
I do miss the times when you could actually fully understand each individual component of a computer, and how they all work together. Early computers provide a fascinating glimpse into human ingenuity, the personalities of their creators and the times and circumstances that led them to be built in the first place.
One particular field of interest of mine, amplified by an exhibit at VCF East, is computers that sort of live a double life; combining multiple different architectures, like the Commodore SuperPET, the C-128 or Apple’s DOS compatibles (what else should I look at, let me know your suggestions about your favorite computer chimeras!)
Anyhow, thank you VCF for having me and letting me part of this shared interest of preserving, collecting and first and foremost enjoying old computers!
-Thomas
