We attend the Vintage Computer Festival (VCF East 2024)

We had a great time at VCF East, the annual vintage computer exhibit in Wall, New Jersey. Carl was showing off an IBM 1130 he just restored, and we had a round table about the Apollo Guidance Computer restoration. But there is more: the Vintage Computer Federation museum with its working UNIVAC, a military technology museum, and even a prototype AGC!

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[vcv]

As a 40 year EE I really enjoyed the tour of Bell Labs, I'd no idea it was such an impressive building. Thanks for adding the side trip.

[chutipascal]

The 1130 is gorgeous, congratulations to Carl!

[matthewrichardson]

Carl! He is looking good, Florida obviously agrees with him! Good to see the gang back together

[warup]

I need to go to that museum, it has vintage electronics, vintage military, and model trains..Just wow!

[SubTroppo]

13:05 Who wouldn't want a "Cowculator"? All those knobs to twiddle and in a very smart brief case.

[juanmacias]

Wait...! Did Apple's TV show "Severance" use Bell Labs as a backdrop!? The inside of the building, and the water tower look remarkably similar! Just googled it, apparently so! Great show, if anyone hasn't checked it out lol

[ksbs]

Wow, fantastic. That's the first time a museum tour has given me goosebumps! Thanks Marc and Crew. Your antics are pure pleasure for this old tech guy :-)

[vincei]

Very nice walk down memory lane, especially the visit to your office! My former boss who is in his late 80's now pinged me and asked to come to an old timers get together in New York. As I hadn't seen him in quite a few years I jumped at the chance. It was great to catch up with all the old faces and reminisce. The highlight of the day was being taken around the gigantic site that we occupied in Tarrytown, New York, now owned by Siemens. Walking all the labs and the show rooms was quite nostalgic even though the name of the company changed 20 years ago when I left to other things. The biggest shock for me was being taken to the lab where I worked to find that 20 years later and through the acquisition of the firm by Siemens AND so many new faces, that my name was still on my office door. All of us were shocked by that including my boss. I don't know how that happened but I just had to take a picture of it an share it with my friends who thought it was hilarious. All the people that have had that office just never bothered even though all the old names on other offices were gone. Thanks for the tour!

[bradnelson]

Thanks for taking us along on your tour, Marc.

[ForgottenMachines]

6:39 "Are those LEDs"? "No, No...I went back to incandescent because I couldn't get LEDs to look right". Yea, Carl! We feel the same way in all of our blinkenlight machine restorations, in particular, the Data General Nova 1200 & 800 machines!

[lelabodemichel]

I love the electro-mechanical computer at 13:25. Bonne visite Marc!

[inothome]

That's great you got to go in to the Cape Canaveral Space Force museum. So much awesome stuff there and lots of history with the three pads there. My last time there, about a year ago, they still were not letting in the general public, I was there since I was working at KSC.

[compu]

Glad you guys had a good time at VCF East! I couldn't make it this year - but I'll hope to bump into you at VCF West this year! :)
BTW - David, who had the PDP and Plotter demo, is also the designer of the MFM Emulator!

[rjones]

Can't believe I missed this show (and your visit there)! I too worked at the Holmdel building in the late 90's, 'k' isle (on one end of the building). Super cold in the winter. In the early 90's Bell labs was all over the place - I was in the nearby Middletown building, now part of AT&T labs I think - itself a spin off of Bell Labs after the Lucent split.

[darrenerickson]

One of the (even) more impressive videos you’ve shared. I so have to go to VCF Midwest. 😅

[tomslaight]

Wow. I'd have loved to have been there to see VCF. Very impressive displays and restorations, with even more impressive efforts behind them. Great to see the Holmdel building again, too. It looks like Bell Works has been doing a terrific job with their stewardship. I left there in '91. Yeah, it's huge. It used to take me 20 minutes to walk to the cafeteria from my office. I imagine they probably gutted all the desks and furniture out of the offices, but it would be something to see if any of the offices were preserved. I recall someone telling me that the office furniture was all special-built by Steelcase to AT&T/Saarinen specification. The office furnishings were all very egalitarian - except for the furnishings in the executive office suites tucked into the top floor of the northwest corner that were filled with exotic hardwood paneling and 3/4 inch deep cut-pile carpeting.

[lucianchauvin]

Just realised this is the office that represents Lumon in severance! So cool.

[Petertronic]

Wow, amazing to see these machines kept operational. Loved the video.

[DavePKW]

I look forward to the future videos of your road trip. I really enjoy them. Thank you so much.

[yatapaws]

these videos make me so happy to watch through!! thank you!!