I’ve wanted an Apple Lisa since I first set eyes on one around 1994 in my middle school library. I was studying there with a class when I spotted an exotic-looking Apple machine sitting on a cart across the room. After puzzling for a bit, I realized that it must be an Apple Lisa, an almost mythical machine that I had read about in The Journey is the Reward, but I had never even seen a picture of until then.

I had already been collecting computers for at least two years when I saw the machine, and I was always on the lookout for more additions to my collection. I had heard of a little-known machine called the “Lisa” that Apple released somewhere between the Apple III and the Macintosh, but I had never seen or used one. So when I spotted the Lisa in the library that day, it was an epiphany to me — the Apple story was vividly coming together in my brain. Knowing that the Lisa (a Lisa 2, as it turned out) in the school library was obsolete, I feared that the librarians wouldn’t know what to do with it and would throw it away. I had to take action, but I was painfully shy, and I was only about thirteen or fourteen years old. I was afraid to ask them about the computer because I figured they wouldn’t take me seriously. So I convinced my mother (the best mom ever) to drive back to the library after school and ask the librarians if we could buy the Lisa from them. The librarians had to decline the offer, since it had been donated to the library and was property of the county school system. Sadly, I fear that the Lisa in the library probably met a nasty fate not too long after that incident — a victim of short-sighted middle school bureaucracy.

[ Continue reading The Apple Lisa: My Holy Grail, Attained » ]

I’m leaving for California today to attend VCF 9.0, or more properly, the ninth iteration of the Vintage Computer Festival. It’s taking place at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California (home of Google and other cool tech companies). As a result of my trip, regular posts will be thin in the coming week or so, but I hope to be reporting on the going-ons at the festival if I get a chance. If nothing else, I should be able to post a full write-up of my Silicon Valley adventure when I get back.

Maybe I’ll see you there. If you spot a weird, squirrelly-looking guy with a handlebar mustache, neon-pink jumpsuit, and a gigantic sombrero swaggering around, you’ll know it’s me.

One year ago today, I posted my first entry on Vintage Computing and Gaming. Little did I know at the time that it would be the start of something that would grow much faster and larger than I could have ever expected.

I started this site because I wanted to share my love of vintage computers and video games with the world. As it turned out, the world shared its love back, and it did so quite generously. What started as a personal project and blog became nothing less than a quasi-magazine nearly overnight, with all-new, original features published regularly, but on a quality over quantity basis. I personally try to ensure that every article that appears on VC&G is high quality and unique. The results of my efforts have spoken for themselves in the form of an active, steadily increasing readership. We still have plenty of room to grow, however, so the most exciting times for VC&G are still ahead of us. I know there are plenty of untapped vintage computer and “retrogaming” enthusiasts out there, so anything you do to spread the word about VC&G is incredibly appreciated.

It’s always a joy to gain new readers because the community that has gathered around VC&G over the past year is a generous, friendly, insightful, intelligent, and positive one that I am extremely proud to call my own. You guys are great, and every time you post a comment, it honestly makes my day. As long as you folks keep reading and sharing your passions with others, I’ll keep writing new articles for you to enjoy.

Thank you so much for reading my words — and the words of our contributors — for these last twelve months. With your support, I hope to be writing a similarly positive statement around this time next year…and for many years to come. Thanks again, and happy birthday VC&G! — RedWolf

[ Editor’s Note: Eric Lambert recently sent me this creepy computer-related poem which he wrote a few years ago. While not exclusively “vintage” in nature, I thought you guys might enjoy it in the spirit of Halloween. ]

The Spam
by Eric Lambert
With apologies to E.A. Poe

And the spam-mail, never ceasing, still is creeping, slowly creeping
To my email box, on my server, on my LAN;
And their words have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming.
And the link lights slowly blinking shine their light upon my floor;
And my inbox from out that shadow that comes creeping on my network
Shall be lifted—nevermore!

With Halloween only three days away, it’s getting quite late in the game to figure out what you’re going to dress up as this year. Here to the rescue, as always, is VC&G with the second of two parts on last-minute Halloween costume ideas. The first part dealt with vintage computer-related costumes. This second part deals exclusively with video game-related costumes. So if you’re desperate for some ideas, feel free to take a look what we’ve cooked up for you below. And by all means, share any of your own ideas with us as well.

Special thanks to Matt of Video Game Obsession for providing the Urban Champion and 3-D World Runner scans used below.

[ Continue reading VC&G’s Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas: Video Game Edition » ]

Matt Groves, a regular reader of VC&G, is hosting a vintage gaming contest with an innovative concept called “Name Those Pixels.” He’s selected an excerpt from a NES game’s graphics in the form of a square block of pixels (pictured to the right). Your job is to guess which game the pixels came from. The winner of the contest will be selected randomly from all the correct entries and will receive a copy of Dr. Mario for the NES as a prize. If all goes well, he could be hosting more contests like this on VC&G in the future. To enter the contest, visit his site and send him an email. Good luck!