In Mountain View, California, software engineer Josh Dersch dedicates his time to old computers. He works from his garage, aiming to revive machines from decades past. In his Seattle residence, he owns over 200 vintage computers and devices.
It’s always been fascinating to me to see the origins of things. It’s a fun challenge to debug and repair. You can understand the entire system from top to bottom.
– Josh Dersch
Dersch is part of a community focused on keeping vintage computers alive. These enthusiasts preserve machines like Atari, Commodore, and IBM models. While modern technology advances towards AI, these individuals save devices that paved the way for today’s gadgets.
Erik Klein, president of the Vintage Computer Federation, speaks on the increasing interest in computer history. This organization hosts annual events at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View.
This year, over 3,500 people attended a Vintage Computer Festival celebrating Apple’s 50th anniversary. The event included a panel discussion with Apple co-founders, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne.
Across multiple continents, similar festivals are emerging. Online marketplaces also see rising demand for vintage technology. Iconic items like the Apple-1 can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Showcasing Restored Technology
Collectors, such as Josh Dersch, exhibit restored systems at these events. Dersch presented a Xerox Alto at a festival, a significant component of his collection.
The Xerox Alto, created at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in the 1970s, is dubbed “the grandfather of the modern computer.” It moved beyond text-only displays, introducing the mouse and graphical user interface.
Dersch’s display included the Alto’s workstation with its distinct monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Attendees interacted with the machine, which featured data storage methods primitive by today’s standards.
It’s fun to share what I’ve done with people. It’s fun to share in what other people have done.
– Josh Dersch
For Erik Klein, his initial collection became overwhelming. At one point, he housed roughly 150 computer systems. To manage, he began paring down his collection.
Continued Expansion of the Community
Selling and giving away his systems, Klein now focuses on organizing events for enthusiasts. As president of the Vintage Computer Federation, he facilitates festivals, repair courses, and other activities.
Klein describes his mission as promoting the appreciation and preservation of vintage technology.
Sellam Ismail, who organized the first vintage computer festival in 1997, has seen the community’s evolution. Originally drawing 150 hobbyists, the movement now spans across the globe.
Ismail, who had a vast personal collection stored in a warehouse, co-founded the Vintage Computer Federation. In the US, Canada, Argentina, Germany, and Switzerland, the group nurtures the collector community.
The community grew up. More and more people started getting old computers, started collecting them.
– Sellam Ismail
As the Vintage Computer Federation approaches its 30th anniversary, they anticipate continued growth in their collector community.