I very recently stumbled onto VCF and am really glad that I did!
I've used computers, personally and professionally, since probably early 1980. My first machine was a Tandy, I believe, but before long I upgraded to something with two 5.25" floppies, which I thought was the greatest thing ever. In 2000, after an update-gone-sideways crashed my Win 2000 machine, I did an internet search for 'alternate operating systems' and came across this thing called Linux. I dove right into the deep end of Linux, use it to this day and may well never use anything else.
I never gave that much thought to vintage computing until a couple of weeks ago, when I walked into a local thrift store and there sat a really old IBM keyboard and monitor. Since I like antiques anyway I went ahead and picked up both for $15.00, not thinking that much about it. Got home, did a little research, and it turned out that I had a Model F keyboard and a Model 5153 monitor. Further research introduced me to the world of vintage computing and the VCF.
The monitor seems to work fine. I've deep cleaned the keyboard and everything was good except for rust on the springs, which I removed with, of all things, white vinegar (so I'm in the market for a new set of springs...). I didn't have a way to test it so I figured, if I have the keyboard and monitor, I might as well get the rest of it and found a pretty decent Model 5150 with one floppy, one 15MB hard drive and and 165W PSU on eBay. Of course I then had to get a Model M for my daily driver and an IBM KB-3923 simply because I wanted to (that's the nice thing about being retired, you have the time to do things just because you want to).
I don't know how much I'll be able to get into vintage computing because I've already got computer equipment everywhere but I always look forward to reading, learning, contributing when I can and knowing when I can't. I've dealt with some really nice people to get the equipment I do have and I strongly suspect I'll have a great time on the VCF!
I've used computers, personally and professionally, since probably early 1980. My first machine was a Tandy, I believe, but before long I upgraded to something with two 5.25" floppies, which I thought was the greatest thing ever. In 2000, after an update-gone-sideways crashed my Win 2000 machine, I did an internet search for 'alternate operating systems' and came across this thing called Linux. I dove right into the deep end of Linux, use it to this day and may well never use anything else.
I never gave that much thought to vintage computing until a couple of weeks ago, when I walked into a local thrift store and there sat a really old IBM keyboard and monitor. Since I like antiques anyway I went ahead and picked up both for $15.00, not thinking that much about it. Got home, did a little research, and it turned out that I had a Model F keyboard and a Model 5153 monitor. Further research introduced me to the world of vintage computing and the VCF.
The monitor seems to work fine. I've deep cleaned the keyboard and everything was good except for rust on the springs, which I removed with, of all things, white vinegar (so I'm in the market for a new set of springs...). I didn't have a way to test it so I figured, if I have the keyboard and monitor, I might as well get the rest of it and found a pretty decent Model 5150 with one floppy, one 15MB hard drive and and 165W PSU on eBay. Of course I then had to get a Model M for my daily driver and an IBM KB-3923 simply because I wanted to (that's the nice thing about being retired, you have the time to do things just because you want to).
I don't know how much I'll be able to get into vintage computing because I've already got computer equipment everywhere but I always look forward to reading, learning, contributing when I can and knowing when I can't. I've dealt with some really nice people to get the equipment I do have and I strongly suspect I'll have a great time on the VCF!
