MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated August 1, 2009



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy using antique/vintage computers.

Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists.  Our club's

legal name has an "Inc." on the end because we're incorporated as a non-profit

in New Jersey. However we do not yet have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer had the idea for a regional user group in the second half of 2004.

Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year.



3. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope.  That description just conveys where most of our members and activities

are concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and

D.C. -- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



4. So what does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group, we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore.  Currently our

museum occupies 850 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

at 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall Township, N.J., 07719.



5. InfoAge Science Center?  I never heard of that, either.



6. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s.  Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building.  There is a

very rich history here.  The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a recieving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, andthen was in private hands.  It

became a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s.  Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land.  Instead,

local historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge.  Now the campus is

on the National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places.  InfoAge

is also a Black History Site and had several other federal designations related

to its service before, during, and after WWII.  Public hours are Sunday 1pm to

4pm.  For more about the museum and campus history please visit www.infoage.org.



7. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours.  What's there?



Our museum has four permanent exhibits: "Computing @ Camp Evans" ("Camp Evans"

being the name of the campus during the Army Signal Corps days); Minicomputers;

Homebrew & Single-Board Computers; and Microcomputers.  Additional exhibits

devoted to our members' collections, our benefactor Dimitry Grabbe, and other

topics are expected to open late in 2009 or early in 2010.



8. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition.  Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are easy to restore and easy to replace if

necessary.  Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious effort.

We make every effort to have these computers available for our members' use and

to demonstrate them for visitors.



9. Sounds nice, but wouldn't a bigger space be even better?



Yes!  InfoAge will have a HUGE space for us in the (estimated) 2011 timeframe.

The details are still vague, but stay tuned ......



10. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff.  In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events.  Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of that hobbyist convention (the third VCF East event overall

because the first two were run by a different group in Boston) was in May 2006

at the InfoAge facility.  VCF East 4.0 was June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was Sept.

2008.  VCF East 6.0 is Sept. 12-13, 2009.



We also produce exhibits at other events such as the Trenton Computer Festival

(every April) and the HOPE (Hackers on Planet Earth) conference (every

even-numbered year in the summer, located in Manhattan) .... we also

participate in smaller events as the opportunities arise.  Finally, in addition

to the public Sunday hours, we open our museum in support of events from other

InfoAge organizations and for tours and appointments.



11. Okay, this all sounds interesting.  So by "antique/vintage" you mean my old

Pentium II?



No, we mean your old Altair, Apple II, Commodore, DEC PDP-11, Epson HX-20,

HP-1000, IBM PC, KIM-1... we could go through the alphabet a couple times

but we think you get the idea by now.  We're interested in truly antique

computers, not merely "used" computers.  Generally, we mean anything from WWII

through the mid-1980s.



12. I still don't get it.  Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places.  Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by

Michael Nadeau.  Or for non-micro aspects, go online.  Heck, go online anyway.

Check out the classiccmp.org mailing lists; the Vintage Computer Festival

(vintage.org); vintage-computer.com/vcforum, old-computers.com; and many, many,

many others.  (If you're interested in specific machines, just post your

question to our discussion list and we can refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating.  The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan

and Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and nearly 200 in our

Yahoo group.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing.  MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items.  We also have an annual

donation drive.  We ask that everyone give $20 per year, but it's not required.

Some people give nothing.  Others give more.  We appreciate every dollar

equally.  As of fall 2009 we also sell posters at the museum.  Sometimes we

also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. I have some other question not on this FAQ.



Okay.  Tell us what it is.  Do so again by posting to our message boards or

pinging me (evan@...) ... ask us anything, we're not shy!  (And moreover,

unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey.  All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance.  You'll be glad you did.  Also, if you

were wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about

how much better things used to be.  Quite the contrary: we're a lot of young

and mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much.  :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.



21. I noticed this FAQ is in 80 columns.



Ain’t it sweet?

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated August 1, 2009



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy using antique/vintage computers.

Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists.  Our club's

legal name has an "Inc." on the end because we're incorporated as a non-profit

in New Jersey. However we do not yet have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer had the idea for a regional user group in the second half of 2004.

Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year.



3. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope.  That description just conveys where most of our members and activities

are concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and

D.C. -- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



4. So what does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group, we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore.  Currently our

museum occupies 850 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

at 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall Township, N.J., 07719.



5. InfoAge Science Center?  I never heard of that, either.



6. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s.  Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building.  There is a

very rich history here.  The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a recieving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, andthen was in private hands.  It

became a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s.  Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land.  Instead,

local historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge.  Now the campus is

on the National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places.  InfoAge

is also a Black History Site and had several other federal designations related

to its service before, during, and after WWII.  Public hours are Sunday 1pm to

4pm.  For more about the museum and campus history please visit www.infoage.org.



7. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours.  What's there?



Our museum has four permanent exhibits: "Computing @ Camp Evans" ("Camp Evans"

being the name of the campus during the Army Signal Corps days); Minicomputers;

Homebrew & Single-Board Computers; and Microcomputers.  Additional exhibits

devoted to our members' collections, our benefactor Dimitry Grabbe, and other

topics are expected to open late in 2009 or early in 2010.



8. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition.  Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are easy to restore and easy to replace if

necessary.  Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious effort.

We make every effort to have these computers available for our members' use and

to demonstrate them for visitors.



9. Sounds nice, but wouldn't a bigger space be even better?



Yes!  InfoAge will have a HUGE space for us in the (estimated) 2011 timeframe.

The details are still vague, but stay tuned ......



10. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff.  In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events.  Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of that hobbyist convention (the third VCF East event overall

because the first two were run by a different group in Boston) was in May 2006

at the InfoAge facility.  VCF East 4.0 was June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was Sept.

2008.  VCF East 6.0 is Sept. 12-13, 2009.



We also produce exhibits at other events such as the Trenton Computer Festival

(every April) and the HOPE (Hackers on Planet Earth) conference (every

even-numbered year in the summer, located in Manhattan) .... we also

participate in smaller events as the opportunities arise.  Finally, in addition

to the public Sunday hours, we open our museum in support of events from other

InfoAge organizations and for tours and appointments.



11. Okay, this all sounds interesting.  So by "antique/vintage" you mean my old

Pentium II?



No, we mean your old Altair, Apple II, Commodore, DEC PDP-11, Epson HX-20,

HP-1000, IBM PC, KIM-1... we could go through the alphabet a couple times

but we think you get the idea by now.  We're interested in truly antique

computers, not merely "used" computers.  Generally, we mean anything from WWII

through the mid-1980s.



12. I still don't get it.  Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places.  Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by

Michael Nadeau.  Or for non-micro aspects, go online.  Heck, go online anyway.

Check out the classiccmp.org mailing lists; the Vintage Computer Festival

(vintage.org); vintage-computer.com/vcforum, old-computers.com; and many, many,

many others.  (If you're interested in specific machines, just post your

question to our discussion list and we can refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating.  The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan

and Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and nearly 200 in our

Yahoo group.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing.  MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items.  We also have an annual

donation drive.  We ask that everyone give $20 per year, but it's not required.

Some people give nothing.  Others give more.  We appreciate every dollar

equally.  As of fall 2009 we also sell posters at the museum.  Sometimes we

also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. I have some other question not on this FAQ.



Okay.  Tell us what it is.  Do so again by posting to our message boards or

pinging me (evan@...) ... ask us anything, we're not shy!  (And moreover,

unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey.  All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance.  You'll be glad you did.  Also, if you

were wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about

how much better things used to be.  Quite the contrary: we're a lot of young

and mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much.  :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.



21. I noticed this FAQ is in 80 columns.



Ain’t it sweet?

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated August 1, 2009



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy using antique/vintage computers.

Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists.  Our club's

legal name has an "Inc." on the end because we're incorporated as a non-profit

in New Jersey. However we do not yet have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer had the idea for a regional user group in the second half of 2004.

Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year.



3. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope.  That description just conveys where most of our members and activities

are concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and

D.C. -- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



4. So what does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group, we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore.  Currently our

museum occupies 850 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

at 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall Township, N.J., 07719.



5. InfoAge Science Center?  I never heard of that, either.



6. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s.  Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building.  There is a

very rich history here.  The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a recieving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, andthen was in private hands.  It

became a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s.  Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land.  Instead,

local historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge.  Now the campus is

on the National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places.  InfoAge

is also a Black History Site and had several other federal designations related

to its service before, during, and after WWII.  Public hours are Sunday 1pm to

4pm.  For more about the museum and campus history please visit www.infoage.org.



7. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours.  What's there?



Our museum has four permanent exhibits: "Computing @ Camp Evans" ("Camp Evans"

being the name of the campus during the Army Signal Corps days); Minicomputers;

Homebrew & Single-Board Computers; and Microcomputers.  Additional exhibits

devoted to our members' collections, our benefactor Dimitry Grabbe, and other

topics are expected to open late in 2009 or early in 2010.



8. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition.  Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are easy to restore and easy to replace if

necessary.  Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious effort.

We make every effort to have these computers available for our members' use and

to demonstrate them for visitors.



9. Sounds nice, but wouldn't a bigger space be even better?



Yes!  InfoAge will have a HUGE space for us in the (estimated) 2011 timeframe.

The details are still vague, but stay tuned ......



10. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff.  In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events.  Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of that hobbyist convention (the third VCF East event overall

because the first two were run by a different group in Boston) was in May 2006

at the InfoAge facility.  VCF East 4.0 was June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was Sept.

2008.  VCF East 6.0 is Sept. 12-13, 2009.



We also produce exhibits at other events such as the Trenton Computer Festival

(every April) and the HOPE (Hackers on Planet Earth) conference (every

even-numbered year in the summer, located in Manhattan) .... we also

participate in smaller events as the opportunities arise.  Finally, in addition

to the public Sunday hours, we open our museum in support of events from other

InfoAge organizations and for tours and appointments.



11. Okay, this all sounds interesting.  So by "antique/vintage" you mean my old

Pentium II?



No, we mean your old Altair, Apple II, Commodore, DEC PDP-11, Epson HX-20,

HP-1000, IBM PC, KIM-1... we could go through the alphabet a couple times

but we think you get the idea by now.  We're interested in truly antique

computers, not merely "used" computers.  Generally, we mean anything from WWII

through the mid-1980s.



12. I still don't get it.  Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places.  Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by

Michael Nadeau.  Or for non-micro aspects, go online.  Heck, go online anyway.

Check out the classiccmp.org mailing lists; the Vintage Computer Festival

(vintage.org); vintage-computer.com/vcforum, old-computers.com; and many, many,

many others.  (If you're interested in specific machines, just post your

question to our discussion list and we can refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating.  The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan

and Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and nearly 200 in our

Yahoo group.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing.  MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items.  We also have an annual

donation drive.  We ask that everyone give $20 per year, but it's not required.

Some people give nothing.  Others give more.  We appreciate every dollar

equally.  As of fall 2009 we also sell posters at the museum.  Sometimes we

also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. I have some other question not on this FAQ.



Okay.  Tell us what it is.  Do so again by posting to our message boards or

pinging me (evan@...) ... ask us anything, we're not shy!  (And moreover,

unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey.  All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance.  You'll be glad you did.  Also, if you

were wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about

how much better things used to be.  Quite the contrary: we're a lot of young

and mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much.  :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.



21. I noticed this FAQ is in 80 columns.



Ain’t it sweet?

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated August 1, 2009



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy using antique/vintage computers.

Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists.  Our club's

legal name has an "Inc." on the end because we're incorporated as a non-profit

in New Jersey. However we do not yet have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer had the idea for a regional user group in the second half of 2004.

Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year.



3. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope.  That description just conveys where most of our members and activities

are concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and

D.C. -- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



4. So what does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group, we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore.  Currently our

museum occupies 850 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

at 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall Township, N.J., 07719.



5. InfoAge Science Center?  I never heard of that, either.



6. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s.  Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building.  There is a

very rich history here.  The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a recieving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, andthen was in private hands.  It

became a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s.  Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land.  Instead,

local historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge.  Now the campus is

on the National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places.  InfoAge

is also a Black History Site and had several other federal designations related

to its service before, during, and after WWII.  Public hours are Sunday 1pm to

4pm.  For more about the museum and campus history please visit www.infoage.org.



7. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours.  What's there?



Our museum has four permanent exhibits: "Computing @ Camp Evans" ("Camp Evans"

being the name of the campus during the Army Signal Corps days); Minicomputers;

Homebrew & Single-Board Computers; and Microcomputers.  Additional exhibits

devoted to our members' collections, our benefactor Dimitry Grabbe, and other

topics are expected to open late in 2009 or early in 2010.



8. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition.  Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are easy to restore and easy to replace if

necessary.  Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious effort.

We make every effort to have these computers available for our members' use and

to demonstrate them for visitors.



9. Sounds nice, but wouldn't a bigger space be even better?



Yes!  InfoAge will have a HUGE space for us in the (estimated) 2011 timeframe.

The details are still vague, but stay tuned ......



10. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff.  In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events.  Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of that hobbyist convention (the third VCF East event overall

because the first two were run by a different group in Boston) was in May 2006

at the InfoAge facility.  VCF East 4.0 was June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was Sept.

2008.  VCF East 6.0 is Sept. 12-13, 2009.



We also produce exhibits at other events such as the Trenton Computer Festival

(every April) and the HOPE (Hackers on Planet Earth) conference (every

even-numbered year in the summer, located in Manhattan) .... we also

participate in smaller events as the opportunities arise.  Finally, in addition

to the public Sunday hours, we open our museum in support of events from other

InfoAge organizations and for tours and appointments.



11. Okay, this all sounds interesting.  So by "antique/vintage" you mean my old

Pentium II?



No, we mean your old Altair, Apple II, Commodore, DEC PDP-11, Epson HX-20,

HP-1000, IBM PC, KIM-1... we could go through the alphabet a couple times

but we think you get the idea by now.  We're interested in truly antique

computers, not merely "used" computers.  Generally, we mean anything from WWII

through the mid-1980s.



12. I still don't get it.  Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places.  Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by

Michael Nadeau.  Or for non-micro aspects, go online.  Heck, go online anyway.

Check out the classiccmp.org mailing lists; the Vintage Computer Festival

(vintage.org); vintage-computer.com/vcforum, old-computers.com; and many, many,

many others.  (If you're interested in specific machines, just post your

question to our discussion list and we can refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating.  The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan

and Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and nearly 200 in our

Yahoo group.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing.  MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items.  We also have an annual

donation drive.  We ask that everyone give $20 per year, but it's not required.

Some people give nothing.  Others give more.  We appreciate every dollar

equally.  As of fall 2009 we also sell posters at the museum.  Sometimes we

also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. I have some other question not on this FAQ.



Okay.  Tell us what it is.  Do so again by posting to our message boards or

pinging me (evan@...) ... ask us anything, we're not shy!  (And moreover,

unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey.  All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance.  You'll be glad you did.  Also, if you

were wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about

how much better things used to be.  Quite the contrary: we're a lot of young

and mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much.  :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.



21. I noticed this FAQ is in 80 columns.



Ain’t it sweet?

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated August 1, 2009



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy using antique/vintage computers.

Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists.  Our club's

legal name has an "Inc." on the end because we're incorporated as a non-profit

in New Jersey. However we do not yet have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer had the idea for a regional user group in the second half of 2004.

Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year.



3. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope.  That description just conveys where most of our members and activities

are concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and

D.C. -- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



4. So what does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group, we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore.  Currently our

museum occupies 850 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

at 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall Township, N.J., 07719.



5. InfoAge Science Center?  I never heard of that, either.



6. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s.  Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building.  There is a

very rich history here.  The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a recieving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, andthen was in private hands.  It

became a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s.  Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land.  Instead,

local historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge.  Now the campus is

on the National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places.  InfoAge

is also a Black History Site and had several other federal designations related

to its service before, during, and after WWII.  Public hours are Sunday 1pm to

4pm.  For more about the museum and campus history please visit www.infoage.org.



7. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours.  What's there?



Our museum has four permanent exhibits: "Computing @ Camp Evans" ("Camp Evans"

being the name of the campus during the Army Signal Corps days); Minicomputers;

Homebrew & Single-Board Computers; and Microcomputers.  Additional exhibits

devoted to our members' collections, our benefactor Dimitry Grabbe, and other

topics are expected to open late in 2009 or early in 2010.



8. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition.  Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are easy to restore and easy to replace if

necessary.  Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious effort.

We make every effort to have these computers available for our members' use and

to demonstrate them for visitors.



9. Sounds nice, but wouldn't a bigger space be even better?



Yes!  InfoAge will have a HUGE space for us in the (estimated) 2011 timeframe.

The details are still vague, but stay tuned ......



10. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff.  In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events.  Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of that hobbyist convention (the third VCF East event overall

because the first two were run by a different group in Boston) was in May 2006

at the InfoAge facility.  VCF East 4.0 was June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was Sept.

2008.  VCF East 6.0 is Sept. 12-13, 2009.



We also produce exhibits at other events such as the Trenton Computer Festival

(every April) and the HOPE (Hackers on Planet Earth) conference (every

even-numbered year in the summer, located in Manhattan) .... we also

participate in smaller events as the opportunities arise.  Finally, in addition

to the public Sunday hours, we open our museum in support of events from other

InfoAge organizations and for tours and appointments.



11. Okay, this all sounds interesting.  So by "antique/vintage" you mean my old

Pentium II?



No, we mean your old Altair, Apple II, Commodore, DEC PDP-11, Epson HX-20,

HP-1000, IBM PC, KIM-1... we could go through the alphabet a couple times

but we think you get the idea by now.  We're interested in truly antique

computers, not merely "used" computers.  Generally, we mean anything from WWII

through the mid-1980s.



12. I still don't get it.  Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places.  Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by

Michael Nadeau.  Or for non-micro aspects, go online.  Heck, go online anyway.

Check out the classiccmp.org mailing lists; the Vintage Computer Festival

(vintage.org); vintage-computer.com/vcforum, old-computers.com; and many, many,

many others.  (If you're interested in specific machines, just post your

question to our discussion list and we can refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating.  The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan

and Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and nearly 200 in our

Yahoo group.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing.  MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items.  We also have an annual

donation drive.  We ask that everyone give $20 per year, but it's not required.

Some people give nothing.  Others give more.  We appreciate every dollar

equally.  As of fall 2009 we also sell posters at the museum.  Sometimes we

also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. I have some other question not on this FAQ.



Okay.  Tell us what it is.  Do so again by posting to our message boards or

pinging me (evan@...) ... ask us anything, we're not shy!  (And moreover,

unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey.  All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance.  You'll be glad you did.  Also, if you

were wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about

how much better things used to be.  Quite the contrary: we're a lot of young

and mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much.  :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.



21. I noticed this FAQ is in 80 columns.



Ain’t it sweet?

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated August 1, 2009



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy using antique/vintage computers.

Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists.  Our club's

legal name has an "Inc." on the end because we're incorporated as a non-profit

in New Jersey. However we do not yet have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer had the idea for a regional user group in the second half of 2004.

Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year.



3. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope.  That description just conveys where most of our members and activities

are concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and

D.C. -- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



4. So what does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group, we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore.  Currently our

museum occupies 850 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

at 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall Township, N.J., 07719.



5. InfoAge Science Center?  I never heard of that, either.



6. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s.  Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building.  There is a

very rich history here.  The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a recieving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, andthen was in private hands.  It

became a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s.  Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land.  Instead,

local historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge.  Now the campus is

on the National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places.  InfoAge

is also a Black History Site and had several other federal designations related

to its service before, during, and after WWII.  Public hours are Sunday 1pm to

4pm.  For more about the museum and campus history please visit www.infoage.org.



7. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours.  What's there?



Our museum has four permanent exhibits: "Computing @ Camp Evans" ("Camp Evans"

being the name of the campus during the Army Signal Corps days); Minicomputers;

Homebrew & Single-Board Computers; and Microcomputers.  Additional exhibits

devoted to our members' collections, our benefactor Dimitry Grabbe, and other

topics are expected to open late in 2009 or early in 2010.



8. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition.  Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are easy to restore and easy to replace if

necessary.  Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious effort.

We make every effort to have these computers available for our members' use and

to demonstrate them for visitors.



9. Sounds nice, but wouldn't a bigger space be even better?



Yes!  InfoAge will have a HUGE space for us in the (estimated) 2011 timeframe.

The details are still vague, but stay tuned ......



10. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff.  In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events.  Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of that hobbyist convention (the third VCF East event overall

because the first two were run by a different group in Boston) was in May 2006

at the InfoAge facility.  VCF East 4.0 was June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was Sept.

2008.  VCF East 6.0 is Sept. 12-13, 2009.



We also produce exhibits at other events such as the Trenton Computer Festival

(every April) and the HOPE (Hackers on Planet Earth) conference (every

even-numbered year in the summer, located in Manhattan) .... we also

participate in smaller events as the opportunities arise.  Finally, in addition

to the public Sunday hours, we open our museum in support of events from other

InfoAge organizations and for tours and appointments.



11. Okay, this all sounds interesting.  So by "antique/vintage" you mean my old

Pentium II?



No, we mean your old Altair, Apple II, Commodore, DEC PDP-11, Epson HX-20,

HP-1000, IBM PC, KIM-1... we could go through the alphabet a couple times

but we think you get the idea by now.  We're interested in truly antique

computers, not merely "used" computers.  Generally, we mean anything from WWII

through the mid-1980s.



12. I still don't get it.  Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places.  Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by

Michael Nadeau.  Or for non-micro aspects, go online.  Heck, go online anyway.

Check out the classiccmp.org mailing lists; the Vintage Computer Festival

(vintage.org); vintage-computer.com/vcforum, old-computers.com; and many, many,

many others.  (If you're interested in specific machines, just post your

question to our discussion list and we can refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating.  The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan

and Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and nearly 200 in our

Yahoo group.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing.  MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items.  We also have an annual

donation drive.  We ask that everyone give $20 per year, but it's not required.

Some people give nothing.  Others give more.  We appreciate every dollar

equally.  As of fall 2009 we also sell posters at the museum.  Sometimes we

also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. I have some other question not on this FAQ.



Okay.  Tell us what it is.  Do so again by posting to our message boards or

pinging me (evan@...) ... ask us anything, we're not shy!  (And moreover,

unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey.  All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance.  You'll be glad you did.  Also, if you

were wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about

how much better things used to be.  Quite the contrary: we're a lot of young

and mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much.  :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.



21. I noticed this FAQ is in 80 columns.



Ain’t it sweet?

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 20011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.

MARCH frequently asked questions -- updated Feb. 27, 2012



1. What is MARCH?



MARCH is a user group for people who enjoy collecting, restoring, using, and

exhibiting antique/vintage computers. Our name is an acronym for Mid-Atlantic

Retro Computing Hobbyists. Our club's legal name has an "Inc." on the end

because we're incorporated as a non-profit in New Jersey. However we do not yet

have 501(c)3 tax status.



2. Cool, I have some old-school Pentium IIs, and even a 486!



Sorry, but that's not what we do. By "antique/vintage" we mean things that are

far more historic. We start (with some exceptions) at the mid-1980s early GUI

systems, go into early-1980s/late-1970s 8-bit microcomputers, back into

mid-1970s homebrew kits and single-board computers, then find our way into

1970s/1960s minicomputers when "mini" meant as big as a desk or refridgerator.

Finally, we're into mainframes of the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, we also focus

on all sorts of books/magazines, cultural artifacts, I/O devices (teletypes,

terminals) peripherals, software, storage hardware (keypunches, magnetic/paper

tape, etc.), and everything from this realm. Not counting mathematical tools

such as a slide rule, our oldest computer artifact is an IBM 082 punch card

sorter, from 1948.



3. I'm a nerd and live somewhere between Connecticut and Virginia, yet I never

heard of you before.



Andy Meyer reiterated his idea for a regional user group in the second half of

2004. Evan Koblentz started the Yahoo discussion group

(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/) in the beginning of 2005.

MARCH became a legal entity later that year. Our expertise is technical, but

we're not so good at marketing. Please help!



4. So I have to live in the Mid-Atlantic part of the U.S. to join?



Nope. That description just conveys where most of our members and activities are

concentrated -- in the scalene triangle between Hartford, Pittsburgh, and D.C.

-- but people from beyond these areas are certainly welcome to join us.



5. What does MARCH actually do?



In addition to the busy discussion list at our Yahoo group (more than 20,000

messages over six years and virtually no spam!), we also operate a

bricks-and-mortar computer museum on the New Jersey shore. Currently our museum

occupies almost 1,500 sq. ft. in a wing of the InfoAge Science Center, located

in Wall Township, New Jersey



6. InfoAge Science Center? What's that?



7. InfoAge is a relatively new museum and 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its

construction began in the late 1990s and it opened in a "beta" mode in the

mid-2000s. Its facility is a whole campus, not just one building. There is a

very rich history here. The campus was built by the Marconi America Wireless

Telegraphy Co. as a receiving station in 1912, was used as a communications

laboratory by the U.S. Navy during WWI, and then was in private hands. It became

a U.S. Army Signal Corps R&D lab just before WWII and remained so until

the 1990s. Congress decided to close the lab and sell the land. Instead, local

historians recognized its history and formed InfoAge. Now the campus is on the

National Parks Service's National Register of Historic Places. InfoAge is also a

Black History Site and had several other federal designations related to its

service before, during, and after WWII. Public hours are Sunday from 1pm to 5pm

and other times by appointment. For more about the museum and campus history

please visit www.infoage.org.



8. Okay, so back to this computer museum of yours. What's there?



Our museum has five exhibits: Mainframes, minicomputers, homebrew-era computers,

business microcomputers, and consumer microcomputers. We have many ideas for

more exhibits, and we plan to implement those ideas just as soon as we move from

our current space on campus into a larger building next door. That could happen

in another year or so.



9. Do the computers just sit there or can I use them?



We strive to restore our systems to operational condition. Some computers,

especially the microcomputers, are relatively easy to restore and easy to

replace if necessary. Others, such as our minicomputers, require a more serious

effort. We make every effort to have these computers available for our members'

use and to demonstrate them for visitors.



10. Can I help restore the computers?



Yes! Join our group, get to know us, and volunteer to help out.



11. What else does MARCH do?



Lots of fun stuff. In addition to our discussion list and our museum, we also

host special events. Our flagship event is the Vintage Computer Festival East.

Our first edition of this hobbyist convention was VCF East 3.0, in 2006, because

the first two editions were run by a different organization. VCF East 4.0 was in

June 2007; VCF East 5.0 was in Sept. 2008, VCF East 6.0 was in Sept. 2009, and

VCF East 7.0 was in May 2011. The next edition, VCF East 8.0, is scheduled for

May 5-6, 2012 -- details are frequently updated at

http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ and at http://wwww.facebook.com/vcfeast8.



We also produce smaller exhibits at other events such HOPE (Hackers on Planet

Earth conference), NJ Science & Engineering Festival, Philadelphia Science

Carnival, Trenton Computer Festival, and World Maker Faire. In addition, we have

social events, tech days, museum days, a winter party, etc.



12. I still don't get it. Where can I learn more about what's antique/vintage?



Many places. Pick up a copy of the book "Collectible Microcomputers" by Michael

Nadeau. Or for non-micro aspects, go online. Heck, go online anyway. Check out

the classiccmp.org mailing lists; vintage-computer.com/vcforum,

old-computers.com; and many, many, many others.  (If you're interested in

specific machines, just post your question to our discussion list and we can

refer you to the best sites.)



13. What's behind the scenes of this wacky endeavor?



We have some de facto officers; an official set of bylaws and all that boring

stuff is being worked on... we're just so busy having fun that we keep

procrastinating. The officers are myself (Evan Koblentz - prez), Bill Degnan and

Andy Meyer (VPs), and Justin Jernigan (treasurer).



14. Members?  Is it like just you and two buddies?



We're much bigger than that!  We have dozens of members, and around 300 people

in our Yahoo group. Our youngest member is an 18-year-old college freshman who

was valedictorian of his high school and received a major university scholarship

to study computer science. Our oldest member is in his 80s and remains active in

robot hacking and computer programming.



15. What's it cost to join?



Nothing. MARCH membership is free (as in beer).



16. So how do you fund the club?



Our primary fundraiser is the Vintage Computer Festival East, during which we

sell tickets, exhibit space, and various items. We also have an annual donation

drive. Sometimes we also rent artifacts for use at film/television props.



17. Can I make a donation of artifacts or funds?



Yes! Contact us first, and we'll make arrangements. Info is in the very next

question of this FAQ.



17. I have a question.



Okay. Reach out to us! Do so by posting to our message boards or pinging me

(evan@... / phone: 646-546-9999) ... ask us anything, we're not shy! (And

moreover, unlike some computer clubs, we're not cliquey. All are welcome here!)



18. What else should I know before diving in to MARCH?



If you're a nerd who thinks really old computers and their related technologies

were cool, then give MARCH a chance. You'll be glad you did. Also, if you were

wondering, we're NOT a bunch of old farts who sit around and whine about how

much better things used to be. Quite the contrary: we're a bunch of young and

mid-life farts who ... ooooh maybe we said too much. :)



19. What is your web site?



We're at www.midatlanticretro.org.



20. Why does your web site suck?



Its simplicity is by design.