Retro fairs: 5800 guests celebrate computer culture
In October, the Retro Computer Festival and Amiga 40, two of the largest retro computing events in Germany, took place. A brief analysis.
(Image: Markus Will)
Retro computing is in: This was demonstrated in October by the Retro Computer Festival (RCF) on October 12th and 13th at the Heinz Nixdorf Museumsforum (HNF) with 3700 visitors. A week later, the Amiga40 at the NewBox in Mönchengladbach followed with over 2100 paying visitors. Thus, over two weekends, more than 5800 visitors could inform themselves about the retro scene at the two largest events of their kind.
While the RCF was generally dedicated to retro computing of all systems, the Amiga40 – as the name suggests – celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Commodore Amiga. Both events share the commitment to preserving old computer culture and inspiring people for retro gaming.
And this is also necessary: According to a 2023 study states that 87% of old games are no longer available and therefore threatened by oblivion. Besides the availability of computer games, retro computers themselves are also in danger of disappearing at some point.
An active retro scene is fighting against this and keeping the old computers alive. And it's not just nostalgia. A brief analysis of retro computing based on the two events.
Videos by heise
Retro Feeling with Various Systems
At the Retro Computer Festival (jointly organized by Dortmunder Retro Computer Treffen (DoReCo) and the Heinz Nixdorf Museumsforum (the largest computer museum in the world)), retro computers and IT technology from all eras were exhibited. For the fourth edition, the rule was: if the computers were still functional and connected to a monitor, you could usually use them. In addition to many Amigas and C64s, some curiosities and collector's items also found their way into the exhibition. At the free admission event, all generations were present, from toddlers to retirees.
(Image:Â Markus Will)
Henry Westphal from TU Berlin presented two special exhibits: A calculator named Space Age 3, built by computer science students themselves. They learned the fundamental structure of such a system and how it works can be understood using the object.
Another system was the demonstrator for the SPACE AGE 3-V tube calculator, which works with BAV21 diodes and E92CC tubes and can also perform simple calculations. The classic design made it easy to understand how the technology was built in the past. There was also a lot of voltage, which is why the back of both devices was widely secured with plexiglass against accidental contact.
The next rarity was the HP 85 with a pen plotter HP 7470A, which could be used to put technical drawings on paper, as demonstrated with a 3D drawing of the Space Shuttle. DDR technology was introduced to visitors with the "TV-Spiel": the Pong clone was the only TV console developed in the GDR. Surrounded by many exhibited Eastern Bloc home computers, which often were only for display, it could also be played. A series of computers from the GDR manufacturer Robotron were also operational on site.
Terminals and Self-Built Computers in Use
Even the classic video display terminal LSI ADM (referred to in advertisements as an acronym for "American Dream Machine") with a 12-inch screen and 80-character display could be used as it was back then. The Imsai 8080 replica, modeled after the 1975 kit computer of the same name, also exuded the charm of the 1970s. The original Imsai featured an Intel 8080 processor and was fully compatible with the famous MITS Altair 8800. An Imsai 8080 was used in the cult film "Wargames".
At Amiga40, 55 exhibitors from various countries were present. What began 10 years ago as a one-day Amiga party in the foyer of the Neuss State Theater grew in its 6th edition to become the largest Amiga event worldwide.
Impressionen der Amiga40 in Mönchengladbach (27 Bilder)
From museums showcasing their Amiga history treasures, to game developers presenting their projects or finished games, to book publishers, fanzines, and hardware manufacturers, Amiga users found everything their heart desired. But those looking for original hardware also found what they were looking for: those with a larger budget could even take an Amiga home, while bargain hunters rummaged through various game tables and joystick grab bags.
Lorraine: Mother of all Amigas
The greatest rarity was a prototype: the Lorraine computer. To the uninformed, it looked like a maker project with some circuit boards and a keyboard in a self-built wooden case, but it made connoisseurs' hearts beat faster: the Amiga prototype amazed people at CES 1984 with its graphics and sound capabilities. The revolutionary custom chips were still replicated on perfboard and TTL components. Amiga developer Dale Luck had brought it – computer history to touch. However, Lorraine was no longer functional: the already fragile and error-prone structure would not work after so many years; even the builders would have difficulty getting it running again after 40 years.
(Image:Â Markus Will)
Other curiosities included prototypes like a pre-production model of the Amiga 1000 or the Amiga 1500 – an Amiga 2000 with a standard second drive, intended to secure the name.
It is also trendy to equip historical devices with modern extensions to unlock new functions or more speed. For example, at the RCF, an Apple IIc played "Fujitzee" online against an Atari 800XL – a clone of the popular dice game Yahtzee. This is made possible by the software Fuji.net, which equips 8-bit devices with functions such as online access via special adapters.
Doom Fast on the Commodore 64
A special eye-catcher was a Commodore 64 running Doom – but as one would expect from more powerful computers. This is made possible by the RAD expansion, which together with a Raspberry Pi 3A+/B+ or Zero 2 takes over certain functionalities, such as processor performance. But beware: The hardware must be precisely synchronized with the computer's clock; otherwise, damage may occur. The Amiga expansion PiStorm pursues a similar principle: Here a Raspberry Pi 3A+ along with special hardware acts like an Amiga turbo card.
What was seen at both events was the mix into the present: Those who didn't place absolute value on originality equipped their computers with a more modern flat-screen monitor. Besides advantages in carrying, this also has a pragmatic reason: It is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain functional CRT monitors for the decades-old devices.
At both events, modified retro computers were also seen: A particularly bizarre idea was the Wrectrex: a broken Vectrex, the console released in 1982 with a vector display. It was therefore combined with an upright IBM5151 monitor with a defective flyback transformer. The result was a Vectrex that may not be entirely original but is very unique.
Impressionen der Amiga40 in Mönchengladbach (0 Bilder)
Visitors who didn't want to deal with retro tinkering could also try out mini versions of retro devices. Furthermore, during Amiga40, the delivery date for the full-size clone of the Amiga 1200, to be named TheA1200, was announced: It is expected to be released in June 2026 and cost around 190 euros with 25 games.
But to reawaken old passions of the past, the organizers of both retro events also set up a repair corner: soldering experts examined old hardware treasures and repaired them free of charge, if it was possible on the spot. With the repair or with the tips and tricks, the retro fever was ignited for some.
This is only a brief summary of the exhibited devices. Both events proved that the retro scene is diverse: both were not only about preserving and remembering computer culture of the past, but the scene showed with numerous new releases that it is very much alive.
(mawi)
