Tag: QFest

Time flies…

I’m not getting to post here as frequently as I’d like to – real life really does get in the way. Looking for and starting a new job, having an 11yo living with us now, renovations, shopping for a new car (so many EV considerations!)…it all adds up so quickly!

That said, later this month (22 July), I will be hosting WOzFest 30! It’s hard to believe we’re up to 30+ gatherings (some minor ones between mainline ones) over the last 8+ years.

Attendee numbers have waxed and waned, but my enthusiasm has not – it’s still a lot of fun to just dedicate a day to not just my Apple ][‘s, but those of attendees (and virtual attendees – Steve in Brisbane is again simulcasting QFest on the same day) several times a year.

I recently scored four (yes, four!) europlus lids on eBay, which I’ll be allocating to my machines on the day, not sure what other work I’ll get to, but I’m sure we’ll have a ball.

We’ll also be trying to setup a video hookup with KFest 2023.

I retrospectively (is doing something on the day retrospective?) dubbed WOzFest 28 (held on 1 April) “WOzFest 28 Apple Fool’s Day“, and WOzFest 29 was held on 20 May 2023 – we had a good time mucking around with our gear, as always, and enjoyed the cider and pizza.

I had the pleasure of meeting (and hosting for a mini gathering after WOzFest 28) Ken Gagne, editor of Juiced.GS (amongst many other accolades) when he visited downunder. As my son is wont to say of good kids everywhere, “he’s a good kid”, and it really was a pleasure to shoot the breeze with him and show him some local sights.

I’m also excited that late October 2023 will see the return of Oz Kfest – the first one in 6 years.

The plan is to gather at the old Portland School of Arts just west of the Blue Mountains. The old SoA is the future site of local Apple über-enthusiast Adrian’s Apple museum. Adrian is also President of the Australian Computer Museum Society (see June 2023 Juiced.GS), which I volunteer for (as do many WOzFest attendees).

The last Oz Kfest, Oz Kfest 2017, still feels so recent in so many ways – it’s going to be great to catch up with some of my old Apple ][ friends who haven’t been able to get to WOzFests over the last few years.

But I do have to say, it won’t be the same without Tony, who attended Oz Kfests 2015 and 2017 and a few WOzFests (including WOzFest-1 in April 2015 immediately after Oz Kfest 2015). Gonna miss ya, mate.

But life relentlessly moves on, and I know Oz Kfest attendees are going to have a blast, just as Tony would want it to be.

QFest 18 Announcement

SteveK in Brisbane has now confirmed he’ll be able to host a QFest to coincide with WOzFest 18 – hooray!

Not only that, he’s done the upgrade and got the quintessential mini-Australian-Apple ][-Fest infrastructure for use by attendees – a table tennis table!

Because of timezone differences, QFest 18 will be starting at 02:00 UTC (WOzFest 18 will be starting at 01:00 UTC), but we’ll stream with them as soon as they’re up and running at WOzFest TV.

Food and other refreshments will be provided by Steve (what a champ!), but registrations are essential – reach out to me or comment here if you would like to register.

Despite COVID-19, this is going to be a bumper WOzFest year, and I hope our Northern friends can keep up the pace!

Apple ][ Forever!

Australia’s April Retro-Extravaganza

UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, I unfortunately have to postpone WOzFest 12:00 – the new date is Saturday 25 May 2019, all other details remain the same. Steve in Brisbane has decided to also postpone QFest 12 to the same date. This of course means there won’t be a video hookup to GORF, which is a real shame.

With the announcements of WOzFest 12:00, QFest 12 and GORF in late April, Australia is set to have a great Autumn for retro-enthusiasts, especially those on (or able to get to) the Eastern Seaboard.

I’ve always encouraged other enthusiasts to have gatherings, and frequent WOzFest attendee Murray has had a couple at his place over the last few months, which he has christened Nozfest – the most recent, Nozfest II, was held in mid-January.

We had QFest 11 coinciding with WOzFest 11sec, and were Skype chatting throughout those events, including our Skype call to John Morris, the developer of the Applesauce Floppy Drive Controller.

But GORF is the first multi-day retro-event I’m aware of in Australia since OzKFest 2017, and I’m really excited that it’s being held.

I became aware of GORF as I was finalising the date for WOzFest 12:00 – I had to think long and hard about the timing of WOzFest 12:00 once I was aware of GORF on two fronts: I badly wanted to go to GORF, and if I couldn’t I didn’t want to “interfere” with it.

However, the stars were not quite aligned for me to attend (much as I was sorely tempted) and I had a few reasons to stick to my chosen date – that plus the fact Steve in Brisbane could also accommodate that date for a QFest made it a pretty easy decision to stick to my original plans for 27 April.

What this does, then, is give those who can’t attend GORF but can get to Sydney or Brisbane an opportunity to feel some retro-love that weekend – and I’m hoping to do a three-sided video hookup between WOzFest 12:00, QFest 12 and GORF to further minimise our sense of loss. (If possible, I’d love that to be streamed, but this is the first anyone has heard of it!)

If you can make any of these three events, please do – it’ll be a landmark week for Australian retro-enthusiasts. If you can’t, consider holding one yourself, and maybe we can have many simultaneous retro-gatherings not just in Australia, but in other countries, too…oh come on! I can dream, can’t I?!

QFest 12 Announcement

I am very happy to announce QFest 12, to be held in Brisbane on Saturday 27 April 2019, concurrent with WOzFest 12:00 and GORF, starting around midday Brisbane time (UTC+10:00).

UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, I unfortunately have to postpone WOzFest 12:00 – the new date is Saturday 25 May 2019, all other details remain the same. Steve in Brisbane has decided to also postpone QFest 12 to the same date.

From our Northern Apple ][ Compadres comes the following announcement:

I am very happy to announce QFest 12, to be held in Brisbane on Saturday 27 April 2019, concurrent with WOzFest 12:00 and GORF, starting around midday Brisbane time (UTC+10:00).

As with previous QFests, there will be projects to work on, and an Applesauce on hand. We will enjoy video hook-ups with our Apple II brothers and sisters at other events around Australia. All food and drink will be provided.

If you wish to attend, please email me privately and I will provide the address.

I will see you there!

Steven Kazoullis

I’m pleased that there’s another Australian Apple ][ gathering happening on 27 April – it’s going to be quite a weekend for retrocomputer enthusiasts along the Australian Eastern Seaboard, it’s quite unprecedented!

WOzFest 12:00 Announcement

UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, I unfortunately have to postpone WOzFest 12:00 – the new date is Saturday 25 May 2019, all other details remain the same. Steve in Brisbane has decided to also postpone QFest 12 to the same date.

I’m very happy to announce the date for the next WOzFest, WOzFest 12:00 – Saturday 27 April 2019, starting around midday Sydney time (UTC+10:00).

The primary theme for WOzFest 12:00 is “time” – encompassing, among other things, time-related hardware and software, the ravages of time and what we might (or might not) do about them, and strategies for finding time to have fun with our retrocomputers.

Something new this WOzFest is a theme-related hardware project for attendees – it’ll be a treat to have the first WOzFest-branded product for attendees to work on, and the first product release at a WOzFest for some time. It’s an international collaboration which spans the timezones, and all I can say about the release of this particular product is: it’s about time!

For several reasons, there’ll be a secondary theme this time, and one not unrelated to prior WOzFests – preservation with the Applesauce. Applesauce is John Morris’ phenomenal USB interface for Apple ][ disk drives which takes Apple ][ software preservation to new heights by capturing magnetic flux-level images of disks. My interest in such devices goes back a way.

I’m expecting several Applesauces to be on hand – I’ve ordered a second-run unit for use by WOzFest attendees which arrived a short while ago, Michael from The Retro Computing Roundtable podcast received the upgrade board for his first-run unit and will be bringing it, and new WOzFest attendee Russell is expecting to be on hand with his second-run unit as well.

Attendees are welcome to bring as many disks as possible for imaging – I’m not sure how many we’ll get done, but it’ll be interesting to see how Applesauce works with a variety of disks. I think I have about a thousand which need processing – and I don’t think that’s an exaggeration!

Existing projects, related to the themes or not, are more than welcome to be brought along as well – whether it be repairs, upgrades, show and tells of new acquisitions…whatever you want to work on.

I’m still to organise any Skype calls but I am hoping we’ll be able to organise some sort of video hookup to GORF – The Great Oz Retro-Technology Festival – being held in Melbourne 24-28 April 2019 and organised by frequent WOzFest attendees Melody and April. There’ll definitely be another video hookup, which I hope to share details of shortly.

As always, it will be held at my place at Wollstonecraft, on Sydney’s Lower North Shore – contact me for the address. Start time is, appropriately, 12:00(ish), with an expected finish time of around 21:30.

No lunch provided, but nibbles, soft drinks and Apple cider will be available (I ask for a small contribution towards snacks), and we’ll all chip in for delivery pizza for dinner whenever we notice we’re hungry.

I hope to see you there!

QFest 11 Announcement

From our Northern Apple ][ Compadres comes the following announcement:

Hot on the tail of the announcement of WOzFest 11sec, I am very happy to announce QFest 11, also to be held on Saturday 13 October 2018, starting around midday Brisbane time (UTC+10:00).

An Applesauce unit will be on hand, for us to co-image disks in the Sunshine State! I’m sure there will also be plenty of other projects to keep us occupied, including some cross-Skyping with WOzFest.

The meet will be at my place (inner-Brisbane Southside). Please contact me privately to confirm your attendance for catering purposes, and for the address.

Look forward to seeing you there! It’s been a little while since we’ve had a local Brisbane event.

Steven Kazoullis

It’s great there’s another Australian Apple ][ gathering happening, but I’m absolutely thrilled it’s coinciding with WOzFest 11sec – can’t wait for the Skypes!

Here’s hoping we can co-schedule events in the future, but even if there’s a second stream of Australian Apple ][ gatherings, I’m still chuffed! The more the merrier, I say!