Kansas Fest: A week back to the beginnings of Apple

(Warning: Google translated text- many errors ahead)

Last week in the city of Kansas, Missouri in the United States week took place the Festival Apple II: Kansasfest, an annual conference that has been held for the past 28 years.

In recent years the competition has grown, many motivated by nostalgia for computers that marked the childhood of many of them. People walk through the halls carrying large and yellowed Apple IIs, peripherals, monitors and cards of all kinds.
The purpose of the conference other than sharing the love for the first personal computers created by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, is the present home creations, modifications and innovations for the platform.

But the most exciting and anticipated of the conference, it is the famous “Garage Giveaway” (donation garage) where one of the beloved and dear organizers – Sean Fahey, donates a lot of computers and peripherals met for years obtained from different collectors and enthusiasts.

In recent years, the old platform has received much attention from enthusiasts, because these first computers do not appear to be affected by the “controlled obsolescence” suffered by modern equipment. One of the benefits of these computers is that they are built like tanks, parts resist abuse and when they fail, they are easy to replace. One of the attendees presented a IIe he found buried in a garden, just sticking a corner. After cleaning hard, it worked smoothly.

The conference is held for five days at the premises of the University of Rockhurst. The atmosphere is comfortable, great camaraderie and participants become university for a few days. Usually doors are always open allowing participants to share programming activities, talking or working on an experiment to present or help a comrade.

In presentations you can find “hacks” or changes to all types of electronics, from emulators floppy disk in SD memories, conversions Power Supplies to new technologies, adaptations of CRT (tube Catholic rays, the old monitors glass) LCD, adaptations to connect these systems to the Internet, and more.
There are also many new products and innovations in programming. This is because these systems were specifically created to be easily programmed by the same Steve Wozniak.
New games, variants of programming and innovative applications are submitted by users participating in festivals programming. small groups who help and cooperate to create funny or functional applications, exchange stories, impressions and help each other in any form problem.

The competition is not just local: visitors from Japan, France, Switzerland, Australia and Canada traveling specifically to attend and participate. It is very common to see how big boxes packed with computers that travel thousands of kilometers to a new home.

In recent years, participation has increased in part due to the social networks that have helped spread the event. People who come for the first time usually return the next year thanks to the enthusiasm, camaraderie and good organization of the same. It is worth mentioning that the passion for the Apple II unites this diverse group of participants regardless of race, religion, sexuality or political affiliation.
Finally, it is admirable how a technology of the past unites individuals in the present to improve the future of the platform.