Re: KFest 2011 Report

[Kirk Mitchell <kirkmitchell@gmail.com>]

As for news from last nights Steak & Shake run, evidently they all
piled into James Littlejohn's green school bus.  No reports of police
involvement or anything exciting, although I heard admiration about
Jame's phenomenal parallel parking skills.

Unfortunately, I woke up in time to get breakfast, but missed the
scheduled Tokyo Video Chat with Bill Martens, Jim Maricondo, and
Philip Lord.  I don't know how that went.  I just know they served
bacon!

Daniel Kruszyna gave a session on Apple IIGS System Timing and the
FPI.  VERY technical, and all the hardware guys were nodding their
heads excitedly, but I barely got the gist of the heartbeat that beats
through my favorite computer and its subsystems.  Still, it was a
successful session.

Sheppy's session on Hidden Gems of the Apple IIGS Toolbox was another
technical work, but I was able to follow most of it since I've
puttered around with Toolbox programming in the last decade.

After lunch, Ivan Drucker held a session on Networking your Mac or PC
to your Apple II.  This involves Apple II's that have Localtalk
capabilites, like a //e with a network Workstation card install, or a
GS, and VirtualBox disk image that Ivan collected the necessary
operating system (a Linux distribution) and other network software.
It looks like it'll be a much simpler method of filesharing over your
modern network, rather than configuring all the pieces yourself!  I
use a GatorBox so I'm already set, plus I've got MacIP going on it
too, but this will be a fine way to connect your Apple II up.

Geoff Weiss gave a session on FTA's ActiveGS emulator for iOS
systems.  I downloaded it from the Apps Store to my 1st gen iPod Touch
as he talked, and followed along with much of his talk, although he
was demonstrating on an iPad.  Fun times!

I missed Peter Neubauer's session on Turtle Robots, as I was writing
up notes for Ryan Suenaga's tribute for the Dinner Banquet.  I don't
doubt it was good, Peter is a fine presenter.

I made it late to Mike Maginnis's session on A Technical Look at the
Apple ///, where apparently there were some hardware problems, but the
information he had a chance to present was interesting.  Apparently
Apple learned it's lessons, and won't drop the ball so badly in the
future!

At the Dinner Banquet, Steve Weyhrich, Eric Shepherd, and Tony Diaz
received their Apple II Forever award plaques, while Ryan Suenage
receive on posthumously.  Daniel Kruszyna won the tie contest with a
large Hyperstudio Menu Bar ...  it wasn't knitted or woven...  Some
frenchy word that I can't spell...  that he'd made himself.  Door
contest went to Martyn Haye, and thank you's were liberally spread
about.

We finished with a stirring tribute to our friend Ryan Suenaga.  I
hope it wasn't boring to those who didn't know him, but it was
cathartic to those of us who did.  I think his philosophy was to do so
much good while he was here that the world would be a much poorer
place when he left.  I used to admire that about him.  I don't know
now, because the world is a much poorer place now that he's gone.
'Nuf said.

We gathered for our KFest group picture, most of us wearing
simulations of Ryan's characteristic wild shorts, then headed in to
escape the heat.

Jason Scott gave an impromptu talk about the aim of his new employer,
the archive.org crew, and I believe the consensus was in his favor.

Many goodies were brought in from James Littlejohns bus, past
inhabitants of Sean Fahey's garage, and a feeding frenzy started.
Lots of old equipment, books, magazines.  Treasures all!

Later, Martin Haye decided that one Krispy Kreme night wasn't enough,
and brought back even more to munch down on!  The crowd rejoiced!

Now my plan is to go back downstairs and see what's happening.  And to
see if there are any donut survivors left.

Kirk