<html>
<body>
<font size=3>Dear DigiBarn News subscribers (and welcome new subscribers
who checked the box on our contact form),<br><br>
Here is your Winter 2008-09 newsletter (#23) and from all of us humans,
pigs, cats and vintage computers here at the DigiBarn Computer Museum:
Happy New Year and all the best for 2009!<br><br>
The museum is packed up until the rains abate sometime in the spring. Why
do we pack it up for the winter (many of you ask)? While the barn stays
dry (lower floor has a good concrete floor and the roof is good) there is
a big rise in moisture levels during the rainy season. So we pack all the
systems on shelves in the dry rooms and I carefully put away all the
fragile display items like documentation. One day with sufficient budget
I would love to put in a raised floor for the entire lower level and also
put in proper walls and doors so the collection could stay on display
year round.<br><br>
I would like to thanks both our set-up and pack-up crews for 2008 who
made this a much easier task for me. <br><br>
Find this newsletter in HTML format at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/history/newsletters/index.html#023" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/history/newsletters/index.html#023<br><br>
</a>DETAILED NEWS FOLLOWS<br><br>
******************<br>
DIGIBARN WINTER 2008-09 NEWS<br><br>
1. 2008-09 Project: Bill Pentz & the Sacramento State 8008 - Early
History of the Microcomputer<br>
2. Digibarn to be featured in MacHeads the Movie (this week at
MacWorld/SF!)<br>
3. Steve Wozniak video tour of the DigiBarn finally posted!<br>
4. DigiBarn and Bruce Damer on American Life TV show about Steve
Wozniak<br>
5. DigiBarn's LINC project featured in article in IEEE Annals of the
History of Computing<br>
6. John Redant's Wikia version of the Digibarn/IEEE Bushy Tree of
computer evolution<br>
7. More stories: Bana Witt (Jef Raskin & Early Apple), Mike Smithwick
(Distant Suns)<br>
8. New book! On the Way to the Web, The Secret History of the Internet
and its Founders by Michael A. Banks<br>
9. RetroMacCast features great Mac history, including the Digibarn!<br>
10. Virtual Worlds Timeline project goes to Internet Archive<br>
11. New Digibarn Radio Podcasts<br>
12. Digibarn TV new features!<br>
13. Thanks donors! Still looking for...<br>
14. Archive of this and past Newsletters<br>
15. Contacting us or Unsubscribing<br><br>
******************<br>
1. 2009 Project: Bill Pentz, the Sacramento State 8008 - Early History of
the Microcomputer<br><br>
Bill Pentz contacted us over the summer of 2008 and after several
wonderful conversations and meetings here, he agreed to donate an
extraordinary artifact, the boards from an 8008 microcomputer system
built at California State Sacramento in 1972-73 with project partners
Tektronix and Intel. This system may well have been the very first
complete microcomputer with drivers for a hard disk, modem, audio
cassette, TTY, and Tektronix 4023 color display. The system had a
rudimentary disk operating system (DOS) and implementation of an
assembler in PROMs. It seems that the "Sac State 8008" informed
the subsequent Intel 8080, the basis for the home brew clubs and early
micros of 1975 and later. So along with the LINC (the 'first personal
computer' of 1962) we may well have the ur-microcomputer (of 1972ish).
See interviews with bill and photos of the remaining artifacts of the
system at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/stories/bill-pentz-story/index.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/stories/bill-pentz-story/index.html</a><br><br>
Note: this will be a project throughout 2009 and we are working with
folks like Stan Mazor and others. This ties into early history of
microcomputers and influential people like Gary Kildall. Contact me if
you have knowledge of this formative period in microprocessor and
microcomputer history.<br><br>
******************<br>
2. Digibarn to be featured in MacHeads the Movie (premiere is this week
at MacWorld in San Francisco!)<br><br>
Kobi Shely and his team from Chimp 65 Productions have pulled together a
super movie about the culture around the Macintosh and Apple computer. It
will soon be in theatrical and online release. This film features both
Bruce Damer and Galen Brandt in the Digibarn! The film will premier on
Wednesday January 7th, 2009 at the MacWorld conference. Find Details
at:<br>
<a href="http://www.macheadsthemovie.com/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.macheadsthemovie.com/<br><br>
</a>******************<br>
3. Steve Wozniak video tour of the DigiBarn finally posted!<br><br>
At long last we have posted Steve Wozniak's tour of the Digibarn shot
during his visit here in December 2006. Very very interesting commentary
from "the Woz" can be found by viewing this piece here:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/history/06-12-14-WozVisitShoot/index.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/history/06-12-14-WozVisitShoot/index.html</a><br>
along with audio interviews and photos. Thanks Al Lundell for shooting
and recording this!<br><br>
******************<br>
4. DigiBarn and Bruce Damer on American Life TV show about Steve
Wozniak<br><br>
On December 5th, 2008, AmericanLife TV aired an episode of Moments that
Changed Us all about Steve Wozniak. Shot over the summer here at the
DigiBarn, it features some great interviews with Digibarn co-founder and
curator Bruce Damer, along with the Woz and Len Shustek and others. There
is great historic footage from "back in the day" in the 1970s
too. See a five minute excerpt from this excellent show at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/collections/movies/digibarn-tv/AmericanLifeWoz/index.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/collections/movies/digibarn-tv/AmericanLifeWoz/index.html</a>
<br>
(Thanks Al Lundell for getting great shots of the Apple II in
action)<br><br>
******************<br>
5. DigiBarn's LINC project featured in article in IEEE Annals of the
History of Computing<br><br>
The restoration of the LINC and the event we held at the Computer History
Museum as part of the Vintage Computer Festival back in November of last
year is now featured as a special article in IEEE Annals of Computing
History in the current issue. Finally the Digibarn has made it into the
"world of academic computing history" (yes folks, there is an
academic computing history world).<br><br>
The LINC event is described at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/history/07-11-04-VCF10-LINC/index.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/history/07-11-04-VCF10-LINC/index.html<br>
</a>The LINC history and restoration are at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/stories/linc/index.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/stories/linc/index.html</a> <br><br>
******************<br>
6. John Redant's Wikia version of the Digibarn/IEEE Bushy Tree of
computer evolution<br><br>
John Redant, creator of the original graphical "Bushy Tree" of
computing evolution which built on the original IEEE "Bushy
Tree" at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/stories/desktop-history/bushytree.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/stories/desktop-history/bushytree.html<br>
</a>continues to develop the tree of computing systems and software using
his Wikia. See it here and contribute!<br>
<a href="http://bushytree.wikia.com/wiki/IEEE_Bushy_Tree" eudora="autourl">
http://bushytree.wikia.com/wiki/IEEE_Bushy_Tree<br><br>
</a>******************<br>
7. More stories: Bana Witt (Jef Raskin & Early Apple), Mike Smithwick
(Distant Suns)<br><br>
Some great stories, including Bana Witt's encounter with Jef Raskin in
the early days of Apple, and Mike Smithwick's story of Distant Suns, one
of the first and best known astronomical software packages, is all
at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/stories/index.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/stories/index.html<br><br>
</a>******************<br>
8. New book! On the Way to the Web, The Secret History of the Internet
and its Founders by Michael A. Banks<br><br>
Michael A. Banks has just published a fascinating new book on the early
history of the Internet and the personalities involve, read more about it
at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/links/banks-michael-book.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/links/banks-michael-book.html<br><br>
</a>******************<br>
9. The RetroMacCast features great Mac history, including the
Digibarn!<br><br>
Last year around the time of Macworld in January we were graced by a
visit from James and John of the RetroMacCast, a leading podcast on the
history of the Mac, Apple and much more. See the RetroMacCast and sign up
to their feed at:<br>
<a href="http://retromaccast.ning.com/" eudora="autourl">
http://retromaccast.ning.com/<br>
</a>And they produced a series of podcasts and images of their Digibarn
visit here:<br>
<a href="http://retromaccast.ning.com/main/search/search?q=digibarn" eudora="autourl">
http://retromaccast.ning.com/main/search/search?q=digibarn<br><br>
</a>******************<br>
10. Virtual Worlds Timeline project gets timeline on Dipity, goes to
Internet Archive<br><br>
You may not know it but Digibarn Curator Bruce Damer is also a pioneer of
the virtual worlds and "avatar" medium and has taken it upon
himself to document the birth and evolution of that medium. He has been
working with Stanford and the Web History Center and a number of other
institutions to pull together the history of virtual worlds (multi user
spaces connected by networks). After contributing 125 early virtual
worlds movies to the Internet Archive in San Francisco he has now
produced a curated timeline of virtual worlds history using the new
flash-based timeline software from Dipity as in seren-Dipity
(<a href="http://www.dipity.com/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.dipity.com</a>). For more information about the Virtual Worlds
Timeline project see:<br>
<a href="http://www.vwtimeline.org/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.vwtimeline.org<br><br>
</a>******************<br>
11. Digibarn Radio Podcasts<br><br>
Digibarn radio is a podcast of voices from computing history. Subscribe
through the iTunes store at Apple for free, just enter the term Digibarn
Radio. You can also sign up directly at the Digibarn Radio page at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/collections/audio/index.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/collections/audio/index.html<br>
</a>or listen to these and our other pieces using regular MP3 audio
download players. There are some more podcasts to come (we know, its been
a while since we brought you the last one!).<br><br>
******************<br>
12. Digibarn TV: new features!<br><br>
See several new video features on Digibarn TV, including all of the
"Woz" stories and much more at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/collections/movies/index.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/collections/movies/index.html<br><br>
</a>******************<br>
13. Thanks donors! Still looking for...<br><br>
A lot of great donations came in since the summer and we would like to
thank all the many Friends of the Digibarn who contributed:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/friends/index.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/friends/index.html<br>
</a>See the ever expanding collection at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/collections/index.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/collections/index.html<br><br>
</a>We are still looking for a bunch of good stuff and have updated our
"wish list" at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/help/index.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/help/index.html<br>
</a>so check it out and see if you have anything there we are desperately
seeking (Apple 1, or weird prototypes, or a front bezel for a Lisa 1
anyone?).<br><br>
******************<br>
14. Archive of this and past Newsletters<br><br>
You can find the archive of this and all past Digibarn Newsletters
at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/history/newsletters/index.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/history/newsletters/index.html<br><br>
</a>******************<br>
15. Contacting Us or Unsubscribing<br><br>
The best way to contact us is by our web form at:<br>
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/forms/comment.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.digibarn.com/forms/comment.html<br>
</a>the form has a new security feature so you have to enter that
automatically generated nonsense word, it prevents the posting robots
from finding us!<br><br>
If you want to be unsubscribed please let us know through the form above
and provide the email address you are receiving this newsletter on and it
will be taken care of promptly. Digibarn News only comes out two or three
times per year so it shouldn't clog your inbox! Alternatively, simply
reply to this email with "unsubscribe" in the subject.<br><br>
******************<br>
Thats it for this newsletter, see you in the next one!<br>
Bruce Damer, Curator<br><br>
end DigiBarn news.<br>
</font></body>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div>Bruce Damer</div>
<div><a href="http://www.damer.com/" EUDORA=AUTOURL>
http://www.damer.com</a></div>
<br>
<div>Current Roles & Projects:</div>
<div>CEO, DigitalSpace -
<a href="http://www.digitalspace.com/" EUDORA=AUTOURL>
http://www.digitalspace.com</a></div>
<div>Curator, Digibarn Computer Museum -
<a href="http://www.digibarn.com/" EUDORA=AUTOURL>
http://www.digibarn.com</a></div>
<div>CTO, Elixir Technologies -
<a href="http://www.elixir.com/" EUDORA=AUTOURL>http://www.elixir.com</a>
</div>
<div>Co-founder, Contact Consortium & Avatars -
<a href="http://www.ccon.org/" EUDORA=AUTOURL>http://www.ccon.org</a>
</div>
<div>Founder, Biota.org & EvoGrid -
<a href="http://www.biota.org/" EUDORA=AUTOURL>http://www.biota.org</a>
</div>
<div>Initiator, Virtual Worlds Timeline -
<a href="http://www.vwtimeline.org/" EUDORA=AUTOURL>
http://www.vwtimeline.org</a></div>
</html>