This month on Open Apple, the Apple II community’s only monthly podcast, Mike and Ken chat with Evan Koblentz, producer of Vintage Computer Festival East. VCF East 9.1 is happening this spring, and Evan has an inside look at the event’s founding, growth, and lineup. Margot Comstock has been announced as the keynote speaker of KansasFest 2014, prompting us to reflect on the history of Softalk magazine. The Apple2pi card is now shipping, and it reminds us of other small devices that left a big impression, like the Replica-1 and even the Apple Newton PDA — which still has an active user group! Finally, Steve Jobs is appearing in all kinds of icons, from e-waste portraits to unlickable postage stamps. When will Woz get the recognition he deserves?

Find the show at the Open Apple Web site or in the iTunes and Zune podcast directories.

The sixth annual Vintage Computer Festival East will be held September 12-13 at the InfoAge Science Center in Wall, New Jersey.

VCF is a public event celebrating the history of computers from the 1940s – 1980s.  Each day’s morning events include lectures and workshops, while the afternoons offer an open exhibit hall where classic computers are up and running for you to see and use. Among this year’s event highlights are a keynote address by Ted Hurewitz about RCA computers in the 1950s; an 8-bit musical concert; a BASIC programming challenge; and Vince Briel’s PockeTerm terminal-building workshop. A two-minute video montage of last year’s event showcases the hardware, software, and folks that make VCF great:

Tickets are $10 for one day or $15 for both days; attendees 17 and younger get in free. The event benefits the InfoAge Science Center, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Next weekend, the InfoAge Science Center of Wall Township, New Jersey, will host the fifth annual Vintage Computer Festival East. Admission for either day (Saturday, September 13th, and Sunday the 14th) is $10, or $15 for both.

VCF is an opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops, sit in on various educational sessions, enter your classic computer into an exhibition contest, and trade and swap at the vintage marketplace. Among this year’s schedule is a replica-building workshop sponsored by Briel Computers. You can build a replica of the historic Apple-1 or KIM-1 single-board computers.

VCF East 5.0 is sponsored by MARCH and VintageTech.