Why Retro Computers Matter @ Vintage Computer Festival SoCal 2025 🕹️ ЯR 2UP

For this ЯR 2UP Takeover, our Patreon ‪@levimaaia‬ had the opportunity to sponsor and exhibit at Vintage Computer Festival SoCal 2025. This is his magical and personal retrospective of the event.
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RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
From restored mainframes to homebrew projects, VCF SoCal brought together collectors, makers, and enthusiasts who keep vintage computing alive. I walked the floor, met incredible folks, and captured some of the best sights and conversations from the weekend.

From early computing pioneers to modern-day tinkerers, this documentary-style look at VCF SoCal explores:
✅ Rare & restored computers from the dawn of personal computing
✅ Exclusive interviews with collectors, engineers, and makers keeping vintage tech alive
✅ Lost software discoveries and data recovery efforts
✅ New ideas on old hardware—pushing classic systems beyond their original limits

📼 Featuring insights from:
🔹 Jeri Ellsworth / ‪@jeriellsworth‬ – Hardware hacker and innovator in augmented reality and retro tech
🔹 David aka / ‪@UsagiElectric‬ – YouTuber and restorer of rare and obscure early computers
🔹 Jason Moore, PhD from / ‪@atariprojects‬ – Researcher and enthusiast in vintage computing
🔹 Ethan from / ‪@MakerFaireOC‬ – Organizer and advocate for the maker community
🔹 Sean Harrington / ‪@1stage‬ – Expert on the Mattel Aquarius home computer and developer of Aquarius+
🔹 Jarrod Kailef from Old School Gamer – Retro gaming historian and preservationist
🔹 Marcel from RetroStack LLC – Collector and custom hardware builder for classic systems
🔹 / ‪@ThatElectronicsFool‬ – YouTuber and electronics tinkerer and hardware modding expert
🔹 John Riney III – Vintage computing enthusiast and community contributor

💾 The past wasn’t just about nostalgia—it was about possibility. Whether you were there for the first wave of personal computing or are just discovering the magic of retro tech, VCF SoCal 2025 is where yesterday’s dreams met today’s reality.

🔗 Learn more about the festival: https://www.vcfsocal.com

Music Track
Song: Punch Deck – VHS Heroes [Synthwave]
Composer Channel: / ‪@PunchDeck‬
License: Creative Commons (BY 3.0)

OTHER SAUCES & CHEERS:
• All other credits shown on screen
• Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
• The Internet Archive
• Gardenside Prods., Clue Detectives & Paradise Radio
• Special thanks to Ladyfractic & Junifractic!
• All other media featured is marked as public domain on Google Images or used with written permission or shown under fair use law.

THANK YOU MODERATORS:
• Conrad Vogel
•    / @cubiclenate  
• James Langridge
• Lee Volante
• Mauricio Tonnera

SOME INGREDIENTS BY:
• http://MattGrandis.net - designer of https://perifractic.com site

© All original music & content Copyright & TM Retro Recipes™ LLC 1988-2025.
#RetroComputing #VCFSoCal #VintageComputers #RetroTech #Commodore #Amiga #AppleII #ClassicGaming #MIDI #oldschooltech