News

What’s the Garage Giveaway at KansasFest all about?  Steven Weyhrich tells us with this awesome parody:

Charles Mangin of RetroConnector created a helpful video on how to attend KansasFest.

Thanks to the efforts of Jason Scott, the 2017 keynote presentation from Antoine Vignau and Olivier Zardini is now available online.

We’re celebrating the 40^th birthday of the Apple II.  Are you?

The KansasFest Planning Committee looks forward to seeing you next week!  We’re committed to everybody having an excellent trip, so please let us know if we may help with anything.

Please see our Welcome to KansasFest page for details about your arrival. Also, the schedule is available online.

Is this your first time at KansasFest? Don’t miss the comprehensive “KansasFest for Newcomers” guide. Consider joining one our “newcomer’s sessions” on Monday (5pm) or Tuesday (3:30pm).

Imagine a stage! With an enthusiastic audience! Talented acts performing! And judges giving the performances a thumbs up or down!

No, this is not that popular summer television event. It is the annual KansasFest tradition, now nearly twenty years old, of encouraging programmers who have a vision of something cool, amazing, or unique that they can create from start to finish during just three and a half days in Kansas City each year, something that runs on an Apple-1, Apple II, or Apple III computer (or appropriate emulator).

It’s HackFest, and every year we get to see what these brilliant minds come up with. And 2017 will be no exception. We may see a game, a utility, a unique graphics display, maybe all three in one, or maybe something that we’ve never seen before.

If you are coming to the premier Apple II event of the year, get your coding hat on your head, and envision what you can do to astound your fellow attendees. I promise that the judges will not hit the red “X” key and send you packing back to your home. Neither do they have a golden buzzer to vote you through to the final round – everyone will make it though to the finals. The prize may not be one million dollars and a Las Vegas show, but it will be better – Apple II swag with far greater sentimental value.

Come on, code! Program it!
Memory loss? Then RAM it!
Got machine code? Then SLAM it!
Don’t brag about it, come show me!

Don’t believe me? Come down!

KansasFest is more than scheduled sessions. Hallway discussions, late-night hacking, and crazy contests are all normal. One of the traditions is a door sign contest. These aren’t “normal” door signs; KansasFest door signs are often interactive, exhibit unique memorabilia, and involve extensive planning. Besides showing off your creativity, resourcefulness, and interests, the best signs win fabulous prizes. Here are door signs from 2016 for inspiration.

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KansasFest is a great opportunity to meet some of the vendors who support our community.  You’re able to ask questions, get help, and sometimes get special deals.  Here are some of the KansasFest-only special offers:

• Chris Torrence will have copies of Roger Wagner’s Assembly Lines: The Complete Book for the special price of $15.
• Charles Mangin will be present with some new items from RetroConnector. He is also bringing copies of David Finnegan’s New Apple II User’s Guide, direct from the author, with a special cover for the 40th anniversary of the release of the Apple II.
• Steve Weyhrich will have signed copies of Sophistication & Simplicity: The History of the Apple II Computer, for $20 each, or two copies for $30.
• Brian Wiser of Call-A.P.P.L.E. will have a limited supply of three new books:
  • Cyber Jack: The Adventures of Robert Clardy and Synergistic Software – Robert Clardy’s autobiography and video game history
  • Synergistic Software: The Early Games – enhanced Synergistic manuals
  • GBBS Pro 2.2 – a professionally produced and significantly updated physical manual and software update
• Henry Courbis of ReactiveMicro will be offering a RAMWorks III v1.1 Kit, for $60 ($5 off the new lower price), and the Universal PSU Kit II, II+, IIe, IIgs, and III for $70 ($10 off the new lower price). Both of these are good SolderFEST projects (although the PSU Kit does not even require soldering).