[Announce] Warpstock 2005 now completed

[Andy Willis]

Warpstock 2005 concluded successfully this past long weekend.  People
attended 12 different classes, and 23 sessions on various topics related
to OS/2 and eComStation.  These ranged from programming in C, C++ and
REXX, various networking sessions, advocacy sessions, general usage
sessions and product demos.  We had luncheons on two of the days, and a
dine-around social event on Saturday evening.  The highlight of the event
was a session by Mike Kaply on the past, present and future of Warpzilla. 
This session was taped and will be made available on our web site later.

At the closing session over 170 items were given away to attendees,
including a 2.5 pounds chocolate computer, a Thinkpad A22m (courtesy of
Rosenthal & Rosenthal, LLC) and an Athlon desktop system from one of our
exhibitors (Derek Keough of Finnegan Software).  In addition Jan van Wijk
donated 5 licensed copies of the bootable DFSee CD.  We changed the
giveaway format so people had a better chance to get items that would
interest them.

In the exhibition area we had tables for FinnSoft, HautSpot, Rosenthal &
Rosenthal, LLC, Netlabs.org, REXXLA, and OS/2-eCS.org as well as a large
collection of vintage OS/2 releases running on vintage hardware. 
Interesting pieces included a PS/2 model 50Z running OS/2 1.0 Extended
Edition, A Power PC Series Model 830 running OS/2 Power PC Edition, a PS/2
Model M57 Ultimedia PC running OS/2 2.0 (the video rendering on a VGA
monitor was incredible) and a PS/2 Model 70 running OS/2 1.3 Standard
Edition with a PS/2 TV adapter.  This last one was an interface box
between the PS/2 and the Monitor which overlayed broadcast TV, in either a
resizable window or full-screen.  With the OS/2 driver you can control the
TV window using the computer's keyboard and an on screen menu.  What was
really neat to see is this was all available almost 15 years ago.  Aran
Eisenpress donated the PS/2 TV unit to the Warpstock museum so others can
see what IBM had to offer years ahead of its time.  Too bad IBM can't
market its way out of a paper bag.

Photos and summaries of the presentations from the event are being
collected and will be posted on our web site after they are organized.  We
would also appreciate it if anyone who attended could write an article
outlining their experiences (good and bad) at this year's event for the
VOICE Newsletter.

Warpstock would like to thank all the presenters, exhibitors and most of
all the attendees who made this event a success.