�Ӱ�ԭ�� Vintage Computing has added a significant new system to the collection through a trade: a Tandy/Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I. Introduced in 1977, the Model I was one of the landmark “1977 Trinity” of personal computers, alongside the Apple II and Commodore PET, and helped bring computing out of specialist hobby circles and into homes, schools, and small businesses through Radio Shack’s nationwide retail network.

The Model I is remembered for its built-in keyboard design, distinctive 64 × 16 monochrome text display, optional floppy-disk Expansion Interface, and even its affectionate “Trash-80” nickname. More importantly, it represents a formative moment in computing history: a complete, affordable personal computer sold through ordinary retail stores, proving that there was a broad public market for personal computing.

• Tandy TRS-80 Model 1

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We are planning a guided tour from the main Throwback event to the universities vintage computing display. There you can enjoy some of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s vintage computing collection. The vintage computing tour will depart from the main Science Throwback event space, tour the facility and return.

Throwback links (dates,times and location):

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With almost no documentation of this exact model anywhere, not even in Canada’s own national science and technology museum, nobody knows exactly what we’ll find inside. Come be part of the reveal, watch us identify and assess this rare piece of Canadian computing history live, and celebrate a genuine, one-of-a-kind rediscovery. 

When: Fri. Oct. 2, 2026 @ 2 pm

Where: �Ӱ�ԭ�� University Herzberg Building room 4155

Backgrounder: Lost 45-Year-Old Canadian Computer Resurfaces, Heads to �Ӱ�ԭ�� for Unboxing

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We will be using the entire HP4155 September 24’th from 1:00–4:00 p.m. as a temporary Apple workshop. �Ӱ�ԭ�� 30 computers and a huge assortment of software, floppy disks, manuals, keyboards, mice, monitors, power supplies, cables, adapters, cards, and mystery accessories that will be brought out for the occasion.

The goal

Help us turn a collection of boxes, systems, and peripherals into a clearer, better-documented, and more usable Apple history collection. Some machines may be ready for a startup chime; others may need cleaning, have missing parts, software sorted, or repairs before they can return to service. Every task helps preserve these systems for future displays and demonstrations.

Jobs for the afternoon

There will be plenty to do across the room:

• Identify working and non-working computers
• Sort computers, manuals, disks, software, accessories, and parts.
• Match keyboards, mice, monitors, power bricks, cables, and adapters with the appropriate Apple systems.
• Photograph computers, peripherals, labels, accessories, and interesting discoveries for the collection record.
• Deep-clean cables, keyboards, mice, cases, and equipment so items are ready for storage, display, or testing.
• Identify mystery connectors, expansion cards, adapters, and peripherals.
• Label items and help build a useful inventory.
• Test computers, monitors, disk drives, software, and accessories.
• Load games, launch demos, and run classic applications to put working systems through their paces.
• Help troubleshoot, repair, and restore systems that need attention.
• Prepare working machines and supporting materials for future events.

CVC Apple event

When: 1:00–4:00 p.m.
Where: Entire HP 4155
Theme: 50 Years of Apple

Sort it. Clean it. Photograph it. Document it. Test it. Play it. Fix it. Preserve it.

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Vintage computing has a history of legendary rediscoveries and this one might be the most quietly Canadian of them all. In 2023, the retro-computing world was electrified when roughly 2,200 NABU computers surfaced from a collapsing barn in Massachusetts, a cache that turned out to be a forgotten chapter of Canadian tech history, since NABU Network was engineered in Ottawa in the early 1980’s. Just a few months later, house-clearing staff in London stumbled onto two Q1 microcomputers buried under boxes at Kingston University, machines now widely regarded as the true first microcomputer, predating the famous Altair 8800 by two years, with only three examples known to survive anywhere in the world. 

Sitting untouched since its days at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), this AES Alphaplus 12, built by Montreal’s AES Data Ltd. and launched in, most likely, 1981, spent decades forgotten in a rural Edmonton barn before its rescue.  The Alphaplus 12 is a descendant from the company’s landmark AES-90, a machine later called “the world’s first programmable video screen word processor” for genuinely pioneering the CRT-based text editing we now take for granted. Features standard in every word processor today, like word wrap-around, automatic text justification, and numeric alignment, were novel enough in 1972 that the press called it an “electronic editor” that “raises eyebrows,” and its design was influential enough that competitors across the industry copied it outright . By 1978 AES was competing directly with IBM as Canada’s largest word-processing supplier, and in a fitting twist, the company was eventually acquired in 1987 by Kinburn Technology Corporation of Ottawa, quietly linking this machine’s corporate lineage right back to the region where it’s now headed. 

Tracking down the AES Alphaplus 12 history has proven remarkably difficult: the only documentation we could find anywhere is a single archived listing at a UK museum and a brief mention in a 1981 Canadian trade magazine. Even Ingenium, Canada’s own national science and technology museum, holds early AES word processors and software in its collection, but has no record of this specific Alphaplus 12 model. That makes this unit a genuine question mark and remarkable find, still sealed in its dusty barn-find shipping box, on its way to �Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s Vintage Computing Collection for a live unboxing and identification event. 

Stay tuned for our event DATE during �Ӱ�ԭ��’s fall 2026 academic term 

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While AI has only recently captured widespread public attention, it has been a serious and evolving field of computer science research for many decades. This distinction matters more than ever, a well informed public is essential to navigating the AI landscape responsibly. Understanding what AI actually is, rather than relying on sensationalized portrayals, empowers people to think critically about AI tech.

The University of Toronto’s CANHEIT 2023 conference brought together leading voices in technology, including Dr. Hod Lipson of Columbia University, who delivered a keynote address over the course of the event. A prominent figure in computer science, Dr. Lipson’s work centers on robotics and artificial intelligence, and his talk offered attendees a compelling, Computer Science grounded framework for understanding and categorizing AI.

Dr. Lipson’s waves organizes the AI tech in an order they are invented.

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After more than a decade in the making, the �Ӱ�ԭ�� Vintage Computer display has officially launched in room Herzberg 4155 during the School of Computer Science Open House on Friday March 27, 2026. The contributions of numerous generous donors have helped �Ӱ�ԭ�� University secure a proud place in the vintage computing community. 

Vintage computing has emerged as a fascinating new phenomenon. Microcomputing began in the 1970’s, over 50 years ago, and what was once the cutting edge of technology has now become part of our shared technological heritage. In the early years, few imagined that these machines would one day be historically significant. When they became obsolete, many were simply recycled or discarded; whether they were seen as important or as junk often depended entirely on perspective. 

Some individuals had the foresight to preserve notable computers rather than recycle them. Their efforts helped lay the groundwork for today’s renewed appreciation of computing history. As many of these early systems reach the half-century mark, they are increasingly recognized as milestones that shaped our digital world, collected, preserved, and celebrated for their role in pushing the industry forward. 

One such local enthusiast spent his career working with microcomputers and had the rare opportunity to witness the entire evolution of personal computing firsthand. Rather than discarding notable systems as they became obsolete, he ‘rescued’ them, recognizing their historical value. That individual was Dr. Arlen Michaels. 

As Dr. Michaels described it: 

“…the collection includes nearly one hundred diverse examples of desktop, industrial, and portable microcomputers. No, this is not an uninteresting pile of rusting PCs. Many items date from the earliest, very creative, very diverse period of microcomputer evolution, namely from the pre-PC 1970s to the early 1990s. They often foreshadow what was yet to come. Many were designed and manufactured by small, short-lived companies – a few based in Ottawa, in fact – and are now exceedingly rare. Most still function. They are true living fossils.” 

Dr. Michaels contacted �Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s School of Computer Science to donate his entire collection to the school.

“The first time we visited Arlen’s house, dozens of boxes, monitors and computers were stacked six feet high along both sides of his basement. A narrow path wound through the space like a maze, each box filled with equipment, manuals, and software. Many were simple cardboard produce boxes, but inside them were remarkable vintage computing treasures,” noted Andrew Miles, Senior Systems Administrator from the School of Computer Science. 

Over the course of two years, the school undertook the careful and deliberate task of relocating his extraordinary lifelong collection of vintage computers to �Ӱ�ԭ�� University. What began as a donation has grown into a living resource, one that students, faculty, staff, and visitors can explore, learn from, and appreciate firsthand. 

Many of the systems remain fully operational, a testament both to their original engineering and to the care they have received. The collection has also inspired the formation of a grassroots initiative: �Ӱ�ԭ�� Vintage Computing (CVC), a dedicated group committed to using, displaying, testing, repairing, and maintaining these historic systems. Their work ensures that the collection is not simply preserved but actively engaged as a resource.

Today, a significant portion of the collection is showcased in the Vintage Computing Display and in recognition of this remarkable contribution, the school has named the exhibit “Arlen’s Evolution of Microcomputing.” It stands out as an acknowledgment to Dr Michaels and his message that preserving technological history enriches the future of innovation.

Fifty years of computing spans multiple generations, and as an earlier generation of technologists retires, so do their vintage computer collection. This was the case with our second generous donor, Grant Bechthold Jr., whose father was a “rocket scientist” at Canada’s National Research Council and one of the earliest adopters of personal computing in the Ottawa region. 

Grant Bechthold Sr. worked with one of the first personal computers available locally, produced by the Ottawa-based company NABU, which released the NABU 1100, a networked personal computer that briefly captured the imagination of early adopters. 

Along with this piece of Ottawa computing history, Grant Jr. also donated what is widely regarded as one of the most historically significant microcomputers ever built: the MITS Altair 8800. Introduced in 1975, the Altair 8800 is often credited with igniting the personal computer revolution. Sold as an affordable kit built around the Intel 8080 processor, it inspired a generation of computer enthusiasts and helped launch the modern era of personal computing. The School of Computer Science recognized Grant’s incredible donation during their Open House with a ‘surprise computer reveal’.

With the redesign of its tutorial laboratory, the School of Computer Science has created a space where the vintage computing collection is a natural and inspiring feature. The collection has grown to include more than 200 vintage computers, along with software, accessories, and computing artefacts. The lab’s Open House celebrates both the official opening of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s vintage computing display and the generous contributions of Arlen and Grant, whose support helped make it possible. 

Links:

• �Ӱ�ԭ�� University Vintage Computing
• HP4155: SCS Tutorial Lab

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The School of Computer Science (SCS) facilities are currently undergoing major renovations, including the entire HP5100 wing of the Herzberg Building. To allow construction work to proceed, the wing must be temporarily vacated and relocated. 

One of the most significant challenges in this process is moving the school’s server room facility. This infrastructure supports departmental servers, specialized research equipment, and the OpenStack cloud platform used by the school. 

The stakes are high. More than 2,000 undergraduate students rely on the OpenStack cloud for course assignments and laboratory work, with usage peaking during the fall and winter academic terms. At the same time, graduate students and researchers depend on the system around the clock to run Computer Science and Data Science experiments, simulations, and long-running computational workloads. 

This creates a difficult question: 

• How do you relocate a critical server facility in the middle of the winter term while supporting more than 2,000 students, faculty, and staff who depend on it 24/7, when the infrastructure runs one of the most complex cloud platforms ever created: OpenStack?

The School of Computer Science partnered with the university’s Information Technology Services (ITS), which offered temporary server space in the �Ӱ�ԭ�� Library to host the infrastructure during the renovation. 

With a relocation site secured, the team considered two primary strategies for moving the server facility. 

Option 1: Full Shutdown and Rapid Relocation 

• Under this approach, the entire server room would be powered down, physically moved to the new location in a single day, and then reassembled and brought back online. 
• The advantage of this strategy is speed. In the best-case scenario, the move could be completed within a day, resulting in only one to two days of downtime for users. 
• However, the risks were significant. If multiple servers failed to start after the move, or if a critical infrastructure node encountered problems, the entire OpenStack environment could remain offline for an extended period. In a worst-case scenario, service outages could stretch into days or even weeks, while systems were repaired and reconfigured. 

Option 2: Live Migration and Incremental Relocation 

•  The second option involved a slower, more deliberate process: migrating servers individually while gradually relocating hardware to the new facility. 
• Although this approach would take considerably longer, it offered a key advantage. Each server could be handled carefully and validated before proceeding to the next. If a problem occurred, it would affect only a single system rather than the entire infrastructure. 
• This incremental strategy significantly reduced the risk of a prolonged outage and ensured the OpenStack cloud could remain operational throughout the relocation. 

The SCS technical staff ultimately chose this incremental strategy. The effort was led by Andrew Pullin, who coordinated the migration plan and oversaw the relocation process.

Before any hardware was moved, the team first ensured the necessary network infrastructure was in place. The SCS subnet was extended between the Herzberg Building and the �Ӱ�ԭ�� Library, effectively spanning both locations. Because the OpenStack cloud requires its infrastructure nodes to reside on the same subnet, this network configuration was critical. 

With the subnet extended across both buildings, OpenStack could treat servers located in Herzberg and those in the library as part of the same environment, regardless of the physical distance between them. This allowed systems to be relocated gradually while remaining fully integrated with the existing cloud infrastructure. 

The OpenStack environment runs on a virtualized cloud infrastructure, where workloads exist as server images rather than being tied to specific physical machines. This architecture proved to be a major advantage during the relocation. 

Virtual machine images could be migrated to the library facility ahead of the physical move. Each night, servers in Herzberg copied their images to the library location. By morning, once the workloads had successfully migrated, the now-vacant physical server in Herzberg could be safely powered down, removed, and transported to the new facility. 

This approach significantly reduced risk. If an issue occurred during migration, it would affect only a single server rather than the entire cloud environment, allowing problems to be isolated and resolved without disrupting the broader system. 

Winter, however, introduced an entirely different challenge. 

This year Ottawa experienced a particularly harsh and snowy winter, so much so that the Rideau Canal remained open for 56 days of skating (that’s unusually long). Moving more than 55 servers across campus in freezing conditions is not a trivial task. 

Fortunately, �Ӱ�ԭ�� University has a unique advantage: its extensive underground tunnel system. 

The Supervisor of Operations at ITS, John MacGillivray, helped coordinate the move using the golf cart and trailer through the �Ӱ�ԭ�� tunnels. Moving the equipment in small batches allowed the team to safely relocate servers between buildings without exposing them to the winter weather. What might have been a logistical nightmare outdoors instead became an efficient relocation route beneath the campus.

Over the course of less than two months, Andrew Pullin and the SCS technical team successfully migrated the entire environment during the middle of the winter academic term. The move included: 

• 4 racks of equipment
• 25 compute nodes totaling 1,672 CPU cores 
• 24 GPU servers containing 138 GPUs 
• The full OpenStack infrastructure stack 
• Supporting networking and storage systems 

In the end, like magic, the SCS cloud was successfully relocated across campus in the middle of the winter term, transparent to end users, who continued their work without ever realising the servers themselves had physically moved across campus.

Modern network administration and virtualization technologies made this complex relocation possible. 

Of course, there is one small catch. 

When the renovations are finished… everything will have to be moved back.

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The term ‘unified memory’ has become more and more popular as of late and for good reason. More and more main computer components have been consolidated into a single microchip hence the term SoC – ‘System on a Chip’. For years the iGPU – ‘integrated Graphics Processor’ exist so that you can display your computer’s output without the need of a dedicated graphics card. Now a new SoC design combining CPU, GPU and main memory on a single microchip are gaining popularity and are coined as unifying the memory or ‘unified memory’.

Computers with unified memory architecture feature a single shared pool of memory used by both the CPU and GPU, unlike traditional systems that have separate RAM and VRAM (see figure 1 & 2). This unified design, popularised by Apple’s M series chips, enables higher efficiency, reduced latency, and faster data transfer since the CPU and GPU work with the same memory space therefore don’t need to travel using the overhead of the bus.

Consider the CPU generations categorised as follows:

• 1st generation – 4-bit CPU
• 2nd generation – 8-bit CPU
• 3rd generation – 16-bit CPU
• 4th generation – 32-bit CPU
• 5th generation – 64-bit CPU
• 6th generation – multi-core CPU
• 7th generation – unified memory CPU

Unified memory is the next generation CPU and it will change the tech landscape. Now there will be an accessible alternative to high VRAM GPU’s. This is what it means: you can use your computer main memory as graphics memory. Is this a big deal? Yes it is.Take the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPU it has 96 GB of VRAM and at the time of this article costs $12k CAD. 128GB (2 x 64GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR5 6400 (PC5 51200) Desktop Memory costs $1,200 CAD. Do the Math, this GPU is 10x more expensive.

Unified memory RAM uses DDR4 or DDR5 shared between CPU and GPU. Its bandwidth can reach around 200-800 GB/s. In contrast, dedicated GPU memory is optimized for very high bandwidth and low latency with wide interfaces 128-512 bits or more. Typical GPU VRAM bandwidth exceeds 500 GB/s, sometimes over 1 TB/s, and is directly connected to the GPU chip with minimal latency to feed thousands of CUDA cores efficiently. This difference alone can amount to a speed difference of a factor of 3-5. At this time GPU’s are faster than a unified memory GPU.

Another new development in CPU design are the use of NPU’s – Neural Processing Unit that accelerate neural networking operations part of the SoC design. These are marketed as AI CPU’s and you will be seeing more and more of them. They will help speed up the tasks performed by digital assistants like Siri or Alexa and facial recognition for secure login and lots more.

Unified memory allows AI accelerators and processors to utilise the full RAM dynamically, which is beneficial for tasks like machine learning and LLM (Large Language Model) inference. The implications are you can use your computer’s main memory as VRAM and this is the biggest benefit of a unified memory PC. In a day and age where large VRAM GPU’s are inaccessible, unified memory PC’s give you an accessible option to run large parameter LLM’s.

Here are some notable unified memory computers:

• Apple M-chip computers lead this tech. A MAC mini can cost you less than $1k CAD.
• NVIDIA DGX Spark is the famous ARM + GPU “AI Supercomputer on your desk” and that will set you back more than $6,000 CAD.
• AMD best iGPU at this time is the Radeon 890M and benchmark’s similar to an NVIDIA GTX 1070 GPU. Look for unified PC’s with AMD Ryzen AI 9 tech inside.
• Minisforum has combined the ARM CPU with their MS-R1 line of mini-PC’s. You heard that right ARM for PC – not Intel or AMD but ARM.  Advertised as “the first ARM mini-PC with a BIOS”. Interestingly the first ARM based PC was the Acorn Archimedes 305 released 40 years ago.

Terms used

• Unified memory – CPU and GPU share a single unified pool of memory
• SoC – System on Chip. Consolidates the key components of a computer or electronic system onto a single microchip.
• iGPU – integrated Graphics or graphics on the same die as a CPU
• VRAM – Video Random Access Memory is a type of dedicated memory used specifically by a graphics processing unit (GPU).
• NPU – Neural Processing Unit are specialized cores focused on accelerating neural network operations and commonly integrated into SoCs.

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Bell and Rogers offer incredibly fast internet for home use some speeds are up to 3 Gbps. At those speeds you need very good WiFi device of at least WiFi 5 (theoretical max of 3.5 Gbps) and you would be better using WiFi 6 (theoretical max of 9.6 Gbps) or better. That means your WiFi router needs to support WiFi 6 and your client/phone needs to be WiFi 6 or better. More likely at those speeds you want to be on your home computer with a 4k monitor using ethernet. Wired ethernet connection has a few advantages: offers fast reliable, low latency and consistent speeds and is more secure and is simple.

Your service provider access point/router will provide ethernet ports that you can connect to your computer. Most new computers or laptop ethernet have speeds up to 2.5 Gbps. Choosing the right ethernet cable is important. Ethernet cables also called RJ45 cables are rated for speed and distance/length:

• Cat 5 – speeds up to 100 Mbps
• Cat 5a – speeds up to 1 Gbps
• Cat 6 – Up to 10 Gbps at shorter distances (55 meters or 180 feet) and 1 Gbps at full length (100 meters or 328 feet)
• Cat 6a – “Augmented” Cat6, supporting 10 Gbps speeds up to 100 meters
• Cat 7 – Designed for data centers, supporting up to 40 Gbps at shorter distances.
• Cat 8 – The latest standard (2025), offering up to 40 Gbps speeds

If you want to achieve reliable speeds of 3 Gbps that your service provider gives you then I would recommend:

• Cat 6a: If you need consistent 3 Gbps speeds over short or longer distances and its ideal for future-proofing your network

You could also use Cat 8 cables but for home use that would be overkill. Cat 7 uses a proprietary GG45 connector, its backwards compatible with RJ45 but not all networking equipment work well with Cat 7. Bottom line, if you want to get the highest speed ethernet possible at home with the fewest problems choose ethernet (RJ45) Cat 6a or Cat 8 cables from a reputable supplier.

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