Step Back in Time: Tim O’Connor’s Vintage Hacking Demos at Queen City Con

Get ready to explore the roots of computing and hacking history at Queen City Con, November 7-9! Tim O’Connor is bringing a one-of-a-kind Vintage Hacking display, featuring some of the rarest and most influential computers ever made. Whether you’re a tech historian, a hacker at heart, or just curious about early computing, these demos and displays are not to be missed.

What You’ll See and Do

• Apple Lisa 2-10 – A computer that few have seen in action, running the operating system that “changed the world.” Discover how the Lisa went from Apple’s flagship to a scandal, and learn to create documents on this historic machine.

• NABU – Even rarer than the Lisa, NABU was a cloud system 20 years ahead of its time, performing distributed networking before the internet was mainstream.

• The Original “Dark Web” – Before TOR, explore the early communities of hackers, pirates, phreakers, hobbyists, and activists who traded information through private BBS systems.

• Phone Hacking with Cereal Box Toys – Learn how some of tech’s biggest names began their hacking journeys and see the tools that started it all.

• Nibbling & Magnetic Flux Imaging – Discover the early battles over software piracy and digital rights, using vintage hacking tools to explore magnetic media.

• Vintage Gaming & Networking – Play on classic machines like Apple ][+, Apple ][e Platinum, and Apple ][c, and see global retro gaming and hacking networks still in action today.

Demo Schedule Highlights

Friday

• 10:00–10:30am – Apple Lisa & NABU: Rare, scandalous, and influential computers

• 10:30–11:00am – Nibbles and Magnetic Flux Imaging

• 1:00–1:30pm – Hacking phones & the Original “Dark Web”

• 2:45–3:00pm – Discovering Vintage Hacking: Walkthrough of all displays

Saturday

• 9:45–10:00am – Hacking phones & the Original “Dark Web”

• 10:45–11:00am – Discovering Vintage Hacking walkthrough

• 1:00–1:30pm – Apple Lisa & NABU: Rare, scandalous, and influential computers

• 2:45–3:00pm – Hacking phones & the Original “Dark Web”

Whether you want hands-on experience, historical insights, or a chance to play on iconic hardware, Tim O’Connor’s Vintage Hacking demos are a deep dive into the origins of computing and hacking culture. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience computing history in action!

Want more info now? See Tim's interpretive displays here.