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West Coast Computer Faire

The West Coast Computer Faire was an annual computer industry conference and exposition most often associated with San Francisco, its first and most frequent venue. The first fair was held in 1977 and was organized by Jim Warren and Bob Reiling. At the time, it was the biggest computer show in the world, intended to popularize the personal computer in the home. The West Coast PC Faire was formed to provide a more specialized show. However, Apple Inc. stopped exhibiting at the West Coast Computer Faire, refusing to exhibit at any show other than COMDEX that also had PC-based exhibits.

West Coast Computer Faire

Defunct

Conference, exhibition

Annually

San Francisco, California, United States

April 16, 1977 (1977-04-16)

1991

In 1983, Warren sold the rights to the Faire for US$3 million to Prentice Hall, who later sold it to Sheldon Adelson, the owner of Interface Group and COMDEX. In total, sixteen shows were held, with the last in 1991. After Warren sold the show, it had a few more good years, and then declined rapidly.

West Coast IBM PC Faire, SF[edit]

First West Coast IBM PC Faire, August 26–28, 1983 in San Francisco, CA, was presented by Computer Faire, Inc., Redwood City, CA.[21]

Personal Computer Faire, SF[edit]

Third Personal Computer Faire September 5–7, 1985 in San Francisco, CA was presented by Computer Faire, Inc., Newton, MA.[22]


Fourth Personal Computer Faire, in San Francisco, was presented September 25–27, 1986, by The Interface Group, Needham, Mass.[23][24]

Northeast Computer Faire[edit]

The Northeast Computer Faire in Boston, was presented by Computer Faire Inc., Newton, Mass., a subsidiary of Prentice-Hall.[25][26]


The Eighth Northeast Computer Faire, September 26–29, 1985, Bayside Exposition Center. Boston. MA. was presented by Computer Faire Inc., Newton, MA.[27][22]


The 11th Northeast Computer Faire, which ran October 27-29, 1988, was presented by The Interface Group and Boston Computer Society in Boston.[28]

Southern California Computer Faire[edit]

Southern California Computer Faire was presented by Computer Faire Inc., Newton, Mass., a subsidiary of Prentice-Hall.[25]

. BYTE. December 1976. p. 95. Retrieved October 22, 2018.

"The First West Coast Computer Faire"

Willard, Lawrence F (July 1977). . BYTE. pp. 25–30. Retrieved October 22, 2018.

"Random Observations and Conversations at the First West Coast Computer Faire"

Morgan, Chris (July 1978). . BYTE. pp. 16–20. Retrieved October 22, 2018.

"The Second West Coast Computer Faire"

Morgan, Chris (July 1980). . BYTE. pp. 46–48. Retrieved October 22, 2018.

"The 1980 West Coast Computer Faire: A Watershed Year for Personal Computing"

Morgan, Chris (June 1982). . BYTE. pp. 6–22. Retrieved October 22, 2018.

"Editorial: West Coast Computer Faire Report"

Pournelle, Jerry (July 1982). . BYTE. pp. 392–400. Retrieved October 22, 2018.

"Computers for Humanity: An observer comments on the Seventh West Coast Computer Faire"

Pournelle, Jerry (June 1983). . BYTE. pp. 306–310, 315–334. Retrieved October 22, 2018.

"The User Goes to the Faire"

Pournelle, Jerry (July 1984). . BYTE. pp. 136–137, 376–382. Retrieved October 22, 2018.

"The West Coast Faire"

Webster, Bruce (September 1985). . BYTE. pp. 401–407. Retrieved October 22, 2018.

"According to Webster: West Coast Faire, Mac Stuff, and the Amiga"

Silicon Gulch Gazette

in The Best of Creative Computing Volume 3 (1980)

Original article about the first fair by David H. Ahl

(2005) Variant Press. Mentions the WCCF and the debut of the Commodore PET and Apple II.

On the Edge: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Commodore