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If you’re old enough to recall the early glory days of Pac-Man and Space Invaders, the Colorado Computer Museum is bound to evoke some nostalgia. The traveling exhibit is the brainchild of Loveland’s David Charles, a self-described “computer conservationist” who, along with other volunteers, has amassed a collection of items that include popular ’80s platforms like the Atari 2600, Commodore 64, and Apple II, as well as more obscure technologies like the VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet program for personal computers, and a 1975 Altair 8800 microcomputer.
Charles tells the Reporter-Herald he began collecting in the 1970s after becoming dismayed that computers “were being scrapped as soon as they were obsolete.” While the nonprofit museum has been setting up temporarily at trade shows and educational events, Charles and the other volunteers are hoping to find a permanent home for their unique memorabilia.