West Coast Computer Faire
| West Coast Computer Faire | |
|---|---|
| Status | Defunct |
| Genre | Conference, exhibition |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | San Francisco |
| Inaugurated | April 16, 1977 |
| Most recent | 1991 |
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 stopped exhibiting at the West Coast Computer Faire, refusing to exhibit at any show other than COMDEX that also had PC-based exhibits. 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.
Some people refer to the first fair as the birth of the personal computer industry. It took place on April 16–17, 1977, in San Francisco Civic Auditorium and Brooks Hall, and saw the debut of the Commodore PET, presented by Chuck Peddle, and the Apple II, presented by then-21-year-old Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. At the exhibition, Jobs introduced the Apple II to Japanese textile maker Mizushima Satoshi, who became the first authorized Apple dealer in Japan. Other visitors included Tomio Gotō who developed the TK-80 and PC-8001, and Kazuhiko Nishi who produced the MSX. There were about 180 exhibitors, among them Intel, MITS, and Digital Research. More than 12,000 people visited the fair.
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