New York Amateur Computer Club, Inc.

Quick Links … [NYACC BBS and Chat Room] [Social Media] [Membership] [Highlights of Past Meetings] [The Personal Computer Radio Show] [Trenton Computer Festival]

This year, 2025, marks the 50th Anniversary of the New York Amateur Computer Club.
Since 1975, we’ve been offering presentations, free and open to the public, on various topics pertaining to computer technology, from mundane to technical, from old to new.

As part of our celebration, we’re offering this hybrid meeting (where you can attend in-person, or access the meeting online via Zoom).

New York Amateur Computer Club
SPECIAL General Meeting
Thursday, December 11th 2025
at 7PM

Hybrid Meeting (in-person as well as online) at …
Studios 353
353 West 48th Street, 2nd Floor
(between 8th and 9th Avenue, Manhattan)
212-757-2539
Facility is ADA Compliant

When you arrive, ring the doorbell at the front door to get buzzed in. Proceed forward to the end of the hallway and take the elevator to the 2nd floor. When you exit the elevator on the 2nd floor, ask the manager at the front desk where the “New York Amateur Computer Club” meeting is, and they will tell you where to go.

Transportation:
Subways: 1,C, E, N, R, W
Buses: M104, M7, M11, M20, M50

This meeting will also be accessible online via Zoom
(details below)

Virtualization and Containers

Presented by
Brendan Kidwell
NYACC Board Member

In computing, the concept of Virtual Machines is older than personal computers, dating back to the late 60s. Over the decades, the concept has been realized many different ways and for different purposes. In this presentation, we’ll go over the history of virtualization and answer some big questions about it:

What is a virtual machine?
What is a container?
Why has everyone been so excited about Docker for the past 10 years?
How has virtualization enabled Amazon and Microsoft and others to sell the current wave of “cloud”, where business users toss all their precious data and software over the wall and let someone else’s computer do the work?

We’ll end with a quick overview (and share a more detailed companion blog post) of some things YOU can try right now at home using free software, including:

Thinking of switching OSes, or do you use that one critical piece of software that isn’t compatible with your main OS? Use VirtualBox to run Linux under Windows, or Windows under Linux. Or Windows or Linux under MacOS.
Use WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) to run a Linux virtual machine under Windows with tight integration with the Windows desktop.
Use Docker under Linux, or Docker under Linux inside WSL under Windows: try out and run complete web server applications, with all of their dependencies, on your own PC as easily as unpacking a Zip file.

If you plan to attend the meeting online via Zoom …
December 11th, 2025 07:00 PM Eastern Time
URL for December Zoom Meeting …
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83730633893?pwd=3iwUtRjFzgutDUhXFJJbSBIBNPep8o.1
Meeting ID: 837 3063 3893
Passcode: 524936

Please Note: Membership Dues for 2026 (For only $20, become a NYACC member or renew your existing membership) [Download Membership Form here]
	Please make check (for $20) payable to:	New York Amateur Computer Club, Inc.
	Please mail check (along with Membership Form) to:	New York Amateur Computer Club, Inc. Planetarium Station P.O. Box 1026 New York, N.Y. 10024
	Important tip for online banking customers … If you can access your checking account online (through the bank’s website or using the bank’s official app), you may be able to pay your membership dues without having to write‑out and mail‑in a check. Here’s how it works … After signing-in to your account, go to the “Pay Bills” section. When prompted, enter the amount of the check and the payee’s name and mailing address. The bank will then print a check and mail it to the payee, at no extra cost. Note: This feature may not be available at all banks, or may not be an unconditionally free service, so please review your bank’s Terms and Conditions carefully. [Click HERE for Illustrated Instructions]

In the meantime,
please visit our new BBS and Live Chat Room …

New York Amateur Computer Club
BBS and Live Chat Room

Club member Brendan Kidwell has set up a Bulletin Board System (BBS) and a live chat room for the New York Amateur Computer Club.

The BBS is for discussions about everything the club might discuss in our general or special interest group meetings. Messages are arranged by topic and thread. Ask your computer questions and share your expertise and experiences here!
This is also a good place for setting up trades and selling used equipment that others might need.
This will also be used for text announcements and to help us stay in touch during the pandemic crisis.

The chat room allows us to text chat LIVE with each other as a group — whoever happens to be online in the chat room at any given moment.

BBS: https://nyacctalk.glump.net/

Chat room: https://web.libera.chat/#nyacc

Brendan will monitor and participate in both resources. If you have trouble accessing either system, please email Brendan directly at brendan@glump.net

New York Amateur Computer Club, Inc.
Planetarium Station
P.O. Box 1026
New York, N.Y. 10024

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Click here to watch recordings of sessions
at the March 2022 Trenton Computer Festival

Click here to see Highlights of Past Meetings !!!

Visit our YouTube Channel and hit the “SUBSCRIBE” button on that page so you can find out about new recordings as they become available!

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Meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month
NYACC is a Not for Profit Educational Corporation