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Personal computer CPU pioneer Chuck Peddle dies at 82
Chuck Peddle, one of the most important engineers of the early home computing era, has died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 82. He's best known as the lead designer for MOS Technology's 6502, a low-cost processor (just $25 in 1975) that found its way into first-wave home computers like the Apple II and Commodore PET. Variants of that core design found their way into influential consoles like the Atari 2600 and NES. If you have nostalgia for the days when 8-bit computers were cutting edge, you likely owe a debt of gratitude to Peddle.
Flickr Find: POW! ZAP! CRUNCH! Batman on an Apple II
With Batman turning 75-years-old, it's only fitting that he make his appearance on the Apple II thanks to Matthew Pearce who resurrected the original Caped Crusader game for the Mac. You can check out the still shot above and watch the game in action in the video below.
The iMac II
Probably one of the coolest marriages of old and new Apple hardware I've ever seen, not to mention the Apple II seems to make the perfect monitor stand. [Photo credit: Francesco Zaia]
Hilarious reactions of children to an Apple II
Watch the hilarity that ensues when you take an old Apple II and place a bunch of kids in front of the command-driven machine. Working without a mouse or the Internet, the kids are both baffled and astonished by the computer's rudimentary operation. Their reactions are recorded as part of the REACT series from TheFineBros. As someone who cut their teeth on computers with a command-based input, I have an extra appreciation for the kid's reactions because I can remember having to take all those steps. The only difference is that I was amazed, not exasperated by what you could do with this thing called a personal computer. Even though our initial reactions to the Apple II are vastly different, I do have to agree with something one of the children said -- technology IS awesome.
This Apple II Raspberry Pi enclosure is incredible
Why just put that Raspberry Pi into a boring little plastic box when you can give it a classy place to live? Charles Mangin is selling these Apple II Raspberry Pi cases at his RetroConnector Etsy shop for US$115. Mangin is the same clever fellow who developed the tiny Disk II SD card reader we covered last month. The cases actually come in several varieties, including the the original Apple II, the IIe or the Platinum IIe, and it's also available in Bell & Howell "Darth Vader" Black. Put the case together with the wee Disk II SD card reader, and the result is even more pure awesomeness.
Today is Apple's 38th birthday
On Thursday April 1, 1976 Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne started Apple Computers. Their first product was the Apple I computer kit, built by hand by its designer Steve Wozniak. The Apple I consisted of just a motherboard, leaving users to provide their own keyboard, monitor, and case. It went on sale in June of that year for $666.66, or $2,773 in today's dollars. Now Apple is 38 years old. 456 months, 1,983 weeks, and 13,879 days of existence. In the years since its founding, the company has released groundbreaking computers from the Apple II to the Macbook Pro, constantly pushing its products to new levels of innovation. These innovations revolutionized MP3 players (launching the iPod in 2001), tablets (the iPad in 2010), and smartphones (the iPhone in 2007). Of the founding pioneers of the company, two are still alive today. Steve Jobs left the company in 1985 after a power struggle with the board of directors, but returned in the late 90s to help save the company. Without Steve Jobs, Apple may very well have gone bankrupt. Under his leadership as CEO Apple introduced the iPod, iPad, iPhone, iMac, and its own digital content retailer, iTunes. Jobs passed away in 2011 following a struggle with pancreatic cancer. Steve Wozniak left Apple in 1987 and continued his work as an entrepreneur, starting a new company called CL 9 which developed the first programmable universal remote control in 1987. Beyond his business pursuits Wozniak also taught 5th grade and appeared on Dancing with the Stars. He continues to work part time with Apple to this day. As for Ronald Wayne, his story is a slightly sad one. Wayne was an important part of Apple's founding, writing the original partnership agreement and drawing the company's first logo. For his work he was given a ten percent stake in the company, which he sold shortly after the company was founded out of fears he might be responsible for any debt the company accumulated. He reportedly sold his shares in the company for $2,300, or $9,657.88 in modern dollars. If he had held onto his ten percent he would be a billionaire today. In 2010 he explained the sale to the San Jose Mercury News. "I don't waste my time getting frustrated about things that didn't work out," he says. "I left Apple for reasons that seemed sound to me at the time. Why should I go back and 'what if' myself? If I did, I'd be in a rubber room by now." Happy birthday, Apple. You've been a source of innovation and technological foresight for almost four decades now. We can't wait to see what the next four decades will bring.
Want to own the computer that inspired the Apple II? Visit eBay now
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it's also an important part of innovation. In keeping with that idea we'd like to draw your attention to this wonderful rare eBay listing. A seller in Louisiana is offering up a working SOL-20 computer, one of only 10,000 ever produced. Currently the listing is going for $1,275. Many readers won't be aware of the importance of the SOL-20 to Apple's legacy. According to legend (aka Walter Isaacson's book Steve Jobs) in 1976 at the first annual Personal Computer Festival, held on Labor Day weekend, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak arrived with the Apple I in a cigar box. While Jobs walked around the exhibition hall, he was reassured that the Apple I was better than the competition in terms of functionality. There was just one thing nagging at him; the SOL-20. According to Isaacson, Jobs was confident that his product had the best circuitry, but the SOL-20 was better looking. It came in a beautiful metal case, with a built-in keyboard and power supply. When compared to the scrappy Apple I, the SOL-20 looked more like a professional machine. Apple I Apple II The jump in Apple's esthetic design between the Apple I and Apple II is obvious when the two are compared side by side. The SOL-20 may be largely lost to time, a footnote for enthusiasts and historians, but for a brief window you have the opportunity to own one. At bare minimum, look at your Mac's beautiful modern design and thank the stars for the dose of inspiration that helped push Jobs and Wozniak towards the future.
Apple's state-of-the-art, ground-breaking, game-changing... cassettes?
It's hard to believe, what with modern Macs abandoning even SuperDrives en masse, but way, way back in the late 1970s, programs on the original Apple II came on these. My, how far we've come. [Photo credit: Jim Abeles]
1979 Apple II ad goes biblical [Photo]
While Apple has launched a number of iconic ad campaigns over the years, some of the company's early ads from the 1970s are a little questionable. As a case in point, I recently came across this biblically-themed 1979 ad for the Apple II. The ad below touts a contest which asks readers to answer the following question in a thousand words or less: "What in the name of Adam do people do with Apple Computers?" If you read the fine print below, you'll note that contest winners were given a one-week all expense paid trip for two to Hawaii. To enter, drop by your nearest Apple dealer and pick up an entry blank. Fill it out. Then write an article, in 1000 words or less, describing the unusual or interesting use you've found for your Apple. Funny to think of a time when a dedicated Apple retail store seemed preposterous, not to mention a time when people had to physically go into a store to pick up an entry form for a contest. What's also interesting is that Apple today utilizes similarly themed ads. While it's of course discarded the peculiar homage to Adam and Eve, as well as user-driven contests, Apple's recent ad campaign for the iPad has honed in on the myriad of interesting things people are using Apple's tablet for.
Daily Update for November 25, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Apple II donated by Steve Jobs to a nonprofit returns to the Jobs family
The New York Times last week ran a story recounting how an Apple II computer Steve Jobs once donated to the Seva Foundation was finally returned back to Laurene Powell Jobs. What makes this story so interesting is that the Apple II, which was donated back in the late '70s, spent much of the last three decades simply sitting in a basement in Katmandu, Nepal. Nonetheless, the article provides an interesting context to the donation and Jobs' efforts to help out the then-fledgling non-profit organization. A letter from Mr. Jobs to one of Dr. Brilliant's Seva co-founders around that time bears the letterhead of Apple Computer with one of its earliest corporate addresses on Bandley Drive in Cupertino, Calif. "I wholeheartedly accept your invitation to become a 'member' of SEVA," reads the letter, signed by "Steven Jobs," with the first letter of both names in lowercase. "Please let me know of any other specific opportunities where I can be of service." He gave the organization the computer around 1980, to help Seva enter and analyze survey data from its eye surgeries in Nepal. Mr. Jobs threw in a copy of an early spreadsheet program, VisiCalc, and an external hard drive that he boasted was the largest of its kind. "You'll never be able to use all the memory," Dr. Brilliant recalled Mr. Jobs telling him. "It's five megabytes!'"
Apple II DOS source code released by the Computer History Museum
With Apple's blessing, The Computer History Museum and the Digibarn Computer Museum have released the 1978 Apple II DOS source code. The code was originally written in just seven weeks by Paul Laughton, who was a programmer Apple contracted from Shepardson Microsystems. The Apple II DOS was written on punch cards and for his work, Laughton received a sum of $13,000. According to Laughton: "DOS was written on punch cards. I would actually hand-write the code on 80-column punch card sheets. A guy at Shepardson named Mike Peters would take those sheets and punch the cards. The punch cards would then be read into a National Semiconductor IMP-16 and assembled, and a paper tape produced. The paper tape was read into the Apple II by a plug-in card made by Wozniak, and I would proceed to debug it. As the project got further along and the code was all written, and it was debugging and updating, I would mark up a listing and give it to Mike Peters who would then change whatever was necessary and deliver me a paper tape and I'd start again." The Apple II DOS source code is now free for all to download and use (for non-commercial purposes). For a complete history of the source code from creation to its public release, be sure to check out Len Shustek's piece at The Computer History Museum's website.
Apple II's 35-year-old operating system is now open to the public
In a world of super-fast OS X and Windows machines, it's easy to forget that early desktop computers were a lot more basic. That was the case for the Apple II, Cupertino's first mass-market computer that utilized a cassette tape for data storage and just 4K of memory. Now, more than 35 years after its release, the Computer History Museum is making the original DOS source code for the iconic computer available to the public. It was donated by Paul Laughton, creator of the original operating system, who was working to a strict deadline set by Steve Jobs to make Steve Wozniak's disk controller capable of assembling programs. It took him just seven weeks to complete and pocketed him a cool $13,000. The Computer History Museum has posted the complete source code archive to its website, we also suggest you check out its detailed history on the Apple II and its development while you're there. [Image Credit: Robert Scoble, Flickr]
Lego Apple II is gorgeous
Lego: nothing is quite as appealing to grown-up nerds. This love affair is magnified when the brick-based creation is a piece of Apple history. This awesome mix of bricks and computer memorabilia is showcased in this replica of an Apple II by Chiu-Kueng Tsang. When assembled, this Lego creation looks just like the Apple II shown above. It has a replica keyboard, two floppy drives and a greyscale monitor. Inside the computer portion are daughter cards and other internal bits. You also gotta love those little Apple logos on the monitor and the drives. You can check out some photos of the Lego Apple II in Chiu-Kueng's Flickr gallery. Image copyrighted and used with permission. [Via Make and Gizmodo]
Jordan Mechner compares Karateka on the Apple 2 and the iPhone
Wherein Jordan Mechner, the creator of Karateka and the Prince of Persia series, asks, "How do you like them Apples?"
YouTube playlist: Apple II games
Hey, it's Friday! Besides Tim Cook going on a media tour recently there's not much going on, so let's reminisce. I grew up with an Apple II and this video playlist of old games for the venerable platform had me watching in awe as someone with more skill than I deftly played through games like Aztec and Castle Wolfenstein. To this day those creepy, scratchy Nazi guard voices haunt me. To cleanse your palate, try some lemonade. And below is a video of the Computer Chronicles talking about the "upcoming" Apple IIc and IIgs. Good times, great oldies.
Apple II torn down, restored to glory
Todd Harrison got his hands on an old Apple II and meticulously restored the computer to working condition. He details the process in a lengthy blog post that covers everything from cleaning the external case to inspecting the layout of the logic board. It's more than just a simple tear-down, Harrison's description is filled with historical information about both the components and programming language that make up the Apple II. There's also gorgeous high-res photos of the disassembly process, so you can marvel at the intricate design of one of Apple's early model desktop computers. You can check out the narrative of the restoration on Harrison's website and watch a video walk through on his YouTube channel. [Via Make]
Apple II Plus gets torn asunder and restored in this modern teardown (video)
Breathe in that vintage electronics musk, because it's not going to last -- at least for Todd Harrison, a computer hobbyist based in Mesa, Arizona. You see, for Todd, much of his appreciation for old equipment comes from tearing the units apart and restoring 'em to a like-new condition. Fortunately for us, he's taking everyone along for the ride in this teardown and cleanup of the Apple II Plus. Those with an appreciation for all things vintage will certainly want to put some time aside for his two video tours -- which rack up to nearly a full hour of computing marvel. In the process, Todd shares a few tips and product recommendations for those looking to strip 30 years worth of grime from the casing, and he also reveals himself to be a bit of a hardware nerd: you'll find a detailed look at the Apple logic board, an explanation of the memory banks and see how the Apple II Plus can be expanded to 64K of RAM with the use of a language card. Peeks at the 6502 CPU from MOS Technology and the Applesoft BASIC ROM from Microsoft are also on deck, in addition to a bit of a surprise that Todd found lurking within the Apple Monitor III. With that said, cancel your evening plans and hop the break for the complete tour.
The Apple II, as described by Steve Wozniak
Ask the average geek to describe the Apple II and you'll probably hear something about its legacy or software. Ask Steve Wozniak circa 1977, on the other hand, and he'll write you a technical tome -- or at least he did for Byte magazine. Way back when the classic computer was fresh, a young Woz penned an extremely detailed "system description" for the rig, pouring over specifics on the II's graphical capabilities, memory, peripherals, programming language and more. Perhaps in (slightly late) honor of the machine's 35th anniversary, Information Week has seen fit to reprint the extensive examination for your reading pleasure -- assuming you're up to wading through the technical nitty gritty. No? Well, Woz does have a few nuggets of wisdom for the layman. "To me," he says, "a personal computer should be small, reliable, convenient to use and inexpensive." No arguments here, Steve. Read the man's words for yourself at the source link below.
The Game Archaeologist and the veteran of Kesmai
Aaand we're back! Did you miss me? No? Not even a little bit? Aww, you know how to make me feel all kinds of appreciated! Even though it's been quite some time since we finished up our two-part series on the Kesmai company and its incredible (and little-remembered) role in powering up the MMO genre, I wanted to return to take the topic for one last spin. A fellow blogger, Wilhelm "The Ancient Gaming Noob" Arcturus, backs his nickname up by providing memories and stories from gaming eras well before many Massively readers' time. Since he actually played several Kesmai titles back in the day and lived to tell the tale, I wanted to pick his brain before we moved on to other titles. So join me in welcoming Wilhelm and his magical clockwork nostalgia retrieval system!
