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Prince of Persia source code freed from floppies, posted online
You wouldn't think it would take more than two weeks to extract some source code from a pile of 3.5-inch floppies and post it online, but getting files from 1989 to play nice with a MacBook Air is no simple feat. That's why we're so appreciative of Jordan Mechner, who put the time and effort into freeing his creation, Prince of Persia, from its magnetic prison. If you want to try and build the platforming classic for your own system, hit up the source link. Or, just wait for someone else to do it for you -- we're sure it wont take long for some friendly binary formats to hit the web.
Prince of Persia source code successfully rescued
If you're a programmer, you may find inspiration in the source code for the original Apple II version of Prince of Persia. 23 years after the game's release, and about two weeks after finding his old floppies, Jordan Mechner has posted the source code to GitHub, where it's freely accessible.The copying took place at a "megacopy" party, assisted by digital archivist Jason Scott using various modified computer hardware. We're glad people like Mechner exist who can do things like "write Prince of Persia," and we're glad people like Scott exist who can figure out how to preserve this material for computers that aren't 35 years old. We're here to ... appreciate the effort? We're totally doing our part!
Original source code for Prince of Persia posted to Github
Before Ubisoft, there was Jordan Mechner, a Yale University graduate and video game designer. He may not be a household name among younger Apple fans, but vintage Apple aficionados fondly remember his first title, Prince of Persia. The story about this game took an interesting twist recently when the source code for the title, presumed to be lost, was found by Mechner's father. The classic game was published by Brøderbund for the Apple II back in 1989 and became an instant hit. Variations of the game eventually made its way to almost every video game platform thanks to Ubisoft which joined forces with Mechner in the early 2000s. During this transitional time from indie title to video game stardom, Mechner stored the original Prince of Persia disks and forget where he put them. According to Mechner's blog post, his father was spring cleaning and found a box of odds and ends that he sent to his son. Mechner was shocked to discover the original 3.5″ Apple ProDOS disks containing the Prince of Persia source code in that box. With the help of digital archivist Jason Scott, Mechner was able to retrieve the code and view it on his Macbook. He has now shared it on Github for the world to see.
Apple II turns 35, doesn't bother with midlife crisis
It was 35 years ago today that two Steves and a handful of employees introduced the world to a game-changer: the Apple II. Easily recognizable today as one of history's first truly accessible personal computers, it's a bit odd to think that the iconic rig was almost overlooked at its debut at the 1977 West Coast Computer Faire. Even so, the beige box weaseled its way into our homes and schools. $1300 bought the most basic model of the machine that taught a generation of children the dangers of fording a river, rocking a paltry 4KB of RAM and a 1MHz processor. Despite its age, the old Apple II is doing its best to keep up with the times -- making music, going to concerts and even trying out those hip Bluetooth protocols its grand kids are always talking about. Feeling nostalgic? Check out Time's in-depth tribute to the Apple II's history, influence and legacy at the source link below.
Happy 35th birthday, Apple II
Harry McCracken has a nice write up on the debut, evolution and legacy of the Apple II (or, ][ as I like to call it). The Apple II was unveiled 35 years ago, and it ushered in the home computing revolution. I am a product of that revolution, as my dad bought an Apple ][ in 1978 and it sits by my desk now, shown in the picture above. There were no computer stores back then so he bought one in the back of a bike shop, where a little hobbyist section had Altairs and other user-unfriendly computers. From then my own path was set, as I wouldn't own a "PC" running anything other than an Apple OS until the 90s. For millions of other Apple customers, the same thing would be true. The Apple II proved to be a great computer for schools, small businesses and homes. Here's to the machine that started it all! Share your memories of the Apple II in the comments.
Prince of Persia creator finds lost source code, cues delicate chip fanfare
No, we don't mean the modern interpretation and its moody sequels -- this is the 1989 original. Jordan Mechner created the first Prince of Persia game for the Apple II. However, the source code ended up lost in the sands of time -- until Mechner's dad discovered a box filled with 3.5-inch ProDOS disks. The creator's now attempting to transfer the code across to his MacBook Air and get it working on modern platforms. We just have to remember how to beat our evil reflection.
Bell & Howell Apple II Plus appears on eBay, like a foundling carved out of onyx
You wouldn't know it by the never ending barrage of black PowerBook's throughout the '90s, or even the onyx MacBooks in the mid-00s, but dark-clad casings from Apple were pretty much non-existent until Cupertino got serious about laptops, excluding of course the ill-fated Macintosh TV. Exempt from the prevailing 'Snow White' design ethos however, were clones machines sold by other companies, like the Bell & Howell's variant of the Apple ][ Plus above. Per Wikipedia, the machine in question was only available through educational channels, notable for its A/V outputs (which you can espy after the break) especially for that purpose. Typical eBay caveats apply, with the buyer selling the machine "as is" -- read sans power supply -- but we can't imagine it'll be long before an Apple collector swoops in and steals the pooch. More pics and your chance to bid on a piece of history await at the source below.
Early Apple employee Jerry Manock remembers Steve Jobs
When you think of notable, early Apple employees, you think of the big names like Steve Wozniak, Andy Hertzfeld, and John Sculley. Beyond these key names are a multitude of lesser-known people who played a crucial role in the early years of the company. One such employee is Jerry Manock, who worked on the Apple II, the Disk II, the III, and Lisa before joining the original Macintosh design team. Manock worked closely with Steve Jobs during his tenure at Apple which stretched from 1977 to 1984. He worked with Steve Wozniak on the Apple II. While Wozniak developed the logic board and internal hardware, Manock was responsible for much of the design of the Apple II. Manock's also know for his choice of Pantone 453, the light beige color that characterized Apple's early computers. Manock now lives in Burlington, Vermont with his wife and family. He has his own design firm and teaches product design courses at the University of Vermont. He recently talked about these early years with Seven Days,a local arts-oriented newspaper that's available in Vermont and online. Manock only had kind things to say about Steve Jobs in his interview. He fondly recalled a time that Jobs recognized Manock for his early contributions to Apple during an annual meeting. Manock attended the meeting unannounced and Jobs spotted him in the audience. He also has some strong criticism of today's design methods that use computers and not hands-on time with the actual materials. You can read the rest of the interview at Seven Days's website.
Stanford archives provide rare glimpse into Apple's early days as mere seedling (video)
Housed in a climate controlled storage facility operated by Stanford University, nearly 600 feet of shelf space is dedicated to preserve documents, videos and memorabilia of Apple and its early days as a young startup. The collection holds rare gems such as interviews with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, both of whom discuss some of the rationale behind Apple's name -- Jobs asserts that it was selected to place his company ahead of Atari in the phone book. Originally intended to furnish Apple's corporate museum, the materials were donated to Stanford in 1997 after Steve Jobs' return to the company, which was most concerned with financial survival at the time. According to the university, more than 20 significant collections have been added to the archives in the subsequent years. The warehouse holds blueprints of the Apple I, user manuals, magazine ads, TV commercials and T-shirts, along with thousands of photographs that document Steve Jobs during his years as CEO of NeXT. Other rarities include a $5,000 loan document -- signed by the two Steve's and the partnership's third co-founder, Ron Wayne -- a spoof of Ghostbusters that starred former CEO John Sculley and other company leaders, who played "Blue Busters" to eliminate IBM, and handwritten sales entries of the very first Apple II's. While the location of the facility is undisclosed, we can only hope that, some day, the collection will be showcased for fanboys, fangirls and the public alike.
Apple co-founder Ron Wayne's stash of early documents (eyes-on)
About a week ago, we traveled to the desert to spend two days with Ron Wayne. The 77-year-old Pahrump, Nevada resident has had a number of careers in his long life, working for Atari, a few slot machine companies, developing devices for use on the ocean floor and running a collectables shop in Northern California. In his semi-retired state, Wayne sells stamps and coins to supplement his checks from the government. He's no doubt best known, however, for his role in the founding of the Apple Computer company, alongside Steves Jobs and Wozniak, a role at which he spent a little more than a week. During our time in Pahrump, Wayne was kind enough to let us comb over a number of papers from his days with the nascent computer company. The documents, stashed in a USPS mailer kept by the door of his office, were a veritable treasure trove of information, including pages of pages of plans and pencils drawings of an Apple I enclosure Jobs asked Wayne to build -- his creation was ultimately rejected by Apple and lost to history as the company gained steam. Also stored in the envelope were a facsimile of the contract signed by Wayne, Woz and Jobs, which recently sold on auction for more than $1 million -- in fact, it was Wayne's original copy that hit the auction block. He had parted ways with it for far, far less some time ago. Wayne's Statement of Withdrawal is in the pile as well -- the document effectively ended his term with the company, filed for a $5 fee. Also inside are an Apple I operation manual, with the company's original logo, designed by Wayne himself and an Apple II order form. Check out all of the above in the gallery below.%Gallery-141277%
iStation iPad dock is retro-Apple cool
You were probably born too late to have purchased one of the first computers out of Apple -- the original Apple I. This machine came as a set of completed circuit boards that you had to build your own case for. Many early owners of the US$666.66 computer used wood for the case, since it was cheap and easy to work with. If you like that wooden retro chic, you're in luck -- M.I.C. Gadget has created the iStation dock ($85.90) just for you. The iStation is actually an iPad dock with speakers and a Bluetooth keyboard, and when you prop up an iPad on top of it and take out your contact lenses, it actually looks kinda sorta like an Apple I. For those who like the more modern look of the Apple II, M.I.C. Gadget has also produced a white plastic version. That version actually needs to be Apple II beige to be correct, but who's grading them on accuracy (other than me)? M.I.C. Gadget has a full page of beautiful photographs of the iStation to get you to reach for your wallet, or you can stay here and watch the video showing just how to set up the dock to work with your iPad.
Crapgadget: iStation woos Apple romantics with the glory of the late '70s, fails
Some people buy tablets for their portability and convenience. Others get sucked into the pitfalls of gadget lust, snatching up the latest tech. But for the dedicated fanboy, there's a whole world of unnecessary kitsch just waiting to relieve'em of those hard-earned greenbacks. Enter M.I.C.'s iStation: an iOS dock in sorta, kinda Apple I / II clothing (their claim, not ours) that's ready and willing to cash in on your tech industry nostalgia. Alright, so this $85 setup won't exactly ape those Jobs / Woz lovechildren of the late '70s, but it does pack stereo speakers, a subwoofer, Bluetooth keyboard, USB port, microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack into its wood-paneling. Feeling spendthrifty? Good, then you can fork over the dough at the source below. Or, if you still need convincing, peep the video after the break and soak up the heavenly choral music.
Apple II owners assemble for concert
Apple II owners and enthusiasts in the greater Los Angeles area must clear their calendar this Saturday night. The folks from the Machine Project are trying to organize an evening concert featuring the iconic Apple II. Starting at 8 PM PT on June 25, a 16-step sequencer developed by Jason Torchinsky will be used to elicit beautiful music from a group of Apple II machines. The original Apple II did not have a built-in sound synthesis chip and sent a precision click to the speaker to generate sound. The result is a very mechanical tone that many find annoying. As you can imagine, the music should be... interesting. [Via Make Magazine]
Free concert in LA this weekend, bring your Apple II
Following the only logical path one can take after building a working 15x scale Atari joystick, Jason Torchinsky is pulling together all the Apple IIs that can be had for a quick concert. Those not already entranced by chiptunes will want to give LA neighborhood art space Machine Project a wide berth on Saturday, where participants will use a 16 step sequencer to get something like music out of the system's timer circuit. Those interested in checking it out can check the source link for details, but if you actually have an Apple II laying around (and aren't in the middle of a game of Oregon Trail, that's serious business) you'll want to show up around 6 p.m. to get things arranged.
Oregon Trail is turning 40 this year
You may not have heard about it lately, but the classic game Oregon Trail is turning 40 years old this year. Initially developed as an educational game for a history class in Minneapolis, Oregon Trail was released to the public in 1971 developed for mainframe use starting in 1971, and it was later released for the Apple II computer. As an educational tool, players take on the identity of a wagon train leader bringing settlers from Missouri to Oregon in 1848, using their problem-solving skills to help their group survive disease and food shortages along the way. Points are rewarded based on how well one did at these jobs and keeping their family members alive until the end of the journey. For fans of the game, back in August we found a clever trailer for the sweding of Oregon Trail, but for those of you looking to hearken back to a simpler time in computer gaming, you can give the game a try by either downloading the iPhone/iPod touch version from the App Store for US$0.99 or by playing the original Apple II version online at Virtual Apple. Oops! Yes, that should have read 1971, not 1981. While the game itself was originally designed starting in 1971, the MECC Apple II version was first published in 1978. Our apologies for the confusion.
Found Footage: The Oregon Trail-er
Were you one of the millions of American kids who grew up playing MECC's classic educational video game The Oregon Trail? Several TUAW bloggers remember spending hours in front of an Apple II coaxing their pioneers ever Westward, only to have them die of snakebite, dysentery, or cholera. Well, the witty folks at Half Day Today! Films created a trailer for a "film adaptation" of The Oregon Trail, which takes a potshot at many of the quirks of the game. If you grew up with this game and want a good laugh, check out the video above. Just don't go into the brush; you may get bitten by a snake! Thanks to Al for the tip
Lost's Apple II up for auction
The Apple II computer from the hit show Lost was one of the things that unfortunately wasn't really answered as the series ended. I get that the Dharma Initiative was trying to contain a leak from the source, probably because of Jughead going off, but what was up with that scene of Michael supposedly chatting with Walt? How did Walt get to a computer, and why didn't a chat ever come up any other time? I'm sure there are theories running around out there, but I don't think the show ever provided a reasonable explanation for that one. Maybe you can film your own, though -- the actual Apple II plus from those scenes is being auctioned off later next month in Los Angeles by a group called Profiles in History. If you submit the winning bid, you'll not only get the computer from the set of the show, but also an Apple III monitor to go with it, and a Disc II floppy drive, along with a printout stating "system failure" from the show's big crash of Oceanic 815. The auction page doesn't say if it still works or not (which could be a good thing -- do you really want to punch the numbers in every 108 minutes?), or what the starting bid might be. But it would be cool to own both a piece of Apple history and an object from The Island, wherever that is. [via MacStories]
The Swan Station's Apple-II Plus and other Lost gadgets on the auction block this month
We don't want to spoil anything, but ABC's Lost is over and done with -- sorry, but it's really time to move on. Still can't let go? Apologize to your pocketbook and book a ticket to Santa Monica for the end of August for the official show auction. Literally hundreds of outfits and props are being sold off, including numerous gadgets from its six-year-run. Naomi's Iridium 9500 satellite phone with a then-futuristic UI? Suggested starting price is between $200 and $300. Brainwashing LED goggles? Also up for grabs -- although not functioning. Our favorite item has to be the Swan Station computer used to type the Numbers every 108 minutes, an Apple-II Plus system with an Apple III monitor, apparently re-used later for scenes in the Pearl Station. That'll set you back at least $1,000, but we'd be surprised if that price didn't skyrocket. We've gone ahead and made a gallery of the gadgets, but feel free to hit up the source if you want to see what else is going on sale. Not in the auction: the identity of those who shot at the canoe in Season 5's "The Little Prince." Seriously, would it have been so hard to tie that in somewhere? Sigh. %Gallery-98181% [Thanks, Michael T. and Walt... my Son]
Apple IIe hacked into Twitter station, still looks better than most digiframes
This project has all the hallmarks of a classic hack: obsolete hardware, a somewhat frivolous function, and thrilling 8-bit graphics. As you can imagine, getting to the point where this Apple IIe could display Tweets was no mean feat! Custom 6502 assembler code on the PC sends Twitter updates (and user avatars dumbed down to 8-bit) over a custom USB-to-joystick port interface on the Apple. One can even save the data to a 5.25-inch floppy -- you know, because most Tweets are worth archiving for later, even if you must do so in a dead storage format. See it in action after the break!
Apple II Digital Music Synthesizer available now for 8-bit die-hards
The last time we had occasion to feature 8 Bit Weapon in this space, our man Seth had hacked his Nintendo Power Pad into a music controller. Now the team is back with something a little less strenuous -- but no less musical -- for all of you budding chiptune artists out there. The Digital Music Synthesizer for Apple II is a wavetable synthesizer designed specifically for live performance. Not only does this bad boy come with ten voices (including bass, trumpet, square wave, sawtooth wave, and sine wave), but sequences can be recorded for a later time. But wait, there's more -- there is no monitor required. If you've ever had to lug an Apple II monitor to a dank performance space on a weeknight (and who hasn't?), you understand what a sweet setup this is. Supports your Apple IIe, IIc, IIc+, or IIgs computer with 80-column capability and at least one 5.25" floppy disk drive. Get yours now for $19.95 -- but not before checking out the demo after the break.
