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Apple's original tablet
In 1979, the Apple II Plus was a badass piece of hardware, and the Apple Graphics Tablet was a flashy accessory. At $650US, it let users sketch with a wired stylus. Measuring 3/4 in x 15 1/2 in x 15 3/4 in, the Graphics Tablet was eventually discontinued when the FCC discovered that it caused radio frequency interference problems. Sure, the wired stylus is a kludge, as is the general design (don't look at the back), but remember that 1979 was 5 years before the first Macintosh was released and computer mice became ubiquitous. Edible Apple has some additional photos and an old ad promoting the tablet and Utopia software. Go and check out an interesting piece of Apple history -- complete with vintage scotch tape!
Take a stroll down memory lane
Most Mac users know the ads that Apple produces are really good and very effective at getting a message across. It's pretty much been that way from the start. Don't believe me? Web Designer Depot has collected ads that go way back to the Apple II, and it's a fun trip. I remember most of these ads, as I first started with Apple after I dumped a TRS-80 for an Apple II way back around 1977 or so.Some of the ads look a bit dated of course, but Apple always had great copy and a decidedly non-institutional bent to their message. That, of course, continues today.Those who remember these products will get a kick out of seeing the ads again. Those who don't are sure to find them an interesting window into the corporate mind of Apple.If, by the way, you haven't had your fill of Apple advertising history, saunter on over to the Mothership gallery and look at even more Apple stuff.
Visua Mobile's old Apples collection
A couple of months ago I wound up in Paris and received a surprising direct message via Twitter from a young employee at Visua Mobile. Having nothing better to do in the City of Light, I wound up at their offices. I'm often suspect when a "mobile" development company rings me about their iPhone stable. Just like my tea, I prefer my developers steeped in Apple. Well, Visua Mobile is certainly made up of Apple fans. Just check out the gallery of their offices to see what I mean. Visua's raison d'etre would be iPhone apps. To my astonishment, none have been runaway hits. They are beautifully designed and generally work well (some 3.0 bugs crept up). Visua gained some noteriety around their app, Fracture, that would make the iPhone screen appear broken when pressed. But they make a host of already-approved apps, including Celebrity, which features a special magazine cover just for TUAW fans. %Gallery-67744%
TUAW Bookshelf: Apple II Reference Manual
TUAW BOOKSHELF Apple was kind enough to include a veritable encyclopedia of information with my Apple ][. Inside the big, red manual, you'll find complete step-by-step instructions for setting up the machine, adjusting a tape recorder for optimal use, plenty of programs to get you started, and a handy reference for the hardware inside.I found the manual easy to read, although given the constraints of typing programs by hand using a typewriter, some code was printed using a dot matrix printer. Mr. Wozniak includes excellent code to help you build your own programs, however, and code for interfacing with the likes of a teletype, should you need printed output. There are critical routines for floating point calculations, which I'm sure some will appreciate.Apple introduces a little design philosophy in the manual, which is a welcome break from the volumes used to learn the 5100, for example. Rumors on our sister site Engadget say Tandy is working on a consumer machine with BASIC and a human-readable manual as well, but I'll believe that when I see it. Anyway, the Apple ][ manual has some sample code for making actual audio tones using the built-in speaker (a novel idea, by the way). Why use audio in a program? Here's the design philosophy I found interesting:"Computers can perform marvelous feats of mathematical computation at well beyond the speed capable of most human minds. They are fast, cold and accurate; man on the other hand is slower, has emotion, and makes errors. These differences create problems when the two interact with one another. So to reduce this problem humanizing of the computer is needed. Humanizing means incorporating within the computer procedures that aid in a computer's usage. One such technique is the addition of a tone subroutine."It's like they want to make the computer more *personal*, somehow.Once you've seen how to make graphics, sounds and even interaction and I/O in code, the manual wraps up with a thorough examination of the included hardware. This is a hobbyists' machine, after all. The schematics and diagrams will have you fully understanding how the computer addresses memory and controls video, plus many other miracles I can't believe they crammed into such a small package.This valuable red book of data comes free with your Apple ][, but I wouldn't part with it! You'll find yourself referring to it time and again. Check out the photostat gallery below for a few sample pages.%Gallery-49007%
Why not: A Mac mini inside an Apple Disk ][ enclosure
During last night's talkcast, we debated the validity of the most recent Mac mini rumors. I was in the "No Way" camp. I'm sure there's a new mini in the works, but I don't think that's it. At least, the machine depicted in that video isn't what will be offered to customers. I mean ... five USB ports, Firewire 800, two display ports ... why stop there? Throw in SCSI! LocalTalk! Cans and string!Or better yet, cram the whole mini into an Apple Disk ][ enclosure. That's what one enterprising case hacker did, and the results are pretty sweet. This mini has been so carefully placed that even the optical drive lines up with the case's opening. The LED has even been rigged to glow when the Mac is running. We love it.[Via Engadget & Cult of Mac]
Apple Disk ][ enclosure used to house Mac mini, enhance lives
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Apple_Disk_enclosure_used_to_house_Mac_Mini'; We're still debating whether or not a new Mac mini really is just around the bend, but one thing's for sure -- this version is the gnarliest we've ever seen of the current iteration. In an exercise that will undoubtedly go down as one of the most incredible Apple mods of all time (okay, so we only partly believe that), Sir Charles Mangin has managed to squeeze a Mac mini into a ridiculously old disk ][ enclosure. Best of all, he even managed to align the single slot with the DVD drive in the mini, giving it a totally seamless look from the outside. We know, this will only serve to drive the secondhand prices of disk ][ cases through the roof, but at least you've found a new reason to love the mini that has served you so well for so long, right? [Via technabob]
Move over, OLPC -- the $12 Apple II-based PC is coming
Alright, so it won't be a laptop, adorable, or have a cheeky Linux-based OS that's eventually replaced by Windows, but unlike the OLPC or the too-good-to-be-true $10 laptop, the $12 PC currently being developed at MIT will probably hit its price target. The project, being spearheaded by Derek Lomas and Jesse Austin-Breneman, is centered around cheap Apple II-based machines currently on sale in India and other developing nations that plug into televisions, and the goal is to update the systems with more memory, web access through cellphone tethering and actual storage. Considering we've already seen Apple IIs updated with Bluetooth and USB, and the less-powerful Commodore 64 can be used at LAN parties, we'd say all that stands between this project and reality is manpower -- any Apple II hackers out there ready to help?
Ask Joystiq: hunting, singing, hating, saving
This week on Ask Joystiq, we tackle Smash Bros Brawl's quirky saving preferences, universal disdain for Metroid II, the Smash Bros Brawl theme song, and the hunt for a classic Apple II platformer.If you have any burning questions, unsolved gaming mysteries, or just a desire for musings from our knowledgeable cadre of writers, drop us a line at ask AAT joystiq DAWT com (and yes, we write it that way for a reason).Q: If you haven't noticed by now, you cannot save your [Super Smash Bros. Brawl] game save to an SD card. However, you can save Vault data (Replays, Snapshots, and Custom Maps) to an external SD card. What gives?-AndyWe asked Nintendo the same thing and got a predictable no comment, but we expect the answer has something to do with forcing players to unlock the game's myriad characters, stages, trophies and stickers on their own. This seems a little overbearing to us, though ... what does Nintendo care if we want to just unlock everything outright? This isn't like Xbox Live, where cheaters get an unfair advantage on the Gamerscore boards -- with SSBB, the only person a cheater is cheating is themselves.
Flickr Find: Apple IIc unboxing
Like geeks everywhere, here at TUAW we like unboxing pics. But unboxing shots from an original Apple IIc? Now that's Apple fan candy! This Apple IIc was recently purchased on eBay and had never been opened before. The lucky buyer posted this Flickr set of the ritual. I particularly love the old rainbow Apple stickers! [via Digg]
Apple II: Put the Zoid back in Zoidberg
Dr. John Zoidberg is my TV Boyfriend. My husband knows, accepts, and understands. So imagine my surprise when TV Squad's Richard Keller posted about how Futurama's Zoidberg got his name. Sure, yadi yadi background stuff and then...Apple II assembly language? Wow cool! Futurama creator David X Cohen wrote Zoid back in the rocking '80s, when Brøderbund was a gaming force to be reckoned with--although it never actually was released to market. Instead they passed on the software and Cohen was forced to entertain us with cryogenics and one-eyed mutants and, well, you know the rest of the story. "Zoid" inspired the name for my darling Zoidberg, the Dr. McCoy with a mail order medical degree. Now here's where it gets interesting and TUAW-ish. Cohen still actually has his original Zoid game on a 5.25-inch floppy disk and, according to TV Squad, wants to find someone capable of ripping it for use on an Apple II emulator. Any volunteers? We at TUAW have no idea how to get in touch with Cohen but, hey, we thought we'd throw this one out there and see if we can make Internet magic happen! Now open your mouth, and lets have a look at that brain!
LotRO quest inspired by Apple II text adventures
It seems that most gamers these days haven't played any of the old Apple II computer games, much less the particularly ancient text-based adventure ones. Most people now see them as arcane and even intimidating. Those black & white fossils bear no relation to something as modern as say, The Lord of the Rings Online, right?Wrong! Gaming's old-timers will be tickled to hear that a quest in Tal Bruinen was inspired by a gameplay mechanic from an Apple II text adventure game. A Turbine employee revealed this behind-the-scenes tidbit in a thread about the quest on the official LotRO forums.The Apple II was the first widely successful personal computer. It had a large library of games, many of which are cornerstones of computer gaming history. You can play a lot of those games in your web browser at virtualapple.org, one of the best online emulators. It has many of the all-time classic RPGs like Ultima, Might and Magic, and Wizardry as well.
BlueFlash puts USB and Bluetooth on your Apple II
Do you keep revving up your Apple II to check your email, update your contacts and sync your mobile phone only to discover that you can't get Bluetooth up and running because the computer is actually from 1978? Well don't worry, because thanks to a very clever man who goes by the name Vinchysky, you can now utilize the a custom-designed disk controller card to interface with all your Bluetooth (and USB) capable devices. The ingenious design takes advantage of the card by bussing data from the single USB port (with attached Bluetooth dongle) to a CF card wired to the controller, thereby allowing information to be swapped on the card and disk images to be executed wirelessly. The card will be available in the near future for $160, plus an additional $10 for the dongle. If you really want to get a scope of what went into this hack, direct your browser and be awed by the results of three years' hard work.[Via TUAW]
Apple leads PC World's 50 Best Tech Products of All Time
Everybody likes lists and rankings; there's just something that fascinates people about them, and they're always good for an argument or, as the case may be, selling magazines. Squarely in this latter camp is PC World's list of the Best 50 Tech Products of All Time, which editor Harry McCracken writes in to tell us features seven Apple products, more than any other singe company. These are: #2 - Apple II (1977) #6 - iPod (2001) #14 - Mac Plus (1986) #21 - iTunes 4 (2003) #30 - OS X (2001) #34 - Original Airport Base Station (1999) #41 - Hypercard (1987) One thing that jumps out of this list to me is that only one of them, Hypercard, came out of Cupertino during the period that Jobs was gone from Apple (well maybe the Mac Plus, too). In any case, it clearly shows how much Apple has been on a roll since Jobs' return. I also think that at least one more product should be there: the original Powerbook 100, which more or less established the notebook computer form factor we have to this day. So let the debates begin, dear TUAW readers, what did the PC World editors screw up?
Blast from the Past: Apple II Commercial with Dick Cavett
It's the "appliance for the '80s". Or so Dick Cavett would have had us believe. This is an actual Apple II commercial from waybackwhen(TM), pointing out all the advantages an Apple computer could make in our lives. Like balancing the budget. And tracking recipes. Fortunately, the commercial's writers had a pretty good sense of humor and there's a nice comic punch at the end. Check out the two external floppy disk drives, that awful keyboard and the teeny screen in the big case.
Apple II game server
I was just looking into buying an Apple II for a nefarious project of my own when Eliot, of Hackaday, sent us a link to this post. An Apple II game server? How sweet is that? All you need is the Java program, a null modem cable, and the ability to make the Apple II accept serial commands.After that, you're good to play any game that is on the Apple II on the connected computer.You'll excuse me while I try to track down a cheap Apple II in mint condition.
Flickr Find: Old Apple wrench
How's this for vintage Apple hardware? While looking through the Macintosh Flickr group, I came across this gem that fits in perfectly with our vintage Mac theme. The photographer, jotefa, writes that it's a 5mm wrench that came with the serial interface card for his Apple ][. Hold on to that, jotefa. It's pretty cool.
Rig of the Day: Blast from the past
Here's one for Apple's pending anniversary. Flickr user and TUAW reader jcburns posted this shot of his desk circa 1985. Note the Apple ][, Mac Plus, IBM Electronic Selectric typewriter and floppies! Enlarge the picture up to see "1984" on the desk calendar. That was a pretty sweet setup back in The Me Decade."Mid-80s tech center" posted by jcburns.If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. We'll select an image every day to highlight.
PodBrix to offer Wozwear T-shirts
The folks at PodBrix have done it again. PodBrix occasionally releases limited-run, Apple-themed Lego minifigs. Previous releases have included Woz, Steve delivering a keynote and "Mr. Brix," which is a small figure that attaches to your headphone cord. On January 17th at 9:00 PM EST, they will release the Wozwear 6502 T-shirt. According to PodBrix,"...the Wozwear 6502 and is a custom made shirt featuring an image of our previous Woz minifig holding a 6502 processor chip. The interesting aspect is that we use an actual 6502 processor chip and attach it to the shirt with a magnetic clasp." Here's the best part: It's a working chip, and if removed from the shirt and popped into an old Apple machine, it would work (you may remember that this is the chip used in the Apple II's). These things usually sell out in a matter of minutes (they sold out of 270 Woz minifigs in less than two minutes in August), so have your credit card and mouse ready. Podbrix will make 300 Wozwear 6502 shirts available for $34.99US each starting at 9:00PM EST tomorrow night. Good luck.[Via Cult of Mac Blog]
