Open Apple #52 (October 2015) : GEOS! Robert Bowdidge, and more GEOS!

This month on Open Apple we sit down with Robert Bowdidge, one of three interns at Berkeley Softworks who ported GEOS to the best line of 8-bit computers. We talk about what a great place Berkeley Softworks was, along with the power of good tools and proper software engineering. Robert has great memories of the culture there, the GUI technology they had built, and the brilliant people who built it. Apparently GEOS existed for some other 8-bit computer as well, but we imagine it was slow and child-like. Users probably bought it at K-Mart or something.

After the interview, Mike and Quinn delve into their personal memories of GEOS, along with a couple of new projects they both did with the environment. Mike works on GEOS file conversion, and Quinn sorts out all the drivers so you don’t have to. We’re even having a contest this month! Download Quinn’s Ultimate GEOS disk image and find the secret phrase. First person to do so and email us at feedback (at) open-apple (dot) net wins nothing at all!

We also talk some news- lots of really great hardware is coming down the pipe. You won’t want to miss Javier Rivera’s hands-on with Plamen’s IIc VGA adapter, and the Uthernet II is now available. Don’t miss out! We talk some Woz, we talk some French Touch, and we revisit KansasFest yet again.

Celebrate GEOS with Quinn and Mike this Hallowe’en!

GEOS Disk Image guide:

* D1S1: Boot / Desktop disk* D1S2: Demos* D2S1: Drivers* D2S2: More Drivers* D3S1: GeoWrite* D3S2: GeoPaint / Desk Accessories* D4S1: GeoSpell / LaserWriter tools* D4S2: GeoDictionary

A quick sidebar on show length- yes, this episode is almost 3 hours again, but we really did try to make it shorter. We’ll continue to try and compromise a bit on this, so thanks for your patience!

More information on everything discussed in this episode, after the jump.

* Support us on Pateron! Please- help us at least break even on the infrastructure costs.* GEOS Repository – a one-stop-shop for all your GEOS fun on Asimov (sans GeoCalc)* ToastyTech overview – A nice quick-peek at what you’re missing by not playing along.* Breadbox – The current rights holders of GEOS properties* MacGUI repository – An alternate place to get GEOS things (search term: GEOS).* Robert Bowdidge – One of three interns who ported GEOS to the Apple II* Two Photos of GeoCalc – The unicorn! It exists!* GeoCalc manual – Photo of the credits and such.* A classic GEOS ad – Effective?