Open Apple

This month on Open Apple, as is tradition, we present the megapodcast recorded live at KansasFest. Most of your favorite retrocomputing podcasters attend KansasFest each year, and we all get together in a basement room to record a giant group podcast. This year’s recording includes, in no particular order:

• Quinn Dunki of Open Apple
• Paul Hagstrom of Retrocomputing Roundtable and Drop /// Inches
• Michael Mulhern and Carrington Vanston of Retrocomputing Roundtable
• Kay Savetz of Antic
• Rob McMullen of Player/Missile
• Ken Gagne of Polygamer and Indiesider
• John Leake of RetroMacCast
• Todd George of Chicken Lips Radio
• Charles Mangin of How II
• Jeff Salzman of The History Of Personal Computing

In this megapodcast, we talk about our experiences at this year’s KFest, and play a form of Liar’s Dice with each other’s personal computing histories.

A note on audio quality- it’s difficult to get 11 people recorded simultaneously in a room without a lot of fancy equipment that we can’t carry on airplanes, so we hope you’ll bear with us. We have a ton of fun recording these as a group, and we hope you enjoy listening to it. Many many thanks to Paul Hagstrom for doing the editing on this one!

This month on Open Apple, we sit down with Sean Fahey of A2Central, major league collector, and member of the KansasFest Committee. It’s not too late to register! Go to kansasfest.org right now. If you listen to this show, you should definitely be there. The Garage Giveaway will be larger than ever this year. You won’t want to miss the amazing pile of free Apple II gear. The other classic traditions keep getting better as well- the cookout will be catered, and the prizes for the various contests are amazing this year. All the great Apple II community vendors have stepped up with a lot of hardware, tools, and software to give away.

KansasFest 2016 runs July 19th – July 24th at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO. The keynote speaker this year is Mike Harvey, best known in the Apple II community as the editor of Nibble magazine. He has some great stories about the business and culture of the early computing era.

We don’t just talk about KansasFest this month. We dive a bit deeper into the murky world of Apple II clones. Also marvel as Mike pretends to know nothing about KansasFest, and roll your eyes as Quinn continues to beat a dead horse joke about the eBay segment. Fear not, however, because the world is a better now that we all know the Lode Runner board game exists.

Z0DWARE WHERE ARE YOU?!

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

• KansasFest 2016 : Run, don’t walk to the registration page.
• KansasFest 2015 photos : Jason Scott’s great shots from last year.
• Staff C1 clone : Nice photos of a lesser-known Apple II clone.
• Chrome emulator : Run an Apple II as a Chrome extension, because you can.
• Lode Runner Board Game : Quinn really really wanted this, but hesitated too long.
• Kerbal Space Program : Yes, someone really seems to have written a version for the II.
• DB-19s Live Again : Intrepid Steve Chamberlin now has ALL THE DB-19s!!!!!
• 4am & qkumba crushing it : The odyssey of Gumball and the multi-game easter egg.
• RamWorks III kit : UltimateMicro now lets you roll your own. Less juice, more memory.
• Apple I on eBay : The bubble seems to have burst.
• Clones on eBay :

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This month on Open Apple, Kay Savetz sits down with Amy Kefauver and Lorri Hopping. Amy was the editor of Scholastic Microzine, an educational magazine focused on the Apple II. Lorri was a writer and editor for Microzine. They share many great memories creating lessons with computers, the nature of the educational market, and how computers can engage kids in ways that static media can’t.

After those interviews (thanks Kevin!), Mike and Quinn talk ear worm game introductions, crappy early advertising, and hardware with Bumper Stumper product names. It wouldn’t be a show if they didn’t mention UltimateMicro and Brutal Deluxe, so they make sure to do that too.

Bathe in the glory of 1980s video game box art, enjoy mobile versions of KansasFest memories, and roll your eyes at teenage boy whimsy.

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

• ANTIC : The Atari 8-bit interview show that is sometimes a podcast.
• Doug Carlston : A great interview by friend-of-the-show Chris Torrence.
• 4Play Joystick card : An awesome new way to multiplay on your GS.
• 4Soniq quadrophonic sound card : Unlock all the sound channels on your Ensoniq.
• WoZFest III : Great demos of Kaboom support for both of the above!
• VCF East Hackathon on Apple IIs : Live programming competition done right.
• 1980s game box art : Let’s be honest- it’s all about Sirius.
• UltimateMicro Universal Power Supply : The design is finalized! Get yours now.
• Apple II Festival France : Party with your Apple II, like all classy and stuff.
• Early Games Influencing Internet : The Apple II echoes and echoes and echoes.
• France United Cracker’s Klan tribute : Teenage boys behaving badly.
• Structris for iOS released : Play the KansasFest classic on your iPhone.
• UltimateMicro Scalable Oscillator v2.0 : A new version of the nifty accelerator hack.
• Dino Eggs: Rebirth : Available now on Steam. Go get it!

Oh, and here’s a link. You’re welcome.

This month on Open Apple, we sit down with Huibert Aalbers, author of Soundsmith. It’s hard to overstate what a platform-defining piece of software this was for the Apple IIgs. Few people appreciated what the audio system in this computer was capable of, until Huibert unlocked it for the world to hear. Games and scene demos would use his tool for the entire life of the machine. Other music trackers came along in later years, but Soundsmith was always there. It turns out platform jealousy can be a powerful force indeed.

Meanwhile, we talk oranges, Taiwanese ham, dying young, and cramming IIc parts in your Franklin. We blow the lid off the French pirate sneakernet and complain about kids today and their disrespect for bytes.

After that, Mike finds beta ROMs, Quinn loses her sense of humor, and they both find GS RAM cards everywhere. It’s a IIgs themed episode- all the Ensoniqs and FTAs you can stand. If you’re an Atari user*, see if you can spot the backhanded compliment.

You won’t want to miss Huibert’s amazing project involving IIgs Epluché!

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

• Getting rid of collections : Because you can’t take it with you.
• Disposal on RCR : Those jerks scooped us by a year. How do they do it?
• Huibert Aalbers : Where is he now?
• Freeware : All of Huibert’s work is now up grabs.
• Mockingboard 4C : Ian Kim is at it again! For sale here!
• Lawless Legends : This game just keeps getting better and better looking.
• AIPC : A new Apple IIe emulator to take for a spin.
• Historically Brewed (pdf warning) : David Greelish re-releases the newsletter in PDF form.
• Computer Museum of America : Mr. Greelish will be busy.
• Franklin ACE transplant : A creative solution to an ailing power supply.
• Adult Oregon Trail : Don’t worry, it’s not what it sounds like.
• IIc Plus Slowdown : Hack-a-day picks up Quinn’s project.
• 4am goes viral : One of the posts that started it all.
• 3.5 Drive Controller : The latest sweet sweet clone from UltimateMicro.
• Apple blew it : The IIgs tragedy, nicely laid out.
• Gold box games : Jimmy Maher goes deep on Pool of Radiance.
• VCF Reorganizes : VCFSE is on!
• A2Heaven ROM adapter : Upgrade your IIgs ROM!
• UltimateMicro ROM adapter : Upgrade your IIgs ROM again!
• ByteBoosters RAM : Because you can never have too many IIgs RAM cards.
• Nox Archaist : A new RPG in the spirit of Ultima, coming soon.
• Mark Pilgrim’s Pravetz : Come to KFest to see the very rare (in the US) clone.
• Choplifter Visualized : Because it’s such a nice looking game.
• Woz is everywhere : Including here, here, and here!

*our condolences

This month on Open Apple, we sit down with legendary Apple II programmer, Bill Budge. In addition to being an icon of Apple II gaming and graphics, he is the number-one-requested guest by listeners of the show. Mike and Quinn are very excited he was able to make some time to talk to them, and hope you agree it was worth the effort. Bill is, of course, the author of such seminal classics as Raster Blaster, Pinball Construction Set, and MousePaint. He was an influential force in the golden years of Electronic Arts, and did many good works with early Apple as well.

After chatting with Bill, Mike and Quinn chew the fat about Soviet Apple II clones, slowing down the IIc Plus, and documenting rare II models. Meanwhile, Quinn constructs an impromptu sound studio in a conference room, and Mike waxes nostalgic about harpsichords. Also, this episode marks the most Apple III references snuck in to date. Mike even manages to goad the guest into bringing it up. Don’t miss Quinn struggling to remember the word “Dacta”, and Mike taking a cheap shot at Elevator Action.

A quick update to Quinn’s Floppy Emu Model B review- since this was recorded, Steve has updated the firmware so it now remembers the last disk image you used.

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

• Bill Budge!
• Penny Arcade – Bill’s first game.
• Tranquility Base – Refinement of Bill’s line rendering and physics techniques.
• 3-D Game Tool – A demo (we believe) of Bill’s 3-D Game Tool in action.
• Raster Blaster – Bill moves from vector rendering into bitmaps.
• Computer Chronicles – Bill’s appearance on national television.
• Ultima V – A comprehensive history by Jimmy Maher.
• Britannia Manor – A video tour of Richard Garriott’s house.
• Floppy Emu – Quinn reviews one of the newest solid state options.
• Mike’s Rev 0 – Mike begins documenting his rare beast.
• No boot for you – Video of Mike’s ailing machine at KansasFest.
• Communist clones – The Apple II was a popular clone target in the Eastern Bloc.
• Circuit Cellar interview – #ThrowbackThursday
• Cracking senses – Do you know what copy protection sounds like?
• Inside Technic Control Center – Lego’s first interface to an Apple computer.
• The Dacta box in action – Courtesy of Alex Lukazi.
• Usborne programming books – The beloved kids’ books are now free to download.
• Woz expresses fatigue – He’ll still sign your crap, but don’t push it.
• Miner – The prototype that will make you really really appreciate Lode Runner.
• Slowing down the IIc Plus – Quinn makes a nicer default for clock speed.
• Patreon – Help keep Open Apple on the air!

This month on Open Apple we sit down with Peter Lount, co-developer of Gemstone Warrior and Gemstone Healer for the Apple II. Canadian programmer Peter and his partner Trouba broke new ground in video games by combining fast action combat with procedurally generated caves and dungeon content. Gemstone Warrior doesn’t get credit for being the predecessor to Blizzard megahit Diablo, but it should. Peter talks about tuning his rendering engine, including rewriting huge chunks of it overnight to meet a deadline. What’s your reality resolution?

Tune in to hear Mike complain that Gemstone’s monsters are too smart for him, and hear Quinn choke on the most important Apple II announcement of the year. We talk a lot about solid state drives, marvel at underground ‘zines, and bask in the awesome glory of Brutal Deluxe’s tape collection. Audio is still the “best” way to move data after all these years. “A bold statement,” you say? “Nonsense,” you cry? Listen and decide.

Meanwhile, Ultimate Micro continues to kick butt by reverse engineering all that sweet Applied Engineering hardware, Quinn makes terrible “card” jokes, and we catch up on lots of feedback.

Breaking the fourth wall on segment bumpers- good idea, or great idea?

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

• Computer History Museum – Well worth the visit, but strange gaps in the collection.
• Quinn goes viral – Here’s the post that started it all.
• Tech Crunch synopsis – They’ve corrected some details since it was first posted, at least.
• Gemstone Warrior – Play it here online, courtesy of Call-A.P.P.L.E.
• Visual 6502 – See our favorite chip run live.
• Gemstone Synthesizer – The game played through a Roland synthesizer.
• KansasFest registration – run, don’t walk! Your chance to hang with your Apple II pals.
• LCD for your IIgs – an older solution, but still viable.
• Floppy Days – Randy Kindig discusses TI-99/4A upgrades. Trust us, it’s relevant.
• F18a for Apple II – An awesome graphics subsystem you can add to your II.
• I’m fEDD Up – Version 2, now with 800k support.
• Crazy Cycles 2 – Just when you think French Touch can’t do more with video modes.
• Floppy Emu model B – A slick new solid state storage option from Big Mess of Wires.
• Old Tech New Tech – A new ‘zine from a former Beagle Brother.
• PoC||GTFO – Apple II copy protection overview in an underground ‘zine.
• Marina for Uthernet II – The newest ethernet option now supported by Marina TCP/IP.
• Brutal Deluxe tapes – Even more tapes added to their huge collection of early software.
• RamWorks III schematics – Ultimate Micro continues to give back to the community.
• Joe’s Computer Museum – A nice place to hang your hat.
• Sprite Castle – A great show about the Commodore 64, if you’re in to that for some reason.
• How II – Charles Mangin’s Apple II video cast.
• Chris Torrence – Another great Apple II show.

This month on Open Apple we sit down with Henry Courbis, co-proprietor of Ultimate Micro, serial entrepreneur, and Open Source guy. Henry is boldly going where no hobbyist has gone before, by making Apple II hardware his real day job. If anyone can do it, Ultimate Micro can!

We talk massive modem phone bills, phreaking, warez, and statutes of limitations. You know… for a friend. Henry talks about how hardware first appealed to him, and how he has leveraged his hacking and resourcefulness into development of powerful & complex modern products. Henry is a nexus of collaboration in the Apple II hardware community, and helping to make a lot of things happen. Henry makes cloning the Transwarp GS sound easy, and goes into lots of detail on exciting upcoming UltimateMicro products.

Listen in amazement as Quinn is unable to realize that “qkumba” is a play on “cucumber”. Listen to Mike badger Henry for a Phasor clone, and listen to Quinn’s not-so-subtle attempt to be a beta tester for the IDEA2c. We’ve got emulators, we’ve got hardware vendors, we’ve got crackers, and we’ve got phony museums about to get sued into oblivion. Come on down!

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

• Raspberry Pi IIb – The perfect platform for A2Server (which has just been updated!).
• Digital Archeology – Quinn rescues her old floppy collection.
• Ultimate Micro – Possibly the hottest new Apple II hardware maker.
• UM on Facebook – Keep up with the very latest news from Henry and Anthony.
• Philosophy Of Sound – Tom Arnold, who developed UM’s Mockingboard clone.
• Dagen Brock – Frequent Apple II contributor and UM collaborator.
• Geoff Body – Early collaborator on the legendary Transwarp GS cloning.
• GGLabs – Maker of awesome retrocomputing products of all sorts.
• Nishida Radio – Everyone’s favorite Apple II hardware maker.
• A2Heaven – Plamen of Bulgaria, everyone’s other favorite Apple II hardware maker.
• John Morris – Collaborating on new UM power supplies.
• UNISDISK Air – Nishida Radio’s wireless floppy emulator.
• Joe’s Computer Museum – Soon to be reviewing UM products.
• Apple II Online Registry – Show off your serial number. You know you want to.
• AppleFritter – A popular hangout for hardcore II fans.
• ANTIC Interview #45 – Yep, we listen. Boo Atari. But you should listen too. Good show.
• ANTIC Interview #96, Bill Mensch – We’ll just leave this here.
• Raster Bars – French Touch continues to impress.
• FTA Xmas demo – In case you don’t know it. You should. It crushes.
• Berlin GeekFest – Apple II legends feature heavily. A great listen!
• Apple II Plus Simulator updated – You may not know this one, but give it a try.
• Virtual II – The official(?) favorite emulator of the Open Apple team.
• Apple Time Warp podcast episode 2 – You thought it was gone, didn’t you? We all did.
• Apple 2ix – Android (and theoretically cross-platform) emulator updated.
• cAndy Apple – An older Android emulator, still worth checking out.
• PeerSoft updated – Neat BASIC extender, now version 1.5.6.
• SQUIRT – New file selector to play with. Oh, Canada!
• qkumba porting DOS 3.3 games to ProDOS – Crackers have all kinds of tricks.
• Antoine == 4am GS – Preservation of GS games is underway with a vengeance!
• InitPack updated – Yes, AppleWorks plugin development continues!
• Alan Bird interviewed on UnoCero – Scroll past the messed-up layout (Google Translated)
• David Schroeder’s blogging reposted – Venture Beat getting in on the retro action.
• Apple “Museum” in Prague plays with fire – Cease & Desist in 3..2..1…
• Apple “Museum” website – See it before the lawyers burn it down.
• Dan Bricklin interviewed – VisiCalc still getting the love.
• The Guardian follows suit – More VisiCalc.
• Apple IIc Prototype on eBay – Seems legit?
• Option 8 charity auction – RetroConnector doing good for the community.
• Basis 108 Clone – Thanks Randy!

This month on Open Apple, we round out the year with our annual tradition of sitting around a virtual table with some friends of the show, discussing whatever comes to mind. Mike and Quinn are joined by Randy Brandt of Beagle Bros fame, Charles Mangin of RetroConnector, and some guy named Carrington Vanston.

We talk about connecting old things to other old things, connecting old things to new things, and how to pluralize German surnames. Mike manages to make several Apple III references, Carrington imagines nonexistent 8-bit games, and The Third Apple Guy is discussed at some point. It’s a deep, intellectual examination of all things Apple II. Stay tuned to hear why Quinn’s mom hoards peoples’ IIGSes for some reason. You won’t want to miss a moment. Also, Quinn makes a 65C02 joke that nobody laughs at. You’ll know why.

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

• RetroConnector – Charles Mangin’s store.
• The New Apple II User’s Guide – A great way to get (re)started in the Apple II world.
• The Asimov Games – Internet Archive’s snapshot of game disk images.
• Apple II Game Server – A way to stream games into your Apple’s memory right from the internet on any modern mobile or desktop device.
• ADTPro – The best way to get started with real floppies on newly-acquired hardware.
• SDFloppy II – One of the easiest to get floppy emulators.
• CFFA 3000 – Goes in all your slots.
• A2Heaven – The mad genius Bulgarian’s new store.
• Quinn’s Apple II ROM Dumper – Shameless plug because it was mentioned. By Quinn.
• KansasFest – It’s not our show notes if we don’t link to this.
• Bard’s Tale Remastered – Rebecca Heineman’s upcoming project.
• Digital Antiquarian – We’ll take any excuse to link to Jimmy’s amazing blog.
• Trizbort – A mapping tool if you’re allergic to ink.
• Opus II – All the ByteWorks software now available from Juiced.GS.

This month on Open Apple we sit down with David Schroeder, author of classic Apple II games such as Crisis Mountain, Dino Eggs, and Short Circuit. We talk about the randomness of our passionate brand-loyalty, the logistical realities of early Apple II development, and the magical era of “one-person, one-game”. We get into a lot of the technical details of Crisis Mountain and Dino Eggs, so you might pick up some tips for your own Apple II projects! David also has great memories of the economic and design realities of the time, where everyone was scrambling to figure out what a computer game was, and what players really wanted. Game developers are still fighting that battle, but at least we have a definition of “video game” now.

We’re sharing David’s games in the show notes below, with his permission! In exchange, he asks that you patronize, share and support Dino Eggs: Rebirth.

After that we jam through some quick news, bask in the fallout (see what I did there?) of the GEOS episode, and we get down and dirty with rodents. Do you have the GS with the bigger Em Bees? Trust us, you want the bigger Em Bees.

You might notice that we’re continuing to tighten up the show. Let us know how you feel about this trend in our show length! Do you like the shorter episodes? Miss the epic three hour monsters? Email us at feedback (at) open-apple (dot) net. We have social media too, but we can never remember which ones.

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

• David H. Schroeder – His personal site, including info on Dino Eggs: Rebirth.
• Dino Eggs: Rebirth – A modern take on the classic- vote for it on Steam Greenlight!
• Gamasutra Blog – David’s series of articles on his development of all these games.
• Crisis Mountain – Play it yourself!
• Dino Eggs – Definitely play it yourself!
• Short Circuit – Shut up and go play this right the hell now!
• Ho! Ho! Ho! Family Christmas Games – A lesser-known work of David’s- a fave of his!
• Happy Birthday To You – Reference to David’s SoftDisk birthday game. We weren’t able to find an actual copy of this, but if anyone knows the SoftDisk issue this was in, let us know.
• Fallout 84 – Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Much like Fallout itself, an alternate history.
• Phreaking Mini-doc – A look back at Woz’s Blue Boxes, on ESPN for some reason.
• Ultimate Micro 8MB Cards – So many megabytes! All the megabytes!
• Review of UM’s Card – Dagen Brock gives us a (very) quick tour.
• Call A.P.P.L.E. Magazine is back! – They never really left.
• Juiced.GS – Reigns supreme as the longest continuously published Apple II Magazine.
• Mouse Programming – A talk Quinn gave at KFest about mouse differences and such.

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? You be the judge.
• An ad for GeoCalc – The pun! It burns!
• Hitchhiker’s Guide to GEOS – The SDK programming manual for GEOS.
• GEOS File conversion effort – Maybe you can get your data out after all.
• Quinn’s ultimate GEOS disk image – For IIc Plus users only. Virtual II is cheating!
• Computer Show – A terrific spoof of Computer Chronicles and similar ’80s shows
• Discovered lost Apple II logo? – Probably not.
• Summary of Apple II graphics – A nice beginner’s intro in video form.
• Post Mortem of Crisis Mountain – From David Schroeder himself.
• Dino Eggs – Also Dino Eggs.
• ClassicIDE available – Buy one now while you can!
• VNCViewGS – VNC on your IIgs! With source code!
• Pong chip designed by Apple II superfan – Atari podcasts talk about us yet again.
• Apple II music in a chiptunes contest – Krue is killing it, Apple II-style.
• Repairing a IIe keyboard – Courtesy of RetroConnector.
• Uthernet II now shipping – Buy one while you can!
• Plasmagoria Demo – Newest demo from French Touch.
• IIc VGA Review – Javier gets up close and personal with Plamen’s upcoming device.
• Mockingboard Clone – UltimateMicro is at it again. Or was. Sorry, you missed it.
• KansasFest Garage Giveaway GoFundMe – Help fund one of the best parts of KFest.
• David Cohen and his Apple II – A Simpsons/Futurama connection to our 8-bit.
• System 6.0.3 installer bug – With a workaround by John Brooks.
• Woz speaking in Kansas – (not -Fest, just Kansas). Get your tickets now!
• Woz remembers the HCC – The club that started it all, from the most famous member.
• Fix your IIc Plus Beep – Yes, it is possible to make your IIc Plus sound correct.

One addendum to the news- Woz’s lecture at KY will be live webcast. So even if you can’t get tickets, you can still watch him speak in November: