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 i...

Apple II Blu-ray/DVD Drive: Disk to the Future

With the advent of HD and 4K streaming video, you may think that physical disks are obsolete. But frankly, most of the 1080p Blu-ray discs I’ve played on my home theater system look better than even 4K streamed content out there because of the compression streaming services apply to reduce bandwidth usage. That said, this Apple II Disk II drive is no longer obsolete, thanks to its conversion into a working Blu-ray drive.

The old 5-1/4″ Apple floppy disk drive – circa 1978 – was gutted and converted into a working Blu-ray drive by Charles Mangin of RetroConnector. Inside, he’s fitted it with a modern USB 3 drive that can play HD movies and also read and write CDs and DVDs.

I love how it really looks unmodified at first glance. The disk drive door still locks into place, and he even rigged it so the old red LED blinks with drive activity. Priced at $500, it’s a bit expensive given what Blu-ray drives go for these days, but I love the looks of this thing so much that I’m throwing money at the screen right now.

DIY Working Mini Apple II Computer

Do you love the classic Apple II computer? Video game engineer Chris Larkin recently met up with the folks at Tested to show how he built a working miniature Apple II replica. This mini version of the classic computer emulates the full size one, but you can hold this one in the palm of your hand.

The tiny computer is based on a $9 CHIP card, and has a teensy LCD TFT screen, sound support, and is powered by a drone battery. It’s controlled wirelessly via a full-size Bluetooth keyboard, though it currently doesn’t have joystick support, so playing some games is a bit of a challenge. If you want to try making your own, Chris shared the files and instructions here on GitHub.

It’s probably been a long time since you used an Apple II, but I bet you have never used one as small as this. Even if you don’t play it, it’s a pretty adorable little replica that you will want to put on your desk.

[via Laughing Squid]

Run Obscure Apple II Software from Your Browser: The 4am Collection

The Apple II dominated the PC scene for over a decade, which meant a ton of applications were made for the series and its clones. For instance, its roster of top tier games could go toe-to-toe with that of dedicated gaming systems. But like most popular platforms, the II series is also home to a lot of lesser known titles. An anonymous hacker (or hackers) calling themselves 4am has been quietly preserving these forgotten relics.

apple_ii_software_4am_collection_1zoom in

With the help of the Internet Archive, the obscure applications of The 4am Collection are hosted online and in fact can be run within modern web browsers, though they do need Javascript to do so.

The archive recently highlighted the library because it now has 500 applications, a Herculean task that involved defeating the software’s notorious copyright protection: “Off the shelf, the programs would include copy protection routines that went so far as to modify the performance of the floppy drive, or force the Apple II’s operating system to rewrite itself to behave in strange ways.”

I’ve never used an Apple II PC, but as someone who’s in the rise of always online games and cloud-based services, I can appreciate the effort behind freeing that which was meant to be locked away. The business took, and the pirate hath given back. Head to the Internet Archive to see more of The 4am Collection.

Deal: Save 28% on These Awesomely Geeky Prints

Looking for a cool piece of art to hang on that empty spot of wall? Look no further than these cool and geeky images from City Prints.

geeky_print_neszoom in

Each of these three prints features an important element of geek culture hidden in its line art. Whether you go with the schematic from the classic Apple II computer (12″ x 16″), an 8-bit Nintendo game system (12″ x 16″), or the map of Gotham city (12″ x 12″), each image will make a great conversation piece, while also looking cool hanging on your wall.

geeky_print_apple_2zoom in

geeky_print_gothamzoom in

We’ve got all three posters over in the Technabob Shop now for just $34.99(USD) each – a savings of 28% off the regular price.

The Apple II Watch

In less than 24 hours, you’ll be able to pre-order the Apple Watch. And while reviews have been mixed, I’m still planning on ordering one, since I feel that I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t at least try one for a few weeks. And while many of you will wait for second-generation Apple Watch 2 to arrive, you could also build your own Apple Watch, like Instructables contributor Aleator777 did. Except in this case, it’s an Apple II Watch.

apple_2_watchzoom in

Yes, this newfangled/oldfangled timepiece features lots of details inspired by the classic Apple II computer, including its drab beige color scheme, monochrome green screen, and iconic Apple logo. The watch runs on a Teensy 3.1 processor, connected to a 1.8″ TFT screen (so I guess it could display more colors than green if you wanted to.) It’s even got a digital crown interface just like the real Apple Watch.

It even has a couple of tiny floppy drives – though I dare you to try and cram a 5.25″ floppy in them.

apple_2_watch_2zoom in

Head on over to Instructables to check out the complete build log for the Apple II Watch.

Steve Wozniak Not Interested in Buying the New iPads!


Steve Wozniak, the inventor of Apple I and Apple II computers, says that he is not impressed by the recently released iPads, as he hasn’t found his desired storage capacity in them.According to Apple...

Mac Mini Apple ][ Disk Drive Hits the Auction Block

Remember the Mac Mini that was modded into an old Apple ][ Disk Drive a couple of years back? Well, the modder behind the build has now put it up for sale on eBay, to make room for other projects.

mac mini floppy drive

It only has a 1.5Ghz Core Solo CPU and 2GB of RAM, so it’s not the latest and greatest in Mac Mini tech, but on the other hand it’s way more powerful than the 1978 floppy drive upon which it is based. My favorite part of the mod has always been the slot-loading DVD drive that’s perfectly aligned with the old floppy disk slot.

mac mini floppy drive 2

Modder Charles Mangin has listed the 5-1/4″ floppy drive cum Mac Mini with a starting bid of $500(USD), but if you absolutely must have it, there’s a Buy-it-Now price of $1000.


Apple II Plus gets torn asunder and restored in this modern teardown (video)

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.

Continue reading Apple II Plus gets torn asunder and restored in this modern teardown (video)

Apple II Plus gets torn asunder and restored in this modern teardown (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Apple II, as described by Steve Wozniak

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 Apple II, as described by Steve Wozniak originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 May 2012 04:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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