Archive for May of 2007

The Beagle Brothers Software Repository

May 30, 2007


Check out this archive of legendary Beagle Brothers Apple II Software, Manuals, Posters and Catalogs!

The Beagle Brothers Software Repository

Hack: The Apple I

May 29, 2007
From Technology Review, this article takes "a look back at the original motherboard: Steve Wozniak's 1976 Apple I."
It begins:
"Before the iPod, the Macintosh, or even the formation of Apple Computer Company on April Fool's Day 1976, there was the Apple I. Designed by Steve "Woz" Wozniak, then an engineer at Hewlett-Packard, it was less a personal computer than the bare essentials of one: the circuit board you see in the image at left is the Apple I (buyers had to hook up their own keyboards, displays, and power supplies). This computer, the very first Apple I made, was first used in a math class at Windsor Junior High School in Windsor, CA, in 1976 and donated to the LO*OP Center, a nonprofit educational organization run by Liza Loop."

Read More:
Hack: The Apple I

1984 Apple IIc Commercial

May 25, 2007
Another YouTube.com find for Friday. "Look what the computer wizards at Apple have come up with now!"



1984 Apple IIc Commercial

This Week in Apple History

May 23, 2007
Today we return to the informative "This Week in Apple History" series at The Mac Observer. The May 23 - 31 entry in the series by Owen Linzmayer & Bryan Chaffin is entitled, "The US Festival, Jobs' Failed Coup, TAM, Pirates".

May 23 - 31: The US Festival, Jobs' Failed Coup, TAM, Pirates

Take the RetroChallange!

May 22, 2007


Get that vintage hardware revved up!
From the site:

"What is the RetroChallenge?
Its a look at old hardware by using it, it's a discovery of the kit you loved when you were younger, it's a play for the sake of it, its stopping computers ending up in landfill sites when they are still useful, its a bit of fun for those geeks out there that want to play with old computers.
If you have to ask why, then I would think that this would not be for you!

Rules
Erm.. There are none. Really!
You can enter with whatever kit you like - It would be hoped that you would be sensible and use something, old, obsolete or weird, but if you want to show all the great things that you can do with a 3GHZ Intel machine, then go ahead. I promise however, that everybody will laugh at you.
So what is retro? Well that is a hard question. Windows 95 and a Pentium machine is not Retro. But depending on what OS you use on a Pentium machine, then it could be considered retro and certainly fun. Depending of what you actually did with Windows 95 - video work perhaps, then again it may have some merit, but just swapping your current kit for Win95 and a Pentium during July? Well that's simpler to answer. It's just too easy to do stuff on that sort of setup. You can pretty much do everything you can now on a Pentium running Win95, it's just slower.
It's not that this is about excluding hardware or OS from a certain time period, just that common stuff 10 years old being used for day to day tasks, is not that interesting. However fun stuff with a NeXT station could be interesting. See how it works?
The point of this, if indeed there is one, is to challenge you to do something new, to learn something new or just play. It is sort of like a show-and-tell. Do something fun or interesting and let the world know."

Visit the RetroChallange page to get started!

A PowerPC for Your Lap

May 21, 2007
Today we return to the magical Wayback Machine at Archive.org to retrieve another lost nugget. This 1996 article by John Rizzo, discussing the reasons why "The PowerBook 5300c is innovative - for a PowerBook", is originally from Creative Mac.
It begins:
"Remember the scene in "GoldenEye" where 007 nearly blows himself up with a ThinkPad fitted with explosives?
No doubt IBM paid big bucks to get its notebook in the movie, but if the film's producers had followed computer industry news, they would have chosen a PowerBook 5300, the portable that Apple briefly recalled because a couple of lab units burst into flames."

Read more:
A PowerPC for Your Lap

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

May 18, 2007
Another YouTube.com find for Friday!
From the intro:
"Here we see Steve Jobs delivering his commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University in 2005. In it he talks about getting fired from Apple in 1985, life & death."



Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

This Week in Apple History

May 16, 2007
Today we return to the informative "This Week in Apple History" series at The Mac Observer. The May May 16 - 22 entry in the series by Owen Linzmayer & Bryan Chaffin is entitled, "Apple III & AppleLink introduced, iPod Division Created".

May 16 - 22: Apple III & AppleLink introduced, iPod Division Created

The LisaTerminal Twiggy Disk Hunt

May 15, 2007

The Lisa 1 with original dual Twiggy drives is pretty rare. The Lisa Twiggy diskettes are also pretty darn rare. But an unserialized LisaTerminal Twiggy diskette? THAT'S something you won't find at your local garage sale. It's so hard to find in fact, that our friends at VintageMicros are offering a reward for one!

They are willing to trade a complete, refurbished Lisa 2/10 system with internal Widget Emulator and Lisa Software on CF Cards for a VIRGIN, unserialized LisaTerminal Twiggy Diskette. The condition of this offer is that they will examine the disk to see if it will install on a Lisa 1. If it does successfully install, then they will ship your Lisa System anywhere in the world for free. If the disk will not install, then it will returned it to you. The only way to determine if the LisaTerminal Twiggy Disk is virgin is to try to install it on their personal Lisa 1. The Lisa 2/10 they are offering is the same as is listed on the VintageMicros site for $1200!

Does this disk even exist? Come on people - lets find out! If we can't do it, no one can! If you have it, or know who does, contact us here at The Mothership, or send an email to VintageMicros directly.

Visit VintageMicros Twiggy Trade Page!

Black and Blue

May 14, 2007
More from Alfred!
"A parody of the end scene of Michael Jackson's music video, "Black or White." This is from the 1992 QuickTime Version 1.0 CD."



Black and Blue

This Week in Apple History

May 09, 2007
Today we return to the informative "This Week in Apple History" series at The Mac Observer. The May 9 - 15 entry in the series by Owen Linzmayer & Bryan Chaffin is entitled, "Lisa Canceled, Exponential Closes, OS X Born".

May 9 - 15: Lisa Canceled, Exponential Closes, OS X Born

Pencil Test - Behind the Scenes

May 08, 2007
Alfred is at it again!
"This is an incredible look behind the scenes on the creation of Apple's animated short, "Pencil Test", which was entirely rendered on Mac II computers back in 1988. This incredible bit of footage was from the QuickTime V1.0 CD."



Pencil Test - Behind the Scenes

The Wizard of Quick & Time

May 07, 2007
Today we present a video by our friend, Alfred DiBlasi at YouTube.com. His intro:
"This is restored from the 1992 QuickTime CD. It features Jim Batson, the man that lead the helm in the development of QuickTime. He actually does some really great stop motion work and clever editing in this short film."



The Wizard of Quick & Time

This Week in Apple History

May 03, 2007
Today we return to the informative "This Week in Apple History" series at The Mac Observer. The May 1 - 8 entry in the series by Owen Linzmayer & Bryan Chaffin is entitled, "Big Blue Becomes Cloner, The iMac is Born!".

May 1 - 8: Big Blue Becomes Cloner, The iMac is Born!