• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Introducing the Open Apple podcast

Open Apple #18

Open Apple #18

On the August episode of Open Apple, Ken Gagne speaks with Wayne Arthurton, who recently attended his first KansasFest since 2004, and Paul Hagstrom and Jeremy Rand, both first-time attendees at the world's premier annual Apple II convention. In this panel-format discussion, the four veterans discuss their personal highlights from the show, what motivated them to attend, and their favorite sessions, HackFest challenges, keynote speaker memories, vendor fair purchases, and more. Find the show at the Open Apple Web site or in the iTunes and Zune podcast directories.
 
Open Apple #19

Open Apple #19

The September episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community’s only co-hosted podcast, is now available!

This month, Mike and I chat with David Schmidt, the programmer responsible for ADTPro. Beyond his own program, David has also contributed to the development of Davex, GSport, AppleCommander, CiderPress, OpenEmulator, DiscFerret, CFFA3000 — and much, much more. Collectively, the show's hosts marvel at the deluge of Apple II games that are being ported to iOS, Apple's mobile operating system … though we question the direction Jordan Mechner is taking the classic Karateka. Apple-1 computers continue to fetch exorbitant prices at live auctions, while iPads and IMSAIs fail to sell on eBay — though the latter may soon get a Kickstarter from Vince Briel. Finally, I quietly brood while Mike and David enthusiastically sing the praises of their favorite computer, the Apple III.

Find the show at any of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2012/09/03/show-019-schmidt-ios-apple3-imsai/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

http://social.zune.net/podcast/Open-Apple/93ccfacb-1043-4a1e-aaf0-b26fcbf521f8
 
Open Apple #20

Open Apple #20

The October episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community’s only co-hosted podcast, is now available!

This month, Mike and I chat with Ewen Wannop, British programmer of 16-bit telecommunications programs such as Spectrum, SAM, SNAP, and SAFE. The hosts share feedback galore from the last episode and contemplate how to record a live show. After catching up on some headlines from last month, we plow forward, celebrating the return of an interactive fiction publication and grumbling that even beginner IF can be as obscure as the medium is infamous for. The September 2012 issue of Juiced.GS just shipped, and with it, a look at what features a hypothetical System 7.0 operating system would include. Is it reasonable to consider that a software upgrade warrants a hardware bump, and what the next model of Apple II would look like? Photos of Steve Jobs in his natural habitat show an Apple stronghold as Spartan as ever, but you can decorate yours with Melissa Barron's screenprints from Etsy. There's a Disk II floppy drive on eBay that holds within it a working Mac mini — a cool hack, but is it worth a cool grand? We question the value of purchasing free software on eBay and marvel at everything from lighters to thumb drives in the shape of an Apple II.

Find the show at any of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2012/10/11/show-020-wannop-spectrum-beyond-mini/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

http://social.zune.net/podcast/Open-Apple/93ccfacb-1043-4a1e-aaf0-b26fcbf521f8
 
Open Apple #21

Open Apple #21

The November episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community’s only co-hosted podcast, is now available!

This month, Mike chats with Apple IIGS programmer and guest co-host Geoff Weiss about his work on the Spectrum Internet Suite and debuts some new Classic Desk Accessories for the IIGS, based on his KansasFest 2012 presentation. Mike and Geoff go over some recent Apple II news, such as Brutal Deluxe's latest software offering, a missing time capsule, a visit to the Russian Apple Museum in Moscow, and Woz's Ask Me Anything on Slashdot, as well as Apple II-related movie and TV items.

Find the show at either of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2012/11/11/show-021-weiss-sis-auctions-hosting/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

-Ken
 
Open Apple #22

Open Apple #22

The December episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community’s only co-hosted podcast, is now available!

This month, Mike and I chat with Kevin Savetz, Internet publisher and author of the memoir Terrible Nerd. We cross enemy lines to look at a book about the cultural, scientific, and philosophical implications of Commodore 64 programming, some of it applicable to the Apple II. Paul Terrell’s Polaroid snapshots of the first Apple-1 computers are cool, just like our reception to Jordan Mechner’s new Karateka game. On eBay, we discover the Androbot is not just another neat product from a Nolan Bushnell company, but another reason we prefer the Apple II to other platforms. And Ken’s accidental purchase of some Microzines produces the concept for a new and very expensive podcast!

Find the show at any of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2012/12/07/show-022-savetz-c64-polaroids-microzine/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

zune://subscribe/?Open_Apple=http://www.open-apple.net/feed/podcast/
 
Open Apple #23

Open Apple #23

The January episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community’s only co-hosted podcast, is now available!

Having gathered the treasures of 2012 and being tempted by the promises of 2013, the hosts of Open Apple are joined by Andy Molloy of Juiced.GS, Peter Neubauer of KansasFest, Vince Briel of Briel Computers, and Antoine Vignau of Brutal Deluxe to reflect on all that has happened with the Apple II and its community in the past year. We pick our favorite products, share memorable events, and make predictions for 2013. Topics include Apple-1 auctions, Kickstarter-funded sequels, progress in emulation, and more.

Find the show at any of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2013/01/01/2012-year-end-roundtable/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

zune://subscribe/?Open_Apple=http://www.open-apple.net/feed/podcast/
 
Open Apple #24

Open Apple #24

The February 2013 episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community’s only co-hosted podcast, is now available!

This month on Open Apple, Mike and I chat with Jimmy Maher, the historian behind the renowned blog The Digital Antiquarian. A published author, Jimmy provides us with his perspective on the pros and cons of going with a publishing house over the recent trend in retrocomputing toward self-publishing. We gripe about the Steve Jobs film sacrificing historical accuracy for mass appeal and recommend some alternative movies that get it right. We're still loving iOS as a platform for classic gaming ports, from the adventure game Transylvania to the recently released Lode Runner Classic. Speaking of platforms, which is better: the Apple II or the Commodore 64? The answer may not be as obvious as you think! Finally, we offer a cautionary tale to vintage computer collectors whose inventory may be at the mercy of an avaricious landlord.

Find the show at any of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2013/02/07/show-024-maher-books-jobs-c64/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

zune://subscribe/?Open_Apple=http://www.open-apple.net/feed/podcast/
 
Open Apple #25

Open Apple #25

The March 2013 episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community’s only co-hosted podcast, is now available!

This month on Open Apple, Mike and Ken chat with Egan Ford, aka the datajerk, the Apple-1 and II programmer extraordinaire responsible for the Apple Game Server. Egan expertly demonstrates which CPU is faster, the 6502 or 8088, running circles around everyone listening. Laurie Spiegel is an Apple II user you may not have heard of, but extraterrestrials have, thanks to her contributions to Voyager's Golden Record; we have some of her music for you to listen to. Courtesy Facebook and scanners, we save Don Worth's magazines from the trash and Softalk from extinction, but we can't save derelict hardware from abandoned buildings. Will Steve Wozniak be as good a commencement speaker as the late Steve Jobs? Having heard Woz at KansasFest, we weigh in.

Find the show at any of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2013/03/12/show-025-ford-8088-voyager-abandonware/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

zune://subscribe/?Open_Apple=http://www.open-apple.net/feed/podcast/
 
Open Apple #26

Open Apple #26

The April 2013 episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community’s only co-hosted podcast, is now available!

This month on Open Apple, Mike and Ken chat with Earl Evans, Retrobits podcast host and Commodore 64 enthusiast — but we don't hold that against him. Registration for KansasFest 2013 is open, and we all want to go, but Earl has another destination in mind. Tech history is being unearthed before our eyes, with schematics for operating systems and circuit boards appearing in museums (where the price is right) and art galleries (where it's not). Brutal Deluxe is on a tear, releasing retroprogramming utilities for Windows and commercial games for the Apple II; we're big fans! But not all news is happy news: the Steve Jobs film has been delayed, and LucasArts has closed its doors — will we ever get another Maniac Mansion game for the Apple II? Maybe not, but Richard Garriott's successful Kickstarter gave fans a chance to pick up an original copy of Akalabeth. Better late than never!

Find the show at any of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2013/04/15/show-026-evans-z80-zephyr-lucasarts/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

zune://subscribe/?Open_Apple=http://www.open-apple.net/feed/podcast/
 
Open Apple #27

Open Apple #27

The May 2013 episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community’s only co-hosted podcast, is now available!

This month on Open Apple, Mike and Ken chat with Daniel Kruszyna, aka krüe, famed demo programmer. We chat about @party, the upcoming fourth annual demoparty to be held in recently beleaguered Boston, and how even non-programmers will find plenty to like. The first of three movies based on the life of Steve Jobs is now available for free online streaming — what's the popular verdict on iSteve? There's still more CFFAs coming from Rich Dreher, and they'll work on even an original Apple-1, of which Mike Willegal is making yet more replicas. Speaking of clones, we found a "Redstone" Apple IIe clone in Australia that looks like a PC XT and is certainly no Tiger Learning Computer.

Find the show at any of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2013/05/08/show-027-krusyna-demoparty-isteve-clones/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

zune://subscribe/?Open_Apple=http://www.open-apple.net/feed/podcast/
 
Open Apple #28

Open Apple #28

The June 2013 episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community's only co-hosted podcast, is now available!

This month on Open Apple, Mike and Ken chat with Lon Seidman, sysop of the Matrix Returns BBS and co-host of Behind the Video. The dial-up bulletin board is making a comeback, thanks to Warp Six and the Raspberry Pi! It's so easy, anyone can do it — unlike buying an Apple-1, the going rate for which has skyrocketed to $668,000 USD. But even that is a pittance compared to what Steve Wozniak's former house is selling for. How long before he sells his current house and moves to Australia? Jordan Mechner's Karateka reboot has paved the way for Karateka Classic on iOS, just the way we remember it. Charles Mangin also blends new and old with his USB interfaces for the Apple II — get yours next month at KansasFest! Finally, if you want a GET LAMP coin or any of Jason Scott's documentaries shipped overseas, you're outta luck — but he has four new films coming, with a colleague's pinball film en route as well.

Find the show at any of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2013/06/05/show-028-seidman-bbs-wozniak-docs/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

zune://subscribe/?Open_Apple=http://www.open-apple.net/feed/podcast/
 
Open Apple #29

Open Apple #29

The July 2013 episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community's only co-hosted podcast, is now available!

This month on Open Apple, Mike and Ken chat with Mike Willegal, Apple-1 and Apple II reproduction expert extraordinaire. His topic is hot this month: five Apple-1 computers were simultaneously on display at the History San Jose museum; one is being auctioned online; Willegal was interviewed for a Kickstarter-funded book about the Apple-1; and his clones are appearing in a feature-length film about Steve Jobs — what a guy! He even went to Vintage Computer Festival Southeast this spring, though he’ll be absent from VCF Southwest, KansasFest, and Oz KFest, all occurring this summer. Mike, Mike, and Ken watch the trailer for the Jobs movie and find we all have different reasons to see (or skip) Ashton Kutcher in the title role. They may or may not have dressed up to see the recent Star Trek and Man of Steel films; maybe they’ll fit the part by wearing some Apple t-shirts from 1986 to see Jobs.

Find the show at any of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2013/07/04/show-029-willegal-apple1-cons-films/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

zune://subscribe/?Open_Apple=http://www.open-apple.net/feed/podcast/
 
Open Apple #30

Open Apple #30

The September 2013 episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community's only monthly podcast, is now available!

This month on Open Apple, Mike and Ken chat with Mike Willegal, Apple-1 and Apple II reproduction expert extraordinaire. His topic is hot this month: five Apple-1 computers were simultaneously on display at the History San Jose museum; one is being auctioned online; Willegal was interviewed for a Kickstarter-funded book about the Apple-1; and his clones are appearing in a feature-length film about Steve Jobs — what a guy! He even went to Vintage Computer Festival Southeast this spring, though he’ll be absent from VCF Southwest, KansasFest, and Oz KFest, all occurring this summer. Mike, Mike, and Ken watch the trailer for the Jobs movie and find we all have different reasons to see (or skip) Ashton Kutcher in the title role. They may or may not have dressed up to see the recent Star Trek and Man of Steel films; maybe they’ll fit the part by wearing some Apple t-shirts from 1986 to see Jobs.

Find the show at any of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2013/09/02/show-030-mangin-jobs-tetris-sprize/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

zune://subscribe/?Open_Apple=http://www.open-apple.net/feed/podcast/
 
Open Apple #31

Open Apple #31

The October 2013 episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community's only monthly podcast, is now available!

This month on Open Apple, Mike and Ken chat with Brendan Robert of the Java Apple Computer Emulator (JACE) and Apple Game Server. Innovative cross-platform tools are being used to bring Lawless Legends, an original 8-bit RPG, to the Apple II and Commodore 64; as part of the programming team, Brendan takes us behind the scenes. He lives in a lawless land himself — the Old West of Texas, where gaming icons Ion Storm, Zynga, Lord British, Rooster Teeth reside. But when it comes to games, sometimes you can't do better than Tetris, of which there are many new and devious deviations. We get rid of old toys, like a SCSI CD-ROM 7-disc changer and a LANceGS card, so we can all have room for new toys, like A2CLOUD, Apple2Pi, BenchmarkeD, AppleIIWorks Envoy, and Final Cut Pro X. And sadly, Wayne Green of InCider and Byte has passed away; we remember his magazines fondly.

Find the show at any of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2013/10/11/show-031-robert-lawless-texas-green/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188
 
Open Apple #32

Open Apple #32

This month on Open Apple, the Apple II community’s only monthly podcast, Mike and Ken chat with Bill Martens of Call-A.P.P.L.E. Preserving our community’s software and documentation is important not just to the users, but to the people doing the preserving; Bill explains why. The show looks at how the media can never get enough of Steve Jobs, examining his early career and denoting his boyhood home as a historical landmark — but Woz gets his time in the spotlight too, on panels about Atari, the Jobs movie, or a Homebrew Computer Club reunion. Highlighted eBay auctions include the ten rarest and most expensive games and yet another Apple-1. Finally, Brian Wiser calls in to discuss The WOZPAK Special Edition, a book that made its debut at KansasFest 2013 alongside its creator, Steve Wozniak.

Find the show at either of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2013/11/02/show-032-martens-history-founders-wozpak/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188
 
Open Apple #33

Open Apple #33

The December 2013 episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community's only monthly podcast, is now available!

This month on Open Apple, Mike and Ken chat with Andrew Schultz — gamer, FAQ author, and Interactive Fiction Competition participant. Text adventures are enjoying a resurgence in popularity and access, and Andrew guides us through the tools and resources available for aspiring game authors. Both Steve Weyhrich's history book and the Steve Jobs movie are available for home delivery, but there's only one we want to find under our Christmas tree. Jason Scott has integrated the JSMESS emulator into the Internet Archive, granting users unprecedented access to historical software right in their browsers. Finally, Ken, in his quest to be more Woz-like, adopts his hero's fashion style.

http://www.open-apple.net/2013/12/20/show-033-schultz-ifcomp-jsmess-scottevest/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188
 
Open Apple #34

Open Apple #34

At the dawn of 2014, Open Apple, the Apple II community's only monthly podcast, engages in its annual tradition of reflecting on all that has transpired in the Apple II community in the past year. Ken Gagne moderates a panel of Mike Maginnis, Andy Molloy, Ivan Drucker, and David Schmenk to look at topics in news, emulation, hardware, software, conventions, and publications. Popular themes include the Raspberry Pi, the S-Prize, social media, JSMESS, the Jobs film, and KansasFest 2013.

Find the show at any of these URLs:

http://www.open-apple.net/2014/01/02/2013-year-end-roundtable/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

zune://subscribe/?Open_Apple=http://www.open-apple.net/feed/podcast/
 
Open Apple #35

Open Apple #35

The February 2014 episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community's only monthly podcast, is now available!

This month, Mike and Ken chat with Sean Fahey, proprietor of A2Central.com and KansasFest committee member. Sean and James Littlejohn distribute a plethora of Apple II hardware and software to KansasFest attendees, and next year's haul will be bigger than ever — we have the details why. Glenn Jones is working on a new Uthernet card, and we can't wait to see what new software it makes possible. The Mac turned thirty years old last month, and we reminisce about the first time we added a non-Apple II Apple to our inventory. Madden NFL, the football game that got its start on the Apple II, is the subject of both preservation and litigation — but we'd rather be playing Silvern Castle.

Find the show at any of these links:

http://www.open-apple.net/2014/02/05/show-035-fahey-uthernet-silvern-mac/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

zune://subscribe/?Open_Apple=http://www.open-apple.net/feed/podcast/
 
Open Apple #36

Open Apple #36

The March 2014 episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community's only monthly podcast, is now available!

This month, Mike and Ken chat with Evan Koblentz, producer of Vintage Computer Festival East. VCF East 9.1 is happening this spring, and Evan has an inside look at the event's founding, growth, and lineup. Margot Comstock has been announced as the keynote speaker of KansasFest 2014, prompting us to reflect on the history of Softalk magazine. The Apple2pi card is now shipping, and it reminds us of other small devices that left a big impression, like the Replica-1 and even the Apple Newton PDA — which still has an active user group! Finally, Steve Jobs is appearing in all kinds of icons, from e-waste portraits to unlickable postage stamps. When will Woz get the recognition he deserves?

Find the show at any of these links:

http://www.open-apple.net/2014/02/05/show-035-fahey-uthernet-silvern-mac/

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/open-apple/id418895188

zune://subscribe/?Open_Apple=http://www.open-apple.net/feed/podcast/
 
Back
Top