Author: A.P.P.L.E.

The interactive fiction and text adventure game development community have a lot to celebrate with the recent release of PunyInform version 5.1 by Fredrik Ramsberg. PunyInform, a library designed for creating captivating text adventures for the Z-machine virtual machine, has evolved with notable enhancements and features. PunyInform is a full fledged development library, crafted in Inform 6, empowers developers and storytellers to fashion text adventure games and interactive fiction experiences. These games can be relished not only on modern platforms…

Brandan Bellina has released the Apple II Technical Notes HyperCard stack which is now available for download from the Silverwand Apple II site. The stack includes all June 1992 A2 technical notes and file type notes as well as additional documents. Note that this stack requires Hypercard GS in order to work. You can download the Apple II Technical Notes Hypercard stack and many other Hypercard GS stacks from the Silverwands website at:https://sites.google.com/view/silverwandsoftware/

When it comes to the world of vintage computing, the Apple IIGS stands as a true icon, and its sound capabilities were nothing short of revolutionary back in 1986. At the heart of the Apple IIgs was the now legendary Ensoniq 5503 digital synthesizer chip, which set a new standard for sound quality in 16-bit personal computers. If you’re fascinated by the IIGS sound chip and its remarkable contributions to the computing world, you won’t want to miss this upcoming…

The September issue of Call-A.P.P.L.E. Magazine also known as Volume 33 Number 09 is now available for download by A.P.P.L.E. Members. While we ran a few days over this month, this issue contains a number of items users will definitely want to peruse. This month’s issue takes a full on look at Kay Koba’s DP][SD Mini card for the Apple IIc Smartport complete with Kay’s unique style and photos galore of the project. Also included is a look at Vitno.org’s…

In the realm of Apple II computing, there are a few enthusiasts like Joshua Bell who continue to breathe new life into the classic machines, pushing the boundaries of what these vintage computers can achieve. Joshua’s ongoing development of the Apple II Desktop is a testament to this desire to push the limits of the Apple II’s capabilities. Today’s release of Apple II Desktop version 1.4 Alpha 1 offers a sneak peek into the future of what is possible with…

The latest version of the Ample User Interface for MAME has been released. Kelvin Sherlock, curator of the Ample GUI announced the availability of Ample version 0.259 which brings Ample inline with the latest version of MAME. Ample is an Apple and retro Macintosh specific Graphical User Interface for the MAME emulator allowing users to easily access their disk images and the emulator features while maintaining the high level of emulation provided by the MAME emulator. Some Atari ST interface…

Colin Leroy-Mira, a passionate retro computing enthusiast, has made a significant stride in the world of integration of vintage tech and modern tech with the release of his Mastodon client for the Apple II series, including the //c, IIe, and IIgs models. If you’re intrigued by the idea of bringing a piece of the modern internet to these classic machines, Colin’s creation is bound to either make you giggle incessantly at the idea of posting from your Apple II or…

A new version of KEGS, the Apple IIgs emulator, has been unleashed upon us by Kent Dickey, the curator and developer behind KEGS. He has released KEGS version 1.30 with a slew of enhancements that take your Apple IIgs retro computing experience to the next level. For those unfamiliar with KEGS, it’s a versatile Apple IIgs emulator, originally created for Windows, the latest versions will run on Mac, Windows, and Linux based machines. Whether you’re a seasoned Apple IIgs user…

In the realm of vintage computer emulation, precision and user-friendliness are often at odds. However, Tom Harte’s creation, Clock Signal (‘CLK’), defies this dichotomy. CLK, designed with an unrelenting focus on both authenticity and accessibility, sets a new standard in the world of classic computing emulation. Unveiling Clock Signal’s Distinctive Features At its core, Clock Signal, conceived by Tom Harte, is engineered to provide an emulation experience that is both seamless and remarkably accurate. Here’s what sets this emulator apart…

Apple II gaming enthusiasts, brace yourselves for a game-changing release! Anti-M, the ultimate solution for running early Apple II games on any Apple II model, version 2.0 was just released. Developed to provide compatibility across the entire Apple II range, Anti-M allows you to enjoy classic games that were once restricted by overly aggressive copy protection and hardware limitations. Breaking Down Anti-M: What Does It Do? In the early days of Apple II gaming, some titles were notorious for refusing…

SenseiPlay 2.0 is now available, bringing a host of new features and enhancements to your Apple IIgs music experience. Developed by Dagen Brock, SenseiPlay is a lightweight NTP (NinjaTrackerPlus) “Module” player that’s perfect for those looking to enjoy their favorite tunes on the Apple IIgs. What’s New in SenseiPlay 2.0? The latest version of SenseiPlay introduces several exciting features and improvements: About SenseiPlay SenseiPlay is designed to be a fast and lightweight player for your NTP songs. It is written…

The first official release of Reinetten II Plus Dot Py, Version 1.0 is now available. This exciting new Apple II Plus emulator, coded in Python and comes with a rich set of features and user-friendly controls. Created by Arthur Ferreira, Reinetten II Plus Dot Py not only simple to use but will run on any platform that supports Python. Features That Bring the Apple II Plus to Life Reinetten II Plus Dot Py offers a comprehensive feature set that captures…

In an exciting development for retro computing enthusiasts and fans of Bulletin Board Systems (BBS), the highly-anticipated release of Icy Term version 0.6.5 has just hit the scene, offering a comprehensive suite of features that promise to elevate the modern day BBS terminal experience to new heights. Icy Term, the brainchild of dedicated developers Mike Krüger and Bryan Ashby, allows users to connect to BBSes across various computing platforms, including Linux, macOS, and Windows, via Telnet, SSH, Websockets, and Raw…

This month we welcome Nicholas Pyers to the Apple User Group Advisory Board. Nicholas is known for his website AppleUsers.org, which is full of resources for user group leaders including: back issues of the AppleUsers Spotlight – a former digital magazine, his clever puzzles, a diverse range of Discs of the Month; and for being a long-time championship of all things Mac and Apple – having started his computing life in 1986 with an Apple II; and now has multiple Macs, iPhones, iPads…

Relive the excitement of the French Interactive Fiction world from 1992, Now on Your Apple IIgs. The Apple IIgs community has reason to celebrate as Brutal Deluxe Software unveils the official release of “Tout a disparu,” a hypertext interactive fiction game originally penned by François Coulon. This captivating narrative adventure, first introduced by Les logiciels d’en face in 1992 for the Atari ST, has now found a new home on the Apple IIgs platform, courtesy of the dedicated efforts of…

In a move that’s sure to delight many Apple II enthusiasts, Mark Percival’s DiskMaker 8 software has been set free as open source! This announcement comes as a result of a collaboration between Mark Percival and David Schmidt, with the goal of preserving and extending the life of this classic 8-bit Apple II utility. The source code for both ORCA/M (8-bit) and ca65-based versions of the software are now available on GitHub. DiskMaker 8, originally inspired by Eric Shepherd’s 16-bit…

From Fredrik Ramsberg: PunyInform v5.0 is out! Some highlights: We try to avoid breaking changes in PunyInform, but every once in a while we feel the benefit makes it worth it. When this happens, we typically increase the major version number, like now. This version does have some breaking changes – be sure to read the notes on upgrading in the release notes! https://github.com/johanberntsson/PunyInform/releases

Get ready to step back in time with the Vintage Computer Festival Midwest, a free and open showcase of vintage computing treasures. Elmhurst, IL – Calling all retro computing enthusiasts, Get in your cars and get out to Elmhurst now!! The Vintage Computer Festival Midwest (VCFMW) is back for its 18th installment and is starting today!  The event promises a weekend filled with nostalgia, classic tech, and a touch of vintage charm. Hosted at the Waterford Banquet & Conference Center…

The Ample MAME Interface has been updated. Managed by Kelvin Sherlock, the latest release of Ample, version 0.258 brings the Apple centric graphical frontend for MAME in line with the current release of the MAME Emulator. Included in this update are the following: You can download the latest version of Ample from the Github website at:https://github.com/ksherlock/ample

The Editor Still Bytes Back KansasFest 2023: A Celebration of Apple III’s Legacy KansasFest 2023 has concluded, once again leaving the retro Apple hobby faithful with a treasure trove of exciting developments. This year’s event with its focus on the Apple III computer, was graced by Apple luminaries Wendell Sander and Dave Ottalini as keynote speakers, and as usual, was nothing short of spectacular. Come along with us now as we delve headlong into the highlights of this gathering of…