Category: Open Apple Podcast

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

This month on Open Apple we sit down with Mike Westerfield, of The Byte Works’ fame. We talk about his adventures writing assemblers & compilers for 8/16 bit computers, and we see what he’s up to nowadays. We talk about small-system compilers, Logo, the perils of open source, and where to go for Byte Works’ products. It’s a compiler and assembler-themed episode of the one-and-only Apple II podcast. Tune in to hear Mike pine longingly for Lawless Legends, and hear…

This month on Open Apple, we sit down with Rebecca “Burger Becky” Heineman. Becky is a legendary Apple II developer (not to mention many other platforms), and was the keynote speaker at KansasFest 2015. We discuss Becky’s KansasFest experiences then and now, how the community has changed, and what she’s up to now. She has a lot of Apple II gold archived away, and we’re starting to see more and more of it as a result of the continued warmth…

Mike Maginnis has announced the availability of the 49th Episode of the Open Apple Podcast This month on Open Apple, we sit down with Laine Nooney, researcher of early computer and software companies. She has been digging into the history of such greats as Brøderbund and Sierra On-Line. In particular, she has done some awesome research on the infamous Soft Porn Adventure, including behind-the-scenes details on the infamous advertising photo. We talk about broken microfilm projectors, we talk about printer…

According to a posting on Facebook from Mike Maginnis, “Open Apple #38 is published (still August – just made it. Whew!). If you’re a subscriber, it should be appearing in your favorite RSS reader or iTunes shortly if it hasn’t already. This month on Open Apple, we go deep on Lawless Legends with most of the team building it. We’ve managed to corner Seth Sternberger (of 8-bit Weapon fame), Martin Haye, and Brendan Robert (Dave Schmenk, we’re coming for you…)…

The Open Apple Podcast, run by Ken Gagne and Mike Maginnis features Bill Martens of A.P.P.L.E. this month.  Discussions about the latest news in the Apple world, Apple II software, preservation and other related topics took place.  Brian Wiser also joined the trio of long time Apple II afficandos to discuss his and Bill’s WOZPAK Special Edition release as well as other forthcoming projects. You can listen to the podcast in its entirety on the Open Apple website at: http://www.open-apple.net/2013/11/02/show-032-martens-history-founders-wozpak/

The 25th edition of the Open Apple Podcast is now up and available for immediate enjoyment.  This month’s issue of the podcast features Egan Ford talking about the Apple Game Server Online and the state of Abandonware. Open Apple #25 (Mar 2013): Egan Ford, 8088, Voyager, and abandonware

Ken Gagne and Mike Maginis’s Open Apple Podcast issue #13 is now available on the Open Apple website.  This month’s issue includes a discussion with Marinetti curator Andrew Roughan.  They discuss a host of issues int he Apple ][ world including the forthcoming Kansasfest as well as Brian Fargo’s current attempt to re-create the Wasteland franchise with a kick starter project.   Other topics include the Uthernet, Lim Thye Chen’s Apple ][ programmin iBook and Kim Howe’s software reclassification. You can…

The Open Apple Podcast, produced by Apple ][ fans Mike Maginnis and Ken Gagne, is now available on the Open Apple Poscast website.  This is the 11th edition of Open Apple and features guest host David Greelish of the Retro Computing Rountable Podcast. This month Ken and Mike run through a host of news items including Steve Jobs’ passing, the 175,000 Apple-1, the 1.6 million dollar apple document, and the John Scully Interview done by David Greelish, as well as…

The only Apple ][ related podcast currently available is now in its 10 edition.  The December version of the show has been posted to the Open Apple website according to this note from Mike Maginnis: This month on the Open Apple podcast, Mike and Ken are joined by Rob Kenyon, a two-time KansasFest attendee as well as a professional programmer and 30-year veteran of the Apple II. We talk about how great it is to be a part of the…

The November 2011 episode of Open Apple, the only co-hosted Apple II podcast, is now available! This month, Mike and I talk with Melissa Barron, the Apple II community’s famed tapestry artist. We three relate their experiences exploring the past and future of computer media at conventions and museums in Chicago and Rochester, exploring the methods used to create and preserve history. Further tributes are made to Steve Jobs, while Mike Westerfield reclassifies old BASIC tools and releases new ones….

Posted by Mike Maginnis on CSA2: The latest episode of Open Apple, the monthly Apple II podcast has been been released.  This time Ken and Mike chat with IIGS programmer Kelvin Sherlock about GShisen, his favorite programming languages, eBay finds, Apple II news and everything else we could think of. Find us on iTunes (and give us a review or a rating if you have a minutes) or stop by http://open-apple.net to download the MP3. Feedback is always welcome and…

Mike Maginnis, curator of the Apple II Scans website,  announced the availability of the second edition of Open Apple, the podcast with he and Ken Gagne.  Join them as they delve into their blast from the past and their favorite software from yesteryear. According to the releases on CSA2, “This time, Mike and Ken are joined by Ivan Drucker: two-time  KansasFest alumnus, Juiced.GS staff writer, and Mac consultant based out of New York City. News this month includes a look…