Kent Dickey, the creator of the KEGS Apple IIgs emulator, has released a new version of the software. KEGS v1.23 features changes that are designed to improve the emulator’s performance and stability. One of the most significant changes in KEGS v1.23 is the way the emulator tracks time. Previously, KEGS used a double to track time, but the latest version uses an unsigned long long, which enables higher speeds. This change should make the emulator run more smoothly on modern…
Over the past several months, Kelvin Sherlock has been pushing out alpha releases of a Gopher client for the Apple IIgs. While still in Alpha state, the current version of the GS-Gopher client is not only robust but also quite useable. Some of the updates included in the Alpha 5 release of the GS-Gopher Client include: Using the GS-Gopher requires an Apple IIgs, an Internet card such as the Uthernet II, The Uthernet LinkLayer for Marinetti, the Marinetti TCP/IP Protocol…
…like an arrow (a) “but fruit flies like a banana”, is an excellent sentence to illustrate the difficulty that speakers of other languages have in learning English. Even most who grew up in English could not parse the parts of speech in the following: “Did you know that…that that that that that that followed was redundant?” …like an arrow (b) is a common aphorism to be sure…one many people would use to refer to its speed–a subjective perception of course,…
Pitch Dark, the popular frontend for exploring and playing Infocom text adventures on the 8-bit Apple II, has just released Revision 5. Developed by famed Apple II hackers, 4am and qkumba, this latest update brings a host of new features and improvements, enhancing the gaming experience for Apple II enthusiasts. Pitch Dark serves as a user-friendly interface, specifically designed to navigate and play Infocom text adventures on the Apple II. Some of the changes included in Pitch Dark Revision 5…
The highly anticipated expansion pack for Nox Archaist, titled “Lord of Storms,” has finally arrived, bringing a wave of excitement among Apple II gaming enthusiasts. Developed by 6502 Workshop, this expansion marks a significant milestone as the first-ever expansion for an Apple II RPG released by the original developers. Available for purchase through one of the online stores, such as the Nox Archaist Shopify page, Steam, or GOG, this DLC offers an immersive gaming experience for both owners of physical…
Joshua Bell has released the latest version of the Apple II Desktop graphical interface for the Apple II series computer. Apple II Desktop is available in eight languages and runs on Apple II series computers with at least 128K of memory as well as emulators and clones. Apple II Desktop version 1.3 Alpha 6 includes a number of changes including the following: General DeskTop Desk Accessories The latest version of the Apple II Desktop is available for download from the…
Ted Thompson has announced the port of the TI-99/4a version of the lunar lander game, Planet Fall, to the Apple II series computer. According to his Planet Fall Github page: Planet Fall is a lunar lander genre game that was originally published for the TI-99/4a in the book “TI-99/4A: 24 BASIC Program” (SAMS presents #22247, ISBN 0-672-22247-7) by Carol Ann Casciato and Donald J. Horsfall. It is a largely typical example of the ‘Lunar Lander’ genre, but with a few…
The Apple-Dayton User Group Disk of the Month Software Library, a valuable resource for Apple II enthusiasts, has recently received an update with the addition of a number of new disks. Thanks to the contributions from James Littlejohn and John Burchett, the library has expanded its collection of software. The Apple-Dayton User Group Software Library is known for its comprehensive collection of Apple II software, providing users with a wide range of programs, utilities, games, and educational tools. With the…
A new graphics mode for the Apple IIgs has been developed by programmer Dagen Brock, called HDGR. This new mode uses two Double-Lores images to create images at 80×96 with 16 colors. While this is currently a proof-of-concept and only IIgs compatible code is included, it may be possible to make it portable to the 8-bit Apple II with 128k with more effort given to timing and synchronization code. Although software-based mixed modes have been done for years, this is…
In 2004, Bleu Rose, Ltd. released Black & Blue version 10, a product which was the combined work of three years of Gary Rice’s efforts. The software market was shrinking at the time and while the product was first class, many of the users were not. The release of Black & Bleu™ v10 marks the end of our participation in the Macintosh software marketplace. The shrinking number of Mac users, the increasing reluctance of those users left to actually pay…
The Classic Mac Holy Bible (Filemaker) by Darrell Johnson is an application that provides a full-text searchable version of the Holy Bible for classic Macintosh computers. This application can run on Mac OS System 6 through Mac OS 9. It will run on a Mac Plus 68K all the way to the PowerMac G4. It even runs on Mac OS X with the Classic Environment. Version 1.0.0 of The Classic Mac Holy Bible can operate as a stand-alone classic Mac…
Technology enthusiast and developer Kyle Wadsten has released a new version of his firmware for the NEWPRINT printer emulator card. The latest update, version 1.4.1 brings various new features, including a fix for IIGS users who were experiencing blank lines in their PrintShop output. This issue was caused by timing problems with older Grappler cards when running on an Apple IIGS. Another new feature in the new firmware update is the addition of Classic AppleWorks formatted output, which includes a…
Daniel F. Gordon, author of “Realm – Rays of Nightmare” and a number of programming tools, has released the latest version of A2Kit, a command line interface and library for manipulating retro disk images, file systems, and languages, with an emphasis on Apple II. The new version, A2Kit v2.0.6, includes several updates and improvements. One major update is the fix for DOS 3.3 and Pascal to check for duplicate names when renaming. The new version also includes testing of both…
Daniel F. Gordon has released an update to his adventure game “Realm – Rays of Nightmare”, bringing it up to version 1.5. While the gameplay in this version remains unchanged, the release adds a hard drive installer and better party import / export interface, making it easier for players to manage their characters. Additionally, the update includes a WOZ file for more realistic floppy emulation, as well as a ProDOS Order (.po) disk image for those who prefer a faster…
A2_4am, best known for his hack related items and Total Replay, has announced the release of Million Perfect Tiles, an implementation of the classic logic puzzle game Takuzu, for the 8-bit Apple II computer. The game boasts over 3000 original puzzle boards in six different sizes for hours of engaging gameplay. Million Perfect Tiles can be played on any Apple II computer with at least 64K of memory, and features optional support for Mockingboard for music and a mouse for…
David Given has revealed that he has ported Digital Research’s CP/M operating system to the 6502 microprocessor. This classic operating system was originally released in 1977 and was designed for use with the 8080 and Z80 microprocessors. Currently the port is still in beta, however the initial release is available to the general public. Given’s port of CP/M supports relocatable binaries, which means that unmodified binaries can run on any system. This is necessary because 6502 systems tend to be…
KEGS, the popular Apple II GS emulator, has just been updated to version 1.21. This latest release includes some key updates. Version 1.21 fixes a few known issues that users have reported which cropped up in version 1.20, including a bug that caused the emulator to hang after ejecting 3.5″ disks. This problem was caused by a debug statement that was accidentally left in for the release. In addition, the new version also addresses an issue with French keyboards, where…
David Schmenk, author of PLASMA for the Apple II Series, announced a new version of ROGUE for PLASMA. The disk image is downloadable for free in ProDOS Order format here. This disk image will work on Apple II emulators capable of emulating the Apple //e and is a fully self contained game disk. Introduction This version of ROGUE is somewhat different than others. It is very simple in most ways, but I have developed a (I think) unique visibility algorithm…
April 9, 2023: One of the more interesting retro Macintosh artists, Dana Sibera aka NanoRaptor, has set about reproducing the original Apple UCSD Pascal Poster, in print ready format with the original crops and bleeds as well as at the original size. The Apple UCSD Pascal Poster was originally produced in 1979 and was designed by the father of the Macintosh, Jef Raskin and well known San Francisco artist and creator of the Rainbow Apple, Tom Kamifuji. The poster, long…
The Steve Jobs Archive has announced the release of a new book showcasing letters, photos, notes and other materials from the late tech icon’s life. The ePub format ebook, which hit the wires on April 11th, contains a timeline of speeches, interviews, and personal correspondences from Steve Jobs himself. Established by Laurene Powell Jobs, Jony Ive, and others close to the Apple co-founder, the Steve Jobs Archive has been sharing snippets and quotes from Jobs’ life since September 2022. The…
