Review: Apple II Software “Pong”

Applesoft BASIC is a versatile language. It is possible to design simple games using low-resolution graphics. You won’t be winning any awards for graphics but it is an interesting way to spend an afternoon. Listed below is a Pong program I designed. It uses the up arrow and down arrow to control the paddle (vertical … Read more

ImageWriter II Review: Price, Specs, Value and More

The ImageWriter II is a dot matrix printer produced by Apple beginning in 1985. It was a redesign of the ImageWriter. The ImageWriter II would set you back about $600 in 1985. It was the mainstay of Apple printing in the late 1980’s. It remained so until PostScript and cheap inkjet printers like the StyleWriter … Read more

How the Apple II Began and How it Grew?

In 1975, Steve “Woz” Wozniak was thinking about building his own microcomputer. He decided to use the 6800 microprocessor instead of the 8080, then used by most microcomputers. The 6800 cost about $275 per processor and this was more than Woz wanted to pay for a microprocessor. Then the Wescon annual electronics show came to … Read more

Macintosh History: The Creation of the Macintosh

The idea for the graphical user interface originated at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). The mission of PARC was to create the future without worrying about the commercial viability of the resulting technology. PARC was a scientific think tank staffed by brilliant software engineers. The PARC researchers created the Alto computer in 1973. The … Read more

Macintosh Motherboards: Classic II and LC II

Macintosh Classic II Here is a cool use for old Mac motherboards you may have never considered. Use them as decorative wall ornaments. I am not much of an “artsy” person but I do appreciate industrial design. Unlike PC motherboards, Mac boards are very nifty. They are well designed and thoughtfully laid out. Best of … Read more

What are the Command Line Developer Tools in macOS?

ometimes you might try to run a program or two on your Mac, and encounter a message that states you need to install the command line developer tools. The message will then have options to install the tools, cancel the request, or get Apple’s XCode software package. If you encounter this warning, you may wonder … Read more

Fix iMessages Only Showing up on One Device

Apple’s iMessage service is its proprietary messaging technology, which works through iCloud to allow the synchronization of conversations between all supported iOS and Mac OS devices. This is convenient, because you can chat and text on any of your Macs, iPhones, or iPads, and then continue the conversation on another device, with full access to … Read more