On July 18, 2007, David Szetela, founding editor of Nibble Magazine, delivered the keynote speech at KansasFest, an annual celebration of the Apple II. In this segment, he discusses the impact and legacy of John Sculley and Mike Harvey. Video by Ken Gagne. Recorded on 7/18/2007 by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an Attributi…

On July 18, 2007, David Szetela, founding editor of Nibble Magazine, delivered the keynote speech at KansasFest, an annual celebration of the Apple II. In this segment, he discusses the departmental politics at Apple Computer Inc. Recorded on 7/18/2007 by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs …

Jason Scott — digital archivist, proprietor of textfiles.com, and producer of the BBS and Get Lamp documentaries — delivered this keynote speech at KansasFest 2009 on July 21. This 20th annual Apple II convention was attended by retrocomputing enthusiasts from across North America, celebrating their favorite creation of Steve Wozniak. Recorded on 7…

In this session, Dagen Brock deals with using modern development tools and languages to create code and assets for use in Apple II software, including definitions and comparisons of off-platform and cross-platform development; creating build pipelines; using modern tools to create audio and visual assets; and tying it all together, as well as conje…

Bite the Bag is a party game that is also a KansasFest tradition. Long absent from our convention, Geoff Weiss gave this game its Rockhurst debut when he put it on the KansasFest 2010 schedule. Many dared and many fell in this battle of balance. Recorded on 7/21/2010 by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an Attribution-NonComme…

GNO/ME is an open source UNIX-like extension for the Apple IIgs. Version 2.0.6 was released in 1999 (presented at KFest for the very first time in 2020) and has been often described as a central component to what would be included if GS/OS would have advanced. Topics covered by Geoff Weiss include how it compares with modern UNIX operating systems …

If you’ve programmed in Applesoft, then you know that its INPUT command is not very capable. But now you don’t need it! NuInput, by Ivan Drucker, is a powerful and flexible replacement for INPUT which makes it easy for any Applesoft programmer to specify maximum entry length and permitted keys, automatically convert lowercase, refuse blank entry, p…

Wouldn’t it be great if you could put whatever machine language you wanted into a standard Applesoft program with practically no performance, dependency, or stability issues? With Ivan Drucker’s Slammer, you can! Slammer is a new method for installing and executing machine language routines, at machine language speed, using 100% legal Applesoft. Th…

The incredibly open nature of the Apple II for development, down to the inclusion of schematics in every box, encouraged a generation of users who were also programmers. By contrast, today we have the walled garden of iPhone OS, where Apple judges all. Between these polar positions is the Macintosh. How have Apple – and Apple users – evolved over t…

This montage of highlights from KansasFest 1995 is a tour de force of one of the earliest conventions to celebrate the Apple II personal computer. Features include the keynote address by Roger Wagner; the party game Bite the Bag; the roast of Steve Disbrow; sessions by Tony Diaz and Mike Westerfield; and a cavalcade of cameos by Margaret Anderson, …

The Apple II was a fantastic gaming machine. You may not have daily access to this vintage hardware, but many of its best entertainment titles have been remade for the Macintosh. Ken Gagne revisits classics like Arkanoid, Ultima, and Dark Castle in this session that showcases the best of new and old. Find links to the games and YouTube videos shown…

Thanks to the Internet and social media, cultural artifacts can be disseminated in a distributed fashion faster than ever before. When something attains phenomenon status via viral means, it becomes a meme. But, just like a real virus, memes can quickly die off. What’s everyone talking about today that will be gone tomorrow? Ken Gagne demonstrates …

HackFest is an annual programming competition in which KansasFest attendees are challenged to write the coolest program possible for the Apple II while at KansasFest. Contestants Peter Neubauer, Martin Haye, Scott Miller, and Jeff Blakeney present their entries before Ivan Drucker announces the winners, as determined by Drucker, Ken Gagne, and Sean…

Martin Haye’s NakedOS is a new Disk II operating system for the entire Apple II line of computers. In this session, its creator covers the project’s rationale, design goals, API, disk format, Super-Mon integration and finally a few decision points and caveats for programmers considering NakedOS for their projects. Find it online at bitbucket.org/ma…

Martin Haye’s Super-Mon is a set of fancy extensions to the Apple II system monitor. This fairly technical session follows the creation of a small but interesting assembly language program that demonstrates the concepts and capabilities of Super-Mon. Recorded on 7/23/2010 by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an Attribution 3.0…

Through custom coding and modification, Melissa Barron has modified the classic Oregon Trail to use in-game text that’s a blend of l337, chatspeak, and LOLcats syntax. Learn about the process of hacking this game and see it in action on an Apple IIc. Learn more at http://melissabarron.net/ or see her similar presentation at Notacon 7 at http://nota…

Once upon a time, only advanced programmers could achieve machine language speed. Learn how to use Macrosoft, a programming language from the same folks who brought us Nibble Magazine, to write Applesoft-like programs that achieve machine language speed, in this introduction to obtaining, using, and setting up Macrosoft and the companion Assembler.…

Mike Maginnis provides an overview of the Apple III and a look at all those nasty rumors about its allegedly poor design and engineering. Download the slides at https://www.kansasfest.org/downloads/ and read clarifications from the presenter at http://wp.me/pJsxq-43 Recorded on 7/22/2010 by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an…

In April, Apple released the iPad, a tablet computer compatible with the iPhone’s App Store. In June, the iPhone and iPod Touch received the iOS 4 firmware upgrade. Rob Walch of the Today in iOS (formerly Today in iPhone) podcast, brings us both these devices with tips, tricks, and critiques of Apple’s new mobile hardware and software. The slides R…

Creator of the popular ‘FishNDA’, Ryan Suenaga proves that he doesn’t suck by delivering this precorded video to KansasFest 2010, in which he announces the development of a send-only email NDA for the Apple IIGS, codenamed Melissa and officially named Emily II. This video was Ryan’s last KansasFest appearance. Recorded on 7/24/2010 by Ken Gagne. Th…

Ever want to use your Apple II as a terminal for your Macintosh? Stavros Karatsoridis demonstrates what cables, adapters, and software are needed to connect your Apple II to the Terminal application in Mac OS X. Includes an ADTPro tutorial. Recorded on 7/23/2010 by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an Attribution-NonCommercial…

Steve Weyhrich, curator of the Apple II History Web site, unveiled at KansasFest 2010 the redesign of his site to use WordPress. Presented remotely, this presentation was captured via a combination of screencast and external microphone. Find the history site at http://apple2history.org Recorded on 7/24/2010 by Ken Gagne and made available by Kansas…

Keeping those disks a-spinnin’: How to make your 5.25? and 3.5? disk drives work like they never have before, and then some. Tony Diaz demonstrates how to disassemble and reassemble like a pro. Recorded on 7/24/2010 by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) Creati…

From a collectors point of view, Tony Diaz covers the aspects of restoring the “new” look to various Apple II related products, and the pros and cons of various methods available and show some samples of work done and in addition cover what makes a system “complete” with regards to collect-ability, and what makes it “original” or “Like original”. R…

Recent experiments with fractal algorithms in pure Applesoft BASIC have revealed methods for optimizing code to achieve acceptable speeds on a 4Mhz IIc Plus. In this session, Wayne Arthurton demonstrates the effects of using and optimizing user- defined functions, vari able reuse, variable allocation order, and other techniques for improving BASIC …

Open Apple, the Apple II community’s only co-hosted podcast, is the product of endless hours slaving over a mixing board and audio editing software. Watch and learn what goes into recording an episode of the show. What would an episode sound like without this extensive post-production process? Come hear the bloopers that should’ve been left on the …

For your amusement, Ken Gagne entertains with some of the latest Internet memes, demonstrating and tying together variations on three different cat themes: Keyboard Cat, Nyan Cat, and Debbie from eHarmony. Guaranteed to bring out the laughs. Recorded on 7/23/2011 by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an Attribution-NonCommercia…

Over the past few years, there have been developments which allow greater support of disk images on the IIgs. Geoff Weiss demonstrates the latest technology with such products as MountIt by Brutal Deluxe and the SmartportVHD by Cédric Peltier. Recorded on July 21, 2011, by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an Attribution-Share…

Bite the Bag is a party game that is also a KansasFest tradition. For the second year in a row, Geoff Weiss hosted this event at Rockhurst University for KFest 2011 attendees. Many dared and many fell in this battle of balance. Recorded July 20, 2011, by Ken Gagne and made available under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0) Cre…

Rob Walch of the Today in iOS podcast joins us for a look at tips, tricks, and the latest in Apple’s iOS and related hardware in 2011. Recorded July 20, 2011, by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) Creative Commons license. The post Today in iOS (2011) first appeared on KansasFest.…

The Free Tools Association (FTA) released ActiveGS, a free IIgs emulator for IOS devices now available in the iTunes App Store. 2011 is the year when the Apple IIgs has gone mobile and this is a chance to see it in action, courtesy Geoff Weiss and Tony Diaz. Recorded on July 22, 2011, by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an At…

The start of each KansasFest’s schedule of sessions is the keynote speech, delivered by someone who has made an immeasurable impact on the development of the Apple II platform and community. While we eagerly await legendary programmer John Romero kicking off KansasFest 2012, we’re pleased to finally release the video of Bob Bishop’s 2011 keynote sp…

Let’s take a look at the cutting edge of what the Web can do. It’s not just about LOLcats and static news anymore. Eric Shepherd demonstrates how to create dynamic web applications using the latest technologies, including WebSockets. And, for the non-programmers, a few fun demos of what the web can do that you might not have known it can. Recorded …

The Apple IIgs Toolbox is big. Really big. It does a lot of stuff. You may know about a lot of it, but there’s stuff in there that’s not obvious. At KansasFest 2011, Eric Shepherd takes a look together at some of the interesting bits you may not have noticed. Recorded July 22, 2011 by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an Attri…

Eric Shepherd of SheppyWare debuts and demonstrates v2.3 of Sweet16, the premiere Apple IIgs emulator for Mac OS X. Download Sweet16 from http://www.sheppyware.net/software-mac/sweet16/ Recorded on July 21, 2011, by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) Creative …

A tour of a scale model of an Apple II Plus, built in the game Minecraft, by Steve Weyhrich. Find the videos used in this presentation on YouTube. Recorded July 21, 2011, by Ken Gagne and made available by KansasFest, Inc., under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) Creative Commons license. The post A Tour of An App…

The Apple IIgs has a split personality. Most of the machine runs at a ~1MHz clock rate, keeping compatibility with earlier Apple IIs. Some components, however, can be decoupled and run at a faster rate. The FPI, or Fast Processor Interface, is the chip responsible for coordinating the interactions between these personalities. In this session, Danie…

The growth of the personal computer made computer-controlled robots popular and accessible to hobbyists. “Turtles” are a style of small, mobile robot resembling cybernetic animals. Join Peter Neubauer at KansasFest 2011 for a photo tour and comparison of several turtle robots contemporary with the Apple II. Recorded July 22, 2011, by Ken Gagne and …

P2E is a Martin Haye’s Apple II emulator that runs on all iOS devices, along with desktop computers and probably Android as well. Written and highly optimized in Javascript, it’s capable of emulating an Apple IIe at full speed on iPhone 3GS and above, including graphics and disk drive support. This session briefly covers (1) the technology involved…

Escape from the Homebrew Computer Club is a modern(ish) raycasted 2 1/2 D game for the Apple II. At KansasFest 2011, creator David Schmenk describes how he came up with the concept, the technology designed in it, and how to play it. Download the Keynote or PDF of David’s presentation. Recorded on July 21, 2011, by Ken Gagne and made available by Ka…

The LOGO programming language, best known for “turtle graphics”, was popular on the Apple II, especially in classrooms. LOGO is more than a child’s game. It’s a sophisticated programming language and a serious educational tool for teaching mathematics backed by decades of research on learning theory. Join Peter Neubauer at KansasFest 2011 as he dis…

Serve files to your Apple II the cheap and easy Way! If you have an enhanced Apple IIe or an Apple IIgs, then you have a computer that can access files shared from a current-day Mac, Windows, or Linux computer, and even boot ProDOS or GS/OS from the network instead of a disk. Ivan Drucker’s KansasFest 2011 session shows you the plan to get your II …

Mark Simonsen, employee number three and later owner of Beagle Bros, was the keynote speaker at KansasFest 2010. At Beagle Bros, whose popular software products for the Apple II hobbyist demonstrated the publisher’s quirky sense of humor, Mark developed software including Flex Type, Beagle BASIC, Beagle Graphics, Triple-Dump, and Double-Take. In th…

Greg Branche, Matt Gulick, and Jim Luther presented this session, “Creating Apple IIgs Device Drivers”, at KansasFest 1990. This recording, digitized by Antoine Vignau, was originally distributed by Resource Central (catalog product number AT0-18) and has been generously reclassified under a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License. The post Creati…

At KansasFest 1992, Tom Weishaar presented this prerecorded interview he conducted with Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer Inc. and inventor of the Apple II. This recording, digitized by Antoine Vignau, was originally distributed by Resource Central (catalog product number AT2-31) and has been generously reclassified under a Creative Commo…

The titular Alan Bird and Roger Wagner are joined by Tom Weishaar, Randy Brandt, and other Apple II veterans at KansasFest 1992 as they recount tales from behind the scenes. From the session schedule: Part of our 15th Anniversary celebration, this session will give you a chance to meet and listen to two old-time Apple II programmers who have surviv…

The late Silas Warner gave this presentation at KansasFest 1992 about his company, Muse Software, developer of Castle Wolfenstein, Robot War, and many other classic Apple II products. From the session schedule: As part of our 15th Anniversary celebration, this session will be a complete history 01 Muse Software, from new Apple II to finaI auction i…

Join Paul Statt, Tom Weishaar, Steve Disbrow, Jim Merritt, and others at KansasFest 1992 as they discuss the origin of and challenges faced by Apple II print publications. From the session schedule: As part of our 15th Anniversary celebration, this session will reminisce in the general area of Apple II publications. Come and ask questions or expres…

Jason Scott, creator of textfiles.com, BBS: The Documentary, and the online Twitter personality Sockington the cat, delivers this keynote speech at KansasFest 2009. Recorded on Wednesday, July 22, 2009, by Sean Fahey. A video of this session is also available. The post Jason Scott’s keynote speech first appeared on KansasFest.…

Creator of the popular ‘FishNDA‘, Ryan Suenaga proves that he doesn’t suck by delivering this precorded video in which he announces the development of a send-only email NDA for the Apple IIGS, codenamed Melissa and officially named Emily II. Prerecorded by Ryan Suenaga; presented on Saturday, July 24, 2010, by Andy Molloy and captured by Ken Gagne.…