e28 – Software for Kids

December 12, 2015

We review some of the best software for kids on the Apple II and the Classic Mac, most of which we grew up with. Along the way we die of dysentery (not really), pursue a sticky-fingered filcher, and put "something on that I don't like!"

Followup

Momoko Kikuchi aka "Japanese Ellen Feiss"
the Simplicity Shootout guy reveals himself

MECC

The MECC Software Repository
the Trails
- Oregon Trail
  - play online [Internet Archive]
  - Oregon Trail II (CD-ROM) – download
  - what survives on iOS
- Yukon Trail – download
- Africa Trail – download
- Maya Quest – download
Munchers
- Number Munchers
  - play online [Internet Archive]
  - iOS port
- Word Munchers
  - play online [Internet Archive]
- Super Munchers – download
Secret Island of Dr. Quandary
Museum Madness

Brøderbund Software

The Learning Company

wiki entry
Reader Rabbit
- Reader Rabbit Smart & Jump for iOS ★☆☆☆☆
- Reader Rabbit Kart Racing for iOS ★☆☆☆☆
Super Solvers
- Midnight Rescue!
- Treasure Mountain!
unsuccessful acquisition by Mattel

Performa bundled software

e27 – Apple advertising

November 28, 2015

In this episode we cover 20+ years of Mac and iPod advertising, from Big Brother's grey dystopia to Jony Ive's white room and beyond.

Links for this episode:

Apple's YouTube channel

the beginning: 1984

the interregnum (1985–1997)

Ive and Jobs take over

30 years of Mac ads in 60 seconds
Ive talks about the TAM
Think Different
- Rob Siltanen's firsthand account
- "Here's to the Crazy Ones" [Dreyfuss] [Jobs]
- posters
iMac
- "Simplicity Shootout"
- Colors and Yum.
- Jeff Goldblum
  - "No Step Three" (spoiler: it's EarthLink)
  - "Three Pizzas"
  - "Internet?"
  - drunk version
G3 vs. Pentium II
- Intel "bunny" ad
- Apple's response: "Burn"
- PowerBook G3
  - "It eats Pentium notebooks for lunch"
    - keynote introduction
    - full-size print ad
  - "Watch Austin Powers twice"
    - claim debunked
    - dual expansion bays
- Snail
- Macs switch to Intel
  - copying controversy
  - The Postal Service – Such Great Heights
Switch
- apple.com/switch [WayBack]
- poor Ellen Feiss
Get a Mac
- supercut of all ads
- Justin Long (Mac)
- John Hodgman (PC)
  - hobo names
- UK version: Mitchell and Webb
  - Numberwang
- Japan: The Rahmens
  - "Virus"
- synchronized banner ads
- PC impersonates Steve Jobs

iPod

e26 – Preserving Mac history with Stephen Hackett

November 14, 2015

To celebrate our first anniversary, we're joined by Stephen Hackett of relay.fm and 512 Pixels. We talk about the different ways we came to the Mac, some of the weirder things in our Apple collections, and the importance of archiving technology for the future.

Also part of our anniversary celebrations, Simple Beep t-shirts are available!

Stephen Hackett

Links for this episode

David Pogue
Power Macintosh G3 All-in-one
Quark Xpress
- dongle
- version 4
- version 5
OS X Server 10.2 (ten-user license: $499!)
Apple Studio Display
Mac Mini introduction keynote
Titanium PowerBook G4
"Night of the Panther" release party
Debug on the Carbon transition
Stephen's Apple collection inventory
Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh
AppleWorks
- our episode on ClarisWorks / AppleWorks
Number Munchers, Super Munchers
Oregon Trail [browser emulation]
Connected on archiving iOS apps
emulating the Super FX chip
iBook G3 keyboard stench
512 Pixels: Old Mac of the Month
512 Pixels: On the Past, Present and Future of Apple's Aqua User Interface
QuickTime Live sweatshirt
As the Apple Turns [WayBack]
What does '512 pixels' mean? (in 2015??)

e25 – The Works

October 24, 2015

This episode is all about "the best-loved application for the Mac", ClarisWorks. We remember a simpler age of word processing, not understanding how the "New document" command or pixels worked, and some difficult transitions in our productivity workflows.

Links for this episode:

Easter eggs followup

Claris

MacDraw, MacPaint, MacWrite
Claris Em@ailer
Claris Home Page
HyperCard (versions 2.0–2.2)
- HyperCard Player v2.1 ("magic" trick)
FileMaker Inc.
FileMaker Pro 14
Bento (discontinued in 2013)
namesake of the dogcow
BOBO

AppleWorks and ClarisWorks

AppleWorks for Apple II
A Brief History of ClarisWorks
ClarisWorks 3 download
ClarisWorks 4 download
draw documents
- PICT format
- Avara
- Avara level design guide [.sit.hqx file]
paint documents
- Have a Day
ClarisWorks for Kids [WayBack]
OpenDoc
the competition: Microsoft Works

iWork

introduction of Keynote: 2003
Pages: 2005
Numbers: 2007

our long national nightmare is over. pic.twitter.com/WOCgDvj3ZF
— Ed Cormany (@ecormany) October 16, 2015

e24 – Easter Eggs

October 10, 2015

In this episode we go on a hunt for some of the hidden "features" of classic Macs. It's a menagerie of iguanas, gerbils, pigs, dogcows, tiny swords, and more!