Farewell to the Apple IIe and Mac Plus
Here’s what will probably be the last of my “Thanks for the memories” videos. Sorry for the camera shaking at the beginning; hopefully it’s not bad enough to make anyone seasick.
I talk about the Apple IIe and the Mac Plus. (I also have an Apple IIgs Woz Limited Edition but I couldn’t think of anything to say about it!)
All you need to know about networking with System 6
Now that we’ve all recovered from my attempt at video-making in 1998, it’s time for some 2009 video-making, which is actually less fancy – but, oddly, has editing! I guess it all evens out. Here, I talk about the PowerBook 145B and Farallon PhoneNet connectors, and mention the moon landing.
Old books free for the taking
Because, you know, someone out there might want to learn CP/M. Like I did at one point! (And would still like to, but it’s an issue of prioritization.)
Seriously – if you want any of these books, even just to use as funny conversation starters, contact me.
- Mastering CP/M by Alan R. Miller, © 1983 SYBEX Inc.
- Computers Made Easy by Don Cassel, © 1984. This looks like a textbook for a general introduction to the wacky world of computers
- Amstrad Personal Computer PC1640 User Instructions, © 1987. Yes, it’s very specific.
- Apple II User’s Guide For Apple II Plus and Apple IIe (second edition), by Lon Poole, Martin McNiff, and Steven Cook, © 1983. There’s also a piece of paper tucked inside the front cover with instructions for something called the “encoder board” on the Apple II.
- Complete Logo Programming – Apple, by Steven L. Mandell and Colleen J. Mandell, © 1986. This is a hardcover textbook in basically perfect condition. A stamp on the inside cover reveals that it once was the property of Georgia Southern University.
- Home Computer Basics: An Introduction for Young People, by Jeffrey Rothfeder, © 1983. This is a short book aimed at children and it’s a real hoot. It says you can do literally anything with the Apple II.
- Computer Awareness by Merle Wood, © 1982. This is a paperback textbook for, I’d say, 4th to 6th graders.
To be totally honest, even though the video project is supposed to be helping me purge some of this stuff, it’s still tough. And if I had more room in the house I’d probably keep it. Sometimes getting rid of stuff is hard. Several months ago Rusty pushed me to throw away an old cooking pot that looked like it had been through the wars; that was really tough to do because it had been with me for so long, at some points being the only pot I owned.
Anyway. Let me know if you want any of these books, or if you want to paw through my other computer artifacts.
Video experiement continues: “Thanks for the memories” part 2
Yes, it’s another video.
Last night Rusty and I bought the newest version of iMovie, which includes the ability to do text overlays – so now I can do all the editing stuff myself! That is, unless I want to do anything fancy, which so far I have no desire to do.
I think the coloring in this one looks different because we changed the overhead light from incandescent bulbs to curly-cue compact fluorescents. If you care.
One note:
1) I screwed up my clever little quip at the end. Microsoft’s unofficial slogan is, “Bring you yesterday, tomorrow.” I didn’t care enough to go back and reshoot the whole thing, though.
There was something else I had noticed while watching it last night that needed clarifying, but on the computer I’m on at the moment I don’t have sound, so I can’t remember what it was. Maybe I’ll update this post later.
Anyway, in this video I talk about MacProject. Wanna buy it? Make me your best offer!
Video experiment… part 1 of ?
A while back, I mentioned that I have too much old computer crap taking up space in the house, and I wondered aloud what I should do about it. A commenter floated the idea of making videos of myself talking about a particular item, so that I can get rid of the object but keep the memories. Brilliant! (I still don’t know who this commenter is or where he came from.)
I’ve never been all that enthusiastic about internet video. In fact, if anything, I’ve been the opposite of enthusiastic. But last weekend when I saw Miss Calico’s Flip camera, I was so impressed with its sleek design and apparent ease of use that I started to think maybe these nostalgia videos could be a real possibility. Then when I saw the quality of the videos it took, I was even more impressed. Rusty did a little research and said I should get a Kodak Zi6, which takes better quality video and costs less – so that’s what I did. And that camera really is as simple as it purports to be! Like I said on Twitter the other day, it’s like a Brownie camera for the YouTube age.
I hate seeing myself on video but maybe this project will be a way for me to overcome that. I will say that I think iMovie HD is obnoxious and not at all intuitive. This is a big part of why I’ve never been enthusiastic about the idea of making videos; the editing part seems tedious and annoying! I wish I enjoyed it the way Rusty does (and the results of him actually enjoying it definitely show in his videos); but, it is good to have an easy way to just throw some videos up on the web. I might not even bother with a title or overlay (which Rusty had to do for me in Final Cut Express) going forward; we’ll see!
In this first video, I talk a bit about eWorld. (I won’t be so long-winded in future videos.)
Computers
I have too much old computer detritus (or “collectibles,” depending on how you see it) that for some reason I just can’t bring myself to get rid of. I’ve never been a pack rat. I like the occasional purge. I do hold onto things that have personal, sentimental value for me – the stuff that doesn’t necessarily have monetary value, but can’t be replaced if lost. Why do I hold onto these last remains of my former pretty-big computer collection? I haven’t *used* them in any way in years. I simply tote the boxes around w/ me whenever I move, and shove them in another closet. But do I really need an entire box of Localtalk connectors? This stuff is taking up space, and while we have more of it at the house than at the apartment, we don’t have a ton of it to waste.
I guess part of me thinks maybe one day this stuff will be even rarer than it is now, and… then what? I don’t know. Old stuff is cool. Scarcity makes for interestingness. Plus, I believe it’s important not to erase all traces of where we’ve been – and esp. w/ technology, since it changes so fast.
And yet the fact remains, I *don’t* have space for this stuff.
[Originally posted on my Tumblr, and then I realized, hey, I ended up writing enough to constitute a real blog post! So I'm cross-posting it here - and shortly the RSS feed will be imported to my Tumblr, to complete the infinite loop.]