dagenbrock.com

I'm entering the "Retro Challenge - Summer 2014" contest just for fun and to be motivated to finish a lot of projects I've had almost complete for some time now.

I'm going to try to post daily progress on a number of Apple II related projects. I'll post a lot of code on my site and on github and also in development company Agilie. I'll be trying to finish an iPad version of my 65xx CPU reference app. There will be lots of demos, and maybe a game or two. I might even go so far as to do my first PCB etching for a retro hardware project. Stay tuned to this page for daily updates!! *fingers crossed*

UPDATE: I've released a new version with support for the Apple IIc and a Mono "green screen" mode

I have always wanted a thumbstick for Apple II gaming. It's the form factor we are all more accustomed to these days. Also, Apple II joysticks on eBay are typically overpriced and who knows how much wear-and-tear. So I finally got around to learning some practical electronics to build my own. I ordered some thumbsticks, capacitors, resitors, potentiometers and buttons and using some online resources, built my own joystick!

A few months ago, I released an initial version of a program I've always wanted to have. It's a programmers reference to the 65xx series of microprocessors, available now in iTunes store (it's free).

After a long time of not really having a proper place for my 1200's, I finally broke down and built a custom turntable battlestation and shelf. It took me most of last weekend (thanks to my patient family for letting me do that.) So yeah, very happy. Mixing records daily feels like a big return of my identity. Come on over and let's play!

And no, that's not my entire record collection, but the tip of the iceberg. ;)

I just got my Apple IIgs RGB to Component adapter from Nishida Radio. Here's a little video review, but basically: 1. it works and 2. get one...

Now I am confident I can continue to use real Apple IIgs hardware for another 30 years.

I went to KansasFest 2013 and we had a special guest. Woz came to town and hung out with us for 3 days! He was so incredibly nice. We all got to hear his famous stories, and some we'd never heard before, all from his mouth. As if that wasn't enough, we also had Apple employee #6, Randy Wiggington. He was also super nice. They signed many autographs (including my Apple IIe Platinum case) and took many photos with us. The nerd love was strong.

Oh yeah, I also did a presentation and learned lots of cool stuff. :)

The code and presentation notes from my session at KansasFest 2013 are now available on GitHub. It's intended as a more modern introduction to programming the Apple IIgs, being mindful of the differences from its predecessors. https://github.com/digarok/gslib

The real meat-and-potatoes is in the "Crash Course.pdf" file. It's an extremely compressed explanation of building System 16 executables, ToolBox calls and how the video display works on the Apple IIgs.

Here's a new house mix with a bunch of great songs from 2012 (mostly). Enjoy!

Download MP3 File
  (You may need to right-click and choose "Save As")

Happy Holidays everyone. Here's my latest assembly demo for Apple II.

Sorry, that vid isn't very good, there are some sound synchronization issues due to the capture method via emulator... but you should run it on real hardware anyway, right? ;)

You can download the source code and a bootable disk image version of this at https://github.com/digarok/festro