The Shakeout Cometh. Apple Orchard 1984, Aug/Sep, Planting a Seed column.

Softalk is gone. Peelings is gone. And, contrary to rumor, Apple Orchard yet lives.

I guess Apple Orchard went to press later than Softalk. Because as far as I know, August 1984 was the last issue published of both magazines. Here's the editorial from Apple Orchard, Aug/Sep 1984, lamenting (and incredulous at) the loss of Softalk (and of Peelings, but less surprised by that).

All it's doing is a manual blue filter, no fancy AI or anything. But still seems magical.

Side by side before and after of a book page scan, with blue pen writing all over it and with just the pen removed by Photoshop.

I'm pretty impressed by what Photoshop can do when processing a scanned book page that a prior owner has written all over. Good job that he wrote all over it in blue ink. But the writing is just... gone. Nice.

"I put a SwyftCard in every Apple in my school because it makes using a computer actually easier than using a typewriter."

I don't remember ever seeing a SwyftCard ad. But even if I have, this one's kind of interesting because it's targeting elementary schoolers(' teachers). In Teaching & Computers April 1986.

INIT HELLO, V2 COMING THIS SUMMER - INIT HELLO INIT HELLO is excited to announce that the conference will be back for a second year at the System Source Computer Museum in Hunt Valley Maryland June 19-21, 2026! Thanks to the overwhelmingly positiv...

INIT HELLO, V2 is coming this summer!

INIT HELLO will be back for a second year at the System Source Computer Museum in Hunt Valley, Maryland, June 19-21, 2026!

This year adds a third day (Friday). Stay tuned for more info on registration, hotels, talks, and events!

init-hello.org/2026/01/init...

RCR Episode #288: NeXT, Sound Blaster, and IRC. Indulge your nostalgia for the weather from October. We cover 1988, Amstrad, Akalabeth, Altos, Apple IIc Plus, Adventure International, and also additional areas. Possibly we misunderstood what "bring your A-game" meant. rcrpodcast.com/2026/01/25/r...

JVC FlashPath MMC to floppy disk adapter, manual, cover

JVC FlashPath MMC to floppy disk adapter, manual, instructions inside.

JVC FlashPath MMC to floppy disk adapter, manual.

Flash Path floppy adapter for MMC cards, front

Flash Path floppy adapter for MMC cards, back, showing two spots for coin adapters, and a slot for the MMC card.

Flash Path floppy adapter for MMC cards, angle, revealing how much like a floppy disk it is.

Flash Path floppy adapter for MMC cards, back with one coin battery door open.

I have one of these, but for MMC cards (unsure if SD cards generally would work in it). Takes two coin batteries.

Yeah, someone in Germany took over the IP and support quite a while back (~2000?) and released a couple of updates fixing a couple of bugs. I'm not sure if it's stil available that way, but the pages are still there. I never quite got to the point of trying to buy a new copy from him though.

BetterBASIC ad

Also Bob from North Easton thinks it is good. archive.org/details/pcte...

Summit placed an ad within that Creative Computing review, quoting the author of review.

Creative Computing 1984 12 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive Creative Computing 1984 12

And a review of BetterBASIC in Creative Computing, Dec 1984. "Better BASIC—It really is." archive.org/details/Crea...

Byte Magazine Volume 09 Number 04 - Real-World Interfacing : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive A rescan for this item is available here. Columns p.32 Build a Scrolling Alphanumeric LED Display [author Steve Ciarcia] Individual character arrays can be...

Here's a review of BetterBASIC in Byte, April 1984. archive.org/details/byte...

BetterBASIC binder from the side.

BetterBASIC binder out of its slipcover.

BetterBASIC manual title page

BetterBASIC disks (backup copies, but, still, disks).

\o/ I have finally reconnected with Summit Software's BetterBASIC, a variant of BASIC for the IBM PC that I—but apparently nobody else—used extensively in the mid-1980s. For years and years it has been nowhere on eBay. Until it was. And now it's here.

1954 How to dial your phone by Bell System YouTube video by trendymagic

Remember: you will find the letter "oh" next to "en" on the left side of the dial. The numeral "oh" is always in the same space as the word "operator." www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuYP...

Nice! Yeah, sorry, my non-alt persona is buried in work and I haven't been regularly watching the socials. But, thanks for pointing the article out! Never heard of the console before, but very cool that it is now possible for new people to discover it and try it.

Let's talk about INIT HELLO w/ Cat and Paul (July 26–27, 2025)! YouTube video by Ron's Computer Videos

Let's talk about INIT HELLO w/ Cat and Paul (July 26–27, 2025)!
youtu.be/65Rqmww_lsg

Retrocomputing Roundtable episode 286 YouTube video by Retro Computing Roundtable

Retrocomputing Roundtable #286 will be recorded here at 4pm eastern North American time: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utxt... — join us as we try to think of something momentous that happened in 1986.

INIT HELLO: Sat-Sun July 26-27, just north of Baltimore at a fantastic computer museum, featuring Apple II-inspired workshops, talks, contests, and other enthusiasts. Details in the linked post.

Lots of people have already signed up, but there's still room!

init-hello.org/2025/06/init...

The (tentative) schedule for INIT HELLO is now available!

init-hello.org/schedule/

Deadlines are rapidly approaching to reserve space in our hotel blocks, order shirts, register to go. But it's not yet too late!

Deadline is coming up SOON to order your INIT HELLO shirt (or hoodie, or sweatshirt). Orders close on JUNE 15. init-hello.org/shirts — can be delivered to you (US addresses) or picked up at the event.

RCR episode #285: You'll Have Mail. In 1985, the Amiga arrived, NeXT was founded, Quantum Computer Services began its journey to becoming AOL. We also talk INIT HELLO and System Source, ZX-Spectrum clones, MIDI, and more! rcrpodcast.com/2025/06/04/r...

Have you registered yet? - INIT HELLO

INIT HELLO registration closes June 30, deadlines for hotel blocks and shirts are sooner. Details at the link below about what we're planning, what the deadlines are, how to sign up for space. We hope to see you in July!

init-hello.org/2025/06/have...

Apple Retail Advertising Program (1985) : Apple Computer Inc : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive Apple Retail Advertising Kit, updated July 1, 1985.Guidance for local ads featuring Apple products. Apple will pay part of advertising costs. Includes guides...

The scan (of the Apple Retail Advertising Program, 1985—the original contents of this binder, not the contents that were in the auction) is now on IA here: archive.org/details/appl...

@retroist.com Catching up on the Lonely Island podcast and suddenly there's you asking about spelling bee. Very cool.

RCR episode #284: Hammer time. In 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh and the Apple //c, IBM introduced the PCjr, HP introduced the LaserJet, FidoNet began distributing mail. 🌮 rcrpodcast.com/2025/05/26/r...

Going back to look at the auction you linked, apparently the binder was re-used. The actual Apple Retail Advertising Program contents are what I have in that binder. The seller on that auction seems to have re-used the binder for other stuff, largely service manuals.

Clip art featuring Macs and Macintrosh XLs

Clip art of Macintosh accessories (bag, printers, drives, keypads, mice)

It's pretty interesting. Guidance on ads and how to make effective ones. Generally a program where Apple shares the advertising cost for local advertisers. Comes with handy clip art too.

I guess I never got around to uploading this to IA, but I scanned mine several years ago. It's here: www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5bly0... — will try to upload it to IA soon.