Bumper Books of Programs Australia

A Your Computer Publication “Bumper Book of Programs”, covering programs for all ages and popular brands.  I scanned this book becuase it has a large list of Australian Computer Clubs such, ranging from the Blue Mountains Microbee Computer Club (Roger Cooper) to the Spectravideo Computer Users Group in Tasmania.

Worthwhile to have online.  PDF available by navigating Scanned Book and Magazine Collection -> General Vintage Computing Books -> Bumper Books of Programs Australia.pdf

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BweO6Y13Cmc4VlFKYkx2MWxWU1k?usp=sharing

The book was partially water damaged so I had to restore the front cover in photoshop the best I could, and one or two pages are missing the very edge of the page.

Electronics Australia – A Basic Guide to Colour TVs and VCRs

PDF available by nagvigating through Scanned Book and Magazine Collection -> Repair
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BweO6Y13Cmc4VlFKYkx2MWxWU1k?usp=sharing

Presented online is the Electronics Australia publication of A Basic Guide to Colour TVs and VCRs by David Botto.  “An in-depth look at the operation of both colour TV receivers and video recorders”.

I scanned this so that people getting back into cathode ray sets and VHS machines could have a reference book about PAL colour signals and using a scope to measure ranges.  Certainly a niche publication but valuable none the less.  I can’t think of any Australia broadcast reference materials that are online.

Videotex II v2.15 for the Apple //e and //c by Apple Australia

Presented here is ‘Videotex II’ for the Apple //e and //c computer.  Steven Kazoullis has provided these unique discs for imaging at WOzFest 14.25045 MHz and were created with AppleSauce to produce A2R, WOZ and DSK disk archives.

My understanding is Viatel was a company that brought an online service to their own hardware and home computers often had software that could also access the service.  This software appears to allow a 128K Apple II to connect via a modem and was written specifically by NetComm Australia.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BweO6Y13Cmc4WTJ0aWYyU2EtTk0?usp=sharing
Click the link and navigate to Apple II Software, scroll to V for “Videotex II v2.15 (Apple Australia) WOZ”. 

 

Explore-Australia (1988), Australia educational Apple II software

Presented here are links and screenshots to feature Explore Australia.  This educational game makes good use of the Apple //e feature-set of higher resolution colour and smooth mouse control.  Animation is used throughout and reminds me of Commodore 64 graphics.  The Apple ColourComposite //e display is best designed to handle this graphics style.  Gameplay screenshots are from Virtual II as Open Emulator does not support Mouse cards (if it does let me know!).

Read my writeup below or download the A2R + WOZ formats by searching WOZ or easily navigating folders Apple II Software, scroll to E for “Explore Australia, Datamost WOZ” :

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BweO6Y13Cmc4VlFKYkx2MWxWU1k?usp=sharing

Update: @4am has published a crack and will post files on Archive.org soon

Users select from a girl (Kate) or boy (Neil) character to read through history or explore the globe.  Navigating the game is done by turning the page (click top right corner), with graphics on screen being interactive which I think is a great feature considering the hardware constraints (It really needs 2mHz).

Indigenous Australians are featured in the history section and the topic can be expanded on by clicking on ? icons to read more about the Aborigines dream time stories being passed down through generations going back 40,000 years.  Animation is used to bring features of dreamtime stories to life and tells the player to read a story in the student book.  Unfortunately no printed materials were available to me, only the disk.  This is the same crap we’ve seen before from the National Library of Australia (NLA) (via Trove search).  I have the disk saved from a church in Henty and the NLA have it in their catalogue but it’s missing.

The next 6 pages show immigration from England and Scotland for white settlement and establishment of farming.  Again I am very impressed at the level of interactivity on the slides which I think was best done many years later on the Macintosh with ‘Once Upon a Time’ by Computeach.  Disk 2 is required to progress.

Program credits:
Animation graphics by Laura Koller
Programmed by Rob Shaver & Peter Andrews
Published by Datamost © 1988 on two sides

Police Artist (Sir-Tech Software)

Presented here are full box art scans along with included documentation and disk label scans.  Disk images are pending.

Graphics created with the aid of the Graphics Magician (noteworthy considering KansasFest 2019 Keynote).

“Police Artist includes 3 different colorful games that draw over 1,000,000 unique faces.  Each face has his or her own distinctive name and personality.  All three games challenge and strengthen your ability to accurately see and remember a face.  If you always forget a face and want to do something about it, Police Artist is for you.”  Copyright 1983 by Elizabeth Levin.

Donated by Leslie Ayling.

JB Retro Collect repository 
Click and navigate to Apple II Software, scroll to P for “Police Artist (Sir-Tech Software)”. 

In Search of the Most Amazing Thing, Apple II software (Complete scans) WOZ

Presented here are full scans of the box art and included manual, book, Spinnaker catalogue and disk images.

By Tom Snyder Productions and Spinnaker software present a game for ages 10-Adult.  “The Most Amazing Thing is out there somewhere.  It won’t be easy to find it.  But even when you do, finding it again will be a brand new challenge.”  Copyright 1983.

Donated by Leslie Ayling for scanning and archive by JB Retro Collect.

JB Retro Collect repository 
Click and navigate to Apple II Software, scroll to I for “In Search of the Most Amazing Thing (Spinnaker) WOZ”. 

Mind Over Minors, AI for the Apple II with manual WOZ

Presented online is the book and Apple II software “Mind Over Minors” as published by Human Edge.

“Mind Over Minors is a tool designed to give you an increased understanding of your child.  It will help you identify specific strengths and weaknesses in your child as well as yourself.  Suggestions for the best way to motivate, manage and discipline your child are made based on the personalities involved.”  ISBN 0-924442-02-6

The book accompanies a 2 disk set of the Parent’s Version only.  The manual and book suggest it was sold in two editions, one for parents and one for teachers.  Unfortunately I do not have the Teacher version.   Disks images as WOZ and A2R.  I can not remember how to make a .DSK from a WOZ so please use a WOZ affirmative emulator.

JB Retro Collect repository 
Click and navigate to Apple II Software, scroll to M for “Mind Over Minors (Human Edge) WOZ”. 

Donated by Leslie Ayling

 

Formula 1 Racer, Gentry Software Apple II WOZ

 

Presented here are full scans of the box art, disk label, manual as scanned for JB Retro and donated by Leslie Ayling.  Also included in the archive are disk images for all users (WOZ, A2R and DSK 4am crack).

“Race against the clock in this test of quick reactions and steady nerves.  You drive your Formula 1 Racer around a twisting course, swerving to avoid other racers and – WATCH OUT! – round signs.

As your shift into overdrive your speed increases, and you cover more miles and earn more points.  But you may have to downshift quickly as you enter a sharp curve at dangerous speeds.

As your skill improves, you can advance from noice to intermediate – and then to expert!” Copyright 1983 Gentry Software ™.

JB Retro Collect repository
Click and navigate to Apple II Software, scroll to F for “Formula 1 Racer (Gentry) WOZ”. 

Repair / Recap of Apple 12″ Macintosh RGB Monitor M1296

Hi Everyone

The aim of this post is to create the first reference online of capacitors used in the main and neck board of the Apple 12″ Macintosh Monitor (M1296).  I will link to a spreadsheet of capacitor values that has been created by myself and verified / checked for accuracy and show photos of the recap.

This monitor’s design has the front bezel match the curve and width of certain Macintosh computers, famously the LC line and also IICI.  It is a fixed resolution 512 x 384 @ 60 Hz RGB monitor which used composite sync.  Internally it is a Japanese design by Matsushita and uses a shadow mask CRT tube.  It is not compatible with traditional analogue RGB video signals, even when fed clean C-SYNC.

I found the build quality to be strong and pleasing to repair.  My monitor featured vertical collapse when turned on and was known to have little use from new, cosmetically perfect and from a single owner in Sydney, Australia.

Capacitor C418 was the failure point for me, along with rotted traces from heavy capacitor leakage.  The main board was indeed wet and electrolyte pooling in the grooves of the case.

I chose to re-cap everything including the neck board as clearly I felt like a challenge.  After repairing some traces and verifying my work, the monitor was tested as working ‘first go’.  The image remains pristine – clear, converged well and bright.

PDF spreadsheet M1296 Repair Recap rev 2.xlsx

Unfortunately the photos I took were lost.

Apple 12″ Macintosh RGB Monitor M1296
Main board	uF	V
C401, C413, C502, C523	1	50
C416	22	25
C418	2200	6.3
C420, C519	220	25
C501, C526	47	50
C507, C520, C522	10	50
C512, C414	100	50
C517	100	25
C518	10	160
C521	82	160
C525	0.1	50
C908 (Comment: Negative Black)	220	450
C914	22	100
C915, C921	10	100
C919	330	180
C920, C417	2200	35

Neck board	uF	V
C203	1	50
C205	220	100
C206, (C517 from main board)	100	25
C2B4, C2G4, C2R4	2.2	50
C2R2,C2R1,C2G1,C2B1,C2G2,C2B2	47	25
C6B5, C6R5, C6G5, C207	1	160
C6R3, C6G3, C6B3	47	25

By Jeremy Barr-Hyde for JBRetro Collect