Vintage Computer Festivals are like no other events! Come join us for a few days of family-friendly historic computing awesomeness. Each event has a hands-on exhibition hall where you can see and try computers from the 1960s-1980s. There are also keynote lectures, technical classes, special attractions, and much more.

There are four U.S. editions of the Vintage Computer Festival scheduled for 2016.

VCF Southeast — April 2-3, Atlanta region
contact: earl@baugh.org

VCF East — April 15-17, central New Jersey
Online ticketing and exhibit registration is open!
contact: evan@vcfed.org

VCF West — August 6-7, Silicon Valley
Online ticketing and exhibit registration is open!
contact: erik@vintage-computer.com

VCF Midwest — September 10-11, Chicago region
contact: silent700@gmail.com

Want a VCF show in your area? Let us know! – Contact info@vcfed.org
Be sure to check out the Vintage Computer Forums!

UtlimateMicro has re-released their clone of the highly sought after Apple II 3.5 “SuperDrive” Disk Controller. Known also by it’s Apple code name, the “Mustang Controller” allows you to use standard Apple 3.5 and Apple SuperDrives on your enhanced Apple IIe (and IIGS).

It’s a much better option versus the slower Liron/UniDisk 3.5 combination or VTech Universal Disk Controller (which can also be hard to find). In addition to reading Apple’s GCR format, it can also read IBM formatted MFM disks (an enabled MS-DOS file system translator required).

Available now for USD $149.99 plus shipping and handling.

For $35 USD, this snazzy ROM adapter from A2Heaven.com will let you switch your original Apple IIGS between ROM 0 and ROM 01, or (even more interestingly) between the beta 2.0 and IIBF ROMs if you’re curious about those. It features a color-changing LED to indicate which ROM is active. Obviously, due to architecture differences, this device isn’t compatible with the ROM 3 or Mark Twain Apple IIGS.

UltimateMicro has announced new products to enhance your favorite Apple II, with even more enhancements and fun projects on the way.

The IIgs ROM0 to ROM1 Adapter v2.0 is a redux of the v1 adapter where I used to Machine Pin Sockets stacked together to allow use of a standard ROM in the IIgs. There is hidden benefit to these new v2 Adapters however. Since they use a standard EEPROM, users can now do firmware development for the IIgs very simply. For ROM3 firmware development or ROM replacement you will require two Adapters since there are two ROMs on the ROM3 motherboard. Available now, for only $30 USD.

The next project is called the SRAM SOJ to DIP Adapter and it is intended to allow ZIP-GSX users to more simply upgrade their board without the need for new sockets or crazy hacks likes bending pins of “skinny” SRAMs to solder in to the on-board sockets of the ZIP. Or more correct, but costly options, like having me replace the sockets on the ZIP-GSX board. Each adapter is $20 USD and available for ordering now.

Also coming up is the new Universal Power Supply. Beta units are going out to Joe Strosnider and Chris Torrence for video reviews (which we’ll try to post here). There will be a pre-order to gauge interest since the initial expense to deliver this project is fairly significant.

ByteBoosters appears to be a new Apple II vendor in Roth, Germany. Their first product is a $60 (USD) 4MB RAM card for the Apple IIGS currently being sold on eBay. It looks like it may be a clone of the Applied Engineering GS-RAM III which is a really nice card, as far as we’re concerned. The 2 year warranty is nice also.

Specifications:

• 4MB DRAM (4 banks) using 4Mbit DRAM chips (1Mbit x 4)
• 100% DMA compatible
• Fast RAM -70ns
• Low Power consumption
• Fully gold plated high quality printed circuit board
Gold plated slot contacts ensuring high reliability

Ian Kim has beat a few other similar projects to the punch with his new Mockingboard 4c, an internal Mockingboard compatible card for the Apple IIc. It appears to be music only (no speech synthesis). Details are very limited at this time, but we know (or don’t know) the following:

• The first batch of cards are going to Ian’s friends with international sales coming later.
• Pricing has not yet been announced.
• You won’t be able to physically use a memory expansion card at the same time. Also, the Mockingboard 4c is mapped to slot 4.
• Zip/Rocket Chip compatibility is unknown.

Lots of pictures to see HERE.

ZDNet has posted an interesting story on how clones of popular computers (notably, copies of the Apple II) built during the communist era have influenced today’s technologists in Bulgaria, Romania and other former Soviet Bloc countries. Even today, the Apple II Community is benefiting; Plamen Vayssilov’s A2Heaven.com is a great example.

We are glad to announce another ReActiveMicro release to the Apple II Community!

We have published the RAMWorks III 2 Meg Plus Expander schematic and programing files.

https://goo.gl/HkraX8

With the RAMWorks III and the 2 Meg Plus Expander now fully documented we can start the RAMWorks IIII Kit project and continue with adding AUX RAM to the IDEA2c Drive project.

The RAMWorks III Kit project is planned to be a RAMWorks style Apple IIe AUX Slot RAM Card with 4Meg of RAM and sell for about $80. It will also maintain compatibility with all AE’s RGB daughterboard options.

As named, this project will be sold in “kit” form and feature DIP and through hole parts for ease of assembly. We will work to keep the IC count to about 10 units so even a novice should be able to completely assemble the kit in about 1 hour. With some luck this project will be ready for the SolderFest session of KFEST 2016.

All are welcome who would like to help with testing or writing software. We would like to update AE’s RAMWorks III Test program to allow for 4Megs. Please contact “Support at ReActiveMicro.com”.

Steve Chamberlain has revised his successful Floppy Emu product and added additional enhancements for vintage Apple II and Macintosh users. Check out Steve’s intro attached below.

Today I’m excited to introduce the first significant update to the Floppy Emu disk emulator for Apple II and classic Macintosh computers: Floppy Emu Model B. The new Model B has the same disk emulation functions as the Model A and Universal Adapter, but with several new convenience features:

• Built-in Apple II Compatibility – Model B is directly compatible with the entire Apple II line, emulating a 5 1/4 inch disk, 3 1/2 inch disk, or Smartport hard disk. While Model A required a separate Universal Adapter for the best Apple II compatibility, Model B has the equivalent functionality built-in. Classic Macintosh and Lisa disk emulation is still supported too.
• microSD Card Support – The SD card slot is now a push-push microSD type, identical to what’s used in most mobile phones. This will make it easier to find suitable SD card media, since the older full-size SD cards are becoming rare.
• SD Card Hot-Swap – The SD card can be removed and re-inserted while the Floppy Emu is powered on.
• Improved Protection Circuitry – Model B features improved protection circuitry on the disk drive interface connector. This circuitry will help protect the Floppy Emu from electrical damage caused by voltage spikes and surges. It also eliminates the risk of potential damage if an Emu board running the Apple II firmware is inadvertently connected to a Mac or Lisa computer.
• Same Great Emulation Features – All of the time-tested Macintosh, Apple II, and Lisa disk emulation features from Model A are still present. Model B reads and writes emulated 140K, 400K, 800K, or 1.4MB floppy disk images, or hard disk images up to 2GB, if supported by your Apple computer. For full details, see the instruction manual.

If you’re new to Floppy Emu, it’s an external hardware device for vintage Macintosh, Apple II, or Lisa computers. It uses a removable SD memory card to mimic an Apple floppy disk and drive, or an Apple hard drive. The Emu behaves exactly like a real disk drive, requiring no special software or drivers. Floppy Emu is perfect for booting your favorite games, moving files between modern and vintage machines, and troubleshooting a computer without a working OS. Just plug in the Emu board, and you’ll be up and running in seconds.

Floppy Emu Model B is available for sale now. While supplies last, I’m also selling the remaining inventory of Floppy Emu Model A units for a reduced price. It’s disk emulation madness!

Henry Courbis has informed us that the Mockingboard v1a ($85 USD) and SSI-263P Speech Synthesis Chip ($65 USD) are back in stock, thanks to Tom Arnold. They won’t last very long.