Ivan Drucker presented an informative session on A2SERVER and Apple II networking during KansasFest 2011. Now Ivan has released his work for everyone else to enjoy.

Based on open-source software (Linux, Netatalk and VirtualBox), A2SERVER functions as a preconfigured virtualized AppleTalk server for your vintage enhanced Apple //e (with Apple Workstation Card), Apple IIGS and Macintosh computers. All you need is a fairly recent Macintosh or a PC running Windows, Linux or Solaris capable of running Oracle’s VirtualBox software and some sort of Ethernet/Localtalk bridge.

Get the details and downloads at: Ivan Drucker’s A2SERVER site.

Egan Ford’s disk server projects have both reached their final release versions.  According to Ford’s post in comp.sys.apple2:

I think I can call both projects done for now.  The source has been updated and released (links in the READMEs).

Thanks for all the testing and feedback.  I think both services are fairly solid now.  All that is left to do is to populate the disk server with lots of disks.

If you stumble across a bug or issue, please let me know.

Visit the Game Server here, and the Disk Server here.

Gerard Putter’s excellent 8-bit Apple II emulator Virtual ][ for Mac OS X has been updated to version 6.4.  The most significant change is that support for Mac OS X 10.4 and PowerPC Macs has been dropped.  Here’s a list of what’s new:

– Dropped support for Mac OS X 10.4 and the PowerPC processor. The program now requires an Intel Mac running Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or better.
– Added a feature to change the write protection and volume number of disk images.
– It is now possible to configure a 65C02 processor in an Apple ][ or ][+ virtual machine.
– When choosing “Copy as Text” from the Edit menu, international characters on the screen are now correctly copied to the Mac clipboard.
– Improved the quality of the QuickLook preview and thumbnail of a saved state file.
– Some custom character sets were not accepted by the virtual machine – this has been fixed.
– Fixed a number of minor issues, thereby improving the overall stability of the program.

Grab a copy from Gerard’s website.  Virtual ][ is shareware; $49 for a full license, $19 for a limited license, $30 to upgrade.

David Schmidt posted to comp.sys.apple2 this morning that the latest version of ADTPro is now available to Apple II (and III) users.  The text of his post:

This release, contrary to its ".0" suffix, isn’t revolutionary – I just ran out of digits in the mod level counter before I came up with anything extraordinary to release.  This is a collection of bug fixes and general useability improvements.

There’s growing interest in 64-bit Windows, and the RXTX dll for that platform wasn’t working correctly – so I sourced a build from our friends at cloudhopper (http://www.cloudhopper.com/opensource/rxtx/) that has been beta tested by several folks.

http://adtpro.sourceforge.net

1.2.0 – January 14, 2012

Bug fixes:

  * [Server] Integrate Cloudhopper’s 64-bit Windows RXTX dll – fixes 2-way Windows 7 64-bit serial communications

  * [Server] If a serial configuration isn’t usable, it doesn’t just put up the dialog box saying you should change the configuration – it brings up the change configuration dialog so you can actually do it

  * [Server] Be consistent when automatically adding file suffixes (.dsk vs. .DSK)

  * [Client] Don’t lock out interrupts during program execution – it hinders things like the GS Desk Accessory bringup

  * [Client] Apple /// responds a little better to "disk switched" notifications like those produced by the CFFA300 card

  * [Client] Apple /// Ethernet screen layout was missing DHCP configuration option

The Apple Archives website has been overhauled with a new look, and expanded and updated links.  The site, which is maintained by our friends over at Call-A.P.P.L.E., contains a library of links to, “the best archives for Vintage Apple software that was available during the 1980’s and 1990’s.  These sites are run by a variety of folks who have dedicated a great deal of time and effort into preserving the best of the Apple legacy.”

The Eamon Adventurer’s Guild Online, the place for all things Eamon on the Internet, yesterday posted screen capture images of Eamon Deluxe 5.0 in action.  For those unaware, this is an effort to update and improve upon the original Eamon Deluxe.  A call for playtesters went out recently and it looks like the project is progressing nicely.  A progress report from Jan 9, 2012 is available here.

The January 2012 episode of Open Apple, the Apple II community’s only co-hosted podcast, is now available. This month, hosts Mike and Ken chat with David Greelish, co-host of the Retro Computing Roundtable podcast and recently published author of the book The Complete Historically Brewed. The highlight this month is David discussing with noted Apple II historian Steve Weyhrich the role of former CEO John Sculley at Apple Computer Inc. and in the fate of the Apple II — a topic about which David recently interviewed Sculley himself!

The show can be found the Open Apple Web site or in the iTunes and Zune stores.

Evan Koblentz of MARCH brings us news that former Apple employee Daniel Kottke will speak at this year’s Vintage Computer Festival East 8.0. Evan writes “Dan was a college buddy of Jobs, went with him to India, built Apple 1 boards in Jobs’ parent’s garage, and worked at corporate Apple for many years.” VCF East will be held the weekend of May 5-6, 2012 at InfoAge/Camp Evans in Wall Township, NJ. The Apple II is always well represented at the event. Also of interest is a Sunday workshop on Apple II maintenance led by Brain Board inventor Mike Willegal. Thomas Kurtz, one of the inventors of BASIC, will speak on Saturday.

In conjunction with the recent reclassification of the Washington Apple Pi Apple /// DVD, Dave Ottalini has uploaded to his YouTube channel all ten video lessons from the Apple /// in 10 EZ Lessons DVD.

Also there, is an interview Dave conducted with Andy Hertzfeld in 1988 about the Apple /// “Running Horses” demo, and footage from a WAP GarageSale in 1993 where ON THREE’s new BOS operating system was demonstrated by Bob Consorti himself.

Egan Ford’s Apple Disk Server, which is an off-shoot of his Apple Game Server ONLINE! has been in development for a while now and has reached beta v5.

Apple Disk Server BETA v5

Here’s a list of all the changes since the project first came online earlier this month.

Jan 8, 2012
* Beta v5 released.
* Extra second of padding for slower drives.

Jan 7, 2012
* Beta v4 released.
* New 8KFI option that uses more reliable 8000 bps code.  Try HIFI first, if that does not work use 8KFI.  8kFI works with emulators too.
* All audio files volume decreased from 100% to 75%.
* In-line help.

Jan 6, 2012
* Beta v3 released.
* New INSTA-DISK with less padding.
* FORMAT and NO-FORMAT options. NO-FORMAT assumes preformatted diskette.
* All audio files volume increased from 75% to 100%. I cannot go any higher.

Jan 5, 2012
* Beta v2 released.
* All audio files volume increased from 50% to 75%.

Jan 3, 2012
* Beta released.