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Margot Comstock
Margot Comstock (formerly Margot Comstock Tommervik, 1940–2022) was co-founder and editor of ''Softalk'' magazine, which was influential in the Apple II community, as part of a growing personal computing movement. Career Comstock worked as a freelance textbook editor, magazine article writer, and journalist. She also enjoyed playing games, and in 1979 she won more than $15,000 on the television game show ''Password.'' She and her husband Allan Tommervik purchased an Apple II+ with some of the money''.'' She was enthusiastic about trying games and other software for the computer, along with its larger potential for helping people try new things. They decided to start a magazine for other Apple users, using the rest of the prize money and a second mortgage on their home. ''Softalk'' Comstock and Tommervik founded ''Softalk'' in 1980. They got in contact with a company called Softape that distributed Apple II software and had a newsletter, and they arranged to take over the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apple II
The Apple II (stylized as ) is an 8-bit home computer and one of the world's first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products. It was designed primarily by Steve Wozniak; Jerry Manock developed the design of Apple II's foam-molded plastic case, Rod Holt developed the switching power supply, while Steve Jobs's role in the design of the computer was limited to overseeing Jerry Manock's work on the plastic case. It was introduced by Jobs and Wozniak at the 1977 West Coast Computer Faire, and marks Apple's first launch of a personal computer aimed at a consumer market—branded toward American households rather than businessmen or computer hobbyists. ''Byte'' magazine referred to the Apple II, Commodore PET 2001, and TRS-80 as the "1977 Trinity". As the Apple II had the defining feature of being able to display color graphics, the Apple logo was redesigned to have a spectrum of colors. The Apple II is the first model in the Apple II series, followed by Apple ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Personal Computer
A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or technician. Unlike large, costly minicomputers and mainframes, time-sharing by many people at the same time is not used with personal computers. Primarily in the late 1970s and 1980s, the term home computer was also used. Institutional or corporate computer owners in the 1960s had to write their own programs to do any useful work with the machines. While personal computer users may develop their own applications, usually these systems run commercial software, free-of-charge software ("freeware"), which is most often proprietary, or free and open-source software, which is provided in "ready-to-run", or binary, form. Software for personal computers is typically developed and distributed independently from the hardware or operating system ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Television Game Show
A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, sharing the rules of the program as well as commentating and narrating where necessary. The history of game shows dates back to the invention of television as a medium. On most game shows, contestants either have to answer questions or solve puzzles, typically to win either money or prizes. Game shows often reward players with prizes such as cash, trips and goods and services provided by the show's sponsor. History 1930s–1950s Game shows began to appear on radio and television in the late 1930s. The first television game show, '' Spelling Bee'', as well as the first radio game show, ''Information Please'', were both broadcast in 1938; the first major success in the game show genre was ''Dr. I.Q.'', a radio quiz show that began in 1939. ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Password (American Game Show)
''Password'' is an American television game show in which two teams, each composed of a celebrity player and a contestant, attempt to convey mystery words to each other using only single-word clues, in order to win cash prizes. The show was created by Bob Stewart and originally produced by Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. It aired on CBS from 1961 to 1967, and ABC from 1971 to 1975. The original host was Allen Ludden, who had previously been well known as the host of the ''G.E. College Bowl''. Two revivals later aired on NBC: '' Password Plus'' from 1979 to 1982, and '' Super Password'' from 1984 to 1989, followed by a primetime version, ''Million Dollar Password'', on CBS from 2008 to 2009. All of these versions introduced new variations in gameplay. The show was revived on NBC in 2022 with Keke Palmer as host and featuring Jimmy Fallon. In 2013, ''TV Guide'' ranked it #8 in its list of the 60 greatest game shows ever.Fretts, Bruce (June 17, 2013). "Eyes on the P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apple II Plus
The Apple II Plus (stylized as Apple ] or apple plus) is the second model of the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. It was sold from June 1979 to December 1982. Approximately 380,000 II Pluses were sold during its four years in production before being replaced by the IIe in 1983. Features Memory The Apple II Plus shipped with 16 KB, 32 KB or 48 KB of main RAM, expandable to 64 KB by means of the Language Card, an expansion card that could be installed in the computer's slot 0. The Apple's 6502 The MOS Technology 6502 (typically pronounced "sixty-five-oh-two" or "six-five-oh-two") William Mensch and the moderator both pronounce the 6502 microprocessor as ''"sixty-five-oh-two"''. is an 8-bit microprocessor that was designed by a small te ... microprocessor could support a maximum of 64 KB of address space, and a machine with 48 KB RAM reached this limit because of the additional 12 KB of read-only memory and 4 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Softape
*'' Cypher Bowl for Atari 400/800'' by William Depew (1981) *'' Crazy Eights'' by William Smith (1979) *'' Solitaire Poker'' by William Smith (1979) *'' Fighter Pilot'' by Steve Baker (1978) *'' Go-moku'' by Steve Baker (1979) *'' Photar'' by Steve Baker (1981), originally called ''Nightcrawler'' *'' Microgammon'' by Steve Baker *'' Burn-Out'' by Steve Baker *'' Bubbles'' by Steve Baker *'' Planetoids'' by Steve Baker *'' Baker's Trilogy'' by Steve Baker; includes ''Bubbles'', ''Burnout'' and ''Planetoids'' *'' Star Mines'' by Steve Baker (1983) *'' Apple 21'' by Bill DePew (1978) *'' Draw Poker'' by Ken Labaw (1981) *'' Crossword'' by Jim and Vicki Neville (1980) *'' Crazy Eights'' by Bill Smith (c. 1979) *'' Craps'' by Roger Walker (1979) *'' Pro Golf I'' by Jim Wells (1979) *'' Roulette'' by Roger Walker (1979) *'' Bomber'' by Bob Bishop (1979) *''Forte Forte or Forté may refer to: Music *Forte (music), a musical dynamic meaning "loudly" or "strong" * Forte number, an orderi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded on August 10, 1846, it operates as a trust instrumentality and is not formally a part of any of the three branches of the federal government. The institution is named after its founding donor, British scientist James Smithson. It was originally organized as the United States National Museum, but that name ceased to exist administratively in 1967. Called "the nation's attic" for its eclectic holdings of 154 million items, the institution's 19 museums, 21 libraries, nine research centers, and zoo include historical and architectural landmarks, mostly located in the District of Columbia. Additional facilities are located in Maryland, New York, and Virginia. More than 200 institutions and museums in 45 states,States without Smithsonian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ken Williams (game Developer)
Kenneth A. Williams (born October 30, 1954) is an American game programmer who co-founded On-Line Systems together with his wife Roberta Williams. On-Line Systems eventually became Sierra On-Line and was ultimately renamed Sierra Entertainment. The couple were leading figures in the development of graphical adventure games. At its height, Sierra employed nearly 1,000 people prior to its acquisition in 1996. History Early years Williams was born in October 30, 1954 in Evansville, Indiana and later grew up in Simi Valley, California. Ken and Roberta's early contributions to the computer game industry were partially chronicled in the book '' Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution''. He wrote the textbook ''Apple II Computer Graphics'', and articles for '' Softline''. Sierra On-Line Williams and wife Roberta co-founded On-Line Systems in 1979. Sierra's notable online service, the ImagiNation Network, was purchased by AT&T in 1994. Williams was the president of Sierra until ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rama (video Game)
''Rama'' is a first-person adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line in 1996. The game is based on Arthur C. Clarke's books ''Rendezvous with Rama'' (1973) and ''Rama II'' (1989) and supports both DOS and Microsoft Windows. In 1998, a PlayStation version was released in Japan. It is the second Rama game to be produced. The interactive fiction game ''Rendezvous with Rama'' was released in 1984 by Telarium. Gameplay Much of the gameplay is done with the "wristcomp", a device that is used for communication with other characters and mapping or transport to other locations. The player also has in possession a small android based on Puck which will comment and give descriptions of the surrounding objects or events (therefore used as an interface element for examining objects). Plot Four years ago, a gigantic cylindrical object entered the Solar System. The International Space Agency (ISA) named it Rama and sent an expedition named "Newton Team" to investigate. They ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
KansasFest
KansasFest (also known as KFest) is an annual event for Apple II computer enthusiasts. Held every July at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, KansasFest typically lasts five days and features presentations from Apple II experts and pioneers, as well as games, fun events, after-hours hallway chatter, late-night (or all-night) runs out to movies or restaurants, and more. A number of important new products have been released at KansasFest or developed through collaborations between individuals who likely would not have gotten together. Some of the most notable have been the introduction of the LANceGS Ethernet Card, and the Marinetti TCP/IP stack for the Apple IIGS. Due to COVID-19, the 32nd and 33rd annual KansasFests were virtual-only, held July 24–25, 2020, and July 23–24, 2021, respectively. The 34th annual KansasFest is currently planned to be held July 18–23, 2023, at Rockhurst University. History and organization Resource Central Vendor fairs were part of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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