Cassette for safety

My first introduction to microcomputer was the North Star in 1980 and soon after, my first contact with the Apple II Plus. In both cases, I have experienced the benefits of the latest and greatest in the loading and storage of data: the power of a floppy disk. I didn't go through any of the trials and travails, those who had to load and save programs and data by using a cartridge (or the tape, paper).

When I entered the scene, the Apple II, unknown, vague understanding that existed for a short period the entire topic software cartridges. However, in the "computers", a short time may be very long. A year after the introduction of the Apple II in mid-1977 were only cartridge way data and program storage and retrieval. And even after disk II became in June 1978, in the $ 495 was not something that all users of the Apple II immediately purchased and began to use. The first few years of life, the Apple II and II Plus cartridges have been used in many, many of these first owners.

Surprisingly, Apple, Inc. page still has the support on their website, which gives details of the Apple II interface cartridge (part 1 of the format of the data to tape and 2 on the use of routines for reading and writing from the monitorujazyk Assembly and integer and Applesoft BASIC). Brutal Deluxe, software company, which has its beginning in the days of the Apple IIGS, created a Web page documenting the collection of so many Apple II programs on the tape, both can be found. Many of those listed, in fact, have been digitised and are available to download and run the appropriate emulator (for example, Gerard Putting an excellent virtual] []]), or convert it back to the tape on real Apple II.

Finally, just discovered Andy McFadden excellent technical and programmatic discussions about an obscure topic copy protection software tape on the Apple II. Anyone who knows the Apple II disk II and the software that was distributed on the it recognizes that many of the schemes, that use the protections the software flexibility that Wozniak, built into the device. I had no idea what it was previously, a smart programming pisálku, early software company was difficult for the casual user to copy and share the program with other bands, while retaining the ability to load and run these programs. Some programs would not only load, but also automatically run without further user intervention outside the command monitor to read data from the tape!

Us again with the power and flexibility, which Wozniak to this beautiful Apple II!