The Computer that put APPLE on the map-THE APPLE 1

I don't own an APPLE 1,

And finding them is not only difficult but also UBER EXPENSIVE.

So instead, I'll rely on my findings.

The APPLE 1 was meant to be a pet project for both STEVE JOBS and STEVE WOZNIAK after visiting JOHN DRAPER, the famous PHONE PHREAK,

who demonstrated to the two how he connected to an early pre-cursor to the internet called THE ARPANET to play chess with someone in BOSTON, MASSECHUSETTS.

This inspired JOBS & WOZNIAK to build a BOARD COMPUTER that would be a low cost terminal that connects to a standard TELEVISION set.

As well as using an inexpensive keyboard from SEARS.

After visiting the HOMEBREW COMPUTER CLUB and being introduced to such computers like the ALTIAR 8800

WOZNIAK was inspired to put a MICROPROCESSOR into his terminal to make it a little more ALL-IN-ONE to the user without having to source expensive components.

He originally planned to use a MOTOROLA 6800

But it's asking price of US$175 would have made it prohibitively expensive so it was GOD's BLESSINGS that in late 1975, MOS TECHNOLOGY would introduce the 6502 CPU who's asking price of US$25 made the computer project more economically feasible.

By March 1976, WOZNIAK completed the basic design of the computer and tried to offer it to his employer HEWLETT PACKARD but the company rejected the design on FIVE OCCASIONS.

Nonetheless, WOZNIAK decided to demonstrate the computer to the HCC and with persuasion from STEVE JOBS, WOZNIAK decided to start a company and sell the printed boards for hobbyists to assemble themselves.

To finance production of the first boards, WOZNIAK sold his HP-65 Calculator while JOBS sold his VOLKSWAGON Type 2 Microbus.

After assembling the first prototypes, JOBS & WOZNIAK showed off the prototype to PAUL TERREL who was starting up a new computer shop called BYTE SHOP.

TERREL was mighty impressed with the machine so he told JOBS that he would order 50 units and pay $500 each on delivery but only if the board is fully assembled as he's not interested in an unassembled board with no components.

And the rest writes itself.

The APPLE 1 would eventually go on sale for US$666.66...(Ominous choice of numbers) 

If you want to read more on the TECH SPECs of the APPLE 1, Here's the WIKIPEDIA link:

APPLE 1 Hardware specs

The APPLE 1 would later be successful enough for APPLE to introduce a successor in 1977 which fully cemented them into the COMPUTER MAP with the APPLE II

But that's a story for another time....

Next year in 2027 for this thing's 50th Anniversary.

I promise.

About 5 years ago as of this writing, 

DAVID MURRAY of THE 8-BIT GUY did this video where he built a replica of the APPLE 1 to demonstrate to the audience on how it works.

and then his older brother MIKE MURRAY of THE GEEK PUB followed it up with building his own case to compliment the build.

The main difference is that DAVID had to assemble the computer completely 

(Capacitors and all)

whereas the original APPLE was an already pre-assembled motherboard.

Similar to how we purchase our MOTHERBOARDS by themselves before we assemble them in our own custom builds.

Pictured is an MSI X870E MPG CARBON WIFI AM5 Motherboard

I had some other posts that aren't finished yet or they are finished but won't be posted until their SCHEDULE has been elapsed.

And I realized I missed my chance to celebrate the APPLE 1 back in JULY 2026 due to the room switch in my house so.....

Now's a better time for me to make such a post.

Johnny Hart predicted the electric unicycle before the damn thing was invented in the 2010s

In 1958, 

JOHNNY HART created a newspaper comic strip series about CAVEMEN and their daily lives

One defining visual gag is that the character THOR can be seen riding on a makeshift wheel contraption that consists of a single wheel with both ends be held by just a single piece of wood for THOR to balance on.

They even made a COMMODORE 64 game based on that initial concept

Little did JOHNNY HART know that he outright......

Well.... his surviving members of his family keep insisting that he didn't predict the thing....

But with the way THOR rides his wheels, it's pretty obvious this was foreseeing a little invention that I sometimes see on the streets when I go shopping

The main difference with these machines however is that compared to THOR who seems to be using his knowledge of WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION from his upper abdomen to balance his board or accelerate his travel,

The ELECTRIC UNICYLE keeps the user GYROSCOPICALLY STABLE.

It's not to say that it's all GYROSCOPICALLY STABLE as the user still needs to tilt their wheel as to steer the damn thing.

I never in my mind could understand these devices, or purchase them in a store like LONDON DRUGS or BEST BUY,

Not because of how expensive they are but also, why would I use them if I have perfectly functioning legs to walk.

And if I want to use a wheeled contraption, I can just take public transit or drive a car or even ride a motorcycle....

Or ride a bike........

But at the same time, It's amazing that such an invention was even predicted in the late 1950s, at a time when we all were excited for what the 21st Century would offer us....

.....

..................................................

I'm not going to provide a PUNCHLINE about our circumstances regarding this century so don't make me do it.

I'm just gonna call it a day with this post so I can work on some other blogposts that are in need of completion before they're ready for primetime,

Probably while I'm drinking a can of PEPSI

The time CARTOON NETWORK invaded NICKELODEON in 2004, way back before talks of the acquisition

With all the uproar of the planned PARAMOUNT-WARNER BROS. Merger due to it threatening how the theatrical business does it's work

(amongst others without going too political),

It's starting to remind me of the time when CARTOON NETWORK decided to invade NICKELODEON back in 2004 by running this ROGUE PROMO to promote CARTOON NETWORK's 

CARTOON CARTOON FRIDAYS Block.

Check it out:

How did this slip by NICK's affiliates?

Well, it was a case of them CN Affiliates purchasing unauthorized LOCAL AD SPACE.

Why LOCAL AD SPACE?

Because CAR DEALERSHIPS & FAST FOOD CHAINS like MCDONALD'S use those to advertise their products and are rarely vetted at the NATIONAL NETWORK LEVEL.

Of course, I like how a few characters are freaking out about having bypassed NICKELODEON SECURITY(or in this case SUMNER REDSTONE) but worry about getting caught.

Because even if you find a loophole to pull off a stunt like this, You'll still run the risk of getting caught.

And no, stealing SOLID SNAKE's cardboard box is not going to help you in your stealth missions.

SKYDANCE's security is too smart to be fooled by a BOX.

And even FRED SEIBERT is not gonna approve of said stunts, what with him worrying about lawsuits and all.

Oh, and EDD(aka DOUBLE D) being in a PROMO that is in the SLIME FACTORY's affiliates is proof that ED, EDD N EDDY was originally going to be a NICKTOON but thank balls NICK's execs rejected ANTONUCCI's pitch and allowed him to sell the EDs to CARTOON NETWORK due to not only wanting to retain all CREATIVE CONTROL at AKA CARTOONS but also so that nobody interferes with his CANADIAN FILM & TELEVISION TAX CREDITS during production.

While people would consider ED, EDD N EDDY to be a CANADIAN Cartoon, 

It originally aired on the very AMERICAN CARTOON NETWORK so.......

Goofy's HOW TO series explained+Any similarities to MR. BEAN are virtually nil

In 1937, voice actor PINTO COLVIG had a falling out with the DISNEY company and left the studio to work with FLEISCHER STUDIOS in MIAMI, FLORIDA.

This abrupt departure left GOOFY without a voice for quite a while.

While other actors like DANNY WEBB would briefly take over, this caused issues within the company since GOOFY isn't really GOOFY without PINTO COLVIG's performance.

Then JACK KINNEY had a brilliant idea:

KINNEY decided to bring in CANADIAN-AMERICAN actor JOHN MCLEISH to provide narrations for a series of cartoons starring GOOFY.

MCLEISH was not new to DISNEY fans as we've heard his voice in the opening THUNDERSTORM scene of DUMBO.

The staff realized that MCLEISH's voice would be perfect for a series of cartoons where GOOFY would struggle to perform simple tasks due to his bumbling nature, all while a narrator explains the situation to the audience.

This would give rise to the.....

well.... it gave rise to the HOW-TO-SERIES of cartoons.

The idea like I said is that GOOFY has to perform simple tasks as the title of the cartoon would insinuate.

But that sounds easier said than done because GOOFY is somewhat of a bumbling idiot.

But since GOOFY would be left without a voice for a while, barring exceptions where he's voiced by a sound-alike,

The main voice is a disembodied Narrator who provides a verbal description of what the heck is going on in ANYTOWN, USA.

In the later years, a similar concept was developed by a fellow BRITISH comedian by the name of ROWAN ATKINSON

Yup.

But even though MR. BEAN was not inspired by the DISNEY HOW TO SHORTS as MR. BEAN was actually inspired by a FRENCH comedy called MONSEIUR HULOT,

Them two series share a similar premise:

Bumbling Adult Men try to perform simple tasks.

But the difference is that GOOFY is BUMBLING as per his nature.

While MR. BEAN is actually a smart fellow but the reason for his actions is because He'd rather improvise problem solving so that it suits his needs

Another difference is that while GOOFY has JOHN MCLEISH to back him up,

MR. BEAN instead has a SITCOM LAUGH TRACK to cue laughter from the audience.

No, this is not a CLASH post.

Had this been a clash post, it would have a title like CLASH OF BUMBLING IDIOTS at the title.

But I didn't intend this post to be a CLASH post anyway.

But if you want me to consider it, then let me know on the comments but then I'll have to come up with a better title than what I wrote above.

WINDOWS XP sure does make me happy about that RAY OF LIGHT-The original 2001 Commercial for WIN XP

October 2026 has just arrived and it's gonna be big for us WINDOWS users....

No. There's no new version of WINDOWS coming, (though 26H2 was just released.)

Rather, we're celebrating the 25th ANNIVERSARY of the greatest WINDOWS release of all time,

I've got a retrospective post coming soon but it won't be ready until OCTOBER 25 so please be patient.

In the mean time, I want to keep this blog active so I decided, it's commercial time!!!

And what better way to celebrate the OS' 25th birthday is to look back at this commercial that was shown on TV screens 25 years ago:

Quite the commercial... right?

Should be, if using MADONNA's 1998 song RAY OF LIGHT is any indication

But what the hey, it was 2001, we were already excited to enter the 21st Century as well as celebrate surviving the ordeal of the Y2K scare.... so this was promising....

If only a certain event didn't happen on SEPTEMBER 11 2001 but we're past that....

Speaking about that date, I heard that a SLOGAN was changed at the last minute due to sensitivity issues.

Yes, we can.

The original slogan was susposed to be PREPARE TO FLY, 

hence why the people shown in the commercial are floating off the ground

but due to 9/11, 

MICROSOFT wisely changed to slogan as to because the original slogan's emphasis on AERIEL/FLYING imagery was insensitive and inappropriate for the the PUBLIC CLIMATE at that time but the commercial already was filmed so instead, while the floating people were still kept, the commercial's emphasis was repurposed to emphasize HUMAN CAPABILITY with things like

TELECOMMUNICATION THROUGH TYPING

AND WEBCAMS,

Adjusting your audio settings

Filming your own movies

Connecting to the internet

and so much more......

Though even back then, MICROSOFT didn't take into account that most people who bought a WINXP Computer or built one themselves use their PCs for one thing, and one thing only:

That's right.

MICROSOFT completely left GAMING out of the MADONNA commercial.... which I guess made sense since MICROSOFT figured people would rather get an XBOX for their gaming fix back then....

But come on now, Gaming on a COMPUTER is as important for the market and OS as is a dedicated console.

Speaking about that COUNTER STRIKE image above,

I heard from LGR that a MICROSOFT EMPLOYEE loved to play COUNTER STRIKE on the company's CORPORATE LAN...... after hours.

But that's kinda like trying to compare that to DAVID "8-BIT GUY" MURRAY and his co-workers playing DUKE NUKEM on the Work Computers during work hours when they were employed at AST RESEARCH in the mid-90s before getting the call from their customers.

And yes, them CORPS don't mind if you play on their SERVERS, just as long as you keep doing your job professionally and don't get distracted. 

As for my experience with WINDOWS XP, 

I've already mentioned this in the past but I decided to hold that off until my WINDOWS XP retrospective post coming soon on OCTOBER 25th.

So please be patient until then. I promise.