User:Applephreak/survey

This is a survey about the Apple II. I'm trying to get a feeling for why people bought these computers. I've heard varying reasons (visicalc being one of them). Your participation is greatly appreciated :)

This is how to do it. First click on "edit this page". Next select and copy the survey questions below. Paste the questions at the place that says "paste here". Then add your answers to the survey. Leave the original questions in place so the next person can repeat the process. That's it!

All questions are optional, don't feel obligated to answer the "how old were you" or "did you copy software" questions. Even partial responses are valuable.

Again, thanks!

Survey Questions (copy starting here)

Answers for (sign your post here)

1. What was the first apple II model you bought? (e.g. Apple I, Apple II+, Apple IIgs)

2. What year did you get it?

3. Did you have any add-ons, like extra memory?

4. How much, roughly, did it cost?

5. How old were you when you bought it?

6. Which country did you live in when you bought it?

7. What led you to buy the apple over potential alternatives?

8. Why did you buy it? If your parents bought it, what did they plan on doing with it?

9. What did you end up doing with it? (mine ended up being used mostly for games)

10. What software did you use? Any favorite games?

11. Did you buy all the software you used, or was any of it copied? (I think we're past the statute of limitations on this)

12. Did you write programs on the apple? Did you ever use "PEEK" or "POKE"?

13. Did you stick with apples for later computers?

14. What is your relation to computers today? User, coder, wikipedia editor?

15. Any precious Apple II memories to share?

(stop copying here)

(paste your copy of survey questions here)

Answers for Quartermaster 18:25, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

1. What was the first apple II model you bought? (e.g. Apple I, Apple II+, Apple IIgs)

Apple IIC+

2. What year did you get it?

1989

3. Did you have any add-ons, like extra memory?

Nope

4. How much, roughly, did it cost?

$900

5. How old were you when you bought it?

32

6. Which country did you live in when you bought it?

USA

7. What led you to buy the apple over potential alternatives?

Always wanted one.

8. Why did you buy it? If your parents bought it, what did they plan on doing with it?

Work my way through grad school using it for writing papers.

9. What did you end up doing with it? (mine ended up being used mostly for games)

Actually used it all through Grad School (2 year MLS program)

10. What software did you use? Any favorite games?

WordPerfect 1.0! Favorite games were online versions of Star Trek (text based) and Adventure ("You are in a cave")

11. Did you buy all the software you used, or was any of it copied? (I think we're past the statute of limitations on this)

Yes (I bought all the software I needed)

12. Did you write programs on the apple? Did you ever use "PEEK" or "POKE"?

Yes. I PEEKed and POKEd like a mo'fo.

13. Did you stick with apples for later computers?

Generally, no.

14. What is your relation to computers today? User, coder, wikipedia editor?

User and coder (I'm a librarian)

15. Any precious Apple II memories to share?

When I was an undergrad (1979) I worked on a project which used a fully tricked out original Apple II (max memory, accelerator, extra floppy drive, hard drive, and a Mockingboard voice card so it could talk). With all slots filled, it ran so hot that we always had to keep the cover off and have a couple of room fans blow right down on the hardware. Someone had written some software so that when it used the modem to dial a campus mini-computer (a Dec PDP-10) it would recite the phone numbers in a robotic voice, and then tell you if it was successful or not in plain English (robot inflected). Since connections were "iffy" it would keep trying and we could do other work until it told us it had a good connection. We'd show this off to visiting researchers who thought it was pretty cool (for that time); however, the voice board was slightly warped and when the machine got too hot it could slightly unseat from its slot and start garbling its messages. With all the high tech stuff on display (high tech for late 70's) it was still kind of cool to just smack the Apple II when it started garbling, which would reseat the voice card and all would be well. You had to be there, I guess!

Answers for Frecklefoot

What was the first apple II model you bought? (e.g. Apple I, Apple II+, Apple IIgs)

Apple //e — Frecklefoot | Talk

What year did you get it?

around 1983. — Frecklefoot | Talk

Did you have any add-ons, like extra memory?

Eventually bumped the mem up to a whopping 1 megabyte! Also had a mockingboard, some kind of modem (with the handset cradle), some dot-matrix printer, Hayes compatible joystick and a Koala graphics tablet (had to swap out the joystick to use it). — Frecklefoot | Talk

How much, roughly, did it cost?

Can't remember. About $200? Bought it from a guy who just bought an Apple ///. — Frecklefoot | Talk

How old were you when you bought it?

13-15 — Frecklefoot | Talk

Which country did you live in when you bought it?

USA — Frecklefoot | Talk

What led you to buy the apple over potential alternatives?

The computer lab at school used Apple //e's, so I insisted I needed one to do homework at home (don't think I ever really did). Plus, a friend had one and I thought it was super-cool! But the use in school was the big tipper. — Frecklefoot | Talk

Why did you buy it? If your parents bought it, what did they plan on doing with it?

As above, but I really also wanted to play games on it. — Frecklefoot | Talk

What did you end up doing with it? (mine ended up being used mostly for games)

Mostly ended up playing games on it. But I also used AppleWorks to do quite a bit of word processing, as did my dad and sister (for college papers). Come to think of it, I did do some animation experiments with it for school and discovered that BASIC really sucks for graphics. Attempted to get into assembly language for some useful speed, but gave up due to lack of material on how to do assembly. — Frecklefoot | Talk

What software did you use? Any favorite games?

AppleWorks, some modem programs (can't remember which), played a lot of games, but my favorites were probably Wizardry, Bard's Tale, SunDog: Frozen Legacy, Dino Eggs, Karateka, Lode Runner, Pinball Construction Set and Locksmith (to attempt to pirate games I couldn't afford). ;-) I also wasted a lot of time playing Adventure, the first game I got. — Frecklefoot | Talk

Did you buy all the software you used, or was any of it copied? (I think we're past the statute of limitations on this)

As above. Most of the pirated stuff I wouldn't have bought even if I had the money to. Usually just copied over them with other stuff. I bought the quality stuff. — Frecklefoot | Talk

Did you write programs on the apple? Did you ever use "PEEK" or "POKE"?

Wrote a lot of BASIC programs, but, as above, I found out early it was really too slow to do good stuff (i.e. fast graphics). I did PEEK and POKE a little, but not much. — Frecklefoot | Talk

Did you stick with apples for later computers?

I remember wanting a Mac, but eventually going with an Amiga instead (it had color and better sound, better games too). I was intrigued by the //gs, but wondered why Apple kept supporting the // line at that point. I kinda wanted one, but didn't buy one, being commited to the Amiga at that point. All my computers since 1990 have been PCs running the latest Microsoft operating system. — Frecklefoot | Talk

What is your relation to computers today? User, coder, wikipedia editor?

All of the above. It fueled my interest in becomming a game programmer, which I eventually acheived. Don't do game programming anymore, though I wish I did. :-( I'm just a run-of-the-mill, no-name software engineer now. — Frecklefoot | Talk

Any precious Apple II memories to share?

I remember sometimes taking out the 80 column card (slot 3?) so Wizardry's text would display properly. Some kind of weird incompatability made the text "double" with the 80 column card, lliikkee tthhiiss. It was still playable, but I prefered the 40 column text, as it was intended to be.

I remember my jaw dropping the first time I played Bard's Tale seeing incredible animation I never thought possible on an Apple II. I remember spending hours creating my bizarre pinball creations with PCS. I remember being envied by my friends who didn't have an Apple II. I remember spending hours with friends creating "the best" Lode Runner levels.

Though it was laughably underpowered by today's standard, and even paled in comparison to some contemporary systems like the Commodore 64, it was the system that launched my interest in computers and started me on my current career path. I remember staying up way past midnight some nights playing Wizardry, Bard's Tale or SunDog, just to see what would happen next. I really envied the guys who were able to make those games for a living (and some of them became really wealthy doing it, but that was just a fringe benefit). Now I have more powerful computers and software, but none of them will ever have the "magic" that my Apple II did, to me. — Frecklefoot | Talk 17:59, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Answers for (sign your post here)

What was the first apple II model you bought? (e.g. Apple I, Apple II+, Apple IIgs)

Apple //e, the pre-enhanced version.

What year did you get it?

circa 1982

Did you have any add-ons, like extra memory?

Not many for that machine. I had a 300bps Zoom modem which you had to dial a regular phone, then flip a physical toggle switch to connect. Or if a computer called you, you had to answer the phone, flip the swith the other direction, then hang up. Later when I got a //gs I had many more cool add-ons, but you're not asking about my 'second' computer.

How much, roughly, did it cost?

Can't remember. $1500?

How old were you when you bought it?

12 or 13

Which country did you live in when you bought it?

US

What led you to buy the apple over potential alternatives?

All my early computer experience was with the Apple

Why did you buy it? If your parents bought it, what did they plan on doing with it?

Programming, use for school (word processing) etc.

What did you end up doing with it? (mine ended up being used mostly for games)

The above, plus some games and other stuff.

What software did you use? Any favorite games?

Quark Word Juggler word processor, lots of different games, a few Beagle Brothers programming utilities, many misc things I can't remember.

Did you buy all the software you used, or was any of it copied? (I think we're past the statute of limitations on this)

A bit of both, but I did buy quite a bit of stuff.

Did you write programs on the apple? Did you ever use "PEEK" or "POKE"?

Yes, and Yes.

Did you stick with apples for later computers?

I had a //gs, followed by a Mac LC II, then two mac clones (a Power Computing and a Starmax). I then jumped ship as this was Apple's Dark Days. Today I still own PC's at home, but the product I develop ships on both Mac and Win so I use Mac a ton also, and have a company-owned Mac laptop that comes home with me every night.

What is your relation to computers today? User, coder, wikipedia editor?

All of the above. Professional software engineer.

Any precious Apple II memories to share?

Answers for Will (Talk - contribs) 01:41, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

1. What was the first apple II model you bought? (e.g. Apple I, Apple II+, Apple IIgs)

Personally, a //gs. However, I used my Dad's II+, //e, and //c. (We had the //c only briefly.)

2. What year did you get it?

1991 for the //gs. The others were purchased in the mid-80s starting in about 1983.

3. Did you have any add-ons, like extra memory?

For the //GS only

Transwarp CPU
SCSI
50~ meg hard drive
5.25 and 3.5" drives
Imagewriter II
2 megs of ram (I think I have the amount right)

4. How much, roughly, did it cost?

Been to long for me to remember.

5. How old were you when you bought it?

22

6. Which country did you live in when you bought it?

USA

7. What led you to buy the apple over potential alternatives?

Appleworks, Applesoft, other word processors

8. Why did you buy it? If your parents bought it, what did they plan on doing with it?

The first computers were mainly purchased to give me something to do term papers on in High School. My handwriting was lousy and slow. Typing them up was faster with fewer errors and resulted in readable text.

9. What did you end up doing with it? (mine ended up being used mostly for games)

Initially, the Apple word processor for the II+ couldn't do lower case and so I only played games on it. Then one day I spotted the Applesoft manual and considered it interesting. I made that a career. The later computers expanded on that.

10. What software did you use? Any favorite games?

Appleworks and Applesoft. Beagle Bros AW products.

Games: Lode Runner

11. Did you buy all the software you used, or was any of it copied? (I think we're past the statute of limitations on this)

I am not aware of any illegal copies.

12. Did you write programs on the apple? Did you ever use "PEEK" or "POKE"?

I wrote plenty of Applesoft programs. I did use both Peek and Poke from time to time as my skill improved. They were the only way to access the extended memory graphics systems. Unfortunately, //gs graphics from Applesoft were a mess.

Answers for TaxiZaphod 04:14, 13 November 2006 (UTC)

1. What was the first apple II model you bought? (e.g. Apple I, Apple II+, Apple IIgs)

Apple //c

2. What year did you get it?

1984

3. Did you have any add-ons, like extra memory?

External 5 1/4" Floppy Drive

4. How much, roughly, did it cost?

Not sure, given as a graduation gift.

5. How old were you when you bought it?

17

6. Which country did you live in when you bought it?

USA

7. What led you to buy the apple over potential alternatives?

The local schools had Apple II systems exclusively, so that's what I wanted.

8. Why did you buy it? If your parents bought it, what did they plan on doing with it?

The parents bought it so that I could write college papers. I wanted it to play Ultima and other games, as well as logging into the local BBS scene.

9. What did you end up doing with it? (mine ended up being used mostly for games)

See above answer. Thankfully, it was equally good at both tasks. My //c "ended up" in my closet, but it still works as of about a year ago.

10. What software did you use? Any favorite games?

I use pfs:write for writing, then eventually Appleworks. I played all the Ultimas from III onward. The Infocom games were also old favorites.

11. Did you buy all the software you used, or was any of it copied? (I think we're past the statute of limitations on this)

I bought some, and I copied some. Locksmith and Copy II+ were my friends, as I was a broke student with a love of video games. If I played something a lot, I'd buy it, once I had the cash.

12. Did you write programs on the apple? Did you ever use "PEEK" or "POKE"?

I used to take some of the amazing 2-line programs from Nibble and turn them into interesting boot-up sequences, but I rarely, if ever, wrote anything like that on my own. Modified perhaps, but never written from scratch.

13. Did you stick with apples for later computers?

My latest apple is a Mac mini, purchased just 2 months ago.

14. What is your relation to computers today? User, coder, wikipedia editor?

Tester, sometime coder, daily user.

15. Any precious Apple II memories to share?

I believe it was The Locksmith that had a disk bit editor. My cousins and I would edit some of the text strings in various games (mostly Ultima III) to say what we wanted them to say. It was code vandalism at its finest, but when you're a teenager, these things seem cool.

Answers for 66.173.140.100 10:53, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

1. What was the first apple II model you bought? (e.g. Apple I, Apple II+, Apple IIgs) Apple ii+ 2. What year did you get it? 1981 3. Did you have any add-ons, like extra memory? disk drives 4. How much, roughly, did it cost? $2000 5. How old were you when you bought it? 30 6. Which country did you live in when you bought it? US 7. What led you to buy the apple over potential alternatives? Had color. Recommended by other technologists. 8. Why did you buy it? If your parents bought it, what did they plan on doing with it? Convert PLATO computer-based law lessons 9. What did you end up doing with it? (mine ended up being used mostly for games) Became involved in programming and user groups 10. What software did you use? Any favorite games? UCSD p-System, Visicalc, 11. Did you buy all the software you used, or was any of it copied? (I think we're past the statute of limitations on this)

12. Did you write programs on the apple? Did you ever use "PEEK" or "POKE"? Yes in Applesoft Basic, UCSD Pascal, USCD Modula-2, I did PEEK and POKE 13. Did you stick with apples for later computers? I bought my first Mac in 1984 and have used them until this day. 14. What is your relation to computers today? User, coder, wikipedia editor? I still have a IIe, IIGS, Mac SE 30. I still attend monthly meetings of NovApple, the Northern Virginia Apple II users group. 15. Any precious Apple II memories to share? Best memory was co-judging a national science fair championship with Steve Wozniak.

Answers for überRegenbogen (talk) 09:41, 26 July 2009 (UTC)

1. What was the first apple II model you bought? (e.g. Apple I, Apple II+, Apple IIgs)

//e (rev C, unenhanced). (Later installed the enhanced chipset, yet later a 65C802.) (I still have it.)

2. What year did you get it?

About 1983

3. Did you have any add-ons, like extra memory?

Initially the stock 64k card. Later a RAMworks with 512k. Gradually added parallel, serial, and mouse cards, a No-Slot-Clock, and a Sider D2 (for which i need the board from a less dead Xebec 4020, to revive).

4. How much, roughly, did it cost?

$1200 or so (incl Monitor II and DuoDisk).

5. How old were you when you bought it?

About 17

6. Which country did you live in when you bought it?

USA

7. What led you to buy the apple over potential alternatives?

Was already very familiar with the platform (having been introduced to it in the late '70s). Liked the openness of the architecture (and still do).

9. What did you end up doing with it? (mine ended up being used mostly for games)

fiddle, programme, process data, login to various BBS's and Unix machine, play games, ...

10. What software did you use? Any favorite games?

ProTerm, AppleWorks (with TimeOut UltraMacros), DazzleDraw, ProSel (and other Bredon goodies), GPLE, Beagle Compiler. Games included Hard Hat Mack, Choplifter, Pinball Construction Set, Planetfall, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Lode Runner.

11. Did you buy all the software you used, or was any of it copied? (I think we're past the statute of limitations on this)

heheheh. Some of both.

12. Did you write programs on the Apple? Did you ever use "PEEK" or "POKE"?

Yes. Oh hell yes! One of my little prizes (now trapped on a dead hard drive) was a ProDOS catalog browser in BASIC that read from disk by BLOAD'g the directory file, and parsing it by pointing (via POKE) a string variable at each entry in memory and using MID$ on it. Had another one in DOS 3.3 that took a similar approach. It quickly became a favourite trick of mine for reading memory. ☺ I was also fond of getting screen base addresses by VTAB'g or HPLOT'g then PEEK'g the value from zero-page. (The firmware would do a lot of dirty work for you if you asked it nicely. ☺) I also did some assembly, from little subroutines to help BASIC programmes, to standalone doodads like a simple macro programme for BASIC involving the Apple keys.

13. Did you stick with apples for later computers?

I've since used Macs, MS-DOS, Windows, various unixoids, and fiddled with all manner of obsolete microcomputers and emulators.

14. What is your relation to computers today? User, coder, wikipedia editor?

Yes, yes, yes. Most of my coding takes the form of shell scripts. But i also do some lightweight C and assembly. I also still write Apple II stuff (mostly on emulators) for fun. (It's my video game.) ☺

15. Any precious Apple II memories to share?

Maybe not precious, but i made i neat little chimney extending up the side of the monitor from the lefthand (hot) side of the case—eliminating the need for a fan to cool its rather well populated innards.

I now have (along with several other obsolete computers) 5 Apple II's: the //e, a pair of GS's (one a faded Woz), a //c and a //c+ (the last of which, i'm actually storing for my sister).