1996-2003

1996

1996 January

GEnieLamp A2Pro ceases publication.

II Alive ceases publication.

Juiced.GS magazine begins publication.

Two surviving prototypes of the “Mark Twain” Apple IIGS (cancelled at the last minute at the September 1991 user group satellite conference) are discovered in different places around the country and discussed online.

1996 March

General Electric sells the GEnie online service to Yovelle Renaissance Corp., which changes the name to “Genie”, and promptly makes significant hikes in the monthly fees.

1996 April

Yovelle announces a “Genie Lite” lower-cost pricing package, with limited access to Roundtables.

A group of investors purchase Delphi back from News Corporation, begin to transform it into an ad-supported online service.

1996 May

Yovelle decides it cannot afford the large number of customers moving to the “Genie Lite” plan, and cancels it.

Bright Software changes its name to Fast Eddie Labs, and announces the release of a beta version of its Apple IIGS emulation software, code-named Fast Eddie, and written by Henrik Gudat and Andre Horstmann.[1]

Joshua Thompson releases earliest version of XGS, an Apple IIGS emulator for Linux and X-Windows.

Mac OS 7.6 released, the first version to bear the “Mac OS” name. It was released to support the Macintosh “clones” that Apple had now authorized, and establish a brand name for the Macintosh operating system, just as Microsoft had done with Windows. The new system features include OpenDoc and Macintosh Run-Time Java (MRJ).[2],[3]

1996 July

KansasFest keynote speaker Gary Utter points out the coming need for a new online home, as Genie was beginning to fail.

At KansasFest, Andy Nicholas of Apple Computer demonstrated a personal project he had written on his own time, a Macintosh-based Apple IIGS emulator, Gus. Ultimately, Apple management prevents this from being released even as an unofficial product.

GenieLamp A2 is the only digital newsletter in the GenieLamp series still being produced and distributed each month.

Many Genie members are migrating to CompuServe or Delphi, due to the changes made in the costs of the service.

1996 November

Syndicomm starts A2 and A2Pro forums on Delphi, patterned after the same-named Roundtables from Genie.

1997

1997 January

Tiger Electronics test markets the Tiger Learning Computer, an Apple-authorized clone of the Apple IIe.

1997 March

Softdisk G-S ceases publication.

Seven Hills Software releases Spectrum Internet Suite, written by Geoff Weiss and Ewen Wannop. These enhancements for the Apple IIGS terminal program Spectrum make it possible to access graphic Internet web pages directly with a IIGS using a dial-up shell account.

First appearance of David Kerwood’s Apple II-focused web site, A2-Web (“The Mother Of All Apple II Websites”).

1997 April

Steve Jobs, having returned to Apple, cancels what he feels are unessential projects, including the li-cense to Tiger Electronics for the Tiger Learning Computer.

1997 June

Genie management decides to close lower traffic Roundtables, resulting in the closure of A2Pro, merging its contents into the A2 Roundtable.

1997 July

At KansasFest, Richard Bennett releases Marinetti, a significant enhancement for the Apple IIGS that makes it possible to connect to the Internet through a direct dial-up connection.

Mac OS 8.0 released, a major revision that improved the interface and OpenDoc, and introduced Open Transport.[4],[5]

1997 September

Kent Dickey releases first version of KEGS (Kent’s Emulated GS), an Apple IIGS emulator for HP series 9000/700 workstations.

1997 October

GEnieLamp A2 ceases publication.

1998

1998 January

The Lamp! begins publication.

Joe Kohn and Shareware Solutions II begin to host Monday multi-system chats that combine Genie and Delphi into a single chat room, later adding CompuServe users. This feat of combining three different online services into a “single” chat room (actually mirroring activity over the three systems) had never been accomplished before, and with the rise of the Internet at large, likely will never happen again.

Genie is no longer able to sign up new users, as its software cannot handle a credit card with an expiration date past 12/99.

Mac OS 8.1 released, the last version to support the 68000 series (specifically the 68040). It introduced HFS+ disk formatting to improve efficiency of file storage on large hard drives.[6],[7]

1998 February

Wolfenstein 3D for the Apple IIGS was released on February 14th, as a freeware product, completed by Eric Shepherd and others.

The Apple Blossom ceases publication.

America Online purchases CompuServe Information Services.

1998 May

BYTE ceases publication.

KEGS emulator ported to Linux on x86 computers.

1998 June

Microsoft Windows 98 released.[8]

1998 July

10th annual KansasFest. Web site specifically for KFest is created for the first time.

The Byte Works releases GSoft BASIC for the IIGS.

KEGS emulator ported to Linux on PowerPC.

1998 September

Marinetti 2.0 released on September 27.

1998 October

Mac OS 8.5 released, the first version to support only the PowerPC. It included Sherlock for the first time.[9],[10]

1998 December

CompuServe (now owned by America Online) discontinues its text access, requiring a proprietary front-end program.

1999

1999 January

Delphi begins to mirror its text-only content to web-accessible pages.

Patches are need to update ProDOS to handle dates for 1999 and beyond.

1999 February

CompuServe closes APPUSER, the Apple II user forum.

1999 March

Joe Kohn’s multi-system chats are reduced to only Delphi and Genie, as CompuServe drops its text access and excludes direct Apple II computer connections.

1999 April

Genie begins to experience hardware and software failures. For three weeks, the A2 Roundtable is completely inaccessible, even to the sysops.

Scantron Quality Computers releases all former Q-Lab branded software for the Apple II as freeware. Within a year, all traces of Quality Computers were gone, and the name reverted back to the original, Scantron Corporation.

A group of investors purchase Delphi back from News Corporation, begin to transform it into an ad-supported online service.

1999 May

The Genie A2 Roundtable is again working, but continues to experience sporadic failures during the rest of the year.

Seven Hills Software, long-time Apple II software publisher, changes its name to My eSource.

Mac OS 8.6 released, the first version to display a version number during startup.[11],[12]

Microsoft Windows 98 (Second Edition) released.[13]

1999 July

Shareware Solutions II ceases publication.

Sweet16, a port to BeOS of F.E. Systems’ Bernie ][ The Rescue Apple IIGS emulator, is released.

1999 September

Sequential Systems announces it will be making one final run of 200 RamFAST SCSI controller cards. By late in the year, the company has changed into an Internet service provider.

1999 October

Delphi drops support for direct dialup, requiring text-based access via a Telnet connection. This move makes it necessary for Apple II using members of Delphi to get some other dialup account that offers Telnet, in order to continue to access the Delphi A2 and A2Pro forums.

Several important Apple II programs have user-contributed patches released to deal with Y2K-related date issues.

Mac OS 9.0 released, a major revision of the operating system. Features included Multiple Users and Sherlock 2.[14],[15]

1999 December

Members of Genie’s SFRT (Science Fiction Roundtable) begin to hold a wake to watch the last hours of Genie, starting December 27. The final end of the Genie legacy text service is on December 30 at 2:15 pm PST.

2000

2000 February

Microsoft Windows 2000 released.[16]

2000 April

Mac OS 9.0.4 released. This included bug fixes for the various previous versions of 9.0, and also was needed in order to run “Classic” in the Mac OS X Open Beta.[17]

2000 June

Microsoft Windows ME (Millenium Edition) released.[18]

2000 July

KansasFest, dubbed “Y ][ KFest”, webcasts its sessions.

2000 August

Marinetti Open Source Project announced on Delphi A2 Pro forum on August 17.

2000 September

Mac OS X Open Beta released by Apple for users to try out and make suggestions as to how Apple should continue development. It is a totally rewritten system, based on Unix core software (“kernel”), with the Mac OS graphic interface.[19]

2000 November

Delphi makes its services free, but also drops maintenance for its Telnet and text-based access. Though still available via a web browser, traffic on the A2 and A2Pro forums drops dramatically.

KEGS is ported to Windows, released as KEGS32.

2000 December

Syndicomm open its own Telnet-accessible home for Apple II users, modeled after the format of GEnie in the mid-1990s.

Delphi and Well Engaged combine to form Prospero Technologies, which is supposed to keep Delphi running.

2001

2001 January

My eSource (formerly Seven Hills Software) is no longer in business.

Mac OS 9.1 released, with increased stability and a few new features. This version was needed in order to run Mac OS X 10.0 or 10.1.[20]

2001 February

Delphi announces that the text and web access to its forums will no longer be synchronized.

Call-A.P.P.L.E. reappears with an online, PDF-based magazine.

2001 March

Mac OS X 10.0 released, the first (and very raw) consumer version of the next generation Mac operating system.[21]

2001 May

Delphi completely discontinues text-based access to its forums, while continuing web-based access.

2001 July

Mac OS 9.2 released only as the installed operating system on new Macintosh computers.[22]

2001 August

Mac OS 9.2.1 available as an update. Improved operation of “Classic” under Mac OS X 10.0 or 10.1.[23]

2001 September

Mac OS X 10.1 released. This more mature version had numerous speed enhancements and was more usable to the typical Mac user.[24]

2001 October

Microsoft Windows XP released.[25]

2001 December

Mac OS 9.2.2 available as an update, the last of the Mac OS 9 series.[26]

2002

2002 May

Rich Dreher ships the first CFFA (Compact Flash for Apple) cards, allow a CF card to work as a solid-state disk drive for the Apple II.

2002 June

Vince Briel releases his Replica I, an Apple-1 compatible computer, pre-assembled or in kit form.

2002 July

At KansasFest 2002, Eric Shepherd announces Project Barney, an agreement with Softdisk Publishing to allow Syndicomm to distribute the Apple II publications Softdisk and Softdisk G-S on CD-ROM.

KEGS is ported to Mac OS X, released as KEGS-OSX.

2002 August

Mac OS X 10.2 released. Code-named “Jaguar”, it featured many speed enhancements and introduced further improvements in the interface.

2002 October

The Free Tools Association (FTA) releases ActiveGS, a web browser plugin that makes it possible to run Apple IIGS software in a web browser. It is derived from the KEGS emulator, v0.60.

2002 November

Ken Dickey releases his own update to KEGS that runs under Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux.

2003

2003 April

Gerard Putter releases the first version of Virtual II, his Apple II Plus emulator, including speaker sounds and emulation of the Apple II cassette interface (a feature most previous emulators had not bothered to implement). Later version included sounds of the Disk II drive while in operation and more.

2003 July

15th annual KansasFest. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak gives the keynote.

Also at KansasFest were announced the first beta of Marinetti 3.0, by Richard Bennett-Forrest; the CD-ROM releases of Softdisk and UpTime, by Syndicomm; and many re-releases of products from Call-A.P.P.L.E.

NOTES

  1. [1]Gudat, Henrik. 2002. “Apple IIGS Emulation Has Arrived!”, a fifth-year anniversary reproduction of the original December 22, 1996 web page that announced the product.↩
  2. [2]Trotot, Jean Christophe. 2002. History Of Apple Macintosh Operating System.↩
  3. [3]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “System 6.0 -> Mac OS 7.6 History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page. (link obsolete)↩
  4. [4]Trotot, Jean Christophe. 2002. History Of Apple Macintosh Operating System.↩
  5. [5]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “Mac OS 8.0 -> Mac OS 9 History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page. (link obsolete)↩
  6. [6]Trotot, Jean Christophe. 2002. History Of Apple Macintosh Operating System.↩
  7. [7]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “Mac OS 8.0 -> Mac OS 9 History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page. (link obsolete)↩
  8. [8]—–. 2002. “Computer History: History of Microsoft Windows”. Computer Hope http://www.computerhope.com/history/windows.htm.↩
  9. [9]Trotot, Jean Christophe. 2002. History Of Apple Macintosh Operating System.↩
  10. [10]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “Mac OS 8.0 -> Mac OS 9 History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page. (link obsolete)↩
  11. [11]Trotot, Jean Christophe. 2002. History Of Apple Macintosh Operating System.↩
  12. [12]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “Mac OS 8.0 -> Mac OS 9 History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page. (link obsolete)↩
  13. [13]—–. 2002. “Computer History: History of Microsoft Windows”. Computer Hope http://www.computerhope.com/history/windows.htm.↩
  14. [14]Trotot, Jean Christophe. 2002. History Of Apple Macintosh Operating System.↩
  15. [15]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “Mac OS 8.0 -> Mac OS 9 History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page. (link obsolete)↩
  16. [16]—–. 2002. “Computer History: History of Microsoft Windows”. Computer Hope http://www.computerhope.com/history/windows.htm.↩
  17. [17]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “Mac OS 8.0 -> Mac OS 9 History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page. (link obsolete)↩
  18. [18]—–. 2002. “Computer History: History of Microsoft Windows”. Computer Hope http://www.computerhope.com/history/windows.htm.↩
  19. [19]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “Mac OS X History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page (link obsolete).↩
  20. [20]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “Mac OS 8.0 -> Mac OS 9 History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page. (link obsolete)↩
  21. [21]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “Mac OS X History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page (link obsolete).↩
  22. [22]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “Mac OS 8.0 -> Mac OS 9 History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page. (link obsolete)↩
  23. [23]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “Mac OS 8.0 -> Mac OS 9 History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page. (link obsolete)↩
  24. [24]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “Mac OS X History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page (link obsolete).↩
  25. [25]—–. 2002. “Computer History: History of Microsoft Windows”. Computer Hope http://www.computerhope.com/history/windows.htm.↩
  26. [26]Shull, Matthew. 2002. “Mac OS 8.0 -> Mac OS 9 History”. Matthew’s Macintosh Page. (link obsolete)↩

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