http://www.kansasfest.org/sessions/

Some sessions already on the dock for this year include:

• Boot-tracing: a fun method of de-protecting games
• Track-center tuning of 5.25" floppy drives
• Disk II theory of design and functionality
• Teaching US Kids to program
• Apple II hardware-hacking innovations
• Build your own MAME/MESS cabinet in 30 minutes
• Document scanning (with an eye to preserving Apple II history)
• A technical look at the Apple III
• Apple II copy cards
• MPW IIgs cross development

Do you have a topic you would like to see presented, even if you aren't the one to do it?  Contact us here.

Past sessions have included hardware, software and game demonstrations and tutorials; integration of the Apple II with other devices; emulators; programming; Apple II history; or any subject that would be
of interest to Apple II users.

We are especially interested in and prioritize sessions that focus on Apple II-related topics, but as space allows, we also love Mac, iOS, and a stray Windows or UNIX session or two.

Sessions are typically 30 to 60 minutes in length and are held at various times throughout the daytime hours.

If you've never done a session, check out a sample of past year's contributions at http://www.kansasfest.org/downloads/.

The week kicks off with keynote speaker Randy Wigginton, Apple employee #6, who worked on the Disk ][ disk drive, Apple DOS, and Applesoft BASIC.  Wigginton will be available immediately afterward for a Q&A and autograph session.

The week then offers a variety of presentations and workshops, including but not limited to:

• Teaching kids to program with Matthew Hellinger
• Disk ][ theory of design with Tony Diaz
• Hardware hacking with Stephen Buggie
• How to build an arcade machine using MESS and MAME emulation with Carrington Vanston
• Disk copy de-protection with Martin Haye
• HackFest, an annual programming challenge open to coders of all skill levels
• A vendor fair and exhibit hall for attendees and the general public to show off, play with, and buy and sell new or unusual hardware and software

Attendees are encouraged to share their knowledge by presenting their own hardware and software sessions, especially of the Apple II but including Macintosh, Windows, Linux, iOS, and others. All KansasFest sessions are presented by the attendees, who are known for unscheduled events and debuts, too. Whether it's a behind-the-scenes look at new software, preorder opportunities for new hardware, a live-action text adventure, a podcast recording session, GShisen and Dueltris tournaments, or an athletic round of Bite the Bag, there are experiences to be had and memories made at KansasFest that aren't possible except in the company of surprising, brilliant, diehard Apple II fans.

Register before June 1 to guarantee a price of $375 for a double room or $445 for a single, which includes admission to all sessions as well as most meals. Official KansasFest shirts are extra and optional and must be ordered by May 31; registration for staying on-site closes July 8. Veterans of the event are invited to bring a first-time attendee; if each indicates the other's name on the registration form, both will receive a $25 referral rebate at the event. To register, please visit the official Web site at http://www.kansasfest.org/.

KansasFest sponsor 16 Sector invites any and all Apple II users, fans, and friends to attend the world's only annual Apple II conference. Please browse our Web site for photos, videos, schedules, and presentations from past year's events and for our email list.

What are you doing to get ready for KansasFest?  Please join our e-mail list and share.

 The logo is also available in small (100px x 100px), big (1920px x 1080px), huge (1800px x 1800px), and "retina" (2880px x 1800px) sizes.

What were your goals for this project?

I had wanted to port and release this fire code to an 8-bit platform for some time.  I had a GS prototype years ago and realized it would probably run fast enough on a IIe, but I had to rewrite some of the 16-bit instructions.  I finally got around to it sometime in early November, and once it was done I decided it would be neater to release it as a little demo with some extra effects.

What about KansasFest inspired you to pursue this project?

The people involved with KansasFest are inspiring for their commitment to the platform.  So many people are still creating new content and hardware for a platform that is 100% commercially unviable.  Those people do it for the thrill and the love, not for money.  So this is about love. ;)

Did you work on this alone?  If not, who contributed?

This was all me.  I should collaborate more.  We all should.  It makes everything better.  However, I was only able to do this "alone" due to all of the people who have helped me learn along the way.  There's a great community on the CSA2 newsgroups that is always incredibly helpful when I get stuck.

What languages or tools did you use for this demo?

I started this in Merlin 8/16+ on the Apple IIgs emulator "kegs".  Then I decided to move to a more modern editor so I built some custom tools that allow me to write code in "vi" on a modern computer, and then rapidly bundle that to a disk image and build it back in Merlin under kegs.  I also wrote some image/sprite conversion tools in PHP and my bundler uses a custom version of to_pro to make ProDOS images, which is written in C.  Finally, I test on a real IIe with the help of the awesome CFFA3000 card that lets me copy my bundle to a USB thumbdrive and boot it up.

What obstacles did you encounter?  

I didn't learn assembly until I got an Apple IIgs as an early teen.  So I've never really done strictly 8-bit assembly programming before.  There's a lot effort involved because you end up using a lot more zero-page pointers since you can't use 16-bit index registers.

Where may I find the demo, including a video and disk image?

Demo is online in a ".dsk" file that you should be able to boot up in any Apple II emulator.  I have all of the assembly source code there too, but not all of the image tools I used to generate it.  I may clean those up and post them as well if I get time or there's interest.

Disk Image/Source Code:
https://github.com/digarok/festro

Video:
Festro by Digarok

Happy Holidays!  See you at KFest!

In 1978, Wigginton was a brilliant young high school student working alongside Apple co-founder Wozniak. Wigginton was an early member of the famous Homebrew Computer Club, often caught rides to club meetings with Wozniak, and was there for the unveiling of the Apple I. At age 14, Wigginton started writing software for the Apple I. He assisted with the early design of and software for the Apple II and manned the booth at the West Coast Computer Faire introducing the Apple II. He was part of the all-night coding session in January 1978 that allowed Apple to introduce a working disk drive the following day at the Consumer Electronics Show. Later that year, Wigginton adapted Microsoft BASIC to become Applesoft BASIC and wrote the RWTS (Read/Write Track/Sector) software routines critical to the operation of Apple DOS and the new disk drive. The MacWrite software was among Wigginton's contributions to the company beyond the Apple II. Wigginton continues to work in the computer industry today, currently with Square.

Wigginton's work on DOS and Applesoft contributed to the success of the Apple II computer. The low cost disk drive and DOS revolutionized data storage on the Apple II. The low cost disk drive and DOS revolutionized data storage on the Apple II. Previously, users had no choice but to use slow and unreliable cassette tapes to store and distribute their programs and data. Applesoft BASIC became the most widely used programming language for the Apple II and the foundation for much commercial and hobbyist software.

KansasFest is an annual convention offering Apple II users and retrocomputing enthusiasts the opportunity to engage in beginner and technical sessions, programming contests, exhibition halls, and camaraderie. KansasFest was originally hosted by Resource Central and has been brought to you by the KFest committee since 1995. Any and all Apple II users, fans, and friends are invited to attend this year's event. Registration details will be announced on the KansasFest Web site in early 2013. For photos, videos, and presentations from past KansasFests, please visit the event's official Web site at http://www.kansasfest.org/.

If you're buying something through Amazon, please visit our affiliate link at http://HelpKFest.org first.  It won't cost you even a penny extra, but Amazon will send KansasFest a tiny bit for every purchase.  Every cent we get will go back into making KansasFest even better.  Thank you for your support!

Apple II enthusiasts around the world will have the opportunity to make new memories together next year, when KansasFest returns to Rockhurst University, July 23–28. More details, including pricing, keynote speaker, and more, will be announced on this site as they become available. In the meantime, it's never too early to start saving your pennies or to request time off from work. The 25th annual Apple II convention will be the best yet!

Subscribe to our blog or to our discussion list to get more updates about this exciting event!

Thus was born HackFest. Across the last 15 annual HackFests, at least 46 programs have been written or attempted, from games and utilities to cracks and demos. Some were conceived at KansasFest, while others had been plotted for months, with the results ranging from the ingeniously simple to the insanely complex. A few programs went on to become full-fledged software releases and staples of the Apple II library; others were highly anticipated but languished in a permanent state of beta. All were cool and impressive, wowing the KansasFest crowd with public demos.

Of those programs that have been released, 11 were selected to be featured in a recent Computerworld.com slideshow, "Hacking the Apple II at KansasFest". The screenshot and video gallery represents a range of entries entered into HackFest 2007–2012, demonstrating the breadth and depth of hacks that Apple II enthusiasts have been inspired to create, such as Michael J. Mahon's 2007 winning entry NadaPong:

In conjunction with this bit of press, the official HackFest archives have been expanded. Previously listing only those hacks that were available for download, the database now lists every known entry into the HackFest competition.

May this renewed interest in the premier Apple II convention's programming challenges bring inspiration for future hacks!

The Retro Computing Roundtable (iTunes) was first on the air with their show #30, recorded live at KansasFest — at which RCR's three hosts met for the first time! First-time attendees David Greelish and Earl Evans joined veteran Carrington Vanston in Kansas City for this recording. There's a further recap in episode #31, recorded a few weeks after the event.

Archivist and Serenity extra Brian Wiser appeared on episode #251 of the RetroMacCast (iTunes). This first-time attendee gave two presentations at KansasFest, and his enthusiasm for the event is evident in this interview.

Finally, the Open Apple podcast (iTunes) aired show #18 with a panel consisting of Wayne Arthurton, who recently attended his first KansasFest since 2004, and Paul Hagstrom and Jeremy Rand, both first-time attendees. Arthurton presented at KansasFest, while Rand came in first place in the HackFest competition, providing diverse perspectives on the same event.

Want to hear more great audio content from KansasFest? Listen to podcast coverage of KansasFest 2010 and 2011, as well as the Echoes of KFest podcast for sessions from KansasFest!