Like the pioneering 1979 Apple ][+, the Apple ][+ watch, built by Instructables user Aleator777, runs Apple DOS and associated programs (it even has tiny floppy disks) — and like its predecessor, it's designed to be understood and modified by its owner.
The Apple ][+ shipped with schematics explaining how its boards and circuits worked; Aleator777's watch comes as an Instructable, with downloadable, 3D printable files and code so you can create your own. The contrast with the contemporary Apple philosophy — best understood through their triennial petitions to the Copyright Office asking to put Iphone owners in jail if they run software of their choosing on their phones — is stark.
CUPERTINO, California—September 9, 1984—Apple Computer Inc.® today unveiled Apple // watch™—its most personal device ever. Apple // watch introduces a revolutionary design and A BASIC USER INTERFACE created specifically for a smaller device. Apple // watch features A KNOB, an innovative way to SCROLL, without obstructing the display. The KNOB also serves as the RETURN button and a convenient way to PRESS RETURN. The CATHODE RAY TUBE display on Apple // watch features TEXT, a technology that ALLOWS YOU TO READ, providing a new way to quickly and easily access BASIC PROGRAMS. Apple // watch introduces a built-in VERY SMALL SPEAKER that discreetly enables an entirely new vocabulary of alerts and notifications you can HEAR. Apple Computer custom-designed its own 6502 PROCESSOR CUT IN HALF to miniaturize an entire computer architecture onto a PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD. Apple // watch also features TWO DISK DRIVES to pair seamlessly with your MAGNETIC STORAGE DISKS.
Apple ][+ watch [Aleator777/Instructables]
(via Bruce Sterling)
