Stone Tools
@stonetoolsblog.bsky.social
Exploring retro productivity software of the 8/16-bit era. No games; just work. https://stonetools.ghost.io Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@stonetoolsblog
The Apple II stayed productive for years after the Mac tried to obsolete it, thanks to AppleWorks. How did a 6502 w/128KB hold its own in a 32-bit world? How does HyperCard fit into this? On a scale of radical to tubular, how awesome was 1984? Also, "turducken" stonetools.ghost.io/appleworks-a...
AppleWorks on the Apple II
1984 not only brought us the Mac, it brought us an 8-bit app that made it easy to resist purchasing a Mac.
stonetools.ghost.io
I had a fun time chatting with the TWiR folks about some recent retro news items. Thanks for having me on the show, @thisweekinretro.bsky.social !
This Week in Retro@thisweekinretro.bsky.social · last mo.The Washington Post named Doom the top cultural event of its decade. With retro blogger @stonetoolsblog.bsky.social we ask: was the television game show just as important to culture as Doom? Is buying arcade cabs ever sensible? And what happened to the Web and the browser? youtu.be/vOceobwqx3s
I'm this week's guest on This Week in Retro. Here's a teaser for the coming episode.
This Week in Retro@thisweekinretro.bsky.social · last mo.High noon. Light guns at the chemist. Draw! Jason and Chris discuss a hotly contested story about NES nostalgia in the UK. Special guest Christopher Drum of Stone Tools watches politely (check out that to-do list, though) and will have more to say when the full episode hits on Saturday!
🪨 Visual Basic on the PC w/Windows 3.1 🛠️ Apple wasn't the only company to yank a popular #visualprogramming tool from fans. I learn VB with a "teach yourself" book, get pedantic about Helvetica, and briefly muse about slop. #retrocomputing #windows #visualbasic stonetools.ghost.io/visualbasic-...
Visual Basic on the PC w/Windows 3.1
Apple wasn't alone in creating a beloved visual programming environment only to yank it away at the height of its popularity.
stonetools.ghost.io
🪨 PipeDream on the Acorn Archimedes 🛠️ The first ARM-based home computer, powering a bespoke OS, running software that says, "The barriers between productivity apps are a lie we tell ourselves." #retrocomputing #pipedream #arm #acorn #archimedes #riscos stonetools.ghost.io/pipedream-ar...
PipeDream on the Acorn Archimedes
A productivity suite that willfully rejects common notions on how such software should behave, on an operating system most haven't heard of, running on a processor 30 years ahead of its time.
stonetools.ghost.io
Aldus PageMaker dramatically altered my life, introducing me to the world of graphic design. It's been 30+ years since I last touched it, so I gave it the once-over by building my dream project. Who do I need to convince to give me reign over OMNI Magazine?! Bonus: comes with a free gift at the end
Stone Tools@stonetoolsblog.bsky.social · 5mo ago🪨 Aldus PageMaker on the Apple Macintosh 🛠️ It wasn't the first #desktoppublishing app, but it was the first of importance. I use it to rebuild #OMNI Magazine and examine how the publishing revolution influenced the public sector. stonetools.ghost.io/pagemaker-mac #retroComputing #mac #pagemaker
🪨 Aldus PageMaker on the Apple Macintosh 🛠️ It wasn't the first #desktoppublishing app, but it was the first of importance. I use it to rebuild #OMNI Magazine and examine how the publishing revolution influenced the public sector. stonetools.ghost.io/pagemaker-mac #retroComputing #mac #pagemaker
Aldus PageMaker on the Apple Macintosh
While resurrecting a 40-year old defunct magazine, I accidentally-on-purpose resurrect a 40-year old software rivalry.
stonetools.ghost.io
🪨 Lotus 1-2-3 on the PC w/ #DOS 🛠️ Did you know #Lotus123 is still referenced in #Excel documentation, but not #VisiCalc? I spent time getting to know #VisiCalc's killer. When I struggled to make a chart, I called on the help of #AI. AI from 1986! #retrocomputing stonetools.ghost.io/lotus123-dos
Lotus 1-2-3 on the PC w/DOS
VisiCalc started it, but 1-2-3 finished it. "It" being the discussion of what a spreadsheet can be, and also VisiCalc itself.
stonetools.ghost.io
I’m enjoying reading @christopherdrum.bsky.social deep dive into vintage productivity software at stonetools.ghost.io
Stone Tools
Exploring retro productivity software from the 8/16-bit era. No games, just work.
stonetools.ghost.io
I was just looking at Scala on Amiga and look how beautiful! (Source + kudos to Stone Tools: stonetools.ghost.io/scala-amiga)
🪨 dBASE on the Kaypro II 🛠️ Armed with only a blinking cursor, I build an inventory system for my failing software retail shop (just play along). I also explore #cpm add-on options for various systems, and whoops! Did I just become a #dBASE programmer? stonetools.ghost.io/dbase-cpm #retroComputing
dBASE on the Kaypro II
CP/M and dBASE were industry giants with everything to lose, and they did. For a time they were the power couple to beat.
stonetools.ghost.io
🪨 Scala Multimedia on the Commodore Amiga 🛠️ As a print guy, I had to shed many misconceptions about #multimedia on the #Amiga. I also look at the glue that made such applications even possible. Bonus: use Scala for Twitch #streaming from an iPhone?! stonetools.ghost.io/scala-amiga/ #retroComputing
Scala Multimedia on the Commodore Amiga
It's no Toaster, but it doesn't need to be to hold its own. Possibly one of the most impressive cover disk giveaways in history?
stonetools.ghost.io
Fascinated by this @stonetoolsblog.bsky.social post - the idea of trying to implement an expert system on a *Commodore 64* is something I'd never even considered! stonetools.ghost.io/xper-c64/
XPER on the Commodore 64
In a supreme act of hubris, I use 80s "expert system" AI technology to turn a C64 into a rain predictor. Will it fair better than a coin flip?
stonetools.ghost.io
The tension between my interest to grow closer to this software and its constant moves to push me away was the highest I've felt yet.
Stone Tools@stonetoolsblog.bsky.social · 8mo ago🪨 PaperClip on the Atari 8-bits 🛠️ Believe it or not, this story about Batteries Included's beloved word processor contains ZERO jokes about #Clippy. It does take potshots at #EA, however. stonetools.ghost.io/paperclip-at... #RetroComputing #wordprocessing #atari8bit
🪨 PaperClip on the Atari 8-bits 🛠️ Believe it or not, this story about Batteries Included's beloved word processor contains ZERO jokes about #Clippy. It does take potshots at #EA, however. stonetools.ghost.io/paperclip-at... #RetroComputing #wordprocessing #atari8bit
PaperClip on the Atari 8-Bit
Imagine an oven bakes gorgeous cakes, but gives random, severe burns. "When do the burns outweigh the beauty?" is posed by this cute word processor
stonetools.ghost.io
🪨 XPER on the Commodore 64🛠️ We draft a #c64 into the #ai wars. This "expert system" software promised it could predict weather, so I took it at its word. Was it more accurate than a coin flip? Also: Fifth Generation Computers and the first guy to concede his job to AI stonetools.ghost.io/xper-c64
XPER on the Commodore 64
Early AI on microcomputers focused heavily on "expert systems," tools to capture domain-specific knowledge and democratize it amongst the plebians. In a supreme act of hubris, I'm going to use that sa...
stonetools.ghost.io
I had to write about Cheifet. christopherdrum.github.io/posts/2026/0...
On Learning of the Passing of Stewart Cheifet
There are people whose impact on our life is not understood until we hear of that person’s passing. Time keeps ticking, we know rationally that everyone dies, and yet there are those whom we hear the ...
christopherdrum.github.io
Sad to hear that #stewartcheifet, host of #computerchronicles and #netcafe, has passed Tiny influences on a pivot point can exert large effects on the trajectory of a projectile, or a life. Stewart was one such influence on the trajectory of my own life. obits.goldsteinsfuneral.com/stewart-chei...
Stewart Cheifet Obituary December 28, 2025 - Goldsteins Funeral
View Stewart Cheifet's obituary, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.
obits.goldsteinsfuneral.com
🪨 HyperCard on the Macintosh 🛠️ The "software erector set" that launched careers and came close to delivering us the web 6 years early. Our last post of '25 takes a deep look at this important title. Happy holidays! stonetools.ghost.io/hypercard-mac/ #RetroComputing #hypercard #classicmac #atkinson
HyperCard on the Macintosh
How do we approach the challenge of helping non-programmers build software? Do we throw up our hands at today's complexity and say, "Just let an AI do it." Or, do we make tools so *compelling* a novic...
stonetools.ghost.io
🪨 Bank Street Writer on the Apple 2 🛠️ The "Oregon Trail" of word processors. Ostensibly built for children, it also hooked adults, including at least one lawyer who refused to give it up. I find out why! stonetools.ghost.io/bankstreetwriter-apple2 #RetroComputing #apple2 #wordprocessing #bankstreet
Bank Street Writer on the Apple II
There was a time when society was hell-bent on getting "computers in the classroom." It was going to utterly transform learning! The drive fell short of that goal, but it did deliver us a sharp little...
stonetools.ghost.io
My childhood computing path never crossed with Bank Street Writer, though I've met many over the years who hold very fond memories of it. It wasn't just popular with kids, adults loved it too. I spent some time getting to know it, and explored the whole "classroom of tomorrow" a bit as well.
I already have it shared everywhere and commented on Mastofon. But again, what a great article ! Thanks for the kind update about pydpainter, it means a lot to the dev team.
🪨 ThinkTank on the PC w/DOS 🛠️ Before we process words, we must first process ideas! So says "idea processor" ThinkTank's creator, Dave Winer. A veritable religion has formed around this genre. Did I see the light? stonetools.ghost.io/thinktank-dos/ #RetroComputing #thinktank #dos #outliner #pkm
ThinkTank on the PC w/DOS
Obsession takes many forms. Some of us sift through decades of ancient software for a blog, while others spend decades reinventing the same software repeatedly. Outliner software seems to attract the ...
stonetools.ghost.io
This article from the excellent Stone Tools blog illustrates something that I think is really missing in modern tech life. The author calls it "friction," which I think is a great descriptor. Friction isn't bad in and of itself. We need friction to make fire, for example.
Stone Tools@stonetoolsblog.bsky.social · 10mo ago🪨 CAD-3D on the Atari ST 🛠️ Examining the grandfather to #3DSMax also gave me my first experience with the GEM environment. Plus, I learn the surprising ties to #DeluxePaint and ...is this right? #Starfox for the #SNES?! stonetools.ghost.io/cad3d-atarist #RetroComputing #cad3d #atarist #3dsoftware
🪨 CAD-3D on the Atari ST 🛠️ Examining the grandfather to #3DSMax also gave me my first experience with the GEM environment. Plus, I learn the surprising ties to #DeluxePaint and ...is this right? #Starfox for the #SNES?! stonetools.ghost.io/cad3d-atarist #RetroComputing #cad3d #atarist #3dsoftware
CAD-3D on the Atari ST
Computing history is full of "what if" scenarios. What if Babbage built a working analytical engine? What if IBM adopted CP/M over DOS? What if Atari delivered their promised TT line on time and becam...
stonetools.ghost.io
For #SpreadsheetDay, here's my new in box sealed Lotus Improv 🤌
Stone Tools@stonetoolsblog.bsky.social · 11mo ago🪨🛠️ VisiCalc on the Apple 2 Happy #SpreadsheetDay! This time, I examine how much DNA from the first spreadsheet remains in today's software by calculating protein levels of ration formulation for swine, as you do. stonetools.ghost.io/visicalc-app... #RetroComputing #visicalc #spreadsheet #apple2
🪨🛠️ VisiCalc on the Apple 2 Happy #SpreadsheetDay! This time, I examine how much DNA from the first spreadsheet remains in today's software by calculating protein levels of ration formulation for swine, as you do. stonetools.ghost.io/visicalc-app... #RetroComputing #visicalc #spreadsheet #apple2
VisiCalc on the Apple II
In 1978, Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston took out a loan to fund development of "Calcu-ledger," the very tool that could project if taking out a loan were fiscally prudent. In 2025, VisiCalc still has ...
stonetools.ghost.io
I spent some time getting to know Superbase on the C64. While using it, I was revisited by a ghost from the past who tried to make trouble for me. When all hope was lost, with the power of BASIC, I overcame my enemy. Intrigued to know more? Read on! #retrocomputing #stonetools #superbase #c64
Stone Tools@stonetoolsblog.bsky.social · 11mo ago🪨🛠️ "Superbase on the Commodore 64" Dreaming of a "paperless office?" You'll need a database to make it happen. Superbase promises to help you ditch those antiquated filing cabinets. If only the manual would explain how. stonetools.ghost.io/superbase-c64 #RetroComputing #Superbase #Databases #C64
🪨🛠️ "Superbase on the Commodore 64" Dreaming of a "paperless office?" You'll need a database to make it happen. Superbase promises to help you ditch those antiquated filing cabinets. If only the manual would explain how. stonetools.ghost.io/superbase-c64 #RetroComputing #Superbase #Databases #C64
Superbase on the Commodore 64
In the 70s and 80s, the "office of the future" remained tantalizingly close, ever slightly out of reach, but definitely almost here. I'll commandeer the family C64 and rebuild my business into a "pape...
stonetools.ghost.io
