Originally designed by Dr. David Thornburg as a low-cost computer drawing tool for schools, the Koala Pad and the bundled drawing program, KoalaPainter, was popular with home users as well. KoalaPainter was called KoalaPaint in some versions for the Apple II, and PC Design for the IBM PC. A program called Graphics Exhibitor was included for creating slideshow presentations from KoalaPainter drawings.
The pad was four inches square (i.e. roughly 10×10 cm) and mounted on a slightly inclined base with the back of the pad higher than the front. At the top, "behind" the pad, were two buttons. The pad hooked into the computer using the analog signals of the joystick ports (the so-called paddle inputs), which meant that it had a low resolution and tended to jostle the cursor if moved during use.
As an alternative to the drawing stylus, the pad could as easily be operated by the user's fingers for tasks that demanded less precision, such as selecting between menu items (thus using the pad as a kind of "indirect touch screen").[2]
The top-mounted buttons tended to be somewhat frustrating to use, as the user had to "reach around" the stylus to push the buttons in order to start or stop drawing. A similar tablet from Atari, the Atari CX77 Touch Tablet, addressed this with a built-in button on the stylus,[3] which some enterprising users adapted for use with their KoalaPad.
KoalaPainterEdit
KoalaPainter
C64 KoalaPainter menu screen. The "undo" command was called "Oops" (2nd row, left). The lowermost part of the screen contains the color choice chart (16 pure colors, 16 dithered). Immediately above the color chart is the brush shape bar (8 different shapes).
The pad shipped with a simple bitmap graphics editor developed by Audio Light, Inc called KoalaPainter, PC Design or Micro Illustrator depending on the target machine (see release history). Although bundled with the pad, KoalaPainter could also be operated using an ordinary digital joystick.
One unique feature of the program, for its time, was that it held two pictures in the computer's memory, allowing the user to flip from one to the other—a function commonly used in order to study the differences between an original and a modified picture, and to copy and paste between two different pictures.
Some third-party bitmap editors could also be used with the KoalaPad, such as Broderbund's Dazzle Draw for the Apple II.
Release historyEdit
KoalaPainter for Commodore 64 (1983)[4] and Atari 8-bit computers (1983)[5]
Micro Illustrator for the Apple II (1983),[6][7] Atari 8-bit computers (1983)[8] and Commodore Plus/4 (1984)[9]
KoalaPainter II for Commodore 64 (1984)
ReceptionEdit
Ahoy! called KoalaPainter "a very powerful and effective color drawing package", and concluded that it and the KoalaPad were "excellent in ease of use, a fine choice for a beginner as well as young children".[10]BYTE's reviewer stated in December 1984 that he made far fewer errors when using an Apple Mouse with MousePaint than with a KoalaPad and its software. He found that MousePaint was easier to use and more efficient, predicting that the mouse would receive more software support than the pad.[11]
File formatEdit
The Commodore 64 version of KoalaPainter used a fairly simple file format corresponding directly to the way bitmapped graphics are handled on the computer: A two-byte load address, followed immediately by 8,000 bytes of raw bitmap data, 1,000 bytes of raw "Video Matrix" data, 1,000 bytes of raw "Color RAM" data, and a one-byte Background Color field.
KoalaWareEdit
Koala Technologies offered more software beyond the bundled KoalaPainter and Graphics Exhibitor for use with the pad. Among these applications, marketed under the moniker KoalaWare (like KoalaPainter itself), was educational software for use with customized keypads and overlays, such as spelling tools, music programs, and mathematics instruction software, as well as software for "translating" graphical designs into LOGO programs.
ReferencesEdit
^Inc, InfoWorld Media Group (October 10, 1983). "InfoWorld". InfoWorld Media Group, Inc. – via Google Books. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
^"KoalaPad: the mother of them all - Graphics Tablet Anonymous". Graphicstablet.org. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
^"index". Best-electronics-ca.com. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
^"All about Commodore 64". Lemon64.com. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
^Kevelson, Morton (October 1984). "Graphics Programs on the Commodore 64". Ahoy!. p. 37. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
^Eldred, Eric (December 1984). "Artistic Tools for the Apple II Family". BYTE. pp. A8. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
External linksEdit
. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2005.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) – An Apple II collector's description of the KoalaPad and software, with photos and screenshots
October 21, 2023
koalapad, graphics, tablet, released, 1983, company, koala, technologies, corporation, apple, color, computer, touch, atari, family, commodore, well, developerkoala, technologies, corporationtypegraphics, tabletrelease, date1983inputdrawing, stylus, fingerdime. The KoalaPad is a graphics tablet released in 1983 by U S company Koala Technologies Corporation for the Apple II TRS 80 Color Computer as the TRS 80 Touch Pad Atari 8 bit family and Commodore 64 as well as for the IBM PC 1 KoalaPadKoalaPadDeveloperKoala Technologies CorporationTypegraphics tabletRelease date1983Inputdrawing stylus fingerDimensions6 x 8 x 1 inchesOriginally designed by Dr David Thornburg as a low cost computer drawing tool for schools the Koala Pad and the bundled drawing program KoalaPainter was popular with home users as well KoalaPainter was called KoalaPaint in some versions for the Apple II and PC Design for the IBM PC A program called Graphics Exhibitor was included for creating slideshow presentations from KoalaPainter drawings Contents 1 Description 2 KoalaPainter 2 1 Release history 2 2 Reception 2 3 File format 3 KoalaWare 4 References 5 External linksDescription EditThe pad was four inches square i e roughly 10 10 cm and mounted on a slightly inclined base with the back of the pad higher than the front At the top behind the pad were two buttons The pad hooked into the computer using the analog signals of the joystick ports the so called paddle inputs which meant that it had a low resolution and tended to jostle the cursor if moved during use As an alternative to the drawing stylus the pad could as easily be operated by the user s fingers for tasks that demanded less precision such as selecting between menu items thus using the pad as a kind of indirect touch screen 2 The top mounted buttons tended to be somewhat frustrating to use as the user had to reach around the stylus to push the buttons in order to start or stop drawing A similar tablet from Atari the Atari CX77 Touch Tablet addressed this with a built in button on the stylus 3 which some enterprising users adapted for use with their KoalaPad KoalaPainter EditKoalaPainter nbsp C64 KoalaPainter menu screen The undo command was called Oops 2nd row left The lowermost part of the screen contains the color choice chart 16 pure colors 16 dithered Immediately above the color chart is the brush shape bar 8 different shapes Developer s Audio Light C64 Island Graphics Apple II Atari 8 bit Initial release1983 40 years ago 1983 Operating systemApple II TRS 80 Color Computer Atari 8 bit Commodore 64 IBM PCTypebitmap graphics editorLicenseProprietaryThe pad shipped with a simple bitmap graphics editor developed by Audio Light Inc called KoalaPainter PC Design or Micro Illustrator depending on the target machine see release history Although bundled with the pad KoalaPainter could also be operated using an ordinary digital joystick One unique feature of the program for its time was that it held two pictures in the computer s memory allowing the user to flip from one to the other a function commonly used in order to study the differences between an original and a modified picture and to copy and paste between two different pictures Some third party bitmap editors could also be used with the KoalaPad such as Broderbund s Dazzle Draw for the Apple II Release history Edit KoalaPainter for Commodore 64 1983 4 and Atari 8 bit computers 1983 5 PC Design for the IBM PC 1983 6 Micro Illustrator for the Apple II 1983 6 7 Atari 8 bit computers 1983 8 and Commodore Plus 4 1984 9 KoalaPainter II for Commodore 64 1984 Reception Edit Ahoy called KoalaPainter a very powerful and effective color drawing package and concluded that it and the KoalaPad were excellent in ease of use a fine choice for a beginner as well as young children 10 BYTE s reviewer stated in December 1984 that he made far fewer errors when using an Apple Mouse with MousePaint than with a KoalaPad and its software He found that MousePaint was easier to use and more efficient predicting that the mouse would receive more software support than the pad 11 File format Edit The Commodore 64 version of KoalaPainter used a fairly simple file format corresponding directly to the way bitmapped graphics are handled on the computer A two byte load address followed immediately by 8 000 bytes of raw bitmap data 1 000 bytes of raw Video Matrix data 1 000 bytes of raw Color RAM data and a one byte Background Color field KoalaWare EditKoala Technologies offered more software beyond the bundled KoalaPainter and Graphics Exhibitor for use with the pad Among these applications marketed under the moniker KoalaWare like KoalaPainter itself was educational software for use with customized keypads and overlays such as spelling tools music programs and mathematics instruction software as well as software for translating graphical designs into LOGO programs References Edit Inc InfoWorld Media Group October 10 1983 InfoWorld InfoWorld Media Group Inc via Google Books a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a last has generic name help KoalaPad the mother of them all Graphics Tablet Anonymous Graphicstablet org Retrieved 8 June 2016 index Best electronics ca com Retrieved 8 June 2016 All about Commodore 64 Lemon64 com Retrieved 8 June 2016 Atari 400 800 XL XE KoalaPainter Atarimania Retrieved 2018 12 08 a b InfoWorld 10 Oct 1983 p 76 at Google Books Mac GUI Koala Micro Illustrator Macgui net Retrieved 8 June 2016 Atari 400 800 XL XE Micro Illustrator Atarimania Retrieved 2018 12 08 Micro Illustrator Software Details Plus 4 World Plus4world powweb com Retrieved 8 June 2016 Kevelson Morton October 1984 Graphics Programs on the Commodore 64 Ahoy p 37 Retrieved 27 June 2014 Eldred Eric December 1984 Artistic Tools for the Apple II Family BYTE pp A8 Retrieved 23 October 2013 External links Edit Vectronic s Koala Pad Archived from the original on February 14 2012 Retrieved November 3 2005 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link An Apple II collector s description of the KoalaPad and software with photos and screenshots Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title KoalaPad amp oldid 1174083323, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
