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Apple II BASIC is a dialect of Microsoft BASIC brought out by Apple and called Applesoft BASIC (10K BASIC). Applesoft BASIC was an improvement on Microsoft Basic and came on a standard ROM card that was installed in the Apple II Plus released in 1979. The card replaced Wozniak's Integer BASIC (6K BASIC) card. Applesoft, by using an auto start ROM, was ready to use when the Apple II Plus was powered on. From 1977 to 1978 Applesoft was refined by Apple and became Applesoft II. At this time, it was decided that the Applesoft II manual along with other Apple manuals would all be ring-binder type manuals. Several of Apple’s manuals were revised and released at the same time. The notes below give some details and background to these manuals. (See Apple II Notes My-6 )

Lettter Dated Nov. 4,1977

Part of a letter from Apple announcing to Apple II users that Applesoft was available. (1977/11/4)

Apple II users received this letter from Apple on November 4, 1977, stating that Applesoft, which had been announced in April, had been duly completed in June. (Photo on the left)·

The letter contained the following information:

Apple II Integer BASIC did not exhibit the necessary performance sufficient for scientific fields and other areas. In order to enhance the leadership and reliability of the Apple II personal computer, Apple had entered into a tie-up with Microsoft of Albuquerque for the Apple II to use a floating point BASIC interpreter software package. · This version of BASIC called "Applesoft" had 81 commands and was a very powerful interpreter that used 10K of RAM.
It had been tested thoroughly, but there were some bugs that Apple had not find. If a user found a bug, they were asked to contact the Software Engineering Department.

If few bugs were found, Apple promised to release the interpreter in a ROM as a firewire card.
Users of Apple II equipped with a memory of 16K or more were asked to please use the enclosed tapes, manuals, and quick reference guides for free.

The photo on the left is of the enclosed manual and quick reference guide: the so-called Blue Book.
According to the letter, Apple had acquired Applesoft BASIC (10K BASIC) on an 8-year licensing agreement worth $21,000 in a tie-up with Microsoft in August of 1977. It was distributed to Apple II users free of charge with a software cassette and a manual as a beta test.

On the first page of the Blue Book, “Copyright 1977, Microsoft Co.” appears in small letters under “Copyright 1977, Apple Computer Inc.” Interestingly, in the draft manual (see picture below) presumed to have been sent to dealers before being distributed to users, “Apple Computer Inc.” and “Microsoft Co.” appear in the same font size. Considering the short period between signing the software licensing agreement and the software and manuals being delivered to users, then the change from Microsoft BASIC to Apple II BASIC and the writing of the manual would appear to have been done by Microsoft.

二種類の"Blue Book"

Left: Applesoft Manual (77/11)
Right: Applesoft II Manual (78/8)

このBASICではメモリの制約からhi-reslo-resグラフィックスの命令が整数BASICと大きく異なっていた。In Applesoft, the hi-res graphics were deleted due to memory restrictions, and the lo-res graphics were significantly different from Wozniak’s Integer BASIC.
For this reason, Randy Wigginton, who was then a high school student, and several employees of Apple improved the graphics instructions, and removed its bugs, and thus Applesoft became Applesoft II in the spring of 1978.
In August 1978, the Applesoft II manual was created with the same cover as the previous year’s Blue Book. In the second generation Blue Book manual there are, in addition to a BASIC command compendium, sample programs and a list of Applesoft and Applesoft II conversion programs. Also, it would appear that the Applesoft II Firmware Card was on sale as well because there are details in the manual on how to install the card and how to call Applesoft.
Apple’s suggested dealer price List (August 1978 version) is as follows:

Applesoft II Reference Manual A2L0006 US $ 7.5

Applesoft II Cassette w / Manual A2T0004 US $ 20

Applesoft II Firmware Card A2B0009 US $ 200

The Blue Book is US letter size and is, for better or for worse, in the style of traditional technical books and computer manuals.

Manual creation by Jef Raskin

Integer BASIC Programming Manual partial back cover of manual with "Written by Jef Ruskin" credit clearly seen

Jeff Ruskin, a proponent of the concept of the Macintosh computer and also known as the conductor of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, was involved with Apple manuals, starting with the Apple – 1. In 1977, he moved to Apple from a manual production company. He became head of the manual department. It looks like the ring-binder "Integer BASIC Programming Manual ” published in the first half of 1978 was the first manual produced after he had responsibility for the department.

This manual contained the following changes, and these improvements determined the direction in which the style of Apple manuals went.

· Eliminate technical terms as much as possible and write using easy-to-understand language.

· Introduce graphics frequently and color printing.

· Use a ring-binder for ease of opening.

In the book titled "The Little Kingdom ", regarding to Disk II manual, an episode is related in which Michael Scott ships an inadequate manual with a product to a very demanding customer in southern California. The subsequent role that the user played in improving Apple's manuals would appear to be significant.

Applesoft II Manualの改訂

Ringbinder manuals created with Jeff Ruskin's ingenuity.
Left: integer BASIC Programming Manual
Right: Applesoft II BASIC Programming Reference Manual

In keeping with these improvements, the second generation Blue Book manual for Applesoft II, which was created in August 1978, was revised and changed to a ringbinder manual compliant with Apple's manual guidelines. Applesoft II’s Bluebook is therefore a rare manual because it had a very short period of distribution.
7Applesoft, announced in November 1977, was revised to Applesoft II within about half a year, and it then started to be available on cassette tapes, discs, and ROM cards and resident on RAM cards. Apple II Plus would go on to adopt a ROM as standard and establish its status as Apple II's standard BASIC.
In addition, because the manual was supplied on an OEM basis by Microsoft, it was decided that the manual had to undergo a dynamic transition in about one year. It changed as follows: Draft manual → first Blue Book → second generation Blue Book → ringbinder manual.

Apple in 1978 achieved strong sales of the Apple II and it seems that things progressed well with the development of sales of several types of hardware cards and Disk II. They developed processes for the revision of manuals and established a manual style. It seems that the company was steadily building the foundations of its future development with a foresight not only applied to hardware but also to software and manuals.