Tom Owad

If Tom could be any animal, he'd be something from the Galapagos. His interest in extraordinary and incomparable things extends to his human existance as well. He spends his days tinkering and learning, and is the owner and webmaster of applefritter.com, an online Macintosh community of artists and engineers dedicated to the "obscure, unusual, and exceptional." He serves on the board of directors and is webmatser and archivist of the Apple I Owners Club, and is also the author of Apple I Replica Creation.

Author of these Magazine Articles

Building a CNC Mill
Make things with a mill that you make.
In Personal Fab from MAKE: 18: ReMake America page 40

Toolbox
Wireless signal detector for the paranoid, a fire-powered soak, iPhone hacks, and tales of sustainability.
In Toolbox from MAKE: 18: ReMake America page 156

Toolbox
Cool beats, aged brass, an analog synth kit, and a guide to surviving the apocalypse (steampunk style).
In Toolbox from MAKE: 17: Lost Knowledge page 168

Three-Dimensional Printing Methods
Build one platform, and you can experiment with everything from cookie dough to laser sintering.
In Personal Fab from MAKE: 14: Optics page 158

Personal Fab
The itch to etch.
In Personal Fab from MAKE: 12: Upload page 48

Personal Fab
A CNC milling machine for less than a grand.
In Personal Fab from MAKE: 11: Alt Vehicles page 92

Retrocomputing
Antique computers run the world.
In Retrocomputing from MAKE: 10: Home Electronics page 181

Disappearing Apple
Remove the logo from an iBook.
From MAKE: 09: Fringe page 38

An Apple II in a Wristwatch
Emulating a classic Apple computer in the Palm OS.
In Retrocomputing from MAKE: 09: Fringe page 171

Gaming on the EDSAC and PDP-1
From the earliest computers came the first computer games.
In Retrocomputing from MAKE: 08: Toys and Games page 178

Digital Spelunking
Unearthing ancient Apple II files on AOL.
In Retrocomputing from MAKE: 07: Backyard Biology page 176

Distributist Technologies
At last, Tolkien meets capitalism.
In Maker from MAKE: 06: Robots page 44

Toolbox
The best tools, software, gadgets, books, magazines, and websites.
In Toolbox from MAKE: 06: Robots page 174

Old Hardware: Anything but Garbage
Scavenging components from cast-off tech.
In Retrocomputing from MAKE: 06: Robots page 185

Toolbox
The best tools, software, gadgets, books, magazines, and websites.
In Toolbox from MAKE: 05: Science, Weather, and Outdoors page 172

Computers in the Machine
Emulation software gives you free, zero-footprint, vintage computers.
In Retrocomputing from MAKE: 05: Science, Weather, and Outdoors page 183

Toolbox
The best tools, software, gadgets, books, magazines, and websites.
In Toolbox from MAKE: 04: Music and Kits for the Holidays page 168

And One Mouse to Rule Them All
Consolidating your computer peripherals.
In Retrocomputing from MAKE: 04: Music and Kits for the Holidays page 182

Handheld Know-It-All
Installing Wikipedia on a Sharp Zaurus.
In DIY: Mobile from MAKE: 03: Cars and Halloween page 146

Tilt Interface
Having fun with Apple's hard drive protection system.
In DIY: Gaming from MAKE: 03: Cars and Halloween page 156

Cloning an Apple I
Many hobbyists are beginning to rediscover the appeal of classic microcomputers from the 70s and early 80s.
In Retrocomputing from MAKE: 03: Cars and Halloween page 182

The Laptop That Wouldn't Say Die
Twenty-two years later, people still love the TRS-80 Model 100.
In Retrocomputing from MAKE: 02: Home Entertainment page 186

Photographer for these Magazine Articles

Building a CNC Mill
Make things with a mill that you make.
In Personal Fab from MAKE: 18: ReMake America page 40

Three-Dimensional Printing Methods
Build one platform, and you can experiment with everything from cookie dough to laser sintering.
In Personal Fab from MAKE: 14: Optics page 158

Personal Fab
The itch to etch.
In Personal Fab from MAKE: 12: Upload page 48

Illustrator for these Magazine Articles

Three-Dimensional Printing Methods
Build one platform, and you can experiment with everything from cookie dough to laser sintering.
In Personal Fab from MAKE: 14: Optics page 158