If the above is too "tedious", if you are messing with vintage computers "for fun", and don't care about historic perspective, that's fine. But you have a choice. Try to sledge-hammer C code (or some language-of-the-year) from a cross-compiler into an Apple II, and trip over all the I/O it needs to "know"? Or, work within the Apple II's BASIC, Sweet-16, and assembly-language calls (documented long ago) - in assembler (readily accessible) - and get something DONE? And learn something "old"?
If you are worried about looking trivial - buy a Raspberry Pi and *guarantee* your results are trivial, just in a larger social group.
I'm the one who said "tedious". But keep in mind where I'm coming from: BASIC and LOGO. Got plenty of good things "done" in both languages, and now it's time for me to learn what more can be done in assembly. Yes I griped somewhat :) but the fact that it's going to be a challenge is exactly why I want to learn it. I'll be able to have better conversations with museum visitors and better understand some of the conversations here among our own members.