Re: A2 Users: Endanged Species? I think not.

["Donald C. Lee" <dlee17@ccsf.cc.ca.us>]

Hi,

    The Apple II may or may not be forever.  However, I've made myself a
small promise.  In maybe 40-50 years from now, I will happily plug my
Apple IIe and boot it up for old times sake.  

    Though I don't use my IIe too much anymore, it's been part of my life
for 16 years (since April 1983) and a part of the past I cherish a lot.
You can count me as a "Apple II user forever".

    Along these lines, at the same time, I hopefully will also plug in my
old Atari 5200 game system and give it a spin too.  :)

    The Apple II may not be "alive" as we know it, but it touched too many
lives over the last 20+ years that it will never be forgotten and will
live in the hearts and minds of many people throughout the world.  Who
could have asked for a better legacy than that?

Don

Donald Lee
http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/bay/6073

On 1 Aug 1999, Sara2GS wrote:

> The problem with older Apple II hardware is the same as that faced by older
> video games.  Since the hardware units are no longer in production, it is true
> that when the last board dies, that's it.  Emulation will never replace the
> original system.  I view it as a necessary supplement.
> 
> Consider MAME (multi-arcade machine emulator).  As a result of circuit
> degradation, and in some cases, simple neglect or abuse, the original console
> systems will no longer function properly.  Certain arcade classics can now be
> run only via emulation.  Hardware will eventually fail.  And the Apple II is no
> exception.  While I prefer the real thing, I'm glad that emulators exist. 
> Without them, there would eventually come a day when I could never run
> AppleWorks or GS/OS again.  And for a loyal ][ user, this would be a tragic
> fate.
> 
> While I would love to see the ]['s revive themselves, even a redesigned
> successor to the IIgs based on the (apparently mythical) 65832 would be doomed
> to a niche market.  Half of classic computing is based in a market of people
> that refuse to let go of their favourite old systems.  And more power to them. 
> The other half is comprised of new or first-time users who learn to appreciate
> where their desktop PC came from (and usually through emulation).  But I doubt
> seriously that anyone with a PIII-500 would replace that system with a 32-bit,
> 50 MHz IIgs, were it available.
> 
> The power in older computers is necessarily limited.  With the ingenuity and
> labour born of love for a computer, the Apple II will continue to evolve.  Look
> at Wolfenstein IIgs and GS-AIM for examples.  But without the widespread
> popularity the Macintosh and Wintel platforms enjoy, our older systems will
> never reach out to new users again.  At least, not in numbers large enough to
> ensure the evolution of the platform.
> 
> While the RamFAST is beautiful, look at the Second Sight video card for a
> different example.  Enhanced graphics capability has been a long-time
> shortcoming of the IIgs.  And yet, of all the users on csa2, very few seem to
> have the SS card.  Why?  Even in this most loyal of customer bases, with so few
> new products being released, it simply doesn't make sense to invest in hardware
> for a dying (or dead -- it's really just semantics) platform.  There are few
> programs for the SS card, and, seeing none coming, the cards remain unsold,
> collecting dust on warehouse shelves.  If the Apple II community itself itself
> is reluctant to embrace new technologies for their own platform, how can we
> expect to reach out to new users?  Without the nostalgic appeal the computer
> has for those who remember it, there is almost certainly no chance to
> proselytise members into our ranks.  Let a 12-year-old play a couple rounds of
> Quake 3 over the Internet, and then show him Little Brickout on the IIe. 
> Realistically, which platform would he choose?
> 
> The idea of implementing a FSF/GNU-style method of software development has its
> merits.  Current ][ products, like ProDOS and GS/OS, could evolve.  New
> products would be made possible by documenting all system calls and entry
> points.  More efficient code would lead to better programs.  But new, better
> software wouldn't bring in new users.  At best, it would increase the amount of
> time current users spend on their Apples.
> 
> I've had a dream for a long time of winning the state lottery, and using the
> winnings to make a Super IIgs available.  You know, buy the rights from Apple,
> rewrite the OS, add TCP/IP support, a good FPU... breathe some life back into
> my baby, and haul 'em all up to Kansasfest for distribution.  But even if I
> gave them away, I'm afraid that would be the full extent of the market.
> 
> I was naive enough to believe the "Apple II Forever" slogan when I first heard
> it.  But Apple has abandoned us, and new members are not forthcoming to our
> community.  The last major enhancement to the Apple II was almost 13 years ago,
> since the IIgs was introduced.  The ]['s growth has been stunted by
> malnutrition.
> 
> I must agree with the original sentiment of this thread.  The Apple II will not
> last forever.  It's more a case of "Apple II... for now."
> 
>