Re: Apple II GS Questions

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article brian.hammack@rook.wa.com (Brian Hammack) writes...

>    |  I also have a Lazer 128, Apple compatible I got from Sears in
>    | 1989.  How would this compare to the GS?
>
>It compares to a //c.  The GS does 4096 colors, 11 voices, 8 megs RAM,

    Actually, the official number is 15 voices. The Ensoniq 5503 DOC
has a total of 32 oscillators, which can be played independently to
get 32 voices, but they would sound quite thin. So, they are paired
to form sound generators (two oscillators are reserved for tempo or
some form of timing) which leaves you 15 voices. (32 - 2) / 2 = 15.

    Diversi-Tune unpaired most of the oscillators to get close to
32 voices, but as a result ended up sounding like a crisp form of
FM synthesis. When Apple wrote MIDIsynth however, the opposite was
done and they paired the oscillators twice to come up with 7 very
rich sounding voices (at least for the IIgs).

>runs 16-bit forked files, slices, dices, julliens, and plain rocks.

    I think the best way to describe the IIgs to someone completely
unfamiliar with the machine is an Apple II/Macintosh hybrid, with a
some strong ties to the Amiga. From what I can tell, both Atari and
Apple wanted to compete with the Amiga, so Atari built the "ST" and
Apple built the "IIgs".

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca