Re: What Apple II comp is best?

[rubywand@aol.com (RUBYWAND)]

In article <54guam$r6l@news1.sunbelt.net>, jasonn@mail.carol.net writes:

>
>I am planning to buy an apple ii but i'm not sure which to get...apple
>IIc or IIe...I am totaly new to apple's and the only reason i want one
>is for games(sorry).  How much memory should it have(that will run
>most software((games) and what's a going price for one today..
>
>

     ?".... for games (sorry)."?  If computers did not play games they
would be nowhere near as interesting and popular.

     If you want to play Apple II games, your best choice is the IIgs. A
GS with color monitor, 1MB RAM expansion card, Stereo Sound Card,
joystick, (mouse, keyboard),  5.25" drive, and 3.5" drive can play just
about any Apple II game. This includes piles of old games, double-hires
goodies (like King's Quest, 'Eagle's Nest, ...), and GS
super-res/super-sound classics such as Dungeon Master and Bard's Tale
I,II.

     You will want a ROM 01 or ROM 03 IIgs. Current prices vary widely. If
you do not want to wait for a lucky find at the local swap meet or flea
market, expect to spend something around $175 for a decent 1.25MB ROM 01
IIgs system.

     The IIc+ is a very nice "second Apple II" but not a very good choice
as ones only Apple II game playing machine. Like the enhanced IIe, IIc's
can display double-hires and run 128k wares. IIc+ can run at 4MHz or 1MHz,
which makes it the fastest Apple II or II-compatible base system. IIc+ is
very compact, and easy to carry around, too. Drawbacks are price (around
$80-$90 for a color IIc+ system), absence of standard Apple II Slots, and
the fact that many older games will not run correctly on IIc series
Apples.

     An enhanced IIe is, probably, your best non-IIgs choice and, also,
'nice to have' even if you move up to a GS later on. The main drawback is
price. A good IIe system (including color monitor, mouse and interface,
...) may be hard to find (or put together) for much less than $100.   

     A good 'getting started' game-playing system is a 48k II+ with
composite color monitor, a couple Disk ][ drives, disk interface card,
joystick, and 16k Language Card (i.e. a 64k II+ system).  These are very
cheap (around $40-$75 for everything) and will let you play all of the
Olde games, including a few that will not run on later Apple II's.
However, you will not be able to run double-hires games.

     The II+ is the best documented of any computer ever produced, which
makes it easy to repair and modify. For example, there are mods to permit
display and entry of lower case, mods for 'game cracking', mods for extra
monitor features, and many more. Eventually, you will want a IIgs; but, a
II+ or unenhanced IIe will still come in handy and, at current prices,
it's hard to lose.


Rubywand