Re: Apple IIe user returns....

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <3opfo1$bhu@tpsun.taranaki.ac.nz>,
Stephen Watkins  <swatkins@taranaki.ac.nz> wrote:
>  
> I owned an Apple IIe many years ago (about 5) and was wondering what 
> ever happened to the IIgs....

Still around.  I have two of them.  I bought the first one in 1987,
and the second one in 1992.

> I see that there are still systems around, but was there a system
> released after 1987?   

The latest revision of the IIe (restyled case and motherboard, numeric
keypad built in, platinum colour) was released in about 1987, along
with ROM version 1 for the IIgs.  The IIc+ was released in 1988 (I
think), but wasn't available outside the USA.

A revised version of the IIgs with 1 MB of RAM and 256 KB of ROM was
released in 1989 - this is usually called the "ROM 3" IIgs.

The most recent "Apple II" is the IIe-on-a-card for the Macintosh LC
and later machines, which was released in about 1990.


The IIgs had major system software updates in 1988, 1989, 1992 and
1993.  Apple has now stopped any further Apple II development, but
there are still third-party companies supporting current software and
hardware, and releasing new products.

The hottest new release is the "Second Sight" card from Sequential
Systems, which is a VGA/SVGA display card for the IIe and IIgs.  There
won't be much software to take advantage of it yet, but a lot more
should appear in coming months.

> I know I'm behind, but I haven't been keeping up with the Apple  
> community for a long time. 

You might like to see if you can track down a copy of Steve Weyrich's
"Apple II History" which should fill you in on recent developments.
  
> Btw: What happened to all the mag's? 

Nibble is gone, A+ got merged with Incider and then left, the major
user group publications such as Call-A.P.P.L.E. have gone, A2-Central
is no more...

The remaining major Apple II publications are:

- II Alive from Quality Computers (in the process of being phased out).
- GS+ Magazine from EGO Systems (IIgs specific)
- Shareware Solutions from Joe Kohn
- SoftDisk and SoftDisk GS

There may be others that I'm not aware of.  There are "online
publications" such as GEnieLamp/A2 and GEnieLamp/A2Pro.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand