Re: Apple IIGS monitor replacement

[rob <rob@spamoff.net>]

On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:09:26 -0700, "Michael J. Mahon"
<mjmahon@aol.com> wrote:

>rob wrote:
>> On Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:24:46 -0700, "Michael J. Mahon"
>> <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>>Given the atmosphere at Apple in the late 1980s, I find it very
>>>believable that there was a real desire to keep the IIgs out of
>>>the Mac's competitive neighborhood.
>> 
>> 
>> Well if that was the case then why did Apple release its first color
>> GUI on the IIgs as well as ADB ?
>
>The IIgs was already color-capable hardware, and they had much
>earlier decided to release a "desktop" interface to prepare the
>way for the Mac in schools.  Perhaps they thought that the color
>Mac would ship sooner.  ;-)

So the IIgs got their first with color. Macs didn't get color until
the Mac II line shipped in 1987. 

>Of course, "release" of GSOS was not exactly done with fanfare
>befitting the first color GUI, either--more like it "shipped".

I guess it was somewhat usable although it didn't resemble the
functionality of GSOS 6.0.x .

>WRT the use of ADB, that was simply a cost-saving and product
>line rationalization measure--one less keyboard to outsource.
>No ballyhooing of customer value accompanied its release with
>the IIgs.

I remember that ADB was released on the Mac Plus as well. Did the Mac
team design ADB and offer it to the GS folks for implementation ?

>There were clearly opposing forces operating within Apple.  The
>Apple II group wanted to push the platform as far and as fast
>as possible, while the rest of Apple regarded the continuing
>success of the Apple II as a windfall that could end at any
>moment.  They were hell-bent to focus on the Mac and were
>uninterested in spending money on the terminal Apple II line
>(whose remaining strategic role was to hold the education
>market until the Mac took its place).

There were many who saw the Apple // as a sinking ship that had
outstayed its usefulness. I was one of the bitter ones who hated the
way Apple dropped support for the Apple // like a hot potato. It still
irks me to this day. I still refuse to buy any Apple products and only
keep my vintage Apple // gear around for collecting and tinkering.

>In almost every case, corporate Apple got its way; but a few
>nice things were slipped out the door by the ingenious Apple II
>group--often in the guise of leveraging Mac developments (like
>the SuperDrive controller ;-).

We did get the Apple //e card a bit later on which was nice. I would
also have liked to see the Ethernet card that was designed but not
released.