Re: Apple IIGS monitor replacement

["Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com>]

rob wrote:
> 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 ?

Wikipedia says that ADB was designed by Woz in the mid-1980s when
he was looking for an independent project to do.  He designed it in
a month and presented it to Apple.  Apparently, the IIgs group picked
it up first, though the intent was clearly to use it for all future
keyboard/mouse interfaces.

> > 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.

I was one of those, too.  Time has mellowed me some, but I still
regard Apple as quite willing to betray customers anytime it
suits their plans.

Of course, this is true of many companies--but not any *good*
companies.  (I consider Apple neutral--neither good nor bad.)

> > 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.

Of course, the //e card was not *promoting* the Apple II, but
allowing Macs to *replace* it, while offering a Mac path forward.

The //e card removed one of the last obstacles to replacing all the
Apple //e's in schools with Macs.

-michael

NadaPong: Network game demo for Apple II computers!
Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/

"The wastebasket is our most important design
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