Re: IIGS clone?

[Mitchell Spector <mitch2gs@hotmail.com>]

defenton@mts.net wrote:

>Did anyone ever produce an Apple IIGS clone? I know //e and //c clones
>exist.

    No, however early prototypes were designed by VTech and Bill Heineman.

    Vtech was working on next generation Laser computer that was compatible
with Apple IIgs software, and much like the Laser 128 series, added features
above and beyond the original Apple (i.e. faster CPU and better graphics).
They actually demonstrated a prototype at the first KansasFest in 1989.
I think Apple prevented it by refusing to license the Apple IIgs toolbox.

    In the early 90's Bill Heineman was working on a project called "Avatar",
which was to be a state of the art computer (32-bit?, DSP processor, SVGA
graphic modes, etc) with backwards compatibility with the Apple IIgs. He 
actually rewrote the Toolbox to get around licensing from what I recall but
the hardware project itself never got off the ground.

    And although not quite a clone, Apple was rumoured to have been working
on an Apple IIgs Card for the Macintosh LC series (much the same concept as
the Apple IIe Card) but it turned out too costly to produce and so cancelled.

Mitchell Spector