Re: OS differences between Apple II and Apple IIGS?

[Gregory Weston <uce@splook.com>]

In article <slrnd5jusl.bjf.craIHateSpam@angus.ind.WPI.EDU>,
 "Chuck R. Anderson" <craIHateSpam@wpi.edu> wrote:

> Moll <MollyBaker@Spam.GMAIL.Spam.Spam.Spam.Com> wrote:
> > Alex Ngai wrote:
> >> I'm currently bidding an Apple IIGS on ebay, I want to know more about
> >> this system. It seems that GS has a different CPU than the rest of
> >> Apple II systems. I wonder if the OS is different too. What are the
> >> differences? 
> > 
> > The IIgs's 65816 is just a more advanced 16-bit version of the Apple 
> > //e's 65C02.  Almost all //e software will run on the IIgs.
> > 
> > There is a 16-bit OS for the IIgs which is basically a cross between the 
> > //e's ProDOS and the old MacOS (pre-v7).
> 
> The GS is oh so much more than just a 16-bit processor, though.  It
> has native Super Hi Res graphics, RGB monitor output, and a wonderful
> 32 oscillator Ensoniq sound chip built in.  Many other peripherals are
> also built in, like the serial/printer ports, Smartport disk
> interface, mouse controller, and real time clock.

And an API informed in many ways by the mistakes the Mac team made.


> The GS/OS (and its predecessor, Prodos 16) ran the first color Finder,
> beating out the MacOS which still had a black and white Finder at the 
> time.

Nit: GS/OS, AFAIR, shipped in mid-87 - a few months after Macs got 
color.

-- 
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