Re: Whats it for?

[a_specto@alcor.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

"william strutts" <wrstrutts1@home.com> wrote:

><apple2pd@garp3.icaen.uiowa.edu> wrote in
>> The IIgs upgrade kit for a IIe case came with a new base plate with the
>> correct cutouts for the IIgs MB connectors.  In other words, only the
>> upper part of the IIe case was used.
>
>Doesn't sound like an upgrade.  It sounds like a new system
>in a IIe case.

    I agree. It was more novelty than a true upgrade.
A daughterboard plug-in or revised IIe motherboard that
was halfway between the IIe and IIgs would have been
more along the lines of an upgrade. This was merely a 
case swap. What really should have been done was an
almost immediate discontinuation of the IIe with the IIgs
announced as its official successor.

    Few people did the upgrade because it just made more 
sense  purchasing an official Apple IIgs instead. There 
were too many drawbacks with the IIe to IIgs upgrade:

- US$500 plus dealer installation fees
- IIe motherboard and base plate returned to Apple
- Keyboard not ADB compatible (and often, lack of numeric keypad)
- Many IIgs-specific cards would not fit in IIe's slanted case
- Less robust (IIe) powersupply
- No mouse  

>I thought it would be cool to fit it into a Platinum
>IIe case.

    Hmm, I wonder if Apple ever thought to include a 
small "GS" sticker to place over the "e" for just the
Platinum IIe (those metal badges would look rather 
gaudy on the platinum style case). Guess they left
it up to the user to print out his/her own sticker..

Mitchell Spector
a_specto@alcor.concordia.ca