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Re: Apple IIgs/OS
- Subject: Re: Apple IIgs/OS
- From: Matt White <mwhite@cmu.edu>
- Date: 1999/01/10
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
- Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
So I just found an Apple //gs down in one of our group's storage rooms
(next to a whole stack of DEC 5000/120s). It appears to be in fairly good
shape, even if it doesn't have many frills (512KB with an original apple
memory card, three floppies, no OS, can probably find a keyboard around
here somewhere...).
I used to have one of these machines when I was a kid and have many fond
memories of it. I've been toying with the idea of putting this system back
together and was wondering what software was available for it these days?
Are there ether adapters for these boxen?
You mention a telnet and web client, do these run under GS/OS? What
programming tools are available?
For some reason, I'd really like to see this box plugged into my TV/stereo,
next to the playstation.
-Matt
--On Sunday, January 10, 1999, 11:46 AM +0000 Supertimer
<supertimer@aol.com> wrote:
> "Gary E Davis" <garyd@gte.net> wrote:
>
>> Hello all
>>
>> I've just purchased a IIgs on Ebay and I've already discovered some
>> things I didn't know: For one thing Its operating system is a GUI. I was
>> under the impression that the MAC/OS was the only Apple GUI.
>>
>> Is the IIgs GUI in any way compatible with the MAC GUI?
>
> The IIGS GUI has many of the features of the Mac GUI,
> but they are not identical. Specifically, they each use
> their own software. However, they are similar enough
> that with the proper software installed, you can read
> Mac floppies, Zip disks, CD-ROMs, and hard drives on
> the IIGS and vice versa.
>
> Welcome to csa2. Since you are a new IIGS user, allow
> me to give you a tour of the system.
>
> The IIGS is an amazing machine given its age. It
> can run a free version of Wolfenstein 3D, has its
> own UNIX, and even its own TCP/IP capable of
> 32 simultaneous sockets! Email is due to be released
> soon and FTP IS ALREADY HERE!
>
> A web browser of sorts is already here as is telnet!
>
> Here are some information and specs for the IIGS:
>
> There are two things you need to do to get the IIGS usable.
> First, get a hard drive for it. http://www.allelec.com/ Alltech
> Electronics sells an internal hard drive for the IIGS that is
> a hard drive on a card. No extra controller needed. It is
> an IDE controller plus notebook mechanism. It costs $59.
> For that price, you also get the most modern Apple IIGS
> System Software, GS/OS (System 6.0.1), which is normally
> on six separate floppy disks (a hard drive is needed to get
> the most out of it). You also get tons of freewares and
> sharewares. The hard drive is called the Focus hard
> drive card. Look for it on the Alltech site.
>
> The other thing is memory. Alltech (see above for web
> site) also sells the Sirius RAM card. They are revising
> their web site, so this product may not yet be on there,
> but just call them and ask. It is a 0-8MB memory card
> that can be expanded in 1MB increments using 1MB
> 30 pin SIMMs. I'm sure you have an old 386 lying around
> that you can gut.
>
> The IIGS' minimum recommended standard is 4MB.
>
> Here are the specs for the IIGS:
>
> 1. Make and Model:
> Apple IIGS
>
> 2. Released:
> 1986 (256K model) and 1989 (1.125MB model)
>
> 3. Follows:
> Apple IIc
>
> 4. Followed by:
> Apple IIc Plus
>
> 5. CPU:
> Western Design Center (not to be confused with Western
> Digital, the hard drive maker) 65C816 running at 2.8Mhz.
> Processor has 24-bit addressing (16MB memory space).
> Speed can be dropped down to 1Mhz for compatibility
> with emulation of IIe applications. Speed can be
> increased to 15Mhz with an add-on CPU card.
>
> 6. ROM:
> 128K in the 1986 "ROM 1" model
> 256K in the 1989 "ROM 3" model (Apple skipped ROM 2
> so as not to confuse "Apple II" with "ROM 2")
> ROM is expandable to 8MB (some cards use ROM
> space as non-volatile battery backed virtual
> disk storage for instant on applications).
> The ROM contains much of the GS Toolbox routines.
> These routines are patched by disk loaded code in
> later system software revisions.
>
> 7. RAM:
> The 1986 model has 256K built-in to the motherboard.
> The 1989 "ROM 3" revision has 1.125MB built into
> memory. The Apple IIGS is expandable to 8MB of RAM
> with the right memory card. Many applications, such
> as Apple Computer's HyperCard program for the GS (GS
> version of the famous Macintosh program) need at
> least 2MB. Extra RAM goes into a special memory
> expansion slot on the motherboard. Both Alltech
> Electronic (http://www.allelec.com ) and Sequential Systems
> (http://www.sequential.com ) are selling 8MB memory cards
> as of October 1998.
>
> 8. Case:
> Attractive platinum ABS impact resistant plastic. The
> keyboard and mouse are separate from the unit, as are
> all disk drives.
>
> 9. Keyboard:
> Full layout keyboard with numeric keypad. The keys
> have good tactile feel and click slightly with each
> keypress. They have rollover for fast typist. The
> Apple IIGS uses Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) standard
> keyboards and mice. This means it can use many such
> input devices designed with the Macintosh in mind.
> Any Mac made after 1986 has an ADB port, but the IIGS
> was the first computer with one.
>
> 10. Display:
> The Video Graphics Chip (VGC) is a custom video chip
> that provides all of the GS' graphics modes. All modes
> use a 12-bit palette for 4096 colors.
> --320x200 with 16 colors
> --320x200 with 256 colors: in this mode, the VGC
> is taking advantage of the fact that it has memory
> for 16 separate palettes. Each scan line can be
> assigned any one of these 16 palettes for a total
> of 256 possible colors. This mode requires no CPU
> assistance and is often used in games.
> --320x200 with 3200 colors: in this mode, the CPU
> is used to swap palettes into and out of video
> memory such that a separate 16 color palette can
> be used on each of the 200 scan lines for 3200
> possible colors. This mode is often used for
> viewing graphics.
> --640x200 with 4 pure colors: this mode is bland
> and is not often used.
> --640x200 with 16 dithered colors: in this mode, the
> pixels in the graphic screen are grouped into
> even and odd columns. The even columns can have a
> palette of 4 pure colors out of a of 4096 possible.
> The odd columns can have a second palette of 4
> pure colors. The GS dithers the adjacent colors
> for 4x4=16 dithered colors. This mode is widely
> used in productivity programs and also in Apple's
> Finder for the GS.
> --Fill mode: for faster rendering of graphics, the
> fill mode is a hardware mode in which an outline
> of a graphic can be drawn and the outline filled
> by a solid color without needing to draw in all the
> pixels.
> --Combinations and variations: the Apple IIGS has
> scan line interrupts. Part of the screen can
> be in 640x200 mode and part of it can be in 320x200
> resolution. Such split modes are sometimes used
> in paint programs, where the menu bar is in 640x200
> while the graphic is in 320x200.
>
> SVGA modes with 24-bit color can be added with an additional
> video card (see the Second Sight SVGA card at Sequential
> Systems http://www.sequential.com/ ). The card is capable
> 1024x768 resolutions with an SVGA monitor.
>
> The Apple IIGS also has all the graphics modes found on
> the Apple IIc.
> --Text mode: 40x24 and 80x24. Characters are formed
> by a 7x8 pixel matrix. Text mode is monochrome but
> can be set to a specific color. The background
> and boarder can each be set to different colors.
> Text mode is rarely used in GS programs since the
> OS, GS/OS, has a graphic desktop.
> --Low Resolution: 40x48 pixels in 16 colors.
> --Double Low Resolution: 80x48 pixels in 16 colors.
> --High Resolution: 280x192 pixels in 6 colors
> --Double High Resolution: 560x192 pixels in 16 colors.
> --Combinations/Variations: 4 lines of text mode can
> be mixed with a truncated Low Resolution or High
> Resolution mode graphic. The text in mixed mode can
> be either 40 column or 80 column.
>
> 11. Audio:
> The Apple IIGS uses the 32 channel Ensoniq 5503 DOC
> wavetable sound chip used in Ensoniq's Mirage and ESQ-1
> synthesizers. Although classics today, the Mirage and
> the ESQ-1 were professional synthesizers into the late
> 1980s. The 32 channels are commonly paired by the OS
> tools of the GS into 16 stereo voices, with one voice
> being reserved by the system for timing and the system
> beep. The GS is commonly called a 15 voice unit.
> Programs that don't use the OS and hit the hardware
> directly (games and demos) can use the 32 channels as
> 32 separate voices.
>
> See this link for more information:
>
> http://www.ensoniq.com/multimedia/semi_html/index.htm
>
> 12. Media:
> The "SmartPort" external drive port supports both Apple
> IIe/IIc UniDisks (3.5" and 5.25" models) and Apple IIGS
> daisy-chain 3.5" drives and Apple 5.25" disks. It is
> also designed to support the Chinook CT-series 20MB to
> 100MB SmartPort hard drives, but Apple IIGS users
> usually add an SCSI card to the system for faster hard
> drive access.
>
> The difference between a UniDisk and a IIGS 3.5" drive
> is that the IIGS drive is controlled directly by the
> computer while the UniDisk has a separate processor.
> The UniDisk is thus much slower (up to 4x slower) than
> a IIGS 3.5" drive.
>
> The SmartPort can support two 800K 3.5" drives, two
> 140K 5.25" drives, and one 100MB CT100 hard drive
> simultaneously daisy-chained to each other.
>
> The Apple IIGS often shipped with the Apple High Speed
> (DMA) SCSI controller in an expansion slot for
> controlling SCSI devices. Even 100MB Zip Drives and
> 1GB Jazz Drives work on this SCSI port.
>
> A SuperDrive can controller can be added for using
> 1.44MB high density floppy drives.
>
> The Apple IIGS' operating system, GS/OS, is modular.
> Like the Macintosh OS, INIT, extension, Desk Accessory
> and Control Panel files can be added. These appear
> under the Apple menu in GS/OS programs such as Finder.
> GS/OS also supports the installable file system concept.
> Apple made several file system translators (FST)
> available: ProDOS, DOS 3.3, Pascal (UCSD), MS-DOS,
> ISO9660 (CD-ROM), and HFS (Mac). Using the HFS file
> system, the GS can access a single storage partition
> of up to 2GB. It also supports multiple partitions,
> some ProDOS (32MB per partition) and some HFS.
>
>
> 13. Input/Output:
> Two RS-423 ports (uses Zilog chip, same as Mac, for
> Appletalk and 56.7k serial port max)
> Composite display output (NTSC or PAL depending on the
> country)
> ADB port (for keyboard and mice)
> RGB monitor output (Drives an analog RGB monitor.
> Besides Apple's, Amiga and Atari ST
> monitors work with the right cable)
> External Drive "SmartPort" (IIGS daisy chain 3.5" or
> UniDisks 3.5" drives, Apple 5.25"
> drives, and CT-series 20MB to 100MB
> hard drives)
> Joystick port
> Headphone connector
> Seven Apple Bus expansion slots (inherited from IIe)
> One Ensoniq sound connector (for input to the ADC for
> recording samples and access to the raw synthesizer
> output signals).
> One special memory expansion slot (supports up to 8MB
> of RAM expansion and 8MB of ROM expansion).
>
>
> 14. Trivia:
> The Apple IIGS was designed in response to the
> Amiga 1000 and Atari 520ST computers. It was and is
> a quantum leap for the Apple II line. Sales were
> strong initially and the IIGS even outsold the
> black and white Macintosh units that were its
> contemporary. Sadly, Apple wanted Macintosh to be
> its future. The total number of advertisements and
> commercials can probably be counted on one hand. If
> the computer had been introduced a year or two earlier,
> things might have been different. As things stood,
> the Apple IIGS disappeared from the market in 1992.
>
> In one final gasp, the Apple II supporters at Apple
> designed the Apple IIGS Plus, code named "Mark Twain."
> It had an 8Mhz 65C816, a built in SuperDrive, 2MB
> on the motherboard, and a hard drive. Prototypes
> were leaked and one user group has one and wrote a
> series of articles about it. Apple management vetoed
> this unit.
>
> The Ensoniq chip in the Apple IIGS was a brilliant
> move by Apple, but it drew a lawsuit by Apple Records,
> the Beatles' company. Apple never again put a synth
> chip in any computer. Even today, Macintosh does not
> have hardware synthesizers. Macintosh needs to go
> around this with software based synthesis.
>
> In a twist of irony, you can currently do preemptive
> multitasking (like Amiga) on the Apple IIGS with the
> addition of a free product called GNO/ME, providing a
> UNIX like multitasking kernal under the GUI, much like
> AmigaDOS...while Macintosh lacks such a capability
> until Rhapsody is released (well, there was a UNIX
> variant for Macintosh, but it was discontinued by Apple).
> The Apple IIGS also has the ability to do cooperative
> multitasking (Macintosh style) with a product called
> The Manager...works to turn the GS Finder into a
> Macintosh type Finder (allows more than one program
> open and overlapping on the GUI and cooperative time
> slicing).
>
> 15. Emphasis:
> Small business, Home, Education, Gaming, Programming
>
> 16. Net Resources:
> http://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/ (1.7GB A2 knowledge and
> software repository)
> http://www.sequential.con/ (Video cards and storage)
> http://www.allelec.com/ (Various hardware and software)