Re: On this day, 10 years ago...

[joe@smoe.com (Joe Seeley)]

>>     I still have fond memories of the day I unpacked my (then brand
>> new) GS and set it up. I doubt any other computer I buy in future
>> will provide as much excitement as the GS did for me on that day.
>> ....
>
>
>     Back in January of 1981, my dad ordered a ][+. The day it arrived
<snip...>
>     We got a GS in October of 1986. (My dad shelled out around $2300,
>and that was without a second 3.5" drive!)  It was another 'red letter
>day', though, I guess, your first computer is always kind of special. 

I think that was the same month and year when we got ours.  My aunt (an 
elementary school teacher and thus privy to the coveted educational "discount" 
at the time) bought a //c in '84 (up from a TRS-80 Model 4p) and I thought it 
was the greatest thing since sliced bread.  When she told me she was getting a 
new one I kinda shrugged my shoulders since I thought the //c was the end all 
be all.  "Who needs a better system?"  Note that while I enjoyed it I did not 
think or feel the same way about the TRaSh-80 (though I still hold it fondly 
in my memory).  When the day arrived that fall in '86 my aunt let me (I was 14 
at the time) unpack it and set it up.  I remember laughing and thinking, "What 
the heck is this stupid mouse for?  What a gimmick!"  having only the Coco 
series of computers (with their stainless steel rollerball) to compare to.

We did the cool intro tour for the IIGS and figured out how to start up the 
OS.  Whatever it was, it was not GS/OS.  Many years later I found out that it 
was this third party graphical shell for the II series which Apple bought out 
and was actually capable running on other II's.  It was gray and in double-hi, 
not super hi res.  I guess GS/OS (or whatever they originally called it) 
wasn't ready yet.  By the end of the day, we were happily, nay, ectastically 
having fun with the built in color paint program.

Of course, this was the original I believe 512k, one floppy system.  Another 
3.5 floppy was promptly ordered and within a couple years we had a 60MB (maybe 
40) CMS SCSI hard drive.  Upon installing it, I confidently told my aunt, "You 
will never have need of more storage space!"  I have similarily fell flat on 
my face everytime I have made such a prediction since then (I can really 
relates to Bill G's 640k statement, who would'va thunk?).

>     Anyway, the GS and ][+ still get plenty of use. Were Apple to
>release the "IIgs Millenium", I'd probably buy the thing, buy a new
>Apple mug and keychain, and get excited all over again.

Dittos, In a heartbeat.  Too bad WDC never popped out the 65832.  I know that 
it is supposedly "impossible" but that is certainly hogwash.  With enough 
money, time and talent, anything can be done.

In any case, I don't think it was just the era, although that was part of it.  
The whole aura, personality, and hackibility of the thing has not been seen 
since.  Back then, going to a user group meeting was like going to Church on 
Sunday.  I'm not joking!  The comradery (sp?) was amazing.

The elitist and closed system of the Mac (and the users publically repeated 
snubbing of the II series and users) back then made me puke.  I remember 
calling one guy a traitor for switching.  On the other hand, the PC world I 
went into never, ever came close to rival the personal warmth and affection I 
had for the II's.  And still doesn't 'til this day even though I work with 
them, in them and on them all day every day.

Sincerely,

Joe Seeley
Ojai, CA  USA