Re: What apple ][ is the best?

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article rubywand@swbell.net writes...

>     All things considered, the IIgs is the best Apple II. It will run
>most ancient ][, ][+ wares and IIe, IIc wares. If you attach a composite
>color video monitor, hires and double-hires will look as good on a IIgs
>as on an unmodified ][+, etc..

    Actually, if you hook a color composite monitor into the back
of a IIgs, it will look slightly different from an 8-bit Apple II.
You need to look very closely to see it, but the pattern of dots
that make of pixels differs slightly. It makes dithering in High
and Double-High-Res look less effective. I recall an issue of
either A+ or InCider actually had an article about this.

    Off hand I don't remember the exact issues why, but I would
guess either it has to do with the VGC chip or differences with
the output from the composite RCA jack.

>     If you had asked "Which Apple ][ was the best fun?" my answer would
>be the ][+ purchased by anyone at the beginning of the 80's. Ours
>supplied untold hours of gaming entertainment and, probably, just as
>much fun writing programs and experimenting with hardware mods.

    It definitely was. The next best thing to setting up my IIgs
for the first time, was getting my Apple II Plus clone back in
the early 80's! I must have played hundreds of different games
in a year -- and I have to admit, although computers like the
C64 had higher quality graphics and sound, I'm glad I bought an
Apple II because it taught me about exploring, tinkering and
trouble shooting hardware. A few weeks ago assembling a Pentium
from parts was as fun (and simple) as playing with Lego blocks,
something I can probably attribute to years of playing with the
inner guts of an II Plus. :-)

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca