Re: WANTED: Apple III info

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <ciwane-0402951447250001@s157.union_roberts.haverford.edu>,
Christopher Iwane <ciwane@haverford.edu> wrote:
> I got my first computer, an Apple IIGS, in fifth grade (1985?).

The IIgs was released in September 1986.  (I got my first one in May 1987.)

> For years and years I used that computer and waited for Apple to
> release the Apple III. 

Ah.  I think you got the order a little backwards.  The Apple III was
released in 1980, and was no longer made after 1985 (or thereabouts).

> I've been trying to find out whatever I can about this machine.  The only
> think I know is that the thing obviously was dead on arrival as it's no
> longer around.  

Yep.  The original Apple III was plagued with technical problems,
which didn't do much for the reputation of the machine.  It was
withdrawn and reintroduced in 1981 (was this the Apple III+, or did
that come later?) with the problems fixed.

Unfortunately, in the meantime, IBM had released this interesting
machine called the IBM PC, which was aimed at the same market (small
businesses).  The rest, as they say, is history.

> What are the specs on the Apple III?  Was it a minor mistake or a huge
> debacle?

Digging out my Apple III Owner's Guide (I have the books, but no
computer!):

The processor is a 6502B, running at 2 MHz (at best), or 1.4MHz on
average.  The processor's instruction set and addressing modes are
enhanced somewhat through some external hardware, enabling more than
64k of memory to be accessed directly, for example.

There is at least 128k of RAM, and a RAM board can be added to bring
the machine up to 256k (I think this was standard in the III+).

There is no ROM to speak of: 4k, containing initialization, bootstrap
and diagnostics.  There is no equivalent to the Apple II monitor in
the ROM, and no language built into the computer.  Everything is
loaded from disk.  The only bootable device is the internal 5.25"
drive (though that could be a pre-boot disk for booting properly off a
different device).

The disk format is identical to the Apple II (140k, single sided, 35
tracks).  The Apple III's native operating system is called SOS
(Sophisticated Operating System).  It is a pretty amazing operating
system for such a simple microprocessor, providing loadable device
drivers and a lot of facilities that didn't appear in MS-DOS until
later versions.

SOS was the basis for ProDOS - the same file system was used, and many
of the operating system calls are similar.  (ProDOS is only a disk
operating system, whereas SOS is a full operating system, supporting
character devices as well as disk devices.)  Many features from SOS
also appeared in GS/OS.

Since the file system is the same, SOS and ProDOS disks can be used
interchangeably, and files can easily be transferred between the Apple
II and Apple III.  The boot procedure is slightly different (SOS boots
from block 1, while ProDOS boots from block 0), and it is possible to
set up a ProDOS/SOS disk that will boot either operating system on the
appropriate machine (there probably won't be much disk space left for
applications, though).

A quick list of hardware features:

- Up to three additional 5.25" drives may be daisy-chained from the
back of the computer.  The hardware of the Disk III drive is similar
to the Disk II, but the connector is larger (to allow for
daisy-chaining and some other features).

- Full ASCII keyboard, with Open-Apple and Solid-Apple keys.  The
arrow keys have two pressure levels - push them lightly to repeat
slowly, push them hard to move faster.

- Text screen supports 40x24 and 80x24 in black and white, or 40x24
with 16 foreground and background colours.  The character set is
software programmable (there isn't even a default set in ROM - it is
always loaded from disk).

- Graphics modes are 280x192 black and white, 280x192 with 16 colours
foreground and background (not quite sure what this means), 140x192
with full 16 colours, and 560x192 black and white.  [These are the
equivalent of Apple II modes as follows: hi-res monochrome, no
equivalent, double hi-res colour, dobule hi-res monochrome.]

- Digital RGB and composite video outputs.

- Sound output is via an internal speaker or a connector on the back
(similar to the IIc or IIgs).  Sound generation is via a 6-bit digital
to analog converter (64 level digitized sound generation), a one-bit
square wave generator (similar to the Apple II method), or a fixed
frequency beep generator.

- Built in RS-232 serial port.

- Two joystick connectors (DB-9, but not compatible with the Apple
IIe/IIc/IIgs).  One of the joystick connectors can be used to connect
to a Silentype printer.

- Four 50-pin slots, that are mostly compatible with the Apple II
(some extra functions are available).  The Apple III doesn't use boot
or driver ROMs like the Apple II - all device drivers for I/O cards
are loaded from the system disk.


The Apple III also has a special Apple II emulation mode, implemented
in hardware with some software support.  In this mode, the Apple III
emulates a 48k Apple ][ or ][+.  You cannot add a language card, so
this is a very limited emulation.

After booting the emulator disk (which loads the ROM images and sets
up emulation mode), you can boot any Apple II DOS 3.3 disk that only
requires 48k.  You can also access a configuration menu, which sets up
options such as the ROM language (Integer or Applesoft BASIC) and
serial port parameters.

There is a hardware product (whose name I've forgotten again) which
allows Apple IIe software to be used on an Apple III.  It emulates at
least a 64k IIe (I would expect it to emulate a 128k machine, but I
don't know for sure).


On the software side, the Apple III has improved versions of many
older Apple II applications.  For example, the Apple III version of
Pascal is an improvement over Apple II Pascal, and runs directly under
SOS (whereas Apple II Pascal has its own rather oddball file system).
The Apple III's standard BASIC (Apple III Business BASIC) is a lot
more powerful than Applesoft, and is in the league of GWBASIC or more
modern BASICs.  This language was ported back to the IIgs, as "Apple
IIgs BASIC" but was never developed beyond a beta version.

A key piece of software on the Apple III is an application called "III
Easy Pieces".  This is a combined word processor, database and
spreadsheet, and was the basis for AppleWorks.  III Easy Pieces and
AppleWorks are almost identical in user interface, and data files can
be exchanged between them.

> Any books, or articles on the Apple III or on Apple Computer which
> discuss the Apple III?  Anyone have any old promotional material? 

I think one of the issues of Steve Weyrich's Apple II history covers
the Apple III.

Some of the "History of Apple Computer" type of books probably cover
the machine.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand