Re: IIgs and TV

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

In article <HAGSTROM.94Jan20104559@alfredo.mit.edu> hagstrom@athena.mit.edu (Paul A Hagstrom) writes:
> The older model //s could be connected to a normal TV for use as a
> monitor (albeit, a rather ucky-looking one usually, but a monitor
> nevertheless).  Does the IIgs have this option, or do you need a
> dedicated monitor for it?

If you use a colour TV with the IIgs, you will find the display is OK
in 40-column text mode and low-resolution, high-resolution and super
high-resolutin 320 mode.  80-column text, double high-resolution and
super high-resolution graphics in 640 mode will be hard to read (so
hard, I wouldn't recommend trying to do this).

You would probably be better off getting a composite monitor (even a
monochrome one) for the IIgs, and connecting a colour TV if you wanted
to play games or use colour.

> (I ask because I've got a Mac and I'm hoping I can just buy the IIgs
> CPU and use my current keyboard/mouse and TV).

The keyboard and mouse should work fine, assuming you have a Macintosh
with ADB (Mac SE or later), and aren't using the Apple "ergonmic"
(split) keyboard.  You cannot connect the keyboard and mouse to both
computers at once, and should power down both computers when changing
them over.

The IIgs CPU doesn't have any disk drives, so you'll need to get an
external 800k 3.5" drive (Apple 3.5 Drive or SuperDrive, if possible)
unless you have one already.


You should be able to get a full IIgs system reasonably cheaply now -
I don't think it is worth trying to fiddle around with swapping
keyboards and monitors.
-- 
David Empson                                                               
dempson@swell.actrix.gen.nz                                                
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand