#Apple ii mac emulator upgrade
#Apple ii mac emulator software

An aftermarket MWP-303 had been installed. Unlike most Apple II PSUs, this unit was not made by Astec. I was hesitant to simply flip the power switch, so I removed the power supply and gave it a good look. When connected to an external hard drive, the card can move data at up to 1MB per second. And in another stroke of good fortune, the IIGS came with the desirable Apple Hi-Speed SCSI card. I was pleased to see that while the battery was installed, it had not leaked. It also added вЂњsticky keysвЂќ to help disabled users press multiple keys, it enabled keyboard mouse emulation, and a few sound and graphics problems were resolved. Doubling the ROM size from 128K to 256K allowed a portion of the OS toolset to be built-in, speeding up routine operations. It is a ROM 3 model with 1.125MB of RAM installed on the mainboard. This IIGS was likely manufactured in late 1989. Like all Apple II computers, the layout is simple. My first step was to open it up and survey the situation. Since I had just worked on my Apple IIc, I was drawn to the IIGS. Several Macs appeared to be from a nearby university but based on the software, joysticks, and other material accompanying the haul, I could tell the IIGS had been a family mainstay in its day.

This meant they needed to part with a sizeable collection of early вЂ™90s Apple computers and related material. Lucky for me, a pleasant couple was preparing to downsize for retirement. This particular Apple IIGS was my first pickup using Facebook Marketplace. In total, approximately 1.5M IIGS units were sold between September 1986 and December 1992. The first 50,000 IIGS systems were вЂњWozвЂќ limited editions bearing Steve WozniakвЂ™s signature on the front. The notable Ensoniq ES5503 wavetable sound chip (designed by Robert Yannes, the father of CommodoreвЂ™s SID chip) was capable of synthesizing fifteen voices-a far cry from the Apple IIвЂ™s simple beep. It also emulated all Apple II video modes but natively provided 320 x 200 and 640 x 200 resolutions with a 4,096-color pallet. The system had 256K of RAM but could be expanded to an impressive 8MB (later models shipped standard with 1.125MB).

This was an improvement but far from state-of-the-art. In September 1986, Apple introduced the sleek IIGS.

#Apple ii mac emulator software

Paired with the impressive Mega II, which reduced the rest of the Apple II to a single chip, this new computer could run Apple II software and explore new opportunities. Apple used Western Design CenterвЂ™s 65816 processor, as it was an evolution of the MOS 6502, but offered 16-bit registers while retaining extensive 8-bit compatibility. After the Macintosh and Apple IIc launched in 1984, work resumed on a computer that retained Apple II compatibility and provided more memory with improved graphics and sound. Technical problems stymied the projectвЂ™s original design, and complicating matters, Apple needed to avoid upstaging the Macintosh then in development.

#Apple ii mac emulator upgrade

While the Macintosh also used the 68000, Apple targeted that machine for businesses and higher educationвЂ“and priced it accordingly.ДЄpple began working on a significant upgrade to the Apple II as early as 1983. Both computers were built around MotorolaвЂ™s 68000 processor and were aimed squarely at the home market. IBM was advancing to IntelвЂ™s 16-bit processor, but more importantly, Commodore released the Amiga 1000 and Atari the 520ST. A new wave of personal computers emerged in the mid-80s that eclipsed the capabilities of the early 8-bit systems. Only recently did I realize how capably it bridged the 8-bit and later 32-bit eras of home computing.ДЄfter the collapse of the Lisa and Apple III (and with a sluggish start for the Macintosh), Apple begrudgingly advanced the Apple II platform. While I remember a television ad or two, I never had the opportunity to use a IIGS in its prime. While the IIc provided a new form factor, the introduction of the IIGS in 1986 took the Apple II family to another level. The original Apple II first rolled off the assembly line in 1977, and Apple offered only modest improvements for nearly a decade.