Happy 30th, Apple IIGS!
The Apple IIGS, my first computer, celebrated its 30th birthday on September 15th. While both my IIGS’s (one purchased new, the other purchased in the early 90s) haven’t had power coursing through their “veins” in years, there have been some noteworthy tidbits of late that retro enthusiasts might be interested in.
The first is an update to the venerable ProDOS operating system, by John Brooks. ProDOS 2.4 brings updates to the operating system that work even on the original Apple ][ and ][+ line. You can drive it via a web emulator to see what’s new.
It should be noted that GS/OS received a similar update last year, bumping its version from 6.0.1. to 6.0.2. This new version includes driver updates to support the unreleased Apple II Ethernet card, and fixes various bugs within the toolset and file translation system.
I also ran across a rather nice article on using the Apple IIGS keyboard with a modern Mac. The IIGS keyboard had a great tactile feel and ranks high in my list of favorite keyboards. I still have one in my garage. I might be tempted to putting it into use, providing I can find a reasonably priced iMate adapter.
It’s nice to know that the venerable Apple // still has enthusiasts supporting the platform. While I love the Apple II, I’m still waiting for a good solution that will enable me to hook up my IIGS to a modern HDMI display. There are a few cobbled together solutions but I haven’t dipped my toe into those waters. My old RGB monitor gave up its ghost many, many years ago. I have a rare Second Sight VGA card (purchased new when it was first released), but haven’t tested it in a while.
If you’re an Apple // enthusiast, you owe it to yourself to check out A2 Central.
-Krishna
Ben Rosenthal
September 18, 2016 at 4:12 pmAdorable! But why is there an OWC Express enclosure inside?
Krishna
September 22, 2016 at 5:43 amThe OWC express was placed in the IIGS to hide it from my desk. This was during the long period of time where the IIGS wasn’t plugged in and dormant.