Apple IIGS Computer Review

A brief review of the Apple IIGS and a look at its history.

Summary:
The Apple IIGS was released in September, 1986.
It introduced several new features to Apple computers such as a new operating system (GS/OS) and a new bit-serial computer bus called ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) which was subsequently used by Macintosh computers well into the 90's until USB replaced it. It was a 16-bit machine capable of running at over 10mhz through accelerator cards and upgradable to 8MB of RAM.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Apple
• IIGS
• Computer
• Review
• overview
• demo
• gameplay
• motherboard
• rom
• 00
• 01
• 03
• octoram
• zipgs
• transwarp
• 2gs
• iie
• iic
• ii
• plus
• vintage
• retro
• old
• classic
• 1976
• 1977
• woz
• steve
• wozniak
• jobs
• rastan
• thexder
• silpheed
• arkanoid
• revenge
• of
• doh
• crystal
• quest
• the
• immortal
• will
• harvey
• zany
• golf
• kings
• macintosh
• 1984
• conan
• hall
• volta
• amiga
• versus
• iigs

[MegaKickass666]

should i buy for 100 bucks



[BrianPicchi]

@MegaKickass666

Only if it's a complete setup (Computer, monitor, mouse, keyboard, 5.25" and 3.5" drives) and maybe some software or peripherals. A stock IIGS is very common and typically sells for less than $100. It's the add-on cards like accelerators, RAM, and hard drives that inflate the price dramatically. Even with its shortcomings, it's a fantastic machine with arguably the greatest sound chip of any 80s personal computer.

[dave4shmups]

Excellent review; I just subbed!! Wozniak should get some kind of accolade for designing this excellent machine, IMO. I'd love to get one, but the only place I've looked is Ebay, and they are insanely priced-and you don't even get the monitor, keyboard, or mouse. I should try Craigslist.

[BrianPicchi]

@dave4shmups

Thanks for the sub!  And yes you definitely need to try craigslist, I've gotten the vast majority of mine from there.

[nannynicky4life]

chick magnet. lol!

[BlurDriver25]

Do you have a Macintosh SE?

[TeamRocketReviews]

Screw the mac, Apple IIgs could whoop it's ass anyday!

[GrubGripe]

This is a sweet machine! There might not been quite as many games, but the ones it did have were superior looking and sounding in a direct comparison! I still have mine and fire it up occasionally. Oh, and that's another thing... like all of my Apple products, it still works perfectly too!

[TeamRocketReviews]

@BrianPicchi Atari ST is pretty neat because you can run PAL games on an NTSC system very easily. All you may need is a 50/60Hz disk if you run into any problems.

[BrianPicchi]

@f0ofyBunny

Compared to the original Atari St? It was better designed, easier to access the mobo, had more expandability, fully backwards compatible with 8-bit software, 3200 colors-on-screen, and of course amazing sound and music synthesis that speak for itself.

I never said Amiga users wished they had a IIGS. I said Amiga users respected the sound chip (which was designed by Bob Yannes, creator of the C64's SID chip). By the way, I personally own an Atari ST 1040 STf and an Amiga 500.

[f0ofyBunny]

@BrianPicchi So you mean, it was superior in only one possible way, the sound chip.

I don't think anyone who owned an Amiga wished that they had a IIGS.

[BrianPicchi]

@f0ofyBunny

It was slower and had less 16bit software available, other than that the IIGS was pretty much superior in every possible way including an amazing sound chip that even Amiga users respected. Get a TWGS and upgrade it to 18 mhz and the speed issue would then be with the Atari :)

[f0ofyBunny]

Apple IIGS: Only slightly crappier than an Atari ST.

[Goblues1980]

make me an offer on my apple II gs rom 00 and I might consider it thanks:)

[TeamRocketReviews]

@BrianPicchi How hard is it to find on eBay? Are the great games (Defender Of The Crown, Zany Golf, Rastan, etc.) rare on eBay?

[BrianPicchi]

@TeamRocketReviews

You definitely should. It's an awesome computer!

[TeamRocketReviews]

What a great computer! I might get one of these someday. Classic

[Goblues1980]

@BrianPicchi It is made in 1986, and will go from boot up directly to check start up disk with no version displayed at any time. What is really weird is that it isn't even a WOZ edition, so that may make it very rare.

[BrianPicchi]

@Goblues1980

The ROM 00 version is rare because most ROM 00 users back in the day had Apple upgrade their machines to be ROM 01 because ROM 00 were incompatible with most software built in the late 80s and early 90s. I have one ROM 00 mobo inside its original WOZ edition case. I hardly use it, but it's a great collectors item. One thing I would ask the seller (unless the pictures tell you this) is what the manufacturing date is on the mobo. It should be in 1986 or early '87 if its legit.

[Goblues1980]

This isn't spam but I have an original rom version 00 on ebay right now I came here looking for research, it must be rare because I can't find anything about rom 00

[BrianPicchi]

@Apple2gs

Wow, so the transwarp GS has actually gone up in price since its release. The ZipGS has gone up over 3X the original price. That's nuts! I just assumed that since these things go for around $400-600 nowadays that they would have been more back in the day since virtually all computers and accessories depreciate over time. Thanks for the information!

[Apple2gs]

Correction: The TransWarp GS retailed for US$399 (according to the April '89 issue of A+ Magazine that reviewed it). And I do remember it gradually dropping in price. Sorry for the misquote, I was thinking of the Canadian price, particularly when the exchange rate on the US dollar was so low back then!

[NJRoadfan]

@snake2006 Did you know that Bob Yannes, the creator of the SID chip also had a hand in the design of the Ensoniq 5503DOC used in the IIgs?

[BrianPicchi]

@Apple2gs

Thanks for the info. I couldn't totally recall what the price was back in the day, I had read somewhere they sold for over $1000 at some point, but again I wasn't sure. What I was sure about was that I've seen them sell on ebay for over $500 within the past year.

[Apple2gs]

In regards to CPU accelerator products for the Apple IIGS, neither the TransWarp GS or Zip GS cost "thousands of dollars"--not then or even now. The 7 MHz Zip GS was available for as little as $149 back in late 1990 (the TransWarp GS from the previous year was more costly at around $600, and only 6 MHz).

Users quickly discovered how to modify them to run up to and over 15 MHz.

In the day, upgrades such as an accelerator, additional memory and a hard disk breathed new life into the IIGS!