Questions tagged [apple-iigs]
For questions related to the Apple IIgs computer.
31
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How does the Apple IIgs color compare to the Apple Macintosh color?
There has been an interesting discussion of how to convert Classic Macintosh Color to sRGB, which begs a second question. How does color on the IIgs compare to that of Classic Macintosh? I'm asking ...
4
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1
answer
421
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How to repair IIgs 3.5 floppy drive?
The Apple 3.5" Drive on my IIgs still reads disks, but eject no longer works. The failure to eject is silent, no errors, noise, or motion. With a paperclip I can get the disks ejected but this is ...
2
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1
answer
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How to write Apple IIgs .po disk images to Floppy Disks with an older Mac
I recently acquired an Apple IIgs with two 3.5" floppy drives and no hard disk. I'm very seasoned with older Macs, but I have no experience within the Apple II world.
I search for a way to create ...
20
votes
2
answers
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How did the Apple IIGS automatically slow 5.25 inch disk I/O code for backwards compatability?
Apple II software often used hard-coded timing for 5.25 inch floppy disk I/O, for example to control the duration of each track step or the rate at which bytes are written and read from the disk. ...
8
votes
2
answers
628
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Could the Apple IIGS play any and all Amiga MOD files?
The Apple IIGS has a wavetable synthesis sound chip with dedicated 64 kilobytes of RAM.
I assume the sound architecture dictates that samples have to be loaded into that dedicated RAM to be able to be ...
7
votes
2
answers
846
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How to print from a IIgs to a modern printer?
How can I get a IIgs to print to a modern printer? The IIgs is running Appleworks GS under System 6.0.3 with 2 MB of RAM and a hard disk. Ethernet is an option as I have a LocalTalk to Ethernet ...
2
votes
1
answer
332
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How to load into FAST RAM on Apple IIgs?
The Apple IIgs (last, ROM03 version) came with 128K of standard RAM and 1M of FAST RAM. The distinguishing characteristic of the FAST RAM is that code running from there can run at 2.8 MHz instead of ...
7
votes
1
answer
251
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Why does the Apple IIgs FPI chip buffer the A14 address signal to the ROM?
In the Apple IIgs computer, the address and data buses of the 65C816 CPU connect directly to the onboard ROM, except for A14, which, according to the schematic, is routed through the FPI ASIC. There's ...
10
votes
1
answer
813
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Why wasn't the Z6 version of the Infocom Z-machine ported to the IIgs?
Infocom ported their Z-machine to nearly every viable platform in the 70s and 80s. Zork runs on around 18 different 8/16 bit platforms using earlier versions of the Z-machine. Why was Z6 the graphical ...
5
votes
2
answers
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Does the Apple IIgs FPI assert /CROMSEL for *write* accesses to the extended ROM space?
The FPI (fast processor interface) ASIC in the Apple IIgs generates the /CROMSEL chip-select signal, which is used to select a ROM in the memory expansion slot. Obviously the /CROMSEL signal must be ...
4
votes
1
answer
151
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Is it possible to write IIgs floppies from a Powermac 7100?
I haven't gotten around to making/sourcing a cable for ADTPro, but I was thinking perhaps I can just write a few disks with a 7100 I have sitting around since those drives can read/write GS and PC ...
1
vote
0
answers
152
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Apple IIGS: Is there a way to boot and run an Apple II OS in E0/E1 in native CPU mode?
Apple //GS: Is there a way to boot and run an Apple ][ OS in E0/E1 in native CPU mode? No GS features are required. 1MHz clock like on previous Apple2s is perfect. The reason for needing this is ...
3
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2
answers
2k
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AppleTalk adapters to bridge LocalTalk to Ethernet?
What AppleTalk adapters can bridge LocalTalk to Ethernet? There are some adapter that allow LocalTalk printers to show up on ethernet, but I want to allow computers to talk. My IIgs has LocalTalk but ...
5
votes
1
answer
437
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A game where you could sell body parts for cash
Ages ago I played a scifi game on the Apple IIgs where you could sell body parts for cash. The game involved travel between planets and selling parts of yourself was a last ditch option to raise money ...
4
votes
2
answers
429
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Can you replace an Apple IIgs battery with regular AA alkalines?
I have a IIgs that I clipped the battery out of a few years back. I'm thinking I want to replace a battery in there, but before I spend money on a product like this one, I'm trying to figure out if I ...
16
votes
1
answer
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How does Apple ][gs hardware dithering work?
I haven't been able to find an easily comprehensible description of the super hi-res, dithered 16-color, 640x200 mode of the Apple ][gs.
I can tell from the references I did locate, this is a ...
12
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1
answer
1k
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Help identify old Apple game from 80s (Apple II, Apple IIGS)
I am trying to remember the name of a game I played on Apple II or Apple IIGS.
From what I can remember, the beginning of the game you are looking for your lost uncle or something. You to another ...
4
votes
0
answers
333
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How to use IIgs enhanced graphics modes in AppleSoft BASIC with System 6?
There are many packages that let you use the enhanced graphics modes of the IIgs in AppleSoft BASIC. However most packages like Iconix do not like System 6 so they have to run off disks and not the ...
13
votes
2
answers
493
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What is stored in IIgs BRAM?
What is stored in the IIgs BRAM? I'm going to replace my BRAM battery in a ROM 03 IIgs and that got me thinking about what is stored in BRAM. I know that date and time are stored, but not if all the ...
20
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1
answer
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Apple IIgs: Hardware implementation of RAM shadowing
On the Apple IIgs, the 256K of built-in main memory is divided into two sections: The "fast" RAM, banks 00 and 01, and the "slow" RAM, banks E0 and E1. CPU access to slow RAM required the CPU to slow ...
13
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3
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Apple II GS versus Mac Plus cost
I just came across a fascinating video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h4tepFbMso&t=78s which makes a coherent case - I don't feel I can pass a final verdict on whether he's right or wrong, but a ...
16
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answers
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Reason for popularity of Apple IIGS
According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_IIGS the Apple IIGS, in its year of introduction, outsold the Macintosh, without being substantially cheaper than it. This is somewhat counterintuitive:...
9
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1
answer
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How can I tell if an Apple II disk image is bootable?
I have around 500 floppy disk images from an Apple II and IIgs BBS/usergroup that closed down recently. Some of the disks are bootable, but many aren't. Is there an easy way to tell if a disk boots ...
5
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answers
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Checklist for powering up an Apple IIgs?
I've just been given an Apple IIgs that hasn't been turned on since 1999. What's a reasonable set of checks to go through to make sure I don't toast the thing the first time I plug it in?
The machine ...
14
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1
answer
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How did Apple's 'CYA' chip function to "Control Your Apple"?
Unlike the original Apple ][, the Apple IIGS was built from highly-integrated custom chips. Among these were the Mega II and the CYA (which, apparently stands for "Control Your Apple").
From what I ...
8
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1
answer
544
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How many cards can safely be put in a IIgs?
The Apple IIgs can have the usual seven cards an Apple II can have plus RAM which has an additional slot. Other devices can end up inside the IIgs such as an adapter for the Game I/O socket or the ...
9
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3
answers
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What is the maximum amount of memory that can be added to an Apple IIGS?
I thought it was 4 Megabytes but I can see there are 8 Megabyte expansion cards. Is that the maximum? And is that an addressing/bank limit or a limit of the slot?
13
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1
answer
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What FSTs (File System Translators) exist for the Apple IIGS?
Apple supplied some, were there others that other people wrote? What is the complete list of FSTs available?
16
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2
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Inserting NOPs to improve IIgs shadow copy performance
The answer to this question discussed a technique on the Apple IIgs for copying memory onto itself. The motivation for the technique was to maximize use of "fast" (2.8MHz) RAM over "slow" (1MHz) RAM ...
6
votes
2
answers
395
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How do I interpret the old Mac character set?
Older Macintoshes and the Apple IIgs used a custom character set for documents and filenames. Each character was held in an 8-bit byte, using 0x00-0x7F for ASCII, and 0x80-0xFF for various symbols ...
22
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2
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1k
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How do I use shadowed memory to render Super Hi-Res quickly?
The Apple IIgs video memory is controlled by the 1MHz Mega II chip, so directly accessing the Super Hi-Res page in bank $E1 is slower than accessing other memory. How can I render in "fast" memory, ...