IIGS clone?

defe...@mts.net

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Dec 17, 2005, 9:12:24 AM12/17/05

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Did anyone ever produce an Apple IIGS clone? I know //e and //c clones
exist.

Michael J. Mahon

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Dec 17, 2005, 7:04:49 PM12/17/05

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defe...@mts.net wrote:
> Did anyone ever produce an Apple IIGS clone? I know //e and //c clones
> exist.

Too many custom chips and (later) too small a market to justify it.

-michael

Music synthesis for 8-bit Apple II's!
Home page: http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/

"The wastebasket is our most important design
tool--and it is seriously underused."

Mitchell Spector

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Dec 17, 2005, 7:53:18 PM12/17/05

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defe...@mts.net wrote:

>Did anyone ever produce an Apple IIGS clone? I know //e and //c clones
>exist.

No, however early prototypes were designed by VTech and Bill Heineman.

Vtech was working on next generation Laser computer that was compatible
with Apple IIgs software, and much like the Laser 128 series, added features
above and beyond the original Apple (i.e. faster CPU and better graphics).
They actually demonstrated a prototype at the first KansasFest in 1989.
I think Apple prevented it by refusing to license the Apple IIgs toolbox.

In the early 90's Bill Heineman was working on a project called "Avatar",
which was to be a state of the art computer (32-bit?, DSP processor, SVGA
graphic modes, etc) with backwards compatibility with the Apple IIgs. He
actually rewrote the Toolbox to get around licensing from what I recall but
the hardware project itself never got off the ground.

And although not quite a clone, Apple was rumoured to have been working
on an Apple IIgs Card for the Macintosh LC series (much the same concept as
the Apple IIe Card) but it turned out too costly to produce and so cancelled.

Mitchell Spector

Sean Fahey

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Dec 17, 2005, 10:51:18 PM12/17/05

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Michael J. Mahon wrote:
> defe...@mts.net wrote:
>
>> Did anyone ever produce an Apple IIGS clone? I know //e and //c clones
>> exist.
>
>
> Too many custom chips and (later) too small a market to justify it.
>

The //GS was cloned, according to Tony Diaz - he saw the prototype that
never went to market. I think he said it was around 1993... eh, next
time I see him in chat, I'll get the details.

I think it was a VTech (ie Laser) but I may be mistaken.

Michael J. Mahon

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Dec 18, 2005, 4:13:00 AM12/18/05

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My comments stand. Management is seldom the first to get the
word.

Terry Olsen

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Dec 18, 2005, 10:27:05 AM12/18/05

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Where does Tony Diaz chat? When I lived in San Diego, I used to go over to
his house quite often and play Apple. Would be nice to talk to him again. I
kinda thought he wasn't playing Apple anymore since he took up flying...

"Sean Fahey" <a2...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:W05pf.34484$dO2....@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net...

Mark Percival

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Dec 18, 2005, 10:41:29 AM12/18/05

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"Terry Olsen" <tols...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Where does Tony Diaz chat? When I lived in San Diego, I used to go over to
>his house quite often and play Apple. Would be nice to talk to him again. I
>kinda thought he wasn't playing Apple anymore since he took up flying...

He's a regular at Syndicomm.com. You'll find him in chat there almost
all of the time.

-- Mark

Try DiskMaker 8
http://www.syndicomm.com/~mark/DM8/

Sean Fahey

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Dec 18, 2005, 12:51:37 PM12/18/05

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Hi Terry

Tony reads here now and then, but is mostly to be found on Syndicomm
where he's pretty much on daily in the RTC.