Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iameatingjam1

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 28, 2013
28
1
Seen one of these complete with original monitor, keyboard, mouse, two floppies drives and a joystick for a $150(good deal?). I don't want this to just sit on a shelf, I want to know if its any fun!

I know it only has a 2.5mhz cpu or something like that, is it painfully slow?

I absolutely love my mac SE, but I know some of the best apple II/IIGS games were ported to mac. I like the high resolution black & white graphics better. Are there many other good Apple II/IIGs games that aren't on mac?

Does running stuff on it kind of work like the original macs? In the sense that the OS is so small that you can fit it and a game/APP on a 800K floppy? Or would I have to have a boot floppy and then a game on a different one? Cause one drive is 5.25"...

Finally, can I easily make boot floppies and write games for it from my beige g3's floppy drive? Thanks!
 

David Schmidt

macrumors 6502
Aug 22, 2006
319
11
Southeastern USA
Seen one of these complete with original monitor, keyboard, mouse, two floppies drives and a joystick for a $150(good deal?). I don't want this to just sit on a shelf, I want to know if its any fun!
That's probably full retail, but the monitor is good to have (assuming it's the RGB model), and of course you don't have anything else to buy.

I know it only has a 2.5mhz cpu or something like that, is it painfully slow?
It's 2.5x faster than an IIe. It's pretty snappy if you look at it from that perspective.

I absolutely love my mac SE, but I know some of the best apple II/IIGS games were ported to mac. I like the high resolution black & white graphics better. Are there many other good Apple II/IIGs games that aren't on mac?
I'm sure there are, but that would have a little something to do with your own personal taste, not any kind of absolute measure. Some of the really early Apple II games probably didn't get ported, so if that suits your taste (and childhood memories), it might be for you.

Does running stuff on it kind of work like the original macs? In the sense that the OS is so small that you can fit it and a game/APP on a 800K floppy? Or would I have to have a boot floppy and then a game on a different one? Cause one drive is 5.25"...
Games are generally self-contained on a floppy. 5.25" games would be for the original Apple II series, and so work fine on the GS - but don't take advantage of the extra graphics and sound. Up through multi-disk games that do... it all depends. And the GS can run them all.

Finally, can I easily make boot floppies and write games for it from my beige g3's floppy drive? Thanks!
Easily? Well, sort of. It will be able to write the 3.5" floppies, but not the 5.25" variety.

By the by... a title like "Apple IIGS, any good?" is a little like going into a Mustang car group and asking, "Mustangs, any good?" Just looks a little, ah, trollish...? ;-)
 

tdiaz

macrumors 6502
Feb 7, 2006
477
73
I'll say that if you're comparing it to the Mac SE you're going to be sorely disappointed. They're simply not the same.

..and the typical stock configuration to be assumed of 1MB RAM and that 3.5" floppy drive is hardly enough to run the better OS versions.

The basic IIgs system is more like a real nice //e system until some more RAM and storage space is added.
 

iameatingjam1

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 28, 2013
28
1
Thanks for the replies, the apple IIs were discontinued before I was born so they don't hold any nostalgic value for me.

So would I be able to fit a GUI based OS and shareware game on a 800KB floppy from my beige g3? I would like to avoid using the 5.25 if possible.

I am also considering a cheaper bundle of just the computer and two disk drives for $70 buying a cheap tube tv for display.
 

David Schmidt

macrumors 6502
Aug 22, 2006
319
11
Southeastern USA
Thanks for the replies, the apple IIs were discontinued before I was born so they don't hold any nostalgic value for me.
Ok. As tdiaz notes, you may well be disappointed.

So would I be able to fit a GUI based OS and shareware game on a 800KB floppy from my beige g3? I would like to avoid using the 5.25 if possible.
Just barely. You could fit GSOS 5 or 6 on a single disk, but not much else.

I am also considering a cheaper bundle of just the computer and two disk drives for $70 buying a cheap tube tv for display.
The problem with that is the on-screen legibility goes waaaaaaay down on a TV, especially at the GS' highest resolution. You'll be much happier with an RGB display (hopefully part of your original bundle).
 

tevion5

macrumors 68000
Jul 12, 2011
1,966
1,600
Ireland
The basic IIgs system is more like a real nice //e system until some more RAM and storage space is added.

Heck I was born in 1995 and I own an Apple II Plus and a 512Ke.

I just like them because they make me happy. :p
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.