Apple IIx
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| Manufacturer | Apple Computer, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Release date | September 15, 1986 |
| Introductory price | US$999 (equivalent to $2,230 in 2017) (not including monitor) |
| Discontinued | December 1992 |
| Operating system |
Apple ProDOS Apple GS/OS GNO/ME |
| CPU | 2.8 MHz 65C816 |
| Memory | 256 kB or 1 MB (expandable up to 8 MB) |
| Graphics | VGC 12-bpp palette, 320×200, 640×200 |
| Sound | Ensoniq ES5503 DOC 8-bit wavetable synthesis sound chip, 32-channels, stereo |
The Apple IIGS (styled as IIGS), the fifth and most powerful model of the Apple II family, is a 16-bit personal computer produced by Apple Computer, Inc. While featuring the Macintosh look and feel, and capabilities similar to the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST, it still remains backwards compatible with earlier Apple II models. The "GS" in the name stands for "Graphics and Sound," referring to its enhanced multimedia hardware, especially its state of the art audio.
The machine is a radical departure from any previous Apple II, with its 65C816 16-bit microprocessor, direct access to megabytes of RAM, and mouse. It was the first computer produced by Apple to use a color graphical user interface (color was introduced on the Macintosh II six months later) and Apple Desktop Bus interface for keyboards, mice, and other input devices. It is the first personal computer to come with a built-in wavetable synthesis chip, utilizing technology from Ensoniq.
The IIGS set forth a promising future and evolutionary advancement of the Apple II line, but Apple increasingly focused on the Macintosh platform. The IIGS clock speed was intentionally kept lower than the maximum rate possible for the 65C816 so the system would not outperform the Macintosh. The machine outsold all other Apple products, including the Macintosh, during its first year in production. Apple ceased IIGS production in December 1992.
The Apple IIGS made significant improvements over previous machines from the line such as the Apple IIe and Apple IIc. It emulates its predecessors by utilizing a custom chip called the Mega II and used the new Western Design Center 65C816 16-bit microprocessor running at 2.8 MHz, which is faster than the 8-bit NMOS 6502 and CMOS 65C02 processors used in the earlier Apple II models. Use of the 65C816 allows the IIGS to address considerably more RAM.
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