There's strong arguments for the //c, or using the IIGS as a //e, rather than going for a //e, because everything you need to get started is (hypothetically) included.
The //c works very, very well as an 8-bit Apple II - mass storage isn't so easy, but everything else is already in there, it works well on composite monitors (that's what the Apple II was designed for, actually), and it's basically a smaller //e. (And, you can use the UNISDISK or the Floppy Emu to get mass storage.)
The IIGS isn't as good on composite, but otherwise, it's an even better 8-bit Apple II than the //c, at least on paper. Everything's there, even AppleTalk (which is impossible on a //c and absurdly expensive on a //e), you can expand it if you want (including things like ethernet and mass storage on a card (faster than on SmartPort)), it's faster.
The IIGS as a IIGS is a terrible, terrible machine, though. I'll admit that I've probably dropped $800-1000 into my IIGS, although some of that was into replacement motherboards after motherboard failures... and what I have is a really, really bad Mac with a blurry CRT (thank you AppleColor RGB quality). You really, really need a good 15 kHz RGB solution, and the AppleColor RGB is hard to find in good condition, as the tubes age. The scalers out there aren't great for the IIGS application, the SecondSight video card is really flaky and absurdly expensive, and there's not much in the way of better options than CRTs. (You might be able to hack a CRT TV to take RGB input, though, the on-screen displays on later ones tend to be RGB, so if you interface to the OSD input...) You might, however, get lucky with a color space converter from RGB to YPbPr and a TV that takes component input.
The //c works very, very well as an 8-bit Apple II - mass storage isn't so easy, but everything else is already in there, it works well on composite monitors (that's what the Apple II was designed for, actually), and it's basically a smaller //e. (And, you can use the UNISDISK or the Floppy Emu to get mass storage.)
The IIGS isn't as good on composite, but otherwise, it's an even better 8-bit Apple II than the //c, at least on paper. Everything's there, even AppleTalk (which is impossible on a //c and absurdly expensive on a //e), you can expand it if you want (including things like ethernet and mass storage on a card (faster than on SmartPort)), it's faster.
The IIGS as a IIGS is a terrible, terrible machine, though. I'll admit that I've probably dropped $800-1000 into my IIGS, although some of that was into replacement motherboards after motherboard failures... and what I have is a really, really bad Mac with a blurry CRT (thank you AppleColor RGB quality). You really, really need a good 15 kHz RGB solution, and the AppleColor RGB is hard to find in good condition, as the tubes age. The scalers out there aren't great for the IIGS application, the SecondSight video card is really flaky and absurdly expensive, and there's not much in the way of better options than CRTs. (You might be able to hack a CRT TV to take RGB input, though, the on-screen displays on later ones tend to be RGB, so if you interface to the OSD input...) You might, however, get lucky with a color space converter from RGB to YPbPr and a TV that takes component input.
Last edited by a moderator:
