Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!dali.cs.montana.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!sdd.hp.com!wuarchive!uunet!munnari.oz.au!diemen!tasman!steveh From: steveh@tasman.cc.utas.edu.au (Steven Howell) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: What can an Apple III do? Message-ID: Date: 9 May 91 06:31:24 GMT References: <517130cd.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM> Sender: news@diemen.utas.edu.au Lines: 30 The apple /// is a legend apple piece of gear. It was actually the creator of proDOS (professional Disk Operating System), with its version S0S (Sophisticated Operating System). I used to work with machines about 8 years agon, when i was back in high school. I mainly repaired these units. From a hardware point of view they were not really designed for what that time era could allow. Apple attempted to use advanced techniques for the /// that simply ended up with a mass failure rate. Some of these were things like trying to squeeze 6 tracks between the pins of a chip, using mass memory boards, but because of low density memory, and the +/- power requirments and the bad tempory connections between the logic and memory boards, this created problems and ended up with general memory failures. The /// for its time, was advanced. On board clock, builtin disk controller serial ports, RGB, touch sensitive keys, hard disk, Joysticks, expansion slots . Everything. It was everything every one wanted in a //. But they made sure that it would never be fully // compatible because of the market and each machines catagorie. I think you should score this machine and check it out. Its ok to a degree, but after a while you may get bored with what power it has to offer. At least its // compatible. That was about the only thing going for it, as apple made sure (unintentionally) that its software base never got off the ground. steve h