Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!WPI.BITNET!DSEAH
From: DSEAH@WPI.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Apple IIGS
Message-ID: <8902010559.AA30585@wpi>
Date: 1 Feb 89 05:59:08 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 45

>Looking at the internals of GS/OS, you can see a lot of structure to
>support things Apple II's have never dreamed of.  This is a real Disk
>OS.  I think Apple some people at Apple are definitely committed to the
>IIgs, but it *is* a painful machine to program for.  That is why there
>are still bugs in the tools and GS/OS.  That's what makes it frustrating
>for developers.  That doesn't mean it should be abandoned.

After trying to write some small assembly language programs, I'd say the 65816
*IS* a pain to program.  I especially dislike all those REPs and SEPs.  It
sure doesn't FEEL like a 16 bit machine.  Another thing that bothers me is the
high cost of gathering the resources to program the machine in the first
place.  Slowly I have accumulated the firmware, hardware, programmer's
introduction and tool box reference manuals (thanks, Mark).  Now all I need is
some more memory, a hard disk drive or second 3.5", the GSOS reference, APDA,
and my Orca/M Upgrade!  I guess it is mostly my fault that I haven't really
jumped in and read all the stuff piled on my desk.

--- NOSTALGIA --- :) :) :) *remember* *the* *days* *when* *you* *could* *just*
*boot* *up* *Lisa 2.5* *and* *dig* *out* *What's Where in the Apple II* *and*
*just* *do* *something* *neat*? :) :) :) :) ;)

4 Minutes To Application: Reminds me of the Apple II 48K cassettes.  Full
circle!

Although I got my GS specifically because it wasn't a Mac, the attraction to a
68000/6502 hybrid machine is growing...Imagine that great assembly language on
an Apple II!  But then, the product distinction fades and you end up with a
color Mac!  With such compatibility, one could chuck the Apple II emulation
altogether in a few years!  Is this the master plan? What's a II loyalist to
do?

How did Apple go about making the specs for the Apple IIGS?  Did they only
survey educational markets?  Did they consult on Info-Apple?  GEnie?  Or did
just make it up?  I wish Apple wasn't so tight on this, "we announce no
product before its time" business.  Does this policy have something to do with
the overhyped-underdelivered Macintosh Office a few years ago?

Another garbled message from:
+-------------------------------------------------+
|  Dave Seah --- Worcester Polytechnic Institute  |     Cullowhee Home Grown
+-------------------------------------------------+          Software
|       BITNET:         dseah@wpi.bitnet          |  (for lack of a good name)
|       INTERNET:       dseah@wpi.wpi.edu         |
|       AppleLink PE:   Omnitreant                |
+-------------------------------------------------+