APPLE II

The family of the APPLE II was the first series of microcomputers conceived by Apple towards the end of the Années 1970 and at the beginning of the Années 1980. Completely different from the later computers of Apple which are the Macintosh, the APPLE II had an architecture mainly 8 bits.

The ancestor was the Apple I which was a machine built artisanalement and sold to the amateurs. He was not never produced in quantity, but cut through the path of several of the characteristics making of the APPLE II a success. The first manufactured personal computer with large scales was the APPLE II. The machine begins its career near the impassioned users with residence, but the exit of the first Tableur, VisiCalc the killer-app (software opening a new essential field) as one will say later, allowed his entry in the professional world and a very important increase in its sales, making the sudden richness of the Apple company at that time.

(See the data-processing Chronology to have the comings out date of the models of the APPLE II family - the APPLE II of 1977, II more, IIe, IIc and IIGS.)

The part of the name in “II” was successively written by using a multitude of average graph by using symbols of punctuation. Thus II and IIe were generally written “] and “and the IIc were written “//c”, as well on the handbooks as the machines themselves.

History

The first APPLE II

The first APPLE II computers were sold from 1298 $ for the version 4 KB (and 2638 $ for the version 48 KB) with a microprocessor MOS given rhythm Technology 6502 to 1 MHz, 4 KB of Random access memory, a Cassette player, and the computer programming language integer BASIC in the ROMANIAN S which allowed the play Appletrek with quadrants of 8 8. The video controller in capital letters posted 24 lines by 40 columns of text only on the screen, with a composite video out NTSC for posting on a monitor, or a television by a modulator HF. The users could save and charge with the programs and the data on audio cassettes. Other computer programming languages, plays, applications and any other software were available on cassettes.

Later a Disk drive S 5 ¼ " (13 cm) external, the Disk II , with its chart of controller to be connected in one of the slots of the computer, allowed a storage and a recovery of the data much more convenient. The interface of disk drive created by Steve Wozniak is still regarded as a wonder of technology. The chart controller had very little material, being based on loops of software synchronization in the place to use a coding necessary. The controller also used a form of recording of code in group, which was simpler and easier to apply logiciellement than MFM, more commun run. That significantly reduced the general cost for the users to residence. This also helped the originators of software owners so that the media on which the applications are recorded are with difficulty copiables by using turns such as changing the formatting of low level of the sectors or even making a jump with the play-back head between the tracks. However, other groups sold thereafter software such as Copy II more and Locksmith which thwarts such restrictions but obliges for that of the long copies, difficult and not very reliable.

The open design of Wozniak and the slots of multiple extensions of Apple made it possible a large variety of third peripherals to increase the possibilities of the machine. The controllers series, the improved controllers of posting, the memory cards, the hard drives and the components network were available for this computer at that time. There were also charts of emulator, such as the chart Z80 which made it possible the Apple computers to rock on the Z80 processor and to carry out a multitude of programs developed under the operating system CP/M such as database DBASE II and word processing WORDSTAR programs it. There was also a chart 6809 with which one could make turn OS-9 Level One. The chart its Mockingboard considerably improved the audio possibilities of the APPLE II. One will see even thereafter a chart called accelerating chart which doubles or quadruple the speed of the computer.

The family develops

The APPLE II was replaced by the APPLE II more , which included the computer programming language BASIC Applesoft, signed Microsoft. It had 48 Kio of memory, extensible to 64 Kio via a chart of language , and added the use of arithmetic to floating decimal point in the ROMANIAN (previously available like update). It thus sacrificed the speed of execution of calculations on the integers, but n the other hand, allowed the users to quickly rock between the languages whole BASIC and floating decimal point . Any program in memory not recorded was then unobtrusive. The addition of the chart of language also allowed the use of compilers Pascal and FORTRAN 77 of UCSD, left for Apple at this time. The European version (manufactured in Ireland) named APPLE II europlus .

This one was followed Apple IIe , a version at reduced cost, which used new chips to decrease the full number of components. It posted finally the capital letters and tiny and had 64 Kio of extensible RAM with 128 Kio. IIe could also post text moreover high-resolution (80 columns) with an add-on card 80 columns . IIe was probably the most popular Apple of series II and was largely regarded as the war-horse of the series.

About at the same time, a computer called Apple III was produced. This one was intended to the business men and bored forever on the market, primarily for reasons of reliability (it had been conceived to function without ventilator in order not to create noise pollutions, but thermal bendings and débombages of charts ended up harming the quality of the contacts). Steve Wozniak was quoted saying that Apple III had a rate of failure of 100%.

Apple produced later its first portable APPLE II called Apple IIc ( C for C ompact). It used the processor 65C02 (updated of the 6502) and comprised controllers integrated for common peripherals such as the disk drives, the modems, etc, which previously required add-on cards. However, because of its compactness, Apple IIc was limited in its extensions. The code name of Apple IIc was “Lolly” in certain internal documents of before its exit. Little time after having left Apple IIc, Apple presented the Enhanced Apple IIe , which used the processor 65C02. A final version of IIe known under the name of Platinum Apple IIe was presented later. She added a digital keyboard and had a color of case different from the other versions of IIe.

The following member (and most powerful) of the family was the Apple IIGS ( G raphic/ S ound), left in 1986. The IIGS comprised a processor 65C816 to 2,8 MHz with registers 16 bits and 24-bit of addressing, a sound processor Ensoniq, more memory, better colors, more peripherals (with a permutable controller between the models of charts for IIe and IIc) of which certain compatible with those of the Macintosh (keyboard, mouse, adapter network Localtalk) and GS/OS, an operating system derived from Mac OS. The company Applied Engineering developed several expander cards for the APPLE II range of which PC To transport , allowing to add a PC XT (V30 processor, RAM of 768 Kio, graphic mode CGA) under the cap.

The APPLE II last was the Apple IIc more , presented in 1988. It had about the same size as the IIc, but the disk drive 5 ¼ was replaced by one 3 ½, the food was integrated in the computer (with the IIc, the major part of the food was in an external block), and an accelerator integrated into 4 MHz (license of Zip Technologies ). This last made of the IIc plus the official APPLE II fastest (of other models of accelerating charts frequently exceeded this speed; IIe and the IIc could be given rhythm to 10 MHz with the accelerating chart of RocketChip , and the ZipGS or the Transwarp could give rhythm the IIGS with 12 MHz or more).

The Apple Macintosh eclipsed the sales of the APPLE II around 1986. Apple continued to sell and support the IIGS until in 1992 - 1993, mainly because of its use in the schools. It supported IIe until in 1996. This was due in particular to the many systems of video games which used the same chip as IIe, such as for example the BORN. The tests of the plays conceived for this chip were much better on IIe than on a PC or Mac.

In 1987, is three years after the launching of the family of Macintosh, the APPLE II family still represented for Apple more half of its benefit.

The APPLE II will finish its long life, embarked in the range Macintosh LLC which accommodates a slot making it possible to insert an emulation board APPLE II.

Life after death

Nowadays, even a PC turning under Microsoft Windows can emulate the important models of the APPLE II with an emulator such as AppleWin by copying the discs by a connection series. However the emulators cannot carry out software coming from media protected from the copy unless using “aces”, or to remove the restrictions of copy of the software. Many images disc of APPLE II software are available freely on Internet. There is currently a movement to convince the owners of copyright of APPLE II software to officially authorize the free distribution without restriction of their software.

A homage not very common to the APPLE II is a “hack” of XScreenSaver named “bsod”. The saver of screen bsod reproduces the aspect of the screens of computer of various operating systems at the time of a planting (including the blue screen of died of Windows, according to which it is named). In the case of the APPLE II, the screensaver follower really posting used, thus the screen will seem to contract while the blocks of the texts ignite and die out. Naturally, the saver of screen makes a little more than to show a screen deformed in an interesting way.

Impact on industry

It is difficult to consider the impact colossal that the family of the APPLE II computers had on the business world and particularly on technological industry. The APPLE II was the first computer which the majority of people ever saw: accessible for families of middle-class, small size and profiting for the first time of software useful and usable by all, it was thus the first computer to be democratized. This popularity allowed the emergence of the markets of video games on computer and educational softwares; and a boom on the market of the word processing, the impression by computer, and the business applications like VisiCalc, first spreadsheet. VisiCalc alone allowed the sale of very many APPLE II professionals. In addition, success on the market in residence inspired the creation of other inexpensive personal computers such VIC-20 (1980) and the Commodore 64 (1982), which thanks to their low costs, allowed the introduction of computers into several million hearths (unfortunately thus start the market shares of Apple).

The success of the APPLE II also led IBM to create the IBM PC, which was then bought by junior staff of all branches of activity to use spreadsheves and word processing (initially imported versions of APPLE II, they inspired later the creation of new applications).

One of the lessons which the first APPLE II enabled us to draw, was the importance of an open architecture. The slots of extensions which made it possible any chart to take the control of the bus, allowed the starting of an industry independent of manufacture of charts. A great quantity of products was thus worked out, and the users had freedom to create systems finally more powerful and more useful (at lower cost) than all than could then have produced Apple, if he had preferred an owner system. Thereafter, Apple did not manage to equip its first models with Macintosh of such an opened architecture, which was a major handicap for their popularization. Left at the same time, IBM PC profited as for him from an opened architecture, which contributed largely to its great success, although, IBM not managing to prevent the creation of clones, it saw itself finally eclipsed by competitors such as Dell, Compaq/Hewlett-Packard, and Gateway.

Features

APPLE II (June 1977)

processor: MOS Technology 6502 8 bit with 1 MHz
drunk system: 1 MHz
RAM: 4 Kio, extensible to 64 Kio
: 12 Kio
posting: 24x40 characters. 6 color in 280x192, color 4 bit in 40x48
sound: High speaker interns
reader: audio cassettes
slots of extension: 8 ports owners
ports: composite video out

APPLE II + (June 1979)

processor: MOS Technology 6502 8 bit with 1 MHz
drunk system: 1 MHz
RAM: 48 Kio, extensible to 64 Kio
: 12 Kio
posting: 24x40 characters. 6 colors in 280x192, color 4 bit in 40x48
sound: High speaker interns
reader: audio cassettes
slots of extension: 8 ports owners
ports: composite video out

Apple IIe (January 1983)

processor: MOS Technology 6502 8 bit with 1 MHz
drunk system: 1 MHz
RAM: 64 Kio, extensible to 128 Kio
: 16 Kio
posting: 24x40 characters. color 1 bit in 560x192, color 4 bit in 140x192
sound: High speaker interns
reader: diskette, audio cassettes
slots of extension: 8 ports owners
ports: composite video out

Apple IIc (April 1984)

processor: MOS Technology 65C02 8 bit with 1.024 MHz
drunk system: 1,4 MHz
RAM: 128 Kio, extensible to 1 Me
: 32 Kio
posting: 24x80 characters. color 4 bit in 40x48, color 3 bit in 280x192, color 1 bit in 560x192
screen: 9" monochromic green or orange
sound: High speaker interns
reader diskette: 5 ¼ " 143 KB intern
slots extension: No the slot of extension but several ports owners (series, disc, mouse, etc)
ports: catch péritel, 2 ports series, port for external reader, connector for mouse, lever or joystick

Apple IIe Enhanced (1984)

processor: MOS Technology 65C02 8 bit with 1 MHz
drunk system: 1 MHz
RAM: 128 Kio
: 16 Kio
posting: 24x80 characters. color 1 bit in 560x192, color 4 bit in 140x192
sound: High speaker interns
reader diskette: 5 ¼ " 143 KB intern
slots extension: 8 ports owners
ports: composite video out

Apple IIgs (September 1986)

processor: Western Design Center 65SC816 16 bit with 2,8 MHz
drunk system: 2,8 MHz
RAM: 256 Kio, extensible to 8 Me
: 128 Kio, extensible to 1 Me
posting: 24x80 characters. color 2 bit in 640x200, color 8 bit in 320x200, pallet of 4096 colors
sound: High speaker interns
reader diskette: 5 ¼ " 143 KB or 3 ½ " 800 KB external
slots of extension: 7 ports owners
ports: catch péritel, 2 ports series, port for external reader, 1 port ADB, 1 port lever or joystick

Apple IIc+ (1988)

processor: MOS Technology 65C02 8 bit with 4 MHz
drunk system: 4 MHz
RAM: 128 Kio, extensible to 1 Me
: 32 Kio
posting: 24x80 characters. color 4 bit in 40x48, color 3 bit in 260x192, color 2 bit in 560x192
screen: 9" monochromic green
sound: High speaker interns
reader diskette: 3 ½ " 800 KB
slots of extension: 8 ports owners
ports: catch péritel, 2 ports series, port for external reader, connector for mouse, lever or joystick
not marketed in France (at least by the official circuits)

to see too

Apple DOS

External bonds

http://www.aventure-apple.com/ordis/apple2.html
http://www.aventure-apple.com/ordis/apple3.html
http://www.silicium.org/apple/apple2/apple2plus.htm
hackzapple.com the line of the APPLE II in detail

Random links: