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Concept
Apple IIGS
Summary
The Apple IIGS (styled as II), the fifth and most powerful of the Apple II family, is a 16-bit personal computer produced by Apple Computer. While featuring the Macintosh look and feel, and resolution and color similar to the Amiga and Atari ST, it remains 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 microcomputer is a radical departure from any previous Apple II, with a 16-bit 65C816 microprocessor, direct access to megabytes of random-access memory (RAM), and bundled mouse. It is the first computer from Apple with 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 with a wavetable synthesis chip, utilizing technology from Ensoniq.
The IIGS set forth a promising future and evolutionary advancement of the Apple II line, but Apple chose to focus on the Macintosh and no new Apple IIGS models were released. Apple ceased IIGS production in December 1992.
The Apple IIGS made significant improvements over the Apple IIe and Apple IIc. It emulates its predecessors via a custom chip called the Mega II and uses the then-new WDC 65C816 16-bit microprocessor. The processor runs at 2.8 MHz, which is faster than the 8-bit processors used in the earlier Apple II models. The 65C816 allows the IIGS to address considerably more RAM.
The 2.8 MHz clock was a deliberate decision to limit the IIGS's performance to less than that of the Macintosh. This decision had a critical effect on the IIGS's success; the original 65C816 processor used in the IIGS was certified to run at up to 4 MHz. Faster versions of the 65C816 processor were readily available, with speeds of between 5 and 14 MHz, but Apple kept the machine at 2.8 MHz throughout its production run.
Its graphical capabilities are superior to the rest of the Apple II series, with higher resolution video modes and more color.
Official source
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