Apple II series

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This article is about the series of home = computers based on=20 the inital Apple II. For the first computer in the series, see Apple II.

It has been suggested that portions of this = article=20 be moved=20 into Apple II. = (Discuss)

This article's use of external=20 links may not follow Wikipedia's policies=20 or guidelines= .=20 Please improve this article by removing excessive = and=20 inappropriate external links. (February = 2011)

The 1977 Apple II, shown here with = Disk II=20 floppy disk drives and a 1980s-era Apple Monitor II. The Apple II = featured an=20 integrated keyboard, sound, a plastic case, and eight internal expansion = slots.

The Apple II series (Trademarked with brackets as "Apple ][") = is a set=20 of 8-bit home=20 computers, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer=20 products,^[=
1]=20 designed primarily by Steve=20 Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer (now Apple=20 Inc.) and introduced in 1977 with the original=20 Apple II. In terms of ease of use, features and expandability the = Apple II=20 was a major technological advancement over its predecessor, the Apple I, a = limited-production=20 bare circuit=20 board computer for electronics hobbyists that pioneered many = features that=20 made the Apple II a commercial success. Introduced at the West = Coast=20 Computer Faire in 1977, the Apple II was among the first successful = personal=20 computers; it launched the Apple company into a successful business (and = allowed=20 several related companies to start). Throughout the years, a number of = models=20 were sold, with the most popular model remaining relatively little = changed into=20 the 1990s. By the end of production in 1993, somewhere between five and = six=20 million Apple II series computers (including about 1.25 million = Apple=20 IIGS models) had been produced.^[2]

The Apple II became one of the most recognizable and successful = computers=20 during the 1980s and early 1990s. It was aggressively marketed through = volume=20 discounts and manufacturing arrangements to educational institutions = which made=20 it the first computer in widespread use in American secondary schools. = The=20 effort to develop educational and business software for the Apple II, = including=20 the 1979 release of the popular VisiCalc=20 spreadsheet, made = the=20 computer especially popular with business users and families.^[=
3][= 4][= 5]

The original Apple II operating=20 system was contained in ROM=20 along with Integer=20 BASIC. Programs were entered, then saved and loaded on cassette = tape. When=20 the Disk II=20 was implemented in 1978 by Steve Wozniak, a Disk Operating System or DOS = was=20 commissioned. The final and most popular version of this software was Apple DOS 3.3. Some = commercial=20 Apple II software booted directly and did not use standard DOS formats. = This=20 discouraged the copying or modifying of the software on the disks and = improved=20 loading speed. Apple DOS was superseded by ProDOS,=20 which supported a hierarchical filesystem and larger storage devices. = With an=20 optional third-party Z80-based=20 expansion = card^[6]=20 the Apple II could boot into the CP/M=20 operating system and run WordStar,=20 dBase=20 II, and other CP/M software. At the height of its evolution, towards = the=20 late 1980s, the platform had the graphical look of a hybrid of the Apple = II and=20 Macintosh=20 with the introduction of the Apple IIGS. By 1992, the = platform=20 had 16-bit=20 processing capabilities, a mouse-driven Graphical = User=20 Interface, and graphics and sound capabilities far beyond the = original.

Despite the introduction of the Motorola 68000-based Apple Lisa system = in 1983,=20 and its more successful cousin the Macintosh=20 in 1984, the relatively unsophisticated Apple II series was Apple's = primary=20 revenue source for most of the following decade. At its peak, it was a=20 billion-dollar-a-year industry with its associated community of = third-party=20 developers and retailers. The Apple IIGS was sold until = the end=20 of 1992; the last II-series Apple in production, the IIe, was = discontinued on=20 October 15, 1993.

[edit]=20 Design

The Apple II was designed to look more like a home appliance = than a=20 piece of electronic equipment.^[=
7]=20 The lid popped off the beige plastic case without the use of tools, = allowing=20 access to the computer's internals, including the motherboard=20 with eight expansion=20 slots, and an array of random access memory (RAM) sockets that could = hold up=20 to 48 kilobytes worth of = memory=20 chips.

The Apple II had color and high-resolution graphics=20 modes, sound capabilities and one of two built-in BASIC=20 programming languages (initially Integer=20 BASIC, later Applesoft=20 BASIC). The Apple II was targeted for the masses rather than just = hobbyists=20 and engineers; it also influenced most of the microcomputers that = followed it.=20 Unlike preceding home microcomputers, it was sold as a finished consumer = appliance rather than as a kit (unassembled or preassembled). = VanLOVEs Apple=20 Handbook and The Apple Educators Guide by Gerald VanDiver and = Rolland=20 Love reviewed more than 1,500 software programs that the Apple II series = could=20 use. The Apple dealer network used this book to emphasize the growing = software=20 developer base in education and personal use.

The Apple II series had a keyboard built into the motherboard shell, = with the=20 exception of the Apple=20 IIGS which featured an external keyboard. An upgrade = kit was=20 sold later to house the motherboard of an Apple IIGS in = an Apple IIe=20 case.

[edit]=20 Models

[edit]=20 Apple II

An Apple II computer with an = external modem

The first Apple II computers went on sale on June 5, 1977^[=
8]=20 with a MOS=20 Technology 6502=20 microprocessor running at 1 MHz,=20 4 KB of RAM,=20 an audio=20 cassette interface for loading programs and storing data, and the Integer BASIC = programming=20 language built into the ROMs.=20 The video controller displayed 24 lines by 40 columns of monochrome,=20 upper-case-only (the original character set matches ASCII characters = 0x20 to=20 0x5F) text on the screen, with NTSC=20 composite = video output=20 suitable for display on a TV monitor, or on a regular TV set by way of a = separate RF=20 modulator. The original retail price of the computer was US$1298^[=
9]=20 (with 4 kB of RAM) and US$2638 (with the maximum 48 kB of = RAM). To=20 reflect the computer's color=20 graphics capability, the Apple logo on the casing was represented = using=20 rainbow stripes,^[=
10]=20 which remained a part of Apple's corporate logo until early 1998. The = earliest=20 Apple II's were assembled in Silicon=20 Valley, and later in Texas;^=
[11]=20 printed=20 circuit boards were manufactured in Ireland and Singapore.

An external 5=C2=BC-inch floppy=20 disk drive, the Disk=20 II, attached via a controller card that plugged into one of the = computer's=20 expansion slots (usually slot 6), was used for data storage and = retrieval to=20 replace cassettes. The Disk II interface, created by Steve Wozniak, = was=20 regarded as an engineering masterpiece for its economy of electronic=20 components.^=
[12]= [13]=20 While other controllers had dozens of chips for synchronizing data I/O = with disk=20 rotation, seeking the head to the appropriate track, and encoding the = data into=20 magnetic pulses, Wozniak's controller card had few chips; instead, the = Apple DOS used = software to=20 perform these functions. The Group Code=20 Recording used by the controller was simpler and easier to implement = in=20 software than the more common MFM.=20 In the end, the low chip count of the controller helped make Apple's = Disk II the=20 first affordable floppy drive for personal computers. As a side effect,=20 Wozniak's scheme made it easy for proprietary=20 software developers to copy-protect=20 the media on which their software shipped by changing the low-level = sector=20 format or stepping the drive's head between the tracks; inevitably, = other=20 companies eventually sold software to foil this protection. Another = Wozniak=20 optimization allowed him to omit Shugart's Track-0 sensor. When the = Operating=20 System wants to go to track 0, the controller simply moves 40 times = toward the=20 next-lower-numbered track, relying on the mechanical stop to prevent it = going=20 any further down than track 0. This process, called "recalibration", = made a loud=20 buzzing (rapid mechanical chattering) sound that often frightened Apple=20 novices.

The approach taken in the Disk II controller was typical of Wozniak's = design=20 sensibility. The Apple II used several engineering shortcuts to save = hardware=20 and reduce costs. For example, taking advantage of the way that 6502=20 instructions only access memory every other clock cycle, the video = generation=20 circuitry's memory access on the otherwise unused cycles avoided memory=20 contention issues and also eliminated the need for a separate refresh = circuit=20 for the DRAM chips. Rather than use a complex analog-to-digital circuit = to read=20 the outputs of the game controller, Wozniak used a simple timer circuit = whose=20 period was proportional to the resistance of the game controller, and = used a=20 software loop to measure the timer.

The text and graphics screens had a complex arrangement (the = scanlines were=20 not stored in sequential areas of memory) which was reputedly due to = Wozniak's=20 realization that doing it that way would save a chip; it was less = expensive to=20 have software calculate or look up the address of the required scanline = than to=20 include the extra hardware. Similarly, in the high-resolution graphics = mode,=20 color was determined by pixel position and could thus be implemented in=20 software, saving Wozniak the chips needed to convert bit patterns to = colors.=20 This also allowed for sub-pixel font=20 rendering since orange and blue pixels appeared half a pixel-width = further to=20 the right on the screen than green and purple pixels.^=
[14]

Color on the Apple II series took advantage of a quirk of the NTSC=20 television signal standard, which made color display relatively easy and = inexpensive to implement. The original NTSC television signal = specification was=20 black-and-white. Color was tacked on later by adding a 3.58-MHz = subcarrier=20 signal that was partially ignored by B&W TV sets. Color is encoded = based on=20 the phase=20 of this signal in relation to a reference color burst = signal. The=20 result is that the position, size, and intensity of a series of pulses = define=20 color information. These pulses can translate into pixels=20 on the computer screen.

The Apple II display provided two pixels per subcarrier cycle. When = the color=20 burst reference signal was turned on and the computer attached to a = color=20 display, it could display green by showing one alternating pattern of = pixels,=20 magenta with an opposite pattern of alternating pixels, and white by = placing two=20 pixels next to each other. Later, blue and orange became available by = tweaking=20 the offset of the pixels by half a pixel-width in relation to the = colorburst=20 signal. The high-resolution display offered more colors simply by = compressing=20 more, narrower pixels into each subcarrier cycle. The coarse, = low-resolution=20 graphics display mode worked differently, as it could output a short = burst of=20 high-frequency signal per pixel to offer more color options.

The epitome of the Apple II design philosophy was the Apple II sound=20 circuitry. Rather than having a dedicated sound-synthesis chip, the = Apple II had=20 a toggle circuit that could only emit a click through a built-in speaker = or a=20 line out jack; all other sounds (including two, three and, eventually,=20 four-voice music and playback of audio samples and speech synthesis) = were=20 generated entirely by software that clicked the speaker at just the = right times.=20 Not for nearly a decade would an Apple II be released with a dedicated = sound=20 chip (though with six expansion slots, users could add sound = functionality via a=20 soundcard like the Mockingboard).=20 Similar techniques were used for cassette storage: the cassette output = worked=20 the same as the speaker, and the input was a simple ze= ro-crossing=20 detector that served as a relatively crude (1-bit) audio digitizer. = Routines=20 in the ROM were used to encode and decode data in frequency-sh= ift=20 keying for the cassette.

Wozniak's open design and the Apple II's multiple expansion slots = permitted a=20 wide variety of third-party devices, including Apple II = peripheral cards such as Serial=20 controllers, display controllers, memory boards, hard disks, and = networking=20 components. There were plug-in expansion=20 cards =E2=80=93 such as the Z80-card^[6]=20 =E2=80=93 that permitted the Apple to use the Z80=20 processor and run a multitude of programs developed under the CP/M operating = system,^[6]=20 including the dBase=20 II database and the WordStar=20 word processor. There was also a third-party 6809=20 card that would allow OS-9 Level One to be run. = The Mockingboard = sound card=20 greatly improved audio capabilities, allowing simple music synthesis and = text-to-speech functions. Eventually, Apple=20 II accelerator cards were created to double or quadruple the = computer's=20 speed.

[edit]=20 Apple II = Plus

Main article: Apple II = Plus

Apple II Plus

The Apple II Plus, introduced in June 1979,^=
[15]= [16]= [17]= [18]=20 included the Applesoft=20 BASIC programming language in ROM.=20 This Microsoft-authored = dialect of=20 BASIC, which was previously available as an upgrade, supported = floating-point=20 arithmetic, and became the standard BASIC dialect on the Apple II series = (though=20 it ran at a noticeably slower speed than Steve Wozniak's Integer = BASIC).

The Apple II Plus was otherwise identical to the original Apple II. = The=20 smaller memory sizes were no longer available, so the II Plus always had = a total=20 of 48 kB of RAM, expandable to 64 kB by means of the "language = card",=20 a 16 kB RAM expansion card that could be installed in the = computer's slot=20 0. The Apple's 6502 microprocessor could support up to 64 kB of = memory, and=20 a machine with 48 kB RAM reached this limit because of the = additional=20 12 kB of read-only memory and 4 kB of I/O addresses. For this = reason,=20 the extra RAM in the language card was bank-switched over the machine's = built-in=20 ROM, allowing code loaded into the additional memory to be used as if it = actually were ROM. Users could thus load Integer BASIC into the language = card=20 from disk and switch between the Integer and Applesoft dialects of BASIC = with=20 DOS 3.3's INT and FP commands just as if they had the BASIC ROM = expansion card.=20 The language card was also required to use the UCSD=20 Pascal and FORTRAN=20 77 compilers, which were released by Apple at about the same time. = These ran=20 under the UCSD p-System = operating=20 system, which had its own disk format and emitted code for a "virtual = machine"=20 rather than the actual 6502 processor. The UCSD P-system had a curious = approach=20 to memory=20 management, which became even more curious on the Apple=20 III. A fine collector's item, often reported values in excess of = $400 at=20 antique shows.

A TEMPEST=20 approved version of the Apple II Plus called the Microfix was developed = in 1980=20 by the Geo= rgia=20 Tech Research Institute for U.S.=20 Army FORSCOM.=20 Fielded in 1982, the Microfix system was the first tactical system using = video=20 disk (Laserdisk)=20 map technology providing zoom and scroll over map imagery coupled with a = point=20 database of intelligence data such as order=20 of battle, airfields, roadways, and bridges.^=
[19]= [20]= [21]

[edit]=20 Apple II = Europlus=20 and J-Plus

After the success of the first Apple II in the United States, Apple = expanded=20 its market to include Europe, Australia and the Far East in 1978, with = the=20 Apple II Europlus (Europe, Australia) and the Apple II = J-Plus=20 (Japan). In these models, Apple made the necessary hardware, software = and firmware=20 changes in order to comply to standards outside of the U.S. The power supply was = modified=20 to accept the local voltage, and in the European and Australian model = the video=20 output signal was changed from color NTSC=20 to monochrome PAL=20 =E2=80=93 an extra video card was needed for color PAL graphics, since = the simple tricks=20 Wozniak had used to generate a pseudo-NTSC signal with minimal hardware = did not=20 carry over to the more complex PAL system. In the Japanese version of = the=20 international Apple, the keyboard layout was changed to allow for Katakana writing = (full Kanji = support was=20 clearly beyond the capabilities of the machine), but in most other = countries the=20 international Apple was sold with an unmodified American keyboard; thus = the=20 German model still lacked the umlauts, = for example.=20 For the most part, the Apple II Europlus and J-Plus were identical to = the Apple=20 II Plus. Production of the Europlus ended in 1983.

[edit]=20 Apple IIe

Main article: Apple IIe

An Apple IIe with DuoDisk and = Monitor //.

The Apple II Plus was followed in 1983 by the Apple=20 IIe, a cost-reduced yet more powerful machine that used newer = chips to=20 reduce the component count and add new features, such as the display of = upper=20 and lowercase letters and a standard 64 kB of RAM.

The IIe RAM was configured as if it were a 48 kB Apple II Plus = with a=20 language card; the machine had no slot 0, but instead had an auxiliary = slot that=20 for most practical purposes took the place of slot 3, the most commonly = used=20 slot for 80-column cards in the II Plus.

The auxiliary slot could accept a 1 kB memory card to enable the = 80-column display. This card contained only RAM; the hardware and = firmware for=20 the 80-column display was built into the Apple IIe, remaining fairly = compatible=20 with the older Videx-style cards, even though the low-level details were = very=20 different. An "extended 80-column card" with more memory expanded the = machine's=20 RAM to 128 kB.

As with the language card, the memory in the 80-column card was = bank-switched=20 over the machine's main RAM; this made the memory better suited to data = storage=20 than to running software, and in fact the ProDOS=20 operating system, which was introduced with the Apple IIe, would = automatically=20 configure this memory as a RAM=20 disk upon booting.

Third-party aux-slot memory cards later allowed expansion up to = 1 MB. The 1 K 80-column card also enabled = one new=20 graphics mode, Double Lo-Res (80=C3=9748 pixels). The extended 80-column = card enabled=20 two, Double Lo-Res and Double Hi-Res (560=C3=97192 pixels). Both modes = doubled the=20 horizontal resolution in comparison to the standard Lo-Res (40=C3=9748) = and Hi-Res=20 (280=C3=97192) Modes; in the case of Double Hi-Res, the number of = available colors=20 was increased as well, from 6 to 15. Apple IIe's from the very first = production=20 run cannot use Double Hi-Res. Neither of these modes was directly = supported by=20 the built-in BASIC, however, so the user had to resort to the use of = lots of=20 POKE and CALL commands in BASIC, or assembly language programming, or = one of a=20 number of software Toolkits to exploit these modes.

While it was possible for software to switch out the 80-column = firmware,=20 making the firmware of a card in slot 3 available with a card in the = auxiliary=20 slot, it was not a common thing to do. However, even with the 80-column = firmware=20 enabled, slot 3's I/O memory range was still usable, giving it = approximately the=20 capability of slot 0 on a II or II plus. This meant that it actually was = possible to use slot 3 for things, such as coprocessor cards and = language cards,=20 that did not use slot firmware space.

Introduced with the IIe was the DuoDisk, essentially two Disk II = 5.25-inch=20 drives in a single enclosure designed to stack between the computer and = the=20 monitor, and a new controller card to run it. This controller was (by = design)=20 functionally identical to the original Disk II controller but used a = different=20 connector, allowing a single cable to control both drives in the = DuoDisk. The=20 DuoDisk was plagued by reliability problems, however, and did not catch = on as=20 well as the Apple IIe itself.

The Apple IIe was the most popular Apple II ever built and was widely = considered the "workhorse" of the line. It also has the distinction of = being the=20 longest-lived Apple computer of all time =E2=80=93 it was manufactured = and sold with=20 only minor changes for nearly 11 years. In that time, following the = original,=20 two important variations were introduced known as the Enhanced= =20 IIe (four new replacement chips to give it some of the features of = the later=20 model Apple=20 IIc, including an upgraded processor called the 65C02) and the Platinum=20 IIe (a modernized new look for the case color to match other Apple = products=20 of the era, along with the addition of a built-in numeric keypad). An = Enhanced=20 IIe with 128 kB of RAM can be considered the minimum requirement = for=20 running most Apple II software released after about 1988.

Two and a half years before the Apple IIe, Apple had produced and = marketed a=20 computer called the Apple=20 III for business users. This product was not a success, and = Steve=20 Wozniak has been quoted as saying that the Apple III had a 100% failure = rate =E2=80=93=20 every single machine manufactured had some kind of fault (a famous Apple = technical bulletin recommended dropping the machine vertically onto a = table to=20 re-seat the DIP chips in their loose sockets^{[citation=20
needed]}). Still, many of its features were carried = over in=20 the design of the Apple IIe, without the manufacturing flaws that led to = failures in the Apple III. Among them was the ProDOS operating system, = which was=20 based on Apple III's Sophisticated Operating System (SOS).

[edit]=20 Apple IIc

Main article: Apple IIc

The Apple IIc was Apple's first = compact and=20 portable computer.

Apple released the Apple=20 IIc in April 1984, billing it as a portable Apple II, because it = could=20 be easily carried, though unlike modern portables=20 it lacked a built-in display and battery. The IIc even sported a = carrying handle=20 that folded down to prop the machine up into a typing position. It was = the first=20 of three Apple II models to be made in the Snow = White design=20 language, and the only one that used its unique creamy off-white = color.= [22]=20 (The other Snow White computers from the Apple II series, the=20 IIGS and the IIc Plus, were light gray, called "Platinum" = by=20 Apple.)

The Apple IIc was the first Apple II to use the 65C02=20 low-power variant of the 6502 processor, and featured a built-in = 5.25-inch=20 floppy drive and 128 kB RAM, with a built-in disk controller that = could=20 control external drives, composite video (NTSC or PAL), serial = interfaces for=20 modem and printer, and a port usable by either a joystick or mouse. = Unlike=20 previous Apple II models, the IIc had no internal expansion slots at = all, this=20 being the means by which its compact size was attained. Third parties = did=20 eventually figure out how to wedge up to 1 MB of additional memory = and a=20 real-time clock into the machine, and a later revision of the = motherboard=20 provided an expansion slot that could accept an Apple memory card = bearing up to=20 1 MB of RAM. The disk port, originally intended for a second = 5.25-inch=20 floppy drive, eventually was able to interface to 3=C2=BD-inch disk = drives and (via=20 third parties) even hard disks.

To play up the portability, two different monochrome LCD displays = were sold=20 for use with the IIc's video expansion port, although both were = short-lived due=20 to high cost and poor legibility. (An Apple IIc with the smaller of = these=20 displays appeared briefly in the film 2010.)=20 The IIc had an external power supply that converted AC power to = 12 V DC,=20 allowing third parties to offer battery packs and automobile power = adapters that=20 connected in place of the supplied AC adapter.

The Apple IIc (in its American version) was the first microcomputer = to=20 include support for the Dvorak=20 Simplified Keyboard, which was activated using a switch above the = keyboard.=20 This feature was also later found in late-model American Apple IIe = computers=20 (though the switch was inside the computer) and in the Apple = IIGS=20 (accessible via the built-in control panel). The international models = used the=20 same mechanism to switch between the localized and the American keyboard = layouts, but did not offer Dvorak.

[edit]=20 Apple = IIGS

Main article: Apple IIGS

The Apple IIGS, the most powerful = Apple II,=20 featuring a true 16-bit CPU, 4096 colors, Ensoniq synthesizer, a = Mac-like GUI=20 and a mouse.

The Apple IIGS setup, with keyboard = and mouse=20 shown.

The next member of the line was the Apple=20 IIGS computer, released on September 15, 1986. A = radical=20 departure from the existing Apple II line, the IIGS = featured a=20 true 16-bit=20 microprocessor, the 65C816,=20 operating at 2.8 MHz = with 24-bit=20 addressing, allowing expansion up to 8 MB of RAM without the = bank-switching=20 hassles of the earlier machines (RAM cards with more than 4 MB were = never=20 directly supported by Apple^=
[23]).=20 It introduced two completely new graphic modes sporting higher = resolutions and a=20 palette of 4,096 colors; however, only 4 (at 640=C3=97200 resolution) or = 16 (at=20 320=C3=97200 resolution) colors could be used on a single line at a = time, although a=20 technique known as dithering=20 was often employed in software to increase the number of perceived = colors.[24]

In a departure from earlier Apple II graphics modes, the new modes = laid out=20 the scanlines sequentially in memory. However, programmers in search of = a=20 graphics challenge could always turn to 3200-color mode, which involved=20 precisely swapping in a different 16-color palette for each of the = screen's 200=20 scanlines as the monitor's electron beam traced the screen line by line. = This=20 exotic technique did not leave many CPU cycles available for other = processing,=20 so this "mode" was best suited to displaying static images.

The Apple IIGS stood out from any previous (or future) = Apple=20 II models, evolving and advancing the platform into the next generation = of=20 computing while still maintaining near-complete backward compatibility. = The=20 secret of the Apple IIGS's compatibility was a single = chip called=20 the Mega II,=20 which contained the functional equivalent of an entire Apple IIe = computer (sans=20 processor). This, combined with the flawless 65C02 emulation mode of the = 65C816=20 processor, provided full support for legacy software.

The computer also included a 32-voice Ensoniq=20 5503,=20 'wavetable' = sample-based= =20 music synthesizer chip with 64 kB dedicated RAM,^=
[25]=20 256 kB of standard RAM, built-in peripheral ports (switchable = between=20 IIe-style card slots and IIc-style onboard controllers for disk drives, = mouse,=20 RGB video, and serial devices), built-in AppleTalk=20 networking, and a ROM toolbox that supported a graphical user interface = derived=20 from the Macintosh toolbox. The computer could run existing 8-bit Apple = II=20 software (including software written for the very first Apple II in = Integer=20 BASIC), but also supported 16-bit software running under a new OS first = called=20 ProDOS 16 and later called GS/OS.^[24]=20 The new OS eventually included a Finder that could be used for managing = disks=20 and files and opening documents and applications, along with desk = accessories =E2=80=93=20 just like the Macintosh. The 16-bit operating system would automatically = switch=20 to the text display and downshift to 8-bit mode to run legacy software, = while=20 offering a consistent, Macintosh-like graphical interface for native = 16-bit=20 applications. Eventually, the IIGS gained the ability to = read and=20 write Macintosh disks and, through third-party software, even = multitasking (both=20 cooperative and preemptive, the latter in the form of a Unix-type = shell),=20 outline TrueType font support, and in one case, even real-time 3D gaming = using=20 texture mapping.

The first 50,000 Apple IIGS computers came with Steve=20 Wozniak's "Woz" signature silkscreened on the front and were = referred to=20 as the "Woz Limited Edition". These machines are not functionally = different from machines from the same time period without the = signature.

[edit]=20 Apple IIc = Plus

Main article: Apple IIc = Plus

The Apple IIc Plus, an 8-bit = revision of the=20 original portable but with faster CPU, 3.5-inch floppy and built-in = power=20 supply. It was the last introduced of the Apple II = line.

The final Apple II model was the Apple=20 IIc Plus introduced in 1988. It was the same size and shape as = the IIc=20 that came before it, but the 5.25-inch floppy drive had been replaced = with a=20 3=C2=BD-inch drive, the power supply was moved inside (gone was the = IIc's "brick on a=20 leash" power supply), and the processor was a fast 4 MHz=20 65C02 processor that actually ran 8-bit Apple II software faster than = the=20 IIGS. (Third-party accelerators for other models could, = however,=20 go as fast as 10 MHz, = and=20 IIGS accelerators would eventually reach 16 MHz.)=20 The IIc Plus's accelerator was derived from a design licensed from Zip=20 Technologies, a third-party maker of accelerators for the Apple II, = though Apple=20 used separate chips instead of combining the processor, cache, and = supporting=20 logic on a multi-chip module as did Zip. Like later models of the = original Apple=20 IIc, the IIc Plus included a memory expansion slot that would accept a=20 daughter-card carrying up to a megabyte=20 of RAM. The IIc Plus also featured a new keyboard layout that matched = the=20 Platinum IIe and IIGS. Unlike the IIe, IIc and=20 IIGS, the IIc Plus came only in one version (American) = and was=20 not officially sold anywhere outside the USA.

Many perceived the IIc Plus as Apple's attempt to compete with the Laser 128EX/2, a = popular third=20 party Apple-compatible machine that also had an accelerated processor = and a=20 built-in 3.5-inch drive. There were few other rational explanations for = Apple=20 expending resources on the continued development of a new 8-bit Apple II = model=20 rather than furthering the 16-bit Apple IIGS. However, = with its=20 3.5-inch drive and speedy processor, it was an excellent, compact = machine for=20 running the AppleWorks = integrated=20 productivity package, especially with the 1 MB memory upgrade.

[edit]=20 Apple IIe = Card

Main article: Apple IIe = Card

Although not an extension of the Apple II line, in 1990 the Apple IIe = Card, an=20 expansion card for the LC=20 line of Macintosh computers, = was=20 released. Essentially a miniaturized Apple IIe computer on a card (using = the=20 Mega II chip from the Apple IIGS), it allowed the = Macintosh to=20 run 8-bit Apple IIe software through hardware=20 emulation (although video was emulated in software and was slower at = times=20 than a IIe). Many of the LC's built-in Macintosh peripherals could be = "borrowed"=20 by the card when in Apple II mode (i.e. extra RAM, 3.5-inch floppy, = AppleTalk=20 networking, hard disk). The IIe card could not, however, run software = intended=20 for the 16-bit Apple IIGS. The Macintosh LC with IIe Card = was=20 intended to replace the Apple IIGS in schools and homes = and was=20 presumably the reason a new model Apple IIGS that was = confirmed=20 by insiders to be in development at one point was cancelled and never=20 released.

[edit]=20 Final years

Apple's Macintosh product = line finally=20 eclipsed the Apple II in the early 1990s. Even after the Macintosh's=20 introduction, the Apple II had remained the company's primary revenue = source for=20 years. The computer was the first to attract a loyal user community and = many=20 outspoken Apple II fans were bitter that the company had invested its = Apple II=20 profits into the Macintosh rather than using them to further the Apple = II=20 series.

Apple continued to sell Apple II systems alongside the Macintosh = until=20 terminating the IIGS in December, 1992^=
[26]=20 and the IIe in November, 1993.^=
[27]

[edit]=20 Advertising, marketing, and packaging

Mike = Markkula,^[28]=20 a retired Intel=20 salesman who provided early critical funding for Apple Computer, was = keen on=20 marketing. From 1977=E2=80=931981, Apple used the Regis=20 McKenna agency for its advertisements and marketing. In 1981, Chiat-Day=20 acquired Regis McKenna's advertising operations and Apple used = Chiat-Day. At=20 Regis McKenna Advertising, the team assigned to launch the Apple II = consisted of=20 Rob=20 Janoff, art director, Chip Schafer, copywriter and Bill Kelley, = account=20 executive. Janoff came up with the Apple logo with a bite out of it. The = design=20 was originally an olive green with matching company logotype all in = lower case.=20 Steve Jobs insisted on promoting the color capability of the Apple II by = putting=20 rainbow stripes on the Apple logo. In its letterhead and business card=20 implementation, the rounded "a" of the logotype echoed the "bite" in the = logo.=20 This logo was developed simultaneously with an advertisement and a = brochure; the=20 latter being produced for distribution initially at the first West = Coast=20 Computer Faire. Ever since the original Apple II, Apple has paid = high=20 attention to its quality of packaging, partly because of Steve Jobs' = personal=20 preferences and opinions on packaging and final product appearance.^=
[29]=20 All of Apple's packaging for the Apple II series looked similar, = featuring lots=20 of clean white space and showing the Apple rainbow logo prominently.^=
[30]=20 For several years up until the late 1980s, Apple used the Mot= ter=20 Tekkura font for packaging, until changing to the Apple=20 Garamond font.

Apple ran the first advertisement for the Apple II in the July 1977 = edition=20 of Byte=20 =E2=80=93 a two-page spread ad titled "Introducing the Apple II" and = followed by a third=20 page that was an order form. The first brochure, was entitled = "Simplicity" and=20 the copy in both the ad and brochure pioneered "demystifying" language = intended=20 to make the new idea of a home computer more "personal." The Apple II=20 introduction ad was later run in the September 1977 issue of Scientific=20 American.^=
[31]

For the Apple IIc, Apple wanted an advertisement to demonstrate the = power of=20 the machine despite its small size; they ran a memorable television = commercial=20 featuring a high-rise office building in which they claimed with words = and=20 images that the IIc had all the power necessary to run a large building, = suggesting that it had more than enough power for the home user. (This = ad, along=20 with the 1984 Macintosh ad, was featured in a Marketing = telecourse run on=20 PBS.)

Apple later aired eight television commercials for the Apple=20 IIGS, emphasizing its benefits to education and students, = along=20 with some print ads.^=
[32]

Towards the end of 1982, art director Brent Thomas and Steve Hayden = came up=20 with the idea of doing an advertising=20 campaign based on the timely tagline "Why 1984 will not be like = 1984".=20 Chiat-Day shopped it around to a number of clients, including Apple, = where it=20 was proposed to be used for a print ad in the Wall = Street=20 Journal promoting the Apple II. However, Apple did not go for it, = and the=20 idea was filed away until the spring of 1983, when they met with the = Macintosh=20 marketing team to start working on the launch, which was scheduled for = January=20 1984. The idea eventually became the famous 1984 = commercial=20 which aired during the third quarter at Super=20 Bowl XVIII.^=
[33]

[edit]=20 Clones

The Jiama (=E5=98=89=E9=A6=AC) = SPS-109, a Taiwanese = clone of the=20 Apple II, looks almost identical to the Apple II and II+, including an = identical=20 case, color and = keyboard=20 layout. The only noticeable physical difference is the label above the=20 keyboard.

The Apple II was frequently cloned, both in the United States and = abroad =E2=80=93=20 similar cloning of the IBM PC later occurred. According to some sources = (see=20 below), more than 190 different models of Apple II = clones=20 were manufactured. Many of these had "fruit" names (for example, = "Pineapple") to=20 indicate to the initiated that they were Apple II clones. Well known in = the Soviet=20 Bloc were the Agat,=20 an oversized Russian Apple II clone with a Cyrillic = character=20 set, and Bulgarian Pravetz series = 8, a=20 close Apple II replica with Cyrillic support.

Basis, a German company, created the Basis 108,^=
[34]=20 a clone for the Apple II that included both a 6502 processor and the = Zilog Z80,=20 allowing it to run the CP/M operating system as well as most Apple II = software.=20 This machine was unusual in that it was housed in a heavy cast aluminum = chassis.=20 The Basis 108 was equipped with built-in Centronics=20 (parallel) and RS232c (serial) ports, as well as the standard six Apple = II=20 compatible slots. Unlike the Apple II it came with a detached = full-stroke=20 keyboard (AZERTY/QWERTY) of 100 keys plus 15 functions keys and separate = numeric=20 and editing keypads.

A Bosnian = (at the time part of Yugoslavia)=20 company named IRIS=20 Computers (sub company of biggest electric company in Bosnia and Herzegovina and = Yugoslavia=20 ENERGOINVEST) has produced Apple II clones since the early 1980s. Their = official=20 brand name was IRIS 8. They were very expensive and hard to obtain and = were=20 produced primarily for usage in early computerized digital telephone = systems and=20 for education. Their usage in offices of the state companies, R&D = labs and=20 in the Yugoslav army was also reported. IRIS 8 had looks of early IBM = PCs =E2=80=93=20 separate central unit with cooling system and two 5.25-inch disks, = monitor and=20 keyboard. Compatibility with original Apple II was complete. Elite high = schools=20 in Yugoslavia and especially Bosnia and Herzegovina were equipped with = clusters=20 of 8, 16 or 32 IRIS 8 computers connected in local network administrated = by IRIS=20 16 PC clone. The number of IRIS 8's produced could be as many as a = couple of=20 tens of thousands^{[citation=20
needed]}.

An Australian-produced clone of the Apple II was the Medfly,=20 named after the Mediterrane= an=20 fruit fly that attacks apples. The Medfly computer featured a faster = processor, more memory, detached keyboard, lower and upper case = characters and a=20 built-in disk controller.

Unitron, a Brazilian company, produced another clone, named ApII. = Unitron=20 used a copy of the Apple's ROM translated to Portuguese. The operating = system=20 was Apple's DOS 3.3 translated to Portuguese. During this period, it was = illegal=20 to import microcomputers in Brazil, and buying those (illegal) clones = was the=20 only way to have a microcomputer. Unitron stopped manufacturing the ApII = a few=20 years after the introduction of IBM PC clones in Brazil.

The Ace clones from Frank= lin=20 Computer Corporation are the best known and had the most lasting = impact, as=20 Franklin copied Apple's ROMs and software and freely admitted to doing = so.=20 Franklin's argument: a computer's ROM was simply a pattern of switches = locked=20 into a fixed position, and one cannot copyright a pattern of switches. = Apple=20 fought Franklin in court for about five years to get its clones off the = market,=20 and was ultimately successful when a court ruled that software stored in = ROM was=20 in fact copyrightable in the U.S. (See Apple=20 Computer, Inc. v. Franklin Computer Corp.) Franklin later released=20 non-infringing but less-compatible clones; these could run ProDOS and = AppleWorks=20 and had an Applesoft-like BASIC, but compatibility with other software = was=20 hit-or-miss.

Apple also challenged VTech's=20 Laser=20 128, an enhanced clone of the Apple IIc first released in 1984, in = court.=20 This suit proved less fruitful for Apple, because VTech had reverse-enginee= red=20 the Monitor ROM rather than copying it and had licensed Applesoft BASIC = from its=20 creator, Microsoft. Apple had = neglected=20 to obtain exclusive rights to the Applesoft dialect of BASIC from = Microsoft;=20 VTech was the first cloner to license it. The Laser 128 proved popular = and=20 remained on the market for many years, both in its original form and in=20 accelerated versions that ran faster than 1 MHz. Although it was not = 100%=20 compatible with the Apple II, it was close, and its popularity ensured = that most=20 major developers tested their software on a Laser as well as on genuine = Apple=20 machines. Because it was frequently sold via mail order and mass-market=20 retailers such as Sears, the Laser 128 may = have cut=20 into the sales of low-cost competitors such as Commodo= re=20 Business Machines as much as it did Apple's.

While the first Apple II clones were generally exact copies of their = Apple=20 counterparts that competed mainly on price, many clones had extra = capabilities=20 too. A Franklin model, the Ace 1000, sported a numeric keypad and = lower-case=20 long before these features were added to the Apple II line. The Laser = 128 series=20 is sometimes credited with spurring Apple to release the Apple IIc Plus; = the=20 built-in 3=C2=BD-inch drive and accelerated processor were features = Laser had=20 pioneered. The Laser 128 also had a IIe-style expansion slot on the side = that=20 could be used to add peripheral cards.

Bell=20 & Howell, an audiovisual equipment manufacturer whose products=20 (particularly film projectors) were ubiquitous in American schools, = offered what=20 appeared at first glance to be an Apple II Plus clone in a distinctive = black=20 plastic case. However, these were in fact real Apple II Plus units = manufactured=20 by Apple for B&H for a brief period of time. Many schools had a few = of these=20 Black Apple or Black= =20 "Darth Vader" Apples in their labs.

ITT=20 created an Apple II Plus-compatible for the European market called the = ITT 2020=20 (Europlus). This machine was built under license from Apple. It has the = same=20 shape as the Apple II but a different color (matte silver), and is not = an exact=20 copy functionally.

Syscom 2 Inc (from Carson City, NV) created the Syscom 2 Apple ][+ = clone. The=20 case looked nearly identical. They had 48 k RAM and the normal = expansion=20 capabilities. These clones also supported lower case characters, toggled = with a=20 ^O keystroke.

An unknown company produced a clone called the RX-8800. One new = feature it=20 had was a numeric keypad.

Although not technically a clone, Quadram=20 produced an add-in ISA<= /A>=20 card, called the Quadlink, that provided hardware emulation of an Apple = II+ for=20 the IBM=20 PC.^=
[35]=20 The card had its own 6502 CPU and dedicated 80 K RAM (64 K for = applications, plus 16 K to hold a reverse-engineered Apple ROM = image,=20 loaded at boot-time), and installed "between" the PC and its floppy = drive(s),=20 color display, and speaker, in a pass-through configuration. This = allowed the PC=20 to operate in a dual-boot=20 fashion: when booted through the Quadlink, the PC could run the majority = of II=20 software, and read and write Apple-formatted floppies through the = standard PC=20 floppy drive.^=
[36]=20 Because it had a dedicated processor, rather than any form of software=20 emulation, this system ran at nearly the same speed as an equivalent = Apple=20 machine.^=
[37]= [38]=20 Another company, Diamond Computer Systems, produced a similar card = called the=20 Trackstar, that had both a 6502 and a Z80, allowing use of = software for=20 both Apple DOS and Apple CP/M.^=
[39]=20 The Trackstar also had a connector allowing use of an actual Apple = floppy drive,=20 which enhanced its compatibility with software that took advantage of = Apple=20 hardware for copy-protection.

[edit]=20 General

[edit]=20 Data storage

Originally the Apple II used audio cassette = tapes for=20 program and data storage. A dedicated tape recorder along the lines of = the Commodore=20 Datasette was never produced; Apple recommended using the Panasonic= RQ309 in=20 some of its early printed documentation. Apple and many third-party = developers=20 made software available on tape at first, but after the Disk II became=20 available, tape-based Apple II software essentially disappeared from the = market.

The Disk II floppy drive used 5.25-inch floppy=20 disks. The first disk=20 operating systems for the Apple II were DOS=20 3.1 and DOS 3.2, which stored 113.75 kB on each disk, organized = into 35=20 tracks of 13 256-byte sectors each. After about two years, DOS 3.3 was=20 introduced, storing 140 kB thanks to a minor firmware change on the = disk=20 controller that allowed it to store 16 sectors per track. (This upgrade = was=20 user-installable on older controllers.) After the release of DOS 3.3, = the user=20 community discontinued use of DOS 3.2 except for running legacy = software.=20 Programs that required DOS 3.2 were fairly rare; however, as DOS 3.3 was = not a=20 major architectural change aside from the number of sectors per track, a = program=20 called MUFFIN was provided with DOS 3.3 to allow users to copy files = from DOS=20 3.2 disks to DOS 3.3 disks.

On a DOS 3.x disk, tracks 0, 1, and most of track 2 were reserved to = store=20 the operating system. (It was possible, with a special utility, to = reclaim most=20 of this space for data if a disk did not need to be bootable.) A short = ROM=20 program on the disk controller had the ability to seek to track zero = =E2=80=93 which it=20 did without regard for the read/write head's current position, resulting = in the=20 characteristic "chattering" sound of a Disk II boot, which was the = read/write=20 head hitting the rubber stop block at the end of the rail =E2=80=93 and = read and execute=20 code from sector 0. The code contained in there would then pull in the = rest of=20 the operating system. DOS stored the disk's directory on track 17, smack = in the=20 middle of the 35-track disks, in order to reduce the average seek = time to=20 the frequently-used directory track. The directory was fixed in size and = could=20 hold a maximum of 105 files. Subdirectories were not supported.

Most game publishers did not include DOS on their floppy disks, since = they=20 needed the memory it occupied more than its capabilities; instead, they = often=20 wrote their own boot loaders and read-only file systems. This also = served to=20 discourage "crackers" from snooping around in the game's copy-protection = code,=20 since the data on the disk was not in files that could be accessed = easily.

Some third-party manufacturers produced floppy drives that could = write 40=20 tracks to most 5.25-inch disks, yielding 160 kB of storage per = disk, but=20 the format did not catch on widely, and no known software was published = on=20 40-track media. Most drives, even Disk IIs, could write 36 tracks; = simple=20 modifications to DOS for formatting the extra track were common.

Incidentally, although the Apple Disk II stored 140 kB on = single-sided,=20 "single-density" floppy disks, it was very common for Apple II users to = extend=20 the capacity of a floppy disk to 280 kB =E2=80=93 by cutting out a = second=20 write-protect notch on the side of the disk using a "disk notcher" = (although a=20 simple hole puncher would do) and inserting the disk flipped over. Early = on,=20 diskette manufacturers routinely warned that this technique would damage = the=20 read/write head of the drives or wear out the disk faster, and these = warnings=20 were frequently repeated in magazines of the day. In practice, however, = this=20 method was an inexpensive way to store twice as much data for the same = amount of=20 money, and was widely used for commercially released floppies as = well.

Later, Apple IIs were able to use 3.5-inch disks with a total = capacity of=20 800 kB and hard disks. DOS 3.3 did not support these drives = natively;=20 third-party software was required, and disks larger than about = 400 kB had=20 to be split up into multiple "virtual disk volumes." ProDOS, a 1983 = descendent=20 of the Apple ///'s SOS, became the Apple II operating system of choice = for users=20 with these larger disks thanks to its native support of volumes up to = 32 MB=20 in size and the fact that AppleWorks required it.

[edit]=20 Renditions of the=20 "II" name

The "II" portion of the Apple II name was rendered in a variety of = creative=20 ways using stylized characters which resembled punctuation symbols on = the front=20 lids of the computers, and most printed material followed this lead. The = II and=20 II+ were labeled ][ and ][ plus. The IIGS and = IIc=20 Plus were rendered in small=20 caps. The Apple III, IIc, and = IIe models=20 used slashes: ///, //c and //e. There have been some errors in the Apple = II's=20 name due to the numerous variations and forms on the "II".^{[clarification=20
needed]}

[edit]=20 Legacy

Today, emulators=20 for various Apple II models are available to run Apple II software on Mac OS X, Linux, Microsoft = Windows,=20 homebrew enabled Nintendo=20 DS and other operating systems. Numerous disk=20 images of Apple II software are available free over the Internet for = use=20 with these emulators. AppleWin=20 and MESS=20 are among the best emulators compatible with most Apple II images. The = MESS=20 emulator supports recording and playing back of Apple II emulation = sessions. The=20 Home Action Replay Page (aka HARP) allows Apple II = users to=20 archive their favorite play sessions of the Apple II system and its = games.=20 However, many emulators cannot run software on copy-protected media, or = can run=20 only software employing fairly simple protection schemes, unless it is = "cracked" = (copy=20 restrictions removed). Breaking protection on software was widely = popular in the=20 Apple II's heyday; even Apple itself apparently engaged in the = practice^=
[40]=20 Commercial cracking software such as the popular Copy=20 II+ program were sold in stores with the purpose of creating = legitimate=20 back-ups of protected software. Although creating back-ups was = legitimate under=20 copyright law of the time, the use of such software today is of = questionable=20 legality in the U.S. (see DM= CA).=20 For those who prefer to obtain their old software legally, the Lost = Classics=20 Project has the goal of convincing copyright holders of classic Apple II = software to officially allow unrestricted free distribution of their = software=20 and has "freed" a number of programs.

In addition, an active retrocomputing=20 community of vintage Apple II collectors and users, continue to restore, = maintain and develop hardware and software for daily use of these = original=20 computers. Numerous websites and support groups exist for these = enthusiasts who=20 engage in the trade and purchase for their collections, increasingly = rare parts=20 and systems. Hardly a dead platform, the Apple II has a worldwide = network of=20 kindred spirits actively engaged in preserving this otherwise outdated=20 technology and indeed regularly attracts, new younger members who = continue to=20 keep the platform alive long after it was discontinued by Apple. There = is still=20 a small annual convention, KansasFest,=20 dedicated to the platform.

[edit]=20 Industry = impact

The Apple II series of computers had an enormous impact on the = technology=20 industry and on everyday life. The Apple II was the first personal = computer many=20 people ever saw. Its price was within the reach of many middle-class = families,=20 and a partnership with MECC helped make the = Apple II=20 popular in schools.^[41]=20 By the end of 1980 Apple had already sold over 100,000 Apple IIs.^=
[42]=20 Its popularity bootstrapped the computer = game and=20 educational=20 software markets and began the boom in the word=20 processor and computer=20 printer markets. The first microcomputer "killer app" for = business was=20 VisiCalc,=20 the earliest spreadsheet,=20 and it ran first on the Apple II. Many businesses bought Apple II's just = to run=20 VisiCalc. Apple's success in the home market inspired competitive home computers = such as the=20 VIC-20 (1980) = and Commodore=20 64 (1982, with estimated sales between 17 and 25 million units). = Through=20 their significantly lower price point, these models introduced the = computer to=20 several tens of millions more home users.

The success of the Apple II in business spurred IBM=20 to create the IBM=20 PC, which was then purchased by middle managers in all lines of = business to=20 run spreadsheet and word processing software, at first ported from Apple = II=20 versions; later, whole new application software dynasties would be = founded on=20 the PC. The popularity of these PCs and their clones=20 then transformed business again with LAN=20 applications such as e-mail and later Internet applications such as Usenet and the WWW.

The first Apple II's shipped with an Apple II Reference Manual = containing a complete schematic of the entire computer's circuitry and a = complete source listing of the "Monitor" ROM firmware that served as the = machine's BIOS=20 (later this guide had to be purchased separately, and in the case of the = Apple=20 IIGS, the full technical documentation ran to several = volumes).=20 The Apple II's slots, allowing any peripheral card to take control of = the bus=20 and directly access memory, enabled an independent industry of card=20 manufacturers who together created a flood of hardware products that let = users=20 build systems that were far more powerful and useful (at a lower cost) = than any=20 competing system, most of which were not nearly as expandable and were=20 universally proprietary. Even the game port was unusually powerful and = could be=20 used for digital and analog input and output; one hacker (Don Lancaster) = used it to=20 drive a LaserWriter = printer.

[edit]=20 Timeline of=20 Apple II Family models

[edit]=20 See also

List=20 of Apple II application software
List=20 of Apple II games
L= ist=20 of computer system emulators
List=20 of Apple IIGS games
Apple=20 II peripheral cards
Apple=20 II graphics
Jerry = Manock
Apple= =20 Industrial Design Group
Juiced.GS = =E2=80=93 The last=20 remaining Apple II publication
ReactiveMicro.com =E2=80=93 Partnered with UltimateApple2 as the = last remaining=20 Apple II hardware production companies (cloned items)
List=20 of publications and periodicals devoted to Apple II
Hayes = Microcomputer Products
List=20 of BBS software =E2=80=93 For the Apple II and other = machines

[edit]=20 References

^=20 Reimer, Jeremy (December 14, 2005). "Total=20 share: 30 years of personal computer market share figures".=20 Arstechnica.com. http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/total-share.ars/= 4. Retrieved May 25, = 2010.

^=20 Forster,=20 Winnie (2005). The encyclopedia of consoles, handhelds & = home=20 computers 1972=E2=80=932005. GAMEPLAN. p. 18. = ISBN 3= -00-015359-4.

^=20 Chris Cavanaugh (May 2004). "Apple II=20 Biography". http://www.allgame.com/platform.php?id=3D6.=20 Retrieved October 7, 2009.

^=20 Wilson Rothman (July 19, 2009). "Apple=20 II: The World Catches On". http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2009/07/apple-ii-the-world-cat= ches-on/. Retrieved October 7, = 2009.

^=20 Mary Bellis. "The First Spreadsheet". http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa010199.htm. Retrieved October 7, = 2009.

^ a=20 b=20 c=20 Petersen, Marty (February 6, 1984). = "Review:=20 Premium Softcard IIe". InfoWorld=20 (InfoWorld Media Group) (Vol. 6, Num. 6): 64. "Several manufacturers, = however,=20 make Z80 coprocessor boards that plug into the Apple II.".

^=20 Helmer, Carl, "An Apple to Byte," Byte, March 1978, p. 18-46.

^=20 "June 5, 1977: From a Little Apple a Mighty Industry=20 Grows". June 5, 2007. http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/06/da= yintech_0605. Retrieved June 2, = 2009.

^=20 Forster,=20 Winnie (2005). The encyclopedia of consoles, handhelds & = home=20 computers 1972=E2=80=932005. GAMEPLAN. p. 19. = ISBN 3= -00-015359-4.

^=20 Steven Weyhrich (April 21, 2002). "Apple II=20 History Chapter 4". http://apple2history.org/history/ah04.html. Retrieved November 16, = 2006.

^=20 Rose, Frank (1989). West of Eden. = Arrow=20 Books. p. 3. = ISBN 0= -09-976200-5.

^=20 Steven Weyhrich (December 28, 2001). "Apple II=20 History Chapter 5, The Disk II". http://apple2history.org/history/ah05.html. Retrieved November 16, = 2006.

^=20 Freiberger, Paul, and Michael Swaine. "Fire In The Valley, Part Two = (Book=20 Excerpt)", A+ Magazine, January 1985: 45.

^=20 Gibson, Steve. "The origins of sub-pixel font rendering".=20 http://www.grc.com/ctwho.htm.=20 Retrieved August 4, 2006.

^=20 "Apple II History Chap 6". http://apple2history.org/history/ah06.html.<= SPAN=20 style=3D"display: none;">

^=20 "Macintosh Prehistory: The Apple I and Apple II = Era". http://lowendmac.com/orchard/05/0509.html.

^=20 "Apple Products". http://applemuseum.bott.org/sections/products.html.

^=20 "EDTechTimeline". http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/madkins/timeline.html.

^=20 "The development of small computer geographic = analysis systems=20 for military applications". http://training.esri.com/campus/library/Bibliography/Rec= ordDetail.cfm?ID=3D16159.

^=20 "Moving Maps: Evolution in GIS". http://www.falconview.org/trac/FalconView/raw-attachment= /wiki/Presentations/Moving_Maps.pdf.

^=20 "U.S. Army Field Manual 34-3, Intelligence = Analysis". http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm34_3.pdf= .

^=20 "Kunkel, Paul, AppleDesign: The work of the Apple Industrial Design = Group,=20 with photographs by Rick English, New York: Graphis, 1997, p.30

^=20 Regan, Joe. A2Pro Roundtable, October 1991, Category 16, Topic = 2.

^ ^a=20 ^b=20 Duprau, Jeanne, and Tyson, Molly. "The Making of the Apple IIGS", = A+=20 Magazine, November 1986: 57=E2=80=9374.

^=20 Old-Computers.com Museum. "Apple IIGS". http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=3D71<= /A>. Retrieved November 16, = 2006.

^=20 "Apple IIGS // Collections". Applematters.com. = May 23,=20 2005. http://www.applematters.com/collections/apple-iigs/<= /SPAN>. Retrieved May 25, = 2010.

^=20 Steven Weyhrich (May 16, 2003). "Apple=20 II History Timeline". Apple2history.org. = http://apple2history.org/history/appy/ahb5.html. Retrieved May 25, = 2010.

^=20 Markoff, John (September 1, 1997). "An 'Unknown' Co-Founder Leaves After 20 Years of = Glory and=20 Turmoil". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/01/business/an-unknown-co= -founder-leaves-after-20-years-of-glory-and-turmoil.html. Retrieved April 25, = 2010.

^=20 Moritz, = Michael. The=20 Little Kingdom. New York, William Morrow and Company, Inc, 1984: = pg.=20 186.

^=20 A gallery of Apple IIGS packaging from = DigiBarn

^=20 [1]^{[dead=20
link]}

^=20 "Apple //gs Commercials Quicktime Movies @ The Apple=20 Collection". http://www.theapplecollection.com/Collection/AppleMovies= /movies9.html.=

^=20 "Folklore.org: Macintosh Stories: 1984".=20 http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=3DMacintosh= &story=3D1984.txt&topic=3DMarketing&sortOrder=3DSort%20by%20D= ate.

^=20 "The Museum". Old-Computers.Com. http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=3D92<= /A>. Retrieved May 25, = 2010.

^=20 "Quadlink by Quadram =E2=80=93 put an Apple II in you = PC". http://www.classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctech/2005-January/= 037465.html. Retrieved December 16, = 2009.

^=20 "Quadram Quips (sales flyer)". Quadram. http://www.textfiles.com/digitize/items/1984-quadram-qui= ps/.m/1984-quadram-quips-03.jpg. Retrieved December 16, = 2009.

^=20 Arrants, Stephen (December 1983). "The new blue Apple; Quadlink makes your IBM think = it's an=20 Apple". Creative=20 Computing. http://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v9n12/53_The_new_= blue_Apple_Quadl.php. Retrieved December 16, = 2009.

^=20 Lombardi, John V (1983). Review: Quadlink. Infoworld.=20 http://books.google.com/?id=3DwS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=3DPA87= &lpg=3DPA87&dq=3Dquadram+quadlink#v=3Donepage&q=3Dquadram%20q= uadlink&f=3Dfalse. Retrieved December 16, = 2009.

^=20 Lockwood, Russ (November 1985). "Build a better computer; a look at some new, = interesting, and=20 affordable additions for your IBM PC". Creative=20 Computing. http://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v11n11/67_Build_a= _better_computer_.php. Retrieved December 16, = 2009.

^=20 Even Apple Used Pirate Tools. Apple2history.org=20 (2010-11-18). Retrieved on July 6, 2011.

^=20 Lussenhop, Jessica (January 19, 2011). = "Oregon Trail: How three Minnesotans forged its = path".=20 City Pages. http://www.citypages.com/content/printVersion/1740595/. Retrieved January 20, = 2011.

^=20 Essentials of Strategic Management By Charles = Hill, Gareth=20 Jones. http://books.google.com/books?id=3DSy8vejqbcocC&pg=3D= RA1-PA19&lpg=3DRA1-PA19&dq=3Dapple+IIe+educational+sales&sour= ce=3Dbl&ots=3DlHKYZ64tP_&sig=3DoYJX4lOGlVH5_uUzP92z-CAyGLE&hl= =3Den&ei=3DliX4TPvmEJGcsQPj_pSlAg&sa=3DX&oi=3Dbook_result&= ;ct=3Dresult&resnum=3D10&ved=3D0CFsQ6AEwCTgK#v=3Donepage&q&am= p;f=3Dfalse.

Wozniak,=20 Steve (May 1977). "System Description: The Apple II". Byte.=20 http://oldcomputers.net/byteappleII.html.

[edit]=20 External = links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: = Apple=20 II

Apple II at the Open=20 Directory Project

Steven=20 Weyhrich's Apple II History

Apple II Timeline Genealogy table from Steven = Weyhrich's=20 Apple II History

The Apple II Documentation Project Documentation = on the=20 Apple II line and its peripherals

A2Central.com =E2=80=93 Apple II news and = downloads

Old computer museum =E2=80=93 Apple II+

Apple2.org =E2=80=93 The Apple II in Pictures and = the Marinetti=20 Open Source Project (TCP/IP Stack)

GNO=20 Apple II Archive =E2=80=93 A public repository of software for the = Apple II

ReactiveMicro.com=20 =E2=80=93 An Apple II hardware production company (cloned items)

16Sector.com Apple II hardware production = =E2=80=93 FocusDrive and=20 SiriusRAM GS.

GSoft BASIC GSoft BASIC is Applesoft BASIC = replacement for=20 Apple IIGS computer

Software written by Apple-II pioneer, Bob Bishop = =E2=80=93=20 (Including the very first four Hi-Res graphics games = ever=20 written for the Apple)

Gamasutra on the Apple II A History of Gaming = Platforms:=20 The Apple II by Bill Loguidice and Matt Barton

PCB pictures of the Apple II

Virtual GS Apple IIGS programming site, for PC = and Mac=20 users running Apple IIGS emulation

Virtual=20 Apple II =E2=80=93 Almost every Apple II and IIgs game ever made, = ready to play in=20 your browser

WEB page of an Apple IIe user Some cards detailed = and=20 programs to download.

ITT 2020 licensed clone of Apple II

Old footage filmed in 1992 by Alfred DiBlasi of = an Apple II=20 visualizing music fed in through the cassette port

The Apple II disk controller bootstrapping = routine that fit=20 in less than 256 bytes in ROM

Apple2Online.com=20 Free public-access library of Apple II software, games, documentation, = hardware photos, etc.

UltimateApple2.com =E2=80=93 Partnered with = ReactiveMicro as Apple=20 II hardware production companies (cloned items)

Microcomputer=20 for use with video display The first Apple patent applied for and = second=20 granted (to Stephen=20 G. Wozniak, January 23, 1979)

v=20 =C2=B7=20 d=20 =C2=B7=20 eApple=20 hardware=20 before 1998

Computers

Apple

Apple=20 I =C2=B7 Apple II=20 series (II,=20 II=20 Plus, II=20 Europlus, II=20 J-Plus) =C2=B7=20 IIe series (IIe,=20 IIe=20 Card for Macintosh LC series) =C2=B7=20 IIc series (IIc,=20 IIc=20 Plus) =C2=B7 IIGS&= nbsp;=C2=B7 Apple=20 III series (Apple=20 III, III=20 Plus)

Lisa

Lisa =C2=B7 Lisa=20 2 =C2=B7 Macintosh=20 XL

Compact=20 Macintosh

128K =C2=B7 512K=20 (512K,=20 512Ke) =C2=B7 Plus =C2=B7 SE=20 (SE,=20 SE=20 FDHD) =C2=B7 SE/30 =C2=B7 Classic = =C2=B7 Classic=20 II (Performa=20 200) =C2=B7 Color=20 Classic (Performa=20 250) =C2=B7=20 Color=20 Classic II (Performa=20 275)

Macintosh=20 II

II =C2=B7 IIx =C2=B7 IIcx =C2=B7 IIci =C2=B7 IIfx =C2=B7 IIsi =C2=B7 IIvi=20 (Performa=20 600) =C2=B7 IIvx

Macintosh=20 LC
Macintosh=20 Performa

LC=20 series (LC=20 II (Performa=20 400=E2=80=93410), LC=20 III (Performa=20 450), LC=20 III+ (Performa=20 460=E2=80=93467)) =C2=B7 LC=20 500 series (LC=20 520 (Performa=20 520, Macintosh=20 TV), LC=20 550 (Performa=20 550=E2=80=93560), LC=20 575 (Performa=20 575=E2=80=93578), LC=20 580 (Performa=20 580)) =C2=B7=20 5200/5300=20 LC series (5200=20 LC (Performa=20 5200=E2=80=935220), 5260=20 (Performa=20 5260=E2=80=935280), 5300=20 LC (Performa=20 5300=E2=80=935320))

Macintosh=20 Quadra

700 <= SPAN=20 style=3D"font-weight: bold;">=C2=B7 900 <= SPAN=20 style=3D"font-weight: bold;">=C2=B7 950=20 (AWS=20 95) =C2=B7=20 800=20 (AWS=20 80) =C2=B7 840AV= =C2=B7 610=20 (Centris=20 610, AWS=20 60) =C2=B7=20 650=20 (Centris=20 650) =C2=B7=20 660AV= =20 (Centris=20 660AV) =C2=B7=20 605=20 (LC=20 475, Performa=20 475, 476) =C2=B7 630=20 (LC=20 630, Performa=20 630=E2=80=93640)

PowerBook

Macintosh=20 Portable =C2=B7=20 100=20 series (100,=20 140,=20 170,=20 145= ,=20 160,=20 180,=20 165= ,=20 145B,=20 165c,=20 180c,=20 150) =C2=B7 Duo=20 series (210,=20 230,=20 250,=20 270c,=20 280,=20 280c,=20 2300c,=20 Duo=20 Dock) =C2=B7 500=20 series (520,=20 520c,=20 540,=20 540c,=20 550c) =C2=B7 190=20 series (190,=20 190cs) =C2=B7 5300=20 series (5300,=20 5300cs,=20 5300c,=20 5300ce) <= SPAN=20 style=3D"font-weight: bold;">=C2=B7 1400=20 series (1400c,=20 1400cs) <= SPAN=20 style=3D"font-weight: bold;">=C2=B7 3400c =C2=B7 2400c =C2=B7 G3

Power=20 Macintosh

6100=20 (Performa=20 6110=E2=80=936118), AWS=20 6150) =C2=B7 7100 = =C2=B7 8100=20 (AWS=20 8150) =C2=B7 AWS=20 9150 =C2=B7 5000=20 series (5200=20 LC, (Performa=20 5215CD), 5260,=20 5300=20 LC, 5400,=20 5500) =C2=B7 6200/6300=20 series (6200,=20 (Performa=20 6200=E2=80=936230), 6300=20 (Performa=20 6260=E2=80=936360)) =C2=B7 9500 = =C2=B7 7200=20 (AWS=20 7250) =C2=B7 7500 = =C2=B7 8500=20 (AWS=20 8550) =C2=B7=20 5400=20 (Performa=20 5400=E2=80=935440) =C2=B7 7600 = =C2=B7 6400=20 (Performa=20 6400, 6410, 6420) =C2=B7 4400=20 (7220) =C2=B7=20 5500 = =C2=B7 6500 = =C2=B7 7300=20 (AWS=20 7350) =C2=B7 8600 = =C2=B7 9600=20 (AWS=20 9650) =C2=B7 G3 =C2=B7 Twe= ntieth=20 Anniversary Mac

Network=20 Server

500 <= SPAN=20 style=3D"font-weight: bold;">=C2=B7 700

Peripherals

Displays

Monitor=20 III =C2=B7 Monitor=20 II =C2=B7 Monitor=20 IIc =C2=B7 AppleColor=20 Composite IIe =C2=B7 AppleColor=20 High-Resolution RGB =C2=B7 Macintosh=20 Color =C2=B7 AudioV= ision=20 14 =C2=B7 Mult= iple=20 Scan 14 =C2=B7 ColorSync=20 750

External = drives

Floppy=20 drives (Apple=20 II and III, Macin= tosh) =C2=B7 Hard=20 drives (ProFile,=20 Hard=20 Disk 20, Hard=20 Disk 20SC) =C2=B7=20 Optical drives = (AppleCD,=20 PowerCD)

Input = devices

External=20 Keyboards (Numeric Keypad IIe, Lisa = Keyboard,=20 Macintosh Keyboard, Macintosh Numeric Keypad, = Macintosh Plus=20 Keyboard, ADB=20 Keyboard, Standard Keyboard, Extended,=20 Apple Keyboard II, Extended Keyboard II, Adjustabl= e,=20 Newton Keyboard, Apple Design Keyboard, Twentieth = Anniversary=20 Mac Keyboard) =C2=B7=20 Mice=20 (Lisa, Macintosh, Mouse IIc, AppleMouse II, = Apple=20 Mouse, Mouse IIe, ADB=20 Mouse, ADB Mouse II) =C2=B7 Mouse=20 derivatives (Appl= e=20 II Graphics Tablet, Joystick)= =C2=B7 Scanner =C2=B7 OneScanner =C2=B7 Color=20 OneScanner (Color=20 OneScanner, 600/27) =C2=B7 QuickTake=20 cameras (100,=20 150,=20 200) =C2=B7 QuickTime=20 Conferencing Kit

Networking

Apple=20 II Communications Card =C2=B7=20 Apple=20 Modems =C2=B7 LocalTalk=20 network adapter =C2=B7 Comm=20 slot cards =C2=B7=20 GeoPort = Telecom=20 Adapters

Printe= rs

Thermal=20 (Silentype,=20 Thermal=20 Printer, Scribe=20 Printer) =C2=B7Impact=20 (Dot=20 Matrix Printer, Letter=20 Quality Printer, ImageWriter,=20 ImageWriter=20 II, ImageWriter=20 LQ) =C2=B7 LaserWriter=20 (LaserWriter,= =20 Plus,=20 IISC,=20 IINT,=20 IINTX,=20 IIf,=20 IIg,=20 4/600=20 PS, 16/600=20 PS, 12/640=20 PS, 8500) =C2=B7Plotter=20 (410=20 Color Plotter) =C2=B7Personal LaserWriter = (SC,=20 LS,=20 NT,=20 NTR,=20 300,=20 320)&n= bsp;=C2=B7 LaserWriter=20 Pro (600,= =20 630,=20 810) <= SPAN=20 style=3D"font-weight: bold;">=C2=B7 LaserWriter=20 Select (300,=20 310,=20 360)&nbs= p;=C2=B7 Color=20 LaserWriter (12/600 = PS, 12/660 = PS) =C2=B7 StyleWriter=20 (StyleWriter,= =20 II,=20 1200,=20 Portable)&= nbsp;=C2=B7 Color=20 Printer =C2=B7=20 Color StyleWriter = (Pro,=20 2400,=20 2200,=20 1500,=20 2500,=20 4100,=20 4500,=20 6500)

Newton

MessagePad=20 (100,=20 110,=20 120,=20 130,=20 2000,=20 2100) =C2=B7 eMate=20 300

Other

Paladin =C2=B7 AppleDesign=20 Powered Speakers =C2=B7 In= teractive=20 Television Box =C2=B7 Pippin

See also: = = Apple=20 hardware since = 1998.

v=20 =C2=B7=20 <= SPAN=20 style=3D"border: currentColor; font-size: 100%;" = title=3D"Discuss this template">d=20 =C2=B7=20 eApple=20 hardware

See also Comp= arison=20 of Macintosh models

Mac

Desktop

Current

Mac:=20 iMac, Mac=20 Pro, Mac=20 Mini

Discontinued

Apple: I,=20 II, III;=20 Lisa
Macintosh: Compact;=20 II;=20 SE,=20 SE/30;=20 LC;=20 Quadra;=20 Performa;=20 Centris;=20 Power=20 Mac; eMac

Mobile

Current

MacBook:=20 MacBook=20 Pro, MacBook=20 Air

Discontinued

PowerBook;=20 iBook;=20 MacBook

Server

Discontinued

AWS;=20 ANS;=20 Xserve
=

Devices

Current

Apple=20 TV =C2=B7 iPad=20 (2) =C2=B7 iPhone (3GS,=20 4) =C2=B7 iPod=20 (Classic,=20 Nano,=20 Shuffle,=20 Touch)=

Discontinued

In= teractive=20 TV Box =C2=B7=20 iPhone: (Original,=20 3G) =C2=B7 iPod = Hi-Fi,=20 mini =C2=B7 Newton <= SPAN=20 style=3D"font-weight: bold;">=C2=B7 Pippin = ;=C2=B7 QuickTake
=

Acc= essories

Current

AirPort =C2=B7 Displays =C2=B7 iSight =C2=B7 Magic=20 Mouse =C2=B7 Magic=20 Trackpad =C2=B7 Remote =C2=B7 SuperDrive =C2=B7 Time=20 Capsule =C2=B7=20 Wireless=20 Keyboard =C2=B7 Keyboards=

Discontinued

Drives&nbs= p;=C2=B7 Mice =C2=B7 Modems =C2=B7 Printe= rs

Current products are bolded; see a list of discontinued=20 products. See also a tim= eline=20 and previous templates (all;=20 before=20 1998; = since=20 = 1998).

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia= .org/wiki/Apple_II_series"

Categories: = 1977=20 introductions | Apple = II=20 computers | Steve=20 Jobs

Hidden = categories:=20 All=20 articles with dead external links | Articles=20 with dead external links from May 2010 | Use=20 mdy dates from July 2011 | Articles=20 to be split from March 2011 | A= ll=20 articles to be split | Wikipedia=20 external links cleanup from February 2011 | Wikipedia=20 spam cleanup from February 2011 | All=20 articles with unsourced statements | Articles=20 with unsourced statements from April 2010 | = All pages=20 needing cleanup | Wikipedia=20 articles needing clarification from March = 2011

Apple II series

Contents

[edit]=20 Design

[edit]=20 Models

[edit]=20 Apple II

[edit]=20 Apple II = Plus

[edit]=20 Apple II = Europlus=20 and J-Plus

[edit]=20 Apple IIe

[edit]=20 Apple IIc

[edit]=20 Apple = IIGS

[edit]=20 Apple IIc = Plus

[edit]=20 Apple IIe = Card

[edit]=20 Final years

[edit]=20 Advertising, marketing, and packaging

[edit]=20 Clones

[edit]=20 General

[edit]=20 Data storage

[edit]=20 Renditions of the=20 "II" name

[edit]=20 Legacy

[edit]=20 Industry = impact

[edit]=20 Timeline of=20 Apple II Family models

[edit]=20 See also

[edit]=20 References

[edit]=20 External = links

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