Apple IIGS
The Apple IIGS (styled as IIGS) is a 16-bit personal computer produced by Apple Computer. It is the fifth and most powerful of the Apple II family. It is compatible with earlier Apple II models but has a Macintosh look and feel, and resolution and color similar to the Amiga and Atari ST. The "GS" in the name stands for "Graphics and Sound", referring to its enhanced multimedia hardware, especially its state-of-the-art audio.
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer |
|---|---|
| Release date | September 15, 1986 |
| Introductory price | US$999 (equivalent to $2,670 in 2022), excluding monitor |
| Discontinued | December 1992 |
| Operating system | Apple ProDOS Apple GS/OS GNO/ME |
| CPU | 65C816 @ 2.8 MHz |
| Memory | 256 KB or 1 MB (expandable to 8 MB) |
| Graphics | VGC 12-bpp palette, 320×200, 640×200 |
| Sound | Ensoniq ES5503 DOC 8-bit wavetable synthesis sound chip, 32 oscillators/voice channels |
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.