I have just finished making up an itemized list of all of my Apple IIgs components and all the software I had bought back in the mid-1980's and in to the early 1990's for this system. The total came to a bit over $5000. I am donating all of this to a local school that is still actually utilizing Apple IIgs and IIe's in their primary classrooms. They are actually utilizing some of the literacy software that I have bought and used in the past. I am told that I will receive a $1000 charitable donation for this donation-in-kind, which I think is fair.
The point of this posting is that there is usefulness to old computers. My son, who grew up on this IIgs, would not deem it worth his time to use it now. Granted, he wants me to keep the entire system and all the software for nostalgic purposes, but he won't even turn on the system. Now, there are children who will be thrilled to see a IIgs in the grade two classroom, and the entire school is in for an educational "treat" when they see the software I am donating. Luckily, there is a resource room teacher in this school who feels as I do that "old software never dies.........it just fades away", until someone realizes that there is still a utility in these old computers and programs. So, just as we remember the deeds of "old soldiers" this Remembrance Day, so too will I fondly recall my IIgs, the last of the II line. Bon voyage et bon soir.
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Dr.G.
14" G4 iBook
15" MacBook Pro (July, 2009)
Paix
"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read these books." Mark Twain
Minnes, I always contended that the IIgs was (or should have been) the basis for the Macs. It had a color screen, which the early Macs did not, and was really a fine computer. Apple II computers were THE computer for schools, because of what they could do and the quality educational software that was created for these computers. Such is Life.
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Dr.G.
14" G4 iBook
15" MacBook Pro (July, 2009)
Paix
"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read these books." Mark Twain
When I was just starting in elementary school, as in kindergarden, there was an entire lab of Apple II machines. As I recall one of them even had a primitive drawing tablet.
Over the course of the summer break between kindergarden and grade one though, they were all replaced by early Macs. By the time I left for high school, the lab was comprised of quite a few Mac Plus's, a few SE's, one SE/30, and they had started getting LC's at that time as well.
None of them ever seemed as cool to me as those Apple II's though.
--PB
__________________ Awesome Friday! movies, games, and other nerdy things.
Glad to see so many fond memories of the Apple IIgs. The first time I used a computer was back in 1977, and it was certainly not as powerful as the $20 digital watch I am currently wearing. I was amazed when I was able to own and use my first home computer -- an Apple IIe, back in July, 1983. This computer I have saved for sentimental reasons. I would have kept the IIgs as well, but too many children can benefit that it would be a crime to keep it in a closet when someone could get some education from it even today.
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Dr.G.
14" G4 iBook
15" MacBook Pro (July, 2009)
Paix
"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read these books." Mark Twain
In the 80s Apple really ruled in education, didnt they, and people have totally forgotten this.
Apple 2e and 2GS were huge.
I do know that even into 1997 or so, many blind people were using the 2gs for voice synthesis and word processing, heck why not when you could pick up a whole system in the late 90s for $50.
Windows does not serve well the totally blind people who would be better served by a command line interface like unix, Linux, or dos, with voice sythesis.
By the way, I may be upgrading in January and it is between the lowend TiBook and the highend iMac, it all depends what they upgrade the new imac to in January.
Mark
Linear Mode
