christianscott27 Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I'm pleased to say the collecting bug may be genetic. My older sister who for years shook her head at my console collection has taken her love for all things Apple to the full on hardware collector level. Having completed her first goal of getting all colors of the iMac she has moved on to the Apple ][ era. Now she's emailing me about her new hobby because she thinks I know something about it. I'm not much help as I'm a console collector who only collects classic computers that play cartridges. What are the must haves for a kick butt set up and what are some of the good sites? She emailed me a pic of her box full of sealed Atarisoft games, I felt so proud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ_Maine_Man Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 This site has ALOT of apple software for the downloading ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/images/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
games-video Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 (edited) try this: http://www.virtualapple.org/ It's a good site, but I wish someone would do a great Apple ][ site like the ones we have for Commodore (GB64), A8 (Atarimania), and even, dare I say it, Spectrum (WoS). I mean, Apple ][, the 8-bitter with the largest software range, but totally forgotten. Edited August 16, 2008 by games-video Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockin' Kat Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I always just tell people to start here. http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs1START.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ_Maine_Man Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 i have some apple magazines from the 80's and about 5 or so games in there boxes (war type games) for trade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 I'm pleased to say the collecting bug may be genetic. My older sister who for years shook her head at my console collection has taken her love for all things Apple to the full on hardware collector level. Having completed her first goal of getting all colors of the iMac she has moved on to the Apple ][ era. Now she's emailing me about her new hobby because she thinks I know something about it. I'm not much help as I'm a console collector who only collects classic computers that play cartridges. What are the must haves for a kick butt set up and what are some of the good sites? She emailed me a pic of her box full of sealed Atarisoft games, I felt so proud. I have extra sets of sealed Atarisoft games if she's missing any of them. I think the only one I don't have extras of is Track n Field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockin' Kat Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 (edited) Maybe if she's in the same general area as you, you should try going with her to Vintage Computer Festival East 5.0 in September. .... It's about a 5 hour drive from Boston.... or so google maps says it is anyway. ...part of their event is a fleamarket....Could maybe get a good deal on something... or at least see what's there. I'm sure it'd be interesting and admision isn't all that high... $10 for one day, $15 for both days. Never been to one of their events as their West coast ones are still to far for me. [begin rambling mode] As far as what to get that really depends on just what she's interested in... Personally My favorite Apple II model is the IIgs, the last one... It's 16bit, has analog RGB output(which hooks up to a matching over scaning Apple 12" RGB monitor, though you can also use Commodore Amiga monitors, as well as early NEC multisync monitors that can sync down to 15hertz). It's backwards compatible with pretty much anything she's likely to want to run that was made for the earlier 8-bit models(it's pretty seamless backwords compatibility, no confusing codes.... changing the speed of the computer to keep older 8-bit games from running to fast... or to make GS specific games easier... is pretty easy to do in the contorl panel), and has the most options for getting downloaded software onto it provided the right peripherals. While the library of GS specific software is fairly small when compared to other platforms... it still has some good stuff that I think makes it worth having around. I would apsolutly recomend checking out "What is the Apple IIgs?", a website which is dedicated to pretty much all the GS specific stuff. http://www.whatisthe2gs.apple2.org.za/ A base IIgs will be able to interface with both 3.5" DD(800k) floppy drives and 5.25" floppy drives, two of each with the one built in floppy drive port on back... It will also only have either 256k(or maybe that was 512k. it's late and I don't feel like looking it up) or 1MB built in on board depending on whether it's ROM 01 or 03(I'd go for a 01 as their are a few things that will not run on the 03)... both can accept up to 8MB of RAM through the RAM expantion slot... generally though she probably wouldn't need anything more than 4MB.. 2MB is generally a minimum for using GS OS off hard disk... more is nice. The IIgs has a control panel for changing system settings that is accessable most of the time by pressing [apple]+[control]+[esc] Various cards can be added, the main ones to think about would probably be RAM cards and some sort of mass storage card.. like either SCSI or a compact flash/IDE card. Also, the IIgs did have support for stereo audio through a special ad-on card, though only a few games and applications actually took advantage of it... so it's not a major esential thing. Mass storage cards generally for for at least $100(if anyone's looking that is, they can also for for dirt cheap, the Apple II market often has dips where nothing goes for very much).... I think if I were do to it again, I'd go with the compact flash card instead of SCSI since it'd be cheaper to do, but I've got SCSI now with a hard drive and a CD ROM drive which is pretty nice and their are compact flash to SCSI adaptors.. however expensive they may be. ..Also there are two Accelerator cards... Transwarp GS Zip GS both geneally get over $200 ....though they do sometimes go for less... it's been a while since I've really paid much attention to prices.. She won't really need an acclerator for most things she's likely to do but if she really gets into it I wouldn't rule out watching out for one... I know I really love having my TranswarpGS and I certainly didn't *need* it... it does make GS feel faster and some games do benefit with less slowdown. That said.. prices I've seen: IIgs computer : Free - $25. Generally they often will have a 1MB card at least already in them if they havn't been completely stripped of cards. RAM cards, Free - $100 ..... maybe more... really depends on how big they are. I would not pay more than $5 for the 1MB card.... especially if it isn't fully poplulated with chips. Floppy drives: $5 each. SCSI cards $60 to $150. Stereo cards $20 12" Apple analog RGB monitor $15 to $20... if shipped in, expect shipping to easily cost more than the monitor if it's going to be packed right. keyboard and mouse, any old Mac ADB keyboard and mouse should work with the IIgs... though I prefer to use the original ones that shipped with the IIgs since they match the asthetics of the case... I wouldn't pay more than $5 for a mouse and no more than $10 for a keyboard. oh.... also... the IIgs has composite video output... you can use it to test it to make sure it works... and it will work ok for 8-bit software, but it's pretty hidouse for GS specific games and applications. [end rambling mode] I leave you with pictures: http://www.thecowsaysmoo.org/rockinkat/pic...computers/iigs/ Edited August 18, 2008 by Rockin' Kat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 I have a IIgs with a Compact Flash interface. It's the only II in my collection I really use and I have 7 other Apple II type machines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christianscott27 Posted August 19, 2008 Author Share Posted August 19, 2008 My sister lives in Central FL but I have offered to scout things for her round here. She's clearly gone hardcore, I asked her to describe her umm MacRoom? "I have a collection of over 30 Macs, the IIGS, a Newton 2100, a Newton Emate 300, 2 iPhones and a bunch of iPods. I have all of them up and running, connected to their own keyboards, mouses, power supplies and displays (if necessary since most are all in ones). I also have QuickTake 100 and 150 cameras, and a 200 that may or may not work is on the way." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 She clearly hasn't hit the "my collection takes up too much space" phase yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockin' Kat Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 (edited) Seeing as she already has a IIgs, she should look into getting it set up nice and all... Would be nice to know what she's got already in it first though. Never know, she could have scored with some real sweet stuff... of cource, if it's anything like my luck, it might not even have a RAM card in it. Odds are the BatRAM battery will be dead... which means that the clock and other settings will return to default every f-ing time... If it's a ROM 01, it'll have the battery soldered on... here is a place where oen can buy a caddy that can be soldered on in place of the battery that takes regular 1/2AA batteries like those used in most Macintosh computers. http://www.reactivemicro.com/index.php?cPath=1_36_25 ....could also concevably buy a few other things there... they sell brand new cards for using CompactFlash memory cards as Hard drives. This place sells new 4MB RAM cards for the IIgs: http://www.brielcomputers.com/ http://www.brielcomputers.com/store.html She clearly hasn't hit the "my collection takes up too much space" phase yet. Clearly. What I want to know, is where are all the old Macs are? I mean.. the real old ones... made before 1998... I don't see any in those pictures! Also, those pictures are teeny-weeny. Edited August 20, 2008 by Rockin' Kat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Seeing as she already has a IIgs, she should look into getting it set up nice and all... Would be nice to know what she's got already in it first though. Never know, she could have scored with some real sweet stuff... of cource, if it's anything like my luck, it might not even have a RAM card in it. I have an extra that's not fully populated I'd let go cheap. ....could also concevably buy a few other things there... they sell brand new cards for using CompactFlash memory cards as Hard drives. My CompactFlash interface came with a card. It booted right up. I got one from the latest production run. This place sells new 4MB RAM cards for the IIgs: http://www.brielcomputers.com/ http://www.brielcomputers.com/store.html I might have to buy one... I think my RAM card only has 512K on it. She clearly hasn't hit the "my collection takes up too much space" phase yet. Clearly. What I want to know, is where are all the old Macs are? I mean.. the real old ones... made before 1998... I don't see any in those pictures! Also, those pictures are teeny-weeny. A Mac Color Classic is a good one to get. Still old school but not too old school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze_ro Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Odds are the BatRAM battery will be dead... which means that the clock and other settings will return to default every f-ing time... If it's a ROM 01, it'll have the battery soldered on... here is a place where oen can buy a caddy that can be soldered on in place of the battery that takes regular 1/2AA batteries like those used in most Macintosh computers. http://www.reactivemicro.com/index.php?cPath=1_36_25 Anyone know of any other good sources for these batteries? I need like, 4 of them (two Macs and two IIGS's) and Reactive Micro apparently doesn't have that many in stock This place sells new 4MB RAM cards for the IIgs: http://www.brielcomputers.com/ http://www.brielcomputers.com/store.html Does this ship with the RAM as well, or just the card? I actually have a bunch of 32-pin SIMMS sitting around (a few dozen chips at least), but I'm not sure what size most of them are or if they even work... I have a GS-RAM card at the moment, but I think it might have a bad chip in it or something, as I've been having some odd problems that could potentially be due to faulty memory... it has 2MB with room for only another 1MB, so a 4MB card would be a nice upgrade. It's also a huge beast. I've only recently been getting into Apple II stuff myself... I've been looking around for a Mockingboard, as it seems some games support it. Is it worthwhile to get one, or is there a better option available? --Zero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 It just says board so I assume no RAM even though it's pictured. We should ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I've only recently been getting into Apple II stuff myself... I've been looking around for a Mockingboard, as it seems some games support it. Is it worthwhile to get one, or is there a better option available? So I see GSE-Reactive is still around as Reactive Micro. I bought my batteries and a whole bunch of stuff from them a while back. Including the new Mockingboard clone they were selling. The Mockingboard does sound really great, but unfortunately there just aren't a lot of titles that support it. That GSRAM card looks nice. But I've already got a Sirius 8MB card, so I don't need that one. Why would anyone collect different case colors of the same machine? Just get a pile of plastic bezels and call it a day. And why not any classic Mac love? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockin' Kat Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 (edited) Odds are the BatRAM battery will be dead... which means that the clock and other settings will return to default every f-ing time... If it's a ROM 01, it'll have the battery soldered on... here is a place where oen can buy a caddy that can be soldered on in place of the battery that takes regular 1/2AA batteries like those used in most Macintosh computers. http://www.reactivemicro.com/index.php?cPath=1_36_25 Anyone know of any other good sources for these batteries? I need like, 4 of them (two Macs and two IIGS's) and Reactive Micro apparently doesn't have that many in stock Well, if you have a ROM 01 IIgs, you'll need to order the battery caddy that Reactive Micro sells to replace the soldered on battery first.... if it's a ROM 03, it'll already use the same as most Macs... Anyway, as far as getting new 1/2AA batteries is take a dead 1/2AA battery with you to your local RatShack... erm... RadioShack and ask them where their lithium batteries are. They still carry them but most of their employees will not know what you're talking about if you refer to to them as Mac batteries. Oh, and they don't carry the purple ones anymore... they changed brands a while back... so don't get fixated on the color or you won't find what you're looking for. They're just 1/2AA lithium batteries. If they don't have enough, buy what they have, let them know they are out, and ask them one, when they will get more, and two, if they can make sure to get enough so you only have to come back once more when they get them in. Also... it wouldn't hurt to ask Reactive Micro when they intend to restock on things. This place sells new 4MB RAM cards for the IIgs: http://www.brielcomputers.com/ http://www.brielcomputers.com/store.html Does this ship with the RAM as well, or just the card? I actually have a bunch of 32-pin SIMMS sitting around (a few dozen chips at least), but I'm not sure what size most of them are or if they even work... You should ask the people behind the store if it comes with the RAM. If it doesn't, it's pretty easy to find that kind of RAM for real cheap. I think I have a huge bag of them I picked up for $5 at my local used computer store around here somewhere. I have a GS-RAM card at the moment, but I think it might have a bad chip in it or something, as I've been having some odd problems that could potentially be due to faulty memory... it has 2MB with room for only another 1MB, so a 4MB card would be a nice upgrade. It's also a huge beast. I've only recently been getting into Apple II stuff myself... I've been looking around for a Mockingboard, as it seems some games support it. Is it worthwhile to get one, or is there a better option available? --Zero I'd go with the 4MB card, but it wouldn't hurt to check out the RAM section at that Reactive Micro place that sells the batteries. They sell individual chips sorted by the brand of RAM card they work in. If you got it working and got the 4MB card, you could use it as added incentive to get someone to buy that extra IIGS, or just keep it around as a spare. Edited August 21, 2008 by Rockin' Kat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christianscott27 Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 My sister just slapped a handful of thumbnails in her email response, knowing her she probably has an online shrine somewhere. Its pretty odd to think I got her into computers when I gave her my old WebTV. I've no doubt the way she is headed she will sooner than later get every version of Mac ever made, including the classics. I'm waiting to see if she scores one of those weird Seinfeld 20th anniversary Macs. I think her collecting style takes a different course than our retro-gaming thing, she's not getting back in touch with the 80s, she's completing a product line. Why collect different colors of the same machine, why surely you jest, have you not owned a telegames 2600, a Vadar, a heavy sixer? Dont even get me started on those N64 variations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockin' Kat Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 My sister just slapped a handful of thumbnails in her email response, knowing her she probably has an online shrine somewhere. Its pretty odd to think I got her into computers when I gave her my old WebTV. I've no doubt the way she is headed she will sooner than later get every version of Mac ever made, including the classics. I'm waiting to see if she scores one of those weird Seinfeld 20th anniversary Macs. I think her collecting style takes a different course than our retro-gaming thing, she's not getting back in touch with the 80s, she's completing a product line. Why collect different colors of the same machine, why surely you jest, have you not owned a telegames 2600, a Vadar, a heavy sixer? Dont even get me started on those N64 variations Maybe she should get some forum accounts at Apple Fritter, and the 68k Macintosh Liberation Army. Lots of extreme Apple collectors at those places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Here is a Mac for her to collect: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=300252074405 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Why collect different colors of the same machine, why surely you jest, have you not owned a telegames 2600, a Vadar, a heavy sixer? Dont even get me started on those N64 variations Of course I have a few different 2600s, different case shapes and designs are neat. But I wouldn't collect an orange, purple and green heavy sixer. When everything is exactly the same except a colored plastic insert bezel I don't see the point. Don't have a tribe of different color N64s either. But we're all wacky in our own ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockin' Kat Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Here is a Mac for her to collect:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=300252074405 ... That's not the original mouse.... it's too gray looking and not enough beige..... It's a cool setup though.... but that near $2000 BIN.... no way man. I got mine for less than $100... $20 for the computer(probably would have been around $60 if not for the ingraved ID number), $5 mouse, $5 keyboard, $5 for the printer... boxes and documentation are cool.. but not *that* cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmel_andrews Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Eh up CS....You mentioned that you're a collector of classic 'puters and gaming systems that could play cartidges...Do you have the 'VideoBrain'...The Atari XEGS of the late 70's or an amstrad CPC+/GX series and lastly a commodore 64 GS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze_ro Posted August 27, 2008 Share Posted August 27, 2008 Anyway, as far as getting new 1/2AA batteries is take a dead 1/2AA battery with you to your local RatShack... erm... RadioShack and ask them where their lithium batteries are. I went out looking for batteries today, and Radio Shack (er, that is "The Source By Circuit City"... what a ridiculous name) wants $20 CDN for those batteries... EACH! Nuts to that! I went around to some other stores, and I couldn't find any store locally that sold them for less than $17 So instead I went online and found a place selling them for $5 each. I bought four of 'em, as well as a handful of CR2032's (always useful for VMU's) and a clock battery so I can finally replace the one I cut out of my Amiga 3000 a few years back. I don't know what it is, but it seems like almost all technology is FAR more expensive locally than it is online... I've especially noticed this with flash memory. I just recently got an 8GB microSD online for $35, which is less than half what they cost around town. --Zero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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