Why did you buy an Apple II?

[Keatah]

Back in the day we all had preferences for what micro we wanted. So what made you choose an Apple II over other available rigs?

 

In my case the expansion slots were a key feature. I knew for a solid undeniable fact that years later I'd be able stay current with technological advances. The second reason was it had a lot of chips, 86 in total. That meant to us kids it was a smart system. The third reason was aesthetics - a nice angular wedge shape with an easily removable top to see inside.

 

Amusingly it was the removable snap-secured top that was in the computer's favor. A feature that contributed to its longevity when in my hands. I was able to take a look inside without unscrewing stuff or breaking anything. A simple operation with moving the monitor aside being the hardest part. Other "complex" stuff I still took apart of course but never got it back together - and thus the item would be used for spare parts or get thrown out. The Apple II mostly survived that. Mostly I say because we found other ways to mess it up.

 

The programming style/accessibility of the Apple II was wholly not important at purchase time. As long as I could program it. All I knew is it had BASIC and I already knew some stuff. And there was color graphics and all the cool stuff at Compu-Shop and DataDomain. Had to have it even though I already had the Atari VCS - which obviously had much better sound and graphics, especially its color palette - so vibrant. But the Apple II programmable and I could command it unlike cartridge-only systems.

 

Originally I really wanted a TRS-80, but my elders had strongly talked me out of it saying I'd be completely bored with b/w only graphics.

Edited May 27 by Keatah

[bikeguychicago]

I got my IIGS and a //e from a Facebook marketplace post for free. I had worked on Apples in school when I was growing up and picked these up because of the price and because of the nostalgia itch. I wound up selling the //e mostly because I didn't have room or need for both machines.

The best thing I did for my 2gs was to install a CFFA3000 card and bump the memory up to 4 MB. Still looking for an elusive transwarp at a good price.

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

[magnusfalkirk]

I started with home computers back in the dark ages, 1981. Bought a TRS-80 Model 1 level 2, 16k of memory and a cassette drive, because a friend recommended it. About a year later another friend told me about a sale on Apple ][+ at a local computer store, she had used the ][ in college and said it was a great computer. Bought the computer, a disk drive and an RF adapter, because I didn't have the money to buy a monitor. Worked my way up through a //e, //c and eventually GS.

 

Moved up to the Mac world in 95. Sold the Apple //'s, except for the GS. Did a stupid thing early 2000's an accidentally killed the GS. Instead of buying a new motherboard simply got rid of it and everything else I had for the // line. A few years alter got back into the ][ via emulation on the Mac and then eventually got a //e at an estate sale. Currently own an Apple //c+ and a GS with the CFFA 3000, 4MB.

[Papalapa]

I used this computer at the school when I was young (long time ago 😄) so, I buyed an Apple II for nostalgia.

[BydoEmpire]

When I was about 14 or so, I ended up getting a //c at home because my school had Apple 2s and I'd spend every lunch hour and extra time before/after classes programming them.  I wanted to continue doing that at home.

[Baldrick]

While I'd like to say we got an Apple II because of it's popularity or superiority, in reality we got into the Apple II (by building several clone II+) because of VisiCalc and AppleWriter.

 

My dad needed something to help with his business, and the Apple II was the least expensive way to go about it.  

At the time our "home" computer was a VIC20 and I was studying at school with Commodore PETs, with the occasional foray into Apple II when some topic warranted, but there was only one Apple in the lab of 20 or so PETs at the school.

 

Anyway, because of that business related top-down-trickle effect I became quite involved with the Apple II, and have been ever since (with a few years hiatus in the 90s and early aughts).

 

 

[+20ohm20]

My dad bought a //e in 1983 as a means of working remotely without having to make a 250 mile round trip drive once or twice a week.  I wasn't really allowed to use it (I had a TI-99/4A, VIC-20, and C-64 at the time) but I remember playing Zork I on it occasionally.  When the company bought him an IBM PC in 1986, he basically gave me the Apple //e, which I still have to this day:  non-enhanced, 128k RAM/80 column card, DuoDrive, Apple Personal Modem, Imagewriter I printer, and an Apple monochrome monitor.  All but the monitor (which kicked the bucket in the mid-90's) still works to this day.

[Asaki]

I always kind of wanted one, and the lady at the thrift store said I could have it for $25 B)

[nick3092]

I got a //c for Christmas of '84 when I was around 6 or so. The teachers my family knew recommended the Apple II line. And they probably went with the //c since it was basically an all in one solution. Plus it was shiny and new back then.

 

By the time we started having computer classes in school (my district was all Apple II and eventually Mac until probably the mid 90s), I was irritating our computer instructor because I knew as much (maybe more) than her due to all of the time I spent on it. I'd finish her assignments in lightning speed and always knew the answers to her questions off the top of my head before anyone else could answer. 

 

Fast forward 30 or so years, and I finally picked up a IIgs that I always wanted back in the day. But my childhood //c is still my go to for nostalgia reasons. I also picked up a ColorMonitor IIc last year. I had always wanted one. To fill the void back in the day, I frequently used the RF adapter and an old color tv next to my //c growing up. But there is something to be said for that 9" green screen. 

Edited 16 hours ago by nick3092