• Tag Archives Macintosh

  • iBook G3 (“Clamshell”)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    iBook G3 (“Clamshell”)

    http://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/170940923798/ibook-g3-clamshell

    The iBook G3 Clamshell model was the first portable entry into Apple’s revamped computer line. It closely mimicked the design of the iMac that had been released the previous year, including polycarbonate construction and bright transparent colors. The iMac was initially released in August 1998 while the iBook was released in June 1999.

    People either loved or hated the iBook but there is no doubt it is a large part of what changed Apple’s fortunes. Without the iMac and iBook there probably would have been no iPhone or even Apple today. Leading up to the release of these machines, Apple had a confusing array of computer products that were rapidly becoming dated and Apple was in relatively poor shape financially. The iMac and iBook started to turn all of that around.

    The Good

    The original iBook represented a major design change from the previous Power Book Line and offered a number of innovations. The biggest was being the first laptop sold with integrated (albeit optional) wireless networking. Today you wouldn’t dream of buying a laptop or any mobile device without Wi-Fi capability but the iBook was the first laptop to offer it as a built-in option. Owners of all other laptops at the time would have to buy a PC Wi-Fi card in order to add Wi-Fi capability to their laptop. Around the same time Apple also introduced the AirPort Wireless Base Station that you could connect to your router or modem to add wireless capability. Also, while the iBook wasn’t necessarily the first laptop to offer USB and built-in ethernet, it was among the first popular consumer models to do so.

    The Bad

    The biggest downside to the iBook was that it was a relatively expensive and relatively modest performing computer. The hardware was not as impressive as the PowerBook models that were released earlier in the year though the iBook was cheaper than those. The initial price of the iBook was $1599. A CompUSA ad from the time period the iBook G3 was introduced has a Toshiba laptop with a Celeron 400 processor that would have been modestly faster than the iBook in most tasks and it was roughly the same price. In addition, it had twice as much RAM (64 MB vs. 32 MB standard in the iBook) and a larger hard drive (6.4 GB vs. 3.2 GB standard in the iBook). But then it is still true today that you can generally find equivalent hardware in a PC laptop quite a bit cheaper than in a MacBook.

    Another downside to the iBook was that it was harder to upgrade. There was a slot for the AirPort card that was easy to get to so that could be added or upgraded with little difficulty. There was also a RAM slot that was easy to access, however the RAM the system came with was soldered in so it was less upgradeable than most PC laptops. The hard drive could technically be upgraded but it was relatively difficult to get to, requiring the removal of 40 screws.

    The Controversial

    Then there were the design decisions that really divided people. The most obvious is the physical design. Some people loved the clamshell design and fun colors of the iMac like design, including transparent blueberry and tangerine colors initially. Others compared it to Barbie’s toilet. At the end of the day though, enough people liked it to make it a big seller for Apple. They were certainly very distinctive and popped up in movies and TV shows at the time fairly frequently. The other controversial decision was the removal of legacy ports. Previous Apple laptops typically included a SCSI port, PC Card slot and infrared. The iBook did not have these and initially also did not have firewire though this was added in later models. While removal of these ports was a good thing in the long run, initially for those that had significant investment in SCSI hardware or PC Cards it would have made an iBook an expensive upgrade.

    The original iBook G3 Clamshell included the following hardware:

    • CPU: 300 MHz PowerPC 750 (G3)
    • Level 2 cache: 512 KB @ 150 MHz
    • Bus: 66 MHz
    • RAM: 32 MB standard (soldered)
    • Video: ATI Rage Mobility (2x AGP)
    • VRAM: 4 MB
    • Display: 12.1″ 24-bit 800×600 SVGA 83 ppi color active matrix
    • Hard Drive: 3.2 GB UltraATA-33
    • CD-ROM: 24x
    • USB: 1 USB 1.1 port
    • Ethernet: 10/100Base-T
    • Modem: V.90 56k
    • Wi-Fi: 802.1b AirPort (optional)





    📂This entry was posted in Computer Arcana Macintosh 📎and tagged

  • Winter Games (Epyx, 1985)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Winter Games (Epyx, 1985)

    http://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/170527373501/retrocgads-usa-1985-winter-games-apple-ii

    As I mentioned in my previous post on the subject, the Epyx Games series were my favorite sports games of the 8-bit era. Of those, Winter Games was probably my favorite.

     

    Like Summer Games, Winter Games was developed first for the Commodore 64 and then ported to a wide variety of computer and video game platforms. This ad explicitly mentions the Commodore 64, Apple II and Macintosh so I suspect those were the first three available. Again, the events available varied slightly depending on which version you were playing but the original Commodore 64 version includes Hot Dog (freestyle ski jump where you do tricks), Biathlon, Figure Skating, Ski Jump, Speed Skating, Free Skating and Bob Sled.

     

    Though the events are different, the setup is just like Summer Games. One to eight players, practice, compete in some or compete in all events, etc. My favorite events were Hot Dog, Bob Sled, Biathlon, Ski Jump and Speed Skating. That’s most of them but then that’s why this is my favorite of the series. I like most of the events.

     

    Interestingly, the original Commodore 64 version of the game was released on Nintendo’s Virtual Console in 2009. Unfortunately, I believe it was a European only release. However, like Summer Games it was also available on the C64 DTV. If you can’t find on of those and don’t live in Europe and you want to give it a try, you’ll have to track down an original copy or an emulator and disk image. Make sure you are using a decent Atari style digital joystick for best results though!





    📂This entry was posted in Apple ][ Commodore 64 Computer Arcana Macintosh Retro Games 📎and tagged

  • Sub Battle Simulator

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    compute_issue_082_1987_mar-003

    Source: \Compute! – Issue Number 82 – March 1987 

    Sub Battle Simulator was released by Epyx for various home computer systems in 1987. This particular ad from the March 1987 issue of Compute! mentions the Commodore 64, Apple II, Apple IIgs, Atari ST, Macintosh and DOS. You could get a demo disk for any of those systems for $1.50 each. According to Wikipedia, it was also available for the Amiga and Tandy Color Computer 3.


    Commodore 64

    Sub Battle Simulator recieved somewhat mixed reviews. Most reviewers agreed that it was a fun game (despite some lengthy periods of inactivity) but there some complaints about lack of realism. In Sub Battle Simulator you can captain various types of submarines on a variety of missions for both the the Germans and the U.S. during World War II. If you were just looking for a submarine combat game you could just pick up and play then this one wasn’t a bad choice but if you were looking for a more accurate and detailed simulation then there were better options. I guess submarine games were more popular back in the 80s.


    Apple IIgs

    If you do want to give it a try, there are a number of versions to choose from. I’m not really sure what the best one is. My guess is that the Atari ST, Amiga and Apple IIgs versions are the best but Epyx usually did an excellent job with the Commodore 64 versions of its games so I wouldn’t count that one out. There aren’t any re-releases or sequels to this game. Whichever version you choose to try you’ll have to track down some original disks and the right equipment or use emulation.


    📂This entry was posted in Computer Arcana Retro Games 📎and tagged