Subject: Re: What is the Apple ][x
From: dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)
Date: Thu, Oct 15, 1998 05k20(H
Message-id: <1dgywj9.kzhbwv1m2lzgcN@dempson.actrix.gen.nz>

MERLANCIA <merlancia@aol.com> wrote:

> What is the Apple ][x (IIx, //x). It was project "Golden Gate".
> The project was canned before it was finished. Any info would be appreciated.

Someone else may be able to provide more details by reading up in the
appropriate books, or looking up Stephen Weyhrich's (sp?) Apple II
history.

The details I recall: Golden Gate was the first project at Apple to
produce a 16-bit Apple II (using the 65816 processor).  It was done some
time in 1984 or 1985, at least a year before the release of the IIgs
(September 1986).  I believe the 65816 was released in 1984, so the
project was probably started some time after the release of the IIc
(April 1984).

Apart from possibly forming the basis of some ideas for the IIgs design,
it was not a prototype of the IIgs.  The Golden Gate project was canned,
and the IIgs was later started up as a separate project.

I have a vague feeling that the Mega II chip might have been designed as
part of this project, or at least used in it.  The Mega II was made well
before the IIgs, but never used in any other product except the IIe
emulation card for the LC and the Video Overlay card.  It could have
been used in a later IIe or IIc model to simplify the motherboard
circuitry even further.

Can anyone else fill in the blanks or correct any details my hazy
recollection has mangled?

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand