IIgs Expansion Card Recommendations

Stinkerton18 · May 19, 2023

Hey folks! I have recently acquired a IIgs. I've already ordered a 4MB RAM card to replace the stock/original one and am planning on getting a ReActiveMicroDrive for it.

I'm curious about what other expansion cards folks have or recommend. I'm using a BMOW Floppy emu, so I don't really need a Floppy controller card. What do you have in your IIgs?

Volvo242GT · May 19, 2023

Currently, mine has an AE GS-RAM Plus in the memory expansion slot, and an Apple II High Speed SCSI card in slot 7. All other slots are set to their default port settings, so not in use. For the most part, unless you're planning on using a parallel printer, either a disk ][ 5.25" drive or a G7287 FDHD drive, or plan to run CP/M software, there isn't much of a need for other cards. Maybe a sound card, like the AE Sonic Blaster, or an accelerator, would be cool...

eric · May 19, 2023

My IIgs has a 8MB DarkRAM from ByteBoosters, a Apple II High Speed SCSI card from @Garth Beagle (with a BlueSCSI attached of course), a LiteSound Apple IIgs Stereo Audio from @jcm-1, and a “GR8RAM” 8+ MB Slinky/RamFactor RAM from @Zane Kaminski

I use my IIgs though more like a glorified Apple II - run some GS/OS sometimes.

One of the nice things about the IIgs is that almost all the basics are there already.

retr01 · May 19, 2023

+1 on the 8 MB DarkRAM from ByteBoosters I have in my IIGS.

Another item I want to get soon:

AppleSqueezer GS

That will make your IIGS scream and zip!

Also, it includes 14 MB RAM, so you will not need a memory card. An immense RAM disk of up to 240 MB is available with a driver. New features are being added regularly. With this, GSOS will feel smooth and usable. For games and some sound or music programs, acceleration can be adjusted, too.

There is the Uthernet II ethernet adapter card. I have heard that WiFi is being worked on. The current GG Labs SCSI card revision 3 can use BlueSCSI on the IIGS. Alternatively, the ReActive Micro CF card adapter or SD Disk ][ Plus is available.

Oh, there is the VidHD card to hook up to the big HDMI screen.

Stinkerton18 · May 19, 2023

eric said:
My IIgs has a 8MB DarkRAM from ByteBoosters, a Apple II High Speed SCSI card from @Garth Beagle (with a BlueSCSI attached of course), a LiteSound Apple IIgs Stereo Audio from @jcm-1, and a “GR8RAM” 8+ MB Slinky/RamFactor RAM from @Zane Kaminski

I use my IIgs though more like a glorified Apple II - run some GS/OS sometimes.

One of the nice things about the IIgs is that almost all the basics are there already.

Ohhh I didn't know about the LiteSound card. That's really cool that it's transparent! I think I will pick one up. Appreciate the suggestion!

I didn't go with an 8MB card, I did get a RAMGS/4 from GGLabs though. The 8MB seemed a bit excessive for most apps.

Stinkerton18 · May 20, 2023

retr01 said:
+1 on the 8 MB DarkRAM from ByteBoosters I have in my IIGS.

Another item I want to get soon:

AppleSqueezer GS

That will make your IIGS scream and zip! Also, it includes 14 MB RAM, so you will not need a memory card. An immense RAM disk of up to 240 MB is available with a driver. New features are being added regularly. With this, GSOS will feel smooth and usable. For games and some sound or music programs, acceleration can be adjusted, too.

There is the Uthernet II ethernet adapter card. I have heard that WiFi is being worked on. The current GG Labs SCSI card revision 3 can use BlueSCSI on the IIGS. Alternatively, the ReActive Micro CF card adapter or SD Disk ][ Plus is available.

Oh, there is the VidHD card to hook up to the big HDMI screen.

jots notes

The ethernet adapter is odd to me. I admit I haven't checked into it but can GS/OS support ethernet? I kinda wonder if it would be easier to copy/run apps and games from an AppleTalk file share.
EDIT: Ahhh looks like Marinetti is the best option, provides a lot of useful tools including an FTP and HTTP client that I could use to pull files down with.

Byte Knight · May 20, 2023

Stinkerton18 said:
The ethernet adapter is odd to me. I admit I haven't checked into it but can GS/OS support ethernet? I kinda wonder if it would be easier to copy/run apps and games from an AppleTalk file share.
EDIT: Ahhh looks like Marinetti is the best option, provides a lot of useful tools including an FTP and HTTP client that I could use to pull files down with.

Yes, I use AFPBridge (https://sheumann.github.io/AFPBridge/) to get on my netatalk file server and print over my network to a PostScript-capable printer using Direct Connect PostScript Printer Driver (DCPPD) for GS/OS 6.0.x (http://www.apple2works.com/directconnectpostscriptdriver/) and Treehugger (http://krue.net/treehugger/).

ClassicHasClass · May 20, 2023

My GS has a TransWarp, an AI InnerDrive and a GG Labs 8MB RAM card. Thinking about a proper SCSI card or network, though.

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tmtrains · May 27, 2023

My IIgs currently has:
* Applesqueezer GS (the OG model)
* Uthernet 2 I use Marinetti for getting online.
* Byteboosters Darksound (for stereo sound output)
* Booti USB hard drive emulator (sadly no longer available)
* Soldered connections for an RGBtoHDMI

I also have a FloppyEmu, which is my primary "floppy drive" for the IIgs.

Before I got the Applesqueezer, I had the RAMGS/4 4 MB RAM expansion.

retr01 · May 28, 2023

tmtrains said:
My IIgs currently has:
* Applesqueezer GS (the OG model)

How do you like the Applesqueezer GS?

What is the "OG" model?

tmtrains · May 28, 2023

retr01 said:
How do you like the Applesqueezer GS? What is the "OG" model?

I like it. It works well enough to make the IIgs achieve its proper 14 MHz glory.
The "OG" model is what @niek made before one of the components were no longer in stock. He's redesigned the board to not rely on that component and that is what will be available going forward. The new ones will have an SD slot so you can save / load the contents from / to the 240 MB RAMdisk.

Updated AppleSqueezers

Some good news to start 2023. The AppleSqueezer GS was updated and can now be manufactured again! As you probably know if you've used an AppleSqueezer GS: it consists of two parts: a green half and a black half. The black half was a more or less standard component that was available from a 3rd...

www.applesqueezer.com

stevedrees · Sep 12, 2023

tmtrains said:
My IIgs currently has:
* Applesqueezer GS (the OG model)
* Uthernet 2 I use Marinetti for getting online.
* Byteboosters Darksound (for stereo sound output)
* Booti USB hard drive emulator (sadly no longer available)
* Soldered connections for an RGBtoHDMI

I also have a FloppyEmu, which is my primary "floppy drive" for the IIgs.

Before I got the Applesqueezer, I had the RAMGS/4 4 MB RAM expansion.

How do you like the RGBtoHDMI?

tmtrains · Sep 18, 2023

stevedrees said:
How do you like the RGBtoHDMI?

I like it. I do have my RGB monitor, but it’s nice not having to put more hours of use on it.
It always starts up in the GUI mode a bit off but hitting a button fixes that up.

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IIgs Expansion Card Recommendations

Stinkerton18

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eric

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Updated AppleSqueezers

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