The
GEOS operating system for the Apple II computer, once very much ahead
of its time, has been officially re-released by its current owner,
Breadbox Computer, LLC. You can now download it for free. I know it could already be downloaded from several
dark corners of the Internet but I thought it might still be worth a
note.
I remeber something for Commoder 64 called GEOS, is this the same thing?
Will try if it does
They also had a version for DOS before Windows came out. IT was very ahead for its time. Too bad it got squashed by the BIG boys. GEOS ran better than the first versions of Windows!
was this a gui OS? Excsuse my ignorance, but I’ve never seen an Apple II let alone seen GEOS running.
Yep. It is indeed a GUI. And it does indeed run better than the first versions of windows.
Screenshots: http://www.toastytech.com/guis/a2geos.html
Here are some screenshots I found of GEOS:
http://www.zimmers.net/geos/geopics.html
http://www.digibarn.com/collections/screenshots/Apple%20II%…
I’ve been a regular reader of OSNews for months now, and this is the first Apple ][ posting I’ve seen. Cool!
I don’t happen to have a mouse for my old Apple. Does anybody know if there are there some keyboard commands I can use?
As I remember it, you could alternatively use a joystick on the Apple II version of GEOS. I don’t know about other versions though.
think think think
geek
control-i (or control-j) on the commodore brings up a pointer chooser, does that work on the apple ii?
keeg
>> http://www.toastytech.com/guis/paint.gif
Hm, Microsoft said the OSS community copies to much, right?
Heh.
Yes it is. I can remember how this blew me away on my old C64! What a long way wa’ve come.
GEOS for C64
http://emulazione.multiplayer.it/cbmitapages/c64/geos/geoseng.htm
Yes, it is the same as C64 GEOS. GEOS was originally developed on the C64, then Apple II and C128 versions were released. A very nice version was released to run on top of MSDOS. True, preemptive mulitasking on x86 machines at consumer prices, in the 1980s.
I used the C64 version and MSDOS version for a number of years. You could even connect an Apple laser printer to the C64, and get full resolution output using GeoPublish. When GEOS finished booting, the desktop on the Commodore and Apple versions looked virtually identical to a Macintosh (1984, 1985 vintage).
I had the 512k RAM expansion on my C64. You could setup virtual disks, and mirror physical 5 1/4″ floppy drives, for a huge increase in throughput.
It was pretty amazing what that software did to an 8 bit computer.
Maybe they can bring back c64 Geos too, now that Tulip are planning to rerelease the c64. Hey I’d buy it!
I had a Final Cardtridge III for my C64 which made the computer boot up into a graphical desktop by default. This was somewhere around 1988 if I’m not mistaken. Are there any more GUI’s besides GEOS and this one for 8 bit computers (excluding vintage macintosh/Lisa)?
Seeing those screenshots brought a tear to my eye.
Man those were the days………
Personally I would like to see some company take over the old GEOs and re-work it. It was a great OS for it’s time.
Wish granted. GEOS has become Breadbox Ensemble.
Link: http://www.breadbox.com/
…who uses that OS with such a bad graphics having OSX…
People with small but still usable computers. A free 10 years-old PC can still do amazing work with this.
…who uses that OS with such a bad graphics having OSX…
You’re confused. This is for old Apple II’s ( http://apple2history.org/index.html ), not for modern Apple Macs.
Yes, it does run on emulators.
I tried it in Applewin. The screen’s not readable in color mode, but in monochrome mode, it works.
wonder if it runs on a apple ][ gs y0
pshaw ,
I was a COCO user and we used os-9 (microware and yes apple did get sued) SCSI supprt, networking (expiremental) realtime , multitasking , multiple users c, The COCO III could be expanded up to 2 MBi of memory, multiple slots,
The gui under os-9 had one flaw, no overlapping windows. I lost all of my coco stuff 11 years ago. (Joel K. got it all) I even had created an xeyes for it. and a really good editor.
I miss those days I really do.
Donaldson
Yes, obelix. Apple GEOS will run on an Apple IIgs.
When will they release a 64-bit version. If this runs on a G5, it probably would be more responsive than XP.
GEOS never even got to a 32bit version, let alone 64bit.
Breadbox Ensemble is the first version to even save the full 32bit CPU registers on a task switch. That’s the extent of the 32bit support in the OS.
As to responsiveness, GEOS in an emulator on a G5 probably would be more responsive than XP.
I remember back in 2000 when I worked at MyTurn, and they were releasing their GlobalPC (AMD 486 100mhz, 8 megs ram). They’d demo the web browser and other apps to people, and ask them to guess at the system specs. Most people guessed around Pentium 2 400mhz with 32 or 64 megs of ram. People were really shocked when they found out the real specs.
the graphics are great. some one should make an os, or a theme, that looks like that w/ all of todays great new tricks and such. talk about responsive…
I’ll have to try it on my Apple IIc+ when I get home.
I remember killing hours and hours on my C64, I still remember GEOS quite well…. time to play with some emulators, or dig out the C64 and see if it still power up!
GEOS was cool, but for the IIgs, GS/OS was probably the best choice:
http://toastytech.com/guis/gsos.html
Really advanced for it’s time (and considering its compatability with older Apple II software).
Then of course for the Apple II family there was the Apple II desktop (I think also called mousedesk). It was Windows 95 in 1986 on a Apple II.
http://toastytech.com/guis/a2desk.html
In a related note, there is supposed to be an Apple II port of the Contiki OS:
http://www.dunkels.com/adam/contiki/
It doesn’t look like it’s made any progress in a while, though. Still cool. Imagine having a desktop OS with a web browser and server running off an Apple II.
I have on of the old ones – I just have a typewriter hooked up to it.
I have original GEOS for DOS if anyone is really interested enough I would part with the books and media. I own NewDeal 3.2a so the GEOS is quaint, but taking up space. Anyhow, I like Desqview better anyway.
does anyone know how you go about taking the disk images and making the disks from them? i am interested in trying this out on an actual apple II machine and not an emulator.