Ben Heck outdoes himself (again) with the Apple IIGS laptop

We're still reeling from Ben Heck's amazing PS3 laptop (which we'll be auctioning off for charity soon) but the man just hit us again with this amazing Apple IIGS laptop. Based off an original IIGS motherboard, the one-of-a-kind laptop features a 15-inch color screen, custom acrylic keyboard, a CompactFlash-based hard drive, and -- most importantly -- a glowing blue IIGS logo that flashes yellow during disk access. Hit the read link for tons more pics and a hot demo video -- you won't be disappointed.

[nickels @ Apr 14th 2008 7:18PM]

haha awesome

[Mark @ Apr 14th 2008 8:06PM]

no usb ports?

fail.

[Flashpoint @ Apr 14th 2008 8:09PM]

Ben should create a Mac Book Air that actually makes sense.

[Ignatius @ Apr 14th 2008 8:27PM]

Uh... USB wasn't even supported by Windows 98. Of course an old Apple II isn't going to.

And before someone makes some stupid snide comment about Windows 98 supporting USB... it was SE, not the original release. :P

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Apr 14th 2008 8:43PM]

@ flashpoint

Ben Heck will out do himself even more!!! He'll create macbook air, that is made of..... AIR! Innit amazing?!?! :P

[Mike @ Apr 14th 2008 8:52PM]

All versions of 98 supported USB. Windows 95 did not, Win95 SE did.

[dramamoose @ Apr 14th 2008 8:56PM]

Uhh...Ignatus? I think that Mark was making a MBA reference.

[linuxamp @ Apr 14th 2008 9:07PM]

Actually, Windows 95B had USB support although it was very bad. You can identify 95B CDs by the text "With USB support" printed on the disc.

And Ignatius, you need to check your sarcasm detector. It's on the fritz.

[hypereric @ Apr 14th 2008 10:26PM]

The day he integrates a C64 with a 1541 drive (and the requisite 300-1200 baud modem) is the day I'll drool all over meself. AND I'll I take pictures of said drool for public mockery.

[NuShrike @ Apr 15th 2008 3:52AM]

For you whipper-snappers, it has ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) which supports up to 16 daisy-chained devices including the keyboard, mouse, joystick, etc.

Sound familiar?

Psst, it has a scsi port that supports up to 8 drive devices at once too. No master/slave silliness.

How many years before PC folks discovered that USB would be a nice thing over the original two serial ports, and much later SATA?

If you're that hard up, there should be ADB to USB convertors.

[Prokanda @ Apr 15th 2008 6:33AM]

@nushrike

You do know that apple was one of the original companies that created the idea and specs for USB (to replace SCSI), right?

So saying that SCSI was awesome and that USB was the PC guys later answer to SCSI is kinda silly. Apple dropped SCSI and went to USB with the first imac... and I *still* have a PC-SCSI card lying around my parts bin.

So, PC guys have SCSI in some form... and apple themselves dropped SCSI for USB.... and IDE. apple started using IDE for it's entry-level machines in '94.... it took THAT long for you APPLE guys to jump on the connectivity bandwagon too... we had USB in one of the versions of windows 95..... so.. what? a 2 year difference.. how long did we have IDE before apple adopted it because it was more cost effective over SCSI, plus some other benefits?

Also, do you really want to get into the argument of what apple offered in their machines *cough* forced their sheep into buying *cough* for many years?

the built-in sound, lack of upgrade options, lack of software for the platform, proprietary-engineered from the ground up machines only available from one company for entirely too much money.... the list goes on and on.


...not to mention, Mark was kidding...

oh yeah, one more thing... ADB was a joke... just like PS/2... only... More Proprietary, The apple Way™. think nazi.

[Floydian @ Apr 15th 2008 10:00AM]

@Prokanda

The fist time apple shipped a computer with built in IDE to replace it's SCSI 2 drives was in 1997 with the introduction of the Beige G3. SCSI was the basis for FireWire, not USB.
USB was developed and promoted by Intel, Microsoft, Philips, and US Robotics, not Apple, although if you read more about ADB, you can see where Intel got it's idea for USB. The original iMac raised public awareness of USB considerably in August 1998, as it discarded legacy ports to use only USB. PCs had USB ports prior to the iMac's introduction, but they were included with a full complement of traditional ports which limited USB's adoption. The iMac's influence can be seen in the number of USB peripherals with matching translucent, colored plastic enclosures that were available in the late '90s and early '00s.

P.S. - ADB was far better than PS2, daisy chain-able, able to use up to 16 devices all individually addressable. The only feature it was sorely missing was the ability to hot swap devices, but you couldnt to that with PS2 either.

USB was developed and promoted by Intel, Microsoft, Philips, and US Robotics. Originally USB was intended to replace the multitude of connectors at the back of PCs, as well as to simplify software configuration of communication devices. USB was also the primary connector on the original Apple iMac introduced 6 May 1998, including the connector for its new keyboard and mouse

[TomWBrowning @ Apr 14th 2008 7:18PM]

Fucking, want.

[phanbouy @ Apr 14th 2008 8:47PM]

interesting comma

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Apr 15th 2008 8:48AM]

Bard's Tale, anyone?

[mrpoo @ Apr 15th 2008 1:39PM]

I think that is 2 verbs meant be in series. However, his order seems to be inverted.

[Aaron Wanker @ Apr 14th 2008 7:22PM]

Does it have a slim 5.25" drive so you can play Oregon Trail?

[Bbar86 @ Apr 14th 2008 7:36PM]

I frickin' love that game!

[Aaron Wanker @ Apr 14th 2008 7:40PM]

And I'm pretty sure we're not alone, Number Cruncher was pretty cool too, that is until you realized they were trying to teach you!

[Taylor @ Apr 14th 2008 8:11PM]

You have died of dysentery.

[Gus @ Apr 14th 2008 8:24PM]

Not if this is the Air version.

[thebigDallas @ Apr 14th 2008 8:25PM]

best comment ever

[rv @ Apr 14th 2008 8:32PM]

Not to sound like an ass, but you can play that on a regular pc. Hecks other stuff is cool, but this is fucking stupid. The only reason you would like this is because of nostalgia, and gadgets + nostalgia is kinda dumb. I can see it for things like old games, but not for old fucking computers.

[Kurian @ Apr 14th 2008 9:42PM]

@RV I completely agree. This POS shouldnt exists.

[BrokenMonkey @ Apr 14th 2008 11:46PM]

I'm sorry, at what point are you not trying to sound like an ass?

[harma41 @ Apr 14th 2008 7:22PM]

And I quote Joey Lawrence: "whoa!"

[Chicksta @ Apr 14th 2008 7:24PM]

So much for Ben being 'only' a console modder...
...and the heck (ahem) with knights in shining armor; where's my hero with shiny acrylic???

[phanbouy @ Apr 14th 2008 8:17PM]

estoy aqui

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Apr 14th 2008 8:44PM]

como estas?

[phanbouy @ Apr 14th 2008 8:46PM]

i'm not responding to that sillyness, cubs, because my own brand of silliness was a response of "i'm here" to chicksta's "where's my acrylic god" or something =)

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Apr 14th 2008 9:06PM]

hola? :P

[Chicksta @ Apr 14th 2008 9:23PM]

You know phanbouy, your avatar looks kind of like this... (and yes, I do remember where it was from)

[phanbouy @ Apr 14th 2008 9:33PM]

ha! good point; whoda thunk a silly MBP cartoon would end up resembling a IIGS laptop?

oh, and do let me know next time you're in san francisco. =D

[Chicksta @ Apr 14th 2008 9:45PM]

Um, I'll be in Palo Alto sometime next month, San Jose the second week of May, but not San Fran proper until November... I was there last month :)

[phanbouy @ Apr 14th 2008 10:00PM]

good times good times. well drop me a note at spaamiam at sbcglobal dot net before engadget removes this comment and/or i have to delete it due to fanboy hate mail (speaking of which to others don't bother spamming me as this is an email acct i just made and will soon delete =)

[DWells55 @ Apr 15th 2008 1:02AM]

It's a trap!

[cheng @ Apr 15th 2008 3:31AM]

Picking up women on engadget?

so wrong, yet so so right.

[dave @ Apr 15th 2008 1:49PM]

fucking saved for great justice

[Joe_Templeman @ Apr 14th 2008 7:26PM]

....NEED!

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ Apr 14th 2008 7:27PM]

does ben heck work for a living or does he make these all the time.

if he could find the resources he could turn this in to good buisness.

some how tho i dont think he does this for money but he deserves a lot of credit and a dedicted award all to himself.

ben heck rules :)

[jordan turpentine @ Apr 14th 2008 7:57PM]

I forget what company it was, but some console accessory company hired him to just make these things and console mods.

[Jordan @ Apr 14th 2008 9:15PM]

I thought that was just a short temp, one time job.

[Jordan @ Apr 14th 2008 9:26PM]

He was working to build a product for eDemensional.

[FRZ @ Apr 14th 2008 10:40PM]

Now if he could just build the portable all-in-one device that I am looking for and can fit in my pocket then, he can totally be my super hero.

[Mindfield @ Apr 14th 2008 7:29PM]

Duuuuuuude! I didn't come up through the Apple camp (except for a few friends who had //c and //e machines) but dayum. I _so_ want one. Like, bad.

[waiownsyou @ Apr 14th 2008 7:34PM]

This is what happens when Ben Heck acquires steroids.

[Chris @ Apr 14th 2008 10:48PM]

Nah, he's got all of the Mod Plasmids.

[retro77 @ Apr 14th 2008 7:35PM]

Problem loading page...chalk another one up to Engadget! You're on a roll!

[2ASquared @ Apr 14th 2008 7:41PM]

Engadget didn't screw up the link, Ben Heck's site wasn't built to handle thousands of people trying to access it at once, which is exactly what happens when engadget makes posts about his newest projects.

[ethana2 @ Apr 14th 2008 10:06PM]

The /internet/ isn't built for that.

http over bittorent is taking way too long. people are idiots.