Apple II Gets an OS Update After 23 Years

An operating system update for Apple II was launched on Friday, marking an end to the ProDOS version 2.0.3 reign as the most updated OS. The recently introduced version – 2.4 came after 23 years and was released at a time when the company was celebrating its 30^th anniversary of Apple IIGS. Software Developer John Brooks is behind the creation of this latest version.

Apple II is very important to the company as it was a crucial stepping-stone for the company to becoming a global tech powerhouse. It was launched in 1977, with over 5 million units being sold over the next two decades. The Apple IIGS was the 5^th model in the Apple II series and was launched on September 15, 1986.By the time Apple II series was discontinued in 1993, it had spawned six different variations and revolution the computer industry.

ProDOS 2.4. Brooks version has added a number of features including an updated file manager, a file compression, a disk imager, a Bitsy Boot and a decompression algorithm. It has also introduced a number of programs that should help someone trying to use an Apple II with modern Internet servers and USB drives. It also has an Unshrink tool to expand archives compressed with Shrinkit. Ars Technica has indicated that Bitsy Bye runs in less than 1kB of RAM, while the boot utility runs in less than 400 bytes. This makes them perfect for highly efficient coding.

Currently, only a few people could still be using an Apple II. If you are one of them, you can view the full feature list and download the update from this site. For those who don’t have an Apple II, they can try out the update on a web-based emulator just for old time sake. There is a ProDos 2.4 in an emulator that can run in any browser.

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