After previewing the computer, "BYTE" stated in October 1986 that "The Apple IIGS designers' achievements are remarkable, but the burden of the classic Apple II architecture, now as venerable (and outdated) as COBOL and batch processing, may have weighed them down and denied them any technological leaps beyond an exercise in miniaturization." The magazine added that "hog-tied by Apple II compatibility, [the IIGS approaches but does not match or exceed current computer capabilities" of the Macintosh, Commodore Amiga, or Atari ST, and predicted that many vendors would "enhance existing products for the Apple II instead of writing new software" that fully exploited the IIGS's power.