Simulations are like adventure games except that you are transported to the simulation of a real-life situation: a nuclear power plant, the Lewis and Clark expedition, or a 1944 naval battle—where you try to solve real-life problems. (These games come dangerously close to being educational.) Besides games that simulate situations, there are applications that simulate an activity, like flying a plane or driving a race car.

Board games are electronic versions of chess, checkers, and other popular games. There are also electronic card games, including gin rummy, bridge, poker, and blackjack.

Sports games for armchair athletes include electronic versions of football, baseball, basketball, soccer, golf, tennis, the decathlon, billiards, darts, and almost any other sport you can think of.

Music applications range from elementary educational applications that teach you how to read music, to applications for serious composers.

By adding a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) card to your computer system and by using applications designed for the purpose, the Apple IIGS can control electronic keyboards and drum machines or function as a music synthesizer. As a music synthesizer, the Apple IIGS can generate the sounds of drums, guitars, flutes, horns, and all sorts of other musical instruments. This lets you compose for a band or an orchestra and hear how each part will sound.

Figure 5-11
Computer as instrument

Special-interest applications, also called vertical-market software, are applications that cater to a particular audience or profession.

They're more expensive than general-purpose software, but much cheaper than hiring a programmer to write software from scratch.

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Chapter 5: Application Programs