The Apple competes against itself car analogy reminded me of something else: Apple's legal problems with Apple. The synth on the IIgs probably caused problems with Apple Records because Apple was getting precariously close to their turf. It is quite possible that this limited how Apple could update the IIgs in the future. Indeed, all we saw was a minor update to the IIgs (the ROM and a couple of minor mainboard revisions). The only other revisions in the Apple II series were with the 8-bit models -- which already had higher adoption rates anyway, and they wouldn't have to ditech the 'S' in the Apple IIgs.