Re: Any interest in Apple IIgs computers?

[Michael Black <blackm00@gloria.cam.org>]

On 6 Sep 2001, Rich Beaudry wrote:

> Mike Pfaiffer <pfaiffer@mts.net> wrote in message news:<3B8EC7B1.2040700@mts.net>...
> > 	Our local group here in Winnipeg was given a bunch from one school and 
> > offered another from a different school. We were able to distribute them 
> > free to low income people within the space of a couple of hours. They 
> > were glad to have them. Perhaps you could do the same. Alternatively you 
> > could check out some special education schools in your area. They may 
> > want to take them.
> > 
> 
> Mike,
> 
> This is certainly admirable, but the computers have no software, and
> no manuals.  Even if they could download and install System software,
> where are they going to get training, and educational software from? 
> Who still makes IIgs software? (Bear in mind this may sound like an
> idiotic question to you, but I am far from an Apple expert, and would
> not be able to tell anyone where to get this stuff).
> 
> Aside from that, any monies made on this deal are being donated back
> to the school from whence the computers came.  My primary goals were
> to save the computers, and to give back some money to the school...
> 
> Rich B.
> 
> 
I think one of the issues here is locale.  You need to find
people locally who want the stuff, rather than looking in an
international newsgroup where there might be plenty of demand
but shipping is going to be costly.

I forget where in Canada you said you were, somewhere out west.
You ought to visit your local buy and sell newsgroup and see
if anyone is interested there.  Or post to your local general
newsgroup to see if anyone locally is interested in old Apples,
or if there is a group interested in sprucing them up.  If
you do have a "freenet" out there, they are interested in getting
peeople online, and most "freenets" are set up so no fancy equipment
is needed.  Or maybe there still remains an old Apple II group,
and they'd be interested in getting them going.

I keep hearing and reading that most groups do not want computers
older than just a few years, because they are too obsolete.  That
does rule out a lot of possibilities.  Certainly, there aren't
a lot of visible role models to show people that older computers
are still useful.  On the other hand, while you may say the amount
of comptuers is small, 25 IIGS's is still a reasonable number.
it has the advantage that any effort put into getting them
up and running will be divided among the number of computers.
May will not want to put the effort into a single orphan computer,
but once you get the software for one and find background material,
the rest are almost immediately ready.

    Michael