Re: Apple IIe help-just got my first one

[rubywand@swbell.net (Rubywand)]

mscarl writes ...

> I was just given my first Apple computer, the IIe and could really use some
> help.  When I start it up, all it does is sometimes (not all the time) shows
> the Apple logo and nothing else.  I don't know how to work these things.  Is
> it like the Commodore 64?

     There are some similarities. The Apple //e and C64 are 8-bit machines based
upon the 65xx microprocessor family. Both have an in-ROM BASIC and both depend
mainly upon software stored on 5.25" DD ('140k') diskettes. A //e will, typically,
have 128k of RAM installed vs. 64k RAM in a C64.
  

> Do I have to have software in it to boot it up?

     No. An Apple //e with the standard Disk II Controller card plugged in has
enough built-in firmware smarts to boot a bootable diskette and load in a DOS. (Of
course, not all diskettes are bootable.)

     Normally, a //e with at least one 5.25" disk drive connected will try to boot
a diskette from Drive 1 when it is first turned ON. If there is no diskette in the
drive and you want to terminate the boot attempt, you can press Control-Reset and
get to the regular Applesoft prompt (a "]").

     When you are at the Applesoft prompt, you can enter and run Applesoft BASIC
programs ....

Enter NEW. (Type in NEW and press the RETURN key.)

Enter these two lines ...

10 TEXT: HOME: FOR I= 1 TO 20: PRINT "HELLO MSCARL!": NEXT I
20 END

Enter LIST to list the program.
Enter RUN to run the program.


     If you have not booted a DOS, you will not be able to save the program on
disk.

     If you are at the Applesoft prompt after successfully booting a DOS (like DOS
3.3 or ProDOS) you can save your program:

Enter SAVE HELLO.MSCARL


     You can examine memory and experiment with 6502 machine language via the
built-in Monitor firmware. From the Applesoft prompt, enter CALL -151 to get into
the monitor. Examples of a few monitor commands:

800.87F - dump contents of addresses $0800 - $087F to the
          screen as a block of bytes.

$F800L  - list 20 lines of disassembled code starting at address $F800.

300:A9 00 85 FF 60 - example showing five bytes entered into memory
          starting at address $0300. 


For more information, a good start is the Apple II FAQs at ...
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs5MAINHALL.html#000 .

For DOS info: http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2DOSMM.html

For programming info: http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/csa2pfaq.html

For Apple II sites on the net see ...
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs4MAJORSITES.html

For Apple II game sites see ...
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs7GAMESITES.html

For a way to get DOS 3.3 from the net, see ...
http://206.14.25.120/~cturley/a2zine/Sel/dos33dmp.htm


> I know dumb questions, but if I don't ask, I 'll never know.
 ....

     Answering questions is one of the main functions of this newsgroup; and,
really, there are not all that many "dumb questions" a new user can ask. (I guess
if you get an Apple IIe and ask "Where is the keyboard?", that might qualify--
except, there are sure to be a few IIe's with the keyboard removed and so, even
then, we could not be sure it was dumb question.)

     Anyway, no one expects you pour over the FAQs to avoid posting questions. 



Rubywand

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