Re: Apple II plus w/ rare access. (for sale?)

[Bryan Villados <news001@nospam_macgeek.org>]

In article <8ookbm$ubc$1@nserve1.acs.ucalgary.ca>, Byron Desnoyers
Winmill <wbdesnoy@acs5.acs.ucalgary.ca> wrote:

> Doug Browning (wpg750@mb.imag.net) wrote:
> : Hold on to the Micromodem for prosperity. You won't get much for it. It's
> : 300bps speed isn't supported anymore, so the only people you'd be able to
> : connect with would be somebody else with a Micromodem. It isn't even AT
> : command compatible (it uses special software on the floppy supplied).
> 
> It is possible to connect with more recent modems.  I have a USR Courier
> 14400 bps modem which connected (quite sluggishly) to the Micromodem II.  This
> was using the Micromodem's builtin firmware.  It even connected to my ISP,
> once.  Once is okay, because after that first time you won't feel like doing
> it again!  If memory serves me correctly, type "PR#n" followed by "IN#n" to
> access the firmware (replace n with the slot number, and you may have to
> reverse their order).  Something _like_ <ctrl><a><ctrl><d> will allow you to
> dial.
> 
> Byron.

Personally, I like the Micromodem II for its historical significance.
It was pretty much the first Apple II-only modem available. And, it was
the modem that I received as part of my first Apple II+ purchase way
back when. So including it in an Apple II+ bundle adds a nice touch.

Byron's right about the dial commands. To add to that... I'm really
showing my age here... The old fashioned way of downloading
applications from a Networks II based BBS (Nick Naimo's product) was to
dial into the BBS using the commands Byron mentioned. Then, Networks II
sends control sequences to bounce the Apple II into either the Monitor,
Applesoft or Integer BASIC (whichever language the to-be-downloaded app
was written in) and starts transmitting the source code into RAM. It
then saves the file onto your floppy diskette, then sends control
sequences to bounce the Apple II back into terminal mode. This was
practiced even before ASCII Express II (not Pro) was written. Once AE
Pro was patched for Networks II, GBBS, and other BBS products to use,
the ASCII downloading scheme faded off.

You couldn't emulate the control sequences on a modem that used a
serial card, like the Apple Serial cards. When the Apple Cat II became
the more popular modem of choice, Novation had to develop firmware to
simulate the functionality of the Micromodem II so the sequence I
mentioned above could be done.

For my Apple Museum, I plan on purchasing a phone line simulation
device so I can have one Apple II computer dial into a Networks II BBS
running on another Apple II. And I'd be using Micromodem II's on both
ends. That should look really cool running. When kids see this
configuration, I believe they'll develop an appreciation for the faster
equipment they have, and the ease of use via today's world wide web and
other telecommunication tools.

---
Bryan G Villados
Curator, Apple Museum-for-a-Day
Pearl City, Hawaii

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