Re: GS Appletalk troubles

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Supertimer <supertimer@aol.com> wrote:

> Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net> wrote:
> 
> >     Information like the above is sure to help those who wish to use
> >AppleTalk. Unfortunately, I do not recall what specific situation led to
> >pulling it. In any case, we scrapped AppleTalk years ago; so, any
> >associated problems/limitations have not plagued our IIgs.
> >
> >     The above leads to a natural question: What am I missing? What is
> >it that you or John or anyone else does with AppleTalk which makes it
> >worth the bother.
> 
> 230kbaud, for one thing.  It makes a 56k serial null modem
> connection (about 4 times slower) to shame.  Access to an
> AppleShare volume (for non hard drive users).  And
> AppleTalk printers (again, much faster than 56k serial).

LocalTalk may run at 230400 bps, but it can't use the full bandwidth due
to protocol overhead.  It is still significantly faster than a 57.6K
serial connection when data is being streamed.

The major advantage is being able to hook up three or more devices and
not have to rearrange cables all the time.  I used LocalTalk to connect
my IIgs and ImageWriter II for at least a year before I got my first
Mac.  It was handy to be able to hook up a IIe or second IIgs from time
to time, and AppleTalk effectively gave the ImageWriter a larger buffer.

> >     For example, unless one is especially thrilled by pretty animations
> >at random intervals, putting up with screen saver-related limitations
> >and glitches makes no sense. The 'cure' is to treat any screen saver as
> >though it were a virus.
> 
> I like my screen saver.  ;-)

I really like mine: Screen Dimmer, written by Dave Lyons and sold by
Roger Wagner Publishing.  All it does is switches to the text screen and
displays black text on a black background with a black border.  The
computer keeps running quite happily in the background, and display is
restored on the next keypress or mouse activity.

(I had to disassemble and modify my copy to get it to detect the mouse
on the ROM 3 IIgs.)

> It does not glitch my GS at all.  Besides, now that the RGB
> unit is dead, I really DO need it to prevent burn-in on
> my green phosphor unit.

Ditto.  (My monitor isn't quite dead, but it is on its last legs and I'm
saving it for _really_ special occasions.)

> >     Obviously, AppleTalk is a potential crash causer. So, what is the
> >pay-off for getting it to work on a GS?
> 
> Currently best networking speed for GS.  Print faster to
> laser printers.  Share Mac hard drives (only useful if your
> IIGS does not have one).

Hardly.  It is much more convenient for file copying than using floppies
(a little faster overall and avoids any file system implementation
glitches on either machine).  A removable high-speed device like a ZIP
drive beats it for multiple file copying, but only if both machines have
their own drive, or you don't mind moving the drive back and forth.

Another use is accessing a CD-ROM in the Mac's drive.  Saves me getting
a CD-ROM drive on the IIgs for those rare occasions where I want to
access my System 6 Golden Master from the IIgs.

Network booting might be a useful feature for some situations, e.g. a
classroom, but is painfully slow.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand