Re: Reality check

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Doede Boomsma writes ...
> 

 ....


 
> Alot people may not be careful enough to check out the Apple II
> resources and buy software, but one cannot expect that someone who pulls
> his old Apple II out of the closet, which hasn't been used and heard of
> in 10 years, will check out the A2 software vendor list.
>

     If these users did check vendor lists-- such as the ones included
in the newsgroup FAQs published here each month-- they would discover
that some very nice, original products are available. They would not,
however, find the Ultima's, Bards Tale I-III and I-II/gs, Questron,
Phantasie I-III, Wizard's Crown I-II, the King's Quest games, Sneakers,
Up n Down, Apple Panic, Falcons, Below the Root, Tracer Sanction, Pool
of Radiance, 'Azure Bonds, Champions of Krynn, Might and Magic, Space
Rogue, Elite, Dungeon Master, Tangled Tales, Gemstone Warrior, Karateka,
Choplifter, and a few hundred other entertainment products.

     More to the point, they would find that 99.99% of Apple II/IIgs
software is no longer available from anyone owning the copyright to the
software.

 
> When you need software, you check it out on internet.

     Eventually, yes. First, though, a lot of new users need help
getting DOS, ProDOS, System 6, ... plus telecom, DSK conversion, etc.
software and utility programs like Copy II Plus, ShrinkIt, and/or
GS-ShrinkIt. Then, they need help getting their system set up and
working in a way which makes downloading from the internet possible.

     One of the things we are supposed to be doing here is _helping_ new
users to get started.
 



> You run across the
> common ftp-servers and download software.

     Yes; like Ground ...

Ground  Apple2 U. Iowa- home site of Csa2 FAQs; games, utilities,
  HC/HS stacks, music files, ..., and information in several
  collections including the AOL A2 archives 
  ftp://128.255.21.234/apple2/


and Apple2-Caltech ...

Apple2 Caltech- large collection of II/IIgs games and utilities
  ftp://apple2.caltech.edu/pub/apple2/



> You may run across a site
> called asimov,

     Right! ...

Asimov- #1 archive of Apple II games and utilities in
  emulator DSK and file formats; plus emulators and emu info 
  ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/

or ...

Uni-kl.de  Apple2 U. Kaiserslautern-- II/IIgs games, utilities, and
  emulator wares
  ftp://ftp.uni-kl.de/pub/apple2/


and, don't forget the Asimov-GS archives ...

Asimov-GS Mirror- Mirror and major archive of IIgs software
  ftp://apple.cabi.net/pub/applegs/


> and download software, not knowing it is illegal to
> download from there.

     Good; because it is _NOT_ illegal.


> 
> You can't blame someone from copying software in a country where really
> NO-ONE except a little 100 freaks know about the Apple II (like over
> here, the Netherlands).

     Since there is nothing to be blamed for, most Apple II users do not
blame anyone. Evidently, you do.


> And usually this is about old software which
> isn't published anymore.

    "Usually"? Try "Almost Always".


> This doesn't make it legal,

    "This" doesn't have to make anything legal. It just is.

 ....



Rubywand