Re: Commands, etc.

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

SkibumOh writes ...
> 
>      I just got a new (at least new to me) IIGS.  Think that it is a great
> system.  One question though...   It is a ROM 01 (that would be 2ed generation
> right???), with the color RGB(?) moniter.   It has no hard drive, a 5 1/4, and
> 3 1/2 floppy drives.  Also has a 2400bps modem!
>      I have a few questions...
> 1)Can I put the GS/OS on this comp.

     The current GS/OS or "System" is System 6.0.1. You will want a 4MB
RAM expansion card plugged into your Mem Expansion Slot to run System
6.0.1. (The Mem Expansion Slot is near the front right side of the
motherboard.)  A 4MB GS ROM-01 can run nearly all GS software as well as
most IIe and II+ software.

     With the old Apple, Inc. 1MB card plugged into your Mem Expansion
Slot, you can boot and run many old "ProDOS-16" (an early GS System) and
System 5.0.4 games and utilities. You can, also, run most ProDOS-8 and
DOS 3.3 software designed for the IIe and II+.

     With no mem expansion, you can get some "ProDOS-16" stuff to work.
Mostly, with just the 256k of built-in RAM, the GS is limited to very
early GS programs running under "ProDOS-16" or ProDOS-8 along with most
ProDOS-8 and DOS 3.3 software designed for the IIe and II+.
   


> 2)What upgrades can I get for 100usd

     There is no established seller of major used peripherals in any
quantity. That is, nobody has a pile of good used 4MB Mem Expansion
boards, ZipGS or TransWarp accelerators, RamFAST SCSI cards, or Focus
Hard Card hard disks. Mainly, finding good used stuff is a matter of
lucking out at a flea mart, school sale, club swap meet, ... or on
comp.sys.apple2.marketplace . Prices can vary widely depending upon
where you look on any given day.

     The usual way to get most major upgrades, such as a 4MB Mem
Expansion card, is to buy them new. Alltech has the best price on a
4-8MB card. Sequential Systems offers a 4-8MB card that is more
compact-- needs fewer mem IC's-- and so, almost certainly, uses less
power; but, the card is more expensive. Both of these cards can be
expanded to 8MB. There are two or three other 4MB boards currently
available; however, your best choice seems to be the "Sirius" from
Alltech or the "RAM-GS Plus" from Sequential.

     A quick, easy, low-cost way to get going with System 6.0.1 is to
get your 4MB card from Alltech or Sequential and get an 80MB Focus Hard
Card drive with System installed from Alltech.

Alltech (760-724-2404; http://allelec.com  accepts on-line orders) sells
all kinds of replacement parts for Apple II's as well as the Focus Hard
Card drives, CD-ROM drives, cables, memory boards & IC's, diskettes, ...
.

Sequential Systems (800-759-4549 or 303-666-4549,800-999-1717 tech,
303-666-7797 BBS; http://www.sequential.com  email:
inquiries@sequential.com)  sells 4-8MB GS memory boards, RAMfast SCSI
interface, and other peripheral boards.




> 3)What software is worth the trouble to get (I HATE PIRATES)

     Pirates are, certainly, to be avoided.

     Of the mass of Apple II+, IIe, and IIgs software produced during
the 80's and early 90's, only a tiny bit is available from any
commercial source or from individuals. Most new users depend upon help
from local Apple II Club libraries, copies from friends, and downloads
from the major Apple II software archive sites.

     The listing below is from our newsgroup's Apple II FAQs maintained
on Ground at ... ftp://ground.isca.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/Faqs


Major Apple II Information and Software Sites

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

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

Asimov-GS- Major archive of old IIgs software
  ftp://24.64.240.136

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

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://ground.isca.uiowa.edu/2/apple2
  http://ground.isca.uiowa.edu/2/apple2

GS WorldView 'zine- II/IIgs applications articles, games, utilities,
  A2-2000 archive, and links; home site for 1WSW 
  http://www.grin.net/~cturley/gsezine/GS.WorldView/

Uni-kl.de  Apple2 U. Kaiserslautern-- II/IIgs games, utilities, and
  emulator wares
  ftp://ftp.uni-kl.de/pub0/apple2/disk_images



Other Important Apple II Sites

Apple2 U. Kentucky- A2 archive
  ftp://f.ms.uky.edu:/pub/appleII

Apple2 U. Michagan- A2 archive
  ftp://apple2.archive.umich.edu/archive/apple2/

Apple2 U. Washington- comp.binaries.apple2 access
  ftp://wuarchive.wustl.edu/usenet/comp.binaries.apple2/

Apple II Software- A2 software, BASIC Lessons
  http://www.iglou.com/qwerty/kb/dlfiles.html#53

Apple II WWW and FTP Sites- comprehensive A2 & A3 links list
  http://www.cstone.net/~rbraun/apple2/a2ftp.html#web

Apple Computer- mainly, GS system software
  ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/aii
  http://www.apple.com/support

Apple Computer- license information
  http://developer.apple.com/mkt/registering/swl/agreements.html

Delphi- A2-oriented net access service
  http://www.delphi.com/

International Apple II BBS List- A2 BBS sites and phone numbers
  http://home.earthlink.net/~gabesanchez/
  (see file a2bbs...)

KansasFest Web Page- KansasFest information
  http://www.primenet.com/~adams/kfest.html

KulaSoft- Stocks Eamon Adventures, A2 software, Index 
  http://www.angelfire.com/hi/kulasoft

L.J. Silicon's Treasure Chest- Apple II software 
  http://members.aol.com/ljsilicon/index.html 

Mother of All Apple II Web Pages- links
  http://www.syndicomm.com/a2web/

Nathan Mates's Website- Nathan's A2 Faqs
  http://www.visi.com/~nathan/

Odessa Entertainment- on-line entertainment 'zines
  http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/rembrandt/2/comp.html

Oxford U. Libraries- FAQs listings
  http://www.lib.ox.ac.uk/internet/news/faq/

Texas II- Appleworks products and information; home site for
  Beverly Cadieux's Apple II Mail Group (A2MG) 
  http://members.aol.com/A2MG/

The Giant List- listing of games and authors
  http://www.dadgum.com/glist/list.html

Treasure Chest Project- Willie Yeo's list of A2 software
  reclassified as freeware or shareware
  http://www.tals.dis.qut.edu.au/staff/willie/treasurechest/




> 4)Since I don't have the startup disk(?) I've been in the Basic(?) mode.

     That can be pretty frustrating! The easiest way to get a startup
disk is from a local Apple II users' group. If you can not find one,
another route is to contact one of the regular Csa2 (comp.sys.apple2)
posters via email. (Expect to pay $3 or so for postage and the
diskette.)
 

> I
> wanted to know where I can find a basic listing of commands.

     Check out these sites (from the above listing)

Apple II Software (BASIC lessons)
Nathan Mates's Website (BASIC manual)

Our newsgroup FAQs file on DOS and ProDOS should be helpful, too. I'll
send a copy attached to an email.



Rubywand