Re: Greetings and felicitations!

[nathan@visi.com (Nathan Mates)]

In article <01bc7e78$804df820$a689f5c0@Pdfish>,
Steve Quarrella <dfish@metronet.com> wrote:
>"Macintosh Forever."  Ahem.  I see that they even took that from us. :-/

   Well, we can always now hope that this comes back and bites them--
someone like IBM or one of the big clone makers could take out a few
ads and say "Anything that Apple promises as forever will be forgotten
and canned."

>1)  I was thrilled to see in the FAQ that one can use an Iomega ZIP drive
>on a IIgs.  What I'm not certain about is whether or not you can boot from
>one.  Anybody have any experience with this either way?  I also saw in the
>FAQ some "required hardware," but I was curious as to recommendations and
>maybe even some tricks or traps regarding my choice of a SCSI controller. 

   You certainly ought to be able to, as long as you avoid the
original CMS SCSI card. [Using DIPs/jumpers to indicate partitioning
info is NOT that great of a solution] SCSI zip drives are a bit on the
slow side (roughly 1/3 as fast as most HDs), so you may find yourself
wishing for a small (40-200MB) SCSI drive as your boot disk and the
Zip for addon storage)

   Recommendations on SCSI cards: Ramfast/SCSI is still being sold
now, way fast and cool. Apple's Rev C SCSI (slowest of the ones listed
here, and thus probably the cheapest) or HS SCSI (faster than the Rev
C, but slower than the Ramfast, especially when not in GS/OS) are
other cards that work well, generally.

   However, if you're planning to *ONLY* put a zip drive on a SCSI
chain, I really recommend the Ramfast-- the Zip drive requires a
device in the chain supplying SCSI termination power. The Ramfast can
do this. Apple's cards don't do this unless you modify the card.
Plus, the Ramfast's disk cache will probably ease some of the slowness
of the Zips.

   Sequential Systems still sells Ramfasts new, or you can ask on
comp.sys.apple2.marketplace for used SCSI boards of all stripes.

>2)  I am entertaining something that I think is a Moby Dick, white whale
>fantasy, but humour me, please.  I run a Windows NT domain here at home. 
>Please, no boos or catcalls, it keeps me very employed. :)  Anyways, I'd
>like to put the IIgs on the LAN, not only to say "This can be done," but
>also to do some file and print sharing.  

   Please see FAQ section 7.3 and 7.4 for info on this. I'd guess
you're probably running some form of Ethernet at home. Problem is, PC
serial ports can't speak Appletalk, so you'd need an Appletalk <->
Ethernet converter box between them-- look around on the net for a
Shiva Fastpath 4 or 5, or other similar boxes.

   The latest versions of NT are reported (I don't touch the thing
personally; unix is far more useful) to support Applesharing volumes--
that way, the PC can export a drive/folder and with the right hardware
connections between them, a GS with a Appletalk & Appleshare install
can mount those drives. There is no currently available method for the
GS to export a drive/folder to other machines via Appleshare.

>While I'm at it, can someone please clarify LocalTalk, AppleTalk,
>AppleShare, etc. for me?  I need something to print out to glue to
>my forehead. :) [If any of this is in the FAQ, just point me in the
>right direction.  Man, this thing is immense! :) ]

   The FAQ is big because computers and their software are
complex. Unless someone gets a time machine and cripples machines, the
FAQ isn't going to get any smaller. :)

   Rough guidelines: AppleTalk-- Apple's protocol (somewhat to TCP/IP,
though not as funciton) for transferring data. Originally over
Localtalk, which is a serial connection at 230kbps-- requires special
serial ports that are standard issue on Macs and the GS. Ethertalk-
Appletalk over ethernet; not supported on the GS. AppleShare- sharing
files/drives over Appletalk/Ethertalk, etc.

Nathan Mates

--
<*> Nathan Mates http://www.visi.com/~nathan/      <*>
# What are the facts? Again and again and again-- what are the _facts_?
# Shun wishful thinking, avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors
# think-- what are the facts, and to how many decimal places?  -R.A. Heinlein