Re: Newbie Help

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Teri writes ...
> 
> Greetings,
> 
> My father was just given an Apple2 GS, with an Applewriter printer,
> one 3.5 disk drive, and diskettes for OS4.0 and 5.0, as well as what
> look to be copies of Claris Appleworks 1.2.  He is a TOTAL computer
> newbie, and I am a PC person, so we are both completely in the dark
> here.
> So far, I can boot up using either system diskette, and change
> settings, etc.  However, I believe that the diskettes for the
> Appleworks are corrupted.  I verified the diskettes and received
> messages to that effect.
> I've found Sun Remarketing's Web Site so far, and of course this
> newsgroup.  I'd like some help on sources for shareware and freeware
> for the computer, and the location of the FAQ I've seen mentioned.

The main Apple2 ftp sites (for utilities, games, etc.) are ...

   ground.isca.uiowa.edu/apple2
   apple2.caltech.edu/zocalo/pub/apple2
   ftp.uni-kl.de/pub/apple2
   ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II


A large, very good Apple2 resources/information site can be reached via

   http://www.grin.net/~cturley/gsezine/GS.WorldView .


The FAQ's can be found at http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq . The FAQ's 
are a fine A2 information resource well worth downloading and printing 
out.


> Also, I have a very stupid question.  If I find shareware for Dad, and
> download it onto my own computer, will I need to find someone with an
> Apple to copy the information onto Apple Compatible diskettes?
>

     You can easily transfer stuff from PC to Apple2 via NULL modem. Good 
Apple2 telecom programs include Spectrum, ProTerm, AnsiTerm, and 
ModemMGR.

     Steve Cavanaugh, publisher of The Apple Blossom and Hyper Quarterly 
(http://members.aol.com/newblossom/) distributes a Modemming Starter 
Diskette with lots of handy A2 telecom utilities. You can email him at
abpub@ziplink.net or stevec1021@aol.com .

 
> Dad is bound and determined to make this computer work, and has
> enlisted my help.  Therefore, I'm enlisting yours.  Any advice

     Get every Apple II/IIgs manual you can find. Buy one or two 
collections of old A2 magazines (Softside, Computist, Nibble, SoftTalk, 
Creative Computing, inCider, A+, II Computing, Call APPLE, ][ Alive, 
...). Check out comp.sys.apple2.marketplace. Haunt local A2 group swap 
meets.

     A ROM-01 GS with a 1MB expansion card, two 3.5" drives, and two 
5.25" drives can run most Apple II and pre-1990 IIgs wares without a lot 
of hassle.

     It is best to skip the 1MB expansion and get a 4MB memory expansion 
card. As a PC user, you will not be surprised that a hard disk makes GS 
computing much easier. A good choice is a Focus "Hard Card" drive. An 
accelerator card (e.g. a Zip-GS 9MHz board) is _very_ nice to have, too.

     Many older ("ProDOS 16") GS wares are copy-protected or otherwise 
incompatible with standard versions of GS/OS. They will need to be 
launched from their diskettes. GS/OS 5.04 is a good system for a 
smaller-memory GS and for handling many wares which will not run under 
System6.

     System 6.0.1 is the current GS operating system. The approximate GS 
equivalent of PC DOS is ProDOS, sometimes called "ProDOS 8", version 
2.0.3. DOS 3.3 is the old Apple II disk operating system.
   
     A good general purpose Apple2 word processor is Appleworks 5.x. 
Other valuable utility/productivity wares include ShrinkIt, GS-ShrinkIt, 
ProSel-16, Copy II+ 8.3, Platinum Paint, 816 Paint, Binscii, the GSCII 
NDA (New Desk Accessory), the File Manager NDA, DSK2FILE, Asimov, Super 
Convert, Convert 3200. 


>, help,

    (please see below)

> files

     Downloading the files in Ground's Useful Stuff folder is a good 
start.

>, flames

     Really? Well ..., okay: This _is_ "help", twit! Besides, some of 
your lines are too long for convenient quoting. Watch it; or some Putz 
even dumber than you will post an insipid comment about how much easier 
quoting is when you stick to 70 chars/line.  

>, etc.

     Be sure to play Enchanter, Sorcerer, Spell Breaker, Wish Bringer, 
Infidel, Bard's Tale/gs (1, 2), Tangled Tales, Realms of Darkness, Rings 
of Zilfin, Magic Candle, Ultima (1,3-5), Questron, Questron II/gs (get 
version fixed to not mess up hard disk), Eamon adventures, Wraith, 
Eternal Dagger, Might & Magic (1-2), Shadow Gate, Tass Times in Tone 
Town/gs, The Uninvited/gs, Pool of Radiance, Curse of the Azure Bonds, 
..., Champions of Krynn, Dragon Wars, Wind Walker, Space Rogue, Tracer 
Sanction, The Gate/gs, Dark Heart of Uukrul, Wizardry 5, Dungeon Master, 
and Super Bunny.      

> will be greatly appreciated.
>

     You are welcome! 


Rubywand