Re: Apple ][ forever???

[pubpc1@library.ucla.edu]

zxmpj02@hp09.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de (Klaus Syttkus) wrote:
>Apple ][ forever?
>I have an old Apple ][+ clone and some home-made hardware for it, and
>I love this machine. I learned programming and understanding computers
>with it and really hate to see that it is becoming more and more
>useless.
>Why?
>IMHO the problem lies in a lack of free software:

I do not think so.  The ][+ was just not a mature Apple II, in my
opinion.  For that, you need at least a IIe or IIc.  If you really
want to see an Apple II that still has some life in it, pick up an
Apple IIGS.  Just this week, a new graphical Netscape-like web
browser began shipping for it.

Just a note: saying that ][+ users should take a look at a GS is
not the same as saying "go Mac" or "go PC" because the GS supports
almost all the hardware that the ][+ does.  It is and was designed
to be a software and hardware upgrade for older Apple II series
machines.  With the GS, you can take your home-made hardware with
you.  :)

See Alltech Electronics (http://www.allelec.com/) for GS products
and http://www.sevenhills.com/ for pictures of the web new web
browser.

>There does not seem to be a free OS supporting logical drives and special
>files which would make it possible to incorporate hardware support into the
>operating system.

GS/OS, under System 6.0.1 for the GS, supports drop in drivers and
filesystem translators that allow the GS to control drives and other
devices.  It can support IDE/EIDE or SCSI hard drives, CD-ROMs, and
new device support is as simple as writing a driver (well, maybe that's
not trivial, but it is the way to go).  Thus, this freely available
operating system has practically endlessly expandable hardware support.

>There does not seem to be any free Assembler, C-Compiler
>etc. (PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong!)

That's because the C compiler is still be sold.  However, it, along
with a UNIX shell (GNO/ME) is available.

For non-GS Apple II computers at the IIe level or better, there's
the freely available HyperC.


>I tried to get kermit up and running (using a SSC) and had the strong
>impression that nobody tried utilities like binscii on a "foreign" OS during
>the last few years.

You probably need at least a IIe or better.

>I'm afraid the apple will die very soon if it can not be coupled with other
>computers via NFS, telnet, ftp, ...
>(Not only as a slave!!)

There's a graphical web browser out and soon there will be TCP/IP
for the GS.

>In Germany nobody seems to be working with an apple ][; most people can
>not tell the difference between a mac and an apple.

The NinjaForce folks in Germany recently won a European demo
competition.  If you can find someone with a souped up Apple IIgs,
take a look and listen at it.  :)

>Is there anything we can do to improve the situation?
>Is there any free (i. e. legally downloadable and usable) software which
>could be a basis for further development?
>Any suggestions? (no flames, please. I know, there is a lot of emotion
>involved!)
>
>Regards,
>Klaus.

Take a look at http://ground.isca.uiowa.edu/
(or ftp ground.isca.uiowa.edu).  There are tons of stuff on a 1.7GB
drive over there, free and legal.

-Scott G.