Re: IIe accessories

[nathan@parka.winternet.com (Nathan Mates)]

In article <31E29A93.228@aol.com>, Tom Owad  <TOwad@aol.com> wrote:
>Reading all these posts has gotten me quite interested in purchasing 
>some accessories for my IIe.  I'd like to know what you would 
>reccomend in each category:

>OS:  Should I get GS OS 1.0?

   You could get it, but it wouldn't be useful. GS/OS is only usable
on an Apple IIGS, which is a motherboard swap enhancement to the //e.
Basically, stick with ProDOS 8, v1.9 if it's unenhanced, 2.x if it
is enhanced.

>RAM:  Which type will work best?  I heard that some only work with 
>ceartain programs.

   Unless you're really doing large database or word processing, 128K
is pretty much all you'll really need. [I don't know of any drawing
programs that'll take advantage of more ram; 99.9% of games want 128K
tops] Best way to get that is with an 'Extended 80-Column Card,' one
that provides an additional 64K and 80 column capability for your //e.
If you need more than that, others here might be able to advise you on
that.

>HD:  Is an Appple Profile HD my only choice?

    Nope. Get a SCSI controller (Apple SCSI, Apple Hi-Speed SCSI, or
Sequential Systems RamFAST), and plug in a scsi drive. The RamFAST is
the only one still being manufactured; the other two are pretty much
available used (go ask on comp.sys.apple2.marketplace) only.  For the
SCSI HD itself, you're extremely unlikely to fill more than 100MB
tops, so picking up a used one from an old mac is a great plan. It'd
be extremely difficult to use more than 500MB, so picking up a drive
larger than that would be a waste.

   There's also the Focus Hardcard, which is a card & drive in one
piece, available new. Charlie's Appleseeds at 619-566-1297 makes
and sells those.

   There's also the TurboIDE card, made by some German guys. Slightly
harder to find, don't know prices offhand. First versions might have
been limited to 256MB, but for a //e, that's more than enough.

>Drawing slate:  Koala Pad?

   Yes, but the //e's graphics are nothing too great anyhow, so if
you were thinking of doing some magazine covers, it'd be a lot of
work.

>Enhancement Kit:  Is it worth it?

   Definitely. Makes more things run, etc.

Nathan Mates
--
<*> Nathan Mates http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~nathan/      <*>
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