Re: What's this AppleIIGS card?

[joko@crl.com (Joe Kohn)]

 >In one slot, there is a "FingerPrint GSi" card, which has a little tiny
 >fingerprint switch attached to it. If you press this switch during
 >startup you get into a sort of typewriter application.

The FingerPrint GSi card is a hardware based screen capture utility. If you
see a graphics screen you like, just press the button and it will save the
screen to a file on disk. It's a little flaky with current versions of
GS/OS.

 >Then there is an Echo II card installed. with an Echo box attached to
 >it through the back plate. What is this card for? The Apple IIGS seems
 >to have a built-in speak er anyway, and there is a sound-out port on
 >the motherboard.

It's a speech output device. There's a utility disk that hopefully came
with it. Using it, you could have your telecomm program talk. It can be
used by someone who is blind to 'surf the net.'

 >There is a weird "Adaptive Firmware Card" produced by Don Johnston
 >Development Equipment Inc. Attached to it by cable is a box which sits
 >on the side of the Apple IIGS case. The box has an on/off switch, a
 >centronics socket and two mini-jacks label led "switch 1" and "switch
 >2". What's it for?

You're kidding? You got all that for $30. The Adaptive Firmware Card is the
most amazing thing ever created for the IIGS, as it allows people with
massive disabilities to use the Apple II. Unless you're disabled, it's
basically worthless, but it's a liberating device for people that are
paralyzed.

It sounds to me like a person with disabilities owned the computer. Please
do not toss out the Adaptive Firmware Card. It'll help someone with
cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis to use an Apple IIGS. Please please
please, call your local Red Cross to find out which local organization
could make use of it.

I've seen people who can't talk and who can only move their head use an
Adaptive Firmware Card to communicate with the outside world, essentially,
for the first time in their lives! The AFC card is a miracle.

If you can't find anyone local, please send it to me and I will donate it
to the Alliance for Technology Access, a US organization, located in my
home town, who is working to get computers into the hands of people with
disabilities.

Joe Kohn
c/o Shareware Solutions II
166 Alpine St
San Rafael, CA 94901-1008
USA