Re: Using CD-ROM with IIgs

[lurch@eskimo.com (Erik Kloeppel)]

In article <1995Mar23.102628.1@randb.pprd.abbott.com>,
cepas@randb.pprd.abbott.com wrote:

> I saw the ad this morning for the Hitachi CD-ROM drives in this Usenet. 
It got
> to wondering just what is necessary to make a (any) CD-ROM work and be useful
> on a IIgs.  I know several (many) people use them.  Maybe some can help:
> 
> - ROM version: this shouldn't matter much I hope.

correct

> - operating system?  Will 6.0.1 be sufficient?

sure.  It's what I use

> - memory?  How about 4 meg?

4Meg is good to have for other reasons, though I think current CD-ROM
disks for the IIGS can get away with less (excepting discQuest Encyclopedia
version - hmm.. it appears that 2MB is all that's required for either
aspect of discQuest)

> - drivers?  Is this what DiscQuest is/does?

discQuest does NOT come with drivers.  If your drive requires special
drivers (that is, if you don't own a RAMFast), you have to get them
separately.  If you buy an Apple Drive, or certain SONY or Pioneer drives,
no separate drivers are needed with the Apple Hi Speed SCSI card. 

> - SCSI.  I know from lurking around here that RamFAST is preferred, but will
>   the Apple HS SCSI work?

with some drives.  (see above)  I have an Apple drive, myself.

> - Quality Computer sells many CD-ROMs from their catalog.  They mention
>   something about "MPC compliant".  What is this?  Is it important?

MPC is useless as far as we are concerned (see the latest issue of GS+ for
a discussion on CD-Drives).  MPC is "Multimedia PC".  It applies to the PC
world only.

It should be noted:  NONE Of the game discs out there will work, and (with
a few exceptions) none of the software on any disk will work.  You CAN
still use reference disks (images, text, etc) by using Sequential
System's  discQuest, or
EGO Systems CD-ROAM.
 

> To anyone who can help -- Thank you.  I suspect that there may be others
> wondering like I am.

If you have a IIGS and don't subscribe to GS+, you are missing a bet.