Re: What OS should I use for an Apple //gs??

[as283@freenet.buffalo.edu (Steven F. Eisenberg)]

     Opinions will differ on this, but as the father of an 8
year old girl who actively uses the GS in her bedroom, I can't
see why a child would need or want a hard drive.  The GS has
the same processor as Super Nintendo, and from the child's view
can appear to operate in just the same way--put in the
cartridge/diskette, turn it on, and it works.  Virtually all
Apple II kids software is self-booting, so neither you nor your
daughter need to know what operating system the programmer
used.  The only time you'll really need to worry about the
operating system is when you download public domain stuff via
FTP, since the operating system is not usually included with
the downloadable archive.  However, not much of the
downloadable software is kid-friendly, and some of the best
downloadable games have custom operating systems included with
the download.
 
     Also a factor here, alas, is that most Apple II kids
software is copy-protected.  Ironically, it's usually not that
hard to make a copy of copy-protected software onto a disk of
the same size (I use the "Copy II Plus" back-up software--look
for a used copy on comp.sys.apple2.marketplace).  However, it's
usually quite difficult to install protected software on a hard
disk.
 
     One final kids software/hard disk incompatibility is that
much (most?) Apple II educational software uses the old DOS 3.3
operating system, or something similar.  DOS 3.3 was designed
specifically for 5 1/4 inch floppies and installation on any
other media is complex.
 
     The only GS package I've come across that's both really
outstanding for kids and would really benefit from a hard disk
is Hyperstudio.  Your daughter's maybe a bit young for this,
and in any event I find it works fine with two 3 1/2 inch
drives.
 
     When you are in the market for drives, my advice would be
to get a second, used, Apple 3.5 drive, assuming that you now
just have one.  This will facilitate back-ups and eliminate
disk swapping when an application uses two disks.  Next I would
buy a used Apple 5 1/4 inch "Duodisk" unit--make sure they
include the controller card which goes in slot 6 inside the GS.
The reason to also get 5 1/4 inch drives is that lots of good
educational software never came out in the newer 3 1/2 inch
format. The "Duo" in the Duodisk is to facilitate backups just
like in the 3.5 inch world.
 
        To hint at the other side of the
hard-drive/no-hard-drive debate, I'll mention that GS-specific
software often takes several minutes to boot unless you have a
hard disk with a good controller card.  I find that kids are
patient with slow booting and believe they more appreciate
gifts of software than of drives.
 
        I want to thank the originator of this thread for his
recent software purchase from me and wish him and his daughter
all the best with their GS.
 
                            Steve Eisenberg