Re: advice needed for my Apple IIgs: please help!

[fmlin@netcom.com (Frank M. Lin)]

>    I've just been given an Apple II GS. It has no hard disk, but does
>have 3 external drives, a monitor, and a printer. I'm a system
>programmer in Unix and VMS, but have never even touched an Apple
>before. So, could someone who knows something about these things help
>me with the following issues: 

Lucky you...  how come I never get any freebies?

>1) How much is a used II GS, with color monitor, 2 3.5" and 1 5.25"
>drive, and an apple line printer, worth (in case I am never able to
>get it to do what I want)?

I dunno, probably about $500.  It used to be higher, but Apple stopped
producing the ][gs in late 92.

>2) what kind of machine is it?  I.e., how fast, how old is this type
>of , how much memory might it have, etc. Is this a dinosaur, or a
>pretty new hine?

It's the most powerful Apple ][ series, 16bit ( with lots of 8bit limits
here & there ), 100% emulation for 6502/65c02 ( run almost all Apple ][
wares, upto 8mb RAM max, is stock form ( 2.8mhz ), it is okay, slow
if you run 16bit stuff ( GS/OS ), but just fine if you run 8bit softwares
( ProDOS, AppleWorks ).

Check to see if a owners manual came with it, you can find lots of ][gs
information there.

>3) is this machine able to run a decent word processor?  If so, which?

AppleWorks is probably the most popular Apple word processor.  It's more
than decent.  As for 16bit, I like AppleWorks GS myself.

>4) is any software for it available in the public domain (i.e., by
>anonymous ftp, on a BBS, etc.)? If so, what's a good place to look?
>I have a Mac at work which is on the internet. Will the IIgs read a
>disk if I format it on the Mac? Since I don't have a hard drive, I
>assume I need to produce a bootable disk with whatever software I want
>to use. How do I do that, if I am to get software from the internet?

A major Apple ][ FTP site is cco.caltech.edu:pub/apple2.  The ][gs can
read Macintosh HFS disks since System 6, the recently released 6.0.1 allows
you to read, but to write to MS-DOS disks as well.

>5) I can't even boot it - the guy who gave it to me can't find the
>system disk.  Where can I get the appropriate disk/file?

Kind of chicken & egg situation here...  Call Apple's to locate a users
group near you if possible, then borrow their disks.

Other things you need to know is come much memory you have by entering
the built-in control panel ( press control-command then press and release
the escape key.  note: command is aka the open apple key ).  And which
ROM version do you have, check the bottom of the screen when it boots up.

It should say ROM 00, 01 or 03.  

>   I am completely lost here. If anyone knows anything about
>any of this, or knows a better place for me to ask this, please email
>to mlevin@husc8.harvard.edu.

This is the correct newgroup, I haven't gone in great details yet, so don't
hesitate to ask.  People on c.s.a2 will be glad to help.

-- 
frank m. lin
fmlin@netcom.com