Re: Apple /// software

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Mitchell Spector <mitch2gs@hotmail.com> wrote:

> dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) wrote:
> >GS/OS on the IIgs has many significant improvements over ProDOS-8, which
> >leapfrog the capabilities of SOS, but the structure of the operating
> >system and hardware are completely different.
> 
>     On an interesting note, GS/OS did directly borrow some components or
> at least concepts from SOS.

Yes, it is somewhat of an amalgam of ProDOS, SOS and some ideas from Mac
OS, but the fundamental ways it operates are considerably different from
SOS.

Just to take one example: if I remember right, SOS requires installing
drivers inside a particular file on the startup volume, whereas GS/OS
has a Mac-like folder structure which organises system files into
different categories.

A point in common is the manner in which devices are named, with a
leading period. (Pardon the accidental pun.)

> >There is no point running /// EZ Pieces on an Apple ][, as AppleWorks
> >1.0 is very similar (as far as I am aware - I haven't seen /// EZ Pieces
> >since about 1984, and have barely ever used an Apple ///).
> 
>     My understanding  is ///-EZ-Pieces _IS_ AppleWorks. The menus,
> the layout, the keyboard commands are virtually identical from what I
> remember.

I didn't want to make quite a strong a statement as that, as I've only
seen ///-EZ-Pieces once. I'd expect it to be nearly identical.

> In fact, you can directly load up AppleWorks data files
> into ///-EZ-Pieces--no conversion or importing required.
> 
>     The Apple III application came first. It was then it was brought over
> to the Apple II side, tweaked a bit, and renamed AppleWorks. At least
> this is what I recall from years ago.

That is also my recollection.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz