Re: Why still using Apple II?

["Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com>]

Donald C. Lee wrote:
> My IIe's video died on me some years back so I haven't used it in quite 
> some time.
>
> However, as late as around 1995 to 1997, my IIe was quite heavily used, 
> once I discovered the joys of telecommunications via my 2400 baud modem 
> and my school's Unix shell account.  I had quite a time surfing the web 
> viz Lynx, reading/posting Usenet messages via Tin and reading email via 
> Pine.
>
> It was just fun to be on the web, and using a IIe to do it.
>
> If it weren't for a COBOL class I was taking at school, I probably would 
> not have picked up a PC.
>
> With the advancement of the web these days, obviously the IIe and a Unix 
> shell account doesn't do as well as it did in the past.
>
> However, with the announcment of Contiki, I am tempted to pick up a used 
> IIe somewhere and an Ethernet card.  I just want to experience the joy 
> of a direct connection to the Internet via the IIe.
>
> Again, I won't be able to see graphics, or buy anything off of Amazon. 
> But, this just goes to prove the IIe, despite being 20+ years old can 
> still do a lot of things modern computers can do.  That is why Apple 
> II's (and other retro machines) are still being used.  :D

Although I can certainly appreciate the subjective fun of sitting
at the Apple II keyboard accessing the net, the Apple is, in this
case, just another "TV typewriter", and is not actually doing much
of the work.

Contiki puts more of the work in the Apple II, but is, naturally,
severely constrained in what work is supported.

-michael

8-voice music synthesizer using NadaNet networking!
Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/