Re: Ethernet & Internet on Apple 2

[mjmahon@aol.com (Michael J. Mahon)]

Charles wrote:

<snip>

>> >Michael J. Mahon <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >> Thanks for the vote of confidence, but we all have to decide how we
>> >> are going to spend our time.  I currently have other projects that are
>> >> keeping me interested and happy.
>> >
>> >I recall you were working on a gameport network protocol some time
>> >ago... did that ever amount to anything of interest?
>> 
>> Funny you should ask...  ;-)
>> 
>> I've been devoting some spare time to it, and how have it working
>> as far as I can tell (tests and applications are next).
>> 
>> I currently have three processor linked, and in the nexe couple of
>> days I will have all eight Apple //e boards in the "AppleCrate".
>> 
>> They boot over the network from the "master" machine, which is
>> fully configured, while the AppleCrate boards are bare, with no
>> I/O other than the network (and optional video monitors).
>> 
>> I'm finishing plugging in the boards, and working on test and
>> demo software, as well as writing a document on the concepts,
>> software, and hardware.
>> 
>> I've been waiting until it all worked before going public, but
>> your question has nudged me into talking.  ;-)
>> 
>> I'm in the process of identifying a nicely parallelized demonstration
>> that can show off Apple II parallel computing!
>
>What does this type of networking allow you to do?  Is this hack simply 
>for fun or is there something cool you have in mind (cool, that is, 
>other than the actual cool fact that you got it to work :)?

I have to say that my first reaction to your question is a bit
impertinent:  What does _any_ networking on an Apple II
allow you to do?  ;-)  Cool is in the mind of the beholder,
so what I am doing is, of course, cool to me.

The possibility of creating a useful network using only wire and
software was esthetically appealing.

It was an interesting challenge to design an Ethernet-like
network from the ground up.  The exercise provided an
experimental vehicle to illuminate the various issues and
tradeoffs in creating and using such a network.  It also
became a tool for exploring various higher-level applications
of networking, such as client-server and parallel computing.

It is possible to write a file server and client to run on top
of it, if that is sufficiently interesting.  A peer-to-peer file
sharing system for 8-bit Apple II's would be fun.

Although it would be possible to extend the network for
heterogeneous networking (involving other machines than
the Apple II), I have little interest in doing so.

Short answer: I did it for the same reason that people
climb mountains, but with a little more emphasis on
learning.

Besides, what could be cooler than parallel computing
with Apple II's?  ;-)  (And I find it a heck of a lot cooler
than browsing the Internet in text mode (!) with a 25-year-old
machine.)

-michael

Check out amazing quality sound for 8-bit Apples on my
Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/