Re: Apple II GS

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Carolphe writes ...
> 
> Someone just gave me a Apple II gs. It came with 4 drives and no manuals. Being
> a pc user owner I have no clue on how to set all these drives up...actually I
> am completely lost. I tried reading some info online but it is all greek to me.

     You can find scans of the 'Owner's Guide and another manual on Kim Howe's Home
of the Apple II site at ...

http://www.educate.net.au/~apple2/manuals/index.html .


     Also see Q&A 013, 020, and 022 in the newsgroup FAQs at ...

http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs5MAINHALL.html .


     
> Does this computer even use anything like windows or is it DOS only?

     The IIgs had windows several years before there was a "Windows" from
Microsoft. Many commercial for-IIgs software releases boot all or part of some
version of the GS Operating System from diskette. (Before, roughly, 1990, very few
GS's had a hard drive.)  Of course, you can also just boot a GS system disk to get
to the Windows-like "desktop" display.

     The current GS System (v6.0.1) is fairly large. It can still be booted and run
from diskette each time you start; but, it is much easier to boot and run System
from a hard disk.

     Popular Apple II DOS's are DOS 3.3 and ProDOS 8 (usually called "ProDOS"). The
IIgs can boot these DOS's as well as the less popular Pascal DOS.

     Quite a bit of for-IIgs software runs under ProDOS. You can launch
ProDOS-based programs from the Desktop; or, you can boot ProDOS from diskette (or
hard disk) and run a ProDOS-based program, usually via some kind of program
selector. 

     DOS 3.3 is the first widely popular Apple II DOS. It is tied to the 5.25"
format and almost always booted from diskette.

     For more about DOS 3.3 and ProDOS, see ...

http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2DOSMM.html .


 


> I need
> someone to walk me through the whole thing OR where to get an operators
> manual/s.

     Be sure to check out the on-line manual's mentioned earlier.



> Would this computer be good for a 7 year old or would it be to hard to
> run...

     In most respects, the IIgs is much easier to use than a PC. It can boot and
run most old Apple II software; so, in many cases, you are talking about nothing
more complicated than sticking in a diskette and turning ON the computer (or, if
the computer is already ON, pressing keys to force a boot). This also applies to
many for-IIgs games, etc. on bootable diskette.



> Please email me with any help
 ....

     Okay; a copy will be emailed.



Rubywand