Re: internet browser for II or GS?

[cturley2@aol.com (Cturley2)]

Yes, the Arachnid IIgs graphics web browser that works with the Marinetti
TCP/IP Suite, by Richard Bennett seems like a fine effort indeed.  I wouldn't
be surprised if the Apple2 Delphi forum chat on the evening of April 10th
doesn't reveal some EARTH SHATTERING announcement about its release.

I noticed that the URL for the example GIF it shows - Ref.

http://www.omninet.net.au/~khowe/arachnid/screenshotpage.html

hasn't changed yet.  It still shows the same web page, with text that reads:

Welcome to Tom's Widget Shop - in Gadget, CA.  There's no URL noted in the
address bar section though.  I've wondered a lot about that.  You know such a
thing could technically be down with a HyperCard IIgs stack designed as such a
graphical web browser.  Some of the Arachnid graphic icons remind me a lot of
what you would see in a HyperCard IIgs stack also.

I followed the message board post and threads/replies about it on both
the A2Pro and Apple2 Delphi forums - during last year thru early this year. 
But, they seem to have just died out completely a couple of months back.

I even contacted the author - Kim Howe by email - offering some suggestions and
help in overcoming the Unisys GIF fee that seemed to be his main problem with
the program and releasing it, having some friends that work at Unisys - which
is right here in my home city of Brisbane, CA.  But, Kim never replied to my
offer to help him with that.  I guess his being friends with Richard Bennett
and others on the A2Pro and Apple2
Delphi forums, he was warned to avoid me.

I guess I'm way behind the times concerning "The Lamp".  but, I thought 
Ryan was the Editor of it.  Even a current 4/1/2000 Apple2 Delphi message board
-AFD- post, that I read by Ryan (most amusing too) - mentioned that he was
still "The Lamp" Editor.   But, then I've seen your 
reference to being the Editor of it also Lyle.  I guess it's sort of like 
with the GS WorldView online monthly ezine, we have three editors :)
Macprober is the Editor-in-Chief, Rubywand is the Assist Editor and I'm 
the Contributing Editor.

About the 'No Java" for the Apple IIgs that Jeff Blakeney responded about,
I guess with semantics he's correct.  But, it's getting fairly close with 
this - URL Ref.

http://www.grin.net/~cturley/gsezine/GS.WorldView/v2000/Apr/Archives/REAL.
RARE.WARES/JAVAP0.9B.SHK

Here's the contents of the text file for the JAVAP0.9B.SHK archive, if anybody
might be interested.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the README file for version 0.9b of javap for GNO/ME.

The program is intended to mirror the functionality of Sun Microsystems'
JDK Java disassembler, javap.  It is not a port; it was designed from the
specifications given in the O'Reilly book "Java Virtual Machine" by
Jon Meyer and Troy Downing.

Use "javap -help" to get a list of options and arguments.  The following
options from Sun's javap are supported: -c, -classpath, -p, -version.
The following options from Sun's javap are *not* supported: -h, -l,
-s, -v, -verify.  The default path to be searched for class files
consists of "." and "/usr/local/java/classes", plus the directories
given in the CLASSPATH environment variable, if any.

I eventually plan to write a Java interpreter for GNO/ME.  This project
seemed like a good first step to take.

This version of the program has beta status for the following reasons:

o   The program will not catch all possible class file format errors.
    Unanticipated errors will likely cause the program to crash and/or
    corrupt your memory. However, you shouldn't have any problems
    unless you deliberately corrupt the class file or generated the file
    with a buggy compiler.  I have no plans at this time to write a
    class file verifier; you would be well-advised to pass your class
    files through a verifier on another platform before attempting to
    disassemble (or, later, execute) them on GNO/ME.

o   Although I am not aware of any remaining bugs in the program, it has
    not yet been exhaustively tested.  (I did run a large (20K) class file
    compiled from a source file I wrote through the program, and it
    passed with flying colors.)

o   Some small amount of class file information is not available (eg,
    certain information relating to catching exceptions) which will be
    available in the first nonbeta release.


The program is freeware.

Send questions, comments, etc, to me, Sean McAfee, at mcafee@umich.edu,
or post them to the Usenet newsgroup comp.sys.apple2.gno.


Apple ][ Forever!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ah yes...GNO/ME!  There's still a ton of potentials that could be developed and
implemented with GNO/ME.  I've still got an interview - I want to do with Mr.
D. Taubert
for GS WorldView either this month or next.  I'd like to know whatever became
of his efforts with the TCP/PPP bundle, and other related IIgs apps with it for
use with
GNO/ME, as well as several other things he was working on.  He looks like a
happy fellow now and certainly he should be with his position he had at Cisco,
down in San Jose, CA.  Check the big grin on his face in the 1/26/2000 cam-shot
picture of him.  Ref. URL:

http://www.grin.net/~cturley/gsezine/GS.WorldView/v2000/Feb/Graphics/
D.Taubert.1.26.2000.jpg

Anyway, back to the subject of an Internet browser for the II or GS?   The
author of
Spectrum had a most impressive collections of Spectrum enhancements listed in
his AFD Apple2 Delphi forum message board post.  It would really be a dream
come true for so many Spectrum users if all those items in his AFD post were
for real.  Maybe some day they will be too.

There's so much happening with IIgs Internet related application development it
seems.
I'm really amazed that a computer such as the Apple IIgs - that's been out of
production for so many years now - still has such an avid group of users,
programmers and devoted followers to keep it alive and useful in so many ways. 
I hope none of them ever give up
with their efforts.  It makes the Apple II community a very interesting and
enjoyable
place to be in.  Just trying to keep up to date with everything going on in it,
keeps me busy nearly all day - every day.   And, there's always something new,
innovative and unique with each day that comes around too!

Cheers,
Tom