Re: GET Apple II OS from internet

[CUTblakeney@home.com (Jeff Blakeney)]

On Thu, 13 May 1999 17:58:12 -0400, "Terence J. Boldt"
<apple2@cgocable.net> wrote:

>>While that's true, it's not very useful. The command, by the way, is LOAD
>>from Applesoft BASIC. But the cassette port is not on some of the Apple II
>
>I knew that, but that only gets BASIC programs.  From the monitor you type
>{start}.{end}R and it will read in binary data to that address.
>
>>models. It's on the Apple ][, Apple ][+ and Apple //e, but not the Apple
>>IIGS. I'm not sure if it's on the Apple //c and Apple //c+ or not--someone
>>who has them could fill us in.
>
>Of course, but don't II's through IIe's make up 75% of the machines out
>there?

Even so, your idea fixes the limitation I had with my idea.  I
couldn't figure out how to help users with models of Apple II that
didn't have a serial card/port.

My method is just to set up a null-modem cable between a PC/Mac and
the one of the Apple II's serial cards/ports.  By typing IN#s, where s
is the slot number of the serial card/port being used for the
null-modem connection, any text sent by the PC/Mac will be interpreted
by the Apple II as if it were actually being typed on the Apple II.
This would allow you to send a fairly complex program to the Apple II
to set up an operating system and/or transfer a terminal program to
the Apple II.

>DOS 3.3 is pretty small.  Although the code hasn't been written on the PC
>yet, it would be simple to emulate a tape.  Once that was done, the new
>Apple user does the following after connecting the audio cable between the
>Apple cassette port and the PC's audio out:
>
>1. Type "CALL -151" on the Apple
>2. Type "9D00.BFFFR" on the Apple
>3. Start the tape program on the PC
>4. Type "9D84G" on the Apple
>5. Type "INIT HELLO, S6, D1" on the Apple

The neat thing about my method of transferring a boot disk and
terminal software to allow null-modem transfers is that the user
doesn't need to type all this.  Basically, all they would have to do
is type the IN#s and start a text send from the PC/Mac.  Once that was
done they would just reboot the Apple II which would then most likely
boot into a terminal program and they can start using file transfer
protocols and faster serial speeds.

>This solves the chicken before the egg problem for most Apples.  The only
>problem is that the tape emulator is not written yet.  I may write it in a
>few months when I'm done with my ProDOS ROM-Drive card.  Anyway, I
>understand the limitations of this theory but it's best not to shoot down
>peoples' ideas without thinking about the possibilites first.

With both your and my idea, we could come up with a solution that
would help all Apple II users.

Unfortunately, I think it is probably better for people to actually
order disks for this type of thing and they are readily available that
way.  It also give a little advertising to some of the remaining Apple
II vendors, which is a good thing.

However, if you'd like to pursue this I would probably be able to do
so after KFest.

>Terence J. Boldt
>Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Besides, we're practically neighbours.  I live in Barrie, Ontario,
Canada.  :)

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