Re: please help with Apple //gs

[supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer)]

"JCleveland" <tccleveland@email.msn.com> wrote:

>Hi all, I recently acquired an Apple //gs from an auction. It all seems to
>be here, including a full Mem. expansion card, 2 5.25" drives, 1, 3.5 drive,
>System Saver //gs ...like I said, it all seems to be here. When I hook it
>all up and turn it on, I get nothing but the blue screen reading, Apple
>IIgs - Copyright Apple Computer, Inc. 1977-1987 All Rights Reserved ROM
>Version 1. It doesn't attempt to access the drive with the DOS 3.3 System
>Master disk in it, and when I press CTRL-'apple key(?)' I get the prompt but
>all commands I type return ?SYNTAX ERROR. I am lost and probably sound like
>a moron to some gs users here....I am very PC literate but this is a
>dinosaur IMO! Any help would be much appreciated...tips, things I can try,
>ANYTHING?

Well, the problem is that the Apple IIGS, although old by Pentium
standards, is not as much a dinosaur as the Apple II.  You've got
it set up to put its 16-bit side first.  For that, however, you need the
16-bit operating system, GS/OS.  DOS 3.3 System Master is from
an older era.  The gap between Apple II and IIGS is 1977 and 1987,
exactly what the boot screen shows.  ;-)  A lot can change in that
time.

The closest thing I can think of in the PC world is running Win 95
versus running a very, very old version of DOS, but the difference
between running GS/OS and stuff designed for 8-bit Apple II units
is even greater.

The Apple IIGS uses a built in Apple II emulator to emulate the older
Apple II for running old software.  If that's you REALLY want to run
(DOS 3.3) on it, here's what you must do.  Use the Command-Control-
Escape key sequence (Command Key=the key with the Apple on it)
to enter the text based control panel and go to the Slots menu.
Change slot 6 to "Disk Drive" and startup slot to "Scan."  The order
you connect your drives is also important.  Connect the 5.25" drives
after the 3.5" one.  Now restart the computer.  What you have
just done is traded a slot option for emulation of the old Apple II
5.25" disk drive controller, which allows you to activate the old 8-bit
Apple II 5.25" disk drives.

I suggest equipping the IIGS with a hard drive that contains the
native operating system preinstalled.  http://www.allelec.com/
Alltech Electronics sells the Focus hardcard for the IIGS, which
includes GS/OS and a software library to get you started all for
about $59.  Memory is also important.  The older Apple IIGS
Memory Expansion Card for the IIGS maxes out at 1MB, but you
really want 4MB to 8MB to run the latest stuff, including TCP/IP,
Wolfenstein 3D, using TrueType fonts (you can even convert your
Windows library), and the Spectrum Internet Suite web browser.

Good luck!