Re: IIgs Questions...

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Clarence Dyson <cdyson@redshift.com> wrote:

> The GS-Ram Expander has switches 2 & 3 set to on. Is this correct?

Can't answer that one.

> With both cards hooked together, which card plugs into the IIgs?

Assuming this is the card that piggy-backs another one onto it, then you
need to plug the original card into the expander, and the expander goes
in the IIgs.

(AE also made cards which had a special piggyback connector for adding
extra memory to a card via a daughter card.  This was used with the
RamFactor and RamWorks, for example.  There is no ambiguity about the
connectors in these cases.)

> How long should it take to boot up with 3.5 (4) megs of memory?

The same time as it takes to boot up with 256K memory, or so little
difference that you probably won't notice (well under a second).  The
IIgs does not do an extensive RAM test at startup, just a quick scan to
see which banks are present.

(Setting up the RAM disk on ROM 00/01 is noticeable if it is large
enough.)

> Also, the Sider HD doesn't work. Think it's a bad HD. Seagate ST-157N
> hooked to a RamFAST Rev D v3.00 SCSI card. Who makes RamFAST? Any
> good? 

I didn't know that Sider made SCSI drive mechanisms - I always think of
their old SASI-based system when I hear "Sider" mentioned.  (The Seagate
ST-157N is a SCSI drive, as indicated by the 'N' suffix.)

The RamFast is currently sold and supported by Sequential Systems.

> I installed a Quantum 80mb and was able to format and partition it OK
> and install ProDOS 8 on it. All the software that came with it was
> games and such, no OS.
> 
> What OS does a IIgs normally run?

You can use any operating system supported by 8-bit Apple II models: DOS
3.3, ProDOS-8 or Apple II Pascal.  (CP/M is also possible, if you have a
IIgs-compatible CP/M card.)

Native IIgs software runs under GS/OS.  To use this, you will need at
least 1 MB of RAM, preferably 2 MB, and it is very nice to have the full
4 MB.

GS/OS provides a graphical user interface that is almost identical to
older incarnations of the Macintosh operating system.  There are some
text-based GS/OS programs (mainly development software).

GS/OS can also support ProDOS-8 applications.  It does this by launching
ProDOS-8 and switching into emulation mode.  When the application quits,
GS/OS takes over again.

There was an older operating system for the IIgs called ProDOS-16, but
GS/OS is a vast improvement (and is almost 100% compatible with
ProDOS-16 applications).

> Oh, what slot should I put the SCSI card in? I have it in 7 now but it
> was in 4 when I got the unit.

It depends.  In a ROM 1 IIgs, you will not be able to use the mouse if
you put the SCSI card in slot 4.  This is not much of a problem for
8-bit software, but is a major hassle for GS/OS.

Slot 7 is generally a better idea, except that there might be a physical
conflict with the AE RamExpanderGS card.

(If you need to use AppleTalk, then the SCSI card should go in whichever
of slot 1 or 2 has been set to "Your Card".)

> One last thing, if I put a CP/M card in this unit, can I run CP/M off
> the HD? 

Note that many CP/M cards don't work in the IIgs.  If I remember right,
the only ones that work are those that have on-board RAM, rather than
using DMA techniques to steal RAM from the Apple II.

I wouldn't expect any CP/M card to be able to work with a RamFast as a
hard drive controller.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand