Re: Apple IIGS newbie

[smentzer@ecom.net (Steven W. Mentzer)]

>
>    I'm trying to get a freebie IIGS up and running. At this point I
>have a IIGS, RGB monitor, two 5 1/4 drives, one 3 1/2 drive, 1MB RAM.
>I've also got a PowerComputing Mac close. I currently have no IIGS
>software on disk. Is there a way I can make a disk for the IIGS using my
>Mac so it will boot and let me do stuff with it?  I've checked out sites
>like ftp.apple.asimov, but didn't see any utilities specifically for
>that purpose.
>


Well the first thing you need to do is search the old apple II archives at 
www.apple.com. I cant remember where they are, but you can find them if you 
look hard enough.

Once you find them, download the "diskcopy" images of GS/OS 6.0.1 from there. 
Extract each one to a floppy disk. You now have an operating system. Remember, 
the mac's can read and write ProDos (apple // native file system) diskettes 
just like any other disk.

Since you have a mac, transferring files you download to the IIgs is easy. It 
is just a matter of copying the file to the ProDos formatted floppy.

Always remember to format all ProDos media as 800k.

The first things you are going to need are Shrinkit v3.4 and GShk (GS/OS 
version of shrinkit). These programs allow you to extract compressed archives 
of software you download. Most archives are in SHK format. These programs will 
do the trick.

Your computer is VERY bare-bones and I would highly recommend that you purchase 
a very cheap hard disk, and a 2MB RAM card from alltech electroics. They sell a 
Sirius RAM card w/2MB for next to nothing (i dont think it is over $40).

A hard drive will set you back another $75.00. 

Once you have these items, you will have a pretty cool working IIgs system taht 
you can actually do something with.

Right now, the machine is barely able to play most games, let alone run GS/OS.

Good Luck!

smentzer@ecom.net