Re: Vindicate the Apple IIGS

[CUTjefbla@bconnex.net (Jeff Blakeney)]

On 28 Aug 1998 00:28:13 GMT, tuvac@aol.com (Tuvac) wrote:

>My aunt who uses BankStreet writer and other software on her IIGS wanted me to
>get her e-mail capability on her IIGS.  She doesn't have the money to go out
>and buy a new Mac or PC to surf the internet graphically and e-mail.  Since she
>(and many other teachers) still use a II GS at school why should she use
>something different at home?  I've bought a modem, the cable that connects the
>external modem's serial port to the II GS's port so the hardware is all set (I

Most Mac hardware handshaking cables work fine with higher speed
modems and the IIgs.  Intrec (http://www.intrec.com/aii.html) still
sells a properly wired hardware handshaking cable that you can get
mail order.

>think). But I can't download terminal emulator software successfully from the
>'net, nor do I know where I can buy some (I'm in the Hartford, CT area)  I've

You can also still order ProTerm from Intrec but if she is using a
IIgs running GS/OS then she might be more interested in getting
Spectrum.  This communications program is available from SevenHills
(http://www.sevenhills.com/applesoftware/).

Spectrum Internet Suite is also available from SevenHills.  It is a
web browser written as a set of scripts for Spectrum.  You can surf
the net (doesn't support graphics at present) and can even send e-mail
when you click a mailto link.

>tried to download Kermit for the IIGS and part of it is binscii'ed.  So, I
>downloaded binscii.exe to a Mac that was connected to the net, copied it to an
>Apple II (not Mac) formated floppy.  When I type 'cat' the IIGS reads the disk
>and tells me binscii.exe is there but when I type 'exec binscii.exe' I get a
>FILE TYPE MISMATCH error.  Under cat binscii.exe's type is $00 which I think is
>wrong.  
>1. What did I do wrong?  

I'll let someone else handle that as I'm not very knowledgeable about
using the Mac to transfer stuff via floppies.  Basically, you need to
change the filetype of the binscii.exe program and make sure that the
Mac did not add a resource fork to the file.

>2. Is there anyway I can download stuff to a PC and transfer it to her 3.5"
>800K Apple IIGS floppy drive?  Some of my friends have Mac's on the net so I
>could download to their Mac's if it's easier than using a PC.  I've searched
>all over the net and found Apple II emulators and even played around with Apple
>II Oasis but I can't figure out how to get files that are on an MS-DOS file
>system to a Apple II disk image. I also have access to the Lynx OS on a PC if
>that would help.

The easiest way, and probably only way without extra hardware, to
transfer stuff from the PC to a IIgs is to use a null-modem.  You can
buy one of the programs I mentioned above or you can get her a modem
starter disk from Steve Cavanaugh, who used to publish The Apple
Blossom newsletter.  For $3 US he will mail you a modem starter disk
that was originally available from Chuck Orem.

Check out what is on the disk at and how to order it from this URL:

     http://people.delphi.com/appleblossom/modemdisk.html

>3. If no one can answer 1 & 2 or direct me to internet sites that help explain
>this, does anyone have ready to run Apple IIGS software for sale that can make
>use of the modem and dial up to an ISP for text-based internet and e-mail? BTW,
>she has no Hard Drive and the floppy that loads her GUI (that's GS/OS I guess?)
>is corrupt.

Well, if you can wait another month or two you could get her set up
with Marinetti (TCP/IP for the IIgs support SLIP, PPP and other drop
in link layers to be written later) and the Mailbox, which is a
POP3/SMTP e-mail client I am currently writing for the IIgs.

>Any help is greatly appreciated.  My father, with his Pentium PC (and others
>that do computer work with Macs in the same school system with all those
>IIGSes), say that the Apple IIGS is "not even capable of getting on the
>internet or using a modem" and that she should just throw it out.  Help me
>vindicate the IIGS, I KNOW it is more than capable, I just haven't been!

At present, if you can get her a shell account and a decent VT100
terminal emulator, she can use that until Marinetti and the Mailbox
are ready for release.  This isn't the most user friendly way for her
to go but it is only for a short time.

In the not too distant future, IIgs users will be checking e-mail,
reading newsgroups, transfering files and crawling the web all from
the comfort of their IIgs'.

By the way, all the URLs I posted in this message were all obtained
from A2-Web! The Mother of All Apple II Websites! at
http://www.syndicomm.com/a2web/

=== To ensure I see a reply please also e-mail me but remember to:
    CUT the obvious from my e-mail address to e-mail me
    Jeff Blakeney - Dean of the Apple II University on Delphi