Re: Vindicate the Apple IIGS

[supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer)]

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

A lot of people are in this situation.  ;-)

>(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
>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

http://www.intrec.com/ Intrec sells ProTERM 3.1.  This program is
a MUST if you want to use email/Internet on the IIGS.

[snip Kermit downloading experience] -- Forget Kermit

>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.

ProTERM 3.1 is a ProDOS 8 based program and comes on self
booting 3.5" diskette.  You don't need GS/OS and you don't need
a hard drive.  ;-)

By the way, it uses a text implementation of the Apple Interface,
so it is basically like using a Macintosh.  Very intuitive.  Provides
VT100, ANSI, Zmodem, Ymodem, Kermit, mouse support, support
for 56k modems, among other features.

>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!

He's wrong.  The IIGS uses the same serial chip as Macintosh, so
it can support speeds of up to 56k.  Using ProTERM, it makes
an excellent terminal.  By the way, to connect a standard Hayes
compatible modem to the IIGS, just use a "Macintosh to Modem
hardware handshake cable" available in any computer store.  Then
get a good modem.  14.4k should be sufficient for text based use.
Connect it with the Mac to modem cable.  Then run ProTERM 3.1
you bought from http://www.intrec.com/ Intec.

That's it!

You should ask him "if the IIGS can't use a modem, how can it
use AppleTalk" 'cause AppleTalk is 230k!  ;-)  After you get
ProTERM up and running and show him how smoothly it works,
I would not be surprise if he says "hey, this is better than that
HyperTerminal program on my Pentium"...that's because it IS
better.  ;-)