Re: general ? on 2gs

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article "Jeff Daniels" <jdaniels@terracom.net> writes...

>I've got mine up and running and I ran across the tutorial. It shows
>spreadsheets, wordprocessors, draw package etc. My question is where can
>these be obtained.

    That sounds like the terribly mediocre "Tour of the Apple IIgs"
introductory disk, which showed mock versions of such programs (at
the time it was written though, not all three applications existed
in any native form).

    AppleWorks GS combined a GUI spreadsheet, word processor and
paint program (as well as telecommunications, page layout and a
database module). It's been discontinued, but you can purchase a
a set of the disks from Alltech (http://www.allelec.com) for only
US$15. Most people only found the word processing module useable,
but then I would be cautious to recommend it considering how buggy
and unstable it was. It was a _very_ powerful program for its time
though, there was nothing else like it 10 years ago.

    Your better off with alternatives today. The best draw package
available is Platinum Paint, for a spreadsheet check out ByteWorks'
Click Quick Calc, and for a word processor, something like Hermes/
ShadoWrite combined with NiftySpell would be your best bet. Some
people use 8-bit applications like AppleWorks 5.1, I prefer using
ProTERM 3.1's built-in editor myself. GraphicWriter III from Seven 
Hills is a good alternative for page layout and Spectrum a decent 
telcommunications package.

>My second question is what is the final release version of
>GS/OS 6.0.?.

    Actually the final release of GS/OS was version 4.0.2, which
was included as part of the final System Software release--and
that was System 6.0.1. Most people confuse GS/OS, the System
release and the Finder version, though each was separate.

    You can get it from ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/aii/ (not sure
of the exact path). As for where to get other things above, you
can no longer get Platinum Paint from Scantron Quality Computers,
though you can still get AppleWorks 5.1 from them while supplies
last. Hermes/ShadoWrite can be freely downloaded from most FTP
sites and Shareware Solutions II (http://www.crl.com/~joko) is
where to go to get NiftySpell and most other software for your
Apple IIgs.

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca