Re: Where can I find the FAQ for the Apple //gs?

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

John McCormick writes ...
> 
> I just purchased an Apple //GS ROM 01 machine with 512k RAM and an
> external 5 1/4" drive and 3.5" disk drive.
>

     Good! To answer the question in your title, the FAQs for the
comp.sys.apple2 usenet newsgroup are maintained on Ground, the world's
largest Apple II ftp site at ...

ftp://ground.isca.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/Faqs
http://ground.isca.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/Faqs .

A good place to begin is to read F00xMHALL.TXT (as in the famous "Main
Hall" of the Eamon adventures). 



> The only software I have ProDOS 8 2.03 what software would I need to take
> advantage of the //GSs unique features?
>

     ProDOS 2.03 is a good start. It along with DOS 3.3 (the old Apple
II DOS) will allow you to access most Apple II software produced for
pre-IIgs models. This includes many excellent utilities (Copy II Plus
5.x-8.x, DISK2FILE, ...) and games, including adventures like Wizardry
I-V, Ultima I-V, Bard's Tale I-III, SSI AD&D games, the famous Infocom
text quests, the enormous library of Eamon adventures, ... .

     Many of the above are available for free downloading on Apple II
archive/emulator sites maintained by dedicated users on sites like
Asimov and Uni-kl.de ...
 
Asimov- ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II

Uni-kl.de- ftp://ftp.uni-kl.de/pub0/apple2/disk_images .


     Naturally, most games, especially long-play adventures, are more
fun when you have original docs, maps, etc.. You can obtain in-the-box
originals of quite a few out-of-print utilities and games from sellers
on comp.sys.apple2.marketplace, local Apple II swap-meets, and
established vendors listed in our FAQs. In addition, sites like Ground
and Apple2-Caltech maintain very large collections of freeware and
shareware II/IIgs software.


     Some GS super-res, super-sound software runs under 8-bit ProDOS
("ProDOS-8". Your version 2.03 ProDOS is the current ProDOS-8.)  The
best Apple IIgs word processor, Appleworks 5.1 (available from Scantron
Quality Computers) is an example.

     Most GS software requires some form of ProDOS-16. When you purchase
boxed original IIgs software, the game, utility, etc. will usually boot
the required "System". Unfortunately, commercial diskettes are often
copy-protected and the booted System is intended just to run the
on-diskette software.

     A good general-purpose System for small-memory IIgs's is GS/OS 5.04
(or "System 5.0.4").  You can download the Sys 5.0.4 .BSC files from
Apple at ...
     
ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/aii/sys.soft/gs.system.5.0.4/ .


     The current GS Operating System is System 6.0.1 . It is somewhat
larger and requires more memory than System 5.0.4 . To run Sys 6, the
usual recommendation is that you add a hard disk and swap in a 4MB RAM
Expansion Card such as one available from Alltech or MC Price Breakers
...


Alltech (760-724-2404; http://allelec.com  accepts on-line orders) sells
all kinds of replacement parts for Apple II's as well as the Focus Hard
Card drives, CD-ROM drives, cables, memory boards & IC's, diskettes,
....

MC Price Breakers (360-837-3042; http://www.mcpb.com ) sells memory
boards, high-speed GS modem cables, and other Apple II hardware


     System 6.0.1 can be downloaded from Apple at ...

ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/aii/sys.soft/gs.system.6.0.1/ .


     When the GS OS is booted you will be greeted by a Windows-like
display or "desktop". This is the GS's "Finder" display.


     A good, reliable way to transfer files from a PC or Mac to IIgs is
via NULL-modem. To get System files up and running on to your GS you
will need a telecom program to handle the transfers plus a program to
un-Binscii the .BSC files and GS-ShrinkIt to unshrink the resulting .SHK
files to diskette form. I'll attach a couple files from our FAQs to an
email which will explain things in more detail.


     A quicker, easier way to get started with your GS is to obtain
System diskettes. Alltech sells System 5.0.4 and System 6.0.1 (
http://allelec.com/sftwr.htm ). A good collection of getting-started
telecom wares is Steve Cavenaugh's Modemming Starter Disk. You can
contact Steve at ...

Apple Blossom Publishing, P.O. Box 120434, Boston, MA 02112-0434
http://people.delphi.com/appleblossom/  email: appleblossom@delphi.com)


     By far the quickest way to 'hit the ground running' is to purchase
a 4MB RAM card and get one of the Focus 80MB or larger "Hard Card"
plug-in hard disks with System 6.0.1 from Alltech. If you go this route
be sure to ask for Tony Diaz at Alltech and verify that Sys 6 is
installed on the Focus you buy.



 
> Also I could not format a 3.5" diskette and wonder if ProDOS 8 2.03 can
> format one or maybe the drive is broken?
>

     Most likely, your drive is okay. DOS 3.3 includes the 'built-in'
capabilty to do formats. (INIT HELLO formats a DOS 3.3 diskette and
saves the program currently in memory as HELLO. HELLO will be the
program which starts when the diskette is booted.)  ProDOS does not have
this feature.

     The usual way to create a bootable ProDOS diskette is to use a
utility (e.g. Copy II Plus) or the GS System Finder to format the
diskette and, then, copy the files PRODOS and BASIC.SYSTEM to the
diskette. If you want a BASIC program to start when the diskette is
booted, you copy it to the diskette and name it "STARTUP". I'll add our
DOS & ProDOS FAQs file to those attached to the email.

     As you can see, getting started with your GS is, itself, something
of an adventure. It is work and it is loads of fun, too.



Rubywand