Re: Newbie Help

[nathan@visi.com (Nathan Mates)]

In article <33a65cdd.43481761@nntp.ix.netcom.com>,
 <terisilv@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>I've found Sun Remarketing's Web Site so far, and of course this
>newsgroup.  I'd like some help on sources for shareware and freeware
>for the computer, and the location of the FAQ I've seen mentioned.

   Well, how about the location of the FAQ:
http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq/csa2.html   Section 5.2 of it
has lists of legitimate sites for shareware and freeware; the rest of
section 5.* has instructions on how to download, such as thru a PC
(which is pretty much serial conenctions to an Apple II only; PC and
Apple II disks are incompatible and rare addon hardware is needed
to bridge that gap), how to unpack, etc.

   If you're looking to get a comm program running on the GS, I'd
recomment Steve Cavanaugh's $3 modem disk full of downloading utils,
programs, etc. See FAQ sections 10.2 and/or 7.2 for for contact info.

>My father was just given an Apple2 GS, with an Applewriter printer,
>one 3.5 disk drive, and diskettes for OS4.0 and 5.0, as well as what
>look to be copies of Claris Appleworks 1.2.  

   Do you mean Appleworks GS 1.1? Appleworks classic (non-GS) wasn't
really a Claris product until about 3.0 if I remember
correctly. Claris did Appleworks GS 1.0, 1.0.2 and 1.1. If your copies
of these are bad, Alltech Electronics (see FAQ section 10.2) has new
copies of these (apparently without manuals) for about $15. [Minimum
order is like $25-30, though]

>He is a TOTAL computer newbie, and I am a PC person, so we are both
>completely in the dark here.

   I'd really suggest reading the FAQ. Should answer a lot of your
questions; whatever isn't answered directly, please post here on
comp.sys.apple2. If I see that the FAQ needs to address something,
I'll add it to my list of updates.

>Also, I have a very stupid question.  If I find shareware for Dad, and
>download it onto my own computer, will I need to find someone with an
>Apple to copy the information onto Apple Compatible diskettes?  

   If you can serial connect your PC to the GS (i.e. [null] modem), no
other Apple machines needed. With appropriate software on the Mac and
Apple II side, you could use a Mac to write to Apple II 3.5"
disks. However, be sure to read the FAQ, as the simple and obvious
solution of simply clicking and dragging files around usually doesn't
work at all. [Incomplete and misleading "support" can be far more
frustrating than being forced to get a special program or hardware that
usually comes with documentation to cover all the hidden gotchas.]

Nathan Mates
--
<*> Nathan Mates http://www.visi.com/~nathan/      <*>
# What are the facts? Again and again and again-- what are the _facts_?
# Shun wishful thinking, avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors
# think-- what are the facts, and to how many decimal places?  -R.A. Heinlein