Re: Why no Mosaic for Apple IIgs?

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <D4o8Mo.5CC@dorsai.org>,
James OReilly <joreilly@news.dorsai.org> wrote:
> 
> I understand one can get www for Apple II by using lynx, but that Mosaic 
> is not available for Apple II.  Do I understand correctly that Mosaic is 
> the gui for www?  If the Apple IIgs is a graphics computer (gs stands for 
> graphics & sound), why can't it run Mosaic?

There are two main problems with running Mosaic on the IIgs.

1. Memory.  Mosaic is a _big_ program.  I doubt it would fit, even in
an 8MB IIgs (it might, but you wouldn't have much left).

This is not a fundamental problem - a simpler graphical WWW interface
could be written which didn't use as much memory.

2. Mosaic and similar Web browsers require a direct Internet
connection - they use the HTTP protocol directly, and require a TCP/IP
implementation on the computer, with a network or SLIP/PPP connection
to Internet.  None of this is currently available for the IIgs.

A TCP/IP implementation for GNO is being worked on (apparently
including SLIP and network support).  Once this is available and
stable, it won't be long before we see a IIgs-based web browser (a
port of Lynx is the most likely as a first step).  This would require
a IIgs, GNO, and the TCP/IP package.


A standalone version (not dependent on GNO) is much less likely.  It
would depend on the availability of a standlone TCP/IP implementation
(something along the lines of MacTCP and all the other bits and pieces).

There was a rumour that someone was working on a IIe implementation of
TCP/IP.  I'll believe it when I see it.


There is a possible alternative: I have heard that there are programs
(on other computer platforms) which provide a graphical web interface,
using standard communciations software to control Lynx running on the
host computer.  (Don't ask me to elaborate - I know nothing more about
this.)
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand