Re: New GS: Lots-o-questions

[gachenb@eis.calstate.edu (Greg R. Achenbach)]

lee@pro-novapple.clark.net (Lee Raesly) writes:
> Greg:
>  
> I have read all your questions, and this is certainly the place to get
> answers. I have seen that you are already getting many.
>  
> I notice that you said it will "... be used mostly for productivity stuff."
>  
> To me, that is where to start with your queestions. How do you intend to do
> it, doing what? I ran a business with 3 Appl //gs, 5 Apple //c's, and 1 //c
> +.

Right now, the office has 2 IIc's, one pumped up (8mhz Zip, Unidisk 3.5, 1
meg Z-ram Ultra 2), and one fairly stock except for a Unidisk 3.5 that I
just got.  The main programs used are AW 3.0 with Ultra Macros and other
TimeOut stuff, ProTerm 3.1, Publish It 4 for DTP, and DBMaster Pro for
database stuff that exceeds AW.  I use Prosel to create and load a ramdisk
upon boot, and as the main program selector.
>  
> Far more important than the equipment, was the procedures for specific
> uses.
>  
> Let me give you an example (at least as I see it): The GUI interface. I
> found that this drove my operators nuts! Instead, I wrote a simple program
> selector in basic, and then that is what booted. As an example, the
> selector didn't have a gooey picture that people had to guess what it
> meant, nor did it say "Run Copy II +" They didn't know what that meant,
> either! It said, "Makes safety copies of files" with a selector numer, its.
> If you would like to see an example of such a simple selector, send me
> E-Mail, and I will shrink and BINSCII it to you by E-Mail.

I would be interested in seeing this.  However, I think I will have to
disagree with you on GUI's.  I don't feel the need for them, but a large
number of current staff as well as most new hire's are already familiar to
a certain degree with GUI's.  Some are GUI slaves that constantly complain
about how decrepit our computers are just because they are text-based.
>  
> And if you get a Hard Drive, it's ONLY advatage in a business situation is
> Speed, NOT Storage. NEVER BACK UP A HARD DRIVE!!!!

The main advantage I see to a hard drive is eliminating the floppy
shuffle.  Staff members who are inexperienced users or downright
computerphobes get very confused trying to figure out which disk to put in
the drive, or even realizing that they need to.  I plan to have mostly
applications with limited data on our HD when I get one.

> (Boy, will that statement probably generate a LARGE number of responses)
>  
> If your HD crashes, you must either get it repaired, or buy a new one,
> before you can restore your backup.
>  
> Instead, make duplicates of all working programs, and especially duplicates
> of working files. Then, while you HD is being repaired, you can still
> operate in the office.  
>  
> If you want more "radical" views from me, let me know.

Sure, I'm always up for radical views.  
Also, I have a question for you or anyone else who might happen to read
this.  I would like to find an inexpensive Proline BBS or other BBS with
internet access in the DC area.  I gave my parents a IIc and modem and
would like to get them on-line.  But since I live in California, I don't
know much about the net scene in DC.  Any suggestions?
  > ----  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
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> Proline:  lee@pro-novapple                    Leon H. Raesly, LCSW-C
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>                "Planes don't mind wind -- only Pilots!"
>                      (Double Entendre Intended)
> 

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Greg Achenbach             gachenb@eis.calstate.edu (soon to be ctp.org)
Los Angeles County Outdoor Science School

"Society is like a stew.  If you don't keep it stirred up, you get a lot of
scum on top."  Edward Abbey