Re: Newbee Help

[Linards Ticmanis <ticmanis@gmx.de>]

Hello oldchip, the comp.sys.apple2.usergroups group is almost deserted
these days. I suggest you discuss this on the main comp.sys.apple2
group. I have redirected this discussion there, so if you answer to this
it will appear in that main group.

oldchip wrote:
> I am a Newbee to apple2 computers and I have a few questions.
> 
> I would like to know, what is the OS of Apple2?

First, it has a built in BASIC in ROM. There's "Integer BASIC" in the
original model ("Apple II"), but in all other models (II+, IIe, IIc,
IIgs, IIc+), there's Applesoft BASIC. The BASIC serves as a mixture of a
command-line interface and programming system.

There are three main disk operating systems: Apple DOS, Apple ProDOS,
and (only for the IIgs) GS/OS. Only GS/OS is a GUI system, the other two
are text based. Apple DOS is simpler, Apple ProDOS is more powerful.
There are articles in Wikipedia on both of them.

One should know that most programs for the Apple are self-booting: you
boot the computer directly from the game or application floppy disk,
which contains its own operating system, either one of the above or some
proprietary code.

> I had seen many versions of Apple2, can any software work with any
> version of Apple2?

No. IIgs software (also called "16-bit software") needs a IIgs, it will
not run on any other model, since the IIgs is fairly different from the
other models. Often IIgs software requires a 3.5 inch floppy drive too.

Apple II software that isn't IIgs-specific (called "8-bit software") is
usually on 5.25 inch floppies. Some titles (mostly application software)
need either a IIgs, a IIc/IIc+, or an "enhanced" Apple IIe with at least
128K of memory. Most programs (and almost all games that aren't IIgs
specific) do work on anything II+ or better. On the original II, a
considerable number of programs newer than about 1979 will not work
because of the different BASIC in that machine. On the II/II+, most
programs need at least 48K of main RAM (most machines have that), and
quite a few need a "language card" which gives another 16K, for a total
of 64K of RAM.

> Does Apple2 have a harddrive?

Not unless you put one in. None of series was sold with a hard drive.
These days it makes more sense to get a CFFA card instead, with which
you can use a Compact Flash card as if it was a hard drive.

> Where is there a good website to learn more about Apple2?

You might start with the "Apple II" article in Wikipedia. It has a bunch
of info (most of it actually correct ;-) and also links to other places.

> Can Apple2 go the Internet?

If you have a dial-up shell account it's fairly easy (you connect like
you would have to a BBS system in the 1980s), but for most "normal"
internet access types it's complicated, and IMHO there are no web
browsers for the Apple that are really good enough for daily use.

-- 
Linards Ticmanis