ap2 web archive of ap2 legacy products...project..thoughts?

["brad" <mrbrad@ll.net>]

i have guite a collection of apple 2 and gs products...by guite a collection
i mean i have like a bsmt full of the stuff...as an example like 12
siders/ohio kache cards/ ramfast cards (4)/ 2 gs upgrades/ etc etc etc etc

to say the collection has gotten out of control is an
understatement....anyway...i need to figure out a way to organize this stuff
so i can
a) find stuff
b) keep track of stuff
c) find stuff to play with when i get urge to toss systems
    together
d) memory is going rember i have stuff..before buying more stuff ..for
projects i never get to ..cause i'm constantly looking for stuff/drivers etc


as an example i found (forgot i had) while digging thru a bunch of apple
//gs's a transwarp gs with 32k daughterboard...i also forgot i had a ramfast
rev D and went out and bought a 3rd one...etc...welcome to my world

now ...everyone is thinking why is this guy guoting all this junk..well...i
get a lot of people asking for drivers/specs/manuals etc and i need to
organize this stuff in way ..i can keep track of it and hopefully put it up
on the web for others to grab pics/drivers/manuals or whatever else..i've
got like 4 file cabinets full of manuals (the rare stuff)..not just 'welcome
to apple soft kinda stuff.

i was wondering if there is a program web based or with a www based option
someone would recommend..or some site where some other foo..er i mean 'apple
// guru' ...no i guess i mean fool like myself has managed to wrangle this
beast to some kinda collection/keep track of it all stalemate



an ideal solution would be a database (i have found such an windows program
that kinda does this and will list it below..but wondering if there is
something better easier?)

something that does a standard database so i can upgrade the whole
collection to perhaps better database ready programs that may become avail
in the furture..something that has pics...and descrip/price est worth with a
year etc..web capable for others to get drivers/etc if i open it up

in other words..a cataloging program that makes a www page of the info...so
that once i add say...a sider hard drive w/pic and est 2004 worth and
descrip of stuff with it and maybe have a link to the drivers to the beast
and link to a pdf of the manual..i can kill 2 birds with one stone..and
1) have a database i only have to add these items one time and even if i
upgrade to a better database program
in the future it is industry standard and the data can be
xfered via that upgrade path..and most important ..i only have to get the
stuff in 1x...and then just back it up..and or make it avail on the net..so
i NEVER have to go thru 1000+ worth of stuff again..once it is in the
database
2) it allows me to add pics/descrips/links to drivers (shks) of disks/links
to like .pdf manual etc in some kinda easy
template manner....so say all the stuff need for someone wanting to know or
get utils for say a pc transporter for the apple //gs can do so from a www
page by me porting it off this database to the www page (again i think i
have a program that does this at the bottom of this rant...so skip down now
to those links if you want..but again asking if something is better site
wise or solution wise then my guess/choice on the program link below)

3) i can make those pages i feel approprate open on a www site so people
could have access to some of these resources...ie...if someone wants to see
what an ohio kache card (pre-ramfast) scsi/sider card looks like there are
pics/ the .pdf of the manual...the drivers...the rom image ..the
descrip...est worth etc they can then just hit
on the www page or copy the whole page to another site
so there is access to it...outside of just my database or site
(backup/mirrors)

anyway..i'm sorry i've rambled..but i have a lot of stuff people don't seem
to have (8" floppy drive cards for apple ii's /driversn etc etc) and maybe
the program below is the best that is available for my needs in this...but
such a site (and i'm not saying i'd get around to actually getting such a
site up...but prob could contibute) ...anyway such a site would be guite
handy for people looking for corvus stuff..or bell howell stuff or the
really old odd items etc

anyway...from my point of view once in the database and once kicked into a
www page and up w/drivers/w docs w/pics and descrips etc..once it was in
...it was done and i could move on and never have to re-sort this stuff
again.or dig up a disk for someone...or xerox a manual..it would be on the
www page ..if i had the device or stuff in guestion...then i could spend
more time playing with the apple ii stuff or adding to the database of stuff
..then just running around trying to find stuff or xerox stuff for people
that ask etc etc...just point 'em to a the www page to look it up

anyway...here is the link to a collection/hobby program for
collectables...the site has a $69 program that does say you can do some of
the stuff i mention above and also a guick convert to www page as
well...check it out

i'm just asking if anyone knows of any programs/solutions better then this
one (or i guess i'll use this program on the links below) or sites/projects
where some of this stuff is done...even if i just do the database stuff on
my own..i will want to shoot some of this stuff off on other sites so the
info is not lost...drivers etc

sorry again for the length if i had a better handle on how databases with
www interfaces like this work..it would help...just dont' want to go with
the below program if some other solution is better or if there is some guy
with a database connected site for apple // stuff already doing something
like this..and i'm just trying to re-invent the wheel

anyway here is the link to the windows based program for collection
database/www templates i'm considering using (cost $69) 45 day free
trial...full demo...

main site http://www.primasoft.com/


actual product i'm looking at getting
http://www.primasoft.com/deluxeprg/clodx.htm

there are other collection pkgs that might be more effective then the above
choice i welcome feedback...kick it around the forum here...this of course
is apple // specific on how i'd use this program ...even thou a windows
based pkg

i also see they have a web database addon..kinda spendy $350 bucks but
if it takes the entire database apple // collection and makes it web capable
i suppose it would be worth it just to get it out there
w/o a lot of hassle eventually worth it

the link is below

http://www.primasoft.com/webdb/webdb.htm


anyway ...let me know what you think ...essentially..a way to keep track of
my apple // collection (bsmt full) and add to it w/o making new lists of
stuff constantly (pain) in a database (xfer and upgradeable standard
database format windows style format) that i can just add apple // stuff to
it ad nasuem ......and also make parts or all of it www page avail for
others to get pics/descrips/.pdf's of old manuals/drivers/etc on the www so
the info is not lost...it will be a new look for me...getting organized
..what a concept


if there are better solutions or programs or sites that exist for this let
me know here...on the forum ..so everyone can participate in the 'where the
heck is this widget/driver/insert device here'..problem and maybe find a
collection/dbase/www solution to some of this before a lot of this stuff is
lost or in my case misplaced...

thanks for your time and putting up with the frustrating ramblings
here...just wait till i get started on this and figure out even with the
program how much time it will take to get everything in to it ..ouch....

if nothing else hopefully the above links will be useful or provide a start
for other lost apple // pack rats like myself

thanks again

brad
former sysop lost-gonzo.com (still down)
apple // collection mess..../spiral...