Re: XGS/32, KEGS and IIgs emulation on various platform(s)

["Steve Mentzer" <dropthistext.smentzer@pacbell.net>]

... Is it an apple IIgs emulator?


"Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote in message
20020718145825.10182.00000310@mb-cg.aol.com">news:20020718145825.10182.00000310@mb-cg.aol.com...
> Steve Mentzer suggested:
>
> >I have an idea.
> >
> >We all know that the PC is totally incapable of reading/writing apple II
> >diskettes in any reasonable fashion. Hardware devices are scarce,
software
> >only solutions are impossible. We also know that our existing IIgs
hardware
> >is getting.... shall we say... long in the tooth? Power supplies are
fading,
> >accelerators are few and far between. The 12" IIgs monitor was barely
> >adequate in 1989, let alone 2002.
> >
> >I have several old/bare IIgs boxes sitting in a garage with 3.5" and
5.25"
> >drives connected to them. I also have a spare CMS scsi controller lying
> >around and a few old 120MB SCSI hard disks. I was getting ready to toss
> >them...  until now.
> >
> >I believe that the IIgs can be a perfect host for the exact functions
that
> >are missing from our PC's..... native file i/o. Here is my idea:
> >
> >Have a small team of apple II developers write a simple piece of software
> >that can run off of a standard 3.5" diskette. It will communicate via the
> >IIgs serial port to provide I/O (diskette/hard disk) to another host
> >operating system.
> >
> >Think about it this way. XGS/32 or KEGS will communicate via a serial
port
> >to request diskette and hard-disk data from a host IIgs that has no
> >keyboard/monitor/etc connected. Basically, the IIgs will sit alone,
acting
> >as an I/O arbitrator, with all CPU activity being hosted on your PC.
> >
> >What I am asking is simple. Are there any apple II developers that would
be
> >interested in developing this simple piece of software to arbitrate file
i/o
> >over a serial port? I would like to begin defining the serial protocol(s)
> >for communication within the next couple of weeks.
> >
> >If this were to succeed, folks would be able to purchase a $25 "complete"
> >IIgs system on ebay, plug it into their local PC and be able to read and
> >write 3.5 and 5.25" floppies just like the old days.
>
> I believe that Apple II Oasis provides this functionality.
>
> -michael
>
> Check out 8-bit Apple sound that will amaze you on my
> Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/