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Path: sparky!uunet!gatech!psuvax1!psuvm!tjk111 Organization: Penn State University Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 10:25:17 EST From: <TJK111@psuvm.psu.edu> Message-ID: <93012.102517TJK111@psuvm.psu.edu> Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: FAQ 2/2 Lines: 890 From: dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu (Dan DeMaggio) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: comp.sys.apple2 - Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) part 2 of 2 Followup-To: comp.sys.apple2 Reply-To: dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu Summary: Covers many common questions, and contains many resources. Archive-name: apple2/part2 Last-modified: 1992/09/02 Version: 3.2.1 Topic: What is an Apple II? ========================================== Excuse me while I wax a little philosophical, but the Apple II is one of the computer that started the computer revolution because it is so flexible and open--a pure hacker's machine, but also one that there is a lot of software to allow novices to use it too. The following are the various models of the Apple ][: Apple ][ Apple ][+ $ Clones, like the Multitech MPF-II/III, Franklin Ace Apple /// (w/emulation software) ][ In A Mac emulator track emulator for IBM Apple ][ Emulator for Unix Apple ][e (Unenhanced) E+ Laser 128 E Laser 128 EX/2 E+ Apple ][e Emulation card (and a Mac LC) E Apple ][e (Enhanced) E+ Apple //e (Platinum w/numeric keypad) E Apple //c E Apple //c+ E Apple IIGS (ROM 00/Woz edition.) E Apple IIGS (ROM 01 with 256K built-in) E+ Apple IIGS (ROM 03 with 1 MB built-in) (E) = Emulates an Enhanced //e (+) = Still in Production ($) = Different features, depending on model. Apple ][+: Surprisingly, the ][+ can run some of today's software. For instance, Davex and FredWriter. You can even run AppleWorks if you have more than 128K and a program called PlusWorks. Recommended configuration: 16K language card (in slot 0 with a ribbon cable running to the RAM), an 80-column video card (not the same as a //e 80-column card), shift key modification (a wire running from shift key to game port). You can also add accelerators like the Rocket/Zip. Apple //e: The //e comes in two flavors: Enhanced and Unenhanced. The Enhancement kit allows an upgrade path by replacing 4 chips. Most current software requires an Enhanced //e, and sometimes 128K too. The current operating system is ProDos. The Apple //e is still useful for three major reasons: 1) It runs AppleWorks, a simple to use, yet sophisticated integrated program. 2) There are many Apples in schools, so there is a ton of educational software for it. 3) It is was and will always be a _Personal_ computer. You can learn as little or as much as you want, and nothing stops you from learning about every nook and cranny in it. Ask any big name programmer in MS/DOS or Mac where they learned to program. Most of them taught themselves on a good ol' Apple //. Good programs for an Apple //e: AppleWorks 3.0 (from Claris) with TimeOut (Beagle Brothers), Copy ][+ (Central Point), ProTerm (InSync), PrintShop (Broderbund). Recommended configuration: 80 extended column card, 512K to 1MB RAM, Enhanced, Hard Drive is nice. You can also speed it up with an accelerator (like the Rocket Chip or the Zip Chip or TransWarp). //c and //c+: The //c and //c+ are 'luggable' versions of an Enhanced //e, with many built-in 'cards'. Included are 2 serial ports, a mouse port, a 3.5" disk port and 128K of RAM. The //C+ has a built-in accelerator that runs at 4 MHz. Even though they were supposed to be unexpandable, you can still add extra memory (there's room under the keyboard) and a hard drive (through the disk port--a bit slow by ordinary standards, but usable). Some software that uses the mouse may get confused on the //C+. The //C and //C+ cannot do AppleTalk or take any cards. Recommended configuration: Not much you can add to it, except maybe extra RAM and a 3.5" drive/Hard drive. Runs everything that an Enhanced //e runs. The Laser 128EX is a cross between the //c and an Enhanced //e. It is as luggable as a //c and has built-in 'cards', and an accelerator. It also has a slot to expand. If you want to add a card, you may have to disable the internal UDC (for 3.5" drives) or the internal 1MB memory expansion. Runs almost everything that the //c and //e runs. The Apple IIGS represents a giant leap in the Apple // line. It can still run //e software, but has a better processor (16-bit), a new super-hires graphics mode, a toolbox in ROM (just like the Mac) and a 32 oscillator Ensoniq sound chip. It can not only run ProDos, but it can also run GS/OS, a sophisticated operating system very much like the Macintosh's OS. The original GS (I think they all have the Woz signature) must have several chips upgraded to boot/run current software. The ROM 01 had 256K on the motherboard, while the ROM 03 has 1 MB. Although there were a few ROM changes, the current system software will work patch the toolbox ROMs to look identical. Recommended configuration: 1.25 MB lets you boot up and launch programs. With 2 MB, you will have room for Desk Accessories. Go for 4 MB if you want a RAM disk (useful if you don't have a hard drive) or do a lot of Graphics work. Adding a hard drive is highly recommended. You can also speed it up with a TransWarp GS or Zip GS (better). The Apple ][e emulation card is a card that can only go into a Macintosh LC, and lets one run Apple //e software. It is actually more like a //c because it has no slots. Unfortunately, the emulation can be slower than a real //e because the LC is slow at updating the screen. There is a place on the back of the card to plug in a UniDisk 5.25" and a joystick. Q: What is 8 bit and 16 bit? A: That indicates how big the chunks of data are that the CPU can manipulate. The Apple IIGS is a 16-bit machiene and all previous Apple ]['s are 8-bit. This is only one of the reasons you cannot run GS software on a //e. Q: How do I get out of Basic (that little "]" prompt and flashing cursor? A: Type the word "BYE" and press return. Now get out the Apple manual 'A Touch of BASIC' and read it. Q: Can the Apple II connect to SCSI devices? A: Yes. See the section on SCSI in this FAQ. Q: Can my Apple read IBM/MAC disks? What about High Density disks? A: Well, here is a quick summary chart for 3.5" disks: 3.5 Disk type| //e GS Mac W/DD Drive Mac W/HD drive ------------|------------------------------------------------------------ ProDos 800K | yes yes AFE AFE ProDos 1600K| yes* yes* no AFE HFS 800K | 1 yes (Sys 6) yes yes HFS 1440K | not yet yes* (Sys 6) no yes IBM 720K | 2,3 2,3 AFE AFE IBM 1440K | 2 2 no AFE Key: yes = no problem no = impossible yes* = no problem, but requires HD Disk Drive and HD controller card 1 = Look for A2FX and HFSLink at various FTP sites 2 = look for MSDOSCOPY (via FTP). Req a HD controller/drive 3 = get the new CTI card and an IBM drive (address below) AFE = Apple File Exchange on the Macintosh. Very S-L-O-W. [note: for those who don't know, HFS is the normal Macintosh format] For 5.25" disks, the encoding method is completely different between IBM and Apple. If you are really a glutton for punishment, you can get an Applied Engineering PC Transporter to read IBM 3.5" or 5.25" disks. A better idea is to get the new card from CTI. It allows you to hook up to IBM 3.5" and 5.25" disk drives (no High Density support yet). Not only are IBM drives cheaper, but also some software is included to read MS/DOS disks. For info, contact: Conversion Technology (CTI) Phone: (801) 364-4171 c/o Patrick L. McLaughlin 516 12th Ave Salt Lake City, Utah 84103 Q: How do I get stuff from my Apple // to IBM (or Mac)? A: there are two parts to this question. Physically, you can use AFE (see above Q) or a null-modem cable. (a null-modem cable is really a printer cable. You connect the 2 serial ports, and poof, they can send files back and forth with any communications software) The other part to this question is data conversion. Once you copy your file to the IBM, you may find there is no software that can use it. Of course, converting an Programs back and forth is useless because the computers cannot run eachother's programs. One helpful hint is that all computers can read text files. Most word processors can save your file as text and import as text. But with text files, you will loose all your formatting (font type, centering and so-forth). For spreadsheets, saving as DIF will make conversion a breeze. Databases can be saved as tab-delimited records. (Note that in AppleWorks, you have to go to Print to save in these formats). If you want to do better, there are several options available. For example, AFE can convert between some kinds of documents (For example AppleWorks Word Processor to MsWorks) if you have the right translator (try anon FTP: sumex-aim.stanford.edu, /info-mac/util/afe-appleworks-msworks.hqx). A commercial program called MacLinkPlus can do some conversions. Some Claris programs do conversions automagically. (In a related topic: There is an init by Apple called 'ProDos File System Manager' that lets the Finder mount ProDOS disks directly--No AFE involved.) For IBM folk,The CrossWorks program can convert between many Apple and IBM formats, and even comes with a universal null modem cable. Alternately, If you use AppleWorks a lot, you can get SuperWorks for the IBM, a clone of AppleWorks. It can import AppleWorks files directly. For graphics, SuperConvert can convert between all Apple-specific graphics formats and many Mac, Amiga and IBM specific formats. It can also save as GIF, which is a universal standard. Q: What's the scoop on the new HD 3.5" drive? A: In order to do High Density on the Apple //, you will need both the High Density 3.5" drive and the new Apple 3.5" controller. If you don't have both, you will only be able to do regular density. Of course, you will also need High Density Disks. Once you have collected the above items, you are in for a pleasant surprise. ProDos 8 programs not only recognize it, but they can format HD disks just fine. GS/OS has no problems either. You can even boot off of it, giving extra room for Desk Accessories and such. Drawbacks: You cannot boot copy-protected software or boot some FTA demos. Also, it takes up a slot on the GS. If you are clever, you can get around this. You can put it in slot 5, but then you will not be able to use a RAM disk (/RAM5). If you have a ROM 03 GS, you can put it in slot 4 and disable the mouse. Your GS/OS programs will work, but your ProDos 8 programs won't be able to find the mouse. If you use AppleTalk on a ROM 01, you may be able to put it in slot 1 (or 2), and use the drive in the same slot as AppleTalk. Q: AppleWorks won't print to my printer. What gives? A: AppleWorks will refuse to print to a slot that has a disk device. In the past, this worked well because if you try to print to a slot that has a disk controller in it, you will re-boot. But now, this can cause problems when a disk device is 'mapped' into your printer slot (due to a limitation in ProDos, you can only have 2 drives per slot. Extra partitions on your hard drive will be re-mapped to other slots). If you have a RamFast, you can re-map the drives to different slots. Otherwise, (for AW 3.0) use this patch: POKE 768,128: POKE 769,10 and then BSAVE APLWORKS.SYSTEM,TSYS,A$300,L2,B$AE3. For a full set of AW patches, try John Link's SuperPatch! Q: Can I use Macintosh Monitors or 3.5" drives with my ][? A: In general, no. Apple's 3.5" drive has logic to sense which machine it is hooked up to (Apple II or Macintosh) and it works accordingly. Most 3rd party drives don't bother to put in Apple II support in their drives. The Mac monitors cannot be used with the ][ line, not even the GS. Q: Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple //e? A: Yes, all the above connections have regular serial or parallel connections. The tricky part is getting them to do what you want. The DeskJet, for example will print very nice looking text with regular old "PR#1". But if you want to change the font or print graphics, you may have to purchase some software. One excellent program for these types of printers is PublishIt 4. You won't believe the output you can get from a //e. For AppleWorks fans, there is the program called SuperPatch. Among it's patches is a cool DeskJet 500 printer driver. You can print sideways, and change fonts with normal AppleWorks commands. Q: Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple IIGS? A: On the GS, you can hook up a LaserWriter via AppleTalk or direct serial connection. A GS program can typically print to a LaserWriter if it's connected to the GS via AppleTalk. If you get a DeskJet, or PaintJet, etc, you can hook them up via the serial port. But in order to use them effectively, you will want Harmony from Vitesse (better) or Independence (cheaper) from Seven Hills. They are new printer drivers for GS/OS programs only. If you want to print from an 8-bit program, see the previous question. Q: Can I hook up a scanner up to my //e? Can it do OCR (Optical Character Recognition)? A: Yes and Yes. Just pick up a Quickie scanner (by Vitesse) and InWords (by WestCode Software). You can scan 4" columns (you must have 512K to 1 Meg) and can even paste them together to make 8" scans. Then you can use InWords to "read" text and put it into a text file or AppleWorks Word Processor file. Q: What version is my computer? A: Apple //e: The major division is between the Enhanced and unenhanced models. Look at your computer while re-booting. If it says "APPLE ][", it is not enhanced. The enhanced computers will say "Apple //e". You can upgrade it yourself by getting the Apple //e Enhancement kit. (It contains 4 chips to replace on your motherboard.) Many newer programs will not work unless you have an Enhanced //e. If you have a //c or GS, or a Laser 128, you have Enhanced //e compatibility. There are also some older //e's that are not capable of double-hires. Check the serial number on the motherboard (in the back, by the power-on led). If it ends in -A, you may need a motherboard swap (unless you have the PAL version). Apple //GS: There are 3 major versions of the GS: Check the initial power-up screen. It will say ROM 01, ROM 03. If it does not say either, you have the Original (Woz Signature edition). You must upgrade it in order to run current system software. The ROM 01 has 256K on the motherboard, while the ROM 03 has 1 MB on the motherboard. All the enhancements of the ROM 03 (except the 1MB, of course) can be added to the ROM 01 simply by booting up with current system software. Apple //c: Go into Basic and type "PRINT PEEK (64447)" and press return. If it says 255, you have a very old //c. See your dealer about getting an upgrade. If it says 0, you can do 3.5" drives, but you don't have the memory expansion connector. If it says 3 You have the memory expansion. If it says 4, you have the latest model of the //c. If it says 5, you have a //c+. Q: I have a ][+/Franklin. Where can I get tech support? A: Send a Self Addressed, Stamped Envelope to: TEBR, RFD #1, North Salem, NY 10560-9705 or call PH# (914)-669-5421 Q: My Applied Ingenuity drive died. Does anyone repair them? A: Bill Heineman, Custom Software Inc, 7734 S. Broadway Rd, Whitter, CA 90606 PH# (213)-695-3966. He also does other types of drives. Q: Can I get replacement chips for my Apple //c? A: Alltech Electronics carries all the //c chips for $9 to $39 each (depending on the chip). Pick up the latest A+ and look for their ad. You can them at (619) 721-7733. Q: Where can I find oscillator crystals? A: Digi-Key Corp (Phone: 800-344-4539). They charge $3.75 per crystal and $5 for shipping an order. Here are the part #'s for a TransWarp GS: (TWGS speed in parens) 32MHz (8MHz) SE1101, 36MHz (9MHz) SE1103, 40MHz (10MHz) SE1104. Q: What programming languages are available for the Apple ][? A: well.. (sofware is 8 bit unless noted as GS specific) Basic: Applesoft (built-in to your computer!), which can be extended with several utilities in commercial and non-commercial form. To speed it up: Beagle Brother's Applesoft Compiler. TML Basic, Micol Basic, or Z-Basic, which are BASIC development packages. Pecan Power System Basic. GS-Basic, available through Resource Central. Forth: Purple Forth+, Q Forth+, Mad Apple Forth+, GS Forth, GraForth Full C: Orca C (GS), Manx Aztec C Small C: Hyper-C+ Pascal: Complete (formerly TML) Pascal, Orca/Pascal, Apple UCSD Pascal and Quick Pascal (via Resource Central) and Pecan Power System's Pascal. Assembly: Orca/M, Orca/M GS, APW, Merlin 8/16 Plus, Lisa+, EDASM. Other: Pecan Power Systems Fortran. Lisp, Logo, Promal. GS Scheme+ Orca/Modula-2 (+ = share/freeware [available via FTP]) And more. Watch this space for update on the next FAQ.. -=Dan=- Q: My GS control panel keeps resetting to the defaults and/or forgetting the date. A: It's probably your battery. If you have a ROM 03 GS, you just pop it out an get another. On the ROM 01, you will need a Slide-On Battery Replacement Kit from Night Owl Productions. See address in 'Resources' section. Q: I want a Y-adapter for my GS keyboard. A: Redmond Cable has an ADB Y-connector cable for separating your mouse from the side of your keyboard (also can be used to work around a failing ADB port on the keyboard). See the 'Resources' section of this FAQ. Q: What programs are there for conversion of graphic images? A: There are quite a few: IIGIF is a freeware GIF converter for any Apple II (but there is a patch needed for the Apple //c). It reads in GIF and saves as hires or double-hires. MACDOWN is also freeware and lets you do the same with MacPaint pics. A ProDos 8 version of The Graphics Exchange (don't know much about it). [The following software only work on an Apple IIGS] The Graphics Exchange (with library disk 1 - and soon with library disk 2 and The RGB Exchange) converts between many formats of graphics. SuperConvert loads all GS formats, plus GIFS and other non-GS specific formats and saves in all GS formats (including Finder Icon files). It has more dithering options than most of the other programs, but you may have to play with it to find the best one. SHRConvert is the earlier, shareware, predecessor to SuperConvert. It does a pretty good job on the types of graphics it supports. Platinum Paint can import all GS formats (yes, even PrintShop) plus MacPaint. It can only save in SHR and Apple Preferred. It can view (but not make/edit) SHR animations. ShowPic 6 is a shareware NDA that can display most GS formats. You can also save the resulting graphic as a IIGS SHR painting. Dream Grafix supports all 3200 color picture types and also 16 color and 256 color pictures. This is a very impressive paint program with its 3200 color support. Note: 'All GS formats' includes Superhires (type $C1 and $C0), hires, double-hires and PrintShop/PrintShop GS. Q: I have an old CPM / PASCAL / DOS 3.3 disk. How do I get it into ProDos? A: The //e system software, the DOS3.3 FST (GS/OS System 6), and Copy ][+ can all convert Dos 3.3 files into ProDos. This is only helpful for text files, graphics, and some Basic programs. For ProDos, CPM, Pascal, Dos 3.3, try the program Chameleon. It's only drawback is that it does not recognize hard disks. (just use a temporary ProDos floppy disk) Q: How do you copy from a 5.25" disk to 3.5" disk? A: ProDos has no problems with this, as long as you copy by files. Note that ProDos can only have 51 files in the main directory. If you try to exceed that, it will give you a cryptic 'Disk Full' error. If there really is space left on the disk, you can copy all the files into a subdirectory to get around the 51-file limit. In theory, you can put an unlimited number of files in a Subdirectory, but in practice, you should limit them to a few hundred. Q: Why does my Apple II lose characters when I'm using the modem? A: Check the following: 1) Your software may need interrupts enabled. Examine DIP Switch 2-6 on your Super Serial Card. 2) If you have an unenhanced //e, you need to enhance your //e. 3) If you have a //c, it may be one of the ones that had a serial port problem. Talk to your dealer about upgrading it for 2400 baud support. Q: What happened to Beagle Brothers? A: Quality computers is now distributing the Apple II Beagle Brothers packages. In fact, they are even expanding the TimeOut line of AppleWorks enhancement packages. The status of Beagle isn't so good: Beagle wanted to concentrate on the Mac market with their BeagleWroks package, but then that was bought out. BB has retired their extremely old stuff (mostly DOS 3.3) and it now you can download it (for free) exclusively on the QC BBS. (email jerry@pro-quality.cts.com for details). Q: Is the Apple // dead? A: Old computers never die, they just get upgraded. Ok, ok, maybe not. But as long as the computer is still useful to you, it is not dead. In fact, despite the lack of advertising, there are some people at Apple supporting the II. Consider that this year alone, we have a new GS/OS, an improved HyperCard, a new ProDos (Don't expect V2.0, they said), a High Density 3.5" drive and controller, and an announcement for an EtherTalk card. Hmmmm... (and it's not all GS stuff either) Q: Yes, but isn't the Apple // wimpy? Isn't it old technology? Isn't 1 MHz slow in today's computer world? A: You don't always need a 50 MHz computer to do word processing, or a 3-D relational spreadsheet to do checkbook balancing. Of course, I wouldn't use my Apple to run Mathmatica. Use the right tool for the job. The Apple // is simple enough that one can take total control of it. Write directly to to screen. Re-write the operating system. Do cool hardware hacks with it. Write a simple basic 'guess-the-number' game. Whatever. The point is that many programmers write software for the Apple // because it is FUN as well as challenging. As for the 'old' bit: the IBM PC was released well over a decade ago too. The GS is to an Apple II+ as the IBM 486 is to the IBM XT. (Ok, so maybe that's stretching it a bit). As for speed, you can't directly compare those because the underlying processors are different. The Apple gets more done in 1 clock cycle than the IBM processor. Really, the only speed that matters is REAL time. Windows and fancy graphics can really load a computer down. Even though hardware is getting faster and better, software is getting larger and slower. You can't win. Compare the time to start up the following word processors: FrameMaker on a Sun SparcStation w/X-windows (30 seconds), M.S. Word on a Mac w/System 7 (2 seconds) classic AppleWorks (instantly --I have a RamFast ;). Topic: System 6.0 mini-FAQ ========================================== Subtopic: Common Problems ------------------------------------------ Some programs are incompatible with CloseView. Symptoms are the mouse wipes out everything it moves over. Remove CloseView or inactivate it in the system folder. May still cause troubles if active, but set to 'off'. See GS Technote #91. EasyAccess is also incompatible with some applications, (especially on ROM 01). Symptoms are a locked keyboard, and not being able to reboot. Remove it or make it inactive. Missing features of system 6? Perhaps you just used easy install, which doesn't install all the bells and whistles. Try clicking on customize and add the nifty things like Calculator, Find File, HFS FST, etc. You can also read the Shortcuts file on SystemTools2 for some great keyboard shortcuts. Finder icons that match by name and have a leading wildcard require uppercase letters. For example, a name like "*.txt" never matches, but "*.TXT" works fine (it matches regardless of a file's actual capitalization). (This was accidental; the 5.0.4 Finder did not care about capitalization in icon files.) Two misconceptions about System 6: The A2.RAMCARD is not for the GS's /RAM5. It only works with "slinky" (i.e. standard slot) cards. Also, the DOS 3.3 FST has nothing to do with MS-DOS. Subtopic: Tips & Hints ------------------------------------------ The AppleShare logon programs have always looked for a folder named "Mail" inside your user folder whenever you log onto a user volume. If there's any items in there, they present a dialog that says "You have mail." Under SSW 6.0, that also sends a SysBeep2 request so you can get the sound of your choice. If you don't want to see your icons on boot, set bit 1 (i.e. the 2nd LSB) of BRAM Location $5F. Be sure not to mess with the other bits. Use the toolbox calls! The FinderExtras folder goes in the same folder as the Finder (generally *:System). If you don't like yellow folders in the Finder you can change the byte at offset +65 in the Finder resource with type $C001 and ID 1. Change the $E0 to whatever you want (the first digit is the default folder foreground color, and the low nibble is for the outline color). Only folders that do *not* already have a color recorded in a Finder.Data file get the default color. Subtopic: If you have a RamFast ------------------------------------------ The RamFast and ProDos 2.0.1 both try to do re-mapping of drives to unused slots. This can cause problems, mostly when launching and returning from ProDos 8 applications (crashes or wants you to insert disk). Solution: Configure the RamFast not to re-map. If you have a RamFAST with a ROM revision less than 2.01a, you need to get a newer ROM from CVT. Otherwise, V2.01c allows setting Slot Priority Allocations to 0 which will let ProDos deal with them. V3.0 allows you to choose between RamFast mapping (works now) and ProDos 8 mapping. If you can't wait, you can Patch ProDos 2.0 not to re-map slots. Look for "10 BF C9 A5 D0 07" and change the $A5 to $00 (should be byte $1A3 in the 5th block of the file). Hack at your own risk. Subtopic: If you have a Vulcan or AE High Density disk ------------------------------------------ Due to problems with the Vulcan, when booting, it asks for your System Disk. Just put the Vulcan driver on your boot disk, boot it, and then launch the installer. Alternately, put the driver on the installer disk and boot it. (but you have to delete some of the installer scripts first) For the AE High Density Drive, be sure to remove Apple's 3.5" driver when putting on AE's. Subtopic: If you have ProSel ------------------------------------------ Rename start to something else before running the installer, or else the Finder won't be installed. Believe me, you don't want to miss out on Finder 6.0! Subtopic: If you have an AMR 3.5" ------------------------------------------ If the computer hangs (mostly at the Standard File dialogue box) with no disk in the drive, try putting one in. What's happening is that GS is reading the status from the drive, and the drive won't return anything unless there is a disk in the drive. Just stick a disk in and all will be fine. If it really annoys you, either deactive the 3.5" driver (get IR so you can double-click to re-activate it) or simply keep a disk in the drive at all times. This is not a problem under ProDos 8. Subtopic: GSCII+ & HFS Note ------------------------------------------ There is a problem with the HFS FST, but only GSCII seems to be affected. When de-binscii-ing files, put the output onto a ProDos volume, not an HFS one. [ Mega-thanks to Dave Lyons & friends for these. ] Topic: What to do with an Apple ][? ========================================== Q: What can you hook up to an Apple ][? A: Hard Drives, Scanners, Video Digitizers, Laser Printers, Video Overlay Cards, Tape backups, Inkjet Printers, 24 pin Dot Matrix Printers, EPROM Burners, AppleTalk Networks, High Density 3.5" drives, serial cards, parallel cards, audio Digitizers, CP/M boards (Z-80 processor), an IBM-on-a-card, 9600 baud modems, D/A and A/D cards, joysticks, mice, graphics tablets, touch screens, extended keyboards, track balls, several Megabytes of RAM, Real-time clocks, (cheap) IBM disk drives and of course, Users! This list is by no means exhaustive: This is just what I personally have done. All of it is available NOW, and can be done on any Apple //e. In the very near future, you will be able to hook up: EitherTalk Networks, DSP boards, and cheap FAX modems. Q: What can you do with an Apple ][? A: As if the above weren't impressive, how about: Optical Character recognition, Desktop publishing, Integrated Spread sheet, Database and Word Processing, Interactive fiction adventure games, Arcade quality games, Educational games, Programming, Telecommunications, Inventory, Accounting, Money Management, and that's not even scratching the surface. Q: What can the //e can "borrow" from other computers? (w/the right software) A: GS bitmapped fonts, Mac Disks, MacPaint pictures, GIF pictures, just about any Mac SCSI device (Hard Drives, Tape backup), Mac sounds?, many archive formats (like uudecode), any serial device (EPROM burners, FAX modems, mega-fast modems w/ MNP5), etc. Q: What can the GS can "borrow" from other computers? (w/the right software) A: Mac bitmapped fonts, Mac Icons, Mac and Windows TrueType fonts, Mac Disks, Amiga Mod songs, MacPaint pictures, MacWrite documents, GIF pictures, WordPerfect documents, just about any Mac SCSI or ADB device (including Hard Drives, Pen Mice, etc), Mac sounds, Many archive formats (.uu, .zip, .arc, .sit, .hqx, etc), any serial device (EPROM burners, FAX modems, mega- fast modems w/hardware MNP-5), etc. If you are interested in doing any of the above, feel free to e-mail me (dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu). Someday, maybe I'll fill in the specific software or hardware you need to do any of the above. If you have any additions, let me know too! Topic: Resources for the Apple II: ========================================== Listed below are some places to get information about the Apple II. You can also try your local user group (and the user group library), friends, relatives, library, school, FTP sites, etc. To find the closest Apple II (or Macintosh) User Group near you, contact: The Apple User Group Connection Phone: Apple Computer, Inc. (800) 538-9696, extension 500 20525 Mariani Avenue, MS:36-AA Cupertino, CA 95014 InCider/A+ is a monthly Apple II/Macintosh magazine. Although their Apple II coverage is shaky at best, you can find a lot of Apple II ads in there. InCider/A+ P.O. Box 56818 Boulder, CO 80322-8618 A2-Central is a tiny monthly publication, but it is packed with information. It has technical discussions and philosophical discussions. It is also available on disk, with many PD/SW programs each month. They also publish many monthly disks, including ones for HyperStudio users, TimeOut users, HyperCard users, and probably others. All are on 3.5" disk only. They also have taken over APDA's job of keeping the latest and greatest from Apple and some 3rd party vendors. They have programming tools and manuals not available anywhere else (like the Video Overlay Card Development kit, Tool 35/SynthLab docs, etc). A2-Central (913) 469-6502 P.O. Box 11250 (913) 469-6507 (FAX) Overland Park, KS 66207 GEnie: A2-CENTRAL, UNCLE-DOS, or DENNIS.DOMS Apple Programmers and Developers Association (APDA) produces the Develop CD, a great resource if you have access to a CD player. APDA (800) 282-2732 Apple Computer, Inc. 20525 Mariani Ave, MS:75-2C Cupertino, CA 95014 You can become an associate in the Apple Developer Program for $350 (for Mac and Apple II) or a mere $150 (for Apple II only) by calling 1-408-974-4897. That gets you Develop magazine, Apple Technical notes, the Apple Developer CD, discounts on Apple products, and more! If you want to license Apple Software for distribution with your product you can get information by calling 1-408-974-4667. (Note: You need a license to distribute Apple System Software, including ProDOS, and the Installer.) Apple has a toll-free customer assistance line for handling sales questions and user concerns. This toll-free line is not designed to be a technical support hotline, but instead is an extension to the comprehensive Apple customer relations effort. The Customer Assistance Center is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time by dialing 1-800-776-2333. GS+ is published bi-monthly, as a magazine and as an accompanying disk. They are a great source for unique programs, which are not available anywhere else. They also have reviews of new software. Of course, it's GS specific. GS+ Magazine (800) 662-3634 (orders only) c/o EGO Systems (615) 843-3988 9am-6pm M-F EST P.O. Box 15366 (913) 469-6507 (FAX) Chattanooga, Tennessee 37415-0366 Aol: GSPlusDiz Delphi: GSPlusDiz GEnie: JWANKERL Internet: jwankerl@pro-gonzo.cts.com Hyperstudio Network is a quarterly newsletter about HyperStudio. They put out an annual 'Best of HyperStudio' disk of stacks, and have discounts on HyperStudio accessories. They even do some teacher-oriented stuff. HyperStudio Network Phone: Box 103 (609) 446-3196 Blawenburg, NJ 08504 II Sysops is a bi-monthly newsletter for Bulletin Board System Operators. It explores every aspect of running a BBS, from the technical issues, to legal issues, to sysop policy. They even have board-by-board news on the major BBS's. II Sysops P.O. Box 720 Eldersburg, MD 21784 The Road Apple - An Apple // "End Users" Underground Newsletter. Published bi-monthly. 1121 NE 177th, Suite B Phone: Portland, OR 97230 (503) 254-3874. Computist is a publication devoted to gathering and distributing information on removing copy protection from Apple II software. P.O. Box 110846 Tacoma, WA 98411 Softdisk and Softdisk GS - monthly disk magazines containing a variety of software (PD/SW, clip art, reviews, etc). Softdisk is available on 5.25" or 3.5" disks. Softdisk GS is available only on 3.5" disks. Softdisk Publishing Phone: P.O. Box 30008 (800) 831-2694 Shreveport, LA 71130-0008 (318) 221-8718 AOL: zak Internet: zak@aol.com USUS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and influencing software standards to aid in the development of portable software. They have a large software library including a lot of source code (for almost every language or computer). Keith Frederick (Secretary), USUS Inc., P.O. Box 1148 La Jolla, CA 92038 Night Owl makes a slide-on battery for ROM 01 GS's. Nite Owl Productions Phone: Slide-On Battery Dept. (913) 362-9898 5734 Lamar Street Mission, KS 66202 Redmond cable makes and sells all sorts of custom cables. Redmond Cable Corporation Phone: 17371-A1 NE 67th Ct (206) 882-2009. Redmond, WA 98052, Quality Computers not only sells Apple II products, but maintains a list of user groups and publishes an informative newsletter geared towards educators (called Enhance). To get a QC catalog and a free subscription to Enhance, just call or write. Quality Computers (800) 777-ENHAnce 20200 E. 9 Mile Road (313) 774-7200 (International) Box 665 (313) 774-2698 (FAX) St. Clair Shores, MI 48080 (313) 774-7740 (Technical Support) NAUG, the National AppleWorks Users Group is a group devoted to that wonder program, AppleWorks. NAUG (313) 454-1115 Box 87453 (313) 454-1965 FAX Canton, Michigan 48187 (615) 359-8238 BBS A new ShareWare-Fee payment service has been established: Some Assembly Required 1132 Adelaide St. N. #719 London, Ontario N5Y 2N8 Canada shareware@uwo.ca or hackett@gaul.csd.uwo.ca (More resources to be added as I think of them. Email suggestions to dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu. as always, let me know of any mistakes, updates, corrections, additions, etc.) Topic: General guidelines on How To Troubleshoot ========================================== First, resist the temptation to install all your new toys at once. Take it one step at a time and test everything after adding each item. Leave the computer plugged in, but turned off when installing cards. Touch the power supply before and often during your work. Better yet, use a wrist strap tied to ground through a 1 Megaohm resistor. When asking others for help, it is essential to know the EXACT error message you are getting. Also, be as specific as possible. Saying "It did not work" or "I could not get any farther" is not helpful. Exactly which screen did it stop at? Does it respond to any input at all? What had you done up to that point? Is it reproducible any other way? Make sure you have the required components for the program. Does it require an Enhanced //e? More RAM? A separate boot disk? Never use your original disks. Make a backups and store the write-protected originals in a safe place. Be sure to keep your disks away from stray magnetic fields emanating from phones, monitors and speakers. If you have an accelerator, try to disable it or take it out entirely. It may not be compatible with the new item. Is the problem re-producible? If so, what are the MINIMUM actions to reproduce it? Check all your cable connections. Do not disconnect or connect any cables with the computer on. Try pulling out other cards and disconnect your joystick. If you have a lot of cards, you might consider a Heavy-Duty Power Supply from A.E. It supplies 6 Amps instead of a measly 2.5 Amps. Test the power supply with a voltmeter while the computer is on. Call the manufacturer to see if there is an upgrade or a fix. Subtopic: Trouble shooting and good maintenance ------------------------------------------ Try the system test: hold down the Control key, the Open Apple key, and the Option (or Solid Apple) key. Then press and release Reset. Lastly, let up on the other keys. Sit back and 'Watchen Der Blinken Lighten.' Most RAM cards come with a memory tester. Try running it in continuous mode for several hours, even if your RAM seems to be working. Write down your configuration when you have it working (for future reference). Verify your disk(s) with Copy ][+ or the Finder to see if you have any bad blocks. Subtopic: GS Trouble shooting ------------------------------------------ Check your control panel settings: What is the startup slot set to? Is the slot set to "Your Card"? Check your RAM disk setting. Is it taking up all your memory? Try setting the speed to normal if it's a non-GS program. Take out or disable your INITS, CDAs, NDAs, and CDEVS. (With System 6, just hold down Shift while booting). If you have a hard disk, try booting from a System Disk and/or re-install the latest system software. Many random problems can be traced to corrupted or improperly installed system software. Never connect/disconnect an ADB device when the computer is on. AppleWorks GS comes with a memory tester (try it). The TransWarp GS has a continuous test on the CDA (try it too). Topic: SCSI ========================================== SCSI is a protocol (kind of like serial or parallel) that lets you hook up several devices (up to 8) on a SCSI bus (a bus is just a series of wires). You must give each device it's own unique ID number from 0-7. The SCSI card is usually set to 7. There are two types of SCSI cables: the 50 pin Centronics-type (like on parallel printers) or the 25-pin "D" connector. The 50-pin is the SCSI standard, the 25-pin is the Apple standard. On a SCSI chain, there must be a Terminator at each end. A Terminator is just a bunch of resistors. Some drives have internal terminators (3 small yellow-orange packs), and some drives come with an external terminator (a "plug" to put on the back of the drive). Also, somebody on the bus must supply terminator power (one of the SCSI lines). If There are any problems (multiple things with the same ID, too much termination or not enough, or no terminator power), you may be able to use the drive, but your data will get corrupted. Most of the time, the computer will refuse to recognize the drive. At first, there was the Apple Rev 'C' SCSI card (named after the final ROM version--all previous versions MUST be upgraded to work with current software). There were several clones from the likes of CMS and Chinook. Then Apple came out with it's High Speed DMA SCSI card. This has the ability to do Direct Memory Access to the RAM in your computer, which speeds things up. This created a lot of problems with cards that were not DMA compatible. CV Technologies also has a DMA SCSI card called the RamFast. This card has 256K or 1MB of on-board RAM to make it even faster than Apple's card. It can also supply terminator power if you drive does not supply it. Both of the new cards support things like SCSI tape backup units, removable SCSI drives, SCSI CD-ROM, and of course SCSI hard drives. Both the new cards also require an Enhanced //e. Subtopic: Tips on setting up a SCSI system: ------------------------------------------ You can have multiple drives on one SCSI card, just make sure you remove the termination on all the drives but the last one. This is because the newer SCSI cards are terminated (and they count as a SCSI device). Always check that the cords are plugged in properly. Never connect/disconnect anything when the computer is on. The computer will boot the hard drive with the highest SCSI ID, which should be ID 6. Try letting the drive 'warm up' for 15 seconds before turning the computer on. The SCSI cards look for drives only at startup, and may ignore any drives that are not ready. Try turning off DMA. If this helps, you may have a non-DMA compatible card, such as the early versions of the TransWarp, early versions of the GS RAM, or any 8-bit accelerator. Check that each device has a unique ID. Most drives have a thumbwheel on the back to set the ID. Your SCSI card (yes, it counts too) is probably ID 7. Number your drives from 6 downwards for best compatibility. The IDs have nothing to do with what slot the card is in. Is there a terminator at each end of the SCSI bus? (the DMA cards are terminated, and some drives are internally terminated.) Try the software that came with the card. It may give helpful diagnostic messages (I.E. the Apple DMA SCSI utilities-- Does it say "No Apple SCSI card found" or "No SCSI devices found"?) Do you get the message "Unable to Load ProDos"? If so, it's booting your drive but you have no system software on it. Try hitting Control-Reset, then PR#5 (or PR#6) to boot a floppy. Then install the system software (i.e. ProDos or GS/OS). In extreme cases, try reformatting the drive, repartitioning, and re-installing the System software. If the drive access light blinks in a regular pattern before the computer is turned on, it is telling you that it has a hardware malfunction. It needs to be serviced. Did you try re-installing the System software? Many times, the data on a drive will get corrupted if you run the drive with improper terminators or conflicting SCSI ID's. Sometimes you will not notice the corrupted data until after you fix the problem. If re-installing the System software helps, it was probably a software problem, not a hardware problem. The Apple HS DMA SCSI card requires an Enhanced //e. It will not work on the older //e without an Enhancement Kit. To really put a drive through it's paces, copy a LOT of stuff from one partition to another (copy the entire partition if you can). If there is a problem with DMA or SCSI ID's, it will probably show up as a strange GS/OS error. (GS only) Make sure you do not have the Apple SCSI drivers installed if you have a RamFast. It may cause random problems (they leave an interrupt handler dangling if they can't find their card.) (GS only) Make sure you are booting the right slot. If the card is in slot 7, you can set the startup slot to Scan or 7. (GS only) If you boot up and only 1 partition shows up, you need to install the SCSI drivers. (GS only) If you boot up and it says "Drive XXX is already on the desktop" over and over: Probably a SCSI ID problem. (GS only) If you add a CD-ROM, drivers are avaliable from Trantor Systems LTD, 5415 Randall Place, Fremont, CA 94538 (415)770-1400 (GS only) Watch this space for info on flopticals... ====================================================================== This FAQ is available on-line at apple2.archive.umich.edu and via AFS (in /afs/umich.edu/group/itd/archive/apple2). Permission granted to copy portions into non-profit User Group newsletters. This FAQ is also in transition. Any additions/corrections/suggestions would be appreciated. Also, if this FAQ has helped you, e-mail me and let me know! Dan DeMaggio (dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu)