Text File | 1990-02-26 | 12.6 KB | 244 lines | [50] Apple IIgs Word Processing (0x5445)
G-ESSENCE
by Tom Hall
Welcome to my monthly column. In it, I will:
Ñ tell you neat inside news about the Apple computing industry
Ñ provide tips to help you better use your GS
Ñ submit you to excruciatingly bad puns
Do not say I didn╒t warn you.
NEAT INSIDE NEWS ABOUT THE APPLE COMPUTING INDUSTRY
The ROM 4.0 machine mentioned in the last issue may have been a smokescreen to confuse folks as to which rumors would be true. The word now is that this new machine does not exist. System Disk 6.0 IS coming out soon, however, and HyperCard will be out, too. Too bad the new machine isn╒t coming. As far as we know.
Some GREAT news╤╤Apple has gotten together with the National Geographic Society and Lucasfilm Ltd to create a new IIgs teaching tool: GTV. GTV is a multi╨media product, consisting of a GS, a videodisc player, and hot software. Apple provided the software tools, tech help, and funding. Lucasfilm helped write the software and provided visual effects and sounds. National Geographic directed the project, and provided pictures, maps, and so on from their vast library of film and photography. If this is successful, and it sounds pretty dern good, this could really boost the GS to receive the acclaim it deserves. (Thanks to the folks at Scarlett for this news.)
TIPS TO HELP YOU BETTER USE YOUR GS
Greg Wagoner, a teacher in Indianapolis, Indiana, wrote in with a question about upgrading his system. He has 1.25 Meg of memory and two 3.5" drives. He is trying to use AppleWorks GS.
Poor fellow.
He says he wants more memory, and wouldn╒t mind getting a hard drive sometime (╥but that means $$$$$╙).
OK, Greg. Here are two ways to go about upgrading. You could get a cheap card, but let me tell you a little story.
I went to debut Softdisk G╨S #1 at a local users group. They had a GS there
with 1.25 Meg, and AppleDisk 3.5" and this ╥really inexpensive╙ drive that
one of the members had brought to show off.
I went through my spiel about the disk, ran it, and everything was fine╤╤
until the second ╥inexpensive╙ drive was used a lot. Our program died, in
front of twenty people, on a disk error. That was near the end of the
meeting. I switched disks, so Softdisk wasn╒t in the ╥inexpensive╙ one.
Everything worked beautifully.
Sometimes you can cut corners, but waiting a month more so you can get
something reliable is well worth the wait.
THE ╥I HAVE NO MONEY, BUT I DON╒T WANT TO HAVE TO UPGRADE AGAIN SOON╙ PLAN
Save up for a while, and get a 2 Meg GS╨RAM Plus with a RamKeeper. They are made by Applied Engineering.
Cost:
GS╨RAM Plus 2 Meg $369
RamKeeper $139
Total $508 plus tax
Or, if you don╒t need a permanent ROM disk, you can save money by not using your Apple card (maybe you could sell it) and getting a 3 Meg:
Cost:
GS╨Ram Plus 3 Meg $469 plus tax
I bought this one for my system at home. Eventually, I might get a RamKeeper and have a RAM disk, permanent ROM disk, and enough RAM to run GS programs. With an 800K RAM disk, I can copy disk images to and from it. The permanent ROM disk can hold GS/OS, and I still have over 1.25 Meg for programs. Yeah. With HyperCard coming out and wanting 2 Meg of RAM, one might want 4 Meg, but that is just another $100 sometime.
So take my word. Save up longer and buy the best. I had an awful car for two╨and╨a╨half years. Now I shopped around and got the best╨rated, best-driving car I could. Now I am blissfully happy, not grumbling about that mistake I made. Don╒t take a couple years off your life to save $100.
When you get enough money, get an Ingenuity Innerdrive. (Ingenuity used to be Applied Ingenuity.)
Cost:
Innerdrive, 20 Meg $469 I have this at work.
or Innerdrive, 40 Meg $589
Try buying all of this from:
Quality Computers, 1-800-443-6697
Also check inCider/A+ for Programs Plus and Roger Coats, which might have special prices that change from month to month. If you use AppleWorks GS heavily, you might consider saving up for a TransWarp GS ($289). All of a sudden, AppleWorks GS will work like a dream. A GS running at 7 Megahertz is incredible!
WHAT SHOULD I BUY?
Here╒s my current must╨have list for Apple IIgs users:
SOFTWARE
AppleWorks GS 1.1
AppleWorks 3.0
Zany Golf
Softdisk (OK, I╒m a tad biased)
Softdisk G╨S (especially issue 8 with my STAR AXE game on it!)
Battle Chess (if you have a TransWarp GS)
Mean 18
Arkanoid I or II
Xenocide
Rastan
Tetris
PERIODICALS
A2╨Central
inCider/A+
8/16 (if you are a programmer)
GS+
NORTH, TO ALASKA . . .
Here╒s a letter, one of the many in the ╥I Love the Apple II╙ letter╨writing campaign. Copies were sent to me, Barney Stone, Jonathan Fader, and Mike Homer. Considering the recent layoffs at Apple, perhaps the last two won╒t reach their destination. Anyway, here╒s the letter:
Dear Tom,
I am in the U.S. Army. I have an Apple IIgs and use it every day for at least
two hours. Sometimes, it is used for eight to ten hours a day by myself and
my wife and kids.
We started a small business, Alaska 3╨D Software, with the Apple IIgs. We
started as an Apple software and hardware dealer. Then we started getting
requests for the other three types of computer software and hardware so we
upgraded to handle them. Now, we even have requests for computers. We
don╒t have too much trouble getting the IBMs, but so far we can╒t fill
requests for the Apple //e╒s, //c╒s, IIgs╒s, or Macs. Apple won╒t call us
back, and they are always too busy to work with us. We could probably sell
Apple IIgs╒s, but we can╒t sell what we can╒t get.
We use our Apple IIgs in every aspect of our business. It keeps the books,
writes the checks, invoices, purchase orders, and the customer requests.
It keeps a database for our customer and business phone numbers and
addresses that we use as mailing labels. We use it to make graphics for
advertising and posters. It is the best and least complicated computer I
have worked with. The IBMs are so user╨unfriendly and a pain to use. Macs
are too expensive. Even though we are now selling computers and may some
day be selling Apples and Macs, we have decided to keep the Apple IIgs
running the store.
My wife uses the IIgs for Brever Model Horse Show judging (which, if you
have never experienced a model horse show or all the work one goes
through, well, all I can say is the IIgs makes it a lot easier).
We find the Apple IIgs very useful in our home and work. The Apple IIgs is a
very versatile computer and is perfect for our small business and would be
perfect for any small business.
Thank you for letting me share this with you.
William F. and Christine A. White
Alaska 3╨D Software
Anchorage, AK
Thanks for the letter. Your message has been heard.
SOME NEWS
Apple is planning to release an inexpensive, low╨end Mac, along with a fairly inexpensive color Mac (about $2500). This may be aimed at competing with the low╨end IBMs, which would mean it would also compete with the IIgs. Thanks, guys.
Some more disturbing words in Appledirect magazine. This is from an article in the February 1990 issue called ╥Maneuvering between the Apple II and the Mac.╙ Here are some quotes╤╤just listen to this. . . .
The Apple II is an immovable object, the Mac, an irresistible force.
It seems clear to us that the Apple II will live forever in the schools
(or at least for another five years, which is the equivalent of forever in
the microcomputer industry). So we will continue developing software for
the huge Apple II school customer base (although we will try to keep the
costs of such development as low as possible). At the same time, we have
begun to develop more powerful and innovative Macintosh software for
schools, despite the fact the Macintosh development has proven to be more
expensive.
LOOKING AHEAD WITH THE APPLE II
While continuing our Apple II software development over the next few
years, we will observe the following guiding principles:
Ñ Design software to run on the //e.
Despite the reasonably large AppleIIgs sales to schools over the
past few years, the Apple IIe installed base still dwarfs that of
the IIgs. And, of course, IIe software runs on the IIgs, while
software designed for the IIgs doesn╒t run on the IIe.
Sounds like ╥looking behind╙ a bit, doesn╒t it? I have nothing against the //e, but he is telling everyone to stop developing IIgs software. I believe that Apple doesn╒t want the IIgs around to compete with their soon╨to╨be╨released, low╨end Macs. A little later Peter states:
Ñ Push the Apple II technology as far as it can go. . . .
With this series of products, which we fondly refer to as
╥multi╨media for the rest of us,╙ we╒re determined to give our
loyal Apple II customers every ounce of power and flexibility we
can squeeze out of ╥old reliable.╙
Ah, so here╒s a few programs made by third party companies that use the IIe to its limits. That should suffice until everyone has Macs, right? Later in the article comes the real kicker:
THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCHOOL COMPUTERS. Just as the Apple II was the
school computer of the ╒80s, the Macintosh is the odds╨on favorite to be the
school computer of the ╒90s. For the Mac to fulfill this potential,
however, school╨software publishers will need to create Mac software that
is technologically and pedagogically superior to that developed for the
IIe. At the same time, thses publishers must pace their Mac development
to match the slow but steady growth of Macs in the schools.
An outright statement that they don╒t want teachers using Apples anymore. Here╒s his closing statement:
ON BALANCE. Our Mac development is guided by our belief that the Mac is a
phenomenal productivity tool and thus, if it is to become a viable school
computer, will require software that, above all, promotes educational
productivity. Anything less will not provide schools with sufficient
motivation to move beyond the IIe computers that have served them so
well.
Oh, they get abandoned by a company, so they should buy another product from that company? That╒s not how it works. Take a close look at those computers replacing Apples, Peter╤╤there are three letters on the nameplate, and they aren╒t M-A-C.
TRANSLATING THE GOBBLEDYGOOK
Here is a useful cross╨reference for life in the IIgs community:
GS WORLD MEANING
╥Due for release soon╙ ╥We╒re starting work on it.╙
Beta Version Backup your hard drive.
Alpha Version Backup your backups.
╥The channels are open.╙ ╥Don╒t get mad at ME! It╒s my bosses
that are jerks!╙
New, improved version Not compatible with old version
Compatible with all Apples and clones 10 PRINT "HELLO"
The hottest software for the IIgs (next to Softdisk G╨S, of course)
Incredible sound on your //e Click click beep.
Apple releases GS/OS 5.0 ╥Everybody get hard drives now!╙
EXCRUCIATINGLY BAD PUNS
Armadillo╤╤provide weapons to a Spanish pickle
Eternity╤╤what Pat Sajak will have to do if Vanna leaves
OMISSION ADMISSION
A few folks have written in telling me what magazines I left out. In fact, I was accused of leaving certain magazines out for business purposes! Poffycock! I╒m human, not antagonistic. And Shreveport, Lousiana is not the Mecca of Computerdom, either. Here╒s the omissions:
Ñ Computist
33821 E. Orville Road
Eatonville, WA 98328
(206) 474-5759
Computist is a technical newsletter for the Apple II and IIgs. Readers can exchange information, ask questions, and so on. There is also an emphasis on techniques to backup your software which some companies feel important to prevent you from doing (not us!), and a good variety of other information. The readership is comprised of a group of people dedicated to the Apple. There is a section for IBM computers, as many users, like teachers, have access to both. Published monthly, there are two subscription rates: 8 months for $24, and 12 months for $32.
This magazine, like most newsletters, needs support to survive, so why not try out a subscription?
Ñ Apple IIgs Buyer╒s Guide (I can╒t BELIEVE I forgot this one!)
Redgate Communications
5615 W. Cermak Road
Cicero, IL 60650-2290
(305) 231-6904
Lots of information about all the latest GS software, the IIgs Buyer╒s Guide is where you want to go for software information. Not only do they review new stuff, but they have a list of previously reviewed material that is still available, so you don╒t miss anything! A real necessity for the IIgs software consumer. And it╒s affordable! Published quarterly, $8.95 a year. What a deal!
WORDWORKS AWAY!
Any comments? Jokes? Million╨dollar job offers? Here╒s the address:
