Apple/Macintosh Questions

[Ze_ro]

I guess this is a little off-topic, but I don't feel like joining any Mac users groups, so hopefully one of you can answer my questions:

 

I managed to get my hands on both an Apple IIGS, and a Macintosh LC-II (Each for $5!). The LC-II seems to work fine, except that it crashes fairly often, and has way too much stuff loading when the computer starts up or something (I don't know MacOS very well at the moment). The IIGS seems to work fine, but I have no software for it.

 

One of the problems is the monitor that I bought with the computers... it has a 15-pin cable on it, and seems to work great with the LC-II... but if I plug it into the IIGS, I get a scrambled picture. Since the port is the same, I would have figured that the monitor was intended for either computer type... but is there some weird difference like digital vs. analog RGB? (I learned this difference the hard way...) I was able to hook the IIGS up in composite to test it out at least. Also, as far as I can tell, MacOS runs in monochrome, right? I'm assuming this is so it can do a higher resolution than it would be able to do in color?

 

The LC-II seems to have a different version of MacOS than some of the programs seem to expect. I get a number of errors about programs being "too new" to run, or requiring System 7.5 (Odd, considering this is all software that was already installed on the hard drive when I bought the thing). Is there any way to find out what version I'm running? I assume that to upgrade, I would have to get the install disks for a newer version?

 

Speaking of which, what's the best way to actually get software onto disk? I've heard that the 800k 3.5" disks are next to impossible to read/write in a PC drive (I think the Catweasel can do it...), and I don't imagine that the 5.25" disks are any easier.... I have an Apple 5.25" drive, is there some way to hook it up to a PC? I've done this with a Commodore 1541 drive before, and that seemed to work quite well.

 

Finally, does anyone have any good links to sites with more information on the older Apple machines? Something like Little Green Desktop, or Lemon64 would be great.

 

--Zero

[+Allan]

I guess this is a little off-topic, but I don't feel like joining any Mac users groups, so hopefully one of you can answer my questions:

 

I managed to get my hands on both an Apple IIGS, and a Macintosh LC-II (Each for $5!). The LC-II seems to work fine, except that it crashes fairly often, and has way too much stuff loading when the computer starts up or something (I don't know MacOS very well at the moment). The IIGS seems to work fine, but I have no software for it.

 

On the IIGS you need to get a copy OS 6. This was the last (and best) version put out by Apple in the early ninties.

 

One of the problems is the monitor that I bought with the computers... it has a 15-pin cable on it, and seems to work great with the LC-II... but if I plug it into the IIGS, I get a scrambled picture. Since the port is the same, I would have figured  that the monitor was intended for either computer type... but is there some weird difference like digital vs. analog RGB? (I learned this difference the hard way...) I was able to hook the IIGS up in composite to test it out at least. Also, as far as I can tell, MacOS runs in monochrome, right? I'm assuming this is so it can do a higher resolution than it would be able to do in color?

 

The IIGS cannot use any of the Mac monitors. There was a special RGB monitor made for the IIGS. I don't know the specs but I know for sure you can't use any of the Mac monitors. You can usually find a IIgs monitor for cheap but the problem is shipping because of the weight.

 

The LC-II seems to have a different version of MacOS than some of the programs seem to expect. I get a number of errors about programs being "too new" to run, or requiring System 7.5 (Odd, considering this is all software that was already installed on the hard drive when I bought the thing). Is there any way to find out what version I'm running? I assume that to upgrade, I would have to get the install disks for a newer version?

 

Point on the Apple menu and click on 'About This Computer'. Yes you would have to get the install disk to upgrade if it's not 7.6 (The highest version you could use with this computer.) Although I think it is free on Apple's site. If you have a 3 1/2 drive on your PC and there is a PC disk translater program on the Mac you might be able to download on disc and upgrade it that way. It would probably take a lot of disks though. If you have a program that will format your disks for Macintosh on your PC even better.

 

 

Speaking of which, what's the best way to actually get software onto disk? I've heard that the 800k 3.5" disks are next to impossible to read/write in a PC drive (I think the Catweasel can do it...), and I don't imagine that the 5.25" disks are any easier.... I have an Apple 5.25" drive, is there some way to hook it up to a PC? I've done this with a Commodore 1541 drive before, and that seemed to work quite well.

 

That all depends on your PC. Many older PC's will easily read 800K discs. You can of course even format as 800K in Windows 3.1/95/98. I don't know about later Windows versions. Since there are so many different PC's the only way to know is to try it. No you can't connect Apple 5 1/4 drives to PC's. Even if you have a very old PC with a 5 1/4 drive it won't work. Totally different formats. There might be some kind of hardware device like on the Commodores for this but I have never seen one. There was one model of a Macintosh that had a PC built right into it. I think you could format both on that machine but I am not sure.

 

Finally, does anyone have any good links to sites with more information on the older Apple machines? Something like Little Green Desktop, or Lemon64 would be great.

 

www.ultimatemac.com

 

Allan

[Ze_ro]

Thanks for the advice! Luckily, there were two Apple monitors at the thrift store I bought the computer at. I only bought one at the time, but maybe I should think of picking up the other one too, since it was probably the IIGS monitor... (I think it was only $8... but some kid had drawn all over the side of the monitor ) Then again, maybe I won't bother. I have enough old monitors sitting around, and composite looks fine to me...

 

Is it really worthwhile for me to get 7.6? I probably won't be using the machine on a very common basis, so if I can get a faster computer by using an older version, I'd be fine with that... is there much software that requires newer versions?

 

One final question... a long time ago, I bought an Apple ][e, but since I never had any other hardware whatsoever for it, I never really bothered with it. If I plug it in, the 65C02 light comes on, and the disk drive spins, but aside from a few random garbage characters that appear on the screen for a split second, all I get is blackness. I sort of figured the computer was busted a long time ago, but is it? What does the ][e do without disks to boot from? If it just gives a black screen, then maybe it's not broken after all

 

--Zero

[+Allan]

Thanks for the advice! Luckily, there were two Apple monitors at the thrift store I bought the computer at. I only bought one at the time, but maybe I should think of picking up the other one too, since it was probably the IIGS monitor... (I think it was only $8... but some kid had drawn all over the side of the monitor ) Then again, maybe I won't bother. I have enough old monitors sitting around, and composite looks fine to me...

 

Is it really worthwhile for me to get 7.6? I probably won't be using the machine on a very common basis, so if I can get a faster computer by using an older version, I'd be fine with that... is there much software that requires newer versions?

 

One final question... a long time ago, I bought an Apple ][e, but since I never had any other hardware whatsoever for it, I never really bothered with it. If I plug it in, the 65C02 light comes on, and the disk drive spins, but aside from a few random garbage characters that appear on the screen for a split second, all I get is blackness. I sort of figured the computer was busted a long time ago, but is it? What does the ][e do without disks to boot from? If it just gives a black screen, then maybe it's not broken after all

 

--Zero

 

If you are going to use the IIgs at all you should get the IIgs monitor (if it really is a IIGS monitor). They really are nice and for $8 you can't beat it. Just use some kind of cleaner to get the writing off.

 

7.6 is going back pretty far. It depends on what's on there already, 7.5, 6.?. 7.6 was a really good OS. If you can, try to get a version of it. You might be able to find a really cheap CD of it. (that is if you have a cdrom player in the mac.) You should be able to get a CDrom external player for almost pennies as well. Nobody wants these anymore.

 

The IIe should come up in Basic just like a Commodore 64 or Atari 800XL/130XE. If Basic doesn't come up when you turn it on, there is something wrong with the computer.

 

Allan

[Xot]

The IIe should come up in Basic just like a Commodore 64 or Atari 800XL/130XE. If Basic doesn't come up when you turn it on, there is something wrong with the computer.

 

Allan

 

That's not entirely correct. If you turn on a IIe, it'll just spin the drive forever until you hit control-reset. THEN Basic will come up.

 

FWIW, all the Apple II software will work on the IIgs, so if you get the IIgs up you really don't need the IIe.

[Ze_ro]

If you are going to use the IIgs at all you should get the IIgs monitor (if it really is a IIGS monitor). They really are nice and for $8 you can't beat it. Just use some kind of cleaner to get the writing off.

 

Well, I'll check it out on tuesday when I pass by the store again. If it looks easy enough to clean off, maybe I'll pick it up after all. To be honest, I probably won't use either of these computers all that much, but if I can find a decent amount of Apple software, maybe I will.

 

That's not entirely correct. If you turn on a IIe, it'll just spin the drive forever until you hit control-reset. THEN Basic will come up.

 

Aha! It works! Thanks Since I'm ignorant of pretty much anything Apple, can anyone tell me some of the other "Magic Keystrokes" (You know, like Ctrl-Alt-Delete, Run/Stop-Restore, Ctrl-Amiga-Amiga, etc) for Apple's and Macs? Control-Cloverleaf-Reset seems to reboot the Mac (Are "Cloverleaf" and "Reset" the names of these keys?)

 

FWIW, all the Apple II software will work on the IIgs, so if you get the IIgs up you really don't need the IIe.

 

True, but it helps complete my "Computer Graveyard" in the basement The Apple IIe has taken it's position on a shelf alongside a Vic-20, three C-64's, and an Atari 400

 

--Zero

[WyldKard]

Well I once had a problem like that with OS with my very first "computer". If you can find one get a zip drive which can be read by both PC and Mac. Get the software you need and set it up to read as though it were youre a:. Of course this will only work if you have a parallel port or can easily get one into the computer. Then again this might be more money/time/effort than you want to spend on it too. GL with what ever you do.

[Raijin Z]

A program called Transmac can let your PC read, format, and write on mac formatted diskettes. I used it to put System 7.5 on my Performa... VERY tedious operation. My LCII is kinda screwy... I need a $14 battery for it. Very uncool. If forgets settings that don't require a working motherboard battery. Oh yeah, 7.6 isn't free.

[Rockin' Kat]

$14? As far as I understand it uses the same battery as my PowerMac 6100... I recently replaced the battery for $7...