Apple Cat Lore.

[doctor_x]

I'm on an apple8 forum where some folks were talking about some BBS out in california that had a voice mail system that answered initially - you did logons and stuff from there as well as checked voicemail - and supposedly all that was on the other end was an Apple Cat 212 (and obviously an apple).. I think the actual bbs software once you got in was a combo of GBBS and AE or AE TAC.. Anyone heard about this and maybe have more info?? Love this kind of stuff - especially when it involves an apple cat, an 8 bit computer and the 80's scene!!!!

[Keatah]

AE and AE Total Access Control in combination with BBS software were moderately popular. TeleCat, Networks II, were other BBS'es that had "modules" that let a user drop into AE after finishing BBS activities. Having that ability was a sign of being "elite". We never figured out how to go back to the BBS after using AE. I'm sure we could have, but the II scene was beginning to break up as we disbanded after high-school was over and the PC and other 16-bit machines were becoming interesting.

 

I even tried a system like so, but ultimately found the best success (at grabbing warez) to be an AE line by itself. And the best of the best was either running both an AE line AND a BBS or associating closely with a BBS. None of us could afford two Apple Computers, so associating was the next best gig.

 

I have plenty of good memories from using the AppleCat, but my first modem was the Hayes MicroModem II. I had that for about a year, and THEN got into an AppleCat. Still have it and all the accessories for it too!

Edited April 20, 2020 by Keatah

[abrondino]

I ran an AE:TAC board called "The Crunchy Booger AE DOX Warehouse". It was run on a 300 baud Hayes Micromodem II. I housed all of the documentation of all the games. It seemed to me a less "target-able" offence than housing wares. I had a 10 meg Sider hard drive which was able to store the entirety of all game manuals, cheat codes, Hints, Walk-throughs, box plans, and general written papers by would-be journalists. I even have my original install disk for AE:TAC. I have uploaded a picture of it here. I also have the entirety of The Crunchy Booger converted from floppy/Sider

[Keatah]

There's so much of this still surviving but not yet posted anywhere.

 

I remember dialing in. Would be nice to see the TAC disk image and Sider dump be made available somehow. I know TAC 2.0 is available, but not 1.1. Many times earlier versions of something are overlooked or just arbitrarily rendered unimportant. But earlier versions ARE useful. And an important part of the culture. Copy II plus is a good example of trying to preserve every version ever made.

 

Imagine not archiving anything for DOS 3.2 because DOS 3.3 came out. Imagine ignoring DOS 3.3 because ProDOS came out! And earlier versions of software support hardware that was dropped in later revisions. Think ProTERM. The MicroModem II isn't listed in v3.1.

 

I still have my original MMII and Sider 10'megger. Both are operational.

[Baldrick]

Ran a BBS and an AE Line back in the day.

The AE Line was definitely on the down-low and was kept underground for obvious reasons.  But it ran for years.

 

The BBS was a GBBS bulletin board.

 

All of this ran on a clone Apple II+ running six floppy drives (and on occasion 8 floppy drives), 80 column card, Super Serial (natch) and various 1200 and 2400 baud Hayes compatible modems.  It all ran until maybe 1988 or 1989.  Memory is fuzzy from those days.

Although I have the physical floppies and the clone II+ which still sees semi-regular service, bit-rot and surface mould got the better of those diskettes, so very little survived.

 

These days I still run a BBS - you can find it via telnet at:

the brewery.servebeer.com:6400

 

And it still runs on real metal...an Apple IIe, Super Serial card and a Wimodem-232 to get it "online".

 

 

Edited April 14, 2022 by Baldrick

[abrondino]

Although, we should probably start a thread just on AE, I found these instructions on AE commands in my archive.

====================================================

 

 

--------------------------------------

        The Crunchy Booger
                 Dox Warehouse A.E.

      (312) 253-5952 P/W = "BOOGER"

--------------------------------------

  To get some basic commands hit #1 or #2 after booting up AE.

      SOME EXTRA HELP:
    "D" to dial (Hit "+" right after "D" to listen to call till connect.)
    "%" To get to INSTALL. It will configure your system to your needs.
    "V" to view a file
    <ESC> Will abort any file being viewed.
    "Y" is to get to the editor
    ---------------------------
    !   UP AND DOWNLOAD HELP  !
    ---------------------------
TO DOWNLOAD: (take a file)
  "S" (then type the filename as it appears on the disk) then type "ctrl-Q" and
"G" then the filename as you want it to appear on the new disk (insert a
formatted 3.3. disk with enough space for the file and hit return), It may ask 
for the A.E. disk again, just insert it and do it again from "ctrl-Q"

TO UPLOAD: (give a file)
  Its the same as downloading just exchange an "R" for the "S" and an "S" for 
the "G" (NOTE: The "ctrl-Q" is the same)
  <ESC> and "ctrl-C" to abort a file being transferred.
------------------
OFF LINE COMMANDS!
------------------
  "J" to view a file on your disks
  "I" to change drives and or delete a file.
  "+" to receive a call
  "ctrl-Q" to break into chat mode if someone is on line
  "ctrl-Q" and "+" to break out of chat mode with someone on line.
NOTE: You can use the off line commands when on line somewhere if you hit a 
"ct"ctrl-Q" first

====================================================

 

Note of pain: I just spell-checked and corrected the text from above that I wrote when I was 17 years old. Ugh!

 

[Keatah]

I clearly remember having that number in my callpack. Remember those?