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From: gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Problems for a new IIGS user
Message-ID: <11584@smoke.BRL.MIL>
Date: 10 Nov 89 19:33:01 GMT
References: <1134@godot.radonc.unc.edu>
Reply-To: gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn)
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab (BRL), APG, MD.
Lines: 39

In article <1134@godot.radonc.unc.edu> rosenman@godot.UUCP (Julian Rosenman) writes:
>1) If you boot up GS/OS and click on BASIC.SYSTEM you then go into
>the AppleSoft environment. How do you get back to the OS without
>rebooting the system?

Type the standard BASIC command "BYE".

>2) Why can't GS/OS read DOS 3.3 files and just display them like
>ProDos files? Is there a utility that does this, or do I have to
>convert them all to ProDos 16 to view them on the desk top?

There is currently no File System Translator for DOS 3.3, which has
been deemed "obsolete" by Apple for many years now.  You have to
convert them to ProDOS.  Many copy utilities such as Copy II+ will
do this conveniently.

>3) What programming language is recommended for the IIGS? AppleSoft is
>clearly inadequate as it does not support the sound chip, super hires
>screen, tool box, extended memory etc. Do any of the commercial
>BASIC's support these things? Which would you recommend?

AppleSoft BASIC can be beefed up to access ToolBox routines etc.
but for serious programming I would recommend using a serious
programming language and support environment.  The official support
environment is the Apple IIGS Programmer's Workshop (APW), which
comes with an assembler; you can obtain it from the Apple Programmers
and Developers Association (APDA), whose address I don't have at hand
at the moment.  APDA also sells an APW C compiler and some third-party
development products.  ByteWorks sells an enhanced APW environment
that includes a "DeskTop" with source-level debugger, mouse editor,
etc. under the name ORCA/M for its macro assembler.  ByteWorks also
sells ORCA/Pascal and ORCA/C for this environment and/or APW.  There
is another company, TML, that sells a IIGS Pascal compiler, but I'm
not sure it's fully APW compatible.

>4) Can the perimeter of the color monitor be altered (other than
>background color)?

Sure; you can set it from the Control Panel.