Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!emory!att!ucbvax!MACALSTR.EDU!SHBOUM
From: SHBOUM@MACALSTR.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: The GS Axe is Not Falling
Message-ID: <88E3C35518BF205A45@MACALSTR.EDU>
Date: 21 Apr 91 09:46:00 GMT
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Organization: The Internet
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In an earlier article, Doug Gwyn writes:

        A lot of talk recently has covered the concept about using a computer
without any drives, and how the II's, while primitive at it, are the best
computer out there for it. I also support this idea because chances are, when
something breaks on the computer, its not going to be the CPU/Monitor/Keyboard,
instead its going to be the disk drives {they have the most moving parts} or
the mouse or printer. And you're sitting at home and you HAVE to call in to
your work's mainfraime to finish the program you're working on when your hard
drive crashes... Oh boy damn!!! You're in a mess! Now if you were using an
Apple II with a proper modem, you can use Applesoft and dial into work {I did
it on my Apple II years ago when my term program broke!} and get the work done
- possibly provided you don't need any terminal emulations.

        While this isn't a good example, it does show that when the drives go
down, or even the mouse {for mac owners - and yea, I know about the mousekeys
option, but how many "normal" mac users do?} you should not be restricted from
using your computer's remaining hardware. While you do not want to place too
much into ROM including any major kind of O/S's because it would drive up the
price of the computer and limit upgrades, there should be enough to be able
to do some simple stuff, provide access to your perherpials, and be able to
save your work. 

     Now what appears to be the largest restricting function of the II's when
we lose our drives is our inability to save the work that we do. And it would
be really cool if Apple were to place say Prodos in ROM {well what is it, only
16K? and how many MEGS of ROM space do we have???} so that we can save our work
to the RAM drive and then get it back later when we are able to replace our
drives.

                                                - Hal

| Hal Bouma				| Send mail to: SHBoum@Macalstr.edu
| Macalester College			| and 		SHBoum@Macalstr.Bitnet
| GEnie: H.Bouma			| ".Sig Under Construction..."