Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!apple!keith
From: keith@Apple.COM (Keith Rollin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Applefest & GS/OS
Message-ID: <17431@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 20 Sep 88 18:08:18 GMT
References: <8809190157.AA21394@crash.cts.com> <471NETOPRMS@NCSUVM>
Reply-To: keith@apple.com.UUCP (Keith Rollin)
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 36

In article <471NETOPRMS@NCSUVM> NETOPRMS@NCSUVM.BITNET (Michael Steele) writes:
>
>    Ok let's quit complaining about the fact that Apple screwed up again and
>  came out with the IIc+ and discuss the aspects of GS OS.  I've only read a
>  couple of articles about it and want to know more.  Are they distributing
>  GS OS at Applefest or is it just "announced"?   If someone has had the time
>  to play with it...does it support Mac disk format, what types of new tool
>  sets are created (ie a toolset to easily handle sounds,etc), is it even
>  slightly multitasking like Multifinder?
>
GS/OS is out and shipping from APDA. Dealers should be getting it soon. The
price is $39 even.

As for Mac disk support, it doesn't currently transparently read Mac disks, but
the potential is certainly there. GS/OS performs ALL device reads through
FSTs (File System Translators) and RAM based device drivers. A 3.5" drive
device driver is already included with GS/OS, but there is no HFS FST. The
FSTs currently supplied are ProDOS, High Sierra, and Console - an FST for
character I/O to the screen and from the keyboard.

There are new sound tools on the disk. There is a Note Sequencer and Note
Synthesizer, along with a new Sound Tools. There is also a MIDI toolset and
a Tool that compresses and expands sound files (ACE - Audio Compression and
Expansion) (NOTE: these actually came out on System Disk 3.2, but that one
wasn't widely distributed).

No multi-tasking involved...But I don't think anyone would want that on a
2.8 MHz machine. Switching would be more practical, but that's not included
either.


Keith Rollin                                               amdahl\
Developer Technical Support                           pyramid!sun !apple!keith
Apple Computer                                             decwrl/
"You can do what you want to me, but leave my computer alone!"