Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!amdcad!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!BRL.MIL!abc From: abc@BRL.MIL (Brint Cooper) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Re: networking Apple II's Message-ID: <8809231024.aa01159@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> Date: 23 Sep 88 14:24:17 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 28 My wife's elementary school has 10 Apple IIe computers networked in one room, a "computer lab." They can boot from a central floppy disk, or each can boot locally. There is no special software required; rather, specialized hardware is provided, including a two-disk centralized disk drive, a ribbon cable from machine to machine, and a little box at each machine to select local or centralized operation. I don't know if this configuration will work with the Apple II+. However, if you are interested this far, I can find out who supplies this "network" configuration. It is not Apple, Inc. As to whether it's worth it, I'd think so. Monitors can be had for $100, even cheaper at hamfests and computer fairs. Disk drives are available for $77.00. I have provided these to several clients; none have had any trouble with them. You might consider putting the instructional machines in a small room somewhere, so that a teacher can give a lesson to the entire class at one time. With 15 machines, two pupils to a machine, you can accommodate a 30-child class this way. For instructional purposes, this seems much preferable to one computer for 30 children. This form of time-sharing is usually quite preferable to one computer per class, because it's doubtful that any class will keep a machine busy more than a fraction of the time anyhow. If you want more info, please let me know. _Brint