From dave.ottalini at wap.org  Fri Sep 17 00:42:09 2004
From: dave.ottalini at wap.org (Dave Ottalini)
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 00:42:09 -0400
Subject: [APPLE3-L] Fwd: Apple ///
Message-ID: <EF2DAB13-0863-11D9-B960-0003937DD8D0@wap.org>

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From shirlgato at cybermesa.com  Sun Sep 19 12:47:26 2004
From: shirlgato at cybermesa.com (Shirl)
Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 10:47:26 -0600
Subject: [APPLE3-L] Re: Apple III COBOL ?
Message-ID: <200409191647.i8JGlTiK027343@mail.cybermesa.com>


A followup on my original COBOL /// question ...

I do have the COBOL manuals and disks in pristine condition, all in a very
nice black box. Found them recently at the bottom of a box with other ///
materials which I had forgotten about.

I plan to scan these manuals one of these days to presever them at least.

FWIW, I never used /// COBOL, but did use COBOL a little bit in college long
ago for a data base class. I found COBOL's structure a bit antiquated
compared to today's languages, but given that it originated in the 1950s its
structure at that time was on the leading edge.

- David

----------
>From: "Shirl" <shirlgato at cybermesa.com>
>To: apple3-l at altair.com
>Subject: Apple III COBOL ?
>Date: Thu, Aug 19, 2004, 7:34 AM
>
> Hi
>
> I am also looking for APPLE III COBOL manuals and disks, at least copies.
> These are the only Apple programming manuals which I'm missing from my Apple
> III manual collection and sure would like to complete this collection.
>
> - David Craig
-
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From shirlgato at cybermesa.com  Sun Sep 19 12:20:58 2004
From: shirlgato at cybermesa.com (Shirl)
Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 10:20:58 -0600
Subject: [APPLE3-L] Apple III FORTRAN ?
Message-ID: <200409191621.i8JGL2Hh017543@mail.cybermesa.com>


Hi

Did Apple ever release FORTRAN for the Apple III computer?

I believe there is a /// FORTRAN manual on disk in text file format
available from Washington Apple Pi (WAP), but never heard that the FORTRAN
compiler was ever really released for the III. I know Apple released FORTRAN
for the Apple II computer.

If so, does anyone have the real /// FORTRAN printed manual and disks?

Thanks

- David Craig
-
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From dottalini at mac.com  Sun Sep 19 22:08:35 2004
From: dottalini at mac.com (David Ottalini)
Date: Sun, 19 Sep 2004 21:08:35 -0500
Subject: [APPLE3-L] Apple /// FAQ v. 5.1
Message-ID: <27EB93D6A797D411A41F00D0B7D4E81C02A52260@exchange.prog.altair.com>


Take a look folks! 
  
THE APPLE /// FAQ FILE V. 5.1 


SOME BASIC INFORMATION FOR EVERYONE INTERESTED IN THE APPLE /// 

By David Ottalini (dave.ottalini at wap.org) 
Apple /// SIG Chairman 
Washington Apple Pi Users Group 
www.wap.org 
Produced with special thanks to David Craig (shirlgato at cybermesa.com). 
Mitchell Spector (mspect at vega.concordia.ca) and Jeff Marraccini of
Altair Systems (jeff at altair.com) also provided invaluable help.  
Additions/Corrections welcome to the above e-mail address. 

Version: 5.1 
September 2004 
CONTENTS 

1) What is the Apple ///? 
2) What are the ///'s Capabilities? 
3) What About Its Built-In Features? 
4) What About SOS - The ///'s Operating System? 
5) Is My Apple /// Still Useful Today? 
6) What Other Hardware/Software do I need? 
7) What's This about SOS? 
8) What is BOS3? 
9) Tell Me About Emulation Mode. 
10) Where do I find Information about the ///? 


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A3 FAQ - Page 2 

11) Where Can I Find Public Domain Software? 
12) Are There Still Sources for Hardware and Commercial Software? 
13) Where Can I Get my Apple /// Repaired? 
14) What about an outboard Power Supply for the ///? 
15) Where Can I Find the Pinouts for an RGB Monitor? 
16) Are There Any Apple /// Newsletters or Magazines? 
17) Were There Any Apple /// Books? 
18) What about Technical Materials? 
19) Where can I learn more about 6502 machine language? 
20) What Kind of Communications Software is Available? 
21) What about Modems? 
22) Can the /// Access the Internet? 
23) What Does it Take to Surf the Internet with the ///? 
24) What was the Apple /// Software Development Fund? 
25) Are There Any Specific Apple /// Web Sites?[ 
26) Was The Apple /// Ever Used As A Prop in the Movies? 
27) What About A Poem? 
28) It?s the 21st Century! What?s New with the ///? 
29) I Want More Information About the /// - Where Can I Find It? 
30) OK - I'm Stumped - What is a SARAsaur? 
31) What Did Apple /// Users Call Their Machine? 

1) WHAT IS THE APPLE ///? 
        A) Background 
The Apple /// (code name: SARA- after the daughter of developer Wendell
Sander) was the first computer designed from the ground-up by Apple
Computer as a company. It was a business machine designed to include
many of the "extras" Apple II owners had to buy: an 80-column card, a
serial card, larger memory, keyboard with keypad, etc. It was supposed
to be, as Andy Hertzfeld describes it, the ?big brother? of the Apple
II. It was one of the most powerful 8 bit computer systems ever built. 
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A3 FAQ - Page 3 


The Apple Buyer?s Guide described the /// this way: 
?A more powerful version of the Apple // series, the Apple /// is
designed principally for business applications. Ideally suited for
sophisticated small business and professional applications, it deftly
handles accounting, financial modeling, data-base management, word
processing, graphics, communications ? all your business needs.? 
Later comments added: 
?With more than 400 business programs available for the Apple ///,
there?s a good chance that the program you need is on the shelf at your
local authorized Apple dealer. In addition, the Apple Softcard ///
System opens up more than 3000 CP/M programs to the Apple ///. And
thousand of Apple II Plus programs run on the Apple /// in emulation
mode.? 
The heart of the /// was its operating system known as SOS for
?Sophisticated Operating System.? It was considered to have been one of
the best operating systems for small computers of its day: It was so
good, in fact, that Apple later based its ProDos Operating System for
the Apple //e, //c and GS on SOS.  
Apple said of SOS in the Buyer?s Guide: 
?One of the Apple ///s strongest features ? and one of its least visible
? is its Sophisticated Operating System (SOS). More than 400 application
programs written for the Apple /// are based on SOS, the first operating
system to bring a truly flexible range of services to the personal
computer. 
What SOS means for you is this: it simplifies using your Apple ///. It?s
not necessary, for example, to know which disk drive contains the
information (or file) you need, which slot the interface card for an
accessory occupies, or which bank of memory is in use. SOS handles these
and other operations automatically.? 

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A3 FAQ - Page 4 

Andy Hertzfeld was a software and hardware engineer at Apple, who worked
on the original ///, the IIe and later the Macintosh. Although the Mac
OS was radically different from SOS, Hertzfeld says the Apple /// OS did
have an impact as he worked on the Macintosh?s HFS (Hierarchical Filing
System). In a 1987 interview with Dave Ottalini, Hertzfeld said:  
?I did the Macintosh Operating System and I was very familiar with the
Apple /// and especially in the I/O system of the Macintosh, I was
influenced by the Apple /// operating system.? 
Dr. Wendell Sander, the father of the Apple ///, told Ottalini it was
nothing less than "one of the most professional and best done" operating
systems: 
"The /// software was exceptional. It really set the standard. Even to
some extent the MS-DOS was, if you look closely at it, many of the
concepts that were developed in SOS were carried through in MS-DOS. So
it really has to be rated as a very important event in software for
micros because it was the first really solid operating system. I still
think it is probably one of the most professional and best done. That is
in the sense of being able to get modules in and out of it and adapt to
it and add to it and expand on it, SOS is still probably better than any
of the popular operating systems on micros. So, that's certainly true
that it set a standard." 
Steve Wozniak, one of Apple's three founders, also had high praise for
SOS. He told BYTE Magazine in December 1984: "I think [SOS] is the
finest operating system on any microcomputer ever." 

        B) Development 
Apple?s great success with the Apple II was fraught with a lack of
confidence. There were fears the public would grow tired of it and that
competitors would bring out more powerful machines that were considered
more suitable for a business environment. Thus the idea for a successor
to the II took hold and Dr. Sander, who had been working on Apple II
projects, was tapped to design the ///.  His design team included Walt
Broedner, John MacDougall and Dan Kottke who did the prototypes.  


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A3 FAQ - Page 5 

Software design was handled by a number of people, including: 

Bruce Daniels, initial software system 
J R "Dick" Huston, SOS file system designer, 
Tom Root, console device driver 
Rick Auricchio, SOS, device drivers, 
Stephen Smith, mouse device driver 
Bob Etheredge, SOS 
Bob Martin, SOS 
Donn Denman, Apple /// Business BASIC 
Al Hoffman, Apple /// Pascal 

Work began in late 1978, but Sander soon ran into trouble thanks to
hardware and software concerns, as well as Apple?s inability to really
decide what they wanted the /// to be. As West of Eden?s author, Tom
Rose writes, ?Everyone had a wish list.? The /// was to  ?represent an
attempt to correct or add most of the capabilities missing from the
Apple II? (Apple?s Bruce Daniels memo of June 14, 1979). It had to
access more memory, provide better graphics, offer a real keyboard
capable of upper and lower case, and a new OS. It also had to be
backwards compatible with the II. That forced Sander and his team to
design the /// using the Apple II CPU and make many other compatibility
concessions that would not have been necessary otherwise.	 
Also on the hardware side, Sander had to contend with Steve Jobs? edict
that there be no fan and an upcoming FCC edict that computers must be
shielded to prevent radio interference. The final solution was an all-in
one case that basically was a giant heat sink and RF shield. An
automotive engine foundry got the contract to manufacture the ///?s
aluminum case.  
        This led to major problems. Since the case had no flexibility,
the motherboard could only be a certain size with little room for
growth. The memory card had to be piggybacked on top of the motherboard
since there was no room anywhere else.  
(For more on the ///?s design challenges see:
www.landsnail.com/apple/local/design/apple3.html) 


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A3 FAQ - Page 6 

        We?ve talked about the emulation issues. In that June 1979 memo,
Daniels talked about software development for the ///. He said that it
would include an ?Apple II emulation mode (that) provides an
architecture that is as close to the current Apple II as feasible so
that its software will run with ?little or no? modification.
Unfortunately, it may not have been clear at that point that the
hardware design forced on Sander and his team would not only doom
emulation mode to a shadow of what Daniels said was needed (or thought
would be part of the design), but would also guarantee it would be
difficult for the /// to survive in the marketplace.  
As it turned out, not only would full emulation have been very expensive
to provide on the software side, but it would also have required a
number of additional chips on the motherboard that did not have the
space for them (Titan later was able to fully emulate the Iie with two
plug-in cards!). As a result, Sara was stuck running Apple II+ programs,
it was not 100% compatible and emulation mode was not easy to use. An
internal memo by Apple Engineer Bob Etheredge in 1981 admitted that
?emulation mode has cost the company several man years in development,
testing and support, and has severely handicapped the Apple ///?s
hardware design, e.g. choice of processor, i/o mapping, video
capability, etc.? 

  C) Introduction Problems 
Few developers came on board at the beginning - they were too busy
working on Apple II products, SOS 1.0 was developer unfriendly and Apple
did little to ensure there would be new software packages to start
despite that 1979 memo which specifically said ?the software for this
system will be critical to impact and success of this product.? 
Another major problem was that Dr. Sander and his team were under orders
to get the /// out the door quickly thanks to continued concerns about
the Apple II?s sustainability. Dr. Sander told Washington Apple Pi's
Dave Ottalini in a 1986 interview that that was a big mistake: 
"It was probably introduced into the marketplace six to nine months too
early largely because there was a great worry within Apple for a long
time that the Apple II?s demise was just around the corner. I think
maybe they've learned the Apple II?s demise is not just around the
corner! There was this concern that "Wow, if we don't get this thing out
next month, Apple II sales are liable to go down and we're really dead,
we're in big trouble. So there was probably too much push to get it
out.? 
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A3 FAQ  ?Page 7 

The Apple /// was officially introduced at the National Computer
Conference in May 1980. Because the machine was never properly tested,
there were immediate problems when shipments of SARA started in the
fall. The ///s would work for a short time ? and fail. 
The ///?s prototype developer ? Dan Kottke - told David Craig in
December 2002 about one of the serious problems Apple had not
anticipated. Craig?s notes indicate: 
(There was) only one serious problem, (a) mechanical connection with the
III memory board that became faulty after a short period of use. Memory
was implemented as a daughter board, which attached to the motherboard
via two connectors (many pins each, single sided). Connectors were not
gold, so when heated within a closed case they became corroded and did
not transmit signals correctly. Memory signals governed the whole system
timing. The fix was to use double sided gold connectors that
mechanically fit better and did not corrode. The problem not noticed in
the III development laboratory since systems did not have cases and
there was minimal heat build-up generated. Systems run continuously the
whole day. 

Heat was not just a problem affecting the memory card. It turned out the
chips on the motherboard would pop out during shipping or pop out of
their sockets after only a few hours of on and off use (heating and
cooling caused the chips to literally wiggle out of their sockets). This
led to the famous "two-inch drop" where owners would pick their machine
up and drop it two inches to reseat the chips.   
And there were other problems - a promised built-in clock/calendar chip
did not work and there was very little software (people complained "I
spent $4000+ and got Visicalc and a paperweight!") 
This was a disaster, since the /// was the ?next generation? replacement
for the II that was supposed to be a machine businesses could use. Apple
had to do something quickly so it replaced every main circuit ("mother")
board. (In fact, Apple's policy through June, 1981 was immediate
replacement - no questions asked.)  
The problems hurt Apple's reputation (although the II continued to drive
sales) and the company scrambled to turn things around. By December
1981, Apple "reintroduced" the Apple /// -- a revamped system with all
or most of the serious problems gone. But the damage had already been
done.  The IBM PC was introduced in August 1981 - between the
introduction of the original /// and the "fixed" ///. The PC did not
meet immediate acceptance but it was helped along by the ///?s problems
and IBM?s name in the business world. 

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A3 FAQ ? Page 8 

As 1983 began, Apple was starting to concentrate on its new Lisa
computer and the Macintosh was in development ? pulling away development
funds. Something had to be done with the ///. Dave Fradin, the last
Apple /// product manager told David Craig in May 2003 what happened: 
?In early 1983 Del Yocum, who was head of manufacturing, was bothered by
making only a few thousand ///s compared to making xx,xxx IIs per month.
He ignored that the /// was 6x more profitable than a II. So off to
Pajaro Dunes near Monterey, California and the executive committee
killed the product line without consulting with the new (two weeks) ///
product manager (me) or division manager. 
A couple of weeks later Sculley called me into his office along with Ida
Cole, Joe Graziano and Yocum and said they had $20 million in /// parts
spread around the world and wanted to know what ?we? should do about it.
I said, ?What do you mean ?we? paleface?? recalling the old Tonto and
Lone Ranger story. 
I told him I couldn?t sell ///s because I had no authority to move the
product. He asked what we should do and I recommended a separate profit
and loss center with the authority to get things done. He said make a
proposal and 15 of us went off and wrote an 80-page business plan, which
was presented to the Executive Committee on July 15, 1983. 
Later that month Ken Zerbe asked me to head up a separate division. We
sold an additional $60 million in product, transitioned the 500
developers to Mac and I think preserved the value of the buyer?s
investment.? 

The ///?s official end came on April 24, 1984 ? when Fradin wrote a memo
to his staff saying: 

"While the Apple /// is an excellent business computer, it is a
generally accepted view by Apple's product managers that Apple can best
serve the future needs of our business customers by expanding the Apple
II and Apple 32 [Lisa and Macintosh] product families, and by
concentrating future development, marketing and sales efforts on these
products. Therefore, we have decided that no future product development
efforts shall be initiated and undertaken for the Apple /// product
line, effective immediately." 
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A3 FAQ ? Page 9 
Apple removed the Apple /// line from its product list in September
1985. 

Fradin says a total of 75,000 ///s were sold all together (other sources
say 85,000). He told David Craig some of the other reasons that helped
doom the computer: 
?Part of the problem was that the /// was Steve Job?s bastard child. He
was the VP of product development in 1980 when it was introduced with
chips that slipped out in shipping and without an operating system. SOS
was not really usable for programming until early ?83. 

Second, as forward looking as Jobs? is, he did not want any competition
in the market place for his beloved Mac. He thought the Mac was a
business machine even though when it was introduced it did not have a
second floppy drive, a hard disk, a letter quality printer, no
accounting (package) and the largest program one could run was 10KB.  
When confronted with the plans to market the Mac as a business computer
and lacking the key elements, Sculley?s response to the Personal
Computer Systems division wide meeting was ?we will market with
mirrors.? Mirror-based marketing worked so well that in January 1985 Mac
sales dropped to 4 units, 1500 Apple employees lost their jobs and Jobs
was gone a few months later.? 

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak had his own take on why the /// was
essentially doomed from the start. In an on-line conference dated 16
October 1983 for the CompuServe MAUG discussion group, Wozniak wrote: 

"We expanded to a 2 product company with the /// and one of the
downfalls was that we were too smart. We knew the proper ways to do all
sorts of things and we didn't allow hackers to do things their own
random ways. I feel we were wrong to believe in our 'religion', users
should only use a good product (like SOS) if its better than their
application, not because the company (Apple) feels only one way is
right. It's a good lesson to learn. The /// is still difficult to find
out how to do your own thing on." 




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A3 FAQ ? Page 10 

In that December, 1984 Byte article he added (somewhat bitterly): 

?When we came out with the Apple III, the engineering staff canceled
every Apple II engineering program that was ongoing, in expectation of
the Apple IlI's success. Every single one was canceled. We really
perceived that the Apple II would not last six months. So the company
was almost all Apple III people, and we worked for years after that to
try and tell the world how good the Apple III was, because we knew.
There is a lot to somebody's perception or image of a machine and how
good it is. How many of my friends have them? How many people in the
world have them? The Apple III was a failure the first year as a product
- it had a bad image. When you give a bad first impression, you can go
for five years trying to overcome it. 
It was unfortunate the way things worked out, because we probably put
$100 million in advertising, promotion, and research and development
into a product that was 3 percent of our revenues. In that same time
frame, think what we could have done to improve the Apple II, or how
much could have been done by Apple to give us products in IBM's market.?

With the /// gone, it was left up to individuals, user groups like WAP,
ATUNC, TAU, AUGI and others, online BBSes including Three?s Company and
MAUG (Micronetworked Apple Users Group) on Compuserve, as well as a
small number of vendors (On Three, Pair, D.A. Datasystems and others) to
keep the flame going and they did for many, many years. Development on
many excellent programs ? commercial, shareware and public domain
continued, as did some hardware development. They included a 512K memory
card, a replacement power supply, a new version of the OS, BOS3, new
drivers, (and most recently) a new card to use CF and IDE drives.  
Combined with an enduring love for this computer by a group of loyal
users and hobbyists, the ///?s life was extended to the point where
those who purchased the machines got their value out many times over.  






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A3 FAQ ? Page 11 

 Here's a visual timeline graph covering the Apple ///?s lifespan.  Each
notch represents two months. 
       
        1980       
              |- 
              |- 
              |- <--------------- Apple /// Introduced 
              |- 
              |- 
             |- 
        1981   
              |- 
              |- 
              |- 
             |- 
     |- <--------------- IBM PC Introduced 
              |-1982  
              |- < --------------- Apple III (fixed version) 
              |- 
              |-  
              |- 
              |- 
              |- 
        1983     
              |- <--------------- Lisa, Apple IIe 
              |- 
              |- 
              |- 
              |- 
             |- 
        1984   
     |- <--------------- Apple III+; Macintosh Introduced 
              |- <--------------- Apple III discontinued ? April 24 
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A3 FAQ ? Page 12 

2) WHAT ARE THE ///'s CAPABILITIES? 
Keyboard Friendliness 
1) Arranged in a strictly traditional typewriter layout. 
2) Sculptured, stepped and angled keys. 
3) Numeric keypad. Recognized differently from main keyboard. 
4) Software definable character set.  Can be used for graphics. 
5) All characters used by programming languages. 
6) Dedicated cursor or arrow keys. 
7) Two-key method to boot a disk without powering on and off. 
8) Alpha lock key. Shift locks alphabetical keys only. 
9) The entire ASCII code. 
10) Automatic repeat for all keys and the speed can be tripled. 
11) Can print 224 distinct characters. 
12) Little bumps on D, K and 5 keys for finger positioning. 
13) Numeric keypad can be redefined into 12 special function keys. 
14) Dvorak American simplified Keyboard available on file. 
15) 128 byte type ahead buffer. 
16) Many different fonts available on file. 
17) Character set can be changed under program control at any time. 
18) Up to 13 control keys. 
19) Computer "ON" light. 
20) Two system keys, Closed and Open Apple keys redefine others. 
21) 73 total keys. 





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A3 FAQ ? Page 13 

3) WHAT ABOUT ITS BUILT-IN FEATURES? 
1) 80 Column display. 
2) 143K internal Disk drive. 
3) Interface for up to 4 disk drives. 
4) RS232-C. Can be made to serve six devices with a T-switch. 
5) Color: All 16 colors with 192 lines of 280 dots per line. 
6) Graphics: 16 shades of green with 192 lines of 560 dots per line. 
7) Sound: 64 volume settings and over seven octaves. 
8) Speaker: Capable of speech producing quality. 
9) Monitor ports:  RGB or any video device; NTSC 80 column monocrome. 
10) Real time clock (location 3-B on motherboard). 
11) Two Joystick ports, A&B. Silentype printer can share port A. 
12) Diagnostics in ROM. 
13) Audio output: SOS Audio Driver can be rewritten to your needs. 
14) Built-in security mount to prevent theft. 
15) 256k RAM ability, 512k potential without strain. 
16) Four expansion ports. 














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A3 FAQ ? Page 14 

4) WHAT ABOUT SOS - THE ///'S OPERATING SYSTEM? 
1)  First ever written to be user friendly. 
2)  Data base capabilities. Hierarchical file-structure. 
3)  Manages ALL memory locations and I/O. 
4)  One disk format for ALL allows file sharing and communication. 
5) Able to share files with Apple //e; IIc and IIGS ProDos systems. 
6)  Easily updated without hurting existing compatibilities. 
7)  Ability to rewrite software drivers instead of changing hardware. 
8)  Will locate which drive a file is in for you. 
9)  Error proof menu system. 
10) Automatic date/time stamping of every file. 
11) Any destruction of data requires confirmation. 
12) Interrupt driven. 
13) Device-independent I/O. 
14) Stores information using all empty space. 
15) Programs that request printing could continue during printing. 
16) Powerful drivers for graphics, console, audio, printer and RS232. 
17) Programs can run 20% faster by pressing Control-5 on keypad (no
video). 
18) Uses all available memory. 
David Craig Comments:   
The Apple ///'s memory addressing was implemented in a very unique way.
The ///'s brain was the 6502 microprocessor chip which could only
address 64 KB of memory. But Apple added special circuitry to the /// so
that this microprocessor could access up to 512 KB of memory. This was
based on what is called "bank switching" which in effect fools the
microprocessor into accessing different chunks of memory even when that
memory is way beyond the normal 64 KB upper limit. The ///'s 64 KB
memory was arranged into two sections with a middle section occupying 32
KB and the remainder (which itself was split) into the other 32 KB. The
middle section could be replaced by up to 15 different sections or
banks. This combination of 15 32 KB switched sections and one fixed
section allowed the /// to have access to a maximum of 512 KB of memory
(i.e. 512=32x(1+15)).  (On Three did produce a card that provided that
amount.) 
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A3 FAQ ? Page 15 

Apple /// applications could instruct the ///'s hardware to use a
specific section or bank in the variable memory area. Or, the
application could use a special form of memory addressing called
"extended addressing" which allowed the program to read or write a byte
from any section or bank regardless of whether that section or bank was
active. For example, a program could be running in bank 4 of memory and
it could read byte number 1000 from bank 7 without doing any special
"bank switching" operations. This "extended addressing" made the /// a
very unique machine for its time. 
As for the ///'s microprocessor clock speed, applications could control
this. The speed could be set to either 1 MHz or 2 MHz. Normal ///
operations were done with the clock running at 2 MHz so these operations
would run as fast as possible. But when peripheral devices needed to be
accessed, the application had to set the clock speed to 1 MHz. This was
necessary since the ///'s peripheral input/output system was based on
the Apple II computer's input/output system which ran at 1 MHz. 
5) IS MY APPLE /// STILL USEFUL TODAY? 
The Apple /// is now a collectors item. For its time, it was an
excellent text-based computer with software that allowed it to do many
basic (and some amazing) computing chores. It still has one of the best
keyboards ever made for a computer. It can do basic word processing,
spread sheet work, some graphics and even email on the Internet. For
collectors, it is still a fun machine to have in a collection. Some
still use them and WAP, for instance, continues to use a /// to support
its PD library. In fact, users all over the world continue to buy disks,
so someone is still turning our SARA on occasionally. Look to eBay or
other auction site for sellers. They are out there. In fact, you can
still find new software in shrinkwrap if you look! Amazingly, there are
folks still writing drivers for such things as the Apple II CFIDE card
(see below) and even Profile emulators. 
6) WHAT OTHER HARDWARE/SOFTWARE DO I NEED TO MAKE MY /// A  
COMPLETE SYSTEM? 
a)      A second 5.25 inch disk drive.   It speeds up your work
considerably, makes it easier to load and save data, etc. The /// can
also use the: 1.4 MB Apple II Superdrive and 800k Unidisk (using Apple
// interface cards and On Three drivers) and many hard disks (Profiles
and SCSI). On Three sold a Universal SCSI driver from On Three in 1996
that, with the proper interface card, gave /// users access to the
Syquest EZ Drive and just about all SCSI-based hard drives (one notable
exception is the Iomega ZIP Drive). Pascal programmers should use a
Profile or 4 disk drives. 
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A3 FAQ ? Page 16 

b)      System Utilities disk.  This program lets you copy files, format
disks and configure your SOS.Driver file (WAP PD disk 3UTL-02). 
c)      /// EZ Pieces. This is an excellent integrated software program
that is easy to learn and use.  Its files are also compatible with the
Apple // version called AppleWorks. (3APL-07) 
d)      Printer.  The kind is up to you within certain limits.  You can
run a printer off of the RS232 port in the back of the /// or by using a
Serial or Parallel card you plug into one of the four slots internally.
To connect your serial printer to the /// you will need what is called a
Null-Modem cable.  Local computer dealers and national chains like Radio
Shack used to sell them. These days you?ll need to check with your local
user group or a company like Sun Remarketing that still sells Apple II
parts. Ebay or other online reseller is also a viable source of older
serial or parallel printers. 
You will also need specific device drivers you have to install in your
SOS.DRIVER file using System Utilities. WAP has a disk full of ///
drivers (3SYS-07). The /// can print to laserprinters (with serial
ports) as well as dot matrix printers, but does not have access to
inkjet printers (no drivers!). 
e)      A surge protector to prevent electrical surges from destroying
your machine. 
f)      Dust cover to help keep things clean. 

7) WHAT'S THIS ABOUT "SOS"? 
As mentioned earlier, the Apple /// uses an operating system called SOS,
or Sophisticated Operating System.  It is entirely ram-based.  That
means every time you load an application, it loads the operating system
as well.  You will find three files on all program disks: SOS.Kernel;
SOS.Interp and SOS.Driver. The KERNEL is the operating system itself.
You want to make sure you have the latest version: 1.3. You can tell
what version you have when you boot up. You will see a message that
tells you the version along with the Apple copyright. You can get an
auto-upgrade disk from WAP ? ask for disk 3SYS-01. Check Apple?s SOS
data sheet from March 1982 for a good overview of the OS ? titled Apple
/// Sophisticated Operating System. 

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A3 FAQ ? Page 17 

The INTERP file is the language the program uses or it may be the
program itself.  Applewriter, Basic and Pascal are examples of
SOS.Interp files you will find. Finally, the DRIVER file (SOS.Driver)
contains the drivers that enable the /// to talk with your printer, disk
drives, modem and hard disk properly.  At the minimum you will need the
console driver, called ".Console" and you might find others: ".Printer"
to drive your printer; ".RS232" operates the RS232 port or a serial card
for telecommunications; ".Audio" lets your /// beep and play music to
you; ".Grafix" is the 
graphics driver. There are many more.  You install these using the
System Configuration Program on the System Utilities disk. In most
instances, you want to make sure you have the 1.3 versions of the
drivers installed (WAP /// SIG SOS Drivers PD disk: 3SYS-07) 
        There were four total versions of SOS:  
1.0     - October, 1980 
1.1     - September, 1981 
1.2     - January, 1982 
1.3     ? November, 1982 
8)  WHAT IS BOS3? 
BOS3 is a wonderful upgrade to SOS, released in December, 1994.
Developed by Bob Consorti, it was financed entirely by the Apple ///
community (the Software Development Fund).  BOS3 adds a tremendous
number of capabilities to the /// with a hard disk. They include an easy
to set-up and use menu system, disk caching, password protection, screen
saver, macro capability to run programs with just two keystrokes and
compatibility with Selector /// pathnames.  Contact WAP for more
information about BOS3 at 301-984-0300 or email to office at wap.org.  
9) WHAT ABOUT APPLE II EMULATION MODE? 
Your /// can operate as-is in an emulation mode to make it think it's a
48k Apple //+ (WAP has the emulation software: Disk 3EMM-01).  Titan
made a ///+// card for the /// you might also be able to find - it
increased memory up to 128K in //+ emulation and offered a RAM disk in
native mode. 

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A3 FAQ ? Page 18 

You might also be on the lookout at computer garage sales or on eBay for
the "Titan ///+//e" - a set of two-cards that really turns your /// into
a 128k //e. You'll want to add a 65c802 CPU (in place of the 6502) to
ensure compatibility with newer Apple // programs (it has no effect on
native mode applications). The cards offer a RAM disk in native mode as
well. (WAP has a wonderful set of RAM drivers for these cards - disk
3DAD-10). 
David Craig offers a detailed document describing some details about
emulating the Apple ///. Contact him for more information at:
shirlgato at cybermesa.com. 

10) WHERE DO I FIND INFORMATION ABOUT THE APPLE ///? 

* World Wide Web: 
The best place to find information today about the Apple /// is on the
World Wide Web. As you might imagine, there are a number of websites
dedicated to the history of Apple Computer and the complete line of
machines they have produced over the years. Washington Apple Pi
maintains an Apple /// web site - http://www.wap.org/a3/default.html and
continues to support the /// through its public domain library of 250
disks, DVDs, upcoming CD and other projects. 
There are a ton of web sites, so do a search under "Apple Computer
History" and have fun searching. Here are a few possibilities for you
(more are listed later): 
http://digibarn.com/ 
http://www.archaic-apples.com/ 
http://oldcomputers.net/index.html 
http://www.apple-history.com/ 
http://www.apple-history.com/frames/?&page=history&section=h1 




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/// USER GROUPS 
As mentioned above, Washington Apple Pi maintains a number of Apple ///
materials.  The author of this FAQ also has (as of August 2004) his own
collection of /// hardware and software. WAP still sells some 250 public
domain disks and is working on other projects, including a CD
compilation of the PD library. A two-set DVD that includes the entire
?How To Use Your Apple /// in 10 EZ Lessons and some videos and other
material are available now for $30.00 from the Pi. Also plans call for
the availability in the fall of 2004 of the A3 CD (possibly a DVD!) ? a
rich compilation of articles and other Apple /// information. Check the
web site or call the Pi for more information and availability. 
Washington Apple Pi                        
12022 Parklawn Drive 
Rockville, MD. 20852 
(301)-984-0300 
: Check out WAP PD disks 3INF-01 through 15 for lots of Apple ///
information files on disk. These include past articles from many Apple
/// UG newsletters and magazines. 
* Apple /// Discussion Group 
     
If you are interested, there is still an Apple /// discussion group. To
subscribe, send a message to majordomo at altair.com with the text:
subscribe apple3-l in the body of your message. 
You'll get info back at that point. Send comments or suggestions to:
jeff at altair.com.  
(THANKS to Jeff Fritz at West Virginia University for hosting this
Listserve for many years.) 







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A3 FAQ ? Page 20 


11) WHERE CAN I FIND PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE? 
        Washington Apple Pi is your only remaining user group that
offers an Apple /// library - there are 250 disks total.  The cost for
the software is minimal and the selection is excellent. There are some
unique offerings along with many of the "old standbys." You will get a
better deal on PD software by joining WAP. Most disks are double-sided
and self-booting. WAP is working on a CD compilation of its PD
offerings.  
Here are the categories for the PD Library: 
Accounting; Apple Software; Appleworks/3EZ Pieces templates; (Dr. Al)
Bloom Programs; Business Basic; Catalog; DA Datasystems Programs;
Emulation, Fonts, Games, Graphics; Internet; Miscellaneous; Pair
Software; Pascal and other Languages; Repairs; Shareware; Source Code;
System Software; TeleCommunications; Utilities; WAP Articles and Word
Processing. 
There are also some FTP sites that continue to offer some Apple ///
software. The best one is at:
ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/unsorted/  

12) ARE THERE STILL SOURCES FOR HARDWARE AND COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE? 
The best place these days is eBay or other online auction site or the
Apple /// Listserve mentioned above. The /// has become a collectors
item and folks are offering up hardware and software all the time. It is
amazing to see what the prices are at times ? hard-to-find hardware or
software can fetch a decent price considering. Collectors routinely look
for extra machines to use for parts. Some folks have also had luck at
Goodwill and other similar stores. 




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A3 FAQ ? Page 21 


13) WHERE CAN I GET MY APPLE /// REPAIRED OR FILES CONVERTED? 
There are no vendors left that do Apple /// repairs. Individual owners
have had to become resourceful when making repairs. If you have
problems, contact the author directly or try to find a collector in your
area who still has some experience with the ///. Check with the Apple
/// listserve for help. Anyone wishing to be listed as a /// resource
here please contact the author.  
	 
Similarly, there are still ///ers out there (including this author)
willing to help convert Apple /// files to Mac or PC. Contact the author
of this FAQ for more information. 

14) WHAT ABOUT AN OUTBOARD POWER SUPPLY FOR THE APPLE ///? 
Many years ago, Washington Apple Pi worked with Dr. Stephen Buggie  to
developed a new, cheap power supply for the ///. This was an outboard
power supply, originally made for use in PCs. It worked great and
supplied ample power for the /// and four slots worth of cards. The
cable from the new power supply snakes into the /// from the back
through the Slot 1 opening. It did NOT prevent the use of a slot one
card.  
The  price at the time was $27.00 plus $5.00 postage to Dr. Buggie.  
Stephen Buggie, Ph.D. (buggie at unm.edu) 
Dept. of Psychology/ED. 
Univ. of New Mexico 
200 College Rd. 
Gallup, NM 87301 




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A3 FAQ ? Page 22 

15) WHERE CAN I FIND THE PINOUTS FOR AN RGB MONITOR? 
       Apple published a circuit for this in the ///?s Owner Manual
(Page 135- Appendix C) but it is wrong! On Three published the correct
circuit as part of its Draw On Three manual (but the quality is poor and
not readable via scan). D.D. Meisel published an article about this ? ?A
New RGB Circuit for the ///? which will be available on the Apple ///
CD. Contact the author if you want a reprint of the Draw On Three
manual. 
16) ARE THERE ANY APPLE /// NEWSLETTERS OR MAGAZINES? 
     There are no publications remaining that offer Apple /// articles
on a regular basis. Washington Apple Pi's "Journal" does offer some
articles on occasion. However, It's available only to WAP members. On
the other hand, ALL Apple /// articles for more than 10 years are on
disk (and soon, CD) and available to all. Call the WAP office at
301-984-0300 or email to office at wap.org for more details and costs. 
     On Three published an excellent magazine that came out for years.
It provided a wide range of reviews (usually of its own products),
beginners? tutorials and a letters section.  Back issues are no longer
available. WAP has been reprinting some of them, however in its magazine
over time. 
You might also want to check out the WAP /// SIG PD Library, which has
on disk the entire set of newsletters from ATUNC - the Apple /// Users
of Northern California (3INF-06 through 11). There are also disks with
information from TAU - the Third Apple Users Group of Wheaton, Illinois 
(3INF-05) and many more. 
        Again, you can search for specific articles in magazines or
newsletters at WAP's web page: www.wap.org/a3/. 





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A3 FAQ ? Page 23 

17) WERE THERE ANY APPLE /// BOOKS? 
        Only a few books were ever written about the Apple ///.  There
are three specific books worth mentioning: 
        The Osborne/Mcgraw Hill Guide To Your Apple /// is the first
book on the list. The other two are by Eddie Adamis: Basic Keywords for
the Apple /// and Business Basic for the Apple ///. The Guide covers
only the Apple /// and not the Plus version. The author is Stanley M.
Miastokowski.  
It's a good, beginning-level text for new /// owners and good to have
for us older SARAsaurs who've had their machines around for a while.  It
has a good overview of Business Basic and sections on the .Audio and
.Grafix drivers that are excellent. WAP is trying to get it placed into
the public domain. 
      
The Adamis texts are straightforward, no-nonsense books that essentially
describe Business Basic version 1.1, its key words and provides
examples. 
        The only other ///-specific book on the market at one point was
Using Apple Business Computers  by Kenniston Lord Jr.  It discusses
Business Basic from a number of perspectives and includes lengthly Basic
programs for business users. 
All these books are now out-of-print. But you may still be able to find
them at a used bookstore or through eBay.  A growing number of computer
museums, like Digibarn.com are also compiling all the Apple II and ///
books, manuals and magazines they can, so do a Google search to track
them down. The Osborn-McGraw Hill book has been scanned and is available
on the A3CD now available from WAP. 
There are also a number of excellent books that discuss the history of
Apple Computer, including the Apple ///. Check Amazon.com or other
bookseller.  





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A3 FAQ ? Page 24 

18) WHAT ABOUT TECHNICAL MATERIALS? 
        Apple produced a /// Service Manual that includes schematics,
information, service tips, etc., along with a host of Technical Notes.
WAP has a copy of the Service Manual and can make copies for those
interested. The cost for a copy of the double-sided manual (printing +
P&H) is $75.00 
(the manual is huge).   
The Apple /// Tech Notes are available on Apple's Technical Information
Library (TIL) at http://search.info.apple.com (search for "Apple III"
and mark the pre-1997 checkbox) or 
http://203.183.233.170/ftp/apple_III/AIII_TIL/ as of August 2004. These
will also be available as part of the A3 CD planned for the fall of
2004.  
There are many more manuals from Apple and third party vendors. Apple
produced a series of repair manuals while Sun Remarketing produced a
booklet in 1987 that covered repairs. Three?s Company BBS had extensive
repair information from users. The Apple /// PD library offers a series
of disks aimed at helping repair your /// from many sources, including
Apple?s own diagnostic disks. 
        David Craig has about 600 pages of Profile service and theory
information if you are looking for help on this Apple /// hard drive. He
also has a comprehensive set of schematics and other information. 
        Apple offered comprehensive technical manuals for Business
Basic, Pascal (The A3 language of choice), COBOL and FORTRAN. A version
of Forth (called ?Go Forth?) was developed by Stephen Smith and
distributed by Frank Moore?s Pair Software. Dave Ottalini has a complete
set of manuals. 
        Dave Ottalini (and likely other ///ers) also has technical
manuals for other hardware and software produced for the /// (Covus
Systems, etc.). A complete list of magazines articles including
technical information can be searched at the WAP Apple /// web site. It
will also be on the A3CD. 
19) WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT 6502 MACHINE LANGUAGE? 
        The WWW has become a godsend for anyone who wants to learn about
programming in assembly code and older computers like the Apple ///. One
online book to look at is called 
"Machine Language For Beginners" by Richard Mansfield at
http://www.atariarchives.org/mlb/. 
Another good site is: A great site for 6502 programming is www.6502.org.
Beyond that, a quick Sherlock or Google search will turn up many sites
that offer great resources for budding 6502 programmers. 
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A3 FAQ ? Page 25 

20) WHAT KIND OF COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE IS AVAILABLE? 
         
        There were a number of communications programs produced for the
Apple /// over the years, but there are three generally considered to be
the best: 
a)      Access /// Interp Version: An excellent assembly-language
terminal program that can provide VT100 emulation.  Scripts can be used
to automate log-ons to Compuserve and other on-line services. It does
NOT offer Xmodem protocol. It is available in the WAP /// SIG PD library
as disk 3TEL-02 (which includes an excellent Apple /// communications
tutorial). 
b)      XMODEM /// is also in the WAP PD - an excellent stand-alone
telecom program that offers the user XMODEM Protocol for error-free
downloads and uploads. In the WAP PD it's disk 3TEL-05. Manual is on
disk. 
c)      The Communications Manager was a  program  from On Three that is
no longer available commercially. It is the best /// communications
program ever produced and offers a host of features, including XModem
and turbo downloading capabilities. It can be run as a stand-alone
program or as a Desktop Manager module. 
        Please see the Apple /// Communications FAQ (by Al Bloom and
others) for more details about telecommunications on the Apple ///. 

21) WHAT ABOUT MODEMS? 
        You?ll need to track down an older modem with a 25 pin serial
connector. Any one will do, but the terminal programs above have
settings that only go up to 9600 baud. Your best bet is to use a 2400
baud or 14,400 baud modem - they will work fine and are very inexpensive
(get one at a computer garage sale or your local user group). 



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A3 FAQ ? Page 26 

22) CAN THE APPLE /// ACCESS THE INTERNET? 
        Although the /// was able to access text-based Internet
providers (CapAccess comes to mind in the DC area and the early versions
of CompuServe, etc.) in the early days, this is just not possible now.
Email was also possible and some user groups like WAP still support
dial-in for email. But it is doubtful this will last for much longer
(writing in 2004) simply because there is not much call for it anymore. 

23) WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SURF THE INTERNET WITH THE ///? 
         (See above. The following is more historical than fact these
days) In most areas of the United States, Internet host access is
available for an inexpensive monthly fee.  Similar service for similar
prices can be found in most places in the world.  Normally called
"shell" access, an Internet provider generates an account for you on
their host(s).  Then, using the Apple ///, a modem, and a communications
program such as Access /// or The Communications Manager, you call into
their host and begin using the programs above in any combination to
explore the Internet.  In some areas, popular systems known as FreeNets
are available.  These offer free, text-based access to the Internet and
generally have the same capabilities as any other Internet host.  Please
see the old A3 Internet FAQ for more information. 
24) WHAT WAS THE APPLE /// SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT FUND? 
        Established by Washington Apple Pi in the early 1990s, the SDF
was used to fund specific software projects for the ///. Through
donations and contributions from WAP and ATUNC (the now defunct Apple
Three Users of Northern California), the SDF helped fund the development
of a Superdrive driver and BOS3 - the first upgrade to SOS in some 10
years.  Other projects included a universal SCSI driver that works with
the Syquest EZ Drive and most all SCSI drives (but required a specific
and hard to find SCSI interface card to work) (one notable exception -
the Iomega ZIP drive did not work because of the way it was built) and a
replacement outboard power supply. 



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A3 FAQ ? Page 27 

25) ARE THERE ANY APPLE /// WEB SITES? 
        WAP continues to support the /// at
http://www.wap.org/a3/default.html. There is a lot of Apple ///
information, along with a searchable database of Apple /// articles
going back to its earliest years. Plans are underway for an upgrade.  
        There are a growing number of sites that look at the history of
the /// in the broader context of Apple Computer history or the history
of computers in general. A search of Google, Yahoo or other search site
brings up a number. Here are some that you might find of interest: 

www.apple-history.com/aIII.html 
www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/appleIII/ 
www.vintage-computer.com/apple_iii.shtml 
www.applemuseum.bott.org/sections/computers/III.html 
www.oldcomputers.net/appleiii.html 
www.fortunecity.com/marina/reach/435/aiii.htm 
www.cyberstreet.com/hcs/museum/apple3.htm 
www.wordiq.com/definition/Apple_III 
www.fact-index.com/a/ap/apple_iii.html 
www.apple2history.org/history/ah07.html 
www.tonh.net/museum/apple3.html 
www.total.net/~hrothgar/museum/AppleIII/ 
www.syssrc.com/html/museum/html/apple3.html 
www.allaboutapple.com/museo/reportages/apple_iii/apple_iii.htm 
www.landwww.snail.com/apple/local/design/apple3.html 

26) Was The Apple /// Ever Used As A Prop in the Movies? 
        Yes ? as fans of the Disney movie Tron probably already know!
Take a look at 
http://www.cedmagic.com/history/tron-apple3.html for more information
and even a picture! 
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A3 FAQ ? Page 28 

27) What About A Poem ? Was One Ever Written About the ///? 
Thanks again to David Craig for passing this along: 
THE LAND OF ORPHANED FAMILIES 
by Steve Fleming (c. 1980s) 

There was in this great world of ours, 
The greatest kingdom ever known. 
Its name was simply "Computerdom", 
And thousands called it "home". 
Now this kingdom was divided, 
By beliefs and values and cash. 
"Apple" and "IBM" were two of the groups, 
And often would they clash. 
But this is not my story, 
For my story has to do 
With a few small families in "Apple" 
Called "///" and "Mac" and "][". 
Now "][" was doing very nice, 
And he had a bit of land. 
He called his three estates "+", "c", and "e", 
And the ruler of "Apple" smiled upon this man. 
The "Macs" were new in town, 
They had quite a bit to do. 
They weren't sure they'd make it, 
Being next door to "][". 

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A3 FAQ ? Page 29 

And now I come to the saddest group 
Of all those in this land. 
The family called "///" had tried, 
But could not make their stand. 
The ruler of "Apple" had not liked them 
Since they first began. 
He said they caused him trouble, 
And cost him money and food and land. 
But the family "///" was a hearty bunch, 
And they would not give in. 
They worked through jeers and laughs, 
And looked with hope to their kin. 
The "///+"'s had just moved in, 
But they were not doing well. 
But together they worked and waited, 
And feeling of hatred swelled. 
Then early one morning, 
The horrible news arrived. 
The ruler of "Apple" was going to 
Sending food and tools and supplies. 
But some wealthy families nearby 
Saw their plight and said, 
"This is a very good family, 
They deserve money and tools and bread." 


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A3 FAQ ? Page 30 

So with the aid of these rich families, 
The "///s" began to thrive. 
And the "family that would not die" 
Began slowly to climb. 
And one day soon thought they, 
We will be strong enough 
To take over "Apple", 
And do to them what we must. 

28) IT?S THE 21ST CENTURY! WHAT'S NEW WITH THE ///? 
        2004 
	 
        Project CFFA: Believe it or not, there?s an Apple II card that
provides a CF (Compact Flash) and IDE hard drive interface that works in
the ///. A driver is available that makes it all possible. Goto
http://dreher.net/?s=projects/CFforAppleII&c=projects/CFforAppleII/main.
php for information. 

      A3CD (DVD?): Washington Apple Pi?s compilation of all things Apple
/// is anticipated for release in the fall of 2004. It includes a
tremendous number of articles about the ///,  pictures, audio files,
etc. Check www.wap.org for availability, cost and information. 
        A3PD Public Domain Library on CD: This is an ongoing project to
move WAP?s Apple ///  PD library of 250 disks onto a CD. Check
www.wap.org for availability.  







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A3 FAQ ? Page 31 

Apple /// DVDs: Washington Apple Pi has developed a two set DVD with all
ten chapters of the ?How To Use Your Apple /// in 10 EZ Lessons? (1-5 on
DVD1, 6-10 on DVD2) VHS tape. There are also a number of Apple ///
iMovies ? which honor On Three and discuss the Apple /// horses
animation. Photos and some A3 information is also on these disks. Check
www.wap.org for more information. By the way, a ///er in Japan wants to
turn these DVDs into a Japanese version! 

29) I Want More Information About the ///. Where Can I Find It? 
David Craig was kind enough to compile some resources for you! 
For introductory descriptions of the Apple /// computer family Apple
produced several short publications: 
The Apple /// Personal Computer System (May 1982) 
The Apple /// Plus Personal Computer System (Nov 1983) 
Apple /// System Data Sheet (Jul 1983) 
Apple /// Plus System Data Sheet (Oct 1983) 
Apple also published many data sheets describing specific hardware and
software pieces for the /// which included SOS, floppy disk drive,
ProFile hard drive, programming languages, and Apple's /// applications.

For independent reviews and discussions about the Apple ///computer see
the following articles: 
Computer reviews and introductory information: 
The Apple /// (BYTE magazine, July 1980) 
The Apple /// and its New ProFile/// (BYTE magazine, Sep 1982) 
An Apple /// Guide for Humans (Apple Orchard, Sep 1982) 
The Apple Nobody Knows (Apple Orchard, multi-part series) 
Using SOS (Apple Orchard, Mar 1984) 


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A3 FAQ ? Page 31 

Histories: 
Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer (Freiberger,
1984) 
The Little Kingdom: The Private Story of Apple Computer (Moritz, 1984) 
West of Eden: The End of Innocence at Apple Computer (Rose, 1989) 
A Family for the III-Plus (Softalk, Jan 1984) 
Apple Confidential (Owen Linzmayer, 2003) 
(Linzmayer's Apple /// history chapter, "The Apple III Fiasco", is in
David Craig's opinion the most comprehensive and accurate history of the
Apple /// computer. If you read one history of the /// make it this book
(it also has great information about other Apple computers such as the
Macintosh and Lisa). Owen sells this book directly from his web site at
www.owenink.com. An earlier version of this book called "The Mac
Bathroom Reader" also has great Apple /// information.) 
Technical overviews: 
III Bits: John Jeppson's Guide Tour of Highway III (Softalk, May 1983) 
Software Developers and the Apple /// (Apple Orchard, Winter 1981/1982) 
Apple /// Applications: 
Will Someone Please Tell Me What an Apple /// Can Do? Sep 1983, 96 pages

Resource Guide for Apple /// and Apple /// Plus Software and Hardware 
May 1984, 98 pages 

30) OK - I'M STUMPED - WHAT IS A SARASAUR? 
        Anyone who still loves the Apple /// as a great computer! That
includes folks all over the world - from Japan to Puerto Rico,
Washington DC, Detroit,  the San Francisco Bay area and many places in
between. We invite you to join us! 
31) WHAT DID USER?S CALL THE ///? 
        ?THE MACHINE THAT WOULD NOT DIE!? 
### 



