Apple II Communications
By Chris Nelligan
Copyright (c) 1995 Apple Users' Group, Sydney
Republished from Applecations, a publication of the Apple Users' Group, Sydney, Australia.
A couple of other members and myself gave a demonstration late last year on how to keep in touch with the world of Apple II information using a modem and your Apple II.
We were shown how to connect to hosts in Australia that were linked to the InterNet, we were shown how to get onto the Internet live and how to get onto GENie. All of these services provide message and file groups, and all of them provide you with your own electronic mailbox.
My demonstration involved logging onto a local Bulletin Board Service and reading Internet messages. Of the methods shown this is the most economical way of getting connected because you are only paying for a the annual BBS fee and local phone calls.
The local BBS dials up at least once a day and downloads messages and files from an Internet service provider, it then uploads any new messages and files that are to be distributed via the Internet.
There are seven main Apple II Newsgroups on the Internet.
COMP.SYS.APPLE2 - Announcements, Questions & Answers
COMP.SYS.PROGRAMMER - Programming Questions & Answers
COMP.SYS.GNO - GNO Questions & Answers
COMP.SYS.COMMS - Communications Questions & Answers
COMP.SYS.BINARIES - New software (PD, Shareware, Updates)
COMP.SYS.MARKETPLACE - Items for sale
COMP.SYS.USERGROUPS - User Group Correspondence
To my knowledge there are no Apple II based BBSs that provide this style of retrieved message service. Therefore, I use Macintosh based BBSs to access Apple II information. The AUG is shortly going to be able to provide this service on our own AUGSpace Mac BBS and even possibly on the Apple II board. If you can't wait for this, there are two others that I currently use and recommend.
Route101 - Run by the Australiasian Apple Programmers and Developers Association (A.A.P.D.A.). $50 annual fee, contact phone number is (02)452-8245 and the BBS number is (02)975-5502.
MacIntouch - Run by Jason Haines, the BBS number is (02)541-0799 and fax number is (02)584-2711. $70 annual fee or $50 if AUG member.
MacIntouch has the advantage that other newsgroups not just related to computers are available and new ones can be added on request. A.A.P.D.A. is strictly Apple computer newsgroups (Apple II, Mac and Newton).
These Mac BBSs usually are navigated via a Graphical User Interface (GUI), however it is still possible to use them from your Apple II because they also have a Command Line Interface (CLI). That is, you type commands just like you would using the club's Apple II text based BBS.
Try out each of the Mac BBSs to make sure you are comfortable using them, then join one or wait until our own club provides the service (hopefully before June).
Expect to hear from others on how they access their information, in the meantime I wish you luck with your leap onto the Information Super Highway.

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