Apple IIgs Lab
GEnie Roundtable
Copyright (c) 1995 Apple Users' Group, Sydney
Republished from Applecations, a publication of the Apple Users' Group, Sydney, Australia.
The following is a description of a working Apple IIgs lab that was posted on GEnie recently. Email M.KLINE@GENIE.COM if you have any questions.
We have 22 GSs (not enough - hopefully we can stick in a few more), a LaserWriter 360, and an ImageWriterII (with AppleTalk card) hooked to an LC575 server that is presently running System 7.1 and AppleShare FileServer and PrintServer v.3.0.1 (I think). Each of the GSs has an Apple 3.5" and an AE 3.5" drive. (Only 1 GS has a 5.25", and that never gets used). About 1/2 of the IIgs' have a HyperStudio sound digitizer card and microphone. Finally, each IIgs now has a 4Meg RAM card.
Additionally, there are a half dozen classrooms with either IIe or IIgs computers that are also hooked to this network.
The GS System Software we use is 6.0.1 (necessary due to a conflict between GSOS 5.0.4 and either the LC575, Mac System 7.1, or AShare 3.0.1 - but better anyway except that there's only room for one printer driver). We use Pointless v2.0.3 and access numerous fonts from the server (works nicely). Presently, each of the IIgs' starts up from a 3.5" disk in the AE drive and we have one user name that provides access to all programs. That user name brings up a menu program called Menu Master (v1.6.5). Pretty much all programs are available from the server. We run AppleWorksGS from a 3.5" disk as it is used quite a bit and loads MUCH faster this way. Now that we have the RAM, however, we will be changing to a graphical menu based on HyperStudio (which is fast running from the RAM Disk). The additional RAM will also allow us to have printer drivers for both the LaserWriter and ImageWriter at the same time. By the way, we leave the server on all year and leave the IIgs' on all week. The monitors are supposed to get shut down if the lab will be empty for a half hour or more, but they pretty much stay on all day.
The next thing that I would like to start fighting for is a router from Tribe that would allow us to break the network up into several smaller groups to speed things up. The idea is to have an EtherNet connection between the server and the router, and then several LocalTalk cables running from the router to small groups of machines. Since it is LocalTalk, and not the server, that is the bottleneck dividing the network up should speed things up. Using the 3.5" disks to start really helped speed things up a lot. The TribeStar would help even more. We'll see, though.
For software, we have pretty much the whole MECC collection - both P8 & GSOS (World & USA GeoGraph, StoryBook Weaver, Designer Prints, Calendar Crafter, etc.), AppleWorks 3.0n & AppleWorksGSv1.1 site licenses, HyperStudiov3.1j, Platinum Paint, LogoWriter, TheFactory. In addition, I hope to add licenses to use Quick Click Calc (for excellent graphing capabilities) and the discQuest encyclopedia, but we'll see.
Outside of the lab I will be experimenting quite a bit this month on using a video overlay card and a Second Sight card to do presentations on a big-screen TV and/or LCD projection panel. I'm anxious to see how that works.
It's all fun, and extremely valuable. Now if I just had more time ;)

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