*T CD-ROMs on a //e or GS


Basically, if the CD-ROM drive uses a Sony mechanism and can be used with a
Macintosh, then that drive can be used with a IIgs. No special drivers will be
needed, as they're included with the GS/OS software. Any Apple CD-ROM drive is
useable, even the new AppleCD 150 (even though Apple doesn't mention anywhere
on the product sheet that the drive can be connected to an Apple II). PLI,
which advertises in Macintosh publications, also produces a compatible drive.

If the drive doesn't use a Sony mechanism, it will probably not work on the
IIgs without the presence of a special driver. And getting those 'other'
CD-ROM drive companies (NEC and Toshiba come to mind) to create IIgs drivers
for their units is, well, painful. (NEC does have a IIgs driver for at least
one of its models.)

>I suppose there is one available.  Obviously it hooks
>up to a SCSI card.   But what is available for a IIgs
>on CD ROM?   What does it cost?  Who makes it?  Is
>there more than one that can be had?

Yes, all that you need is an Apple SCSI card. Right now, I'm using an AppleCD
SC Plus CD-ROM drive and an Apple II High-Speed SCSI Card. No problems at all.

As for what's available for the IIgs on CD-ROM, not a lot. I know of one disc
that's available: the GEM-CD, which was produced for the 1990 National Apple
User Group Conference. This disc contains about 150 megabytes of software,
including quite a few MacPaint files (nice stuff, if you're looking for clip
art). Contact Digital Data Express, 13636 S. Western Ave., Blue Island, IL
60406. (708) 398 7744. Talk to Susan MacGregor or Dean Esmay.

The GEM-CD contains a lot of 8-bit applications, though, and not just IIgs
software (it wasn't conceived as a strictly IIgs-only CD-ROM). And what
is on the disc is at least two years old. However, GS+ Magazine has lately
expressed an interest in creating a CD-ROM volume of IIgs-only software, so
the future isn't quite so dim.

>Is there a cross-over with any other computer (Mac)?
>in CD's?

Well, with the employment of GS/OS version 6, you'll be able to read Macintosh
CD-ROMs, thanks to the HFS.FST. But unless the Macintosh files that you're
reading are standard ASCII text, they won't be of much use to your IIgs.

>I could use some educating here.  Thanks.

Disclaimer: although I'm the person who collected, compiled, and organized the
software that's on the GEM-CD, I don't get any money from the sale of the
disc. The project was done to raise funds for that 1990 NAUGC, and I did the
work for free. :(
____________________________________________________________________________
edward@pro-ren.cts.com            Just ][ It!             TechRen User Group


[Thanks to Edward Floden (edward@pro-ren.cts.com) for this one]






|
|drive?).  My question is:  Do the Apple SCSI CD-ROM drivers work for any other
|drives besides Apple's CD-ROM drives?  If not, are there any more generic
|CD-ROM drivers available for the Apple SCSI card that might work?
|

Brian, you will need to get a special driver from a company
called Trantor to use the NEC CD-Rom (I have an NEC CDR-36).

The contact info is:
Trantor Systems, LTD
5415 Randall Place
Fremont, CA 94538
415-770-1400

The driver I got for the CDR-36 was Item# TSLCDMACIIGS and
cost me $59.
--
Kevin S. Green / lucifer@world.std.com / {xylogics;uunet}!world!lucifer
               /America Online: Gargoth