Apple IIgs - Manual (Page 42)

Page 42 of 84 II gs
Printed: Thursday, July 25, 2002 12:14:50 PM
advantage of software developed for other computers software that wouldn't otherwise work on an
Apple IIgs. The most popular co-processor for the Apple IIgs is the Z80 processor, which lets
you run applications based on the CP/M operating system. By plugging a Z80 card into your Apple
IIgs, you can select from over 20,000 CP/M-based applications, many of them free
(public-domain) software.
CD ROM Player: CD stands for compact disc. A device that reads information from 550-megabyte
disks by using laser technology. Information stored on CD ROM disks can be loaded into memory,
displayed on the screen, and printed, but you can't store your own data on the disks.
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) card: An interface card that lets you use your
Apple IIgs as a music synthesizer and as a control device for electronic keyboards and drum
machines.
Light pen: A peripheral device shaped like a pen that sends instructions to the computer when
you point to choices on the screen. It works only with applications designed to receive input
from a light pen.
Adaptive devices for the disabled: Contact the National Rehabilitation Information Center
(NARIC), Closing the Gap, or the Trace Research and Development Center for information on
adaptive devices available for the Apple II family of computers, including speech synthesizers,
voice input devices, braille keyboards and printers, breath-operated keyboards, and optical
keyboards operated with light pens.
Appendix A - The Control Panel Program
The Apple IIgs is a versatile machine. You can control the speed of the microprocessor, the
color of the text and background displayed on the screen, the responsiveness of the keys on the
keyboard, the volume of the built-in speaker, and more. The way you control these things is
through the Control Panel, a program that is built into the Apple IIgs.
While the Control Panel Program is permanently stored in the Apple IIgs, your system
preferences are recorded in a special kind of battery-powered RAM that, unlike ordinary RAM,
retains what's stored in it even after the power is turned off. This means you can make changes
to your system configuration and save the configuration for next time. The battery should last
between five and ten years.
If it ever runs low, the Control Panel Program restores the original system configuration. If
this happens, have your authorized Apple dealer replace the battery; then use the Control Panel
Program to reconfigure your system the way you like it.
Incidentally, applications can override your settings for special effects and special reasons
of their own. For example, you may have the speed set to normal, but the application can
override your setting and run at the faster speed.
Getting to the Control Panel Program
To get to the Control Panel Program, hold down Option while you turn on the Apple IIgs power
switch.
Press 1 to enter the Control Panel. The only time you should choose a menu item other than 1 is
if you need to restore the standard Control Panel settings for the U.S. (press 2) or if you
change your mind about entering the Control Panel (press 4).
Important Do not press 3 unless you are operating your Apple IIgs in a country where the
standard signal frequency for monitors is 50 hertz. If you choose the wrong hertz setting, the