Apple IIe - Manual (Page 70)

Page 70 of 74 IIe
Printed: Tuesday, March 4, 2003 10:40:15 AM
ProFile
Mouse
Hand controls, joystick
Numeric keypad
80-column card with 64K memory expansion
80-column card with 64K memory expansion and RGB video
Ask Apple
Now that you've spent some time with the Apple IIe, you probably have lots of questions that
never occurred to you before you actually tried out a computer.
In this section, the questions
new Apple users frequently ask are answered. If you have other questions, ask your dealer,
people at an Apple users group, or send your inquiry to one of the Apple magazines.
Can I run software for other computers on the Apple IIe?
The software that runs on the Apple IIe is software that uses one of Apple's operating systems:
ProDOS, DOS, or Pascal.
Software written for other computers doesn't use these operating
systems and consequently won't work on the Apple unless you install a co-processor card. (See
Chapter 6.)
You will find, however, that almost all major software publishers have versions of
software that run on the Apple IIe.
Sometimes I hear horror stories about people typing pages and pages of information and then
having it disappear.
How can I prevent this from happening to me?
Save! Save! Save! Every program has a way for you to transfer information from the
computer's memory to a file on a disk. Once stored on a disk, information is safe, or at least
a lot safer than it is when it's only in your computer's memory. That's because information
stays in memory only as long as the power is on and the computer is working properly. Power
surges, electrical failures, computer failures, and klutzy friends who trip over power cords
are rare, but they invariably happen just after you've written your cleverest program or most
heartfelt letter.
By saving frequently to a disk (at least every 10 minutes) you're guaranteed
that, no matter what, you won't lose too much valuable information. But saving to a disk is
only half the secret. At the end of the day, always make a backup copy of your disk. No
matter how careful you are, disks get damaged. The only way to guard against a damaged disk is
to have a spare copy.
Can software break?
Yes, sometimes software just doesn't work the way it's supposed to. But then again, sometimes
hardware doesn't work the way it's supposed to, and still other times, users don't work the way
they're supposed to. What this means is that, although software may appear broken, the problem
often is with hardware or, believe it or not, the user.
If you think your software is broken,
try reading the manual. It's possible that the software is meant to work the way it's working.
If, after reading the manual, you still think the software is not working correctly, do a
repeat test:
Note the error and then follow the same sequence of steps to see if you can get
the error to happen again. Assuming it does, your next task is to figure out whether the
problem's with a piece of hardware, such as the computer or disk drive, or with the software.
Try running other programs on your computer.
If they also don't work properly, chances are
that hardware is the problem. If you try running the broken software on your dealer's computer
and have the same problem, you probably have a real software bug on your hands. Once you've
caught a bug, report it to your dealer.
He may have a patch (a corrected piece of software),
or he may be able to help you work around the problem. If your dealer can't help, contact the
software publisher directly; many have toll-free telephone numbers.