Description: Apple IIe: Printing to Networked Printers
Header: Apple IIe: Printing to Networked Printers


 This article last reviewed: 15 June 1990

 TOPIC -----------------------------------------------------------

 I have an Apple IIe network problem.  I have a printer network only with no
 file server.  The school district wants to use the printer network with its
 5.25-inch disk drives.  There are about 50 labs with 20 to 25 Apple IIe
 systems
 in each lab.

 I created a Chooser and Menu program "startup disk".  I copied the necessary
 files and ATINIT to let the startup disk auto-select the networked printers.
 We found a public-domain menu program that requires only 1.5K. This lets the
 Chooser be part of the menu and lets teachers and students (especially K-3)
 select program without using pathnames.

 I understand the AppleTalk network process and the need for the 3.5-inch
 drive.  However, why can't we also provide support for the Apple IIe and the
 5.25-inch drives?

 DISCUSSION ------------------------------------------------------

 The only issue with using 5.25-inch drives for the described environment
 concerns disk space.  After adding ProDOS 8, Chooser.II (with associated
 files), and ATINIT, the remaining space is all that is available for
 applications and data files on the startup disk.  This means that there is
 approximately only 60K available for applications on a disk configured with
 the
 needed resources for network printing.

 For a printer choice to be retained, you need run Chooser.II only once, as
 long
 as the selected printer maintains the same name and stays available on the
 network.  The selected printer is stored in the ATINIT file of the disk that
 contains Chooser.II.  On subsequent startups with that disk, the printer that
 was previously selected becomes the default printer.  Thus, Chooser.II is not
 required to be run every session.

 If only one 5.25-inch drive is available and if applications and/or data files
 larger than 60K are to be used, it is possible to start up with the disk
 described above, then switch (without restarting) to a second disk containing
 the larger application or data file.  We do not know of any menu programs that
 can launch an application on a second disk, although such a program would not
 difficult for an Apple II programmer to write.

 However, since Chooser.II needs to run only once (unless something about the
 printer changes), alternate methods of launching an application from the
 second
 disk can be considered. One example would be an Applesoft program that
 launched
 the menu program.  By giving the Applesoft program a simple name (like MENU)
 and placing it in the main directory, the students would be able to switch
 disks, type RUN MENU, and then select the application desired.
 Copyright 1990 Apple Computer, Inc.
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