| There are all sorts of other things you can attach to your computer. This list will give you some idea of the possibilities. Incidentally, if a joystick, graphics tablet, plotter, or some other device is described as an Apple Desktop Bus™ device, it means you can attach it to the Apple Desktop Bus on the back panel of the Apple IIGS (where the keyboard is usually plugged in) or to the connector on the keyboard (where the mouse is usually plugged in). | |
- Joysticks and hand controls: Joysticks and hand controls are mostly used to control the movement of creatures and objects in games.
- Digitizer: A digitizer takes a photograph and converts the image into a digital form that the computer can display on the screen, save on a disk, and print.
- Plotter: A plotter uses colored felt-tip pens to draw graphs, charts, floor plans, Logo drawings, and other graphics created with the Apple IIGS.
- Graphics tablet: As the name implies, a graphics tablet is a device for drawing pictures. A special pen sends out signals that are detected by wires in the tablet and sent to the computer as X and Y coordinates that can be displayed on the screen. The pen works only with applications designed to receive input from a graphics tablet.
- Home control device: A device that you can attach to an electrical outlet and program to turn on a light, a coffee maker, radio, sprinkler, or other appliances.
- Printer buffer: A printer buffer is a place to store information you're printing. By loading information into the printer buffer, you can get it out of the computer's RAM and free up the computer so you can start writing Chapter 2 while Chapter 1 is printing.
- Tape backup device: A device that uses magnetic tape to duplicate quickly the information stored on a hard disk.
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