Despite the considerable difference in memory size and other features, most of the programs originally designed for the first generation of Apple Computers can run on the Apple IIGS. It's not a coincidence. It's the result of a commitment to compatibility among the computers in the Apple II family. And it's the reason you have so many programs, printers, and other Apple products to choose from today.

You'll learn how you can use those programs and products to stretch your machine as you go through the training disk and the books that came with your Apple IIGS.

Figure P-2
Stretching your machine

The best way to get acquainted with the Apple IIGS is to use it—that's the purpose of Your Tour of the Apple IIGS, the interactive training disk that came packed with your Apple IIGS. The owner's guide expands on the concepts presented on the training disk, but neither the guide nor the disk can tell you exactly in a step-by-step way how to use your computer to write reports, do financial planning, or create graphics. The step-by-step instructions come with the programs you buy for your computer. The fascinating (and initially confusing) things about computers is that how they work depends on what you use them for.

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Preface: The Incredible Stretching Machine