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GEnieLamp Apple II - Vol.2, Issue 18
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~ WELCOME TO GEnieLamp APPLE II! ~
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ BEGINNER'S CORNER: Polishing Green Apples ~
~ PD_QUICKVIEW: GIF.3200 ~
~ APPLE II HISTORY: DOS 3.3, PRODOS & BEYOND ~
~ HOT NEWS, HOT MESSAGES, HOT FILES! ~
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
GEnieLamp Apple II ~ A T/TalkNET OnLine Publication ~ Vol.2, Issue 18
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Editor....................................................Douglas Cuff
Publisher.............................................John F. Peters
Copy-Editor...........................................Bruce Maples
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
~ GEnieLamp IBM ~ GEnieLamp ST ~ GEnieLamp [PR] ~ GEnieLamp TX2 ~
~ GEnieLamp A2Pro ~ GEnieLamp Macintosh ~ LiveWire Online ~
~ Member Of The Digital Publishing Association ~
GE Mail: GENIELAMP Internet: genielamp@genie.geis.com
////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
>>> WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE APPLE II ROUNDTABLE? <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ Septemember 1, 1993 ~
FROM MY DESKTOP ......... [FRM] HEY MISTER POSTMAN ...... [HEY]
Notes From The Editor. Is That A Letter For Me?
HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM] REFLECTIONS ............. [REF]
Fun & Games On GEnie. Online Communications.
BEGINNER'S CORNER ....... [BEG] NEWSBYTES ............... [BYT]
Polishing Green Apples. PC Prices: How Low Can They Go?
PD_QUICKVIEW ............ [PDQ] CowTOONS ................ [MOO]
GIF.3200 More Mootations.
THE ONLINE LIBARY ....... [LIB] PROFILES ................ [WHO]
Yours For The Downloading. Who's Who In Apple II.
SEARCH_ME ............... [FUN] CONNECTIONS ............. [CON]
Yours For The Downloading. Online Thoughts.
COMMUNICATIONS .......... [COM] APPLE II ................ [AII]
Apple II History, Part 14. Apple History, Part 15.
LOG OFF ................. [LOG]
GEnieLamp Information.
[IDX]"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
READING GEnieLamp GEnieLamp has incorporated a unique indexing
""""""""""""""""" system to help make reading the magazine easier.
To utilize this system, load GEnieLamp into any ASCII word processor
or text editor. In the index you will find the following example:
HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM]
[*]GEnie Fun & Games.
To read this article, set your find or search command to [HUM]. If
you want to scan all of the articles, search for [EOA]. [EOF] will take
you to the last page, whereas [IDX] will bring you back to the index.
MESSAGE INFO To make it easy for you to respond to messages re-printed
"""""""""""" here in GEnieLamp, you will find all the information you
need immediately following the message. For example:
(SMITH, CAT6, TOP1, MSG:58/M475)
_____________| _____|__ _|___ |____ |_____________
|Name of sender CATegory TOPic Msg.# Page number|
In this example, to respond to Smith's message, log on to page
475 enter the bulletin board and set CAT 6. Enter your REPly in TOPic 1.
A message number that is surrounded by brackets indicates that this
message is a "target" message and is referring to a "chain" of two
or more messages that are following the same topic. For example: {58}.
ABOUT GEnie Effective July 1, GEnie's non-prime time connect rate drops
""""""""""" to $3.00 per hour, a reduction of 50% from the current rate.
The monthly fee has been restructured, and moves from $4.95 to $8.95, for
which up to four hours of non-prime time access to most GEnie services,
such as software downloads, bulletin boards, GE Mail, an Internet gateway,
multi-player games and chat lines, are allowed without charge. To sign up
for GEnie service, call (with modem) 1-800-638-8369. Upon connection type
HHH. Wait for the U#= prompt. Type: XTX99014,DIGIPUB and hit RETURN. The
system will then prompt you for your information. Need more information?
Call GEnie's customer service line (voice) at 1-800-638-9636.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
/////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "true story: I was downloading a file the other day when /
/ my phone line was hit by lighting. Just before it died /
/ my modem said "*&^%$#@!" /
////////////////////////////////////////////// G.MARON ////
[EOA]
[FRM]//////////////////////////////
FROM MY DESKTOP /
/////////////////////////////////
Notes From The Editor
"""""""""""""""""""""
By Douglas Cuff
[D.CUFF]
THE OTHER NEW YEAR Perhaps you are always acutely of what day it is, but
"""""""""""""""""" I personally was astounded to realize that it's
September already... the beginning of the academic year. The thought
brings a smile to my lips. Do you realize that many teachers returning to
school are just now learning about TheWorks, the supercharged AppleWorks
project?
TheWorks isn't due for release until later this fall, but its features
have been a hot topic since the project was announced last month. Some
people have been lucky enough to see demonstrations of pre-release versions
of "Quadriga", to use the project's code name, and they all rave about how
you can't appreciate the program from cold lists of features. Despite the
fact that it wasn't live, even the demonstration of Quadriga that I saw on
the _II Alive_ video, "Apple II Review", was enough to make me enthusiastic
about the program. We have a real treat in store, it seems!
KANSASFEST Of course, it must be fall, since KansasFest has come and
"""""""""" gone. For the first time ever, I wasn't in a geographical
position that required me to banish all thoughts of attendance from my
mind, and yet I still couldn't attend. Not to worry, many of the A2 Gang
did attend, and they weren't shy about reporting what went on, as you'll
read in our THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE section.
Best of all, KFest organizer Tom Weishaar was heard to remark that
he'd like to do it all again. While this isn't a commitment for a sixth
KansasFest, it's more encouraging than the rumblings about this Fest just
past being the last. Perhaps the organizers found the trimmed-back
schedule more manageable. Let's all hope that we can meet in Kansas next
year!
THE POOR MAN'S TRADE SHOW I was keening over being unable to attend
""""""""""""""""""""""""" KansasFest when my copy of the _II Alive_
videotape, "Apple II Review" arrived in my otherwise empty post box. Aside
from the exciting Quadriga preview mentioned above (and a brief engagingly
shameless promotion of Quality Computers), this videotape features footage
from Apple Expo West, which took place last April in San Francisco. While
by no means a substitute for attending, the video did console me and
intrigue me. So *that's* what Lunatic looks and sounds like....
SYSTEM 6.0.1 RELEASED TO THE PEOPLE Not long after the Apple II version
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" of "hordes of people" had returned
from KansasFest, IIGS System 6.0.1 was made available on GEnie. Of course,
System 6.0.1 was really released about a month before, but was only
generally available through Resource Central. Now that it's more widely
released, expect to hear the raves (and gripes) rolling in.
IS THAT A LETTER FOR ME? NOPE, GUESS NOT! All right, so I've pinched the
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" subtitle of the HEY MISTER
POSTMAN column. The point is that the cards, letters, and E-mail *haven't*
been rolling in. I'd really like to hear what you think of GEnieLamp A2,
and you haven't said a word to me. You don't love me any more!
I don't think you appreciate what a chance you're throwing away. This
is only my second month on the job. I'm not set in my ways yet. (That
comes the month after next... we editors acclimatize quickly.) Let me know
what sweeping reforms you'd like to see. Let me know what parts of
GEnieLamp A2 I can't touch without starting a full-blown riot. Let me know
there's someone out there!
These days, it's important to know that you're not alone.
GEnie Mail: D.CUFF Internet: d.cuff@genie.geis.com
>>> NOTES FROM THE PUBLISHER <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ By John Peters [GENIELAMP] ~
AND THE BIG NEWS THIS MONTH IS... For over a year now, Atarians have
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" enjoyed graphics with their GEnieLamp
ST thanks to David Holmes and his revolutionary text reader, TX2. On the
Macintosh side, Jim Flanagan has been releasing a graphics issue which has
drawn nothing but praise for his efforts from everyone who has seen it.
But for the IBM folks, the ability to show graphics in GEnieLamp have been
noticeably absent. That situation is about to change.
I am happy to announce that are now offering graphics support for the
IBM platform with a new viewer called HyperRead by David Leithauser. Like
the ST/TX2 and Macintosh graphics issue, HyperRead uses keypresses or a
mouse to quickly jump to various articles in the magazine. Also, like the
ST/TX2 viewer, HyperRead allows graphics to be incorporated within the
text. Next month we will be offering screenshots of the PD_Q and Mini_Byte
reviews for the IBM issue just as we do in GEnieLamp ST/TX2. If you're
interested in checking out GEnieLamp IBM / HyperRead you can get your copy
of GEnieLamp IBM with the HyperRead viewer from the GEnieLamp menu located
on page 515.
Until next month...
John Peters
GEnieLamp/DigiPub RoundTable
/////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "BTW, I recently realized that at $3.00/hour, or $.05/minute, /
/ GEnie now costs less than a local pay phone call, which is /
/ $.20 or $.25 for three minutes. Wild, huh?)" /
/////////////////////////////////////////////// A2.LUNATIC ////
[EOA]
[HEY]//////////////////////////////
HEY MISTER POSTMAN /
/////////////////////////////////
Is That A Letter For Me?
""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Douglas Cuff
[D.CUFF]
o BULLETIN BOARD HOT SPOTS
o A2 POT-POURRI
o HOT TOPICS
o WHAT'S NEW
o THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
o MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT
>>> BULLETIN BOARD HOT SPOTS <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
[*] CAT5, TOP2 .............. Buy Apple stock?
[*] CAT5, TOP2 .............. License Apple IIgs System Software?
[*] CAT5, TOP3 .............. Favorite IIgs text screen colors
[*] CAT6, TOP10 ............. X-10 home automation on your Apple II
[*] CAT6, TOP15 ............. Flatbed scanner for IIgs?
[*] CAT10, TOP6 ............. Built-in dumb terminal in IIgs
[*] CAT42, TOP29 ............ Quadriga
[*] CAT44, TOP2 ............. KansasFest reports
>>> A2 POT-POURRI <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""
NO FILES IN ROOT DIRECTORY Because of the way ProDOS is designed, files in
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" the root directory are almost impossible to
recover. This is why it's always a good idea to use folders.
-Bryan
(SOFTDISK.INC, CAT35, TOP7, MSG:45/M645;1)
PASSPORT HOUSE LETTER I guess everyone knows by now that
""""""""""""""""""""" "Incider/A+" has ceased publication. And current
subscribers are being offered a choice of having the balance of their
subscription filled with either "// Alive", the new Apple // magazine put out
six times a year by Quality Computers or with "MacComputing".
But today, I received in the mail a letter from the Alliance
International that said they were shutting down operations because of a lack
of support from Apple // owners and developers. But the letter also announced
the existence of still another new Apple // publication called "The Passport
House Letter". Which publishes monthly at $24 a year (12 issues). They can be
contacted at:
The Passport House Letter
P.O. Box 145
Miles City, MT. 59301-0145
Is any one familiar with this magazine? This is the first I heard of
it. (R.ROEHNER, CAT4, TOP11, MSG:87/M645;1)
>>>>> I receive it and I'm very pleased with it. Its a 12-14 page
""""" newsletter about the Apple II development, product reviews, new
product reports, and articles like 'The Great Disk Drive' which went into
detail with just about everything you wanted to know about Disk Drives of all
sorts.
I recommend it!
Thanks
Paul
(P.PAVLICKO, CAT4, TOP11, MSG:92/M645;1)
DEFEATING APPLEWORKS MAIN DICTIONARY > I'd really like to create a German
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > _main dictionary_.
Here in Holland some people have developed a Dutch dictionary for
AppleWorks. You do not have to replace only the Main Directory, but within
the program itself there is also a small directory with words that will
occur the most. The makers of the Dutch directory did also replace this
short directory. If you want I can send you the disk, that will change
AppleWorks. Maybe you can learn from this. If you want I can email you the
names and maybe the addresses of the users that made this program (I
believe they are no longer Apple // users but few of them still visit the
quarterly Apple Day).
I do have two versions of AppleWorks on my hd. One with the English
directory and one with the Dutch directory. This Dutch version has also
been patched (patch made by the famous John (UltraMacros) Tegelaar) to make
it all Dutch ; so Dutch menu's and alerts and so on.
So where are the secrets?
Peter van Dongen / Netherlands / Europe {Co-Pilot 2.1.1 + PT 3.1}
(P.DONGEN1, CAT17, TOP4, MSG:138/M645;1)
>>>>> Here is a patch for Europeans who do not want to wade through
""""" 80,000 English words to check Spelling. It allows them to have a very
large Custom Dictionary in their own language as the primary means for
spelling tests.
Macro:
a:<all oa-v poke $8d04,$80>! // Check Spelling, Custom dictionary only
Permanent Patch:
Get into Block Warden and F)ollow SEG.WP to byte $8385. Go into E)dit
mode and change the $F0 to $80. Write the block to disk and exit.
Thanks once again to Wally Bradford for giving us these locations.
Please tell anyone who's interested that you heard about it in --
TEXAS II.
(B.CADIEUX, CAT17, TOP4, MSG:151/M645;1)
I'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE > Joe Kohn (publisher of SSII) purchased a HP
"""""""""""""""""""""" > LaserJet 2P the same time I purchased this one. I
> shouldn't speak for him, but I have read his posts saying he is also
> pleased.
Actually, I got the HP LaserJet IIP Plus, and I'm more than just
pleased with it; I'm thrilled with it.
And, little did I think, when I purchased it, that I'd be using it to
print out a newsletter that would elicit comments like "You did that on an
Apple IIGS?" and "Which Mac did you use to print that?"
-Joe Kohn
(J.KOHN, CAT12, TOP13, MSG:106/M645;1)
NO UPGRADE FOR TIMEWORKS PUBLISH IT The response from Timeworks' Bob
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Johnson....
> We have to write programs for (almost) the lowest common denominator.
> Most Apple users do not have much more than 128K of RAM - we get calls
> every day from users who don't even have IIe Enhanced machines. We have
> to start explaining what "Enhanced" means and how to get it done.
> There's only so far the program can go, and it's about there now.
> We can see the trend of Apple II hardware sales from our Apple II
> software sales - the trend isn't up. A lot of time, effort & money goes
> into a new piece of software - the developer has to see some potential
> of gain in order to invest in new products. While there are still quite
> a few Apple II's out there, I think you will agree that it isn't exactly
> a growing market.
> As a sidebar - about a year ago, we had some questions about the new
> GSOS. We called Apple & couldn't find ANYONE to talk to about the II's.
> Nobody could even tell who to speak to. They might have still been
> making IIGS's in December, but Apple was done with them long before
> that, if our experience was any indication.
> We appreciate your loyalty and I wish I did have something new to sell
> you, but I also don't want to get your hopes up for something that
> probably isn't going to happen.
> Bob TTS
Oh, well, I tried.
<<<Lloyd>>>
(L.DEVRIES, CAT8, TOP18, MSG:56/M645;1)
>>>>> I posted the last few posts concerning Publish It updates (?) to
""""" the AzApple BBS in Phoenix, AZ. Here's a response from Jerry Cline,
of InTrec software, publishers of Proterm 3.1:
The guy is a good politician. He articulated the problems well and he
is accurate in what he is saying.
Hypothetically, here is another way to look at it.
Perhaps another way the situation could be stated is to say: We can
make the drivers available but engineering costs will be $15,000 (or
whatever it would cost to take a top flight engineer off of a paying
project where that person is earning their way) and split the costs (plus a
slight profit - $3000 - to the company) to however many users would like to
make a bid. They would have to develop, test and market the project. Say
they sold 100 drivers, then each person would only have to pay just under
$200 for the driver. If its justified, then maybe there is a case, but I
doubt anyone will be paying anywhere near that for a printer driver on an
Apple II. But the situation is more realistic.
But when a successful organization has a known active and highly
competitive market to pursue (and a lot of engineers, marketing and
management personnel to pay for) where just Apple Macintosh alone is 11
percent of an 11 billion dollar market (that is a one-billion-dollar-plus
market if your math is rusty) that already encompasses 12 million homes and
offices with 4 million being added every year, it makes the Apple II market
look bleak. If PublishIt were making a profit on Apple II products, they
would support it actively, they are just doing what any business does,
following the profit margin. Its the name of the game. If they did any
differently, their investors would get a rope. Apple Computer is in the
same boat. Think about it.
The part about the lowest common denominator (128K) is the killer and
the RAM is not all as usable as it is on Macintosh. That 128K figure is a
"hard" number. Consider the Apple IIgs, (which isn't all that different
from the Apple IIe), if you write for the GS, you narrow the market from
the 6 million Apple II's that were sold (includes Franklin and Laser), to
about only 1.25 million Apple IIGS sold and according to Roger Wagner
Publishing, about 70% + of those are still in the education market. That
leaves about +/- 50,000 in user's hands and a lot of those users are not
active and are looking to other platforms (you should see our mail
requesting ProTERM Mac).
It does not take a rocket scientist's mathematics to understand what
market to concentrate on if you are a business and don't want to go broke.
As far as the statement about the Apple IIe being sold in schools?
While it is still on the price list, I don't imagine sales are brisk -- Do
you? Would you buy a new Apple IIe or how about a bridge in Brooklyn or
perhaps some nice Moon property with "Earth-rise" and "Earth-set" exposure.
The choice is yours, check it out!
Let's see now, how does a user go about making a hardware buy?
Apple says, an enhanced Apple IIe with a composite (cheap) color
monitor, disk drive, drive controller card, 128K memory, 80 column
capability, is only about $1300. Wow, what an earthshaker!
See the Apple product catalog and order yours now! 800/795-1000 - To
top off this wild bargain Appleworks, a $239 value is included on a floppy
disk -- What a DEAL WHOA!!
-or- a few pages hence in the Apple catalog...
A Mac Classic with a color Trinitron color monitor, 4 megs of RAM,
built in 3.5" drive, an 80 meg hard drive and expandable to vistas
beyond... $1173.
Which one are you gonna to buy? Gee that's a hard decision!
...<scratch head here and get splinters under your fingernails>
Uhmmm... could I see them choices again -- Huhm?
Jerry
(C.KERN1, CAT8, TOP18, MSG:63/M645;1)
APPLE COMPUTER CO. IN EDUCATION Afraid so. In the business/home/whatever
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" market, they've sold a tremendous number
of machines and are continuing to snap at IBM's heals. Though IBM is still
#1, and the host of clones is huge, giving IBM and IBM compatibles
something like 80% of the market, if you combine ALL of them.
Still, Apple is doing all right.
In education they're losing fast, and they deserve it. The
unfortunate reality is, though, that it's hard for them to feel any pain
because they're still profitable and secure. Sure, they threw away
billions, but since they also made billions, it's hard to make them realize
they made a mistake. ("What do you mean we threw away billions? We made
billions!" Saying "You could have made billions more" just doesn't sink in
as well as if they were HURTING.)
The only question is, will they figure out why they're losing the
education market, and, is it too late for them to do anything about it?
It may be that if they threw everything into the Apple II for education
right now, they wouldn't be able to recover what they once held.
Maybe. Or maybe not. We won't find out unless they or someone else
tries.
Dean Esmay
(A2.DEAN, CAT15, TOP11, MSG:21/M645;1)
>>>>> If they made a GS with internal 40 meg, internal FDHD and 2 megs of
""""" memory, and sold it to the schools at approx $700 (which they COULD
do), they would sell a ton.
(GARY.UTTER, CAT15, TOP11, MSG:22/M645;1)
PROSEL AUTHOR GLEN BREDON TO MOVE I will be moving permanently sometime
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" around Nov. Watch this space for new
address.
(BREDON, CAT30, TOP2, MSG:138/M645;1)
IBM APPLETALK NETWORK? I recently read of a new IBM-compatible networking
"""""""""""""""""""""" method that uses a proprietary protocol and
inexpensive phone cable. The cards and connectors run about $150 a
machine. What got my attention was the mention at the end of the review
that the "proprietary protocol" was a version of Appletalk. The reviewer
went on to mention that if you wanted to hook up a Mac to the PC, all it
took was a $29 connector.
Called the company and asked about hooking up Apple II's. After the
initial explanations, the tech people became quite intrigued, particularly
when I told them I thought this was a potentially large market for them.
They called back later and said that the Appletalk on the II end would need
to be AFT 1.1 or backwardly compatible with 1.1, since that's what they
used. Also, the II would not be able to be a server, only a client.
I know Appletalk is built into the GS. What version is it? Also, I
have a IIe, and have been looking for a way to hook it up to my PC. If
anyone out there has a workstation card and software for the IIe they would
be willing to part with temporarily/permanently, I would like to borrow it
to try this out. (I'll pay shipping.) If it works, then I'd be looking to
buy one.
Any info on version? This has the potential to be a a very
interesting development.
(B.MAPLES, CAT12, TOP22, MSG:1/M645;1)
INCIDER AFTERMATH I just read that MacComputing, the rag that was supposed
""""""""""""""""" to replace InCider was killed before it was even able
to get its first issue on the stands. Seems the IDG was afraid that the
fallout from the Apple layoffs and problems in the computer world made them
decide to can the project because they could not get advertisers to
advertise.
Maybe they should have stayed with their 65,000 (?) subscribers who
own the dead II. Hmm..Apple drops the GS and then has to layoffs
thousands, IDG drops the II and folds on a Mac rag. That will teach them to
fool around with the Apple II gods!
II INFINITUM----------------------------->
Ron
(RON.ROYER, CAT5, TOP3, MSG:63/M645;1)
>>>>> Tom Abrams - I guess that I was unofficially maintaining the
""""" inCider/A+ category here in A2, and it was for that reason that I
(Shareware Solutions II) inherited category 28.
Facts...
- inCider/A+ ceased publication with the July, 1993 issue.
- A+ Publishing printed a single issue of Mac Computing.
- A+ Publishing had planned for Mac Computing to be a monthly
publication.
- As of today, A+ Publishing will cease to exist.
---Joe Kohn ------------
(J.KOHN, CAT2, TOP4, MSG:92/M645;1)
>>>>> More Facts -
"""""
- Cameron Crotty and Dan Muse now both work for MacWorld in San
Francisco.
- Joe Kohn is publishing inCider: The Next Generation (well, sort of)
- Joe Kohn has just secured the rights to all his inCider/A+ articles.
- The first edition of Mac Computing is now a collector's item.
- The first subscription copy of Mac Computing was sent to the
printers one hour before the entire staff of A+ Publishing was
informed that they were going to be laid off.
- HangTime's real name is Bruce.
---Joe (whose real name is Joseph) Kohn
(J.KOHN, CAT2, TOP4, MSG:94/M645;1)
APPLEWORKS GS AND SYSTEM 6 Claris _did_ release a new "Install" script for
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" AWGS and System 6.0. I called the 800 number
(or spoke to someone online, I don't remember) and they promptly shipped it
to me. Works like a charm.
Jeff - Delivered by Co-Pilot v2.1.1 and TIC
(J.CARR20, CAT17, TOP17, MSG:157/M645;1)
___
COPY II PLUS HARD ON HARD DRIVES |he problem with Copy II Plus is that it
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" doesn't check the storageType of files
when copying -- it just assumes that all files have a data fork and nothing
else. I'm sure it also uses direct block reads and writes, with the end
result being that when you tell it to copy a file with a resource fork, it
looks at where the data fork is and copies that block by block, totally
ignoring the resource fork. Luckily, the blocks used by the data in a
resource fork are marked as "used" in the volume allocation map, so it won't
copy any data fork-only files over on top of them. I suspect that its "zero
disk blocks" function doesn't respect those "used" blocks, though (since it
can't see what file uses them, it'd kill them), so that could possibly zap
your files that have resource forks.
][n the end, I (like many others) just say DON'T USE COPY II PLUS ON A
IIGS (unless you're trying to back up copy protected software, or are
working with DOS 3.3). There are simply too many ways that you could
accidentally damage or destroy important files.
-= Lunatic (:
(A2.LUNATIC, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:284/M645;1)
>>>>> Using the "undelete" function of Copy II+ is one of the KNOWN ways to
""""" make your hard drive disappear. Sometimes, when you use that option,
C2+, for an unknown reason, will trash block 0 and/or block 1 of your hard
drive. This is a Bad Thing.
This refers to Copy 2+ v9.0, by the way (the most current version, so
far as I know). Older versions don't do this, but they STILL shouldn't be
used on or around a GSOS hard drive. The program is flaky, it is not really
meant to work on hard drives. (It doesn't know, or care, that a HD is not a
floppy.)
Actually, I have Copy 2 installed on MY hard drive, and I run it from
there, but I ONLY use it on floppies. I NEVER use it on the hard drive, for
anything. (In fact, come to think of it, I haven't used Copy 2 at ALL,
haven't even launched it, in at least 2 years.)
Gary R. Utter
(GARY.UTTER, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:296/M645;1)
WHO WROTE RESCUE ROVER? If Bill Heineman did this game, why does his name
""""""""""""""""""""""" not appear on the credits that show up when you
press the down arrow at the dog house, and go down into the hole where the
bones are stacked? Exactly what did he do on this game?
Steve Weyhrich <IX0YE>--<
(S.WEYHRICH, CAT34, TOP6, MSG:62/M645;1)
>>>>> Bill took the IBM PC code and ported it to the IIgs. Then he tweaked
""""" it to make it playable on the IIgs. If you ever play the PC version
you'll notice a difference.
Thanks to John Carmack we can play Rescue Rover on the PC. Thanks to
Bill Heineman we can play it on the Apple IIgs.
Jay Jennings
(PUNKWARE, CAT34, TOP6, MSG:63/M645;1)
CMS HARD DRIVE REPAIR For those of you that are looking for repairs or data
""""""""""""""""""""" recovery from CMS drives, I do them. Generally its
worth repairing the drives, but if you have a CMS card that has gone bad it
is generally more cost effective to replace it with an Apple DMA SCSI card.
For those of you out there who would like to contact me about repairs
or just information I can be reached at:
Larry Beyer
ADD ON II/B&D Computer Repair
6115 S. Massasoit Ave.
Chicago, IL
60638
1-312-735-9010 between 9:30 am and 1:00 pm Central time.
(ADD.ON.II, CAT21, TOP5, MSG:23/M645;1)
LOST CLASSICS ADDRESS Should you wish to contact the Lost Classics Project,
""""""""""""""""""""" save the following information:
Timothy Tobin
Lost Classics
P.O. Box 4641
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Internet: a2.tim@genie.geis.com
GEnie: A2.TIM
Timothy Tobin
Lost Classics Coordinator
(A2.TIM, CAT7, TOP1, MSG:9/M645;1)
DEACTIVATING HARDPRESSED I think it was mentioned earlier that the best way
"""""""""""""""""""""""" to go when doing backups is to inactivate
HardPressed when backing up and when restoring. It turns out that there's a
very good reason for that...
I was playing around with Apple's Archiver program, and discovered
that it doesn't correctly set the filetype when restoring files. It
creates it with the wrong auxtype, extracts the data, and then sets the
auxtype to what it's supposed to be.
Well, guess what. If you extract a file compressed with HardPressed,
and the auxtype is wrong, HP won't be able to tell that it's one of its own
files. So, it'll try to compress it again. Depending on how it was
compressed originally, it might succeed. The result is a file that's been
compressed twice, which tends to get real confusing real fast.
If you set HardPressed to "inactive", it won't try to compress the
files being extracted, thus avoiding the problem. So, the original advice
was good: turn HP off before backing up (to save space) and before
restoring (to save your files!)
Hopefully Apple will fix Archiver someday...
- Andy
(FADDEN, CAT37, TOP3, MSG:202/M645;1)
>>>>> BTW, don't forget that you can totally inactivate HardPressed by
""""" hitting 'H' while the system is booting... easier than marking it as
inactive from the Finder or ProSel-16.
- Andy
(FADDEN, CAT37, TOP3, MSG:222/M645;1)
FINDER TIP Loren -
""""""""""
> if it's not the one you wanted to
> have show up, you have to go digging with the mouse after all.
Nope--once you have established a letter by hitting it (e.g., "M"), you
can bicycle through all the icons ("M's") with that initial with TAB. (But
it IS an additional key used...Prosel IS still better, in that respect.)
Kirk Hollingsworth
(HOLLINGSWRTH, CAT2, TOP21, MSG:37/M645;1)
BRUNNABLE GAMES Seeing some of these BRUNable games gave me an idea.
""""""""""""""" I first wrote a program that will load and run them as a
SYS file that ProSel can pass the name of the BIN file to. Works! I'm
adding parms to it so you can slow a GS or //e down to 1MHz. Maybe a few
other options too. Kind of like SWCP for games.
The other program I wrote will turn any BIN file to a SYS file. And I
don't mean it will just change the filetype. It sticks my header on it and
relocates the code into the right place and jumps to it. Also works dandy.
Any interest in these? Other ideas for them?
(G.TOLAR, CAT7, TOP15, MSG:45/M645;1)
RAMFAST SCSI TIP FOR SMALL-CAPACITY DISKS Get into the RF utility and format
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" a disk but DO NOT PARTITION THE
DISK. This will give you the maximum capacity. Now exit from the utility and
when finder asks you to format or eject go ahead and format it from finder.
Now pop the disk out and back in. It should go away and come back as the
1.44m or 720k disk. If you partition the disk then we use up 32k for a
partition map.
Drew
(CV.TECH, CAT11, TOP16, MSG:152/M645;1)
A2 REAL-TIME CONFERENCES A2 RTC's Are Growing!
"""""""""""""""""""""""" With the new, lower rates, more and more people
are stopping into the RTC for help with a all types of questions, or just
to visit with the A2 Staff, and with each other. Because of this, we're
expanding our scheduled RTC's. The changes take effect on Monday, 8/16.
We'll be open nightly from 2100-0100, and don't be surprised if you
find us there even later. We're also open Sunday afternoon 1200-2000, and
all night on Friday!
Susan
Day Time Topic Host GE-Mail
--- ------------ ------------------------ --------------- ------------
Sun 1200-2000 ET Bewitched, Bothered Gena Saikin G.SAIKIN
or Bewildered Jeff Rash GS.OZONEMAN
Sun 2100-2300 ET II Speak Don Arrowsmith D.ARROWSMIT1
2300-0100 ET Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters Dennis Doms WIZARDS.MUSE
Mon 2100-0100 ET A Walk on the Wild Side Tara Dillinger TARA
with Tara & Co.
Tue 2100-2300 ET Formal Guest Dave Ciotti A2.BEAR
2300-0100 ET TBC Forum Mike Garvey TBC
Wed 2100-2300 ET Apple Working Susan MacGregor A2.SUSAN
2300-0100 ET Education Adrian Vance A.VANCE
Thu 2100-2300 ET Ellen's Room Ellen Rosenberg RC.Ellen
2300-0100 ET TBC Forum Mike Garvey TBC
Fri 2100-0100 ET Telecommunications Jim Zajkowski JIMZ
Sat 2100-2300 ET Games Dave Ciotti A2.BEAR
2300-0100 ET More Games Susan MacGregor A2.SUSAN
(A2.SUSAN, CAT3, TOP19, MSG:70/M645;1)
FONT LIBRARY CLEARINGHOUSE CHANGES I have recently been asked to take over
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" the duties of the Resource-Central
Font Clearinghouse. As part of this I have been going over all the old
uploads and all the old messages posted here in the BB. Some of you will
be getting e-mail from me in an attempt to resolve old issues which
appeared to not be satisfactorily completed.
In the meantime, I have noticed, in my downloading and study of the
existing A2 fonts, that there are some errors. A few fonts apparently did
not have the proper Filetype/Auxtype combination, and were thus not
properly recognized by the Font Manager. In others, some fonts were packed
with other fonts but not identified as such. Others were called the same
font but were really different. Still others were assigned improper ID
numbers, which will create conflicts for some people.
I am in the process of trying to clean up these problems, but it will
take some time. When I am done, I will presumably have every available
font installed on my system. Some will have to be re- packed and
re-uploaded to the library. My question to you is: In what format would
you like the fonts? Should I upload an entire family as one archive
(Times, Times-Bold, Times-Italic, etc., as one file) or should each font
style have its own archive? Or should we go the other way and have each
archive contain several related fonts? If so, what criteria should we use
to group them?
Also, what kind of information should be in the description for each
upload? I planned to include the actual font name, sizes, # characters
defined, Font ID, type (bitmap/TrueType), and alphabet (Roman, Cyrillic,
etc.). Do a search on keyword FONT and uploader A2.TIM for a couple
samples. Is this acceptable? Would you like something else? If so, what?
Please keep in mind that this project I am undertaking will be a
long-term project. New IDs will be assigned within a few hours to days,
depending on circumstances, but clearing up old discrepancies can take up
to a week or more per font, depending on the research needed. There are a
couple hundred fonts (out of several thousand) for which I have questions,
and I will likely need the Apple II community's help in resolving many of
them, so please bear with me. :)
There are currently two topics for discussions of Apple IIgs fonts.
This topic is one, and Category 23, Topic 11 is the other. To assist me, I
would like to have this topic be used for general font questions, font
uploads, etc., and reserve Cat 23, Topic 11 for official Clearinghouse
traffic. What this means is that if you want an ID, please post the
request in Cat 23, Top 11. If there is an ID conflict, or some specific
font identification problem, it should be raised in Cat 23, Topic 11. If
you want to know how a particular font looks, this topic (Cat 8, Top 17) is
a good place for things like that. I don't want to be authoritarian about
it, but it would really help me get this under control that much sooner. :)
The sooner I get this under control, the more of my limited time I can
devote to Lost Classics, and getting a Postscript Font utility for the
IIgs. :)
Thanks for your help, and all your patience, as we finally get a
responsive system for Font IDs in place. :)
By the way, the official mail address for the Resource-Central Font
Clearinghouse is:
Timothy Tobin
Font Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 4641
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Internet: a2.tim@genie.geis.com
GEnie: A2.TIM
Please feel free to pass this information on. Also, if you own Font
Factory GS, please cross out the old name and address in the manual for the
Clearinghouse and write this in its place. :)
Timothy Tobin
Resource-Central Font Clearinghouse
(A2.TIM, CAT8, TOP17, MSG:96/M645;1)
IMAGEWRITER CUT SHEET FEEDER Bill, I have a cut sheet feeder for my
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ImageWriter II. I bought it at my local Apple
dealer.
LET ME TELL YOU and others, it is one of the best computer investments
that you can get -- and most people don't know about it.
Mine paid for itself in a year and one-half.
I can use all sorts of paper, even colored, and change at will without
any delays.
My big saving is that I used the OTHER side of used sheets for printing
out information that I am not sending anywhere. This re-cycled paper saves me
a bundle (pun intended).
Every sheet, ALWAYS, feeds to the same spot. It is also perfect for
printing on previously printed forms.
I can't say enough about it. Go get one --- YESTERDAY!
Gary Hayman -- (in printer's heaven)
(G.E.HAYMAN, CAT26, TOP6, MSG:180/M645;1)
GOOD DEALS ON SCSI HARD DRIVES I hope this is a good place to let Apple II
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" users know about a good deal on a SCSI
hard drive. In MacWeek, La Cie (a Quantum company) is offering a 170 meg
Quantum ELS hard drive with a 5 year warranty for $199 (internal mount) or
$249 for an external setup that includes a case and cable. The external
model includes switchable "active" termination. The phone number is
1-800-999-1386.
I did some checking and there are a few caveats to be aware of. The
case and its power supply are covered by warranty for 2 years, not 5.
Also, the case is fitted with 25 pin DB-25 connectors instead of the more
standard 50 pin Centronics type connectors. This should not present a
significant problem, as they supply a 25 pin cable which can be used to
connect the drive directly to any Apple II SCSI card or to a Mac. Other
devices could be hooked up with a standard 25 to 50 pin cable, especially
the cable that may previously have attached other devices directly to the
SCSI card.
-= Bill Shuff =-
(W.SHUFF, CAT11, TOP10, MSG:121/M645;1)
>>> HOT TOPICS <<<
""""""""""""""""""
SYSTEM 6.0.1 NOW ONLINE ][t's here! It's here! It's here! System 6.0.1
""""""""""""""""""""""" is now available for download in the A2 libraries!
Just so you didn't miss the banner (and for those GEM and CoPilot people who
may find it easier to pull file numbers and names out of BB messages than out
of banners), here are the files:
21163 SYSDISK.601.BXY X A2-CENTRAL 930811 606336
Desc: Main SYSTEM DISK for System 6.0.1
21161 SNTHLAB.601.BXY X A2-CENTRAL 930811 534400
Desc: SYNTHLAB disk for IIgs System 6.0.1
21160 FONTS.601.BXY X A2-CENTRAL 930811 296448
Desc: FONTS disk for IIgs System 6.0.1
21159 STOOLS2.601.BXY X A2-CENTRAL 930811 521984
Desc: SYSTEM TOOLS disk 2 for System 6.0.1
21158 STOOLS1.601.BXY X A2-CENTRAL 930811 536192
Desc: SYSTEM TOOLS disk 1 for System 6.0.1
21157 INSTALL.601.BXY X A2-CENTRAL 930811 520576
Desc: INSTALL disk for IIgs System 6.0.1
___
|he three files that you MUST HAVE for a complete System 6.0.1
installation are INSTALL.601.BXY, STOOLS1.601.BXY and STOOLS2.601.BXY. If
you don't have a hard drive then you probably want SYSDISK.601.BXY, the self-
booting floppy system disk. It's missing a lot of files that you may want to
customize your system, though, like extra FSTs, drivers, Control Panels, etc.
If you want those extras, you need to download the three main system disks
anyway. A self-booting floppy system disk CAN be constructed from the three
main system disks, but unless you have four 800K drives or equivalents (RAM
disks, etc.), it's a real pain and it takes a lot of disk swapping.
|\|ow, in case you're wondering "Should I upgrade? Are there likely to
be any problems with System 6.0.1 on my system?" here's the lowdown on most
of the reported problems:
Font Manager bug & Pointless - Fixed with FixFontMgr, file #21061,
FIXFONTMGR.BXY, in the A2 libraries
System folder "Magic Routing" bug - Not serious. Keep your System folder
on the desktop and you'll never see it.
The folder/disk you just opened becomes deselected - Not a bug, just the
way things work in System 6.0.1
When you close a window your icon selection changes to that folder/disk -
Again, not a bug, just the way it works, now.
Bill Tudor's CDev Alias NDAs no longer work - Third party problem. (:
___
|hat's about it, folks! There have yet to be discovered any really
major bugs in System 6.0.1 that don't have simple workarounds.
_
(_
__)o why should you update your system to 6.0.1? Here's a few good
reasons: The MS-DOS FST, Aliases and keyboard navigation in Finder, more bug
fixes, a new fast RAM disk driver for /RAM5, and a whole bunch of extra
little new features and tweaks.
][ say it's definitely worth the upgrade. Figuring out the cost to you,
each disk other than the self-booting system disk should take well less than
45 minutes to download -- at $3.00/hour, that's less than $2.20 each! How
can you afford NOT to upgrade?
(BTW, I recently realized that at $3.00/hour, or $.05/minute, GEnie now
costs less than a local pay phone call, which is $.20 or $.25 for three
minutes. Wild, huh?)
-= Lunatic (:
(A2.LUNATIC, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:351/M645;1)
>>>>> And just a reminder -- if you already have all the disks from
""""" System 6, you DO NOT need to download the System 6.0.1 Fonts or
SynthLab disks. There were NO changes to Fonts and the only change to
SynthLab was that it was linked with a different linker (no changes to the
actual program code were made and the program behaves exactly the same as the
6.0 version).
(QUALITY, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:352/M645;1)
6.0.1: FONT MANAGER BUG DETAILS As some of you may know, System 6.0.1 and
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Pointless 2.0.1 don't work together too
well in some cases (specifically when you select Choose Font for a font that
has no bitmaps.)
Well, Nathan Mates (our summer intern) found that the problem had
nothing to do with Pointless and could be duplicated even without Pointless
installed. The problem will crop up anytime you do a ChooseFont for a font
that is not installed in the System.
For example, say you create a document in AWGS using a font called
"DingDong". If you then open this document on a different system that
doesn't have DingDong installed ChooseFont will crash.
Nathan has written a patch program that is very simple and very
cautious. It will only work with Font Manager v3.4 (which is what ships on
System 6.0.1).
I'll be uploading it to the A2 library in just a few minutes....
Bryan
(BRYAN.ZAK, CAT9, TOP10, MSG:1/M645;1)
>>>>> (And we'll have another patch program available shortly once we get
""""" confirmation from Apple... ;-)
Bryan
(SOFTDISK.INC, CAT9, TOP10, MSG:3/M645;1)
>>>>> No, this bug is only in Font Manager 3.4 -- which is part of
""""" System 6.0.1.
The patch program is VERY cautious. First it checks for Font Manager
3.4, and then it checks a series of bytes to make sure it hasn't already
been patched. And, the patch is only in memory -- not on disk, so nothing
is permanent.
Bryan
(SOFTDISK.INC, CAT37, TOP4, MSG:218/M645;1)
6.0.1: FINDER MAGIC ROUTING BUG Unfortunately, yes, this is a bug. It was
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" discovered shortly after 6.0.1 went final
and it was (as usual) non-trivial to fix. The simple solution is to not route
files from the desktop. Urgh.
Jim "who was really annoyed when this one was found a few months ago"
Murphy
(MURPH, CAT9, TOP3, MSG:209/M645;1)
6.0.1: COMMON INSTALLATION PROBLEM There is also a problem (not a bug)
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" with the SCC.Manager. If you use "Easy
Update" all the AppleTalk files are also copied to your system disk. When you
boot, the SCC.Manager checks to see if AppleTalk is active and if slot 1 or
slot 2 are set to "Your Card" and slot seven is set to "AppleTalk." If not
you will get a message stating that AppleTalk is not active. If you are not
using AppleTalk all you do is hit return. The problem is that each time you
boot you will get this message and you will have to hit return every time you
boot.
Fix 1. If you do not use AppleTalk and do not anticipate using
AppleTalk, remove SCC.Manager from your Driver folder and stick it in the
trash.
Fix 2. If you are like me and use AppleTalk only during printing to my
LaserWriter and Postscript, move SCC.Manager out of the Driver folder when
you are not printing. Just remember to move SCC.Manager back into the Driver
folder as part of your printer setup routine. It works for me.
-Mel (MelSoft) Fowler
(MELSOFT, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:353/M645;1)
___
>>>>> |his error message is usually caused because at some point in the
""""" past you installed the SCC.Manager file in your Drivers folder. This
file now generates "The selected AppleTalk Connection could not be found"
error message in System 6.0.1 if you don't have AppleTalk. Simply remove the
SCC.Manager file from your Drivers folder and this error should go away. If
you want to be more sure and do it the official way, or if removing the
SCC.Manager file doesn't get rid of the error message, simply launch the
Installer, hit the "Customize" button, select the "Network: AppleShare"
script from the list, and then hit the "Remove" button.
-= Lunatic (:
(A2.LUNATIC, CAT9, TOP14, MSG:1/M645;1)
6.0.1: THIRD-PARTY BUG You missed the bug in AppleWorks GS, where the
""""""""""""""""""""""" Save As dialog does not remember which volume and
directory the file was loaded from. It will result in files being stored on
the wrong volume (and being "lost") unless one realizes the path is wrong and
resets it.
My workaround is to use Kangaroo to get back to the original directory.
Glenn
(G.W.HOFFMAN, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:356/M645;1)
___
>>>>> |hanks, Glenn! I think that's another third party bug, though,
""""" especially since I haven't heard any reports of it showing up in
other programs. The only reason I included the third party bug in CDev Alias
is because that's more of a system-wide problem (happens in all desktop
programs) and people may have thought that it was actually a system bug
because of it.
-= Lunatic (:
(A2.LUNATIC, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:357/M645;1)
_
6.0.1: 5.25" DRIVERS GLITCH (_)k, I understand your problem, now. What's
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" happening is that whenever GS/OS detects the
FIRMWARE for a 5.25" drive in a slot, it then assumes that there are two
drives connected to it. It does this because there is no way for it to
reliably be able to tell if you actually have one or more drives connected in
that slot. So you don't actually have to have a drive connected. With your
system, GS/OS _always_ see the firmware for a 5.25" drive in slot 6, whether
the slot is set to "Disk Port" or "Your Card." The only way you can keep
those 5.25" drive icons from showing up in Finder on you system is to do as
Udo suggests, and deactivate your 5.25" drive driver.
-= Lunatic (:
(A2.LUNATIC, CAT9, TOP10, MSG:16/M645;1)
>>>>> Note that this will ONLY affect GSOS. Your 5.25 will still be
""""" available to all P8 applications, so you can easily drop into
something P8 to copy files from/to the 5.25.
(GARY.UTTER, CAT9, TOP10, MSG:17/M645;1)
>>>>> >Do you have a better suggestion?
"""""_
/-\ctually, yes. Buy an adapter cable for your 5.25" drives so you can
plug them into the SmartPort on the back of your GS (or into the back of the
3.5" drives you may already have plugged into the SmartPort). Remove the
5.25" drive controller card from slot 7 and move your RamFAST to that slot.
Now, your GS will run cooler, you'll be able to disable your 5.25" drives
from ALL programs by setting slot 6 to "Your Card," and you could even sell
your 5.25" drive controller card and get back more money than the adapter
cable cost you.
]-[mm. In your later messages I see that you're using AppleTalk. You
can set your slot 7 to "AppleTalk" and slot 2 to "Your Card" and you should
then be able to plug your RamFAST into slot 2. (I know this works with the
Apple SCSI cards, I'm not so sure if the RamFAST supports slot 2 as well as
5, 6, and 7, though. I'm sure there are plenty of RamFAST owners here who
can clarify this, though.) If you're using ProTERM 3.x, it will ignore the
actual setting of slot 2 and continue to work fine with a modem plugged into
the modem port, as long as you tell it that you're using that modem port (it
talks directly to the port hardware). Most other telecommunications software
(including the AOL software, I'm sure :) won't do this.
(A2.LUNATIC, CAT9, TOP10, MSG:31/M645;1)
>>>>> Tim, why don't you try this instead:
"""""
Fm: Matt Deatherage 76703,3030
To: Ray Merlin 71435,1071 (X)
> Maybe it was decided that it's better that two icons appear
> instead of none at all.
That's exactly correct, Ray. There is no reliable way to detect 5.25"
drive presence, so now 6.0.1 doesn't try at all. Every slot looks like it
has two drives, so that's how many the driver reports.
If you only have one, changing the low nibble of the driver's auxtype
to $1 should prevent it from trying to find a second one.
Ken Lessing
(K.LESSING, CAT43, TOP8, MSG:193/M645;1)
6.0.1: MINOR BUG? I just found what looks like a minor bug in System
"""""""""""""""""" 6.0.1. If you use the slots control panel and set slot
1 to be modem, and then go to the printer port control panel, the mode still
says printer though it appears that the mode is in fact modem. Is this a
bug or a change in the way the cdev is supposed to work? I thought, in prior
versions, that the printer port cdev always referenced slot 1 and the modem
cdev always referenced slot 2 the way the CDA's do.
Don Elton (delton) or delton@pro-carolina.oau.org
(DELTON, CAT5, TOP5, MSG:35/M645;1)
6.0.1: ALIASES I've also used the idea of putting a single Alias folder on
""""""""""""""" the desktop so that I can open folders and launch apps
easily. However, instead of having the Alias folder itself be located on a
ProDOS partition, I have it located on my HFS partition. This allows me to
name the aliases within the folder with more useful and descriptive names
than ProDOS allows. It is very nice to have all of the items displayed in a
nice list (like in name order), but to actually have them being displayed in
small icon format. One trick to doing this is to open the folder, display in
name order, select all items and drag them onto the desktop, then change the
view to small icon, then select all of the desktop items and drag them back
into the folder window. Now they will be displayed in small icon format, but
lined up in one nice column, just like viewing by name, except that the whole
name should be visible.
Also, I am noticing one perhaps minor bug in 6.0.1. I have two 3.5" disk
drives. If I have a disk in each and select both disks and drag them
into the trash, Finder SHOULD eject both disks. Under 6.0.1 (on my system
anyway) if the disk in drive 1 has an open window, then the second disk will
not be ejected. Also, any open windows that the second disk may have will not
be closed. closed. This is hardly earthshaking, but I'm curious if anyone
else has seen this. Brendan Bellina
(B.BELLINA, CAT9, TOP15, MSG:149/M645;1)
>>>>> I have, I just went and tried it, and you're right, the second disk
""""" doesn't eject, or close windows. :)
(GARY.UTTER, CAT9, TOP15, MSG:150/M645;1)
>>>>> Brendan: Why are you dragging files in and out of windows to
""""" alphabetize them? Just use "Clean up by Name": leave the View set to
Small Icon, and hold down the Option key while you select Clean Up from the
Special menu.
(QUALITY, CAT9, TOP15, MSG:151/M645;1)
MORE ABOUT EASYMOUNT AND ALIASES Easymount allows you to make Mac style
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" "aliases" of applications, directories,
and volumes (and if you have Appletalk, it will easily mount those Appletalk
volumes). It is a Good Thing. Keep it, learn to use it.:)
Gary R. Utter
(GARY.UTTER, CAT2, TOP21, MSG:15/M645;1)
>>>>> 1. With EasyMount installed in the FinderExtras folder, you have
""""" access to its capabilities.
2. When you select the icon for an application, a folder or a volume,
you can go to the Extras menus and select EasyMount, which will make an Alias
of the item. You can also hit OpenApple M to make an alias. (And that is
easier. :)
3. An Alias can be opened just like the original item, be it folder,
file, or volume. (but again, only application files).
4. An Alias has the file type E2 FF. You can use an Icon Editor to set
icons to match a particular Alias just as you can any other file (and you
don't need to set an "application pathname").
5. You can put an Alias anywhere; when you click on it the file, folder
or volume it represents will open, no matter where it may be (as long as it
is online).
I don't know what else to tell you, but someone will probably have more.
:)
Gary R. Utter
(GARY.UTTER, CAT2, TOP21, MSG:25/M645;1)
>>>>> I was able to install SYSTEM 6.0.1 with no problems at all (so far).
""""" I have a ProSel-16 screen item called FINDER, which takes me there.
Once there, open the SYSTEM folder and highlight your ProSel.16 or START,
depending on how you setup ProSel-16 (in other words, highlight the file name
that is your ProSel-16 main program). Then go to EXTRAS and open EasyMount.
This allows you to ALIAS your ProSel-16 module. Save it, find it, drag it to
the desktop and you have your easy way back to ProSel-16 from FINDER.
Chuck
Charlie's AppleSeeds
Distributor, ProSel-16 v8.84
(A2.CHUCK, CAT30, TOP2, MSG:208/M645;1)
MORE ABOUT QUADRIGA'S FEATURES Hello people. I finally got around to
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" joining this topic. As Quadriga project
manager, I'm excited, stressed out, enthusiastic and bummed all at the same
time. Excited to see my vision becoming reality, stressed due to all the time
and effort involved, enthused to see the interest, and bummed that it's not
ready to ship yet. Of course, it's not late yet, either, but it's been an
obsession since early in 1993, and there's still a lot to do.
As for the name, it will always be "Quadriga" to me, just as AppleWorks
3.0 is still "Spike" in my mind, and resides in "/HD/SPIKE" on my hard drive.
A few tweaks to the feature list are in order. The alarm clock likely
won't make it into this version. Some other features to add to the list
include:
- three clipboards (separate one for each app- WP, DB, SS)
- full editing of all three clipboards
- mouse support included
- screen blanker included, with fancy screen saver disk to follow later
- file lists (Add/Delete...) support arrange by size, date, type, name
- file lists support OA-D to switch desktops, OA-Y to eject 3.5 disk
- WP special codes are unique to each printer instead of being global
- WP find and replace can be restricted to whole word matches
- DB records can be 2560 bytes instead of 1024
- DB sorts can be case sensitive
- DB can list matching categories in another DB file
- DB categories can all be formatted for decimal places, justification, etc.
- DB single record layout can have multiple pages per record, and can
include background text along with category data
- SS adds exponential notation formatting
- SS now supports OA-R Replace text or numbers
There are many more little features, such as displaying category widths
when editing DB multi-record layouts and showing coordinates when editing
single record reports. We don't have the patience to enter every single
little "tweak" here, but your AW will improve as a result.
(BRANDT, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:23/M645;1)
>>>>> > I am wondering is if the "older" TimeOut modules will
""""" > continue to work?
The old TimeOut modules still work great under The Works.
Yes, we are already taking advance orders, and there is a perk for
ordering early. Everyone who orders early will receive a video tape
highlighting some of the excellent new things you can do with the Works.
Walker
(W.ARCHER2, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:33/M645;1)
>>>>> How about importing TheWorks 4 files into programs like Publish.It! 4
""""" and GraphicWriter III. Will they work with the 'current' editions of
those two programs? (I'm talking AWP files here)
Will Sneeze 2.2 and File-A-Trix be able to still display them?
Gary Hayman - Greenbelt, MD (w/GEM v 4.21)
(G.E.HAYMAN, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:57/M645;1)
>>>>> Hi kids!
I'm back from KFest, and despite minutes of sleep since
""""" yesterday, I'm trying to get caught up. It was great to see old
friends whose names I can't list for fear of forgetting someone due to sleep
deprivation. Anyway, on to the issues at hand.
File Librarian is due to be included with Quadriga. Envelope Addresses
likely will be automatically upgraded. Virtually all TimeOuts will have to be
modified, although the installer will make it automatic and easy.
re: sorting in German
I'll probably provide some docs for someone to write appropriate sort
routines for any languages. I believe a simple 2-string compare routine is
all that will be needed. Thanks to Jerry for the idea.
re: numbered categories
The AppleWorks numbered menu bar routine is limited to 30 entries, hence
DoubleData and Quadriga can't use it for accessing 60 categories. It
shouldn't take long to get to a desired category considering you can use OA-
9, or OA-Up or OA-Down to get near in a hurry before finishing with Up or
Down arrows. Someone could write a menu macro that could accept a numbered
input and then move down to the write position. As for your 15,000 record DB
file, you'll be able to find a sorted record in less than a second now.
re: dates
If you read the feature list given in this topic you should have noticed
that the SS supports new Date and Exponential format options. The Julian math
you referred to is possible in both the SS and DB now.
The DB can display dates from 1000 to 9999 and sort them
chronologically. Centuries are optional, so a date can be "Jul 24 93" or "Jul
24 1993". (Other dates are also possible...)
re: WP backwards compatibility
It's possible that some files will load, but that always makes it harder
to add features. I'll try to allow bland files to be accessible by AW 3.0,
but eventually those stuck in the past may have to settle for ASCII exchange.
(BRANDT, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:50/M645;1)
>>>>> > sorting
"""""
You don't have to think in reverse order if you're using AW 3.0, only if
you're doing multiple single sorts.
As for expanding the SS edit area, it's a bit late for that now, but
we'll put it on the "Possible 5.0 Features, If 4.0 Is Wildly Successful"
list.
TotalControl has been improved and included, except for the pop-up
calculator which isn't around any more. Everything else is better.
re: other programs importing
Obviously other software will have to be modified to load any "4.0-only"
files and will work the same as ever on files retaining 3.0 compatibility.
re: DIF
Greg, I basically don't have a clue about DIF and don't know why anyone
would use it anyway, so you'll need to enlighten me on that one.
re: Returns and Tabs in finds
Udo, I'm trying to enhance the find capabilities of AW. One problem with
Returns is that they aren't stored in the file as characters, making it a bit
trickier, but we'll see what can be done.
(BRANDT, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:62/M645;1)
>>>>> Quadriga allows you to insert or delete categories without destroying
""""" the layouts. It will also offer a "pages" option in SRL (single
record layout) in which not all categories have to be displayed. Report label
formats are expected to allow up to 60 lines so that a maximum record could
be displayed with one category per line.
(BRANDT, CAT17, TOP9, MSG:122/M645;1)
>>>>> Most TimeOut modules will need to be upgraded, but the Quadriga
""""" installer will handle most of them, so you won't need to send away
for a bunch of upgrade disks. Some are obsoleted, and some we just don't know
about yet, but our goal is to make it a one-time installation.
(BRANDT, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:80/M645;1)
>>>>> OmniPrint and Outliner will need to be updated to work with Quadriga-
""""" modified AppleWorks.
(BRANDT, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:97/M645;1)
>>>>> Good news for SEG.AM (aux slot memory) users. I just crushed the bug
""""" which kept Delete and OA-Delete from properly killing carriage
returns at the end of a line to pull up the following text line.
Bad news for everyone: due to time constraints, we've had to abandon a
couple of DB features. Single record layout will not have a pages/background
text in this version. There will be some speed/cosmetic improvements, but a
single scrolling page will have to do for now. If 4.0 is a rousing success,
wild stallions couldn't keep us from implementing this in 5.0.
(BRANDT, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:78/M645;1)
>>>>> >mouse support
"""""
The same as with Ultra. Scrolling and selecting menu items is supported,
but no new pull-down menus at this time.
Windowing would be nice, but not in this version. No time.
DeskJet support is expected to be about the same as was available with
SuperPatch, offering Landscape and Portrait printer definitions.
(BRANDT, CAT49, TOP22, MSG:112/M645;1)
>>>>> About 4-5 years ago, I got a disk from Don Aquilino (sp??) that
""""" somehow added pull-down menus to AppleWorks Classic. I never quite
got used to using it, but I know I still have it around here somewhere, and
remember that Don was selling it at an AppleFest in San Francisco.
At that time, Don was involved with Dave Gair and the AW Programmer's
Association. Unfortunately, I haven't kept up with them in years.
Is anyone else familiar with Don's AppleWorks add-on that added mouse
driven pull-down menus?
Joe Kohn
(J.KOHN, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:117/M645;1)
>>>>> > We're shooting for an October 1 release date for the Works. Ultra
""""" > 4.3 should ship soon after (compiler, debug, options, samples,
> etc.)
If I were to buy The Works, would I still want to upgrade to Ultra
4.3? Ultra 4.3 is for AW 3.0, right? Wouldn't every feature Ultra 4.3
gives AW 3.0 already be in The Works 1.0.0.0?
<<<Lloyd>>>
(L.DEVRIES, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:122/M645;1)
>>>>> Wrong. Ultra 4.2 is for AW 3.0 and ULtraMacros 4.3 is for The Works
""""" 1.0.0.0. All that the Works includes is a macro _player_. Ultra 4.3
adds a macro compiler, debugger, options and the ability to record macros.
(BRANDT, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:123/M645;1)
>>>>> Can this Ultra 4.3 upgrade be ordered now? Where? I've already
""""" placed my order for Quadriga with Quality, and would prefer to do all
the installing and learning at once rather in stages. I don't always get
around to the next stage!
I purchased Ultra 4 from JEM, but haven't gotten around to really
learning it since 3.1 works so well. I planned to make the move this
summer when I have time to read manuals and the lessons in Timeout Central,
but Quadriga was announced. It seemed "inefficient" to bother!!
(Inefficient sounds better than lazy or dumb.) Or should I be studying
like crazy now so that I'll be properly prepared for Quadriga??
** Marie Barry **
(M.BARRY2, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:124/M645;1)
>>>>> Marie, there are several other things you can do besides the
""""" Converter macro to prepare Ultra 3.1 macros for Q.
Required:
- Change Launch "Ultra.System" to Launch "um4.0.system" (required; but
be prepared to change it again)
- Change $0="Macro Compiler" to $0="U4 Compiler"
Change $0="Macro Options" to $0="U4 Options" (but be prepared....)
- Change & "Path" to .setdisk (required)
- Change Onerr Stop to Onerr Endmacro (required)
Optional (the old ways _still work_):
- Add Titles for a SA-ESC list and Labels to name your project
(optional; SA-ESC does not work in default macro set in Ultra 4.2,
but it does in Q)
- Change Down Down Down Down Down Down to (Down) 6 (optional)
- Change Msgxy to .writestr (optional, msgxy still works)
- Eliminate all msgxy 0,128's, if all msgxy's are converted to .ws's
- Change { comments } to // Comments (optional)
That should take care of it.
(B.CADIEUX, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:127/M645;1)
WHITHER GS/OS? Hmmm! It is illogical for Apple to continue to develop
"""""""""""""" GS/OS given that they no longer even officially SELL the
machine that it runs on. Although development of GS/OS probably accounts for
a very small portion of Apple's operating budget, none-the-less, it seems
foolish to spend ANY money at all on it. Therefore, I've gotta ask the
question, 'What does Apple get out of continued development of GS/OS?'
Is it goodwill? Very doubtful. Is it a belief that GS/OS will
ultimately turn GS users into MAC users? Hardly worth the cost anymore.
Those who would be converted HAVE BEEN converted. Is it R&D? Any research
and development for the MAC can be done ON the MAC, not on the GS. Is it a
way to keep some people at Apple employed? Nope. If Apple had wanted to cut
positions during the recent layoff, a logical place would have been in the
Apple IIgs development group. Is it a bureaucratic oversight? Perhaps, but
unlikely.
Next question: Why bother to develop an Ethernet interface and MS-DOS
compatibility for GS/OS? Is it because Apple, in their benevolence, wants
to provide GS users with as much utility as possible before they abandon
the platform altogether? Come on! Then why are these things being done?
The only conclusion I can come up with is that Apple plans to license
GS/OS along with the MAC system software.
J-Bird <<MAYBE WE AIN'T SEEN THE LAST GS YET!>>
(J.CURTIS8, CAT5, TOP2, MSG:233/M645;1)
>>>>> Jay, I agree that's an interesting, and logical, conjecture. If true,
""""" it would give a LOT of people in the A2 community a LOT of hope for
the future.
But, I submit to you: True enuf, System 6.0.1 came out as promised, but
do we have any CONFIRMATION on System 6.1? Re: the Apple II Ethernet Card,
has ANYONE heard of the current status of this product?
Furthermore, has anyone heard of the current status of the Apple II
group (whatever it's called this week?), esp. in light of the recent layoffs
and the drop in Apple stock and the rumors that Apple's financial
difficulties may force a cut in R & D?
Inquiring minds need to know......
TTFN, Larry ;-))
(L.FAUST2, CAT5, TOP2, MSG:235/M645;1)
>>>>> Apple will not license the GS System Software. Period.
"""""
(SOFTDISK.INC, CAT5, TOP2, MSG:236/M645;1)
>>>>> RE GS/OS: actually, I got to thinking a few nights ago that as a
""""" means of "porting" the Mac environment to other hardware, GS/OS is
Apple's Great Experiment (a _successful_ one, IMHO). The Mac was built to
support the interface concurrently, whereas the IIgs brought with it some of
the Apple II (pre-GUI) baggage.
What Apple will license, if anything, is the user interface as a
portable environment. It won't be either the Mac or IIgs OS since both are
somewhat synergistic with Apple-designed hardware.
(WIZARDS.MUSE, CAT5, TOP2, MSG:243/M645;1)
>>>>> Jay,
"""""
Good questions. The only reason I think they keep upgrading GS/OS is to
be nice to us. At the financial and save-face level, it's probably the least
expensive way to make sure Apple can refute any claims that it has dropped
support of the Apple II. But, I'll bet there are also a few softies in upper
management who cut their teeth on either using or marketing the Apple II and
can't stand there watching it get axed. There are many people I know who
work for Apple who have a lot of respect for the entire Apple II series.
(MORGAN-DAVIS, CAT5, TOP2, MSG:244/M645;1)
>>>>> From the "News" section of _Windows_ magazine, by Paul E. Schindler
""""" Jr.;
According to an Apple senior vice president, Dave Nagel, all of Apple
Computer's proprietary software will be available under Windows as soon as
possible...
Nagel, who heads the Software Architecture Division and Advanced
Technology Group, said that in the future, "there will be no more
single-platform services. We will strive to make our releases near
simultaneous on all platforms."
...In 12 to 18 months, AppleScript and QuickDraw will be available for
Windows, Nagel said. Eventually, all Apple systems software - scripting,
networking, and multimedia - will be available on as many platforms as
possible, he added.
Even Apple's crown jewel - the user interface it has so zealously
protected in the courts and elsewhere - will be available on UNIX systems
by year's end.
(R.WINSLOW3, CAT5, TOP2, MSG:245/M645;1)
WHAT ABOUT SYSTEM 6.1? > I don't remember the degree of certainty he used,
"""""""""""""""""""""" > but Matt definitely mentioned online the
> possibility of 6.1.
Sorry, but I don't know how many times I've said this, but Matt does
not, and has never worked in the Apple II engineering group. He doesn't
make the decisions on what gets done (and neither do I, for that matter).
The only person who can be expected to make statements regarding what we're
doing is Tim Swihart, my manager at Apple. He, to the best of my knowledge,
has never mentioned that we will be doing a 6.1.
Jim
(MURPH, CAT5, TOP5, MSG:15/M645;1)
___
>>>>> |he only mention I recall from anyone at Apple about a "6.1" or
""""" something like it was along the lines of "we'd _like_ to be able to
do a full minor version change for the last version of the IIgs system
software."
People then started assuming things, and we all know what that turns
us into....
-= Lunatic (:
(A2.LUNATIC, CAT5, TOP5, MSG:16/M645;1)
FLATBED SCANNER FOR IIGS? AppleScan.GS is a 320 mode GS/OS App. It has
""""""""""""""""""""""""" digitizing ratio from 75 dpi to 300 dpi in grey
scale, half tone, and line art modes. The version number is 1.0d1. It was
written by the Apple II System Software development team in 1990 or 1991, I
think. The only place I have seen it is on the Apple Developer Group System
6 CD-ROM. It looks pretty good to me. :)
Our users group got the CD-ROM in the System 6.0 six-disk mailing.
There are lots of other little goodies on the CD-ROM, but most are pre-
release versions and betas. I'm sure that if you posted a message in the
A2Pro area asking about the Developers CD-ROM, someone there could tell you
where to get one for yourself. That is if there are any left.
__
/ \ GS.Ozoneman - IIGS Forever!
\__/ 3 ---====> Delivered by GECopilot 2.1.1 & ProTERM 3.0
(GS.OZONEMAN, CAT6, TOP15, MSG:23/M645;1)
>>>>> I too would be interested in buying a Flatbed Scanner if it had the
""""" software support (OCR). My question is this, how does one hook up a
flatbed scanner? I thought it hooks to the SCSI port on Macs. I remember
seeing something in the CVTech area that the RF will not (ever) support
anything other than a storage device.
(B.HANDLER, CAT6, TOP15, MSG:27/M645;1)
>>>>> There is a driver that comes with System 6.x that will allow you to
""""" run an Apple flatbed scanner on the IIGS. It just becomes another
device in your SCSI chain. At this point there is no OCR program written for
the IIGS and a flatbed, as far as I know. There is however a graphic
screening program that appears to make SHR graphics of whatever you scan in.
I haven't seen this program work and have been told by a friend that the
program has a saving problem, "it won't do it", or at least that's what he
said.
(GS.OZONEMAN, CAT6, TOP15, MSG:28/M645;1)
WHEN THE MAC COMES IN THE DOOR, DOES THE GS GO OUT THE WINDOW? I'm on my
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" fourth Mac.
I have tons of high dollar, high performance software, and every toy that I
could want (except a good laser printer and maybe a tape backup), and I
STILL do better than 90% of my work on the GS. I originally got the Mac
because I needed a second terminal to do my automated online stuff while I
did my REAL work on the GS. I didn't think that it made sense to buy
another GS when I had an opportunity to expand my horizons, and I think
that was an appropriate decision. Still it took me a year and a half, 4
Macs, and thousands of dollars to get a Mac system that can perform in the
same ballpark with the GS, and the GS will STILL whip its butt when it
comes to speed and ease of use.
All of this is WAAAYYYYYY off topic, of course. :)
Gary R. Utter
(GARY.UTTER, CAT4, TOP14, MSG:125/M645;1)
>>>>> Right on!! :)
"""""
I don't mean to bash MACs, or even PCs for that matter. In fact, I plan
to add one of each to my GS collection. However, the GS is now, and always
has been, a very misunderstood machine, especially by folks who didn't own
them or didn't know how to expand them.
J-Bird <<WHO GOT THE LAST GS??>>
(J.CURTIS8, CAT4, TOP14, MSG:128/M645;1)
>>>>> > You've mentioned before that you use your GS much more than the
""""" > Macs for its speed and convenience. Would you go into specifics on
> that, in an _appropriate topic_? I think a lot of folks here
> (including yours truly) would be very interested.
> The Orchard Lounge is a good place: Cat 2 Topic 7.
I use the GS mostly for telecommunications and word processing. There
are a number of no-nonsense applications available on the GS that (in my
opinion) significantly outperform anything available on the Mac, at least
in terms of speed and ease of use. Now, y'all are thinking that this means
I am working with P8 applications, and comparing the speed of the GS text
screen with the Mac GUI. That turns out not to be the case. I haven't used
a P8 application in MONTHS, with the exception of Beta work with the next
version of TIC.
I use WriteAway as my main word processor, and Spectrum as my main
telecomm application.
When I need to do fancy fonts or complex layouts, I compose in
WriteAway, then transfer the text file to the Mac and doctor it with
WordPerfect, or perhaps Word 5, and then print it from the Mac. (While
Pointless and Express make it as easy to print out high quality stuff from
the GS as the Mac, the Mac is still faster, and less prone to glitches. PLUS,
doing heavy print jobs on the Mac leaves the GS free for whatever I want. :)
Gary R. Utter
(GARY.UTTER, CAT2, TOP7, MSG:40/M645;1)
USING YOUR IIGS FOR GEnie IN THE UK Well about a year ago I asked
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" people on GEnie about their opinion
about moving to St. Louis. Everyone seemed to think that was a fine place
and I did it. Now, however, I'm moving my family to London, England for a
year or so. Does anyone have any advice on using a IIGS in England. Do I
need a converter? Will it work on 50 cycles. How 'bout a Magnavox CRT?
Modems, DeskJet, hard drives, etc. Any advice would be appreciated. Also
how does one get on GEnie from London.?
(B.MOSIER1, CAT2, TOP4, MSG:99/M645;1)
>>>>> I think you'll need a voltage converter (240-120) but the GS will work
""""" fine on 50 cycles...hold down Option-Control-Reset and choose "Set
system standards and 50 hertz" or something like that...
Getting GEnie from London is harder...type PHONE or something like that
to find out the phone #...it costs a lot more though.
(T.BUCHHEIM, CAT2, TOP4, MSG:100/M645;1)
>>>>> 1. Check your email.
"""""
2. A.LETCHFORD (who is here on GEnie), being a Brit, can answer
questions about GEnie access.
3. About power... Your equipment should run fine with a 240 -> 110
transformer. Add up the wattage of everything that will be hooked up and buy
the nearest size transformer available (i.e., if it adds up to 275, buy a 300
watt transformer). Don't buy a 50,000 watt transformer to run 500 watts
worth of appliances - you'll burn them up!
4. Where to get a transformer? US military installation thrift shops
are always good. There is a naval installation in London (HQ, US Navy Europe
- tough duty...), airbases at Mildenhall and Lincolnheath, and I'll bet the
embassy has a thrift shop too. Otherwise, you have to check with
an electrical supply house. Obviously, as most Brits buy Brit electric /
electronic kit, they don't need 'em. BTW, you haven't lived till you've seen
a British washer. They make British showers look good!
5. Always, always, always, check polarity at the 110 end of the
transformer with a 3 prong polarity tester. Always.
6. My GS ran fine set for 60 hertz on 50 hertz current. The screen
output went to ca-ca when the control panel was set to 50 hertz.
__
Mike ("Maj") Murley \-\________ o\__
<Delivered by Co-Pilot & Spectrum>---------------\______________}I
(M.MURLEY3, CAT2, TOP4, MSG:111/M645;1)
>>>>> I missed Zorch's original post on this but I will be happy to help if
""""" I can. Without knowing the questions asked, my advice would be to
open a Mercury 5000 Dial account. Tel Customer services on (in UK) 081 914
2456.
Costs: Standard Registration #40 plus #40 per year rental. (this is
for one user name. Each additional user name is #10 registration plus #10
rental per annum - at the time of registration. Useful for groups to share
the overall cost).
Asynchronous usage charges per hour: 300-2400 9600
Peak (8:00am - 8:00pm Mon - Fri) -#1.75 #3:00
Off-Peak (8:00pm - 12:00pm Mon - Fri and
8:00am - 12:00pm Sat, Sun, Bank Holidays) -#1.35 #2.40
Night (12:00am- 8:00am Mon - Sun) -#0.85 #1.50
These charges are on top of GEnie charges but access is usually by a
local call. Cust Service will give the nodes but not all have 9600 access.
Once you have an account access to GEnie is a s simple as dialing the node
and logging on through PAD. I use a modified CoPilot script and I would be
happy to share this info if Zorch want to go down this route.
>>Where to get a transformer?
I use a site transformer 1500 watt (more than I need but hasn't burned
my kit yet). Make sure the transformer can accept through grounding. I have a
contact for that but I expect US sources will be cheaper.
Hope this helps. Happy to talk voice: tel no by Email please.
Andrew C Letchford ----- < Delivered by Co-Pilot and TIC >
(A.LETCHFORD, CAT2, TOP25, MSG:14/M645;1)
IIGS BUILT-IN DUMB TERMINAL Here is a copy of the original message I
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" received. It was written by M.Aikens1 to
A2.Help, where it was forwarded to me.
I was reading the July/August issue of II Alive and
in the article "Modem Nation - Making your first call" it
says there is a dumb terminal program built into the
//GS's firmware. Could you tell me how to access it
because I'm interested in that kind of stuff.
E - Mail me at M.AIKENS1
....Sloanie - A2Pro.Help
(A2PRO.HELP, CAT10, TOP6, MSG:1/M645;1)
>>>>> This message was sent to me by Jerry Kindall of Quality Computers
""""" (QUALITY) after I asked him what II Alive Magazine had written on the
subject (see last post for the II Alive reference)
It's accessed the same way as the built-in terminal program in the IIc
and in the super serial card. First you do IN#2. Then you set up the baud
rate, echo, linefeed handling, etc., using the usual Control-A commands (or
just do nothing and the system will use the defaults in the control panel).
Then do Control-A T (NOTE: Not Control-A Control-T, Control-A T) to enter
the terminal mode. Enter Control-A Q to quit.
....Sloanie - A2Pro.Help
(A2PRO.HELP, CAT10, TOP6, MSG:2/M645;1)
>>>>> Regarding the IIGS terminal mode: On my ROM 03 IIGS I was able to get
""""" this to work, just as was mentioned in the previous message. Get
into Applesoft BASIC, type "IN#2", then Ctrl-A T (which changes the cursor
from a flashing box to a flashing underline). Then I can type any command to
the modem (such as ATDT 555-1212), and it will call that number and connect.
Ctrl-A Q returns you to Applesoft.
Problems with this method: No buffer, so anything that scrolls by is
gone forever.
The IIc worked this way also, except the first version of the Memory
Expansion IIc, which had a bug in the built-in terminal program. The Revised
Memory Expansion IIc fixed that bug.
I don't think using the computer as a dumb terminal is worth the hassle,
considering the number of inexpensive term programs available. You can't do
anything except type and read with this dumb terminal.
Steve Weyhrich <IX0YE>--<
(S.WEYHRICH, CAT10, TOP6, MSG:5/M645;1)
>>>>> On my ROM 01 IIGS, I was not. Try as I might, all I could get was a
""""" printed "?", followed by "SYNTAX ERROR".
Jeff - Delivered by Co-Pilot v2.1.1 and TIC
(J.CARR20, CAT10, TOP6, MSG:7/M645;1)
>>>>> RE "terminal in the modem": no, it's in the _interface_, and more
""""" specifically in the interface _firmware_. The modem is a box that
accepts "AT" commands, but it's the _interface_ that gets the commands to the
modem. And it's the _firmware_ that lets Applesoft send and receive the
commands.
I don't know if there's an easy way to explain the latter, but let's try
this: Applesoft uses the monitor programs (firmware) built into the Apple,
and the monitor programs really only know one place to send user output (the
display screen) and one place to read user input (the keyboard).
To allow for alternative input/output devices in the peripheral slots,
the monitor includes the ability (supported by Applesoft) to change the
location of the program(s) that output is sent or input is gathered from.
Notice that since the Apple runs these programs, they have to reside in the
_Apple_'s memory. (That is, they can't reside in a self-contained box like a
modem.)
The way this is done is by allowing each peripheral card to have a tiny
slice of the Apple's memory for its specific program, which is normally
contained on a memory chip similar to the BASIC and monitor ROMs in your
Apple. The chip is on the card, and when you plug the card in the chip is
"mapped" into the Apple's memory and the programs on it become available. The
monitor (and Applesoft) can then be told to use the card's programs to send
and receive data (this, if you haven't figured it out by now, is what "PR#"
and "IN#" do).
In this particular case, when we say "dumb terminal" program we are
talking about the most _basic_ ability of the card's firmware to allow
diverting the input/output flow between Applesoft and the card to connect it
between the _display screen_ and the card. (That is, Applesoft no longer
receives the input so you don't see '?SYNTAX ERROR', and your keyboard input
is routed past Applesoft to the card so you just type 'Hello', not 'PRINT
"HELLO"'.)
Okay, are we straight on what the "dumb terminal" is? :) (For want of a
better definition, it's the part that allows making the keyboard and screen
appear to be connected directly to the communications port, bypassing
Applesoft. You _can_ have more features, but that basic input/output
capability is the root.)
Many serial communications interfaces have some sort of "dumb terminal"
built-in. The Apple Super Serial card does, and so do the IIgs and IIc serial
ports. But rip the ROM chip off a Super Serial card and the terminal is
"gone", yet the modem _hardware_ is still intact (and can, in fact, still be
used to communicate with an external device _if_ a suitable program is
available in the Apple II memory, probably loaded from disk). As an example,
my Epic internal modem has _no_ (Apple II "mapped") firmware and therefore no
"dumb terminal" capability, but is still perfectly usable with many software
programs, including all the "AT" functions (the software just loads its own
program to talk to the modem hardware). "PR#2" gets you "NO DEVICE CONNECTED"
(from ProDOS BASIC), though; it can't find the required "programs" to talk
to, so it doesn't think there's a modem interface there.
The Hayes Micromodem, by the way, incorporates the _modem_ and the
_serial interface_ (and firmware) on one card. That's why someone might think
the "modem" has the terminal program in it, because the tendency is to refer
to the integrated modem/serial card as only a "modem".
"Smart" modems accept commands from the dumb terminal and interpret them
for their own use. In fact, they contain their own "terminal" function that
allows them to work their own serial interface so they can send messages back
like "CONNECT" as if they were a remote computer. And that's exactly how the
computer sees them; it sends 'AT DT555-FAKE' to what it thinks is a "remote
computer" and the "remote computer" dials up and connects to _another_ remote
computer, then more or less "hides" except for the modem function
(translating between phone line data and computer data).
And, yes, you _do_ run the modem using nothing but "AT" commands, plus
the escape ("plus plus plus") sequence...except as far as the handshaking
hardware goes (and even that is "AT" configurable).
However...if you rip the (external) "smart" modems off two computers and
connect them with a null modem cable, the "dumb terminal" programs can still
be invoked to let the systems "type" back and forth. Obviously, the program
isn't in the _cable_. :)
RE things like downloading: that's actually a bit beyond what a "dumb
terminal" is considered to do (that is, actually _storing_ data, even in
BASIC strings, is a step up). It's possible to do, but not very practical.
For one thing, I don't think Applesoft can keep up with anything much past
300 baud, if that. For another, you'd need to "bootstrap" the process in 2-3
steps to get to even a minimally capable communications program; the _time_
invested in learning (or explaining) how to do this and then implementing it
is impractical versus buying an inexpensive but fully functional
communications package (like Talk is Cheap, to pick one of the lowest-cost
ones I know of).
(Someone else might rather spend 10+ hours futzing with this as opposed
to spending $40+ on a program. If your time is not more valuable than
$4/hour, I have to ask why you have/use a computer in the first place. :)
(WIZARDS.MUSE, CAT10, TOP6, MSG:17/M645;1)
>>> WHAT'S NEW <<<
""""""""""""""""""
NOW SHIPPING!! The Parson's Engineering Focus Hard Card for the Apple II
"""""""""""""" series of Personal Computers. The Focus hard card is a
self contained 2.5" IDE hard disk drive with controller card that plugs
directly into either an Apple IIgs, IIe or Laser 128 system. It does not
require any additional hardware or software to operate. All that is
necessary to install and use the Focus hard card is to plug the card into
the Apple II computer, replace the cover on top of the machine, and turn
the power on.
The Focus card is the same length, height and thickness of a standard
Apple II full size peripheral card. It can be used with other cards without
mechanical interference. It operates very quietly and also has a power down
mode for extended periods of inactivity. (Perfect for BBS's)
Hard Drive Specifications:
* Small Internal hard card for the Apple IIgs, IIe and Laser 128 systems
* Lower cost IDE 2.5" drive and controller
* 40, 80 and 120 Megs sizes available
* Price includes hard card and software, nothing else required
* Easy to install, just plug it in and power up the system
* Quiet Operation
* Zip and Transwarp compatible (Both IIe and IIgs)
* Uses standard Apple power supply, you do not replace you existing one.
* 6 month warranty
Technical specs:
* <18ms access time
* +5V @ 450ma power requirement at startup, 100ma for the rest of the time
Contact Parson's Engineering for future information...
Parson's Engineering
5010 Rimhurst Ave.
Covina, CA 91724
Tel: (818)-966-5538 Fax: (818) 966-5701
Pricing:
Focus 40 : $349 Focus 80 : $449 Focus 120 : $599
Controller without a drive $129
(BURGERBILL, CAT2, TOP27, MSG:17/M645;1)
!!! EXPRESS VERSION 2.1 IS NOW AVAILABLE !!!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Express v2.1:
- Fixes a bug where the spool file wasn't being written correctly in
low memory situations (which caused printed output to go ugly).
- When printing, forces Twilight II to use background blanking so
Express can keep working.
- The "Printer57600" port driver is now automatically recognized as a
serial connection, so data is blasted through Express' serial output
routine like other serial connections.
- IPC inward-bound and outward-bound calls added so third-party
applications can monitor Express' activity.
If you own Express v2.0 the update is just $3.50 for s&h.
If you own Express v1.0 or v1.1, UPGRADE NOW for $17.50+$3.50 s&h
($21.00 total). Express v2.1 is much faster than version 1, and has
several new features (e.g. automatic multiple copies, user-selectable spool
folder location, etc.).
SPECIAL OFFER for our online customers: If you own Express v2.0 we
can email Express v2.1 to you for free (you'll have to pay to download it,
but it's pretty small).
If you want us to email you a copy, send a private note to
"SevenHills" stating "Please email Express v2.1 to me." We will verify
that you are registered for Express v2.0, then upload Express v2.1 to you
on August 9.
All online upgrade requests MUST be received before August 9, 1993.
(SEVENHILLS, CAT43, TOP10, MSG:177/M645;1)
II.SYSTEM This year at KansasFest, Kitchen Sink Software took a little
""""""""" different approach to the sessions that we presented. In the
past, we have held sessions for the 8-bit guys who used their IIgs's as
fast IIe's and the others who don't have IIgs's but still enjoy hacking
around on the Apple II. We have presented sessions on the programs we have
written, and just some general programming sessions.
This year we announced a new development system for the Apple II.
Imagine having access to Double Hi-Res graphics, graphical user interface,
pull down menus, buttons, mouse support, and much more... Well, we demoed
our beta version of System II - The Graphical User Interface for the Apple
II. System II is an 8-bit development system which replaces BASIC.SYSTEM
with a much smaller shell. System II gives you a more complete access of
ProDOS from Applesoft. There are also quite a few entry points for machine
language programmers. II.SYSTEM (That's the SYS file run by ProDOS or your
favorite program launcher) handles the DOS stuff. A supplemental part of
System II is the graphics packages. There are two packages, one for Single
Hi-Res graphics, and one for Double Hi-Res graphics. These packages add on
to the capabilities of II.SYSTEM giving you Applesoft commands to do things
like play musical notes (not full MIDI, but one note melodies), add
pull-down menus to your programs, do hi-res/double hi-res character
generation, define buttons, do screen copying, inversing, combining, and
much more.
As I mentioned earlier, a beta version was demonstrated at
KansasFest. The bugs that we knew about during the demo have all been
fixed (I can't believe how some simple things cause so many problems). We
are looking to have the machine language portion of the programming
completed by the second week of August (since I am on vacation in Canada
until next Wednesday... that's why it will take that long). The runtime
version of the desktop environment for program launching is expected to be
completed by the end of August. We are hoping to release the complete
authoring system sometime in September or October (note: we do this just
like Apple, we announce the month, but never the year :)
Once we complete the runtime version of the code, we will probably be
uploading a demo here to GEnie for your preview. There are several GEnie
subscribers who attended the sessions at the conference and are already
registered developers with System II. Once we complete the rest of the
development system, they will receive all of the documentation, sample
code, and machine language information. However, if you were unable to
attend the sessions at the conference (not for sleep reasons, but because
you weren't there :) we will be offering the development system at a
reasonable price in our fall catalog.
I will be on vacation until next Wednesday, but I will be happy to
answer any questions once I return. I will also be adding a topic to the
list of Kitchen Sink topics over in A2Pro for System II developers to have
their questions answered. For now, hopefully, this post will bring people
up to speed on the System II environment and we will certainly be bringing
more information to the best on-line service in the business as it becomes
available.
Eric Bush, Kitchen Sink Software, Inc.
(KITCHEN.SINK, CAT44, TOP2, MSG:31/M645;1)
TALK IS CHEAP V4.00 After more than a year without an update, Talk is
""""""""""""""""""" Cheap, version 4.00 is ready for release. This is a
major update and includes the first printed revision of the documentation
since version 3.10. The major new features since version 3.31 that was
released a year or two ago are:
A very complete (to the limits of the Apple text screen) VT-102
emulator that includes both keyboard and screen emulation.
More great enhancements to the already most-powerful- on-the-market
scripting language. For those of you that script, have fun; for those who
don't, just wait until you see what creative minds can do with the new
features.
Full hardware handshaking is now fully supported for the IIgs ports
and the super serial card clones so you can run your computer at maximum
baud rate with those new high speed modems and not lose ANY data, even with
Appletalk active.
The IIgs modem buffer is now 64K to avoid overruns.
Scripts can now access any data that is stored in the TIC.CONFIG file
so they can better control and/or take advantage of the environment in
which you run TIC.
TIC now includes TIC scripts that guide the novice user through the
software installation process and actually handle all the file copying and
directory creation involved.
TIC will ship in both 5.25 inch (2 disks) or 3.5 inch (1 disk) formats
as requested by the purchaser (be sure to specify).
Many, many bugs have been fixed (many of which I'm surprised no one
else found before now).
One feature hasn't changed... The update price for old users (who can
provide a copy of the front page of their manual or trade in the master
disk of a competing product) is $15 and new TIC users can still purchase
the program for the inflation-busting $40 price of old.
Orders will now be shipped within 7-10 days (as soon as the docs get
back from the print shop) from my Orlando address. Dealers and schools etc.
can still purchase quantities of 10 or more copies of TIC for a 50%
discount (i.e. $200 for every 10 copies purchased).
Checks or money orders should be made out to:
Don Elton
14207 Glenhurst Way
Orlando, FL 32837
Tech support BBS/Fax: 407-858-9937
Don Elton (delton) or delton@pro-carolina.oau.org
(DELTON, CAT13, TOP3, MSG:130/M645;1)
>>>>> Re: competitive upgrade... The only restriction is that the product
""""" you trade in (by sending in your original master disk) has to be a
currently shipping commercial product.
Don Elton (delton) or delton@pro-carolina.oau.org
(DELTON, CAT2, TOP6, MSG:108/M645;1)
GNO/ME UNIX 2.0 August 8, 1993 (Littleton, CO)
""""""""""""""" Procyon Enterprises announced today that they are now
accepting orders for the new version of their GNO/ME UNIX system for the
Apple IIGS.
Jawaid Bazyar, Vice President of Procyon and head engineer of the GNO
project, said "GNO/ME 2.0 represents a substantial improvement over the
original, which was in its own right a ground-breaking work. In the past
year since the original release, we've listened to customer's concerns and
addressed most of them. We brought even more UNIX power to the IIGS by
implementing the most powerful inter-process communication system available
for the IIGS".
UNIX is quickly becoming the de-facto standard among operating
systems. Even operating systems which never claimed to be UNIX compatible
are rushing to provide POSIX compliance interfaces for their systems.
(POSIX is the International Standards Organization's UNIX standard).
"This release reaffirms our commitment to the Apple IIGS, a very
capable computer that many developers abandoned", said Matt Gudermuth,
President of Procyon. "Some people ask if the IIGS is powerful enough to
run UNIX, and many used to answer with a resounding NO!. We answer these
people by pointing out that the first mainframe computers that ran UNIX
were far less powerful than the Apple IIGS. The IIGS is here to stay, and
we're going to keep supporting it with our powerful system software."
GNO provides UNIX features in an application environment that runs
"on top of" GS/OS, so that the IIGS software everyone enjoys is actually
enhanced by using GNO. Included as standard with the GNO system are
almost one hundred standard UNIX utilities and some IIGS-specific ones such
as print spooling from text or desktop applications and a
"shell-in-a-window" New Desk Accessory. Full support for remote access to
a IIGS via a modem, and built-in ultra-high-speed serial communications
means that GNO is the perfect system for writing communications programs.
"Communications is one of GNO's strong points," remarks Derek
Taubert, the individual responsible for the upcoming Internet access
software for GNO. "Because GNO does all the low-level work for me, and
gives me a simple interface to access it, I can concentrate on the task at
hand instead of worrying about writing things like interrupt handlers".
GNO comes with comprehensive documentation covering all aspects of the
system, including programming the kernel, the shell, the C and assembly
libraries, and utilities.
For more information, including information on upgrade pricing,
contact Procyon at:
Procyon Enterprises Incorporated
Apple IIGS Software Publishing and Development
P.O. Box 620334
Littleton, CO 80162-0334 USA
(303) 781-3273
(PROCYON.INC, CAT2, TOP27, MSG:14/M645;1)
DRIVE-CHECK Summer Sizzlers from Vitesse, for Apple II Users!
""""""""""" [this message heavily edited for inclusion in WHAT'S NEW
-- Ed.] NEW!!! Just released!!! Drive-Check, our new floppy drive test
software checks the condition of your 5-1/4" and 3-1/2" floppy disk drives
for proper RPMs, proper head stepping through all tracks, heads and
electronics for proper Write/Read of disks, and it verifies Header/Sector
information written to floppy disks. Suggested Retail Price is $15.95.
Special introductory offer -- $9.95 plus $3 shipping and handling.
(Stock Number P022)
Vitesse, Inc.
P.O. Box 929
La Puente, CA 91747-0929
(800) 777-7344
FAX: 813-1273
(VITESSEINC., CAT40, TOP7, MSG:120/M645;1)
>>> THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
KANSASFEST SCHEDULE A2-Central Summer Conference begins Thursday, July 22
""""""""""""""""""" The following sessions are confirmed & complete, but
changes may be necessary.
Programming in 3D. Mike Westerfield. The Byte Works, Inc.
Beginner's Guide to Object-Oriented programming. Mike Westerfield. The
Byte Works, Inc.
The Apple II & Education - The HyperStudio Approach. Roger Wagner.
RWP, Inc.
Making HyperStudio YOUR Platform: Writing NDAs & Transitions for Fun &
Profit. Roger Wagner. RWP, Inc.
Adventure Game Design - The Internals. Jay Jennings. Softdisk, Inc.
Intermediate Desktop Programming for the Apple IIGS. Bryan Pietzak.
Softdisk, Inc.
System II: The Complete Graphical Interface for the Apple II (8bit) &
How to Program it from Applesoft & Assembler. Guy Forsythe & Eric
Bush. Kitchen Sink Software, Inc.
Free National Marketing for Apple II Products in the Education Market.
J. Eric Bush. Kitchen Sink Software, Inc.
A View of the II through the Eyes of a Scope. Larry Schneider.
Fun & Easy: Writing Twilight II Modules & Savvy Modules. Jim
Marecondo. DigiSoft Innovations.
High Speed Data Compression - Andy McFadden.
Maximizing Shareware Profits. Joe Kohn. Shareware Solutions II: The
Newsletter.
An Introduction to Digital Electronics. Chuck Kelly. ProDEV, Inc.
Computer Peripheral Design. Chuck Kelly. ProDEV, Inc.
Integrating Applesoft & Assembly. Jerry Kindall. Quality Computers,
Inc.
The Latest & Greatest Advanced Sound Techniques with the Ensoniq 5503.
Nate Trost & Steve Gunn.
An Avatar Update. Bill Heineman.
Switched-On HyperStudio: Designing & Creating Switch Accessible
Software for the Apple IIGS. Bill Lynn. Simtech Productions.
The Hitchhiker Guide to Apple IIGS Telecommunication. Richard Bennett &
Steve Gunn.
The Still.A.Secret: The Mother of All Patch Disks. Randy Brandt. JEM
Software, Inc.
--------------
Days & Times for these sessions would be a helpful addition.
(C.KERN1, CAT44, TOP2, MSG:18/M645;1)
THE FIRST OFFICIAL KANASFEST REPORT The 5th annual A2-Central Summer
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Conference ("KansasFest") is off to
quite a start! On Tuesday night all the GEnie Apple II sysops arrived, plus
Richard Bennet and Linda Harding. Along the way, A2Pro sysops Dave Miller
(JUST.DAVE) and Nathaniel Sloan (C.SLOAN, aka "Sloanie") were in a traffic
accident, totaling Dave's car. Luckily they got away with only a few
scrapes and bruises, and a few of the other sysops went off and picked them
up.
On Wednesday during the day we had our GEnie sysop meetings, working on
ways to bring even more Apple II information to GEnie and make the Apple II
RoundTables an even better place for Apple II people to be. Over the next
few months you'll be seeing some of the results of our efforts, in all areas
of the A2 RTs, and I think all the Apple II users here are really going to
like what we've got coming up. Further details will be made available as we
finalize each plan. Later on Wednesday the rest of the conference attendees
showed up, and we all spent a lot of time hanging out and chatting and
hacking, etc. late into the night (I got about three hours sleep, last night!
I'm not sure where I fit it in, but it was there somewhere. About an hour of
it was me missing breakfast.). There are about 100 attendees here, this
year. I'm not about to type in all their names, but rest assured that
everyone who is anyone in the Apple II world is here! Some of the companies
that have representatives present are: Alltech Electronics, Big Red Computer
Club, Bright Software, Byte Works, Inc., DYA/DigiSoft Innovations, Econ,
GEnie Apple II RoundTables, GS+ Magazine, JEM Software, Kitchen Sink
Software, Parsons Engineering, Procyon, Inc., Quality Computers, Resource
Central, Roger Wagner Publishing, Sequential Systems, Shareware Solutions II,
and Softdisk Publishing. There's also lots and lots of individual developers
and users here.
Today, Thursday, was the start of KansasFest proper. In the morning
there was an opening talk by Tom Weishaar, Uncle-DOS himself. After
welcoming everyone to the conference and saying a few opening words, Tom
presented a few "awards" to the people who have been able to come to every
single KansasFest yet held. Ken Kashmarek got a special award of recognition
for being the only person to have come to all KansasFests so far who actually
paid full price for all of them! Next, Tom actually went out into the
auditorium with the microphone and went to each audience member in turn,
asking them to introduce themselves and say a few words about who they were
and why they had come to KansasFest. This was the first time anything like
this had ever been done, and it was quite fun. Next we had the keynote
address by Mike Westerfield, talking about "Amateur Programming for Fun and
Profit." It was very informative, giving advice and suggestions to all the
programmers, developers, and would-be programmers and developers in the
audience.
Following Mike Westerfield was Bill "Burger Bill" Heinemann, giving us
all an update on the status of the Avatar project. Currently, the Avatar
itself is stalled for lack of funding, since their major financial backer
pulled out. Bill said that most of the design work has already been finished,
especially on the hardware, and they're mainly waiting on some capital to get
the whole thing rolling. In the meantime, they've been working on an Apple
IIgs clone computer interface for Super Nintendo game systems! This would be
a $299 to $399 plug-in device for the Super Nintendo that would turn it into
an Apple IIgs clone computer. A beta or prototype is already working,
according to Bill. It has not been named yet.
The device would come with 2 MB of RAM on board, an "IBM style" floppy
disk drive (720K and 1.44 MB only, no 800K support due to cost
considerations), and an external interface port (it would be either a regular
Apple II slot, or a PCMCIA slot -- an optional card cage could be added to
give more interfaces). The keyboard would be a standard "IBM style" keyboard
with Super Nintendo connectors, plugged into the joypad/joystick port(s). To
use a mouse you would have to purchase Super Mario Paint and use the mouse
included with that (Bill said there's no way he could include a mouse or sell
his own and compete with the price). Alternately you could use the Super
Nintendo's joypad, but he said that it was very awkward.
The beta/prototype of this device uses the ROM code for GS emulation
that Bill is developing for the Avatar. He has gotten some assistance from
Laser Computer (like a sheet of around 50 memory entry locations), so this
device will be at least as compatible in 8-bit Apple II mode with a real
Apple II as Laser computers are. Bill said that he has been able to get
HyperStudio to run on the beta/prototype just fine, but ran into problems
with Teach from System 6.0, and again even more problems with Teach from
System 6.0.1. One problem with this device is that the Super Nintendo screen
mode resolutions are different from those of the Apple IIgs. It has four
screen modes: 256x224, 256x448, 512x224, and 512x448. Emulating a IIgs, you
either lose some screen real estate, or you use a "squeezed" mode which looks
"really ugly," according to Bill. The speed of the device was reported to be
about twice the speed of a stock unaccelerated Apple IIgs. The only Super
Nintendo hardware features Bill reported using for the IIgs emulation were
some DMA memory-moving routines and sprite animation for the cursor.
In its original design, Bill reports the device would easily be able to
copy Super Nintendo cartridges onto a floppy disk (in fact he said it already
can). He is seeking approval from Nintendo for the device, though, which
would necessitate disabling that feature in hardware, for copyright reasons.
(Bill's written plenty of Super Nintendo games himself, so people could even
be pirating his own works! :)
No beta/prototype hardware or photos of such were available to actually
be shown.
There were no special activities at lunch on Thursday, but there is
entertainment scheduled for lunch on Friday.
After lunch the normal sessions began. This year, there are only two
tracks of sessions, instead of the three or four of the past few years.
Sessions on Thursday were generally organized into an "8-bit" track and a
"16-bit" track. The sessions in one were: "System II: The Complete Graphical
Interface for the Apple II (8-bit)," "Programming with System II from
Applesoft and Assembler," "Integrating Applesoft and Assembly," and "The
Apple II & Education: The HyperStudio Approach." The other track's sessions
were: "A Dieter's Guide to Hi-Speed Data Compression," "The Latest & Greatest
Advanced Sound Techniques with the Ensoniq 5503," "Fun & Easy: Writing
Twilight II Modules," and "Intermediate Desktop Programming." On Friday the
sessions are much less easily divisible.
Thursday night in the cafeteria was the Creative Black Tie Celebration
and Celebrity Roast. Part of the "celebration" was inspired by Roger
Wagner's traditional unique ties -- a contest was held to see if anyone could
match or beat Roger's taste in ties (I won the "Most Colorful" prize, for my
black leather bow tie :). The "roastee" of honor after that was Tom
Weishaar, head of Resource Central and all-around swell guy. The "roasters"
were Dennis Doms, Dean Esmay, HangTime, Roger Wagner, and Matt Deatherage
(with help from Tara Dillinger). Any description I could write here would
simply not do the roast justice, so I'm not even going to try! I'm sure
videotapes will be made available by the various groups taping the event,
such as GS+ Magazine, Resource Central, and others, so you can just get the
tape and see it all for yourself.
Late Thursday night there were some rather amusing antics being
performed in one of the dorm lounges, as a group of Apple II developers,
including Roger Wagner, played a game were each person in turn had to grab
and pick up a paper grocery bag in their teeth, while only touching the
ground in one place. After everyone had made an attempt, the bag was
shortened a few inches and they went around again. At the end it got down to
just a single flat piece of paper with a few frayed edges sticking up. It was
quite a sight. Around the time that was ending up, a couple of people pulled
out Aerobee(tm) flying rings and started sailing them back and forth to each
other down the tictactoe board-like halls (the lounge is in the middle).
One was making a clockwise circuit and the other was making a
counter-clockwise circuit. Everyone not involved dodged and ducked their
heads as they went from room to room. (:
-= Lunatic E'Sex (:
Copyright 1993
LUNATIC@GEnie.GEIS.Com
(This message was originally posted to the Apple II RoundTables on
GEnie. It may be reposted and reprinted anywhere as long as the
entire message including this notice and the copyright notice remain
intact.)
(LUNATIC, CAT44, TOP2, MSG:22/M645;1)
UNOFFICAL KFEST REPORT #1 All of Kfest was more fun than is probably
""""""""""""""""""""""""" legal, but here are a few of my more memorable
moments from KansasFest:
Dean Esmay and Jerry Kindall doing a very passable Beavis and Butthead
imitation.
Watching Bryan Zak and Jay Jennings program in a new language that
they hadn't used before. Jay was open to a seemingly random place in Volume
One of the manual and Bryan to a similar place in Volume Two, and they were
having at it, using the "cut and try" school of programming. (These guys
are professionals; don't try this at home, boys and girls!) Roger Wagner
was gleefully videotaping Bryan and Jay for posterity and possible
blackmail, I think. I finally threw all three of them out of my room
because it was 3AM and they weren't making a whole lot of progress. I've
never seen more error messages than program lines before. *8-)
Rooming with Hangtime. I don't recommend that anyone try this who has
feeble health or a pacemaker (or common sense).
The roast of Uncle-DOS. Dean and Hangtime were FUNNY. We should all
lean on them to upload their speeches.
Having a long talk with Joe Kohn (one way-cool guy).
The sight of the A2Pro gang, several of which shaved their heads at
Kfest.
The seminars on the nifty stuff coming out RSN for the Apple II.
And lots more! TomZ
(T.ZUCHOWSKI, CAT44, TOP2, MSG:26/M645;1)
UNOFFICAL KFEST REPORT #2 The Funniest Scenes Awards: (as seen by me)
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
Funniest Sleeping positions: Sloanie & Jim Z (During a Session)
Funniest Roast Routine: A tie between Dean & Hangtime
Funniest Food: Slaw! (A mountain of it served at KC Masterpiece)
Funniest Luncheon quote: Matt, you ignorant Slut! By Diz
Funniest Comments: Everything by Hangtime..(Matt Deatherage: Honorable
mention)
Funniest Attempt at a song: Matt and Yours Truly in the Roast
Funniest Game Name: Bite The Bag
Funniest Hair: Tom W (Honorable mention: A2pro guys)
Funniest Plot to confuse Diz: Jay Jennings, Hangtime & TomZ
Funniest Prankster: A2PRO.Steve
Funniest Nocturnal Activity: Roger Wagner attempting to climb the Dorm
building wall
Funniest Computer Sound: Arghhhh! (sp?)
Funniest 5 Days in a Row That I've Had in a Long Time: KansasFest!
-I laughed and laughed! (but don't I always...hehehe)
Thanks everyone!
Love you!
Tara ;)
(What makes you think this is funny?)
(What makes you think this is funny?)
(TARA, CAT44, TOP2, MSG:27/M645;1)
>>>>> You forgot: "Don't play with HangTime, you don't know where he's
""""" been" -- Matt. <g>
I am so happy to be remembered for my impersonation (with Dean's help)
of Beavis and Butthead. To me, that sums up what KansasFest is all about.
(QUALITY, CAT44, TOP2, MSG:30/M645;1)
KANSASFEST -- OUR LAST REPORT Believe it or not I'm only just getting
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" back on-line from KansasFest. I didn't get
home until something like 6:00 a.m. Monday morning and I slept the entire day
away. I've been fighting some sort of low-level infection since just before
KFest and it started hitting me pretty hard on the way home. Then I had to
set my computer back up and had some personal stuff to take care of, so I'm
just now catching up to messages from the last week!
KansasFest was a lot of fun as usual. I actually slept most nights this
year, which was a change from my usual routine. (Yes, some people actually
DO sleep at KFest. It's not impossible. All you have to do is shut and lock
your door. :-)
This year there wasn't a whole lot of news. There was 3D Logo from
Byteworks, and that looks mondo cool. Other than that, most of what went on
was exploration of things we already knew about, as opposed to new
announcements. Randy Brandt's presentation on the new Appleworks, for
example, was awe-inspiring. Bill Lynn did a great presentation on using
Hypermedia to make great software for the disabled.
One significant bit of news from Jawaid Bayzar was that Sequential is
planning to take over manufacturing, sales, and support of the RamFast SCSI
card in the near future. I suppose we'll be hearing more about that soon.
There was more but I missed a number of sessions - I hope others can
fill us in on those that I missed! Especially on Thursday's sessions, where
I was most busy of all and missed nearly everything.
As usual most of the fun at KFest was after hours, wandering around
meeting fellow Apple II users, talking about computers and everything else
under the sun, and so on.
KansasFest is THE social gathering of the Apple II universe. Those of
you who keep skipping it simply DO NOT know what you are missing.
Dean "Five year veteran, gunning for six" Esmay
PS - And after his roasting, Tom Weishaar was heard to say that he sure
would like to hold KFest again. Let's all pester him so we can nuke those
rumors about this maybe being the last.
(A2.DEAN, CAT44, TOP2, MSG:28/M645;1)
FANTAVISION GS RESURRECTED Several months back I purchased a IIgs "hard
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" drive installable" version of Fantavision GS
(formerly published by Broderbund).
The company now publishing this program is: Wild Duck Software, 979 Golf
Course Drive, Suite 256, Rohnert Park, California,(707)586-0728.
The price at the time I purchased it was $59.00 + 3.50 shipping and
handling (CA residents also pay State sales tax :-(.
This version is System 6.0 compatible and includes a Hyperstudio XCMD
that allows you to directly import Fantavision GS animations into
Hyperstudio. The program itself works pretty much (from what I can tell) the
same as that released by Broderbund but as mentioned, this version can be
installed on any hard drive.
Hope that this post is of interest to fellow "animationalists:-)...
Also, I have one quick question... whatever happened to the animation
program called "Animasia" that was supposed to be published this year for the
GS... I recall downloading some of the pre-release info on this program but
haven't heard anything about it for a long time... anyone got a clue???
-=Ron=- >>> via GEM v4.21 and ProTerm 3.1 <<<
(R.HOCHEVAR, CAT6, TOP5, MSG:106/M645;1)
PREVIEW WITH PAPERFREE... SOMEDAY >>Is there a desk accessory or program
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" which allows one to see what something
looks like on a page before printing in a P16 program?
Marie,
Not yet but forthcoming 'Hot Products' from ECON Technologies list
something called 'PaperFree' which 'allows you to preview and manipulate
documents on screen before printing them out'. I'm quoting from ECON News and
it goes on to say that it will work with any GSOS application that uses the
print manager. This should therefore work with GWIII. Due for release mid-
summer at a retail of $39.95. Don't know what the mail-order price will be.
Andrew C Letchford ----- < Delivered by Co-Pilot and TIC >
(A.LETCHFORD, CAT12, TOP5, MSG:157/M645;1)
WHITHER C.V. TECH? I suspect that the RF will still be around in the apple
"""""""""""""""""" 2 market for another year or two.
Drew
(CV.TECH, CAT46, TOP6, MSG:82/M645;1)
>>>>> One significant bit of news from Jawaid Bayzar was that Sequential is
""""" planning to take over manufacturing, sales, and support of the
RamFast SCSI card in the near future. I suppose we'll be hearing more about
that soon.
(A2.DEAN, CAT44, TOP2, MSG:28/M645;1)
APPLENET 2.0 NEARS RELEASE Since I last posted that bit in topic 1 about
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" AppleNET being "close enough for release", I've
gotten a couple of requests for me to release what I have now -- a
"crippled"
version of AppleNET v2.0, if you please. I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with
this idea, as two of the most important parts are still not implemented (i.e.:
messages and files). But, if enough people would like to see AppleNET v2.0b1
released to the public, I think I'd be willing to let it go into GEnie's
libraries.
What do you think?
Derek Fong
~~~~~~~~~~
Sysop of Eagle-Eyes' Emporium
The official AppleNET support BBS!
(514) 337-8844
(M.POTTER4, CAT41, TOP2, MSG:128/M645;1)
STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT V2.0 Here's a bit of advertising for those
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Apple II gamers of a science fiction bent...
Star Trek: First Contact v2.0 is almost through its beta test. The game has
been significantly improved. Some of the highlights:
- More complex and detailed. Multiple landing sites on each planet.
- Much smoother operation. All those repetitious command sequences
have been improved.
- New missions for the alien Intruder.
- Fully Apple IIgs compatible (no crashes!)
Release time (if all goes well) -- two weeks.
-Jim.
(J.ROYAL1, CAT6, TOP2, MSG:124/M645;1)
QFAX GS As far as the modem goes....Check this out.
"""""""
The Qmodem v32.bis 14.4 modem with send/receive fax. The modem also
features:
Real baud rate of 14,400 bps.
With v32bis compression you can achieve connections up to 56,600 bps.
The modem has caller ID, send/receive fax, silent answer (automatically
distinguishes between voice and fax or you can have it distinguish between
fax and data).
Currently, the fax features only work on the Mac and IBM, but we're
working on Qfax GS which will work with the modem. Initially it will be send
only.
And for the price....hold on to your mouse:)
$299.95.
Quality Computers --- Power for performance
(W.CARVER1, CAT24, TOP5, MSG:125/M645;1)
>>>>> Bill,
"""""
Do you have any idea:
1) When Qfax GS may be available?
2) Whether it will be able to append scanned material, such
as a signature?
(M.TOLCHIN, CAT24, TOP5, MSG:130/M645;1)
>>>>> 1> We don't have a release date as of yet. 2> Yes. If you use
""""" GraphicWriter or the AWGS page layout, you can include a scan of your
signature
Quality Computers --- Power for performance
(W.CARVER1, CAT24, TOP5, MSG:133/M645;1)
>>>>> Sounds great. I don't suppose you can send a whole scanned page?
"""""
(M.TOLCHIN, CAT24, TOP5, MSG:137/M645;1)
>>>>> As long as it's a 640 graphic. Basically, if you can print it, you
""""" can fax it.
Quality Computers --- Power for performance
(W.CARVER1, CAT24, TOP5, MSG:139/M645;1)
NEW COPILOT THIS FALL I have the new CoPilot scripts for TIC and Spectrum
""""""""""""""""""""" about 99% completed.
After a lot of essentially wasted work, I have come to the conclusion that
it is simply going to be impossible to continue to support Point to Point
or versions of TIC older than v3.31 so far as the enhanced scripts are
concerned.
To make this as clear as I can, CoPilot will continue to support PtP
and older versions of TIC when it comes to uploading/downloading library
files, RT messages and Email. However, the things we are doing with the
enhanced scripts are as close to impossible as makes no difference with the
older versions of TIC and with PtP.
As of the next release of CoPilot, FULL support will only be available
to owners of TIC v3.31 or greater, ProTerm v3.0 or greater and Spectrum.
For those of you who have older versions of TIC your choice is to
spend $15 for the upgrade or to be unable to use the "enhanced" features of
the new scripts.
NOTE TO PtP OWNERS: You might have missed it, but Don Elton is
offering an upgrade path for YOU. Send him your original PtP disk and he
will sell you the latest version of TIC (4.0 is now released), complete
with new manual, for the same price as the upgrade to TIC owners. $15 for
one of the most powerful comm programs around is NOT a bad deal.
NOTE: Dons offer applies to ANY commercial comm program for the Apple
II, so far as I know. So all you MouseTalk and Teleworks Plus owners (not
to mention a lot of OTHER programs) should think about this real hard, it's
a deal that can't be beat. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, let me tell you a little about what the enhanced scripts will
do....
1. Allow you to cancel categories and topics, ignore categories and
topics, and mark topics. (And this happens BEFORE you read
messages. :)
2. Allow you to draw an INDex of a RoundTable and set you NAMe in a
RoundTable.
3. Allow you to set up a library search while offline and have it run
automatically when you go online.
4. Allow you to set up a message search (by date and/or message #
and/or author etc.) while offline and have it run automatically
when you go online.
5. Allow you to prepare Xmodem Email while offline and have it sent
automatically.
6. Allow you to retrieve Xmodem Email automatically (unattended).
7. Allow you to prepare files to upload to the library while offline
and have them upload automatically when you go online.
8. Allow you to check libraries for new uploads once a day,
automatically.
9. Allow you to do a RAM instead of a BRO NOR. (FINALLY :)
10. Allow you to break out of the script between RTs without messing
things up. (Useful when you change your mind about doing
EVERYTHING right now. :)
Those are the high points. There are a few more minor things that I
can't think of right now.
I am CONSIDERING a "personal menu" option that will allow you to call
your own scripts from the "enhanced" CoPilot menus, but unless I can make
it work smoothly and without much room for error, it won't happen.
Oh, yeah, you'll be able to download the GEnieLamp automatically with
the new version.
SOME of these things take a bit of configuration, but mostly it is a
question of putting a specifically named text file in the GEFiles folder.
I think this update is going to be real popular.
Right now we are working on the translation of the TIC scripts to
ProTerm. Once that is done, we'll be ready to go with this. Unfortunately,
for all its power, PT3 is a bit more difficult to script for than TIC, so
this will take a bit. We're shooting for Labor Day weekend, but DON'T count
on it.:)
Gary R. Utter
(GARY.UTTER, CAT10, TOP11, MSG:160/M645;1)
>>>>> From the "good news/bad news" department.....
"""""
The bad news is that it now looks EXTREMELY unlikely that we will be
able to deliver the new scripts by Labor Day weekend.
The GOOD news is that the reason for the delay is that we are adding
even MORE neat features.
1. Ability to set your choice of directory for downloaded files for
EACH RoundTable. (finally, eh? :)
2. Ability to set up a list of RTs from which to get a "new files"
list, which will be run automatically, once in any given 24 hour
period.
3. Ability to do a delayed logon.
4. Ability to toggle the state of Xmodem Email downloading, either
automatically, or manually.
There will probably be a couple of other things as well, keep your
fingers crossed. :)
Gary R. Utter
(GARY.UTTER, CAT10, TOP11, MSG:202/M645;1)
APPLE EXPO BOSTON POSTPONED Word has it that Apple Expo Boston has been
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" postponed from October to April. Anyone have
any additional information about this?
Tyler
(A2.TYLER, CAT4, TOP12, MSG:22/M645;1)
>>>>> That is correct and verified.
"""""
Joe Kohn
(J.KOHN, CAT4, TOP12, MSG:23/M645;1)
SIX PACK BUGS FIXED; NEW FEATURES The Six Pack bugs (with CdevAlias and the
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Alarm Clock NDA) have been fixed. Call
1-800-777-3642 for an update.
(QUALITY, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:352/M645;1)
>>>>> Tim - I don't think you missed anything. There are a couple of "bugs"
""""" regarding Six Pack and System 6.0.1, namely, CDev Alias no longer
work and the Alarm Clock's window does not draw. Both of these bugs have been
fixed and are now shipping (I think) with SixPack. QC may have an update
path/program for you if you are interested in this, however...
The BIG update to Six Pack is not quite ready yet. Actually, the coding
is all done. The only things left are to squeeze out any last minute bugs
that appear (i.e., do some final testing) and to write up some documentation
for the changes and NEW (hint hint) stuff. Of course, after that it has to
get printed and the programs placed on disk, etc. Timetable? No release date
available until the testing is complete, because this is a variable. If all
goes well, a great new 6Pack will be available soon...
Can't talk about un-released material, BUT...
+ A number of user-suggestions have been implemented
+ Eight of the existing programs have been enhanced
+ Four new programs may be included in the new release
In general terms, the big changes are...
+ Six Pack modules will talk to and cooperate with each other
as well as the Finder
+ The new programs are great!
+ A great happy surprise for SuperDataPath fans
+ Using the finder will be easier and more productive then
ever, with lots of functions just a Click or a Keypress away...
Hope that whets some appetites!!
Bill {W.TUDOR}
(W.TUDOR, CAT42, TOP26, MSG:166/M645;1)
>>>>> Here's another little peek at what's coming...
""""" SuperDataPath in _Save_ dialogs!!
(W.TUDOR, CAT42, TOP26, MSG:172/M645;1)
>>> MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
Category 4, Topic 14
Message 119 Sat Jul 24, 1993
J.CURTIS8 [Jay] at 12:24 EDT
>Gee...I'd like to get a new house with a pool for $2000. And NO
>SHACK! A complete system for $400 and "NO JUNK!"?
$400 DOES seem a bit low for a complete system. However, the way GS
stuff is selling right now, as a starting offer it's about right. In my
locale, complete systems (some fully decked out) are going for $550 to
$600. This is hardly a GS system's functional value, however.
My advice to anyone thinking about selling their GS is: (A) Take your
time, and part it out. You'll make more on it, but you'll have to wait for
your money. Or, (B) KEEP YOUR GS! As a functional tool, it's worth much,
much more than the $500 to $600 you'll get for it (if you get ANY offers at
all).
>Mac people consider it junk
Grrrrr! Heck, the dern thing's got a 24-bit-wide data bus, DMA, fully
addressable 8MB RAM capability, 4096 colors, FULL OS with the friendliest,
object-oriented, graphic-based user interface you'll ever see on ANY
machine, including a MAC. It's got TrueType, multitasking, aliasing and
file compression extensions... With an RF card and Zip it'll literally run
rings around any 386/16...or more than 90% of the DOS boxes in use today,
to say nothing of MAC Classics, LCs and many IIs.
DOS still hasn't effectively broken the 640k RAM barrier, not even
DOS 6.0, (btw)... and never will. While Windows may look pretty, it runs on
DOS, and the majority of the <<real>> work gets done in DOS sessions,
anyway. Windoze is a VERY POOR, unfriendly, system-jamming imitation of the
Apple user interface, which does little more than steal your RAM and your
$$$$. While MACs have a friendly, pleasing interface, most of them can't
expand, are often subjectively slower than an unaccelerated GS, or any GS
with RF card for that matter. None have a character-based user interface
option except for the LC in 8-bit emulation (which, btw, is a joke standing
next to a GS running the same software).
The GS is__ still__ a superior machine to most of the computers in
use. Why sell it, when most people don't realize how good it is and aren't
willing to pay what it is worth as a tool? Don't get caught up in glitter
and hype, or be panicked by the fact that Apple has stopped selling the GS.
Make hard, objective comparisons before you buy or sell. Consider your
needs, and consider the fact that eventually the GS may be worth a lot more
money, market-wise. Anything less than that may be a waste of your dollars
and your sense. :)
J-Bird <<WHO GOT THE LAST GS??>>
[*][*][*]
Category 2, Topic 5
Message 73 Mon Aug 09, 1993
A2.LUNATIC [Lunatic] at 05:24 EDT
___
|he "visionary" aspect of Apple Computer has ALWAYS been taking an
existing technology and implementing it in a consumer product, though. Just
like Ford invented the Model-T, not the automobile, Apple didn't actually
invent the personal computer, they invented the Apple II. They didn't
invent disk I/O, they invented an AFFORDABLE disk I/O device (the Disk II).
They didn't invent the GUI, they invented the Lisa/Macintosh GUI (the first
mass-market, popular GUI). Likewise, they didn't invent the mouse, laser
printers, the SCSI interface, SIMM sockets, 3.5" floppy drives, or many
other things that are now taken for granted with 90% of the new personal
computers sold today. They did, however, use them first on widely available
popular personal computers. So Apple didn't invent the PDA, so what? The
Newton still looks to be the Model-T of the future PDA world. Apple got
into the true laptop arena late, but boy those PowerBooks sure look nice
compared to the MS-DOS/Windows laptops currently available, don't they?
Nice enough that even a lot of DOS diehards bought them.
_
/-\pple's NEVER been an "inventing" company. They make a lot of great
actual products out of the raw clay (ideas) from others, though. THAT'S how
they are "visionary." It may just be that now with so many other potters at
their own wheels, the products of any one potter are much less distinct and
unique. Plus it's so much more cutthroat now that everyone's trying to find
out what everyone else is doing, and beat them to market. Even without
spying on each other, everyone is trying to find ways to come up with the
same result, and naturally more than one company is likely to follow the
same path, independently.
-= Lunatic (:
[*][*][*]
While on GEnie, do you spend most of your time downloading files?
If so, you may be missing out some excellent information in the Bulletin
Board area. The messages listed above only scratch the surface of
what's available and waiting for you in the bulletin board area.
If you are serious about your Apple II, the GEnieLamp staff strongly
urge you to give the bulletin board area a try. There are literally
thousands of messages posted from people like you from all over the
world.
/////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "Status $2f indicates that the device did not respond to the /
/ selection process. In a nutshell we said 'Hey drive!' and it /
/ didn't say 'What?'" /
////////////////////////////////////////////////// CV.TECH ////
[EOA]
[HUM]//////////////////////////////
HUMOR ONLINE /
/////////////////////////////////
Fun & Games On GEnie
""""""""""""""""""""
[JOKEMASTER]
>>> JOKEMASTER'S COMPLETE LIST OF BOGUS VIRUSES-POLITICAL VIRUSES <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
BILL CLINTON VIRUS This virus mutates from region to region. We're not
"""""""""""""""""" exactly sure what it does, but may be taxing to your
system.
BILL CLINTON VIRUS - Strain 2 It doubles the files on your hard drive
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" while it states it is decreasing the
number of files, increases the cost of your computer, taxes its CPU to
maximum capacity, and then uses Quicken to access your bank accounts and
deplete your balances.
AL GORE VIRUS Not strong enough to act on it's own, but when combined
""""""""""""" with another virus it hops on a bus and travels around the
system.
ROSS PEROT VIRUS Similar as the Jerry Brown Virus, only nicer fonts are
"""""""""""""""" used, and it appears to have a lot more money put into
it's development. Unknown effects, but just when you think it's quit...
IT'S BACK!
ROSS PEROT VIRUS - Strain 2 Activates every component in your system,
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" just before the whole thing quits.
ROSS PEROT VIRUS - Strain 3 After several years, the damage caused by
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" this little virus is still unclear. It often
displays impressive graphics which have little relevance to the users
interests or needs.
Source: JOKEMASTER (some from various sources) #3707C
Keywords: Virus,Original,Computer,Political
[*][*][*]
HUMOR_QWIKPICK true story: I was downloading a file the other day when
"""""""""""""" my phone line was hit by lighting. Just before it died
my modem said "*&^%$#@!" [G.MARON]
HUMOR_QWIKPICK Ad in the classified section of a local computer rag.
"""""""""""""" Honest! Coleman Grads! Are you or your computer "not
working"? We can help! IBM, Apple, Amiga? We can tell you which one you
have! We specialize in: power cable attachment and power switch toggling;
Advanced DOS commands such as DIR, COPY, DEL, and "FORMAT C:" Making
write-protected diskettes usable again; Programmer deprogramming. REMEDIAL
CONSULTING GROUP. ###-#### [KD]
[EOA]
[REF]//////////////////////////////
REFLECTIONS /
/////////////////////////////////
Thinking About Online Communications
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Phil Shapiro
[P.SHAPIRO1]
>>> THE SOCIAL RAMIFICATIONS OF LOW-COST HIGH-SPEED MODEMS <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Every advance in communications technology brings with it a
concomitant advance in human welfare. The easier and less expensive it
becomes to communicate at long distance, the greater the benefit to society
as a whole.
For instance, when long-distance modem communications is made less
expensive, new opportunities open up for software developers around the
country to collaborate on new software development projects. Naturally,
society as a whole benefits from the fruits of software development
projects.
Likewise, when long-distance modem communications is made less
expensive, doctors in different parts of the country can more easily share
the results of medical tests, medical records, and medical research.
Society, as a whole, benefits substantially in this way.
In a similar way, engineers and scientists can benefit from the
lower-cost interaction. Writers and artists can more easily communicate,
resulting in a more productive cross-fertilization of ideas. Students can
benefit from having access to more information resources at their
fingertips.
So when U.S. Robotics introduced their popular "Sportster" high-speed
modems a few months ago, the online world quickly became abuzz with
excitement. With a street price of under $200, these new modems bring
high-speed communications within the reach of many individuals and small
businesses.
Other modem manufacturers have made similar price cuts in their line
of high-speed modems. What makes these high-speed 14,400 bits-per-second
modems so useful is that they allow even large files to be transmitted in a
matter of minutes.
But what are the social ramifications of individuals and businesses
connecting at 14,400 bits-per-second? Many and varied.
In a manner of speaking, high-speed modems shrink distances across the
country. With the advent of low-cost high-speed modems, California becomes
closer to Washington DC. In the past, physical distances served as a
barrier between people. Three hundred years ago, if someone lived more
than a hundred miles away from you, you might never have a chance to meet
them in your life. Today, the chances of your exchanging ideas with
someone across town are almost the same as the chances of you exchanging
ideas with someone across the country.
Those of us who have been involved with online communications are so
accustomed to incremental improvements in telecommunications technology
that it is difficult to appreciate when a truly breakthrough development
occurs. The introduction of low-cost high-speed modems in the past few
months is the type of advance that will bring a quantum increase in social
benefits, both near and far.
In a sense, modem manufacturers are involved in producing a tool that
brings benefits to people in all walks of life -- regardless of whether
they themselves personally make use of the new communications technology.
A reverberation of benefits will be accruing to society as a whole as
high-speed modems penetrate our homes and businesses.
A round of applause, please, for U.S. Robotics, Hayes, Microcom,
Practical Peripherals, Zoom, Supra and the many other modem manufacturers
who have brought us forward to this point. Their work to bring cheaper,
faster modems to market will produce social benefits whose importance we're
only just beginning to fathom.
-Phil Shapiro
[*][*][*]
The author takes a keen interest in the social dimensions
of communications technology. He can be reached on GEnie
at P.SHAPIRO1; on Internet: p.shapiro1.genie.geis.com;
on America Online at: pshapiro
/////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "Any software that stays secret forever generates very little /
/ revenue!" /
/////////////////////////////////////////////////// BRANDT ////
[EOA]
[BEG]//////////////////////////////
BEGINNER'S CORNER /
/////////////////////////////////
Polishing Green Apples
""""""""""""""""""""""
By Steve Weyhrich
[S.WEYHRICH]
>>> GS VOCABULARY 101 <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
IN MY LAST ARTICLE I discussed putting together an Apple IIGS system,
"""""""""""""""""" with the costs and possible sources of the equipment.
This month, instead of the promised closer look at what you can do with a
bare-bones IIGS system, I would like to define some terms that will be
coming up as our discussion continues. The goal of presenting this word
list is to make sure that the technical terms I will be using are clear
ahead of time.
I am placing this list not in an alphabetic order, but rather in a
topical order, so terms with similar or related meanings are defined in the
same general area. If you want it alphabetized, I leave that as an
exercise for the reader.
WARNING!! The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Word-Flood
Warning, effective immediately for all computers downstream of this issue
of the GEnieLamp. Be prepared to sandbag your monitor, in case the flood
of words gets too overwhelming. If you are unable to safely protect your
desk, you are instructed to turn off your monitor or head for higher
ground. Do not, repeat, DO NOT flush your buffer until that backlog has
cleared, and boil all of your floppy disks before using them.
[*][*][*]
RAM: Random-Access Memory Can refer to the memory chips in the computer
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" ("I had to order eight of the RAM chips to
increase the memory in my computer.") Also used in the context of how much
memory is available ("This software package requires a minimum of 768K
RAM.") What is important to remember about the RAM used in your computer
is that it holds data only as long as power is supplied; if you lose power
or shut the computer off before saving your work, it will be gone.
ROM: Read-Only Memory Electronically the same thing as RAM, with one
"""""""""""""""""""""" exception: the programs or data in ROM do NOT
disappear when power is shut off. Thus, ROM is used in to hold
instructions for the computer that are expected to be available at all
times, even when first turning on the computer. This makes the computer
smart enough to get itself started with little intervention from the user.
Although ROM may also be referred to in terms of how many "K" or "megs" it
holds, you cannot store any new data on top of what is stored in ROM; it is
not erasable.
HARDWARE The physical components of a computer (i.e., the computer
"""""""" itself, the keyboard, disk drive, monitor, etc). Primarily
refers to what can be physically picked up, touched, smelled, tasted, or
can be modified with hand-held tools.
SOFTWARE The programs you run on your computer. Software is definitely
"""""""" NOT something that you can handle physically, although the
disks on which a program is stored CAN be. Because ROM is unchangeable,
software is loaded into RAM and executed in RAM.
FIRMWARE This is software that has been stored permanently in a ROM chip.
"""""""" It is called "firm" instead of "soft" because it cannot be
modified or erased. The Applesoft BASIC interpreter that is part of every
Apple II from the II Plus up through the IIGS is an example of firmware.
The built-in software routines in the IIGS that manage memory, graphics,
and many other functions are also firmware.
MICROPROCESSOR The "brain" of a computer. This is an integrated circuit
"""""""""""""" that is able to manipulate the data in RAM or ROM and
come up with a result through a set of specific steps, or instructions.
The microprocessor used in the original Apple II, II Plus, and unenhanced
IIe is the 6502; in the Apple IIc and the enhanced IIe it is the 65c02; and
in the Apple IIGS it is the 65816. (For those interested, the 6502 is also
used as the brains of the Nintendo game system, and the 65816 is the brains
of the Super Nintendo.)
The microprocessor used by the Macintosh, Amiga and Atari ST computer
is the Motorola 68000 series (68020, 68030, and 68040 are progressively
more powerful and sometimes faster versions of this processor). The IBM
series has used microprocessors made by Intel, with names like 8088, 8086,
80286, 80386 (or 386), 486, and now Pentium (previously known as 586 or P5).
8-BIT The 6502 and 65c02, used in the Apple II, II Plus, IIe, and IIc, is
""""" an 8-bit microprocessor, since it handles 8 bits (one byte) of
data at a time. It has an address width of 16 bits, which makes it
possible to handle 64K of RAM (65,366 bytes) at any one time. In order for
certain programs (such as AppleWorks or Publish It!) to use larger amounts
of memory, those programs do what is known as bank-switching, where they
jump among various 64K banks of memory. The 6502 is still working with
only 64K at a time, but it is being fooled into handling larger amounts of
memory. This is somewhat workable, but the memory management is still
somewhat difficult, and not many programs have been able to do this.
16-BIT The 65816, used in the Apple IIGS, is a 16-bit microprocessor,
"""""" capable of handling 16-bits (two bytes) of data at a time. It
has an address width of 24-bits, which makes it possible to handle 16 megs
of RAM (16,777,216 bytes) at a time. This chip can treat all of this
memory as one large continuous space, and does not have to use any
complicated bank-switching scheme as does the 6502/65c02 processors.
Because of design limitations, however, the Apple IIGS can use only 8 megs
of this address space for RAM; the other 8 megs is partly used by the
system ROM, but is otherwise unavailable.
DECIMAL The base 10 system of counting, where ten digits (from 0 through
""""""" 9) are used to represent numbers. The number "234" in the
decimal system refers to:
234 = 2*10^2 + 3*10^1 + 4*10^0
234 = 2*100 + 3*10 + 4*1
234 = 200 + 30 + 4
234 = 234
(Note that in algebraic notation, "10^2" means "10 times 10", or "10
squared", or "10 raised to the second power". "3*10" means "3 times 10").
BINARY The base 2 system of counting, where two digits (0 and 1) are used
"""""" to represent numbers. On computers, the percent symbol is
sometimes used to depict a number as binary, particularly in a language
known as assembly (which deals with the function of the computer on the
level of the microprocessor). The decimal number "234" would be
represented in binary as "%11101010", or:
%11101010 = 1*2^7 +1*2^6 +1*2^5 +0*2^4 +1*2^3 +0*2^2 +1*2^1 +0*2^0
%11101010 = 1*128 +1*64 +1*32 +0*16 +1*8 +0*4 +1*2 +0*1
%11101010 = 128 + 64 + 32 + 0 + 8 + 0 + 2 + 0
%11101010 = 234
HEXADECIMAL The base 16 system of counting, where sixteen digits (0
""""""""""" through 9 and A through F) are used to represent numbers.
This system was designed to make the expression of numbers on a computer
easier, since it still shows something about what the number is in binary,
but uses fewer digits and is easier to read (once you get used to it!). In
this system, the digits 0 through 9 have the same meaning as in the decimal
system, but the letters A through F are used to represent the decimal
numbers 10 through 15.
On computers that use the 6502 or 65816 microprocessor, it has become
customary to designate hexadecimal numbers with a preceding dollar sign.
(Other computers may use the letter "H", as "HEA" instead of "$EA"). The
decimal number "234" would be represented in hexadecimal as "$EA", or:
$EA = E*16^1 + A*16^0
$EA = 14*16^1 + 10*16^0
$EA = 14*16 + 10*1
$EA = 224 + 10
$EA = 234
It is easy to determine the binary equivalent of a hexadecimal number,
simply by taking it a hex digit at a time ($E = %1110, and $A = %1010, so
$EA = %11101010).
BIT A single binary digit, which can be on or off, one or zero. It is
""" the smallest piece of data that can be manipulated at a single time
by a microprocessor.
NIBBLE One half of a byte, or four bits, this term is not used much by
"""""" non-programmers. The byte $EA is composed of two nibbles, $E and
$A.
BYTE For the sake of convenience, bits are usually clumped together into
"""" groups of eight. A group of eight bits is called a "byte", and can
be any number from 0 to 255 (decimal). Thus, the number "0" is "%00000000"
in binary, and the number "255" is "%11111111" ("$00" and "$FF" in
hexadecimal, respectively).
KILOBYTE Also known as "K", this is from the metric system method of
"""""""" designating one thousand. However, since computers think in
binary, 1 kilobyte is not exactly 1000 bytes, but rather 1024 bytes (2^10,
or 2 multiplied by itself 10 times). Computer memory and disk storage have
usually been designated in "K", but with larger and larger sizes of memory
and storage becoming available, this is becoming an outdated term. The
Apple II Plus came standard with 64K memory (64*1024 bytes = 65536 bytes of
memory).
MEGABYTE Also known as "meg" or "MB", this is also from the metric system
"""""""" for one million (or a thousand thousand). Again, this does not
refer simply to 1,000,000 bytes, but to 1024 K, or 1024*1024 = 1,048,576
bytes. The Apple IIGS is capable of handling up to 8 megs of memory, and a
common size for a hard disk is 40 megs.
MONITOR This is used in two ways on the Apple II:
"""""""
1) "monitor" (not capitalized) refers to the screen or CRT (cathode
ray tube) used as a primary display device. A monitor may be
monochrome (usually a black background with characters in white,
green, or amber), or RGB (Red-Green-Blue) color monitors. A
standard television could be attached to a computer, but the
resolution is usually not high enough to properly display 80-column
text in a legible fashion. A IIGS is most useful (and fun!) with
an RGB monitor, but will work acceptably with monochrome. Monitors
with names like CGA, EGA, and VGA are primarily for the IBM series
of computers, and refer to increasing graphics capabilities.
2) "Monitor" (capitalized) refers to a program in ROM that is used to
examine the values of memory addresses, clear the screen, send a
character to the printer port, read a keypress from the keyboard,
and many other functions.
MOTHERBOARD Refers to the large circuit board inside the computer. The
""""""""""" motherboard holds the electronic circuitry that makes the
computer work, as well as places where external devices (such as a
keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc.) may be attached.
SLOT This is a long socket on the motherboard of a computer into which a
"""" peripheral card may be plugged. The IIGS has seven slots along the
back side of the motherboard, and another one on the right front that is
reserved specifically for memory expansion cards.
PORT This is the designation given to a place where an external device
"""" may be attached to the computer. The back panel of the IIGS has a
printer port, modem port, disk port, RGB monitor port, monochrome monitor
port, and keyboard port.
INTERFACE An interface is something which translates something into
""""""""" something else. For example, a keyboard is an interface that
translates letters and numbers that humans understand into digital
electronic signals that the computer can comprehend and act upon. A
monitor is an interface that translates those digital electronic signals
into a visual representation that humans can read.
Interfaces are also used between electronic devices. A disk drive
uses digital information in a manner different from that used in RAM chips,
so an interface card (also called a controller card) is needed to translate
from the language understood by the disk drive to that understood by the
computer.
PARALLEL INTERFACE An interface that transmits data to another device
"""""""""""""""""" through eight or more parallel wires, where each line
carries a single bit of information. This allows a full byte to be sent at
once. Parallel cables look like flat ribbons.
SERIAL INTERFACE This type of interface sends data to another device as a
"""""""""""""""" continuous stream of single bits. The cable for a
serial device is simpler (fewer wires) than the cable for a parallel
device, and generates less radio frequency interference; however, it may
not be as fast as a parallel device, since it takes longer to send a stream
of eight bits than it takes to send eight bits simultaneously.
MOUSETEXT A set of pictograms that can be displayed on the standard text
""""""""" screen of a IIGS, IIc, or enhanced IIe. These lines, arrows,
pointers, and other symbols can be used to highlight plain text. They
cannot be directly generated by typing on the keyboard, but must be
"printed" to the screen in a particular way.
INTERRUPT This is a special signal sent to the microprocessor that tells
""""""""" it to stop what it is doing, and start running a special
program elsewhere in memory. Certain types of interrupts (such as pressing
the Control and RESET at the same time) can never be avoided; the
microprocessor MUST respond to that type of interrupt. Other types of
interrupts can be temporarily disabled by programs that cannot allow
themselves to be interrupted (such as the timing routines used by the
software that controls disk drives).
CLASSIC DESK ACCESSORIES (CDAs) Add-on programs that are available at any
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" time, while using any program on the
IIGS, whether 8-bit or 16-bit, as long as that program does not disable
interrupts. (A keyboard interrupt is responsible for getting the attention
of the microprocessor and displaying the CDA screen.)
NEW DESK ACCESSORIES (NDAs) Add-on programs that are ONLY available when
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" running 16-bit software that supports access
to them (i.e., it must display a menu bar at the top of the screen, and
have the solid apple symbol displayed on the left edge). These programs
can be and usually are more complex than CDAs.
NEXT TIME Tune in again next time for a discussion that deals with the
""""""""" IIGS Classic Desk Accessories, focussing on the all-important
Control Panel. We'll get to what can be done with a minimal GS system yet.
I promise.
Really.
/////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE /////
/ "You should see what happens when you try to eject a ram disk. /
/ Chips flying everywhere. It's horrible." /
///////////////////////////////////////////////// W.CARVER1 ////
[EOA]
[BYT]//////////////////////////////
NEWSBYTES /
/////////////////////////////////
PC Prices: How Low Can They Go?
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
(Reprinted with permission)
Editorial - PC Prices, How Low Can They Go? 08/13/93
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1993 AUG 13 (NB) -- By John McCormick.
Should you buy now or wait for lower prices?
That question, often ignored by computer publications, is really more
important to most users than whether the latest microprocessor is 2.5-times
faster than the last release or will really only run their software
2.25-times more quickly.
Because most users never push their hardware or software anywhere near
the limits, few buyers really care about the fastest hardware and instead
are far more interested in the cost of just enough power to meet their
particular needs.
These days, that generally means a 386SX if you don't run Windows, and
a 486 if you do, or whatever Macintosh you can afford if you are
Apple-oriented.
With the steady deterioration in profit margins for manufacturers and
a consequent Dutch-auction atmosphere among buyers, you really have to give
some serious thought to non-essential new hardware purchases. (A
Dutch-auction just means that, unlike normal auctions where people keep
bidding prices up, prices are constantly marked down until products sell.)
Obviously, if you need new hardware then you buy it now, selecting
among vendors based on price, quality, and options. This also holds true
if you don't have a computer yet - they are such powerful tools that
virtually every business and many individuals really need one and the
price/pay-off ratio for a first computer has been right for almost a
decade.
But what if you would like to upgrade although you don't really need
to yet? In that case, your real problem is not selecting a vendor but
deciding if prices will continue to drop.
Apple Computer, after suffering the worst fiscal quarter in its
history, will obviously have to continue its recent price-cutting ways and
work at reducing costs if it wants to improve or even maintain its market
share.
Price cuts continue for two basic reasons. First, competition is
really getting to cutthroat proportions as more and more buyers are
discovering that, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, a PC is a PC is a PC. And,
second, efficient PC makers can afford to cut prices because component
prices are continuing to fall. Intel's 486 processor prices are falling
and will probably plunge when AMD starts selling large numbers of its
compatible chip.
Also, if you have delayed buying a large hard drive because of high
costs, then you obviously haven't been paying attention because many drive
prices have dropped by as much as 50 percent just since January.
Don't look for prices to ever go much below $1,000 for a decent
computer simply because it costs that much to package, market, warehouse,
and support a hardware package at a reasonable profit, but if you are
looking at desktop computers priced in the $2,000 to $3,000 range then you
can expect to see more features along with larger memories and hard drives
added to specific clone models and lowered prices on big-name computers in
that price range.
If you are looking at workstations, and especially servers priced from
$5,000 to $20,000 or more, then hold on to your hats because it looks as if
hardware prices will really plunge.
Why wouldn't they, when you can assemble a 66-megahertz 80486- based
server-type system with 16 megabytes of memory and a pair of gigabyte plus
hard drives for less than $5,000?
Notebooks are the one major area where prices may have bottomed out
and could even increase. Recently Compaq's notebook manufacturer, Citizen,
stopped shipping computers to the Texas- based company because the drop in
value of the US dollar versus the Japanese yen has meant that Citizen had
lost its entire profit margin on the deals.
This upward price pressure may well continue and spread since most
notebook computers and all notebook display screens are made overseas and
the dollar shows no real signs of strengthening.
(John McCormick/19930716/)
Copyright (C) 1993, GEnie. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or further distribution prohibited.
[EOA]
[PDQ]//////////////////////////////
PD_QUICKVIEW /
/////////////////////////////////
GIF.3200 (v0.20)
""""""""""""""""
By Mel Fowler
[MELSOFT]
Program Name : GIF.3200 v 0.20
Filename : GIF.3200.BXY V.0.2
Library Area : 22
Program Number : 13756
File Size : 18900
Program Type : Converts GIF files to IIGS format
Author : Jonah Stich [J.STICH1]
Version Reviewed: 0.20
File Type : SHAREWARE! $5.00
ABOUT THE PROGRAM Here is a program that was designed to do only one
""""""""""""""""" thing, convert Graphic Interchange Format (GIF,
pronounced "jif") graphics into Apple IIGS 320x200 16- or 3200-color
graphics. The GIF graphics format was developed by CompuServe to provide a
means for exchanging graphics among the different computer platforms.
Until now, Apple IIGS users weren't too keen on GIF, mainly due to the poor
results seen when GIF graphics were converted to IIGS format. This is no
longer the case.
GIF.3200 v0.20, under development by Jonah Stich, has opened the world
of GIF graphics to IIGS users. The results are the best graphics that I have
ever seen on the Apple IIGS, especially those GIF graphics converted by
GIF.3200 to the 3200 color format. Version 0.20 added two important features
that no other IIGS GIF conversion program that I know of has: (1) the
ability to handle more than 16 colors; and (2) the ability to convert
graphics larger than 320x200 pixels.
GIF graphics may range in size from 300x100 to 640x480 and even larger.
The 640x480 size is common and is roughly twice the size of a IIGS screen.
There may be 16, 256, or 4092 colours per screen.
Converting a 320x200 GIF graphic is simple, just open the GIF file and
the program will handle the conversion. When you open a file, the IIGS
screen looks like this:
--------------------------------------
_________
Horiz size: 640+ |_________|
_________
Vert size: 480+ |_________|
Color map size: 16777216
Pixel map size: 256
____________________
Quantize: | Pre-scale COLOR |
|____________________|
____ ____
X Scale: 1:|____| Y Scale: 1:|____|
OKAY CANCEL
---------------------------------------
This is what you would see if you opened a GIF file 640x480 with
16777216 possible colors with 256 colors available per screen. To convert
this GIF file directly to a 320x200 IIGS screen, just choose an X Scale of
1:2 ratio and Y Scale also to a 1:2 ratio, which will reduce it to half
size.
There is a second method of converting this GIF file and that is by
using the Horizontal size and Vertical size boxes. Picture in your mind a
graphic 640 pixels wide by 480 pixels high. We are trying to draw that on
a IIGS screen that is 320x200. If the Horizontal size and Vertical size
boxes both contained 0, your IIGS screen stops when it reaches the 319th
pixel... that is, it draws only the upper left quarter of the GIF graphic.
By entering 20, for example, in the Horizontal size box, you move the GIF
20 pixels to the right and now cover pixels 20 through 340. If you then
enter 200 in the Vert Size box, the GIF is moved down 200 pixels and you
are looking at the lower half of the GIF graphics. Therefore, by keeping
the X and Y Scales at a 1:1 ratio, you select various portions of the
original GIF graphic and view them at their original resolutions. To view
the whole thing, you just convert several graphics to IIGS format. This is
a powerful feature of the program.
Note that in the above example the GIF graphic is 480 pixels high. If
you wanted to center the picture vertically for a full IIGS conversion you
would set X and Y to 1:2 ratio and input 40 into the Vert Scale.
Quantizing determines which algorithm is used to convert the colors.
There are seven quantizing options. There are four for 16 color format:
Pre-scale Color, Post-scale Color, Grey scale and Median-Cut. The other
three are for 3200 color format, 3200 Color (post), 3200 Color (pre), and
Median-Cut 3200. The "pre" options are quick but crude conversions used
for looking at the GIF file before converting it. Use these options to
figure out how to set the scaling and sizing before making your conversion.
The finest conversions are obtained by using the Median-Cut and Median-Cut
3200 options. However, these are also the slowest and may take as much as
20 minutes.
GIF.3200 v0.20 is shareware and has a modest $5.00 fee. As you can
tell by the version number, this program is still unfinished. The last
rumor that reached our ears was that Mr. Stich was attending UC Berkeley
and has not been an active Apple II programmer for some time. I am hoping
that this review will rekindle the author's interest in finishing this
program and in adding the features he mentioned in the documentation
(written in 1990), such as converting to a larger format, 320x396 "page"
format or even multiple screens, saving to other formats (such as APF, PWG,
3201), and speeding things up. The conversions do take a long time! If
you download this program and would like to see it developed further, send
in that all- important shareware fee! You should be able to contact Jonah
on GEnie at J.STICH1.
One last word about converting GIF files. Your conversion is only as
good as the original graphics. GIF.3200 will not make a bad GIF file into
a good IIGS graphics.
You can download GIF graphic files from most of the computer RTs on
GEnie, but the best place is from the Photobase RoundTable, keyword PHOTO.
-Mel (MelSoft) Fowler
[EOA]
[MOO]//////////////////////////////
CowTOONS! /
/////////////////////////////////
More Mootations
""""""""""""""" /\ /\
By Mike White |o \ / |
[MWHITE] | \ . . / o |
| o \_\__/_/ |
|o /~(oo)~\ o |
|/^ / \/ \ ^\|
| / \ o|
\/ Butter Fly \/
~~~~~~~~~~
(,/~\,)
(o o) (,/~\,)
/(.)\ (o o)
| ~ | /(.)\
/\ /\ * | ~ | * O__O
/ ^ ^ \ ) / \ / \ ) (oo)
| |/ | ^ ^ |/ /\/\
\ _)-(_ / \ _)-(_ / ( >< )/*
-~~~ ~~~- -~~ ~~- -~ ~-
Kangamoos Kangamoo Rat
~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
(__I__)
(oo oo)
/-------\/^\/------\ Siamese Cows
/ | || || | \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
* ||----|| ||----|| * Joined at the horn
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
[*][*][*]
(__) Watch for another thunderin' herd of
( oo ) Moo Fun from Mike White in the next
( \/ ) issue of GEnieLamp.
( __ )
( || || ) If you have an idea for a CowTOON, we
~~ ~~ would like to see it. And, if we pick
your CowTOON for publishing in GEnieLamp
Michelin Cow we will credit your account with 2 hours
"""""""""""" of GEnie non-prime time!
[EOA]
[LIB]//////////////////////////////
THE ONLINE LIBRARY /
/////////////////////////////////
Yours For the Downloading
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Mel Fowler
[MELSOFT]
TAKE ANOTHER LOOK Here are some of the recent uploads to the A2 library
""""""""""""""""" that deserve a second look:
Number: 21062 Name: UNDER.RUG.BXY
Address: LUNATIC Date: 930719
Approximate # of bytes: 4480
Number of Accesses: 64 Library: 6
Description: Are you a teacher or parent with small children? Do you
wish you could somehow hide Finder's trash can so that the kids couldn't
throw away important files? Now you can! Under the Rug is a Finder
extension that simply hides the trash can while it's installed. You can
get it back temporarily by holding down the Shift and Delete keys while
Finder is starting up. This program is $3 shareware, Copyright 1992-1993
by Lunatic E'Sex. Send fees to the address enclosed, or send a $3 GEnie
Gift of Time to LUNATIC. Includes a "Read Me" file. Packed with GSHK.
Includes resources.
Keywords: Under the Rug,Rug,Finder extension,FExt,Trash Can,hide
trash,kids,children
[*][*][*]
Number: 21061 Name: FIXFONTMGR.BXY
Address: BRYAN.ZAK Date: 930718
Approximate # of bytes: 2688
Number of Accesses: 301 Library: 6
Description: If you use System 6.0.1 this is a *MUST* download. Nathan
Mates discovered a bug in the ChooseFont routine and has been nice enough
to write this patch program. If you have Pointless, it will eliminate the
need to be sure that there is at least one bitmap of each TrueType font in
the system. Packed with ShrinkIt.
Keywords: Font Manager,Pointless,bug,patch,fix,bugfix,6.0.1,system
6.0.1, Westcode
[*][*][*]
Number: 21071 Name: NTV16.BXY
Address: G.MCHUGH1 Date: 930720
Approximate # of bytes: 500096
Number of Accesses: 30 Library: 25
Description: Another GREAT music & graphics disk from the One World
Wizards. You can read about this disk before downloading it by listing the
text file, "About NTV16" located nearby in the library. Enjoy! This is a
packed disk. Use ShrinkIt to unpack to a blank 3.5" disk. [Note: There
have been problem reports from ROM 03 owners concerning the NTV disks. If
you have a ROM 03, this program might not work for you.]
Keywords: Sound,Music,One World,Dr. Tom,Vamps,NTV
[*][*][*]
Number: 21108 Name: POWERPLAY.BXY V1.1
Address: P.BRINKLEY Date: 930802
Approximate # of bytes: 50176
Number of Accesses: 119 Library: 21
Description: PowerPlay is a GS program containing 4 different games.
An earlier version (1.0) is not System 6 compatible. The 4 games are: Tron
-- A 2-player light-cycle race game. FourPlay -- A brain-twisting
Tetris-like game. GridLock -- A puzzle with ever-increasing complexity.
PIGnBULL -- A number matching game, similar to Mastermind. This program is
FREEWARE. Have fun. The GASMAN
Keywords: Powerplay,tron,pignbull,gridlock,fourplay,gasman,mastermind
[*][*][*]
Number: 21041 Name: VIRTUAL.BXY
Address: B.DUNST Date: 930712
Approximate # of bytes: 54272
Number of Accesses: 156 Library: 22
Description: This is an awesome little program that will put your
graphics on 'walls' and enable you to walk around this 'virtual art
gallery.' It accepts $C1 uncompressed graphics, $C0 Paintworks 320 (top
half only), PackBytes/Eagle format (all), and Apple Preferred Format.
Requires System 5.0 or higher, 1 meg of ram. Written by the infamous Jason
Harper! Compressed with GS ShrinkIt version 1.1. This little ditty is
really something. I would recommend getting it. Ever play Wolfenstein on
the IBM? This is just like walking through those hallways and seeing the
pictures on the walls scale. Uploaded by the one, the only...B.DUNST!!!
Keywords: Virtual Reality,Art Gallery,Slide Show,Jason Harper, Pictures,
Graphics
[*][*][*]
Number: 21034 Name: SAP.V0.7.BXY
Address: K.MOCK Date: 930710
Approximate # of bytes: 212864
Number of Accesses: 79 Library: 22
Description: Updated version of SAP, the Simple Animation Program. SAP
is the only freeware animation system for the GS, and the only one which is
still supported! This version adds additional power to version 0.5. It
allows for user interaction and provides looping capabilities. See the
accompanying SAPDEMOV0.7 for a demonstration of the new capabilities. This
disk contains complete docs and a tutorial. A GS with a hard drive,
accelerator, and 2 megs of RAM is recommended, but not required. Unpack
with ShrinkIt GS and you're off...
Keywords: SAP,0.7,animation,multimedia,freeware,graphics,sound
[*][*][*]
Number: 20996 Name: CAF.RESUR.BXY
Address: H.PORTNOY Date: 930630
Approximate # of bytes: 50816
Number of Accesses: 97 Library: 40
Description: CHANGE-A-FILE V.4.17 and RESURRECTION V.2.9. CAF, a batch
file utility: Read AWP and TXT files; convert AWP to TXT, TXT to AWP, and
AWP 3.0 to 2.x; Repair ADB and AWP files; change file info, strip linefeeds
and more. RESURRECTION restores files even when disk directories are
damaged. Docs included. Partially free and partially shareware. $10 for
both.
Keywords: AppleWorks,CHGFIL,Resurrection,Repair,AWP,ADB,Strip,
Linefeeds,Restore
[*][*][*]
Number: 20975 Name: GS.ENTERTAN.BXY
Address: C.KERN1 Date: 930623
Approximate # of bytes: 38528
Number of Accesses: 68 Library: 25
Description: GS Entertainment is a program that can show various
graphic formats and play sound or music. It can show PNT, PIC, ANI and
3200 graphic images in a series while playing music or sound. It can also
play sound and music as a jukebox. The sounds and music it can play are:
SoundSmith, SynthLAB, Music Studio, HyperStudio and rSounds. Written by
Clayburn Juniel, AzApple User Group. Packed with GS ShrinkIt 1.1. [Note:
This is a re-upload of file #20869, which has been deleted from the
library. If you already have GS.Entertainment, you don't need this.]
Keywords: music,graphics,sound,jukebox,SoundSmith,SynthLAB,MusicStudio,
rSounds,Hyper
[*][*][*]
Number: 20935 Name: OFFLINE.MGR.BNY
Address: T.ZUCHOWSKI Date: 930620
Approximate # of bytes: 5504
Number of Accesses: 18 Library: 18
Description: With the abolishment of free areas on GEnie, we're all
looking for ways to minimize connect time. Offline processors like GEM,
Copilot and others can work wonders, but they don't work with the Modem MGR
telecom program. The tips in this "Offline Cookbook for Modem MGR" will
show you how to get a lot of stuff done offline where the billing clock
isn't running.
Keywords: Modem MGR,offline,off line,cookbook,telecom
[*][*][*]
Number: 20934 Name: OFFLINE.TIC.BNY
Address: T.ZUCHOWSKI Date: 930620
Approximate # of bytes: 5888
Number of Accesses: 51 Library: 18
Description: With the abolishment of free areas on GEnie, we're all
looking for ways to minimize connect time. Offline processors like GEM,
Copilot and others can work wonders, but some computers don't have the
horsepower needed to run them, and sometimes you just want to get online
"quick and dirty". The tips in this "Offline Cookbook for Talk Is Cheap"
will show you how to get a lot of stuff done offline where the billing
clock isn't running.
Keywords: Talk Is Cheap,TIC,offline,off line,cookbook,telecom
[*][*][*]
Number: 20933 Name: OFFLINE.PT3.BNY
Address: T.ZUCHOWSKI Date: 930620
Approximate # of bytes: 4352
Number of Accesses: 145 Library: 18
Description: With the abolishment of free areas on GEnie, we're all
looking for ways to minimize connect time. Offline processors like GEM,
Copilot and others can work wonders, but some computers don't have the
horsepower needed to run them, and sometimes you just want to get online
"quick and dirty". The tips in this "Offline Cookbook for ProTERM 3" will
show you how to get a lot of stuff done offline where the billing clock
isn't running.
Keywords: Proterm,offline,off line,cookbook,telecom
[*][*][*]
Number: 20912 Name: SSMITH.HELP.BXY
Address: T.WARD5 Date: 930617
Approximate # of bytes: 12544
Number of Accesses: 80 Library: 25
Description: A simple guide on how to write SoundSmith songs. Its
main focus is on transcribing sheet music into the SoundSmith
spreadsheet-style format. But you should be able to start writing your own
songs after reading this. This archive contains a standard text file, and
an AppleWorks WP file. Packed with GSHK.
Keywords:SoundSmith,songwriting,transcribing,sheet music,scales,
notes,help
[*][*][*]
Number: 20907 Name: SUPER.TTT.BXY
Address: C.HARTLEY3 Date: 930616
Approximate # of bytes: 4480
Number of Accesses: 72 Library: 33
Description: Play a friend or play the computer! Super Tic Tac Toe has
sixteen squares instead of nine, and more ways to win. A game of strategy.
FREEWARE. Enjoy.
Keywords: Hartley,Tic Tac Toe,TicTacToe,strategy
[*][*][*]
Number: 20905 Name: THEATER.BXY
Address: J.RASH4 Date: 930616
Approximate # of bytes: 3456
Number of Accesses: 31 Library: 23
Description: This is a desktop picture for Color CDev. It was inspired
by Mystery Science Theater 3000. Apple II Forever!
Keywords: Mohawk,picture,CDev,Color CDev,MST3000,Ozoneman
[*][*][*]
Sometimes files are removed from the library after we publish this
magazine. In many cases, the removed file has been replaced with an
updated version of that file. If you can't find one of the files listed
here, there is a way to check for a newer version. Do a keyword search
on the library using a word that describes the file you are look- ing for.
Chances are, you will find a newer version of that file, or another file
that meets your expectations.
////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "Spooj is the scientific name for 'finger mung'" /
/////////////////////////////////// BILL.LYNN ////
[EOA]
[WHO]//////////////////////////////
PROFILES
/
/////////////////////////////////
Who's Who In Apple II
"""""""""""""""""""""
>>> WHO'S WHO <<<
"""""""""""""""""
~ GEnieLamp Profile: Joe Kohn, Publisher-Editor, Shareware Solutions II ~
GEnieLamp> Would you tell us how you first became interested in the
""""""""" Apple II? Was it your first computer?
Kohn> I bought my first computer in about 1980. At that time, I narrowed
"""" my choices down to two competing systems: The Apple II and the
Atari 400. I clearly remember reading that there would be a shake-out in
the computer industry, and believed that I should purchase a computer from
the company that I thought would be around for a few years. Based on that
sound reasoning, I bought an Atari 400.
A year or so later, I went back to my computer dealer, and asked about
a new peripheral that I'd heard about. He explained to me what a disk
drive was, and after having used cassettes for storage, I wanted one.
Unfortunately, the dealer explained, disk drives cost as much as my entire
system had cost, and they couldn't be connected to the Atari 400.
I wanted a new computer. I wanted one with disk drives and with lots
of power. I wanted a computer that came from a visionary company that
would be in business for years and years. So, I got an Osborne I.
A year or so after that, I got an Osborne Executive. It was
everything I could have wanted in a computer. It was portable, it had
built-in parallel and serial ports, it had a large 8" screen, it ran CP/M,
and best of all, it came bundled with word processing, spreadsheet and
database software. The database software, quite literally, changed my
life. I realized that computers could store any type of information, and I
decided that I wanted to master dBase and offer my services setting up and
maintaining databases.
Around that time, I was visiting a friend who'd just gotten an Apple
II. We were arguing about the merits of our computer systems. I told my
friend: "I can run WordStar on my system". He said: "So can I." I then
told him: "I can keep financial records on my computer with a spreadsheet.
He said: "So can I." Finally, I used my ace in the hole, and said: "I can
keep any type of records using dBase." His response, of course, was "So
can I."
He then used his ace in the hole. He sat me down in front of his
computer, and started up a program named Lode Runner. He watched as my jaw
fell, and smugly asked me if my computer could do that.
Two days later, I purchased an Apple II+.
GEnieLamp> You used to be sysop of the Apple II forums on The Source, one
""""""""" of the major commercial networks for individual users (now,
alas, defunct). When and how did that happen?
Kohn> It was a case of coincidence and serendipity. In the mid-1980s, a
"""" good friend and I, George Goldsmit (the owner of The Apple Resource
Center in Tracy, CA) put our heads together trying to figure out a way to
support our Apple II habits. We set up and ran the Apple II Information
Exchange (ATIE), which we envisioned as being a super User Group for User
Groups. We were going to supply the Apple II user group community with
technical information, articles for newsletters, and had plans to collect
every single Apple II public domain program ever written.
George lived in San Jose at the time, not too far from Apple's
headquarters. We registered ATIE with Apple's User Group Connection, and
gave George's address.
In late 1986, the Source Information Network was looking for someone
to take over and manage their Apple II forums. They contacted Apple to get
a listing of Apple II User Groups based in Silicon Valley, and guess who
appeared first in the alphabetical listing that they received?
Soon after we took over the Source's Applesig, George founded the ARC,
and no longer had the time to devote to the Source, so Applesig became a
"one-man band" for more than two years. During that time, I provided all
the ongoing Apple II technical support and still had time to upload
thousands of programs to the library.
I continued to run The Source's Applesig right up until its demise.
GEnieLamp> Big Red Computer Club is now known as the place that has
""""""""" resurrected classic Apple II software titles from publishers
such as Activision. What was BRCC like when you became its freeware and
shareware librarian?
Kohn> I went to work for Big Red Computer Club two days after the Source
"""" closed down. At that time, BRCC was an Apple II user group and was
essentially a family operation. I worked from my house, nearly 2,000 miles
from the BRCC office. It was a great match, and I think that John Wrenholt
and I were a great team. I wrote approximately 50% of BRCC's monthly
newsletter and supplied 90% of all the Apple II and IIGS freeware and
shareware in BRCC's library. I submitted all my articles via modem, mailed
in all the master disks, and never once visited the BRCC offices.
After working for BRCC for two years, the organization had somewhat of
a change of focus. It was then that BRCC started licensing and purchasing
Apple II commercial software, and started its meteoric climb to become the
largest publisher of Apple II software.
GEnieLamp> When you announced Shareware Solutions II, you joked that
""""""""" organizations that hire you fold not long afterward... The
Source, Apple IIGS Buyers' Guide, and now inCider/A+. The Big Red Computer
Club has survived your involvement. When did you leave there, and why?
Kohn> It was a joke, but it has some validity. The Source sold their
"""" operation to their nearest competitor, who promptly put them out of
business. Then, the Apple IIGS Buyers' Guide sold their operation to their
nearest competitor, who promptly put them out of business. Then,
inCider/A+ sold their operation to their nearest competitor, who promptly
put them out of business. I was starting to see a trend.
With Big Red Computer Club, we had an amicable parting of the ways
about 1.5 years ago. And, despite my leaving, BRCC has flourished ever
since.
GEnieLamp> You've been described as a "shareware champion" and "shareware
""""""""" evangelist". How did this start?
Kohn> The very day I purchased my Apple II+, I also bought 100 blank
"""" disks, and on my way home, I stopped by the offices of the San
Francisco Apple Corps. Within a few hours, those 100 disks were filled.
That was long before the concept of shareware was developed, so all
the thousands of programs on those 100 disks were all free. There was just
something appealing to me about free software.
GEnieLamp> Do you yourself write programs?
"""""""""
Kohn> Not really.
""""
GEnieLamp> Shareware users clearly have an obligation to pay for programs
""""""""" they keep. Do shareware authors have any responsibilities?
Kohn> At this year's KansasFest, I gave a talk on the very subject of
"""" shareware author's responsibilities. I expected my talk to be
quite controversial, and was literally shocked when shareware programmers
applauded me at the end. At some point, I hope to use those remarks to
develop a "Shareware Code of Ethics" .
In short, I do feel that a shareware author has certain
responsibilities to their customers. If nothing else, they owe people who
remit payments a note of thanks. It amazes me how many irate letters I get
from users of shareware who tell me how bad and mad they feel after sending
in money, and never hear anything back from the programmer, not even a 19
cent post card that acknowledges receipt of the payment, or offers a kind
word of thanks. Often, programmers forget the importance of courtesy, and
I'd like to change that.
I do have many other ideas on how shareware authors can maximize their
profits with a minimal amount of effort, but I'd like to save those for
Shareware Solutions II. Once I have written up the "Shareware Code of
Ethics", I will be happy to share "the secrets of the stars".
GEnieLamp> Shareware Solutions was the name of your column, which of
""""""""" course focused on shareware, freeware, and public domain
software. Does the newsletter only cover shareware, freeware, and PD?
Kohn> The title "Shareware Solutions II" is a misnomer, as in many ways,
"""" it turned out to be more like inCider: The Next Generation. I
chose the name for one reason and one reason only: name recognition. I
figured that after having written a column with that title for 4-5 years,
first in the Apple IIGS Buyer's Guide and then in inCider/A+, that it would
be a recognizable name for a new publication.
Of course, Shareware Solutions II is about shareware, but it's also
about solutions. Above all, it's about the Apple II.
Obviously, I'm biased, so let me share with you a few letters I've
received from subscribers. They can tell you all about Shareware
Solutions II.
David Kerwood writes: "I just received my copy of Shareware Solutions
II, and I can tell you that I was very impressed with what you have done
here. I suppose I have gotten most of the A2 newsletter-format
publications that have ever been published since 1986 (when I first
discovered the world of Apple II computing), and this has been the best
premier publication in this genre that I have ever received."
William Scott writes: "Congratulations on the first issue of Shareware
Solutions II. It is more than I imagined. It is well written,
informative, and contains information not found anywhere else. Thank you
for taking the chance, and supporting those who support the Apple II."
Bill Ingraham writes: "Issue 1 of Shareware Solutions II is really
great. I had envisioned it as being all about downloading, and maybe a
little news. Instead, it is loaded with news of the II world."
And, if I remember correctly, the interviewer also had a few choice
words to say about Shareware Solutions II. Your turn, Mr. Cuff.
GEnieLamp> Thanks for ruining any chance I had at presenting a semblance
""""""""" of journalistic impartiality! <laughs> I believe I said that
it was value for money, which in my personal opinion it certainly is.
Kohn> You wrote: "My rating of Shareware Solutions II, overall, is
"""" 'must-have'. The content makes you feel you're really getting your
money's worth."
GEnieLamp> You announced your decision to start Shareware Solutions II in
""""""""" what proved to be the final edition of inCider. Did you
decide to start your own newsletter because you knew inCider's days were
numbered?
Kohn> Yes. I knew of inCider's plans at least 6 months before readers
"""" did, yet I decided to stick it out to the very end. It was only
after my final articles had been submitted to inCider/A+ that I went
forward with my plans to self-publish my own Apple II-oriented newsletter.
Shareware Solutions II was announced in the July 1993 issue of inCider/A+,
as I knew that was to be the final issue.
As an aside, I'd like to point out that I got in the last word. The
last words on the last page of the last issue of inCider were supplied by
me. Those magical words, of course, were "Apple II Forever".
GEnieLamp> This is your first venture as publisher and editor-in-chief.
""""""""" Do you find it a different experience from that of being a
contributor to magazines such as inCider/A+ and The Apple IIGS Buyer's
Guide?
Kohn> It's like night and day. As a Contributing Editor, I simply
"""" emailed my articles as ASCII text, and several months later, they
appeared with art work and were polished products. Now, the text is just
the first step of a long process. After writing each article, I have to
lay it out, test print it many times to make sure everything fits and looks
good, bring the completed newsletter to the printers, type mailing labels,
lick stamps, and bring them to the post office.
GEnieLamp> What hardware and software are you using to produce the
""""""""" newsletter?
Kohn> I own an Apple IIGS, and I'm writing all the articles with
"""" AppleWorks v3.0, beefed up with TimeOut Thesaurus and UltraMacros.
I try to do as much editing and revising as I can with AppleWorks Classic.
Then, I load the articles into AppleWorks GS's word processing module,
where I'll use the Find and Replace function to add "smart quotes", and
then finally, copy each article into AppleWorks GS's Page Layout module,
where all the layout and last-minute editing is done.
Then, it's a simple matter of printing it out on my Hewlett-Packard
LaserJet IIP Plus and then bringing my final copy to the printer for mass
duplication.
GEnieLamp> The professional look of the first issue brings to mind the
""""""""" frequent cry "I didn't know you could do that on an Apple II!"
Obviously it can be done... but is desktop publishing with a IIGS and a
laser printer easy to set up and use? What has your experience been?
Kohn> Learning how to use a desktop publishing program is the easy part.
"""" Learning how to use that program to create a work of art is the
difficult part.
GEnieLamp> Is Shareware Solutions II essentially a one-man operation?
"""""""""
Kohn> Not essentially. It _is_ a one-man operation. I do everything.
""""
GEnieLamp> Then you also track the subscriptions using your Apple II?
"""""""""
Kohn> The AppleWorks v3.0 database is just ideal for keeping track of
"""" subscribers.
GEnieLamp> What do you enjoy doing other than writing? What do wish you
""""""""" had more time for?
Kohn> A couple of years ago, I looked down and saw what others refer to
"""" as "computer stomach", and I didn't like what I saw, so I joined a
local gym and now work out twice a week. I used to ski a lot, but have
only gotten in one day a year on the slopes ever since I started working
full-time with my Apple II. I'd like to go skiing a little more. I also
like to hike, and I love to go to the monthly star party held atop a local
mountain. I like to go to the movies, and I like to go to my local
library. I like to go see the Oakland A's play, but they've been breaking
my heart recently. I also like to listen to music, but find it too
distracting when working.
I like to share my computer expertise, as a volunteer, to non-profit
organizations, and through CompuMentor (a San Francisco-based non-profit
organization) have helped more than 30 social service organizations and
schools to use their Apple II's more efficiently. I also like to share my
expertise with my neighbors, and am currently President of the GravenStein
Apple IIGS User Group.
But, above all, I'm going into my second decade of a love affair. I
love the Apple II.
GEnieLamp> Shareware Solutions II is currently a bimonthly. Does this
""""""""" seem like a realistic schedule, or do you feel you'll be going
monthly soon?
Kohn> As of today, I only have "one issue under my belt" so it's
"""" premature to say when Shareware Solutions II will become a monthly.
GEnieLamp> You've recently acquired an Internet address. Internet mail
""""""""" and newsgroups seem to be very hot topics right now. Will you
be addressing this in Shareware Solutions II?
Kohn> I've been active on the Internet and Usenet for nearly 2 years, but
"""" it has only been during the past 6 months that it dawned on me that
the Internet contains the entire accumulated knowledge of all mankind, and
it's all just a keystroke or two away. The much-hyped "super data highway"
already exists, and in Issue #2 of Shareware Solutions II, I will have a
long article all about the Internet. I'll be looking at "the net" from an
Apple II user's perspective, and will be providing very specific
instructions on how to access it and how to use it.
GEnieLamp> What else can people look for in future issues of Shareware
""""""""" Solutions II?
Kohn> Shareware Solutions II will provide on-going coverage of the
"""" Apple II family of computers.
What I'm most excited about today is "Such a Deal", a new column that
will appear starting in Issue #2. I have been making arrangements with
Apple II software publishers and hardware manufacturers who agree to give
subscribers of Shareware Solutions II special discounted pricing on their
products. Just as in Issue #1, Seven Hills Software offered subscribers a
50% discount on most of their software, Issue #2 will contain special
offers from at least five well-known (or soon to be well-known) Apple II
developers.
In addition, there will be general Apple II hints and tips, articles
that should help modem owners to have more fun with their modems, and of
course, write-ups of the latest and greatest Apple II freeware and
shareware.
My overall goal is to make Shareware Solutions II an indispensable
resource for the Apple II community, and to make it the best magazine
available for the Apple II. Based on the feedback so far, it looks like I
just might be succeeding on both counts.
[If you'd like to subscribe, you can contact Joe Kohn online at
J.KOHN, or write to him at:
Joe Kohn
166 Alpine Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
USA
A 12-issue subscription costs $25 within North America; $40 for
overseas mail delivery. Checks and money orders only, payable to Joe Kohn.
For more information, send a self-addressed stamped envelope.]
[EOA]
[FUN]//////////////////////////////
SEARCH_ME /
/////////////////////////////////
Online Puzzle Fun
"""""""""""""""""
By Scott R. Garrigus
[S.GARRIGUS]
>>> SEARCH_ME! <<<
""""""""""""""""""
THIS HAS GOT TO BE A MISTAKE! A couple of months ago my brother went out
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" shopping for a new computer. Now after
all these years of having Atari around the house and me being an avid Atari
user, you can imagine my surprise when he came home with a Tandy Sensation.
"This has got to be a mistake!", I thought to myself. "This is nothing but
an IBM PC clone!". Well, at least that's what I thought at the time; but
not anymore. I've heard all the war stories about how IBM's have all these
problems and how Windows can't do this and Windows can't do that. Well,
let me tell you, after about a month of playing around with it, I have to
admit, I really like it! I can't say I like it better than my Atari. No,
Atari will always be my first love; but working with Windows on an IBM can
be a lot of fun!
As you've probably guessed by now, this month I visited the Windows
Roundtable. I must say that after being around for only about a year, they
are really doing a great job over there. The BBS is already loaded with
topics on all kinds of Windows subjects from General Windows Questions to
Windows Development. There are also separate categories for Windows NT and
for many Windows software vendors too. They have RTC's every day of the
week except for Saturday and Sunday. Even Sysops need a little time off,
you know. :) Of course, most of my time has been spent in the software
library downloading files and having lots and lots of fun playing with some
of the programs. You'll find games, pictures, .WAV files, and utilities
galore here.
So if you've got an IBM with Windows, by all means visit the Windows
RT! To get there type either M1335 or WINDOWS at any GEnie prompt. First,
however, be sure and solve this months puzzle, which is full of all those
wonderful Windows buzzwords you ought to know! I don't do all this work
for nothing! ;) Until next month!
>>> WINDOWS ROUNDTABLE <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ Keyword: WINDOWS, Page 1335 ~
W A G Y E S W W D C R M T C C H P A E Q F N
O R F G N I K S A T I T L U M O Y L R R W J
R C A N J V P Z B R E B S N W L M B Z O T T
D E B L R V O J V K Q A O E O F M E T S Y S
P T A R T F H D A Y A L R R W T E M T G S U
E D S D F N S I F T C P E E L A R Z S I F S
R B I B O G O O I H O E H M O A V O A D U T
F Z C V S M T V C I I R A S K J N F N P Q A
E N G F O U O R N I C W L O U E J D I P O R
C D G K R L H T E Z S L C T F R H F R L S T
T X Q K C T P F J D M A J Y N M B K Q S E U
T Q M E I I U R L T R S B H G S H T I O X P
G R J P M M C J X G B O W L Q X W C N B V E
X M P Y I E Q B B B R N C I A V J O Q I E Z
D L K T U D P W R A H N K E N U N V D G A D
T B S E B I V E N T U R A R R D S L K N V P
I P G U V A W I N C L O C K B Q O I V M I H
C R Q R G O O I Q F H V C Y A A U W V B A W
X Z T T P D L B R P A U E U T H Q Z S Z M A
BORLAND GFABASIC MICROSOFT
MULTIMEDIA MULTITASKING NORTON
PAINTBRUSH PHOTOSHOP POWERBBS
POWERPOINT RECORDER STARTUP
SYSTEM TRUETYPE VENTURA
VISUALBASIC WAVFILE WINCLOCK
WINDOWS WINDOWSNT WORDPERFECT
[*][*][*]
GIVE UP? You will find the answers in the LOG OFF column at the end of
"""""""" the magazine.
This puzzle was created with a freeware program called
SEARCH-ME, an Atari ST program by David Becker.
[EOA]
[CON]//////////////////////////////
CONNECTIONS /
/////////////////////////////////
Online Thoughts
"""""""""""""""
By Al Fasoldt
[A.FASOLDT]
>>> ARE WE READY FOR MULTIMEDIA? <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ Copyright 1993 by Al Fasoldt. All rights reserved. ~
IS _IT_ READY FOR US? When television was invented, the world was abuzz
""""""""""""""""""""" with talk about the wonders of the new technology.
Most of them have been wasted, as we all know by now --or as we soon
discover after an afternoon of sex-and-scandal shows from Oprah, Phil and
Maury.
The same sort of dreck is about to come our way in the guise of
multimedia. My advice is to pass it by until either multimedia or its
creators grow up.
Multimedia is a catchword for something that no one really knows how
to define. It's like love or a bad smell --you can't really define it, but
you know it when you find it.
Multimedia is supposed to be the marriage of sight, sound and text in
a computer or a device that works like a computer. What makes multimedia
different from plain old TV is that multimedia is controllable --you can
zip around in a multimedia document, playing it (or viewing it, hearing it,
or reading it) in any order, for example.
It's possible to have multimedia on a more-or-less regular personal
computer such as an Apple Macintosh or a PC running Microsoft Windows, even
if the computer doesn't have anything fancy added on. But to really get
into multimedia, you need a computer with some sort of laser disc attached.
Usually, this is a CD-ROM drive. It's a compact disc player that can
play (the computer term is "read") CDs that have computer data on them.
Most CD-ROM drives can't deliver the data to the computer fast enough, so
what you get if you buy a cheap CD-ROM drive is a bunch of jerky images and
halting text displays.
In another year, the best of today's CD-ROM drives -- the ones that
are fast enough for multimedia -- will be the cheapies, and the world will
be ready for the new way of reading, viewing, watching and experiencing
things.
But right now, multimedia is for the most part an exercise in
silliness.
You can already buy multimedia encyclopedias that show you text and
moving pictures. That's good, right?
Not when you see what those moving pictures look like. They're tiny
and spasmodic. Uncle Harry did a lot better with his camcorder at the last
family picnic.
They also have built-in hi-fi sound. As a devoted high-fidelity fan,
I'm probably biased when it comes to judging sound that comes out of one or
two tiny speakers attached to a PC, but I can tell you this: Beethoven
would end up with the "1813" overture if he had to listen all year to a PC
that thought it was a stereo set.
But encyclopedias don't make money for the multimedia mavens anyway.
Games do. Computer games with do-it-yourself endings and fancy graphics do.
That's what's coming your way.
Don't ask me whatever happened to stickball and hopscotch. They're
old stuff. The new stuff keeps the kids in a darkened room, staring at a
screen and listening to squeaky loudspeakers all day.
And for those older kids, there are, um, different kinds of games.
Adult games, with, um, adult, um ... you know what I mean.
This is dismal, I agree. But there is hope. Companies here and in
Japan and Europe are working on multimedia atlases that you can use in the
car. They read your position from a satellite and tell you exactly where
you are and how to get anyplace else.
They're also working on multimedia tours of museums. And multimedia
dramas and musicals.
That sounds like fun. And looks like fun -- someday.
In the meantime, I'll just wait and see. Watching a technology grow
up can be a long process.
/////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "Under my preferences menu, the standard 'check 5.25 drives /
/ on startup' now says 'Make obnoxious grinding noises'." /
//////////////////////////////////////////////// W.CARVER1 ////
[EOA]
[COM]//////////////////////////////
COMMUNICATION /
/////////////////////////////////
Making Contact
""""""""""""""
By Darrel Raines
[D.RAINES]
Every one of us spends a good part of each day communicating with
other people. It is a large part of most jobs. We must tell others what
is needed from them and we must understand what is required of us. A
failure to express ourselves clearly or a failure to comprehend another can
lead to chaos, either eventual or immediate.
When my boss tells me what s/he wants me to do, it is my
responsibility to make sure that I know what s/he is asking of me. There
have been a number of times that I happily completed a task, expecting to
be praised for my accomplishments, only to find out that my superior wanted
something else altogether. Certainly neither of us was happy about the
situation.
It is rather easy in the case described above to point a finger at the
other person and say, "You told me you wanted the other thing". Only when
we put ourselves in the other persons shoes do we see where they think the
blame lies. When two people fail to communicate, then both are at fault
and both suffer the consequences. The sharing out blame is rather
pointless. This is the time that we should spend understanding why we
failed to communicate and how the situation can be improved next time.
Either party in a communication may indicate that the information
passed was not understood correctly. We should not wait for the other
person to come to us and seek better information. Remember, no one wins
when we do not understand each other. This humorous example will serve to
illustrate:
An American furniture salesman met a very pretty
French woman on one of his regular trips to Paris to buy
goods for his stores in the States stores. They seemed to
like each other immediately, but neither spoke the other's
language. Then the salesman hit upon an idea. He grabbed a
piece of paper and drew a picture of a plate and fork. The young
French woman nodded her head in vigorous agreement, so the
American gentleman called a cab and took the lady to dinner at a
local restaurant.
They were both enjoying each other's company over a fine meal
when the American took a napkin and drew a picture of a glass
with bubbles popping. The young French woman smiled her agreement.
The salesman ordered a bottle of champagne and they enjoyed the
bubbly refreshment with the rest of their meal. After dinner, the
American man drew a picture of a pair of shoes and a trumpet blowing
musical notes. The beautiful lady smiled and once again agreed to
his suggestion. Soon the couple were dancing the night away in a
nearby nightclub.
After a while, the young woman smiled demurely and motioned for
the pencil and paper. She blushed slightly and drew a picture of
a four-poster bed. The American was amazed. To this day he has
not figured out how the young woman knew that he was a furniture
salesman!
Now obviously the these two would-be lovebirds did not communicate at
a critical point. The same thing can happen to us if we do not constantly
work at making ourselves clear.
Most of us use electronic media as a method of communication on a
regular basis. We may not stop and think about this phenomenon, but the
fact is still there. If you work in a computerized office, then you
probably have Electronic mail (E-mail) set up to make life easier. As a
GEnie subscriber, you probably use the E-mail system here to pass
information back and forth between friends and acquaintances. If you use
visit any of GEnie's RoundTables or use a bulletin board system (BBS), then
you know that you can "talk" with a large number of people by posting a
single message.
All of this dissemination of information will probably give us the
false impression that we are "communicating" with one another. Not
necessarily. The quality of what goes into the message makes all the
difference in the world. Two people could send 50 messages back and forth
and never get their points across. Only if one chooses one's words with
some care and precision is the desired meaning conveyed.
It is imperative that you spend some time thinking about the content
of your messages before you send them. You are not present when a message
is read, so you must anticipate the reader's state of mind and try to
present your message in a way that they will be able to understand. This
is not always easy. But it is important if we are to use electronic
communication effectively.
We tend to think of E-mail as a time saver. We can send out the same
message to a dozen people faster than we can tell one person, face-to-face,
what we wanted to say. However, the danger here is that we will fail to
convey our message in a way that can be understood by all twelve people,
each with a different perspective on what you are trying to communicate.
The results may be less effective than expected.
I can probably talk at least 20 times faster than I can type. This
fact alone should indicate to us that electronic communication will never
entirely replace speech. There will always be some types of conversations
that can be held more effectively with verbal communication. Therefore,
you should always be on the alert for the types of messages that would be
better communicated on a one-to-one basis.
To summarize: Proper communication is one of the most important tools
for productive working arrangements. We must, individually, seek to
improve our methods of communication. It does not do any good to try and
assign blame when we misunderstand one another: all of us suffer the
consequences of the problem. Electronic communication, just like its
verbal counterpart, is subject to the problems if we do not use it
effectively. In this electronic age, we should be on the lookout for
situations where verbal communication would be a more productive
alternative to the E-mail standard.
I hope that I have communicated my message clearly. If not, then send
me a communication indicating the problem and I will re-communicate my
communication concerning the topic of communication. If you did not
understand the last sentence, then give me a call and we will work it out.
:)
[*][*][*]
Darrel Raines is an Electrical Engineer who works as a
contractor to NASA on the Space Station Freedom program.
He is also an avid computer hobbyist, programmer and writer.
You may reach him on GEnie at D.RAINES.
[EOA]
[AII]//////////////////////////////
APPLE II /
/////////////////////////////////
Apple II History, Part 15
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Steven Weyhrich
[S.WEYHRICH]
>>> APPLE II HISTORY <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""
Compiled and written by Steven Weyhrich
(C) Copyright 1992, Zonker Software
(PART 15 -- DOS 3.3, PRODOS & BEYOND)
[v1.2 :: 30 Sep 92]
INTRODUCTION In the last section we saw the beginnings of the disk
"""""""""""" operating system used on the Apple II, up to the release of
DOS 3.2.1. This segment of the History continues with DOS 3.3, the most
widely used version of DOS on Apple II's, even to this day (in spite of the
fact that ProDOS was released nearly ten years ago). The discussion
continues with Pascal, CP/M, ProDOS, and GS/OS for the IIGS.
DOS 3.3 In August of 1980, Apple released an upgrade for DOS, to version
""""""" 3.3. This upgrade was an important one. It consisted of not
only a new System Master disk, but a hardware upgrade chip as well. The
original disk drive had been designed with the ability to read and write 35
tracks of 13 sectors each on a 5.25 inch disk. At 256 bytes possible per
sector, this made the disk capable of holding 113.75K of information.
Since it was designed to have DOS present on each disk in the first three
tracks, and the catalog took up another entire track, there was actually
only 100.75K available for data storage. Steve Wozniak, the author of the
original DOS disk driver (RWTS), had found a way to increase the storage
capacity of Apple floppy disks. Changing slightly the method used for
encoding data on the disk made it possible to have 16 sectors per track,
instead of the original 13 sectors per track in DOS 3.1 and 3.2. This
resulted in a disk that could now hold a maximum of 140K of data (124K
excluding DOS and the catalog track), a 23 percent increase over the 13
sector disks. The remarkable thing about this upgrade was that the disk
drives themselves did not need to be changed to make this possible. Only
the ROM program on the Disk II controller card needed to be changed to make
the move to DOS 3.3. Those users who bought this upgrade to DOS 3.3 had to
change the ROM chip on the disk controller (or have their dealer do it for
them). An updated and greatly expanded version of the DOS manual was also
included in the DOS 3.3 upgrade.<1>
DOS 3.3 - FEATURES The DOS 3.3 System Master disk included many programs
"""""""""""""""""" that had previously been present on the DOS 3.2
Master, plus a few others. The "COPY" program (used to copy entire disks)
was translated to Applesoft as "COPYA" for those II Plus users who didn't
have access to Integer BASIC. The newer COPY programs also worked properly
on single drive systems (previously, you had to have two disk drives in
order to use this program to copy a disk). To allow users to startup their
older 13-sector DOS 3.2 disks, a binary program called "BOOT13" was
included. (Also, a separate disk called "BASICS" was included that could
be used in the same way as a pre-boot for 13-sector disks).<1>
Because of the changes in the ROM controller, it was not easy to read
disks formatted under DOS 3.2 directly from DOS 3.3. It could have been
incorporated into DOS 3.3, but would have called for a major effort in
rewriting the track and sector access routines, as well as making DOS
larger than the earlier versions. Instead, Apple supplied on the System
Master disk a conversion program called "MUFFIN" to allow files to be moved
from 13 sector to 16 sector disks. Enterprising hackers in the Apple II
world made modifications to MUFFIN and created DE-MUFFIN, a DOS 3.2 utility
to convert the files back to the 13 sector format.<1> Rich Williams at
Apple wrote the MUFFIN program (which was supposed to stand for Move
Utility For Files In NewDOS).
The System Master disk also contained a new utility called "FID"
(which started at version "M"; just like DOS "3", nobody knows why the
first public release didn't start with "A"). FID, written entirely in
assembly language, allowed easier copying of files, particularly Text and
Binary files that couldn't simply be LOADed and SAVEd from one disk to
another, as could Applesoft and Integer programs. The name "FID" was odd,
however. The Apple manuals said it stood for FIle Developer, but Rich
Williams (who also wrote this utility) said that the original name of the
program was FISHEAD (which had some sort of mnemonic meaning that he could
no longer recall). Apple Marketing said he couldn't name a program
FISHEAD, so he changed it to FID, which they said was okay. It really
stood for Fishead In Disguise (or Fishead In Drag by some within
Apple).<2>,<3>,<4>
Some Apple II users didn't like to have to use utility programs to
manage their collections of disks in both the 13 and 16 sector formats.
One method that was used to overcome this inconvenience was to piggyback
the old and the new disk controller ROMs and use a switch to toggle between
systems. The most elegant solution I've found was a ROM chip that plugged
into a special card (the ROMPlus made by Mountain Hardware, or the ROMBoard
made by Andromeda). A call to a memory location would switch between DOS
3.2 and 3.3, making file conversions quite easy. Soft Ctrl Systems, the
company that sold this Dual DOS ROM also sold ROMs that gave instant access
to an Applesoft renumber and merge program, an Applesoft editor, and a
specialized disk command menu and disk map.<2>
Another change found on the DOS 3.3 System Master was in the method
used to load the alternate BASIC. Since by this time the Language Card was
available (which, as you should recall, was simply 16K more RAM to add in
parallel to the Apple II ROM), there were two groups of users to service on
bootup. For Apple II Plus owners, there was a file named "INTBASIC", which
would load Integer BASIC onto the Language Card. For the older Apple II
(non-Plus) users, the file "FPBASIC" would be loaded onto the Language Card
when the DOS 3.3 disk was booted, making Applesoft available. The last
version of the DOS 3.3 Master disk, released with the Apple IIe, used a new
utility to load these files which was significantly faster than the
standard DOS BLOAD command.
DOS 3.3 - MISCELLANEOUS A rumor expressed in a letter to Call-A.P.P.L.E.
""""""""""""""""""""""" magazine in January 1982 suggested that up until
Christmas of 1980 there never had been an assembly language source listing
of DOS. The writer of the letter stated that changes made to DOS up until
that time were done by patching it with the mini-assembler in the Monitor.
However, during a phone interview in September 1991 with John Arkley at
Apple, he said there ALWAYS was a source code listing for DOS, as far back
as DOS 3. He believes the writer of the letter may have been referring to
the problem with the lost Autostart ROM source code (see Part 6 of this
History). Arkley stated that the earliest versions of DOS were written
using a cross-assembler on a Horizon microcomputer.<5>,<6> He also said
that the only part of DOS 3.3 that was assembled from scratch was the new
RWTS. The rest was merely attached to RWTS and "conditionally" assembled
(a programmer's term; sorry). They made a few patches to fix bugs in the
File Manager and Main DOS routines, but did so only in very specific
places, to avoid moving undocumented entry points that programmers had been
using up to that point.<3>,<4>,<7>,<8>
DOS 3.3 - LIMITATIONS The major limit of DOS 3.3 was that it, like its
""""""""""""""""""""" predecessors, was designed specifically to support
the Disk II drive. Hard disks, RAM disks, and 3.5 disks (like those used
in the Macintosh when it was released in 1984) could not be directly used
with DOS 3.3.<9>
PASCAL SYSTEM The Pascal system was released in 1979, prior to the
""""""""""""" DOS 3.3 upgrade. It used the same hardware upgrade to the
Disk II controller as was included with DOS 3.3. The method used by the
Pascal disk system to store files was quite different from that used by
DOS, however. Instead of the 256-byte "sectors" used with DOS 3.2 (and by
3.3), the Pascal system used 512-byte "blocks", using two sectors per
block. Pascal used the larger 140K disks from the beginning, and its
method of file naming was somewhat more limited. Instead of names that
could be as long as 30 characters and could contain any ASCII character (as
was the case with DOS 3.2 and 3.3), Pascal files could be only 15
characters long, and could contain only letters, numbers, or a period. It
was designed with a little more flexibility in the types of files that
could be created, however. Instead of DOS 3.2's limit of eight different
file types ("A", "I", "B", "T", and the other four little-used ones),
Pascal was designed to allow many more, and used a two-byte code to
designate file types. A Pascal file entry also had space for a date when
the file was created or updated. DOS 3.2 or 3.3 could not easily do this,
even if a clock card was installed.<7>,<10>
Pascal disks differed also in being able to have a unique name to
designate each disk. DOS 3.2 and 3.3 could be formatted to use up to 254
different volume "numbers", but this feature was seldom used and did not
allow disks to be very unique. The Pascal disk name could be up to 7
characters in length, and had the same limits of character choice as did
file names. Another feature of the Pascal disks that differed from the
older DOS disks was how space was allocated on a disk for a particular
file. Under DOS 3.2 and 3.3, space was used on the disk to identify which
sectors were used and which were free. When a new file was created or an
existing file was enlarged, this track/sector list was consulted by DOS to
find where free space could be found, and the list was updated when a new
sector was used. The advantage was that all space on the disk could be
used as it was needed, but the disadvantage was that a file could be
"fragmented", with the sectors that made up that file scattered throughout
the disk.
Pascal disks did not have any map of free blocks. Instead, a Pascal
file used only consecutive blocks on a disk, and a new file would be
started following the end of the last file on the disk. The advantage of
this system was faster access to disk files, since they were all on one
continuous piece of the disk. The disadvantage was that if a file was
deleted, the newly freed space could not be used unless Pascal's "Krunch"
utility was used to move all files forward over the unused space.
The Pascal system also included some other built-in disk utilities, an
assembler, and a compiler. As part of this system one could also purchase
from Apple a compiler for FORTRAN programs and a few other computer
languages.<10>
CP/M With the release of the Microsoft CP/M Softcard, a disk system was
"""" needed to handle this foreign programming environment. (Recall from
Part 12 of the History that the CP/M system gave Apple II users a
Z-80-based computer inside their 6502 computer and, therefore, access to
programs and utilities that were previously unavailable). CP/M disks were
designed to use four 256-byte sectors as one "block" (twice as large as the
Pascal "block"). Like DOS 3.2 and 3.3, the first three tracks on the disk
were used for the CP/M operating system which was loaded into memory when
booting the disk. Like Pascal, the CP/M directory was found at the start
of the disk, instead of in the middle as DOS was designed.
Apple II CP/M disks followed the standard CP/M file naming system. A
file name consisted of 8 characters, followed by a period, and then a three
character "extension". One interesting feature of CP/M files was that if a
file was longer than 16 CP/M blocks (64 DOS sectors), a new directory entry
would be made with the same file name. This entry had an extra byte set to
show that this was a continuation of a previous file, instead of a new,
separate file.<10>
SOS/PRODOS The operating system designed for the Apple III computer was
"""""""""" called "SOS". This title arose from the Apple III's code
name, "Sara", which itself came from the name of engineer Disk Huston's
daughter. Originally, then, SOS stood for "Sara's Operating System". The
manuals released with the computer, however, used the more
professional-sounding name "Sophisticated Operating System." SOS was the
first operating system for a microcomputer to use the concept of "device
drivers", which were programs taken from the startup disk and made part of
the operating system. These drivers told the computer how to communicate
with the various devices that were attached to it, from a variety of disk
drives to the keyboard and monitor. This gave flexibility to the Apple III
to use new technology as it became available.<9>
When Apple designed the Apple III, they were under constraints of
maintaining some compatibility with the Apple II disk format. They used
the same disk controller and the same capacity disks as the Pascal/DOS 3.3
systems: 35 tracks, of 16 sectors each. However, the engineers were free
to make any changes they wanted in the way in which files were stored on
the disk. They came up with something that was a hybrid between the DOS
3.3 and Pascal methods of file storage. From Pascal they took the concept
of using 512-byte blocks as the basic unit of storage, a two-block "system
loader" program at the start of the disk (this loader would locate a larger
system file elsewhere on the disk to actually start the operating system),
and a four-block main catalog (which they called a "directory"). From DOS
3.3 they used the concept of disk maps and block lists for each file,
allowing parts of files to be stored anywhere on the disk (and eliminating
the need for the Pascal "Krunch" function). The SOS filing system also
continued the use of a byte to identify different filetypes, space for a
date (and time) of file storage, and the 15 character file names using only
letters, numbers, and a period. Because the Apple III was intended to be a
business machine and had to be able to access larger disk devices than were
allowed for the Apple II, they also added the ability to create and use
different levels of file directories. A single four-block directory had
space only for 51 files; even if it was enlarged to allow more files, on a
large disk it would soon be difficult to find a file in a list that got
longer than a couple of hundred names.
The SOS disk file system also would allow files to be as large as 16
MB, and a single disk volume could be up to 32 MB in size. In 1981, when
the 5 MB Profile hard disk was released by Apple for the III, this limit of
32 MB was considered to be more than adequate.
In 1984, when ProDOS was released for the Apple II as a "Professional
Disk Operating System", the same file structure was used. In fact, the
disks were so designed that a disk created by the Apple II ProDOS formatter
installed an Apple III SOS loader segment in the second block on the disk.
This made it possible to boot the same disk on either an Apple II or an
Apple III, if the necessary system files unique to each computer were
present on the disk. Also, files could be shared easily between the two
computers. Even as late as 1992, when the Apple III has been out of
production for eight years, disks formatted by Apple II System Utilities
still have SOS boot information located on block 1. What may be even more
amazing is that this disk system for the Apple III, released in 1980 (and
probably designed in 1978 or 1979), is still flexible enough to be useful
for Apple II's in 1992.<10>
PRODOS The original DOS for the Apple II was designed primarily to
"""""" support BASIC. If a programmer wanted to make use of the disk
system for an assembly language program, he had to make use of
undocumented, low level calls to the DOS File Manager, or possibly to some
of the Main DOS Routines. This method was clumsy, and often made
inefficient use of memory, as DOS expected that any calls made to it were
done on behalf of BASIC. Moreover, this tied the hands of programmers at
Apple in their ability to enhance DOS, since any changes they might make
would most likely change internal addresses, and cause older software to
malfunction if used with the revised DOS.
Another problem with DOS was speed. Since each byte read from the
disk was copied between memory buffers THREE times, much of the disk access
time was spent in moving things around in memory. Consequently, as hackers
took DOS apart and found better ways to do things, several variations of
DOS speed-up programs appeared by 1983, including Diversi-DOS, ProntoDOS,
and David-DOS. Each of these programs were mutually incompatible in terms
of the low-level calls they made, and had slightly different ways of
speeding up DOS.
DOS was also limited since it was device dependent. It was designed
to work quite well with the Disk II drive, but to make use of a hard disk
or RAM disk (a pseudo-disk "drive" that was actually RAM memory, had no
moving parts, and was therefore quite fast), DOS had to be patched. This
usually made it impossible to use different brands of hard disks together,
or to use a hard disk and a RAM disk simultaneously.
Other problems with DOS included poor support for interrupt signals
generated by various hardware devices, obstacles in designating memory
areas as protected from being overwritten by DOS, and the difficulty in
customizing DOS for special functions.
With the introduction of ProDOS, all of these weaknesses were
addressed. ProDOS would run up to eight times faster than DOS in accessing
5.25 disks. It supported a standardized protocol for hardware-based
devices, allowing reads, writes, status calls, and formatting (erasing).
This allowed a large variety of disk devices to be used on an Apple II.
Support was also included for a hardware clock, allowing date- and
time-stamping of files. Hardware interrupts were supported, necessary
system calls were placed in a standard location in memory (called a "global
page"), and memory could be protected from being overwritten by the actions
of ProDOS.
Because the functionality of this disk operating system was enhanced
so much, its size grew as well. To specifically support Applesoft BASIC, a
separate "SYSTEM" program was included that worked nearly the same as the
older DOS 3.3 did. In addition, it included some further enhancements that
had been requested for years by Applesoft programmers. The only
disadvantage of the new ProDOS was that it did NOT support Apple's original
Integer BASIC, since the ProDOS program loaded itself into high memory
where Integer BASIC was loaded in an Apple II Plus. Since very little
development of software had been done in Integer BASIC since the
introduction of Applesoft, this was felt to be a reasonable trade-off. And
if Integer BASIC was needed, it could still be run under DOS 3.3. At the
time of this writing, there has been no release of a ProDOS system program
that would support Integer BASIC (with the exception of an Integer BASIC
compiler distributed by ByteWorks in late 1991 for instructional
purposes).<1>
PRODOS 16 When Apple released the IIGS, with its considerably greater
""""""""" power compared to the older 8-bit Apple II's, changes were
needed in the operating system to better manage that power. This had to be
done with another goal, that of maintaining compatibility with older Apple
II software. The new operating system was called ProDOS 16, and the
operating system intended for use with 8-bit software (both on the IIGS and
on the older Apple II's) was renamed ProDOS 8. But ProDOS 16 version 1.0
was somewhat of a temporary fix to the problem of disk access for 16-bit
software. It was not written in 16-bit code, and it simply translated the
new system calls defined for ProDOS 16 into ProDOS 8 calls to actually
carry out disk activities. As such, it was slow and cumbersome.<9>
GS/OS With the experience of SOS, ProDOS, and the Macintosh Operating
""""" System to draw from, Apple engineers and programmers devised a yet
more powerful and flexible disk operating system for the Apple IIGS.
Written completely in 16-bit code, GS/OS was released in September 1988.
It was more than a DISK operating system, but a truly comprehensive
operating system that also handled keyboard input, monitor output (text and
graphics), mouse input, printers, modems, and more. In these respects it
was just as powerful as the older SOS written for the Apple III back in
1980. But they also added a new concept.
Although GS/OS would allow an Apple IIGS to communicate with disk
devices that had not been used on an Apple II before, there would still be
the limits of having to know exactly HOW files were stored on that disk.
ProDOS could only handle files stored in the specifically defined
ProDOS/SOS format; DOS 3.3 could only handle files stored in THAT format;
and so on. To make this new system as broad-based as possible, Apple
programmers built into it the concept of a File System Translator (FST).
With the appropriate FST teamed up with a suitable disk driver, GS/OS could
theoretically be able to read ANY disk created by ANY computer. The FST
simply translated the requests made by GS/OS into the language "spoken" by
the disk it was trying to read. This task had never before been attempted
by a computer company in designing a disk operating system. Apple,
recognizing that the computers used in the real world would never be 100
percent Apple, made it possible to simplify transfer of data between
different computers. The concept was first implemented in a limited
fashion on the Macintosh, when the Apple File Exchange program was modified
to be able to use MS-DOS disks. The Mac system is now also able to add its
equivalent of an FST for the ProDOS and MS-DOS disk systems, but not as
easily as has been implemented in GS/OS.
GS/OS was also made more flexible by removing the older Apple II
method of identifying a disk by the slot where its disk controller was
attached, and removing the limitation of only two disk devices per slot.
The limits of maximum file and disk size built into ProDOS 8 were expanded.
A GS/OS file or disk volume can be as large as 4 GB (gigabytes), or 4096 MB
to be more specific. However, when GS/OS is dealing with ProDOS disk
volumes, it still has to stay within the limits of ProDOS (files no bigger
than 16 MB, and disk volumes no bigger than 32 MB).<9>
System Software 5.0 for the IIGS was introduced in May 1989. It added
speed, speed, and more speed to many features of the IIGS, accomplishing
this through more efficient software coding. There were patches to the
IIGS ROM Toolbox to improve throughput in many of the built-in capabilities
of the machine. A new feature called "Expressload" was added, making it
possible for certain program files to load from disk up to eight times
faster. GS/OS was modified to be capable of staying in memory during a
switch to ProDOS 8 applications, making the return to GS/OS significantly
faster. The text-based control panel was supplemented by a new
graphics-based one that was accessible in the same way as other 16-bit desk
accessories. Access to 3.5 disks was accelerated by implementing a feature
called "scatter read", which could take an entire track (rather than just a
single block) of data from the disk at a time. An FST for AppleShare was
added, allowing a IIGS attached to an AppleTalk network to access the file
server as a disk. It also included an FST to allow access to CD-ROM
drives, new utilities for disk partitioning, and it had an intelligent
"Installer" program to make it easier to install system or application
files.<11>,<12>
Because of further improvements in features, System Software 5.0.2 (an
upgrade to 5.0) required a minimum of 512K memory, and worked best with
768K or more. Versions 5.0.3 and 5.0.4 needed a full megabyte of
memory.<9> An improved "standard file dialog" was included in the system
tools for 5.0.3, (making it possible to choose files more easily for
loading into an application), as were improved drivers for the ImageWriter
II and ImageWriter LQ printers. System 5.0.4 was released six weeks after
5.0.3 to fix some remaining important bugs discovered too late.<12>
GS/OS SYSTEM 6 Before System 5.0 was released, plans were already in
"""""""""""""" store for further improvements to the system software.
Apple IIGS "power" users were calling for the ability to use Macintosh HFS
(Hierarchical Filing System) disks, as well as the older Apple II DOS 3.3
and Pascal formats. Although there were some simple third-party
translation programs available that allowed transfer of files from Mac
disks to ProDOS disks, they did not provide the same ease of use as did the
direct access possible with ProDOS and CD-ROM files. Although it sounded
to these users like a relatively straightforward proposition, the increased
complexity of the Mac HFS directory structure complicated things. Not only
did the Mac disks contain more information about each file than did ProDOS
disks, but the names of files on Mac disks (as on DOS 3.3 disks) could
contain characters that were not "legal" for ProDOS file names. To help
with this problem, the new FSTs were designed to watch for potentially
illegal filenames, and to make suggestions for alternate names that WERE
legal.
Apple software engineers had always made it clear to programmers
clamoring for additional FSTs that such changes were more than just
dropping the new FST into the System/FST folder on a boot disk.
Modifications were necessary throughout GS/OS to accommodate these new
features, and the time needed to make these changes was becoming longer
than originally planned. To allow some improvements to be made available
without waiting for them all, the system software engineers divided tasks
during 1990, putting the features that could be programmed most quickly
onto a fast track that would allow them to be released as Version 5.0.3
later that year.
The other half of the team worked on the rest of the planned
enhancements for what would become System 6.0. When 5.0.4 was completed,
the entire team again came together to continue work on this upgrade.
After fourteen months of hard work, they were finally ready to release
GS/OS System 6.0 in March 1992. In addition to FSTs for the Mac HFS disks,
DOS 3.3, and Apple Pascal, device drivers were created to allow support of
the Apple Scanner, the slot-based Apple II Memory Expansion card (which on
the IIGS works primarily as a RAM disk), and the Apple Tape Drive. The
SCSI drivers were enhanced, and the Apple 5.25 disk driver was made faster.
A new printer driver was included, to support the Apple StyleWriter inkjet
printer, and more large fonts were included to use with that and other
printers. The Finder was re-designed almost from scratch by Andy Nicholas,
the author of ShrinkIt and GS-ShrinkIt. Archiver (a disk backup utility)
and Teach (a GS/OS-based text-editing program) were also included.
Finally, ProDOS 8 v2.0.1 was released, allowing 8-bit programs access to as
many as fourteen disk devices on a single slot. This made large,
partitioned hard disks usable even to Apple IIc and enhanced IIe users
(this version of ProDOS 8 required the opcodes of the 65c02 chip, although
ProDOS 8 v1.9 was still available to run on the Apple II Plus or unenhanced
IIe).<12>
At the 1992 KansasFest, Apple engineers announced that v6.0.1 of GS/OS
would be out later in 1992 or early in 1993. Because of delays in the
completion of the Apple II Ethernet card (which this version of GS/OS will
specifically support), the actual release will probably not be until the
middle of 1993. Aside from being able to handle the Ethernet card, this
revision is expected to include fixes for bugs found in 6.0, and an MS-DOS
FST (at least read-only, with write capability to come later).
[*][*][*]
NEXT INSTALLMENT: Languages
""""""""""""""""
NOTES
"""""
<1> Worth, Don, and Lechner, Pieter. Quality Software, BENEATH APPLE
DOS, Reseda, CA, 1984, pp. 2.1-2.9.
<2> -----. (ads), CALL-A.P.P.L.E. IN DEPTH #1, 1981, p. 106.
<3> Auricchio, Rick. (personal telephone call), Sep 4, 1991.
<4> Wozniak, Stephen. (personal telephone call), Sep 5, 1991.
<5> Roberts, Henry. "A.P.P.L.E. Doctor", CALL-A.P.P.L.E., Jan 1982,
p. 63.
<6> Arkley, John. (personal telephone call), Sep 9, 1991.
<7> Little, Gary. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc, EXPLORING
APPLE GS/OS AND PRODOS 8, Reading, MA, 1988, pp. 2-4.
<8> Little, Gary. Brady Communications Co, INSIDE THE APPLE //C,
Bowie, MD, 1985, pp. 1-7.
<9> Deatherage, Matt. "The Operating System", THE APPLE II GUIDE,
Fall 1990, pp. 117-125.
<10> Hunter, Skillman. "Road Maps To Apple II Disks: DOS
3.3, CP/M,
Pascal, and ProDOS", CALL-A.P.P.L.E., Feb 1985, pp. 10-21.
<11> Weishaar, Tom. "Breaking the incompatibility barrier:An
introduction to Apple's GS/OS", OPEN-APPLE, Nov 1988, pp.
4.75-4.78.
<12> Deatherage, Matt. "The Operating System", THE APPLE II GUIDE,
1992, pp. 111-113.
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