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GEnieLamp Apple II - Vol.2, Issue 12
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|| |||||| |||||||| |||||| RESOURCE!
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~ Wow! 1ST ANNUAL GEnieLamp SWIMSUIT ISSUE! ~
~ I BECAME A REAL GEnie JUNKIE ~
~ WHO'S WHO IN APPLE II ~
~ ASK DOCTOR BOB ~
~ HOT FILES, HOT MESSAGES, HOT REVIEWS ~
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
GEnieLamp A2 ~ A T/TalkNET OnLine Publication ~ Vol.2, Issue 12
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Press <RETURN> or <S>croll?S
Publisher.................................GEnie Information Services
Editor-In-Chief........................................John Peters
Editor.............................................Darrel Raines
~ GEnieLamp IBM ~ GEnieLamp [PR]/TX2 ~ GEnieLamp ST ~ GEnieLamp A2 ~
~ GEnieLamp MacPRO ~ GEnieLamp A2Pro ~ GEnieLamp Macintosh ~
~ Member Of The Digital Publishing Association ~
////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
>>> WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE APPLE II ROUNDTABLE? <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ March 1, 1993 ~
FROM MY DESKTOP ......... [FRM] APPLE_TALK .............. [TAL]
Notes From The Editor. Apple II Corner.
HEY MISTER POSTMAN ...... [HEY] HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM]
Is That A Letter For Me? By Any Other Name...
ASK DOCTOR BOB .......... [ASK] LAMP_WIRE ............... [LAM]
Gotta Problem? Gotta Answer! Late Breaking A2 News.
CowTOONS! ............... [COW] REFLECTIONS ............. [REF]
GEnieLamp Swimsuit Issue. Thinking Online Communications.
LIFESTYLES .............. [LIF] TELETALK ONLINE ......... [TEL]
I Became A Real GEnie Junkie! Online Communications.
THE MIGHT QUINN ......... [QUI] PROFILES ................ [PRO]
Random Access. Who's Who In Apple II.
THE ONLINE LIBRARY ...... [LIB] ONLINE FUN .............. [FUN]
Yours For The Downloading. Search-ME!
APPLE II ................ [AII] LOG OFF ................. [LOG]
Apple II History, Part 10. 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 GEnie costs only $4.95 a month for unlimited evening and
""""""""""" weekend access to more than 100 services including
electronic mail, online encyclopedia, shopping, news, entertainment,
single-player games, multi-player chess and bulletin boards on leisure
and professional subjects. With many other services, including the
largest collection of files to download and the best online games, for
only $6 per hour (non-prime-time/2400 baud). To sign up for GEnie
service, call (with modem) 1-800-638-8369. Upon connection type HHH.
Wait for the U#= prompt. Type: XTX99368,GENIE and hit RETURN. The system
will then prompt you for your information.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
//////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "I do want to thank each and everyone of you, for all your /
/ input & help.. This is what GEnie'ing is all about!!" /
///////////////////////////////////////////// T.EVANS21 ////
[EOA]
[FRM]//////////////////////////////
FROM MY DESKTOP /
/////////////////////////////////
Notes From The Editor
"""""""""""""""""""""
By John Peters
[GENIELAMP]
FROM MY DESKTOP A GEnieLamp Swimsuit issue? Yup! Hey, if SI can do it,
""""""""""""""" why not GEnieLamp? Our resident CowToonist says, "These
bovine barnyard bathing beauties are truly livestock lovelies, heavenly
heifers, stockyard stunners, and Cowtoon Cuties. They should be udderly
amoosing to anyone who never thought they'd see cows in 2-piece swimsuits."
I agree! Definitely something you don't want to miss!
AMAZING! Ten years ago I thought a 30 to 50K magazine was large. Now
"""""""" it's unusual for T/TalkNET Online Publications to publish a
magazine less then 150K. Of course, there are reasons for this situation.
For one, 300 baud modems were the norm back then; 1200 baud was the top end
and 2400 baud was reserved for the elite few who could afford them.
Secondly, those who could afford it, had 64K of RAM. Third, floppy drives
were $800.00+, and hard drives were just a fantasy to most of me.
Thankfully, all of that has changed. Today 2400 baud is the low end of
modems, 1, 2, 4 megs (or more) of RAM is not unusual and hard drives are as
common as floppies.
Still, in spite of the speed-demon modems, the mega-memory systems and
the monster hard drives, I must admit that 200K text files are probably
pushing the limits of online publishing, considering the hardware and
software we are dealing with today. So....
I have come up with an alternative plan. As you may or may not know
within 48 hours of publishing GEnieLamp on the menus we also offer all the
Lamps in compressed format (Pk-Zip for the IBM, Mac and ST, BXY for the A2)
for downloading in the GEnieLamp Library. Starting with this issue you
will now also find an abbreviated issue available for downloading as well.
These special issues will contain only the main courses from each of the
Lamps. That is, no GEnie_Qwik_Quotes, no games or puzzles, or CowTOONS
(sorry, Mike :). So, if you prefer your meat without the potatoes, we
have what you're looking for!
NEW CONTRIBUTOR I am pleased to announce that Al Fasoldt has agreed to
""""""""""""""" submit a monthly column for GEnieLamp. Al writes about
computers and consumer electronics from Syracuse, N.Y., where he is a
newspaper editor and programmer. I've always enjoyed Al's columns that he
occasionally posts here on GEnie, and I think you will too.
PACIFIC EDGE ON GEnie! The Pacific Edge Magazine has joined the GEnieLamp
"""""""""""""""""""""" RoundTable. Watch for new issues in the library
and reader support in the bulletin board.
PERSONAL INVITATION The RealTime Conference room is available...so let's
""""""""""""""""""" give it a go! I know this is short notice, but
everyone interested in visiting with the Digital Publishing Association and
its members is welcome to join in some RTC chat every Wednesday night.
Drop by...
6:30pm Pacific 8:30pm Central
7:30pm Mountain 9:30pm Eastern
...to talk about these exciting times for electronic publishing. Make
a new friend, meet an old one, or just hang out. It's all informal so
don't be shy -- give it a try -- and visit the inner sanctum of DPA's
enlightened pioneers of electronic publishing. Hope we see you there!
Digital Publishing News "Disktop Publishing"...Yes, that was the headline
""""""""""""""""""""""" in the "Trends" section of PC Magazine's March
16 issue. The two column story by Robert Kendall begins by saying Random
House is putting selected titles from its Modern Library series on floppy
disks in collaboration with Apple and Voyager Company.
But the rest of his story focuses on the "new breed" of on-disk
publishers targeting the PC-compatible market. First mention goes to
Floppyback Publishing International, Bruce Gilkin's "Angel of Death", and
even a color screen shot of chapter one as it looks using Dart (a
Hyper-text reader for IBM).
Floppyback's association with Rutgers University Press is also cited
along with "Discovering the Mid-Atlantic: Historical Tours" by Patrick
Louis Cooney.
Next, Mr. Kendall goes on to say Connected Editions "epitomizes the
effect of information technology on higher education" through Connected
Education's electronic graduate courses by modem. Faculty member David
Hays' annually updated book on disk "Evolution of Technology" is mentioned
as an example of an inexpensive way to revise without the prohibitive
expense of bound paper reprints.
The story quickly summarizes most of the advantages DPA members
already know and use, so it seems the author has been reading News from the
Disktop and the other gems of information that Ron Albright has diligently
distributed for two years.
Kendall offers his own opinion that "Disktop publishing is especially
appealing for universities" for monographs and text- books using hypertext
as a research tool, and for students on a low budget who want to get into
'print' quickly.
Regarding distribution, Kendall unfortunately failed to mention the
DPA's home on GEnie, (in the GEnieLamp RoundTable) but he did call the
DPA's free bulletin board system an "especially rich source of material."
Since the PC Mag story appeared, the DPA BBS is averaging about 40
calls per day. That's 1200 calls per month, and proof positive that the
public wants more of what the DPA has to offer.
I once said something to the effect that this thing was going to take
off suddenly, catching us all with our mouths hanging open. Brace
yourselves! The tide is turning and is sure to flood the DPA beachfront as
this kind of attention roils into an electronic storm charged with new
writers, publishers, and adventurers. -Mike White
[*][*][*]
Until next month...
John Peters
[GENIELAMP]
////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "I just purchased a cordless electric screwdriver. There /
/ are two pages (31 items!) of "Important Safety Rules" for /
/ using the screwdriver -- including such things as "wear /
/ hearing protection during extended periods of operation", /
/ "stay alert", and "do not operate while under the /
/ influence of drugs, alcohol, or any medication". Sheesh. /
/ It's just a simple electric screwdriver. Heaven forbid you /
/ can't figure out how to use it. They forgot a warning about /
/ being severely irritated by all of the warnings." /
///////////////////////////////////////////// J.EIDSVOOG1 ////
[EOA]
[TAL]//////////////////////////////
APPLE_TALK /
/////////////////////////////////
Apple II Corner
"""""""""""""""
By Darrel Raines
[D.RAINES]
I want to thank everyone who took the time to send me GE Mail feedback
after reading last month's edition of GEnieLamp. The responses were all
positive. It is nice to know that we are doing some things right. On the
other hand, I did not get very many replies compared to the number of times
that the A2 GEnieLamp is downloaded. I will continue to solicit your
opinions and ideas. We are always open to suggestion or constructive
criticism. These will help make our product offering stronger as we
continue to improve.
Now that there are separate issues of GEnieLamp for the A2 and A2Pro
areas, we can focus on different subject matter for each of the two
newsletters. I envision the A2 version having an eye toward the new user.
I think that the game and entertainment fields fall into our domain. And
finally, I see the education market as one of our prime areas. These are
not the boundaries of our focus, but they represent some of the major areas
that we intend to cover.
With this somewhat narrowed focus in mind, we have begun to put
together articles that meet the needs of these groups. This issue has an
article by Gina Saikin chronicling the trails and tribulations of a new
Apple II user. Any of you who have "met" Gina on GEnie know that she has
quickly become adept at using her computer. Next month, we will continue
this trend by reviewing the most recent computer game for the Apple IIgs:
Out of This World. And believe me, it is most certainly not of this world.
Our monthly content will vary, but we hope that you can see the
results of our new alignment. Programming and highly technical articles
will appear in A2Pro newsletters. The areas that I have outlined above
will appear in A2 newsletters. Both versions of GEnieLamp will strive for
well-written and informative articles. As always, let us know how we are
doing.
[*][*][*]
As was noted in the last issue of A2 GEnieLamp, the latest version of
GEnie Master (GEM) has been released as freeware to the Apple II community.
This software package will allow you to use your terminal software and
Appleworks 3.0 to automate your GEnie sessions. If you have never tried
this nifty package, then there has never been a better time than the
present. You can significantly reduce you online time on GEnie. At the
same time, you can get more information and software than was ever possible
while using GEnie "manually". Download the GEM software and check out what
you have been missing. Do it today and start saving dollars tomorrow.
Author and editor Darrel Raines [D.Raines] welcomes any feedback or
""""""""""""""""" comments via electronic mail to the listed user name.
[*][*][*]
CORRECTION Last month's interview with Mike Westerfield was conducted by
"""""""""" GEnieLamp editor Darrel Raines. Phil Shapiro usually
conducts the monthly interviews. However, because of the nature of The
ByteWorks products (programming tools) and his interest in software
development, Darrel was the GEnieLamp spokesman for that interview.
//////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "Wow Ringo, was that you? I didn't get a chance to say hello. /
/ I was too busy jammin' with Jeff. (I can't believe I played /
/ the drums... I don't _play_ the drums.) It's a good thing /
/ the management made me quit, eh?" /
////////////////////////////////////////////////////// MUSE ////
[EOA]
[HEY]//////////////////////////////
HEY MISTER POSTMAN /
/////////////////////////////////
Is That A Letter For Me?
""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Darrel Raines
[D.RAINES]
o APPLE II ODDS & ENDS
o WHAT'S NEW?
o THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE...
o MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT
>>> A2 ODDS & ENDS <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""
GNO CONFUSION GNO is one of those bizarre things that constantly
""""""""""""" confuses everyone, including myself. :-) Things GNO does
do:
o Turns the IIGS into a low (low) cost UNIX machine.
o Lets you run UNIX software (as long as someone has taken the time
to port it to the IIgs).
o Makes serial port programming almost trivial, and very powerful.
Things GNO does not do:
o Run multiple desktop applications
Okay, there are a few other things GNO doesn't do but those relate to
the UNIX compatibility stuff. You can have any number of UNIX style (text,
shell- based) applications running, _with_ a desktop program of your choice
if you like. The multitasking is actual preemptive multitasking, which
means that programs waiting for I/O do not eat processor time (unlike
MultiFinder, although System 7 took a few steps to alleviate that), and the
system can automatically schedule how much CPU time a program gets based on
its behavior. With GNO, you can be in a telecom program, download a .SHK
file, then open a window and use the shell-based unshrinkit program to
uncompress it in the background while reading messages, or whatever. GNO
also works with Switch-It!, so you can have your multiple desktop
applications and eat them too. GNO is fully compatible with the ORCA
programming environment. GNO can do things that would be difficult in
MultiFinder. Much of our current work is moving towards complete
integration of the shell and GUI environments, much like expensive UNIX
systems have been. I guess the best thing about GNO is that new programs
don't have to be written specifically for GNO in order to multitask. The
system handles it cleanly and inconspicuously (again, this does not yet
count desktop programs).
Well, this message is quite long enough, I think. :-) I'll be more
than happy to answer any questions or listen to suggestions.
(PROCYON.INC, CAT8, TOP3, MSG:12/M645;1)
___
SYSTEM 6.0 |he Finder in System 6.0 completely ignores any icon files it
"""""""""" finds called Finder.Icons or Finder.Icons.X. It does this
because these icons are now incorporated into the Finder program itself (in
the resource fork). If you wish to use any custom icons you may have put
in Finder.Icons or Finder.Icons.X, do the following: Go into your favorite
icon editor and open those two files. Now, create a brand NEW file. Copy
the icons that you want to keep from the two old files into the one new
file. Save the new file in the Icons folder of your _boot_ disk, with a
unique name (something like System.Icons or OldFinder.Icons, etc.).
Completely remove those old files from any Icons folders.
___
|he FType.Apple file in System 6.0 is not an icon file. It replaces
the files Ftype.Main and FType.Aux from System 5.0.x. You need the
FType.Apple file for Finder in System 6.0 to function properly. You do not
need the other two older files. Everything from them is now contained in
FType.Apple. What's in these files are lists of names for file types, such
as "Binary file" and "Folder" and "Super Hi-Res Screen Image" etc. These
are the names that show up when you do an "Icon Info..." on a file, or are
viewing a window in a list view ("By Name," etc.). A few other programs,
such as GSHK, use these files, as well.
(A2.LUNATIC, CAT9, TOP2, MSG:151/M645;1)
LOOKING FOR A DRIVE? A larger drive will normally come out with a lower
"""""""""""""""""""" cost per meg. Economies of scale come into play.
Ask yourself the following questions....
1. How much storage capacity do you NEED?
2. How much can you comfortably spend?
3. How much need do you have to be able to interchange files with
someone else in large quantity?
The best overall bargain for increased storage is a medium capacity
fixed drive, something like a Quantum in the 200 meg range. The cost per
meg is somewhat higher than a gigabyte drive, but your overall cost is a
lot lower. :) (If you don't NEED a gig, why pay for it?)
(GARY.UTTER, CAT11, TOP16, MSG:114/M645;1)
GEM 4.20 HELP
"""""""""""""
> When loading GEM 4.20, I sometimes get the "Msg" file loaded in
> automatically into the "msg.in.process" file and sometimes not. What
> command can I use to get this done in some sort of consistent fashion?
1) Captured bulletin board messages are saved as an ASCII
text file called msg, appending (usually -- this is a
telecomm program setting) new ones, if a msg file is
already on the disk.
2) GEM then converts a msg file into an AWP msg.in.process
file for your use, deletes the msg file and saves the
msg.in.process file temporarily to your disk. However,
if the msg file is too large for comfortable use in
AppleWorks, GEM Chopper will be called into action to
divide the msg file into bite-size chunks (I think the
default is 25K), renaming them as msg.a, msg.b, msg.c,
and so on.
3) When you boot GEM, it first scans your disk for a
remaining msg.in.process file, which would be saved if
you chose to "mark it for later" (Quit Menu, #3). If it
finds one, it loads it first, leaving the msg file
unchanged.
4) When you quit the msg.in.process file, GEM scans the
disk for any remaining msg files. If it finds one, it
converts and loads it before quitting. If your msg file
has been chopped up(see paragraph #2, above), GEM will
keep loading the smaller msg files in order, until all
have been used.
5) If there is neither a msg nor a msg.in.process file on
your disk, GEM creates an empty msg.in.process file for
your use.
6) If you hold down the spacebar at bootup, you will go
directly to the Library subsystem, and no msg.in.process
file will be used or created.
7) When you quit GEM, items #1, #2 and #4 in the Quit Menu
will delete the msg.in.process file; items #3 and #5
will set a marker in the msg.in.process file and resave
it to your disk for later use (see paragraph #3,
above).
GEM is consistent (after all, it's a computer program :), if only you
know how it works. Does that help?
(W.NELKEN1, CAT29, TOP9, MSG:106/M645;1)
SCREEN SAVER KICKS IN TOO SOON
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
>I set the screen blanker in ProSel to one minute. Why does it kick in
>sometimes at once or after 5 to 10 seconds?
The blanker "kicks in" when the clock starts a new minute. That is,
when the seconds rolls from :59 to :00. So if your last keypress was at
:50, your screen will blank in 10 seconds. If it was at :10, then the blank
occurs 50 seconds later.
Watch the Prosel clock in the lower right corner. The blanking
happens on the minute.
(R.REEDY, CAT30, TOP2, MSG:41/M645;1)
RECOVERY FROM I/O ERRORS Error $27 is an I/O error, and that means
"""""""""""""""""""""""" there's a problem on the diskette itself, not
with something you're doing. There IS a trick that I've used to recover
stacks from disks with I/O errors: Use a copy program that will let you go
past a block read error (the only one I know of is Copy II+), and copy the
entire disk. Then, load the stack from the copied disk. If the I/O error
occurs in data that is just a background, you'll get a messed up screen
somewhere in the stack that can be re-painted, or whatever. If it's in the
middle of a sound segment, you can edit the button, and re-record or load
the sound. If it's in the middle of a card-to-card link field, you're
pretty much out of luck, but at least you tried! Because card backgrounds
and sounds are so much larger than link fields, you've got a xx out of xxxx
chance that this will all work. (I don't know the "real" odds, but I've
been lucky on the disks I've had problems with!). P.S. If the I/O error is
on one of the original HS disks, you can always send it back to RWP with a
note, and we'll replace the disk for you. (If your dog or kid was at the
root of the problem, it would be nice to include the $10 we usually charge
for a disk re-copy, but you'll get a replacement disk no matter what you
send). (ROGER.WAGNER, CAT32, TOP2, MSG:149/M645;1)
PRINTER PROBLEMS
""""""""""""""""
>When I print through TEACH or Universe Master, and use INTERNAL in my
>print setup, the first page prints beautifully but the second page
>reverts to a very large size font (the same font I was using). I haven't
>let it go any further than the second page, but I expect that these would
>also be in the large font size. I have 4-1/4 meg of memory and the latest
>versions of HARMONY and POINTLESS. My printer is a DJ 500C. I have to
>print one page at a time for documents over a page long (page 1 to page
>1, page 2 to page 2, etc.). Any suggestions?
I have seen this problem as well. As best as I can figure, the printer
is _NOT_ receiving the command to "shrink" the received page image for any
but the initial page. I see this same thing using EGOEd NDA. AWGS does
_not_ have this problem because it treats each page as the "first page",
sending a full page set-up description to the printer driver with each
page. TEACH, EGOEd, etc. do _not_. They simply send the page set-up info
prior to the first page and then assume that the printer (and driver) will
remember it. They dont. I have been awaiting a fix on this problem for more
than a year.
I'm glad you brought it back up. Maybe we will see some action on
this.
Lowell, you may remember me. I sent you a full package of printouts
illustrating this problem some time ago. As I recall, you forwarded this to
Bill H., but I have not heard back from you for some tine. I lost your last
message when I changed offices last semester.
Judging by how AWGS operates, the solution to this (and to printing
multipage, high resolution picture vis SuperConvert or What.A.Poster) is to
have the driver send the page set-up info after every form feed/ But, then
again, I am not a programmer. :)
(EBR2, CAT40, TOP14, MSG:219/M645;1)
WORDPERFECT AND A2 Just to add to the others, and give a little
"""""""""""""""""" additional information, I'll add the following about
WordPerfect for the Apple II:
I'm still using v2.1e for the GS, and my son is using the ][e/c
version on a Laser 128. Neither has found another word processor for our
respective machines that we prefer to use. I bought both shortly after WP
was introduced for the Apple ][. I have upgraded the gs version four
times, and considered it well worth the cost. WPGS has, IMHO, the best and
most extensive spell checker, I know of on a GS. It's Macro feature is
excellent, though I've never used AW 3.0 with enhancements for comparison.
I do have AWGS, and except for the ability to select fonts, WPGS is way
superior in ease of operation, and not subject to the occasional crashes
that seem common in AWGS. Far more functions can be handled by the
keyboard with WPGS, increasing speed of operation.
A friend, who owned a GS and used 5.0 at work asked to see my version.
She refused to go beyond the initial screen, because "It doesn't look
anything like the REAL program," and "it's still got the WRONG keyboard."
The manual gives no mention of support for the extended keyboard, so
you will not be able to get away from the different fingering for the same
features.
WPGS is a byproduct of an earlier, much less sophisticated version
than 5.1 for the IBM. The original release ran under p16, before the
release of GS/OS in any version. Notably, the extensive font changes
available in 5.1 are not available, and graphics cannot be imported into
the document and runarounds, etc, created. I do not have experience with
the IBM version, but understand both of these are available.
About 1 year or 18 months ago I received an upgrade offer that would
allow me to move "up" to WP for the IBM or Mac at a very reasonable fee.
If memory serves me accurately, in that mailing it was stated that they
would no longer support the ][gs or ][e/c versions of the program.
Specifically, no further upgrades would be produced, and no telephone
support would be available after a given date. I would be very surprised
if you could find a copy new, unless it's been sitting on someone's shelf
for quite a while.
Since then, GS/OS 6.0 has come along. I've found NO problems running
it under that system -- but the handwriting is on the wall. WPGS is not of
the future! (I.KNIGGE, CAT2, TOP4, MSG:45/M645;1)
>>> WHAT'S NEW? <<<
"""""""""""""""""""
PLATINUM PAINT UPGRADES If you bought it from Quality Computers, you can
""""""""""""""""""""""" upgrade your Platinum Paint by calling
1-800-777-3642. The upgrade costs $30 plus shipping and handling.
If you bought it from someone else (even directly from Beagle before
last summer) you will need to send in your original program disk, manual
cover, or some other proof of ownership. Beagle didn't keep very good
records of that stuff.
(QC, CAT42, TOP25, MSG:10/M645;1)
>Noticed an interesting offer in the February issue of A+/Incider. The
>Apple Clinic column says that Publish It! owners can buy Graphicwriter
>III for $60 plus an original program disk or manual cover. Is this
>accurate? Does the offer apply to the updated version of Graphicwriter
>III mentioned in the same article?
To trade up it's actually $60 plus $3.50 shipping and handling (just
send payment along with an original program disk or manual cover from any
DTP program!
You will receive the latest version of GWIII, which is version 1.1.
The v1.2 update was mentioned prematurely...v1.2 is in development, but
will not be out for several months (at which time all registered owners
will be able to update for a reasonable fee).
(SEVENHILLS, CAT43, TOP6, MSG:71/M645;1)
ANNOUNCING THE MANAGER! IIGS users can now benefit from the same
""""""""""""""""""""""" technology that Macintosh users enjoy--The
Manager(tm) is the first and only TRUE MultiFinder(tm) for your Apple IIGS!
Multiple applications can be open simultaneously and moving among them is
as simple as clicking in a different window. This is a tremendous time
saver because you don't have to quit one application to start using
another, which is especially convenient when copying and pasting between
applications.
Use The Manager to create your own integrated environment...just open
your favorite IIGS-specific word processing, painting, DTP, telecom and
other programs, then instantly move among them! It is fully compatible
with AppleWorks GS, GraphicWriter III, Platinum Paint, Teach, and more. It
even works with system extensions such as Express, Kangaroo, TransProg III,
and others.
DON'T SETTLE FOR A LIMITED "SWITCHER"--the Macintosh started with
this type of program but MultiFinder made it obsolete. Macintosh users
know from experience that a MultiFinder program gives you greater control,
makes you more productive, and is more enjoyable because it's easier to
use. The only true MultiFinder for the IIGS is The Manager...it even
supports multi-tasking for some applications without requiring additional
software.
The Manager is the result of a two year collaboration between Seven
Hills Software (Express, GraphicWriter III, SuperConvert, others) and
BrainStorm Software (Kangaroo, TransProg III, others). It requires System
6 and as little as 2MB memory (4MB recommended for greatest efficiency;
required for some program combinations). A hard drive is not required but
is strongly recommended.
The Manager is the perfect way to increase your productivity!
The Manager's retail price is $69.95, and it will be shipping to our
resellers on 2/15/93. Quality Computers and other leading mail order
companies will be carrying The Manager. Quality Computers is ready to
take advance orders for only $49.95 so The Manager can be delivered to you
as quickly as possible.
(SEVENHILLS, CAT43, TOP13, MSG:1/M645;1)
>>> THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE... <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
A FRIEND OF MINE
""""""""""""""""
My friend, he bought a new Mac
It came completely loaded
It's warranty was 360 days
But in 30 was outmoded...
(S.WEYHRICH, CAT2, TOP8, MSG:15/M645;1)
MONSTER LAB NEWS I am alive and well, and check in here every week or
"""""""""""""""" two. I have been stalled on my fourth ReliefWare game,
"Monster Lab", for about 6 months now. For some reason, being a military
doc in the 101st Airborne Division and the father of two seems to take a
big chunk of my time...
Version 1.5 of all three games are still current. We are close to the
$10,000 mark in payments received (and distributed). With the Lord's help,
Monster Lab should be released in 1993. I won't make a promise when...
---Ken (because I hate broken release date promises) Franklin
(KEN.FRANKLIN, CAT6, TOP3, MSG:31/M645;1)
inCider/A+ NEWS inCider/A+ magazine announced that Dr. Cynthia Field will
""""""""""""""" serve as Consulting Editor and will coordinate the
magazine's coverage of new Apple II products, Apple II news, and Apple II
product reviews. Dr. Field, who maintains a long-time commitment to the
Apple II community, asks developers to keep her informed about new products
and news of interest to Apple II users.
[Dr. Cynthia Field, 60 Border Drive, Wakefield, RI 02879; Voice and
fax: (401) 782-0380.]
(NAUG, CAT17, TOP37, MSG:60/M645;1)
GUIDE TO INTERNET I have to second Dan Brown's recommendation of Ed
""""""""""""""""" Krol's "The Whole Internet User's Guide". It's an
excellent resource for anyone 'on the net'. Surprisingly, most of the
information in that book is also available online, but it sure is nice to
have it all in one spot.
I've been spending a lot of time on the Internet recently, and it
amazes me that even people who have been 'on the net' for years have no
concept of just how huge it is, how much information is available on it, or
how to use some of the incredible tools that are available, such as Gopher.
I'm so enamored of the Internet that I'm writing a feature length
article about it for the May issue of inCider. It's an ambitious project,
but I'm hoping to cover such topics as: what is the Internet, how to access
it, and what to do once you've gained access.
I wouldn't be exaggerating to say that I am stunned at just how much
information is available online through the Internet. I thoroughly believe
that the entire accumulated knowledge of all mankind is currently stored on
the Internet. (J.KOHN, CAT27, TOP3, MSG:117/M645;1)
WHO'S WHO IN A2 Here's an up-to-date listing of your Apple II sysops on
""""""""""""""" GEnie:
Dean Esmay Apple II Chief Sysop A2.DEAN
Bill Dooley A2 Bulletin Board Manager A2.BILL
Susan MacGregor A2 Real Time Conference Manager A2.SUSAN
Tim Tobin A2 Library Manager A2.TIM
Lunatic E'Sex Apple II Promotions Manager A2.LUNATIC
Matt Deatherage A2Pro RT Leader M.DEATHERAGE
And our able A2 library assistants:
Tyler Weisman A2 Library Assistant A2.TYLER
Tom Zuchowski 8-bit games & utilities T.ZUCHOWSKI
Pat Kern Clip Art & graphics C.KERN1
Bill Goosey Telecommunications & Misc. W.GOOSEY
And our A2 Real-Time Conference (RTC) assistants:
Tara Dillinger New Users - Monday T.DILLINGER
Susan MacGregor Formal Guest - Tuesday A2.SUSAN
HangTime Hypermedia - Wednesday A2.HANGTIME
Mike Garvey TBC Forum - Thursday TBC
Jim Zajkowski Telecommunications - Friday JIMZ
Dave Ciotti Saturday Night Live - Saturday A2.BEAR
Gina Saikin Sunday Morning Kids' RTC G.SAIKIN
Don Arrowsmith II Speak - Sunday D.ARROWSMIT1
And those crazy guys that help Matt run A2Pro (page 530):
Steve Gunn A2Pro Assistant A2PRO.STEVE
Jim Murphy A2Pro Assistant A2PRO.JIM
Greg Da Costa A2Pro Assistant A2PRO.GREG
Todd P. Whitsel A2Pro Assistant A2PRO.TODDPW
Keeping an eye out on all of us is Tom Weishaar, the Manager of the
Apple II RoundTables here on GEnie!
(A2.DEAN, CAT1, TOP24, MSG:1/M645;1)
>>> MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
Category 7 Topic 2
Message 29 Sat Jan 30, 1993
A2.DEAN [A2 Leader] at 20:14 EST
A program cannot be both public domain and freeware. That's not
possible, and if a program claims to be both I guess it's anybody's guess
which it is - but I'd say probably public domain.
Once something is public domain anybody can use it for any purpose,
period. You cannot place any restrictions on the distribution of public
domain stuff. If I want to charge $5,000 for a copy of a public domain
program I'm perfectly free to do so. Of course anyone who paid me that
would be making a big mistake because he could probably get a free copy by
just looking around for someone who isn't trying to gouge him. ;-)
Public domain means _PUBLIC_, as in all members of the public,
_DOMAIN_, meaning property of, as in, property of the public at large.
Anybody can do anything they want with something that's public domain,
including modify it, spin it, fold it, and mutilate it, give it away or
charge for it, or anything else, and nothing anybody says, including the
author, can stop it.
"Freeware" is just a catch-all for a copyrighted program on which the
author has declared that people may copy it for free. If it's freeware,
then the author still has rights and may place restrictions on its
distribution or use.
They are VERY different concepts. That difference is very important.
[*][*][*]
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 AII, 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 ////
/ "Are you stuck using a female character to get around in the /
/ temple of the snakes? I would rather bring my white wizard /
/ than the grey wizard chick." /
/////////////////////////////////////////////////// AEO.2 ////
[EOA]
[HUM]//////////////////////////////
HUMOR ONLINE /
/////////////////////////////////
By Any Other Name...
""""""""""""""""""""
By John Jainschigg
[JCOMMS]
WHAT'S IN A NAME? As I've been suggesting patiently for years, the real
""""""""""""""""" reason Jerry Pournelle no longer pays much attention
to Atari hardware (besides the fact that the last call Mr. Pournelle got
from Atari was probably from Neil Harris, back in 1985 (grin)) is because
nobody has suggested piquant NAMES for his Atari machines.
As any real Pournelle fan will tell you, naming computers is
absolutely fundamental to the Pournelle ethos of hardware evaluation. Early
Chaos Manor scholarship ascribed Pournelle's naming habit to projective
futuristic anthropomorphism: By naming his computers, he was merely
anticipating such time as literally intelligent, fully-individuated
computing machinery would become available.
Subsequent scholarship has pointed out, however, that instead of
coming up with "computery" names for his systems (C3P0, R2D2, 21MM392, HAL,
etc.), Pournelle continues to prefer organic-sounding names such as
Ezekial, Lucy Van Pelt, Big Cheetah, and the like. One school of thought
now suggests that Pournelle performs the act of naming as a divinatory
gesture based in animism or pantheism. Before one can propitiate the
capricious _anima_ or spirit of the machine (deus ex machina), one must
determine its name -- the first step in determining where a particular
anima stands in the greater heirarchy of spirits, which will in turn
determine its area of specific influence, threat- value, and to some
extent, elucidate the protocols and ceremonies required in its worship.
Extending the above thesis, a few Manorologists have suggested that
the ultimate goal of naming is not worship and propitiation, but indeed
_control_ of the hardware anima. In this formulation, if Pournelle knows
the name of a computer's demiurge or loa, he can summon it and to some
extent, control its behavior. Even if this so-called "Voodoo" hypothesis is
correct, however, it should not be carelessly assumed to presuppose that
Pournelle views computers as inherently dangerous or maleficent entities --
i.e., as demons. While this characterization may indeed inform Pournelle's
view, it should be noted that the demonic picture of the anima is largely
restricted to medieval and post- medieval Judeo/Christian traditions of
sympathetic magic, whereas Pournelle's thinking may derive from older
African, Mediterranean, and/or Asian traditions, that view the generic
anima as being fundamentally unconcerned with human affairs. Even in the
somewhat ill-reputed Voodoo tradition, per se, most loas are perceived as
neutral -- the practice of Voodoo "demonology," or "dealing with the left
hand" is associated only with a few specific spirits, most notably Le Baron
Samedi (Baron Saturday), the loa of Death. While many of us, indeed,
experience the use of IBM-compatible hardware as being somehow akin to
death, this is doubtless related to the fact that IBM computers are,
according to a Mambo of my acquaintance, under the especial protection of
Lemonmedselma, the loa of segmented-addressing and 640K limitations, who is
cousin to Samedi in the traditional Voodoo familial pantheon.
On the other hand, some have argued that Pournelle's having chosen
the name Ezekial for his CP/M system -- that name figuring significantly in
Revelations -- is evidence of precisely this type of demonologic turn in
the author's metaphysics. We feel this argument is without merit. Instead,
we suggest that while the name Ezekial certainly derives from mystic New
Testament sources, Pournelle chose it because Ezekial's peculiar vision was
especially meaningful to him, as a science-fiction writer. As the spiritual
recounts: "Ezekial saw the wheel, way up in the middle of the air ..." This
vision of a fiery flying wheel, along with subsequent descriptions of
multi-headed, winged figures, have, of course, been popularly put forward
as scriptural evidence of extraterrestrial visitation.
In the final analysis, we feel that Pournelle's naming of his
computers is essentially Adamic. It derives in kind from the story of
Genesis, wherein Adam's first task, as prototypic human, was to name the
animals, asserting Man's natural dominion and expressing his essential
relationship with God the Creator. The creating God, of course, has
established the identification of naming with dominion "... and he called
the light Day, and the darkness Night, etc.," and is identified in
apostolic scripture with the primal word, or Logos.
Having reviewed this analysis, it should be obvious that if Mr.
Pournelle is ever to take Atari systems seriously, appropriately evocative
and meaningful names for them must be provided. Ideally, of course, we
might hope that Mr. Pournelle would invent his _own_ names -- but he may
still be awaiting delivery of evaluation systems. In the interim, I suggest
that it would do no harm, and may do some good, to suggest a few tony
monickers:
Binky, Doogie, Semiramis, Carpaccio, Lucrezia Borgia, Lizzy Borden,
Murphy Brown, Elizabeth Regina, Rosenkrantz, Despina, Count Ugolino,
Blackadder, Lt. Commander Data, Spock (sigh), NOMAD, Tinkerbell, Bazooka
Joe ... Please feel free to add your own.
-John Jainschigg (EXPLORER, CAT15, TOP7, MSG:88.M475)
/////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "I have a theory on that. Nathan keeps asking Klaus & Kompany /
/ about Leader Tabs and they think he means Lederhosen...oh, /
/ all right it's not as funny as it seemed in the shower...." /
//////////////////////////////////////////////// D.GORDON2 ////
[EOA]
[ASK]//////////////////////////////
ASK DOCTOR BOB /
/////////////////////////////////
Gotta Problem? Gotta Answer!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Bob Connors
[R.CONNORS2]
o WHAT IS THE AVERAGE LIFE OF A HARD DRIVE?
o WHERE CAN I GET HELP FOR MY LASER PRINTER?
Doctor Bob,
What is the average life of a hard drive? How about floppies? Is it known
how long the data will stay on them without some type of refresh, or what
not?
Thanks! -Bruce
Bruce,
Gee Bruce, you sure come up with interesting questions. The answers,
are subjective to say the least.
Let's take the average life of a hard drive first. I assume you are
talking about the life of the physical drive as opposed to the life of the
data contained on the drive but I will attempt to respond to each.
Almost all electronic components in computers have what is called an
MTBF rating. MTBF stands for Mean Time Before/Between Failure. The value
assigned to this is usually some amount of hours and is usually the
manufacturer's best guess based on all testing done and possibly reports
from end users of the equipment and repair facilities.
In the case of a hard drive, I do not personally think that many
manufacturers actually wait until drives fail before coming up with that
value because, if they did so, they would never get the equipment out the
door for sale.
The actual life of a hard drive may have no relationship at all to the
rated life as it depends on so many factors. Things like whether or not
the drive is used on a BBS system (where the computer is seldom shut off)
or type of applications and whether or not those applications cause a lot
of head thrashing (like a database program may do) play a role in the life
span of a hard drive. Even whether or not children use the computer can be
a determining factor. I have seen drives last a long time. I am still
using drives in my computer that I used when I started up my BBS in 1987.
However, I also have a dead one from the same system.
Data stored on the hard drive, on the other hand, can go bad. Data is
stored magnetically on the drive and the magnetism holding that data in its
'fixed' position can weaken due to lack of use. On hard drives, this is
usually not the problem though, although it can be. Normally, DOS just
reports a read or write error for the data, a sector not found error, or
something similar. In other words, data that was good the last time you
accessed it suddenly is no longer accessible. The data can be a file of
information used by a program or the program itself. There is no set time
when you can expect such errors. According to Murphy, though, they will
happen when you least expect them, when your backup has not been done
recently enough, and when they will do the most damage!
It is my experience that such problems are usually caused by drifting
head alignment. That is, the hard disk read/write head no longer aligns
correctly with the track that contains the information. Often, a retry or
a number of retries will succeed in reading or writing the information,
sometimes not. When it happens, though, it usually results in an increase
in your heart rate and a quickening of your pulse, especially when the
retries fail.
There are quite a few utilities available that help in such
situations. Norton's Disk Doctor and SpinRite are a few of them that
immediately come to mind. SpinRite is my favorite because of the way it
'realigns' the head by actually repositioning the hard disk tracks where
the head actually is, not where the head is supposed to be.
The life span of data on floppy diskettes is another matter and again,
depends on many factors. Among these are the age of the diskettes, how
they are stored, how they are handled, the environmental conditions,
whether or not they are generic, bulk, low cost diskettes or brand name,
the type of oxides or other materials used in their manufacturer, the
manufacturer itself, and on and on.
I have diskettes that I used on my old TRS-80 back in 1979 that I can
still use with a fair amount of reliability on my XT clone system and,
there are others I cannot. This is despite the fact that the diskettes
were certified to be one-sided and my XT uses both sides.
Based on the above, I would say the bottom line answer to your
question is, no, it is not known with any certainty how long data will stay
on a diskette without need of refreshing. There are just too many
variables to consider. That is why the DOS God created the DISKCOPY
command and even that is not perfect.
I hope I have cleared this matter up for you.
-Doctor Bob
[*][*][*]
Doctor Bob,
Would appreciate your help, if possible, in buying a Service Manual
for my Panasonic KX-P4420 laser printer. Printer makes nice pages but the
reliability has been so-so. I'd like to learn more about the printer but
Panasonic has not been helpful. Their 800 number says to call a pay number
- and the pay number, a couple times, just put me on hold - which I
abandoned after several long distance minutes. They have not responded to
a 5 Jan 93 snailmail letter.
I haven't found a "Panasonic printer help" category or topic on GEnie.
Thanks - from another Bob.
Another Bob,
You are experiencing something that a lot of people seem to be also
experiencing with many firm's customer support. I am always amazed that
companies always answer their 'sales' phone on the first ring and it always
seems to be a 1-800 number. They are willing to spend the money and make
the effort to get you as a customer.
After sales support really does not live up to the same standard
though. The customer service or technical support number is invariably not
toll free and, from what I have been reading in the IBM PC RoundTable,
people get put on hold for what I consider unreasonable amounts of time.
To make matters worse, the call backs that get promised are not always
made, even after repeated calls to the company.
But, I editorialize and am not solving your problem. The only advice
I can give you is to try Category 15, Topic 71 in the IBMPC RoundTable.
The label for that topic is Panasonic Printers. I don't remember seeing
any recent messages there but I do know that the topic is still open.
Good luck, Bob. I wish I could be more help to you.
-Doctor Bob
[*][*][*]
ASK DOCTOR BOB Do you have a question about operating systems, GEnie or
"""""""""""""" anything concerning computers? If so, you can get your
questions answered here in GEnieLamp by Doctor Bob. Any question is fair
game...and if the good Doctor Bob doesn't know the answer, he'll find
someone who does. Stop wandering around in the dark, send your question to
Doctor Bob in the GEnieLamp RoundTable bulletin board, CATegory 3, TOPic 2.
///////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "It happens that the Clinton account is numerically very close /
/ to my account...I get very tired of replying to these messages, /
/ giving them the correct address. But, it's kind of interesting /
/ to be able to read the president's mail. Heh heh." /
///////////////////////////////////////////////////// J.NESS ////
[EOA]
[LAM]//////////////////////////////
LAMPWIRE /
/////////////////////////////////
Late Breaking Apple II News
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
>>> APPLE II SOFTWARE OPPORTUNITIES NEWSLETTER <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ Free for the Asking ~
Cynthia Field, the newly-appointed chief Apple II editor for
A+/inCider, has produced another in her series of "Apple II Software
Opportunities" newsletters. Along with a handful of instructive articles,
the newsletter includes a comprehensive listing of 500 Apple II software
titles released between 1990 and 1992. Rounding out the newsletter is a
lengthy of Apple II software publishers, giving addresses and phone numbers
of companies both large and small.
This newsletter is free for the asking from Apple's toll-free customer
assistance phone number: 1-800-776-2333. It's helpful to know that this
phone number gets quite busy, so you may have to stay on hold for five to
ten minutes before reaching an operator.
User groups who are interested in receiving bulk shipments of these
newsletters are advised to contact Jill Avery, at Apple's User Group
Connection office. To avoid duplicate requests from the same user group,
Jill asks that just the president of each group be in contact with her. She
can be reached by e-mail via Internet at: "avery@applelink.apple.com".
Thanks are owed to John Santoro, at Apple Computer, who coordinated
the production of this publication.
New Letter Campaign A Canadian Apple User's group is asking your help in
""""""""""""""""""" a letter writing campaign to garner continued Apple
II support from developers. They want you to write short, signed, POLITE
and original letters stating clearly your objective. A signed, polite
letter is worth a petition of a thousand names, in their opinion. The
first target is Claris. The attempt will be to get Claris to continue
Apple II support or release their products to a company that will support
the Apple II. The suggested letter format is printed below this text.
They urge you and your user group (if you have one) to write these letters
as soon as possible.
Claris Corporation
Customer Support
5201 Patrick Henry Drive, Box 58168
Santa Clara, CA 95052-8168
United States of America
New AppleWorks Classic and GS Versions
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Dear Madam or Sir:
I would like attract your attention to the fact that Claris has not
provided any updates to AppleWorks Classic v3.0 and AppleWorks GS v1.1
since 1991. I am a registered user of the very first version of AppleWorks
GS and have purchased all the updates that were made available. I use the
program almost every day.
I am disappointed to see that even though Apple Computer has taken
the care to provide Apple IIgs users with a new and more powerful version
of the IIgs System Software (v6.0) and HyperCard GS v1.1, Claris has not
provided loyal AppleWorks GS users with an improved version of this very
good program.
If Claris is unwilling to provide an updated version of both
AppleWorks programs, I kindly ask that the source code be sold to a company
or individual willing to do the necessary work to or entered into the
public domain.
I am looking forward to receiving an answer in this matter and hope
that it will not be swept under the rug.
Sincerely,
Ronald A. Leroux
Resource Director
Le Groupe Apple St-Hyacinthe
Tulin Technology Pricing Update In response to John B. Wilson's review
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" of their Apple IIGS floptical disk
drive, Tulin has sent GEnieLamp updated information on pricing. The
current product price is $399, instead of the $489 listed in the article.
This price is the price for direct purchases from Tulin Technology.
Also, additional floptical disks can be purchased for $20 each,
rather than the $25 listed in the article. Please note that Tulin
Technology does have a $50 minimum purchase price.
Additionally, Tulin commented that they also offer the floptical drive
with the driver for the Apple Hi Speed SCSI card. And it is possible to
request Apple IIGS floptical drives with eject buttons.
For further information, contact Tulin Technology at the following
address:
Tulin Technology
2156H O'Toole Ave.
San Jose, CA 95131
(408) 432-9057 (voice)
(408) 943-0782 (Fax)
The above information was supplied by Chua Lin at Tulin Technology.
Tulin accepts VISA and MasterCard payment.
20,000 Reasons GEnie supports the Apple II A2, the Apple II RoundTable
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" on GEnie kicked off the new
year with a celebration of it's 20,000th upload, awarding thousands of
dollars worth of hardware and software to the first person to upload a file
to A2 in 1993. In
association and cooperation with sixteen prominent Apple
II supporting companies -- C.V. Technologies, Charlie's AppleSeeds,
Digital Data Express, DreamWorld Software, Econ Technologies, GEnie, GS+
Magazine, inCider/A+ Magazine, InSync Software, Kitchen Sink Software,
Quality Computers, Resource Central, Roger Wagner Publishing, Seven Hills
Software, Softdisk Publishing, and Vitesse, Inc. -- GEnie client Tom Smith
of Willowdale, Ontario won a package of prizes including some of the latest
and greatest products for the Apple II.
The prizes Mr. Smith chose are: a RamFAST Rev. D caching DMA SCSI
card, a DreamGrafix 3200-color paint program, Universe Master hard drive
management utility software, one free weekend on GEnie online in A2 and
A2Pro, the Apple II Programmers and Developers RoundTable, a GS+ Magazine
T-shirt, a one-year subscription to inCider/A+, Signature GS system
enhancement utilities, Formulate formula calculating software,
Salvation-Supreme hard drive management utility software, a one-year
subscription to Studio City, and a six-month subscription to Softdisk G-S.
"People say the Apple II is dead, but that's hogwash," said Dean
Esmay, Head System Operator (SysOp) of GEnie's Apple II RoundTables.
"There are millions of these computers still in operation. The first Apple
II was introduced in 1977, so the way we see it, 1993 is the beginning of
the second fifteen years of Apple II computing. This celebration shows the
amount of support the Apple II still gets from users and third parties
alike. We like to think of the 20,000 uploads we've received in A2 to date
as 20,000 reasons why GEnie wholeheartedly supports the Apple II, as well."
Remaining prizes donated by the listed companies were given away
throughout the months of January and February in selected online Real-Time
Conferences (RTCs) in the Apple II RoundTable on GEnie. The prizes were:
two Copies of ProSel-16 hard drive management software, one copy of
ProSel-8 hard drive management software, one Neuromancer game, one Shogun
game, one Zoyon Patrol educational game, one free day on GEnie online in A2
and A2Pro, four one-year subscriptions to inCider/A+, two InSync T-shirts,
two ProTERM 3.0 telecommunications software packages, one AccuDraw CAD
software or Amazing Window educational software, one subscription to
A2-Central On Disk, one subscription to Script-Central, one subscription to
Timeout Central, one Roger Wagner Publishing software product of user's
choice, and three Harmonie high resolution printer driver packages.
"We didn't announce it in advance," said Esmay. "We just secretly
got all these companies to help us out and sprang it at the last minute.
It was a lot of fun. The guy who won was very surprised."
All of the Apple II vendors mentioned provide direct online support
on GEnie through individual support Categories and Topics in the Bulletin
Boards of the A2 and A2Pro RoundTables.
"We're incredibly grateful for the support we got from these
companies. The amount of enthusiasm they showed for this idea actually
caught us by surprise," said L. Bruce E'Sex, the GEnie Apple II
RoundTables' Head of Promotions and Marketing. "Though these companies are
only a small percentage of those which still support the Apple II, they're
a big part of what makes the Apple II line continue to be interesting, fun,
and as useful as ever for millions of computer users."
//////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "Also, since this message is off topic, I have gave myself /
/ a warning [grin]." /
////////////////////////////////////////////// BRIAN.H ////
[EOA]
[MOO]//////////////////////////////
CowTOONS! /
/////////////////////////////////
The GEnieLamp Swimsuit Issue No.1
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" (___)
Concept by | Drawings by (o o)
John Peters | Mike White (.)
[GENIELAMP] | [M.WHITE25] __/ ~ \//^~
//`(>-<)`
~^ \_/
(\_/\
// ||
)___( `\\ ||
(o o) ~~' ~~
(~ (.) ~)
\\/ ~ \// Cindy Cowford
^()-()^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
\_/
(\_/)
( ) ( )
() ()
( )
`~ ~'
Ms. Mooniverse
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(___(
(o o) _*
(.) \__________/
~ \_ || ( \___/~ ___
____//-----db--\_/~~ ( )
~~~~^ |\./ \
-========================|______\=====\
| _|-
Elle MoocPherson | |~_|-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ vv | ~_|-
Makes a splash \\ (___) | |~_|-
\\ (o o) | ~_|-
\\--\./--\\ | |~_|-
``/ ~ \``\\| ~_|-
/\\_ ( )-( ) \| |~_|-
// \ ~-__\___/ | ~_|-
\========\______/ | |~
^^ /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Cowthy Ireland
| returns the wave
(__)
(~~)
/-------\/
/ | ) >> Watch for another thunderin' herd of
* ||----|| Moo Fun in the next issue of GEnieLamp.
~~ ~~
Moodonna If you have an idea for a CowTOON, we
~~~~~~~~ would like to see it. And, if we pick
Mooterial Cow your CowTOON for publishing in GEnieLamp
we will credit your account with 2 hours
( Special appearance of GEnie non-prime time!
cowrtesy of Moo-TV )
/////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "That's quite a feat! I would have thought it impossible for /
/ you to find a way to be slower and less efficient. :)) " /
/////////////////////////////////////////////// N.WEINRESS ////
[EOA]
[REF]//////////////////////////////
REFLECTIONS /
/////////////////////////////////
Thinking Online Communications
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Phil Shapiro
[P.SHAPRIO1]
>>> Approaching a More Perfect State of Human Communication <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ Part II ~
Before the days of online communication, connecting up with other
people who shared your specific interests was not all that easy. You'd
consider yourself quite lucky if you found someone in the same county who
shared some of your specific areas of interest. Sometimes the only way to
communicate with those of similar interest was to physically transport
yourself to a statewide or national conference.
In this age of the modem, however, powerful new tools are available to
help connect like-minded souls. Making full use of these tools can link
you up directly with colleagues in other states and countries. Model
railroading buffs, for instance, can connect up with each other online. So
too can Civil War buffs, quilting buffs, dog-lover buffs, alternative
health care buffs, and any of a myriad other human interests, hobbies, and
pastimes.
But modem communication need not be restricted to recreational
interests. People with more serious interests can likewise find fellowship
online. On information services and bulletin boards across the country
people with special interest in drunk driving, AIDS, violence against
women, and many other "community interest" concerns are congregating,
communicating, and working together to address these problems with the full
force of group action.
Unlike printed communication, which is slow and expensive to
distribute, or phone communication, which is one-to-one, expensive, and
disruptive, online communication is cheap, fast, and inherently
streamlined. The power of online communication was made real to me in a
personal way two years ago. Hoping to attend the annual KansasFest summer
conference in Kansas City, Missouri, I posted a short message in the A2Pro
Roundtable here on GEnie. The message I left stated simply: "I'm hoping on
sharing a ride out to KansasFest July. I'd be interested in hearing from
anyone driving out from the East Coast."
Ten days later I received a phone call from Dave Ciotti, of Trenton,
New Jersey. Dave's verbal response to my inquiry was equally brief: "Saw
your message on GEnie. I'm driving out to KansasFest in my RV van. I'll
stop by your house to pick you up."
Somehow Dave's phone call didn't take me by surprise. Given the power
of online communications, the chances of my linking up with an Apple II
user driving to the KansasFest conference from a mid-Atlantic city were
fairly good. The chances were increased even higher since Dave is a
regular user of the GEnie Master offline message processor, which can be
set up to capture to hard drive all new messages posted in designated
roundtable topics.
Whenever human beings write messages, online or offline, it is always
with a sense of hope that someone may read and act upon the message. The
inherent efficiency of online communication is such that hope becomes
integral to the communication process.
Of course, the first step of any communication process is the
articulation of that hope. Without articulated hope, the desired
communication exchange can never progress past that all-important first
step.
It's interesting to think that over time, as online communication
becomes more widely used by the general population, an invisible web of
social and intellectual connections will be woven across the country. And
once that web is in place, the Wozniaks and the Jobs of this world need not
necessarily live in the same town to cross-pollinate each others' minds.
Living on opposite sides of the country Wozniak and Jobs could still
exchange messages in, say, the "Homebrew Roundtable" under the topic of:
"Making home computers a reality." A young fellow with the user name
"B.Gates" would likely stop by to catch up on the new messages every once
in a while. "Gee, sure seems energetic and focussed for his young age,
don't you think?" "Nah. Once he starts dating women he'll forget about
computers completely."
-Phil Shapiro
[*][*][*]
[The author takes an interest in the social dimensions
of communication technology. He can be reached on
GEnie at: p.shapiro1; on America Online at:
pshapiro; and on Internet at:pshapiro@pro-novapple.cts.com]
//////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "Want me to hold the coats and purses, girls?? :)..." /
//////////////////////////////////////// T.EVANS21 /////
[EOA]
[LIF]//////////////////////////////
LIFESTYLES /
/////////////////////////////////
I Became A Real GEnie Junkie!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Gina Saikin
[G.Saikin]
>>> TALE OF A NEOPHYTE HACKER <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
As I sat down at my computer the other day, I began reflecting over
the last two years of my journey through "the land of computers."
I was a novice secretary when I received my first introduction to
computers.
I applied for a job in an advertising agency and was asked if I minded
learning "wordprocessing." Needing the job desperately, I eagerly said "no
problem," and off I went. Three days later, I was something of an expert
on the old Mag Cards, and thought they were the wave of the future, (and at
the time, they were).
Determination (and a continuing incentive to keep food on the table)
kept me eagerly learning all I could about wordprocessors. Wang, Lanier,
Xerox -- I sampled them all, and became proficient at most.
However, a three-year gap in working taught me that technology moves
faster than the speed of light; by the time I re-entered the workforce, the
dedicated word processors were out, and the new personal computers were in.
During those three years, I didn't really do much with computers, except
for typing a few papers and doing a few statistical assignments for college
- on, of all things, an Apple IIe.
But, experience on dedicated word processors and typing a few papers
on an Apple had ill-prepared me for the new office PC technology, and I
felt like the proverbial "fish out of water." Because I desperately needed
work (as always), and because I knew that I would have to "join the club"
of PC users, I resorted to challenging a temporary agency to a dare: if I
could, after a short review, make a passable grade on their WordPerfect
test, they would in turn train me fully. (Their policy was NOT to train
until a set number of hours had been worked - but with my lack of
experience on PC's, those hours were almost impossible to gain). I won the
dare, and was trained.
I had dreams of computer ownership, but with two kids (one with
medical problems), a husband who had his own dreams of trucking, and an
income that raised "pinching pennies" to new heights, I gave it little
thought. In 1991, however, my dream came true in a most unexpected way. I
inherited my father's Apple IIe computer.
Frustration still dogged my steps, though, as I discovered how little
I knew, and how little support there was out there. It was scary, being on
my own with a new computer! One of the first maxims I did learn, though,
was "Nothing you do with software can hurt the hardware." I was often heard
muttering this phrase to myself as I would observe odd gibberish on my
screen after yet another attempt to get a program to work, and was sure I
had blown a chip or something! Even though I had used PC's on my jobs -
most of my work was simply turning on the machine, and running the current
program. Now, I was faced with choosing programs, learning how to run them,
and in many cases, figuring out why they wouldn't run! A few of my programs
bit the dust, and another hard lesson was forever burned into my mind:
"Always make backups".
Fortunately, I found a user group, which not only saved my sanity, but
probably saved my computer from frustrated revenge. So the group met 50
miles away - incentive was a great motivator! Through this same group, I
met a lady who owned a store that sold used Apple equipment (a mere 30
miles from home), and my flirtation with the computer turned into a
full-blown love- affair.
I soon learned she was a barterer at heart, and we immediately struck
a deal - I would work for her whenever I could, and in turn, she would
"sell" me equipment and software. Believe me, I earned it - with blood
(damn those sharp pc boards and chips!), sweat and tears. The most
wonderful part of this arrangement was not the hardware and software that I
"earned," but rather the knowledge that was imparted to me patiently by
her. Remember when I was scared to even take the cover off my computer?
Well, through her careful tutelage (even as she probably gritted her teeth
at times), she taught me how to exchange and test cards, check drive
speeds, and other little tasks that would not only help her out, but would
be destined to give me an even greater hunger for further exploration into
the land of computers.
After a year of working at her shop, I soon realized that my IIe,
albeit a great machine, was not enough for me. I began to bargain -- with
her, my bank account, and my conscience -- to get hold of a IIGS. The IIGS
opened up a whole new world, even greater than the IIe had, for I could do
so much more on it. Even with all my experience as a IIe user, I felt like
I was back to my earlier days of uncertainty. My poor friend, with
infinite patience, once again drilled into my head "nothing you can do with
your software will hurt the hardware!" Happily, I began playing around to
see what I could do. Then, she introduced me to GEnie.
Suddenly, I had more than I could ask for at my fingertips!
Unfortunately (for my bank account, that is), I became a real GEnie Junkie,
delving into all the BB's, and haunting the RTC's, especially the A2 ones.
I soon discovered several BB that were of interest to me and jumped
right in. Now, I am involved with the Family BB, trying to get a ToughLove
Real Time Conference together, and the Environmental BB, uploading articles
that my friend and I publish in a local recycling newsletter - which I
produce on my GS.
And I'm involved, of course, in A2, where I am breaking down the A2
library index into usable database segments. A dream has come true there,
too! I have become a staff member in A2, where I host a regular kid's RTC,
and abstract special RTC transcripts.
I continue to make mistakes. But, the mistakes help me learn. And
learn. And learn some more. All of this is okay, because the maxims
"Nothing you can do with software will hurt the hardware", and "Always make
backups of your programs" have become my household words, and I have
discovered that the best way to learn - is to jump into whatever you want
to do, and just do it!. By keeping in mind those maxims, exploration
becomes fun and exciting, and not a little fascinating. I intend to keep
on exploring!
///////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "Yes by all means get Aladdin. Ask away and you will get /
/ answers. I was shy at first but not anymore. No questions /
/ - no answers it's that simple. What you consider simple, a /
/ zillion people out there need the question & answer but are /
/ afraid to ask. There are no dumb questions - only fearful /
/ people who don't ask for fear of being considered dumb." /
////////////////////////////////////////////// K.OLSON10 ////
[EOA]
[TEL]//////////////////////////////
TELETALK ONLINE /
/////////////////////////////////
Online Communications
"""""""""""""""""""""
By Al Fasoldt
[A.FASOLDT]
>>> BANNED IN THE U.S.A. <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ Copyright 1993 by Al Fasoldt. All rights reserved ~
I was banned in Boston the other day.
And in Chicago and Los Angeles.
I was banned in the rest of the country, too. It lasted for a week.
It was the first time I've ever been censored.
It all started when I tried to catch up on my mail. I had thousands of
unread messages to look through on one of the national computer networks.
Nearly all the messages were public postings in the conferences. Anybody in
the United States can read them just by calling the network by computer.
Public messages on this network are supposed to be civil. After all,
the notes that are posted are just like the scraps of paper that you see on
supermarket bulletin boards. You don't want to embarrass anyone or make
unpleasant remarks in public.
But as I started to read the public messages, I came across one
directed solely at me. If it had been a private letter, I wouldn't have
minded at all. But out in the open, where any caller could read it -- right
out on the supermarket wall, so to speak -- was a note that said, more or
less, that I had an unorthodox way of dealing with the truth.
A liar? Was that what I was being called?
So what, you say? You write for a living, you take your lumps, and
that's that. I get letters now and then from regular readers who tell me I
don't know what I'm talking about. One guy even sends me unprintable
references to my ancestors. I'm used to it.
But these aren't public remarks. They're personal and private. You
can ignore something like that and nobody else cares. Nobody else knows.
The public note I found on the computer network (NOT GEnie! -Ed :)
had gone too far. I wrote a reply pointing this out. I made a couple of
pointed remarks about the letter-writer's grumpiness, and then I posted my
reply in the same area of the conferencing network.
Since his note about me had been public, I made sure my response was
public, too.
I called back to look for any new mail the next day. I had a private
note from one of the people in charge of the network. Cool it, he said.
The other guy is being told the same thing, his note said. The two of you
should calm yourselves down.
I didn't like being told not to defend myself. I wasn't about to keep
quiet.
So I checked back into the public messages and found another one from
the same caller. It slammed me even harder.
And so I slammed back. Nothing could stop me now.
Or so I thought. When I called again two days later, everything seemed
normal. While I was reading a message, I pressed a couple of keys to tell
the network that I wanted to write a comment. They were the same keys I'd
always pressed.
But this time instead of getting the OK from the computer system, I
got a note back from the network. You can't do that, it said in network
language. You can't reply to that message.
I tried again. Same thing. I went to another message and tried to
respond to it.
Sorry! This isn't allowed, the network told me. The actual note was
"access denied," or something like that.
It was that way for all of the conferences I checked into. I had been
silenced. I could read but not write.
Later, I found an electronic mail letter from the network manager. His
note had been mailed to both me and my antagonist. It said we were being
childish. Our angry messages had been deleted so nobody could read them.
The censorship would last a few days, he said. He also said things
could get worse if we didn't behave.
This last part was a little odd. Without the ability to write public
messages, we had no way to misbehave. We were like patrons of the
supermarket who were locked out just outside the door. We could see the
little pieces of paper on the public bulletin board, but we couldn't put up
any ourselves.
I fired off a private reply to the manager. I pay for this service, I
reminded him. It's not a service when I can't respond to public messages.
I told him I shouldn't have to pay for the time that I was censored.
He wrote back right away and told me I wouldn't be charged for that period.
By the following week I was back to full status. I minded my manners,
and I've been a good boy ever since. I haven't had an argument with
anybody.
But the whole experience has been unsettling. It's clear that nobody
came out ahead, but I still haven't figured out who lost more -- the other
network callers, presumably embarrassed, who had to pick their way past our
public spat, or the two of us, muzzled and singled out, treated like
7-year-olds.
Maybe the real loss is an almost insignificant erosion of the right of
free expression. This decade will mark the beginning of true mass
communication by computer. In some ways, conferencing networks will become
as important as newspapers, and much of the time they'll serve as a
replacement for the U.S. mail.
However, unlike the press and the postal service, with their long
traditions of free speech, computer networks don't have history as a guide.
They'll do whatever their managers want. And that means censorship just as
easily as it means anything else.
When that day comes, who will decide what can be said in public? It's
worth thinking about now, while networks and other information services are
still young. It may be too late when they've grown up.
[*][*][*]
Al Fasoldt writes about computers and consumer electronics from
Syracuse, N.Y., where he is a newspaper editor and programmer.
///////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "Well, "Cut the muster" is a military term. I can't imagine why /
/ anyone would want to slice mustard." /
///////////////////////////////////////////////////// O-ZONE ////
[EOA]
[QUI]//////////////////////////////
THE MIGHTY QUINN /
/////////////////////////////////
Random Access
"""""""""""""
By Mark Quinn
[NEWSIE]
"A Whole Buncha Milliseconds with Mark"
by Mark Quinn, DOA
Forget Alvin Toffler: some of us are waiting for technology to catch
up to _us_. I dream of the day when I can buy a MIDI synthesizer that,
besides having a decent piano and electronic organ patch, also does a fair
job of imitating an acoustic guitar. I'd like to have a vision recognition
system good enough to handle driving my car. I'd like to see 40" active
matrix TVs, after so many years of hearing that flat-screen TVs were "ten
years away".
And these are not pie-in-the-sky Star Wars doo-dads -- they are
extrapolations of current technologies. Granted, such advances will come
with time, but when they will arrive is anyone's guess. I really don't
expect to hop in the back seat of my car, speak a destination and have the
car do the rest during my lifetime (I am 34, and desperately counting down
40) -- I expect to see glimmerings of the technology, perhaps see a few
"gee whiz" promises on _Beyond 2000_, but that's about it.
Darn it, doesn't this child of the 60s and 70s, who saw astronauts
play golf on the moon, the birth of MTV, and the death of communism,
deserve the above wish list? I've been awfully good, I regularly back up
my text files -- baby wants techno goodies. Baby promises not to do
anything overtly obscene or outright dangerous with them.
Sanity returneth. (Good, just in time for this paragraph, too.) Our
ancestors made do with far less, and some of them excelled. And a whole
lot of people in _today's_ world don't have access to the gee whiz
technology (synthesizers that have good piano patches, Super VGA monitors,
a reliable car with a full tank of gasoline) I take for granted, so a slice
of humble pie is in order.
Can I have that slice with a hang-on-the-wall, flat-screen TV, please?
/////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "Your probably right! But isn't mustard a plant or something /
/ that that the workers in the field used to have to cut, but /
/ when they get to hold, they can't cut the MUSTARD any more? /
/ hmmmmm! Hey! This sound like a new topic...........(HaHa) /
/ I think we better give this serious investigation.....:D " /
/////////////////////////////////////////////// W.DAVIS20 ////
[EOA]
[PRO]//////////////////////////////
PROFILES /
/////////////////////////////////
Who's Who In Apple II
"""""""""""""""""""""
By Phil Shapiro
[P.SHAPIRO1]
>>> WHO'S WHO <<<
"""""""""""""""""
~ A GEnieLamp Profile of Kenrick J. Mock ~
GEnieLamp> Kenrick, how did you first come to start programming the Apple
""""""""" II? Do you have any anecdotes you can share about your early
experiences with the Apple II?
Mock> I first started programming in BASIC on my Apple II+ back when I
"""" was in the 5th or 6th grade. I'd have a grand old time typing in
games from books. At the time there were also a couple of magazines that
would publish games in BASIC for users to type in and run. Eventually I
took a class in assembly and pascal, but I learned most of my programming
skills by just hacking around on my own.
Probably my favorite Apple II story comes a bit later in life. At one
of the San Francisco Applefests, Activision sponsored a contest to promote
their new GS game, GBA 2-on-2 Basketball. They had Joe Barry Carroll there
and everything - it was a big deal! In the contest, whoever had the most
points after playing the computer would win a new GS system. I made it to
the final round in the playoffs. I played last - and the other two
contestants actually lost their games to the computer! When it was my
turn, I jumped out to an early lead and started messing around. The
computer slowly caught up, and suddenly with about 10 seconds left to play,
the game was tied! Fortunately, I was able to call a time-out and pass to
my computer teammate, who made the basket and won the game! The slight
controversy was that the other contestants didn't know about the time-out
feature, but I won the GS nevertheless. (Ironically, I already owned a GS,
while the other two contestants owned IIe's.
GEnieLamp> Can you tell us a little about your background and education.
""""""""" I understand you graduated from college not long ago. Did
you study computer science in college?
Mock> I graduated from high school in 1986 and attended UC Davis where I
"""" received my degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Originally, I had intended to focus more on the hardware aspects of
computers (I have always enjoyed tinkering with electronics since an early
age - I once made a robot which I could control from my Apple II+), but
towards the end of my sojourn at UCD I found that I enjoyed the computer
programming the most. I worked at the Los Alamos Nat'l Laboratory in New
Mexico for about 3/4 of a year, doing some work with virtual- reality,
user-interfaces, and software maintenance. A lot of the ideas for my games
actually arose when I was working out in New Mexico. After I'd finished
there, I worked for the MIS department of Chevron Chemical Company for
another 3/4 of a year primarily doing work with multimedia.
I left the "real world" to go back to school. Currently, I'm working
on my Ph.D. at UC Davis, majoring in Artificial Intelligence. At the
moment I'm being funded by NASA Ames to develop a prototype system for
reasoning about failures aboard Space Station Freedom. It's kind of a
precursor to a HAL 9000, since we are communicating with the user in plain
english. I have a few AI projects I've been thinking about converting to
the GS...
GEnieLamp> Your shareware disks have achieved national recognition for
""""""""" their quality and originality. Can you comment a bit on your
ideas about shareware as a publishing channel?
Mock> I think shareware is a pretty good publishing channel. However,
"""" shareware certainly doesn't reach as wide an audience as a
commercial program. Moreover, as I'm sure you know, only a small fraction
of those people who use shareware actually send in the fee. Nevertheless,
I've been fairly pleased with the response to my programs, and would like
to thank those who have paid. I'm not really in this for profit, so the
money is really icing on the cake.
GEnieLamp> Continuing further on the subject of shareware, what is the
""""""""" furthest place on the globe from which you've received a
shareware fee? Any interesting letters from shareware fans?
Mock> I've gotten letters from all over the world. Quite a few from
"""" Canada and Australia, and a handful from Japan and the Middle
East. One of my favorite letters contained a computer printout of the high
score screen, showing that my score had been surpassed! (BTW, if you read
this, my new high score is 1420.) My favorite is a letter which described
how Columns GS had interested their learning-disabled daughter enough to
want to play with the computer. After playing Columns, she began to branch
out to using the computer for other things. It was quite heartwarming to
hear how Columns had gotten someone else started with the Apple IIgs.
GEnieLamp> Kenrick, all of your games seem to be centered around the
""""""""" English alphabet - - - Boggled, LetterSlide and now VIAD.
Is this due to a strong background in English?
Mock> I've always enjoyed reading and word games, but I don't have much
"""" of a technical background in English. VIAD was actually written
first. While I was waiting for James to finish the music, I thought I'd
make use of his alphabet block-set and cranked out Boggled. At that point,
James was still working on the music, so I was able to finish LetterSlide
as well.
GEnieLamp> Many people who use and enjoy your games must wonder what
""""""""" programming tools you used to create them. Which are your
favorite tools and what particularly do you like about them?
Mock> I use a mixture of Orca/C and Orca/M for my programming. The nice
"""" thing about Orca is that it's possible to integrate assembly and a
high-level language (like C) together. As far as tools, there's a package
of text tools from 360 microsystems which I kind of like. I've also used
the FTA's tool 219 to play soundsmith music, although one of these days
I'll switch over to Ian Schmidt's music player. I've also got a variety of
graphical and input/output tools I've developed myself - I used some of
them in my SAP animation program.
GEnieLamp> The background music for your Columns GS game is quite
""""""""" striking. Did you compose this music yourself, or was it
"inspired" from another source?
Mock> Hardly! The music and graphical genius for Columns and VIAD is all
"""" the work of James Brookes. You've probably seen his work on the
IRC demos, DuoTris, DuelTris, and a couple of other programs. In fact,
Columns GS 2.0 would never have existed if it weren't for James. I was
ready to stop programming at version 1.0, but James sent me some music and
graphic samples which he'd created. Since he had already made them, I had
no choice but to use them! As a result, Columns GS 2.0 was released and it
would never have been as popular as it is without his music and graphics.
GEnieLamp> Besides programming, what other hobbies and interests do you
""""""""" have? What do you wish you could spend more time doing?
Mock> Aside from computers, my next hobby has to be running. I used
"""" to run on the cross country and track teams in college. Lately,
I've been a bit lax in my workouts, but I've been trying to get back into
racing shape. I also enjoy various types of theater, concerts, anything
having to do with the outdoors, and I've just started windsurfing. One of
the things I'd like is to have some more free time for reading - I've got a
long list of books I've been wanting to catch up on.
GEnieLamp> As someone who has exhibited a strong creative flair, can you
""""""""" share any ideas about ways of promoting creativity? Any
general comments about the nature of human creativity?
Mock> I subscribe to the same theory of creativity as a psychologist
"""" named Mednick - creativity is just the ability to take different
ideas and mush them together to make new ones. I believe one way to
promote creativity is to stop worrying what others may think about your
work. Don't worry about being "graded"! Just have fun.
GEnieLamp> Whose work do you admire most in the national Apple II
""""""""" community? What about their work do you admire? Locally, was
there any one person who helped ignite your interest in computers?
Mock> The last question is the easiest to answer - my dad is the one
"""" responsible for getting me going with computers. As far as other
people, that's a tough call. James Brookes is certainly a stud. I'd have
to give him the artistry award. I've also enjoyed Will Harvey's and Bill
Heineman's programs. Ken Franklin's relief-ware concept is also quite
admirable.
GEnieLamp> Any ideas on where the future of telecommunications is is
""""""""" taking us? What services do you think GEnie might be
offering in the year 2000? What services do you think it SHOULD be
offering?
Mock> Here in Davis, we've got a project called the Davis Community
"""" Network. It will bring digital communications to every home in
town. I'll essentially have 57.6 Kbps lines going straight to my room! I
think the future will see high speed networks and internet availability
coming to residential areas. Eventually I see GEnie communicating to its
users via a variety of media; e.g., visual and auditory, rather than just
text.
GEnieLamp> Are you currently working on anything that you can tell us
""""""""" about?
Mock> I have an artificial intelligence board game called Pente that
"""" will be out very soon. After that, I hope to finish up a
dictionary editor for the word games, and I also want to make some
improvements to the SAP program. After that, I've got a couple of ideas
but nothing concrete.
GEnieLamp> Where can people reach you to send their ideas for the next
""""""""" great Kenrick Mock game?
Mock> I'd love to hear any ideas or comments. My mailing address is:
""""
Kenrick Mock
2300 Sycamore Lane, 18
Davis, CA 95616-5511
And I can be reached via electronic mail at:
GEnie: K.MOCK
Internet: mock@toadflax.cs.ucdavis.edu
BBS: (916) 757-7856
/////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "BTW, Mandala is a term from Oriental Art, meaning a stylized /
/ representation of the Cosmos. I spend hours staring at the /
/ screen, hoping to soak up culture. But I just fall asleep." /
/////////////////////////////////////////////// N.WEINRESS ////
[EOA]
[LIB]//////////////////////////////
THE ONLINE LIBRARY /
/////////////////////////////////
Yours For The Downloading
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Mel Fowler
[MELSOFT]
o Prime Bulletin Board System
o Zippety-Doo-Dah! Zippety-Day!
THINKING ABOUT STARTING A BBS? How many of you have wanted to start a
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" local bulletin board system (BBS) but
just didn't want to spend the money on the new equipment such a venture
would entail? Well, you may have the equipment hidden away in a closet or
garage someplace. Dig out that Apple II+, IIc, or IIe and take a look at
Prime.BBS version 2.2 which went public domain in the middle of 1992 and is
available right here on GEnie, in the A2 Library.
Prime.BBS is perfect for starting up a small (25 to 200 subscriber)
local bulletin board. Its easy to install, simple to operate, and will run
on any Apple II with 64K of RAM, including an Apple ][+ with some
limitations. You will also need a modem (modulator/demodulator) that
operates at 300, 1200, or 2400 baud and a Super Serial Card. A small hard
drive of 5 to 10 Megs is also recommended but not mandatory if you have two
disk drives, either 5.25 inch floppy or 3.5 inch. However, if you are
using two 5.25 inch floppy disk drive you would be somewhat limited in your
scope of operations, being able to have an E-Mail and a bulletin board area
but not a software library. With two 3.5 inch drives you can handle just
about everything with your software library or libraries on one drive and
everything else on the other. A ProDOS compatible clock card is strongly
recommended. A printer is optional.
You may already have some or all this stuff just hanging around doing
nothing. Now you can put it to work and become an all powerful System
Operator (SysOp) on your own BBS. Start a BBS for your local Apple II
users group. Share a collection of shareware, freeware, and public domain
software with the club, and the club with you. Local BBSs are popping up
all over and cover all types of special interests from chess clubs to
retired senior citizens.
Prime.BBS offers you complete access control so you can setup areas
of your board that have limited access to users. You control everything
your users see and do while they are on your board. If you don't like the
look and feel of the default menus or the structure of the libraries,
change them to meet your desires. You can edit almost anything about
Prime.BBS. Electronic mail is an important part of every bulletin board
and Prime.BBS supports a simple, elegant E-Mail system.
You can create as many special interest areas within your board as you
need, with each area having its own bulletin board and library. The
libraries can also be divided into categories which reflect the type of
software in them, such as separate sections for graphics, utilities, games,
etc. A SysOp can be assigned to monitor and control each area.
The External program section adds real power to your board and allows
for the addition of external programs such as games, phrase of the day,
"this day in history," or a calculator. You can even add external menus.
You can control how the board answers callers, with a message for new
subscribers that outlines what the board has to offer and the rules and
etiquette required of a all subscribers.
The 89 page (not counting appendices) manual covers every aspect of
Prime.BBS and is written in Classic Appleworks for easy access. It is will
organized and easy to follow, even though it covers everything you need to
know down to the last detail.
Downloading Prime.BBS can be done in two ways depending on your
choice of disks. If you want to use 5.25 inch floppy disks you would have
to download the following:
File number Volume name
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
18893 /INSTALL
18894 /SYSTEM
18895 /UTILITY
18896 /XFER1
18897 /XFER2
19050 /MANUAL PART1
19051 /MANUAL PART2
For 3.5 inch disks, or a hard drive, download the following:
19189 /Prime.BBS
18837 /Prime.BBS Doc
Other recommended downloads are:
19649 /BUGS AND FIXES
18994 /USER REPORTS
19706 /USER REPAIR UTILITY
19175 /SYSTEM DIRECTORY LISTING
19249 /PRIME.TIP1
19228 /PRIME Alternative Xfer System
19227 /Prime Xpress Xfer Documentation
19545 /Prime Xpress Patch & Fixes
For a complete listing of all Prime.BBS files just do a search of the
A2 library for "Prime". They range from role playing games, sport
simulations like golf and football, adventure games, board games, a lottery
system, and general information like the complete history of the Apple II.
Everything you need to make your BBS entertaining and fun to use.
The best feature of Prime.BBS is William T. Goosey, Jr. (W.GOOSEY)
here on GEnie and the Prime.BBS category. "Goose" is the resident guru for
Prime.BBS and is available to answer any of your questions concerning
installation and operation. So if you run into problems just go to
Category 41, Topics 4: Prime BBS System goes Public, Topic 5: Prime Help
and Bug reports, and Topic 6: Advertise your Prime BBS here. Goose has
uploaded over 70 Prime BBS programs that can be used to enhance your
bulletin board operation. He continues to upload tested modules for Prime.
So what's holding you back? Dig out that unused Apple II and get
into the Bulletin Board business. It's easy if you have Prime.BBS. And
how can you go wrong with a resident expert right here on GEnie?
Zippety-Doo-Dah! Zippety-Day! New 8-Bit Apple II Utility Opens Up a
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Magical Kingdom of Zipped Text Files
Thanks to the programming wizardry of Russ Woodroofe, Apple IIe, IIc,
IIGS, and IIc+ users are now able to download and decompress text files
archived in IBM "zip" format. The neat thing about Russ Woodroofe's UnZIP
IIe program is that it looks, feels, and operates in much the same fashion
as ShrinkIt.
This opens many doors to downloadable files that were previously
inaccessible to Apple II users. Federal government bulletin boards, in
particular, seem to have many text files archived in "zip" format.
But you can also find "zipped" text file goodies right here on GEnie.
Two places to go hunting are GEnieLamp's own file library, accessed from
page 515 on GEnie. And the Home Office/Small Business roundtable library,
accessed by typing HOSB at any standard GEnie prompt.
For your modeming convenience and pleasure, a complete listing of the
GEnieLamp library of text files has been captured, shrunk, and uploaded to
the A2 file library. Persons interested in delving further should direct
their attention to A2 file number 20286, "GL.Library.BXY".
Within the GEnieLamp library you'll find a smorgasbord of text files
including information about the "Disktop Publishing Association," freeware
fiction and non-fiction writings, and even freeware poetry.
The instant popularity of UnZip IIe is evidenced by the fact that over
120 people have downloaded the file in the past month. One small pointer,
though. The current version of UnZip IIe has problems decompressing files
whose file name violates Prodos's rules. So some of the IBM zipped files
which use underline characters and other oddities will cause UnZip IIe to
give a "Bad Pathname Syntax" error.
The good news is that although these "IBM oddities" files cannot be
decompressed to disk, the program is still able to display the text in
these files on your Apple II screen.
*********************************
Number: 20121 Name: UNZIPIIE.BXY V1.0
Address: NORBY Date: 930119
Approximate of bytes: 18048
Number of Accesses: 124 Library: 40
Description:
Here's a nice UnZIPer, complete with a ShrinkIt-type interface,
which will run on any //e or up. I would recommend an
enhanced //e (the extensive mousetext would look pretty
confusing without), but doesn't check, and doesn't use any
65c02 opcodes. Docs with more info are included. Shareware $10
Keywords: ZIP,UnZIP,Archiver,Compression,8-bit,utilities
[*][*][*]
[Note: You can quickly navigate to the A2 Library on GEnie by typing
M645;3 at any standard GEnie prompt. The letter "m" stands for
the command "move." The number 645 refers to the "page" on GEnie where
the A2 Roundtable is located. And the semi-colon 3 refers to the
A2 file library, as opposed to the message areas of the A2 Roundtable.
To navigate directly to the message areas (bulletin boards) of the
A2 Roundtable, type: M645;1 at any standard GEnie prompt.]
[EAO]
[FUN]//////////////////////////////
ONLINE FUN /
/////////////////////////////////
Search-ME!
""""""""""
By Scott Garrigus
[S.GARRIGUS]
EXPLORING GEnie Have you ever wondered what will happen to you in the
""""""""""""""" future? If maybe you'll find romance or become rich?
Don't say no because like any other human being in this world I know you
have! :-) Yes! We'd all like to see what the future might hold for us but
unfortunately the time machine hasn't been invented yet. Here on GEnie
though, we've got the next best thing... the Astrology Roundtable!
That's right! This month I visited the Astrology Roundtable (page
1180) and found a lot of fascinating facts! If your interested in
astrology at all you've got to check this RT out! Exchange messages with
other astrology fanatics in the BBS and you can even download your
horoscopes from the library! It's great fun!
But before you go, be sure and solve this months puzzle... Until next
month... Keep on smilin'! :-)
>>> THE ASTROLOGY ROUNDTABLE <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ M1180 Keyword:ASTROLOGY ~
D V T U D B S S U I R A U Q A D A T M X Y Y S
M G Z V H C K S A S K H E S W S U R U A T J Y
K O L F O O Q A S Q N B P H O F G O P X E Y A
M T R R N W N J K N Q C O S I Y E K D Z R R U
P U P E F A S M J C O B C P A L J N X P B P R
V I K D L X A C M C A P S P G O Q A X I I A I
O L S Y Y S G A N G S P O T R S T E L D W J H
U Y S C N B I N F W N G R I S N E V A E H A H
O E Z G E V T C G U E U O I I N D Y A H S U Q
S K I B I S T E Z M A T H C C O N Z N T M D S
L S H L W J A R I H O S N U L O A C R Q U E G
P A Q J E U R N W L B X T Q I W R O C I I I W
T I C G R S I W M W F V I R G O L N N R K I S
D F I I T C U C H A R T P S O O H B A X U K W
M Y V A T I S F A U M T N R G L A Z X A C R D
L V R W H S O L F D F A M I U B O S M U Q Y Q
W S N F L Y Y K E W B F C Y S L U G P M M R H
N D R K Q Y N M H D P A N T U A E Y Y L Z V Q
Z D V M E A U F G X L N Z U L A P B A B S D H
H A T R T V C N T E F M N Z R R L I Q Y L U R
ANALYSES AQUARIUS ARIES
ASTROLOGICAL ASTROLOGY CANCER
CAPRICORN CHART GEMINI
HEAVENS HOROSCOPE LEO
LIBRA MYSTICAL PISCES
SAGITTARIUS SCORPIO SIGNS
STARS TAURUS VIRGO
[*][*][*]
GIVE UP? You will find the answers in the LOG OFF column at the end of
"""""""" the magazine.
This column was created with a program called SEARCH ME,
an Atari ST program by David Becker.
////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "I would pound on the tree's until my characters needed rest /
/ then back off. Rest up and bash the tree's some more. If /
/ this got to boring I'd go off and chase rabbits for awhile, /
/ great fun, especially with throwing the baseballs." /
/////////////////////////////////////////////// JLHOFFMAN ////
[EOA]
[AII]//////////////////////////////
APPLE II /
/////////////////////////////////
Apple II History, Part 10
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Steven Weyhrich
[S.WEYHRICH]
>>> APPLE II HISTORY <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""
Compiled and written by Steven Weyhrich
(C) Copyright 1992, Zonker Software
(PART 10 -- DISK EVOLUTION / THE APPLE IIC PLUS)
[v1.3 :: 12 Nov 92]
INTRODUCTION This installment of the Apple II History series focuses on
"""""""""""" the return of Steve Wozniak to Apple Computer. The
evolution of Apple II computers takes one of its biggest strides with the
Apple IIgs computer. The development and design decisions made for the
IIgs are also covered in this segment.
[*][*][*]
THE APPLE II EVOLVES While the capabilities of the Apple II slowly
"""""""""""""""""""" advanced as it changed from the II up through the
IIc, the one thing that remained essentially unchanged was the 6502
microprocessor that controlled it. Even though the 65c02 had more commands
than the 6502, as an 8-bit processor it was inherently limited to directly
addressing no more than 64K of memory at one time. (As an 8-bit processor,
the 6502 could handle only 8 bits, or one byte at a time. However, its
address bus was 16 bits wide, which made for a maximum address of 1111 1111
1111 1111 in binary, $FFFF in hexadecimal, or 65535 in decimal. If you
divide 65536 bytes by 1024 bytes per "K", you get 64K as the largest memory
size). When Wozniak designed it, 64K was considered to be a massive amount
of memory, even for some mainframe computers. (For example, the old
mainframe on which I learned programming during college back in 1975 was a
ten-year-old IBM 1130 with 8K of memory; this was used for both the
operating system AND user programs!) Most hackers of the time would not
have known what to DO with four megabytes of memory, even if it had been
possible (or affordable) to install that much. Consequently, programs of
the day were compact, efficient, and primarily text-based.
The non-Apple II computer world had developed and advanced, and Apple
grudgingly allowed the Apple II to make its small, incremental advances.
Occasionally, efforts were made within Apple to make a more powerful Apple
II, but the lure of "better" computers always turned the attention of
management away from allowing such a project to actually make any progress.
First the Apple III, then Lisa, and finally Macintosh swallowed the
research and development dollars that Apple's cash cow, the Apple II,
continued to produce. The latter two computers were based around the
16-bit Motorola 68000 microprocessor, which had the capability to address
far more than 64K of memory. The Apple II could make use of more memory
only through complicated switching schemes (switching between separate 64K
banks). Although "Mac-envy" hit many Apple II enthusiasts both inside and
outside of Apple, causing them to move away from the II, there were still
many others who continued to press for more power from the II.
Eventually, a company called Western Design Center revealed plans to
produce a new microprocessor called the 65816. This chip would have all
of the assembly language opcodes (commands) of the 65c02 through an
"emulation" mode. However, it would be a true 16-bit processor, with the
ability handle 16 bits (two bytes) at a time and to address larger amounts
of continuous memory. The address bus was enlarged from 16 to 24 bits,
making the 65816 capable of addressing 256 times more memory, or 16
megabytes. The power to make a better Apple II was finally available.
THE RETURN OF WOZNIAK Back in early 1981, Steve Wozniak was involved
""""""""""""""""""""" with several projects at Apple. He had helped
write some fast math routines for a spreadsheet product that Apple had
planned to release in competition with Visicalc. Also, Steve Jobs had
managed to convince Wozniak to participate with his fledgling Macintosh
project. Then, in early February, Wozniak's private plane crashed. He was
injured with a concussion that temporarily made it impossible to form new
memories. He could not recall that he had an accident; he did not remember
playing games with his computer in the hospital; he did not remember who
visited him earlier in the day. When he finally did recover from the
concussion, he decided it was time to take a leave of absence from Apple.
Wozniak married, and returned to college at Berkley under the name "Rocky
Clark" (a combination of his dog's name and his wife's maiden name). He
decided he wanted to finally graduate, and get his degree in electrical
engineering and computer science. When he was done with that, he formed a
corporation called "UNUSON" (which stood for "Unite Us In Song") to produce
educational computer materials, wanting to make computers easier for
students to use. He also decided use UNUSON to sponsor a couple of rock
music events, and called them the "US Festival".<1> Held on Labor Day
weekend in 1982 and 1983, these music and technology extravaganzas were
invigorating for Wozniak, but he lost a bundle of money on both occasions.
Though nowhere near drying up the value of his Apple Computer stock, he
decided that he was ready to return to work. In June of 1983, Wozniak
entered the building on the Apple campus where the Apple II division was
housed and asked for something to do.
THE APPLE IIX When Wozniak returned, he discovered the latest of the
""""""""""""" Apple II modernization projects, which was code-named
"IIx". When he saw what the 65816 could do, he became excited about the
potential of the new Apple II and immediately got involved. It was a
tremendous boost in morale for the division to have
their founder return to
work. However, the IIx project was plagued by several problems. Western
Design Center was late in delivering samples of the 65816 processor. First
promised for November 1983, they finally arrived in February 1984--and
didn't work. The second set that came three weeks later also failed.
Other problems came out of the engineering mindset that still existed
at Apple at the time. Recall that people there liked designing boxes that
would do neat things, but there was not enough of a unified focus from
above to pull things together. The marketing department wanted the IIx to
have a co-processor slot to allow it to run different microprocessors. The
code name of the project by this time was "Brooklyn" and "Golden Gate"
(referring to the ability to make it a bridge between the Apple II and
Macintosh). The co-processor slot could allow the IIx to easily do what
third party companies had done for the original Apple II with their Z-80
boards (which allowed them to run CP/M software). Co-processor boards
considered were ones for the Motorola 68000 (the chip used in the
Macintosh), and the Intel 8088 (used in the IBM PC). The IIx project got
so bogged down in trying to become other computers, they forgot it was
supposed to be an advanced Apple II. Politically it also had problems at
Apple, because it was being aimed as a high-end business machine, which was
where they wanted the Macintosh to go.<2>,<3> Wozniak lost interest as
things ran slower and slower, and eventually the project was dropped.
THE 16-BIT APPLE II RETURNS When the IIx project was cancelled in March
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 1983, some of the Apple II engineers were
assigned the task of reducing the cost of the Apple II. Engineers Dan
Hillman and Jay Rickard managed to put almost the entire Apple II circuitry
onto a single chip they called the Mega II. Meanwhile, after the "Apple II
Forever" event that introduced the IIc, interest in the Apple II revived
and sales were quite good. Management saw that sales of the open IIe were
better than the sales of the closed IIc, so they were agreeable to the idea
of another try at the 16-bit Apple II, possibly utilizing the Mega II chip.
By late summer 1984 it was revived with the code name "Phoenix" (rising
from the ashes of the IIx project).<3>
THE APPLE IIGS: GOALS OF THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM The people involved in the
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Phoenix project were very
knowledgeable about the Apple II, from the days of the ][ through the //c.
They knew what THEY wanted in a new computer. It should primarily be an
Apple II, not just something NEW that tried to be all things to all
people.<4> Dan Hillman, who had also been involved as the engineering
manager for the IIx project, stated in an interview, "Our mission was very
simple. First we wanted to preserve the Apple II as it exists today. It
had to work with Apple IIe software and Apple IIc software. That was goal
number 1. But we recognized that the Apple II was an old computer. It had
limitations. The new machine needed to address those limitations, break
through those barriers--and the barriers were very obvious: We needed to
increase the memory size. We had to make it run faster. We needed better
graphics. And we had to have better sound. That was our mission." Since
advanced graphics and sound were what would make this new Apple really
shine, the name eventually assigned to the final product was "Apple
IIGS".<3>
Having learned from their experience in building the Apple IIe and
IIc, they knew what would make the new 16-bit Apple II more powerful. The
Apple IIc was easy to use because the most commonly needed peripherals were
already built-in. The Apple IIe, however, excelled in its ability to be
easily expanded (via the slots) to do things that were NOT commonly needed
or built-in. Harvey Lehtman, system software manager for the project,
stated, "We ... wanted the Apple IIGS to be easy to set up, like the IIc,
and easy to expand, like the IIe."<3>
THE APPLE IIGS: ARCHITECTURE Wozniak was quite involved in designing the
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" general layout of the IIGS. Insisting on
keeping it simple, he recommended AGAINST a built-in co-processor (as they
tried to do with the IIx). He also wanted to keep the 8-bit part of the
machine separate from the 16-bit part. To accomplish this, he and the
other engineers decided to design it so the memory in the lower 128K of the
machine was "slow RAM", which made it possible for it to function just as
it did on the older Apple II's. This included the memory allocation for
the odd addressing schemes used in the text and graphics modes and (which
made sense in 1976, but not in 1986). The rest of the available memory
space would be fast, and could be expanded to as much as 16 megabytes.
With a faster microprocessor, it would also be possible to run programs
more quickly than on the older Apple II's.<3>
THE APPLE IIGS: GRAPHICS One area they decided to focus on was bringing
"""""""""""""""""""""""" the quality of graphics on the new Apple II up
to modern standards. Rob Moore, the Phoenix project hardware group
manager, helped define the new graphics modes of the IIGS. Because a
change that increased the vertical resolution from 200 dots to 400 dots
would make the computer too expensive (it would require a special
slow-phosphor monitor), they purposely decided not to go in that direction.
Instead, they increased the horizontal resolution, and created two new
graphics modes (called "super hi-res"); one was 320 x 200 and the other was
640 x 200. This decision also made it easier to keep compatibility with
older graphics modes.<3>
As mentioned above, the text and graphics addressing on the old Apple
II was odd, from a programming standpoint. When Wozniak originally
designed the II, he made the memory allocation for text and graphics to be
"non-linear", since this saved several hardware chips and made it less
expensive to build. This meant that calculating the memory address of a
specific dot on the hi-res graphics screen or a character on the text
screen was not as simple as most programmers wanted. The hi-res screen
began at $2000 in memory, and the first line on the hi-res screen (line 0)
started at that address. Each line on the hi-res screen was made up of 40
bytes of 8 bits each, and seven bits of each byte represented a dot or
pixel on the screen, giving a possible 280 dots horizontally. Since 40
bytes is $28 in hex, line 0 then ran from $2000 to $2027 in memory.
However, the second line (line 1) of the hi-res screen did NOT start at
$2028 as one would expect, but at $2080. The hi-res screen line
represented by memory locations $2028 to $204F was line 8, and $2050 to
$2077 was line 16. The last eight bytes of this 128 byte section of memory
was unused. The next 128 bytes were allocated to screen lines 1, 9, and
17, and so on.
Because this complicated things considerably for programmers, the
design team for the IIGS wanted linear addressing, which would allow the
memory addresses of line 0 to be followed by the addresses for line 1, and
so on. Because the graphics resolution and range of available colors
planned was much greater than either of the older graphics modes (hi-res or
double hi-res), they needed 32K of continuous memory to use. Because they
planned on a minimum memory configuration of 256K for the IIGS as it would
be shipped, they could not come up with that much memory in one single
block. Engineer Larry Thompson designed a special Video Graphics
Controller (VGC) to solve the problem. The chip combined two separate 16K
blocks of memory and make it appear as a single continuous 32K block of
memory, as far as the graphics programmer was concerned.<3>
The new super hi-res graphics modes also gave far more color choices
than either the old hi-res mode (which had six unique colors) or even the
double hi-res mode (which had sixteen colors). In the 320 x 200 super
hi-res mode, each line could have sixteen colors out of a possible 4,096,
and in the 640 x 200 mode, each line could have four colors out of 4,096.
This gave graphics power that was not even available on a Macintosh (which
was still black and white at the time).
THE APPLE IIGS: SOUND The second major area of focus for enhancements
""""""""""""""""""""" over the old Apple II was sound reproduction. The
original sound chip that had been proposed for the IIGS would have given it
the sound quality of a typical arcade game. However, this was no better
than what other computers in 1986 could do. Rob Moore suggested using a
sound chip made by Ensoniq, one that was used in the Mirage music
synthesizer. He had to push hard to get this included in the final design,
but was able to convince management of its importance because he told them
it would be "enabling technology" (borrowing a phrase from a Macintosh
marketing book). He told them "it would enable people to do things they'd
never dreamed of doing."<3>
The Ensoniq chip was capable of synthesizing FIFTEEN simultaneous
musical voices. To help it in doing such complex sound reproduction, they
gave the chip a separate 64K block of RAM memory dedicated specifically for
that purpose.
THE APPLE IIGS: MEMORY The 65816 is designed to address up to 16 MB of
"""""""""""""""""""""" memory. The IIGS, however, was designed to
support only 8 MB of RAM, and up to 1 MB of ROM (in high memory). With
cards specially designed by third-party companies, up to 12 MB of RAM could
be added, but the memory manager in ROM was only aware of the first 8 MB.
A special patch was needed to allow the system to use memory beyond that
point.
Building on the traditional memory organization from 6502 days,
memory in the IIGS was usually referred to in banks, from $00 through $FF.
Each bank refers to a 64K chunk of memory. The lowest bank, $00, was
identical to the 64K memory space in the original Apple II. The next bank,
$01, was the same as the auxiliary memory bank used on the Apple IIe and
IIc. (Additionally, the super hi-res graphics display was found in 32K of
the memory in bank $00, from $2000 to $9FFF). The banks from $02-$7F were
also for RAM storage, and covered things up to the 8 MB limit. Banks
$80-$DF could be used for another 4.25 MB of RAM, but as mentioned above
they were unusable (without a patch) because the memory manager didn't know
how to access it.
The memory expansion slot designed for the IIGS only had two lines to
decode addresses. This allowed for direct access to each of four 256K RAM
chips, or four 1 MB RAM chips. In order to make use of the next 4 MB of
RAM some special logic was needed to find and use it. RAM cards with more
than 4 MB were never directly supported by Apple.<5>
Banks $E0 and $E1 were a special part of RAM that was used to
duplicate ("shadow") banks $00 and $01. This RAM was designed as "slow"
RAM, and would better be able to run some of the older 8-bit Apple II
software. When shadowing was active, anything a program did to addresses
in banks $00 and $01 was duplicated in banks $E0 and $E1. Although it
appeared to a program that it was running in the lower two banks, it was
really running in the slow RAM in banks $E0 and $E1.<6>
Banks $E2-$EF were undefined. The last one MB from $F0-$FF was
allocated to ROM. The lower 512K (banks $F0-$F7) were set aside for a
ROMdisk. (A ROMdisk is just like a RAMdisk, except it will not lose its
contents when power is turned off). For a ROMdisk to be installed, a
device driver for the disk had to be located at the beginning of bank $F0
(at address $F0/0000), and the driver had to start with the phrase
"ROMDISK". The most common way this was used by third-party hardware
providers was to take some of the GS memory, protect it with a battery (so
its contents didn't disappear when the computer was turned off), and
designate it properly to the IIGS as a ROMdisk (even though it was simply
protected RAM, and not true ROM).<7>
The rest of the space from $F8-$FF was reserved for system ROM. The
original IIGS had ROM code only from $FE-$FF, while later versions
expanded this space to include $FC and $FD.
[*][*][*]
NEXT INSTALLMENT The Apple IIGS, cont.
""""""""""""""""
NOTES
"""""
<1> Miller, Jonathan. "The Life And Times Of Rocky Clark", SOFTALK,
June 1982, pp. 141-144.
<2> Pinella, Paul. "In The Beginning: An Interview With Harvey
Lehtman", APPLE IIGS: GRAPHICS AND SOUND, Fall/Winter 1986, pp.
38-44.
<3> Duprau, Jeanne, and Tyson, Molly. "The Making Of The Apple
IIGS", A+ MAGAZINE, Nov 1986, pp. 57-74.
<4> Hogan, Thom. "Apple: The First Ten Years", A+ MAGAZINE, Jan
1987, p. 45.
<5> Regan, Joe. A2PRO ROUNDTABLE, Oct 1991, Category 16, Topic 2.
<6> Williams, Gregg. "The Apple IIGS", BYTE, Oct 1986, pp. 84-98.
<7> Nolan, Sean. "GS Memory Cards Compared", CALL-A.P.P.L.E., Aug
1987, pp. 10-17.
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