|||||| |||||| || || |||||| |||||| || || ||| || || || || ||| |||| |||||| || |||| Your || || || || ||| || || |||||| |||||| || || |||||| |||||| GEnieLamp Computing || |||||| || || |||||| RoundTable || || || ||| ||| || || || |||||| |||||||| |||||| RESOURCE! || || || || || || || ||||| || || || || || ~ WELCOME TO GEnieLamp APPLE II! ~ """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ BEGINNER'S CORNER: Polishing Green Apples ~ ~ PD_QUICKVIEW: Computer Keyboarding v5.0 ~ ~ ACROSS THE WIRES: The Apple IIgs in Germany ~ ~ APPLE II HISTORY: Languages ~ ~ HOT NEWS, HOT FILES, HOT MESSAGES ~ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////////////////////// GEnieLamp Apple II ~ A T/TalkNET OnLine Publication ~ Vol.2, Issue 19 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Editor....................................................Douglas Cuff Publisher.............................................John F. Peters Copy-Editor...........................................Bruce Maples \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////////////////////// ~ GEnieLamp IBM ~ GEnieLamp ST ~ GEnieLamp [PR] ~ GEnieLamp TX2 ~ ~ GEnieLamp A2Pro ~ GEnieLamp Macintosh ~ LiveWire Online ~ ~ Member Of The Digital Publishing Association ~ GE Mail: GENIELAMP Internet: genielamp@genie.geis.com FTP: sosi.com ////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ >>> WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE APPLE II ROUNDTABLE? <<< """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ October 1, 1993 ~ FROM MY DESKTOP ......... [FRM] HEY MISTER POSTMAN ...... [HEY] Notes From The Editor. Is That A Letter For Me? HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM] REFLECTIONS ............. [REF] Fun & Games On GEnie. Online Communications. BEGINNER'S CORNER ....... [BEG] PD_QUICKVIEW ............ [PDQ] Polishing Green Apples. Computer Keyboarding (v5.0). CowTOONS! ............... [MOO] ACROSS THE WIRES ........ [ATW] More Mootations. GEnie Worldwide! COMMUNICATION ........... [COM] APPLE II ................ [AII] Making Contact. Apple II History, Part 16. LOG OFF ................. [LOG] GEnieLamp Information. [IDX]""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" READING GEnieLamp GEnieLamp has incorporated a unique indexing """"""""""""""""" system to help make reading the magazine easier. To utilize this system, load GEnieLamp into any ASCII word processor or text editor. In the index you will find the following example: HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM] [*]GEnie Fun & Games. To read this article, set your find or search command to [HUM]. If you want to scan all of the articles, search for [EOA]. [EOF] will take you to the last page, whereas [IDX] will bring you back to the index. MESSAGE INFO To make it easy for you to respond to messages re-printed """""""""""" here in GEnieLamp, you will find all the information you need immediately following the message. For example: (SMITH, CAT6, TOP1, MSG:58/M475) _____________| _____|__ _|___ |____ |_____________ |Name of sender CATegory TOPic Msg.# Page number| In this example, to respond to Smith's message, log on to page 475 enter the bulletin board and set CAT 6. Enter your REPly in TOPic 1. A message number that is surrounded by brackets indicates that this message is a "target" message and is referring to a "chain" of two or more messages that are following the same topic. For example: {58}. ABOUT GEnie GEnie's monthly fee is $8.95 for which gives you up to four """"""""""" hours of non-prime time access to most GEnie services, such as software downloads, bulletin boards, GE Mail, an Internet gateway, multi-player games and chat lines, are allowed without charge. GEnie's non-prime time connect rate is $3.00. To sign up for GEnie service, call (with modem) 1-800-638-8369. Upon connection type HHH. Wait for the U#= prompt. Type: XTX99014,DIGIPUB and hit RETURN. The system will then prompt you for your information. Need more information? Call GEnie's customer service line (voice) at 1-800-638-9636. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" //////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE //// / "This is what is so great about Apple II people on GEnie! / / I asked a question one night, and the very next night I / / get what I need!" / ///////////////////////////////////////////// K.LESSING //// [EOA] [FRM]////////////////////////////// FROM MY DESKTOP / ///////////////////////////////// Notes From The Editor """"""""""""""""""""" By Douglas Cuff [EDITOR.A2] THERE'LL BE SOME CHANGES MADE Up until now, one man has assembled all the """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" issues of GEnieLamp (A2, A2Pro, IBM, Macintosh, [PR], ST, and TX2)... our senior editor and publisher, John Peters. This month, each editor is assembling his own issue. All of a sudden, I find myself with more to say about what appears in the magazine. Will GEnieLamp A2 have CowToons? Will it have Search_ME? Will it have more articles? More commentaries? More reviews? Well, I'd like you to tell me. Last month, I pleaded for feedback. I got two replies -- thank you both! -- which is certainly better than no replies, but doesn't exactly put me in the position of needing a telecom agent. (What's a telecom agent? See Phil Shapiro's "Reflections" column.) One of my correspondents suggested that silence indicated assent, possibly even wholesale approval. If so, it's a great relief, but it doesn't help me learn what the readers want me to keep now that I have more say over what goes into an issue. Unfortunately, this changeover, like the last one, means that a few features -- the Who's Who in Apple II profile [WHO], and Online Library [LIB] -- had to be dropped due to lack of time. They'll be back, never fear. In the meantime, this month you'll find a sort of mini-profile of shareware author Charles Hartley in Mel Fowler's PD_Quickview [PDQ]. NEW COLUMN New this issue is a brand-new column for GEnie users """""""""" outside the U.S. First up, Udo Huth from Germany shares his experiences of computing and telecommunicating. The line forms directly behind him. Of course, if you have an idea for an article on another subject, I'd love to hear from you. You don't have to be a polished writer, just have something to say! It doesn't have to be long and it doesn't have to be earth-shattering. ASSOCIATE EDITOR WANTED We need help! There aren't enough hands to do """"""""""""""""""""""" all the work. For that reason, there is no Who's Who profile this month. Phil Shapiro, who used to handle the interviews and much else besides, in his capacity as co-editor, is busy running his own newsletter. GEnieLamp A2 needs a new associate editor. Here's your chance to hob-nob with famous Apple II personalities. THE SECOND CHANCE I once worked on a specialized quarterly magazine with """"""""""""""""" a small but constant subscriber base. The problem was, the readers were either mired in apathy or lethargy... I never figured out which. Virtually everyone renewed their subscriptions, but not until the day issues stopped arriving and they realized they had been cut off. One day, the printing firm that owned the magazine was sold, and the buyers didn't care tuppence about the magazine. The letters poured in. The magazine had to be saved. There was not another one like it... no close competitor to absorb the subscriber base. (Just think about THAT for a minute, former _inCider/A+_ and _Nibble_ subscribers.) Fortunately, the staff of the magazine persuaded the local university to become the publisher, and the magazine was given a second chance. Over ten years later, it's still going strong. The last I heard, the readers aren't quite so apathetic. They knew it had been a near thing. The Apple II is a long way from being finished yet. I sure hope you'll help me keep it alive as long as possible by becoming involved in GEnieLamp A2. KEEPING HOPE ALIVE Two months ago, in my first editorial, I spoke about """""""""""""""""" corporate births, deaths, and marriages in the Apple II world. This month, we had a genuine death. On September 7, Kathryn Beth Willig passed away. She had cancer of the colon. I'm not about to deliver a eulogy. I didn't really know her well enough to do that. I knew her in her role as a Seven Hills Software partner, and came to recognize her messages quickly, look forward to them, and looked for excuses to chat with her. In the end, she dispensed her knowledge while logging on to CompuServe from her hospital bed, via her Mac Powerbook. She probably wouldn't have been best pleased at my mentioning her in a GEnieLamp editorial like this. She didn't like it when people -- particularly people she didn't know -- tried to style her a hero because she had cancer. She certainly wouldn't have cared for becoming well-known because she had died. It's not her death I want to talk about. What she did when she was alive is far more important. Kathryn Willig had the capacity to answer the same question fifty times, and be as cheerful and helpful to the fiftieth person as with the first. The knowledge she had was usually helpful, but her attitude was always so. She cared... and she hoped. She actually dared to hope. Every one of many times when it seemed as though Apple were abandoning us, that all was lost, and that we had devoted years of our lives to computers that were obsolete, she dared to hope. She dared to be cheerful, and managed to do it without being insensitive to others' fears and dreads. Let's see if we can't do the same. Personally, I think we can. -- Doug Cuff GEnie Mail: EDITOR.A2 Internet: editor.a2@genie.geis.com >>> NOTES FROM THE PUBLISHER <<< """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ By John Peters [GENIELAMP] ~ FINALLY, FULL INTERNET ACCESS My latest online adventure started when I """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" spotted an ad in a local computer zine for low cost access to Internet via an online system called Spectrum. Hmmmm... Full access to Internet for only $12.95 a month? That's certainly worth a phone call. So I logged on, had a look around, liked what I saw and signed up. Since Internet access was the reason I signed on in the first place, I immediately went to the Internet area. FTP? Telnet? UUCP? It quickly became obvious that for this online adventure I was first going to have to do some serious homework. So, my first step was to add the Internet RoundTable to my Aladdin auto-pass. Second, I raided their file areas looking for anything and everything I could find on Internet. (For an excellent primer on Internet, download Zen and the Art of the Internet, file #40. To get there type: M1045;3). Armed with this newly learned knowledge, I once again logged into the Internet system. My first destination was the Cleveland FreeNet, a popular system that I used to log onto in my old PC Pursuit days. Within seconds I had logged on and was searching their file bases for interesting tidbits. It felt like old times again... So, what does all of this have to do with GEnieLamp? I am happy to announce that the nice folks at Spectrum have decided to offer GEnieLamp to their subscribers and will now also offer GEnieLamp to Internet members via FTP anonymous access. The address is: sosi.com and the Lamps are available in the ~/pub/GEnieLamp directory. My personal address on Spectrum Online Systems is: jpeters.sosi.com If you do get GEnieLamp via Internet, take a moment to go to our local conference area, local.genielamp and tell me about you and your Internet adventure. Who knows? Working together maybe we'll both be able to figure out this wonderful thing called Internet! Until next month... John Peters GEnieLamp/DigiPub RoundTable [EOA] [HEY]////////////////////////////// HEY MISTER POSTMAN / ///////////////////////////////// Is That A Letter For Me? """""""""""""""""""""""" By Douglas Cuff [EDITOR.A2] o BULLETIN BOARD HOT SPOTS o A2 POT-POURRI o HOT TOPICS o WHAT'S NEW o THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE o MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT >>> BULLETIN BOARD HOT SPOTS <<< """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" [*] CAT5, TOP3 .............. Apple Computer and Power PC [*] CAT9, TOP6 & TOP17 ...... Liberty card for MS-DOS drives [*] CAT9, TOP15 ............. Altering 5.25 inch driver [*] CAT15, TOP14 ............ Barcode scanner for IIgs [*] CAT42, TOP29 ............ Quality buys AppleWorks from Claris [*] CAT42, TOP32 ............ Suggestions for new AppleWorks GS >>> A2 POT-POURRI <<< """"""""""""""""""""" ...BUT TRENDY! > Actually, a green and purple plaid screen I think often """""""""""""" > indicates a weak CPU chip. Green and Purple PLaid? Your GS has gone Grunge. Watch out that it doesn't move to Seattle. (D.JOHNSON106, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:233/M645;1) MAINTENANCE TIPS I am starting a project on a book and disk designed to """""""""""""""" keep those Apples running and welcome your suggestions, questions and recommendations. Perhaps the most important, easy to do and quick, suggestion I can make to keep your Apple II runing is to unplug it, remove each card and run over the slots with a pencil eraser. This removes the airborne grease that seems to find its way onto the gold-plated tabs and will eventually disconnect the card. I have also taken a cranky mother board, and again, after unplugging the power supply, lifted each chip with a small screw driver, once on each end, then pushed them back in place and the wierd symptoms disappeared! Apparently the little bug feet get greasy too, or perhaps corroded and this small amount of motion is enough to clean them. (note: The chips need not be fully removed, just lifted a couple of millimeters and then pushed back in place.) This trick has worked well many times and we have literally "saved" a couple of mother boards with it. Adrian (A.VANCE, CAT15, TOP15, MSG:1/M645;1) INTERNET MAIL WITH CO-PILOT A better way to address Internet mail with """"""""""""""""""""""""""" Co-Pilot: Address the letter to yourself, then include the line *to,user@sitename@inet# as the first line of the letter. This will override the address you entered. (If it doesn't work, YOU will get a copy of the letter, which will let you know it failed.) (QUALITY, CAT10, TOP11, MSG:284/M645;1) APPLEWORKS GS INSTALLER FOR SYSTEM 6.0 > Since you have the new AWGS """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > Installer disk, do me a favor > and compare the application on that disk with the shipping version of > Installer and see if it is actually the same file. All of this has gotten me curious, too. Here's the story... I used to frequent the 'Claris' area on AOL (I don't know if they still maintain that area...haven't looked in quite awhile, but if you have access to AOL, try keyword 'Claris'), and after System 6 was released, it was discovered by many the _something_ was wrong with the way AWGS Utilities disk, which is where the Installer and its Scripts are located, was working with System 6. As most of us know, from time to time AWGS has to be reinstalled (I say most, for I actually know someone who has used AWGS for years, and has never _once_ crashed or had to reinstall---must be a faulty disk! :-) ). Well, _someone_ from Claris (sorry, don't remember his name) responded to us via AOL stating that _if_ we were registered, request via E-mail, and he would send us an updated 'Utilities' disk that would deal with System 6 properly. I did just that, and was sent, free of charge, an Official disk with a Claris label that reads "AppleWorks GS, Utilities, "REVISED" ". I will do as you ask, and visually compare to see what the differences are and post back here. <<<<< Here is what I found regarding the "Revised" edition of the AWGS """"" Installer. This is somewhat misleading because I didn't mean to imply that the 'Installer' itself, as in Application, was changed, but that an updated _script_ was written by Claris and put onto a disk. The files on the 'Revised' disk compared to the files on the original AWGS v1.1 Utilities disk are as follows... On the 'old' Utilities disk, there are 32 different 'Text' files in the 'Scripts' folder. On the 'Revised' Utilities disk, there are only 5 'Text' files as follows... 1. ATIW.CL created 6/3/92 2. AWGS.EASY created 4/13/92 3. DCIM.CL created 5/16/88 and modified 6/3/92 4. DICTIONARIES created 7/6/89 and modified 4/13/92 5. AWGS created 7/6/89 and modified 6/4/92 These five scripts are the _only_ scripts in the 'Scripts' folder, but they seem to do the same job as the 32 in the 'old' 'Scripts' folder, only in a more compatible way with System 6. Two other differences... There is an 'Icon' folder with "AW.Icons" and "AWGS.Icons" files. There is a 'System' folder with 'Fonts', 'CDevs' and 'Drivers' folders. The 'System' folder seems to be there to replace the need for the 'AWGS.System.Disk', as the files within are the same as on the 'old' system disk. From my understanding, this 'Revised' disk solved several problems that some were having after installing System 6. I certainly _could_ be confused, though. :-) Jeff - Delivered by Co-Pilot v2.1.1 and TIC (J.CARR20, CAT17, TOP17, MSG:192&198/M645;1) WHAT DOES FASTFONT DO? System 6 puts a file named "FastFont" in the """""""""""""""""""""" _/Fonts_folder. What is the purpose of this file? Can it be eliminated (to save space)? Thank U. David (D.THOMAS29, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:188/M645;1) >>>>> FastFont is a special version of Shaston 8 plain. It's designed so """"" that the Font Manager can use it quicker for things like drawing "System text" (text that makes up menus, radio buttons, simple buttons, pop-up menus, check boxes, etc). You CAN delete it if you really need the space, the Font Manager will then use the "normal" Shaston 8 plain that exists in the ROM of the GS. Bryan (SOFTDISK.INC, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:190/M645;1) >>>>> ...with the appropriate performance "hit". """"" (WIZARDS.MUSE, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:192/M645;1) ALTERNATE APPLEWORKS DICTIONARY? now that you've got the rights to AWKS """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" and AWGS, might it be possible for you to part with the information, how the main dictionary format of AWKS and AWGS is? I'd like to do German main dictionaries for both programs. I'd consider also to pay a certain license fee to you, for every copy of the German dictionaries sold. OTOH, if you don't wanna part with this kinda information, would it be possible to compile a main dictionary from a word list I'd send to you? Again, I'd pay for that. Udo - Still GS'ing along happily - (U.HUTH, CAT42, TOP2, MSG:287/M645;1) >>>>> Good questions. I'm not sure if the dictionary format is """"" proprietary or not. (Proprietary to someone besides us, I mean.) I do recall someone telling me that it took an accelerated machine a couple of DAYS to compress the dictionaries used in QuickSpell/AW3. (QUALITY, CAT42, TOP2, MSG:288/M645;1) >>>>> (Yeah, good dictionary compilers can take quite a while to run -- """"" to compress our in-house test dictionary from 2.4MB to 750K takes around 9 hours on a 9/64 GS!!!) (SOFTDISK.INC, CAT42, TOP2, MSG:289/M645;1) UNIDISK INTERLEAVE Rod - if you use disks formatted at the 2:1 interleave """""""""""""""""" on a UniDisk, they'll be _incredibly_ slow. If there's any chance the disk will be used on a UniDisk, format it 4:1 (I used to keep a few "essential" disks set up this way). The UniDisk is markedly slower anyway, but the 2:1 interleave will send you screaming. (4:1 on the Apple 3.5 on the IIgs is slower than 2:1, but not as severe as 2:1 versus 4:1 on the UniDisk 3.5 or Apple IIc Plus 3.5 interface with either drive type.) (WIZARDS.MUSE, CAT2, TOP29, MSG:54/M645;1) KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH HARDPRESSED Known problems with HardPressed are (as """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" mentioned in the GS+ review): compressing HCGS stacks, accessing compressed GraphicWriter III files and working with files over AppleShare. The GW-III problem was fixed with the small patch I uploaded a few weeks ago. The problems with HCGS and AppleShare have been fixed and are part of the soon-to-be-released v1.0.1 (it's in final testing right now). If all goes as planned, the update to v1.0.1 will be available online, so anyone with v1.0 will be able to update to v1.0.1 by just downloading a file from GEnie. So there's no reason to wait unless you need really need a v1.0.1 feature (e.g. you do all your work over AppleShare). Works pretty well with everything else. <<<<< The problem with GW-III was fixed with the really small patch. """"" Basically, GW-III was checking for errors by examining the 65816 'Z' flag. This is acceptable but slightly unusual behavior. It had problems because instead of setting the 'Z' flag I was setting the 'N' flag, so GW-III was seeing errors when there really weren't any. It would say to itself, "ah, there's an error there, I wonder what it was. Well, hmm, there wasn't REALLY an error there, so let's go into an ininite loop and hang the system." It works just fine now, though. I think some other minor problems with some desk accessories cleared up after the patch. - Andy (FADDEN, CAT37, TOP3, MSG:234&236/M645;1) THE BUG THAT WASN'T A few months ago we got a report that this Yahtzee """"""""""""""""""" game wasn't working when both HardPressed and Pointless were installed. I tried it and sure enough, it died. Well, with a little (well, a *LOT*) of help from Dave Lyons, I tracked it down to a really weird value for the direct page space for the line edit tool box. It seems that some old TML Pascal source code did the LEStartUp() call incorrectly, passing the arguments in the wrong order. What this means is, the line edit direct page space gets the value that was supposed to be the userID, and the userID becomes the DP value. Usually you end up with a DP of $1002, which looks funny because the toolbox DP is always page-aligned. Dave did a patch for this that patches the tool call, checks the order, and swaps them if they look funny. He's sending me the source code for it; I'll upload it after I have a chance to check it out. The reason I find this interesting is that GS-Tape was exhibiting similar problems with both HP and Pointless installed. I'm hoping that this patch will clear up the problems with GS-Tape as well. The easy way to tell if this is a problem with your application is to start it up, go into Nifty List, and hit 'v '. This gives you a list of loaded tools with versions. If the line edit toolset has something like "WAP=$1002", then you're having this problem. - Andy (FADDEN, CAT37, TOP3, MSG:251/M645;1) SHAREWARE SOLUTIONS II CELEBRITY TESTIMONIAL I'd just like to say that """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Joe's magazine is what InCider could have been if they truly cared about the Apple II. I only regret that the magazine didn't have any more pages since I read it non-stop after I got mine in the mail. Burger (BURGERBILL, CAT28, TOP4, MSG:47/M645;1) APPLE CREDIT CARD NO LONGER VALID It gives me the same feeling I got when """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" I tried to order some materials from APDA with my Apple Credit Card, and then to hear them tell me that Apple Credit is no longer valid and that I was supposed to get a notice of such back in June. Yeah right, I know the mail is slow, but my bill seems to get here every month on time. Sure would be nice if they would invalidate my debt in the process (fat chance)! :-) Tyler (A2.TYLER, CAT5, TOP4, MSG:43/M645;1) FROM MAC TO IIGS Setting up a AppleTalk connection between my IIGS and """""""""""""""" PowerBook was very easy. I just disconnected my ImageWriter II and attached that same cable end to the port on the PowerBook. After installing the necessary system files with the respective Installer programs on each machine (very straight forward), changing a few Control Panel settings, and rebooting, all I had to do was activate AppleTalk on both sides. Great work by the Apple System Software creators. BTW, I did this to move a large MAC TrueType font collection from the MAC to the GS. The collection fonts were on HFS disks with each font in separate "suitcases." I "unsuitcased" the fonts onto the MAC RamDisk, accessed the RamDisk from the GS thru AppleTalk, and copied the fonts onto the IIGS hard drive. The setup was very stable throughout the whole operation and acceptably fast. All GS owners who have access to a MAC should try this. It's very impressive the way it works. You don't need to buy any special connectors if all you're doing is connecting a one GS to one MAC. -=- Ken Watanabe -=- (K.WATANABE5, CAT12, TOP4, MSG:22/M645;1) SPLIT ERGONOMIC KEYBOARD Apple's new keyboard will work fine with the GS, """""""""""""""""""""""" but the sound keys don't do anything. An Init or Control Panel could be written to fix this... (T.BUCHHEIM, CAT2, TOP4, MSG:226/M645;1) POPULAR HEWLETT-PACKARD PRINTERS The 550 series (I'm not actually aware """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" of a 550, per se, only the 550C) is an upgraded 500. The paper handling and a lot of other stuff that is not visible have been improved. Especially with regard to the color model. With the 500C, you could have a 3 color cartridge, with no black ink, or a black cartridge. If you printed in color, the printer imitated black by blending a real dark brown. The color and mono cartridges didn't line up the same, so it was not possible to print a graphic WITHOUT black and then go back and reprint just the black. With the 550C, both black and color cartridges can be in place and working at the same time, it prints colors AND black, at the same time, and generally gives a much better color output as a consequence. For black and white (or more precisely, monochrome) printing, there is no significant difference between a 500, 500C and 550C. If you don't anticipate a need for high quality COLOR printing, then the 500 is your best bet. Gary R. Utter (GARY.UTTER, CAT12, TOP8, MSG:212/M645;1) APPLEWORKS GS MEMORY TESTER Does the memory tester that comes with AWGS """"""""""""""""""""""""""" work properly with the CV Tech piggy back card? (J.NICOLETTE1, CAT46, TOP6, MSG:101/M645;1) >>>>> Yes, quite well, including any memory that might exist in the piggy """"" back slot. (J.CARR20, CAT46, TOP6, MSG:102/M645;1) ERROR CODES You may want to download a copy of the NDA, Super Info III. """"""""""" It contains a comprehensive list of error codes, probably the most comprehensive that I have seen. I think this is a start, anyway. Tyler (A2.TYLER, CAT9, TOP11, MSG:12/M645;1) FONT CLEARINGHOUSE REMINDER Well, it has been a few weeks now since my """"""""""""""""""""""""""" last post, and we are days away from a massively updated database being released in A2. The database has increased in size by about 60%. There is a very good liklihood that we may soon be getting a larger assortment of fonts into A2 as well. So stay tuned! In case you are developing a font for the Apple IIgs, be sure to request a Font ID assignment from the Clearinghouse. I know there has been some problem in the past with responsiveness, but I would like to assure you that it will not be a problem in the future. To get a Font ID is rather simple. Just e-mail me a copy of the font under consideration, or snail-mail it to the address in the previous message, or the address soon to be in the topic header. :) You will get an assignment post-haste. If you are working on a font but it is not yet completed, you can be assigned a temporary ID for purposes of identification, with a permanent assignment after completion. (The temporary IDs expire after a specified time and are re-used, so don't plan to keep the number. :) Timothy Tobin Font Clearinghouse (A2.TIM, CAT23, TOP11, MSG:16/M645;1) <<<<< If you are into fonts, I recommend that you look into a new A2 """"" file. File #21372 is an AppleWorks database of the latest known $C8 fonts in the Apple IIgs world. The file contains about 1700 listings now, and requires AppleWorks 3.0 with at least 230K of desktop space. It has preliminary data on several fonts in terms of how many characters are defined in the font strike, as well as an attempt to define the alphabet used (Roman, Cyrillic, etc.). I am interested in the public's comments on the new structure, as well as help in filling it out with the latest data. If you have been having Font ID conflicts, this database is a must-have item. It tells you what the font IDs =should= be, so you can safely change your offending fonts to the appropriate IDs. I am also looking for input in case errors crept into the listings, so as to make it as accurate as possible. Tim Tobin Resource Central Font Clearinghouse (A2.TIM, CAT8, TOP17, MSG:136/M645;1) HIERARCHIC INIT POSITION COUNTS ][t's a good idea to make sure that """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Tool.Setup, TS2, TS3, and Resource.MGR are always the first files in your System.Setup folder. If you're going to be moving Hierarchic around at all in the directory order, make sure it comes after those files. -= Lunatic (: (A2.LUNATIC, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:315/M645;1) QUICKIE 3.1 DIFFERENCES Differences between Quickie 3.1 and Older """"""""""""""""""""""" Versions: Definitive Answer From the Programmer - The palette used by all versions of Quickie covers the full range of 16 shades of gray, which is all that the Apple IIgs is capable of. BUT, upon close examination of any scanned image, most people will discover that only 12-13 of these shades are actually used by the time the final image is generated. There are a number of technical reasons for this, but it boils down to the fact that the generic smoothing technique used in Quickie 3.0 and before was not a perfect solution. The Contrast and Brightness controls added in Quickie 3.1 (both to the application and the NDA) have the effect of allowing the user to customize the grey-scale smoothing process to his/her own needs. By adjusting the Contrast, you can fully utilize ALL 16 shades of gray in ANY picture, resulting in smoother graduations between shades. This is most useful when scanning a portrait, where the "shading lines" which older versions of the software created on faces can be greatly reduced or eliminated. Adjusting the Brightness can lighten or darken a picture so you don't have to keep adjusting your scanner head's light/dark dial just because you changed original images. Adjusting both controls together can give you some really interesting posterization effects while maintaining (or reducing) fine detail. A relatively minor enhancement to the Quickie 3.1 application also lets you create text labels for your pictures, using any font on your system. The bottom line is that Quickie 3.1 allows you far more control over the quality of the images that you scan than ANY previous version, with the only limitation being that you are still stuck with monochrome images. The upgrade is well worth its price because you can get MUCH better monochrome pictures with a LOT less scanning and re-scanning, than ever before. Re: Quickie Color - (name not finalized) - It's well under way, and as soon as I work out a couple of bugs in the color rendition scheme, you will start seeing some samples. Don't wait for it to upgrade to Quickie 3.1, though, because there is no reason to wait for color before getting the best possible monochrome results from your scanner! Steve P.S. - Has anyone found the Easter Egg in the System 6.0.1 version of Quickie 3.1? (S.MCQUEEN1, CAT40, TOP8, MSG:116/M645;1) ___ MOUSETEXT IN APPLE M FONT |o access the Mousetext characters in the """"""""""""""""""""""""" Apple M font you simply hold down the Option key while pressing the appropriate letter. You can even get the "running man" by holding down Shift while you hit "F" and "G." This all _IS_ documented in my original upload of the font here on GEnie, along with the original mention of why I chose "Apple M," as HangTime has described. -= Lunatic (: (A2.LUNATIC, CAT2, TOP22, MSG:48/M645;1) USER FINDS THUNDERSCAN Thanks _VERY_ much for the information. With your """""""""""""""""""""" information, and a couple of directory calls, I tracked down what I needed. Thunderware's new phone number is 510-254-6581. Software version 1.2 is the latest for the IIc/IIe. Version 1.0 is the latest for the IIgs. For the MAC, it is version 1.3.2. A software update costs $29.00 + shipping. From the old version of software (for MAC system 5!) that my friend in Bolivia has, the person at Thunderware thought that it had origionaly been sold for a 512K mac. The newer macs do not have the necessary power at the serial port, so now it comes with a power plug that plugs into the disk drive port, to provide power to the Thunderscan. That cord costs $25.00. I am not sure that this is what Allen needs, but since it is cheaper than a phone call to Bolivia, I ordered it. Thank you Mr. Kern for your help. Without it, I would not have been able to find the company. Since the question was about a MAC, I should have gone over to the MAC board, but I would not have gotten an answer there. This is what is so great about Apple II people on GEnie! I asked a question one night, and the very next night I get what I need! I have been on this board for six years, and although the people have changed, the helpful attitudes do not change. Apple II people are special. And GEnie is a great place to meet! Thank you one and all!!! Ken Lessing (K.LESSING, CAT2, TOP21, MSG: 1/M645;1) APPLE /// SUPPORT Gary - Thanks for the initial push to Bob Consorti. He """"""""""""""""" and Joe are _still_ supporting Apple ///'s. They sold me some basic utilities that are indespensible for my ///plus. Joe Consorti handles most sales at: Apple /// Products 1174 Hickory Ave Tehacapi CA 93561 Bob Consorti handles the Tech questions now at (617) 731-0662 weekday evenings or weekends. Dave Huggins (D.HUGGINS1, CAT12, TOP10, MSG:48/M645;1) HARD DRIVE BARGAIN I recently purchased a Quantum 170 meg ZPG from La """""""""""""""""" Cie. This the unit advertised in MacWeek, etc. for $249.00 It ships with a 25 pin cable, power cable, Mac software and manuals, The hard drive is loaded with about 40 meg of software. The sales rep did not indicate any problems with using it on a GS. After testing it on my Mac and copying the software onto disk, I connected the HD to my GS using a Apple HS SCSI card, connecting it to my Chinook 40 Meg HD. I partioned the ZPG into 2 ProDos partitions and 1 HFS partition. The HD works great with no problems. This drive is a bargin. Les K. (L.KAPLER1, CAT11, TOP10, MSG:151/M645;1) >>> HOT TOPICS <<< """""""""""""""""" NOW DO YOU SEE WHY YOU SHOULD PAY YOUR SHAREWARE FEES? Over the next few """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" days, I'm going to be uploading freeware updates to my major shareware programs. This includes Quit-To, File-A-Trix, FloorTiles, Ant Wars and ShutDown Reminder. This means that these programs will henceforth be available for free, with no obligation or request to pay me anything. The reason I'm doing this is that I'm winding up my involvement with the Apple II as I move on to Mac programming. Releasing these programs as freeware is both a parting gesture of generosity, and a way for me to weasel out of any obligation to continue to provide Apple II user support. I will continue to check into this Topic for a short while, and will do my best to answer any mail/e-mail questions regarding my A2 programs. I just won't be maintaining my database of registered users, won't send my disk of goodies to paying customers, and won't be producing any more updates. I don't suppose I have to explain the basics of why I'm leaving Apple II programming. It would be nice if I could continue to produce for BOTH the Mac and the Apple II, but I don't have enough time or brains to spare for that. It's going to take all my resources of both just to catch up and keep up with developments in the Mac world. It's been fun, it's been rewarding (mostly emotionally), and it's been -- well -- lots of things. I wish I could shake hands with all my paying customers, and thank each one in person. In lieu of that, I'll say it here: Thanks a zillion, and good bye. Karl Bunker (K.BUNKER, CAT13, TOP10, MSG:91/M645;1) UNEXPECTED BONUS WITH 6.0.1 The greatest advantage of Sys 6.01 I only """"""""""""""""""""""""""" discovered this morning : The Applied Engineering fax software is working properly again !!! So not only Tetris is running like it should but also AE fax. I tried everything but did not succeed to hang the system. Apple : THANKS !!!! Peter van Dongen, Netherlands, Europe (P.DONGEN1, CAT9, TOP6, MSG:453/M645;1) APPLEWORKS UPGRADE PRICE Q&A Whether you should upgrade to AW 3.0, here """""""""""""""""""""""""""" are the facts: AppleWorks 2.x to 3.0: $79 AppleWorks 3.0 to 4.0: $79 AppleWorks 2.x to 4.0: $99 If your eventual goal is to get 4.0, buying the AW 3.0 upgrade and following it up with the AW 4.0 upgrade is, er, dumb. B) Better to go for AW 4.0 right away and save $60. (QUALITY, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:155/M645;1) >>>>> > Will there be any way for a non-owner to get AW 4.0? """"" Certainly. You just have to pay full price for it. ($169.95, same as AW 3.0.) That version will be shipping by November 1. (The reason: there are more manuals included with that version.) (QUALITY, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:164/M645;1) >>>>> AW 4.0 is a complete new package. It does not require AW 3.0 """"" to modify it. (QUALITY, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:181/M645;1) APPLEWORKS 4.0 MACROS Ultra 4.3 is the only macro program that works with """"""""""""""""""""" AppleWorks 4. The AW4 disk includes a TimeOut updater program that will make many TimeOut packages work with AW4, including Ultra 4.2. Ultra 4.3 is basically a "tweaked" version of Ultra 4.2, but does have a few new features. For example, the .online command now accepts a volume name as well as a file name. If you specify a volume it returns the number of blocks free instead of the size. If you have Ultra 3.x, 4.0 or 4.1, you'll need to upgrade to Ultra 4.2 before you get AW4. Because Ultra 4.2 is a combination of an updated Ultra 4.1 and the originally planned Ultra Extras disk, there is no online or free upgrade available- you must get Ultra 4.2 directly from Quality. (BRANDT, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:231/M645;1) >>>>> What if you don't have any of the UltraMacros packages? Do you """"" need Timeout UltraMacros 3.x first as well as Ultra 4.3, or is Ultra 4.3 usable on its own on Appleworks 4.0? (I remember reading somewhere, the Resource Central catalog I think, that to use Ultra 4.x you needed to have Timeout Ultramacros already installed.) David [Bird.Watcher] (D.WALLIS2, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:247/M645;1) <<<<< TimeOut UltraMacros 3 was a prerequisite for Ultra 4 when it was a """"" JEM product. When I sold Ultra 4 to Quality, they made it TimeOut UltraMacros 4, since they own TimeOut. Therefore you'll be able to purchase UltraMacros 4.3 directly from them. However, since the full UM 4.3 won't come out until sometime in October, you're better off ordering UM 4.2 now, and then letting the AppleWorks 4 installer update you to UM 4.3 and you'll be ready to work as soon as AW 4 ships. The full package will take longer because I'll have to double-check all of the sample files and notes, but the program files will be the same. (BRANDT, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:249/M645;1) MACRO CONVERSION SERVICE We now have a service where we will update your """""""""""""""""""""""" macros from UltraMacros 3.1 to UltraMacros 4 for a very small charge per macro Word Processor file (up to 4,009 bytes). We'll do the entire update, using all possible new dot comands, even finding AppleWorks 4.0 PEEKS. Your macros will be updated by professional programmers with complete and understandable update notes, and a player version if you don't plan to update to Ultra 4.3 itself. E-Mail for information, or wait for your next newsletter (scheduled for Oct 1), TEXAS II v3.8. (B.CADIEUX, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:269/M645;1) RTFM = REAL TIME FLEA MARKET I was sitting in an Real Time Conference """""""""""""""""""""""""""" room the other night and I was remembering all the fun I had at the last Trenton Computer Festival. That was in April. I really enjoyed walking around the flea market talking to the vendors, (I had a parking spot myself so I was a vendor also). Trying to haggle the price down a few more dollars for the lastest and greatest must have is fun once a year. But I missed that event! I wished it was going to take place next weekend! I wanted to spend money and make some of my junk somebody elses junk! Then it hit me! Why not have a Real Time Flea Market! Everybody get all their junk together and make a list of their offerings. Then at a special RTC/RTFM we all could exchange all those dust collectors we have been saving! So what do you think? Is this something you would attend? Should this be a yearly event? I don't think that is often enough, how about once every 3 months? What day of the week? Saturday, Sunday, a weekday? If we hurry we can do this on the Labor Day weekend! The Bear (A2.BEAR, CAT4, TOP2, MSG:130/M645;1) >>>>> Great idea, Bear! I vote for sometime on Saturdays. The rates are """"" the cheapest for long-distance folks at that time. Once a month might be best, if you miss one you can always make the next one. Charlie (C.HARTLEY3, CAT4, TOP2, MSG:134/M645;1) <<<<< The Real Time Flea Market would conflict with Category 4 here but """"" how many people never list their wares here and would attend a RTFM to try to sell something. I think both could peacefully coexist. The status right now is that these will start in the next month or so. We missed the Labor Day weekend because I had accidentally ignored this Topic and I thought there was no interest in a RTFM. We have a few surprises up our sleeves, and I will upload an edited transcript to the Library. That way if you can't make the RTFM you can download the file and look at what was offered and not bought. The Bear (A2.BEAR, CAT4, TOP2, MSG:139/M645;1) \_/ TOO MANY (OR TOO FEW) 5.25 DRIVES IN FINDER? |es, the number in the low """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" nibble of the 5.25 driver (the last digit of the number in hex) is supposed to be the maximum number of devices REGARDLESS of what slot they are in. ][ would guess that there are simply certain combinations of hardware and software that cause the system to think that there is firmware for 5.25" drives in some slots where it doesn't really exist. _ (_ __)o, here's an addendum: If setting the aux type of your 5.25 driver to $0101 causes you to lose ALL of your drives, try incrementing the last digit to the next higher odd number (i.e. to $0103, then $0105, then $0107, etc.). If you're using 6.0.1 and you only have one 5.25" drive and only one shows up in Finder, from the outset, simply consider yourself lucky. (: Also, remember where to come to look for help (right here) if a second phantom drive suddenly starts showing up. -= Lunatic (: (A2.LUNATIC, CAT9, TOP15, MSG:19/M645;1) PROLINE BBS FOR MAC OR PC? Since it's been nice and quiet here for a """""""""""""""""""""""""" while, I thought it might be interesting to artificially generate some discussion. Over on AOL, a couple people started asking if MDG would consider creating a version of ProLine for the PC or Mac. We got into a very long and deep debate about all sorts of things relating to this single premise: development time, funding, merits of cross-platform versions, special interfaces, the affect on the existing ProLine installed base (pro and con), and so on. In the period of just a week or two, there were about 100 messages posted (which is amazing for AOL, so don't snicker). About half the people encouraged and supported the idea of cross-platform products. But others were staunch in their desire to keep ProLine an Apple II-only phenomenon. I had my own opinions as to why it would work or why it wouldn't (and I was about to expound on this, but I think it would be fun for you to find this out on your own here). Before I begin, let me state for the record that MDG is not planning to ditch the Apple II market so we can pursue ProLine elsewhere, though I have a feeling this is how some of you may incorrectly perceive this exercise to drum up discussion. The topic was proposed by some PC or Mac person on AOL and, well, things took off rapidly (and heatedly) from there. So, with that clearly emblazened into your graymatter . . . What do you think about the idea of ProLine for the Mac or the PC? Why or why shouldn't MDG pursue such a prospect? What are the pros and cons? What do you think the affect would be on the Apple II market? How would Apple II users feel about MDG if it happened? Explain your answers and feelings. You don't have to respond to all these -- pick the ones you find most interesting to comment on. (MORGAN-DAVIS, CAT27, TOP3, MSG:19/M645;1) NO BEHIND THE SCENES DRAMA WITH APPLEWORKS? Steve, there's not much to """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" the Claris story. Joe just spent a lot of time convincing them it was in their best interest, PR-wise and financially, to get out of the A2 and hand it over to us. They finally agreed. (BRANDT, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:199/M645;1) SHAREWARE SOLUTIONS II PRODUCED ON AN APPLE II Jerry - You convinced me """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" at KansasFest, and after seeing a SSII make-over done with Quark XPress, I thoroughly believe that it would make my life easier and that I'd be able to create a much more polished and professional looking newsletter. Call me stubborn or call me naive, but in my mind, I'd be defeating the purpose if I used a Mac to create SSII. After all, within the pages of SSII, I'm singing praises to the Apple II. It just wouldn't seem right to me to use anything but an Apple II. A subtle and between the line message that I am trying to put forth in SSII is that the Apple II can be used for any purposes. So, I will continue to lay out and print SSII on my IIGS. We're talking about me and SSII, and I think it would be a nightmare if you tried using AWGS to layout and publish II Alive. Then again, II Alive is a slick glossy magazine, and SSII is a home brew newsletter. I haven't said anything yet about what I'd like to see in the AWGS PL update, as all I'd have to say is "ask Jerry". And, I do hope that in a year, or however long it takes, that AWGS will have those features that can be found in Mac DTP and high end word processors. Joe Kohn (J.KOHN, CAT28, TOP4, MSG:62/M645;1) >>>>> RE the philosophy of layout "nationality": I think the question is """"" whether you use the Apple II enough to be familiar with the average user's situation. When writing A2-Central, we wrote all the text for the issues in AppleWorks, but then we poured it into QuarkXPress to typeset. The main reason was that this allowed us to take the issue to a service bureau for phototypesetting into camera-ready copy, taking several stages of "translation" out of the process (what we saw was _usually_ what we got on the printed copies). Of course, this was before AppleWorks GS or GraphicWriter III. (When Tom started the publication, I think AppleWorks had yet to be generally accepted!) I looked at AppleWorks GS's page layout module and found it too awkward, a throwback to PageMaker 1.2 days. I had used PageMaker by then and decided the cut-and-paste method of columnated AppleWorks printouts I was using for an SF newsletter at the time wasn't so bad...this was before I typeset Open- Apple/A2-Central, but I think Tom was using AppleWriter or AppleWorks with embedded typesetting codes at the time, then doing manual pasteup from the typesetter output. I've since looked at GraphicWriter III and I might have been inclined to try using it for an "Apple II pure" environment. The main reason _I_ personally wouldn't have switched (unless Tom told me to :) is that I was already familiar with QuarkXpress _and_ the mechanisms were in place to have the service bureau handle its files. Getting them to adopt another "standard" (especially one on a computer that wasn't getting much penetration in the "serious" market, for whatever reason) was not an option (even if they would be willing to look into it, there was no "Linotype" driver available for the IIgs). As a practical matter, somewhere on the line you _do_ go to non-Apple II production. That is, unless you're printing every copy yourself straight from the layout program. And you use non-Apple computers for other parts of the production chain. (Like exchanges using GEnie's computers. :) A _lot_ of the reason is the economy of scale. Smaller publications can more easily remain "pure" because they don't have to deal with the industry chain (and industry computer standards) required to get large quantities of material into print quickly. It's ironic that the (slow, but seemingly steady) decline of the Apple II market has allowed us to be more "pure" in approach, in that the "purity" can only (seemingly) be maintained in that restricted environment. I don't know that, in those circumstances, the ability to remain "pure" can be celebrated unreservedly. Then again, we'll see what happens when Joe hits a few thousand subscribers. Maybe he can pull it off. :) (And before anyone runs out to get a Mac for DTP work, an aside to consider: QuarkXPress is basically an _institutional_-type software package; the current _mail-order_ price is about $550! Plus unless you like to measure production time in fortnights you'd better get at least a IIsi-speed Mac to run it, with lots of memory and hard disk space. What programs like GraphicWriter III do is give you all the _practical_ features someone needs to do page layout at a price that won't put you in servitude to a repayment schedule for months or years to come. What a full-time _business_ uses is often not the best thing for an individual or even a home business to use.) (WIZARDS.MUSE, CAT28, TOP4, MSG:66/M645;1) GRAPHICWRITER III AND TWILIGHT II TIP James Smith (part of the """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Twilight II team) called me a couple weeks ago to report that there is apparently a problem in Twilight II and printing...if you have the "Menu bar box" option checked, printing from some apps (notably GWIII) ends up getting random lines on the page. Open T2's Setup dialog and UNCHECK that option (if it's on) and those odd hyphens just might go away! Thanks, --Dave (SEVENHILLS, CAT43, TOP10, MSG:203/M645;1) SCHOOLS REPLACE APPLE II Can anyone give me ideas, rebuttals or """""""""""""""""""""""" counterarguments in this situation? I have volunteered to be an aid in one of our grade schools' Apple labs. I have talked with the person the school district has hired part-time to keep the machines running, and he states that "within a given period of years" (there is no set time frame yet) that ALL apples in our school district will be replaced with IBM's or compatibles. I feel this is a waste of resources, and always-scarce money. Apparently, the plan is to phase the Apples out as they go bad, until there are no more left, then replace with all MS-DOS machines. I have put in a word for the new PowerPC, but there was little enthusiasm from this individual when I mentioned it. Is this a "wave of the future" to replace school Apples with ms-dos platforms? How can a district be persuaded that it will be unviable to do so? Apparently, rumors that I had heard several months back regarding this switch-over are more true than I thought...it saddens me to see this happening, as, in my opinion, Apples are alive and well in education. It also seems like a very serious waste of resources, and precious monies that many districts (ours included) do not have available. I have mentioned that upgrading and continuing to keep the Apples running would be the most economical way to go, but this individual is a die-hard MS-DOS person to the core.... Anyone have any ideas, suggestions, rebuttals, arguments that I can use? GEna (G.SAIKIN, CAT15, TOP11, MSG:122/M645;1) NEW TIC TIP #1 TIC sets the port to whatever you select in TIC. The """""""""""""" control panel is ignored. This is the way basically all the packages (other than possibly the AOL software) work. You can set the port rate in TIC to 19200 if you have a modem that does buffering (all high speed modems do this) and then basically forget about baud rate. Don Elton (delton) or delton@pro-carolina.oau.org (DELTON, CAT10, TOP11, MSG:256/M645;1) NEW TIC TIP #2: COPILOT TIC 4.00 uses x-on/x-off flow control as well as """"""""""""""""""""""" hardware handshaking so you can no longer use ^Q or ^S as something to waitfor in a script since they're filtered out and acted on at the driver level. You made the correct change to work with the GEnie mailer without my help (The copilot scripts have to have that same mod to work with TIC 4.0). I suspect that your ^C is being sent but perhaps the timing is too close after the file upload or something. You might try running the script in DEBUG mode or perhaps trying to send the ^C manually (after interrupting the script) to see how that works just to help debug the problem. Another idea would be to add a pause between the file upload and the xmit ^C statement. I'm not so sure that ^M as a prompt is a great idea either depending on whether you're using full or half duplex. Other possibilities would be ^J or perhaps just an unprompted upload? You'd have to experiment with that to see what works best. Don Elton (delton) or delton@pro-carolina.oau.org (DELTON, CAT13, TOP3, MSG:154/M645;1) >>>>> > "I _am_ able to find $version checks for v3.3 and v3.2, but can't """"" > find any others, including v3.31." That's because there aren't any others. It is time for a confession. I'm on drugs. I've got a nasty infection, and I'm taking painkillers and antibiotics and not sleeping very well. It makes me pretty fuzzy. This has been going on for about a month. I'm having (very minor, outpatient) surgery this Friday, and I should be back to what I refer to as "normal" by the middle of next week. Anyway, earlier versions of the CoP scripts tested for version 3.2, 3.3, and 3.31. The current scripts (Kens last version), handle things a little more smoothly and ONLY test for the older versions that don't work properly with the new "On $matched" command. If you are not using v3.3 or v3.2, then the scripts don't take that little jog into an older version of the routines. In short, I goofed (twice) on this issue. The ONLY change you need to make to run CoPilot scripts with TIC v4.0 is to replace that "^Q" with "Ready for Input" followed by a 1 second pause. Sorry I put you to all the work. If I had gotten it right the first time it would have been a 2 minute job.(Sigh) Gary R. Utter (GARY.UTTER, CAT10, TOP11, MSG:338/M645;1) NEW TIC TIP #3: CONFIG Any time a version number changes, TIC will remove """""""""""""""""""""" your old tic.config file and write out a new one. This is done because I sometimes have to make changes to the internal format of the config file and crashes might occur otherwise. I also don't know which of the 40 or so previous versions of TIC you might be updating from so I can't easily transfer over the settings from a previous file. I can't remember if this is mentioned in the docs or not but I guess it probably should be, perhaps a section on updating from a previous version. I also probably should have mentioned somewhere about having to install to a fresh directory. I couldn't add it to the script itself as you may have noted that there wasn't but maybe one block (if that) to spare on the 5.25 version of the disk but I'll see what I can do. Don Elton (delton) or delton@pro-carolina.oau.org (DELTON, CAT13, TOP3, MSG:180/M645;1) LATEST ON CV TECH SUPPORT I have no clue. We've shipped all or existing """"""""""""""""""""""""" stock to SS and have stopped taking orders from the mail order guys. I've got some equipment to liquidate (all apple stuff) and that should be that. I'm kind of hanging on to make sure that there are no last minute problems with the rom I sent to Jim "whiner" Maricondo (grin) and a couple others. Unless someone whines bloody murder shortly I'm going to put a lid on the RF board software and ship the update to SS and then it's their baby. Drew (CV.TECH, CAT46, TOP2, MSG:235/M645;1) (CV.TECH, CAT46, TOP2, MSG:244/M645;1) <<<<< The jury is still out (grin). I know that SS will be doing all the """"" "real" work (selling, RMAs phone tech support). We have an aggreement whereby I answer questions for them for the next few months until they get settled into the RF board. I've already shipped them all the physical stuff (stock, PCBs, parts, artwork, assembly drawings, schematics, etc). We also shipped them the source code to 3.01c when we thought that would be the last rom for the RF board (ya, right). Then we had to fix the Jim Maricondo "port it from the Mac" problem and now we may or may not have to do something with the MS-DOS FST support. I'd like to dump it all in a box and ship it to SS today but I'd rather wait until I'm certain that all the reasonable changes have been made for Gs/OS 6.01. I'm still waiting for RALPH KITTS to send me system 6.01 on a floppy so I can take a look at it (or anyone else that would like the MS-DOS stuff to work). I'd download it but I have no way of moving it from my MS-DOS machine over to my GS (ugg). Drew (CV.TECH, CAT46, TOP2, MSG:244/M645;1) >>>>> In that case, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jawaid """"" Bazyar, I'm Sequential's online tech support dude, and I'm nuts. Most folks here can vouch for that. I intend to give Drew a run for his money (especially with all the money of mine he's already run off with! :-) Jawaid @ Sequential (PROCYON.INC, CAT46, TOP2, MSG:249/M645;1) >>> WHAT'S NEW <<< """""""""""""""""" QUALITY COMPUTERS TO PUBLISH APPLEWORKS, APPLEWORKS GS """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" August 30, 1993 -- St. Clair Shores, MI Quality Computers, the world's largest Apple II mail-order retailer and publisher, announced today the signing of an agreement with Claris Corp. (Mountain View, CA) which will make Qualty the publisher of AppleWorks and AppleWorks GS, the popular integrated packages for the Apple II and IIGS. "Claris will continue to focus their development and marketing efforts on their Macintosh and Windows products," says Joseph Gleason, president of Quality Computers. "We will provide Apple II users with the integrated software solutions they want and need." Quality's "Quadriga" project, also known as TheWorks 4.0, was originally envisioned as an independent upgrade to AppleWorks 3.0. Now, however, Quadriga will be released as version 4.0 of AppleWorks. "The fact that we were already working on the upgrade went a long way toward convincing Claris that we were the right company to take on the product," comments Gleason. The new version of AppleWorks, developed by veteran AppleWorks programmers Randy Brandt and Dan Verkade and featuring dozens of improvements to every area of the program, is scheduled to begin shipping on October 1. Users who upgrade will receive new program disks and a new reference manual (including a "What's New" summary), and, if the order is placed before October 1, a free "Enhancing AppleWorks" video. Quality also plans a new version of AppleWorks GS within the next year, and is now soliciting user suggestions for that upgrade. Gleason indicates that further upgrades, such as an AppleWorks 5.0, may also be in the cards. The AppleWorks 4.0 upgrade is $79.95 from version 3.0 ($99.95 from older versions). For further information, contact Quality Computers, 20200 Nine Mile Rd., St. Clair Shores, MI 48080, or call 800/777-3642 or 313/774-7200. (QUALITY, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:135/M645;1) STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT 2.0 Some general info for all those interested """""""""""""""""""""""""""" and some shameless self-promotion for myself... Star Trek: First Contact v2.0 is now available in the GEnie files section. The game will run on all 128K Apple II's (enhanced IIe) and the IIgs. I'm especially interested in hearing your reactions, comments, and (knock on wood) bug reports, if any. Enjoy! Jim Royal (J.ROYAL1, CAT6, TOP2, MSG:127/M645;1) LATEST POINTLESS HANDLES BUG Pointless 2.0.2 available soon! """""""""""""""""""""""""""" The new version of PointLess should be ready in a week or so. There are few fixes and improvements: 1. Corrects the System 6.0.1 Font Manager bug in Choose Font option 2. Improved memory management 3. Improved font rendering routines including accented characters 4. Added a dialog box when attempting to save abitmap font with incorrect paramaters such as point size set to zero. There are number of other fixes mostly internal that a user would not normally see. NOTE! - We will be sending out flyers to registered users to announce ththe new version and an offer to buy the update. However, we will also be uploading a "patcher" program here that you can download to update the program. Feel free to distribute the "Patcher" to other PointLess users and to include it on user group DOM's. Please don't hound me about exactly when the update and patcher will be reaready, I have enough to do with slurping soft drinks and such without responding to inquiries :) >>>>> Updates to PointLess v2.0.2 from version 2.x is only $5.00. """"" "Upgrades" from pre-version 2.x is $19.95. (WESTCODE, CAT37, TOP5, MSG:113&119/M645;1) >>> THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" AVATAR PROJECT UPDATE Status: Some tools have been seeded to beta-sites """"""""""""""""""""" for testing with IIgs applications. A Super Nintendo device has been built to allow IIgs desktop software to run on it, it is in pre-beta (Late Alpha) stage and will be seeded in about 1-2 months. More tools are being finaled at 6.0.1 level and will be seeded as well. The main desktop model is designed (second prototype) but no money to build it is available AT THIS TIME. The Super NES device is the one that will grill the toolbox we wrote for us. If Adrian or anyone can license the offical Apple II design from Apple then please contact us immediately at BURGERBILL on GENie or AOL but currently our design is so differant that we don't see a need to go thought the cost and time for us approach Apple about anything. We are still working on it. Would you rather have us do it right the first time or do it over after it ships? Burger Bill Heineman (BURGERBILL, CAT15, TOP11, MSG:119/M645;1) NEW ADDRESS FOR PROSEL AUTHOR All: Sometime in November I will be moving. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" My new, and permanent, address will be: 58188 Trails End Rd., North Fork, CA 93643. The phone number will be (209) 877-2993. (BREDON, CAT30, TOP2, MSG:266/M645;1) SCARLETT REPORTS "NO SYSTEM 6.1" It was reported in the latest edition of """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Scarlett that there would be no more major System updates for GS/OS: "We know that System 6.0.1 is the last major update that Apple will ever release for the IIGS." (pg. 5, v12, n3) So much for the promised System 6.1. Since we haven't heard anything more about the Ethernet card, I suspect that the card is history too. There's been no news here for some time. I wonder what the Apple II group is working on, or whether it is even in existence anymore. J-Bird <> (J.CURTIS8, CAT5, TOP2, MSG:254/M645;1) >>>>> I didn't realize that Scarlett became the official magazine for """"" Apple Computer. :) Tim 'JoaT' Tobin Lost Classics Coordinator (A2.TIM, CAT5, TOP2, MSG:58/M645;1) >>>>> Scarlett was also the magazine that insisted that the Apple IIGS """"" would be discontinued on April 1st or 1991 or 1992. Yes, it did eventually get pulled from production (in December 1992), but they made it sound like they had some inside information that was giving them a scoop. However, unless some of the Apple guys that get on here ever want to tell us otherwise, Jim Murphy has pretty well said that no 6.1 was ever promised (although he has not gone so far as to say that there will DEFINITELY be no further updates). If I'm wrong about this, please throw floppy disks at me... :-) Steve Weyhrich --< (S.WEYHRICH, CAT5, TOP2, MSG:60/M645;1) REPORTS OF GS+ DEMISE GREATLY EXAGGERATED I was happily reading V4.N6 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" when I read the words "...the eventual end of GS+ Magazine..."! I know that "all good things must come to an end" but those were not nice words to read given the state of affairs in the II world. Are things getting so bad that even a fine magazine like GS+ is thinking about its eventual demise? Ron (RON.ROYER, CAT33, TOP2, MSG:58/M645;1) >>>>> Hmmm, I knew people would take that "...end of GS+ Magazine" thing """"" the wrong way. :-) No, we're still here. Have been for 4 years. Every month someone calls us and asks us if we're still in business. Hopefully we'll be here for a long time to come. But things will end - we just can't forcast when. (JWANKERL, CAT33, TOP2, MSG:60/M645;1) >>>>> The End of GS+ is always on Steve's mind, just like the end of the """"" world, his latest tax bill, his last day on earth... Burger... (BURGERBILL, CAT33, TOP2, MSG:62/M645;1) TIMEOUT CENTRAL You macro-types may be interested to know that I've been """"""""""""""" appointed the associate editor of TimeOut Central. While macros are not all we are interested in publishing (templates, tips, and techniques are also welcome), if you have some you'd like to share with others, and get your name in "lights" at the same time, send them to me: Will Nelken 1675 Grand Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901-2211 They do need sufficient accompanying documentation and/or annotation to guide someone else in their effective use. :-) I hope some of you take this opportunity to spread the delight of AppleWorks computing! | -(+)- | | ...Will (W.NELKEN1, CAT17, TOP6, MSG:61/M645;1) SOUNDMEISTER PRO TO SHIP Will the SoundMeister Pro come out? Absolutely """""""""""""""""""""""" :) The Pro has become one of our most requested pre-products and will make it to your hands at the end of September. To recap: The first version of the Pro cost too much to produce. We then had to go back to the drawing boards and redesign it from scratch. And thus the delay. As a sideline, someone had told me that Quality said that the Pro was cancelled. That is entirely untrue and I don't know why they would say it. I'm looking into the matter right now. Michael (ECON, CAT35, TOP5, MSG:28/M645;1) <<<<< Let me clarify my poor clarification on the release of the """"" SoundMeister Pro. The Pro will begin production at the end of September and the first production run will take about two weeks. If you have ordered a Pro from Resource Central, or from us, you will receive your Pro by the second week of October. In other words, all of the preliminary orders will be filled first. However, if you're waiting for the Pro to be generally available before ordering, you'll have to wait until the end of October, at the earliest, to receive one. So if you're anxious to receive a Pro, I'd suggest you get in your order soon. Michael (Hey... it's Friday :) (ECON, CAT35, TOP5, MSG:35/M645;1) SHAREWARE INFO CLEARING HOUSE I just looked at IconEd, and sure enough, """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Mr Elseth lists 2 different addresses in version 2.0. I also ran an older version, and in v1.3, he listed his Rochester, MN address, so my guess would be that he moved recently to Duvall, WA and forgot to change the address in the 'About" box. Rather than make assumptions, though, I'll contact him and find out for sure. At KansasFest, I gave a panel on maximizing shareware profits, and brought up the very subject of shareware authors moving, and not telling anyone where they moved. In the past few weeks, I have gotten letters from people trying to track down both Joe Jaworski and Bill Basham, as they had tried to send them money and it was returned by the post office. So, I just want to let the rest of the Apple II world know that I have volunteered to be a clearing house of sorts. If you are a shareware or freeware author, and you have moved, please let me know where shareware fees can be directed. You can send change of address info to me at: GEnie = J.KOHN AOL = joko CIS = 76702,565 Internet = joko@well.sf.ca.us or the old fashioned way... Joe Kohn 166 Alpine St San Rafael, CA 94901 (J.KOHN, CAT28, TOP4, MSG:41/M645;1) WORDPERFECT LOSES INTEREST I thought some of you might find amusing this """""""""""""""""""""""""" excerpt, quoted in entirety, from the latest WordPerfect newsletter (Fall 1993): Apple Support Clarification --------------------------- In our previous issue of WPReport, we inadvertently misled you on our decision to discontinue support for Apple computers (Apple IIe, IIc, IIGS, and their compatibles). We mean the obsolete Apple computers, not Macintosh! We are heavily engaged in developing software for the Mac. Please feel free to call us toll-free at (800) 336-3614 with any problems running our products on your Mac. Oh, the _obsolete_ ones. Whew! :: Dan :: (D.CRUTCHER, CAT5, TOP4, MSG:41/M645;1) NEW MODEMWORKS UNDERWAY We're working on the next version of ModemWorks, """"""""""""""""""""""" so we're interested in your suggestions (especially bug reports, if you have any, on 3.0). (MORGAN-DAVIS, CAT32, TOP4, MSG:19/M645;1) MOST RECENT PLATINUM PAINT A new rev. of Platinum Paint will be available """""""""""""""""""""""""" soon. Just a few more wrinkles to iron out. > Do you know what was changed between 2.0 and 2.01? Sure, really the only fix that is in 2.01 is the ability to print any size document. 2.0 allowed you to create a picture larger than one 8.5x11 sheet of paper, but wouldn't let you print anything but the first 8.5x11 area. Unfortunately, we've found a few other bugs, like crashing when specifying a degree of rotation, resizing, and a few other problems. These will be fixed in the forthcoming revision. Walker (W.ARCHER2, CAT42, TOP23, MSG:98&100/M645;1) GRAPHICWRITER III PROMISED Someone _is_ actively working on GWIII. It """""""""""""""""""""""""" will require System 6. The interface is being brought up to date (hotkeys in dialogs, arrow keys that work in line edit boxes, etc.). As for new features, the only "guaranteed" feature a at this point is a "real" font menu. The big feature we're trying to add is support for the system clipboard, and a new "picture" object that will maintain its original bitmap quality even when scaled (as opposed to creating a new bitmap at screen quality whenever a bitmap is scaled). We have no time estimate (every month we tell people "several months"). Basically, it'll be done when it's done, but it _is_ being worked on. I'll have a better guess when we actually start beta testing (no clue when that will be). Thanks, --Dave (SEVENHILLS, CAT43, TOP6, MSG:111/M645;1) COPILOT SCRIPTS TO BE UPDATED Here is a list of features that the new """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" scripts add, in no particular order..... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Get A2 and/or A2Pro GEnie Lamp Get A2 Disk of the Month Get Livewire magazine Get billing summary get INDex for any RT set delayed logon choose default (always/never) for automatic Xmail download choose default prefix for downloaded files by RT (including mail) choose RAM or BRO by RT or globally ignore/cancel cats and tops (before reading messages) mark topics search for messages (by all the usual criteria) search for library files get "new files list", (allows you to set WHICH RTs to do this in) automate Xmail uploads (offline processing) automate Xmail downloads (and toggle always/never) automate library uploads (offline processing) set "actions to perform" on GEnie restart CoPilot action script enter Terminal mode go to RTC MANUALLY retreive Email, with the operations scripted, i.e. the user can call this script and it will take them to Email, list the queue, and ask them to input a number. ALL they have to do is input the number, the script does the rest. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As you can see, we have added a LOT of stuff beyond what I listed last time (for those who were watching). I had initially hoped to have this stuff done and posted by Labor Day, but I said weeks ago that that was not going to happen. I had high hopes of getting them done by mid to late September, but I kept finding new things to add. Right now it looks like 2-4 weeks. We have to finish the PT3 translations, and get a bit of Beta testing done. Gary R. Utter (GARY.UTTER, CAT10, TOP11, MSG:100/M645;1) THE LATE GREAT RESOURCE CENTRAL OFFICE MOVE Carl, I believe it will be """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" smaller. It's actually in the same complex, just shifting things around (and even that's enough to screw things up pretty darn good ) Moving into a smaller place is not a bad thing. In fact a big part of the reason for not needing the larger space was because they sold ALL kinds of old stuph during KFest (Things that were taking up valuable space). Have no fear, Resource Central is still very much alive and well B-)> -- HangTime [Script-Central] B-)> (A2.HANGTIME, CAT23, TOP8, MSG:20/M645;1) HOWARDSOFT TO RAISE APPLE PRICE For thase who may have missed it, the """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" following excerpt is from HowardSoft's upgrade letter for 1994 Edition of Tax Preparer: "In order to continue to develop an Apple version, we'll soon need to raise Apple prices to IBM levels. Avenues for advertising to a large number of Apple II owners have virtually disappeared, and many former owners have chosen to switch to IBM-compatibles or Apple Macintoshes rather than upgrading their Apple II workhorses. (Remember, we allow you to switch to the IBM version at update prices! And your Apple Macintosh can use the Apple II version if you use Apple's IIe emulation card, or the IBM version if you use Soft PC.) But there's an out ... "Order by September 25th and you'll lock in the old $79 price for your Apple update. That's a $20 savings just for ordering early! (And tell your Apple II friends about us. One happy customer telling a friend is the best way we've found of then having two happy customers, and the only way we can fight the natural attrition of Apple customers.)" Robin (R.WINSLOW3, CAT8, TOP5, MSG:172/M645;1) BEAGLE BUDDIES ON GEnie? We're considering moving the Beagle Buddy stuff """""""""""""""""""""""" over here from AOL, actually, and providing support exclusively online. This is still in the planning stages, but it should work for getting more up-to-date stuff out to Buddies on a more regular basis. (QUALITY, CAT42, TOP2, MSG:308/M645;1) MS-DOS READ AND WRITE? I'm not sure which topic I should be in - but here """""""""""""""""""""" goes. Yesterday I installed Peter Watson's MSDOS utility program, including the utilities to WRITE and read msdos disks. It seemed to work just fine - reading and writing to the msdos partition on my hard drive and the msdos formated disks in my pctransporter. I transfered text files back and forth from the prodos disks to the msdos disks just like using the transfer program in the transporter. So far so good. So my question is - has any one else tried this program ? - has anyone encountered any problems ? I think I want to send my shareware fee. (J.BAUER4, CAT2, TOP4, MSG:139/M645;1) NEW SIX PACK FEATURES REVEALED > I've been thinking of buying Six Pack. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > Should I buy now or wait a few weeks > and get the new release?? I am on 6.0.1 if that makes a difference. > Thanks. Actually, you can order the new release now. When it ships, it will be among the first to go out. Quality Computers --- Power for performance (W.CARVER1, CAT42, TOP26, MSG:235/M645;1) >>>>> Cool, guess that means its about ready to go!!! Stay tuned for more """"" information on... ButtonBar v1.0 XtraSounds v1.0 SizeUp v1.0 LaunchList v1.0 ...and lots of updated modules.. (W.TUDOR, CAT42, TOP26, MSG:236/M645;1) >>>>> ButtonBar? XtraSounds? SizeUp? LaunchList? """"" I'm going to guess XtraSounds is a replacement for (or works with) Apple's Sound CP, and LaunchList sounds like RunQ or QuickLaunch...but I don't have a clue as to what ButtonBar or SizeUp are...(could ButtonBar be like a toolbar on Windows/Mac programs?) These sound interesting... (T.BUCHHEIM, CAT42, TOP26, MSG:239/M645;1) >>>>> Yep, ButtonBar is a toolbar for the Finder. SizeUp adds up the """"" entire selection and tells you how big it is in K. (It can also, I believe, intervene in a copy operation if you don't have enough room on the target disk, before the copy operation begins. Just like the Mac.) The rest of 'em are just like you guessed. B) (QUALITY, CAT42, TOP26, MSG:240/M645;1) >>> MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""" Category 2, Topic 5 Message 75 Sun Sep 19, 1993 T.SMITH59 [Terrell] at 01:51 EDT There are several reasons I've been tempted to look at other computer systems. One is that the //e I use is old (not good enough), another is the desire to have a laptop (why doesn't someone take the Mac LC card and put a screen on it etc. etc. and make a laptop?). So why have I decided to stay with the Apple //e? Several reasons: 1) I borrowed a friends laptop for a week. It was great to have the portability. But the programs were dogs compaired with AppleWorks (with TimeOut and UM, of course). There were several things I just couldn't do, or that I could do, but were akward. 2) Money. Although the graphics and sound of the newer computers are awesome, do I really need to have those things? My wife helps me here - she asks, "Do you need that to get the job done?" To which I have to say no. And if I changed to another platform, even though the prices have come down (way down), I'd still have to spend a small fortune on software. And what to do with all the stuff I already have for the //e? Very little would transfer over. 3) Does it do the job? Actually, the //e does such a good job that people here at the office ask me how I printed such-and-such, or was able to do such a nice data base, or how I scanned that graphic, etc. They all use IBM PC's. While windows has improved the IBM world greatly, I see every day their frustration with not being able to do what they want to do. I'm able to do top-quality work with AppleWorks, several TO.Applications, Macros, PublishIt 4.0, a scanner, and ProTerm 3.1. It does help to have a HP 4 Laser printer which does PostScript. I'm able to use all the high speed Laser printers here at the office (20 pages/min!), and convert files from MS-DOS (using Cross-Works), read files from MAC (using HFSLink), and print PostScript (using PubIt). Of course, there are limitations to what the //e can do. I can't scale my fonts on the printer as easily (I can do it, but it's somewhat of a hassle). I don't have WYSIWYG in AW, it's very close though in PubIt. And there's terrific support for the //e through A2, A2pro, QC, and many others. Where would I find that support in the MS-DOS world? So friends, I for one have decided to just sit where I am and continue to use this ancient machine until it dies, which will not be for a long long time. I've had it for 12 years now, and nothing in the hardware has gone bad. (One chip went bad on the 16K language card on my II+). I was amused when GEnie sent me a card about "Service Warranty Offer" for "all" computers: just pay $ each year and they'll come to your house to fix it for you.... One catch, the computer to be covered cannot be older than 5 years (or was it 7?). My II+ and both my //e's have got that beat by a mile. I sent the card back, thanking them for reminding me what a great machine I have. "They _don't_ make them like they used to." Those "cheap" MS-DOS machines are. They don't last long before burning up, crashing, or being out of date. How long does an average disk drive last on one of those things? Five years? My Disk II is at least 15 years old. I bought it used. How soon do HD's crash? The one our office bought lasted several months. The monitor blew up (I was using it and smoke began to pour out the back. It probably knew I'm an Apple user :) Well, the new machines look great. They have great graphics. Low prices (all is relative). I have a machine which is already paid for, and does what I want it to do (well, almost. But it's close enough.) __!__ Terrell Smith | tsmith@ivcfnsc.fullfeed.com | [*][*][*] While on GEnie, do you spend most of your time downloading files? If so, you may be missing out some excellent information in the Bulletin Board area. The messages listed above only scratch the surface of what's available and waiting for you in the bulletin board area. If you are serious about your Apple II, the GEnieLamp staff strongly urge you to give the bulletin board area a try. There are literally thousands of messages posted from people like you from all over the world. [EOA] [HUM]////////////////////////////// HUMOR ONLINE / ///////////////////////////////// Fun & Games On GEnie """""""""""""""""""" >>> FROM A LOCAL HOSPITAL <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ Hillary Clinton's Definition of Health Terms ~ Vein Conceited artery The study of painting Bacteria The back door of the Cafeteria. Barium What doctors do when the patient dies. bowel A letter like a,e,i,o or u. Caesarean section a neighborhood in Rome Cat Scan searching for Kitty Cauterize Making eye contact with her. Colic A sheep dog. D & C Where Washington is. Dilate To live long. Enema Not a friend. Fester Quicker. Genital Not a Jew. G.I. Series Soldiers ball game. Hangnail coat hook Impotent Distinguished, well known. Labor Pain Getting hurt at work Medical staff a Doctors cane. Morbid A higher offer. Nitrates Cheaper than day rates. Node Was aware of. Outpatient A person who fainted. Pap Smear a Fatherhood test. Pelvis A cousin to Elvis Postoperative A letter carrier Recovery Room A place to do Upholstery Rectum Dang near killed 'em. Seizure Roman Emperor Tablet A small table Terminal Illness Getting sick at the airport. Tumor More than one. Urine Opposite of you're out. Varicose Nearby. -mobius (D.JONES117/CAT8, TOP50, MSG:534/M245) //////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE //// / "Yeah, solder wick is cool stuph. --HangTime" / / / / "HT likes it because it's high-fiber. :)" / //////////////////////////// A2.HANGTIME / WIZARDS.MUSE //// [EOA] [REF]////////////////////////////// REFLECTIONS / ///////////////////////////////// Thinking About Online Communications """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" By Phil Shapiro [P.SHAPIRO1] >>> MAKING USE OF "TELECOM AGENTS" <<< """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Online communication brings with it all sorts of benefits... but as the old saying goes, "Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing." When people start getting inundated with electronic mail they need to find ways to streamline their online time. Just last month I observed an amusing, creative solution to e-mail overload. A friend of mine has a son in the fifth grade who takes a strong interest in computers and telecommunications. For two or three years this young fellow has been pleading with his parents to get a 9600 baud modem for the family computer. Since this youngster typically spends fifteen to twenty hours each week online, he is weary of the low speed of his family's 2400 baud modem. Recognizing an opportunity to help themselves, the parents in this family agreed to buy a 9600 baud modem for the family, on condition that the fifth-grade son spend time each day helping his parents answer their own electronic mail from work. The youngster agreed to take on this new family chore and, true to his word, now spends ten to twenty minutes each day retrieving his parents' e-mail. He sets up his communications program so that his parents can sit down and quickly answer their e-mail after dinner each evening. While this story sounds more amusing than alarming, it does raise some thorny ethical issues. Why is it that the parents of this family felt compelled to answer their work e-mail from home? Because hardly anyone has enough hours in the day to do productive work and still find time to answer all the electronic mail that arrives at his or her desk during the day. The term "telecom agent" refers to a person who helps streamline one's online communication experience. In the case of my friend's family, the young child served as a "low-level" telecom agent. His duties were simply to retrieve e-mail, save the messages to a hard drive, and set up the communications program for easy answering of the e-mail. "High level" telecom agents take on the extra duty of saving incoming e-mail messages to a hard drive, and classifying incoming e-mail into categories and/or specific folders on the hard drive. High-level telecom agents can also take on the responsibility of answering some of the more routine e-mail messages that arrive at a person's desk. In that way, busy business professionals can streamline their online communications. So the next time that you feel overwhelmed at how much e-mail is arriving at your desk, perhaps it's time to start looking around for a fifth-grader to come to your aid. In the months ahead it may not be unusual for kids to have this new chore added to their list of family chores. The familiar refrain of parents around the country could plausibly evolve to something along the lines of: "Okay, Chelsea, I want you to: 1) Clean your room, 2) Take out the trash, 3) Retrieve mom and dad's electronic mail. And don't forget to feed the cat." -Phil Shapiro [*][*][*] The author takes a keen interest in the social dimensions of communications technology. He can be reached on GEnie at P.SHAPIRO1; on Internet at: p.shapiro1.genie.geis.com; on America Online at: pshapiro [EOA] [BEG]////////////////////////////// BEGINNER'S CORNER / ///////////////////////////////// Polishing Green Apples """""""""""""""""""""" By Steve Weyhrich [S.WEYHRICH] INTRODUCTION I hope you were not too deeply flooded by the list of """""""""""" terms that came flowing out of this column last time. If you start feeling as though you are drowning again this month, I suggest that you get out a printed copy from last time, and refer to it as necessary. This month we will dine on some of the nuts and bolts of how the Apple IIGS computer hardware is set up, and discuss how to modify it to suit your needs. You will find a napkin provided to the right of your keyboard, and please don't eat with your fingers. Ready? Here comes the first course.... UNDERSTANDING THE IIGS HARDWARE In the "old" days, setting up and """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" using an Apple II required little more than plugging the computer's power cord into the wall, attaching the monitor, and turning on the computer. Use of a disk drive (originally an expensive option) involved a little more effort, inserting the controller card in the correct slot and connecting the disk drive(s) to that card. The same sort of effort was necessary if you wanted to add a printer, modem, clock, or other peripheral. The Apple IIGS is, in a sense, EASIER to set up and use than an Apple II+, though it achieves this through greater internal complexity. (That is, by the way, the major improvement in computer software since the earliest days of personal computers; in exchange for a machine that is easier to set up and use, the internal functions have had to progressively become "smarter", requiring less user input.) There is far more hardware built into the IIGS than the II+, so the user has to add fewer peripherals than formerly to be able to carry out the most common operations. The IIGS is actually two computers in one: when starting up, the 65816 microprocessor is in 8-bit "emulation" mode (that is, it acts just like a 65c02). If you don't add any hardware to it beyond plugging in a disk drive, you can start it up with a disk meant for use with an Apple IIe or IIc (or even a II+) and it will act just like one of those computers. The standard settings on a IIGS give it the electronic equivalents of an Apple IIe with 128K of memory, a Super Serial Card (an Apple brand of a serial interface card) in slots 1 and 2, an 80-column card in slot 3, a mouse controller card in slot 4, a Smartport in slot 5, and a 5.25 inch disk controller in slot 6. (The IIGS actually comes with 256K on the motherboard in the ROM 01 version, and 1 meg with the ROM 03, but that extra memory is not readily available to many 8-bit programs that can be run on the GS.) Through software control, the IIGS can be switched to full 16-bit mode, and is then capable of doing quite a bit more than the IIe. SLOTS 1 & 2 The Super Serial Card was distributed by Apple Computer """"""""""" to allow serial devices to be connected to the Apple II. The IIGS comes standard with this capability, and uses the same software commands as did the older, plug-in card. The place to connect to these two serial cards is at the printer port and modem port (on the left side of the back panel of the computer). Note that you are NOT restricted to using a printer ONLY with port 1, and a modem ONLY with port 2; you could just as easily connect them the opposite way and have it work. Furthermore, you could attach TWO modems (or TWO printers), one on each port, and everything would function just fine. However, there are some other settings (which I will discuss in a later article) that would need to be changed in order for this to work. Also, there is a lot of software, particularly the 8-bit type, that is designed to ONLY work with a printer in slot 1, and/or a modem in slot 2. It is the standard that has developed over the years, and you will rarely go wrong by connecting things in accordance with that standard. SLOT 3 The 80-column card in slot 3 is there primarily for backward """""" compatibility with older software. The original Apple II had a 24-line by 40-column display, and users who wanted more text on the screen needed to add a card -- traditionally placed in slot 3 -- to get the full 80-column display (which is a "standard" older than the microcomputer industry itself). The Apple IIe had this 80-column capability built-in, and simply needed some memory added to make it work; the IIc came with this additional memory already present. The IIGS follows the example set by the IIc; it also has the necessary memory for 80-column text display. SLOT 4 A controller card for a mouse was built for the Apple II, """""" II+, and IIe, after the Macintosh popularized the device. This allowed the development of software that could use (or required) a mouse. The Apple IIc came mouse-ready; all you had to do was buy one and attach it to the joystick port in the back. The IIGS maintains this tradition of having the mouse controller in slot 4, again for backward compatibility with this older software. However, the mouse is more integrated with the IIGS design, and it is not plugged into the joystick port, but rather is attached to the port on the keyboard. The older software which expects to find a mouse card will be able to locate it at Slot 4 and allow use of the mouse. SLOTS 5 & 6 Disk drives have long passed the era of being an optional """"""""""" accessory, and are absolutely necessary for use of modern software. While it is still possible, on the Apple IIGS, to start up in BASIC, type in a program, and run it, you will not be able to save that program to a cassette tape drive as was possible on the II+ and IIe. The disk drive and some sort of disk control software ("operating system") are needed to do anything useful on the IIGS. Here again, tradition takes precedence, and the electrical equivalent of a 5.25 inch disk controller card (originally known as a "Disk II" card) is assigned to slot 6, and the controller for 3.5 inch disk drives (through a software convention called the "Smartport" protocol) is assigned to slot 5. If you look at the back panel of the IIGS, however, you will find that there are not two ports for the two types of disk drives. Instead there is a single socket with a picture of a disk, and both sorts of disk drives are attached here. The disk drives made to work with the IIGS can be connected together in a chain (known as a "daisy chain"), and the chain is then plugged into the disk port on the back panel. Any 3.5 inch disk drives (also called "3.5 drives") must come first in the chain, plugging the first one into the disk port, and then the next drive to the first drive, and so on. Up to four 3.5 drives can be attached in this fashion, although most users will not have more than two. If you want to add one or two 5.25 inch disk drives, these are also attached to the end of the chain. The disk controllers built into the IIGS will be able to tell the different types of disk drives apart. SLOT 7 This slot is not specifically assigned to an internal function on """""" the typical baseline IIGS system, but has the capability of acting as an AppleTalk network controller. I will not spend any time discussing this in this article, as most new users will not have need of this. (To be honest, I've never used it and have no idea of how to set it up.) In situations where AppleTalk is not going to be used, slot 7 is often used for a controller for a hard disk. CLASSIC DESK ACCESSORIES Although the IIGS comes with the """""""""""""""""""""""" equivalents of seven cards for each of its seven slots, the physical slots are still present inside. These have been retained because many users will need to add capabilities to their computer that go beyond those of the built-in hardware. For example, if you purchase a printer that only runs with a parallel interface, you will need the ability to plug in a parallel card and bypass the serial interface hardware. How does the computer keep track of whether it is using the built-in hardware (as described above), or some add-on hardware? It does this through means of a desk accessory called the Control Panel. Classic Desk Accessories (or CDAs, defined in last month's article) are available at ANY time on the IIGS, whether running the older 8-bit software, or newer 16-bit software. CDAs use the 'classic' text screen display. (There are, of course, New Desk Accessories as well, that are accessible only in a "desktop" type of IIGS program, one that uses the mouse, overlapping super hi-res windows, and a menu bar, as with most programs on the Macintosh.) The CDA menu can be displayed at nearly any time by pressing the three keys Option, Control, and ESC simultaneously. Whatever the computer is doing will be interrupted (either immediately or after it is done with a timing-sensitive operation), and the screen will change to display a box, with the top line labeled "Desk Accessories" (preceded by the MouseText picture of an outline of an apple). On the ROM 03 version of the IIGS, the menu will look like this: Control Panel Alternate Display Mode Memory Peeker Visit Monitor Quit with the top item, Control Panel, highlighted. (The ROM 01 IIGS may have the same items available, but the Memory Peeker and Visit Monitor selections will not be in the list until a specific command is entered from the keyboard while in the Monitor.) Alternate Display Mode is used to allow certain older 8-bit Apple II programs to display the graphic screens properly. I have not yet come across anything that required activating this CDA; however, I don't use many graphics-specific 8-bit programs. Memory Peeker displays information about memory allocation in the IIGS, and Visit Monitor allows you to get into the IIGS Monitor program at any time. The use of these CDAs is beyond the scope of this article (and my experience); most users will never need to use them at all. TIME FOR DESSERT Well, that's enough for now. Chew this over """""""""""""""" thoroughly, don't forget to brush, and next month we will dine on the Control Panel CDA itself. Bring your own catsup, and I'll bring the Grey Poupon (but of course!) [EOA] [PDQ]////////////////////////////// PD_QUICKVIEW / ///////////////////////////////// Computer Keyboarding (v5.0) """"""""""""""""""""""""""" By Mel Fowler [MELSOFT] Program Name : COMPUTER KEYBOARDING v5.0 Filename : KYBD5.HD2.BXY Library Area : 51 Program Number : 21139 File Size : 194944 Program Type : Typing tutorial for Apple II Author : Charlie Hartley (C.HARTLEY3) Version Reviewed: 5.0 File Type : SHAREWARE! $10.00 ONCE UPON A TIME Most fairy tales start with "Once upon a time". As a """""""""""""""" retired Navy chief, I must begin this sea story with "This ain't no bull". When I was in Radioman "A" school in San Diego, we learned typing and Morse code at the same time. With headphones on, we would hear "dit daw," say "A", and type "A" with the correct finger. It was something to be seated in a room with 45 other guys all saying "A" at the top of our voices. I must say though, this method did work... I was later stationed at the San Francisco ship-shore CW facility and was comfortable copying 30 to 35 words per minute. This was before personal computers, word processors, and in a day when the Navy was still using Morse code as a major means of communications. With today's computers and programmers like Charlie Hartley, we now have Computer Keyboarding to teach us how to type. But before we get into the nuts and bolts of Keyboarding, I asked Charlie to say a few words about himself and this is what I got in response: [*][*][*] I am a life-long resident of Kentucky. I went to college at Campbellsville College in Campbellsville, Kentucky where I graduated in 1965 with majors in English and History/ Political Science. I came straight from Campbellsville to Shepherdsville, Kentucky to begin my teaching career. I have taught some type of English class to grades 7 through 10 and some kind of social studies class from grades 7 through 12, all in the same school building. This is my 29th year as an educator and my third as an assistant principal. This year we opened a new school -- Bernheim Middle School -- and my tongue is dragging from the work it has taken to get it open. Betty and I have been married for 31 years and have a daughter and three grandchildren. We have four generations living in our house -- my mother, us, and our daughter and grandchildren. I first became interested in computers in the late 1960s when I watched a TV show hosted by Walter Cronkite titled, I think, "The 21st Century." One particular episode was about computers and it fascinated me. I promised myself that someday I'd have a computer. I bought my Apple //e around 1984. At first I used the //e mainly for word processing, but it wasn't long before I began tinkering with Applesoft BASIC. I bought the programming books and read them carefully. More often than not, I was confused, but I experienced just enough success to know that I wanted to do more. Because I was the computer nut on my middle school faculty, I got to create and teach a twelve week course using the //e's in our school. At first it was a programming class where I taught the students how to create lo-res graphics screens as well as simple sound and graphics programs. This appealed to many of my students but was boring to others. It didn't take long for me to figure out that most people were more interested in using the computer as a tool to do other things rather than creating their own programs. I gradually shifted the class away from programming toward such things are word processing. To facilitate their ability to use a word processor more effectively, I began a program of typing instruction using a piece of commercial software (sorry, I don't remember its title). I was never satisfied with this software because it dwelled on speed at the expense of accuracy. It was even possible for the students to skip lessons which meant that they failed to learn some keys. Over the years I had developed into a fairly good two-fingered typist. I tried to use this program to improve my own skills, but my progress was disappointing. I decided to try to write a program to teach typing. It wasn't the first program I had written, but it certainly was the most ambitious. I called the first version "No-Frills Keyboarding" because it used only the text screen, no graphics at all. While some of my students experienced success with it, others called it "No-Thrills Keyboarding" when they thought I wasn't listening. In order to make the program better, I decided that I would have to include graphics and make the whole thing run faster. To do that I had to turn to assembly language programming. Again I read books on it, including many programming examples in such magazines as Nibble and Call-Apple. By trial and error, I slowly developed the assembly language code that is the major part of my present program. I have never taken classes in computer programming and I don't know much of anything about programming languages other than BASIC, assembly language, and a little AppleWorks macro programming and some SimpleScript stuff for HyperStudio. If my programming is structured, it is because I have followed the examples of others whose work I have studied. With the keyboarding program, it became highly structured out of necessity as the program grew and took on a life of its own. The early versions probably resembled spaghetti code. The latest Keyboarding uploads on GEnie, uploaded on 8/7/93, include all of the bug fixes except #5 (file #21151). If you don't have it, get it. I have also uploaded a number of other files that are freeware including: 1. Super Tic Tac Toe (#20907) 2. Don't Fence Me In! (#20817) -- a game of strategy. 3. Video Data Base (#18375) -- a DB manager for keep track of videos 4. Computer Terms Quiz (#18271) 5. Cooperative Learning worksheets for Apple // version of "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego" (#18041) 6. Computer Spelling Lessons (#18068) - a completely automated and individualized spelling tutor/testing program for 7th graders. I am presently tinkering with several small projects including something that I have tentatively titled "Acme Academy. All I can say now is that it has something to do with the cooperative learning worksheets named above. Charlie [*][*][*] Aren't you happy I didn't ask Charlie for his life story? &;-) Computer Keyboarding version 5 is a complete typing tutorial with a beginner's section, intermediate section, and teacher's utilities. This program had to be written by a teacher -- no one else could have thought so much about its structure and the ability to keep track of a student's progress. When you start with the beginner's section, you sign onto a register. From that point on the program knows you and how far you have progressed through the tutorial. When you quit, the point where you finish is stored with your name. The next time you log on, you will be asked if you are a new user, if you say no the register will be displayed. You highlight your name and the program takes you to the point where you left off last time. You are taken through a pre-typing routine which makes sure that your belly button is in front of the "H" key, your back is straight, hands above the keys with fingers pointing down, setting so that your elbows are at your sides, with one foot slightly ahead of the other and flat on the ground. I found this section to be helpful and if followed, keeps your legs from falling asleep. I find it most difficult to type when I can't feel my foot. Starting with the "home row" keys, you are led through various typing exercises, such as "fff jjj fjjf jjff ffjj jffj" and so on. Keys are then added as you continue with the exercises. This could be a tedious process, but Charlie keeps the interest up by throwing in several versions of a space invaders type game. You must type the letter before it hits the bottom of the screen. As the game progresses, the letters start lower down on the screen and travel faster. Charlie has also added his Super Tic-Tac-Toe to this program and it may pop up at any time to give you a break and a little fun. As letters are added to your vocabulary, you start typing words made up of the letters. Charlie must have spent many hours thinking of words with ASDFGHJKL; in them. However, his time was well spent and added a lot to the tutorial. I found it a lot easier to type words than "jffj jffj", I must say. Computer Keyboarding stresses accuracy more than speed. However, there is one game were you must type quickly and accurately in order to win. A sentence is supplied at the bottom of the screen and a graphic "worm" starts moving as you type the sentence. You must complete the sentence before the "worm" completes its move. There is one recommendation that I would like to make for the beginner's section. Most of my typing problems are with the number and punctuation keys. This is covered naturally, but there is no way to access this section directly. It would be helpful if you could practice the areas that you feel you need without starting all over. In the second, intermediate section of the program, you are provided with a split screen where a paragraph is displayed in the upper half of the screen for you to type into the lower half. All the keys on the keyboard are available for use, including numbers and punctuations. This is a great section for someone like myself that just wants to brush up on his typing. You are monitored continually and if you make a mistake a beep sounds and you cannot continue until you type it correctly. After each paragraph you are supplied with a critique giving you the number of mistakes and a percentage of accuracy. The third section of the program is for teachers and provides information on the students' progress. You also have access to a database with various comments that can be used in a report to the student. This section is for the classroom and make the program complete for use by teachers. Computer Keyboarding will work on any Apple II and is available for download in both 5.25 inch (#21140, 21141, 21142, 21143) and 3.5 inch/hard drive (#21139) versions. Both versions also need the bug fix in file #21151. The program is shareware and has a modest $10 fee. If you would like an on-site license, you can make as many copies as you like for use in the classroom for $100. When Charlie gets your shareware fee, he will provide you with a password which gives you access to the full program. Charlie has his own Topic on A2. If you have any questions for him, you can find him at Category 13, Topic 8 or send E-Mail to C.HARTLEY3. Mel (MelSoft) Fowler [*][*][*] Here is a list of Computer Keyboarding version 5.0 files currently in the A2 Library: ********************************* Number: 21140 Name: KYBR5.DK1.BXY Address: C.HARTLEY3 Date: 930807 Approximate # of bytes: 49152 Number of Accesses: 11 Library: 51 Description: This is the latest version of Keyboarding 5, including all of the fixes that have been uploaded. The fixes in files 20740, 20741, 20881, and 20972 have already been applied. This file replaces file 20754 which will be deleted shortly. Unpack all files to one 5.25" disk. This is disk 1 of 4. Discussion of this shareware program can be found in the BB in CAT 13, TOP 8. Keyboarding 5 is a full-featured typing instruction program. Packed with ShrinkIt. Keywords: KEYBOARDING,TYPING,HARTLEY ********************************* Number: 21141 Name: KYBD5.DK2.BXY Address: C.HARTLEY3 Date: 930807 Approximate # of bytes: 71808 Number of Accesses: 9 Library: 51 Description: This is the latest version of Keyboarding 5, including all of the fixes that have been uploaded. The fixes in files 20740, 20741, 20881, and 20972 have already been applied. This file replaces file 20700 which will be deleted shortly. Unpack all files to one 5.25" disk. This is disk 2 of 4. Discussion of this shareware program can be found in the BB in CAT 13, TOP 8. Keyboarding 5 is a full-featured typing instruction program. Packed with ShrinkIt. Keywords: TYPING,KEYBOARDING,HARTLEY ********************************* Number: 21142 Name: KYBD5.DK3.BXY Address: C.HARTLEY3 Date: 930807 Approximate # of bytes: 42880 Number of Accesses: 10 Library: 51 Description: This is the latest version of Keyboarding 5, including all of the fixes that have been uploaded. The fixes in files 20740, 20741, 20881, and 20972 have already been applied. This file replaces file 20701 which will be deleted shortly. Unpack all files to one 5.25" disk. This is disk 3 of 4. Discussion of this shareware program can be found in the BB in CAT 13, TOP 8. Keyboarding 5 is a full-featured typing instruction program. Packed with ShrinkIt. Keywords: TYPING,HARTLEY,KEYBOARDING ********************************* Number: 21143 Name: KYBD5.DK4.BXY Address: C.HARTLEY3 Date: 930807 Approximate # of bytes: 30720 Number of Accesses: 14 Library: 51 Description: This is the latest version of Keyboarding 5, including all of the fixes that have been uploaded. The fixes in files 20740, 20741, 20881, and 20972 have already been applied. This file replaces file 20719 which will be deleted shortly. Unpack all files to one 5.25" disk. This is disk 4 of 4. Discussion of this shareware program can be found in the BB in CAT 13, TOP 8. Keyboarding 5 is a full-featured typing instruction program. Packed with ShrinkIt. Keywords: HARTLEY,TYPING,KEYBOARDING ********************************* Number: 21139 Name: KYBD5.HD2.BXY Address: C.HARTLEY3 Date: 930807 Approximate # of bytes: 194944 Number of Accesses: 38 Library: 51 Description: This is the latest version of Keyboarding 5, including all of the fixes that have been uploaded. The fixes in files 20740, 20741, 20881, and 20972 have already been applied. This file replaces file 20753 which will be deleted shortly. Unpack all files to one 3.5 disk or a subdirectory on your hard drive. Discussion of this shareware program can be found in the BB in CAT 13, TOP 8. Keyboarding 5 is a full-featured typing instruction program. Packed with ShrinkIt. Keywords: TYPING,KEYBOARDING,HARTLEY ********************************* Number: 21225 Name: KYBD5.INFO.BXY Address: C.HARTLEY3 Date: 930824 Approximate # of bytes: 2688 Number of Accesses: 16 Library: 51 Description: This updated info file will tell you what files to download for Keyboarding 5, depending on your hardware configuration. Archived with ShrinkIt 3.4. Keywords: typing,keyboarding 5,hartley ********************************* Number: 20882 Name: KYBRD5.TM.BXY Address: C.HARTLEY3 Date: 930613 Approximate # of bytes: 40064 Number of Accesses: 19 Library: 51 Description: This is the teacher's manual for Keyboarding 5. There are 2 versions - MANUAL.TXT is a text file, MANUAL is an AppleWorks word processor file (3.0). Enjoy. Keywords: Keyboarding,Typing,teacher utilities,manual ********************************* Number: 21151 Name: KYBD5.FIX5.BXY Address: C.HARTLEY3 Date: 930809 Approximate # of bytes: 4992 Number of Accesses: 26 Library: 51 Description: If you have downloaded Keyboarding 5 or plan to do so, you NEED this fix. Follow the directions in the READ.ME file to kill this particular bug. This applies to all editions of Keyboarding 5 including the ones uploaded this past weekend. Keywords: KEYBOARDING,TYPING,BUGFIX,BUG FIX,HARTLEY [EOA] [MOO]////////////////////////////// CowTOONS! / ///////////////////////////////// More Mootations """"""""""""""" By Mike White (__) [MWHITE] (oo) /----------------------\/ / | || * ||-------------------|| ^^ ^^ The Wiener Cow ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ . .. . \ww/ (oo) \ / /-------\/ \ / / | || \ /~~~~~\ / * ||----|| /~~~~~\$/~~~~~\ ~~ ~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ King Moodas ~~~~~~~~~~~ ()___() Watch for another thunderin' herd of (o o) Moo Fun from Mike White in the next /(.) . issue of GEnieLamp. |\ ~_ _/. | \____/______ If you have an idea for a CowTOON, we ( |__|/\/\/\| would like to see it. And, if we pick \ \~~|\/\/\/| your CowTOON for publishing in GEnieLamp || \\ ~~~~~~ we will credit your account with 2 hours || // of GEnie non-prime time! ~~ ~~ Energizer Cow ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "...keeps mooing, and mooing..." [EOA] [ATW]////////////////////////////// ACROSS THE WIRES / ///////////////////////////////// GEnie Worldwide! """""""""""""""" By Udo Huth [U.HUTH] >>> THE APPLE IIGS IN GERMANY -- A BLEAK OUTLOOK? <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" (Disclaimer: This is my personal view, not a definitive nor even complete statement of how things are here in Germany. There may still be things I have no knowledge about -- I don't know everything! -- and therefore aren't addressed properly in this article.) Editor Doug Cuff asked me if I'd contribute an article to GEnieLamp about using an Apple IIgs and accessing GEnie from overseas. So here we go: When it comes to official support, the Apple IIgs is probably more orphaned in Germany than in the U.S. Here there is almost nobody left at the Apple dealers who knows what an Apple IIgs is. Very rarely you find someone who still knows about the Apple II line of computers. Apple Germany, too, prefers to forget that such a thing as an Apple II ever existed. But there is still one person in customer support of Apple Germany who knows the Apple IIgs and is able to answer questions one might have. GERMAN SOFTWARE There is almost no native (German-language) software """"""""""""""" for the Apple IIgs. From the early days of Apple II computing there are German versions of AppleWorks Classic, but they ended officially with version 1.4 (essentially version 2.0 without the Mail Merge function). There are German versions of AppleWorks Classic 3.0 available, but they are not from Claris, have to be called A2.Works, and have more problems than one wants to think about. Real 16-bit German programs for the Apple IIgs are very few indeed. There is a German version of FontFactory available, which was sold here before it was ported into English and subsequently sold by Seven Hills; then there is a program called Pedigree available, which sports German and English versions; and last but not least, there is a program for accessing the German BTX system (a service of German Telekom). This is quite good -- a few of those who own an Apple IIgs and a Macintosh use the IIgs program instead of a Mac program, as the IIgs version is way better. Perhaps five German shareware programs are also available, which are more or less useful; but that's about it. Some enterprising guys have ported System 6.0 to German, but that displays some erroneous behavior that the original version doesn't. So Apple IIgs users in Germany are forced to rely solely on English software. This is very hard for those who are not quite fluent in English. ON-LINE COMMUNITY Some bulletin board systems in Germany do have an """"""""""""""""" Apple board, but they are almost exclusively for Macs... if I didn't sometimes post messages about the Apple IIgs, there would be nothing about this fine computer to be found! There is one Apple II BBS I know of, but as I'd have to pay long distance charges to access it, I don't know what's happening there. Besides, there are not many IIgs users online. The majority of IIgs users in Germany don't even have a modem. The on-line community in Germany and in the US differs considerably. In the US a IIgs user buys his IIgs and a modem, than s/he goes on-line and asks questions about things s/he doesn't know about. In Germany a IIgs is bought, than the user tries to make head or tail out of the thing he bought, and when s/he is proficient in the use of the Apple IIgs, eventually a modem is bought. In the meantime s/he relies on user groups or personal contacts for questions. Due to this, you find little or nothing about the Apple IIgs on German BBSs, which are run exclusively on MS-DOS PCs, Amigas, or a few Unix systems. The best -- sometimes only -- source of information about Apple IIs for those who are daring enough to try is GEnie. GEnie FROM GERMANY GEnie is available here in Germany for a fee of """""""""""""""""" $18 during non-prime time and $27 for prime time access. There are no such things as a basic fee, which includes a certain free time or anything like that. The meter is running from the first second you access GEnie -- well, page one and the greetings of the RTs are free (the latter only if you did nothing prior to accessing the RTs which costs money). Uploads to the libraries are free too, but that doesn't help my bill much. GEnie is accessed from Germany via the packet-switching network Datex-P. You can either use nodes provided by the German Telekom (which support no error checking protocols) or nodes provided by GEnie (which support MNP4 or V.42). GEnie's own nodes were introduced just recently and are not very widespread so far. The access costs are the same for either node, although GEnie encourages you to use their own nodes if you can access them with a local call. The maximum speed for access here in Germany is 2400 baud. Over the whole of Germany there are distributed just 30 GEnie nodes of either flavor. So, for the majority of people this means a long-distance call for reaching a node. The German Telekom bills quite heavily for this. A long-distance call in Germany gets billed in 42-second increments at non-prime time, which adds up to a fee of about $12 for each hour (on top of GEnie's charges). Downloading of public domain software from GEnie is prohibitively expensive. It would be cheaper to pay someone in the US his on-line time, disks, and postage costs for snail-mailing those disks to Germany. Although everything I said before may sound rather bleak, GEnie is a valuable source of information for me (and the few other Germans on-line here). Some of the info found here cannot be obtained otherwise. For example: an acquaintance of mine bought System 6.0.1 and found it crashing at once, because he also uses Pointless! By the time he and I were in contact, he had reinstalled System 6.0, because he knew of no other way to get the system working again. His rating of Apple wasn't very high at that moment. Large portions of the newsletter of our SIG consist of information obtained from GEnie. If I hadn't access to this information, I wouldn't know what to write about every two months! I do my GEnie sessions with the help of CoPilot and TIC, which saves me some time, for I don't have to type all the commands myself. This helps to keep down the bill. I did have to modify the TIC scripts, however, because accessing GEnie via Datex-P necessitates some other commands prior to getting to the U# prompt. Accessing GEnie through GEnie's own nodes necessitates still another sequence of commands, so I've changed my scripts for that, too. There is but one glitch in this whole picture. Since GEnie has lowered its U.S. rates, there are many new GEnie users, which isn't a bad thing in itself. But those new to GEnie tend to quote former messages excessively and more often than not use long signatures of more than one line. This drives up the on-line costs for the overseas users by a considerable amount. So let me close this article with a plea to all of you, not to quote excessively and use a shorter signature whenever possible. On the whole I've "met" only fine people on GEnie; and the questions I had were answered very rapidly, the record being two minutes from asking to having the answer. In fact, I was disconnected due to line noise after sending part of my messages. When I logged on again my script did a BRO NOR again, and I found the answer to my previous question! Udo Huth, Leader of the Apple IIgs SIG in the AUGE //////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE //// / "The customer isn't necesssarily always right, but the / / customer _is_ always the customer." / / / / "And, more importantly, the customer _is_ always the one / / with the money!" / ///////////////////////////// J.NICOLETTE1 / T.BUCHHEIM //// [EOA] [COM]////////////////////////////// COMMUNICATION / ///////////////////////////////// Making Contact """""""""""""" By Darrel Raines [D.RAINES] >>> OLDER TECHNOLOGY COMPUTERS? (Part 1 of 2) <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" "The Apple IIgs is a computer based on older technology. It is slow and is not supported by any of the major software manufacturers. You cannot get software and you cannot get support. Why would anyone want to be stuck with an old Apple computer?" The previous paragraph accurately describes the feelings that many people express when they find out that my home computer is an Apple IIgs. You see, they know that I sell computer hardware on the side (custom systems and software). They know that I have set up a number of people with Macintosh and MS-DOS compatible systems. When they ask about my home computer, most of them are floored when they learn that I still use an Apple II. "Didn't you just set up Larry with that '486, 66 Mhz monster with 16 Meg of RAM, a 340 Meg hard drive and the HP laser printer? Then why do you still use a computer that was invented back in the 1970s?" The people who ask these questions just don't understand. Part of the problem is that our entire society is caught up in the newest, latest, greatest technology race. If you do not have the newest CD player with video display capabilities, 10 disk changer, and a cigarette lighter, then you are not keeping up with the times. Each of us have fallen prey to this craze at one time or another. In fact, this same phenomenon may account for your owning an Apple IIgs in the first place. However, I think that it is worth while to put aside the hype for awhile and take a hard look at the reality behind the statements made by my friends (and perhaps yours). I do not deny that there are times when it is imperative that a person update their equipment. My television set went south a few months ago. It would not have cost much to repair the TV, but it was 11 years old and might have a picture tube blow at any time. My wife and I felt that the money was better spent on getting a new television with some of the current gadgets attached. What fun! On the other hand, a client (and friend) of mine was in the market for a home computer that would let him keep track of home finances and would run lots of educational software for his children. Price was also a factor for him. This sounded like an ideal situation for an Apple II. The client is now happily using a previously owned Apple IIgs computer complete with AppleWorks and kid's software. Another happy customer! In both cases, the customer got what he/she needed and was able to effectively use his/her financial resources. Our new television set has many nice features. The controls are much easier to use than the old one and the picture is bigger and brighter. My Apple IIgs client has all of the tools that he wants for his home computer and his kids have a great time "playing" on the computer. In addition, this client is ecstatic about the multitude of cheap software that is available either from software mail-order houses or as used software from individuals. Some of my friends and/or clients have specific applications that require the latest computer technology for support. In these cases, the obvious answer is to buy a new computer with the necessary capabilities. However, most people do not even scratch the surface of what their computers are capable of doing. An Apple IIgs is a powerful computer. It is very much able to run hefty word processors, spreadsheets, databases, and publishing systems. Existing packages meet the needs of most home users. In fact, many Apple II users do not go any further than AppleWorks or AppleWorks GS to meet all of their software needs. Of course, there is more to home computing than just productivity software. Educational software has always been a strong point for the Apple II computer. Graphics packages are available to bring out the artistic side of any user. Telecommunication software provides access to a world of people and ideas. Now, did I forget anything? Oh yes, game software is a must for most home computer users. My personal opinion is that the reason behind the success of the Apple II had more to do with the built-in joystick port than it did with the fact that it was a color computer. Every home Apple II owner that I know has spent a significant amount of time playing games on their computer. Therefore, they are interested in the availability of good entertainment software for the Apple II. Once again, there is a whole world of software that has been written for this popular computer. As a matter of fact, I could probably play on my computer for the next 10 years and never exhaust the supply of games that I currently own for my Apple. With all of this going for the Apple II, why do people shun the computer as old technology? One reason for this attitude is ignorance of the true capabilities of my Apple. Some assume that an old machine is a slow and useless machine. Nothing could be further from the truth. Another reason could be that no huge commercial firms still write software for the Apple II family. While this is true, there is plenty of software and support coming from the companies that have remained in the Apple market. The final piece to this puzzle will be examined in next month's column. At that time, I will examine the availability of shareware, freeware, and roll-it-yourself-ware. I will also answer the following riddle: "How is Apple II shareware like a fine wine?" Stay tuned and find out. [*][*][*] Darrel Raines is an Electrical Engineer who works as a contractor to NASA on the Space Station Freedom program. He runs a small business on the side that deals in custom computer systems and software. He is also an avid computer hobbyist, programmer and writer. You may reach him on GEnie at D.RAINES. [EOA] [AII]////////////////////////////// APPLE II / ///////////////////////////////// Apple II History, Part 16 """"""""""""""""""""""""" By Steven Weyhrich [S.WEYHRICH] >>> APPLE II HISTORY <<< """""""""""""""""""""""" Compiled and written by Steven Weyhrich (C) Copyright 1991, Zonker Software (PART 16 -- LANGUAGES) [v1.0 :: 22 Jan 92] INTRODUCTION This section of the History deals with the various languages """""""""""" that have been used on the Apple II during its life, as well as giving an introduction to the scary topic of programming in general. PROGRAMS "R" US Nearly everyone reading this is already a programmer, on """"""""""""""" one level or another. Even if you don't know a "GOTO" from a "STA $C030", you already know how to program something. For the act of "programming" is nothing more than giving instructions to a non-human device to have it carry out what you want it to do. The device that most of you already know how to program is your automobile. The act of giving those instructions may not seem like programming to YOU; nevertheless, in its strictest sense, programming it is. You want the car to go forward? Set the transmission to "D". Go in reverse? Use "R". Of course, the programming needed to operate an automobile is quite simple, and cannot be done in more than one step at a time. An example of a device that is more complicated to program but does let you store up several instructions in advance is a VCR. On the VCR you instruct it to record a television broadcast that starts at 7:00 PM and ends at 8:30 PM, on channel 6. The more sophisticated VCR's can have several programs set up in advance. If you can operate a VCR in this fashion (which is, admittedly, not always as easy as I have described), you are a programmer. When it comes to the microcomputer, the process of programming (giving it instructions on how to carry out a task) is somewhat more complicated. This is primarily because the computer is far more flexible in its ability to accept instructions and carry them out than is an automobile or VCR. Devices attached to a computer can be manipulated by a program to do something useful (print a letter several times, or perhaps read the outside temperature and sound an alarm if it drops too low). This flexibility, plus the speed at which a computer can execute its instructions, makes it a powerful tool for doing things that have previously taken much more effort and time. And, as a project becomes more sophisticated, so also must the programming acquire a similar level of sophistication. The rate at which computers, including the Apple II, have increased in capacity during the past fifteen years has made it possible to design programs that can do things that were not even dreamed possible back in the days of the 4K Integer BASIC machine. An example of programming evolution on the Apple II was given during Kansasfest in July of 1991. To fully appreciate this narrative, you need to know a little about an old Integer BASIC program, APPLEVISION. This was found on the DOS 3.2.1 System Master disk, and was a fun little display that showed off the use of hi-res graphics. It began by creating a simple line drawing of a room, with a picture on the wall ("HOME SWEET HOME") and a television set. On the screen of the TV appeared a man who danced to the tune of "Turkey In The Straw", which sounded on the built-in speaker. It ran repeatedly, until the user interrupted the program. It was fascinating at the time, since there was nothing in the program text that showed off exactly HOW the hi-res effects were accomplished. But things have gotten a bit more complex as time has gone by: "Roger Wagner's keynote address featured a history of hypermedia which Roger set into action and left to run as he wandered offstage. The history began with Bob Bishop's classic AppleVision, done in black and white on the original Apple II. Progressive screens enhanced the AppleVision image using subsequent incarnations of Apple II graphics (single hi-resolution, double hi-resolution, and the IIGS's Super Hi-Resolution modes). Finally, thanks to a laserdisc player under HyperStudio's control and a video overlay card, Roger's image appeared within the television's screen and spoke to the audience, completing the introduction before turning the presentation back to Roger (returning from offstage)."<1> To follow the programming progress that has made such magic possible, we will begin with the first two built-in high-level languages for the Apple II, Integer BASIC and Applesoft, and move on to a briefer discussion of some of the other languages that have been available over the years. Next will be a summary of various 6502 and 68816 assemblers that Apple programmers have used over the years. Finally, I will present an introduction to "hyper-programming". FUNDAMENTALS OF PROGRAMMING A programming language has the standards to """"""""""""""""""""""""""" translate "what I want" into commands that the computer understands. To do so, it must take some human language and convert it into the binary dialect of the computer on which it is executed. Computer languages usually come in one of two different types: "interpreted" and "compiled". A language that functions as an interpreter takes the text of the program and translates it at the time of execution into commands the computer can understand. A compiled program, on the other hand, has already had the program text translated into executable code BEFORE it is run, usually including some extra code needed to carry out necessary functions of input, output, and calculations. As such, an interpreted program usually runs more slowly, but has the advantage of being easier to modify and re-run without the delay of first re-compiling. A compiled program will ordinarily run faster, but may use more memory than an equivalent interpreted program. Languages are also given the designation of being "high-level" or "low-level", depending on how close they are to the base language of the computer on which they run. The lowest level of computer programming is at the level of the bytes understood as commands by the microprocessor. This "machine language" is typically not very understandable to humans. A low-level language more often used by programmers is "assembly language". This uses commands somewhat more understandable ("LDA $24" means "load the accumulator with the contents of memory location $24") and are then assembled (actually compiled) into machine-readable code. Assembly language is very powerful, since it works on the byte level of the computer. However, as a low-level language it can be very complicated and requires an intimate understanding of the function of the computer. As a language becomes more "high-level", it is easier for humans to read, but requires more effort from its interpreter or compiler to translate it into the native language of the computer. INTEGER BASIC This was the first language available for general use on """"""""""""" the Apple II (aside from assembly, which will be dealt with later). Most of the details concerning its development have already been covered in Part 3 of this History. It was a quick, compact language, and its creation was an example of programming directly in machine language (since Steve Wozniak, the author, had no assembler available to use). Its disadvantage was the lack of easy access to floating point operations, and it lacked some string handling functions. Apple II users, especially those who wanted to produce programs that could be used in business applications, wanted something more powerful to use. Despite its limitations, Integer BASIC was a language that had a fanatically loyal following. For those thousands who purchased Apple IIs from June 1977 to June 1979, this was the only programming language available, and it took on a status similar to that of a beloved first-born child. Games, utilities, and even some simple business-use programs were written using Wozniak's hand-assembled masterpiece, and those who followed the pages of Call-A.P.P.L.E. magazine learned much about the internals of the language. With the disassembler built into the Monitor, people tore Integer BASIC apart to learn how it worked, and to make it work better. Val Golding, the editor of Call-A.P.P.L.E., even wrote a series of columns in 1979 entitled "So Who Needs Applesoft?" These articles showed how to simulate some of the more advanced features of Applesoft in this older BASIC. A.P.P.L.E. even sold (under license agreement with Apple Computer) "Integer BASIC +", a relocatable RAM version of the original ROM BASIC. It had all the features of the original language, plus a "USER" command, the ability to easily do four direction scrolling on the text and lo-res screens, easy printing of ASCII characters, and improved error handling.<2> Apple never released a comprehensive reference manual for Integer BASIC. The only manual available for it was primarily a tutorial (and a general introduction to using a computer). The "Apple II BASIC Programming Manual" didn't even call it "Integer BASIC," but referred to the language as "Apple BASIC." It gave most of its programming examples in the form of segments of a graphics and sound demo that created a lo-res ball bouncing off the sides of the screen.<3> With the many programs available that were written in Integer BASIC, it was almost a necessity for Apple to offer a means for Apple II Plus users to be able to run the older software. The Integer Firmware card made this "backward compatibility" possible. This was especially important in the early days of the II Plus, when there was little new software available to use with Applesoft. APPLESOFT I Although Wozniak had written some floating point routines """"""""""" into the Integer Basic ROM, Apple II users needed a version of Basic that would make floating point math easier to do, particularly for business use (where the number to the right of the decimal point is as important as the one to left). Apple decided to license a 6502 version of a floating point BASIC from Microsoft Corporation. Back in 1977, Microsoft was producing BASIC interpreters for nearly every microcomputer that was produced. The version Apple purchased was almost identical to the MITS extended BASIC that Microsoft had previously written for the Altair 8800.<4>,<5> This BASIC was named "Applesoft", and was released in November of 1977 on cassette. It was loaded as a 10K program that looked to the computer just like an Integer BASIC program, though only a small part of it really was. To make it easy to load and start from cassette, the Applesoft interpreter was attached to the end of a short Integer BASIC program. When the Integer program was run, it poked some values into memory and jumped to the start of the machine language section, which relocated the Applesoft interpreter to the lower part of memory (at $800), just after the memory that held the screen display. Using this version of Applesoft (which later became known as Applesoft I) could be frustrating. It took several minutes to load from the cassette tape, and it was not dependable. If the wrong key was pressed while entering or running an Applesoft program, the program that was being run could be wiped out, and the Applesoft interpreter itself would have to be reloaded from cassette. However, few users knew how to make use of the floating point routines that Wozniak had written into the Integer ROM, so this unreliable Applesoft BASIC became the only practical means of doing floating point math on the Apple II. Aside from the reliability issue, another difficulty with Applesoft involved hi-resolution graphics. Although the Apple II was capable of displaying it, the Applesoft interpreter extended up into the memory used by the hi-res screen, and so prevented its use. Furthermore, this early version had no built-in commands to manage hi-res graphics.<5> Applesoft I came with a manual that was 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches in size, and sported a blue cover with square glued binding.<6> This came to be known as the "blue book" (recall that the reference book for the computer itself was affectionately known as the "red book"). When starting the interpreter after loading it from the cassette, a screen was displayed announcing that Applesoft was copyright 1977 by Apple and Microsoft. It then asked the user for the memory size of his computer, and gave options of allowing either LET and REM statements OR the use of lo-res graphics. The names of the lo-res graphics commands were very different from those that existed in Integer BASIC (and in the later versions of Applesoft). The commands were: PLTG = Go to lo-res graphics mode TEX = Go to text mode PLTC N = Set color to N (0-15) PLTP X,Y = Plot square at X,Y PLTH X1,X2,Y = Plot horizontal line from X1 to X2 at Y PLTV Y1,Y2,X = Plot vertical line from Y1 to Y2 at X There was a note about these commands in the reference card included with Applesoft I that warned about using graphics coordinates only between 0 and 39, or a program could "self-destruct". Apparently it lacked the error checking that could prevent the plotting of lines from spilling over into the text of the Applesoft program itself.<6>,<7> The A.P.P.L.E. user group published a patch in 1978 that allowed programmers to avoid the question about using LET and REM statements versus lo-res graphics, and use the graphics only. The author of the patch pointed out that the LET statements were not necessary ("A = 3" worked just as well as "LET A = 3"). The REMark statements could be simulated by putting them at the end of a GOTO line (where they were ignored by the interpreter), and the GOTO could just jump to the following line: 530 GOTO 540: REM LINE 540 SETS VARIABLE N. 540 N = 2 Additional patches were made available for some of the other bugs found in Applesoft I.<8> APPLESOFT II In spring 1978, Randy Wigginton and some others at Apple """""""""""" made some needed revisions to Applesoft. Using a cross-assembler running on a North Star Horizon (Z-80) microcomputer, they fixed the known bugs and added other commands to control features unique to the Apple II. These commands included the ones needed to draw and manipulate hi-res graphics. Also, the lo-res graphics commands were renamed to be more consistent with the equivalent commands in Integer BASIC (GR, HLIN, VLIN, etc.) This version was called "Applesoft II", and eventually it was available in five forms: Cassette RAM and Diskette RAM (which loaded to the same memory locations that interfered with hi-res graphics as did Applesoft I), Firmware card ROM, Language card RAM, and finally main board ROM (in the Apple II Plus). When Applesoft II was started up from cassette or diskette versions, the display screen now showed a copyright date of 1978 by Apple Computer, Inc., and 1976 by Microsoft (which may be either their copyright date for the original Microsoft BASIC, or possibly for Microsoft's first 6502 version).<6> This RAM version of Applesoft II used memory from $800-$2FFF, and the Applesoft BASIC program itself was loaded beginning at $3000. When the versions that came on ROM and for the Language Card RAM were released, the BASIC program could load at $800, and much more memory was available for it. Some of this extra space (in high memory) was reclaimed by DOS when the Disk II was released, however.<5> Applesoft in the original IIe was unchanged from the II Plus version. When the IIc was introduced in 1984, however, Apple programmers had cautiously made a few useful changes to the language: o Input processing was changed to allow lowercase entry of Applesoft commands (they were translated into uppercase) o Screen output commands (PRINT, TAB, HTAB, etc.) were modified to more properly handle the 80-column screen o Program lines (when LISTed) were changed to begin in column 2, making screen editing easier o All of the cassette tape routines (LOAD, SAVE, SHLOAD, STORE, and RECALL) were removed, since the hardware did not support cassette I/O. The keywords were still in the token table, but now pointed to the same memory vector as the ampersand ("&") command. o Patches were made to the lo-res graphics commands (GR, HLIN, VLIN, PLOT, and SCRN) to work with double lo-res graphics. However, a bug was introduced that allowed PLOTting vertically to areas outside of the double lo-res graphics screen, which would land right in the beginning of the $800 space where the Applesoft program text was located (similar to the "plot" bug in Applesoft I). When the Apple IIe Enhanced ROMs were made available, Applesoft in those ROMs had undergone some similar modifications. All the above IIc changes were added, with the exception that double lo-res graphics capability was NOT added (lack of ROM space), and the cassette I/O commands were NOT removed (since the cassette input and output port was still present). The version of Applesoft on the Apple IIGS closely resembled the Apple IIc variant, the only exception being a fix of the double lo-res PLOTting bug. However, a bug in the SCRN function that applied to double lo-res mode was NOT fixed. No changes to Applesoft from the IIc version appeared in the Apple IIc Plus.<9> The manual written for Applesoft II was far more comprehensive than either the older "Blue book" or the Integer BASIC manual. It gave not only programming examples for each of the commands, but included much more information about the various ways in which each Applesoft statement could be used. It also mentioned some of the differences between Applesoft and Integer (for those who wanted to convert their older programs), and gave a little information about the internals of Applesoft to aid in creating machine language additions to the language. Curiously, the manuals that have been reprinted even as late as 1990 by Addison-Wesley have included an odd cautionary note to programmers. In a section in the index about "reserved words" (words reserved as Applesoft commands), it advises against using "XPLOT" as a variable name, stating that "it is a reserved word that does not correspond to a current Applesoft statement." What is apparently meant by this comment is that at one time Apple intended to extend the language and add another command "XPLOT" to it, probably working with HPLOT in the same way that XDRAW complements DRAW in doing hi-res graphics. Examination of the command table within the Applesoft interpreter shows there is NO entry labeled "XPLOT", and a disassembly of the interpreter shows NO preliminary code to support the command. Somehow this precaution persisted to the present day and has never been removed, even though it is extremely unlikely that Applesoft will ever be upgraded.<10> Particularly helpful for programmers was the foresight to include a simple extension called the "ampersand hook". If Applesoft came across the "&" symbol while interpreting a line, it jumped to a known location in memory and left it to the programmer to insert the correct code to add a machine language extension to the language. With the publication of important information about the internals of Applesoft in 1980, assembly language programmers could now add statements to do things that could not be done with the language as it was originally created. Music, extended graphics, IF-THEN-ELSE logic, and even the missing "XPLOT" command could be added to the language. The only limits were the author's imagination (and available memory). The importance of Applesoft as an influence to productivity on the Apple II cannot be overstated. Since the release of the Apple II Plus in 1979, every variety of Apple II has contained Applesoft in virtually an unchanged form. This has made it possible for anybody to write programs that ALL other Apple II users will be able to use, since the language does not have to be purchased or added. If there were thousands of Integer BASIC programs from the two years when Integer Apple IIs were produced exclusively, there are hundreds of thousands of Applesoft programs that appeared over that subsequent thirteen years. Even today, it is not uncommon for an applications program to include a configuration module written in Applesoft using the disk commands available with BASIC.SYSTEM in ProDOS. It is often faster to write such a program in BASIC, and the author knows without a doubt that his customer will be able to run it. APPLESOFT 3 (?) In 1979 there were rumors at the West Coast Computer """"""""""""""" Faire about an enhancement to Applesoft II that was in the works at Apple. It would possibly be called Applesoft 3, and would be as much of an enhancement over Applesoft II as that version was to Applesoft I. Supposedly it was intended to merge DOS and BASIC, and would include such powerful functions as IF-THEN-ELSE, PRINT USING, WINDOW, and VIEW PORT. It was predicted to be a RAM version only, and would be about 24K in size. Knowing the events that actually followed, this rumored BASIC was probably the "Business Basic" released with the Apple III, rather than an enhancement for the Apple II.<11> [*][*][*] NEXT INSTALLMENT: Languages, cont. """""""""""""""" NOTES """"" <1> Doms, Dennis. "KansasFest 1991", A2-CENTRAL, Sep 1991, p. 7.57. <2> -----. (ad), PEEKING AT CALL-A.P.P.L.E., VOL 2, 1979, p. 62. <3> -----. APPLE II BASIC PROGRAMMING MANUAL, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981. <4> Chien, Philip. "The First Ten Years: A Look Back", THE APPLEII Review, Fall/Winter 1986, p. 12. <5> Golding, Val J. "Applesoft From Bottom To Top", CALL-A.P.P.L.E. IN DEPTH #1, 1981, p. 8. <6> Bernsten, Jeff. GEnie, A2 ROUNDTABLE, Apr 1991, Category 2, Topic 16. <7> Arkley, John. (personal telephone call), Sep 9, 1991. <8> -----. "Apple Patches", PEEKING AT CALL-A.P.P.L.E., VOL 1, 1978, p. 40. <9> Weyhrich, Steven. "Applesoft Miscellaneous Information", APPLESOFT CONCORDANCE V1.0, Dec 1989. <10> Kamins, Scott. "Appendix D Reserved Words", APPLESOFT BASIC PROGRAMMER'S REFERENCE MANUAL, 1982, 1983. <11> Aldrich, Darrell. "The Computer Faire And The Apple", PEEKING AT CALL-A.P.P.L.E., VOL 2, 1979, p. 158. ///////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE //// / "I am one of these guys who slaps the disk into the / / drive, fumble about, rarely reads "read me first", / / and wonders why it won't work." / /////////////////////////////////////// J.KING78 //// [EOA] [LOG]////////////////////////////// LOG OFF / ///////////////////////////////// GEnieLamp Information """"""""""""""""""""" o COMMENTS: Contacting GEnieLamp o GEnieLamp STAFF: Who Are We? GEnieLamp Information GEnieLamp is published on the 1st of every month """"""""""""""""""""" on GEnie on page 515. You can also find GEnieLamp on the main menus in the DigiPub (1395), ST (475), Macintosh (605), IBM (615), Apple II (645), A2Pro (530), Unix (160), MacPRO (480), Geoworks (1050), BBS (610), CE Software (1005) and the Mini/Mainframe RoundTables. GEnieLamp is also distributed on CrossNet, Internet, America Online, Delphi, Spectrum Online Systems and many public and commercial BBS systems worldwide. o On Internet our address is: genielamp@genie.geis.com o Internet FTP address is: sosi.com. All versions of GEnieLamp are available in the ~/pub/GEnieLamp directory. o GEnieLamp pays for articles submitted and published with online GEnie credit time. Upload submissions in ASCII format to library #42 in the DigiPub RoundTable on page 1395 (M1395;3) or Email it to our Internet or GE Mail address listed below. o We welcome and respond to all GE Mail. To leave comments, suggestions or just to say hi, you can contact us in the DigiPub RoundTable (M1395) or send GE Mail to John Peters at [GENIELAMP] on page 200. o Talk to us live 9:00 p.m. [EDT] every Wednesday night in the Digi*Pub Real-Time Conference. o Back issues of GEnieLamp are available in the DigiPub RoundTable Library #2 on page 1395. >>> GEnieLamp STAFF <<< """"""""""""""""""""""" GEnieLamp o John Peters [GENIELAMP] Senior Editor/Publisher """"""""" ATARI ST o John Gniewkowski [GENIELAMP.ST] Editor """""""" o Mel Motogawa [M.MOTOGAWA] ST Staff Writer o Sheldon Winick [S.WINICK] ST Staff Writer o Richard Brown [R.BROWN30] ST Staff Writer o John Hoffman [JLHOFFMAN] ST Staff Writer o Al Fasoldt [A.FASOLDT] ST Staff Writer ATARI ST/TX2 o Cliff Allen [C.ALLEN17] Editor/TX2 """""""""""" ATARI [PR] o Bruce Faulkner [R.FAULKNER4] Editor/GEnieLamp [PR] """""""""" IBM o Robert M. Connors [DR.BOB] Editor """ o David C. Leithauser [D.LEITHAUSER] HyperRead Editor o Brad Biondo [B.BIONDO] IBM Staff Writer o Tippy Martinez [TIPPY.ONE] IBM Staff Writer o David Holmes [D.HOLMES14] IBM Staff Writer MACINTOSH o Richard Vega [R.VEGA] Editor """"""""" o Tom Trinko [T.TRINKO] Mac Staff Writer o Bret Fledderjohn [FLEDDERJOHN] Mac Staff Writer APPLE II o Doug Cuff [EDITOR.A2] Editor """""""" o Phil Shapiro [P.SHAPIRO1] A2 Co-Editor o Mel Fowler [MELSOFT] A2 Staff Writer o Darrel Raines [D.RAINES] A2 Staff Writer o Gina E. Saikin [G.SAIKIN] A2 Staff Writer o Steve Weyhrich [S.WEYHRICH] A2 Staff Writer A2Pro o Jim B. Couch [GELAMP.A2PRO] Editor """"" o Nate C. Trost [N.TROST] A2Pro Staff Writer ETC. o Jim Lubin [J.LUBIN] Add Aladdin """" o Scott Garrigus [S.GARRIGUS] Search-ME! o Mike White [MWHITE] (oo) / DigiPub SysOp \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////////////////////// Bulletin board messages are included in this publication with permission from GEnie and the source RoundTable. GEnie, GEnieLamp Online Magazines, and T/TalkNet Online Publishing do not guarantee the accuracy or suitability of any information included herein. Opinions expressed are those of the individual, and do not represent opinions of GEnie, GEnielamp Online Magazines, or T/TalkNet Online Publishing. Material published in this edition may be reprinted under the follow- ing terms only. Reprint permission granted, unless otherwise noted, to registered computer user groups and not for profit publications. All articles must remain unedited and include the issue number and author at the top of each article reprinted. Opinions present herein are those of the individual authors and does not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or staff of GEnieLamp. We reserve the right to edit all letters and copy. Please include the following at the end of of all reprints: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////////////////////// (c) Copyright 1993 T/TalkNET Online Publishing and GEnie. To join GEnie, set your modem to 2400 baud (or less) and half duplex (local echo). Have the modem dial 1-800-638-8369. When you get a CONNECT message, type HHH. At the U#= prompt, type: XTX99014,DIGIPUB and hit the [return] key. The system will then ask you for your information. Call (voice) 1-800-638-9636 for more information. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////////////////////// [EOF]