4177 lines
211 KiB
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4177 lines
211 KiB
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|| ||| |||| |||||| || |||| Your
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|||||| |||||| || || |||||| |||||| GEnieLamp Computing
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|| |||||| || || |||||| RoundTable
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|| |||||| |||||||| |||||| RESOURCE!
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~ WELCOME TO GEnieLamp APPLE II! ~
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""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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~ PROFILE: Who's Who in Apple II? (Pat Kern) ~
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~ POLISHING GREEN APPLES: Hooked on Storage, Part 5 ~
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~ DR'S EXAMINING TABLE: Golden Oldies Review: ChessMaster 2100 ~
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~ THE TREASURE HUNT: Graphics (Print Shop, Double Hi-Res, and more) ~
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~ APPLE II HISTORY: Part 23, Renaissance? ~
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~ HOT NEWS, HOT FILES, HOT MESSAGES ~
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\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
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GEnieLamp Apple II ~ A T/TalkNET OnLine Publication ~ Vol.3, Issue 28
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""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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Editor....................................................Douglas Cuff
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Publisher.............................................John F. Peters
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\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
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~ GEnieLamp IBM ~ GEnieLamp ST ~ GEnieLamp [PR] ~ GEnieLamp Windows ~
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~ GEnieLamp A2Pro ~ GEnieLamp Macintosh ~ GEnieLamp TX2 ~
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~ GEnieLamp A2 ~ LiveWire (ASCII) ~ GEnieLamp MacPRO ~
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~ Solid Windows ~ Config.sys ~ A2-Central ~
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~ Member Of The Digital Publishing Association ~
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GE Mail: GENIELAMP Internet: genielamp@genie.geis.com FTP: sosi.com
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////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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>>> WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE APPLE II ROUNDTABLE? <<<
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""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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~ July 1, 1994 ~
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FROM MY DESKTOP ......... [FRM] HEY MISTER POSTMAN ...... [HEY]
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Notes From The Editor. Is That A Letter For Me?
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HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM] REFLECTIONS ............. [REF]
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New Terminology. The Nature of Human Fellowship.
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BEGINNER'S CORNER ....... [BEG] ASCII ART GALLERY ....... [ASA]
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FINAL Polishing Green Apples. July Celebrations.
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DR'S EXAMINING TABLE .... [DRT] THE TREASURE HUNT ....... [HUN]
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Review: ChessMaster 2100. Yours For the Downloading.
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PROFILES ................ [PRO] PAL NEWSLETTER .......... [PAL]
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Profile of Pat Kern. July 1994 Report.
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APPLE II ................ [AII] LOG OFF ................. [LOG]
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History 23: Renaissance? GEnieLamp Information.
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[IDX]"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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READING GEnieLamp GEnieLamp has incorporated a unique indexing system
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""""""""""""""""" to help make reading the magazine easier. To
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utilize this system, load GEnieLamp into any ASCII word processor or
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text editor. In the index you will find the following example:
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HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM]
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[*]GEnie Fun & Games.
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To read this article, set your find or search command to [HUM].
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If you want to scan all of the articles, search for [EOA]. [EOF] will
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take you to the last page, whereas [IDX] will bring you back to the
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index.
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MESSAGE INFO To make it easy for you to respond to messages
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"""""""""""" re-printed here in GEnieLamp, you will find all the
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information you need immediately following the message. For example:
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(SMITH, CAT6, TOP1, MSG:58/M475)
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_____________| _____|__ _|___ |____ |_____________
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|Name of sender CATegory TOPic Msg.# Page number|
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In this example, to respond to Smith's message, log on to page
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475 enter the bulletin board and set CAT 6. Enter your REPly in TOPic
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1.
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A message number that is surrounded by brackets indicates that
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this message is a "target" message and is referring to a "chain" of two
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or more messages that are following the same topic. For example: {58}.
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ABOUT GEnie GEnie's monthly fee is $8.95 for which gives you up to
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""""""""""" four hours of non-prime time access to most GEnie
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services, such as software downloads, bulletin boards, GE Mail, an
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Internet mail gateway, and chat lines, are allowed without charge.
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GEnie's non-prime time connect rate is $3.00. To sign up for GEnie
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service, call (with modem) 1-800-638-8369 in the USA or 1-800-387-8330
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in Canada. Upon connection type HHH. Wait for the U#= prompt. Type:
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JOINGENIE and hit RETURN. When you get the prompt asking for the
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signup/offer code, type: DSD524 and hit RETURN. The system will then
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prompt you for your information. Need more information? Call GEnie's
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customer service line (voice) at 1-800-638-9636.
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SPECIAL OFFER FOR GEnieLamp READERS! If you sign onto GEnie using the
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"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" method outlined above you will
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receive an *additional* six (6) free hours of standard connect time
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(for a total of 10) to be used in the first month. Want more? Your
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first month charge of $8.95 will be waived! Now there are no excuses!
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*** GET INTO THE LAMP! ***
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""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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//////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
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/ /
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/ My Cockatiel had been making strange noises and I /
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/ couldn't figure out what they were ---- until I signed /
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/ onto GEnie ---- She mimics EXACTLY the connection! /
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/ down to the static! /
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/ /
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/ My wife does that, it's how she gets my attention. /
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/ /
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///////////////////////////////////// BYTE & GARY.UTTER ////
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[EOA]
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[FRM]//////////////////////////////
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FROM MY DESKTOP /
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/////////////////////////////////
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Notes From The Editor
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"""""""""""""""""""""
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by Douglas Cuff
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[EDITOR.A2]
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>>> WITH RIGHTS COME RESPONSIBILITIES <<<
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"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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I should have know better. Heck of an admission for someone who
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won't tolerate backpedaling to have to make, but it's true.
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Last month, I pointed out the absolute necessity of giving GEnieLamp
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proper credit. It seems the only people -- a stupendous two -- who were
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stirred up enough to reply to my editorial were those who are obeying the
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rules.
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The reason I should have known better is that, during my school days,
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I frequently blushed with shame when a teacher delivered a broadcast
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lecture about sloppiness... or lack of diligence... or -- well, you get the
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picture. I always assumed I was the intended recipient, whether my mark
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was 99 or 49... while those for whom the rather strident advice was
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intended preserved a look of insolent boredom.
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I don't want to analyze it, I just want to own that I should have
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remembered that only the wrong people actually listen to such strictures.
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Some of you may know it as preaching to the converted.
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I also want to clear up a misunderstanding and answer a few questions
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about giving proper credit.
|
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First, it is not necessary to reproduce the credit information
|
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facsimile. One of my two correspondents complained that it was difficult
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to find a way to reproduce credit information that was 10 lines long and 73
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characters wide in a paper newsletter. Having just put in a year as editor
|
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of the newsletter of the local Apple II user group, I knew immediately what
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he meant. An article is always two paragraphs too long or two short. The
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available copy never fits the available whitespace, particularly if it's 73
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characters wide and had to be spread across the page.
|
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In fact, the GEnieLamp credit is 8 lines, not 10 (you are not obliged
|
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to reprint our decorative borders), and need not be presented exactly as
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shown. You can format it any way you like, so long as you don't add or
|
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omit anything, and as long as it's legible. Just be sure to include it!
|
|||
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Second, the messages GEnieLamp A2 reproduces from the A2 RoundTable
|
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in its HEY MISTER POSTMAN section: I have been asked if it's necessary to
|
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credit GEnieLamp A2 when quoting a message from the RoundTable that
|
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appeared in GEnieLamp A2. This is a tricky one. The answer seems to be
|
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"no", but you still must ask permission and give credit to the RoundTable.
|
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GEnieLamp A2 doesn't own the messages it reproduces, but because it's
|
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sponsored both by GEnie and the A2 RoundTable (which makes me a servant of
|
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two masters), it doesn't have the same hassles of requiring permission to
|
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reproduce messages for its own purposes that other magazines have.
|
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Therefore, GEnieLamp A2 can reproduce the messages, but can't grant anyone
|
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else permission to re-reproduce them (unless you reproduce the entire
|
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column). To reproduce an individual message or selection of them, you must
|
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contact GEnie, and/or the RoundTable, and/or the person who posted the
|
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message. (Possibly I have listed them in reverse order of importance.)
|
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Third, it's been brought to my attention that the GEnieLamp credit
|
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information is relevant only to those in the United States and -- owing
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principally to me -- Canada. Why should those in Australia, Europe, or
|
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Japan have to reproduce information about North American 800 numbers?
|
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The answer to this: I don't know. (Sorry, but I really get tired of
|
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people who only ask themselves questions designed to make them appear
|
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clever.) Or more fully, I don't know, but you do have to. I agree that it
|
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makes little sense, but you must do it. If you think a rule or law is
|
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stupid, by all means lobby to have it changed. But until it is changed,
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obey it.
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Finally, so much attention has been given to the reproduction of the
|
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copyright information that some are forgetting to mention GEnieLamp A2
|
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anywhere. Please, put "Reprinted from GEnieLamp A2 (July 1994)" at the top
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of each article you reprint from this month's issue. Please remember to
|
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include the precise issue you are reprinting from, and please remember that
|
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"A2" part, since there are also GEnieLamp A2Pro, Macintosh, IBM, Windows,
|
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ST....
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[*][*][*]
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It's time for you to bid Steven Weyhrich a fond farewell. (I don't
|
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have to do it myself -- I get to keep working with him on A2-Central, which
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decreases my own personal sadness quite a bit.) This month he's presenting
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the final installment in his Polishing Green Apple column and the last
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chapter of his Apple II History. These two columns seem to get reproduced
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in every Anglophone Apple II newsletter in the world (usually uncredited
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<gnash gnash>).
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It's for people like Steven, who is a great guy besides being a
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talented writer, that I fight for proper credit. (Face it, folks, nobody
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ever rips off my editorials, so my personal stake in this is minimal.) One
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correspondent asked if I didn't have any respect for the GEnieLamp A2
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readers. Sure I do, but not at the expense of the GEnieLamp A2 writers.
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Standing up for "your" writers comes with the job of editor.
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(I'm still not sure how preventing readers from stealing from
|
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GEnieLamp is showing them disrespect. Does anyone out there know?)
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[*][*][*]
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Finally, a comment on our HEY MISTER POSTMAN column. Every month, we
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reproduce -- facsimile -- spelling mistakes and all -- messages posted to
|
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the A2 RoundTable. We don't editorialize; we don't summarize; we just
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reproduce the messages as posted. (Okay, sometimes we cut parts of the
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message that quote other messages, and such. But that's it.)
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It was this column that drew me back to GEnie, and it's our
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publisher's feeling that the column does a good job of attracting others.
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I'd like the column to be as informative as possible, for the sake of our
|
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readers. Not, however, at the expense of those who post on the A2
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RoundTable.
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As I've said, GEnieLamp is a recognized part of GEnie, not some
|
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separate publication. As I've said, we reproduce facsimile. Even with
|
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that understanding, some of those who post on the A2 RT don't want to see
|
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their messages reproduced in GEnieLamp A2. If you're among that group,
|
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|
would you please add a "Copyright 1994" or "All rights reserved" or
|
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something similar to your signature?
|
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I'm asking for a favor here. It's NOT one of those deals where I
|
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stand on the mountain-top and proclaim, "If thou dost not add this to thy
|
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signature, I will copy thy messages and to hell with thee!" It's just
|
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that, again, I find myself the servant of two masters -- those who read and
|
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those who post. There just isn't any way for me to maintain a list of
|
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those who do and don't want to appear in GEnieLamp A2. (Maybe the next
|
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versions of GEM and Co-Pilot will prevent me from archiving messages from a
|
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customizable list of GEnie accounts. But I wouldn't count on it.) I
|
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barely have the time to put together the HEY MISTER POSTMAN column as it
|
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is... and since I am putting the column together right up until deadline
|
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time, it's difficult to know what the final content will be.
|
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It's become obvious to me that there's no easy solution to this
|
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problem. That means I must settle for a difficult solution. I'd really
|
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appreciate the help of all who post to GEnie's A2 RoundTable in making the
|
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difficult solution as easy as possible.
|
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[*][*][*]
|
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This month, we celebrate two returns. Our wandering boy Darrel
|
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Raines is back with his Golden Oldie review, and Charlie Hartley has
|
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provided us with a profile for our popular "Who's Who in Apple II?"
|
|||
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interview series.
|
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-- Doug Cuff
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|||
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GEnie Mail: EDITOR.A2 Internet: editor.a2@genie.geis.com
|
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|
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__________________________________________________________
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|
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| |
|
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| REPRINTING GEnieLamp |
|
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| |
|
|||
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| If you want to reprint any part of GEnieLamp, or |
|
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| post it to a bulletin board, please see the very end |
|
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| of this file for instructions and limitations. |
|
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|__________________________________________________________|
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[EOA]
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[HEY]//////////////////////////////
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HEY MISTER POSTMAN /
|
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/////////////////////////////////
|
|||
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|
Is That A Letter For Me?
|
|||
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|
""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
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|
by Douglas Cuff
|
|||
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[EDITOR.A2]
|
|||
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|
|||
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o BULLETIN BOARD HOT SPOTS
|
|||
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|
|||
|
|
o A2 POT-POURRI
|
|||
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|
|||
|
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o HOT TOPICS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o WHAT'S NEW
|
|||
|
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|
|||
|
|
o THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
|
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|
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o MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>> BULLETIN BOARD HOT SPOTS <<<
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[*] CAT5, TOP8 ................. Playing with a toy?
|
|||
|
|
[*] CAT7, TOP7 ................. Stop the Madness project
|
|||
|
|
[*] CAT12, TOP33 ............... ImageWriter II models
|
|||
|
|
[*] CAT17, TOP4 ................ AppleWorks desktop memory requirement
|
|||
|
|
[*] CAT17, TOP4 ................ Lost AppleWorks desktop bug
|
|||
|
|
[*] CAT42, TOP29 ............... AppleWorks 4.1
|
|||
|
|
[*] CAT42, TOP32 ............... AppleWorks GS cancelled
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>> A2 POT-POURRI <<<
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
RAMFAST 3.01E OR 3.01EZ? I am a little confused, based on some recent
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""" postings. What is the latest ROMs for the
|
|||
|
|
RamFast SCSI Card, 3.01e or 3.01ez? If 3.01ez "exists", so to speak, what
|
|||
|
|
is the difference between 3.01e and 3.01ez?
|
|||
|
|
(A.KENT4, CAT20, TOP13, MSG:122/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> They are effectively identical. The 'ez' ROM has a two-byte change
|
|||
|
|
""""" to allow the RF firmware to work with the Zilog processors we use
|
|||
|
|
(instead of the Hitachi parts). The 'ez' still works with the Hitachi
|
|||
|
|
part, so we only ship 3.01ez. Sequential is paranoid about revisions.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jawaid (PROCYON.INC, CAT20, TOP13, MSG:173/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
MINOR SPECTRUM BUG #1 GOOSE -- After you Open CaptureFile
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""" "FoldernameFilename", doing Close CaptureFile (via
|
|||
|
|
script or by choosing it from the menu) does result in a bogus "syntax
|
|||
|
|
error". That's a bug.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A workaround is to save/clear the capture buffer before you want to
|
|||
|
|
start capturing to a file, then set the AutoSave path, set AutoSaveBuffer
|
|||
|
|
ON, and set Append ON. Data will come into memory, then be purged to the
|
|||
|
|
file whenever the capture buffer fills. When you are finished capturing
|
|||
|
|
to a file do Save Buffer.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You can then reset the AutoSave path to the "normal" capture buffer
|
|||
|
|
path, or set AutoSaveBuffer OFF so the user will be prompted when the
|
|||
|
|
capture buffer fills.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I'm deep into v1.1 so don't remember offhand what problems are in
|
|||
|
|
v1.0 (they are all minor and can be worked around). READ 16 ALL to see
|
|||
|
|
some of the prior scripting messages. I think the biggest tip is "do not
|
|||
|
|
mix slash- delimited with colon-delimited filenames".
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Thanks, --Dave (SEVENHILLS, CAT43, TOP16, MSG:111/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
MINOR SPECTRUM BUG #2 If NOT Contains does have a subtle limitation: The
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""" first string needs to be AT LEAST as long as the
|
|||
|
|
second string (the manual states the command as: If Not Contains
|
|||
|
|
"LONGstring" "SHORTstring" Then Statement).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I found that in actual use I'd end up with the first string being
|
|||
|
|
shorter than the second, which means the "if not contains" statement does
|
|||
|
|
not work (because it's expecting the first string to be longer) and
|
|||
|
|
therefore the Statement is not executed.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Human logic says that if the second string is longer than the first
|
|||
|
|
string, then the second string is obviously NOT contained within the first
|
|||
|
|
string, but SPv1.0 did not have that rule check. SPv1.1 adds that rule so
|
|||
|
|
you can more easily use the IF NOT CONTAINS command.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
For now, I think the easiest workaround is to use the "if contains"
|
|||
|
|
command and do the opposite (I believe the IF CONTAINS command works
|
|||
|
|
"logically" even if the first string is shorter than the second).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Thanks, --Dave (SEVENHILLS, CAT43, TOP16, MSG:124/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DESKTOOLS IV PROGRAM SELECTOR I set up four programs for use with TO
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Program Selector. I tested all of them and
|
|||
|
|
they all worked as advertised. Today, while doing a demo for the AppleJAX
|
|||
|
|
user group, one of the four does not return to AW4.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I get a message after exiting the selected program that says,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Insert AppleWorks program disk containing
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
/p8/aw4/ERIKA.E.BRANDT
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and press RETURN or ESC to reboot"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ESC does not reboot-I have to do a three finger job.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
My AW4 program is located in /p8/aw4/. The other three work fine.
|
|||
|
|
The one that does not work is RamFAST.System but it worked last night.
|
|||
|
|
Strange!!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I have tried doing a configure with TO Utilities to no avail.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Speedy....Keep smilin'
|
|||
|
|
(R.REEDY, CAT42, TOP24, MSG:72/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> Speedy, Erika is my first grader. Her name was used because I
|
|||
|
|
""""" needed a temporary file that Program Selector could use to get back
|
|||
|
|
to AppleWorks. Erika the file is much tidier than Erika the daughter, and
|
|||
|
|
always cleans up after herself. Well, actually she erases herself upon
|
|||
|
|
execution. Come to think of it, why don't other files die when they're
|
|||
|
|
executed? Anyway, if you delete Erika the file, there's no way to get AW
|
|||
|
|
restarted and the message appears, since the temporary quit code is trying
|
|||
|
|
to execute the file and can't find it.
|
|||
|
|
(BRANDT, CAT42, TOP24, MSG:80/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
INVALID EAMON ASSUMPTION It seems a lot of Eamon adventures receive 7's.
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""" Have any gotten 9's or 10's?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-Ken Gagne (KEN.GAGNE, CAT16, TOP6, MSG:53/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> Ken, everything that I've uploaded for some time now has been
|
|||
|
|
""""" 7-rated because I already did the better ones and am working down
|
|||
|
|
the list. Here is a list of the Top Twenty (the first number is the rating
|
|||
|
|
and the second is the number of people who have rated it):
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SD#137 Redemption 9.5/1
|
|||
|
|
124. Assault on Dolni Keep 9.2/6
|
|||
|
|
114. Thror's Ring 9.0/6
|
|||
|
|
78. The Prince's Tavern 9.0/3
|
|||
|
|
194. Attack of the Kretons 9.0/2
|
|||
|
|
120. Orb of My Life 9.0/1
|
|||
|
|
204. Sanctuary 9.0/1
|
|||
|
|
161. Operation Endgame 8.9/5
|
|||
|
|
150. Walled City of Darkness 8.8/2
|
|||
|
|
147. The Dark Brotherhood 8.7/3
|
|||
|
|
129. Return to Moria 8.6/4
|
|||
|
|
166. Storm Breaker 8.5/2
|
|||
|
|
145. Buccaneer! 8.3/3
|
|||
|
|
108. The Mines of Moria 8.2/4
|
|||
|
|
148. Journey to Jotunheim 8.2/4
|
|||
|
|
121. Wrenhold's Secret Vigil 8.2/2
|
|||
|
|
169. The Black Phoenix 8.1/5
|
|||
|
|
91. FutureQuest II 8.0/5
|
|||
|
|
117. Dungeon of Doom 8.0/3
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
All of these adventures (except "Redemption") are in the A2 library
|
|||
|
|
in 80- col. versions.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A (7) rating seems to have become the standard rating for "above
|
|||
|
|
average", but it doesn't really show up all that much more often than other
|
|||
|
|
ratings. There are 35 Eamons rated between 7.0 and 7.9, making up just
|
|||
|
|
15.6% of the total Eamon listing.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
TomZ (T.ZUCHOWSKI, CAT16, TOP6, MSG:54/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
APPLEWORKS GS DB EASTER EGG Back when I worked at Claris, I beat the
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" programmers over the heads with lead pipes
|
|||
|
|
until Tom Hoke put an Easter Egg into the DB module: if you press
|
|||
|
|
Apple-Option-H in any AWGS DB document, it toggles a mode in which the
|
|||
|
|
Enter key works the same as the Return key (i.e. it does whatever you've
|
|||
|
|
configured it to do). IMHO, this should have been the default, but Oh Well.
|
|||
|
|
BTW, you have to (temporarily) set Keyboard Translation to None in order
|
|||
|
|
for Apple-Option-H to be recognized (because of the Option key), but don't
|
|||
|
|
forget to set it back to Standard when you're done. Also, this attribute
|
|||
|
|
gets saved with the document, so you only have to do it once on a document
|
|||
|
|
to keep that behavior.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-G.T. Barnabas, GS Software Engineer
|
|||
|
|
(BARNABAS, CAT17, TOP22, MSG:157/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
EXTENDED KEYBOARDS IN APPLEWORKS In another topic, I had asked Randy if
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" AW would ever support extended
|
|||
|
|
keyboards. Silly me--it already does. When Randy posted the obvious
|
|||
|
|
answer (RTFM), I decided to program the extended keyboard keys (such as,
|
|||
|
|
page up and page down). Here is what I came up with:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Extended keyboard macros:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<ba-t>:<all : oa-up>! Page up
|
|||
|
|
<ba-y>:<all : oa-down>! Page down
|
|||
|
|
<ba-s>:<all : oa-, >! Home (start of line)
|
|||
|
|
or
|
|||
|
|
<ba-s>:<all : oa-1)! Home (start of file)
|
|||
|
|
<ba-w>:<all : oa-. >! End (end of line)
|
|||
|
|
or
|
|||
|
|
<ba-w>:<all : oa-9>! End (end of file)
|
|||
|
|
<ba-r>:<all : oa-e>! Insert
|
|||
|
|
<ba-u>:<all : oa-del>! Delete
|
|||
|
|
<ba-x>:<all : oa-m>t! Cut
|
|||
|
|
<ba-c>:<all : oa-c>t! Copy
|
|||
|
|
<ba-v>:<all : oa-c>f! Paste
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Of course, to get these macros to work, you have to enable keypad
|
|||
|
|
macros (from the main menu, select: Other Activities, Select standard
|
|||
|
|
settings for AppleWorks, UltraMacros options, Enable keypad macros). If
|
|||
|
|
you want to use the keypad to enter numbers (like I do), you have to add
|
|||
|
|
the following macros:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<ba-1>:<all>1!
|
|||
|
|
<ba-2>:<all>2!
|
|||
|
|
<ba-3>:<all>3!
|
|||
|
|
<ba-4>:<all>4!
|
|||
|
|
<ba-5>:<all>5!
|
|||
|
|
<ba-6>:<all>6!
|
|||
|
|
<ba-7>:<all>7!
|
|||
|
|
<ba-8>:<all>8!
|
|||
|
|
<ba-9>:<all>9!
|
|||
|
|
<ba-0>:<all>0!
|
|||
|
|
<ba-rtn>:<all : rtn>!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In adding these macros to your default macros, check carefully for
|
|||
|
|
conflicts with existing macros (e.g., ba-T for TripleMenu).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
David (D.WALLIS2, CAT17, TOP16, MSG:128/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SHADOWRITE 1.3.3 EASTER EGG Harold, I did some snooping of my own after
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" reading your message about the easter egg and
|
|||
|
|
I found out how to activate it. Do you have your pencil and paper ready?
|
|||
|
|
Bring up the "About ShadowWrite" window, hold down all three modifier keys
|
|||
|
|
(Control-Option-Command) and click the "More Info" button. Voila! It's
|
|||
|
|
very nicely done, I think you'll enjoy it.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
- Tony Ward (A2.TONY, CAT23, TOP27, MSG:61/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
...THREW AWAY A PEARL I recently attended a school district auction
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""" looking for various shop equipment from the
|
|||
|
|
industrial education programs.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I didn't find what I came for, but instead noticed a lot called "Room
|
|||
|
|
of Electronics".
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In the _room_ was a junk heep 5 feet tall of about 25 disguarded
|
|||
|
|
computers, 50 overhead projectors and a bunch of other items left for dead.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I noticed stacked in the middle of the heap 2 filthy Apple IIe
|
|||
|
|
systems.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you got the lot, you were responsible for removing the entire
|
|||
|
|
heap, and I did not care to do that.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The entire room went for $40 (forty dollars). I walked up to the guy
|
|||
|
|
who bought it and offered him $40 for the (2) IIe systems, thinking that
|
|||
|
|
maybe they'd be good for parts. After all, there's no way they could be
|
|||
|
|
working, right?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
He sold me one of the IIe systems for $20 (twenty dollars), without
|
|||
|
|
the monitor.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I brought it home, and it worked fine. So, for $20, in essence, my
|
|||
|
|
school system sold me:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1. Enhanced //e CPU with 128K
|
|||
|
|
2. (2) Unidisk 5.25 drives with controller card
|
|||
|
|
3. Apple Super Serial Card
|
|||
|
|
4. Microtek Printer Card
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
What a crime. I'd be willing to guess that all the overhead
|
|||
|
|
projectors need was a bulb or fan motor. <no grin>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Hugh... (H.HOOD, CAT4, TOP10, MSG:352/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>> HOT TOPICS <<<
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
STM = APPLE II EMULATOR Hello folks. This is a continuation of a
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""" conversation I started over in the CD-ROM topic
|
|||
|
|
in Cat 11.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It seems Jim Nitchals (of Cavalier Computer fame) is in the throes of
|
|||
|
|
a major undertaking. He and others are busily writing an Apple II emulator
|
|||
|
|
to run on the Macintosh.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ho hum you say?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Well, as a nice addition to go along with it, he has been busy
|
|||
|
|
contacting a lot of Apple II programmers who wrote things to get their
|
|||
|
|
permission to re- publish a lot of the classic software on a CD-ROM for
|
|||
|
|
these Mac owners who buy his emulator (called STM). I have succeeded in
|
|||
|
|
convincing Jim of the benefits of having both an HFS and ProDOS partition
|
|||
|
|
on this CD-ROM, one partition for each platform. He has only to go back to
|
|||
|
|
the authors and ask for additional permission to include their programs on
|
|||
|
|
a ProDOS partition as well as the HFS partition. With a ProDOS partition,
|
|||
|
|
even Apple IIe owners will be able to use this CD-ROM.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jim even went so far as to say he would welcome input. He can be
|
|||
|
|
reached at JIMN8@NETCOM.COM through GEnie's Internet mail gateway. I ask
|
|||
|
|
only that you be considerate of him, he is a busy man, after all. :) If you
|
|||
|
|
know how to reach any authors/programmers, let him know (and let =me=
|
|||
|
|
know!). If you have any suggestions, make them. :)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This project of Jim's is almost exactly what I had in mind when we
|
|||
|
|
started the Lost Classics project. Unfortunately, I have been stymied by
|
|||
|
|
the lack of contacts, a problem which Jim is not saddled with. :)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I am pretty psyched by the prospects, and if he is successful, it
|
|||
|
|
bodes well for keeping support for our lovable computers just a little bit
|
|||
|
|
longer.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Tim 'The Joat' Tobin, Lost Classics & R C Font Clearinghouse
|
|||
|
|
(A2.TIM, CAT7, TOP7, MSG:3/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> STM (which stands for Stop The Madness! of all things :) is an
|
|||
|
|
""""" Apple ][+ emulator that runs on any Macintosh running System 7 or
|
|||
|
|
later. It emulates it very nicely, including two Disk II drives (more
|
|||
|
|
later), the sound, all video modes, and everything else you can ask for.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Disk IIs are emulated by allowing you to select a disk image file
|
|||
|
|
to "insert" into each of the two drives. If you want to play Karateka (and
|
|||
|
|
Karateka does work on STM), you would use a program on a real Apple II to
|
|||
|
|
copy your original Karateka disk into a disk image file, then bring that
|
|||
|
|
file over to your Macintosh and "insert" it into STM's drive 1. Then you'd
|
|||
|
|
reset the Apple ][+ emulator by selecting the Reset option in one of the
|
|||
|
|
menus, and Karateka will boot up.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The video is emulated perfectly, down to the funky colors you get in
|
|||
|
|
hires graphic modes when certain colors get close to each other. Hires,
|
|||
|
|
lores, and 40-column text area all supported.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The emulator comes with a DOS 3.3 System Master disk image embedded
|
|||
|
|
inside the STM program itself, so even if you don't insert a disk in one of
|
|||
|
|
the drives, you can boot into DOS 3.3. It's very cool to watch good old
|
|||
|
|
AppleVision running on a Macintosh!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You can choose to limit the emulated speed to 1 MHz, but even with
|
|||
|
|
that option disabled I have yet to get beyond 1.05 MHz, so it's not that
|
|||
|
|
big a deal. You can double the size of the video screen's window, which is
|
|||
|
|
nice for people like me that have very high-resolution monitors.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You can also choose to have a running display of the state of the
|
|||
|
|
emulated 6502 registers, accesses to various components of the system (such
|
|||
|
|
as language card RAM, the disk drives, and the simulated speaker).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The sound works, and sounds very much like it does on real IIs, but
|
|||
|
|
it does tend to distort some since the emulator's speed isn't consistent --
|
|||
|
|
it tends to wander anywhere from 200KHz to 1.1MHz on my Power Mac 8100/80.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Everything I've heard and seen indicates that the emulation is
|
|||
|
|
excellent -- and it should be; it appears to have the actual Apple ][+ ROM
|
|||
|
|
included in it -- and that's the most fun of all... getting that good old
|
|||
|
|
BEEP and seeing "Apple ][" at the top of STM's window, followed by "DOS 3.3
|
|||
|
|
SYSTEM MASTER... LOADING INTEGER BASIC INTO LANGUAGE CARD."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Way cool. :)
|
|||
|
|
(POWERPC.PRO, CAT7, TOP7, MSG:6/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<<<<< I was privileged to see a tentative list of programs which are
|
|||
|
|
""""" slated to appear on this CD-ROM (upon pain of something nasty if I
|
|||
|
|
revealed it to anyone). Suffice it to say that if only half the titles end
|
|||
|
|
up appearing on this disk, it will be a very good CD-ROM to have if you
|
|||
|
|
have an Apple II computer. :) In fact, once this CD-ROM sees the light of
|
|||
|
|
day, it would be worth it to buy a CD-ROM drive for this disk alone.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I asked about anticipated cost for this disk, but they aren't ready
|
|||
|
|
to talk MSRP yet. Nor release date. As soon as Jim is ready to talk turkey
|
|||
|
|
on these aspects, I will post it here. In the meantime, if you have any
|
|||
|
|
specific questions, I can see what I can find out. Jim is planning on
|
|||
|
|
moving into a new house in a few weeks, so he may be a little hard to reach
|
|||
|
|
for a while. :)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Tim 'The Joat' Tobin, Lost Classics & R C Font Clearinghouse
|
|||
|
|
(A2.TIM, CAT7, TOP7, MSG:12/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> Tim, if these authors are willing to release their stuff on this
|
|||
|
|
""""" CD-ROM, how about as individual files for us here on A2 ???
|
|||
|
|
(P.CREAGER, CAT7, TOP7, MSG:14/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<<<<< That is being discussed. You must remember, though, that the STM
|
|||
|
|
""""" project will be a commercial product, and some of the authors will
|
|||
|
|
be getting royalties from the sales. Under those circumstances, it would be
|
|||
|
|
difficult to get a release to put them online. However, all is not lost.
|
|||
|
|
Jim and I have been talking about various ideas, and we may be able to do
|
|||
|
|
something of a limited nature.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You must remember though, that Lost Classics' purpose is not
|
|||
|
|
necessarily to get software for the A2 library, but to preserve classic
|
|||
|
|
software and keep it available for current and future Apple II owners.
|
|||
|
|
Getting the software re- published commercially certainly meets that
|
|||
|
|
criteria. Barring re- publication, uploading into A2 is our fall-back
|
|||
|
|
position.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Not to pick on you, but as a community, we Apple II owners will have
|
|||
|
|
to pay for what we get, one way or another, or we won't be getting anything
|
|||
|
|
more in the future. Assuming the STM project sells for a reasonable cost,
|
|||
|
|
we will have to buy the disk, or there will likely not be any more made.
|
|||
|
|
And I have some ideas for follow-on projects which will only succeed if
|
|||
|
|
enough CD-ROMs are sold initially to make a sequel worthwhile.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Tim 'The Joat' Tobin, Lost Classics & R C Font Clearinghouse
|
|||
|
|
(A2.TIM, CAT7, TOP7, MSG:15/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
APPLEWORKS 4.1 ARRIVING SOON AW 4.1 will be out sometime in June.
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
re: ReportWriter
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The updater will be available here before too long.
|
|||
|
|
(BRANDT, CAT17, TOP15, MSG:46/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> In AW 4.1 how about adding "Compare Files" to the file activities
|
|||
|
|
"""""
|
|||
|
|
__!__
|
|||
|
|
| Terrell Smith
|
|||
|
|
| tsmith@ivcfnsc.fullfeed.com [ GEM 4.22 & GEM COST v2 ]
|
|||
|
|
(T.SMITH59, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:389/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<<<<< Sorry, no time for a major change like that. This is primarily a
|
|||
|
|
""""" bunch of bug fixes, not a new-feature version.
|
|||
|
|
(BRANDT, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:390/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> Ah, I thought that would be 4.03, and that 4.1 means new features
|
|||
|
|
""""" Well, for the future.... ~ ~
|
|||
|
|
(T.SMITH59, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:391/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<<<<< I suppose, but there actually are some subtle new features,
|
|||
|
|
""""" although it's not specifically a "new-feature" version. In another
|
|||
|
|
words, if it takes a lot of work, it's too much of a new feature.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you mean creating a WP file from another file and having it marked
|
|||
|
|
"Unchanged" instead of "New," why then it's a minor new feature that gets
|
|||
|
|
included. AW 4.1 includes the ReportWriter updater. It also has RFP 1.2,
|
|||
|
|
which has a totally new option, and all of it is new to the official AW
|
|||
|
|
package. Steve Beville's latest updated macros are on the package, loading
|
|||
|
|
text files shows the line number, saving text files now saves true tabs, AW
|
|||
|
|
now prints to a slot mapped to a hard drive, etc. Some may call many of
|
|||
|
|
these "features" bug fixes, but they weren't errors in coding, they
|
|||
|
|
required new code. There are also 20+ actual bug fixes.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There were so many changes to the master disks that I thought 4.1 was an
|
|||
|
|
appropriate version number, even if no "major" new features were added.
|
|||
|
|
(BRANDT, CAT42, TOP29, MSG:392/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
APPLEWORKS GS NOT ARRIVING AT ALL? I hope that the person I talked to at
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Quality today was incorrect. I phoned
|
|||
|
|
to check on the price and place an order for AWGS 2.0 and was told that the
|
|||
|
|
project had been cancelled. Not delayed but cancelled. I hope that I was
|
|||
|
|
incorrectly informed. Please tell me I'm wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Michael E
|
|||
|
|
(M.EWEN, CAT42, TOP32, MSG:407/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> Bill Carver asked me to read the messages in this topic and post a
|
|||
|
|
""""" message about the cancellation of the AppleWorks GS 2.0 project.
|
|||
|
|
(I don't usually read this topic because Bill handles most of our online
|
|||
|
|
support on GEnie.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Here's the short version. The reason AppleWorks GS 2.0 has been
|
|||
|
|
canceled is inadequate source code and development documentation. A more
|
|||
|
|
detailed explanation (somewhat technical) follows.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
When we took over AppleWorks and AppleWorks GS, we assumed that
|
|||
|
|
updating AppleWorks GS was going to be a fairly straightforward task.
|
|||
|
|
Unfortunately, we were wrong. The source code for AWGS is 7 megabytes in
|
|||
|
|
size. Those who have seen it have called it the most poorly organized and
|
|||
|
|
documented source code they've ever laid eyes on. Claris was unable to
|
|||
|
|
provide us with any form of documentation for the source code, nor were
|
|||
|
|
they able to provide us with their official bug list.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The source code was designed to build under an old version of MPW
|
|||
|
|
(Macintosh Programmer's Workshop). I have it on good authority that even
|
|||
|
|
the old MPW wasn't actually capable of compiling the source code as it was
|
|||
|
|
provided to us; it seems likely that it was compiled in pieces and then
|
|||
|
|
patched together by hand. We did not receive any documentation on this
|
|||
|
|
process -- in fact, there probably never was any.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
To give you an idea of how bad the AWGS source was, consider that it
|
|||
|
|
took Jim Merritt, who we originally contracted to lead the project, four
|
|||
|
|
months just to get the source code Claris sent us to produce an executable
|
|||
|
|
version of AppleWorks GS 1.1. Even then, the program was not 100%
|
|||
|
|
byte-for-byte identical with the shipping version because of the
|
|||
|
|
hand-patching which was used in the original version.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jim Merritt, as you may know, is no slouch. He's the one who,
|
|||
|
|
working at Apple, coordinated the development of the IIGS System 5 Finder,
|
|||
|
|
among other things. The original plan was for Merritt to divide the
|
|||
|
|
program among several programmers (of his choosing) and have them work on
|
|||
|
|
the project independently. Merritt would be responsible for coordinating
|
|||
|
|
things and making sure all the program segments could be combined into a
|
|||
|
|
fully functional program.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This turned out to be an impossibility, because the source code
|
|||
|
|
simply was not arranged in any coherent fashion. I've been told that there
|
|||
|
|
are sections of the AppleWorks GS source code which exist mainly because
|
|||
|
|
nobody knows exactly what they do -- Claris was afraid that removing them
|
|||
|
|
would cause the program to stop working!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
At around the same time another programmer decided he wanted a shot
|
|||
|
|
at it. This programmer was Bill Heineman, author of Harmonie, Out Of This
|
|||
|
|
World, and other programs, and renowned around the IIGS world as an
|
|||
|
|
extremely competent programmer. As the weeks went by, we realized that it
|
|||
|
|
was beyond his abilities, as well.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A third team, led by Steve Disbrow, also had a look at AWGS. After
|
|||
|
|
spending a few weeks with the source code, Disbrow recommended to us that
|
|||
|
|
we scrap it and rewrite the entire AWGS application from scratch. This is,
|
|||
|
|
for obvious reasons, an economic impossibility. So, after almost ten
|
|||
|
|
months of effort by the top programmers in the IIGS world, we have
|
|||
|
|
concluded that the task of creating a major upgrade is a near-impossible
|
|||
|
|
one.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
While we are continuing to investigate ways of providing an upgrade
|
|||
|
|
to AppleWorks GS, we feel it is unfair to hold orders for a product which,
|
|||
|
|
at this point, we can't promise to deliver. Rather than keep everyone
|
|||
|
|
holding their breath, we have decided to notify our customers that the
|
|||
|
|
project has been canceled. If the project gets going again, we will let
|
|||
|
|
everyone know. We just don't want to get anyone's hopes up.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This was not an easy decision for anyone here -- not just because
|
|||
|
|
we're now going to have hordes of angry customers calling us, but because
|
|||
|
|
this company WAS founded on the Apple II, and that computer remains special
|
|||
|
|
to many of us. Furthermore, as part of our contract with Claris to take
|
|||
|
|
over AWGS, we made a royalty guarantee, which basically means we're going
|
|||
|
|
to owe Claris a few hundred thousand dollars out-of-pocket if we don't
|
|||
|
|
release AWGS 2.0.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Some of you have already told us you will never buy anything from us
|
|||
|
|
again because you feel betrayed by our actions. That's certainly your
|
|||
|
|
privilege. Still, I think that if you stop to consider the situation,
|
|||
|
|
you'll realize that the main reason you're angry at us is that we got your
|
|||
|
|
hopes up -- which is something Claris certainly never did. (If we had left
|
|||
|
|
the program in Claris' hands, do you suppose THEY would have produced an
|
|||
|
|
upgrade?) We gave it our best shot. We've done everything we could (more
|
|||
|
|
than most companies) to support Apple II users. Some of you may see it
|
|||
|
|
differently.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you have AWGS 2.0 on order, you will receive a notice by U.S. Mail
|
|||
|
|
confirming the situation as I have outlined it here. Thank you for your
|
|||
|
|
patience and support throughout our attempt to develop this upgrade.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
One final note. In an RTC (which Harold mentioned) I referred to a
|
|||
|
|
specific programmer as being unable to deliver the product on time. Harold
|
|||
|
|
did not mention this person's name, which I'm thankful for, but I still owe
|
|||
|
|
this programmer an apology. In fact, it's possible that any or all of the
|
|||
|
|
programmers who worked on AWGS 2.0 might think I was referring to them. It
|
|||
|
|
was certainly not the fault of any programmer; every one of them gave it
|
|||
|
|
their all. My comments in the RTC were based on incomplete information and
|
|||
|
|
a sense of frustration. My apologies.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jerry
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PS -- If you are a IIGS programmer and feel that you can do what Jim
|
|||
|
|
Merritt, Bill Heineman, and Steve Disbrow put together couldn't do, drop me
|
|||
|
|
some e-mail and convince me.
|
|||
|
|
(II.ALIVE, CAT42, TOP32, MSG:474/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> I'm in touch with a couple of people who want to have a go at it.
|
|||
|
|
""""" Since we've got nothing more to lose at this point, these people
|
|||
|
|
just may get their chance. (Subject to final approval by Joe Gleason, of
|
|||
|
|
course, but I think he can be persuaded.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
These folks will have a head start because of the work the earlier
|
|||
|
|
teams (especially Merritt's) did. Harold, not to worry, the thing IS
|
|||
|
|
buildable under MPW now, at least. B)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Thanks to all of you who have been understanding.
|
|||
|
|
(II.ALIVE, CAT42, TOP32, MSG:483/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> Just some background for those of you who might not know
|
|||
|
|
"""""
|
|||
|
|
AWGS started out as GSWorks (or something similar) a product
|
|||
|
|
developed by a company called StyleWare. StyleWare published MultiScribe,
|
|||
|
|
MultiScibe GS, TopDraw and a couple of other programs that were really
|
|||
|
|
quite nice in their day. AWGS users would find MultiScribe GS and Top Draw
|
|||
|
|
QUITE familiar, as they served as the basis for a couple of AWGS modules.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Claris bought out StyleWare SOLELY to get their hands on GSWorks.
|
|||
|
|
Rumour had it that they intended, among other things, to port it to the
|
|||
|
|
Mac. (Where it would have become, in theory, what ClarisWorks is now.) As
|
|||
|
|
part of the deal, Claris got the services of the StyleWare programmers, in
|
|||
|
|
part because there was no WAY they could work with that code (which was
|
|||
|
|
still Beta at the time) without the original progammers to interpret it for
|
|||
|
|
them.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Claris later sold all the former StyleWare products to the Beagles.
|
|||
|
|
MultiScribe and MultiScribe GS became BeagleWrite and BeagleWrite GS,
|
|||
|
|
TopDraw became BeagleDraw, etc. (And Quality acquired them from the Beagles
|
|||
|
|
when THEY bit the dust.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The source code for AWGS goes back at least 5 or 6 years, perhaps
|
|||
|
|
more. It was developed by programmers who (no offense if they are reading
|
|||
|
|
this) were known for kludging things to force them to work if that was what
|
|||
|
|
it took to get things out the door on schedule. It has since been modified
|
|||
|
|
by programmers who didn't understand it in the first place, and had
|
|||
|
|
precious little understanding of programming the GS in the second place.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
That code is such a mess that even patching it to provide GSOS
|
|||
|
|
compatability took Claris many months, and making it "compatible" with v5.x
|
|||
|
|
took (as I recall) over a year. AWGS v1.0 will not even run under System 6,
|
|||
|
|
and just barely runs under v5.x.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I am surprised to learn that Quality was planning on an upgrade based
|
|||
|
|
on the original code. I fully expected v2.0 to be a ground up rewrite (and
|
|||
|
|
I didn't understand how QC could afford it :).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
That's just background for anyone who might not understand how this
|
|||
|
|
code could be this ugly and hard to work with.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Gary R. Utter (GARY.UTTER, CAT42, TOP32, MSG:493/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> Okay, now that all this has been said, I'm going to say everything
|
|||
|
|
""""" I've been thinking on this, so bear with me:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1. ON THE HISTORY OF AWGS AppleWorks GS has always been a very
|
|||
|
|
''''''''''''''''''''''''' slapped-together program. Most of the reported
|
|||
|
|
bugs exist because of the nature of the source code. Keep in mind that
|
|||
|
|
AWGS was originally written under ProDOS 16, and hasn't evolved much since
|
|||
|
|
then. The few resources it used were constructed by hand because Apple had
|
|||
|
|
no tools for building them yet (and, for this reason, there is an illegal
|
|||
|
|
resource in AWGS' resource fork).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
AppleWorks GS is just BARELY working, by all descriptions I've heard
|
|||
|
|
from people that have seen the source code to v1.1. The project was poorly
|
|||
|
|
managed while at StyleWare, and when Claris bought the project, they were
|
|||
|
|
just as appalled as Quality is at the quality of the code, but they had
|
|||
|
|
nothing to do but finish the job as best they could. Most of the original
|
|||
|
|
programmers continued the work on v1.0v2; v1.1, however, was coded in some
|
|||
|
|
areas by new programmers that had no idea what the code was doing.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Claris also enforced a precise release date, which limited what could
|
|||
|
|
be done -- the program shipped with a large number of known bugs.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2. QUALITY COMPUTERS AND AWGS I applaud Quality for getting involved at
|
|||
|
|
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' all (although I suspect they wouldn't have
|
|||
|
|
if they'd known the condition of the existing source code). And I hope Joe
|
|||
|
|
allows a team of programmers to make one last shot at the job.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3. THE FIRST THREE TEAMS Looking at that list, there are a lot of very
|
|||
|
|
'''''''''''''''''''''''' talented programmers there. The only thing I can
|
|||
|
|
see that would prevent their making a strong impact on AWGS (aside from the
|
|||
|
|
massiveness and twistedness of the code) is the fact that, unless I'm
|
|||
|
|
mistaken, all of them have jobs and/or are extremely busy people. They may
|
|||
|
|
quite simply not have had the time to work on it -- especially when it's so
|
|||
|
|
big.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4. THE FOURTH TEAM My name has been mentioned in this discussion, so I'll
|
|||
|
|
'''''''''''''''''' comment. The same day the rumors started flying, I
|
|||
|
|
emailed Quality and offered to work on AWGS, and was given a non-negative
|
|||
|
|
response (I'm being intentionally vague here). A good number of
|
|||
|
|
programmers have expressed interest, and a lot of us are talking amongst
|
|||
|
|
ourselves about how we would go about the project if and when we get
|
|||
|
|
involved in it.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
5. THE FUTURE OF AWGS Personally, I think a more reasonable goal for AWGS
|
|||
|
|
''''''''''''''''''''' would be to hold off on version 2.0 until after a
|
|||
|
|
minor upgrade, v1.2, is done. This would provide an intermediate solution
|
|||
|
|
to users so they would have a more stable and System 6-friendly version of
|
|||
|
|
AWGS while, at the same time, familiarizing the programming team with the
|
|||
|
|
source code. Then, and only then, would we tackle a version 2.0. This is,
|
|||
|
|
of course, all assuming Quality were to agree -- it's their money.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
All of this has been my own opinion and viewpoint on the issue.
|
|||
|
|
Don't bother Quality or anyone else because of anything I said here.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
One last thing -- I tend to believe Quality will permit one last team
|
|||
|
|
to give AWGS a shot. They can't lose anything if they do, and it might
|
|||
|
|
just save them a potentially large amount of money. However, I don't speak
|
|||
|
|
for Quality -- or for anyone else other than myself.
|
|||
|
|
(POWERPC.PRO, CAT42, TOP32, MSG:494/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>> WHAT'S NEW <<<
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
QUICKIE 3.2 WITH MORE TOOLS
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
IMMEDIATE RELEASE Vitesse, Inc.
|
|||
|
|
Friday, June 10, 1994 (818) 813-1270
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
VITESSE ANNOUNCES QUICKIE(R) 3.2
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
LA PUENTE, CA -- Vitesse, Inc. announced today the release of Quickie
|
|||
|
|
3.2, an update to their popular hand scanner system for the Apple II.
|
|||
|
|
This latest version incorporates new imaging techniques for more
|
|||
|
|
enhanced, sharper images than ever before. It also contains a powerful
|
|||
|
|
collection of image editing tools. Originally, these tools were
|
|||
|
|
provided to permit simple cleanup of scanned images, to manually
|
|||
|
|
eliminate imperfections which might be introduced by dust or other
|
|||
|
|
impediments encountered during the scanning process. In this latest
|
|||
|
|
release, these tools were expanded to permit more complex image editing
|
|||
|
|
tasks, but continued to emphasize manual image manipulation.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
With Quickie 3.2, several automatic image processing features have been
|
|||
|
|
introduced. These features can be used in combination with the manual
|
|||
|
|
tools, or with each other, to achieve a variety of effects with little
|
|||
|
|
effort. These effects range from minor changes in resolution (Blur and
|
|||
|
|
Sharpen) to the bizarre and surreal (Laplacian, Sobel, Negative, and
|
|||
|
|
image combinations). Most of these effects are produced using an image
|
|||
|
|
processing technique called "filtering," while a few actually combine
|
|||
|
|
two images to produce a new effect.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The filters implemented in Quickie 3.2 operate only on a selected
|
|||
|
|
portion of the image, and fall into three categories: Unary, Linear or
|
|||
|
|
Nonlinear. A Unary filter simply applies a conversion formula to each
|
|||
|
|
pixel of the affected image individually, changing each pixel in a
|
|||
|
|
uniform, predetermined way. A Linear filter operates on a region of
|
|||
|
|
pixels surrounding each pixel to be changed, using a linear function of
|
|||
|
|
the values of the surrounding pixels to alter the value of the current
|
|||
|
|
pixel. Linear filters always take the longest time to process. The
|
|||
|
|
Nonlinear filters implemented in Quickie 3.2 also examine the pixels
|
|||
|
|
surrounding the current pixel, but simply choose one of these pixel
|
|||
|
|
values to replace it. While much quicker, Nonlinear filters are not as
|
|||
|
|
fast as Unary filters. The many filters included in Quickie 3.2
|
|||
|
|
include: Negative, Blur, Blur More, Sharpen, Sharpen More, Laplacian,
|
|||
|
|
Emboss Raised, Emboss Inset, Sobel Horizontal (vertical and diagonal),
|
|||
|
|
Gaussian Blur, Median Filter, Minimum Filter, Maximum Filter, Closing
|
|||
|
|
Filter, and Opening Filter
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Quickie 3.2 provides several functions which combine two images to
|
|||
|
|
create a new one. To enable them, you must Cut or Copy all or part of
|
|||
|
|
an image to the Clipboard, then Paste it into your target picture.
|
|||
|
|
These Image Combinations include Add Images, Average Images, and
|
|||
|
|
Subtract Images. Add Images adds the pixel values of the source and
|
|||
|
|
target images, Average Images takes the average of pixel values, and
|
|||
|
|
Subtract Images subtracts pixel values.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Quickie 3.2 also incorporates a technique called, "toning," which was
|
|||
|
|
initially introduced in Quickie 3.1 as an Easter Egg. Toning allows
|
|||
|
|
the user to select the monochromatic palette of their choice. The
|
|||
|
|
available palettes were drawn from the world of black and white
|
|||
|
|
photography, where special chemicals can turn grays in a normal black
|
|||
|
|
and white picture into changes of brown or Sepia, blue, green, or red.
|
|||
|
|
Other processes merely "warm" or "cool" the grays by subtly introducing
|
|||
|
|
the slightest hint of red or blue without noticeably altering the
|
|||
|
|
picture s color. Selenium toning warms the grayscale palette slightly.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Quickie 3.2 requires an Apple IIgs running GS/OS v5.0.4, or later;
|
|||
|
|
1.5MB RAM if running GS/OS v5.0.4, or 2MB RAM if running System 6.0, or
|
|||
|
|
later; a 3-1/2" floppy disk drive; a hard disk drive is recommended.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Quickie is a registered trademark of Vitesse, Inc. All other
|
|||
|
|
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
|
|||
|
|
(VITESSE, CAT40, TOP8, MSG:292/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<<<<< Something else that we forgot to mention in the Quickie 3.2
|
|||
|
|
""""" announcement:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Quickie 3.2 is offered FREE as part of the Quickie-C introductory
|
|||
|
|
package. Therefore, if you've already ordered Quickie-C, or are planning to
|
|||
|
|
order it for the introductory price of $99.95, you'll already receive
|
|||
|
|
Quickie 3.2.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you haven't ordered Quickie-C and are not planning to do so,
|
|||
|
|
Quickie 3.2 is still available for $24.95.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Thanks,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Lowell Erbe
|
|||
|
|
Vitesse, Inc.
|
|||
|
|
Technical Support (VITESSE, CAT40, TOP8, MSG:300/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NEW ADDRESS FOR EGO SYSTEMS Effective June 15th 1994, EGO Systems and
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" GS+ Magazine have moved!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Our new phone numbers are:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Technical Support and Inquiries (new): 615-332-2087
|
|||
|
|
FAX (new): 615-332-2634
|
|||
|
|
Orders (unchanged): 1-800-662-3634
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Mail Address (unchanged):
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
EGO Systems/GS+ Magazine
|
|||
|
|
P. O. Box 15366
|
|||
|
|
Chattanooga, TN 37415-0366
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Please make a note of our new numbers, and remember to use them, and
|
|||
|
|
not our old numbers, in the future.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Steven W. Disbrow
|
|||
|
|
Publisher of GS+ Magazine
|
|||
|
|
(S.DISBROW, CAT33, TOP2, MSG:206/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
EGO SYSTEMS GETS AUTO ARK Just to avert your complaints about Econ and
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""" Auto Ark, Auto Ark has been sold to GS+ and
|
|||
|
|
they are responsible for any updating that will be done. Econ is not out to
|
|||
|
|
hurt anyone, but due to the deminishing Apple IIgs market, they have had to
|
|||
|
|
direct their efforts elsewhere, in order to remain in the black.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Tyler (PPC.TYLER, CAT35, TOP8, MSG:147/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FOUNDATION RESOURCE EDITOR ARRIVES Foundation v1.0.2 has now been
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" uploaded to A2Pro's library. It is
|
|||
|
|
file #4174 there. This is just the commercial version with freeware
|
|||
|
|
notices added, a readme included, and some other minor changes (some extra
|
|||
|
|
stuff is included with it).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I've been talking to Marc about the damaged files. _I_ can download them,
|
|||
|
|
because I used MacAOL. But the contents are damaged (the archive is fine,
|
|||
|
|
but the files contained within appear to be damaged). I've just downloaded
|
|||
|
|
them and will try to find time to look them over within the next few days.
|
|||
|
|
(POWERPC.PRO, CAT13, TOP39, MSG:58/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
APPLE DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS The following products have been removed from
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" the June 13, 1994 Apple price list:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
APPLE PRODUCTS DISCONTINUED:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A0076LL/A Apple II SuperDrive Controller Card
|
|||
|
|
A0027LL/B HyperCard IIGS
|
|||
|
|
M0112LL/B Apple SuperDrive
|
|||
|
|
M4855LL/A PowerBook 145B 4/80
|
|||
|
|
M5130LL/A PowerBook 100 Battery Recharger
|
|||
|
|
M1835LL/A PowerBook Duo Rechargeable Battery High Capacity Type II
|
|||
|
|
M6775LL/A Macintosh Math Co-processor
|
|||
|
|
M2322LL/A Macintosh Quadra 610 8/160 DOS Compatible
|
|||
|
|
M2098LL/A Macintosh Quadra 610 8/230
|
|||
|
|
M2099LL/B Macintosh Quadra 610 8/230 w/CD-ROM
|
|||
|
|
M9028LL/B Macintosh Quadra 840AV 8/230 CPU w/CD-ROM
|
|||
|
|
M2499LL/A Macintosh Quadra 950 Publishing Configuration
|
|||
|
|
M0505LL/A Macintosh Display Card DRAM Exp. Kit
|
|||
|
|
M0291LL/A Macintosh IIci 1MB Memory Exp. Kit
|
|||
|
|
M0294LL/A Macintosh IIci 4MB Parity Memory Exp. Kit
|
|||
|
|
M1386LL/A Macintosh LC III Logic Board Upgrade
|
|||
|
|
M1545LL/A Macintosh Classic II Logic Board Upgrade
|
|||
|
|
M6052/B Macintosh SE SuperDrive Upgrade Kit
|
|||
|
|
M1330LL/A Macintosh Centris 650 Logic Board Upgrade
|
|||
|
|
M0326LL/B Macintosh IIci Cache Card
|
|||
|
|
M0480LL/A Macintosh IIsi 030 Direct Slot Adapter Card
|
|||
|
|
M0375LL/B Macintosh IIfx Logic Board Upgrade
|
|||
|
|
M1534LL/A Macintosh Quadra 660AV Logic Board Upgrade
|
|||
|
|
M1848LL/A Macintosh Quadra 840AV Logic Board Upgrade
|
|||
|
|
M0141 LaserWriter II Envelope Cassette
|
|||
|
|
M0199 Macintosh Peripheral Adapter
|
|||
|
|
H0123LL/A Newton MessagePad 100
|
|||
|
|
(T.MORALES, CAT5, TOP2, MSG:262/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> The MessagePad 100 was discontinued quite a while ago (about the
|
|||
|
|
""""" same time the 110 was released).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Everything on that list I'd already heard was discontinued.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Some of it, though, was a terrible shock to hear about. (the
|
|||
|
|
Superdrive and controller in particular)
|
|||
|
|
(POWERPC.PRO, CAT5, TOP2, MSG:264/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>> THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE <<<
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
IS SOUNDMEISTER SHIPPING? I called Alltech today (June 1) to order a
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""" SoundMeister, and was told that they will be
|
|||
|
|
ready for shipping in mid-June. I hope so, since this is my Father's Day
|
|||
|
|
present...
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
IRONTOOTH (D.Zahniser)
|
|||
|
|
(D.ZAHNISER, CAT46, TOP7, MSG:64/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> They will take your order for processing once the cards are ready
|
|||
|
|
""""" to ship. I've had some delays with getting boards built and that
|
|||
|
|
setback the projected time for availability. I wish I hadn't put that in
|
|||
|
|
the II Alive ad yet, if everything had gone right, boards would have been
|
|||
|
|
available now. Except it never does, does it?
|
|||
|
|
(T.DIAZ, CAT46, TOP7, MSG:71/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> The recent Issue of GS+ with the SoundMeister in it came out about
|
|||
|
|
""""" a week ahead of time, combined with some delays in the board
|
|||
|
|
manufacturing process. I've got several PCB projects going at once with two
|
|||
|
|
differnt manufacturers and I'm still rather new at all this.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
if not shortly there after.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Some other things we will also have available:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Drives and External Drive cases/power supply setups for the Blue Disk
|
|||
|
|
card. A compatible AE PCT Transdrive assembly. A Dual unit with both 360 &
|
|||
|
|
720K drives for $74.00 and a single drive unit with either for about
|
|||
|
|
$45.00. The single drive unit will accept an additional drive.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We are also looking into finding the perfect (as perfect as we can
|
|||
|
|
find) tower case & power supply combo for the GS for those who have been
|
|||
|
|
thinking about inbstalling it all into one case.
|
|||
|
|
(T.DIAZ, CAT46, TOP7, MSG:65/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SIMCITY AND OTHER BURGER BILL GAMES Do someone know what happend to the
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" SimCity that was talked about in
|
|||
|
|
april, did QC drown BurgerBill with work or?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
While I'm at it, have somebody talked to Apogee about W-3d or a
|
|||
|
|
solo/multi Doom version for the IIgs yeat. I can still remember Burgers
|
|||
|
|
comment when W-3d was hot that it could be do'n on the GS.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jonte (JONTE.R, CAT6, TOP3, MSG:178/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> Jonte, there is a Wolf engine done for the GS. BurgerBill wrote it
|
|||
|
|
""""" months ago for a game called "Catacomb Abyss". It was suppose to
|
|||
|
|
be released by Softdisk GS, but it appears that it was shelved. Too bad,
|
|||
|
|
becuase it could easily be converted to Wolf 3D. I have a copy of it since
|
|||
|
|
I was one of the testers. It really required an acellerator to play it,
|
|||
|
|
but it worked great.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Bug Softdisk about it. Maybe they're finally release it. It's a
|
|||
|
|
shame since it was basicly finished. Just a few last minute things needed
|
|||
|
|
to be completed. They probably didn't want to release it becuase it was
|
|||
|
|
too fancy of a title for Softdisk. It would make all their puzzle games
|
|||
|
|
pale in comparison! :)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Scott (S.EVERTS, CAT6, TOP3, MSG:180/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> S.EVERTS, get your facts right. Catacomb Abyss was never released
|
|||
|
|
""""" because it was never finished by the author. It wasn't "shelved",
|
|||
|
|
and it wasn't "basicly finished". There were more than "Just a few last
|
|||
|
|
minute things needed to be completed".
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It is a cool game, but it is NOT "too fancy a title for Softdisk".
|
|||
|
|
Indeed, Softdisk wrote the original game for the PC (and in fact, it was
|
|||
|
|
done by the same folks that did W-3D and Doom, before they stopped working
|
|||
|
|
at Softdisk). And it certainly wouldn't "make all [Softdisk's] puzzle
|
|||
|
|
games pale in comparison!" Softdisk puts out a variety of programs, and
|
|||
|
|
this is one more of them. Catacombs is OUR game, designed BY Softdisk, FOR
|
|||
|
|
Softdisk.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Don't bug us about it. Burger Bill is a talented guy, but if he
|
|||
|
|
doesn't finish things, they can't be released. Anyone that wants to see
|
|||
|
|
this cool technology should bug Bill to finish it.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-G.T. Barnabas (my opinions are my own)
|
|||
|
|
(BARNABAS, CAT6, TOP3, MSG:181/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GRAPHICWRITER III VERSION 1.2 TO GO BETA? We're still working on updates
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" to all those things (and more).
|
|||
|
|
GWIII v1.2 will probably enter beta testing this month, and then it'll be
|
|||
|
|
up to the testers to tell us when it is ready!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
--Dave (SEVENHILLS, CAT43, TOP6, MSG:159/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<<<<< GWIII v1.2 supports PICTure objects (Formulate friendly) and it has
|
|||
|
|
""""" a "real" Font menu (font friendly). Reminder: It should be going
|
|||
|
|
into beta testing this month--we have NOT yet announced any anticipated
|
|||
|
|
ship date! :)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
--Dave (SEVENHILLS, CAT43, TOP6, MSG:163/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
CO-PILOT HISTORY LESSON To sum it up......
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1. A2 acquired the rights to CoPilot from Ken about a year ago.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2. The version we acquired was v2.1
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3. We released that version with some tuned up scripts, specifically
|
|||
|
|
to deal with changes in the GEnie logon that took place last July. To
|
|||
|
|
differentiate between that and the original , we called it v2.1.1, This is
|
|||
|
|
the current OFFICIAL release version. :)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4. As soon as v2.1.1 was out, we started working on some SIGNIFICANT
|
|||
|
|
enhancements to the scripts. I had the overly optimistic idea that these
|
|||
|
|
could be finished by Labor Day weekend (LAST year).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
5. I sent the source code to Harold, with the idea that we wanted to
|
|||
|
|
make some small changes to the program itself to work better with the new
|
|||
|
|
scripts. THAT opened a whole 'nother can of worms.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
6. We FINALLY released the enhanced scripts for Christmas. We
|
|||
|
|
released them as "open Beta" simply to get them in the hands of the users,
|
|||
|
|
knowing that there were a few small bugs in them that we hadn't pinned down
|
|||
|
|
yet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
7. We released two more versions of the "open beta" scripts, and the
|
|||
|
|
ones that are currently available are pretty good. There are a couple of
|
|||
|
|
real small bugs (i.e. bugs that will not bother 99% of the people), and
|
|||
|
|
those are fixed now, but the fixed scripts have not been released. They
|
|||
|
|
WILL be in the final release, which is now only a few weeks away.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
8. Due to Harolds patching on v2.1 of CoPilot, we have eliminated
|
|||
|
|
the final problem (from the scripters point of view) which was that the
|
|||
|
|
program itself wrote two of the necessary scripts, and the scripts it wrote
|
|||
|
|
had problems with such things as 9600 access.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
9. Harolds patches were not able to eliminate a few known bugs in
|
|||
|
|
the CoPilot application (such as the fact that the program will lose the
|
|||
|
|
"archive prefix" for some users for no apparent reason). However, he was
|
|||
|
|
able to alter several things to make the program more usable, such as the
|
|||
|
|
limitation on Email adressing which prevented the use of Internet mail
|
|||
|
|
adresses in the mail module.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
10. His most recent change resulted in the need for a couple of new
|
|||
|
|
scripts to be written. So far, these seem bug free (they're pretty simple)
|
|||
|
|
but we want to send them out to our Beta testers this week for final
|
|||
|
|
approval.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
11. If all goes well in the Beta cycle this week, then CoPilot
|
|||
|
|
v2.5.0 is finished. (FINALLY! :)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
12. Harold still needs to write the new Installer scripts, but his
|
|||
|
|
depends in part on his having an exact list of what scripts and other files
|
|||
|
|
are to be Installed, and THAT depends in part on the result of the final
|
|||
|
|
Beta cycle. (if a serious bug crops up, it might result in the need for
|
|||
|
|
one or two more new scripts, short ones). SO, once we are absolutely final
|
|||
|
|
on the total number of scripts, and the names of those scripts, Harold can
|
|||
|
|
write the Installer, and we can turn it loose.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
14. (that's right, there is no 13 :) If all goes well in the next
|
|||
|
|
week, we will have v2.5.0 available in the library for the 4th of July. If
|
|||
|
|
more problems crop up, we will STILL have it available before Kfest. (Call
|
|||
|
|
it July 15th.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
15. The "CoPilot II" rewrite will be officially named CoPilot v3.0
|
|||
|
|
when it is released.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Gary R. Utter (GARY.UTTER, CAT29, TOP13, MSG:263/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
POWERGUIDE -- ONLINE NAVIGATOR TO DO IT ALL Finally,.......
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<trumpets please!>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I am proud to announce:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
=======================================
|
|||
|
|
|| ||
|
|||
|
|
|| PowerGuide will go stand alone! ||
|
|||
|
|
|| ||
|
|||
|
|
=======================================
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PowerGuide 1.0, the navigator for the next millennium, adds to it's
|
|||
|
|
versatility. Besides staying compatible with major telecom programs, it
|
|||
|
|
can be used as a standalone GEnie navigator as well. PowerGuide is the
|
|||
|
|
first and only one to achieve this ulimate goal. And it is available for
|
|||
|
|
your GS. So no matter which telecommunication program you use or don't
|
|||
|
|
use, you can now access GEnie from one convenient place and stay in control
|
|||
|
|
all the time.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PowerOnline is a set of scripts to interface with GEnie. These
|
|||
|
|
scripts are written and maintained by premier script writer Glenn W.
|
|||
|
|
Hoffman, assisted by Kevin P. Reid.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Of course, this is a big project, and by far not finished, but what's
|
|||
|
|
currently available suits about 80 - 90% of what you need in the A2 BB.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Even though we tested this interface for several month now, we are
|
|||
|
|
releasing this stand-alone interface project as beta right now to gain more
|
|||
|
|
experience on other systems as well. So if you want to help us making the
|
|||
|
|
coolest navigator around even better, please support us in beta testing,
|
|||
|
|
thanks.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Alex [blasted to this BB via PowerOnline]
|
|||
|
|
(A.CORRIERI, CAT29, TOP31, MSG:24/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
QUICK CLICK CALC (AND MORE) Mike Westerfield will indeeed be along to
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" support Quick Click Calc in this topic.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
And we didn't give The Byte Works a whole category for just one
|
|||
|
|
topic. I can say no more...
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Bill Dooley (A2.BILL, CAT45, TOP2, MSG:17/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> > Does anyone know more details
|
|||
|
|
"""""
|
|||
|
|
From my flyer:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<paraphrasing>
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Password protected files, User selectable row/column width/height,
|
|||
|
|
horizontal or vertical split screen, Publish/Subscribe (imports and exports
|
|||
|
|
data to other files), Formatiing options including height of cell and of
|
|||
|
|
course width of cell, because you can set fonts and styles and colors
|
|||
|
|
individually in cells,Pie Charts, bar graphs, line drawings, 3-D graphs,
|
|||
|
|
line or surface to scattered data points using linear regression. More.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
$60!!!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ken Lucke < Delivered by Co-Pilot & Spectrum v1.0>
|
|||
|
|
(K.LUCKE, CAT45, TOP2, MSG:6/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> From my flyer..
|
|||
|
|
"""""
|
|||
|
|
Quick Click Calc ... the perfect solution for (1) grade books (2)
|
|||
|
|
balancing checkbooks (3) weekly, monthly or yearly budget plans (4)
|
|||
|
|
figuring car or house payments (5) savings plans for college or retirement
|
|||
|
|
(6) a super calculator (7) charts and graphs (8) tracking coin collections
|
|||
|
|
or baseball collections (9) statistical analysis.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The whole flyer is too detailed for me to reproduce here, but you can
|
|||
|
|
probably get more info in A2Pro, cat 36.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Requirements include Apple IIGS with at least one 3.5 drive, 1.125
|
|||
|
|
meg of RAM, and System 6.0.1 . It supports printers, hard drives, networks
|
|||
|
|
and color screens when available.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
They are also offering what appears to be good prices on their
|
|||
|
|
programming products including some free updates.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Price is $60 + $5 s/h per order. Their phone # is (505) 898-8183.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Now where's the hammer to break that piggy bank ... I may just buy
|
|||
|
|
this one.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Charlie (C.HARTLEY3, CAT45, TOP2, MSG:8/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>>>> Yes, we do take plastic. For Quick Click Calc, the price is $60
|
|||
|
|
""""" plus $5 shipping in the US & Canada; write if you are somewhere
|
|||
|
|
else. I'm also happy to send out complete price lists and technical
|
|||
|
|
information on any product you're interested in. Just send a mailing
|
|||
|
|
address and what you want.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
For ordering, the information we need is:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Name
|
|||
|
|
Shipping address
|
|||
|
|
What you are ordering
|
|||
|
|
What you expect to pay, with shipping
|
|||
|
|
VISA or MC Card # & expiration date (Or check if sending by
|
|||
|
|
ground mail)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You can contact us at:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Byte Works, Inc.
|
|||
|
|
4700 Irving Blvd. NW Suite 207
|
|||
|
|
Albuquerque, NM 87114
|
|||
|
|
(505) 898-8183
|
|||
|
|
GEnie mail: ByteWorks
|
|||
|
|
AOL Mail: MikeW50
|
|||
|
|
Internet: MikeW50@AOL.COM
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Like I said, we're in the early stages of getting things set up. If
|
|||
|
|
you want info sooner, send me your mailing address by e-mail.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Mike Westerfield
|
|||
|
|
(BYTEWORKS, CAT45, TOP2, MSG:19/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
BLUEDISK ANNOUNCEMENT Look forward to see a note about the BlueDisk v1.0
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""" release by the end of this month. We will come up
|
|||
|
|
with the _final_ specs and pricing here in the BB. All information given
|
|||
|
|
here will also be uploaded in the A2 library for those people not dropping
|
|||
|
|
by in our topic.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If there are still any questions of _general_ interest that need to
|
|||
|
|
be answered, please let me know. We will try to include answers in our
|
|||
|
|
announcement.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SHH Systeme, Joachim Lange
|
|||
|
|
(J.LANGE7, CAT46, TOP12, MSG:68/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
CD ENCYCLOPEDIA ANSWERS > What can I expect from the encyclopedia?
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""" > B & W or Color?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Color
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
> Can we access _all_ the information on the cd?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I've made my best effort in the time available. There are 6000
|
|||
|
|
articles, with a total of 30,000 sections; about 7000 images, hundreds of
|
|||
|
|
digitized audio clips and other assorted goodies such as spreadsheet-style
|
|||
|
|
tables. There are some features that are not currently feasible on the GS,
|
|||
|
|
such as the 'Atlas' feature (it makes a Mac LC II crawl). Movies are not
|
|||
|
|
currently supported either, but I have reason to expect this to change in
|
|||
|
|
the future.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There are a few other misc. features I haven't had time to figure
|
|||
|
|
out, and depending on sales I will go back in & finish them up.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The color imaging seems to work quite a bit better than on the
|
|||
|
|
previous discQuest titles, for a number of reasons.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
> What year Comptons is being sold?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We're going to be selling the Compton's New Century Encyclopedia,
|
|||
|
|
1994 edition.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
> Is this in stock ready to go now?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It will be ready to ship shortly after July 1.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jawaid (PROCYON.INC, CAT20, TOP2, MSG:202/M645;1)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>> MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT <<<
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Category 5, Topic 8
|
|||
|
|
Message 49 Mon Jun 06, 1994
|
|||
|
|
BARNABAS [G.Templeman] at 13:57 EDT
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
> But every day there are less vendors, less programer, less support.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
As a programmer who is STILL supporting ONLY the Apple IIGS, I get
|
|||
|
|
VERY tired of people who complain about lack of Apple II support. Softdisk
|
|||
|
|
G-S is a quality product, putting out cool new games, new productivity
|
|||
|
|
software, new system extensions, new patch programs, new fonts, new clip
|
|||
|
|
art, new templates, and new ideas every month. GS+ is another publication
|
|||
|
|
putting out great original software on a periodical basis. If you don't
|
|||
|
|
subscribe to SDGS or GS+, then you have NO RIGHT to complain about there
|
|||
|
|
not being enough vendors, programmers, or support... because you are not
|
|||
|
|
taking advantage of what IS available.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you are starving to death, you may complain about the famine, but
|
|||
|
|
not if you're turning up your nose at all the food at the grocery store!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-G.T. Barnabas (my opinions are my own)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[*][*][*]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
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
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
by jmaharaj@mango.flex.com
|
|||
|
|
(reproduced from the Jerry Pournelle RT)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The news is out folks (okay, it's still a rumor officially.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FLEX will be adopting the new terminology standard suggested by
|
|||
|
|
Windows Sources in their latest June issue. The Bureau for Avoiding
|
|||
|
|
Lexically Offending Neologisms Engineered Yesterday has set down
|
|||
|
|
regulations designed to make sure that any words used to describe software
|
|||
|
|
or hardware do not unintentionally offend anyone.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Following are some of the changes:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1) Hard disk drives will now be referred to as tumescent disk drives.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2) Floppy disk drives shall be now called relaxed disk drives.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3) Software bugs are now new features.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4) Fatal software bugs are now special features.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
5) System crashes will be rephrased as upgrade opportunity.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
6) The turbo/slow button on a system will now be called
|
|||
|
|
turbo/megahertz-challanged button.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
7) A drive's FAT, formally File Allocation Table, will now be called
|
|||
|
|
HEFTY, How Each File Takes Yards.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
8) For the computer manufacturer, the on/off switches must now be
|
|||
|
|
both child proof and accessible to arthritic users.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
9) The BIOS, Basic Input/Output System will be replaced with the
|
|||
|
|
less graphic BMCES, Basic Mutually Consenting Exchange System.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
10) For software developers, screen color schemes are required to
|
|||
|
|
include black, brown, red, yellow, and white in an accurate
|
|||
|
|
reflection of the racial makeup as recorded in the 1990 U.S.
|
|||
|
|
Census.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Please input your comments on the new standard being implemented.
|
|||
|
|
Thank you.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[EOA]
|
|||
|
|
[REF]//////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
REFLECTIONS /
|
|||
|
|
/////////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
Thinking About Online Communications
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
by Phil Shapiro
|
|||
|
|
[P.SHAPIRO1]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>> SOME THOUGHTS ON THE NATURE OF HUMAN FELLOWSHIP <<<
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The other day I was a surfing around the Internet when I came across
|
|||
|
|
a really interesting USENET newsgroup. (For those who might not know, a
|
|||
|
|
USENET newsgroup functions in the same capacity as an international
|
|||
|
|
bulletin board system. People can read and post messages on any one of
|
|||
|
|
several hundred newsgroup topics.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The newsgroup I encountered focussed on the subject of autism. Most
|
|||
|
|
of the messages posted to this newsgroup were by parents and relatives of
|
|||
|
|
autistic persons. It was fascinating to read the questions people posed,
|
|||
|
|
and the answers given in response.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Even more interesting was the fact that the people posting to this
|
|||
|
|
newsgroup were scattered all around the globe. So a parent in Amarillo,
|
|||
|
|
Texas could be posting a message to the newsgroup one day, and hear a
|
|||
|
|
response from an autism researcher in Italy the next day.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
What struck me particularly about this newsgroup is the way it served
|
|||
|
|
to connect persons of shared interest. Being the parent of a special needs
|
|||
|
|
child can be an intensely isolating experience at times. Who can you turn
|
|||
|
|
to when you have questions about your child? The child's pediatrician, of
|
|||
|
|
course, can help answer some of the medical questions a parent might have.
|
|||
|
|
But few doctors have the time or patience to answer the myriad questions a
|
|||
|
|
parent with a special needs child might have.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Who better to help answer your questions than parents in a similar
|
|||
|
|
situation? They have been where you are now and have encountered what you
|
|||
|
|
are now encountering. If nothing else, they can lend a sympathetic ear and
|
|||
|
|
offer the type of general nurturing advice that we all need at times in our
|
|||
|
|
lives.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I was also interested to note that not all was calm and harmonious in
|
|||
|
|
the autism newsgroup. Several disagreements and disputes flared from time
|
|||
|
|
to time. Surprising? Not really. People have different views about
|
|||
|
|
things. It's natural that they might disagree at times. Disagreements can
|
|||
|
|
even be productive, for they force us to carefully re-examine the
|
|||
|
|
supporting reasons for our points of view.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
To be sure, a fate worse than disagreement and discord is isolation
|
|||
|
|
and silence. Imagine having an autistic child and living in a country
|
|||
|
|
without established online networks. Suppose you lived in rural Pakistan?
|
|||
|
|
Chances are that the phone lines in rural Pakistan, where present, are not
|
|||
|
|
good enough to support the use of a modem.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Suppose, further, that the closest village is a five mile walk from
|
|||
|
|
yours. And that the closest town is a full day's journey. And that a trip
|
|||
|
|
to the capital city would take three days to travel there and back.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Now suppose that you find out that your newborn child has special
|
|||
|
|
needs. Need not be autism; it could be any special need. Your sense of
|
|||
|
|
isolation would be intense, immediate, and all-encompassing. No person to
|
|||
|
|
turn to. No place to go to seek friendly advice. The isolation could seem
|
|||
|
|
overwhelming, even for one accustomed to living in a remote locale.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
What online communications has to offer is fellowship. Fellowship is
|
|||
|
|
one of the most primal of human needs. Fellowship is the glue that holds
|
|||
|
|
society together. We engage in fellowship when we gather around to
|
|||
|
|
celebrate a birthday, to rejoice at a wedding, to mourn at a funeral.
|
|||
|
|
Fellowship is chatting with a fellow human being on the street corner.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
That street corner has expanded in dimensions in recent years.
|
|||
|
|
Anyone with a modem can share fellowship with several million other persons
|
|||
|
|
who are online.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
As I reflected upon the autism newsgroup, I noted the bittersweet
|
|||
|
|
irony of a newsgroup on autism. Autism is a neurological condition that
|
|||
|
|
can make a person less aware of the social dimensions of our existence.
|
|||
|
|
Persons with more severe forms of autism live in an isolated world whose
|
|||
|
|
boundary extends no more than a few millimeters beyond their skin.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It's not that such persons don't want to experience the joys of
|
|||
|
|
fellowship with other human beings. It's just that their brains are not
|
|||
|
|
wired for such experiences to take place.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Those of us who do have the capacity to experience fellowship should
|
|||
|
|
seize the chance to share ourselves with others. Whether via phone, via
|
|||
|
|
modem, or in person, seize those opportunities to be a human being among
|
|||
|
|
human beings. As social creatures, we become most human when we share our
|
|||
|
|
being with others.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-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 America Online at: pshapiro; via Internet at:
|
|||
|
|
pshapiro@aol.com.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
//////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
|
|||
|
|
/ /
|
|||
|
|
/ And did you ever wonder why the Psychic Hotline NEEDS a /
|
|||
|
|
/ 900#? If they were any good, they would call YOU. /
|
|||
|
|
/ They could bill you in advance, too. /
|
|||
|
|
/ /
|
|||
|
|
//////////////////////////////////////////// GARY.UTTER ////
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[EOA]
|
|||
|
|
[BEG]//////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
BEGINNER'S CORNER /
|
|||
|
|
/////////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
Polishing Green Apples
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
by Steve Weyhrich
|
|||
|
|
[S.WEYHRICH]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>> HOOKED ON STORAGE (Part 5) <<<
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
HOOKED ON ORGANIZATION After getting your hard disk installed, formatted,
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""" partitioned, and the disk management software put
|
|||
|
|
into place, an important consideration is how to organize your files to
|
|||
|
|
make them as easy to find as possible. There are as many different methods
|
|||
|
|
of arranging your directories as there are methods of housecleaning; I will
|
|||
|
|
suggest what makes sense to me, and you can adapt that to your own
|
|||
|
|
specifications.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DESKTOP VS. DISK First of all, remember that there is an important
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""" distinction between "memory" and disk storage. I've
|
|||
|
|
talked with people who told me that they had a computer with 4 megs of
|
|||
|
|
memory and 40 megs of memory. What they really had was a computer with 4
|
|||
|
|
megs of RAM, AND a hard disk (for storage of data) that could hold up to 40
|
|||
|
|
megs of data. RAM is where a program RUNS (is "executed"). Disks are used
|
|||
|
|
to STORE programs or data files. They are NOT the same. This is important
|
|||
|
|
to remember, if you want to keep the computer bullies from kicking sand all
|
|||
|
|
over your keyboard.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Consider this illustration. Imagine a desk, with a surface on which
|
|||
|
|
to work, and drawers for storing things. You might put papers on your
|
|||
|
|
desktop to work on, doing tasks such as reading, writing, sorting,
|
|||
|
|
stapling, shredding, coloring with crayons, cutting out paper dolls, and so
|
|||
|
|
on. When you are done with your papers, you put them into a file drawer in
|
|||
|
|
the desk for safekeeping and easy retrieval. While your papers are in the
|
|||
|
|
file drawer, you cannot very well work on them in the ways that were listed
|
|||
|
|
above. But you also cannot keep ALL your papers out on the desktop where
|
|||
|
|
you can work on them, as eventually it would get overcrowded and you would
|
|||
|
|
lose things.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
To connect the above example to a computer, the desktop refers to
|
|||
|
|
your RAM memory. The larger your RAM memory, the more documents (or
|
|||
|
|
programs) you can handle at a time. If you have a small amount of memory
|
|||
|
|
(a small desktop) you may be able to handle only a single document or
|
|||
|
|
program at a time.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The file drawer refers to your disk storage. If you have a small
|
|||
|
|
space in a drawer for storage, you may need many different individual
|
|||
|
|
drawers in which to store your papers. If you have several large drawers,
|
|||
|
|
you will have more space to store your papers, but it will require more
|
|||
|
|
work to organize them in a way that makes it easy to find them again.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ESTABLISHING ORDER The analogy of a file drawer also takes us into the
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""" realm of ORGANIZATION of a storage system. Just as
|
|||
|
|
the file drawers in a desk require some sort of structure to keep track of
|
|||
|
|
the papers within, so also does a hard disk demand structure to help keep
|
|||
|
|
track of files efficiently.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
When a file drawer is small, organization is less necessary. You can
|
|||
|
|
easily see the few folders that are there, and it is not difficult to
|
|||
|
|
quickly locate and retrieve an item. When the number of folders gets
|
|||
|
|
beyond a certain point, however, it becomes more time-consuming to find the
|
|||
|
|
particular folder you want, unless it is arranged in some order that makes
|
|||
|
|
sense to YOU. (Note that the method of organization does not necessarily
|
|||
|
|
have to make sense to anyone else; as long as YOU can find what you want
|
|||
|
|
quickly, then it is appropriately organized for YOU.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This organization can be in the form of dividers to separate
|
|||
|
|
different types of folders (correspondence, bills, insurance, financial,
|
|||
|
|
and so on), or perhaps just alphabetizing everything. You generally must
|
|||
|
|
decide on a maximum number of folders within a category that are
|
|||
|
|
manageable, and when they go beyond that number of folders it is time to
|
|||
|
|
subdivide. Also, the size of a folder depends on how many papers can be
|
|||
|
|
placed within it before it gets too heavy or fat to handle. (In my medical
|
|||
|
|
office, we must occasionally divide our patient charts if they become too
|
|||
|
|
large. It is not a pretty sight when a large, stuffed folder falls to the
|
|||
|
|
floor and explodes.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
On a computer, there are two basic ways of keeping your files on a
|
|||
|
|
disk. A "flat" structure just puts ALL the files in the same place. As
|
|||
|
|
with a few folders in the file drawer, this is fine, as long as there are
|
|||
|
|
only a few data files to keep track of. The older DOS 3.3 operating system
|
|||
|
|
for the Apple II could ONLY work in a flat structure, and so a printed
|
|||
|
|
catalog of a disk that contained many small files could run to several
|
|||
|
|
pages, usually with the files in no particular order. To try to deal with
|
|||
|
|
this limitation, a method was devised of creating "dividers", which were
|
|||
|
|
actually dummy file entries, usually in inverse type (black letters on
|
|||
|
|
white) to separate different types of files. Maintaining this required a
|
|||
|
|
utility that could sort the filenames on a disk, to keep the correct files
|
|||
|
|
within their boundaries.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Here is an example of a flat file list:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
/Disk1 <--- This is the name of the disk volume
|
|||
|
|
Letter.1
|
|||
|
|
Burger.Alert
|
|||
|
|
Letter.59b
|
|||
|
|
Eviction.Note
|
|||
|
|
MegaData.System
|
|||
|
|
Letter.2
|
|||
|
|
MD.Data.1
|
|||
|
|
MD.Data.2
|
|||
|
|
Space.Raiders
|
|||
|
|
Bozo.Graphics
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There is no particular order to these files, and they don't have much
|
|||
|
|
in common. Of course, the user could just as easily put the games on one
|
|||
|
|
disk, the word processing files on another disk, and so on. In this
|
|||
|
|
example, the number of files is still manageable, and would not really NEED
|
|||
|
|
any further organization. But as the number of files becomes larger,
|
|||
|
|
finding the particular one that is wanted will get more difficult.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ORDER WITH EXPANSION With the advent of the ProDOS operating system in
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""" 1984 (which was taken directly from the older SOS
|
|||
|
|
system used on the Apple III when it appeared in the late 1970s), a
|
|||
|
|
slightly different approach was taken. Although the flat structure could
|
|||
|
|
still be used, there was a limit of 51 files that could exist in the main
|
|||
|
|
(or root) directory of a disk. To store more files, it would be necessary
|
|||
|
|
to make use of a "hierarchical" system. This system allows creation of
|
|||
|
|
subdirectories (similar to using a separate file drawer in a filing
|
|||
|
|
cabinet). These subdirectories were not limited to a single level; they
|
|||
|
|
could go as "deeply" as there was room for the name that defined that
|
|||
|
|
drawer. (This was limited to 63 characters, including the "/" that was
|
|||
|
|
used to separate subdirectory levels.) Within each subdirectory, files
|
|||
|
|
were handled in just the same way as in the flat system; the filenames
|
|||
|
|
typically appeared in a list that was specific for ONLY that subdirectory.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Here is an example of an entire hierarchical file list:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
/Disk1
|
|||
|
|
/Data
|
|||
|
|
MegaData.System
|
|||
|
|
MD.Data.1
|
|||
|
|
MD.Data.2
|
|||
|
|
Letter.2
|
|||
|
|
/Word
|
|||
|
|
MegaWord.System
|
|||
|
|
Letter.1
|
|||
|
|
Letter.59b
|
|||
|
|
Eviction.Note
|
|||
|
|
Letter.2
|
|||
|
|
/Games
|
|||
|
|
Burger.Alert
|
|||
|
|
Space.Raiders
|
|||
|
|
/Graphics
|
|||
|
|
Bozo.Graphics
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Notice in this example that the file "Letter.2" is present in more
|
|||
|
|
than one subdirectory. As long as it is in a different subdirectory, there
|
|||
|
|
can be more than one file on the disk with the same name, even completely
|
|||
|
|
different types of files. This would not be possible if the disk was using
|
|||
|
|
only a flat file system (as in DOS 3.3, for example).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
When displaying this list of files on one level only, the top or root
|
|||
|
|
level of the directory looks like this:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
/Disk1
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Data
|
|||
|
|
Word
|
|||
|
|
Games
|
|||
|
|
Graphics
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A display of the files in the Data subdirectory would look like this:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
/Disk1/Data
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
MegaData.System
|
|||
|
|
MD.Data.1
|
|||
|
|
MD.Data.2
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and so on. Within any subdirectory, the files are displayed in a "flat"
|
|||
|
|
format; however, it is possible to change to another directory and access
|
|||
|
|
THOSE files also, still in the flat format.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Notice that at the top of the root directory shown above is the name
|
|||
|
|
of the disk, "/Disk1". In the ProDOS method of organizing disks, the start
|
|||
|
|
of a "path" to a file begins with a slash to indicate to the system that
|
|||
|
|
this is the name of a disk, rather than the name of a file or subdirectory.
|
|||
|
|
When the "Data" subdirectory was displayed, the name shown was
|
|||
|
|
"/Disk1/Data". Again, a slash is used, but here to indicate that the file
|
|||
|
|
"Data" (a subdirectory) is under the directory "/Disk1". This "pathname"
|
|||
|
|
specifies to the computer the path it must take to find a file on a disk.
|
|||
|
|
The full pathname for the file named "MD.Data.1" would then be
|
|||
|
|
"/Disk1/Data/MD.Data.1"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Under GS/OS on the Apple IIgs, the same format is used, but the colon
|
|||
|
|
typically is used as a separating character, just as is done on the
|
|||
|
|
Macintosh. Either the "/" or ":" character is acceptable in a pathname,
|
|||
|
|
but they cannot be mixed (i.e., :Disk1:Data:MD.Data.1 is acceptable;
|
|||
|
|
:Disk1:Data/MD.Data.1 is NOT).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Finally, understand that there can be as many subdirectories in a
|
|||
|
|
pathname as you can fit, as long as the total number of characters is less
|
|||
|
|
than the limit. Since there is a limit of 63 characters in a pathname
|
|||
|
|
under ProDOS, the deepest that subdirectories could be nested would be 29
|
|||
|
|
levels, with each one a having only single letter name (i.e., "A", "B",
|
|||
|
|
"C", etc). The top level would be the root directory, also a single letter
|
|||
|
|
name, and the name of the file could only be a single letter. The full
|
|||
|
|
pathname for such a file would be:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
/A/B/C/D/E/F/G/H/I/J/K/L/M/N/O/P/Q/R/S/T/U/V/W/X/Y/Z/A/B/C/D/E
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In this example, the disk volume name is "/A", which has a
|
|||
|
|
subdirectory named "B" under it, which has a subdirectory named "C" under
|
|||
|
|
it, and so on down to a deeper subdirectory named "D". Within that
|
|||
|
|
subdirectory is the file, named "E". (If you REALLY need to be organized
|
|||
|
|
down to THAT deep a level, you need to be referred to
|
|||
|
|
Obsessive-Compulsive's Anonymous.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
WHAT GOOD ARE PATHNAMES? To get the most use out of the hierarchical
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""" filing system that ProDOS provides, it is best
|
|||
|
|
to use sensible names that are not too long, but are long enough to tell
|
|||
|
|
what they are for. This makes it easier to find the program or file that
|
|||
|
|
you want.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
For example, I have the subdirectories on part of my hard disk
|
|||
|
|
organized in this fashion:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
/C : Disk Volume Name
|
|||
|
|
|--/MODEM : Telecommunications files
|
|||
|
|
| |--/GEM : GEM (GEnie Master) files
|
|||
|
|
| | |--/S : GEM UltraMacros samples
|
|||
|
|
| | |--/T : GEM UltraMacros task files
|
|||
|
|
| | |--/TIC.SCRIPTS : GEM Script files for TIC
|
|||
|
|
| | |--/SP.Scripts : GEM Script files for Spectrum
|
|||
|
|
| | |--/LIB : GEM library files
|
|||
|
|
| |--/TIC : Talk Is Cheap terminal program
|
|||
|
|
| | |--/TERMCAPS : Terminal emulation files
|
|||
|
|
| |--/SPECTRUM : Spectrum terminal program
|
|||
|
|
| |--/MACH : Files from local BBS
|
|||
|
|
|--/WORD : Word processing files
|
|||
|
|
| |--/AW1.2 : AppleWorks 1.2 program files
|
|||
|
|
| |--/AW3 : AppleWorks 3.0 program files
|
|||
|
|
| |--/AW.INITS : Inits for AppleWorks
|
|||
|
|
| |--/TIMEOUT : TimeOut applications for AppleWorks
|
|||
|
|
| |--/AW4 : AppleWorks 4.0 program files
|
|||
|
|
| | |--/AW.INITS
|
|||
|
|
| | |--/TIMEOUT
|
|||
|
|
| |--/FILES : Document files created by AppleWorks
|
|||
|
|
| |--/ARC : General archives from GEnie
|
|||
|
|
| |--/NEWS : A2 News Digest files
|
|||
|
|
| |--/LAMP : Articles for GEnieLamp A2
|
|||
|
|
| |--/HISTORY : Apple II History files
|
|||
|
|
| |--/FINANCIAL : Financial spreadsheets
|
|||
|
|
| |--/JOKES : Humor files
|
|||
|
|
|--/SYSTEM : GS/OS System files
|
|||
|
|
|--/DESK.ACCS
|
|||
|
|
|--/SYSTEM.SETUP
|
|||
|
|
|--/FONTS
|
|||
|
|
|--/CDEVS
|
|||
|
|
|--/DRIVERS
|
|||
|
|
|--/TOOLS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This is not necessarily the BEST method of setting up a hard disk,
|
|||
|
|
but it works well for me. Notice that I have placed the various types of
|
|||
|
|
AppleWorks files within a subdirectory named "FILES", and beneath THAT
|
|||
|
|
level is another set of subdirectories that hold more files in a fashion
|
|||
|
|
that makes sense to me. To find the A2 News Digest for July 1993, I just
|
|||
|
|
use the path "/C/WORD/FILES/NEWS/NEWS.GENIE.9307". If a subdirectory gets
|
|||
|
|
too large (too many files to quickly find them), my personal preference is
|
|||
|
|
to subdivide it and make another subdirectory with files as similar as
|
|||
|
|
possible grouped within it. Since I don't care to make paper copies of the
|
|||
|
|
contents of my subdirectories, it is both easier and faster for me to have
|
|||
|
|
no more than one or two screens of filenames (i.e., 20-40) to review when
|
|||
|
|
looking for a file.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FINALE The main thing I want you to take away from this month's article
|
|||
|
|
"""""" is to consider some sort of organization when planning how you
|
|||
|
|
will use a hard disk. It will simplify your daily use of it later, when
|
|||
|
|
you begin to accumulate more and more files.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In this series I have gone through the process of selecting, setting
|
|||
|
|
up, and using a hard disk on the Apple II and IIgs. Although there is
|
|||
|
|
still more to be said about OTHER aspects of using Apple II computers, my
|
|||
|
|
available time for writing articles has become considerably more limited in
|
|||
|
|
recent months, and so I will at this time have to bid you goodbye for now.
|
|||
|
|
This is the twelfth article in the "Polishing Green Apples" series, and I
|
|||
|
|
hope that they have been useful to you. Apple II Forever!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[*][*][*]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Steve Weyhrich is a family physician from Omaha, Nebraska. He
|
|||
|
|
has been using Apple II computers since 1981, and writing about
|
|||
|
|
them since 1990. He follows closely the events that continue to
|
|||
|
|
shape the destiny of the legendary Apple II and IIgs computers,
|
|||
|
|
and compiles a monthly column called the "A2 News Digest" for
|
|||
|
|
A2-Central disk magazine. He is also the author of the "Apple II
|
|||
|
|
History", available on fine BBSes everywhere, and drawing to a
|
|||
|
|
close in this month's issue of GEnieLamp A2.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[TEC]//////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
TECH TALK /
|
|||
|
|
/////////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
Apple II Hybrids
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
by Jay Curtis
|
|||
|
|
[J.CURTIS8]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>> THE MACINTOSH LC/IIE HYBRID (Continued) <<<
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
One can make a very good case for the statement that virtually all of
|
|||
|
|
Apple's success has depended upon the Apple II. The company was founded
|
|||
|
|
with the Apple II product line. It was the Apple II that kept Apple in
|
|||
|
|
business during its failed experiment with the Apple III. While the first
|
|||
|
|
Macs struggled to carve out their own market niche, the Apple II was there
|
|||
|
|
as Apple's bread and butter machine. Finally, the slim-lined, LC-style
|
|||
|
|
Macs -- which now have become Apple's best selling computers -- may well
|
|||
|
|
have failed if Apple had not initially sold three-quarters of them as
|
|||
|
|
hybrid systems with the Apple IIe PDS (Processor Direct Slot) card.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Considered only as a Macintosh, the LC was something of a hybrid by
|
|||
|
|
itself. Fitted with Motorola's 68020 microprocessor, the LC had a Mac
|
|||
|
|
II-level color display. However, without the Mac II's math coprocessor,
|
|||
|
|
the LCs ran like the slower Mac SE/30. Having one processor-direct slot,
|
|||
|
|
they were somewhat expandable like a Mac II, but they could also be
|
|||
|
|
considered plug-and-play like a Mac Classic. Today's LC-style Macs
|
|||
|
|
continue to use essentially the same motherboard and PDS setup as the
|
|||
|
|
original LCs, but all of them run much faster with Motorola's 68030 and
|
|||
|
|
68LC040 microprocessors.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The newest LCs have not only increased in speed, but they have also
|
|||
|
|
increased their RAM and hard disk storage over the original models. The
|
|||
|
|
originals were sold with 2MB, expandable to 10MB, while today's
|
|||
|
|
68LC040-based machines are sold with 4MB and can be expanded to a whopping
|
|||
|
|
36MB! While few users may need that much memory, today's graphic-based,
|
|||
|
|
memory-hungry, Macintosh system software and applications benefit mightily
|
|||
|
|
from all the RAM that they can access.(1) The LC's basic, internal hard
|
|||
|
|
drive has grown over the past three years from 40MB to 80MB, with larger
|
|||
|
|
drives optionally available. Finally, the original LC's basic 256K video
|
|||
|
|
RAM has grown to 512K, and it is optionally expandable to 1MB... enough for
|
|||
|
|
32,000-color capability on 14 inch monitors.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Potential buyers should keep in mind that the amount of memory and
|
|||
|
|
speed will tend to vary with the LC-style model selected in the Performa,
|
|||
|
|
Quadra, and LC lines. Additionally, it should be kept in mind that while
|
|||
|
|
the LC's Macintosh side has grown in memory, storage and speed, there have
|
|||
|
|
been essentially NO changes in the IIe PDS card's capabilities. Maximum
|
|||
|
|
RAM accessible by the IIe PDS card remains 1MB and the PDS card's 65C02
|
|||
|
|
microprocessor continues to run at 1 mhz in normal mode.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It seems useful to compare the IIe PDS card with the PC Transporter
|
|||
|
|
card. Both cards require their respective host computer's system software
|
|||
|
|
to manage most I/O functions, but management of video output is handled
|
|||
|
|
quite differently between the two. While the PCT card sidesteps ProDOS and
|
|||
|
|
communicates directly with the monitor with its own on-board, CGA video
|
|||
|
|
controller, the LC's PDS card uses the Mac's system software to provide a
|
|||
|
|
IIe video display. The IIe card possesses its own on-board ROM that
|
|||
|
|
translates IIe video output to the Mac's "Quickdraw" graphics language.
|
|||
|
|
The video output is subsequently handled like any other Mac video by the
|
|||
|
|
Mac's system software and microprocessor.(2)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Like the PCT and Trackstar cards, the Apple IIe PDS card possesses
|
|||
|
|
its own external disk drive connector. This connector allows both 3.5"
|
|||
|
|
and/or 5.25" ProDOS devices to be directly connected to the card. The IIe
|
|||
|
|
PDS card requires a 3.5 UniDisk drive. However, for most LC/IIe hybrid
|
|||
|
|
users there is probably no advantage to connecting a UniDisk 3.5 drive to
|
|||
|
|
the IIe card, because the IIe card's system software also allows access to
|
|||
|
|
the Mac's own high density Superdrive as a ProDOS device. Also, like the
|
|||
|
|
PC Transporter and Trackstar, the Mac's IIe emulation allows for use of its
|
|||
|
|
host computers' hard disk drive for storage of programs and data.(3)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The IIe PDS card possesses most of the important hardware components
|
|||
|
|
of a IIe, including the 65C02 microprocessor, 128K of on-board RAM, and a
|
|||
|
|
ROM chip with Applesoft BASIC installed. However, without the special IIe
|
|||
|
|
card software and Mac operating system, the card would be useless as a IIe.
|
|||
|
|
Three essential IIe card files ("IIe Startup," "IIe Prefs," and
|
|||
|
|
"Basic.System") must be installed on the LC's hard disk before the IIe PDS
|
|||
|
|
card can be booted and run.(4) An optional fourth file, called "ProDOS
|
|||
|
|
File System," resides in the Mac's system folder and enables the Mac to
|
|||
|
|
display and manipulate ProDOS disks, directories and subdirectories on its
|
|||
|
|
desktop. However, many users have found in the past that this file can
|
|||
|
|
interfere with file translation between HFS and ProDOS on the Mac desktop,
|
|||
|
|
and they have chosen not to include this file in their installation.(5)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The special IIe card software file called "IIe Prefs" is required in
|
|||
|
|
order to store information about how the user wishes their IIe card to be
|
|||
|
|
configured.(6) Configuration is done through the IIe card's control panel,
|
|||
|
|
which is called the "IIe Option Panel". This control panel is a Macintosh
|
|||
|
|
menu that is separate from the Mac's own control panel. The Option Panel
|
|||
|
|
is accessed similarly to the IIgs and Mac control panels by simply using
|
|||
|
|
the mouse to point and click on desired options and features.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The "IIe Option Panel" is really the heart of the LC's IIe emulator.
|
|||
|
|
Virtually every functional aspect of a real IIe can be managed with the
|
|||
|
|
Option Panel. The user metaphorically configures slots in the Option Panel
|
|||
|
|
by dragging and dropping icons (which represent peripheral devices or
|
|||
|
|
cards) into graphic representations of IIe slots. There are icons for
|
|||
|
|
printers, a mouse, clock, block storage devices, network card, modem, and
|
|||
|
|
memory card which can be moved around in these phantom slots. The IIe
|
|||
|
|
emulator's slot 5 can additionally be configured for four smartport storage
|
|||
|
|
devices. Also, any of the IIe's 7 slots can be set for startup, or the
|
|||
|
|
user can select "scan".
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In addition to phantom slot management, the IIe Option Panel is also
|
|||
|
|
used to configure serial ports, keyboard and mouse response, system speed
|
|||
|
|
in "normal" or "fast" mode and the startup sound setting. The IIe screen
|
|||
|
|
display can be set for monochrome or color, and the text display can be set
|
|||
|
|
for black characters on a white background or for normal white characters
|
|||
|
|
on a black background. All of these settings, phantom slots and devices
|
|||
|
|
correspond to the LC's own settings, ports and devices, with the exception
|
|||
|
|
of those devices which are connected to the IIe card's own disk drive
|
|||
|
|
connector. By making slot changes, the user basically tells the PDS card
|
|||
|
|
and software how they want the Mac's IIe emulation to represent itself to
|
|||
|
|
the IIe software.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Telecomm users have reported that the LC/IIe is simply not suitable
|
|||
|
|
for running 8-bit, Apple II communication programs. Even Apple's "IIe Card
|
|||
|
|
Owner's Guide" reports that the user may experience problems when trying to
|
|||
|
|
"use modems at a baud rate of 2400 or above". Apple says, "you may be able
|
|||
|
|
to solve the problem and still use a higher baud rate" by selecting
|
|||
|
|
"Monochrome" in the Option Panel.(8) However, Apple makes no promises, and
|
|||
|
|
GEnie users have reported no luck in their attempts get adequate
|
|||
|
|
performance out of their Apple II telecommunication programs with the IIe
|
|||
|
|
card. One obvious solution is to use the Mac side of the hybrid for
|
|||
|
|
telecomm. The downside, according to many GEnie A2 members, is that few
|
|||
|
|
Mac comm programs can match the better Apple II programs like ProTERM.(9)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Many AppleWorks users, especially those who are used to working on an
|
|||
|
|
unaccelerated IIe or IIc, will find that the LC/IIe hybrid will exceed
|
|||
|
|
their requirements for an AppleWorks power system. Hard disk storage can
|
|||
|
|
be configured for up to 4 ProDOS partitions or 120MB.(7) Improved speed in
|
|||
|
|
program execution can be achieved by doing three things: First, the "Fast"
|
|||
|
|
setting in the LC/IIe's control panel will increase the card's processing
|
|||
|
|
speed to double that of a standard IIe. Next, additional performance can
|
|||
|
|
be realized by selecting the "monochrome" rather than the "Color" setting
|
|||
|
|
in the Option Panel's "Display" menu. Finally, if you don't need ALL of
|
|||
|
|
the 1MB RAM available to the IIe card, use a RAM disk for running
|
|||
|
|
AppleWorks.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I use AppleWorks at home on an unaccelerated GS in "Fast" mode. At
|
|||
|
|
work, I run AppleWorks from a RAM disk on an LC-III with IIe card set to
|
|||
|
|
"Monochrome" display and "Fast" mode. I have noticed some slight
|
|||
|
|
degradation of AppleWorks' performance on the LC/IIe, compared to the GS,
|
|||
|
|
but not enough to be an irritant, and the advantages of being able to print
|
|||
|
|
AppleWorks documents effortlessly over a Mac network to a Laser printer
|
|||
|
|
seem to balance things out nicely. On the Macintosh side, the ability to
|
|||
|
|
import an AppleWorks document to MicroSoft Works and print it out using the
|
|||
|
|
Mac's superior fonts is also a very positive advantage.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Next month, in our final hybrid series article, we'll take a hard
|
|||
|
|
look at the future of Apple II computing. We'll talk about what's involved
|
|||
|
|
in running software emulations on the new "Power" RISC systems
|
|||
|
|
(potentially, the ultimate hybrid computers), and we'll solicit the
|
|||
|
|
opinions of some of our GEnie A2 members and programmers to see what they
|
|||
|
|
think is the likelihood of an Apple IIe or IIgs emulation for the Power
|
|||
|
|
Mac. Until then, think hybrid!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NOTES
|
|||
|
|
"""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(1) From this writer's own experience, the standard 4MB found in the latest
|
|||
|
|
machines is insufficient.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(2) Another way of saying this is: When you look at IIe software running
|
|||
|
|
on a Mac PDS card, you're looking at a Macintosh's INTERPRETATION of a
|
|||
|
|
IIe video display. However, when you look at PC software running on a
|
|||
|
|
IIgs' PCT card, you're looking at a REAL, digital PC display, not
|
|||
|
|
mediated or interpreted by ProDOS. For the most part, however, no one
|
|||
|
|
should be concerned about these differences. The Mac's IIe video
|
|||
|
|
rendering is quite faithful and is at least as fast as the original,
|
|||
|
|
even on the first LCs.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(3) The LC/IIe setup enjoys certain advantages over a PC Transporter
|
|||
|
|
running in a IIgs or IIe when it comes to disk storage. While a Mac
|
|||
|
|
hard drive can have both ProDOS and HFS partitions, the PCT requires a
|
|||
|
|
special ProDOS file to EMULATE an MS-DOS hard drive partition.
|
|||
|
|
Additionally, while the Mac's Superdrive can re-write CGR/ProDOS
|
|||
|
|
through its own system software, most standard Apple drives cannot
|
|||
|
|
re-write MFM/MS-DOS. Consequently, the reader may recall from past
|
|||
|
|
articles that when the PC Transporter accesses a standard Apple drive
|
|||
|
|
through the Apple II and ProDOS, MS-DOS is laid down in low-level CGR
|
|||
|
|
format, which can make file transfer problematical.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(4) It should be noted that the file "Basic.System" is a Mac file and is
|
|||
|
|
different from the "Basic.System" file found on IIe ProDOS disks.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(5) It was not possible to determine as of this writing if any current or
|
|||
|
|
modified version of this file has overcome these problems. However,
|
|||
|
|
the file is available in GEnie's Macintosh software libraries.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(6) For users of the PCT card, an analogous ProDOS system file is the
|
|||
|
|
"AEPC.CONFIG" file.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(7) Of course, sufficient hard disk storage must exist in order to
|
|||
|
|
configure for this much space. However, in many cases, former IIe
|
|||
|
|
users can connect their old SCSI hard disk to the LC's SCSI port and
|
|||
|
|
use it immediately with the IIe PDS card.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(8) Apple IIe Card Owners Guide, p. 106.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(9) Some good news is that InTrec intends to release a Mac version of their
|
|||
|
|
ProTERM software. How well this software will maintain the Apple II
|
|||
|
|
version's power, look, and feel will undoubtedly influence the purchase
|
|||
|
|
of many users.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[EOA]
|
|||
|
|
[ASA]//////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
ASCII ART GALLERY /
|
|||
|
|
/////////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
July Celebrations
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
by Susie Oviatt
|
|||
|
|
[SUSIE]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
***
|
|||
|
|
*****
|
|||
|
|
*****
|
|||
|
|
***
|
|||
|
|
:::\ .,,,,,,,..
|
|||
|
|
::: \;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,. ..,,aaa@@@@@@@a,. .
|
|||
|
|
::: ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;@@aaaaaaaaaa@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@aaa, ,;,
|
|||
|
|
::: ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/'\@@@@@@@@@@@@@@;,,,,;;;'
|
|||
|
|
::: ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;@@@@@@@@@/\@/;;;;;\@/\@@@@@@@@@;;;;;;;;'
|
|||
|
|
::: ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;@@@@@@@@@`;;;;;;;;;;;'@@@@@@@@@;;;;;;;'
|
|||
|
|
::: ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;@@@@@@/\@@`;;;;;;;;;'@@/\@@@@@@;;;;;;'
|
|||
|
|
::: ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;@@@/\/;;\@@.;;;;;;;.@@/;;\/\@@@;;;;;'
|
|||
|
|
::: ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;@@@;;;;;;;\@;;;;;;;@/;;;;;;;@@@;;;;'
|
|||
|
|
::: ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;@@<;;;;;;;;`;;;;;;;';;;;;;;;>@@;;;'
|
|||
|
|
::: ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;@@@@\;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;/@@@@;;'
|
|||
|
|
::: ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;@@@@@@\/;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\/@@@@@@@;'
|
|||
|
|
::: ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;@@@@@@@@@@@\;;;;;;;/@@@@@@@@@@@'
|
|||
|
|
::: /''';;;;;;;;;;;;;@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@;@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
|
|||
|
|
:::/ '''::;;;;@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@;@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
|
|||
|
|
::: '"""***@@@@@@@@@@@@@@****""';;;;
|
|||
|
|
::: :;;'
|
|||
|
|
::: ;;'
|
|||
|
|
::: ;'
|
|||
|
|
::: '
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
:::
|
|||
|
|
/:::::\
|
|||
|
|
:::::::
|
|||
|
|
=======
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Oh, Canada..."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
{}
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|| .,,;;;;;;,,..
|
|||
|
|
||.;;;;;;*;;;;;;;*;;, ..,,;;;;;;%%%%%,
|
|||
|
|
||';*;;;;;;;;*;;;;;;,::*::;;;*;;%%%%%%>>%%%%%, .;
|
|||
|
|
|| ';;;;;*;;;;;;;;*;;,:::::*;;;;;@@@##>>%%%%%%, ..,,;%%%%'
|
|||
|
|
|| ;*;;;;;;;;*;;;;;;,::*;:;;;;*;@@@@##ooO0@@##>>%%%%%%%%%%%%%%'
|
|||
|
|
|| ;;;;;;*;;;;;;;;*;;,:;:::*;;;;%%%%%%ooO0@@##>>%%%%%%%%%%a@@'
|
|||
|
|
|| ;;*;;;;;;;;;*;;;;;,::*;::;;;*;%%%%%%>>%%%%%%ooO@@@@@@@@@@@
|
|||
|
|
|| ;;;;;;*;;;;;;;;*;;,:::::;*;;;;@@@@##>>%%%%%%%ooO@@@@@@@@%%
|
|||
|
|
|| ;;*;;;;;;;;;*;;;;;;,::*;:;;;*;@@@@@##ooO0@@##>>%%%%%%%%%%%
|
|||
|
|
|| ;;;;;;;*;;;;;;;*;;;,:::::*;;;;;%%%%%%ooO0@@@##>>%%%%%%%%a@,
|
|||
|
|
|| ;;;*;;;;;;;;*;;;;;;,::*:;;;;;*;%%%%%%%>>%%%%%%%%ooO@@@@@@@@
|
|||
|
|
|| ;;;;;;;*;;;;;;;;*;;;,::::;*;;;;@@@@@##>>%%%%%%%%%ooO@@@@@%%'
|
|||
|
|
|| ;;*;;;;;;;;*;;;;;;;;,::*:;;;:;*;@@@@@##ooO0@@@@##>>%%%%%%%%
|
|||
|
|
|| ;;;;;;;*;;;;;;*;;;;*;,::::;*;;;;;%%%%%%ooO00@@@@##>>%%%%%a@
|
|||
|
|
|| ;*;;a@@@#######@@@@@a,:::*;;;;;;*;%%%%%%>>%%%%%%%%%ooO@@@@@,
|
|||
|
|
|| ;;@@@@@@#######@@@@@##ooO00@@@@@@@@@@@##>>%%%%%%%%%%ooO@@@%%
|
|||
|
|
|| a@@@%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%ooO00@@@@@@@@@@@@##ooO0@@@@##>>%%%%%%%
|
|||
|
|
|| @@%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%>>%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%ooO00@@@@##>>%%%a@@
|
|||
|
|
|| %%%%a@@##########@@@@##>>%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%>>%%%%%%%%%ooO@@@a
|
|||
|
|
|| %%@@@@@##########@@@@@##ooO0@@@@@@@@@@@@##>>%%%%%%%%%%ooO@%%
|
|||
|
|
|| a@@@%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%ooO0@@@@@@@@@@@@@##ooO0@@@@##>>%%%%%.
|
|||
|
|
|| @@%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%>>%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%ooO0@@@@@##>>%%%a@
|
|||
|
|
|| %%%%a@@############@@@@##>>%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%>>%%%%%%%%%%ooO@@a
|
|||
|
|
|| %%@@@@@############@@@@@##ooO0@@@@@@@@@@@@##>>%%%%%%%%%%%ooO%%
|
|||
|
|
|| a@@@%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%ooO0@@@@@@@@@@@@@##ooO0@@@@##%>>%%%%
|
|||
|
|
|| @@%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%>>%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%ooO0@@@@@##>>%%a@
|
|||
|
|
|| .%%%' `>%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%>>%%%%%%%%%ooO@@,
|
|||
|
|
||.%% `>%%%%%%%%%ooO%%%
|
|||
|
|
||' `%%%%%
|
|||
|
|
|| `%%'
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
|||
|
|
--
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Old Glory"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[This month GEnieLamp A2 celebrates Canada Day (July 1) and the
|
|||
|
|
U.S.A.'s independence day (July 4). We hope our international readers
|
|||
|
|
will join with us in these celebrations. -- Ed.]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[EOA]
|
|||
|
|
[DRT]//////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
DR'S EXAMINING TABLE /
|
|||
|
|
/////////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
Golden Oldie Review: ChessMaster 2100
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
by Darrel Raines
|
|||
|
|
[D.RAINES]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This month's column will examine the software classic ChessMaster
|
|||
|
|
2100. There have been computer chess games available ever since there have
|
|||
|
|
been any computer games. The quality of chess programs has always been a
|
|||
|
|
measure of a computer's ability to simulate intelligent thought.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I still have some of the original columns from Byte magazine that
|
|||
|
|
discuss the possibility of computers thinking. In those columns they
|
|||
|
|
discuss (perhaps for the first time in a national forum) the type of logic
|
|||
|
|
that computer chess games could employ to simulate the strategy used by a
|
|||
|
|
great chess player. In fact, computer chess games have been the subject of
|
|||
|
|
critical review for years as a test of the power of computers to out-think
|
|||
|
|
their creators. The theory is that if a computer can ever master chess
|
|||
|
|
better than the humans who are champions at the game, then the validity of
|
|||
|
|
"artificial intelligence" will have been proven.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Most versions of computer chess that run on home computers will never
|
|||
|
|
offer a serious challenge to the world champions. However, many software
|
|||
|
|
packages exist that will give the average (or better) chess player a run
|
|||
|
|
for their money. ChessMaster 2100 falls into this category.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This game was made available to many different platforms when it was
|
|||
|
|
first released. Two newer versions have appeared for the IBM platform
|
|||
|
|
entitled ChessMaster 3000 and 4000 turbo. Besides some additional bells
|
|||
|
|
and whistles added to the interface, the game does not appear to have been
|
|||
|
|
significantly enhanced in its game-play ability.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Apple IIgs version uses the familiar desktop interface with
|
|||
|
|
pull-down menus that allow easy access to the various game features. The
|
|||
|
|
game plays in 320x200 resolution graphics mode and offers good detail and
|
|||
|
|
color. The game runs from 3.5" disk or can be loaded onto a hard drive.
|
|||
|
|
The hard drive installation requires a third-party public domain program
|
|||
|
|
called "Chess.Finder" in order for the software to be run from the Apple
|
|||
|
|
System Finder. There is also a minor, but annoying, problem with the menu
|
|||
|
|
bar while using newer versions of the system software. You can still load
|
|||
|
|
and play the game, but the menu bar is black. The pull-down menus show up
|
|||
|
|
fine, but you must guess on the whereabouts of the top menu item. This
|
|||
|
|
minor problem aside, the game has no difficulties running under newer
|
|||
|
|
system software from a hard drive.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I should mention here that the game uses a form of copy protection
|
|||
|
|
that requires a date, person, or place to be looked up from the game
|
|||
|
|
manual. I don't consider this type of protection to be too onerous, but it
|
|||
|
|
certainly is not as convenient as no copy protection at all. In this area
|
|||
|
|
also there is help available. A file that I have seen on GEnie and other
|
|||
|
|
information systems shows how to get rid of the question all-together. I
|
|||
|
|
prefer this option, but warn you that only owners with a legal copy of the
|
|||
|
|
software should use this patch.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Okay, how does the game play? Great! I am a fairly good chess
|
|||
|
|
player and find that the game is difficult to beat on the higher levels.
|
|||
|
|
However, there is a penalty to pay in the form of processing time. The
|
|||
|
|
better you ask the computer to play, the longer it takes for the computer
|
|||
|
|
to make a move. This can mean a lot of time waiting on your part for the
|
|||
|
|
computer to pick out its next brilliant move. Of course, you can be using
|
|||
|
|
the time to your advantage by working on your next move. In any case, the
|
|||
|
|
game can be quite slow in the higher game play levels. An accelerator card
|
|||
|
|
can dramatically improve this performance. I would recommend an
|
|||
|
|
accelerator anyway, so that you can see marked improvement with all your
|
|||
|
|
software.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
One of the things that make ChessMaster 2100 better than any of its
|
|||
|
|
predecessors on the Apple II market is the number of features available at
|
|||
|
|
the click of a mouse. You can establish the strength of your computer
|
|||
|
|
opponent by choosing from a wide variety of options. Computer play
|
|||
|
|
strength can be selected from a range of 1 to 14. You can also select
|
|||
|
|
whether the computer will make random "less than the best" moves. You can
|
|||
|
|
even tell the computer to play like a dummy. If these options weren't
|
|||
|
|
enough, you can also choose from a number of timed-game modes. Anyone
|
|||
|
|
preparing for a real-world chess tournament will appreciate these modes.
|
|||
|
|
You can select any time constraint you want to use. The computer, and you,
|
|||
|
|
will be forced to make your moves in the specified time or that player will
|
|||
|
|
loose the game. For a really quick game you can choose the Blitz mode and
|
|||
|
|
the whole game must be completed in less than 10 minutes (i.e. 5 minutes
|
|||
|
|
per side to make all moves). There is also a feature called "Equal Time"
|
|||
|
|
mode where the computer is constrained to use about the same amount of time
|
|||
|
|
that you use to determine the next move.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The options don't end there. Many features are available for the
|
|||
|
|
human opponent. You can choose between three different views of the board.
|
|||
|
|
A 2D option will show the board from above. A 3D option will show a nice
|
|||
|
|
three-dimensional view of the board from one side. A "War Room" option
|
|||
|
|
provides a smaller 2D view with additional windows showing pieces captured,
|
|||
|
|
notation for moves made, and computer contemplated moves. If these
|
|||
|
|
features are not enough for you, you can also choose the colors that will
|
|||
|
|
be used for all pieces, the board colors, and you can even design and use a
|
|||
|
|
custom set of playing pieces.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A number of other good features of varying importance round out the
|
|||
|
|
package. The computer will play with no sound at all, bell sounds, music,
|
|||
|
|
or a human voice responding to play on both sides. A variety of
|
|||
|
|
informational windows can be turned on or off as a way of monitoring
|
|||
|
|
computer activity. There is a teaching mode where the computer will
|
|||
|
|
suggest your next play. There is a list of moves made so far. There is a
|
|||
|
|
computer thinking display that will give you insight into what plays the
|
|||
|
|
program is contemplating. Clock displays for the human and computer
|
|||
|
|
players can be turned on or off. All of these features are not strictly
|
|||
|
|
necessary, but add to the overall polish on the package.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I guess at this point you could say, "Nice review, but the real
|
|||
|
|
question is how well does it play chess?" I suppose this is a valid
|
|||
|
|
question. However, most people who buy computer chess programs are not all
|
|||
|
|
that strong at their game. I would venture to say that most people buy a
|
|||
|
|
chess package based on features, not on playing strength. I would rate the
|
|||
|
|
game strength of this program as equal to that of an experienced tournament
|
|||
|
|
chess player. That probably isn't enough of an answer, so I will attempt
|
|||
|
|
to expand upon the statement.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The program makes use of a large opening "book" that allows the
|
|||
|
|
computer to choose its first few moves from a time-honored collection of
|
|||
|
|
the best openings that the chess world has to offer. This is both a
|
|||
|
|
strength and a weakness for the computer. The response from the program
|
|||
|
|
will be instantaneous for the first few moves. However, once the opening
|
|||
|
|
book has been exhausted of moves, the computer must use its internal
|
|||
|
|
algorithm for making successive moves. The fallacy here is that the
|
|||
|
|
opening moves may have been geared toward an objective that the computer
|
|||
|
|
algorithm does not carry forward into subsequent moves. However, this does
|
|||
|
|
not show up as a weakness in too many games.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Once the internal algorithm takes over, the program is a good
|
|||
|
|
position player. The computer will attempt to crush you with its entire
|
|||
|
|
arsenal of pieces. The big advantage for the computer is this: it does
|
|||
|
|
not overlook any capture, fork, or discovered capture that is available in
|
|||
|
|
the next two or three moves. This is a tremendous advantage over the
|
|||
|
|
average human player. The advantage is even more obvious in timed games.
|
|||
|
|
I have slapped my forehead a number of times upon overlooking a simple
|
|||
|
|
fork. This is where one of the other attractive features of the game comes
|
|||
|
|
into play. You can take back any number of moves for yourself or the
|
|||
|
|
computer. This feature is probably important to the weekend pawn-pusher.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I have played chess on and off for the past 20 years. I have
|
|||
|
|
participated in many different forms of game play including postal chess
|
|||
|
|
and modem chess. (For those of you who want a rating to use for
|
|||
|
|
comparison, I have been rated anywhere from 1400 to 1900 during my chess
|
|||
|
|
playing career.) ChessMaster 2100 can beat me 9 times out of 10 in the
|
|||
|
|
tougher game modes. I can do a little better in the fast game play modes,
|
|||
|
|
but when the computer wins in the fast time play, it is usually because I
|
|||
|
|
failed to see something simple. Let me put the ratio at 5 out of 10 for
|
|||
|
|
the faster modes.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Bottom line on ChessMaster 2100: If you have any interest in chess,
|
|||
|
|
whether it is a casual spark or a deep seated love of the game, you owe it
|
|||
|
|
to yourself to get a copy of this program. You will find some combination
|
|||
|
|
of modes and timing constraints that will make the game play you on even
|
|||
|
|
ground. You will definitely enjoy this program and may actually improve
|
|||
|
|
your chess play.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Footnote: Many other features are included that I should not fail to
|
|||
|
|
mention. There is a save and load game feature. Over a hundred classic
|
|||
|
|
games have been saved on the distribution disks. There is an option to set
|
|||
|
|
up a game. There is also a solve for mate feature. The program will
|
|||
|
|
analyze a game and offer the moves that the computer would have made at any
|
|||
|
|
point in that game. You can print the board position at any time and the
|
|||
|
|
moves made so far. You can even tell the computer what your name is so
|
|||
|
|
that your chess clock will reflect that entry.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[*][*][*]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Darrel Raines is a computer user, programmer and sometime chess
|
|||
|
|
player. He is currently involved with the NASA Space Station
|
|||
|
|
development. With any luck, Americans will be playing chess in
|
|||
|
|
space by the year 2001.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[EOA]
|
|||
|
|
[HUN]//////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
THE TREASURE HUNT /
|
|||
|
|
/////////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
Yours For the Downloading
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
by Charlie Hartley
|
|||
|
|
[C.HARTLEY3]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Welcome back to the Treasure Hunt! This month we will take a look at
|
|||
|
|
some of the many uploads by Pat Kern [C.KERN1]. Pat has uploaded graphics
|
|||
|
|
files including images for Classic Print Shop (DOS 3.3), The New Print Shop
|
|||
|
|
(ProDOS), Print Shop GS, as well as many double high resolution (DHR)
|
|||
|
|
graphics that may be used with a desktop publishing program such as Publish
|
|||
|
|
It! 4.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In this month's column we will take a look at some of Pat's personal
|
|||
|
|
favorites. All these files are public domain.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We will begin with the Print Shop graphics, fonts, and borders. Not
|
|||
|
|
surprisingly, Pat is fond of the "Southwest" files created for the AzApple
|
|||
|
|
User Group (Phoenix, Arizona). She was involved with this group until she
|
|||
|
|
returned to Chicago.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Southwest print shop uploads were the signature graphics
|
|||
|
|
collection of the AzApple User Group public domain library. The full list
|
|||
|
|
is given below.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
File# File name Short Description
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
17103 STHWEST1.PS.BXY Southwest Print Shop graphics.
|
|||
|
|
17104 STHWEST2.PS.BXY Southwest Print Shop graphics.
|
|||
|
|
17105 STHWEST3.PS.BXY Southwest Print Shop graphics.
|
|||
|
|
17106 STHWEST4.PS.BXY Southwest Print Shop fonts/borders
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
17491 SWAZ.NPS.BXY Southwest graphics,fonts,borders for 3.5.
|
|||
|
|
17492 SWAZ.1.NPS.BXY Southwest New Print Shop for 5.25.
|
|||
|
|
17493 SWAZ.2.NPS.BXY Southwest New Print Shop for 5.25.
|
|||
|
|
17494 SWAZ.3.NPS.BXY Southwest New Print Shop for 5.25.
|
|||
|
|
17495 SWAZ.4.NPS.BXY Southwest New Print Shop for 5.25
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Since these are so similar, we will concentrate on the original
|
|||
|
|
Classic Print Shop stuff.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
STHWEST1.PS.BXY contains 62 Print Shop graphics that have a
|
|||
|
|
southwestern, cowboy, or wild west theme to them. My personal favorites on
|
|||
|
|
this disk are Siesta (a Mexican in a large sombrero napping), Roadrunner,
|
|||
|
|
Wagon 01 (covered wagon), Stagecoach, and Campfire. There are also many
|
|||
|
|
horse graphics, cute Native American graphics, and cowboy graphics.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
STHWEST2.PS.BXY contains 60 Print Shop graphics that continue the
|
|||
|
|
southwestern theme. There are 12 different sun graphics and 8 horse
|
|||
|
|
graphics. My favorites are Indian 06 which is almost a portrait of an
|
|||
|
|
Native American brave, and Indian 08 which portrays an attractive Native
|
|||
|
|
American woman.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
STHWEST3.PS.BXY contains 67 more Print Shop graphics. If you are
|
|||
|
|
looking for Print Shop graphics of the states of the Southwest, get this
|
|||
|
|
one. It includes a graphic of the entire region, as well as individual
|
|||
|
|
graphics of Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and
|
|||
|
|
Utah. These are well done. Probably my favorite graphic on the disk is
|
|||
|
|
"Gracias", which looks just like Teddy Roosevelt during his Rough Rider
|
|||
|
|
days.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
STHWEST4.PS.BXY contains 29 borders and 33 fonts files. The border
|
|||
|
|
files are all in the Southwestern theme. My personal favorite is Longhorn.
|
|||
|
|
The fonts include the following regular fonts (upper case, numbers,
|
|||
|
|
punctuation): Angeles, Austin, Berkeley, Cactus, California, Carmel,
|
|||
|
|
Cupertino, Dallas, Hollywood, Hombre, Houston, Lamoni, San.Diego,
|
|||
|
|
Santamonic, Seattle, Sierra, Slim, Texas, Tombstone, Utah, and Vegas.
|
|||
|
|
There are 4 font sets that include lowercase letters, numbers and
|
|||
|
|
punctuation marks: LCDallas, LCMonica, LCSierra, and LCTexas.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The best fonts on the disk include both upper case and lowercase
|
|||
|
|
letters plus a limited group of punctuation marks. They include AAngles,
|
|||
|
|
ABerkeley, ACupertino, ADallas, AHombre, AMonica, APalo.Alto, and ASierra.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There is also a text file on the disk titled INFO.FONTS that tells
|
|||
|
|
you how to access this last group of fonts. Since it may be a bit
|
|||
|
|
difficult for some to access that file, it is reproduced below.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[*][*][*]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"These Print Shop compatible fonts allow the user to combine Upper case
|
|||
|
|
with Lowercase. Letters from the keyboard produce lowercase. You will not
|
|||
|
|
be able to use numbers & most punctuation, since those characters are used
|
|||
|
|
for the upper case, so if you want to include addresses, phone numbers,
|
|||
|
|
dates, prices, etc. use another font. Use the following substitutions for
|
|||
|
|
upper case letters:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A 1 F 6 K - P & U ;
|
|||
|
|
B 2 G 7 L = Q * V :
|
|||
|
|
C 3 H 8 M # R ( W "
|
|||
|
|
D 4 I 9 N $ S ) X <
|
|||
|
|
E 5 J 0 O % T + Y >
|
|||
|
|
Z /
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Only certain punctuation can be used as follows: . , ' ? !
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
With most programs, the number or punctuation will appear on the monitor.
|
|||
|
|
It will look strange, but will print out OK. Trust me. With LLL program,
|
|||
|
|
WYSIWYG.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You may want to print out the above substitutions and keep it in the disk
|
|||
|
|
jacket for reference. It will save you time."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[*][*][*]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
As a side note, if you do a lot of Classic Print Shop (DOS 3.3)
|
|||
|
|
stuff, have many graphics disks for it (or plan to download all these), and
|
|||
|
|
you don't have "The PS Lover's Utility Set," stop what you're doing right
|
|||
|
|
now, rush to your phone, call the Big Red Computer Club at 402-379-4680 and
|
|||
|
|
beg them to sell you a copy of it. Among other things, it includes a
|
|||
|
|
program to print out all the graphics, borders, and fonts on a disk so that
|
|||
|
|
you can see at a glance which ones you want to use.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Uploads #17492-17495 contain essentially the same graphics, fonts,
|
|||
|
|
and borders for The New Print Shop (ProDOS) as are described above for
|
|||
|
|
Classic Print Shop (in uploads #17103-17106). They are not, however, in
|
|||
|
|
the same order. I recommend that you download all four, but if you are
|
|||
|
|
looking for the fonts and/or borders, they are on #17492-17493. All four
|
|||
|
|
of these may be found on one 3.5" upload by getting file #17491 from the
|
|||
|
|
library.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Colorized versions of these Southwest graphics were uploaded by
|
|||
|
|
N.TOULME and include the following:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
File# File name Short Description
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
18871 PSGS.SW.1.BXY PSGS Graphics, Southwestern Theme
|
|||
|
|
18872 PSGS.SW.2.BXY PSGS Graphics, Southwestern Theme
|
|||
|
|
18873 PSGS.SW.3.BXY PSGS Graphics, Southwestern Theme
|
|||
|
|
18874 PSGS.SW.4.BXY PSGS Fonts, borders; Southwest Theme
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Moving onto double high resolution (DHR) graphics, some of Pat's
|
|||
|
|
favorites are the school graphics found in the following files:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
16320 SCHOOL.1.BXY Desc: Double Hi Res school graphics.
|
|||
|
|
16377 SCHOOL.2.BXY Desc: More school Double Hi Res clipart.
|
|||
|
|
19418 SCHOOL.3.BXY Desc: DHR School Clipart. Part 3.
|
|||
|
|
19443 SCHOOL.4.BXY Desc: School DHR clipart. Part 4.
|
|||
|
|
16357 GRAD.1.BXY Desc: Double Hi Res Graduation clipart.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SCHOOL.1.BXY contains 16 graphics. These are black and white line
|
|||
|
|
art drawings produced on the Thunderscan. You can import any of these DHR
|
|||
|
|
graphics, into such programs as Publish It! 4, Dazzle Draw, 8/16 Paint,
|
|||
|
|
Platinum Paint, GraphicWriter III, Tutor Tech, TimeOut Paint, or any other
|
|||
|
|
program that accesses DHR graphics.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SCHOOL.2.BXY contains 16 more school graphics; SCHOOL.3.BXY and
|
|||
|
|
SCHOOL.4.BXY each contain 24 graphics. These are all great for school
|
|||
|
|
newsletters, flyers, teacher parent conferences & meetings, fundraising
|
|||
|
|
posters, advertising, and nearly anything you can think of that is school
|
|||
|
|
related.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GRAD.1.BXY contains 16 b/w line drawings all related to school
|
|||
|
|
graduation.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Another side note here: Big Red Computers is offering Publish It! 4
|
|||
|
|
for $25, which includes the disks and manuals. If you (or your child's
|
|||
|
|
school) have an enhanced Apple 128K IIe, IIc, IIc+, Laser, or Apple IIgs
|
|||
|
|
with a mouse (joystick also works, but not well), and you don't have this
|
|||
|
|
program, get it! The word is that Big Red is closing up shop at the end of
|
|||
|
|
this year, so don't waste time on this one.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Other favorites of Pat's include the 11 files of Jewish graphics and
|
|||
|
|
the 4 files of Wedding graphics. The file numbers, names and brief
|
|||
|
|
descriptions are listed below.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
File# File name Short Description
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
16737 JEW.01.DHR.BXY Jewish holiday & other clip art
|
|||
|
|
16747 JEW.02.DHR.BXY More Jewish DHR clip art
|
|||
|
|
16748 JEW.03.DHR.BXY Still more Jewish clip art
|
|||
|
|
16754 JEW.04.DHR.BXY Even more Jewish clipart.
|
|||
|
|
16831 JEW.05.DHR.BXY Bar Mitzvah DHR clipart.
|
|||
|
|
16898 JEW.06.DHR.BXY Jewish wedding Double Hi Res.
|
|||
|
|
16924 JEW.07.DHR.BXY Jewish double hi res clipart.
|
|||
|
|
16906 JEW.08.DHR.BXY Jewish Torah DHR clip art
|
|||
|
|
16915 JEW.09.DHR.BXY Even more Jewish DHR clipart.
|
|||
|
|
16929 JEW.10.DHR.BXY Still more Jewish DHR clipart.
|
|||
|
|
19464 JEW.11.DHR.BXY Jewish DHR clipart. Part 11.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
17525 WEDDING.1.BXY Wedding DHR graphics. Part 1.
|
|||
|
|
17549 WEDDING.2.BXY Wedding DHR graphics. Part 2.
|
|||
|
|
17674 WEDDING.3.BXY Wedding DHR graphics. Part 3.
|
|||
|
|
17714 WEDDING.4.BXY Wedding DHR graphics. Part 4.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you have a newborn, one on the way, or know an expectant mother,
|
|||
|
|
you will want to check out file #21177, titled BABY.1.BXY. This file
|
|||
|
|
contains 24 b/w line drawings of baby graphics that can be used for birth
|
|||
|
|
announcements, greeting cards, baby shower invitations, thank-yous, gift
|
|||
|
|
enclosures, photo albums, baby diaries, and anything else having to do with
|
|||
|
|
babies.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Pat has uploaded several files that help you to create attractive
|
|||
|
|
greeting cards and emboss a variety of things. Here are some files you may
|
|||
|
|
want to download.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
File# File name Short Description
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
17778 PI.GREETING.BXY Publish It greeting card How To.
|
|||
|
|
17850 PI.EMBOSS.BXY How to Emboss. Publish It doc.
|
|||
|
|
20818 EMBOSS.HINT.TXT Hints for embossing
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PI.GREETING.BXY, which requires Publish It!, was created by Vivian
|
|||
|
|
Lynes for AzApple User Group Journal. It explains how to create a greeting
|
|||
|
|
card using the Publish It! program. Just load the document into Publish
|
|||
|
|
It! and print it out to one page. The upload also includes a greeting card
|
|||
|
|
template to use in creating your own cards.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PI.EMBOSS.BXY, which also requires Publish It!, is a tutorial by
|
|||
|
|
Vivian Lynes that tells how to emboss using computer printouts. The layout
|
|||
|
|
was prepared by Pat Kern for AzApple Journal. To see this correctly,
|
|||
|
|
install the fonts Florence.12 and Florence.24 (included with upload) before
|
|||
|
|
printing.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
EMBOSS.HINT.TXT is a short text file giving some hints for embossing
|
|||
|
|
computer-generated greeting cards and even bank checks (for gift giving).
|
|||
|
|
It can be listed & captured in your copy buffer or downloaded as an ASCII
|
|||
|
|
text file.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Pat recommends the following files by Karl Bunker and Jon Thomason
|
|||
|
|
for those who use DHR graphics.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
File# File name Short Description
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
21357 SNEEZE.BXY Multi-purpose file utility
|
|||
|
|
14547 PHOTOMATRIX.BXY Great double hires print utility
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Sneeze in a terrific freeware file utility program. One of its
|
|||
|
|
features is the ability to display DHR graphics on command. I won't spend
|
|||
|
|
a lot of time on this except to say that if you don't have it, you should.
|
|||
|
|
While your at it, search the library for other Karl Bunker files. All of
|
|||
|
|
them are freeware and all are terrific.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
According to its long description, Photomatrix will print out a
|
|||
|
|
collection of DHR pics about the size of a half dollar on a sheet of paper,
|
|||
|
|
about 5 across and 5 down. It is automatic and all you need to do is tell
|
|||
|
|
it where the disks are. It is shareware; the fee is $10. For your money
|
|||
|
|
you will receive, some 100 additional DHR pics found nowhere else. The
|
|||
|
|
author is Jon C. Thomason [jonct@pro-applepi.cts.com].
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[*][*][*]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
That's it for this month. I hope you have found something here to
|
|||
|
|
whet your interest. Drop me a line and let me know what you think of this
|
|||
|
|
column and offer any suggestions you might have about what should be in it.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Until next time, happy downloading!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-- Charlie Hartley
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[EOA]
|
|||
|
|
[PRO]//////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
PROFILES /
|
|||
|
|
/////////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
Who's Who In Apple II
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
by Charlie Hartley
|
|||
|
|
[C.HARTLEY3]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>> WHO'S WHO? <<<
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
~ GEnieLamp Profile: Pat Kern ~
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This month we spotlight Pat Kern (aka C.KERN1 and PATZ PIX), perhaps
|
|||
|
|
the most prolific contributor to the A2 library, particularly with files
|
|||
|
|
that deal with graphics. (Some of her favorite uploads are featured in the
|
|||
|
|
Treasure Hunt column this month.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp> Tell us how you first became interested in the Apple II.
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kern> My entry into the computing world began about 10 years ago when
|
|||
|
|
"""" Apple computers were being used in schools and that other computer
|
|||
|
|
brand was being used in business. The home computer choices were between
|
|||
|
|
the Apple IIc or IIe, or the PCjr. At the time, I was skeptical of buying
|
|||
|
|
a computer for home use -- after all, I could balance a checkbook, use a
|
|||
|
|
calculator, type reasonably well, and had Atari 2600 for games. So ten
|
|||
|
|
years ago I had to be convinced that we needed a computer. Now I doubt
|
|||
|
|
that I would want to live without one.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp> Was it your first computer?
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kern> The IIc was my first computer and the one I still use the most
|
|||
|
|
"""" today. I managed with one disk drive and 128K in the beginning.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp> You have uploaded many files of fonts, borders, and graphics
|
|||
|
|
""""""""" for the classic Print Shop (DOS 3.3), as well as for the New
|
|||
|
|
Print Shop (ProDOS) and Print Shop GS. Which of these programs is your
|
|||
|
|
favorite and why?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kern> For simplicity and speed of operation, the Classic Print Shop,
|
|||
|
|
"""" DOS 3.3 version, is the best choice for producing greeting cards,
|
|||
|
|
calendars, banners, and signs. It also offers a wide variety of graphics,
|
|||
|
|
fonts and borders. For versatility and variation, New Print Shop offers
|
|||
|
|
many options not available in the original version. Print Shop GS and
|
|||
|
|
Companion offer many utilities for converting graphics and fonts from other
|
|||
|
|
sources.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The first Print Shop was fast and easy to use. New Print Shop offers
|
|||
|
|
more flexibility and is more like a desktop publishing program with many
|
|||
|
|
options in the style of greeting card, calendar, banner, or sign. Various
|
|||
|
|
fonts can be used together, graphics in various sizes can be placed
|
|||
|
|
anywhere, different colors can be used for different parts of the document.
|
|||
|
|
Print Shop GS offers colors and the Print Shop Companion offers several
|
|||
|
|
useful utilities.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Even though the Classic Print Shop (DOS 3.3) versions of Print Shop
|
|||
|
|
graphics, fonts, and borders were first uploaded several years ago, they
|
|||
|
|
continue to be popular for downloading for several reasons. The original
|
|||
|
|
DOS 3.3 graphics are more numerous than in the other formats. Clients who
|
|||
|
|
use New Print Shop or Print Shop GS can convert these graphics into formats
|
|||
|
|
compatible with whichever program they prefer. Furthermore, any of the
|
|||
|
|
graphics formats will import into Publish It!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There are many previously owned Apple IIs in use today, and the
|
|||
|
|
original Print Shop is one of the programs that is normally included with
|
|||
|
|
the sale of used systems.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I was pleased when some of the monochromatic graphics I uploaded in
|
|||
|
|
Classic Print Shop format were converted into Print Shop GS by Nels Toulme,
|
|||
|
|
a GEnie client, and colorized by Yvonne Sanders.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp> Where do you get the graphics that you upload?
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kern> The Print Shop graphics are all in the public domain -- many were
|
|||
|
|
"""" created by users. Being of the philosophy that you can never have
|
|||
|
|
too many graphics, I began collecting them from various sources. What I
|
|||
|
|
did was to organize them according to meaningful categories.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I got interested in using DHR graphics when I started using the
|
|||
|
|
commercial desktop publishing program Publish It! The original program
|
|||
|
|
came with some graphics, but it seemed like I was always searching for
|
|||
|
|
more.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Eventually I purchased a scanner in order to create my own graphics.
|
|||
|
|
There are clip art books available that contain copyright free line
|
|||
|
|
drawings, and I used these as sources for most of my uploads. But there
|
|||
|
|
are other sources -- newspaper ads, direct mail advertising flyers,
|
|||
|
|
business, school and religious publications; all use clip art.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp> Do you have a personal style for using the Print Shop and
|
|||
|
|
""""""""" Publish It! programs?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kern> I like to use common programs in an uncommon way. One of the ways
|
|||
|
|
"""" to make more professional looking output from any publishing
|
|||
|
|
program is by embossing the computer printout. Vivian Lynes, a member of
|
|||
|
|
my user group in Arizona, created a tutorial file on this technique.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp> What hardware and software do you use most often?
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kern> The hardware I use for scanning is ThunderScan, since it is the
|
|||
|
|
"""" only scanner suitable for the IIc. When my friend, Cindy Adams
|
|||
|
|
(C.ADAMS11) bought a Quickie scanner, she offered to sell me her
|
|||
|
|
ThunderScan. I use this along with 8/16 Paint to clean up and edit the
|
|||
|
|
graphics I scan.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I use Sneeze to view the graphics, and I use Photomatrix to print out
|
|||
|
|
reference sheets for the graphics. I use Print Shop Lover's Utility Set, a
|
|||
|
|
copyrighted program produced by Big Red Apple Club, to make print out
|
|||
|
|
samples of the graphics, fonts, and borders of Print Shop.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I use ProTERM 3.1 to call GEnie and other Bbses, and I use its editor
|
|||
|
|
for most offline word processing. I also use AppleWorks 3.0 for spell
|
|||
|
|
checking and word processing. I use Publish It! 4.0 for desktop
|
|||
|
|
publishing, but I wish the developers had continued updating its features.
|
|||
|
|
I use ImageWriter I and II for printing.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp> You have created all of these super files for the A2 library.
|
|||
|
|
""""""""" Search the uploads for the name C.KERN1 and the list goes on
|
|||
|
|
and on. How do you use them personally?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kern> I hope that by making available what I find useful, other users
|
|||
|
|
"""" will be encouraged to upload files that they have created.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I use the files I upload in various ways in my personal life. I
|
|||
|
|
create Publish It! documents to use as publicity for public domain disks in
|
|||
|
|
my user group library. When I was elected to the board of directors, I
|
|||
|
|
would create illustrated reports to hand out at board meetings. Later I
|
|||
|
|
volunteered to conduct a desktop publishing workshop SIG (special interest
|
|||
|
|
group) during user group meetings and produced flyers and instruction
|
|||
|
|
handouts.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Although most of the user group's 28-36 page journal was produced on
|
|||
|
|
a Mac using PageMaker, I would produce pages using Publish It! to promote
|
|||
|
|
clip art and describe the new Disks of the Month or other Apple II news.
|
|||
|
|
There was also a recipe column in the journal, and I would create this page
|
|||
|
|
using Publish It! and clip art that I created, along with recipes
|
|||
|
|
contributed on the local BBS by Don Davidson or other members. Examples
|
|||
|
|
are here in the A2 Library 62 as Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving recipe
|
|||
|
|
files.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
One of the most creative uses of the clip art came from brainstorming
|
|||
|
|
during a user group meeting. A member, Milt Mahler (M.MAHLER2), wanted to
|
|||
|
|
make use of all the new DHR clip art to create greeting cards, instead of
|
|||
|
|
using Print Shop. But Publish It! didn't contain this option. I suggested
|
|||
|
|
dividing the page into quadrants, and then flipping the graphic upside
|
|||
|
|
down, the way Print Shop does it, so that the graphic is right side up when
|
|||
|
|
the card is folded. Vivian Lynes improved on these ideas, and produced the
|
|||
|
|
tutorial.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp> Can you tell us a little about the types of things you like to
|
|||
|
|
""""""""" do for fun? (Speaking of "non-computer" fun, here.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kern> My most recent non-computer-related activity/hobby is country line
|
|||
|
|
"""" dancing. However, that activity came to an abrupt halt when I
|
|||
|
|
fractured my wrist in three places -- just two days after Christmas last
|
|||
|
|
year. I fell on the dance floor while doing the "Electric Slide" and left
|
|||
|
|
the dinner dance with the "Achy Breaky". If I ever hear country dance
|
|||
|
|
music again, remind me to put on my cowboy boots.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The recovery has been slow and painful, but I continued modeming on
|
|||
|
|
GEnie even with my arm in a cast for nearly 2 months. I found the
|
|||
|
|
pointing, clicking, and dragging of the mouse and inserting and positioning
|
|||
|
|
the drawing into the ImageWriter carriage too difficult for scanning during
|
|||
|
|
the three months of physical therapy that continued after the cast was
|
|||
|
|
removed, so I edited some graphics scanned by Lee Reasly and uploaded 9
|
|||
|
|
volumes of them as Clip.art.Lee.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Clients who put up with my one-handed typing in the Real Time
|
|||
|
|
Conferences will be pleased to know that my touch typing skills have
|
|||
|
|
returned, and so have my typos. :)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp> What accomplishments are you most proud of?
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kern> I am proud that any of my contributions here or in my user group
|
|||
|
|
"""" have encouraged others to contribute and make use of the files.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I am grateful for the many friends, both seen and unseen, that I have
|
|||
|
|
made as a result of computing. For me, these contacts are one of the
|
|||
|
|
pleasures of being part of the modem and user group community.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Many of the things I now do came to me as a surprise ... like when
|
|||
|
|
Dean Esmay E-mailed me that there could be a staff opening here on GEnie
|
|||
|
|
and would I be interested?... or when it was suddenly announced that I had
|
|||
|
|
become sysop of one of the branches of the local user group BBS... or when
|
|||
|
|
I read that my name was on the nomination list of candidates for the local
|
|||
|
|
user group... and finally, when I was recruited to be a Beta Tester for
|
|||
|
|
ProTERM 3 (one of the "novice users").
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I was surprised when some of the clip art I scanned was chosen for
|
|||
|
|
the A2.Best.Clip art and again when some scanned art was used on the A2 On
|
|||
|
|
Disk of Resource Central or the Disk of the Month on GEnie. I was honored
|
|||
|
|
when my local user group named me as Ambassador at Large when I left
|
|||
|
|
Arizona and relocated to the Chicago suburbs. The final surprise was being
|
|||
|
|
asked to be interviewed for the GEnieLamp A2 profile.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp> I think you have discovered that it's the busy people who get
|
|||
|
|
""""""""" called to do even more. :) Are you active in the local user
|
|||
|
|
group in your area? If so, what kinds of activities are going on involving
|
|||
|
|
the Apple II?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kern> I became a member of AzApple in Phoenix, Arizona, at a time when I
|
|||
|
|
""""" needed them and they needed me.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It wasn't until a year or so after coming to Phoenix that we added a
|
|||
|
|
modem to the system. In the beginning, it was used almost exclusively by
|
|||
|
|
teenagers to call local BBSes to chat. A few months after purchasing the
|
|||
|
|
modem, we joined the AzApple User Group and I began to call its BBS.
|
|||
|
|
Shortly after that, the teenagers went to a class there and learned enough
|
|||
|
|
about downloading and ShrinkIt to give it a try.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Encouraged by this success, I decided to give uploading a shot. I
|
|||
|
|
was one of those rare individuals who learned how to upload before I
|
|||
|
|
learned how to download. Pretty soon, there were several files on the
|
|||
|
|
local BBS waiting to be validated. Then, one day, much to my surprise, I
|
|||
|
|
got a message in E-mail that read, "You are now the librarian of the
|
|||
|
|
Desktop Publishing branch. Have fun!" That, before I even attended my
|
|||
|
|
first meeting!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
At that time, Jerry Cline (INTREC) was the user group's president. I
|
|||
|
|
sat quietly in the audience at that first meeting until he asked, "Is Pat
|
|||
|
|
Kern here?"... since he had only known me through the local BBS. I
|
|||
|
|
responded, "I am sitting next to you, Jerry." I then handed him about 20
|
|||
|
|
disks to contribute to the public domain library.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Soon after attending, I was searched out to become our User Group's
|
|||
|
|
Public Domain librarian for the Apple II, a job I took over. Then when the
|
|||
|
|
elections came up, I suddenly found my name in the list of candidates for
|
|||
|
|
the Board of Directors. So I threw my sombrero into the ring, and was
|
|||
|
|
elected.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I served one term, then ran for reelection. Sometime during the
|
|||
|
|
second term, we needed to relocate to Chicago. But the sale of the home in
|
|||
|
|
Phoenix dragged on for so long that I nearly was elected to a third term.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I lived in Phoenix, AZ for nearly 5 years. It was there that my
|
|||
|
|
interest in computing and modeming became strong. So strong, in fact, that
|
|||
|
|
the computer system was the last thing loaded on the moving van when we
|
|||
|
|
moved back to the western suburbs of Chicago about 2 years ago.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Now I am in a suburb of Chicago, and have not found a suitable user
|
|||
|
|
group to join in this area.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp> How long have you been on GEnie? Where on GEnie are we most
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""" likely to find you?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kern> I've been on GEnie for more than 3 years. Dean Esmay recruited me
|
|||
|
|
"""" for the A2 staff in January 1992. I am a staff librarian with
|
|||
|
|
responsibility for 8 bit clip art and graphics.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
On GEnie, you are likely to find me in the nightly Real Time
|
|||
|
|
Conferences, the Sunday RTC "talkathons" or cruising the bulletin boards --
|
|||
|
|
when I'm not uploading, downloading, or updating and maintaining the
|
|||
|
|
libraries. I log on nearly every day. I log off the RTCs with the notice
|
|||
|
|
" <<<--- watch me disappear "(with the arrow pointing to my e-mail name),
|
|||
|
|
then wait and " :: P O O F :: " , then /exit.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp> What plans do you have for the future?
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kern> I plan to enlarge and upgrade my present system after Kfest
|
|||
|
|
"""" (or ICONference as it is now called). There are many more projects
|
|||
|
|
I intend to pursue, and I'll need to put myself into LEARN mode once again.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp> Thank you, Pat, for an enjoyable interview.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kern> It's been my pleasure. I hope to meet many of your readers online
|
|||
|
|
""""" in the nightly RTC room meetings. See you there. :)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A note to our readers: If you want to know more about a particular
|
|||
|
|
person and want him/her to be interviewed for the GEnieLamp A2 profile
|
|||
|
|
column, send E-mail to C.HARTLEY3 or EDITOR.A2 and we'll see what we can
|
|||
|
|
do. In your E-mail message, tell why you think this person is a good
|
|||
|
|
candidate for the profile.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
//////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
|
|||
|
|
/ /
|
|||
|
|
/ Excel for Power Mac should be available within a month, /
|
|||
|
|
/ last I heard. /
|
|||
|
|
/ /
|
|||
|
|
/ Apple createth a fast processor, and microsoft bogeth /
|
|||
|
|
/ it down:) /
|
|||
|
|
/ /
|
|||
|
|
///////////////////////////////// POWERPC.PRO & QUALITY ////
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[EOA]
|
|||
|
|
[PAL]//////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
PAL NEWSLETTER /
|
|||
|
|
/////////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
July 1994 Report
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
by GEna Saikin
|
|||
|
|
[A2.GENA]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Last summer, at KansasFest in Kansas City, Missouri, an idea to
|
|||
|
|
create an online user group meeting was conceived. All too many Apple II
|
|||
|
|
owners are finding themselves short of local support, due to the waning
|
|||
|
|
interest in the Apple II, and it was felt that this online group would help
|
|||
|
|
fill the gaps. Hence, PAL (Planetary Apple League) was created.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
With this group, we are striving to fill in the gaps in local
|
|||
|
|
support, and have a place for people to go who need help, want to learn
|
|||
|
|
more about their Apple II's, hear special speakers, and just have fun!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
MAIN EVENT -- KansasFest (aka ICONference) In less than a month, a few
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" hundred people will be flying,
|
|||
|
|
driving and otherwise making their way to Kansas City, MO to attend an
|
|||
|
|
annual conference, held at a Catholic college right on the Kansas/Missouri
|
|||
|
|
border. There will be dorm food, very little sleep... and Kansas in July is
|
|||
|
|
HOT. Last year, it look doubtful that anyone east of the Missouri would
|
|||
|
|
make it -- floods had devastated the midwest -- but that didn't stop
|
|||
|
|
anyone! We midwesterners were determined to swim. Fortunately, we didn't
|
|||
|
|
have to. There were two bridges open... barely. A couple attendees even
|
|||
|
|
risked their necks getting to KansasFest last year. A long drive and a
|
|||
|
|
weary driver caused an accident with an 18-wheeler. Although the car was a
|
|||
|
|
bit worse for wear, the two folks came out relatively unscathed, and
|
|||
|
|
proceeded to enjoy the conference! Why would so many people struggle,
|
|||
|
|
bargain with their bosses, save their pennies and strive so hard to face
|
|||
|
|
the above "hardships"?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
KansasFest, which will from now on be called ICONference, is worth
|
|||
|
|
every scrap of sacrifice, every iota of pennies saved, and every struggle
|
|||
|
|
to get there. The seminars are interesting and thoughtfully presented.
|
|||
|
|
Last year, Joe Kohn talked to us about shareware -- the importance of
|
|||
|
|
paying the fees and how to go about marketing your shareware programs and
|
|||
|
|
collecting the fees. AppleWorks 4 was introduced, and there were many more
|
|||
|
|
seminars that were equally engaging. But at least as important, is what
|
|||
|
|
goes on "after hours"... meeting folks you've talked with online all year
|
|||
|
|
is an exhilarating experience! (It can also be interesting if you have
|
|||
|
|
pre-conceived notions of how they look.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A rough agenda has been penned by Tom Weishaar, and is presented
|
|||
|
|
below:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[*][*][*]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ICONFerence July 21-23 1994 Tentative Session Schedule, as of May 27:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Keynote speaker: Randy Brandt, Project Manager, AppleWorks 4.0
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Pat Wilson, Microsoft - Special Preview of Microsoft Windows 4.0 (Chicago)
|
|||
|
|
(non-disclosure required)
|
|||
|
|
Pat Wilson, Microsoft - Microsoft Office for Windows Demo (2 hours)
|
|||
|
|
Nick Dazio et al - Launch of the Mensch Computer
|
|||
|
|
Roger Wagner - subject to be announced
|
|||
|
|
Mike Westerfield - subject to be announced
|
|||
|
|
Michael Lutynski - Animasia 3-D
|
|||
|
|
Jim Maricondo - UNIX & the Internet; UNIX and the Apple IIgs: GNO/ME
|
|||
|
|
Bill Lynn - Way Cool & Way Cheap Macintosh Utilities
|
|||
|
|
Greg Nelson - Multimedia Authoring with CD-ROM
|
|||
|
|
Nathaniel Sloan - The Ins and Outs of Telecom Scripting
|
|||
|
|
Joe Kohn - Looking Good in Print
|
|||
|
|
Joe Kohn - All About the Internet
|
|||
|
|
Lane Roathe - How to get a job in the computer industry
|
|||
|
|
Erick Wagner - Apple II Interfacing, How to Control and Monitor Real-World
|
|||
|
|
Devices
|
|||
|
|
David Ciotti - Soldering for Beginners, Which End of the Iron is Hot?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[*][*][*]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The "unofficial" after-hours fun promises to continue this year,
|
|||
|
|
since some of our folks who were there last year and who contributed
|
|||
|
|
mightily to "after hours" will be here this year as well!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Last year, people spent a lot of time wandering from room to room,
|
|||
|
|
trading goodies from their hard drives, comparing notes on programs, and
|
|||
|
|
meeting new people! We had several from overseas -- Germany and Australia
|
|||
|
|
to name a couple of countries!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Roger Wagner last year not only "inspired" a "tie wearing contest"
|
|||
|
|
but he tried to scale the dorm wall -- outside. We have a "celebrity
|
|||
|
|
roast" and guess who got roasted last year? (Hint: His first name is
|
|||
|
|
Tom.) Another bit -- or possibly byte -- of fun was the "bag biting
|
|||
|
|
contest". What's that? It's where a grocery bag is placed on the floor,
|
|||
|
|
and the contestants pick up the bag with their teeth/lips without touching
|
|||
|
|
the ground with hands or knees. Doesn't sound too difficult, until you
|
|||
|
|
find out that after each successful grab, the bag is cut down, until it is
|
|||
|
|
merely a couple inches high!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There is so much more to tell about Kfest -- more than could ever fit
|
|||
|
|
in the article. You'll just have to come to find out more!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
LIBRARY STACKS As always, we have plenty of useful files in our library
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""" here in Apple II RT. Below are "what's hot" for this
|
|||
|
|
month:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
+22874 HERA2.BXY Hera: The Sword of Rhin. Disk 2 of 2
|
|||
|
|
+22873 HERA1.BXY Hera: The Sword of Rhin. Disk 1 of 2
|
|||
|
|
+22849 A2LIBP8.ADB.BXY A2 Library listing of non-GS/OS files
|
|||
|
|
+22841 A2.DOM.0694.BXY A2 Disk of the Month, June 1994
|
|||
|
|
+22840 A2LIB.ADB.BXY Complete A2 Library listing - AW3 format
|
|||
|
|
22833 ANIM.XCMD2.BXY HCGS XCMD - Plays Paintworks animations
|
|||
|
|
22832 CURSORMAGIC.BXY Converts Icons into Cursors
|
|||
|
|
+22827 TEXTSPLIT.BXY Splits text files into smaller files
|
|||
|
|
22825 AWGS.LABELS.BXY Label templates for AppleWorks GS
|
|||
|
|
+22822 A2NDX9406TX.BXY June 1994 Category/Topic list for A2
|
|||
|
|
+22812 GLAMPA29406.BXY GEnieLamp A2, June 1994 (AppleWorks)
|
|||
|
|
+22810 X10FAQ.BXY Internet/Usenet file about X-10 technology
|
|||
|
|
22809 POWERGUIDE.BXY GEnie navigator for the IIgs
|
|||
|
|
22808 MINITALK1.7.BXY Telecom program in a CDA. Neat!
|
|||
|
|
22785 GAMEHACK142.BXY GameHacker v1.42: Game cheat CDA
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
+ = Works on 8-bit Apples
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Explore our 22,000 files plus libary and have fun! Looking for
|
|||
|
|
something, but you can't remember the title? Just think of a keyword, and
|
|||
|
|
search on that!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
WHAT'S NEW IN A2 The new, updated GEM was released last month, and seems
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""" to be a hit. GEnie Master now comes in flavors for
|
|||
|
|
AppleWorks 3.0 and 4, and now works with Spectrum.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Calling all insomniacs! Often, our evening RTCs (Real Time
|
|||
|
|
Conferences) are now going and going and going (isn't that the Energizer
|
|||
|
|
Bunny's line?)... until the wee hours of the morning! Just pop in, even
|
|||
|
|
though its "after hours", and see if someone's there... you may be
|
|||
|
|
pleasantly surprised!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
And, of course, we're all gearing up for ICONference next month! So,
|
|||
|
|
don't be shy... pop into one of our nightly RTCs (scheduled times are 9
|
|||
|
|
p.m. to 1 a.m. eastern) or our Sunday RTC (scheduled times are 2 p.m. to 8
|
|||
|
|
p.m. and 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.). But if the bug to come into an RTC bytes you
|
|||
|
|
at other times, come on in... there just may be someone there! Remember, a
|
|||
|
|
staff member does NOT have to be present for you to use the RTC area! It's
|
|||
|
|
open for anyone to use at any time!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[EOA]
|
|||
|
|
[AII]//////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
APPLE II /
|
|||
|
|
/////////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
Apple II History, Part 23
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
by Steven Weyhrich
|
|||
|
|
[S.WEYHRICH]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
>>> APPLE II HISTORY <<<
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
Compiled and written by Steven Weyhrich
|
|||
|
|
(C) Copyright 1992, Zonker Software
|
|||
|
|
(PART 23 -- RENAISSANCE?)
|
|||
|
|
[v1.2 :: 04 May 94]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FINALE This month's installment brings us to the end of the Apple II
|
|||
|
|
"""""" History text. There is Appendix A, dealing with popular Apple II
|
|||
|
|
software, on a year by year basis since the late 1970s to the present;
|
|||
|
|
Appendix B, a Timeline of significant events in the life of the Apple II;
|
|||
|
|
and Appendix C, a Genealogy of the different Apple II models and where they
|
|||
|
|
fit in with the release of some models in the Macintosh series. These are
|
|||
|
|
too long, and possible less interesting, and so I will leave those for
|
|||
|
|
those who want to download the entire history.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If there is interest in having this series appear someday as a
|
|||
|
|
printed book, I'd be pleased to hear from you. Part of the consideration
|
|||
|
|
in making that a reality is determining if there is REALLY a market for it.
|
|||
|
|
Direct your e-mail comments to s.weyhrich@genie.geis.com or to
|
|||
|
|
genielamp@genie.geis.com. And thanks for reading!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
THE END IS NEAR We've come a long way in this review of the events in the
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""" life of the Apple II computer and those who have helped
|
|||
|
|
shape and direct its course. My Flux Capacitor card has nearly exhausted
|
|||
|
|
its capacity for, er, fluxing, and I've run into a wall that did not stop
|
|||
|
|
Marty McFly in his time-travelling adventures: The future. Although I
|
|||
|
|
could create any future I wish to in my own fertile imagination, the events
|
|||
|
|
yet to come are no more clear to ME than to anyone else who wants to try
|
|||
|
|
their hand at prognostication. But one word does come to mind:
|
|||
|
|
Renaissance. Webster's Dictionary defines it as "a movement or period of
|
|||
|
|
vigorous artistic and intellectual activity; rebirth, revival". I believe
|
|||
|
|
this word accurately reflects the current level of activity in the Apple II
|
|||
|
|
world outside of Apple, Inc. In order to take a look at why I believe this
|
|||
|
|
to be true, and at what might be in store for this computer, let's start by
|
|||
|
|
reviewing in brief what we've already covered.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
OVERVIEW OF APPLE II HISTORY (THE BIG PICTURE) Back when Apple Computer,
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Inc. got its start, it was
|
|||
|
|
just one small part of the rapidly growing field of consumer-oriented uses
|
|||
|
|
of the new microprocessor technology. It was not the first computer
|
|||
|
|
available for home use, and some might argue that it was not the best for
|
|||
|
|
its time, either. But it did have an openness in design that made it
|
|||
|
|
possible (for those who were excited about exploring the digital unknown)
|
|||
|
|
to "boldly go where no one has gone before". Unbeknownst to these early
|
|||
|
|
Apple II enthusiasts, those who ran Apple Computer at the time did not
|
|||
|
|
necessarily have the same affection for the Apple Ii in their hearts.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The problems at Apple Computer in the two years after the release of
|
|||
|
|
the Apple II were not particularly unique to that company. They were
|
|||
|
|
suffering from the growth pains that can happen to ANY company that
|
|||
|
|
suddenly finds itself with a blockbuster product on its hands. There is a
|
|||
|
|
sudden influx of cash (which is a heady experience in itself), a demand for
|
|||
|
|
greater levels of production for the product, and the problems associated
|
|||
|
|
with trying to meet that demand. These difficulties were part of what
|
|||
|
|
bogged down MITS, maker of the Altair 8800, when demand for their computer
|
|||
|
|
far surpassed all their expectations.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It has become somewhat of an expectation in the minds of the American
|
|||
|
|
consumer that if a company has a product that is sold in a store,
|
|||
|
|
advertised in national magazines, and is professionally designed, that it
|
|||
|
|
must then be a "big company". When you as a consumer are dealing with this
|
|||
|
|
mythical large company, you expect that they have managers and employees
|
|||
|
|
who know exactly what is going on at all times, have a clear business plan,
|
|||
|
|
and are firmly in control of all aspects of the product. When the consumer
|
|||
|
|
becomes strongly attached to that product (develops a "brand loyalty" of
|
|||
|
|
sorts), sometimes that loyalty artificially inflates the abilities of the
|
|||
|
|
company that made it, and of its employees, to a status of expectations
|
|||
|
|
that no one can really meet. A business-oriented purchaser of an Apple II
|
|||
|
|
just might have had his confidence shaken a bit if he had known, for
|
|||
|
|
instance, that one of the first activities of the founders and early
|
|||
|
|
employees of Apple when they moved out of Jobs' garage and into a real
|
|||
|
|
office was to play games with the office telephones. Was this sort of
|
|||
|
|
behavior an indication that the Apple II was a piece of junk? Not at all;
|
|||
|
|
but it does highlight one problem that could not then be quickly
|
|||
|
|
overcome... one of immaturity and inexperience.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Steve Wozniak was brilliant in his design of the Apple II; Steve Jobs
|
|||
|
|
was outstanding in his insistence on a quality appearance for the finished
|
|||
|
|
product; and all the others that made contributions in terms of hardware
|
|||
|
|
and software for this first all-in-one home computer did a top-notch job as
|
|||
|
|
well. But without the experienced help that Apple's founders got from Mike
|
|||
|
|
Markkula and Mike Scott, the company would likely have drowned in its own
|
|||
|
|
success. STARTING a business with a successful product is not that hard;
|
|||
|
|
what is difficult is MAINTAINING that business after it gets going. Not
|
|||
|
|
only do you have the problems of meeting growing consumer demand, but in
|
|||
|
|
the case of a technologically complex device like a computer, you have more
|
|||
|
|
mundane things to do. You must provide customer support involving items
|
|||
|
|
that WERE clearly spelled out in manual (which the owner likely did not
|
|||
|
|
read), as well as for problems that could not be anticipated in advance.
|
|||
|
|
As more computers are sold, there are more people that may need technical
|
|||
|
|
assistance. This was not something that only Apple had trouble with; every
|
|||
|
|
small company that began to sell microcomputers had these same problems.
|
|||
|
|
Although Apple might well have handled things better, the help provided by
|
|||
|
|
those Apple executives who WERE experienced in business helped them survive
|
|||
|
|
the first few years.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The next hurdle that Apple had to overcome was what they should do
|
|||
|
|
for an encore. Sure, the Apple II was a success, and the introduction of
|
|||
|
|
the Disk II drive, with solid application software such as VisiCalc,
|
|||
|
|
ensured that they would do well for a while. But until this time in the
|
|||
|
|
microcomputer industry, no other machine had survived much beyond two to
|
|||
|
|
three years. At that point in the typical life of a computer, it has
|
|||
|
|
usually been surpassed by more advanced technology that does more for the
|
|||
|
|
same or lower cost. If Apple were satisfied to be a single-product
|
|||
|
|
company, that would be fine; but the people running the company wanted it
|
|||
|
|
to survive and flourish. Consequently, the push was begun to establish
|
|||
|
|
both short term and long-term goals for future products. In the short
|
|||
|
|
term, the Apple III was designed to be a stop-gap machine until their long
|
|||
|
|
term goals could be achieved. It was unthinkable that the Apple II could
|
|||
|
|
possibly last much beyond six to twelve more months, and so they put
|
|||
|
|
considerable effort into creating something they thought would be better
|
|||
|
|
than an Apple II, something that would be more suitable for a business type
|
|||
|
|
of environment. As has been discussed before, this new computer was built
|
|||
|
|
with the capability of running Apple II software, so customers would have
|
|||
|
|
something they could do with it until an adequate supply of Apple
|
|||
|
|
III-specific software became available. But the problems of growth pains
|
|||
|
|
and inadequate quality control killed the Apple III, despite Apple's best
|
|||
|
|
efforts to overcome their false start. Meanwhile, the Apple II Plus
|
|||
|
|
continued to grow by leaps and bounds, ignoring the expectations of those
|
|||
|
|
within the company.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Apple's long-term goal was to get a radically new computer platform
|
|||
|
|
designed and into production, something that would be as much ahead of the
|
|||
|
|
Apple II and III as those computers were ahead of what came before them.
|
|||
|
|
The Lisa project (and later the Macintosh) were what executives at Apple
|
|||
|
|
really believed would be the future of the company. Certainly, with all
|
|||
|
|
the power and ease of use that these computers would promise, why would
|
|||
|
|
anyone want to still own an Apple II, or anything else? In actuality, it
|
|||
|
|
was probably the failure of the Apple III and the continued successful
|
|||
|
|
growth of the Apple II that made a major contribution to the slow start the
|
|||
|
|
Lisa and Macintosh had. Combined with that factor was the high cost of the
|
|||
|
|
Lisa, and the limited capability of the first Macs (with only 128K of RAM,
|
|||
|
|
there wasn't much you could do before you ran out of memory).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
All this time, the Apple II had developed its own perpetual motion
|
|||
|
|
that not even Apple's neglect could halt. More Apple II computers in the
|
|||
|
|
home, school, and workplace meant more available customers for the
|
|||
|
|
fledgling software industry that provided fuel for these machines to run.
|
|||
|
|
And a software company, though also liable for the technical support issues
|
|||
|
|
that affected hardware manufacturers, was extremely easy to start out of a
|
|||
|
|
living room. Just write a program, package it, put a few ads in magazines,
|
|||
|
|
and wait for the orders to come pouring in. Though few did as well as
|
|||
|
|
VisiCalc, the growth of that company is an example of the potential that
|
|||
|
|
software authors could achieve, given the right circumstances.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Champions of the Apple II within the company still managed to upgrade
|
|||
|
|
the product when they were given enough leeway. The Apple IIe and IIc,
|
|||
|
|
with their improved graphics and expanded memory, were products of this
|
|||
|
|
type of advancement. Those computers did not go far in covering new
|
|||
|
|
territory; in fact, the major justification in the minds of Apple
|
|||
|
|
executives was that miniaturization made it less expensive to produce a
|
|||
|
|
machine that worked only incrementally better than the original Apple II,
|
|||
|
|
primarily adding features that most people were adding to the II Plus
|
|||
|
|
(upper/lowercase display and keyboard, and extra memory). Eventually, they
|
|||
|
|
allowed a true advancement in the form of the Apple IIgs, which held ties
|
|||
|
|
to the past by being compatible with old software and some hardware, and to
|
|||
|
|
the future by providing an all-new level of graphics, sound, and memory
|
|||
|
|
expansion capability. Whereas the Apple IIe was not necessarily a better
|
|||
|
|
computer than the first Apple II or the original IBM PC, the Apple IIgs was
|
|||
|
|
clearly a considerable step forward. Unfortunately, the IIgs was hindered
|
|||
|
|
from the start, not necessarily by blatantly obstructive efforts within the
|
|||
|
|
company, but more from the lack of corporate interest that had plagued the
|
|||
|
|
Apple II line since the Apple III had first been conceived. By the time
|
|||
|
|
the IIgs was released, Apple's corporate mindset (the beliefs that many in
|
|||
|
|
the company held as absolute truth) was that the Macintosh and its
|
|||
|
|
descendants DEFINITELY were the true future of the company. Consequently,
|
|||
|
|
it was difficult to get anyone to commit to making a realistic effort to
|
|||
|
|
promote and advertise the IIgs for the purposes where it would be best
|
|||
|
|
suited. There appeared to be a paranoia that a successful Apple II of ANY
|
|||
|
|
kind would cause Mac sales to suffer. Taken out of the active
|
|||
|
|
upgrade-support-upgrade loop, the IIgs made most of its advancements
|
|||
|
|
through the less-tangible system software development that was done for it.
|
|||
|
|
When the IIgs was first released, it was not much more able to do modern
|
|||
|
|
"desktop" computing (the graphic user interface) than was the first 128K
|
|||
|
|
Macintosh; it was primarily a larger, fancier IIe. But with the maturing
|
|||
|
|
of its system software, and active work by outside developers, the IIgs
|
|||
|
|
eventually came into its own with a solid, mature operating system, and the
|
|||
|
|
ability to do many tasks for which people are buying other computers (not
|
|||
|
|
necessarily Macintosh).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
By mid-1992 there was a further decrease in the energy allocated
|
|||
|
|
within Apple for enhancements to the IIgs. It was decided to change the
|
|||
|
|
Apple II Business Unit (the section within Apple that concentrated on that
|
|||
|
|
computer) into a "Continuing Engineering Unit". This group was to maintain
|
|||
|
|
support and make small improvements for the existing Apple II and IIgs user
|
|||
|
|
base, but not to undertake any other major projects for either platform.
|
|||
|
|
While the Apple IIe and IIgs were still being produced and sold then, the
|
|||
|
|
IIgs and finally the IIe were dropped from the dealers' price sheets in the
|
|||
|
|
final quarters of 1992 and 1993, respectively.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SO WHO IS TO BLAME? Let's take a look at the various major personalities
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""" at Apple that have had a major role in events there
|
|||
|
|
over the past fifteen years, and see how they affected the current state of
|
|||
|
|
affairs of the Apple II. Now, bear in mind that what I write here is NOT a
|
|||
|
|
result of time spent personally talking with these people; they have
|
|||
|
|
already had others interview them often over the years about the same
|
|||
|
|
topics, and what they have wanted to say has likely been said. Here I will
|
|||
|
|
summarize what HAS been written about them, and attempt to draw some
|
|||
|
|
conclusions. Obviously, once I leave the Kingdom Of Factual Reporting and
|
|||
|
|
enter the Land Of Commentary, there is a chance that the judgements I may
|
|||
|
|
make are not valid. I don't have an axe to grind with or against anyone,
|
|||
|
|
and it is not my intention to place blame squarely with any one person.
|
|||
|
|
Like any large company, Apple Computer is a collection of many different
|
|||
|
|
people's opinions, attitudes, and prejudices. The sentiments you could get
|
|||
|
|
from talking to one person may be entirely different from those heard in
|
|||
|
|
talking with another. With that disclaimer out of the way, let's begin.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
First of all, consider Steve Jobs. In the eyes of many Apple II
|
|||
|
|
users, he is the quintessential villain, obstructing Apple II progress at
|
|||
|
|
every turn in favor of his baby, the Mac. Many things have been written
|
|||
|
|
about Jobs over the years, discussing his temperament and lack of love
|
|||
|
|
toward the Apple II. If accurate, these impressions could be summarized by
|
|||
|
|
saying that it appears Jobs was primarily a visionary, and was enamored of
|
|||
|
|
making Apple Computer a success and a Fortune 500 company (which he did, in
|
|||
|
|
the shortest time in business history). He was also a big fan of the
|
|||
|
|
newest, the best, and the most interesting technology available; the older
|
|||
|
|
stuff was just a yawn after it was released (this includes even the Mac,
|
|||
|
|
which eventually lost its shine for him as he wanted Apple to build
|
|||
|
|
something even better). He had an enthusiasm for the projects that looked
|
|||
|
|
like a good hack (this is what attracted him to Wozniak in the first
|
|||
|
|
place), and seemed to disdain anyone that did not wholeheartedly share his
|
|||
|
|
zeal. His problems tended to stem from the same things that gave him his
|
|||
|
|
strength: The single-mindedness of purpose was obnoxious to someone who
|
|||
|
|
was interested in upgrading older technology, like the Apple II -- why
|
|||
|
|
waste the time working with something old like THAT when you could be
|
|||
|
|
spending your time working with something NEW and exciting like Macintosh?
|
|||
|
|
His excitement about a pet project also tended to cause him to give out
|
|||
|
|
details about new projects when they should best be kept secret.
|
|||
|
|
Undoubtedly, Jobs played a strong role in the development of the mindset at
|
|||
|
|
Apple that the Apple II was "okay", but it was not something to waste much
|
|||
|
|
of your time with. In this way of thinking, it was much better to be doing
|
|||
|
|
the "right thing" and to work with the Apple III or Lisa or Macintosh team.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
What about Steve Wozniak? Although good in the technical department
|
|||
|
|
of hardware and software design, he was not of a temperament to participate
|
|||
|
|
in office politics. Although he may have disagreed with the ways in which
|
|||
|
|
Jobs or others at Apple ran things, he did not have the business experience
|
|||
|
|
that let him feel qualified to counter their decisions with sufficient
|
|||
|
|
force to get things done his way. He just wanted to design and build
|
|||
|
|
things, and so he tended to work at that which he did best. When he had
|
|||
|
|
his opportunity, he left the company for a sabbatical in 1981, and later
|
|||
|
|
returned to work on whatever else happened to interest him. But since he
|
|||
|
|
was involved in of the initial work on the Apple IIgs, he has not done much
|
|||
|
|
at Apple to champion the cause of the Apple II.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
John Sculley, the former vice-president of PepsiCo, who Jobs brought
|
|||
|
|
in to run the company after the departure of Mike Markkula, has little
|
|||
|
|
better a reputation with the Apple II community than does Steve Jobs. This
|
|||
|
|
may be because of his position at the head of the company that has been
|
|||
|
|
practicing passive euthanasia on the Apple II for years, or perhaps because
|
|||
|
|
people have gotten the idea that he likes to tell them what they want to
|
|||
|
|
hear, but does not make any substantial efforts to carry the Apple II
|
|||
|
|
forward. On the plus side, Sculley appears to be practical and a good
|
|||
|
|
businessman. He is clearly able to take advantage of the opportunities
|
|||
|
|
presented to him, and to promote what he feels to be best for the company.
|
|||
|
|
He began at Apple with little experience in the technical areas that would
|
|||
|
|
be best suited for such a company, and had his rough times in trying to
|
|||
|
|
find his place. He was considerably influenced by Jobs during his early
|
|||
|
|
months at Apple, and this likely extended to the lack of enthusiasm toward
|
|||
|
|
the Apple II. Even after he realized the need to pull rank and to exclude
|
|||
|
|
Jobs from any influential role at Apple, it was not because he repented and
|
|||
|
|
wanted to champion the Apple II, but because Apple needed stability at the
|
|||
|
|
helm.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
As a company, Apple has felt that its business goals needed to be in
|
|||
|
|
a direction that did not put a great emphasis on the Apple II or IIgs
|
|||
|
|
computer. As the rest of the world advanced, digitally speaking, so Apple
|
|||
|
|
needed to advance; it needed to make better, more capable, and more
|
|||
|
|
powerful computers for less money. The contention (whether true or not)
|
|||
|
|
was that the Apple II simply did not have the "horsepower" to handle the
|
|||
|
|
higher powered applications that computer users of the late 1980s and early
|
|||
|
|
1990s demanded. As future advances are made in available technology, this
|
|||
|
|
will mean that even machines like the most advanced Macintosh II will
|
|||
|
|
eventually be surpassed by a newer generation platform (possibly the
|
|||
|
|
PowerPC project that Apple and IBM are jointly working on through their
|
|||
|
|
Kaleida company). But as progress continues, Apple has also learned that
|
|||
|
|
it cannot abandon its established user base, destroying the investment that
|
|||
|
|
people have made in a computer by making it obsolete. If nothing else, the
|
|||
|
|
vocal complaints made over the years by the Apple II community have taught
|
|||
|
|
them that lesson. Chris Espinosa, one of Apple's employees from the early
|
|||
|
|
days, was quoted in the March 9th, 1992 issue of InfoWorld as saying,
|
|||
|
|
"We're not going to do to the Macintosh what we did to the Apple II."<1>
|
|||
|
|
The Mac has achieved a degree of acceptance in the business marketplace,
|
|||
|
|
and this credibility would be hurt badly if they began to ignore the Mac in
|
|||
|
|
favor of yet another, more exciting computer.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
One factor that has contributed significantly over the years to the
|
|||
|
|
apparent inconsistency over the way that Apple has handled much of what it
|
|||
|
|
does (not just the Apple II) is the frequency of change within the company.
|
|||
|
|
This change leads to different people with different ideas taking over
|
|||
|
|
projects that were begun by others. Tom Weishaar has said on more than one
|
|||
|
|
occasion, "[There is] this vision of Apple as an organism with a brain...
|
|||
|
|
that's [not] a correct metaphor. Like any large organization, what it does
|
|||
|
|
is based on politics, and how many votes there are; [also,] the employees
|
|||
|
|
turn over every three years."<2> Apple has undergone many reorganizations
|
|||
|
|
since it started business, as it has had to handle its phenomenal growth.
|
|||
|
|
Usually those changes took place in response to things not going well (such
|
|||
|
|
as with the Apple III), but sometimes it was done in an attempt to
|
|||
|
|
streamline operations and make things run more smoothly.<3> A consequence
|
|||
|
|
of this change has been that as old people leave and new ones take their
|
|||
|
|
places, there is a natural desire to modify things that the old crew was
|
|||
|
|
doing. Thus we have events like:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Apple allowing the Apple Pugetsound Program Library Exchange to form
|
|||
|
|
the Apple Programmers and Developers Association (Apple allowing
|
|||
|
|
A.P.P.L.E. to form APDA, if you prefer the short version), and then
|
|||
|
|
taking it back from them several years later.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Apple spinning off their application software division (AppleWorks
|
|||
|
|
and Mac products) to a separate company, Claris (to be less
|
|||
|
|
competitive as a computer manufacturer with third-party software
|
|||
|
|
developers), and later buying back Claris to bring it back under
|
|||
|
|
corporate control.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY? Second-guessing events of the past
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" is easy; we see what was done, and
|
|||
|
|
can say with presumed authority, "Well, if I had been running things, I
|
|||
|
|
would have done it like this!" When these decisions were made (or not
|
|||
|
|
made, as the case may be), the correct path to the future was still as
|
|||
|
|
muddy as it is today. Nevertheless, if I can make some idealistic
|
|||
|
|
statements, these are my thoughts on "what might have been."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ACCEPTANCE Apple should have simply accepted the desire of the public
|
|||
|
|
'''''''''' for the Apple II computer, and responded by promoting it
|
|||
|
|
actively. This could have been done along with its promotions of the Apple
|
|||
|
|
III, and later the Mac. When the Apple IIe was riding the high tide of
|
|||
|
|
popularity in December 1984, Apple should have capitalized on that, and
|
|||
|
|
redoubled the advertising for that computer. Increased sales and profit
|
|||
|
|
would still have been good for the company, whether or not it came from
|
|||
|
|
Macintosh sales.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
REALISM Apple should have been REALISTIC instead of religiously
|
|||
|
|
''''''' IDEALISTIC. Job's visionary approach to Macintosh as a product
|
|||
|
|
that would change the world was clearly NOT reflected in its early sales.
|
|||
|
|
A company lives on its sales, regardless of whether what it is selling
|
|||
|
|
happens to fit with its current philosophy. The attitude should not be one
|
|||
|
|
that insists to the customer that THIS is what you want to buy, but to
|
|||
|
|
provide him with available choices and see what sells. If the Macintosh
|
|||
|
|
was going to be as "insanely great" as Jobs and the rest of the Mac team
|
|||
|
|
believed, it would eventually pick up steam and start selling, without
|
|||
|
|
having to ignore the already-successful Apple II.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ENHANCEMENT The products sold by Apple should have been upgraded
|
|||
|
|
''''''''''' according to the success they showed. As Macintosh sales
|
|||
|
|
began to increase, advancing the machine to a larger memory size and more
|
|||
|
|
capabilities is perfectly reasonable. In the same way, the Apple II should
|
|||
|
|
have had opportunities given to it in proportion to the income it produced
|
|||
|
|
for the company. For example, at one time a notebook-sized Apple II (or
|
|||
|
|
IIgs) could have done extremely well, especially if it had been bundled
|
|||
|
|
with good general purpose software like AppleWorks. The IIc and IIc Plus
|
|||
|
|
were good starts, but things stopped there. The IBM clone market has shown
|
|||
|
|
that there IS a place for a notebook-sized computer with lots of memory,
|
|||
|
|
built-in hard disks, and color LCD screens. A flat screen monitor could
|
|||
|
|
have been available for the Apple II as far back as 1985, had Apple been
|
|||
|
|
interested in developing it.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
OUTSIDE EXPANSION Even if Apple chose not to upgrade the Apple II
|
|||
|
|
''''''''''''''''' themselves, the technology could have been licensed to
|
|||
|
|
someone else who WAS interested in pushing the machine to the limit. Even
|
|||
|
|
if these licensed Apple II products competed a bit with the Mac, it would
|
|||
|
|
also be competing with computers made by other companies. Furthermore, the
|
|||
|
|
larger the market share, the more people are aware of your product, which
|
|||
|
|
can stimulate future sales. And after all, license fees paid for use of
|
|||
|
|
Apple II technology would still generate income, with little effort on
|
|||
|
|
Apple's part.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ACTIVE RUMOR CONTROL For years the rumors flew on a fairly regular cycle
|
|||
|
|
'''''''''''''''''''' claiming that the Apple II had been or would be
|
|||
|
|
discontinued in short order. When a political candidate has something
|
|||
|
|
untrue said about him, he makes a quick and decisive effort to counter that
|
|||
|
|
gossip; it can be VERY damaging to his current image and future credibility
|
|||
|
|
if he lets it go unchallenged. Instead of making it clear that the Apple
|
|||
|
|
II was NOT being terminated, Apple seemed to usually ignore such
|
|||
|
|
statements. Since a lack of denial is often taken as confirmation, this
|
|||
|
|
led to many Apple II users and developers leaving this computer and going
|
|||
|
|
on to something else, often the IBM PC and clones. Decreased developers
|
|||
|
|
meant fewer new and upgraded programs, prompting then-current users to also
|
|||
|
|
move to a different computer, leading to smaller sales of existing
|
|||
|
|
software, which starts the whole cycle over. Even "authorized" Apple
|
|||
|
|
dealers were known to spout off that same old tired rumor, because they
|
|||
|
|
heard it from "someone in the company who knows". Official announcements
|
|||
|
|
from the company that strongly denied any discontinuation of the Apple II
|
|||
|
|
MIGHT have helped stop that cycle.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
WHERE DOES THE APPLE II STAND TODAY: THE BAD NEWS
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
EDUCATION Although the Apple II continues to have a large installed user
|
|||
|
|
''''''''' base compared to other computers in schools below the college
|
|||
|
|
level, it has been rapidly being overtaken by the onslaught of less
|
|||
|
|
expensive MS-DOS clones and Apple's own promotion of the Macintosh. Apple
|
|||
|
|
gave up on its strong support of the Apple II at the school level in the
|
|||
|
|
same way it had done so at the consumer level. They began to encourage
|
|||
|
|
schools to purchase Macintosh computers when they wanted to add to or
|
|||
|
|
replace their existing machines. This was demonstrated by Apple in their
|
|||
|
|
ads; one example that appeared in inCider/A+ during 1991 showed two
|
|||
|
|
students in a computer lab. One was sitting in front of an Apple IIe, and
|
|||
|
|
the other was at a Macintosh LC. The Mac LC had an attractive color screen
|
|||
|
|
with graphics, where the Apple IIe had a pitiful-looking black and white
|
|||
|
|
40-column text menu displayed. If you were looking at which computer to
|
|||
|
|
buy, which one would YOU choose? (At that time, although the Macintosh LC
|
|||
|
|
was one of the best selling Apple computers to educational institutions,
|
|||
|
|
the best selling PERIPHERAL for the Mac LC up until 1992 was the Apple IIe
|
|||
|
|
card.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DECLINING SUPPORT The Apple II support market, both hardware and software
|
|||
|
|
''''''''''''''''' is not dead, but neither is it robust and thriving.
|
|||
|
|
Companies making products that work with the Apple II are often finding it
|
|||
|
|
difficult to continue in business without making unpopular decisions. With
|
|||
|
|
flat or falling sales, they have had to either expand their coverage to
|
|||
|
|
other computer platforms, or face possible failure as a company.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
One example of this change was Applied Engineering. For years they
|
|||
|
|
were prolific producers of hardware add-ons for the Apple II and IIgs, and
|
|||
|
|
often they had a large percentage of the total advertising pages in Apple
|
|||
|
|
II magazines. Their early ads touted AE as Apple II experts, "because
|
|||
|
|
that's all we do". Not only did AE begin making and selling peripherals
|
|||
|
|
for the Macintosh line, but they also made the unpopular decision to begin
|
|||
|
|
providing technical for their Apple II line through a 900-number toll phone
|
|||
|
|
line. At the same time, Macintosh users were NOT required to pay charges
|
|||
|
|
over and above long distance just to get technical support. Eventually,
|
|||
|
|
Applied Engineering found that they could not survive in the larger and
|
|||
|
|
more competitive Macintosh environment, and in the spring of 1994 they had
|
|||
|
|
to close their doors.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Beagle Bros, also a long time Apple II supporter in the software
|
|||
|
|
arena, also took flack, perhaps more unjustly than Applied Engineering.
|
|||
|
|
They worked hard during 1991 in developing an integrated software product
|
|||
|
|
(BeagleWorks) for the Macintosh, and temporarily scaled back their Apple II
|
|||
|
|
support during the last days before the release of that new product. The
|
|||
|
|
reason? Apple II products simply were not selling at a rate high enough to
|
|||
|
|
meet overhead. In Beagle's defense, they did NOT just leave their Apple II
|
|||
|
|
user base dangling. Not only did they release many of their older software
|
|||
|
|
products to online services for free distribution (rather than just letting
|
|||
|
|
them disappear), but they also turned over further sales and development
|
|||
|
|
for the Apple II market to Quality Computers. Quality, already a
|
|||
|
|
well-established Apple II mail-order company, has begun releasing new
|
|||
|
|
products under the Beagle name, ensuring that they will continue to be
|
|||
|
|
available and upgraded.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Beagle, however, also succumbed to the pressures of the Macintosh
|
|||
|
|
market, and that company closed down in October 1992.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
MAGAZINES ARE FALTERING Unlike the old days when there were several
|
|||
|
|
''''''''''''''''''''''' magazines that catered to the Apple II market,
|
|||
|
|
there are just two glossy publications left: GS+ Magazine and II Alive.
|
|||
|
|
Both are available only by subscription (you won't find them on the
|
|||
|
|
newsstand), and the latter is a recent start-up, in response to the failure
|
|||
|
|
of inCider/A+. Newsletter-style publications like A2-Central and the
|
|||
|
|
National AppleWorks User Group are surviving, but they do not depend on
|
|||
|
|
advertising revenue to continue publication. Additionally, A2-Central has
|
|||
|
|
had to make the change to a disk-only format to stay in business.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
APPLE DEALER APATHY Many of Apple's authorized dealers picked up on
|
|||
|
|
''''''''''''''''''' Apple's corporate indifference to any advancement of
|
|||
|
|
the Apple II, and themselves tended to ignore it. There had been
|
|||
|
|
exceptions, but the general rule was that an Apple Dealer was not
|
|||
|
|
knowledgeable about the Apple IIe or IIgs and was unlikely to offer the
|
|||
|
|
IIgs as a solution for customer seeking a computer for a particular need.
|
|||
|
|
Some of this also has to do with the bottom line: The markup (profit
|
|||
|
|
margin) for an Apple IIe or IIgs was not as high as it could once be with a
|
|||
|
|
Macintosh product, so there was less financial incentive to move those
|
|||
|
|
older products. Sometimes, there has been even a decreased technical
|
|||
|
|
knowledge about the Apple II by the very dealers supposed to be able to
|
|||
|
|
repair them.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
READ MY LIPS: NO NEW CPUS A planned upgrade to the Apple IIgs that was
|
|||
|
|
''''''''''''''''''''''''' to be announced at or soon after the 1991
|
|||
|
|
KansasFest was killed at the last minute. This change, which admittedly
|
|||
|
|
would not have been a major upgrade, would have still provided in a bundled
|
|||
|
|
form many of the features that customers buying a IIgs needed to get
|
|||
|
|
anything useful done (beyond simple IIe emulation). The improved IIgs was
|
|||
|
|
to have more memory, a hard drive (built-in, as is done on many MS-DOS
|
|||
|
|
machines these days), and possibly a built-in SuperDrive (which is capable
|
|||
|
|
of reading 3.5 inch MS-DOS disks). No reason for the cancellation was ever
|
|||
|
|
given; since it was never officially announced, the new IIgs CPU never
|
|||
|
|
officially existed anyway. ("We do not comment on unannounced products" is
|
|||
|
|
the established party line.) The only public announcement Apple HAS made
|
|||
|
|
was that there would NOT be any new Apple II released beyond the IIe card
|
|||
|
|
for the Mac LC.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
WHERE DOES THE APPLE II STAND TODAY: THE GOOD NEWS With all this going
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" against it, what
|
|||
|
|
possible good could there be to say about the current state of affairs
|
|||
|
|
regarding the Apple IIe and IIgs computer? Surprisingly, there are several
|
|||
|
|
things.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
APPLE II SUPPORT CONTINUES Although Apple has indicated that we should
|
|||
|
|
'''''''''''''''''''''''''' not expect to see any new Apple II CPUs
|
|||
|
|
released, they have also promised that they would continue to support the
|
|||
|
|
existing Apple II user base with hardware and software upgrades that will
|
|||
|
|
keep these computers useful. Products they have released that show they've
|
|||
|
|
kept this promise include:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o GS/OS System 6.0 and 6.0.1, which offer many features similar to
|
|||
|
|
Macintosh's System 7 package, as well as providing tighter
|
|||
|
|
compatibility between the ROM 01 and ROM 03 IIgs computer.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o ProDOS 8 v2.0.3, which offers Apple IIe and IIc users the capability
|
|||
|
|
of attaching large disk devices (such as hard drives with more than
|
|||
|
|
two partitions) to a card in a single slot.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o HyperCard IIgs v1.1, an upgrade that includes more of the features
|
|||
|
|
found in the latest Mac version of HyperCard. This program,
|
|||
|
|
previously available only as a commercial product, has recently been
|
|||
|
|
reclassified in the same category as System software, which means it
|
|||
|
|
is available to qualified user groups for free distribution to their
|
|||
|
|
members (minus a manual, however).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o SuperDrive Card, a hardware add-on the makes it possible to use the
|
|||
|
|
higher-density (1.44 MB) 3.5 disks on the IIe and IIgs, and access
|
|||
|
|
(read-only) to MS-DOS disks.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Video Overlay Card, making possible multimedia computing on the IIgs
|
|||
|
|
that combines standard video signals with computer compatible video
|
|||
|
|
signals.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A DEDICATED CORE OF THIRD PARTY SUPPORTERS There are still many small
|
|||
|
|
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' individual programmers and
|
|||
|
|
hardware hackers who are devoted to the Apple II. They enjoy using this
|
|||
|
|
computer platform, and want to make new technology and programming
|
|||
|
|
techniques available for other Apple II users. They continue to provide
|
|||
|
|
products that larger companies (who must have large returns on their
|
|||
|
|
development investment) cannot afford to produce for the Apple II. The
|
|||
|
|
risk is that small one- or two-man companies may not be able to grow enough
|
|||
|
|
to ensure long-term support for their products. Also, some smaller
|
|||
|
|
companies cannot afford to work full-time on the Apple II and must have a
|
|||
|
|
"real" job to support their part-time activities.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Companies and/or products that fit into this category include:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Procyon, which has come out with a Unix-like multitasking environment
|
|||
|
|
for the IIgs called GNO/ME. (Multitasking means that the computer is
|
|||
|
|
doing two or more things simultaneously. "Unix" is a multitasking
|
|||
|
|
environment that has been in use on mainframes for years).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o JEM Software, Kingwood Micro Software, and Beagle Bros/Quality
|
|||
|
|
Computers all produce AppleWorks enhancements and add-ons. Quality
|
|||
|
|
has gone so far as to obtain rights to product new versions of
|
|||
|
|
AppleWorks and AppleWorks GS, which Apple and Claris let languish for
|
|||
|
|
years.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Seven Hills Software has several high quality IIgs products for the
|
|||
|
|
serious user, including a desktop publishing package, a font editor,
|
|||
|
|
disk utilities, drivers to make use of high quality output printers,
|
|||
|
|
and more.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Vitesse, Inc. offers a GS/OS-based package of hard disk management
|
|||
|
|
utilities, as well as a IIgs printer driver for the better printers.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Resource Central, a publisher, provides news, products, and technical
|
|||
|
|
support for the Apple II family, as well as helping sponsor continued
|
|||
|
|
technical education events ("KansasFest") each year. The Apple II
|
|||
|
|
support that comes directly from Apple through APDA (the Apple
|
|||
|
|
Programmers and Developers Association) has now been turned over to
|
|||
|
|
Resource Central.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o plus many more that I don't have room to mention here.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
USER GROUPS Just as in the beginning of the Apple II era, these groups
|
|||
|
|
''''''''''' still exist to provide the support for Apple II users that
|
|||
|
|
Apple and their authorized dealers cannot (or will not) provide. They give
|
|||
|
|
a sense of community and comradery that can keep a new user (or
|
|||
|
|
semi-experienced user) from abandoning the II in frustration, with the
|
|||
|
|
oft-mistaken notion that the grass will be greener on the MS-DOS or Mac
|
|||
|
|
side. Apple recognizes this and does provide many resources for Apple User
|
|||
|
|
Groups (but still tends to give much of its attention to the Mac side of
|
|||
|
|
things).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A NEW ERA OF SOFTWARE QUALITY Since there are no longer a large number of
|
|||
|
|
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' companies writing software for the Apple II
|
|||
|
|
series, we have come full circle. In the early days, most of the available
|
|||
|
|
software came from amateur authors, and the best of it was distributed by
|
|||
|
|
fledgling software companies through computer stores and magazine
|
|||
|
|
advertising. Today, much newer software, especially for the Apple IIgs, is
|
|||
|
|
coming from the same source: Amateur authors. Instead of being sold
|
|||
|
|
through stores or ads, much of this comes via online services through the
|
|||
|
|
Shareware method, or via mail-order houses. Some companies, like Quality
|
|||
|
|
Computers, are also directing sales of the best programs, becoming a blend
|
|||
|
|
of software publisher and distributor. Although the days of becoming a
|
|||
|
|
millionaire through selling a blockbuster Apple II program have probably
|
|||
|
|
passed forever, it is still possible to do fairly well as an author.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A LARGE LIBRARY OF AVAILABLE SOFTWARE The Apple II has seventeen years'
|
|||
|
|
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' worth of software available, and
|
|||
|
|
much of the best of the old programs are available for bargain prices via
|
|||
|
|
private sales, or free for downloading from online services.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
WHAT SHOULD WE DO NOW? If it is true that the sun is slowly setting on
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""" the age of Apple II computing, is there any point
|
|||
|
|
in hanging on any longer? Yes, indeed! First, if you own an Apple II
|
|||
|
|
computer, you have a platform that is extremely mature and well known.
|
|||
|
|
Unlike the IBM clones, who are evolving so fast that software cannot keep
|
|||
|
|
up with them, the 6502, 65c02, and 65816 have been around in one form or
|
|||
|
|
another for a long time. People who write software for the Apple II or
|
|||
|
|
IIgs know EXACTLY how to make it do what they want it to do, and they can
|
|||
|
|
do it well. The Apple IIgs, though released back in 1986, is just now
|
|||
|
|
coming into its full maturity, and some very high quality software is being
|
|||
|
|
released for it. This software can make it possible to use hardware (such
|
|||
|
|
as large capacity hard disks, optical scanners, tape drives, touch windows,
|
|||
|
|
and much more) that has been made "respectable" in the IBM or Mac world,
|
|||
|
|
and is now available for reasonable prices to work on an Apple II. The
|
|||
|
|
disadvantage faced by the IBM user is that mature 386 software will never
|
|||
|
|
exist; the 486 and its descendants will be the center of attention before
|
|||
|
|
that can happen. The 486 will likely suffer the same fate. Software on
|
|||
|
|
those machines simply cannot keep up with hardware when it changes so
|
|||
|
|
rapidly. The stale "growth" of the IIgs may actually have been to its
|
|||
|
|
advantage!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
So then, how do you handle the feelings of envy you may get from
|
|||
|
|
scanning through the magazine racks, viewing all the lovely things you can
|
|||
|
|
buy for one of THOSE computers? How is it possible to not be angry with
|
|||
|
|
Apple for what "they've" done to your favorite computer? Here are some
|
|||
|
|
suggestions:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
TAKE THINGS LESS SERIOUSLY After all, IT'S JUST A COMPUTER. People who
|
|||
|
|
'''''''''''''''''''''''''' got upset with Chevrolet for discontinuing
|
|||
|
|
their classic Chevelle Malibu had far too much of an emotional investment
|
|||
|
|
in the car. A computer, like a car, will NOT love you back, no matter how
|
|||
|
|
much time and devotion you put into it. If you view it as a tool, then do
|
|||
|
|
what a carpenter does: He continues to use his hammer, saw, and
|
|||
|
|
screwdrivers for as long as they remain useful to him. He does NOT go out
|
|||
|
|
each year and buy the next model of hammer, just because it has a few more
|
|||
|
|
features than the old one did.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Furthermore, make a decision to not let yourself become upset with
|
|||
|
|
Apple or with Apple dealers who were not interested in promoting the Apple
|
|||
|
|
II or IIgs. From their point of view, they were (and are) trying to make a
|
|||
|
|
living. As mentioned above, they didn't have much of a profit margin on
|
|||
|
|
the Apple II, and they had to pay the rent, their employees, and feed their
|
|||
|
|
kids. Apple could possibly have changed this by dropping dealer cost for
|
|||
|
|
the IIgs, but that would have dropped APPLE'S profit margin, and make them
|
|||
|
|
interested sooner in discontinuing the IIe and IIgs. RESOLVE to
|
|||
|
|
emotionally divorce yourself from Apple and what it did or did not do.
|
|||
|
|
Time showed us that we couldn't MAKE them change their attitudes, so why
|
|||
|
|
get ulcers over it?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ACCEPT PRESENT REALITY This sounds somewhat defeatist, but it has a
|
|||
|
|
'''''''''''''''''''''' positive reason. Accepting what has already
|
|||
|
|
occurred (Apple's discontinuation of first the IIgs, and then the IIe) can
|
|||
|
|
make it easier to decide what you want to DO with your computer NOW,
|
|||
|
|
instead of fussing over what might have been. Even if Apple NEVER releases
|
|||
|
|
another piece of hardware or system software for the Apple II or IIgs, they
|
|||
|
|
have provided us with tools that can be used for years to keep our hardware
|
|||
|
|
and software investment useful.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
USE WHAT YOU HAVE TO ITS FULLEST If you are using your Apple II for word
|
|||
|
|
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' processing, or desktop publishing, or
|
|||
|
|
home finances, and it still works, is the End Of The Apple II really that
|
|||
|
|
big a deal? There are still many people in this country using Apple II
|
|||
|
|
=PLUS= computers on a daily basis, because that is all the computer they
|
|||
|
|
have found that they need. They are not suffering because they cannot run
|
|||
|
|
a desktop publishing program like Publish-It! or GraphicWriter, or a font
|
|||
|
|
enhancer like Pointless; it is just not much of a priority with them. Dean
|
|||
|
|
Esmay, former chief sysop on GEnie's A2 Roundtable, put it well when he
|
|||
|
|
stated the following back in 1992: "The bandits in the Apple II division
|
|||
|
|
have always done their best to bring the machine to its ultimate limits and
|
|||
|
|
past them, DESPITE the idiot marketing and the high corporate officials,
|
|||
|
|
[whose actions] those guys couldn't do anything about. They've given us
|
|||
|
|
all they could to take the machine to its furthest abilities. If the
|
|||
|
|
higher ups decide to drop it now that's not going to change much of
|
|||
|
|
anything for any of us. Look at the Apple III. That thing sold barely
|
|||
|
|
100,000 units before being discontinued and there are STILL people using
|
|||
|
|
it, STILL companies out there supporting it. Up to [1989 or so] there were
|
|||
|
|
people still writing software for it, and at that time the machine had been
|
|||
|
|
discontinued for at least five years. AND with only 100,000 or so ever
|
|||
|
|
sold! There are at least fifteen times that many IIgs systems, and at
|
|||
|
|
least thirty times that many IIe/IIc systems, not even counting the clones.
|
|||
|
|
And a lot more software already available."<1> The IIe, IIc, and IIgs
|
|||
|
|
should be useful for a LONG time yet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Now, if you are a major computer game aficionado, it may bother you
|
|||
|
|
that there are no longer lots of games being released for the Apple II or
|
|||
|
|
IIgs. There ARE still some new games being released for the IIgs, and the
|
|||
|
|
quality is better than ever. If that is not enough for you, though,
|
|||
|
|
perhaps you would be happier with a Nintendo (oops! I mean the Super
|
|||
|
|
Nintendo, which is incompatible with cartridges for the old Nintendo. No,
|
|||
|
|
wait; the Ultra Nintendo, with 32 bit graphics and seventeen joystick modes
|
|||
|
|
and...). Just remember, ANY game machine or computer will be made obsolete
|
|||
|
|
someday.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FIND AND HELP NEW USERS Another area where local Apple II user groups can
|
|||
|
|
''''''''''''''''''''''' meet a need is in the growing number of people
|
|||
|
|
who are new owners of used Apple II equipment. Because there are many who
|
|||
|
|
have jumped the Apple II ship for the MS-DOS or Mac world, there are quite
|
|||
|
|
a few Apple II, II Plus, IIe, IIc, and IIgs computers that appear on the
|
|||
|
|
used market at bargain prices. The prices on these used computers are
|
|||
|
|
often low enough that an interested person can justify buying one just to
|
|||
|
|
try it out ($200 compared to $1200 makes it as affordable as a VCR). If it
|
|||
|
|
was interested in providing such a service, an Apple II user group could
|
|||
|
|
place small ads (perhaps in the classified sections of a newspaper or home
|
|||
|
|
shopper circular) to tell any new Apple II owners in the community that
|
|||
|
|
knowledgeable people are available to help them.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If they felt so inclined, user groups could even act as buying and
|
|||
|
|
selling coordinators for used Apple II hardware and software. This could
|
|||
|
|
make it easier both for those trying to sell used equipment, as well as for
|
|||
|
|
those looking to buy such equipment. This would require a higher level of
|
|||
|
|
volunteer time in these groups, but has the potential of stimulating a
|
|||
|
|
growth of membership.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
CONCLUSION: ENJOY YOURSELF! The current era of Apple II computing has the
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" potential of being as exciting as the
|
|||
|
|
original days, when every new program was a discovery in learning more
|
|||
|
|
about the machine. As a community, Apple II users need to determine the
|
|||
|
|
direction of their own future, since Apple Computer, Inc. is unlikely to be
|
|||
|
|
putting much (if any) energy into that area. In 1977, the major sources of
|
|||
|
|
hardware and software were not from computer stores or Apple itself, but
|
|||
|
|
rather from the users. In a sense, that is also true today. The days of
|
|||
|
|
making a million dollars writing software for this machine are probably
|
|||
|
|
long past, but there are still many hackers out there who can write new and
|
|||
|
|
useful programs that will maintain our hardware investment. These authors
|
|||
|
|
can distribute their products as shareware through major online services,
|
|||
|
|
or possibly as a commercial program through one of the few remaining Apple
|
|||
|
|
II software distributors (such as Quality Computers, Seven Hills Software,
|
|||
|
|
Econ, and others), or through one of the other companies mentioned above
|
|||
|
|
that continue to actively support the II. Users of the Apple II can help
|
|||
|
|
maintain the flow of Apple II-related products by BUYING what they use
|
|||
|
|
(instead of making illegal copies), and by paying the shareware fees for
|
|||
|
|
what they download from online services.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We have the unique opportunity to actually direct and mold the future
|
|||
|
|
of the Apple II ourselves. Decide how you want to participate, and have
|
|||
|
|
fun with your computer! Find ways in which you can use your "antique"
|
|||
|
|
computer and STILL amaze your friends ("I didn't know you could do THAT on
|
|||
|
|
an Apple II!")
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Apple II Forever?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Well, NOTHING lasts FOREVER... but it can last as long as we want it
|
|||
|
|
to!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[*][*][*]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NOTES
|
|||
|
|
"""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<1> Weyhrich, Steven. "So What Is Apple Up To Now? Dept", A2 NEWS
|
|||
|
|
DIGEST, Apr 1992.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<2> Weishaar, Tom. "Old Timers: Apple II Magazines", 1992 A2-CENTRAL
|
|||
|
|
SUMMER CONFERENCE (tapes), July 1992.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
<3> The frequency of personnel shifts at Apple prompted MacWorld
|
|||
|
|
magazine at one time to lampoon this by saying that Apple's
|
|||
|
|
company cafeteria had been distributing milk cartons with pictures
|
|||
|
|
of "lost" employees on the back, sporting the caption, "Have you
|
|||
|
|
seen me?"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
//////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
|
|||
|
|
/ /
|
|||
|
|
/ Ahhh. I have been spending alot of time on local BBS's /
|
|||
|
|
/ lately (trying to save money) and I just can't find /
|
|||
|
|
/ anyehere to replace my home here. You are all the /
|
|||
|
|
/ greatest. What a great bunch of people! /
|
|||
|
|
/ /
|
|||
|
|
////////////////////////////////////////// EW.CHRISTIAN ////
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[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 page 515. You can also find GEnieLamp on
|
|||
|
|
the main menus in the following computing RoundTables.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
RoundTable Keyword GEnie Page RoundTable Keyword GEnie Page
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
DigiPub DIGIPUB 1395 Atari ST ST 475
|
|||
|
|
Macintosh MAC 605 IBM PC IBMPC 615
|
|||
|
|
Apple II A2 645 Apple II Dev. A2PRO 530
|
|||
|
|
Macintosh Dev. MACPRO 480 Geoworks GEOWORKS 1050
|
|||
|
|
BBS BBS 610 CE Software CESOFTWARE 1005
|
|||
|
|
Mini/Mainframe MAINFRAME 1145 Programming PROGRAMMING 1445
|
|||
|
|
Data Comm. DATACOMM 1450 (Windows Coming Soon!)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp is also distributed on CrossNet, Internet, America Online,
|
|||
|
|
Delphi and many public and commercial BBS systems worldwide.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o To reach GEnieLamp on Internet send mail to genielamp@genie.geis.com
|
|||
|
|
OR jpeters@sosi.com
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Our Internet anonymous FTP address is: sosi.com. All current
|
|||
|
|
versions of GEnieLamp are available in the ~/pub/GEnieLamp directory.
|
|||
|
|
Due to the added expense involved, we ask that when you get GEnieLamp
|
|||
|
|
via the anonymous ftp for GEnieLamp, that it _not_ be ftp'd during
|
|||
|
|
the hours of 9AM and 5PM Eastern Standard Time. We appreciate your
|
|||
|
|
cooperation in this matter.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Current issues of all versions of GEnieLamp as well as back issues of
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp IBM are File Requestable (FREQable) via FidoNet (Zones 1
|
|||
|
|
through 6) from 1:128/51 and via OURNet (Zone 65) from 65:8130/3.
|
|||
|
|
SysOps should use the following "magic names" to request the current
|
|||
|
|
issue of the indicated GEnieLamp platform (FREQ FILES for names of
|
|||
|
|
back issues of GEnieLamp IBM):
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Platform Magic Name To Use
|
|||
|
|
"""""""" """""""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp IBM .................. GLIBM
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GEnieLamp ST ................... GLST
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GEnieLamp A2Pro ................ GLA2PRO
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GEnieLamp Macintosh ............ GLMAC
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GEnieLamp TX2 .................. GLTX2
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GEnieLamp A2 ................... GLA2
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o Back issues of GEnieLamp are available in the DigiPub RoundTable
|
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Library #2 on page 1395. M1395;3
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|
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o GEnieLamp pays for articles submitted and published with online GEnie
|
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credit time. Upload submissions in ASCII format to library #42 in
|
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|
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the DigiPub RoundTable on page 1395 (M1395;3) or Email it to
|
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GENIELAMP. On Internet send it to: genielamp@genie.geis.com
|
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o We welcome and respond to all E-Mail. To leave comments, suggestions
|
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or just to say hi, you can contact us in the DigiPub RoundTable
|
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|
|
(M1395) or send GE Mail to John Peters at [GENIELAMP] on page 200.
|
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|
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o If you would like to meet us "live" talk to us every Wednesday night
|
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|
|
in the Digi*Pub Real-Time Conference, 9:00 EDT. M1395;2
|
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|
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|
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|
|
o The Digital Publishing RoundTable is for people who are interested in
|
|||
|
|
pursuing publication of their work electronically on GEnie or via
|
|||
|
|
disk-based media. For those looking for online publications, the
|
|||
|
|
DigiPub Software Libraries offer online magazines, newsletters,
|
|||
|
|
short-stories, poetry and other various text oriented articles for
|
|||
|
|
downloading to your computer. Also available are writers' tools and
|
|||
|
|
'Hyper-utilties' for text presentation on most computer systems. In
|
|||
|
|
the DigiPub Bulletin Board you can converse with people in the
|
|||
|
|
digital publishing industry, meet editors from some of the top
|
|||
|
|
electronic publications and get hints and tips on how to go about
|
|||
|
|
publishing your own digital book. The DigiPub RoundTable is the
|
|||
|
|
official online service for the Digital Publishing Association. To
|
|||
|
|
get there type DIGIPUB or M1395 at any GEnie prompt.
|
|||
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|
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|
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>>> GEnieLamp STAFF <<<
|
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|
|
"""""""""""""""""""""""
|
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|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp o John Peters [GENIELAMP] Publisher/Editor
|
|||
|
|
"""""""""
|
|||
|
|
IBM o Bob Connors [DR.BOB] EDITOR
|
|||
|
|
""" o David C. Leithauser [D.LEITHAUSER] HyperRead Editor
|
|||
|
|
o Brad Biondo [B.BIONDO] IBM Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
o Tippy Martinez [WIN.LAMP] IBM Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
o David Holmes [D.HOLMES14] IBM Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
o Don Lokke [D.LOKKE] Cartoonist
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GEnieLamp o Tippy Martinez [WIN.LAMP] EDITOR
|
|||
|
|
Windows o Brad Biondo [B.BIONDO] Windows Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
""""""" o John Osarczuk [J.OSARCZUK] Windows Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
MACINTOSH o Richard Vega [GELAMP.MAC] EDITOR
|
|||
|
|
""""""""" o Tom Trinko [T.TRINKO] Mac Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
o Bret Fledderjohn [FLEDDERJOHN] Mac Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
o Ricky J. Vega [GELAMP.MAC] Mac Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ATARI ST o John Gniewkowski [GENIELAMP.ST] 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 Al Fasoldt [A.FASOLDT] ST Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
o Fred Koch [F.KOCH] ST Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
o Sandy Wolf [S.WOLF4] ST Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ATARI ST/TX2 o Cliff Allen [C.ALLEN17] EDITOR/TX2
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
ATARI [PR] o Bruce Faulkner [R.FAULKNER4] EDITOR/GEnieLamp [PR]
|
|||
|
|
""""""""""
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
APPLE II o Doug Cuff [EDITOR.A2] EDITOR
|
|||
|
|
"""""""" o Tara Dillinger [TARA] Co-Editor
|
|||
|
|
o Phil Shapiro [P.SHAPIRO1] A2 Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
o Darrel Raines [D.RAINES] A2 Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
o Gina E. Saikin [A2.GENA] A2 Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
o Steve Weyhrich [S.WEYHRICH] A2 Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
o Charlie Hartley [C.HARTLEY3] A2 Staff Writer
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A2Pro o Nate C. Trost [A2PRO.GELAMP] EDITOR
|
|||
|
|
""""" o Tim Buchheim [T.BUCHHEIM] Co-Editor
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ETC. o Jim Lubin [J.LUBIN] Add Aladdin/Scripts
|
|||
|
|
"""" o Scott Garrigus [S.GARRIGUS] Search-ME!
|
|||
|
|
o Bruce Maples [B.MAPLES] Copy Editor
|
|||
|
|
o Mike White [MWHITE] (oo) / DigiPub SysOp
|
|||
|
|
o Susie Oviatt [SUSIE] ASCII Artist
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
|
|||
|
|
Bulletin board messages are reprinted verbatim, and 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 do 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 or
|
|||
|
|
the beginning 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
|
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|
|
echo). Have the modem dial 1-800-638-8369 (USA) or 1-800-387-8330
|
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|
|
(Canada). When you get a CONNECT message, type HHH. At the U#=
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|
|
prompt, type: JOINGENIE and hit the [return] key. When you get the
|
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|
|
prompt asking for the signup code, type DSD524 and hit RETURN. The
|
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|
|
system will then prompt you for your information. Call 1-800-638-9636
|
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|
|
(voice) for more information.
|
|||
|
|
////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
|
|||
|
|
[EOF]
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|