Re: A2.ECHO.SW.ZIP conversion help.

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Ernest writes ...
> 
> I would really appreciate it if someone would convert these shrinkit files
> to .dsk image files.  The link is below. I would do it but I'm not sure 
> how to do it on my WinPC. Any suggestions?

     It is possible to convert .sdk files created by 8-bit ShrinkIt into .dsk
disk image files on your PC. You use Nulib v3.24 to convert each .sdk file to
a .po disk image. Then, you start the AppleWin A2 emulator and use Disk
Muncher to copy each .po disk image to a .dsk disk image.

     However, on Asimov, the nine Echo disks really should be in emulator disk
image form. So, the conversion has been done and the .dsk files have been
uploaded. Below is copy of the Text info file for the set of disks:


>>

GS WorldView
February 2000

Echo Diskette Set on Asimov


The Apple II Computer Series - Echo Card Software Collection

February 26, 2000

Status: Freeware - for non-commercial use only!

There are nine 5.25" diskettes in this collection. Each is available
as a ShrinkIt (.sdk) whole-disk archive and a .dsk disk image file.

.dsk- a DOS 3.3 or ProDOS 5.25" disk image
 This file may be used on an Apple II emulator or converted 
 back to diskette form via a PC-->Apple2 ADT transfer (or, 
 the file may be converted to diskette on a 128k Apple II via
 DSK2FILE or, on a IIgs, via ASIMOV).
 See Csa2 File Utilities FAQs.

.sdk- a DOS 3.3 or ProDOS disk in shrinked disk form
 This file should be unshrinked to 5.25" diskette using
 8-bit ShrinkIt.
 See Csa2 File Utilities FAQs for more about ShrinkIt.


Note: The diskette file names shown below are for the ShrinkIt files.
 The names are the same for the disk image files except that the
 suffix is ".dsk".



ECHO1.SDK (/ECHO1) contains the following:

ECHOINFO.TXT = this text file.

PHRASES.TXT = a text file I compiled listing of all of the 110 (#0 through
109) phrases on that 800K extended vocabulary disk that you sent me.  Now,
folks can find what they're looking for almost as easily as point and
clicking  in the standard vocabulary files.

VOC1.STK and VOC2.STK = Two of Tutor-Tech stacks that are set up so that
the 110 Echo Phrases from the extended vocabulary disk can be easily tried
out for clarity. It does take some time to pick out each phrase and paste it
into a stack, so this makes browsing through the phrases quick and easy. 
There are two stacks that cover all 110 phrases and a couple of other words
that are thrown into the phrases file.  Tutor-Tech Demo, Teacher and Student
disk version 2.5, 2.6 and 2.7 all support this high quality speech.

CIRCUS.STK and EZCIRCUS.STK = are just two of my early Tutor-Tech stacks
that I came across that have nothing to do with the Echo.  They're basically
the same stack, CIRCUS, but ezCIRCUS has a simplified vocabulary.  CIRCUS is
a choose your own adventure type of story that I had actually forgot all
about.

_________________



ECHO2C.SDK (/ECHO) = The Apple IIc basic Echo II disk.  When I bought my
first Echo ][, I bought it through the catalog or through Street Electronics
directly (I don't remember any more) at full price, but it took four tries
and four months before I receive the Apple IIe version. They sent me an Echo
for the Macintosh, for IBM and the Apple IIc before they finally ran out of
options.  I tried the disk, read the manual and discovered that they hadn't
sent what I bought the Echo for:  to use with Tutor-Tech to import the
speech.  After contacting them, I received disks containing the sides of
numbers 2, 3, 4 & 5 (included in this collection).

_________________



ECHO2E.SDK (/ECHO) = The Apple IIe basic Echo II disk

_________________



ECHOMANUAL.SDK (/MANUAL.FILES) = The text files that make
up the on-disk manual.

_________________



ECHORDCOMPBOOT.SDK (/RC2BCORNER) and ECHORDCOMPSTORY.SDK (/RC2SCORNER) = 
sides one and two of a reading program that uses the Echo. The programs can 
be bit copied and I found out today that they will shrink and expand without
any trouble. I made a copy of it to see if I could and to give you something
else to try.  Now, I'm wondering what other copyprotected software will
shrink and expand.  I just got an Alaska card on eBay that is suppose to do
something similiar, I think.

I don't have the manual to this reading series, but I've poked around enough
to know that there are options, at least in the high reading level versions
of this, that allow the teacher to preselect whether the programs doesn't
speak, speaks only key words, or speaks everything.  If you or anyone else
can figure out what needs to be done to access these options, I'd be
interested.  I seem to remember that they also contain letters to parents,
record keeping and so on.  I keep a master set untouched so if a record
keeping directory does not let another student log on until the teacher
downloads the current directories scores to make room, I can just recopy the
disk (since I don't know how to access the records, let alone delete any of
them.

_________________



ECHOTEXTALKDOS3.SDK = The DOS 3.3 version of Textalker.  This program is
loaded into memory before your application software so that text (not hi-res
equivalents) will be recognized from your programs and spoken aloud.  I've
always thought that this would make a great companion for typing in a long,
long Nibble program from the magazine.

_________________



ECHOTEXTALKPDOS.SDK (/TEXTALKER) = ProDOS version of Textalker

_________________



ECHOWORDEDIT.SDK (/WORDS) = This allows a menu of preselected words and 
phrases to be drawn from. It also includes the smaller version of the high 
quality, prerecorded, female speech that the 800K extended vocabulary disk 
contains, but this one runs on a 5.25" floppy.

_________________



So, now you have available the entire Echo card software collection plus a
few nice extras too.

That's All Folks -- Enjoy!

MacProbrer, GS WorldView Editor

<<



 ....
> 
> This FTP site has tons of .SDK files but whenever I click on one, to copy
> it  to my PC, all that I get is garbage on the screen.
 ....

     Try Right-clicking on the file name. This should display some options
which will let you save the file. You may need to use Uncook on the files you
download in order to remove extra characters which get added in Text mode
transfers. (You can download Uncook and get some info about using it at
http://www.grin.net/~cturley/gsezine/GS.WorldView/v2000/Mar/Articles/ . Click
on "Download Help" near the bottom of the display.)

     The best way to download files from an ftp site is via an ftp program
like WS_FTP95 or Cute FTP.




Rubywand