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GEnieLamp Nov 1992 [4 parts]
This is GEnieLamp, an Apple II newsletter. It's in four parts.
This is part three.
--------------------- cut here ---------------------
INTERNET ON GEnie With GEnie open beta-testing an Internet gateway, I
""""""""""""""""" thought it was about time to get serious about learning
about the Internet. Good references on the Internet are not all that hard
to find; I located a number of downloadable files on GEnie that told me a
lot about it. However, finding good, comprehensive information in book
form was beginning to look like a challenge. Then, O'Reilly and Associates
came out with The Whole Internet Users Guide and Catalog, by Ed Krol. Talk
about synchronicity...
Krol is also the author of The Hitchiker's Guide To The Internet, a
well-known source of Internet info. He's been involved with the Internet
since 1985. In The Whole Internet User's Guide, he pulls together a wealth
of info on virtually all aspects of "the world's largest computer network".
The book is written for everyone from the total beginner to the experienced
Internet user. A guide on page xxii indicates which chapters will help the
reader most, depending on his or her level of expertise. Being a total
beginner and a Mac user, I wanted to find out just what the Internet could
do for me, and how best to access it with a Mac.
I quickly learned that the Internet is a sort of 'network of
networks', consisting largely of computers and computer networks on college
campuses, and in businesses, libraries and government institutions. They
are spread all over the USA and a great many foreign countries, forming a
gigantic spider web of computer systems. Any computer with access to the
system can connect to the other networks as a remote user and make use of
the resources at that end.
I was pleased to learn that a Mac (or any other computer) with a basic
terminal emulation program can access the Internet through one of its
'servers', and basically log on in real-time to a host computer. Many
college students and employees of some businesses can get free access
through their respective organizations. The rest of us have to find a site
that provides dial-up access and purchase an account. There are a number
of such services popping up all over the country, and the book provides
listings for a number of them.
It's difficult to describe or even imagine the breadth and scope of
information and services accessible through the Internet. It includes the
ability to access card catalogs and online databases at universities around
the world. Also on the network are private and proprietary databases,
specialized research databases maintained by schools, businesses and
independent researchers, including unusual and esoteric material that only
may be found at one or two locations in the world. How to find and access
this enormous wealth of information is the purpose behind The Whole
Internet User's Guide.
The Guide contains detailed chapters that will tell you how to log on
and use the various features of the Internet. Although the Internet
operates mainly on unix-based machines, almost any computer can access and
use it.
Since the Internet has no central office, customer service or index,
one of the most useful features of The Whole Internet Guide is the Catalog
of Resources. This is a topical listing of some of the more interesting and
useful resources accessible through the Internet. It is by no means
comprehensive, but serves as a starting place for new user.
Also included in the book are descriptions of some of the newer
software resources that make finding things on the Internet much faster and
easier. Programs like 'archie', 'gopher' and 'finger', will automate
searching for files and for the addresses of other users. Krol supplies
descriptions and instructions on how to use these programs, and throws in
some illustrations to boot.
Reading research papers isn't the only thing you can do on the
Internet. There is also Internet mail, which transfers e-mail all over the
world. And there is 'anonymous ftp', which is like having a world-wide
library of downloadable files and software, including tons of stuff that
will never be seen in stores, or even on GEnie. There are also
'newsgroups', which are the Internet equivalent of GEnie's Roundtables. The
Guide provides complete descriptions of all of these, and how to use them.
There is a lot more to the Internet than I can touch on here. Someone
wanting to explore should just log on and go for it. The Whole Internet
User's Guide includes a chapter on Internet protocol, what's allowed and
what's offensive, legal considerations and more.
I found the Guide to be both informative and readable. Given the
highly technical nature of the subject, producing an interesting guide
that's useful to novices is no mean feat. I'd recommend it to anyone
getting started with the Internet. Those who've already gotten their feet
wet should also find it a handy reference to keep by the terminal.
The Whole Internet User's Guide And Catalog is available from the
publisher, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., and bookstores including those in
the GEnie Online Shopping Mall. List price is $24.95.
[*][*][*]
NOTE GEnie's Open Beta of Internet is available at page m207. As of
"""" November 1, 1992, the pricing for Internet will be:
$2.00 registration fee - this will be a one time charge for all new
users signing up for the service. However, if a user cancels and
signs up another $2.00 charge will be incurred.
$.30 for each 5000 bytes or portion thereof for incoming or outgoing
messages.
//////////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "This is what I was looking for! Involved discussion....ooh yeah!" /
//////////////////////////////////////////////////// R.MARTIN22 ////
[EOA]
[MOO]////////////////////////////// . . . . . . . . .
CowTOONS! / . . . . . .
///////////////////////////////// . . . . . . .
Moooooo Fun! . . . . . . . . . .
"""""""""""" . . . . . . . . . .
By Chris Innanen . . . . . . . . . . .
. [C.INNANEN] . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .
. o ____ o . . .
\ / \ / . . ___
\( (__) )/ . /\ . / o\ .
. ( (oo) ) . . | o |
. \ \/ / () Invaders from the \___/ .
_____====_____ /__\ Planet Moo... . .
/ / \ \ . . .
. /O O O O O O\ . . .
\_-__-____-__-_/ . . .
. / . \ . . .
o . o . .
. . . . . . . . .
[*][*][*]
CowTOONS? Chris Innanen took us up on
(__) our offer and sent in this month's
(oo) ---- CowTOONS selection.
/--------\/ -----
/ | || ------- If you have an idea for a CowTOON, we
|\-----| \ ------ would like to see it. And if we pick
^ ^ ^ ^ your CowTOON for publishing in GEnieLamp
we will credit your account with 2 hours
~ Mycow Jackson ~ of GEnie non-prime time!
(Doing the Moowalk)
/////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "Aw Mike, you shouldn't have done that because now you got me /
/ upset. So put on your flak jacket ... here it comes:" /
///////////////////////////////////////////// R.C.GOSEWEHR ////
[EOA]
[AII]//////////////////////////////
APPLE II /
/////////////////////////////////
Apple II History, Part 6
""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Steven Weyhrich
[S.WEYHRICH]
>>> APPLE II HISTORY <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""
Compiled and written by Steven Weyhrich
(C) Copyright 1991, Zonker Software
(PART 6 -- THE APPLE II PLUS)
[v1.1 :: 12 Dec 91]
INTRODUCTION This part of the Apple II History gives the lowdown on the
"""""""""""" version of the Apple II where I cut my teeth -- the II
Plus. The modifications made from the original II to this version I just
took for granted at the time (like using IJKM to edit, instead of the older
ABCD a character at a time -- ugh!). Also in this part, for nostalgia's
sake, is a reproduction of an original Apple II Plus packing list. Don't
read it just before bed, or you'll probably be too excited to sleep. :-)
[*][*][*]
THE APPLE II PLUS: HARDWARE We now go cruising ahead in time about one
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" year, to June of 1979. Applesoft BASIC had
been in heavy demand since the introduction in late 1978 of an improved
version. It was needed by those wanting to write and use applications that
needed the capability of floating-point math. Because of this, Apple
engineers had begun working in 1978 on the Apple II Plus, a modest
enhancement to the Apple II. The main attraction of this newer Apple would
be Applesoft in ROM, available immediately without having to load it from
cassette or disk. Also, having it in ROM would move it out of the part of
memory where RAM Applesoft conflicted with hi-res graphics (after all,
Applesoft had commands specifically written into it for manipulating those
graphics, something that Integer BASIC could only do via special CALLs to
the routines in the Programmer's Aid 1 chip).
With the decision made to upgrade the Apple II, other changes were
made to make it more attractive to new computer buyers. The cost of RAM
chips had dropped considerably, so most new II Plus systems came standard
with a full 48K of RAM. Since the disk operating system consumed about 10K
of memory, having the full complement of available RAM made it easier to
use the Disk II with either version of BASIC. Since users would not need
to add the smaller 4K memory chips, the strapping blocks that had made it
possible to use either 4K or 16K RAM chips on the original Apple II were
removed.
Small changes had already been made to the product since it first
began distribution. Most of these changes were made primarily to simplify
it and decrease costs of manufacturing. First of all, the original Apple
II motherboard, designated as "Revision 0", was changed to make it possible
to display two more colors in hi-res graphics. The Revision 0 board had
only four colors (green, violet, black, white), but Wozniak had learned
that by making a simple alteration he could get two more colors (blue and
orange) and two more varieties of black and white. The Revision 1 and
later boards were capable of displaying all eight colors. The means of
making this modification to Revision 0 Apples was described by Wozniak in
his reply to an article by Allen Watson III about hi-res graphics (in the
June 1979 issue of Byte magazine). With that change, people who were not
afraid of doing a little electrical work on their computers had some of the
benefits of an updated Apple II.
Hardware bugs that Apple engineers fixed included one that caused text
characters to be displayed with green and violet fringing, whether in
graphics mode or text mode. The "color killer" circuit they added fixed
things so that non-graphics text would display in black and white only.
Another problem involved RAM configurations of either 20K or 24K (a 16K RAM
chip plus one or two 4K RAM chips). In those systems a hardware bug caused
the 8K of memory from $4000 to $5FFF to be duplicated in the next 8K of
memory, from $6000 to $7FFF, whether there was RAM present at those
locations or not. This made a 20K Apple appear to have 24K, and a 24K
Apple appear to have 36K. The Revision 1 motherboard fixed this problem as
well.<1>
Revision 1 boards also modified the cassette input circuit to respond
with more accuracy to a weak input signal, making it easier to load data
and programs from cassette. Also, one "feature" of the original Apple II
was that any sound generated by the internal speaker also appeared as a
signal on the cassette output connector; this was fixed in the new
motherboards. Lastly, the RESET cycle was made part of the power-up
circuitry, eliminating the requirement that the RESET key be pressed after
turning on the computer.<2>,<3>
THE APPLE II PLUS: FIRMWARE More important than the minor hardware
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" changes, however, were the changes in the
ROM code. The new ROM replaced the original Monitor with one that, among
other things, better supported the new Disk II drive. Since RESET was now
automatically activated when the power was turned on, the new ROM code had
the computer automatically do a few things. It cleared the screen
(displaying "APPLE ][" at the top), and began a scan down the slots,
starting at slot 7 down to slot 1. It examined the first few bytes of code
in each card's ROM for a specific sequence that identified it as a Disk II
controller card. If one was found, control was passed to that card,
causing the disk drive to startup and begin loading the disk operating
system into memory. If no disk controller was found, the ROM code jumped
instead to the start of BASIC (instead of leaving the user in the Monitor,
as in the old ROM). This "Autostart ROM", as it was called, made it
possible to have a system that started up a program on the disk with little
action needed by the user.
The RESET code was more intelligent in the Autostart ROM than in the
Old Monitor ROM. There was now a "Cold Start" RESET (which functioned as
described above), and a "Warm Start" RESET. A Warm Start RESET could occur
without re-booting the Disk II (if it was present); in fact, it ensured
that the disk operating system remained "connected" after RESET was
pressed. This feature was implemented by setting three bytes at the end of
page $03 in memory. Two of the bytes were the address of the place in
memory to which the Apple should jump if RESET was pressed. The third byte
was a specially coded byte created from half of the address byte. When
RESET was pressed, this special "power-up" byte was checked with the
address byte. If they didn't properly match, the Monitor assumed that the
power had just been turned on, and it executed a Cold Start RESET. This
feature was extensively used by writers of copy protected software, so
users could not modify or copy the code in memory simply by pressing the
RESET key.
The other major change, mentioned earlier, was the BASIC that was
supplied in ROM. Gone was Steve Wozniak's hand-assembled Integer BASIC, in
favor of the newer Applesoft. Since these ROM versions of BASIC used the
same memory locations, they could not be used simultaneously. With the
introduction of the II Plus, Apple also released the Applesoft Firmware
card. This card, which plugged into slot 0, made it possible for previous
Apple II owners to have some of the benefits of the II Plus without having
to buy an entirely new computer. Even with that card, however, you could
not use features of one BASIC while the other was active, and switching
from one BASIC to the other erased any program that was being used at the
time. The two BASICs could be told apart by the prompt they used; Integer
BASIC used the ">" character, but Applesoft used the "]" character.
Another change made to the Monitor ROM made screen editing easier.
The original Apple II's procedure for editing a line typed in BASIC or in
the Monitor was tedious at best. To change a line of text in BASIC, you
had to list the line, move the cursor up to the start of the line, and then
use the right-arrow key to "copy" text from the screen into the input
buffer. If you wanted to skip part of the line, you had to move the cursor
past the text that you wanted to eliminate WITHOUT using the arrow keys.
If you wanted to INSERT something into the line, you had to move the cursor
off the line (above it or below it), type the additional text, and then
move the cursor back into the line to finish copying the original part of
the line.
For example, suppose you had typed this line in Applesoft and
displayed it on the 40-column screen:
]LIST 100
100 FOR I = 1 TO 100: PRINT "I
LIKE MY APPLE": NEXT : END
To change that line so the PRINT statement read "I REALLY LIKE MY
APPLE" meant either retyping the entire line, or using the edit feature.
(If the line was particularly long, it was preferable to edit rather than
retype the entire line). To edit this line, you would have to move the
cursor up to the "1" of "100" and begin pressing the right arrow key. When
you got to the "L" of "LIKE" you would have to move the cursor above or
below the line, type the word "REALLY" followed by a space, then move the
cursor back to the "L" of "LIKE", and continue copying with the right arrow
key. After editing a line, the screen might look like this:
100 FOR I = 1 TO 100: PRINT "I
LIKE MY APPLE": NEXT : END
REALLY
(In this example, I moved the cursor down one line, typed "REALLY",
and then moved it back to the start of the word "LIKE"). If you didn't
make any mistakes it would read like this:
]LIST 100
100 FOR I = 1 TO 100: PRINT "I
REALLY LIKE MY APPLE" : NEXT
: END
However, if you didn't take care to skip over the extra spaces
inserted in front of the word "LIKE" by the Applesoft LIST command, it
could appear this way:
100 FOR I = 1 TO 100: PRINT "I
REALLY LIKE MY APPLE"
: NEXT : END
The big problem with these cursor moves for editing under the Old
Monitor was that each move required two keypresses. To move the cursor up,
you had to press "ESC" and then "D" EACH TIME you wanted to move the cursor
up. "ESC A" moved right, "ESC B" moved left, and "ESC C" moved the cursor
down. With a long line that needed much editing, this would get old real
fast. Not only was it cumbersome, but the layout of the keyboard made it
difficult to remember the correct letters used for cursor movement;
although "D" (up) was above "C" (down), it seemed that "D" should stand for
"Down". Also confusing was that "A" was to the left of "B", but their
functions were the opposite of their position!
The new Autostart ROM improved this screen editing process just a bit.
Now, pressing "ESC" turned on a special editing mode. Repeated presses of
"I" (up), "J" (left), "K" (right), and "M" (down) continued to move the
cursor until a key other than ESC was pressed. On the keyboard these
letters were arranged in a sort of "directional keypad" or diamond, which
made remembering the moves a little easier. The previous ESC editing codes
were still supported, but still with their previous limitations.
Unfortunately, however, you still couldn't tell whether you were in the
regular text entry mode or in the ESC editing mode, and often attempts at
changing a line took several tries to get it right.<4>,<5>
Other features added in the new Autostart ROM included the ability to
pause a listing by pressing Ctrl-S (VERY helpful when trying to scan
through a long program!) As mentioned above, pressing RESET would return
control through the soft-entry vectors on memory page $03. This would
allow a user to exit from a runaway BASIC program by pressing RESET, and
still keep program and variables intact in memory (which could not be
guaranteed with the old Monitor ROM).<5>
John Arkley at Apple wrote the changes to the original Monitor ROM and
created the Autostart ROM in November 1978 (he's the "John A" mentioned in
the source code listing found in the 1981 edition of the APPLE II REFERENCE
MANUAL). After he had done the work and the ROMs had been created, Apple
wanted to publish a new version of the Reference Manual to cover the Apple
II Plus. The older Reference Manual (affectionately known as the "Red
Book") had included an assembly language source code listing of the Monitor
ROM. They wanted to include the source for BOTH versions of the Monitor,
but a problem came up. While developing the Monitor, Apple had used a
local mainframe computer dial-up service known as "Call Computer." They
used a cross-assembler on that computer, assembled the code, and then used
the resulting object code to create the ROM. (A cross-assembler is an
assembler that creates object code for a processor other than the one the
cross-assembler runs on. For example, if you can write 8080 machine code
with an assembler running on a 6502-based computer, you are using a
cross-assembler). Unfortunately, Call Computer had accidentally done a
system backup with the source and destination disks reversed, erasing all
the files containing the source code for the Apple II Monitors. There were
no disk or cassette copies of the source code for the Autostart ROM back at
Apple. Working from the source listing in the Red Book, John recreated the
source file for the original Monitor, and then disassembled his own
modifications for the II Plus and re-created his Autostart ROM source file.
Those reconstructed listings are what appeared in the 1981 edition of the
Apple II Reference Manual.<6>
Not everyone was pleased with the modifications made in the Autostart
ROMs, however. Some of the authors of the magazine CALL-A.P.P.L.E. liked
to refer to the new computer as the "Apple II Minus", since Arkley had to
remove some of their beloved routines from the ROMs to make room for the
new features. Missing from the Apple II Plus ROMs were Integer BASIC, the
miniassembler, and Woz's SWEET 16 interpreter (that entire space now being
used by Applesoft). Missing from the Monitor were the assembly language
STEP and TRACE features, and a set of sixteen-bit multiply and divide
routines.<5>
THE APPLE II PLUS: COST The new Apple II Plus, at $1,195, sold for over
""""""""""""""""""""""" $100 less than the original Apple II, although
it came with more memory and had Applesoft (previously an added expense
item) in ROM.
THE APPLE II PLUS: BELL & HOWELL Apple made a deal early on with Bell &
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Howell to let them sell the Apple II
Plus with a Bell & Howell name plate on it for use in schools. These
Apples were black colored (instead of the standard beige), and had screws
on the back to keep the lids on (apparently to keep students' hands out).
These Apples (sometimes called "Darth Vader" Apples) also had the
"shift-key mod" (see below) applied. Since Bell & Howell was a major
supplier of school equipment, this was a means for Apple to get a foothold
in the school environment.<7>,<8>
Bell & Howell also had electronics correspondence courses, and used
the black Apple II Plus for one of their courses. They offered a one year
warranty, instead of the ninety-day warranty offered by Apple.<9>,<10>,<11>
THE APPLE II PLUS: EARLY USER EXPERIENCES An Apple II veteran on GEnie,
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Dennis Ulm, kindly provided me
with the following reproduction of his ORIGINAL Apple II Plus packing list.
It gives a little picture of what early non-disk users had to work with:
APPLE II PLUS PACKING LIST
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
This package should contain the following items:
item no. part number description
---- --- ----------- -----------
1 1 600-2023 cassette tape: LITTLE BRICKOUT, COLOR DEMOSOFT
2 1 600-2024 cassette tape: RENUMBER/APPEND, ALIGNMENT TEST TONE
3 1 600-2025 cassette tape: FINANCE I, PENNY ARCADE
4 1 600-2026 cassette tape: LEMONADE, HOPALONG CASSIDY
5 1 600-2027 cassette tape: BRIAN'S THEME, PHONE LIST
6 1 030-2057 manual: Introductory Programs for the Apple II Plus
7 1 030-0044 manual: The Applesoft Tutorial
8 1 030-0013 manual: Applesoft II BASIC Programming Reference
Manual
9 1 030-0004 manual: Apple II Reference Manual
10 1 030-0035 publication: Apple Magazine
11 1 600-0033 1 pair of game controls
12 1 590-0002 cable: to hook up a cassette recorder
13 1 590-0003 cable: power cord for the Apple II Plus
14 1 030-0001 Apple Warranty Card
15 1 600-0816 Apple II Plus System 16K
or
600-0832 Apple II Plus System 32K
or
600-0848 Apple II Plus System 48K
(LITTLE BRICKOUT was an abbreviated Applesoft version of Woz's Integer
BASIC Breakout game (the reason he designed the Apple II in the first
place). BRIAN'S THEME was a hi-res graphics program that drew lines on the
screen in various patterns. HOPALONG CASSIDY was a "guess who" program
that also used the hi-res screen).<12>,<13>
Also included in Dennis' II Plus box was this photocopied instruction
sheet:
TAPE LOADING INSTRUCTIONS
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
If problems are encountered in LOADing tape programs, it may
be necessary to "queue" (sic) the tape before LOADing. To queue
a tape, use the following procedure:
1. Rewind the tape.
2. Disconnect the cable from the tape recorder (so you can hear
what's on the tape).
3. Start the tape recorder in PLAY mode.
4. When a steady tone is heard, STOP the tape recorder.
5. Connect the cable to the tape recorder and adjust the volume
and tone controls on the tape recorder to the recommended
levels.
6. Make sure your computer is in BASIC.
7. Type LOAD.
8. START the tape playing.
9. Press RETURN.
The program should LOAD properly. If an error message occurs,
repeat the procedure, but try readjusting the tone and volume
controls on the tape recorder.
Dennis says that in his experience it took at least five to ten tries
to get anything to load properly from tape!
THE APPLE II PLUS: MORE HARDWARE ADD-ONS Lower-case was still not
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" supported on the new Apple II
Plus, though it was a popular user-modification. The thriving industry for
Apple II peripherals made up for this shortcoming, with various vendors
supplying small plug-in circuit boards that fit under the keyboard,
allowing display of lower-case on the screen (and sometimes direct entry of
lower-case from the keyboard). By 1981, when the Revision 7 motherboard
was released for the Apple II Plus, a different method of character
generation was used, which reduced radio-frequency interference that was
generated. For Revision 7 boards, lower-case characters could be displayed
with the addition of only a single chip. However, unless a user changed
the keyboard encoder with a third-party product, only upper-case characters
could be typed.<14>
The keyboard itself underwent some changes, both by users and by
Apple. The original RESET key was in the upper right-hand corner of the
keyboard. The problem with that key was that it had the same feel as the
keys around it, making it possible to accidentally hit RESET and lose the
entire program that was being so carefully entered. One user modification
was to pop off the RESET keycap and put a rubber washer under it, making it
necessary to apply more pressure than usual to do a RESET. Apple fixed
this twice, once by replacing the spring under the keycap with a stiffer
one, and finally by making it necessary to press the CTRL key and the RESET
together to make a RESET cycle happen. The keyboards that had the
CTRL-RESET feature made it user selectable via a small slide switch just
inside the case (some people didn't want to have to press the CTRL key to
do a RESET).
Another keyboard limitation was addressed through a modification that
became known as the "shift-key mod". This was such a widely used trick
that Apple ended up supporting it in hardware when they designed the Apple
IIe. Since the II and II Plus keyboards could not directly generate
lower-case characters, early word processing programs had to find some way
to make up for that deficiency. Apple's own Apple Writer program used the
ESC key as a shift and shift-lock key, displaying upper-case characters in
inverse video and lower-case in regular video. Other programs suggested
installing the shift-key mod to allow more natural entry of upper-case,
using the SHIFT key already present on the keyboard. The user had to
attach a wire to the contact under the SHIFT key, and run it to the game
port where the input for push-button 2 was found. (This push-button PB2,
$C063 in memory, was for one of an optional second pair of game paddles
that third-party hardware companies supplied for the Apple II). The
program would assume that all letters being typed were in lower-case,
unless the SHIFT key (attached now to paddle button PB2) was also being
pressed; in that case the letter would be entered as upper-case. Since the
PB2 button was not often used for a second pair of game paddles, it was
unlikely that this modification would be accidentally triggered by pressing
one of the game paddle buttons. This modification did NOT use buttons PB0
or PB1, which were on the first pair of game paddles. (PB0 and PB1 now
correspond to the Open-Apple and Solid-Apple/Option keys on modern Apple II
computers).
[*][*][*]
NEXT INSTALLMENT The Apple IIe
""""""""""""""""
NOTES
"""""
<1> -----, "Memory Organization", APPLE II REFERENCE MANUAL, 1979,
1981, pp. 70-73.
<2> -----, APPLE II REFERENCE MANUAL, 1979,1981, pp. 25-27, 34-36.
<3> Bruce Field, "A.P.P.L.E. Doctor", CALL-A.P.P.L.E., Jan 1984, pp.
74-75.
<4> -----, "Apple and Apple II History", THE APPLE II GUIDE, Fall
1990, pp. 9-16.
<5> -----, APPLE II REFERENCE MANUAL, 1979,1981, pp. 25-27, 34-36.
<6> John Arkley, (personal telephone call), Sep 9, 1991.
<7> Joe Regan, GEnie A2 ROUNDTABLE, Category 2, Topic 16, Apr 1991.
<8> Dan Paymar, "Curing A Shiftless Apple", CALL-A.P.P.L.E., May 1982,
pp. 63-64.
<9> Tom Vanderpool, GEnie A2 ROUNDTABLE, Category 2, Topic 16, Mar &
Aug 1991.
<10> Tom Zuchowski, GEnie A2 ROUNDTABLE, Category 2, Topic 16, Mar
1991.
<11> Steve Hirsch, GEnie A2 ROUNDTABLE, Category 2, Topic 16, Mar
1991.
<12> Dennis Ulm, GEnie A2 ROUNDTABLE, Category 2, Topic 16, Apr 1991.
<13> Wes Felty, GEnie. A2 ROUNDTABLE, Category 2, Topic 16, Apr 1991.
<14> Bruce Field, "A.P.P.L.E. Doctor", CALL-A.P.P.L.E., Jan 1984, pp.
74-75.
////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "Wow, talk about a rumor. Take no prisoners, Steve. :^) /
/ No mercy. :^)" /
//////////////////////////////////////////// E.KRIMEN ////
[EOA]
[LIB]//////////////////////////////
THE ONLINE LIBRARY /
/////////////////////////////////
Yours For The Downloading
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Mel Fowler
[MELSOFT]
>>> TOP UPLOADS: SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER '92 <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ ** 8-bit programs for the Classic Apples ~
ONLY THE BEST! These are among the best UPLOADs to the A2 Software
"""""""""""""" Library in the past month. Please check them out. You
will not be disappointed.
[*][*][*]
19318 Name: LETTERSLIDE.BXY LetterSlide is a companion piece to Boggled
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" GS. Although both programs share some of
the same graphics, gameplay is radically different! In LetterSlide, you
must push blocks around to form words so you may collect jewels and advance
to the next level. If you have played SokoBan, then there are some
similarities; except instead of pushing blocks to an area, you must push
blocks to create words. Challenging yet amusing! The program comes with a
Level Editor, so you can create your own levels and boards if you wish.
19378 Name: SOUNDSMITH.BXY V1.01 SoundSmith returns to shareware with
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" the new version 1.01! SoundSmith is
a music creation program that can make songs for playback on your IIGS.
SoundSmith uses ASIF instrument files which can be created from digitized
sounds. SoundSmith 1.01 features MIDI support as well as other minor
enhancements. A must download for the SoundSmith fanatic, would-be music
writer, or for anyone who likes neat IIGS sound software. $20 shareware.
19388 Name: GECOPILOT.BXY Co-Pilot 2.0.3 is a IIGS message processor for
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" GEnie that works with Talk is Cheap (v.3.20
or later) or Point-to-Point (version 4.0 or later) to automatically
download messages from RoundTables and GE Mail which you can then read,
reply to or save off-line. Co-Pilot then calls GEnie and uploads your
replies. You can download or get descriptions of files automatically.
Operation is simple and fully automated. This evaluation version of
Co-Pilot has some non-essential features disabled. On payment of a $25 fee
(or a $10 update fee) you will be told how to activate all features.
19444 Name: MINEFIELD.BXY This is one of the best kinds of games:
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" simple and addicting! Minefield is a game
for the Apple IIgs that plays like the game Mine Sweeper. The object of
this game is to clear a grid of squares (the minefield) of mines, without
hitting any of them. Every time you click on one of the squares, it will
either be a mine or a number. The number will show you how many mines are
surrounding that square. From this, you decide which other squares are
clear or have mines. When you're sure a square has a mine in it, you can
put a flag on that square. Multiple levels of difficulty and options are
available.
19445 Name: MINESGS.NDA.BXY An NDA version of this great simple and
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" addicting game! Mines GS is a game for
the Apple IIgs that plays like the game Mine Sweeper. The object of the
NDA version of this game is a little different from the full GS/OS
application. In this NDA, all you have to do is clear a path from one
corner of a grid of squares (the minefield) to the other. Every time you
click on one of the squares, it will either be a mine or a number. The
number will show you how many mines are surrounding that square. From
this, you decide which other squares are clear or have mines. When you're
sure a square has a mine in it, you can put a flag on that square.
19471 Name: W6BBS.BXY Warp Six BBS, public domain version 1.1. Requires
"""""""""""""""""""""" a IIe Enhanced or IIGS and Hayes or compatible
external modem. Docs included, in AppleWorks 3.0 format.
19472 Name: SUPERBASIC.BXY This utility allows anyone with knowledge of
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" BASIC programming to create stunning IIgs
programs with Super-High-Resolution graphics. An 84 page manual and many
examples are included. Use Shrinkit to unpack the program files to a
blank disk called /SUPER. Then copy PRODOS and BASIC.SYSTEM to the disk and
boot it.
19475 Name: SHOWME.NDA.BXY V1.0B2 Beta release 2 fixes problems with
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" large GIF's and file selection
restriction problems. This NDA works under System software 5, but has
System software 6 Finder enhancements. You can view all IIGS graphics,
view GIF files, view MacPaint files, save graphics in Screen or APF
formats, and do some simple color conversions. Beta Release. JesusAware
released the same as Freeware.
**19478 Name AW.INSTRUCT.BXY This well-written 29K text file gives
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" complete instructions on how to get
started using Applewriter. Thanks are owed to Gareth Tucker who explains
everything in the simplest and clearest possible terms.
19484 Name: DOS3.3.LNCH.BXY All the way from new South Wales comes this
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" incredibly useful GS/OS utility that
allows you to store, and run, older DOS 3.3 software on your previously
non-DOS 3.3 compatible hard drive. Written by the author of Roger Wagner's
Graphic Exchange, John MacLean, this is a $10 shareware utility. It's very
easy to use, it's desktop based with pull down menus, and it even has the
ability to slow down your system to 1 Mhz when running DOS 3.3 software,
but returns you to the Finder at the GS's faster speed. Supports DOS 3.3
BIN files and single or double sided disks.
**19511 Name: HWEN3.DHR.BXY Graphics guru Pat Kern offers more of her
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" handiwork in this interesting collection of
double hi-res Halloween clip art. The large jack-o-lantern and trick-or-
treating scene look sharp. Useful for Publish IT! school newsletters.
19517 Name: GSHK.BSE V1.1 This is GS-ShrinkIt v1.1. This is also a
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ShrinkIt self-extracting archive inside a
Binary II wrapper. This means that you'll have to remove the Binary II
wrapper either when downloading using your communications program (ie, turn
Binary II mode ON), or remove the Binary II wrapper with a separate program
once you've downloaded this archive. GSHK v1.1 is faster compressing,
faster decompressing, can make self-extracting archives, and has been made
easier to use. A MUST-HAVE for anyone downloading files from A2 or A2Pro!
Remember, you MUST download this with Binary II turned on, or use some
other utility after the download to remove the Binary II wrapper. Then
just run the program to have it extract itself. Enjoy!
**19529 Name: WSCRAM.BXY The dynamic-duo team of Preston and Sara
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Boomer have released yet another shareware
educational program. This cute little Applesoft program does a swell job of
printing word scramble puzzles for teachers. The program sports an easy to
use interface for inputting your own word lists. Share this one with your
local school.
**19540 Name: GENEALOGY2.BXY This freeware Applesoft program can print
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" predecessor and descendant charts on any
ImageWriter printer. Fully listable code for snooping programmers and other
nice people.
19544 Name: SHOVEIT.BXY A brand-new game for the GS that comes under the
"""""""""""""""""""""""" 'addictive' heading. The game has 50 built in
mazes that you move objects through to destination boxes. Included is an
editor to make your own maps for play and up-loading. Every game has a
playback feature, to enable you to see a high speed movie of your moves AND
see the winning moves of other players who upload their 'won' game files.
This is a challenging game for both kids (easier levels) and grownups.
FREEWARE.
19573 Name: SONIQTRACKER.BXY V0.60 This is the latest version and it
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" seems to be rock stable. This is
definitely my mod player of choice right now. This version of soniqTracker
adds some nice conveniences (it saves the preference box, mainly the stereo
setting) and gives you an instrument list (I forget if the last version did
that or not). It's still not as feature-laden as ModZap, but the sound
quality is definitely better on some instruments.
[*][*][*]
WAIT, THERE'S MORE! There are several uploads that are not listed here
""""""""""""""""""" do to limited space but are non-the-less deserve
your attention: PRIME BBS and all the PRIME BBS accessories. There are so
many of them I can't even list the Numbers. History of the Apple II and
Astronomer GS are another two programs that must be included here. Simply
search on the key words I have listed in this paragraph to get the file
numbers. You can then get a description and/or continue with a download.
[*][*][*]
**Thanks to Phil Shapiro for the inclusion of the 8-bit
programs to this list.
/////////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "Man...it doesn't take long to start a rumor here, does it? :-)" /
///////////////////////////////////////////////// J.TRAUTSCHOL ////
[EOA]
[ELS]//////////////////////////////
GEnie ELSEWHERE /
/////////////////////////////////
Electronic Publishing On GEnie
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Ron Albright
[RALBRIGHT]
>>> NOVEMEBER IS ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING MONTH <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Dear Reader,
I wanted to make this special mailout to everyone I could think of to
keep you posted about the exciting activities the Disktop Publishing
Association has planned for the final quarter of 1992. We want to finish
off 1992 with a bang and get ready to make 1993 the year that electronic
publishing really takes off. Here are some of the things you should be
aware of and, hopefully, take an active role in making these events notable
successes:
Electronic Publishing Month The DPA is proud to proclaim November, 1992
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" as "Electronic Publishing Month." The
announcement and the activities planned for the month have been circulated
to the media and the national communications networks (CompuServe, GEnie,
etc.) and are intended to call attention to wealth of materials available
on disk for reading by computer.
The DPA membership, which now range across the United States, Canada,
and Europe, is encouraged to work actively through their local bulletin
board systems (BBSs), commercial communications systems (such as CompuServe
and GEnie), and computer user groups, to bolster the awareness among
computer users of the quality of reading material available through
electronic publications. We hope to call attention to the benefits of
"paperless" publishing as both an environmentally-sound alternative to
print media as well as offering benefits to readers that are not possible
with traditional books and magazines (hypertext linking, animation, and
sound).
As noted by Paul Saffo in his October, 1992 column in PC/Computing
magazine, "We are in the age of electronic incunabula, and the inventions
of media entrepreneurs are certain to surprise and delight us in the decade
ahead." As a DPA member publisher and author, you are on the cusp of the
exciting age of electronic media and "Electronic Publishing Month." The
emphasis during the month of November is intended to bring new interest and
readers into the group already enjoying the innovative works already
existing in computer-readable format.
Hardware platforms (like Apple's "PowerBook" and new, DOS "palmtop"
computers) now make reading of electronic documents possible anywhere. And
electronic magazines, novels, and instructional materials are available
through many outlets at prices which are lower than bookstore prices. The
1990s is, indeed, the decade of electronic publishing.
What can you do to work toward making the month of November a major
step forward for all of us? Here are some ideas from Ted Husted, author of
IRIS and DART:
o Add an Epub tagline to your offline reader.
o Adopt a local BBS, ask them to open an Epub category.
o Ask your nearest FIDO net board to carry the DPA echo.
o Ask your user group to publish (or republish) their
newsletter on disk.
o Open a "Electronic Publishing" category on your BBS or
file library.
o Register an electronic publication or program.
o Submit an article to your local users group, or the
computer columnist of your local newspaper. (We can get
you all the background you need).
Can you think of some ideas yourself? It's time to beat the bushes,
folks! It's a perfect month to re-double our efforts to put electronic
publishing "on the map" of readers and consumers everywhere. The DPA revise
our "DEMO-DPA.ZIP" file with its sample publications and informational
material about the DPA and its members. You can download the file by modem
or, if you like, send me a disk and two stamps, and I will send you a copy.
You can then distribute it - by modem or by hand - to the four winds and
get the word of the electronic publishing revolution everywhere in your
area.
GEnie Becomes a National Home For the DPA As you all know, the key to a
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" productive group is
communication. Being able to poll the membership on ideas and proposals
and inform the membership of new developments is key to the growth and
perceived value of any organization. We have tried to establish the DPA BBS
(205-854-1660) at the nerve center of our activities and it has served us
well up to this point. However, with continued growth and the membership
being spread to the four winds across the country and, indeed, the world,
it seems time to establish a more cost-effective hub for communications and
discussion. Calling the BBS with the long-distance charges involved, has
been a burden for many and our organization has suffered for that. Since we
are all - shall we say "low profit margin" publishers - it is a strain on
all our pocketbooks to call long-distance on a regular basis.
For these reasons, I would like to propose a new communications
center. You all have probably heard of GEnie, the "General Electric News
and Information System." GEnie is a national, modem-accessible system with
access numbers a mere local call to 99% of the United States and Canada. A
couple years back, GEnie established a flat-rate access system that allows
users to access electronic mail, news, and selected "roundtables" (Forums
or "special interest groups") during evening and weekend hours for only
$4.95 per month. Subscribers do not pay per-minute connect charges when
using these services and you can spend as much time as you like in these
areas without incurring any additional charges. Since the calls to the
GEnie system are local calls, there are no long-distance tolls levied
either.
There are two areas on GEnie where we can gather. For those of you who
want to keep charges down to absolute minimum $4.95 per month, we have an
area setup on one of the GEnie*Basic free access roundtables - "The
Writers RT" (Page 440) - already has a specific conference set up for DPA
activities. CATEGORY 46, TOPIC 38 is the "Electronic Publishing" category.
We can leave unlimited messages there in non-prime hours (evenings and
weekends) to discuss DPA business. This RT is frequented by a number of
writers and is the perfect place for DPA publishers and authors to meet
other writers and recruit material for their publications. Again, all your
time in the Writer's RT is not billed per-minute and will be covered under
the standard $4.95/month basic charge.
I further propose that we make the "GENIELAMP RoundTable" (PAGE 515)
on GEnie as the "public" headquarters for the Disktop Publishing
Association. The GENIELAMP RT, run by John Peters and Jim Flanagan,
actively supports electronic publishing through their monthly "GENIELAMP"
newsletter and is already recognized by the GEnie user base as the location
for on-disk publications. The DPA already has special areas (CATEGORY 6 is
a public message area for the DPA and CATEGORY 7 is a private area for
member-only conversations) set up on the GENIELAMP RT for messages related
to electronic publishing. We also have our own library set up for DPA
publications (which I am actively filling up with your publications off the
DPA BBS). With these areas in place, we can communicate much more
cost-effectively with our members. We can upload new publications to the RT
without charge (downloading is billed, though, at the usual $6.00 per
hour). GENIELAMP is NOT one of the unbilled Forums, but they are the one
that has given us the support we need - with our own conference and file
areas - to establish a true national presence and recognition. We can leave
messages with a local call into this area and, even at 10 cents per minute,
the access charges are cheaper than long-distance rates to the DPA BBS. We
can use the electronic mail area for private messages (at no charge over
the monthly $4.95 monthly fee. Many of us are already spending much more
than that calling the DPA BBS long-distance.
Signing on to the DPA is free and can be done in the following way:
1. Set your communications program to half duplex (local echo).
2. Dial 1-800-638-8369 (or 1-800-387-8330 in Canada).
3. When connected, type "hhh" (do not press ENTER).
4. When you get the "U#=" prompt, enter XTX99368,GENIE and press
ENTER.
5. Have a credit card or checking account number ready, and answer
the questions that follow.
To repeat, there is no sign-up fee. The monthly fee is $4.95 for
unlimited, non-prime-time use of all basic services (which includes
electronic mail, news services, and several RoundTables, one of which is
the aforementioned Writers RT). If you don't like GEnie, you can call them
within the first 30 days and get your $4.95 refunded. For more information
on signing on and technical support for signing on, call 1-800-638-9636 for
more information. Remember uploads are free; downloading time is billed at
$6/hour. Incidentally, there is a software package, that I will be happy to
send anyone who sends me a disk and two 29 cents stamps, called "Aladdin,"
that automates message reading and sending as well as file uploading on
GEnie completely so there is really nothing you will need to learn about
GEnie commands or navigating. Thus, you will be up and reading DPA
bulletins and downloading the same day you sign up.
It all makes such good sense to me. I would appreciate any feedback
you have about this idea. I am already on GEnie (my "User Name" is
"RALBRIGHT") and, along with several other DPA members (notably Don Lokke,
John Gaudreault, Robert Jordan, Thomas Easton, and others), have been
beating the drums of the DPA for several months. I would be happy to talk
you through accessing the system and getting to the DPA materials.
I, therefore, propose we make GEnie's "GENIELAMP" our national public
home and the "Writer's Roundtable" as our users home. I look forward to
seeing you on that system. For less than $5.00 a month, we can communicate
daily and really get this organization moving toward national prominence.
What do you say? See you on GEnie. Of course, the DPA BBS (205-854-1660)
will continue to operate full-time in case anyone chooses to stay with the
long-distance route of access.
--
Jerry Penner jpenne@ee.ualberta.ca Try a 1-line .sig today.