From: jpenne@ee.ualberta.ca (Jerry Penner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: GEnieLamp Oct 1992 [4 parts]
Summary: GEnie online magazine for the Apple II
Date: 6 Oct 92 07:41:15 GMT
Organization: University Of Alberta, Edmonton Canada

This is part 1 of 4 parts.

This is GEnieLamp, an online magazine produced by various people on
the GEnie information service.  It is posted to the Internet by
request of Thomas Schmitz (TOM.SCHMITZ on GEnie), the Apple II editor
for GEnieLamp.  He is resigning his post as editor (as you can read in
this month's issue) but I will keep posting this to the Internet in
all likelihood.

There are four (4) parts, each of which is approximately 1000 lines +
the regular Internet header lines.

Enjoy.

---8<--- snip ---8<--- snip ---8<--- snip ---8<--- snip ---8<---




     |||||| |||||| ||  || |||||| ||||||
     ||     ||     ||| ||   ||   ||
     || ||| ||||   ||||||   ||   ||||               Your
     ||  || ||     || |||   ||   ||
     |||||| |||||| ||  || |||||| ||||||             GEnie Lamp A2/A2Pro

     ||    |||||| ||    || ||||||                   RoundTable
     ||    ||  || |||  ||| ||  ||
     ||    |||||| |||||||| ||||||                   RESOURCE!
     ||    ||  || || || || ||
     ||||| ||  || ||    || ||


                           ~ Joe Kohn On A2 ~
                        ~ Softdisk Publishing ~
                           ~ Apple Vs. IBM ~
                       ~ Apple History, Part 5 ~
           ~ HOT FILES ~ HOT MESSAGES ~ HOT ROUNDTABLE NEWS ~

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
 GEnie Lamp A2/A2Pro ~ A T/TalkNET OnLine Publication ~  Vol.1, Issue 7
 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
   Publisher............................................Kent Fillmore
    Senior Editor........................................John Peters
     Editor.............................................Tom Schmitz

            ~ GEnieLamp Macintosh ~       ~ GEnieLamp IBM ~
  ~ GEnieLamp ST ~    ~ GEnieLamp Elsewhere ~   ~ GEnieLamp A2/A2Pro ~
////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

       >>> WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE APPLE II/A2Pro ROUNDTABLE? <<<
       """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                          ~ October 1, 1992 ~

 FROM MY DESKTOP ......... [FRM]        HEY MISTER POSTMAN ...... [HEY]
  Notes From The Editor.                 Is That A Letter For Me?

 HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM]        APPLE_TALK .............. [APP]
  Operator From Hell.                    Apple Vs. IBM.

 ONLINE FUN .............. [FUN]        WHO'S WHO ............... [WHO]
  Search-ME!                             Who's Who In Apple II.

 THE MIGHTY QUINN ........ [QUI]        FOCUS ON ................ [FOC]
  Milliseconds With Mark.                Thinking Out Loud.

 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY ....... [GAM]        CowTOONS! ............... [COW]
  Apple II Fun.                          Moooooo Fun!

 CONNECTIONS ............. [CON]        APPLE II ................ [AII]
  Joe Kohn On A2.                        Apple II History, Part 6.

 THE ONLINE LIBRARY ...... [LIB]        SOFTDISK PUBLISHING ..... [SOF]
  Yours For The Asking.                  Softdisk Publishing On GEnie.

 GEnie ONLINE ............ [GEN]        HACK'N ONLINE ........... [HAC]
  En guarde!                             HST Modem Upgrade.

 ELSEWHERE ............... [ELS]        LOG OFF ................. [LOG]
  Connecting The World.                  GEnieLamp Information.

[IDX]"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

READING GEnieLamp   GEnieLamp  has  incorporated  a  unique   indexing
"""""""""""""""""   system to help make  reading the  magazine easier.
To  utilize this system, load GEnieLamp into any ASCII  word processor
or text  editor.  In the index  you will find the  following  example:

                   HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM]
                    [*]GEnie Fun & Games.

   To read this  article, set your  find or search command to [HUM].  If
you want to scan all of the articles, search for [EOA].  [EOF] will take
you to  the last page,  whereas [IDX]  will bring you back to the index.


MESSAGE INFO   To make it easy for you to respond to messages re-printed
""""""""""""   here in GEnieLamp, you will find all the information you
need immediately following the message.  For example:

                    (SMITH, CAT6, TOP1, MSG:58/M475)
        _____________|   _____|__  _|___    |____ |_____________
       |Name of sender   CATegory  TOPic    Msg.#   Page number|

    In this  example, to  respond to  Smith's  message, log  on to  page
475 enter the bulletin board and set CAT 6. Enter your REPly in TOPic 1.

    A message number that is surrounded by brackets indicates  that this
message  is a "target" message and is  referring  to  a "chain"  of  two
or more  messages that are following the same topic.  For example: {58}.


ABOUT GEnie   GEnie costs only $4.95 a month for  unlimited evening  and
"""""""""""   weekend  access  to  more  than  100  services   including
electronic mail,  online encyclopedia,  shopping,  news,  entertainment,
single-player games,  multi-player chess and bulletin  boards on leisure
and  professional  subjects.   With  many other services,  including the
largest  collection of files  to download and the best online games, for
only  $6  per hour  (non-prime-time/2400  baud).   To sign up for  GEnie
service,  call (with modem) 1-800-638-8369.  Upon  connection  type HHH.
Wait for the U#= prompt. Type: XTX99368,GENIE and hit RETURN. The system
will then prompt you for your information.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


         ///////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
        / "If your only tool is a hammer....perhaps every problem /
       / becomes a nail......."                                  /
      //////////////////////////////////////////  H.WESSEL3  ////



[EOA]
[FRM]//////////////////////////////
                 FROM MY DESKTOP /
/////////////////////////////////
Notes From The Editor
"""""""""""""""""""""
By John Peters
   [GENIELAMP]



TOP OF THE PAGE   GEnieLamp writers and contributors are paid for their
"""""""""""""""   efforts with online time here on GEnie.  In order for me
to credit their accounts, I ask them to send me their GEnie ID number.
Recently, a new contributor sent me his password.  GASP!  I blinked a few
times, took a deep breath and wrote a reply to his message explaining to
him how to go about changing his password.

     Afterwards, I got to thinking that maybe it was because of my position
here on GEnie that he assumed it would be okay to give me his password.  Or
maybe it was just an oversight.  Regardless of the reason, it brings up the
point that it can happen.  Don't let it happen to you.  Never, I repeat,
_NEVER_ let your password out into the hands of someone else!  There is
absolutely _no_ reason what-so-ever for anyone but yourself to know your
password.  Period.

     Sooooo.... how long has it been since you've last changed your
password?  Last week?  A month ago?  Never?  If it has been awhile, perhaps
today would be a good day to change it.  Odds are your account will never
be the victim of some unscrupulous member, but why take chances?  Changing
your password takes only a few seconds to do, plus, it is part of your
GEnie*Basic package.

     To change your password, type SET or M900;2 at any GEnie main prompt.
You can use any character from A through Z, all digits from 1 through 9,
asterisks, periods and dollar signs.  GEnie will ask you to enter your old
password, then to enter the new password.  It will then ask you to re-enter
your new password for verification.  Pick a password is easy for you to
remember, but next to impossible for someone else to figure out.  Commit it
to memory or write it down and put it in a _secure_ place.

     If you are using Aladdin while on GEnie, changing your password is
even easier.  Just choose "Change Password," follow the prompts and let
Aladdin do the dirty work.

     Take the time and effort to do this.  Your pocketbook may thank you
someday!


                     >>> GEnieLamp Odds & Ends <<<
                     """""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Standing Ovation   Tom Schmitz, the chief editor of the Apple II/A2PRO
""""""""""""""""   GEnieLamp, has informed us that he's accepted a large
promotion at his daytime job and will consequently have to relinquish his
role as chief editor of the Apple II/A2PRO GEnieLamp.  Since April, 1992,
Tom coordinated the production of the first seven Apple II/A2PRO
GEnieLamp's, setting high standards in every facet of his work.  We will
deeply miss Tom's pioneering leadership.

    Taking over as chief Apple II editor is frequent GEnieLamp contributor
Darrel Raines [D.RAINES].  Darrel has broad interests in the Apple II, and
hopes to give the Apple II GEnieLamp his own signature leadership in the
months ahead.  Persons interested in contributing articles to the Apple
II/A2PRO GEnieLamp are requested to contact co-editor Phil Shapiro
[P.SHAPIRO1] until Darrel familiarizes himself with the GEnieLamp ropes."
-Phil Shapiro


THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW...   I downloaded the new (ALADDIN) 1.62 version
""""""""""""""""""""""""""   from a local BBS. After that I had all kinds
of problems, like it would download a long time and when I went to read the
messages, there was only one available to read. Another time it downloaded
a few messages and gave the 'end' beep and said I've been idle too long.
Another time I didn't get me mail at all even though I had 4 letters
waiting.

     So, last night I downloaded 1.62 again, this time from the Aladdin
library and everything seems to be working the way it is suppose to now. So
I want to warn people, sometimes you may get a bad download especially if
it is from a local BBS, it may have had a bad upload if you know what I
mean...  -Leska  [V.WRIGHT]

                               [*][*][*]

     Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a SysOp?

To the tune of "White Rabbit" By Jefferson Airplane...

      Some folks like the BB's,
      And some folks like the Mall.
      And the ones who start up flamewars,
      Don't like anything at all.
      Go ask Sysop, when he climbs the wall.

      And if you go, chasing lurkers,
      And you know you're going to fall.
      Tell 'em hookah... smoking modem,
      Has given you the call.
      Poor Sysop, he deals with it all.

      When the posts in the deadmail,
      Get up and tell you where you go.
      And you've just had some kind of linenoise,
      And your node is moving on...

      Go ask Sysop, I think he'll know.
      When the pointers, and topic markings,
      Are lying sloppy dead.
      And the cursor is typing backwards,
      And you can't read what you've just said.
      Remember, what the Doormouse said,
      Park your head... park your head.

     (Reposted with the author's permission)
                  (UHH.CLEM, CAT30, TOP27, MSG:36/M470)

                               [*][*][*]

  Until next month...

                                                 John Peters
                                             GEnieLamp E-Magazine


         ///////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
        / "I've visited Tim in his computer room - we had to take /
       / turns breathing.  :)"                                   /
      ////////////////////////////////////////////  A2.BILL  ////



[EOA]
[HEY]//////////////////////////////
              HEY MISTER POSTMAN /
/////////////////////////////////
Is That A Letter For Me?
""""""""""""""""""""""""
by Thomas M. Schmitz
       [TOM.SCHMITZ]

     o   Apple II ODDS & ENDS

          o   WHAT'S NEW?

               o   THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE

                    o   APPLE HEADS WANT TO KNOW

                         o  MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT



                      >>> Apple II ODDS & ENDS <<<
                      """"""""""""""""""""""""""""

CALL TO ARMS!!!!!!!   According to some reports I've seen Apple won't be
"""""""""""""""""""   distributing version 7.1 of the Mac operating system
via bulletin boards--such as GEnie-- or user groups.  While its not been
stated that sounds like Apple is going to charge for system 7.1.  I
strongly recommend you call Apple and tell them that you don't want to have
to pay both a premium for their hardware and for relatively minor updates
to the System software.

     I'm not suggesting that Apple should be a charitable institution.
However I do feel that Mac owners should be able to get the latest version
of the basic operating system for free.  So it's ok in my mind for Apple to
charge for new functionality such as DAL or AppleScript-- although charging
for AppleScript will probably keep it from being accepted due to the high
costs for developers to redo their software to support it-- but they
shouldn't charge us for a .1 version upgrade.

     Further I don't expect Apple to provide printed documentation, media,
or support for those who get the latest system via an electronic, ie free,
channel.  It's perfectly reasonable for Apple to charge for tech support
once you're Mac is out of its one year warranty period.   In any case
you'll probably get all the support you need here on GEnie.  The Apple
support people are good but Apple can't afford the type of people who
provide answers here out of the kindness of their hearts.

     Finally I would be willing to pay for system 8 if it had enough new
features and/or improvements to warrant the cost.  So start writing now
folks let Apple know that they can't charge more for the hardware and also
charge for the basic system software.  -Tom Schmitz


HELP!!!!!   Denver, CO (PNS)  Jawaid Bazyar of Procyon, Inc. reported
"""""""""   today that an AWGS gone amuck caused non-trivial damage to
Procyon's customer database.  Since he seemed about to have a breakdown of
some sort, this reported offered a suggestion- ask around and people would
probably help in the reconstruction effort.  At that point, he put the
grenade down and wrote the following for me to publish, in this fine
gazette:

"Dear Valued GNO Customers, unfortunately a certain sequence of events
occurred that caused us to lose our records for customers with GNO serial
number from 000160-000183, and from 000201-000220.  If you're one of these
good folk, please send me (via email, GEnie: Procyon.Inc) the following
information to help us reconstruct our database.

 Name
 Address
 City, State, Zip, Country
 Phone
 GNO Serial Number

     We're going to be mailing announcements of our new products soon, and
we don't want anyone to miss out!"

     After Mr. Bazyar handed me this note, he proceeded to tell me all
about the Unicorn collection at the Zoo, and how he loves to visit them
wearing anti- radiation DEVO clothing.  White-clothed men then came to
assist Mr. Bazyar away for treatment.

     [p.s. This really happened, and we really need your help! ]

 Matt Gudermuth
 Procyon News Services
                  (PROCYON, CAT30, TOP5, MSG:1/M530)



                           >>> WHAT'S NEW <<<
                           """"""""""""""""""
              >>> A2 UNIVERSITY RETURNS BETTER THAN EVER <<<
              """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

IT'S BACK!   A2 and A2Pro's educational arm, A2Pro, has been undergoing
""""""""""   serious renovation during summer vacation -- and now it's
back, bigger and better than ever!

     Our new A2U Dean, Professor Steve Gunn, has been renovating the
university all summer.  You'll now find A2U in A2Pro, where the programming
discussions it spawns can peacefully coexist with all the other programming
discussions with programmers of all skill levels and interests.  A2U lives
in the A2Pro bulletin board as category #18, and also in A2Pro's library
#18.

     There you can find all the past A2U courses plus sign-ups and
discussion for two of the most exciting courses we've been pleased to
offer.

     Starting September 15th, Professor Will Nelken (professor for a
previous A2U course on UltraMacroWorks and author of numerous Ultra
reference materials, including columns in A+/inCider) starts a brand-new
12-part course on JEM Software's latest, most powerful offering to date:
Ultra 4.0.  "Ultra 4.0 to the Max!" can teach _you_ how to squeeze all the
power possible from this fantastic new offering.

     And starting in October, Professor Andy McFadden, author of NuLib and
YankIt archiving programs -- both of which deal with ShrinkIt (NuFX)
archives and often do so faster than ShrinkIt -- begins a fantastic course
on data compression.  If you as a programmer have ever wondered how
compression works, how specific compression algorithms work, how to choose
the right compression for you or how the most popular Apple II compression
schemes work in theory or in practice, this course is for YOU!  Prof.
McFadden's course starts with how compression works and continues, in
English and with sample code, through some advanced topics in byte
squeezing.

     How much does it cost?  Nothing more than the time it takes to read
the messages and download the files -- it's part of A2 and A2Pro's service!
No additional charges whatsoever!

     Stop by new A2Pro category 22 and take a look around, and sign up for
more Apple II programming knowledge from A2 and A2Pro -- _THE_ place to be!
               (M.DEATHERAGE, CAT1, TOP17, MSG:29/530)

What Is A2 University?   A2 University is a special area in A2PRO that
""""""""""""""""""""""   provides for programmers and non-programmers
alike to increase their programming skills via free classes that are taught
online. A2 University (A2U) has the following goal: To increase the number
and the quality of programmers in the Apple II world. For you see, that is
the only way that we can prolong the life of the Apple II.

What is Involved?   A2U was designed to serve the needs of all levels of
"""""""""""""""""   programming experience. Whether you want to get
started in basic, or optimize some of your assembly routines, A2U is the
place for you. Four times a year, we will have a course registration for 2
weeks right before the next term starts. In this time you will need to
register for any courses that you wish to study. Please note that there is
no extra charge to participate, but we do need you to register.

     Then when the course begins, you will be able to download the weekly
lessons that are uploaded by your professor, and attend the RTCs held here
in A2PRO to ask them questions live. There will also be topic available
here in the Bulletin Board to ask questions if you are unable to attend the
conference.

How Do I Register?   When each teaching term in A2U is about to begin, all
""""""""""""""""""   students who have sent in a general A2U registration
form will receive a short Email reminder as to what courses are being
taught this next term, and how to register. There will also be plenty of
reminders on the front door of A2PRO when the registration period is going
on. Simply fill out the registration form in the registration Topic for
each course that you want to participate in, and post it as a reply in that
topic. That simple.

How Do I Get Mailings?   In this category, there is a topic called
""""""""""""""""""""""   "Student Directory" which contains a form. When
you fill out this form, you will receive Email announcements from A2U.
These will announce new courses, new Professors, important information etc.
Please note that you must fill out this form to be placed on the mailing
list, but you only have to register for a course to participate.

What Happens When The Course Is Over?   After each 12 week term in A2U,
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""   the messages concerning each of
the courses will be archived and uploaded to the A2PRO library. Then a
topic will be started for the discussion of the Old Course. These topics
should be used for any discussion of A2U courses that are not currently
going on, and will contain all information on what is required to take the
course.

Who Teaches The Courses?   A2 University Professors are volunteers that
""""""""""""""""""""""""   teach the classes. The classes that they teach
are of their own creation.  Their only compensation is a Free Flag in both
A2 and A2PRO for the duration of their course. If you are interested in
teaching a course, please send a letter to that effect to me (A2PRO.STEVE)
and carbon copy it to A2PRO$. Then we will let you know what is involved
and get you started on your course!

Is There Anything Else?   Well, in addition to the time here on GEnie,
"""""""""""""""""""""""   some courses may require a textbook, or a
special piece of software. But most of the courses will use the "standard"
tools for Development. If you have a compiler for the language you will be
using, the Toolbox Manuals, and the GS/OS manuals, then you are probably
set to tackle most of the courses offered in A2U. But there have been
courses that required only AppleWorks and TimeOut UltraMacros. Each course
is unique, and its requirements are equally unique.

Closing   Thank you for reading this, and your interest in A2 University.
"""""""   We hope to see your face in a classroom next course session.

How To Take an A2U Course   Taking an A2U course here on GEnie is actually
"""""""""""""""""""""""""   very simple. All you need to do is say that
you want to take it. Then you can participate in several areas.  All of
which are _OPTIONAL_. I suggest that you download all of the lessons for
the course you are interested in.  It usually helps to have them around.
Plus, the Bulletin Board (Right Here!) is another great place to ask
questions.  Then finally, each class will have an RTC (Conference) that you
can attend to ask questions in real time! And that is about it! Take time
to post a message about yourself in Topic 4, and there is nothin else that
you need to do! You are a full fledged A2U Student.  -Steve

Fall Term Courses   I am happy to announce that we will have two new
"""""""""""""""""   courses for the Fall Term here in A2U. They will be on
Ultra 4.0 (Will Neklen) and Data Compression (Andy McFadden). Here are the
topics that have been created for these courses, post anything pertinent to
the course there.

   22   ULTRA 4.0 - To The MAX!         (Ultra 4.0 Course)
   23   A pinch of Data Compression     (Data Compression Course)

-Steve  A2 University Dude
                (A2PRO.STEVE, CAT22, TOP2, MSG:1/MA2PRO)



    A2PRO COMPANY SUPPORT GROWS WITH GS+ MAGAZINE AND JEM SOFTWARE
    """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
     The list of companies providing direct support for programmers in
A2Pro grows to five with two sterling new Apple II developer-supporting
companies opening their own categories and libraries in A2Pro.

     GS+ Magazine, published by EGO Systems of Tennessee, is famous for the
with, technical information and no-holds-barred style of the publishers and
authors, mostly Steve Disbrow and Joe Wankerl.  Steve and Joe have opened a
new category in A2Pro's bulletin board and a new library (both #33) to help
programmers who want to use GS+ utilities, or maybe who want to write and
become famous by publishing in GS+ Magazine!  Check out category and
library 33 to learn more about GS+ Magazine.  Steve and Joe have also
opened a category in the A2 bulletin board (on page 645) for non-programmer
concerns, such as subscriptions and back issues.

     JEM Software, Randy Brandt's AppleWorks super-charging company, has
just released the most powerful AppleWorks 3.0 enhancement ever, Ultra 4.0.
Not only does A2U offer a course on how to use this fantastic product --
JEM Software and Randy Brandt are now in Category #34 of A2Pro to support
Ultra programmers as well as programmers who use all kinds of JEM products.
Drop by and have a look -- if you want to know how to make AppleWorks do
more for you than before, this is for you.  A2Pro supports all kinds of
programmers, from assembly language to HyperTalk to Ultra 4.0!

     Please join A2Pro in welcoming these fine companies to our online
family.  Drop by their bulletin board categories and say hi!
             (M.DEATHERAGE, CAT1, TOP17, MSG:30/M530)


MORE APPLE HISTORY   If you caught (or will catch, depending on how you
""""""""""""""""""   are reading these messages today) my post in Cat 3,
Top 4 (New Uploads), I've uploaded five more pieces of the Apple II History
(finally!)  These:

     #19320    Apple II History, Part 18 -- Software
     #19339    Appendix A, Part 1 -- Software 1977-80
     #19340    Appendix A, Part 2 -- Software 1981-82
     #19341    Appendix A, Part 3 -- Software 1983-86
     #19342    Appendix A, Part 4 -- Software 1987-92

     Now, even though I've uploaded an appendix, that does not mean that I
am finished with this puppy yet.  Actually, I have several more segments to
polish up and add to, but the appendix that dealt with software seemed
appropriate to upload at this time.  Also, I had another reason for
uploading it right now.

     The appendix, in its four parts, gives an annotated listing of popular
Apple II software that was released over the years.  For the years
1977-1983, this is taken directly from the Softalk Top Thirty lists
published each April (and voted on by their readers).  Many of the
descriptions that go along with each program are also taken directly from
Softalk's "Fastalk" column.  In some cases I added comments of my own, or
created comments where Softalk never got around to it.

     The place where I find I need help is in the years after 1984.  I
have had to rely on posted ads for the various software packages during the
years late 1984-1992, since no magazine has taken on the task of compiling
a list of top software on a yearly basis since then.  Consequently, the
list is rather scarce during some years.

     What I would like from you, the users of A2, is this:  If you have an
interest in reviewing the lists in the Appendix parts and see if there are
either errors (author's name misspellings, program name , publisher, or
description) or omissions, I would be most pleased to know so I can make
the list better.  If you know the name of an author that I have not
included, please let me know.  I feel that I am particularly weak on the GS
side of software, not having gotten into the 16-bit world until about 2
months ago.

     I don't feel that I can include EVERY piece of software that has ever
been released for the Apple II, but if there is anything that was clearly a
popular program, or an innovative program, that I have missed, here is your
chance to make me aware of it.

     What I probably cannot do is make the appendix files, in toto,
shorter.  Trying to find a way to present information about the gargantuan
pile of programs that have come out over the years is part of what made
this part of the History take SO-O-O-O long to get out.  I've had
information for Parts 19-22 actually completed for months, but I had this
stumbling block of how to organize this stuff that slowed me down so
badly.

     If the info presented in Appendix A (parts 1-4) is already
acceptable, I would appreciate hearing about it also.  Oh, yes; the stuff
for 1991 and 1992 I did more annotation on, since it is current an d still
available.  If there are some other programs recently released that I
should include, please tell me about that also. Steve Weyhrich  <IX0YE>--<
     (S.WEYHRICH [Historian], Cat. 2,  Top. 16, Msg.  114, M645;1)


SOFTDISK PUBLISHING ONLINE IN A2PRO   Softdisk Publishing, creators of
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""   Softdisk and Softdisk G-S magazines
on disk, now have their own online support category _just for programmers_
in A2Pro!

     Softdisk has long been a valued contributor to A2 and A2Pro, and they
continue to provide customer service and support for the subscribers in
A2, as they have for a long time.  But now, here in A Pro, Softdisk has
support for you, the _programmers!_

     Want to know how to submit to Softdisk?  You should, because Softdisk
pays good money for your work -- sometimes more than you can get from
shareware fees.  Do you subscribe and admire the produce on values?  You can
find submission guidelines that describe all these things in Softdisk's
new A2Pro category and library, both #31.

     We're pleased to welcome Softdisk to a formal level of support for
programmers and potential submitters here in A2Pro.  Look for even more
companies supporting programmers here in A2Pro -- the development
information you want all in one convenient place!  Drop by category 31 and
check it out!
       (M.DEATHERAGE [A2Pro Leader], Cat. 3,  Top. 7, Msg. 9, M645;1)


WARP SIX NOW PD   Warp Six BBS is now in the public domain, with the
"""""""""""""""   release of public domain version 1.0, right here on A2 as
file number 19178, filename W6BBS.BXY.

     I'm not going to completely stop working with the system, but I plan
on spending a lot less time with it. For this reason, I felt it would be
best to place it in the public domain.

     For those interested in the source code to the modem drivers, I'll be
uploading those to A2Pro very soon. You will need Merlin to edit and re-
assemble the SSC.Driver, and Merlin 16 or Merlin 16+ to edit and
re-assemble the GS.Hski and GS.GPi drivers. The Xmodem module and Xloader
can be assembled with Merlin 8. (If you have Merlin 16 or 16+ you can
assemble the lot.)

     Best wishes in the future and with this message I'm departing from
this topic.   -Jim Ferr, creator of Warp Six BBS.
            (Category 41,  Topic 10, Message  51, M645;1)


ASTRONOMER GS V2.3.2 IS HERE!   I just complete the upload of the latest
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""   version.  With luck (and the Sysops help)
it should be available on-line very soon.  Along with that, I uploaded two
other separate files that will 'tell you about the program.  First, for
those who don't have the program the file "About Astronomer" in the
Education library contains a text file and some screen snapshots showing
what the program screens look like.  The text file explains what the
program's capabilities are.  The second file, Astro..Changes in the same
library will describe the changes since version 2.3.1. Since the new
version corrects several bugs everyone should update as soon as possible.
             (L.BELL13 , Cat. 13,  Top. 14, Msg. 11, M645;1)


MDG PROGRAMMERS EXCHANGE   The Morgan Davis Group is proud to unveil the
""""""""""""""""""""""""   MDG Programmers Exchange.   Many of our
products are geared toward software development for both 8- and  16-bit
Apple II platforms.  This is the place to go when you have questions  about
working with our tools.  Use the TOPIC command to get a complete  listing
of c 1 is for MDG news and announcements.  Here, you'll find notices about
new products, upgrades, new uploads in our software library, and so on.

     Topic 2 contains summary information about our entire product line,
including pricing, order information, etc.

     The first message in each product topic is a press release describing
current features and availability.

     The last topic is the MDG Hackers' Lounge.  Post messages here that
are not appropriate in any of the other topics.

     In the MDG Software Library, you'll find files related to using
Morgan  Davis Group development products.  Uploads consist of either binary
programs and data files, or lengthy text documents describing some aspect
of programming with our software.

     Occasionally, we will upload "freebie" software -- utilities to help
around the hard disk.  We also have a few demos of some of our titles, like
MD-BASIC.  With ten minutes of informative and humorous running time, the
MD-BASIC demo is really fun to watch.

     Thank you for joining the MDG Programmers Exchange here on GEnie.
Enjoy!
  /\/\
 / /__\  Morgan Davis (M.DAVIS42, CAT32, TOP1, MSG:1/2/M530)


FOUNDATION IS BACK   Well Folks, I'm finally back here on GEnie and you're
""""""""""""""""""   going to start seeing my face (so to speak) around
here to answer any Foundation related questions and keep you up to date on
Lunar Productions.

     To start things off, here is the current state of Foundation:

     We released it!  Yes, version 1.0 was released at KansasFest, but...
(you knew there was a but :) ...at the last minute we decided to pull
ScriptEdit from the release.  We couldn't convince Uncle DOS or Event
Specialists to postpone KansasFest for a month, and Jim "no sleep" Murphy
gave it his best shot anyways.  The bottom line is that Foundation 1.0.1
will begin shipping in a couple weeks with a VERY nice ScriptEdit module
(including the dynamic ScriptBuilder!)  Anyone who has already purchased
Foundation will get 1.0.1 as a Free update (please keep those registration
forms coming :)

     Foundation 1.0.1 is $79.95 and can be ordered directly from us at:

     Lunar Productions 1808 Michael Drive Waukesha, WI 53186 414/549-9261
(evenings please - central standard time)

     Marc Wolfgram Lunar Productions -



                     >>> THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE <<<
                     """""""""""""""""""""""""""""
           ___
GSP CARD    |om, like the GSP Card for the Apple II that was rumoured to
""""""""    be in development by Apple, the Apple /// on a card (codenamed
"Rub a dub dub") is actually in development by a ///rd party.  A prototype
is expected to be shown off running one of the cash registers and acting as
a coin-op videogame simultaneously at PizzaFest.  (:  -= Lunatic     (:
            (LUNATIC, Cat. 44,  Top. 11, Msg. 33, M645;1)


ANNOUNCING: THE MACRO PROJECT (?)   Several months ago I floated the idea
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""   that we macro writers consider forming
some sort of association or alliance for the purpose of promoting
macro-based programs, exchanging information and ideas, etc.  Although some
expressed a general interest in the idea, I did not find  much enthusiasm
for a formal association, largely because of the bad taste left in all of
our mouths by the untimely demise of the AppleWorks Programmers
Association.

     While I agree that there may not be a need or a desire for a formal,
dues-paying organization like APA, I still believe that those of us who
write macros for commercial consumption could take som eps to increase the
visibility of the AppleWorks/UltraMacros combination in  general and to
promote our own products in particular.

     As independent programmers writing for a necessarily limited (and
perhaps dwindling) universe (those who use AppleWorks _and_ UltraMacros),
I believe we need to make special efforts to reach our entail customers. An
ad in, say, inCider (aside from its cost) may not be the most effective
marketing tool because many of the Apple // users who would see it would
not be UltraMacros owners. Advertising in NAUG's AppleWorks Forum might be
more effective in reaching the targeted audience, but only a small
percentage of AppleWorks users are NAUG  members, and again, many of them
either do not own UltraMacros or do not have enough memory or disk storage
space to use some macro programs  effectively.

     Most marketing experts will tell you that the best potential
customers for most products are people who have previously bought a
similar item or an item carrying the same brand name. That is, the people most
likely to buy our macros are those who have already bought our macros --
or someone else's macros.

     With that idea in mind, I would like to propose what I call The Macro
Project.

     The Macro Project would produce, at least as its initial offering, a
comprehensive catalog of UltraMacros-based programs, task files, macro
sets,  useful macro tips, hints and/or instructions. The catalog would
provide sufficient space for each macro programmer to list and briefly
describe all the macro sets/programs/taskfiles that the programmer is
selling. The catalog would have a consistent format and would include a
table of contents listing offerings by programmer name and/or company name
(for example, Dan's Macro City would have a section, Marin MacroWorks
another, etc.). It would also contain an index of the individual macros or
macro sets.

     The Macro Project catalog would, at the very minimum, be mailed to
everyone on the combined mailing lists of all participating macro writers.
This could be handled in several ways. Either sufficient copies would be
provided to each individual so that he could mail his own list (which would
result in a fair amount of duplication) or our lists could be combined (and
the duplicates winnowed out). The details of how the mailing would work
would have to be handled through discussion and negotiation.

     I would hope that eventually we could obtain other useful mailing
lists from sources that have a high percentage of customers who would be
likely to own both AppleWorks and UltraMacros. The names companies that
might have those lists are fairly obvious. I have not contacted any  of
them yet, so the availability and/or cost of these lists is unknown. Of
course, all Apple // publications would b e notified of the catalog's
availability and asked to publish an address that anyone could write to
for a free catalog. I'm sure there are other distribution strategies that
we could explore.

The immediate goals of this project would be:

 1) To provide an appropriate and effective advertising medium for
    macro-based software.

 2) To promote and increase the visibility of the AppleWorks/UltraMacros
    software combination.

 3) To demonstrate the range of macro-based productivity software
    available.

 4) To establish an ongoing publication that can be updated at regular
    intervals.

     I know that there are a lot of issues to be worked out between
stating the concept and mailing out the finished catalog; I don't intend
to go into all of them here. I will state that I am willing devote my time
and energy to overseeing this project if there is sufficient interest
among macro writers.

     If the interest is there, I would like to see the project finished
before Christmas, so I need feedback on this soon. I would appreciate it
if the discussion of this could be kept public and in t forum so everyone
can read the responses. But if there is something you would  rather
express to me privately, please feel free to email me.  -=* Dan *=-
         (D.CRUTCHER [Dan], Cat. 17,  Top. 12, Msg. 84, M645;1)


APPLE CLINIC UPDATE   I was kind of sad to see that Cecil Fretwell will no
"""""""""""""""""""   longer be writing Apple Clinic in inCider, myself.
Fretwell was an Apple II pioneer, from the very earliest days.  His column
was always well written and accurate.  It's a shame he isn't doing it
anymore.

     On the other hand, I expect good things from Cynthia Field, so we'll
see I guess!

     In other news, I got word last week that Dan Muse had left inCider to
work at Byte.  At the moment the editing duties are being taken care of by
one Eileen Terrill, though it's not clear if that's to be permanent or not.

     What with a change of hands at Apple Clinic, and my new column, and
Matt Deatherage's new column, and with more columns for Joe Kohn, and a new
editor, inCider is starting to look like a whole new magazine!  Should be
interesting to see how much it changes with all these new faces and new
directions. -Dean Esmay
         (A2.DEAN [Chief Sysop], Cat. 28,  Top. 3, Msg. 38, M645;1)



                    >>> APPLE HEADS WANT TO KNOW <<<
                    """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

PIZZAFEST SUCCESS!   \/\/ell, the first Silicon Valley PizzaFest has now
""""""""""""""""""   come off, and I can say that it was quite a success.
In attendance were:

           Matt Deatherage
           Dave Lyons
           Andy Nicholas
           Matt Ackeret
           Andy McFadden
           Lunatic E'Sex
           Joe Kohn
           Jim Merritt
           Kent Keltner
           John Ferreira
           Moses Ferreira
           Shirley Hill

 (Vaguely in order of appearance)

    |\/|uch food was consumed, and much fun was had by all!

    |)
    |lans are already under way for another Apple II social get together
and hang out in the SF Bay Area, sometime next month.  It was agreed that
the next one will be held at a Chevy's restaurant (Mexican food), and that
the location will be farther up the peninsula towards San Francisco.  All
attending were highly enthusiastic about making it to the next one.

      _
     (_
     __)o, if you're in the Bay Area, or you're going to BE in the Bay
Area, near the end of September, and would like to go out to dinner with
this cool group of people, keep watching this space for further details!
                                                    -= Lunatic     (:
          (LUNATIC, Cat. 44,  Top. 11, Msg. 42, M645;1)


From our Foreign Desk          PROTOCOL
"""""""""""""""""""""          (summary by Henrik Gudat)
Pizza sponsored by: Apple dealer U. Brunner Organizer: H.Gudat

     The first meeting in Reinach, Switzerland was a real success. 9
programmers (8 assembly language, 1 Pascal), the local Apple dealer and two
other interested people attended the "show". Besides exchanging information
and eating tons of peanuts, the most recent releases of some programs were
shown.

     The meeting ended in a pizzeria. Mr. Brunner, the Apple dealer,
expressed his support and belief in the Apple II by generously sponsoring
the complete evening. Thank you very much!

     The equipment - provided by H. Gudat - consisted of two Apple IIGS, a
52MB and a 20 MB HD, two 3.5" drives, one 5.25" drive, a Revox amplifier,
Bose 301 III speakers, and other stuff.

Present   Urs Brunner, Joerg and Valerie Kienzle, Yann Le Tensorer,
"""""""   Laurence, Urs Hochstrasser, Marc Schweizer, Andre Horstmann,
Michael Born, Andreas Furrer, Dominik, Henrik Gudat.

U. Brunner   confirmed his faith in the Apple IIGS, donated a 6.0 CD and
""""""""""   suggested interesting marketing strategies.

Joerg Kienzle   he demonstrated SpaceFox because one person didn't know the
"""""""""""""   program! (Okay, he played in the cheat mode)

Andre Horstmann   showed off the brand-new ShadowDial II 2.1. It's a
"""""""""""""""   Videotex/Btx decoder with great capabilities.
Unfortunately, there wasn't a modem connected to the GS so he could scratch
the surface only. What a shame! Andre added tons of new macro commands and
features supporting the new system tools. In addition you're now able to
copy graphic directly out of the Vtx/Btx screen into the system clipboard.

Michael Born and Andre   explained their new project. They are building a
""""""""""""""""""""""   hardware/software package that will allow you to
control any external device via phone (!) and much, much more. As far as I
understood the whole thing, it will turn the GS into a intelligent
telephone answering machine.

Andreas Furrer and Dominik   they started a demo with sensational
""""""""""""""""""""""""""   70-line-scrolling (!!!) and NoiseTracker
music. The quality was outstanding! Both had also some great ideas
regarding new programs. They are now working on a new action adventure
game with smooth animation.

Urs Hochstrasser   ...launched ChemiGS, a desktop application for molecular
""""""""""""""""   design. It's similar to an object oriented drawing
program but features some functions for "simulating" 3D structures. A prot
ocol between GSymbolix (see below) and ChemiGS is planned. (ChemiGS will be
released in 1993.)

Henrik Gudat   ...double-clicked on GSymbolix 1.7. This nearly-running
""""""""""""   prototype has been modified so that it supports 6.0
features ( especially the Sound CDev and menu icons). A short 3D animation
of a cosine could be seen as well as the built-in debugger (...which was
definitely better than GSBug...) The most important change is GSymbolix's
new capability of working with complex formulae. The program recognized
even complicated expressions (such as 4*i/3*i^3). A button bar _might_
also be part of v1.7. GSymbolix 1.7 will ship in a couple of months.

Marc Schweizer   demonstrated LinReg, a desktop program written in
""""""""""""""   ORCA/Pascal for linear regression. It worked flawlessly
but it is not yet finished.

New action game   Bright Software will soon start with a new, funny
"""""""""""""""   action/strategy game for IBM (by Yann Le Tensorer), Mac
(Joerg Kienzle), Atari (?) and IIGS (Andre Horstmann and Henrik Gudat). We
promise you: the IIGS version will be the best!

     There are also plans for an application-independent, object oriented,
graphic based programming language. Let's face it when the new game hits
the shelves...

     To make a long story short, this afternoon was plain fun. Obviously
we all spoke the same language (except for one - Urs is using APW -
uuuuhhhh).  Though the evening ended with a lot of confusion regarding
negative fixed values, I'm about to call this meeting the Swiss KansasFest.

     And next year I'll take a big pizza. -Henrik

PS  for more info, please contact Bright Software, P.O. Box 18, 4153
""   Reinach 2, Switzerland.
           (A.HORSTMANN, Cat. 13, Top. 13, Msg. 13, M645;1)


Ultra Macro Printing   A while back I saw a message requesting a macro
""""""""""""""""""""   that would print all of the odd pages in a
document, then pause to allow the paper to be turned over, then print the
even pages.  I also needed to print on both sides of the paper and, unable
to find a ready made macro, I was "forced" to write my own.  Actually there
are two macros; one for the odd pages and one for the even.


 <ba-O>:<awp                            {macro to print odd pages}
      oa-1:                             {move to beginning of file}
      oa-k rtn:                         {calculate # of pages in doc}
      oa-9:                             {goto last page}
      up:                               {move to status line}
      P = peek $00b4:                   {get last page #}
      C = 1:                            {start page counter @ 1}
      begin:                            {start loop}
         oa-1:                          {move to top of file}
         oa-P>P<rtn :                   {go to printer options, select page}
         print C: rtn :print C: rtn: rtn: {print the page in C}
         C = C + 2:                     {increment counter by 2}
         if C > P then exit             {check for last page}
 else rpt:!                        {end loop}


 <ba-E>:<awp                            {macro to print even pages}
      oa-1:                             {move to beginning of file}
      oa-k rtn:                         {calculate # of pages in doc}
      oa-9:                             {goto last page}
      up:                               {move to status line}
      P = peek $00b4:                   {get last page #}
      C = 2:                            {start page counter @ 2}
      begin:                            {start loop}
         oa-1:                          {move to top of file}
         oa-P>P<rtn :                   {go to printer options, select page}
         print C: rtn :print C: rtn: rtn: {print the page in C}
         C = C + 2:                     {increment counter by 2}
         if C > P then exit             {check for last page}
      else rpt:!                        {end loop}

     I hope that someone will find these useful.  Although these macros
are not very long (or elegant) they took several hours of head scratching
and reading the excellent Ultra Macros series by Willen.  Enjoy! Karl R.
           (K.RONEY [Karl],Cat. 15,  Top. 35 Msg. 85, M645;1)


Quiet Your MDIdeas Card   re long cables on the MDIdeas card,  I had the
"""""""""""""""""""""""   same problem basically the thing wants to
oscillate,  so on the MDIdeas end I put a 3 ft cable before the 20 ft
cable, and inbetween a little RC net work.  I _think_ I put about a 100 pf
cap across the line on the MDIdeas side,  and about a 100 ohm resistor in
series with the line. Used a little piece of perfboard.

     Worked fine then.  This is my standard procedure for lines that go
from a computer into the real world.  Actually a .01 cap will just round
the edges of a 10khz square wave,  and it kills noise dead. Violates all
kinds of people's sensibilities, but works.   :)
        (J.IMIG [Bit Picker] , Cat. 6,  Top. 7 Msg. 155, M645;1)


-- 
Jerry Penner   jpenne@ee.ualberta.ca   Try a 1-line .sig today.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2