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~ WELCOME TO GENIELAMP APPLE II! ~
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ FILE BANDWAGON: Top 10 Files for January
~ THE HARDWARE STORE: The IDEs of March
~ HOT NEWS, HOT FILES, HOT MESSAGES ~
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GenieLamp Apple II ~ A T/TalkNET Publication ~ Vol.6, Issue 61
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Publisher.................................................John F. Peters
Editor...................................................Ryan M. Suenaga
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GE Mail: GENIELAMP Internet: genielamp@genie.com
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>>> WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE APPLE II ROUNDTABLE? <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ March 1, 1997 ~
FROM MY DESKTOP ......... [FRM] HEY MISTER POSTMAN ...... [HEY]
Notes From The Editor. Is That A Letter For Me?
A2/PRO_ductivity ........ [A2P] REFRACTIONS ............. [RFR]
A2Pro Bits & Bytes. Credibility on the 'net.
FILE BANDWAGON .......... [BAN] THE HARDWARE STORE ...... [HWS]
Top 10 files for January 1997. The IDEs of March.
LOG OFF ................. [LOG]
GenieLamp Information
[IDX]""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
READING GENIELAMP GenieLamp has incorporated a unique indexing system
""""""""""""""""" to help make reading the magazine easier. To utilize
this system, load GenieLamp into any ASCII word processor or text editor.
In the index you will find the following example:
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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
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MESSAGE INFO To make it easy for you to respond to messages reprinted
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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
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messages that are following the same topic. For example: {58}.
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As always, prices are subject to change without notice. To sign up for
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*** GET INTO THE LAMP! ***
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
///////////////////////////////////////// Genie_QWIK_QUOTE /////
/ "Within each PowerMac is kept the soul of a IIgs." /
////////////////////////////////////////////////// A2.DAD //////
[EOA]
[FRM]//////////////////////////////
FROM MY DESKTOP /
/////////////////////////////////
Notes From The Editor
"""""""""""""""""""""
by Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W.
[A2LAMP]
>>> CHANGE TAKING PLACES <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
I was tempted to call this month's editorial, "The Lost Article", as I
had written it to get my thoughts together in December 1996. It's been
several months, so even I found it a refreshing look at my state of mind
then:
I sit at Gate 40 of the Honolulu International Airport, awaiting a
flight to the big island of Hawai'i, the town of Hilo. Waiting for me in a
few hours is a job interview for a small social service agency in a rainy
small town on an island an hour's plane flight from the neighborhood where
I've lived virtually my whole life.
Moving is not something I'd do easily; you spend thirty years of your
life in one town, you grow roots. It's quite common for kids who grew up
in Hilo to move to O'ahu for opportunities in education and work; moving
from O'ahu to Hilo is usually done by people looking to retire. This is
not a move that most people fresh out of graduate school would be
considering.
My sister lived in Hilo for awhile; her boyfriend (now husband) grew
up in that town. She hated it. I visited her often, and couldn't see what
she didn't like about a town where it was a bit slower and the people got
up a bit earlier, where there was value in the people as well as the pace.
Moving also makes me consider another community I'm a part of--the
Apple II community. It's so important to me that I checked out what my
options for online access would be in a new town before I even called for
the job interview. Just like I was a part-time resident of Hilo, I'm a
part-time Macintosh user (this editorial is being written on a PowerBook).
And I think that even if I did move, I'd still consider my heart in
Kane'ohe, just like I still consider my computer an Apple II.
Where I hang my hat is irrelevant to the community I feel a part of,
just as what I type on is irrelevant to the computer I love.
[*][*][*]
It would turn out that I'd fall totally in love with the job that they
offered on the Big Island, but it also turned out that they didn't have the
opening in Hilo they thought they did. The social worker in the position
in Hilo had changed her mind about leaving, and instead, they only had an
opening in Kona, where I had no family, no friends, no connections (not to
mention poor phone lines). And that was that.
Or so I thought. Early last week they called me to say that they now
do have a position in Hilo, so I'm spending a few days trying to decide
about that. A move is a big deal, but even if where my body resides
changes, where my heart lives stays the same.
[*][*][*]
As Tom Weishaar used to say in the days of _Open-Apple_, "everyone
take out your pencils." Editor Emeritus Doug Cuff has been doing his job
keeping track of errors for the _GenieLamp_ faithful (as well as continuing
to put out the Hypereditions of GenieLamp A2). Change your volume and
issue numbers in the last two issues.
The January 1997 issue is Volume 6, Issue 59. The February 1997 issue
is Volume 6, Issue 60. Color me pink.
The other change to make isn't nearly as easy. Color me red. For
some poorly thought out reason (in fact, it was so poorly thought out only
I could have thought it out) I changed the right margin of the master
_GenieLamp_ template from 1/2 inch to zero. Of course, this wasn't a
problem for me in Appleworks, but it apparently caused some havoc for some
of our readers who don't use Appleworks to read _GenieLamp_.
"So what's the big deal, Ryan? Just change the right margin to .5?"
Well, unfortunately, it won't be that simple. The formatting for some of
"Hey Mister Postman" and possibly "Profiles" will be messed up by this
change.
I guess it wouldn't do much good to suggest to everyone they just use
Appleworks to view _GenieLamp_, now, would it?
[*][*][*]
Another columns update: I still haven't heard from Peter Brickell, so
until further notice, _Real World Apple_'s lost in the real world. And I
haven't been able to inject new life into _The File Bandwagon_, so Doug
Cuff takes it over for this month.
On the other hand, this month we'll look at a new column which will
hopefully be a regular here: _The Hardware Store_, where we'll look at some
Apple II compatible hardware. The first installment in this issue will
take a close look at the IDE hard drive standard, in particular, the Focus
Drive.
-- Ryan
Genie Mail: A2LAMP Internet: a2lamp@genie.com
__________________________________________________________
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|__________________________________________________________|
ASCII ART BEGINS
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| | __ ___ _ __ _ ___| | __ _ _ __ ___ _ __ | |_| | ) |
| | |_ |/ _ \ '_ \| |/ _ \ | / _` | '_ ` _ \| '_ \ | _ | / /
| |__| | __/ | | | | __/ |___| (_| | | | | | | |_) | | | | |/ /_
\_____|\___|_| |_|_|\___|______\__,_|_| |_| |_| .__/ |_| |_|____|
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ASCII ART ENDS
[EOA]
[HEY]//////////////////////////////
HEY MISTER POSTMAN /
/////////////////////////////////
Is That A Letter For Me?
""""""""""""""""""""""""
by Ryan Suenaga
[A2LAMP]
o BULLETIN BOARD HOT SPOTS
o A2 POT-POURRI
o HOT TOPICS
o WHAT'S NEW
o MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT
>>> BULLETIN BOARD HOT SPOTS <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
[*] CAT 2, TOP 5 ....... A2 dukes out Windows vs. MacOS
[*] CAT 4, TOP 46 ....... Tragedy at Caloke
[*] CAT 6, TOP 22 ....... Family trees and Apple IIs
[*] CAT 11, TOP 16 ....... HFS and lots of files
[*] CAT 23, TOP 4 ....... Death in the family
>>> A2 POT-POURRI <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""
SYSTEM SAVER SAVERS My System Saver IIgs fan is "growling" - what do I
""""""""""""""""""" need to do to lubricate it? Where? With what?
Where are the screws to open the System Saver? Under the foam?
I know this has been shared in the past, but I don't have it archived. So
if someone might help, I'd be thankful.
__!__
| Terrell Smith
| tsmith@ivcf.org
(T.SMITH59, CAT8, TOP21, MSG:90/M645;1)
>>>>> If that is a Kensington, the screws are under the felt.
"""""
Before you go any further, take note of, and write down, the orientation of
the blades.
Radio Shack makes (at least this was 2 years ago) a fan that will fit in.
I seem to remember they had 2 sizes, so take yours with you.
Ray
the Sauer Kraut
(R.SCHUERGER1, CAT8, TOP21, MSG:91/M645;1)
>>>>> The screws for opening a System Saver IIgs are located under the
""""" foam, use a sharp point such as a ice pick to probe for them, three
on each side if I recall correctly, but they are so easy to find I've never
bothered memorizing the # :)
Once located, use a number 2 phillips to remove them, but before poking the
screwdriver thru the whole made by the probe spray it (the screw driver
point and 2" of shaft back from the point) with WD40 or similar. By lubing
the driver you won't end up with the foam glue sticking to the driver and
destroying the foam.
As for lubricating the fan, a mixture of Slick 50 (or similar) with WD40
works quite well. The easiest way to get the lube in is with a hypodremic
needle. Suitable needles are available in hobby supply stores, and some
electronics stores. Access to the bearing of the fan is usually possible
under the edge of the label on the fan motor. OTOH, Radio Shack carries a
line of fans that can be used to replace the fan entirely, including one
size larger which will greatly increase air flow with just a little dremel
work to enlarge the air flow holes of the System Saver top an bottom
plates.
While you have the SS apart it would be a good idea to replace the MOV's
(ceramic disks, usually about the diameter of a quarter). Suitable
replacements are easily available at most 'tronics shops, including Radio
Shack.
Doug Pendleton, Zip Technology OnLine Support
Resident Hardware Hacker and Solder Slinger - Have tools, will travel.
ProTerm 3.1 and CoPilot v2.5.5 Offline Genie Message Manager
Doug.P@genie.com or Doug_P@delphi.com
(DOUG.P, CAT8, TOP21, MSG:92/M645;1)
>>>>> Now that you know how to get your SS apart (:) you might be
""""" interested in fixing it more cheaply and making it much quieter all
in one motion. (well, almost)
Here's what I did:
1) Went to my local used-electonics surplus wholesaler and sorted thru a
bin of "used" fans (50 cents apiece) looking for one with the lowest
wattage.
2) Got out my Dremel and "streamlined" each of the louvers in the SS case,
because the "noise" is mostly coming from air whistling over the un-smooth
edges there. That, plus the lower speed/cfm fan, and the ambient db level
around here was greatly reduced - and I didn't have to monkey with the lube
job. All that happened about 3 years ago. (I just knew you wanted to know
this!:)
- Joachim
(J.NELSON56, CAT8, TOP21, MSG:94/M645;1)
THE MUSICAL II I am looking for a program for the II GS for training
"""""""""""""" Piano students.
There is a member of my user group that wants this program for his wife.
As I understand it the II GS would play a sound and the student would try
to pick out what note that is on the Piano by listening to it.
Can someone tell me where to get the program new or used?
Thanks, Ted
(T.BURFORD1, CAT4, TOP30, MSG:91/M645;1)
>>>>> There is also a FANTASTIC series of programs for the Apple II ...
""""" and sounds utilize the gs ensonic chip. They are copywrited by
Temporal Acuity Products (TAP). I just happen to be the Apple II
support/tech person for them.
Send me email, if you wish more information.
BTW, there are over 50 programs that deal with all aspects of the learning
process. They work especially well with the ALFRED and BASTIAN piano
method series. :)
I am currently installing these programs on FOCUS 20meggers for music
teachers from all over the country. They come "plug-n-play" for either the
IIe or IIgs.
CHunk
(CHUNK.S, CAT4, TOP30, MSG:93/M645;1)
GENIE-OLOGY I'd like to HIGHLY reccommend the Family Roots geneology
""""""""""" software produced by Stephen C. Vorenberg of Quinsept, Inc.
He has software that runs on Apple IIs thru MACs and IBMs that will
accomplish almost anything you want to do geneologically, except perhaps
maintain a photo database of relatives. He has modules which enable one to
share data using a data format which is standard within the geneological
community. He is very helpful in assisting customers with large databases
to migrate them to a new hardware platform. The Apple programs, which are
the ones started by my wife and I on IIe machines, exist very well on the
IIGS on a hard drive and contain thousands of relatives in datablocks which
come from 5.25in disks. The operation of the programs reminds me of
Appleworks 3.0. That is, not a desktop interface but very fast and
powerful for a specalized database which is nevertheless quite
customizable. I know many Mormons who find his software invaluable. If
you contact him you may mention my wife, Beverly, who teaches computers in
neighboring Burlington, as we have both visited Quinsept in the past and
are quite satisfied with their products:
Quinsept, Inc.
Box 216
Lexington MA 02173
(617) 641-2930
Marshall at: j.m.reber@genie.com
Delivered by: CoPilot v2.55 (Offline GEnie Message Manager)
Using: Spectrum v2.0 (Telecomm Program for the Apple II GS)
(J.M.REBER, CAT2, TOP4, MSG:126/M645;1)
>>>>> I've heard about this program and have wanted to check it for years
""""" now. Do you happen to know if there is a demo version available
anywhere? Does it print charts?
Ed Staib
(E.STAIB, CAT6, TOP22, MSG:39/M645;1)
<<<<< Does Family Roots print charts?!?
"""""
Any kind you want! Any number of generations --- it has the ability to
extend charts over numerous 8.5 X 11 inch sheets that you can paste
together and cover your walls or ceiling, if you wish! There are many
types of charts, e.g. Descendant's charts, Pedigree charts, Compressed
Pedigree charts (also called Ahnentafeln by geneologists), Family Group
charts both narrow and wide, etc., etc., etc. And all of them rather
customizable in many ways. I seem to remember that their advertizing
blurbs are different for the different machines and show examples of many
charts. If you are near to a book dealer that specializes in forms and
blank charts for those who don't want to computerize you could see the
standard chart layouts. On the other hand you might want to purchase only
the manual which comes in 3-ring form of about an inch of material for the
basic modules.
The most important decision, unfortunately, has to be made when most are
least prepared to make it: that is the form and complexity of your
individual data record. Almost no one is able to do this right the first
time unless they are already heavily into geneological research. Usually
it is reccommended to play with a small amount of family data to become
familiar with what you want to record and how the various modules interact
before redesigning your basic record format for serious use. They do have
modules for unusual manipulations that can be purchased later if necessary.
Such as one to add extra fields to already existing record formats.
There are a lot of variations in the amount of detail that people record so
that I've never seen any demo programs for the programs complex enough for
"professional" use, although I admit to not much familiarity with the non
Apple stuff. Some of the multi-hundred dollar Windows programs look
quitefancy and allow you to also store graphic data in your database, but
as far as geneological functions don't offer anything new --- except one
does calculate such relationships as xth cousin y times removed. Some of
these expensive programs have the ability to accept data in standard file
format and there is a Family Roots module for communicating using such
files. I know of nothing for the Apples that is as good as Family Roots.
Give them a call; Vorenberg is a technical man and if available can talk
details.
Marshall at: j.m.reber@genie.com
Delivered by: CoPilot v2.55 (Offline GEnie Message Manager)
Using: Spectrum v2.0 (Telecomm Program for the Apple II GS)
(J.M.REBER, CAT6, TOP22, MSG:40/M645;1)
>>> HOT TOPICS <<<
""""""""""""""""""
CALOKE CLOSES I just learned that Carl Kenepaske, owner of Caloke
""""""""""""" Industries, has died suddenly. Caloke is consequently out
of business.
Carl was a really good guy to work with. He set a very high standard for
quality service in the mail-order public-domain software trade. He and
Caloke will be sorely missed.
To my knowledge this leaves Kula Software as the only mail-order vendor
dealing in 8-bit public-doman software in general and Eamon in particular.
If anyone knows of any others, I would like to hear of them.
TomZ
(A2.TOMZ, CAT4, TOP46, MSG:46/M645;1)
>>>>> What about Joe Kohn-SSII?, and I think Adrian Vance still sells a
""""" large line at large prices.
But it IS _very_ sad to hear about Carl and Caloke Industries.
Doug Pendleton, Zip Technology OnLine Support
Resident Hardware Hacker and Solder Slinger - Have tools, will travel.
ProTerm 3.1 and CoPilot v2.5.5 Offline Genie Message Manager
Doug.P@genie.com or Doug_P@delphi.com
(DOUG.P, CAT4, TOP46, MSG:47/M645;1)
<<<<< To my knowledge Joe carries very few public-domain titles that will
""""" run on all 8-bit Apple II's. If he does, his lack of a paper
catalog will keep that fact well obscured from his potential 8-bit customer
base (including me), particularly those not on the WWW.
Adrian Vance deals exclusively in educational titles and titles that can be
construed as having educational value. And, as you noted, his prices make
him unaffordable anyway.
Caloke was the finest resource that the low-end Apple II user had, with
thousands of DOS 3.3 titles in his paper catalog. The only dealer that had
a similar inventory was the long-departed Aspen Software. Even Kula doesn't
carry the range of stuff that Caloke had. This is a severe blow for the
Apple II+ user, if nothing else.
TomZ
(A2.TOMZ, CAT4, TOP46, MSG:48/M645;1)
>>>>> Re: Distributors of public domain software
"""""
When I wrote my book about running computer camps in '93-'94, the
following people were distributing public domain software: (1) The
American Public Domain Club (APDC); (2) Big Red Computer Club (BRCC); (3)
Caloke Industries; (4) Christella Enterprise; (5) Creative Solutions; (6)
Dan Hadley; (7) Software of the Month Club; and (8) tca Software. I
_know_that 1, 2, 3, and 6 are no longer in business. Addresses for the
others (3 years ago) were
Christella Enterprise, PO Box 82205, Rochester, MI 48308-2205
Creative Solutions, Box 340850, Beavercreek, OH 45434 513-429-5759
Software of the Month Club, 5816 Dryden Place, Carlsbad, CA 92008
619-931-8111
tca Software, 9936 Gaithersburg, MD 20879-7706
I had Kula and SSII in the book, also, but listed elsewhere. The
Caloke and Christella listings had a lot in common. The tca list was much
shorter, but selective, and included some accurate reviews. The Software
of the Month Club, as the name suggests, sent you stuff monthly. Folks on
GEnie said they weren't careful about copyrights. Creative Solutions
answered my request for information, but I never ordered from them. They
had about 175 titles.
Does anyone know if any of the above still have Apple II titles?
Most of the Adrian Vance titles were his, by the way. He ships orders
promptly, but... If you want his address, ask me by email.
Eric ( o= =o === =ooo oo oo= == )
(J.SCHONBLOM, CAT4, TOP46, MSG:49/M645;1)
<<<<< Last time I wrote Christella, about a year ago, the letter was
""""" returned MOVED, FORWARDING EXPIRED.
Unless they have realy cleaned up their act, I would hesitate to recommend
Software of the Month Club, if they still do Apple II. Last I heard of them
several years ago, they were bundling the ProDOS Eamon master disk with DOS
3.3 Eamon adventures. When users complained, they were told to simply copy
the DOS 3.3 files to a ProDOS disk, which decidedly does not work.
I don't have any information on the others. I never got a satisfactory
correspondence going with them.
TomZ
(A2.TOMZ, CAT4, TOP46, MSG:50/M645;1)
>>>>> Actually, two good sources of Apple II public
""""" domain/freeware/shareware that come out regularly are The
Appleworks Gazette and Juiced.GS's Shareware Collection.
Ryan
http://www.keystroke.net/~rsuenaga
"There's no shortage of windmills to tilt at."--Logan
ANSITerm and CoPilot v2.55
(A2LAMP, CAT4, TOP46, MSG:54/M645;1)
SOFTDISK G-S R.I.P. Well, it seems that the end of another fine product
""""""""""""""""""" run is approaching. I received Issue #81 of Softdisk
GS today, and in the envelope was an announcement that Issue #82 would be
the last...
I'd like to thank all of the contributors to Softdisk GS for the fine
products that they had published. I, for one, will miss the monthly
surprise package.
Don V. Zahniser
Delivered by CoPilot for ANSITerm v2.5.6
(D.ZAHNISER, CAT23, TOP4, MSG:136/M645;1)
>>>>> Just to add my 2 cents worth, I received diskette # 81 and the bad
""""" news in the mail yesterday also. On top of that, I have credit up
to issue 96. A while back I opted to extend my subscription when Softdisk
had the last special offer. Boy, that special is something special now. But
I am certain I'm not alone on this.
I may lose some money/issues in the transfer, but what about the
staff of Softdisk GS? Will they be able to move to other departments, or,
hopefully not, let go. It's one thing to lose some disks, but to lose one's
income ... that's getting to the bone.
I will miss Softdisk GS and saddly the words of a Johnnie Cash song
come to mind " ... another man done gone "
Michael Glenn
Delivered by:
CoPilot v2.55
Offline GEnie Message Manager
(M.GLENN8, CAT23, TOP4, MSG:141/M645;1)
>>>>> After Greg Templeman left SDGS, the person running the show was Lee
""""" Golden, and I'm not sure he actually was a Softdisk employee at
that point. He most likely was contracting with them.
Most of the programs were written by outside sources, i.e. Bret Victor, who
weren't actual Softdisk employees either.
It's sad to see what happened to SDGS. When Greg Templeman (and before
him, Dean Esmay, Jay Jennings, and Bryan Zak) was there, it was a fabulous
source of information and high quality programs. It declined badly after
Greg left until Bret Victor's recent work had improved the quality
dramatically. Still, a death in the family is a death in the family. SDGS
will be missed.
Ryan
http://www.keystroke.net/~rsuenaga
"There's no shortage of windmills to tilt at."--Logan
ANSITerm and CoPilot v2.55
(A2LAMP, CAT23, TOP4, MSG:142/M645;1)
>>>>> The last I heard, this is not a problem, because there was no
""""" full-time staff for Softdisk G-S, so no one will get laid off. That
may have contributed to the shut down, as well as the complaints by some
that the content was slipping.
--
Carl Knoblock - Telephone Tech
cknoblo@delphi.com
cknoblo@novia.net
(C.KNOBLOCK, CAT23, TOP4, MSG:144/M645;1)
>>>>> Yup, this is bad news. :( I haven't received #81 yet, so at least
""""" it won't be a shock. (I'm paid through 88) SDGS went downhill
almost immediately after Greg left. I agree that Bret's contributions
provided a refreshing level of quality.
But what about ShiftyList 2.0? I was patiently waiting for the sequel to
one of SDGS's best programs. Sheppy, if you're listening, please keep it
on your list of things to do. It will be really cool when we can pick a
boot script via a keystroke or two at boot time. :)
Wily
(P.CREAGER, CAT23, TOP4, MSG:145/M645;1)
>>> WHAT'S NEW <<<
""""""""""""""""""
RETURN OF APPLE IIGS REFERENCES
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Key Apple IIGS Books Back In Print!
Key Apple IIGS Books Back In Print!
Key Apple IIGS Books Back In Print!
Key Apple IIGS Books Back In Print!
Key Apple IIGS Books Back In Print!
APDA-54 Apple IIGS Toolbox Reference Volume 2 730 pages $45
APDA-55 Apple IIGS Toolbox Reference Volume 3 1063 pages $55
APDA-56 Apple IIGS GS/OS Reference 526 pages $30
APDA-57 Apple IIGS Firmware Reference 345 pages $30
APDA-58 Apple IIGS Hardware Reference 346 pages $30
All six of these books were written by Apple's staff, and originally
shipped as Addison-Wesley books. Addison-Wesley chose to let them go out
of print soon after the Apple IIGS stopped shipping. Our APDA reprints are
laser printed from the original Addison-Wesley books. Each reprint is a
faithful reproduction of the original pages on 8.5 by 11 paper with holes
for a standard 3 ring binder.
Our printer has already started preparing print masters from our copies of
Addison-Wesley's books. The first, Apple IIGS Toolbox Reference Volume 3,
should be available sometime during the week of February 17th, with others
to follow at a rate of about 1 per week.
We are currently taking orders for all of the titles listed. We will have
our printer prepare the books based on which titles people order. Credit
card orders will be billed as the products ship.
Shipping charges are $5 per order (not per book!) in the United States and
Canada.
We can't compute overseas shipping charges until the final products arrive
back from the printer, so if you are ordering from other countries, we will
need to wait until March to quote shipping charges in advance. You can, of
course, place your order now and simply specify the shipping method. As
always, we will charge the actual shipping amount rounded up to the next
even dollar. We would recommend surface shipping for most orders,
though--these books are big and heavy!
To order or get more information about these or any of our other products,
get in touch:
Byte Works, Inc.
8000 Wagon Mound Dr. NW
Albuquerque, NM 87120
Voice: (505) 898-8183
FAX: (505) 898-8183
FAX: (505) 898-8183
(BYTEWORKS, CAT45, TOP5, MSG:13/M645;1)
>>> MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
Category 35, Topic 30
Message 369 Wed Feb 05, 1997
A2.TOMZ at 13:36 EST
I think I need to clarify my previous post.
IMHO:
Genie is the PRESENT for Apple II users. It is not the PAST.
Delphi is the FUTURE for Apple II users.
Right now, Genie has many more files and more message traffic than Delphi.
But Delphi is gradually coming up to speed, and we don't know how much
longer we will have Genie.
Anyone who can afford it should join Delphi and also remain here on Genie.
I should add that Delphi is very inexpensive to belong to. Anyone who can't
afford to belong to both should carefully weigh how much they value Genie's
library, which is unmatched in the world. If you decide you can't afford
Delphi right now, make sure you have the data handy for joining, against
future emergency.
In the meantime, if you quit Genie because it MIGHT close, then you are
doing your part to ensure that it DOES close, by killing A2's usage
figures. Self-fulfilling prophecy, indeed.
TomZ
[*][*][*]
While on Genie, do you spend most of your time downloading files?
If so, you may be missing out some excellent information in the Bulletin
Board area. The messages listed above only scratch the surface of
what's available and waiting for you in the bulletin board area.
If you are serious about your Apple II, the GenieLamp staff strongly
urge you to give the bulletin board area a try. There are literally
thousands of messages posted from people like you from all over the
world.
[EOA]
[A2P]//////////////////////////////
A2/PRO_ductivity /
/////////////////////////////////
By Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W.
[A2LAMP]
>>> A2PRO BITS & BYTES <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
GSOFT: THE GS BASIC! From comp.sys.apple2.programmer with slight
"""""""""""""""""""" modifications (which if causing any confusion is
mine):
From: Mike Westerfield
Date: 30 Jan 1997 03:26:14 GMT
GSoft BASIC
-----------
Preliminary specification: 29 January 1997
This guide gives an overview of the GSoft programming language. The purpose
is to give you a good idea about what will be in the language once it is
released, and to give you a chance to suggest changes while there is still
time to make them!
All of the information in this document is subject to change. In fact, the
very purpose of this document invites change.
This document should not be construed as a binding statement that we will,
in fact, ever release a BASIC interpreter.
General
-------
GSoft is an interpreted BASIC, similar to Applesoft but with more commands
and variable types.
Target Machine
--------------
Apple IIGS
1M or RAM
3.5 Floppy Disk Drive
System 6.0.1
Environment
-----------
GSoft actually consists of a suite of programs:
GSoft (S16)
This is a Finder Launchable application. It starts in an Applesoft-like
shell whose command set is listed later. This program will also launch
when a GSoft program file is opened from the Finder.
By changing the file type to EXE, this program can be launched from any
ORCA compatible shell. When launched from a shell, you can specify a
program to execute on the command line.
Whether launched from the Finder or a shell, if you supply a program to
execute you are not dumped into GSoft's shell: instead, the program
executes and GSoft terminates. In effect, this means you can create GSoft
programs that launch from the Finder by double-clicking, just like any
other application. The fact that GSoft is executing the program is
transparent to the user.
I expect this will be the environment of choice for most GSoft users who
don't already use an ORCA language.
GSoft (EXE)
This version is an ORCA language, pretty much like any other language,
except that it is interpreted.
While it may not be obvious, the ORCA shell was designed to handle
interpreters as easily as compilers. GSoft will install in the ORCA
environment as smoothly as any compiled language--including support for
PRIZM and ORCA compatible debuggers.
The ORCA environment will not ship with GSoft.
I expect this will be the environment of choice for people who are already
accustomed to ORCA, or who are developing tools for GSoft.
MakeS16
This program attaches a special version of GSoft to an existing GSoft
program. The finished application appears to the Finder as a standard
GS/OS application, complete with bundle bits. (This means you can click on
a _document_ from the Finder to launch the application.)
The completed application file includes a copy of the interpreter, and each
owner of GSoft receives the royalty-free right to distribute any program he
writes with this interpreter attached.
File Types
----------
GSoft can load and save Applesoft, text, and ORCA SRC files.
Quick Introduction to the Syntax
--------------------------------
The tables below assume you know BASIC, or knew it once. They are a terse
but reasonably accurate description of the language.
A description like
FOR identifier '=' expression TO expression [ STEP expression ]
says that a FOR statement must contain the word FOR, followed by the name
of a variable, a equal sign, an expression, the word TO, and another
expression.
The [ and ] character indicate that you can optionally add the word STEP
and another expression. If the last ] character is followed by an *
character, it can be repeated as many times as you like.
Words you must type exactly as they appear (other than character case) are
shown in uppercase letters, like FOR.
Words that represent some complex thing you can type are in lowercase, like
expression.
This description leaves out restrictions, like the fact that you can't use
a string as a FOR loop variable.
The GSoft Shell
---------------
BYE (exit the shell)
CATALOG [ directory-name ] (catalog a directory)
COPY file-name [ file-name ] (copy one or more files)
CREATE directory-name (create a new directory)
DEL line [ ',' line ] (delete one or more lines)
DELETE file-name (delete a file or directory)
ED line (edit a line)
EDIT [ file-name ] (invoke an ORCA compatible editor)
LIST line [ ',' line ] (list lines)
LOAD file-name (load as ASCII, Applesoft or SRC file)
LOCK file-name (lock a file)
MOVE file-name file-name (move one or more files)
PREFIX directory-name (set the default prefix)
RENAME file-name file-name (rename a file or directory)
RENUMBER line ',' line [ ',' line [ ',' line ] ]
(renumber a program)
RUN [ line ] (execute a program)
SAVE file-name (save an Applesoft file)
SSAVE file-name (save a source file)
TSAVE file-name (save a TXT file)
UNLOCK file-name (unlock a file)
General Language Information
----------------------------
Maximum size of a program: Largest contiguous available RAM.
Maximum size of variables: Largest remaining contiguous RAM after
allocating the program space.
Length of variable names: Currently 2 characters. (This will probably
change to 255 or fewer characters.)
Types of variables:
integer (-32768..32767; integer math is _not_ done using reals)
long integer (-2147483648..2147483647)
byte (0..255)
real (7 digit accuracy; does not use SANE)
double (19 digit accuracy)
pointer
string (up to 255 characters per string)
records and arrays consisting of any other type
Statements consist of an optional line number followed by a line of tokens
up to 64K in length. Most editors (including the one in GSoft) can't
actually create lines that long, though.
Multiple statements can appear on one line if separated by : characters.
ORCA compatible source debuggers like PRIZM, ORCA/Debugger and Splat! are
supported.
The GSoft Command Set
---------------------
Operations
----------
=
+
-
*
/
^
<
>
<= =<
>= =>
<> ><
(
)
AND
NOT
OR
Declarations
------------
DIM identifier '(' expression [ ',' expression ]* ')'
Support will be included for defining records and for setting the type of a
variable (e.g. forcing I to be an integer, rather than a real), but the
exact syntax has not yet been fixed.
Arithmetic Functions
--------------------
ABS '(' expression ')'
ATN '(' expression ')'
COS '(' expression ')'
DEF FN ---
EXP '(' expression ')'
INT '(' expression ')'
LOG '(' expression ')'
RND '(' expression ')'
SGN '(' expression ')'
SIN '(' expression ')'
SQR '(' expression ')'
TAN '(' expression ')'
Control
-------
DO [ UNTIL | WHILE ] expression
LOOP [ UNTIL | WHILE ] expression
FOR identifier '=' expression TO expression [ STEP expression ]
NEXT [ identifier [ ',' [ identifier ] ]* ]
IF expression [ THEN | GOTO | THEN GOTO ] line
IF expression THEN statement [ ':' statement ]*
IF expression THEN
ELSE IF expression THEN
ELSE
END IF
SELECT CASE expression
CASE expression [ TO expression ] [ ',' expression [ TO expression ] ]*
END SELECT
WHILE expression
WEND
END
GOSUB line
GOTO line
[ LET ] l-value = expression
ON GOSUB line [ ',' line ]*
ON GOTO line [ ',' line ]*
ONERR GOTO line
POP
REM any character sequence
RESUME
RETURN
STOP
Named Subroutines
-----------------
CALL identifier parameter-list
DECLARE subroutine-declaration
FUNCTION name parameter-list
SUB name parameter-list
Error Handling
--------------
ERL (returns error line)
ERROR expression (flags an error)
ERR (returns error number)
Strings
-------
ASC '(' string-expression ')'
CHR$ '(' expression ')'
LEFT$ '(' string-expression ',' expression ')'
LEN '(' string-expression ')'
MID$ '(' expression ')'
RIGHT$ '(' expression ')'
STR$ '(' expression ')'
VAL '(' string-expression ')'
Input/Output
------------
CRSLIN (returns the cursor line)
DATA data [ ',' data ]*
GET identifier (read a key from the keyboard)
HOME
HTAB expression (set the cursor column)
INPUT [ string expression ] ';' l-value [ ',' l-value ]*
INVERSE
MOUSETEXT
NORMAL
POS (returns cursor column)
READ l-value [ ',' l-value ]
RESTORE
PRINT [
expression
| SPC '(' expression ')'
| TAB '(' expression ')'
[ ',' ';' ] ]*
PRINT USING line [ expression [ ',' expression ] ]
SPEED= expression
TEXT
VTAB expression (set the cursor line)
High-Res Graphics
-----------------
All high-res graphics commands use the 320x200, 16 color Apple IIGS
graphics screen. The will function on the 640x200 screen as well, but
toolbox calls must be used to set up that screen.
QuickDraw II graphics commands may be used without initializing the tools,
setting up desktop programs, and so forth so long as HGR is used at least
once before the first QuickDraw II call.
HCOLOR= '(' expression ')'
HGR
HPLOT expression ',' expression [ TO expression ',' expression ]
Utility Statements
------------------
FRE ( expression )
PEEK expression
POKE expression ',' expression
Some memory allocation and dispose routines, similar to Pascal's
NEW/DISPOSE or C's malloc() free() will be provided.
Disk I/O
--------
CHDIR directory-name (change directory)
CLOSE file
DIR$ (return a list of files)
EOF file
KILL file-name (delete a file)
INPUT #file [ ',' l-value ]+
MKDIR directory-name (create a directory)
NAME file-name AS file-name (rename a file)
OPEN file-name FOR [ OUTPUT | INPUT | APPEND ] AS file
PRINT #file [
expression
| SPC '(' expression ')'
| TAB '(' expression ')'
[ ',' ';' ] ]*
PRINT #file USING line [ expression [ ',' expression ] ]
RMDIR directory-name (delete a directory)
SEEK #file ',' expression (set the read or write position)
Some form of binary read and write for quickly reading and writing chunks
of memory will also be provided.
Toolbox Support
---------------
GSoft has a complete set of interfaces for the Apple IIGS toolbox. All tool
calls that can be called from Pascal or C without glue code are available.
Some tools that do require glue code will be supported as well, but the
complete list hasn't been compiled.
GSoft also allows access to user tools. Support includes an equivalent to
the LoadOneTool call, but for user tools, making it as easy to load and use
a user tool as it is currently to load and use system tools.
A tool framework will also be included. This tool framework allows you to
write user tools in C, Pascal or assembly language. It provides a generic
framework that is not sensitive to the tool number, so if you ever get two
user tools with the same number, simply renaming one or the other resolves
the conflict.
User tools give you the freedom to add routines in any language that can
easily be used by GSoft. As an added advantage, the same routines can be
used from any other language that supports tools, so you don't need
multiple versions of the same subroutines.
(J.GRAY38, CAT36, TOP35, MSG:3-7/M530;1)
>>>>> I'd welcome your comments about the BASIC. I'm looking for
""""" suggestions while there is still time to make fundamental changes.
What the post did not mention, though, is some of the rational. I'll stop
back later today and mention that.
Mike Westerfield
(BYTEWORKS, CAT36, TOP35, MSG:10/M530;1)
>>>>> For those who are interested in BASIC, I'd really suggest getting
""""" on the A2Pro usegroup. There seemed to be more people wondering
through there, so that's where I started the discussion. I have no problem
with discussin it here, too (and frankly prefer Genie), but there are more
messages there, and thus you'll see more of the comments that are shaping
my decisions.
GSoft BASIC is a spinoff project from another long-term effort I've
started. That effort is not something I'm talking publicly about, but the
fact that this interpreter is a spinoff and not the main thrust helps
explain some of the decisions that affect its design.
The GSoft interpreter itself is being designed as an extension of
traditional BASICs. Rather than add a new command every time someone wants
to do something more complicated than a PRINT, I'm trying to extend the
BASIC language to the point that it can handle modern programming issues.
In a nutshell, this means that GSoft will have complete, flexible support
for pointers, dynamic memory, and records. It will also have a toolbox
interface as complete as those in the compiled ORCA languages. As a bonus,
GSoft will also support user tools as easily as other languages and the
toolbox currently support disk-based system tools. It is, in fact, user
tools that will allow you to add functionality to GSoft itself.
The environment will absolutely not be anything like Visual BASIC. Sorry,
but while porting the interpreter to the GS makes sense, spening months
developing a Visual BASIC style development environment does not. GSoft
will runn in three radically different forms, though:
1. A traditional Applesoft like environment, with extensions like RENUMBER.
2. From any ORCA compatible shell. This includes PRIZM.
3. GSoft programs can be executed from the Finder, and you can turn them
into double-clickable S16 applications that function just like any compiled
application.
The reason for announcing the language as early as I did was to get
comments. Within the broad outlines I've mentioned, I very much want to
hear what people want to see in the language. Some comments have already
resulted in changes to the language design. So read all of this over,
think about it, and let me know if you see any problems or would like to
see changes or additions.
Sometime in March or April, you should see the public release of GSoft.
Maybe it will implement one of your suggestions!
Mike Westerfield
(BYTEWORKS, CAT36, TOP35, MSG:11/M530;1)
>>>>> You probably already have this covered, but just in case...are you
""""" including command level support for the various game paddle
signals, both potentiometer and switch inputs, as well as annunciator
outputs? Something for all the signals on the 16 pin connector, not just
the ones on the DB-9 on the back of the IIgs. Mouse support would of course
be nice. Whether these are included inherent in the language design, or
merely supported by add-on modules isn't important, I guess, other than it
is possible without having to resort to assembly language.
The above would make it easier to use GSoft as a robotics support language,
or for machine or process control applications. Also, don't make it
dependent on a keyboard as the only ADB device it can support. (ADB
joysticks, bar code scanners, etc.)
Joat
(A2.TIM, CAT36, TOP35, MSG:12/M530;1)
As far as the ADB support goes, just use the ADB toolbox. You do have
toolbox access after all :)
Add my vote for game port access though :)
Dave
(JUST.DAVE, CAT36, TOP35, MSG:13/M530;1)
I have never used the ADB Tools, but I remember someone saying that they
were very poor. I don't know if that is true, but there seem to be several
ADB devices on the market that do not work on the IIgs. I assumed a wimpy
ADB interface was the reason.
Something I forgot, but would be useful, would be some built-in tone
support, especially with the Ensoniq chip. A simple example would be the
TONE() command in BASICA, or GW-BASIC.
Joat
(A2.TIM, CAT36, TOP35, MSG:14/M645;1)
>>>>> This sounds like what I was looking for when I bought Micol
""""" Advanced Basic oh so many years ago. I look forward to it. The
biggest thing that MAB lacked was support for Records. (And the toolbox
support wasn't too strong either, at least in the version (4.2) that I had.
I noticed that you mentioned "named" subroutines. Is there any chance of
making the line numbers totally optional? (This was one good feature of
MAB, IMVHO). For those of us who have dabbled in more advanced languages,
it would be tough, I think, to return to using line numbers.
Thanks!
________
|homas
(T.COMPTER, CAT36, TOP35, MSG:15/M530;1)
>>>>> Well, in no particular order:
"""""
Line numbers are definitely optional. They are the only form of label
available for branching statements that need one (like GOSUB and GOTO) but
it would be easy enough to avoid those with all of the control statements
that are available.
One caviot: If you are using the Applesoft-like line editor (which is also
optional) you need to use line numbers. That style of editor depends on
them.
I don't plan to add specific support for non-keyboard or mouse ADB devices.
I don't have any. You do, of course, have access to the ADB tool set. You
also have access to assembly language via custom user tools.
I hadn't thought of the game port issues you folks raised. I mapped the
mouse into the paddle commands. It's a very good point, though. I'll
think on it some and see what I come up with. At the very least, a
prewritten user tool would be appropriate. That just might make a good
sample tool, too!
Mike Westerfield
(BYTEWORKS, CAT36, TOP35, MSG:16/M530;1)
>>>>> Mike,
"""""
Are you planning support for XCMDs of some description? It'd be nice to be
able to add some serial port support or similar.
Regards,
Richard
(RICHARD.B, CAT36, TOP35, MSG:17/M530;1)
>>>>> Yes. GSoft will gracefully use user tools. This gives a nice
""""" clean way to add functionality to GSoft, and has the added bonus
that the same functionality is instantly available from other languages
that support user tools. (All of the ORCA languages do.)
Mike Westerfield
(BYTEWORKS, CAT36, TOP35, MSG:18/M530;1)
[EOA]
[RFR]//////////////////////////////
REFRACTIONS /
/////////////////////////////////
Credibility on the 'net
"""""""""""""""""""""""
by Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W.
[A2LAMP]
Just because you read something in print doesn't necessarily mean it's
true. Many of the comp.sys.apple2 faithful discovered this in February of
1997.
Rumor ran rampant through the Usenet newsgroups when it was posted
that _WordPerfect_ for the Apple II series had been reclassified from
commercial software--where it was trapped in the private domain since it
was discontinued several years ago--to freeware. However, no official word
from Corel, who now own the rights to _WordPerfect_ for both the Macintosh
and Intel platforms, accompanied that posting.
Unfortunately, it appears that not everyone who reads comp.sys.apple2
thought about the importance of Corel's permission. While many of the
readers and participants of csa2 called Corel's lines, or wrote email to
Corel executives asking for verification of the new status of
_WordPerfect_, not everyone took such a careful view. In the meantime,
_WordPerfect_ for the IIgs showed up on a well-known Apple II pirate ftp
site on the World Wide Web, accompanied by a review declaring its new
status as freeware.
In my personal effort to gather verification of _WordPerfect_ s new
status, I exchanged several emails with Heather Boyer of Corel. After
approximately a week, I received the following letter from Ms. Boyer, which
she gave me permission to reprint:
[*][*][*]
Dear Mr. Suenaga:
After some rather exhaustive research, we have established that Corel
does not own WordPerfect for the Apple II and therefore cannot grant
permission for the product to be distributed as freeware.
It appears that WordPerfect Corp. sold WordPerfect for the Apple II in its
entirety several years ago. Corel has no records of the sale, and is
unable to provide any additional information.
Regretfully,
Heather Boyer
Product Manager, Corel WordPerfect for Macintosh
Corel, Inc.
email: hboyer@corel.com
[*][*][*]
The moral of the story: not everything you read is true; especially in
cyberspace.
[EOA]
[BAN]//////////////////////////////
FILE BANDWAGON /
/////////////////////////////////
Top 10 Files for January
""""""""""""""""""""""""
by Douglas Cuff
[D.CUFF]
This feature lists the ten most popular files for the month. To give
files a chance to seek their own levels, no files will be added to the list
until they've been in place at least a month. This month, we look at the
files uploaded 1-31 January 1997.
This isn't the Academy Awards ceremony, folks; it's more like the
People's Choice Awards (both of which are trademarked, by the way). The
Top 10 doesn't necessarily tell you what's new and interesting--what files
_you_ might find interesting--it simply tells you what files have been
downloaded a lot--what other people found interesting!
This month, GenieLamp A2 occupies four spots on the list, but we're
just counting that one file. We hope this explains why there are 13 files
on the Top 10 list.
File # Filename Bytes DLs Short description
------ --------------- ------ --- -------------------------------------
28275 LEMGS.DEMO.BXY 575744 171 Brutal Deluxe's LemminGS Demo
28274 JASMINE.BXY 172544 154 Jasmine - Apple IIgs Genie Front End
28252 DOTW.BXY 324352 103 Defender of the World game demo
28249 ALMP9701AWP.BXY 46592 66 GenieLamp A2, Jan 97 (AppleWorks)
28293 PEDIGREE2.BXY 174592 64 Pedigree - a family tree program
28276 FRESH.PATCH.BXY 4608 60 Patch AW 5.1 to purge memory on exit
28259 MAXICONS.BXY 5376 54 Folder icons for GS in Copland style
28273 MULTI.CAT.BXY 3072 46 Multi-level File Cataloging Utility
28279 PT31TELDEL.BXY 3840 35 PT3.1 macro - Telnet Genie to Delphi
28265 TEST.ANSI.TXT 2456 34 ANSI Test, the Spectrum 2.0 script
LEMGS.DEMO.BXY This demo of the game LemminGS by Brutal Deluxe of France
"""""""""""""" encourages you to guide a bunch of mindless creatures to
safety. The lemmings in this game will cheerfully rebound off walls and
walk off cliffs just to keep moving. To prevent them from killing
themselves and steer them toward the way out, you must give some lemmings a
special attribute. A lemming can be changed from a simple walker into a
basher, blocker, bomber, builder, climber, digger, floater, or miner. This
demo is a lot of fun and does a good job of introducing the concepts
necessary to play the game. An accelerator for your Apple IIgs is highly
recommended. Freeware.
JASMINE.BXY Jasmine v1.0f3 by Richard Bennett of Australia is a test
""""""""""" version of an online navigator for Genie. This "front end"
uses the familiar Apple IIgs desktop to allow a user to point and click
her/his way around Genie. You can use it to visit bulletin boards,
libraries, and RTCs without having to know any of the arcane commands. It
seems unlikely that this project will ever now be finished, but this
version gives a good idea of what might have been and even offers some
functionality. Requires an error correcting modem--either MNP4 or V.42bis
(LAP-M). Freeware.
DOTW.BXY Defender of the World by David Ong Tat-Wee of Singapore is an
"""""""" unfinished shoot-'em-up space arcade game that boasts large and
colorful ships and aliens. This September 1996 version offers some game
play. If you've only seen earlier demos with motion only, check out this
upload. The game doesn't seem to get on well with my copy of ProSel-16,
but launched beautifully from the Finder. Be sure to take advantage of
whatever power-ups you capture (joystick button 1 or the option key), or
you'll never get past the asteroid field! Freeware.
ALMP9701AWP.BXY The premiere issue of GenieLamp A2 under its new editor,
""""""""""""""" Ryan Suenaga--this edition is in the AppleWorks word
processor format. This brief issue features a Treasure Hunt column by the
editor emeritus Doug Cuff and an interview with your new editor. Freeware.
PEDIGREE2.BXY Pedigree by Volker Hermann of Germany is a genealogy/family
""""""""""""" tree, and this version 2.0 of the demo. This program
supports importing and exporting GEDCOM files (disabled in this demo) and
allows (small) pictures to be included. The demo has no documentation,
disables printing, and only allows 11 families, but it does allow you to
enter data and view various tree structures. Freeware.
FRESH.PATCH.BXY FRESH.IT by Hugh Hood gives you instructions to patch
""""""""""""""" AppleWorks v5.1 for use on an Apple IIgs so that the
AppleWorks desktop does not shrink each time you re-run AppleWorks v5.1.
Freeware.
MAXICONS.BXY A collection of 10 Copeland-style icons by Max Jones for
your
"""""""""""" Apple IIgs--icons for folders for AppleWorks.GS,
GraphicWriter, Preferences, Express.Spools, Print.Shop, PuyoPuyo,
TempFiles, Encyclopedia and two icons that have no designated folder.
Freeware.
MULTI.CAT.BXY Multilevel Catalog v1.06 by John Shaver is a simple BASIC
""""""""""""" utility that will show all files on a ProDOS disk,
including those in subdirectories. You can view the result on the screen
or direct it to your printer. Freeware.
PT31TELDEL.BXY This ProTERM 3.1 macro by Art Coughlin will log onto
Delphi
"""""""""""""" via Genie's Internet gateway, collect your mail and your
A2/A2Pro messages from Delphi, and return you to Genie. Freeware.
TEST.ANSI.TXT A short Spectrum script by Richard Bennett of Australia to
""""""""""""" test the ANSI capabilities of that telecommunications
software. Shows various styles and colors of text on various backgrounds.
Freeware.
[EOA]
[HWS]//////////////////////////////
THE HARDWARE STORE /
/////////////////////////////////
The IDEs of March
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by Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W.
[A2LAMP]
While the Small Computer Systems Interface, a.k.a. SCSI, remains the
standard way to hook up a hard disk drive to an Apple II computer, in
recent months a new contender has emerged on the scene. The Focus Drive,
originally from Parsons Technology and now available from Alltech
Electronics, has made a huge splash on the Apple II scene.
The Focus is a 2.5 inch hard disk on a card that drops into a slot on
an Apple //e or IIgs. Unlike conventional SCSI solutions, there's no
external hard drive cases, no cables, no clutter, and none of the headaches
that can come when setting up a SCSI chain. It's the Apple II equivalent
of Plug and Play.
The Focus card is based on a different hard drive standard than
SCSI--the Integrated Drive Electronics standard, a.k.a. IDE. This type of
drive was first introduced by the IBM clone maker Compaq in 1986. It was
designed to make it easy to link the IBM PC AT bus to a hard drive. In
fact, these drives are now also known by a different acronym: ATA, or AT
Attachment.
All the essential circuitry of each IDE device's controller is built
into any system-level interface device, you don't need to carefully match
an AT interface hard disk to a controller to get a working system. The
actual device is hidden from the interface signals, allowing the
system-level design greater technical innovation without altering
compatibility. New technologies for higher capacities, greater security,
or even faster throughput can be accommodated without violating the
standard.
Like SCSI, you can have more than one drive attached to an IDE
interface; however, IDE is more limited in this respect. Apple II
implementations of SCSI allow you to have as many as eight drives on a SCSI
chain; IDE allows two drives, a "master" and a "slave". IDE controllers
also allow for CD Rom drives and other types of removable media drives.
The Focus Drive is available in a variety of sizes, from a tiny 20
megabyte to close to a gigabyte. I purchased a 20 megabyte drive in the
hopes I would be able to hack it up for use with larger drives (more on
this later).
The Focus Drive comes with a typewritten, photocopied manual and a 3.5
disk with IIgs utilities for formatting. The utilities work very similarly
to Apple's Advanced Disk Utilities. In use, the Focus is fast and
reliable. It also gets you into the hard drive game at a lower price than
a RamFAST or Apple High Speed SCSI card--the price of a complete,
ready-to-go 20 megabyte Focus Drive is $99; that same $99 might get you a
RamFAST or an Apple High Speed SCSI, but no hard drive or case.
This is not to say there aren't any issues with the Focus Drive. For
one thing, there are no 8 bit utilities for reformatting the Focus Drive.
If you want to use the drive with an Apple //e, you ought to know that in
the event you need to reformat your drive, you must have access to a IIgs.
Reportedly, 8 bit utilities are in the works.
Secondly, the drive will generate more heat and use more power than a
SCSI drive, which commonly gets its power from an external power supply.
The addition of a fan or a heavy duty power supply is something to
consider.
Finally, the Focus Drive isn't as expandable as a SCSI bus is. It's
not possible, or at least not as easy to hook up removable storage devices
such as CD Roms, Zip Drives, and SyQuest drives as it is to a SCSI card.
All in all, the Focus Drive is not only a hot commodity as an Apple II
peripheral, it just begs for someone to hack on it to see just what it can
do. I plan to be doing that in this column over the next few months.
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