[HEA] _____________________ ___ _ |___ ______________| | | | | | | _ | | | | | || | | | | | | || | | | | | | || | | | ____ _ _ _ _ ______ | | | || | | | / __ \ | | / \_/ \ | ___ \ | | | || |__ ____ | | / / \ | | /\ /\ \ | | \ \ | | | || _ \ | _ \ | | \ \__/ | | | |_|| | | |__/ / | | | || | | || |_|| | | \___/|_| |_| |_| | ____/ |_| | || | | || |__ | |____________________ | | _ |__||_| |_|\____/ |________________________| | | |_| | | Lighting Your Apple II Path On Delphi | | |_| >>> WELCOME TO THE LAMP! <<< ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THINKING KFEST: The Accidental Tourist's Guide to KFest FREEWARE FAVORITES: Init Restarter AND THE BEST OF THE A2 AND A2PRO MESSAGE BOARDS "Teaching the Apple II user how to fish since 1998" :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Lamp! An Onipa'a Software Production Vol. 1, No. 6 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Publisher & Editor.......................Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W., L.S.W. Internet Email........................................thelamp@delphi.com :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: TABLE OF CONTENTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ June 15, 1998 OPENING PITCH Come Together, Right Now --------------------------------------- [OPN] A FUNNY THING HAPPENED [FOR] The Heat Is On ------------------------------------------------- [HET] Miscellanea [MSC] Rumor Mill ----------------------------------------------------- [RMR] Public Postings [PUB] Best Of The Best ----------------------------------------------- [BOB] A2Pro_DUCTIVITY Checking out A2PRO on Delphi ----------------------------------- [A2P] THINKING KFEST The Accidental Tourist At KansasFest by Doug Cuff -------------- [KFE] FREEWARE FAVORITES Init Restarter 2.0.2 ------------------------------------------- [FRE] EXTRA INNINGS About The Lamp! ------------------------------------------------ [INN] [*] [*] [*] READING THE LAMP! The index system used by The Lamp! is designed to make """"""""""""""""" your reading easier. To use this system, load this issue into any word processor or text editor. In the index you will find something like: EXTRA INNINGS About The Lamp! ------------------------------------------------ [INN] To read this article, simply use your search or find command to locate [INN]. There is a similar tag at the end of each article: [EOA]. :: DISCUSSED ON DELPHI :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : : : One-seventh of life is wasted on Mondays : : : ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: GOLDFISCHE :::::: [EOA] [OPN]------------------------------ OPENING PITCH | ----------------------------------- From The Editor """"""""""""""" by Ryan M. Suenaga, B.A., M.S.W., L.S.W. [thelamp@delphi.com] COME TOGETHER, RIGHT NOW ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Five mornings a week, I get myself up to the fifth floor of the hospital I work at and see the new moms. There's quite a few of us who drop in on our patients in the maternity ward (both the mothers and babies)--obstetricians, gynecologists, nurses, pediatricians, social workers (of course), more nurses, and the vital statistician. Who's the "Vital Statistician"? It's the person who takes care of "vital statistics", the numbers and records the state keeps on such things as deaths--and births. At our hospital, it's a wonderful woman named Diana, who usually greets me in the morning by saying, "Hi, Ryan," and without pause, the next word out of her mouth is invariably a number--today it was "nineteen." Nineteen wasn't the number of new babies we had come into the world overnight, nor it the number of times a first time mother changed her mind about her baby's first name. It was the days left until her vacation started. You see, every morning, like clockwork, Diana would go into her office, sit at her desk, and draw a diagonal line through another box on her calendar, crossing off yet another 24 hour period until she boarded a plane to take her far away from her daily duties. The morning of this writing, I started my own countdown as well--fifty. Fifty days until I started my vacation, first heading over to the Bay Area again for an impromptu PizzaFest, followed by my first ever routing through Denver to make it to KansasFest 1998. There's as many stories titled, "How I got to KFest" as there are KFest attendees every year, but they all have the same ending: I got there, I met people different from me, but just like me, and I had the most fun I can remember--which is what KansasFest is all about. Since the Apple II Community is indeed a community, like any other, we need a City Hall and an annual Town Meeting. That City Hall is located at Avila College in Kansas City, Missouri, and its Town Meeting starts this year on July 22nd. It's where the last survivors of the first generation of computer activists can come together to celebrate the first family of computing: the Apple II. And when I get back from my trip across the sea and get back to work on a Tuesday morning, I'll see Diana, and after greeting her, the first thing out of my mouth will be a number--probably around 350. [*] [*] [*] Oops, There It Is Department: I noticed an error with regards to the _BernieBook FAQ_. I stated in the FAQ that there were no clone PowerBooks that would run Bernie. I overlooked the extremely rare imediaEngine-series of PowerBook clones produced by Vertegri Research in 1997. For more information on these collectors items, you can check out http://www.powerbookcentral.com/V5review.html. [*] [*] [*] Hawai'ian Language 102 Department: following last month's vocabulary lesson, this month we follow up with the word "aloha". Aloha is possibly the most well-known word outside of the islands, possibly because it has multiple meanings, including "love", "hello", and "goodbye". In this case, it means "welcome home", to one of our own. The first article that we are publishing by a writer other than your editor since we've opened shop on Delphi will be by our old friend, Doug Cuff, the former editor of _GenieLamp A2_, _II Alive_, and _A2-Central_, and to keep with our "everything old is new" theme, the article we are printing is the third annual look at (surprise!) the Apple II event of the year--_The Accidental Tourist At KansasFest_. This guide for both the newbie and experienced KFester will make great reading whether or not you make it to Avila. Mahalo, Doug. Ryan thelamp@delphi.com ASCII ART BEGINS _________ _ _ _ |__ __| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___ ____ | | _____ __ ___ _ _ _____ | | | | | ___ \ / __ \ | | /____ \ | v v | | v ___ \ | | | | | | | | | /__\ \ | | ____| | | /\ /\ | | / \ \ | | | | | | | | | _____| | | / ___ | | || || | | | | | |_| | | | | | | | |_____ | |____ | |__| | | || || | | \___/ / _ |_| |_| |_| \______| |______| \____^_| |_||_||_| | |\____/ |_| | | | | |_| ASCII ART ENDS [EOA] [OPN]------------------------------ A FUNNY THING HAPPENED. . . . | ----------------------------------- Checking out A2 on Delphi """"""""""""""""""""""""" by Ryan M. Suenaga, B.A., M.S.W., L.S.W. [thelamp@delphi.com] * The Heat Is On * Miscellanea * Rumor Mill * Public Postings * Best Of The Best THE HEAT IS ON """""""""""""" [*] Free Trade Zone ....... SQC's Last Stand? [*] Telecommunications ....... A Modem Init Database [*] The Apple II Legacy ....... Less Than Two Months! [*] General Chatter ....... Appleworks Or Clarisworks? MISCELLANEA """"""""""" MODEM INIT STRING DATABASE In a discussion the other day, it was """""""""""""""""""""""""" suggested that, as the subject of finding the right modem init string crops up at regular intervals, we could make a collection of successful init strings which to be added somewhere as a FAQ. I thought I could make a start by collecting the information. I would appreciate it, if those with 100% satisfactory modem performance could let me know the following by e-mail: 1. Type of modem 2. Telecom program/s used 3. Access method/s, ISP 4. INIT string/s 5. Anything else which might be relevant! Regards, Giselle GSCHNAUBELT@delphi.com Message delivered from the heart of Europe by Spectrum 2.1 and COG 2.3! (GSCHNAUBELT, 12168, GO COM A2) >>>>> You will need to also keep track what kind of modem cable they have """"" (properly wired hardware handshaking cable, improperly wired hardware handshaking cable, and a non-hardware-handshaking cable). One also doesn't need to track the ISP they connect to, but the type of modem they connect to. Many ISPs have different brands of modems in different modem banks. Also, it would help having a copy of NVRAM settings since they are programmable (if you write &C1&D0 into the NVRAM, it doesn't need to be added to the INIT string--when I used a LineLink 14.4, I had set the NVRAM so I didn't need an INIT string :). Geoff (SISGEOFF, 12208, GO COM A2) MORE ROM_3 VS. ROM_01 On a ROM 3 the ADB mouse calls go directly to the """"""""""""""""""""" hardware, on a ROM 01 they go through slot 4. System software will work on a ROM 3 with the slot set to Your Card, but not a ROM 01. When I get to play slot roulette with people on the phone the first thing I ask is "What ROM do you have?", If you have a ROM 3 you get one more slot that can be declared "Your Card". Cards that need no slot I/O space (Vision Plus Enhanced, Quickie, etc.) do not present a problem for most people. I frequently get calls of, "All my slots are full", and I can usually find one or two free ones for them with just one swap. Both Spectrum and ProTERM do not care what the slot setting for slot 2 reads. If your using Harmonie, it's drivers go directly to the card/port and do not care what the slot setting for 1 is. That's two "selectable" slots. Accelerator in Slot 3, takes care of that. If you need Slot three in a ROM 01 for the Second Sight or Video Overlay, put the Zip/TWGS in Slot 4 since you can't use Slot 4 for anything in a ROM 01. A lot of people tell me, "But.. I've got a 5.25" drive". Yes? ..and if you can tell me when the last time you used it was.." To which the reply usually is something along the lines of "Um, well, 3 months ago." Ok, so, put the PC Transporter, or that other SCSI card in slot 6, set it to Your Card, you will probably use that other hardware more. If you need to get access to a 5.25" disk, swap the slot setting, reboot, move the files, and set it back. If you need to use the 5.25" drive to run the program it's a pretty good chance that the hardware in slot 6 will not be usable from that software anyway so your loss is nothing. What are the differences between a ROM 01 and 3? 1 more Meg of RAM and "One More Slot". :) Dunno what the original post topic was, but I figured I'd mention this stuff in case someone out there didn't know it. :) Tony (T_DIAZ, 12400, GO COM A2) HIGH ASCII ON THE IIGS? Quick keyboarding/ASCII question. When I press """"""""""""""""""""""" Shift-Option-K, it creates a high-ASCII character that looks like a right-pointing arrow. How can I find out the ASCII value (dec/hex) of this character? How would I make it on another platform? Thanks, -Ken (KEN_GAGNE, 12748, GO COM A2) >>>>> There are published lists, and NDAs that do this too, but as you """"" have Spectrum, just use this little script: Set Var 1 "X" Make ASCII 1 Display "The ASCII value was '$1'^M^J" You simply paste between the quotes and replace "X" with the character you wish to find the value of... But finding the ASCII value on the IIgs, will only serve you across the IIgs and the Macintosh. There is no standard for high ASCII, so to find the value for another platform, you would need to cross reference against a list for that machine. Ewen Wannop - Speccie Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5! Setup: Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 and a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 12754, GO COM A2) IIGS RAM: THOUGHTS AND THEORY What's the story on the ROM 3 GS and it's """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" RAMDISK when the GS is equipped with 8 megabytes of RAM? I've heard/read conflicting reports. I would like to hear from someone who knows before I plunk down some cash for a loaded card. Thanks in advance. (SFAHEY, 12380, GO COM A2) >>>>> Under System 6.0, you couldn't create a /RAM5 volume of any size. """"" This was fixed with System 6.0.1. I'm not sure about other versions of the System Software or a pure ProDOS 8 boot. Ryan KFest '98! Delivered by OLRight! scripts for ANSITerm (RSUENAGA, 12398, GO COM A2) >>>>> I have used 4 and 5 Meg systems forever. We sell an incredible """"" amount of 8 Meg cards, this may sound funny, but I wonder why sometimes.. :) Seems a lot of people are just used to the RAM disk thing, people use it for scratch disk, downloading, etc. and when they are done, out it goes. PMPFax is a memory eater, I get that comment a lot during RAM card queries, AppleWorks GS monster files, people with lots and lots of fonts, particularly with Pointless installed. Sound Editing, digitizing. Having the large card means there is always a large contiguous chunk of memory available. I'm sure there's more.. :) Tony (T_DIAZ, 12462, GO COM A2) >>>>> After the discussion here about BitBanger and testing of 8 megabyte """"" capable Apple IIgs memory cards, I contacted the author, Harold Hislop, to ask him for clarification (FWIW, Harold is currently on sabbatical from Delphi and hopes to be returning in a matter of weeks). Here is what he had to say: BitBanger will =NOT= produce reliable results on any 8Mb capable memory card. However, on a few 8Mb cards (Alltech's Sirius for one) it will detect real errors properly (But it CAN also spit out some invalid errors even with Alltech's board) Bottom line: BitBanger should be used on 8Mb capable cards ONLY at the users own sole risk. It has known bugs in it that prevent it from working properly in most cases when an 8Mb -capable- board is being tested. Tony Diaz does have my permission to bundle BitBanger with Alltech's 8Mb ram card for the IIgs, solely because it will usually only show legitimate errors with that particular card. Ryan KFest '98! (RSUENAGA, 12832, GO COM A2) MODEMS AND LIGHTNING: STRIKING OUT Well, the GS dodged the bullet today, """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" even though my Fax modem didn't. We had a thunderstorm come thru today. Lady Technophobe followed protocol, shut down the system and turned off the external hard drive enclosure. However, she didn't notice that the modem was not plugged into the AE Conserver and was still on. We had a lightning strike nearby _just_ as the phone rang! I was in bed at the time, and when I got up to call the cable company about no service, I found that the phone didn't work either. I started going around checking the various devices, and finally thought to unplug the modem from the wall jack. Voila! Phone service restored! I took a closer look at the modem, (power switch on, no lights) and noticed that the grill openings over the speaker looked a little black. I opened it up, and the case was full of carbon. Among other things, the internal wires connecting the wall jack socket to the circuit board were blown apart - It appears that some of the metal spattered into the laminations of the transformer almost half and inch away. The case of a disc capacitor or MOV right next to the socket is partially melted. It looks as though several of the surface-mount components are either half- or completely blown off the board. I dug out an older modem, connected it up, but couldn't get a dial out. I pulled the cable to the wall and looked at it. It is semi-transparent. At various places along its 6-foot length, the wire(s) inside are blackened, and the end that was plugged into the wall jack has the insulation blown out on one side. At least the Sportster understood my priorities and sacrificed itself for the greater good... - Don (IronTooth) Delivered by my ANSITerm off-line reader scripts... They're OLRight! (DZAHNISER, 12949, GO COM A2) >>>>> I don't know about USR products, but this problem is generally a """"" caused by a fuseable link, a small package. They only cost pennies or can be jumpered with a short length of very light wire (as used in wirewrapping). The problem is not the fixing part, its that they can be difficult to find in the circuit. AutoReply: Jerry Cline @ InTrec Software, Inc. - jerry@intrec.com ProTERM @ your service! The superior telnet and dialup application. Sent w/ProTERM Message Manager (PTMM) - Details @ Download ProTERM & PTMM the full working versions: (INTREC, 12970, GO COM A2) <<<<< Well... """"" This particular modem is destined for the junk heap! There may well be a fusible link that was supposed to protect the modem (in fact I think found one next to where the wall wart connects in), but the zap came in thru the phone wire, not the power side. I just took another look, and found the following: o Right next to the socket for the phone jack connection, one of the surface-mount components is blown half-off the board. It is 'saluting' at 90 degrees from its normal position. It is still soldered to the pad - the pad got blown off the board. The component next to it is blown half away. o Following the circuit board trace from where the phone jack was supposed to connect (the wire from the socket to the board is blown away), is a pad where _something_ vaporized away. Since this is on the reverse side and right next to where the above component is blown off, I suspect that this was a plated-through hole. There is vapor-deposited metal on the case underneath this spot. o At the same spot, the bottom of the board has delaminated and bubbled. There's another spot about a half-inch away that is similarly degraded. Several of the solder pads on the bottom of the board with traces leading to these areas are also delaminated. Inside these bubbles are pockets of black gunk. o Next to the speaker, almost an inch and a half from the above sites, is where another component is completely missing (well, not entirely - some of the metal is vapor-deposited onto the case above where it departed). Since it is labelled as 'L13', I would guess it had been an inductor. o Nearby there is an IC (can't read the numbers, even after rubbing off the carbon deposits) that appears to have spat metal from where the leads come out of the body of the encapsulating material. Some of the metal is on the laminations of the transformer (opposite corner to what I mentioned in a previous note). Uhhh... Did I mention that this modem is destined for the junk heap? I was dozing in the next room when it went, and it sounded like someone set off a firecracker. Our Dalmatian, who doesn't like thunderstorms, jumped the gate, leaped onto my bed, and lay on top of me cowering and shivering. BTW - the same lightning strike blew apart the cable wire leading from the pole to the house, and also blew apart a splitter mounted to the house. - Don (IronTooth) Delivered by my ANSITerm off-line reader scripts... They're OLRight! (DZAHNISER, 12981, GO COM A2) >>>>> In many many modems (including the Sportster, if I am not mistaken) """"" there is a fusible link mounted on the circuit board where the phone line comes in that is supposed to protect against small surges coming through the phone line. In this case, it would not have helped. :) The normal symptom when the link is blown is that the modem appears to work jut fine but gets no dial tone (because the phone line connects through that fuse). IF someone who is having this problem can locate the fuse, then it is possible to replace it in various ways. (I've done maybe half a dozen of them in the past 3-4 years, and had another 2 or 3 that I could not find.) Gary R. Utter (UTTER, 13000, GO COM A2) >>>>> WRT Fried Modems: """"" If something was indeed hit by lightning, the possibility of the 26LS32 chip on the motherboard getting zapped is quite good, yet the modem is perfectly ok. Try the modem on the printer port to see. Both ProTERM and Spectrum can use either port for the modem. I have even had it where the printer works fine on the modem port, since a lot of printers pay no attention to the CD line which is what appears to take the brunt of the electrical attack. :) Tony (T_DIAZ, 13002, GO COM A2) COG FIXES I have now found out why COG does not collect some Topic files """"""""" for some of the Forums. This showed up especially with the 'COM GAM' Forum. It seems not every Forum displays Topics in the same way... If you open the 'Get.Topics' script, and look about 5 lines from the top, you will see a line like the one below. Just edit the %ion Menu:% to be %Menu:%. The '%' are of course bullets... Transmit %top^M%; WaitFor String %Menu:% %in this context% There may still be some other Forums that still do not conform, so let me know if you find any more... Ewen Wannop - Speccie Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.4! Setup: Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 and a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 12260, GO COM A2) <<<<< Calvin has come across something I had not planned for in COG! He """"" logged on and appeared to get stuck. What in fact Delphi had done, was posted a message asking him to update his credit card info. This caused COG to stick in its tracks. The following script change should get round this problem. If they do show the message, COG will stop with an Alert telling you so. You need to press the button to continue, and you will need to logon manually to enter the details they require. Open the 'Delphi.Log' script and look for the label 'Waiter', then enter these three new lines after the first one so it looks like this: # Waiter Set Var 3 $matched WaitFor String %Welcome to DELPHI% %EXIT or BYE% If Failed then GotoNext Abort If Equal $Matched 2 then Ask1 %Delphi is trying to tell you something.^MProbably your credit card info needs updating.^MLogin manually to see what it is...% %^^Continue% 4; Transmit %EXIT^M% Set Var 4 %Logon at :%; GosubNext FailCheck; Read Line LogTime The '%' are bullets, and note that the Line starting 'If Equal' should be three lines long. If you cut and paste from this message, you may have to remove some returns. Ewen Wannop - Speccie Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5! Setup: Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 and a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 12974, GO COM A2) RUMOR MILL """""""""" MARINETTI PROGRESS I was hoping to have PPP done by March, but obviously """""""""""""""""" that didn't happen. Some recent events in my personal life have slowed things down a little, so much so that I'm now looking at around July or so for the update. Regards, Richard (RICHARD_B, 12456, GO COM A2) >>>>> The next Spectrum update will be fully TCP/IP aware through the """"" Marinetti update Richard should have ready by July or soon after. The Spectrum update itself hopefully will be ready sometime very soon after that date. The SIS update will be aware of the new Marinetti, and also the next Spectrum. The release of the three applications is somewhat tied together, with SIS probably coming first, Marinetti second and Spectrum third. None of us wish to be tied to release dates at this point, as so many factors govern how long the finalization processes will take. Ewen Wannop - Speccie Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.4! Setup: Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 and a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 12465, GO COM A2) WOLF MEETS BERNIE As an interesting side note, if you run Wolfenstein 3D """"""""""""""""" 1.1 under Bernie 1.3, the music plays. :) Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd Macintosh & PowerPC Programmers Forum (SHEPPY, 12123, GO COM A2) PUBLIC POSTINGS """"""""""""""" ONCE MORE, WITH FEELING """"""""""""""""""""""" ______ _____ ( ) ( ) ____________________________________________ | | / / ( _____________________________'98____) | | / / | | | |/ / | | II Infinitum!! | / | |______ | |\ \ | _______) __________ _________ ________ | | \ \ | | ( _____) ( ___) (__ __) | | \ \ | | | |__ \ \ | | | | \ \ | | | __) \ \ | | | | \ \ | | | |_____ ___\ \ | | (______) (________) (_______) (__________) (_________) |___| SPEAKERS AND CONTESTS ANNOUNCED FOR KANSASFEST 1998! KansasFest 1998 will be held once again on the campus of Avila College in Kansas City, Missouri. It will take place from July 22 - July 26, 1998. The cost of attending KFest '98 is only $365, which -includes- the use of a double room in the Avila College dorms -and- meals! There are also a limited number of single rooms available for $465. (If you wish to stay at one of the many hotels or motels near the college then the cost is $265, but you would, of course, have to find and pay for your own room and meals.) Tentative speakers for this year include Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd (Wolfenstein 3D for the Apple IIgs), Nathan Mates (Twilight II 2.0), Tony Diaz (Alltech Electronics), Ewen Wannop (Spectrum), Geoff Weiss (Spectrum Internet Suite), and Joe Kohn (Shareware Solutions II). This year, we are running a number of contests, including the Roger Wagner tie contest, a Door Sign contest, and, for all of you programmers, we are also planning our first Hack Contest! Rules are still pending, but stay tuned for details. Check-in will be on Wednesday from 1-4 pm, and check-out from 11 am - 1 pm on Sunday. Computer sessions will be conducted on Thursday and Friday. A vendor fair and software and hardware demos are scheduled for Saturday. To get KFest info by email, subscribe to the KansasFest Information Mailing List. Send email to majordomo@trenco.gno.org. In the BODY of the message, place the following text: subscribe kfest You will receive a confirmation email. In order to be signed up for the list, you will have to respond to this confirmation as the instructions dictate. You will then be sent a welcome message, including instructions on how to send mail to the list. If you have other questions about KFest, or wish to make suggestions, you can find answers via the InterNet. Just send an email message to kfest@intrec.com or kfest-help@trenco.gno.org, or visit the World Wide Web page at http://www.primenet.com/~adams/kfest.html Here's hoping to see all of you in Kansas City in July! (RSUENAGA, 12265, GO COM A2) SSII: THE NEW EDITION Sometime within the next week, I'll be sending off """"""""""""""""""""" the last of the Shareware Solutions II articles for V4, #1 to my proofreader. Once that issue is laid out, I will be getting some extra copies printed up, so those who haven't yet re-subscribed to Shareware Solutions II will be able to, and still get that issue soon after it is printed. If and when I run out of those extras, I will of course be getting more copies printed, if need be. But, I'll probably wait a bit before getting a second printing of V4, #1. I guess that what I'm trying to say is this...if you haven't yet renewed to Shareware Solutions II, but you intend to, now is _the_ time. After all, there's some really, really, really exciting IIGS news that will be in this upcoming issue that I just know nobody reading this message will want to miss ;-) [Note: My non-disclosure agreement is in effect until V4, #1 goes into the mail, so no fair asking now what that news might be.] Joe Kohn (JOE_KOHN, 12396, GO COM A2) <<<<< The latest issue of Shareware Solutions II - Volume 4, Issue 1 - is """"" now speeding its way to subscribers' mailboxes. The mailing started on May 26th, and will be completed no later than May 28, 1998. So, if you're a subscriber, you should be getting your 20 page issue real soon now. And, if you're not a subscriber to the largest circulation Apple II newsletter in the galaxy, you can find out more about it at the following URL: http://www.crl.com/~joko As usual, there's a few surprises in the latest issue. [The above sentence is also an official alert to several IIGS programmers - and you know who you are - to prepare yourself for the deluge of messages and questions that are bound to be posted here once the latest SSII arrives in subscribers' mailboxes and people learn what you've _really_ been up to recently ;-) ] Joe Kohn Publisher, Shareware Solutions II (Note: If your subscription recently lapsed and you haven't yet renewed, I had extra copies printed up, just in case. So, it's not too late to renew.) (JOE_KOHN, 12906, GO COM A2) <<<<< I don't know how exactly, but I was able to get all of the issues """"" mailed by Wednesday evening. Maybe it had something to do with the late hours I kept on Tuesday...I hadn't been up that late since Kfest 97 ;-) In any case, V4, #1 is now in the hands of the US Postal Service. Now, I'm ready for a vacation. In my absence, Tony Diaz will be manning the Bot for the next few Monday night chats. And, since I'm going on vacation with Joe the Disk Librarian and Joe the Mail Clerk, the lights will be temporarily darkened at the Shareware Solutions II Worldwide Headquarters until our return. There's no room in any of our backpacks for a computer, so I probably won't be back online for a while. But, with Internet Cafes popping up everywhere, it's always possible that I'll be able to Telnet in. Upon our return, all the Joes are scheduled to work double shifts in order to process the disk orders that are sure to come in while we're gone. See you all in a couple of weeks. I hope you enjoy the latest issue of the newsletter. Joe Kohn (JOE_KOHN, 12931, GO COM A2) WOOF, WOOF, WOOF Very Serious Press Release For Intimate, er, Immediate """""""""""""""" Release 5/1/98 Bernie Woofing Through Cables, Bounces Diversi-Balls **** F.E.Systems, the company cloning virtual dogs, is happy to announce the immediate availability of Bernie ][ The Rescue version 1.3. Bernie 1.3 adds support for Diversi-Tune/GS, Wolfenstein 3D, ProTerm, ReadyLink, AppleWorks GS/telecomm and more. Registration required for communications support. After being threatened for extended periods, one user mumbled "great software". He was later released. Here's what's new: [codes: F Fast Mac strongly recommended (any model faster than Ryan's Mac :-) ) R available in registered version only P some features may be missing. For thrill-seekers. A Only available with Appearance Manager installed ] v1.2.5 AppleWorks/TimeOut compatibility ADB low-level support enhanced keyboard-based joystick control Appearance Manager support for dialogs & video window solid keyboard layout switching v1.3 InkDirect 8-bit printing R P A Serial communications support R P A Appearance Manager Support for Preferences window A Automatic ProDOS Disk Initialization w/ New Images DiskCopy 6 Support (R/W and Read-Only) Flashing Characters in 80 Cols Mode Support for 2 Joysticks A Mixed-Mode Double-Lores Graphics Improved Manual Joystick Calibration (Trim Sliders) A Shortcut For Mouse Support Switching Adjustable InkMeister Light Line Length A Many, Many Internal Changes Fixes Infinite Reset Loop Fixed Hidden Cursor Issues Fixed Capture/Copy Video Fixed Keyboard Buffering Fixed Break Instruction Fixed Preferences File Can Be Alias Mount Recent History Fixed Applications Now Compatible Diversi-Tune F ProTerm ReadyLink MouseTalk AppleWorks GS/telecomm Please turn to http://www.magnet.ch/emutech/Bernie/ for more news, hype and ordering information. This release is distributed as is without warranties as to performance or fitness to a particular purpose, Apple II emulation in particular. Do not eat, burn or use as a garden tool. enjoy, roger and out, henrik - $1E - (GUDATH, 12109, GO COM A2) >>>>> With Appearance Manager, Bernie will show the new preferences """"" window that offers additional panels. The old preferences window will be thrown out in the next release, Appearance Manager is then required. You can either update to a AM-enabled MacOS or install the Appearance Manager extension for MacOs 7.x. It is available from Apple somewhere. - henrik (GUDATH, 12142, GO COM A2) >>>>> If you see this message, then the brandy cask came to the rescue! """""" Woof, woof... The tagline says it all! Ewen Wannop - Speccie Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.4! Setup: Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 and a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 12114, GO COM A2) NEW CROCK I have uploaded Crock O' Gold v2.5. It should be available in a """"""""" few days. This is the complete install package, and includes a few minor changes from v2.4. This version was only available from my web pages or JuicedGS or SSII. It has rather more changes from v2.3, and does not require an installed copy to update. It includes fixes for all known problems, but if you are already at v2.3 or v2.4, then consider carefully before downloading this large file. If you would like to have the very latest version of COG, then please go ahead... It can also be found on my web pages. Ewen Wannop - Speccie Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.4! Setup: Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 and a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 12471, GO COM A2) NEW WOLF AND WOLF TIDBITS Wolfenstein 3D version 1.1 for the Apple IIgs """"""""""""""""""""""""" has now been released, and is available for immediate download at . It's available as a complete 1.6 MB ShrinkIt archive, as a 2.4 MB StuffIt archive containing a DiskCopy 6 image for the Macintosh, and as three smaller ShrinkIt images. Take your pick. Enjoy! Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd Macintosh & PowerPC Programmers Forum (SHEPPY, 12122, GO COM A2) <<<<< I've just put version 1.0.1 of the Wolfenstein 3D Scenario """"" Converter up on my web site; it's got a bug fixed (scenarios would tend to be corrupted-- whoops), and includes a picture file that has the Wolf 3D menu font in it so you can do your scenario pictures more easily. Also, the Scenario Warehouse has two converted scenarios available: Treasure Hunt and BJ's Revenge. They're fairly complicated levels and you probably will want to have a faster GS to play them. Enjoy! Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd Macintosh & PowerPC Programmers Forum (SHEPPY, 12159, GO COM A2) <<<<< Also, for people trying to convert scenarios, here's some extra """"" info that will help you: The PICT resource in the scenario files on the Mac is 94x62 pixels -- exactly the right size to fit inside the white border around the icon in the scenario picture. Just copy it, use a program like DeBabelizer (or a comparable IIgs utility like SuperConvert) to reduce the palette. Make sure color 0 is black and color 15 is white. Also, color 3 needs to be red with red 240, blue 0, and green 0 (80% red). Then you can copy that picture and paste it into the ScenTemplate file. Use the Letters.shr template to construct the scenario name and paste that into the scenario picture. Then you can use the Scenario Converter to build the IIgs scenario file. If you have questions, email me at sheppy@sheppyware.net. If you have a converted scenario you'd like to have up on the Scenario Warehouse site, email a copy of it to wolfsubmit@sheppyware.net. Enjoy! Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd Macintosh & PowerPC Programmers Forum (SHEPPY, 12160, GO COM A2) <<<<< Wolfenstein 3D 1.1 and the Wolfenstein 3D Scenario Converter 1.0.1 """"" have been uploaded (at last) to the library here in A2. Wolf 3D is available in both the monolithic 1.6 MB archive, and as three smaller archives. If you already have Wolf 3D version 1.0 or 1.0.1, you can just download the part 1 archive (Wolf3Dpt1.bxy). This file, unpacked into your Wolfenstein3D directory, will update you to version 1.1. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd Macintosh & PowerPC Programmers Forum (SHEPPY, 12481, GO COM A2) BEST OF THE BEST """""""""""""""" 12908 27-MAY 13:25 User Groups & Publications RE: Shareware Solutions II (Re: Msg 12906) From: JOE_KOHN To: JOE_KOHN I like to joke about some of the creative excuses my printer has given me over the years for taking longer than expected with newsletter turnaround, but something happened yesterday that makes me think I'll never be able to make jokes about him again. As I picked up the final box of newsletters yesterday, I pulled out my credit card to pay, and it was then that my printer floored me. He told me that I didn't have to pay right then and there. He made a comment about how he realized that those who depend on the Apple II for their income might be caught short on occasion, and because of that, I could pay him whenever I wanted. I was stunned. I was amazed. Of course I paid him then and there, but it was the sentiment that counted. Not only that, but they did open the shop on Memorial Day so that Shareware Solutions II would be ready first thing Tuesday morning. The name of the shop is Copy-Rite, and they have locations in San Rafael and Berkeley. So, if you live in the Bay Area and need any printing work done, go to Copy-Rite. It's owned by two brothers who have to be just about the nicest people on the planet. Support those who support the Apple II !! Joe Kohn [EOA] [A2P]------------------------------ A2Pro_DUCTIVITY | ----------------------------------- Checking out A2PRO on Delphi """""""""""""""""""""""""""" by Ryan M. Suenaga, B.A., M.S.W., L.S.W. [thelamp@delphi.com] THE GOOD OLE DAYS OF APPLE II PROGRAMMING """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > If your target is the 8 bit machine, you're probably going to choose > between Applesoft, Apple Pascal, or hand-coded assembly. Did you really mean to say "hand-coded assembly"? To me that means doing the conversions from mnemonics to hex yourself using a chart and entering the hex values of the program. If I were doing assembly for the 8 bits, I'd use an assembler. Your Orca/M 8 bit assembler would be a good choice, if you still sell it. There is also Merlin, the Ninja Force Assembler, the assembler from Nibble magazine and the monitor mini-assembler. Way back before the enhanced IIe, I even started to write my own assembler in Applesoft. It actually worked, I just never added the ability to do labels, equates and stuff. It worked pretty much like the mini-assembler. Jeff Blakeney getting nostalgic yet again (JBLAKENEY, 1707, GO COM A2) >>>>> I said what thought I meant to say, but I understand where the """"" confusion comes from. :) To me, what you describe is machine language programming. I always got a chuckle out of the back of games, proudly proclaiming that they were written in machine language--highly doubtful! I said hand-coded assembly as opposed to, say, machine generated assembly--a possibility with some of the Apple II compilers, including Aztec C and our Small C. I was thinking about them, which is why I made a distinction I would not normally have made. As a bit of history, part of the very first version of ORCA/M was written in machine code. The assembler I used couldn't assemble the first version of ORCA/M in one piece. It ended up being 3 pieces. Two were assembled by the assembler at different RAM locations (it couldn't do them both at once), and one small piece was literally machine language, entered by hand (the assembler couldn't assemble anything outside the RAM used by the two chunks already created). The pieces were put together into the final binary file; I forget what I used to do that. From that first version on, ORCA/M was written in ORCA/M. :) That first version ran under DOS 3.2. It was never released. Mike Westerfield (BYTEWORKS, 1708, GO COM A2) >>>>> Actually Jeff, back in the dim dark days of the late 70s early 80s, """"" it was fairly common to write code by entering hex codes into the monitor. I know of folks out here who wrote games (hires animation etc.) that way. There was a time when I knew most of the codes off the top of my head, as I'm sure many of the folks in A2PRO used to as well. Most of the '816 ones follow the same patterns, so its fairly easy to remember a large chunk, probably 40-50 for me at the moment, which is way down... Oh well... Regards, Richard (RICHARD_B, 1709, GO COM A2) >>>>> Yeah. This is what I did with the very first assembly program I """"" wrote. To figure the hex codes needed, I disassembled Applesoft looking for the instruction value. Soon after, I got an assembler and a book to properly learn assembly. Geoff (SISGEOFF, 1713, GO COM A2) >>>>>> ORCA/C and Integer Basic were written in ORCA/Pascal, but what was """""" ORCA/Pascal *originally* written in? ORCA/Pascal started life as the P4 compiler, a freeware compiler originally written by Niklaus Wirth, et. al. He's the guy who designed the language. I typed the P4 compiler in from a book on an IBM PC, compiling it with Microsoft Pascal. This is back in the days when the 8086 was the top of the line CPU for DOS, and Windows hadn't even been thought about. This compiler generated a binary file consisting of p-code; I wrote a p-code interpreter in 8086 assembly. Eventually I got things debugged well enough for the compiler to compile itself. I then moved the binary p-code file for the compiler and the source to an Apple //e and wrote a new p-code interpreter for the 6502. After a _lot_ of work, pretty much a complete rewrite, I converted this compiler from rather humble beginnings (4000 lines, nothing like ISO standard Pascal) to something that would handle ISO Pascal (10,000+ lines). By that time, the Apple IIGS was available and it was running under APW. As the last kinks were worked out in the ISO standard, I implemented the first native code generator. It took a lot of refining, and some parts of the file I/O system and scanner were rewritten in assembly, but this is what eventually became ORCA/Pascal 1.0. Mike Westerfield (BYTEWORKS, 1734, GO COM A2) APPLEWORKS FILE FORMATS? Does anyone know where I can find documentation '""""""""""""""""""""""" for the format of AppleWorks 4.0 and later word processor files? I've got the technote, but it stops at 3.0, and I'd like to know what new features I might want to handle from later versions. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd Macintosh & PowerPC Programmers Forum (SHEPPY, 1710, GO COM A2) >>>>> Although I'm looking for the AW5 file formats myself, I do know """"" that the WP file data changed to support the inclusion of inverse text and Mousetext. From memory, it's something like normal text is in the range $20 - $7F, Mousetext is in the range $80 - $9F, and inverse text is $A0 - $FF. As I said, that's from memory, but I do know it's to do with high-bit ASCII values. The meaning of some of the markers changed (or was defined?), but that's to do with the semantics of the existing file format rather than changes to the format itself. As for other changes, or changes to the header - I'd like to know too! -- Peter Watson -- Write to MSDOS disks on the Apple IIgs? -- Impossible! ;-) NOT! (PETERWATSON, 1725, GO COM A2) [EOA] [KFE]------------------------------ THINKING KFEST | ----------------------------------- THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST AT KANSASFEST 1998 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" by Douglas Cuff [doug@cuff.com] Copyright 1996, 1997, 1998 by Douglas Cuff. All rights reserved. KANSAS CITY, HERE WE COME ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Accidental Tourist travel guides were described by Anne Tyler in her 1985 novel of the same name (later a movie starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, and Geena Davis). The Accidental Tourist guides were designed for the business traveller whose reactions to travel were feelings of anxiety and defenseless. The guides were meant to soothe and comfort the non-adventurous traveller. If you've never been to KansasFest before, you should find that this guide will do the same for you. If you're an old hand at KansasFest, this guide will provide you with some helpful reminders. (If you've read this far with a growing sense of _deja vu_, that's because this article originally appeared in _GenieLamp A2_ Vol. 5, Issue 52 [July 1996]. It was updated for KansasFest 1997 and reprinted in _GenieLamp A2_ Vol. Vol. 6 Issue 65 [July 1997], and has again been updated for KansasFest 1998.) One word of warning: If there's a conflict between the advice you receive from the Accidental Tourist and the instructions you're given from the information packet when you arrive at KansasFest--pay attention to the official info packet. These folks know the score. KansasFest began in 1989 as the A2-Central Developer Conference, and didn't begin calling itself KansasFest until its third year, 1991. KansasFest takes place in Kansas City, Missouri. (Not Kansas City, Kansas. The Kansas border is less than a mile away, if that comforts you any.) This will be the tenth annual KansasFest, and it's not just for programmers and developers any more. If you've never been to KansasFest before, you don't know what you're missing! It's a great chance to learn about your Apple II, mingle with other users, and see what software other people are working on. This is the Apple II event of the year. I can't say exactly how many people will there, but a safe estimate is 50-100 attendees (counting those who stay off-campus). What campus? KansasFest takes place entirely at Avila College, in the southmost part of Kansas City. Here's the address: Avila College 11901 Wornall Road Kansas City, Missouri 64145 U.S.A. phone (816) 942-8400 Avila College is small--approximately 1500 students--which means you can walk anywhere on campus in five minutes. Use of a car is therefore as optional as it's ever going to get, assuming you fly to Kansas. The one time you are going to be hollering for a vehicle is when you try to get to and from Kansas City International airport. More on that shortly. This year, KansasFest is scheduled for July 23-July 26, but dorm rooms are available for the nights of July 22-July 25. PM Wed July 22 arrival Thu July 23 scheduled sessions Fri July 24 scheduled sessions Sat July 25 demos (morning); vendors' fair (afternoon) AM Sun July 26 farewell Check-in time is 1-4 PM Wednesday. Check-out time is 11 AM-1 PM Sunday. How much the conference costs depends on when you pay for it and what kind of accommodation you require. You can save a few bucks if you're willing to share a room--private rooms cost more. (The prices went up by $100 on April 16.) private room $465 shared room $365 conference only $315 Even if you can find a room in Kansas City for $12.50 a night ($37.50 a night private), staying on campus is still a better idea, since after-hours activities are a big part of KansasFest. Some notes on meals: free lunch at Avila's cafeteria used to be included for _all_ KFesters, even those not staying on campus. This year, like last year, those not staying on campus must provide their own lunches. Fortunately, being banished from the Avila cafeteria ought not make anyone weep. Also, those staying on campus should note that no evening meal is provided on Wednesday night nor on Saturday night. The lack of a Wednesday meal isn't significant--that's still before the kick-off, so to speak. But keep in mind that you're on your own your last night there. (You can get a breakfast on Sunday, though, if you're staying on campus.) Traditionally, large groups of KFesters gather at K.C. Masterpiece on Wednesday night and Jess & Jim's Steakhouse on Saturday night to satisfy their appetites. You will be staying in Ridgway dormitory, which was built in 1963. For those of you who have never experienced dorm life or have forgotten what it was like, expect spartan surroundings. Forget the idea of a private bathroom, but you'll be glad to know that the rooms are air-conditioned. BEFORE YOU GO As with any trip, you need to arrange for several things: """"""""""""" o conference attendance; o accommodation (included in package); o meals (included in package); o transport to/from conference. Those attending from outside the United States will also need: o passport/visa; o medical insurance; o US currency/traveller's checks. Conference Attendance There are 80 spaces for on-campus attendees, and ''''''''''''''''''''' the last day pre-registration is available is July 11. Even if you register late, there may be room for off-campus conference attendees, so you may be able to register at Avila on July 22/23. You can get more KansasFest information by checking out the KFest Home Page at http://www.primenet.com/~adams/kfest.html. For specific information, E-mail kfest-info@trenco.gno.org. There's also a KFest mailing list, which you can subscribe to by sending email to majordomo@trenco.gno.org, and including the words "subscribe kfest" in the body of the message. If you'd like to register, write: KFest '98 c/o InTrec Software 3035 E. Topaz Circle Phoenix, AZ 85028-4423 USA Please make checks payable to "InTrec Software". Credit card registration is also available. Just call InTrec Software, Inc. with your VISA, MasterCard, Discovery, or American Express number at (602) 992-1345, Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Mountain Standard Time. You can also fax your registration with credit card account number and expiration date to (602) 992-0232 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Or E-mail your credit card account number and expiration date to proterm@intrec.com. In summary, to register by credit card: o write to the address above (cheques also okay here); o phone (602) 992-1345; o fax (602) 992-0232; or o e-mail proterm@intrec.com But remember, that's only when you know you want to register. If you have questions first, send e-mail to kfest-info@trenco.gno.org. Accommodation If you're staying at Avila College campus, chances are good ''''''''''''' that you're going to be sharing a room with one other person. Space is limited to 80 beds this year, so you're unlikely to end up in a room by yourself unless you specifically request a private room (which costs more). The rooms are _not_ co-ed (aside from the occasional married couple), but the dorms are. There aren't any hotels within walking distance of Avila College, so plan on having transportation if you're staying off-campus. Here are some hotels said to be near Avila College. Please be warned that I haven't stayed at any of them, so I can't make recommendations. Most have approximate room rates shown; some do not. In one case, I was not able to find updated figures for this year or for 1997--this one is marked *(1996 rate)*. Its rates are almost certainly $5-$30 higher this year. Fairfield Inn - Overland Park 4401 W. 107th, Overland Park, KS 66207 913-381-5700 $64 (closest hotel to KansasFest) DoubleTree Hotel Kansas City Corporate Woods 10100 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS 66210 800-222-TREE / 913-451-6100 $139-$159 Overland Park Marriott 10800 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS 66210 800-228-9290 / 913-451-8000 $72-$159 AmeriSuites 6801 W. 112th, Overland Park, KS 66211 800-833-1516 / 913-451-2553 $94-$107 Red Roof Inn - Overland Park 6800 W. 108th St., Overland Park, KS 66211 913-341-0100 $43-50 *(1996 rate)* Residence Inn by Marriott - Overland Park 6300 W. 110th Street, Overland Park, KS 66211 800-331-3131 / 913-491-3333 $79-$119 Clubhouse Inn Overland Park 10610 Marty, Overland Park, KS 66212 800-CLUBINN / 913-648-5555 $75-$95 Courtyard by Marriott 11301 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS 66212 913-339-9900 $114-$124 Embassy Suites Overland Park 10601 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS 66212 800-362-2779 / 913-649-7060 $109-$159 (charges for local calls) Hampton Inn - Overland Park 10591 Metcalf Frontage Road, Overland Park, KS 66212 800-HAMPTON / 913-341-1551 $72-$82 Holiday Inn Express - Overland Park 7200 W. 107th St, Overland Park, KS 66212 800-HOLIDAY / 913-648-7858 $74-$82 Courtyard by Marriott South 500 E. 105th St., Kansas City, MO 64131 816-941-3333 $99 Meals If you're staying on Avila campus, breakfast and the evening meal ''''' are included in the package price. If you aren't staying at Avila, you're completely on your own. If you find the cafeteria food not to your liking--and many don't--you'll be relieved to know that there's a supermarket about 25 minutes' walk away. Here's how to get there: Start at Carondelet dorm. Stand with your back to the dorm entrance, so that you can see the Marian Center if you look left. Turn right from Carondelet and walk down to the parking lot. Turn left and walk out of the parking lot, down Sister Oliver Louise Drive. This private road takes you to 118th Street. Turn left and walk on 118th until you reach Wornall Road. Turn right on Wornall until you reach the intersection of Wornall and Minor. Turn right onto Minor Drive. Once on Minor, ten minutes' walk will bring you close to the end of Minor, to the point where you can see a large parking lot. Veer left and you'll be at a small shopping mall that boasts a bank, a supermarket, and a restaurant. (Note: This trip can be made a few minutes shorter, but these directions are simpler, and can be easily adapted for use by motorists as well as pedestrians.) If you're not staying on Avila campus, you're probably sufficiently adventurous to know how to find decent food in a strange city. Be aware that small groups tend to sneak off-campus to a restaurant (often either KC Masterpiece or Jess & Jim's) for at least one evening meal during the conference. Let them know you want to be part of the excursion! Transportation 101/A--Getting to Kansas Many of you intend to fly to ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Kansas City. The airport you will be arriving at is Kansas City International (MCI). The airport has three arc-shaped terminals. If you're meeting someone there, be sure that everyone intends to go to the same terminal, or that everyone is catching the (free) shuttle to the same car rental agency. You can pick up a city map at one of the airport magazine stands. The Gousha map has Avila College marked (grid location I-19). If you don't have a map, better pay close attention: If you drew a map of Kansas City on a 8x11 sheet of paper, the airport would be in the upper left corner, to the northwest. Avila College would be near the bottom of the piece of paper, near the center. Point taken? The distance between Avila College and the international airport is not small. It's perhaps 45 miles by the recommended route (below), so allow an hour's travel time at a bare minimum. What with collecting your luggage and arranging/co-ordinating transport, it's probably safer to assume it will take you two hours to get from the airport to Avila, starting from the time the plane's landing gear touches the tarmac and stopping when you sling your suitcase onto the dorm bed. If you need more information on the Kansas City International Airport, you can check out their World Wide Web page: http://www.kcairports.org. Transportation 101/B--Getting to Avila Since the distance from the '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' airport to Avila College is 28 miles as the crow flies, and about 45 miles by car, you don't even want to think about taking a taxi. You'd pay $33 minimum, possibly as much as $60. For a one-way trip. If you book ahead, you can get one of the airport transportation services to take you to Avila College at a more reasonable rate. In the past, I've recommended Quicksilver, but they seem to have either disappeared or changed their phone number since 1997. Some people within the United States have been able to get through to them, but not me. So this year I'm afraid your a bit more on your own than I'd like to leave you. Here are some 800 numbers for limousine services. I HAVEN'T TRIED ANY OF THEM. (You have no idea how much it hurts to have to say that.) I don't know how much any of them charge--they may even be more expensive than taxis. A Elegant Int'l Limo 1-800-940-6482 BLS Limousine Service 1-800-843-5752 Dav El Limousines 1-800-922-0343 Diamond 1-800-618-8630 If you want to try Quicksilver, despite my being unable to reach them at their old number, here it is: Quicksilver 1-816-262-0905 Usually, you _must_ book these limo services in advance; they generally need at least one's day's notice. IF YOU DON'T MAKE A RESERVATION, THEY CAN'T TAKE YOU. Don't think you can call them once you arrive at the airport--you can't. (If you want to research possible other numbers, try pointing your web browser to http://www.kcairports.org/kci/limos.htm but be warned that this page is probably out of date, since it lists the old number for Quicksilver. You could also try http://www.thetrip.com/ride/MCI/ but again be warned that I can't vouch for anything listed there. Sorry, folks.) If you don't want to rent a car, you could also take the Airport Express van to the Overland Park Marriott hotel and take a cab from there. (Those of you renting cars at the airport: we'll discuss the route shortly, in the ARRIVAL section.) PREPARING FOR THE TRIP Get plenty of sleep before you go, because you're """""""""""""""""""""" not likely to get much sleep at KansasFest. KansasFest days are 18 hours long, unless they're 20 or 24 hours long. There's too much going on to waste time in sleep! On the same note, make sure you don't schedule anything important (like operating heavy machinery) for the day after KansasFest--Monday, July 27. You'll have had so little sleep that you won't feel your best. Packing--Computer Stuff Lots of people brings computers. If you're doing ''''''''''''''''''''''' this, make a backup of your hard drive and leave the backup at home. If you won't feel safe unless you take a backup with you, make two backups. If you're bringing a hard drive and you're travelling by plane, you may want to consider packing the hard drive in your carry-on luggage. That way, you can extract the hard drive from the luggage before it gets X-rayed (!). Tell the attendant that what you are carrying in your hand is a hard drive for a computer, and that it might be damaged by the X-ray machine. Chances are they'll handle it differently. If they tell you that no damage could possibly be caused, don't believe them. (You may have to obey them, but don't believe them.) Try insisting--politely!--on special handling anyway. Incidentally, X-rays are not good for diskettes either. Bring plenty of extension cords, power bars, and surge suppressors, plus phone cord if you bring your modem. Bring plenty of blank disks. Bring anything you'd like to show off, either software or hardware. Packing--Other Stuff A word about clothing: KansasFest is "dress '''''''''''''''''''' casual", and Kansas City in July is hot and humid, so light clothing would be a good idea. If you're bringing anything that you want to hang in the closet, bring your own hangers. You should pack a bathrobe or something you don't mind walking the halls in when you rise in the morning. The dorms will be housing both sexes, and there are no private bathrooms. Towels are supplied, but you can pack an extra one if you feel so inclined. Be sure to bring all the usual toiletries: soap, shampoo, toothbrush, and all the etceteras. There are modular phone jacks in all the dorm rooms, but phones are not provided, so pack a phone, if only for local calls (which are free). If you know who your roommate is, you can assure her or him that you're bringing the phone and save her or him the trouble. If you're serious about making the morning sessions, an alarm clock is a good idea. If you're _really_ serious about attending morning sessions, ear plugs--for the night before--couldn't hurt either. Unless you're a private soul, some sort of sign for your door is a good idea, so that people can find you. Many people take the trouble to make these before they leave. In fact, rumor has it that there could be a "door sign contest" this year! Don't forget your airline tickets and other travel documents, if any, but don't pack them in your checked luggage. Also don't forget a quarter for a phone call. ARRIVING """""""" Getting from the Airport to Avila If you've arranged with an ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' airport transportation service to pick you up at the airport, as you leave the "gate", look for someone holding up a sign with your name on it. (The sign will probably also have the name of the service written on it.) Of course, these "airport limos" have been known to get busy at KansasFest time. If no one is there looking for you, start by looking for them. Their people are usually easy to spot. If there's no one from the airport transportation service in the terminal, don't panic. Just call them--it'll be a local call from the airport. (You did remember a quarter for a phone call, didn't you?) Remember that you usually _cannot_ ride with an "airport limo" service unless you have made a reservation in advance. Driving from the Airport to Avila If you're renting a car, start looking ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' for the desk of the rental agency you're dealing with. (If you have to go to another terminal, Remember that there are shuttle buses among the three terminals.) Once you've got your car, exit through the airport's main gate (Cookingham Drive) onto Interstate 29 heading south. At highway 152, exit west. Follow 152 west to I-435. Take I-435 south and follow it around until it reaches Wornall Road from the west. Take the Wornall Road exit. Then turn in at Avila College (which is a left turn off Wornall if you approach it from I-435). Check our handy Avila map below for where to park. The best place is probably the lot near the dormitories. After Hours Arrival It's Wednesday night, and it's dark already. ''''''''''''''''''' Quicksilver has just dropped you off... or you've just parked the rental car. You're tired after the long drive from the airport. You've never been to Avila College before. Now what do you do? Well, if you know beforehand that you're going to arrive after hours, you should contact Cindy Adams so that she can let the Avila staff know about late arrivals. Suppose, however, that you've arrived late by accident--your flights was delayed, or your car had a flat? What do you do now? It's easy. The campus at Avila is small, and there are only three building that KFesters need to explore: I. Whitfield Conference Center: This is where most of the actual conference sessions take place. It's sufficiently small that you'd have to try really hard to get lost here. If you walk the path to Whitfield from one of the other buildings listed below, go down the stairs as soon as you get inside the door. If you enter Whitfield from the roadway, you're at the main conference entrance, so don't worry. II. Marian Center: This is where the cafeteria is. Unless you're booked into a nearby hotel, this is where you come to eat. This is also where the celebrity roast is traditionally held. Yes, you're allowed to attend the roast even if you're staying at a hotel. III. Ridgway Dormitory: This is where you sleep, at least in theory. Even hotel-dwellers need to know about the dorms, since you'll spend a lot of your evenings hanging out here. Look at the map of the campus below and get your bearings: AVILA COLLEGE CAMPUS * ___________ * * ########## | | * * ########## ... | * * ########## . |___________| * * . . ########*** * ______ . ......... ######## * * | | . ___.____ * * | | . | | * * |______| . | Marian | * * . | center | * * ______ . |________| * **** | | . . * * | | . .............. * * | | . . ____._____ ## * |______| ................................ | | ## * . _____ . |Carondelet| ## * ________.__ | | . | dorm | ## ___ * | | | | . |__________| ## | | * [| Whitfield | | | ____._____ ## | | #*#[| center | |_____| | | ################ | | #*# |___________| | Ridgway | ################ |___| #*# | dorm | ################ #*# |__________| * * ... = pathway *** = roadway ### = parking [ = main entrance (Whitfield) If it's late Wednesday night, forget about registering for the _conference_. Check-in ended at 4 PM. Concentrate on registering for your _room_, so at least you'll have a place to sleep tonight. If it's extremely late at night, the front doors of the dorms may be shut. Look for a buzzer that will rouse a member of the staff. The best thing to do is to read the instructions in your preliminary information packet, but if they don't produce satisfactory results, wander about one or both of the dorms until you find someone who'll take pity on your and let you collapse onto a bed. You'll get a room assignment and a room key. (You may even get a sheet of paper that tells you who you've been billeted with and how to register for the conference on the following morning.) However, don't collapse the minute you see your room key. The lowest number it will have on it is 401. That does _not_ mean you're on the fourth floor. (Particularly as Ridgway has only three floors.) If your room number begins with 4, it means you're on the first floor (or "ground floor" to most Europeans). Similar deal for the second and third floors. If your room number doesn't begin with 4, 5, or 6, it means you aren't staying at Ridgway. If wandering around the dorms doesn't produce any results, try Marian Center. If you still can't find anyone, wander down toward Whitfield. Arriving after hours means you get to check in to your room. You still must register for the conference in the morning. We'll cover that in the "Business Hours Arrival" section. For now, what about your room? Your Room Rooms at the Avila College dorms each have two beds. If your ''''''''' roommate is there, smile and introduce yourself. If your roommate isn't there, don't be alarmed. Your roommate may not have arrived yet, in which case you get to grab the best bed. (I'm joking. Neither bed will be any less loathsome than the other.) Probably your roommate has already arrived, grabbed the best bed, and is out visiting others. Near the beds is a long institutional-looking unit with two closets, two sets of drawers, and assorted storage space. The opposite side of this unit is a desk long enough for two people to work at. There's plenty of room for two computers on this desk, but there's just one outlet per computer. If you don't have a power bar or a Kensington System Saver or an AE Conserver, you're going to be limited to plugging in the computer and the monitor--no hard drive, no modem, nothing else. (Those of you with internal hard drives can stop being smug right now.) Near the desk are two outlets that seem to be phone jacks. They _aren't_ phone jacks--they're Ethernet ports. The phone jack is on the other side of the room, by the beds. If you didn't bring plenty of phone extension cord, you'll have to set up your computer at the foot of your bed. (Don't laugh. It's happened.) Don't waste time looking for the phone; they aren't supplied, which is why you had to bring one in your suitcase. To find out the phone number of your room (so that people can call you), ask one of the Avila staff. If you didn't bring a phone, you can still use one of the pay phones in the hallways. When dialing out from your dorm room, either with a phone or a modem, you'll need to prefix the number with a 9 to get an outside line. If you're using a modem, you may be able to use its "wait for dialtone" feature before you dial the number. So the proper sequence would be: ATDT9w4741778 If your modem doesn't support "wait for dialtone", try using a few commas (,) to create a pause: ATDT9,,4725178 You may also need to set your software up so it waits about 45 seconds for a connect instead of the standard 30 seconds, because it takes a bit longer to get through to the number you're dialing. (There's information about dialing Delphi later in this article.) The only real luxury that the rooms boast is air-conditioning. No private baths here, but you'll find bathrooms just down the corridor a piece. The one I frequented had one bathtub, two showers, three toilets, four sinks (one with an attachment for washing hair), and assorted mirrors. Every floor also seems to have a TV lounge and a small kitchen. Business Hours Arrival If you arrive at Avila between 9 AM and 5 PM '''''''''''''''''''''' (preferably between 1 PM and 4 PM Wednesday!), you can register for the conference and your room (if applicable) at the same time. Check your pre-conference packet for information on where to register. It will be somewhere in one of the four buildings mentioned above, of course. One note of warning: if you've been told to register somewhere--say, the cafeteria at Marian center--and no one has shown up fifteen minutes after the listed start time, then by all means check the dorms and Whitfield center to see if registration has been moved there. It's unlikely you'll have to worry about something like this, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. ONCE YOU'RE THERE """"""""""""""""" Curricular Events Originally, KansasFest was a conference for Apple II ''''''''''''''''' developers--people who wanted to create software and hardware for others to use. Nowadays it's for users, too. Don't worry that you don't belong there--you do and you're welcome, whether you've come to party or come to learn. The sessions--no one dignifies them with the name "seminars"--are mostly held at the Whitfield conference center. The main conference room is right inside the main doors (the doors closest to Wornall Road). If you don't know how to get to the session you want to attend, come here. It will either be in this room or someone in this room will know where the right room is. There's a social aspect to this part of the occasion as well. You'll see plenty of schmoozing in Whitfield lobby, right outside the main conference room. Expect cameras, both still and video, and demented people operating them. Cameras are used to record the presentations, or people meeting, or the general craziness that's going on! "Formal" sessions have been known to take place in the dorms as well. _Informal_ sessions have definitely been known to take place in the dorms! On the Saturday of KansasFest, there's a demonstration of new and upcoming products and a vendors' fair. The fair is a chance to pick up hardware and software at special KFest prices, and to see and buy software never before released. Semi-curricular Events While not officially part of the proceedings, some '''''''''''''''''''''' products _may_ be released at KansasFest. (I sometimes think Apple II programmers would never ever ship if it weren't for KansasFest and Christmas.) This year, there still haven't been any announcements, so you'll have to attend to find out what's up-and-coming. Even if nothing gets released, you're practically guaranteed some product previews. Here are my wild guesses at what _might_ be shown this year: o Several people who do not want to be named are rumored to be working on Ethernet cards for the Apple II. Perhaps we'll be able to stop drooling over Tony Diaz's Apple-prototype Ethernet Cards and actually get a chance to buy some this year. o Richard Bennett hasn't yet delivered his updated version of Marinetti with PPP for the Apple IIgs--he might just unveil it at KansasFest. o Mike Westerfield has been working on a programming language for the Apple IIGS tentatively called GSoft BASIC. Mike Westerfield has also been working on a spelling-checker, though it's been a long time since anyone bugged him about it. o Geoff Weiss has been working on a File Transfer Protocol (ftp) client for Marinetti using IIgs users. Who knows what else? _I_ sure don't! Extra-curricular Events It is perfectly possible to attend KansasFest, ''''''''''''''''''''''' attend the sessions 9-5, and go back home. But why would you want to? One reason you might want to is that you're shy. You're shy at any gathering, but you can't imagine conversing with Tony Ward, Joe Kohn, Max Jones, Tony Diaz, Geoff Weiss, or Ewen Wannop! There's no reason to be shy. Do what Dean Esmay did at his first KansasFest: walk around introducing yourself. To everyone. You'll meet lots of people just as awestruck as you are, and you can swap tips, stories, recommendations, and lies. Don't be intimidated by meeting well-known Apple II figures. Heck, we're all "just folks". Don't let yourself leave KansasFest without having mingled. Wander around the dorms. If there's one person sitting at a computer, just say "hi". You're intelligent enough to know how to figure out if the person is hard at work or at home to callers. If there are a bunch of people--which is far more likely, particularly during the evening--you might be shy about joining the group. Don't be. Just announce your presence ("Hi, everybody! Room for one more?"). You'll be surprised how welcome the group will make you feel. Whatever the group is doing, it's probably in "kibitz mode", so join in! What will the group be doing? Hard to say. They might be: o trying out software that hasn't been released yet; o trying to get a piece of software to crash; o trying to get it to stop crashing (i.e. debugging it); o sending a group message to Delphi or Genie; o playing a game; o fixing hardware; o reminiscing about previous KansasFests; or o telling stories about the heyday of the Apple II. There's a chance that the group will be "multi-tasking"--that is, doing more than one of these things at the same time. There are other extra-curricular events that have almost become KFest traditions: Nerf(TM) warfare and a game called Bite the Bag, which involves a paper bag and a sense of balance. But what about the "real" traditions? Tradition I: Celebrity Roast If the term "celebrity roast" is new to ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' you, rest assured that it's not dangerous, not even to the celebrity. Open flame is not involved, except metaphorically. A roast is simply an event where members of a panel give short speeches which "honor" the celebrity guest by dishing out good-natured insults and back-handed compliments: "A lot of people don't know that Tony Diaz has a poor sense of timing. He counts two months as the amount of time between issues of _Shareware Solutions II_." (Except that most of the jokes will be funnier than that.) Ideally, the person being "roasted" is the keynote speaker from the previous KFest, but this isn't always possible. This year, the celebrity being roasted is indeed Tony Diaz of Alltech Electronics in Southern California, known for having a huge collection of exotic Apple II hardware and software and a love for flying and old cars. This event is catered and held in the Avila cafeteria in the Marian center. It's open to all KansasFest attendees, not just those staying on campus. Tradition II: Calling Delphi The link between KansasFest and Delphi is a ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' relatively new one, but as people always managed to find time to post early reports on Genie in years past, people also will find time to do th same on Delphi. CompuServe and comp.sys.apple2 often get the news early, too. But Delphi is the service with the hottest connection to KansasFest. Here are the SprintNet numbers, through which you can access both Genie and Delphi: 300/ 1200 816-221-9900 2400 816-472-1430 9600/14400 816-421-5783 To sign on to Delphi using SprintNet: 1. Dial the local SprintNet number. 2. Wait to be connected. o If your modem is 300 or 1200 baud, press Return, then press D, then Return again. o If your modem is 2400 baud or faster, type @D, then press Return. 3. When TERMINAL= appears, press Return. 4. Wait for @ to appear, then type C DELPHI and press Return. Don't worry about long-distance charges within the city. The greater metropolitan area of Kansas City is in two states with two area codes (816 for Missouri and 913 for Kansas). However, nearly all calls within the Kansas City metropolitan area are local. Remember that you need to prefix the number with a 9 (to get an outside line) and either a "wait for dialtone" command (w) or "pause" command (,) before you dial the number. ATDT9w472-5178 or ATDT9,,472-5178 Tradition III: Dining Out It's traditional at KFest to take at least one """""""""""""""""""""""""" meal at one of two restaurants (or both!)--KC Masterpiece and Jess & Jim's. If you hang out in the dorm rooms, you're bound to hear of groups heading off to "dine posh". Ask to be counted in... and tell me what happens, all the gory details. The thought of breaking bread with some of these people intrigues me. A TYPICAL DAY A KansasFest day doesn't begin when you might it expect it """"""""""""" to. It begins right after supper. The pressing question of something to eat over with, you take the aperitif of your choice--Jolt! cola, Dr Pepper, or Mountain Dew--and wander around the dorms to see who's doing what. Some people will be staying up until _very_ late. The reason for this is that program bugs stay hidden until at least 2 AM, and the really obscure ones wait until 5 AM. When morning comes, you may or may not have gotten any sleep. If you have, chances are that you didn't get much of it. The cafeteria staff stop serving breakfast at 8:30, but you may decide that sleep is more important than food. In fact, you may decide that sleep is more important than being at the first session. Or the first two sessions. Or world peace. Eventually you get out of bed and dither over which of the simultaneous sessions you want to attend. You can bring paper or a computer to take notes, if you wish--no one will laugh or point. No one will frown if you don't take notes, either. All sessions will run over their allotted time. This is an immutable rule. The domino theory rapidly comes into play here, which wreaks merry havoc with the schedule. After the morning sessions, there's an hour to get some lunch at the cafeteria at Marian center. No one takes attendance here, either. During lunch, the stragglers begin to arrive, and afternoon sessions may be more generously attended and received, since pretty much everyone is now awake and reasonably certain that life is worth living. The afternoon sessions will officially end at 5:00 or 5:30, but they may last a while longer, since no one else is waiting to use the room. It's possible to get so involved in the final session for the day that you miss the evening meal at the cafeteria. Or perhaps you've decided to give the cafeteria a miss. Someone might be headed to a restaurant for a meal--ask around. After you've eaten, well... the cycle begins all over. LEAVING Avila College hosts events other than KansasFest--in fact, """"""" Avila's summers are tightly booked. In previous years, both Ridgway and Carondelet dorms have been available to KFesters, but in recent yeas the organizing committee could only get one. That should give you some idea of how hectic things are. Because Avila is playing host to others after KansasFest is over, be sure to check out on time. This year, you have the option of staying over on Saturday night and checking out on Sunday, but don't push it. Check-out time is 11 AM-1 PM Sunday. Avila wants you out of there by 1 PM on Sunday at the _latest_! Incidentally, if you're travelling with Quicksilver, don't forget that you must have booked your return trip to the airport at least 24 hours in advance. Since most people leave at much the same time, it may be possible to cadge a lift to the airport if you've made friends with someone heading that way. This is far from the end. In fact, it's not even the beginning. If you've been reading this, it's undoubtedly to prepare for KansasFest, which means it's all still to come! So have a great time at KansasFest--and if you spot the man who began it all, Tom Weishaar (a/k/a "Uncle DOS"), give him my warmest regards. [EOA] [FRE]------------------------------ FREEWARE FAVORITES | ----------------------------------- IR 2.0.2 """""""" by Ryan M. Suenaga, B.A., M.S.W., L.S.W. [thelamp@delphi.com] IR 2.0.2 ~~~~~~~~ Product Name: Init Restarter 2.0.2 (IR) File Name: IR202.BXY Database: Apple Operating System Program Type: GS/OS Permanent Initialization File Author: Matt Deatherage, Copyright Apple Computer Version Reviewed: 2.0.2 Distribution: Freeware; available in the Delphi A2 Database, Genie A2 Library, and Apple II ftp sites. Author: Matt Deatherage, Apple Computer, Inc. Requirements: Apple IIgs; System Software 6.0 or later; 12k disk space. Some things you add into your life become so important, you wonder why they weren't built in in the first place. The shoulder strap on your carry-on bag, for instance. In the world of computers, it's that extra memory and hard drive in your Apple II. And in the world of the Apple IIgs System Software, it's Init Restarter, aka IR. IR (say "ear") is a Permanent Initialization File (a PIF) that goes into the System.Setup folder in the System Folder of your bootup drive. It adds a very simple capability, which is mostly used in Finder: the ability to start inactive Desk Accessories, Drivers, Inits, and Finder Extensions that aren't active at the time the system is booted. The capabilities of IR can be extended to other GS/OS desktop programs when used in combination with IRNDA. IR has a preference menu in the Extras pull down menu in Finder, which allows you tell it whether or not to install NDAs instantly and open them if possible; install FExts permanently; give other applications first shot at files that are double clicked; tell the user about problems it encounters trying to start up an extension; and how to handle starting a file that's already started. When trying to eliminate extension conflicts (likely a famillar activity for the telecomm addicts among you), IR is a Godsend. Using ShiftyList 2, I have a number of different sets of extensions I can choose to load at boot time. If I want to absolutely eliminate all possibilities of conflicts but give myself the ability to add things on as I go, I simply choose the one that only contains IR. There is one definite quirk with unshrinking the IR archive. The folders included in the archive have some non-ProDOS legal names (apparently, the original lived on an HFS formatted disk). When you unshrink this archive, if you unshrink it to a ProDOS disk, you'll need to edit the pathnames to something ProDOS-legal--a minor inconvenience. If you only have one extension in your IIgs System Folder, this is the one you need. And to top it off, it's free. Thanks, Matt and Apple. :: DISCUSSED ON DELPHI :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : : : Forget the Joneses... I can't keep up : : with the Simpsons : : : ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: TONYW1 :::: [EOA] [INN]------------------------------ EXTRA INNINGS | ----------------------------------- About The Lamp! The Lamp! is published on the fifteenth of every month in """"""""""""""" the Database of the II Scribe Forum on the Delphi online service (GO CUS 11). This publication produced entirely with real or emulated Apple II computers using Appleworks 5.1 and Hermes. Apple II Forever! * The Lamp! is (c) copyright 1998 by Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W. All rights reserved. * To reach The Lamp! on Internet email send mail to thelamp@delphi.com. * Back issues of The Lamp! are available in the II Scribe Forum on Delphi as well as The Lamp! Home Page, http://lamp.sheppyware.net. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Delphi Online Services, Syndicomm, Inc., or Ryan M. Suenaga. Forum messages are reprinted verbatim and are included in this publication with permission from the individual authors. Delphi Online Services, Syndicomm, Inc. and Ryan M. Suenaga do not guarantee the accuracy or suitability of any information included herein. We reserve the right to edit all letters and copy. Material published in this edition may not be reprinted without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Registered computer user groups, not for profit publications , and other interested parties may write the publisher to apply for permission to reprint any or all material. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< [EOF]