Apple Orchard v5n1 1984 Jan

JANUARY 1984 $3.25 U.S. ™ The Premier Magazine for Apple Computer Users AT LAST: THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT FLOPPIES. Amazing book reveals all! How to keep from brainwashing your disk so it never loses its memory, How fingerprints can actually damage disks. Unretouched Kirlian photographs of UFO's (Unidentified Floppy Objects)! The incredible importance of making copies: the Department of Redundancy Depart- ment—and what goes on when it goes on! Power- ful secret methods that. scientists claim can ac- tually prevent computer amnesia! All this, and much more... In short, it's an 80- page plain-English, graphically stunning, pocket-sized definitive guide to the care and feeding of flexible disks. For The Book, ask your nearest computer store that sells Elephant™ disks, and bring along one and one half earth dollars. For the name of the store, ask us, Elephant Memory Systems” Marketed exclusively by Dennison Computer Supplies, Inc., 55 Providence Highway, Norwood, MA 02062. Call toll free 1-800-343-8413. In Massachusetts, call collect (617) 769-8150. Telex 951-624. Cirele HelpCard No. 29 € Free Post-it Note tray from 3M diskettes. We'll give you a 3M Post-it™ Note tray anda on over 30 years experience in manu- sample pack of Post-it Notes—a $4.98 value. —_ facturing high quality computer media. Now Absolutely free! Just buy any specially marked we're giving you one more good reason to box of 3M diskettes and send in the proof of use high quality 3M diskettes. purchase —with 75¢ for postage So buy a specially marked box of and handling. Complete details 3M diskettes. And send for your inside specially marked diskette free Post-it tray and notes today! boxes. Look in the Yellow Pages under One 3M value computer supplies and parts for deserves another. 3 the 3M distributor nearest you. In Canada, write 3M Canada, 3M diskettes have long been Inc., London, Ontario. If it's noteworthy for their unparalleled | t worth remembering, it's worth reliability. A reputation based 3M data recording products. 3M hears you... | Cirele HelpCard No. 1 | Introducing Pro DOS - Morgan P. Caffrey A new Apple operating system. Reflections on an Applefest - Gene Wilson The changing market place. E - Z Card - Woody Liswood Build your own Z- 80 eard. Is CP/M For You? - Andrew P. Niemic Only you can decide. True Sixteen - Color Hi- Res - Allen Watson III A color breakthrough - and you can do it too! How the Double Hi- Res Hardware Came to Be - Allen Watson III Mr. Watson takes us inside. } How the Dot Patterns Produce Colors - Allen Watson III Just shift your bits. Software from the Consumer’s Point of View - Louis H.Milra What you're really buying. WPL- The Sleeping Giant - Richard Loggins Part Ill - More on the Address Book. EPS Keyboard - Woody Liswood Have all the function keys and more. Apple Dot Matrix Printer and Burtronix Printercard ///- Eugene M. Paymar Two very compatible products. j §.A.M. - Talk Is Cheap - Neil and Gary Lipson A low - cost voice synthesizer. Motherhood, Voodoo and the Gray Market - Steve Goldman Cee Coming Next Month... 2 The Real news for 1984! *nuff said. Apple pchard Vol. 5, No. 1 January 1984 Entire contents Copyright © 1984 by Orchard Potentials, Inc. Peter C. Weiglin-— Editor and Publisher Morgan P. Caffrey — Senior Editor Gene Wilson - Senior Editor Lenore Wolgelenter — Senior Editor Nicole Lefcourt — Editorial Assistant Cindy C. Mack — Advertising Coordinator Joseph Jasper - Graphics Contributing Editors: Mark L. Crosby —- New Products “Dr. Wo” - Pascal/Languages Editor Neil D. Lipson, P. E. A. S. (Woody) Liswood Barry D. Bayer Mike Kramer Jim Linhart — Miscellaneous Cartoonery Support Staff: Joanne Short - Business Manager Dawn Brown - Circulation Manager Ellen Rozner — Accounting Eva Baragona — Customer Service Jay Eisenberg - Advertising Director JE Publishers’ Representative Company 6855 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038 (213) 467-2266 Boston - (617) 437-1700 Chicago - (312) 445-2489 Dallas - (214) 660-2253 Denver - (303) 595-4331 New York - (212) 724-7767 San Francisco - (415) 864-3252 Address for all subscriptions, correspondence, advertising material, manuscripts, ete.: Apple Orchard 908 George Street Santa Clara, CA 95050 (408) 727 - 7652 APPLE ORCHARD (ISSN 0277 Apple Core by Orehard Poter S “lass Postage paid at is published monthly for the Interna 3 St., Santa Clara, CA 95050. \d additional entry points. iption Rates (U.S. funds) sar, $45.00 for 2 years in the U. S..FPO & APO; $30.00-1 yr. in Canada; $36.00 (surface). $48.00 (airmail) in Mexico, Central Americ: bbean Islands, Phillippines, Sa $36.00 (surface), $60.00 (airmail) in South Amer rope, North Afr $72.00 (airmail) in Asia, Middle East, South Africa, Australia. “Apple” and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Ine. The opinions ssed herein are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Publisher or of the IAC. While we appreciate the co-operation of Apple Computer, Ine. a ations. APPLE ORCHARD does not necessarily represent the vie) mpanies. Our existence derives from the thousands of Apple users; it is their interests which we serve. 4 Apple Orchard Textfile Our normal schedule of articles has been knocked awry by one of the more interesting projects to come our way ina long time: True 16-color Hi-Res graphics on the Apple //e, from the disk of Allen Watson III. We reshuffled that schedule to bring this one to you as quickly as possible. If you type in the code (or get the demo disk), it’s something you can do your- self. And, Apple Computer is providing these routines to software developers; 16-color Hi-Res has only begun to im- pact the //e world. So what else has Allen Watson written? Well, how about the Apple //e Reference Manual? Literally, he “wrote the book”, and other manuals as well; we're honored to have him with us. Allen started programming after receiving his bach- elor’s degree in mathematics, and has worked with com- puters of all sizes. He bought Apple II serial number 248 in 1977, and has been with Apple since 1980. Elsewhere in this issue, Pat Caffrey introduces us to Pro- DOS, the new operating system for Apple IIs. Neil Lipson (with help) covers Software Automatic Mouth; Richard Log- gins continues his WPL series; Woody Liswood covers EPS and the EZeard; And we take a look at CP/M (with Gene Wilson to follow up). Apple Orchard is unique in that it’s written and edited by Apple users for Apple users, and not by recent and reeycled journalism majors. Only a small fraction of our authors are professional writers; but virtually all of our writers are Apple users, sharing their experiences with you. Our masthead shows some changes this month. Gene Wilson and Lenore Wolgelenter join us as Senior Editors (Lenore doesn’t look it), and Joanne Short as Business Man- ager. Lenore will also be handling some much-needed mar- keting chores for the magazine. As part of a reorganization around here, Ellen Roznar (Accounting) and Eva Baragona (Customer Service) join our staff full-time. It all means a bet- ter Apple Orchard. As we go to press, we learn that Apple is considering (and may have announced by the time you read this) dropping its AppleNet local area network. Instead, Apple will support and connect to the IBM local area network, when released. Further, buried in a news release was the comment that Apple would no longer insist on making its own disk drives. That could mean anything, but don’t be surprised to see the Sony 3¥4-inch drives turning up inside beige boxes. Those of you who read our February 1983 issue remember Pat Caffrey’s detailed article on the Apple //e. That issue appeared on the same day the //e was introduced, which meant that it was afew days late, but very timely. Well, Pat is still with us, Gene Wilson has joined us, and the February 1984 Apple Orchard will appear on January 24, a few days late. Must be something going on... —PCW. System Saver didn’t become the Apple’s number one selling’ peripheral by being just a fan. What made over 100,000 Apple’ owners fall in love with System Saver? The answer is simple. It's the most versatile, most convenient, most useful peripheral ever made for the Apple. System Saver filters out damaging AC line noise and power surges. 70-90% of all microcomputer malfunctions can be traced to power line problems** Problems your System Saver guards against. Power line noise can often be interpreted as data This confuses your computer and produces system errors. Power surges and spikes can cause severe damage to your Apple's delicate circuitry and lead to costly servicing. System Saver clips surges and Volts dc level. A PI type filter attenuates common and minimum of 30 dB from 600 iyi : kHz to 20 mHz with a max- lt that's more accurate, more efficient and more reliable. spikes at a 130 Volts RMS/175 = transverse mode noise by a imum attenuation of 50 dB. l| > is You end up with an Apple ill System Saver makes your Apple more convenient to use. No more reaching around to the back of your Apple to turn it on. No more fumbling for outlets and cords to plug in your monitor and printer. System Saver organizes all your power needs. It functions as a multi-outlet power strip with two switched outlets. Plus System Saver offers the ultimate convenience; a front mounted power switch for fingertip control of your entire system. System Saver lets your Apple keep its cool. Today's advanced peripheral cards generate heat. In addition, the cards block any natural air flow through the Apple Ile creating high temperature conditions that shorten the life of the Apple and peripheral cards. System Saver's efficient, quie fan draws fresh air across the mother board, over the power supply and out the side ventilation slots. It leaves your Apple cool, calm and running at top speed. So if you want to keep damaging heat, line noise and power surges out of your system for good, pick up the only peripheral that’s in use every second your computer is in use. The System Saver. You'll soon come to think of it as the piece Apple forgot. Compatible with Apple stand $89.95 at Apple dealers everywhere. = KENSINGTON MICROWARE 251 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010 (212) 486-7707 Telex: 236200 KEN UR *Softsel Computer Products Hot List. **PC Magazine: March 1983, System Saver is UL Listed. System Saver's surge suppression circuitry conforms to IEEE specification 507 1980, Category A. Available in 220/240 Volts, 50/60 Hz. ‘System Saver is @ registered trademark of Kensington Microware Ltd. © 1983 Kensington Microware Lid. System Saver is patent pending. Cirele HelpCard No. 27 Satisfying More Than With Innovation Grapplei + Bufferboard | Printer Interface For Apples and Printers | The Original Apple® graphics printer interface. The innovator in “dock-on” printer buffering. The Since its introduction three years ago, the Bufferboard easily adds memory to your current Grappler has been imitated by many, but never Apple interface system, freeing your computer for matched. Now with exclusive features for the additional input. Easily upgradable from 16K, the | Apple Ile and full support of new Bufferboard can store up to 20 pages of text. It Epson® graphics, fits neatly inside your Apple, “docking” onto your the Grappler + existing printer interface.” No clumsy boxes or | remains the most cables, no external power supplies. ..just conve- | intelligent interface nience and — z available. Over economy. With & i 1 tit TV twenty-seven com- the Bufferboard, "iaaans == @ mands give Apple users full control over any you might never \\ ie ——— = graphics or text on the Apple screen, including wait for your Mes THMNATANNNY anew 80 column text dump. Performance, relia- printer again. bility and support have made the Grappler + *Versions for standard Grappler +, Epson APL and Apple the # selling intelligent Apple interface. Parallel Interfaces. 135,000 Apple Owners ous Excellence. rappl Grappler The most sophisticated buffered Apple printer interface available. The New Buffered Grappler + combines the industry leading features of the Grappler + with the time saving economies of the Bufferboard.** “ANNU With this much interface power, you'll never need anything else. And the price will surprise you, too. **Not available for IDS printers. Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Computers, Inc. Epson is a registered trademark of Epson America Inc. Over 135,000 Apple® computers are using Orange Micro products. Innovation and excellence have made us the #1 manufacturer of intelligent printer interfaces. The top selling Grappler + has become an industry standard, recommended by more software houses and Apple dealers. To meet your growing needs, Orange Micro will continue to introduce new products. Recent inno- vations include the Grappler + for IDS color printers and the new Orange Interface, with text screen dumps and formatting at a low price. There is an Orange Micro product designed for your application. For a complete demonstration, see your Apple dealer today. 1400 N. Lakeview Ave., Anaheim, CA 92807 U.S.A. (714) 779-2772 TELEX: 183511 CSMA ©Orange Micro, Inc., 1983 Cirele HelpCard No. 38 International Apple Core Dave Alpert Harlan G. Felt Louis H. Milrad Allen G. Sneider Joseph H. Budge Kenneth D. Silverman Officers President Vice - President Vice - President Treasurer Secretary Executive Director Regional Directors Stephen Lloyd (Region 1) Jim Simpson (Region 2) Mike Kramer (Region 3 & 4) Bob Sander-Cederlof (Region 3 & 4) Barry Bayer (Region 5) Neil Lipson (Region 6) Robert Ramsdell (Region 7) Tom Wysocki (Region 8) Roger Keating Auby Mandell Dr. Steve Bellamy Coordinator: Louis H. Milrad 15 Sydnor Rd. Willowdale, Ont, Canada M2M 279 (416) 222-8447 Agriculture Susie Allen 1055 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Rd Sunnyvale CA 94087 (408) 746-0626 Apple /// Don Norris 1850 Union St # 494 San Francisco CA 94123 (415) 921-3774 Calc Applications John C. Hunter 58 McClure Crescent Scarborough, ONT Canada M1B 1J6 (416) 292-2590 Data Management Malcolm Slovin 10515 Tabor St # 1 Los Angeles CA 90034 (213) 837-3741 Dental Elis D. Neiburger 33263 N Cove Wildwood IL. 60030 (312) 244-0292 COMMITTEES TAC Librarian Software Club Activities New Club Assistance Region Area (415) 571 - 7370 (805) 492 - 3391 (713) 358 - 6687 (214) 324 - 2050 (312) 798 - 6496 (215) 356 - 6183 (617) 546 - 3104 (216) 942 - 7086 PA, NJ, FL OIRO DOE P.O. Box 448 Double Bay 2048, NSW Australia 409 Queen St. W. Toronto, Ont. Canada M5V 2A5 #402, 5-7-13 Tajiri Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan Special Interest Groups Education Ted Perry 2331 Rainbow Ave Sacramento CA 95821 (916) 485-1690 Family David Stern 6921 Old Stage Rd Rockville MD 20852 (301) 881-2543 Games Jim Eatherly 3342 18th St NW Washington DC 20010 (202) 232-6046 Handicapped David P Szetela c/o Micro Sparc POB 261 Lincoln MA 01773 (617) 259-9710 Health Services Terry Mikiten 7703 Floyd Curl Or San Antonio TX 78284 (512) 691-6367 Maj. Terry N. Taylor Dr. Charles Smith Ransom Fields Karen Zinsmeister (812) 648 - 1794 (408) 554 - 5211 (416) 222 - 8447 (617) 742 - 6100 (408) 554 - 5071 (408) 727 - 7652 Region Information CA zips 94100 & up, WA, OR, NV, HI, AK, & American Samoa Southern California, zips 93999 & lower AZ, MN, TX, OK, AR, MO, LA, MS, TN ID, UT, MT, WY, CO, ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA WI, IL, MI, IN, KY ME, CT, MA, NH, RI, VT, NY, DC OH, WV, MD, DE, VA, NC, SC, GA, AL (612) 389 - 2994 (416) 593 - 9862 0478 - 79 - 3610 Investments John McMullen Perry St, Jefferson Valley New York NY 10535 (914) 245-2734 Laboratory Applications Dr. Jaime Prilusky San Martin 7500; 5503 Carrodilla Mendoza ARGENTINA Languages Ed Titlebaum 674 Quaker Meeting House Rd Honeoye Falls NY 14472 (716) 275-4061 Lisa Gene Pope 3901 § Elkhart St Aurora CO 80014 (303) 690-7559 Medical Office Management Alexander Kleider 28 West King's Highway Sioux City 1A 51104 Telecommunications Craig Vaughan 7927 Jones Branch Dr # 400 Mc Lean VA 22102 (703) 471-0572 (218) 372 - 4134 (416) 297 - 3575 (415) 863 - 1093 (408) 727 - 7652 8 Apple Orchard Se sis tenes snl Si seal le sn coe me up! (P\ PIPE —>OPehard 1 Y Boa kK SUBSCRIPTION LZ IS SUES USA CANADA ELSEWHERE D1 foo LD &k%0 38:00 LT 88%0 LT tiie tS mat ates) Name Address City State Zip (1 Check/Money Order TiterbartteNtoy: CTT TET gai amber sboveryous remaon Madea L] MasterCard Charge CardNo.LL TTT TTTITTTTT TT Titty O visa Credit Card Card Signature Expires Payment must accompany order and must be made in U.S. funds and drawn on U.S. bank. Make check payable to APPLE ORCHARD. ubSCrIpuon cards Fidp Stamp Out Magazine The. Give onc of these coupons to people who ‘Borrow’ your Copy. Er...this is your copy isnt it? a YEAR SUBSCRIPTION L-2 ISSUES USA CANADA ELSEWHERE LC] $300 LA &48%o C1) i360 LD 880 Wits rat ial oes) Name Address City State Zip. ( Check/Money Order interbonk No. (TTT) cages above sour taste in Manan CJ MasterCard Chagecaane LOL EET PET TTT Tri tr) OO visa Credit Card Card Signature Expires Payment must accompany order and must be made in U.S. funds and drawn on U.S. bank. Make check payable to APPLE ORCHARD. T NO POSTAGE ! NECESSARY I IF MAILED | INTHE UNITED STATES i] I Ee Se eee oe BUSINESS REPLY MAIL et FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 1491 SANTA CLARA, CA eee | POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE peer | TSR DE = ‘eR SERRATE I Ree SEI | FApple Orchard ————— sR = 908 George Street ne Santa Clara, CA 95050 SSS I i} | 1 Subscription cards Fidp Stamp Out Magazine Theft. Give onc of these coupons to people who ‘Borrow’ your copy. Er...this is your copy isnt it? ——— a 5 NO POSTAGE | NECESSARY | IF MAILED | IN THE UNITED STATES I I ———— BUSINESS REPLY MAIL —— FIRSTCLASS PERMITNO. 1491 SANTA CLARA, CA en I ea POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE acgeiliaiaasemae ann a =—— | sa ; | Apple Orchard = | : ————e = 908 George Street ———— Santa Clara, CA 95050 — | 1 | | | ! Accidents will happen... Relax, you've got theSnapshot Copykit We've taken the worry out of computer use. A damaged disk no longer means weeks of waiting for a costly replacement, because you can now backup your important software with the Snapshot Copykit. Once again, Dark Star Systems have led the way with the introduction of the new generation of copy cards. Take a look at these superior design features: IT’S NEVER OUT OF DATE - The Snapshot Copykit exactly duplicates every byte of memory-resident programs up to 128k. Other copy cards disturb several bytes of memory. Sophisticated copy protection schemes can detect these changes and make the resulting backup unusable. Because all its software is in RAM rather than inflexible ROM, the system enhance- ments we develop can be made available to you at nominal cost. A full 8k of on-board memory will make the Snapshot Copykit particularly expandable for future use as a printer buffer, a multi-tasking system, a communications dispatcher and much more. IT'S COMPATIBLE - The Snapshot Copykit is a board for all systems. It sits in any slot on the Apple Ie and II+ as well as the Basis 108, the Franklin Ace and other “look-alikes”. ‘The Snapshot Copykit doesn’t need a language/memory card and won't interfere with any of your other peripherals. So, you never need to remove it after installation. IT’S USER-FRIENDLY - We have a well-deserved reputation for providing easy to use products. The Snapshot Copykit is no exception. Other copy cards force you to use complex, unreliable procedures and repeated booting of “utility disks” to copy larger programs. Old fashioned “nibble-copier” programs involve endless trial-and-error parameter changes before they will work. The Snapshot Copykit will backup memory-resident programs up to 128k with one simple menu and one press of the trigger — in seconds! IT’S POWERFUL - The Snapshot Copykit gives you back the power over your computer that copy-protected software took away. You can interrupt a running program, copy it, list it, disassemble it, step and trace it, modify it and resume running it. Great for debugging and customizing! ‘The program is not disturbed in any way, even if you suspend it for a while to run another! All backups made with the Snapshot Copykit are automatically BRUNnable files which you can transfer to hard disk. Its state-of-the-art compression facility lets you stack several backups on one floppy. IT'S GUARANTEED - All our products are covered by a 90-day, no-quibble guarantee for defective parts. We also support you with free technical advice — all owners of the Snapshot Copykit receive our consultancy hot-line number. The Snapshot Copykit is the “ultimate unlock system” for programmers, business users and hobbyists. Find out more by calling or writing for our info packet and the latest news on software updates and other new products. Cirele HelpCard No. 12 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS SNAPSHOT Ile VERSION: Copies memory-resident programs up to 128k. Apple I, II+, Ie, Basis 108, Franklin Ace or other lookalike with disk drive. PRICE: $139.95 SNAPSHOT II VERSION: Copies memory-resident programs up to 48k. Apple Il, I+ (RAMcard required — please specify brand when ordering), Basis 108, Franklin Ace or other lookalike with disk drive. PRICE: $119.95 TO ORDER: Mail check payable to Dark Star Systems. Add $3 for shipping in the U.S. ($7.50 to Canada, $15 elsewhere). Mass. residents add 5% tax. COD costs $5 extra (not available outside U.S.). eark Star SYSTEMS R39A South Street, WILLIAMSBURG, MA 01096 Telephone: (413) 268-7351 PLE MODEM. WITH EVERYTHING. Your best buy in modem history. The Networker! a plug-in single-slot di- rect connect modem for your Apple II, ll+, and lle (or Franklin, Albert, or other Apple compatible computer). You are immediately linked to the vast network of computers — data bases like the Source® Compu- serve? or Dow Jones? friends, banks, businesses, and hundreds of local ‘‘bulletin boards.’’ For only $129. There’s absolutely nothing else to buy. And it even comes with software. This is the modem that does it all, and does it for less. The Apple Communications Card is on board, so you won't need to buy one. That will save a bunch. It's 300 baud, the most commonly used type of modem. It comes complete with its own communications software on Apple compati- ble disk, giving you features no modem offers. Like “‘data capture” to lock the messages into your Apples’ RAM, and then move the infor- mation onto a disk for easy reference and review. Aterminal program that turns your computer into a communications command center, displaying on-screen “‘help’’ menus, continuous updates of memory usage, carrier presence, baud rate, communications status, all while taking in and displaying information from any computer. The Networker supports both originate and answer modes, so you can send and receive in- formation, in full or half duplex modes. And its all easily programmable right from the keyboard of your Apple computer. All you do is plug Net- worker into any slot (except 0) in your Apple computer. It'll even ask you what slot it’s in. It's that easy to use NETMASTER™ COMMUNICATIONS — SOFTWARE For $179 we include the even more incredible Netmaster software for advanced users. Net- master is a ‘‘communications freeway’’ that lets you speed any Apple file to another Apple through noisy phone lines, without errors. Net- master even includes its own Disk Operating System to control the flow of information and leave you over 40K of “‘buffer’’ memory from your 64K RAM. And there’s always help when you want it. On screen. Status indicators keep you fully updated. Netmaster will let you transfer games, computer graphics, programs, sales reports. documents, any DOS 3.3 file, all directly from disk to disk, all with computer (not telephone) accuracy. Netmaster is completely configurable to understand any computer, even mainframes File size is unlimited But Netmaster is not stuffy. It will talk to the other communications packages like Visi- term® or ASCII Express® Of course they don’t support Netmaster’s superb error checking, that guarantees you won't miss even a comma It doesn’t only talk to the Networker either. It will also talk to those more expensive modems from Hayes and Novation. And Netmaster is fast. It trans- fers information disk to disk three to five times faster than the others. Of course Netmaster is fully compatible with them. But if you want things to happen really fast, talk to another Netmaster, We sell Netmaster by itself for $79, and even if you have another modem for your Apple, Netmaster is an outstanding value. It will even support auto dial and auto answer. Net- master requires 48K of Apple memory, disk drive and DOS 3.3, and ZOOM's Networker modem or another modem. It can also be used without a modem when two Apples are hard- wired together, using a 6850 or 6551-based in- terface card Networker, Netmaster, and Networker/ Netmaster combo are all produced in the USA by ZOOM Telephonics, producers of the popular DEMON DIALER. The Networker is FCC regis- tered, and all products come with a one-year warranty. HOW DO | GET ONE? OR TWO? Check with your computer dealer. Or call us direct at 1-800-631-3116, and we'll let you know where to get them in your area. ‘Massachusetts residents call 617-423-1288. Tne following are trademarks: Apple by Apple Computer, the Source servicemark by Source Telecomputing, Compuserve by Compuserve. Dow Jones by Dow Jones & Company, Visiterm by Visicorp, ASCII Ex press by Southwestern Data Systems, DEMON DIALER by ZOOM Telephonics. ©1983 Z00M Telephonics, Inc. DAI Cirele HelpCard No. 63 ZOOM Telephonics, Inc. 207 South Street, Boston, MA O21 oe Plantins a seed... ca The question before the House, quite literally, is “Are Video Terminals Safe?” Literally, because the question is likely to be on the agen- das of the U. S. Congress and many state legislatures during the next session. Some groups, including units of the AFL- CIO, are calling for government regulation of, and restric- tions on, cathode ray tube displays (TVs) in the interest of safety and health. The political process is responding predict- ably; the prospect of state-imposed regulations (different in each state, of course), is not a far-fetched idea. Some folks have been claiming for a while now that expos- ure to CRTs could cause everything from eyestrain to catar- acts to blindness to defects in generations yet unborn. Reports and studies pro and con have been waved about, and we now have areal live controversy. Of such stuff are medical, political, and labor-leader careers made. Not to mention Eyewitless News: “You could be going blind! Details at Eleven\” Yes, but does the CRT or VDT really cause health prob- lems? Or are we looking at a larger picture in which the CRT plays apart? A recent report by the National Research Coun- cil contained essentially negative findings; there may be a problem, but it’s not obvious even after much testing. More testing is required, they say. Comes now the University of Kentucky, which has issued a report saying that those who look at VDTss on the job are risk- ing eyestrain, eye irritation, blurred or deteriorating vision, and red eyes. Not to mention irritability, neck and shoulder pain, and fatigue. Well, UK isn’t exactly unbiased here: they were retained by the Newspaper Guild (AFL-CIO) to study the problem. One precious fact emerged from the UK study: VDT users were absent from work slightly more often than non-users of VDT's. Further, VDT user absences tended to be a half-day longer. The Eyestrain Machine? Let’s look at the absence thing first. Who operates most work-station CRTs? Some managers, true; but most of the people studied are clerical personnel, folks who find work with the CRT to be no more challenging than that of their paper-shuffling predecessors. Employee absenteeism rises where work is boring, non-challenging, etc. It it the CRT? We really don’t know. Consider next the computer hobbyist or hacker. We all know people who are hunched over their Apples for hours on end, and who do not complain of CRT-related fatigue, shoulder pains, or eyestrain. (Irritability, when present, is usually directed at some unsolved bug.) The key seems to be that they’re challenged by their work. Another factor in the employment situation: working with (and for) a machine that will tell your boss exactly how much work you did that day, and how well, tends to decrease your fondness for that machine. The potential for magnification of possible problems is present; let’s blame the machine. Reports and studies will continue to bombard us, as will Eyewitless News. But we must also look at the psychological framework surrounding CRT use. Even absent CRTs, it’s funny how students are more likely to develop eyestrain from Geometry texts than from Flashing Swords. We're going to look into this further. If you'd like to help, drop us a line. Fes L January 1984 11 Introducing-ProDOS by Morgan P. Caffrey roDOS is a much-improved op- erating system for the Apple II Plus and //e. It offers more features and responds to many ques- tions and complaints made about the DOS 3.3 system over the years. And, although the changes are substantive, the new system will continue to run the vast majority of existing DOS 3.3 appli- cations. The main drawback is that some hard- ware may not be supported, and that a file conversion process is required. The conversion may be a difficult process with some copy-protected software. Apple has been cooperating for some time with software vendors to smooth out these problem areas. In fact, Pro- DOS has already begun to reach the computer store shelves. In some cases you might have purchased such an appli- cation and not even know it. For those of you who are familiar with Apple ///’s SOS (Sophisticated Operat- ing System) there will be few filing sys- tem surprises. ProDOS will happily read a disk formatted or written to under SOS, and SOS will as gladly read what ProDOS creates. For those of you work- ing with Apple II Plus or //e and Apple ///, this means a simple method to pass data back and forth when necessary. This has been something of a thorn in the side of those who have purchased both machines. No more. Before you groan and throw up your hands in the face of yet another operat- ing system, Apple has taken some pains to make sure that programs written un- der Applesoft BASIC with DOS 3.3 com- mands imbedded will continue to work as before. Integer BASIC has been cast into the abyss. This will not please those who have invested time and effort into that speedy language, but change al- 12 Apple Orchard ways pinches someone. In this case, it’s a small but vocal percentage of the active owners, from whom we can ex- pect to hear. Let’s look at the rough outlines. Apple- soft continues to function not only as well as ever (now, now — I said no groan- ing), but improved. Most every program you have will continue to run properly once it has been converted to ProDOS. Only those programs which made direct access to the DOS 3.3 directory with assembler augmentations, or which used the MON or NOMON debug fea- tures will need rewriting. File Conventions Diskettes are initialized with volume names and files are assigned a “type” characteristic. There are a great number of different file “types” available (TXT, BAS, SYS, BIN, DIR... etc.) Files are thus identified by pathnames which con- sist of “/volume-name/file-name/”. The file type is not a part of the pathname. For instance, the diskette might be ini- tialized with the volume name “MAIL- PROG”. A file on the diskette might be called “FRIENDLIST”. The full path- name to access the data in FRIEND LIST would be“/MAILPROG/FRIEND- LIST”. Since this is a somewhat lengthy typing process, a “PREFIX” can easily be established which allows you to type only the filename. An extension not available previously in the Apple II series is the sub-direc- tory. A sub-directory is a “DIR”-type file containing a list of files accessible only through this directory path. This means that a subdirectory file on MAIL- PROG might be titled “BUSINESS” and be of type: “DIR”. When you access /MAILPROG/BUSINESS you access a list of other file titles, not visible with a standard catalog. Thus you ean view only that cluster of file information that you need. If the first file created with the /MAILPROG/BUSINESS directory were “PARTS”, the pathname to access the parts-suppliers data would be: “/volume/sub-directory/filename/” (e.g. “/MAILPROG/BUSINESS/PARTS”). The pathname cannot exceed 64 charac- ters. Since DOS 3.3 had no such mech- anism for dividing types of files, existing applications can ignore this feature en- tirely. But once used, it is attractive and useful and you won't want to ignore it. ProDOS has some good tools to manip- ulate the file environment. It has a FILER program that provides facilities to manipulate files. If you know Pascal or have worked with SOS this will hold no major surprises. It includes both volume and file commands. The file commands provide for files to be viewed as a directory, copied, renam- ed, compared (nice), deleted, write pro- tected (and vice-versa). It also includes the ability to make a file which IS a directory. Volume commands provide facilities to format and/or copy volumes, change volume names, check for bad blocks, assess space usage and even com- pare whole volumes. Tam miffed that no facility was inelud- ed to copy a text file to the screen, as with the TYPE command in CP/M. This means someone will have to write a sep- arate program to perform the frequently needed task of simply seeing what a file contains. Grrr!!. The format routine does a disk speed test when copying or formatting. My old drives were somewhat cantankerous so Thad them aligned last month. All my other programs were working fine. Since ProDOS refused to format or copy until I readjusted the speed, I couldn’t even back up the originals until I madea trip to the service center. This kind of “help” I don’t enjoy. On the other hand, nobody is going to format a diskette which another ProDOS system can’t read because of speed discrepancies, which eliminates a problem that existed under DOS 3.3. So, here you are with several years, or months, of working programs and you want to make the leap to ProDOS. Well, not just yet. This system is presently in the hands of licensed program develop- ers, but won't be released to the buying public until sometime in ‘84. The convert program will grab files from DOS 3.3 diskettes and write to ProDOS disk- ettes. It will also transfer from Pro DOS to DOS 3.3. That’s just fine. It took Mic- roSoft two years to get that little feature (CP/M to DOS 3.3 transfer) to Z-80 card buyers. Hardware Clocks If you have a THUNDERCLOCK in your system, ProDOS will take note, set the system time, and properly date- stamp any file’s origin and last mod- ification date. BASIC programs can make usual use of the clocks. We tried the Thunderclock, and it worked just fine. //e 64K Extended 80 column cards If you have a 128K Apple //e, ProDOS assigns the additional space as a RAM volume whose volume name is “/RAM”. ProDOS uses as much space as it can find on the card for files. It is quite fast. For applications requiring frequent disk access to a smallish amount of data (maximum is 63K) this is ideal. This re- quires either the program or the FILER to transfer data from a disk volume to the /RAM volume at the start, and re- versal of the procedure before shutting the system down. Lots of room for exper- imentation here. Disk Drives ProDOS “believes” to the depths of its soul that a floppy disk contains 35 tracks of 16 sectors. No more, no less, no other way. DOS 3.3 in Apple’s native mode is that way too. Some other disk drive man- ufacturers, however, have managed to patch DOS 3.8 to enable larger amounts of storage, up to 40 tracks. These manu- facturers will have to find a different way to patch ProDOS. And it may not be as easy this time because the method of tracking the available space (called the Volume Table of Contents) appears to be more rigid than was DOS 3.3. For the BASIC Programmer Again, everything, or very nearly ev- erything, already written should work properly. But there are subtle advances in this ubiquitous and sometimes aggra- vating language. Asmall regret: The useful commands “MON C,I,0” and““NOMON” have been removed. When I worked with Applesoft a lot, this command really made a dif- ference in debugging file-processing applications. It was unique among the BASIC languages I have worked with and was very useful. It was sacrificed to obtain space. Random Access Files Most of my best work in Applesoft file processing was done using random ac- cess mode (When allowed a choice I choose block-structured languages now). ProDOS stores the original record size when the file is created, normally re- opens the file with its original logical length and yet allows the program to temporarily use a different record size at need. This flexibility will be a great help. Random access read and write com- mands now include a field option (” Fn”) which will skip past “Fn” carriage re- turns (field separator) in a record. This is akin to the old “B” options which moved the file pointer to the Bth position in the file or record. This only works for fields separated by a carriage return. For those who have used the comma as the field separator, the older problems still remain. APPEND can now be used to add to random access files too. FLUSH is a new command which al- lows the program to insure that all data supposedly written to disk is actually sent to the disk. For those of you who haven't dealt with this problem this may seem confusing. It minimizes the effects of ocassional power failures. STORE and RESTORE When I first wrote programs which interacted with the cassette interface, I occasionally used these commands. STORE saved all the values of the mem- bers of an array to cassette and, if Iread “PACKAGES FOR BM ie AND APPLE: Transend cations for y Cirele HelpCard No. 57 January 1984 13 back the same values in the same se- quence after carefully declaring each variable in the same way, RESTORE would retrieve the data. Nice, but not very. Too messy and error prone. These commands have been improved to the point of great utility. Now, STORE saves all the values along with the name of all variables in a program to a disk file (a special compact- ed type called “VAR"). RESTORE, nat- urally enough, grabs the data from the disk and creates the variables in a pro- gram. It also clears all variables from memory before it does it, however, so watch your step. CHAIN CHAIN allows program segmenta- tion and run-time linking. Thus a pro- gram which is really larger than mem- ory can berun in segments. The problem is, without CHAIN the RUN command always clears the variables declared in a previous program and a lot of program space is wasted re-declaring variables. Several Applesoft augmentation pack- ages have included chaining because of user demand. CHAIN loads and runs a program on disk without losing the var- iables currently in memory. You can even select the line number in the chain- ed program to begin executing. IN# and PR# These two Apple-unique commands have the original meaning of directing character output to a slot device (PR#) and character input from a slot device (IN #) but have been neatly augmented to allow a routine at any address in RAM to gain control. Thus if a card is installed without ROM it can be con- trolled from a RAM routine. You could do this before but it wasn’t as easy. This simplifies things. The “—” command is a smart RUN com- mand. With the phrase “filename”, you tell ProDOS to load and execute the named file. It is ProDOS’s business to figure out if the file should be RUN, BRUN or EXECed. You don’t have to think about the type of file in order to run the program. CREATE This new command allows a program to create a sub-directory, thus grouping iS G ~ >” Y O ce \Py “BP \_ cen! +08 S p&X ch ° Ee a re. cov) ve) ret thet 0 como yr aR Sue po wot aan crane ger yo “qua? sith Sn OF eto IG sol vow od oc NEA BO nase eecunen ‘ x2 ae gvo0 ero tO oe iN or ‘8 wh ed iv & oO pat ait 8 Bak UP HoT yy CT ca” Kune sre BO et cathy nova wr Jn B onat™ EDP tO oO gate rg vem cor aN oh av Ye gS EQS re HO cori asa7DOre unig am ence Fo Oo ate PI as wee oy ay oe oa We soso sins pute Pere . yen une 49 9 te sate OO eat a0. NE oa © 6 2 BSE COPY | not v awn pe ga Cae ony (0) as § 3 oe pe a mit 0 99% 9, NP chee A RO ayn se Suite Nemo 31 Lien e wit 3 y, Circle HelpCard No. 60 14 Apple Orchard related files. This is especially helpful as the number of hard (difficult?) disks in use increases. It reduces the number of times the end-user has to look at a forest of filenames while looking for a single file. Or at least, with good program- ming, it can lead to that result. PREFIX Another new command which allows the user or program to assign a filename prefix value to the pathname. Thereaf- ter only the end-portion of a file path- name need be used. BSAVE and BLOAD and BRUN The first two commands are used to save (BSAVE) a region of memory to disk along with the information neces- sary to return (BLOAD) the memory contents to the exact same memory loca- tion. They can be used to save assembler programs, graphics images, ete. BRUN does a BLOAD and executes the file as an assembler program. The BLOAD command was always slightly difficult to use. It required the user to know not only the beginning loca- tion, but the number of characters to be saved. It has been improved in terms of ease of use and in terms of flexibility. You will still need to study the options to make best use but this is a real improve- ment. For the technically oriented, the nic- est change allows an image to have-a beginning and ending address instead of a beginning address and character count. The old method is also honored. The images may also be sent to a byte- position within an existing file. This last is flexible but slightly dangerous. It will be easy to make a small mistake and write over a valuable bit of code or bi- nary image. It will save some storage space since multiple binary images can be stored under a single filename. BLOAD can load any file type to any location and as indicated with BSAVE, portions of files can be BLOADED. With power comes responsibility to be careful. TRACE TRACE has been fixed so that it will work appropriately with active DOS commands. There were tricky ways to make this work before but this nor- malizes the procedure of following the program logic during program execu- tion to discover and fix bugs. APPLESEED” Apple Compatible Hardware for Dedicated Applications Design and program a system on a standard Apple computer and then market it with the low-cost APPLESEED system... Designed for use in systems where a full Apple computer may not be necessary or desired, the APPLESEED Bus system retains all the essential features of an Apple system, including mother board compatibility with almost every plug-in board available for the Apple ][. Programs are developed in assembly language ww“ on a standard Apple ][. Upon completion, a set of EPROM’s are blown and inserted into the APPLESEED Bus system, which then takes control of program execution. You buy only what you need for your application; gone are the built-in keyboard, the consumer- oriented packaging and graphics subsystems. Cost, size and power consumption are substantially reduced while flexibility is greatly increased. Compatibility with a multitude of sophisticated programming and hardware add-ons, widely available for the Apple ][, has been fully retained, providing a wide range of options for designing customized systems. (Applesoft? PROM’s are not included.) A sampling of APPLESEED Bus components: CPU BOARD The 6502 has been removed from the mother board and included in this card, which also contains the clock circuitry for the system. 64K RAM BOARD 64K of dynamic RAM with provision for control to be used in the normal Apple ][ conventions; deleting COOO-CFFF and software control over the DOOO-FFFF area. EPROM BOARD Jumper selectable for 2716 (EPROM) or 34199 (PROM); blow 2716 assembly language programs and then run them in this EPROM board. Jumpers allow selection of software on/off, initialize on/off and other controls. UART BOARD Software/hardware select all standard EIA baud rates. The board supports four 6850 UART’s which allow four independent input and output EIA lines. Each UART is fully programmable for parity, bit length, baud rate, etc. UNIVERSAL BOARD The APPLESEED Universal board contains the following: One 2716 socket for an F8 PROM, one 2K x 8 bit RAM (0-7FF), one UART channel for serial communications, 8 parallel INPUT lines (TTL), 8 parallel OUT- PUT lines (TTL), device decode for one additional standard slot-dependent board, support for standard Apple ][ style keyboard, and a power supply connection. Each feature is independent and any combination may be used simultaneously. The Universal board is designed to be used with the APPLESEED CPU board. TEXT BOARD The TEXT board is designed to add the conventional TEXT (page 1 and page 2) to an APPLESEED system. The board generates composite video to plug into a standard monitor or T.V. modulator. The board provides 40 columns x 24 rows in each page and is not slot dependent. MOTHER BOARD 10-slot motherboard is fully compatible with most Apple add-on cards currently available. Please call or write for prices and more detailed information on these and other APPLESEED Bus products. DOUGLAS ELECTRONICS 718 marina Bivd. « San Leandro, CA 94577 ¢ (415) 483-8770 APPLE is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Corporation —Saa a ————————————— Cirele HelpCard No. 14 Garbage Collection Applesoft (and many other Microsoft BASICs) has a flexible set of string- handling commands. The penalty for this flexibility was a lengthy process of culling active strings from a mass of ghost-strings to regain temporary stor- age space. The process, known as “gar- bage collection”, could take many minutes. ProDOS has a few other mem- ory management problems to take care of and this capacity has been included, reducing the time needed for this pro- cess to just a few seconds. This is a real boon. Machine-Language Interface Things get a bit difficult here. MAX- FILES has been thrown away (using a de facto max of 8 files) and ProDOS adjusts HIMEM and the ProDOS mem- ory bit-map each time it opens anew file. All machine language programs must be loaded before any file that requires such bit-map adjustment is opened. More on this as I get to understand the consequences better. Using the System (and sub) Directory Applesoft programs can easily review the contents of the main or any sub- directory. Any time a directory file is opened, ProDOS will read and pass the information in the file back to the pro- gram in text form, as it appears on the screen. Apple has published all the infor- mation necessary to get most pertinent information about files on the volume or files in a sub-directory into a BASIC program. This was a long arduous task under DOS 3.3 with Apple fighting every inch of the way. Even here, it does not provide the beginning block number of storage on the diskette. Ah well, some- thing for the kids to do on an idle evening or two. Assembler Programmers Although we don’t yet know exactly how the TOOLS and UTILITIES disk- ette will be vended, this second disk provides program developers with an assembler (a somewhat enhanced DOS TOOLKIT). The enhancements are sub- tle, useful and will not be covered here except to exclaim sadly that they do NOT include a macro facility and hap- pily that the system DOES include a relocating loader. 16 Apple Orehard Oh well, a few more details can’t hurt. The listings can include a cycle counter for each instruction for timing-critical code. Provisions have been included to allow the sophisticated user to add as- sembler mnemonics and addressing modes to handle the newer 6502X mi- croprocessor. The 16-bit emulator SWEET16 is included. There is also an Assembly language debugger called BUGBYTER. It is an excellent tool and a great addition to this system (I speak here as a fan). It allows for multiple break-points, con- stantly displays the contents of all regis- ters, allows user-selectable views of the hardware stack, and subtle views of memory locations, either as full address- es (appropriately dealing with the 6502s special zero-page characteristics) or as the contents pointed to by the contents of an address. The debugger quickly be- came intuitive when I first began to use it. I have debugged straight assembler and even used it to single step through timing-critical FORTH programs quick- ly identifying and fixing bugs. System Calls When working with DOS 3.3 as an assembler programmer we could make good use of RWTS (the primitive routine to read or write data to a particular track/sector) but Apple would say al- most nothing about DOS operation. A now-famous book was required to open the secrets of the file manager. Now, this information is in wide-spread use. No such secrecy with ProDOS. The system calls are freely available and pro- grammers are encouraged to become proficient in their use. They are a limited sub-set of the SOS system calls, having the same names and same value. A system call is made by loading a register (or registers) with a specific value to identify the desired function and the a jump is made to a dispatch routine which performs the function and returns a success/failure flag and option- ally a set of results. Also included in the TOOLs package is the ProDOS Machine- Language Exer- ciser. This is a menu-drive program which allows the knowledgeable assem- bler programmer to practice ProDOS system calls without having to write an interpreter. This makes it possible to” test the behavior of a sequence of calls prior to implementing calls. Interrupts ProDOS reportedly supports up to four sources of interrupts simultaneous- ly. It has a defined protocol for handling these interrupts which services the inter- rupts in the order in which the code is installed into ProDOS. I am frankly skep- tical. There is a basic flaw in the F8 (monitor) ROM which makes almost in- evitable a system conflict at some time or other. I heartily applaud the inclusion of a method to handle this extremely useful mechanism. I also await more information on how to overcome the flaw. This flaw exists in all Apple II, II Plus and //e ROMs and has been docu- mented in a number of places as the “location $45 problem”. Conclusion Bottom Line: ProDOS was created because of limitations in DOS 3.3, par- ticularly in operating ProFiles and other hard disks with Apple IIs. It will not require internal hardware changes to move from DOS 3.3 to ProDOS. Many software producers will use it, and you may not even know it. When it becomes available, try it; there are many improve- ments. e MOVING? Please help the Apple Orchard keep up with you. Send your mailing label and new address to: Apple Orchard 908 George Street Santa Clara CA 95050 Please give us 4 weeks notice to ensure uninterrupted delivery. And while you're at it, consider extending your subscription right now, even if it’s not due at this time. If you save us the extra trip through our files by doing this, we'll add a bonus issue to that extension. Apple Country Ltd. has your Number for ROCK BOTTOM PRI We Nast MONITORS COLOR T PLUS 294.95 COLOR Ir PLUS CoLor 117 Ww 300 (GREEN) ELECTROHOME 13" ELECTROHOME 13°RGB COLOR 12" GREEN 12" GREEN SCREEN 12s ECONO 6 re 43 ‘MONITOR GREEN EMBER vision VISION AMBER GREEN ZENITH RGB COLOR MONITOR uv AMBER MONITOR GREEN MONITOR 12" epee 12" GREEN MONITOR 139. 14" LO-RES COLOR 28995 mopens ANCHOR MARK I (RS~232) ANCHOR BNCHOR ANCHOR ANCHOR ANCHOR VIT (RS~232) ANCHOR MARK XII (RS-232) NOVATION J~cAt NOVATION 212 AUTO CAT SMARTCAT 212 (1200 BAUD) SMARTMODEM 300 BAUD. SMARTMODEM 1200 BAUD SMARTMODEM 12008 ~ TBM US ROBOTICS AUTODIAL 212 449.95 PRINTERS: ANADEX DP-9501a DP-9625a 1339198 SX DP-96200 3129098 X WP-6000 199.98 DP=eS00TR S0OCPS 2329-95 433995 539.95, 569.95, GOMREX CRT DAISY WHEEL 699195 COMREX CR-II DAISY WHEEL 469-95 DAISEYWRITER 2000, 1129.95 1029.95 GORILLA BANANA PRINTER IDS MICROPRISM IDS PRISM 132 IDS PRISM 132c - COL Jue 6100 PRINTER (E) MANNESMANN: TALLY MT'160L MANNESMANN TALLY MP180L MANNESMANN: TALLY MT1802 NEC 3550 SPINWRITER-IBM 1754.95 NEC 8025 120 CPS 136 COL 719. OKIDATA MICROLINE 80 299.95 OKIDATA PACEMARK 2350S 1999.95, OKIDATA 2199.9! 2329795 2499.95 379.95 OKIDATA 83A W/GRAPHICS 579-95 OKIDATA 84? 104979 OKIDATA 845 1129295 OKIDATA 92P 449-95, OKIDATA 932. 723.95 OXIDATA 935 829.95 PRINTMASTER (DATSY) 1549.95 PROWRITER I. PRINTER 34495, PROWRITER II. PRINTER MICROBUFFER_ IT PKASO INTERFACE WIZARD BPO. 16K WIZARD SOB 16K OTWER PRINTERS AVATLABLE APPLE. HARDWARE 8088 COPROCESSOR BOARD TER. TAXAN 410-64 RGB 2(AP20) TAXAN 410-80 RGB 2(AP2e) TS JOWSTICK w/TOGGLE Tre TRANSMODEM. Vioee VIDEOTEN w/sPrSw VIDEX_ ULTRATERM WIZARD-80 80 COL BOARD DISKETTES ELEPHANT DISKETTES $S/SD ELEPHANT DISKETTES 5S/DD ELEPHANT DISKETTES DS/DD 429.95 124.95 239.95, 239195, 1-800-222-2602 APPLE SOFTWARE ALIEN MUNCHIES TIT RAL ACCOUNTING C BASIC (REQ. 2-80) TAE DAIASTAR, (REQ. 7-80) TN INFOSTAR (REQ. 2-80) SUMPMAN KAREL THE ROBOT 7919: KEN USTON'S PRO BLACKJACK’ BS MAGIC WINDOW 11 MASTER FLANNER (REQ 200) 229: aze cence CoNsTsuCr, Ser. 23. PSF? REPO! PIESSPELLER Commun ATION ee 33 PIE WRITER 2.2 PINBALL CONSTRUCTION SET SPELLER SPACE ADVENTURE. SPEED READ + SPELLSTAR (REQ 2-80) STAR MAZE Beg 2-80) iv PRC SYSTEN IT EX TURNING Pr, TAX PREPARER | 104.88 9.495 ZENITA We will try to meet or beat any advertised price! CALL US... WE CAN HELP! 1-800-222-2602 For technical assistance, order status and California calls (619) 765-0239 Apple Country, Ltd., P.O. Box 1099, 2602 Washington St., Julian, Calif. 92036 Terms: We accept American Express. No extra charge for Visa/MasterCard, Cashier's Check, personal check (allow 2 weeks to clear) Shipping & Handling: 5% ($5 min.); APO FPO Alaska Hawaii & Monitors 5% ($10 min.) Foreign orders 15% ($15 min.) All items are new with manufacturer's warranty. Prices are subject to availability & change without notic Purchase order must include check. California residents add 6% sales tax. Send $1 (good toward first purchase) for new fall catalog Apple Country, Ltd. is a DISCOUNT MAIL ORDER HOUSE for the micro computer industry and is a California corporation not affiliated with Apple Computer inc, Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc. Girele HelpCard N “| invented Topo for you--- whether you think of yourself as a programmer robot hobbyist, or futurist:’ Tad b ma NOLAN BUSHNELL Introducing the new Topo, worlds first personal robot, available in a limited Signature Edition _—— AN EXTENSION OF YOUR COMPUTER. AND TALENT. AND IMAGINATION. One day, when there is a robot in every home, most people will ask them- selves, “Why didn’t 1?” A few others— mostly today’s creative programmers and educators — will say, “I'm glad I did! Androbot invites you to help shape technological history by being one of the first to own and command Topo, the world’s first personal robot. TOPO CAN WALK.. TALK... SING AND MORE. ALL AT YOUR COMMAND. You program Topo's movements and speed via joystick or keyboard com- mands. You tell him what to to you, your family, students, or guests. In English, Spanish, Japanese — almost any language on earth. Movement is programmed on a fem of degrees and centimeters, displayed on your screen. Text-to speech synthesis is adjustable for pitch and volume. TOPO’S INNER ELECTRONICS MAKE HIM VERSATILE AND EXPANDABLE: Three 8031 microprocessors serve as Topo’s “brains” Two industrial-grade rechargeable batteries give him energy for hours of activity. His battery monitor voltage protection. s edge-mounted plug-in card cage system contains one board for motion control and another for two-way communication. Six additional slots will accom- modate the numerous optional func tions available soon, such as touch sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and even an infrared bar code reader. Naviga- tional ability can also be incorporated soon, with technology currently under development at Androbot. TOPO ARRIVES BUNDLED FOR ACTION. You provide Topo’s host computer: Any Apple® Ile, or 1+ with RS-232 interface (super serial card) disk drive, and joystick. (Versions of Topo designed to interface with IBM PC? Commodore? and Atari® computers will be available by Spring, 1984.) Your robot comes ready for use, with TopoSoft™" a high-level, easy-to-use language based on Forth. Plug Topo’s base communicator into the RS-232 port of your Apple? and your me: become commands tre Topo via his two-way infrared link. Optional software includes an Androbot extension package for AppleLogo™ to let you pr m Topo's maneuvers in that popular educational language. Optional Topdleach™ will enable your robot to save and remember a complex series of commands. Topo’s optional AndroWagon™ can carry beer, books, toys, or your guests’ coats and hats from room to room. Your Androbot dealer offers: Topo software and accessories, as well as service. o f& AND2O30T" ae le | Tiassa ANNOUNCING THE SIGNATURE EDITION FOR THE FIRST 500 WHO BUY TOPO. ach Signature Edition Topo will bear an engraved plaque signed by his in- ventor, Nolan Bushnell. Your Topo will be numbered and registered in your name, commemorating your leadership in the Age of Androbotics. There will be more Topo personal robots after this special limited edition is gone—but why wait? Order today by phone or by mailing the coupon below, for guaranteed delivery through your authorized Androbot dealer. Or better yet, him now. You may find Topo already at his store. ges #001 * OWN THIS COMMEMORATIVE 14K GOLD-PLATED TOPO STATUETTE, TOO. (©1984 by Androbot, Inc. Apple, IBM, Atari, andl Commodore are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc, International Business Machines Corp., Atari, Inc, and Commodore Electronics Ltd. Cirele HelpCard No. 4 we ee a a a a a a a a a a a a ee Nolan Bushnell ANDROBOT, INC. P.O. Box 9-214 San Jose, CA 95103 YES, I AM in the Age of Androbotics. Please send the following: QUANTITY — Topo personal robots, compatible with Apple Ie or I+ computer, Ship to my nearest Androbot dealer, who will notify me of arrival in 4 to 6 weeks. $1595 each. — Topo Owner's Manual. $25 each; refundable with later purchase of Topo. (Included at no charge with Topo. ) — 14K gold-plated Androbot statuettes, 3% inches high, 134 pounds. Postpaid, $100 each. _— Androbot T:shirts. Postpaid, $10 ea. AdutSO MO LO XLO chidSO MO LO _—“Androbot Report” newsletter. One year $15. (Free with purchase of Topo.) And please add my name to the new Topo Users Group mailing list. California delivery only: Add 612% sales tax to the total above. Shipping and handling, Topo only: $45 each, (To dealer in Hawaii or Alaska: $65 each.) TOTAL s_N/C (aaa TOTAL $___ For residents of continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii: ‘TO ORDER BY PHONE, call (408) 262-4914 between 8am and 6pm Pacific Standard Time and give code 200 and the credit card information requested below. TO ORDER BY MAIL, enclose cashier's check or money order, or charge to VisaQ MasterCard —_Diner's Club © American Express — Carte Blanche 0 Card # Expiration date Cardholder's signature Name (Print) Address City. Home phone(__). Daytime phone ( (fer avalabe ont through parang Andro dealer in 1e US. Signature Edition limited the fst 500 Topo personal robots produced for sale. This direct offer expires February 29, 1984. Specifications and prices subject to change without notice. For residents of Canada: contact Prestige Electronics, Rexdale, Ont. (416) 674-1433. Zip. ANDROSOT an Francisco was recently able to show off its massive Moscone Convention Center, or more accurately, half of the center, as thou- sands of people were willing to pay ten dollars for a single day’s look at a real, live AppleFest. (Three day tickets were also on sale for twenty-five dollars.) This particular ’Fest had not appeared to have grown substa...ially from pre- vious years, but it is doubtful that there were any complaints from the crowd on this score; there seemed to be some- thing there for just about anyone's taste! Earlier shows had the “promise” of things to come as dealers used the occa- sion of these somewhat infrequent expo- sitions to introduce and highlight new products. In this show were a number of vendors whose new products included a plug-in CP/M board for the Apple /// that will have all required memory on the board to avoid problems with I/O (The board wasn’t quite ready to ship as testing was still underway). There was a very convincing Flow Charting package working on an Apple II/Plus/e that kept crowds packed at the monitors. There was even a Kroy (lettering machine) being “driven” by an Apple II. Several 68000 board/systems were on display, ADVERTISEMENT. Reflections On An Applefest by Gene Wilson and plug-in keyboards seemed to have found a good response. At the same time, it appeared that many manufacturers, software houses, and vendors were elsewhere for those three days. Their support seems to be shifting away to the really large gath- erings. Perhaps the cost of attending a large number of shows has caused the Snapshot for Apple Il PLUS reduced to $69 The Snapshot graphics/text dump card for Apple Il PLUS systems is now available at the reduced price of $69 from A-O.K. This special offer represents a42% cut in the retail price of $119. Used in conjunction with the Micro- buffer, Grappler or other popular inter- face cards, Snapshot allows the user to momentarily interrupt processing, dump a graphics or text screen, and continue processing without breaking the normal program flow. With Snapshot, the user simply pushes the “Snap” button and sends the graph- ics command to the printer card from the Apple keyboard. The card dumps the screen, and everything returns back to the program. No special programming is required. Snapshot is a powerful addition to Apple Il PLUS (Rev. C or later) computers. 20 Apple Orehard Depending upon the capabilities of the printer and printer interface, Snapshot lets the user: e Control “start-stop action” of animated programs Break machine language programs and exit to the Apple monitor with reg- isters displayed Seize control of the Apple and permit keyboard commands to be entered to the printer interface © Interrupt a program and dump to an internal user routine. To get the Snapshot at the reduced price of $69 (tax included), send check or money order payable to A-O.K.; P.O. Box 5687, Glendale, CA 91201. Shipping and handling charges will be paid by A-O.K. on all orders postmarked by January 10, 1984. For orders placed after that date, include $3 for shipping/ handling. Special Offer. With each Snapshot order, A-O.K. will send you the popular Magic Window word processing program by Artsci for just $25—$99 retail value. (This offer available to U.S. residents only.) Take advantage of this exceptional dis- count on Snapshot—a powerful tool for Apple Il PLUS users from casual game players to serious programmers. And get a tremendous deal on Magic Window as part of the bargain. Cirele HelpCard No. 2 thinning of the ranks of those who “show” in favor of those who “sell”. In many ways, this 'Fest took on the look of a mass marketing operation, with a sort of a “high-tech K-Mart” type of look at sales. This was the year of the “discount”; discount computer furni- ture, discount computer books, discount floppy disk drives (in any size from “slim” to “six-pack”), discount printers (you name it, from dot matrix to ink jet), dis- count software packages .. . from one end of the hall to the other. The most significant display tool seemed to be the vendor's use of one (or more) of those new “chalk boards” that uses the “multi- colored markers” to list products and prices. If a trip to competitors’ booths disclosed a lower price elsewhere, it then took only a few precious seconds to change the numbers to get the sales going again! On a positive note, Apple Computer's presence could only be described as “fully committed”. Their booth was large, well stocked and well staffed, LISA, Apple///, and the //e were all shown with pride and enthusiasm. The staff folks were dedicated and determined. I must admit at this point that I’m also dedicated and. determined, and manufacturers’ rep- resentatives are usually in for a rough set of questions. I don’t like people try- ing to quote from meaningless press re- leases, or faking knowledge they don’t have. Apple’s people are well trained and very knowledgeable in their par- ticular skill areas. Someone in Cuper- tino has been gratifyingly busy ‘polish- ing’ their Apple! DIVERSI-DOS IS THE BEST *** NEW *** NEW *** NEW *** TLIST — Lists BASIC files without destroying the program in memory. Use TLIST to copy lines from one program to another / Improved list format without indents, for easier editing / Visible control characters / Also lists program in memory with improved format Insert/Delete Mode — Makes program editing a pleasure! Insert characters in the middle of a line without re-typing, Also works for data entry! Keyboard MACROS — Enter whole phrases with asingle keystroke! Make your own custom editing keys, or redefine your entire keyboard (Dvorak keyboard included) Wildcard file names — Enter only the first few letters of a file name (searches the directory for a match) BSAVE — “A” and “L” parameters are not necessary (uses “A” and “L” from last BLOAD) Recognizable ESCAPE and INSERT mode cursors, Lowercase DOS commands accepted Catalog abort key Lists text files to screen or printer “Ofall the DOS enhancement packages reviewed in Peeling II to date, DIVERSI-DOS is the most powerful in terms of its capabilities coupled with its price. DIVERSI-DOS is the only product to speed up all areas of DOS—LOAD/BLOAD, RUN/BRUN, SAVE/BSAVE, as well as_ the READ and WRITE of text files...The documentation is superb. (Rating AA)” Peelings Il Magazine WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??? Are you tired of waiting for DOS to load and save files? Are you tired of waiting for DOS to finish so you can type again? Are you tired of waiting for your printer? When you buy DIVERSI-DOS™, by Bill Basham, you won't have to wait any more! Here’s why: 1. DOS speed-up: Apple DOS 3.3 takes 18 disk revolutions to read a single track, whereas DIVERSI-DOS reads or writes a track in just 2 revolutions. This speeds up file processing tremendously (see table). 2. Keyboard Buffer: DIVERSL-DOS allows you to type ahead, as fast as you can, without missing a single character 3. Print Buffer: DIVERSI-DOS can use a RAM card (16K-128K) to temporarily save characters before they are printed. Thus, your computer won't have to wait for your printer to finish: 4. DDMOVER: DIVERSI-DOS can now be moved to a RAM card to increase the available memory in a BASIC program. DIVERSI-DOS, the QUADRUPLE. utility, requires a 48K Apple Il, I+ or //e with DOS3.3. A simple, menu-driven installation program is included on the unprotected disk. So what are you waiting for? ORDER TOLL-FREE. Call NOW: 800 835-2246 ext. 127 (orders only) For information, call 815 877-1343 Disks normally shipped within 24 hours. Only $30: Includes Ist class or foreign airmail Sold by mail order only. Return in 30 days for full refund, if not totally satisfied! FREE — with your order — FREE. DOGFIGHT® Il — By Bill Basham — A special mail-order version of the arcade game for 1 to 8 players, recently listed #6 on the best seller list! poccn-------- Send $30 (U.S. funds) to: Diversified Software Research, Inc. 5848 Crampton Court isl Rockford, Illinois 61111 Name: Address: City — — APPLE DOS _DIVERSI-DOS SAVES 27.1 sec. 5.9 sec. LOADt 19.2 sec. 45 sec. BSAVE* 136 sec. 4.1 sec. BLOAD* 9.5 sec. 26 sec. READ** 42.2 sec 12.4 sec. WRITE** 44.6 sec. 14.9 sec. APPEND** 21.3 sec. 23 sec res screen 80-sector BASIC program 52-sector text file State: _______ ip Code; —___ Visa Mastercard, C.O.D. or personal check accepted. Card # ' ' 1 i i i i I i 1 l ! ! I! t f] q t q] q] q] qj Exp. Date: ! q q Cirele HelpCard No. 18 Now you can monitor and control the world (or at least your part of it) with a little help from APPLIED ENGINEERING 12 BIT, 16 CHANNEL, PROGRAMMABLE GAIN A/D. 8 BIT, 8 CHANNEL A/D SIGNAL CONDITIONER on All new 1984 design incorporates the latest in state-of-art IC. technologies. Complete 12 bit A/D converter, with an accuracy of 0.02%! 16 single ended channels (single ended means that your signals are measured against the Apple's GND.) or 8 differential channels. Most all the signals you will measure are single ended, 9 software programmable full scale ranges, any of the 16 channels can have any range at any time. Under program Control, you can select any of the following ranges: +10 volts, +5V, £2.5V, £1.0V, +500MV, +250MY, £TOOMV, +50MV, or +25MV. Very fast conversion (25 micro seconds). ‘Analog input resistance greater than 1,000,000 ohms. Laser-trimmed scaling resistors. Low power consumption through the use of CMOS devices The user connector has +12 and-12 volts on it so you can power your Only elementary programming is required to use the A/D. The entire system is on one standard size plug in card that fits neatly inside the Apple. System includes sample programs on disk. PRICE $319 ‘A few applications may include the monitoring of @ wind speed @ wind direction @ light intensity @ pressure © RPM © soil moisture ‘and many more. 8 Channels 8 Bit Resolution (On Board Memory Fast Conversion (.078 ms per channel) A/D Process Totally Transparent to ‘Apple (looks like memory) The APPLIED ENGINEERING A/D BOARD is an 8 bit, 8 channel, memory buffered, data acquisition system. It consists of an 8 bit A/D converter, an 8 channel multiplexer and 8 x 8 random access memory. The analog to digital conversion takes place on a continuous, channel sequencing basis. Data is automatically transferred to on board memory at the end of each conversion. No A/D converter could be easier to use. (Our 8 channel signal conditioner is designed for use with both our A/D converters. This board incorporates 8 F-E.T. op-amps, which allow almost any gain or offset. For example: an input signal that varies from 2.00 to 2,15 volts or a signal that varies from 0 to 50 mV can easily be converted to 0-10V output for the A/D. The signal conditioner’s outputs are a high quality 16 pin gold I.C. socket that matches the ‘one on the A/D's soa simple ribbon cable connects the two. The signal conditioner can be powered by your Apple or from an external supply. FEATURES (© 4.5” square for standard card cage and 4 mounting holes for standard mounting. The signal conditioner does not pluginto the Apple, itcan be located up to % mile away from the A/D. 22 pin 156 spacing edge card input connector (extra connectors are easily available Le, Radio Shack) Large bread board area, Full detailed schematic included. PRICE $79.00 Our A/D board comes standard with 0, OV {ull scale inputs, These inputs can be changed by the user to 0, -10V, or -5V, +5V or other ranges as needed, ‘The user connector has +12 and -12 volts on it so you can power your sensors © Accuracy; 0.3% © Input Resistance: 20K Ohms Typ PRICE $129.00 flow @ temperature © humidity DIGITAL INPUT/OUTPUT BOARD Provides 8 buffered outputs to a standard 16 pin socket for standard dip ribbon cable connection, © Your inputs can be anything from high speed logic to simple switches. © Very simple to program, just PEEK at the © Power-up reset assures that all outputs a. are off when your Apple is turned on. © Features 8 inputs that can be driven from TTL logic or any 5 volt source. © Now, onone card, youcan haves digital ‘outputs and 8 digital inputs each with its ‘own connector. The super input/output board is your best choice for any control application. The SUPER INPUT/OUTPUT board manual includes many programs forinputs and outputs. A detailed schematic is included. ‘Some applications include: Burglar alarm, direction sensing, use with relays to tum on lights, sound buzzers, start motors, control tape recorders and printers, use with digital joystick. PRICE $69.00 Please see our other full page ad’in this magazine for information on Applied Engineering's Timemaster Clock Card and other products for the Apple. ur boards are far superior to most of the consumer electronics made today. All|.C:'s are in high quality sockets with mil-spec. components used throughout. P.C. boards are glass-epoxy with gold contacts. Made in America to be the best in the world, All products compatible with Apple Il and /e. Applied Engineering's products are fully tested with complete documentation and available for immediate delivery, All products are guaranteed with a no hassle three year warranty. Most Orders Shipped Same Day Texas Residents Add 5% Sales Tax ‘Add $1.00 If Outside U.S.A. Send Check or Money Order to: ‘APPLIED ENGINEERING P.O, Box 470301 Dallas, TX 75247 Call (214) 492-2027 7 am. to11 p.m. 7 days a week MasterCard, Visa & C.0.D. Welcome No extra charge for credit cards E-Z Card Review by Woody Liswood Manufactured by: Orbital Systems, Inc. P. O. Box 5277 Mesa, Arizona 85203 (800) 221 - 9280 0, YOU ASK, just what is an E-Z Card? It is a Z-80 card for your Apple Computer which allows you to run CP/M based software,. And what is so special about the E-Z Card? Two things. It is very low priced, and it is even lower priced, if you put it together yourself. Does it work? YES. I put one together and it ran the first time. It has been in use for over a month now with no problems. It runs everything that my Microsoft Z-80 card runs and, according to Andy Niemic, the President of Orbital Systems, draws far less power than my old card. Some other goodies: It has a lifetime guarantee. That means if it stops working some day, send it back to Orbital and they will repair it for you. The cost of the kit is $65. If you wish, you can purchase it for $90 already completed and ready for use. Was it hard to assemble? NO. From the time I plugged in the soldering iron, to the time I inserted the card into my Apple, only about 45 minutes had passed. That 45 minutes also included reading the instructions. Documentation The package contained a printed circuit board with a silk screen mask for all of the parts. It is almost impossible to put the thing together incorrectly. The hardest part was reading the color codes on the resistors so that I was certain that I was putting the correct resistor in the correct place on the board. The instructions also contain a full page well drawn picture of the E-Z CARD with all of the parts labeled as to where they really go on the board. That, plus the easy to read instructions should eliminate any problems you might have in determin- ing what to do with what. I never looked at that illustration until after I had completed the board. The instructions were so good that I just did not need to see an illustration. If you have not assembled a kit before, I would plan on about twice the time I spent. You should first practice solder- ing on some old wires before you attack the kit. However, if you have a friend who has done this before, then one or two Review” By Woody Liswood 1983 22 Apple Orchard minutes of demonstration will go a long way to relieve your fear of messing things up. When I first received the kit, the documentation said that the sockets used to insert the IC’s were optional. Orbital charged an additional $5 for the socket set. I made the com- ment to them that only the dumbest folks in the world will solder an IC directly to a circuit board (e.g. the memory in an IBM PC). and that I was going to recommend in this article that you always purchase the socket set with the kit. They called me back and told me that because of my comments they were going to include the socket set as a standard part of their package. If my count is correct there are 52 things to solder to the board, 11 of them are sockets and the rest are resistors, capacitors, an LED and a transistor. Equipment You will need a pencil type of soldering iron, for printed cir- cuit board work. These run 25 to 60 watts. Don’t try to work on PC boards with a soldering gun; that’s like a surgeon tak- ing out an appendix with a cleaver. You will need a rather small tip at the end of the iron so that you can place solder on the small legs of the sockets as they appear on the back side of board. You will need some 60 - 40 rosin core solder. That's 60 per cent tin, 40 per cent lead, best for electronic work. Do not use acid core solder, and don’t use soldering paste fluxes. You will need a small diagonal cutting pliers so that you can cut off the excess ends of resistor and capacitor leads after you solder them into place. You should also have some sort of solder cleaner so that you can spray the back of the board after you are done to remove the excess rosin left on the back of the board after you are finished. Optional Equipment If you are doing this for the first time, you should also get a soldering iron holder with a sponge so that you can clean the tip of the iron from time to time. I also used a small needle- nose pliers to bend the resistors and capacitors to fit the spac- ing in the board. You can do a more than adequate job with your fingers, but I like being a Virgo about such things and try to make the board look as neat as possible. I did not use any vise or clamp to hold the board firm. It seemed to work better, for this kit, to do the work directly ona table top. (Protect the table top from burns, however.) If you're just starting, you might like to clamp the board down so that if you press too hard with the iron, your work will not take off across the room. I priced these goodies at my local Radio Shack store. You should be able to purchase all of the equipment you need to assemble the kit for under $30. That still makes the kit a superb buy and you now have the equipment necessary to build other kits. Problems Thad no problems with the instructions or the kit. How- ever, I did not follow the instructions completely and the first time I assembled one kit it did not run. What I had done was to place the LED in backwards. The instructions clearly said that the flat end of the LED was to be facing the bottom edge of the board. And, the silk screen diagram on the board itself showed the flat edge on the bottom. Part of my being was somewhere else when I put the LED in; it was backwards. Recommendation Tf you need a CPM card, this is the best deal I have found. The kit was fun to assemble. It worked. It was cheap. What more would you want? Even if you do not want to have the fun of assembly, the completed board is cheaper than others on the market. Let me quote you part of a letter I received from Andy Neimec: The new Apple : nleashes literally ny time, omes with - retail n that COM ses instant: | (Can pu tel ur local compu! At yis for $299. chase P “We started our company with the idea that we could manufacture products and charge a fair price, a price that reflected the actual cost of producing that product. Today the consumer is asked to pay prices that have no rela- tionship to production costs. We were sure that everyone would ‘beat a path to our door’ when they saw our prices. We took care not to cut corners and to make a quality prod- uct. To our surprise, we found people to be apprehensive because our prices appeared to be low. We have no plans to raise our prices, instead we are hoping by word of mouth and people like yourself, to get the word out that our prod- ucts not only work, but the quality was not cut because our prices were fair.” Amen. I recommend their product. In addition, they also produce some other boards. They make a WISHCARD for $50 which will make back-up copies of your single-load protected disks; A CPM card for the //e; an 80 column card with 64K memory for the //e for $99 (I will report on that one in a future article); a 80/182 column card for the II for about $100, and a 128K ecard with built in disk drive for the II for about $200. I will try to get and put together all of these cards as they become availabie and will report to you about each of them. I suspect, after my initial experience that they all will work rather well. Conclusion Thaven’t had so much fun since I first purchased my Apple a number of years ago. I had forgotten what it meant to put something together with my hands. I was becoming a “user.” Well, I am still a user, but a self-satisfied one. e -\T! tore PRINT! Wy, for a limited time, NOMRINT-IT! direct from PO aa : Natever is on YOU" YE factory for just $idget can't accor ush butt Prints Mi id inted in th, is printecy For those OLR modate the ly; touc’ Nan in text, grap! “ar SE gE cr Whether you rg ann for gusness oss take an want or may scree! displays sot, shots Of Yin exactly where Yor ei cu ate len ss data, educa Fons, grahics- SNE" any time no mater ve we! will print YOUr Serre running, a6 WC Fan what proarary Ygction You EXPEC! o perifigent printer cara: supports: ms laa easily ‘igh and double hig “e : le resolution cee vide colvgp cotume cars, ee Betor wwf the Mov" dre easilY itch conditio db nal gua na TT uncetend dealer disco Call Toll e/print Texprint’s sure, AT! functions) IS ¥ take snap” aspecial introductio! sr dil 817A uri is backed with ied educe rice Of Qual sunts available 8 Blanchard Road Dept 1 Burlington, MA Oo Tel. (617) 273-39 Ile Free 1-800-255- mame aco 34 snp ce Circle HelpCard No. 56 January 1984 23 Is CP/M For You? Andrew P. Niemic President, Orbital Systems, Inc. 1S CP/M FOR YOU? by Andrew P. Niemic President, Orbital Systems, Inc. without question, “YES”! The main reason more Apple owners are not into CP/M is the cost of the required hardware. Until now, to get started, you had to spend around $800.00 to purchase a CP/M (Z-80) and an 80 column card. If your budget is like mine, this was a strong deterrent even though there is a vast quantity of powerful CP/M programs available on the market such as Wordstar, Multiplan, and dBase II. I s the benefit of CP/M worth the cost? The answer is A strong selling point for the Apple has always been the large quantity of software available. Most Apple owners do not realize the large quantity of CP/M software available for the Apple. To a great extent, these CP/M programs are busi- ness oriented but provide the user with very professional pro- grams. An additional enhancement to the Apple’s CP/M is the ability to interface with other CP/M computers. With CP/ M installed in the Apple, it is easier and less complicated to interface with other CP/M systems, making information transfer possible with other micro’s, mini’s, or mainframes. My company produces a high quality CP/M and 80 column card for a total retail cost of less than $175.00. Now Apple owners can have the best of two worlds, CP/M and Applesoft. Both of these cards are designed to operate with the Apple II, Apple II Plus, Franklin, and other Apple gender computers. By the way, you may have heard that some of the CP/M cards do not operate properly on the Apple //e. Orbital Systems has designed and developed a special CP/M card specifically to operate on the //e. To be more specific about the cards themselves: The CP/M card uses version 2.2; the majority of CP/M software on the market uses this version. The latest version CP/M, version 3.0, executes programs faster, but has been found to not be compatible with some Apple hardware. Ver- sion 3.0 may, in the future, become the prime version for marketed CP/M software. The 80 column card can be used with or without the CP/M card. It produces a clean set of characters with true lower case descenders. The board is designed to run 80 columns separately or in conjunction with the CP/M card, (most CP/M software is designed to run in 80 column screen display). An optional add-on feature to the Orbital 80 column card is the ability to display 66, or 132 columns, as well as the standard 80 columns. Both of these cards are available either factory wired, or, (if you like to build electronic devices), in kit form. 24 Apple Orehard Ifyou still have not decided that CP/M is for you, let me pro- vide some additional facts. @ = The cost of getting started is as low as I believe it will ever be. @ = The use of CP/M on the Apple is expanding, as can be seen by the increased sales of CP/M software. @ With the continued growth of CP/M, the large number of users will stimulate the development of more CP/M pro- grams. e@ Adding CP/M will increase the value and utility of your computer. e@ CP/Misan industry standard, making your system more compatible with other CP/M computers. @ CP/M offers new challenges and dimensions for personal computers, programmers, and users. I would like to leave you with these last thoughts. When you buy software or hardware that expands your computer, it becomes a personal learning experience. You invested many dollars in your computer(s) and you should get the best value for your investment (there is more to acomputer than playing games). There are many computers on the market today and Apple is just one of them. CP/M is the main operating system of many of these computers and having the ability to com- municate between them is an additional asset. If two com- municating computers use the same operating system, the problems of adjusting program code from one machine to another are reduced. I feel that CP/M expands the horizons of the Apple, and those waiting too long will find it difficult to catch up. Editor’s Note: Andy's commitment to the Apple II and to CP/M has caused him to offer Apple II owners a more cost effective means of solving problems. In future months, we will be giving glimpses into some of the other faces of the Apple CP/M world. For example, did you know that there will soon be an “*Applicard” available for the Apple /// that will have RAM for the entire CP/M operat- ing system all on the card, and the on-board Z-80 microp- rocessor will operate at 6MHz? And speaking of the Apple ///, we'llshow you the hardware “patch” for the Softeard that will allow it to work with the Profile hard disk. We'll even look at how CP/M programs must “interface” with the Apple ///’s “.CONSOLE” (that’s pronounced “dot console”) driver to work. There are some very interesting CP/M applications that we'll look at in great detail. (©1983 International Apple Core BRING THE OLYMPICS HOME As well as your other favorite sports. SPORTSBOARD™ Now you can support all the statistics of your favorite sport or event. Track the performance of the American Team at the 1984 Olympic Games. And doit all with your Apple. Instantly calculate and tabulate the names of athletes, events and results. Keep track of up to 200 competitors, 90 events and 249 scores for each event. SPORTSBOARD, published by International Apple Core, is an easy to use, high-speed machine language data base. Written for Apple II, Apple II+ and Apple //e. Available now for just $34.95. Order your copy today. To order by phone, call: (408) 727-7713, VISA or MasterCard accepted. Please have your card number ready. To order by mail, send check or money order to: International Apple Core, 908 George Street, Santa Clara, CA 95050. Payment written to International Apple Core must accompany order and must be in US. funds drawn on U.S. bank. California residents add $2.27 Sales Tax. Add $2.50 for shipping. Airmail outside of U.S., Canada and Mexico add $11.00 shipping. Please allow 3 to 4 weeks for delivery. Dealer inquiries are welcome. CI e Apple, Apple II, Apple IT + and Apple //e are registered trademarks of Apple Cirele HelpCard No. 21 True Sixteen-Color Hi-Res by Allen Watson III the Apple II, you have probably wished that the sixteen colors available in the low-resolution dis- play were also available in high resolution. With the Apple //e, your wish has come true. If you have an Apple //e with a 64K RAM card, all you have to do is wave the magic wand—pardon me, I mean load some software—to be able to generate high-resolution graph- ics with sixteen solid colors that are the same as the six- teen colors in the standard Lo-Res display. I f you are familiar with the graphics displays on 26 Apple Orchard I have to specify “solid” for these colors because of the many existing programs that use color mixtures or patterns (something like coarse half-tone reproduction) to extend the standard six colors. If such color mixtures appeal to you, just think of how many combinations you can make using six- teen colors. To display sixteen-color Hi-Res you need three things: @ an Apple //e configured for double Hi-Res; e@ software to draw the dot patterns that generate the colors; and @ acolor TV set and RF modulator or a composite (NTSC) color monitor. This article tells how the Apple //e generates a sixteen- color Hi-Res display and includes machine-language sub- routines you can use to add sixteen-color Hi-Res to your Applesoft programs. A Little About the Color Dots In the standard Hi-Res display, each pair of adjacent dots makes a pattern that a TV set displays as color. The four pos- sible combinations of the two dots should produce only four colors including black and white, but the Apple II has a spe- cial circuit that shifts the dots slightly to produce two more colors, giving a total of six. Where the standard Hi-Res display puts 280 dots across the screen, the double Hi-Res display puts 560 dots across the screen. With twice as many dots, it takes four adjacent dots to make a pattern that the TV set displays as color. There are sixteen possible ways four dots can be on and off, making six- teen possible colors. The colors generated this way are the same as the colors in standard Lo-Res graphics: black, white, two grays that look the same, and twelve chromatic colors. Sixteen-Color Graphics Is Better Sixteen-color Hi-Res not only gives you more colors than standard Hi-Res, it also lets you display any combination of those colors with no limitations. That's right: it doesn’t make those orange stair-steps you get in standard Hi-Res every time you draw a diagonal blue line on a green back- ground. The color limitation in standard Hi-Res is due to the dot- shift technique that the Apple II uses to obtain the second pair of Hi-Res colors. That technique also causes a second, more subtle problem: when using the dot-shift colors, the last dot from each byte is only half the normal width, and hence dim. Double Hi-Res mode dispenses with the dot shift entire- ly, so it is free from this defect. One of the defects of standard Hi-Res is actually the fault of the Hi-Res subroutines in Applesoft. In order to make line drawing as quick as possible, the subroutines draw lines only one dot wide. This causes problems with colored lines: vertical lines in some positions don’t show, and nearly verti- cal lines have gaps in them. The subroutines supplied with this article give the user a choice of two line widths: one dot wide, for 560-dot resolution black and white, and four dots wide, for colored lines with no gaps. Table 1 lists the defects of standard Hi-Res graphics that are corrected in double Hi- Res. Hardware Required for the Double Hi-Res Display The hardware required for the double Hi-Res display con- sists of: @ an Apple //e with Rev B (or later) main logic board; @ the Extended 80-column text card installed in the Aux- iliary slot; @ the Jumper installed on the extended 80-column card. You can find the revision level of your Apple //e by remov- ing the cover and looking along the back of the main logic board, under the words “Apple Computer Inc.” On a Revision-B machine, you'll see the part number 820-0064-B. If your Apple //e has a part number ending with A and you want to use the double Hi-Res display, you’ll have to do two things: (1) purchase an Extended 80-Column Text Card, and then (2) see your dealer to have a Revision B board installed in your Apple //e. At last count, authorized Apple dealers were upgrading Revision A boards to Revision B with no charge for Apple //e owners who can demonstrate a need for it. Take this article along to show the dealer why you need it. WARNING: If the main logic board in your Apple //e is Revision A, don’t install an auxiliary card with the jumper installed. If you do, your Apple //e won’t work. For the double Hi-Res display to work, you need to install a card that has memory in the Hi-Res page addresses into the Auxiliary Slot. In addition to the requisite memory, the card must also have a jumper that connects pins 50 and 55 of the Auxiliary Slot. The Apple Extended 80-Column Text Card meets both these requirements. Applesoft HGR routines Some vertical colored lines don’t appear. Near-vertical colored lines are broken. Line drawing doesn’t always use latest color (you must use HPLOT first). Some colors cannot appear next to each other in some positions. Diagonal lines have extra dots, making them look bum- py: With shifted colors, bits on right-hand byte boundaries, display as half-width dots and look dim. Sixteen-Color Subroutines All vertical colored lines appear. Near-vertical colored lines are solid. Line-drawing routine always uses the latest color. Any colors can appear next to each other in any positions. Diagonal lines don’t have extra dots. Doesn't use color shifting, so dot width is not affected by bit position in byte. Table 1. Comparison of problems with standard Hi- Res displays. If you want to find out the reasons for these requirements, read the sidebar about the hardware and the section on selecting double Hi-Res from a program. The Sixteen-Color Hi-Res Subroutines The subroutines in Listing 1 provide a way for you to start programming with double Hi-Res displays. The main fea- tures of the subroutines are: @ Drawing dots and lines in black and white with horizon- tal resolution of 560. January 1984 27 @ Drawing dots and lines in any of the sixteen standard Lo-Res colors with effective resolution between 140 and 560, depending on the colors used. @ Overeoming certain limitations of standard Applesoft Hi-Res graphics, as shown in Table 1. @ Supporting Applesoft programs via ampersand state- ments, as shown in Table 2. The subroutines give you a choice of two line widths for drawing dots and lines. To set the line width to 1 for high- resolution black-and-white displays, use the & PEN state- ment. To set the line width to 4 for color, use the & BRUSH statement. You can switch from one width to the other at any time. Drawing with four dots makes a point or line visible in any position, no matter what color it is. (Note: In Brush mode, you can put a wide dot or line on any 560-dot boundary. However, some colors will not give you the full 560-dot resolution, because with color some dots are on and others are off, as explained in the sidebar on color. That's show biz.) &DG Initializes the double Hi-Res display. & PEN Sets the line width to 1 for 560-dot horizontal resolution. Sets the line width to 4 for 16-color plotting. Sets the color for subsequent com- mands. Standard color values are 0 to 15. A value of 128 or greater selects reverse drawing. Sets the entire display to the current. color. & DOT AT x,y Draws a dot of the current color at position (x,y), with x between 0 and 559, y between 0 and 191. & LINE TO x,y Draws a line of the current color from the last position to position (x,y), with x between 0 and 559, y between 0 and 191. & BRUSH & HUE c & BKGND Table 2. Ampersand statements for use in Apple- soft programs. 28 Apple Orchard Assembling the Subroutines The sixteen-color Hi-Res subroutines in Listing 1 are writ- ten in 6502 Assembly language using the EdAsm assembler in the Apple DOS Toolkit. When you assemble the sub- routines, EdAsm creates a codefile whose nameis the name of the source file plus the suffix .OBJO; in this case, the name will be LISTING 1.0BJ0. You should use the RENAME command to change the name to something more approriate. The demo programs load the subroutines under the name NEW SUBS. Listing 1 shows the subroutines assembled with the origin at $6000 (decimal 24576), just above the second Hi-Res graphics page. The code for the subroutines occupies 1,084 (hexadecimal $43C) bytes. Unless your Applesoft programs are small enough that the program and variables will fit below the Hi-Res graphics Page 1, which starts at 8192 (hex- adecimal $2000), you should put the Applesoft variables safely above the subroutines by setting LOMEM to 25660. Ifyour Applesoft program alone is too large to fit below Hi- Res Page 1, you'll have to start the Applesoft program and data storage above it, at 16384 ($4000). Because there is no Applesoft command to do this, you'll have to modify the Applesoft program and data pointers in page zero. Appendix H of the Applesoft BASIC Programmer's Reference Manual, Volume 2, lists the pertinent locations. With the Applesoft program and data out of the space below Hi-Res Page 1, you can put the subroutines down there, say at 7000 (hexadecimal $1 B58), by changing the ORG statement in line 75 and re-assembling. Loading the Subroutines The subroutines include a routine that enables them to work with Applesoft programs via the ampersand state- ments listed in Table 2. To load the subroutines and activate the ampersand feature, use the BRUN command. To do this from your program, include the following statements near the beginning: 10 LET D$ = CHR$(13) + CHRS(4) 20 PRINT D$;"BRUN NEW SUBS" (Note: This assumes that you have renamed the object file NEW SUBS.) Once the subroutines are loaded and the ampersand fea- ture is active, you can run Applesoft programs that use the ampersand statements for sixteen-color Hi-Res. You can also use the ampersand statements from the keyboard. As soon as you reset the machine or run any routines that use the amper- sand feature for something else, the sixteen-color Hi-Res statements will not work any more; you'll have to activate the subroutines again with another BRUN statement. If you want to use the subroutines with your machine- language programs, you can either incorporate them into your source files or load them separately. Notice that some of the entry points shown in the table at lines 186 to 194 pick up parameters from BASIC via the subroutine DHFNS and the Applesoft routine GETBYT. Your program should enter the subroutines after such calls, and with the parameters in the accumulator (for the color-setting routine at DHCOLR}) or in the accumulator and the index registers (for the dot-drawing routine at DHPLTO and the line-drawing routine at DHLINO). The other subroutines (DHINIT, DHBKG, DHPEN, and DHBRUSH) take no parameters, so your pro- gram should eall the same locations that BASIC uses. ASHAMED TO ADMIT THAT YOU MADE A BIG MISTAKE? . . . ... That you bought some Apple® or fi Apple® compatible software, hardware, firm- ‘, ware or accessories from an unknown company, and after all was