Shareware Solutions II Volume 1 Issue 5 1994 03 Kohn Joe US

Shareware Solutions II An Exciting Apple II Journey Into The Future Volume 1, Issue 5 Spring, 1994 From The Publisher’s Desktop It’s now been a year since the seeds of Shareware Solutions II germinated, and several things have changed since then. In the initial press release announcing the newsletter, it was stated that the newsletter would be 12 pages in length. As we all know, each issue to date has been 20 pages; at this juncture, that 20 page size shall continue. It was also announced that after a few issues, the news- letter would hopefully become a monthly publication. I had initially thought that when I became more familiar with Desktop Publishing, I’d be able to speed up my production schedule. A year later, I think I can safely say that it would be a Herculean — if not impossible — task for any one person to write, edit, layout, publish, fold, stamp and mail a 20 page newsletter on a monthly basis. As it is, I’m comfortable now with the bi-monthly schedule, and have come to the conclusion that Shareware Solutions II will remain a bi-monthly news- letter. As I have found out, it’s not the layout of the newsletter that takes the most time; it’s the collecting of information and the writing of the articles that are the most time con- suming aspects of publishing a newsletter. When Shareware Solutions IT was first announced, it was also stated that a subscription was for 12 issues. That is still the case, so I just wanted to clarify that all people who initially signed up for a 12 issue sub- scription will receive those 12 issues of Shareware Solutions II; however, your 12 issue sub- scription has effectively become a two year subscription. At this time, you do not need to re- subscribe for at least another year. Knowing now for a fact that Shareware Solutions II is a bi- monthly publication, it’s time to re-vamp the subscription fees to bring them more into line with what other Apple II publi- cations charge. Effective May 1, 1994, there will be two different types of subscriptions available: Plan A) This is a standard one year, six issue subscription. New subscribers to Plan A will start their subscription with the then-current issue. The cost for this subscription is $20 for air mail delivery in the United States and Canada; or $35 for International air mail delivery. Plan B) This is very similar to the current “charter subscriber subscription” plan. This is a two year, 12 issue subscription starting with the Premier issue of Shareware Solutions II that appeared in July, 1993. The cost for this subscription is $35 for air mail delivery in the United States and Canada; or $50 for International air mail delivery. When speaking to friends and colleagues about Shareware Solutions II, please refer to the new rates. Thank you very much. Another major change that you will notice within the pages of this issue is the first article to be written by someone other than your humble publisher. I would proudly like to introduce you to my esteemed colleague, Dr. Cynthia Field. When the final issue of inCider/A+ went to press last year, Cynthia Field and I were among the last of our kind at inCider/A+; we had both written about the Apple II for many years, and we had both remained enthusiastic about the Apple II. A year later, our enthusiasm has not been diminished! Cynthia Field has written more than 300 articles about the Apple II since 1982, and I am very pleased, proud and excited to once again be a colleague of hers. In this, and in all suc- ceeding issue of Shareware Solutions II, Cynthia Field will be sharing her discoveries of new Apple II hardware and software products in the newly created “Apple II Product News” column. With the addition of Cynthia Field’s new column, Shareware Solutions II takes one more giant leap forward in its quest towards becoming an indispen- sable resource for the Apple II community. I hope you are as pleased with her column and information as I am. Welcome aboard, Cynthia Field, for an exciting Apple II journey into the future! @ Shareware Solutions IT 1 Shareware Solutions II Volume 1, Issue 5 Shareware Solutions II is published bi-monthly by Joe Kohn, 166 Alpine Street, San Rafael, CA 94901-1008. Writer/Publisher: Joe Kohn Roving Reporter: Cynthia Field Proofreader: Jane Kos All contents of Shareware Solutions II copyright (©) 1994 by Joe Kohn. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted or reproduced, in whole or in part, in any media without the prior written consent of Joe Kohn. Available by subscription only, the North American rate is $35 for a 12 issue subscription; for overseas air mail delivery, the cost for a subscription is $50. Shareware Solutions II comes with a pro-rated money back guarantee. Make all checks or money orders out to Joe Kohn. US Funds Only. Sorry, but no charge cards, purchase orders or COD orders will be accepted. This newsletter was created entirely with an Apple IGS. All articles written in AppleWorks v3.0. Page Layout prepared in AppleWorks GS. Printing was done on a Hewlett-Packard LaserJet IIP Plus, connected to the IIGS courtesy of Vitesse’s Harmonie. The use of TrueType fonts is courtesy of WestCode Software’s Pointless. Most articles written by Joe Kohn. Apple II Forever. 2 Shareware Solutions IT Letters To The Publisher Programmer Needed My small software company would like to hire a programmer to write two drivers and driver configurations, or patches, for Applied Engineering’s PC Transporter. We would like to add support to the present PCT software for SCSI CD-ROM and Floptical drives, so that these devices would function as if they were attached to an MS-DOS machine. Are you interested? Is the PCT software and driver architecture something that you are familiar with? While this may not be a huge project, we are certainly willing to pay a fair fee for this venture. If you are interested, please contact: Steve Hartz Hartz Veterinary Software 5395 US Rt 30 Crestline, OH 44827 419-683-4593 or send email to 73527,1263 on Compuserve. Phil’s Cheat Sheet Philippe Benichou, who jokingly refers to himself as The Cheat, has uncovered a slew of Easter Eggs in a number of different programs: Phil writes that in the game Pipe Dream, you can use pass- words to automatically jump to more advanced levels. After weeks of playing the game, he has discovered these passwords: Level Password 5 HAHA 9 GRIN 14 REEP 17 SEED 21 GROW 25 TALL 29 YALI In the FTA’s Space Harrier game demo, you can press the letter “a” at any time to stop your forward motion and hit it again to resume forward motion. This will enable you to shoot at stationary objects. In both System 6.0, and System 6.0.1, there’s an Easter Egg in the Time Control Panel. To find it, access Control Panels from the Apple Pull Down Menu. Then select the Time Cdev, and use your mouse to click on the words: “days left in this year,” and watch what it changes to. Phil adds, “I know it’s a little corny, but hey, I don’t write the easter eggs; I only report them.” From Alien Mind’s main menu, try selecting these options in exact order: 1) stereo sound 2) monosound 3) sound off 4) joystick 1) apple mouse 2) stereo sound 3) joystick 4) mono sound 5) keyboard 6) sound off 7) about authors 1) sound off 2) keyboard 3) monosound 4) joystick 5) stereo sound 6) apple mouse 7) about authors The next time you plan on loading Print Shop GS, first go to the IIGS Control Panel, and change the date to anytime between December 15th and 31st. This will alter Print Shop GS’s main menu so that it displays “Happy Holidays!” in lieu of displaying “The Print Shop’. In Defender of the Crown 1) hold down the option key while booting. 2) Holding down shift-option- open-apple keys when firing the catapult will make you hit the wall EVERY time. 3) When the princess’ name appears, press shift-option-open apple to change her name. But, why anyone would want to do this is beyond my ability to comprehend. 4) And finally, when you are viewing the lord’s areas, press (you guessed it) shift-option- open-apple to display the lord’s name as The Great Sir Ivan Manley. Phil reports that his friend Alex Lee is also an active Easter Egg collector, and he has uncovered a few. It’s long been rumored that Burger Bill Heineman includes an Easter Egg graphic in most of his games. To see that odd graphic in Tass Times in Tone- town, type the word “Burger” while you're in the cabin. You can also call up that graphic by holding down the combination of the Open-Apple key at the same time you depress the Option key and Control-B. That same graphic also appears in both Bard’s Tale I and II. In Bard’s Tale I, hold down the keys mentioned above when the strumming guitar player ap- pears. In Bard’s Tale II, hold down those same keys at the Title Screen. If you have any other Easter Eggs or game cheats, Philippe Benichou would like to hear from you. Direct an Internet email to him at this address: benichop@cse.fau.edu Game Cheat Nathan Mates writes to tell us that he has uncovered a few discoveries in the IIGS game Tunnels of Armageddon. He says, “If you want to be able to skip the introductory pass-color check at that screen, type ‘kacper’ and hit return.” He also mentioned hearing that pressing the letter “Q” or “q” while playing the game does something else, but he wasn’t quite sure what. That was hint enough for me to discover that it puts you into a semi-automated mode where you can just fly past objects blocking your passage, rather than having to shoot them out of the way. Thanks, Nathan! Correction Eric D. Shepherd wrote to say that as pleased as he was to read about himself in Issue #4 of Shareware Solutions, he was a little dismayed to see that his name was spelled incorrectly not once, but twice. My apologies, Sheppy. He also wrote to point out an inaccuracy in the BASIC Basics article that appeared in Issue #4, He points out that the following statement was inaccurate: “Any Applesoft command can be in the quotes in the statement PRINT CHR$(4);"__".” He says, “Any BASIC.SYSTEM command can be in the quotes. BASIC.SYSTEM, the ProDOS BASIC Interpreter, and Apple- soft, are two different things entirely. The BASIC Interpreter handles DOS commands like CATALOG, BLOAD, and RUN. Applesoft BASIC, which is built into ROM, handles BASIC commands like PRINT, INPUT, and HOME.” Save a Game There’s a wonderful game of Monopoly included on the “Summer Fun I” collection of ProDOS-8 based games that are available from Shareware Sol- utions II. In the introductory remarks that were included on that disk, I said that I had been unable to figure out how to save a game of Monopoly in progress. Thanks to Ken Kill, the mystery of saving a game is now cleared up. He writes, “To save a game in progress, just press either Control-S or Open-Apple-S when rolling the dice.” Thanks Ken, for pointing that out. Staying In Touch Do you have a hint or tip to share? Do you have a technical question? If you want to contact Shareware Solutions II, using email is the most efficient method. Feel free to direct your email to any of the following addresses: joko@aol.com joko@crl.com j-kohn@genie.geis.com 76702.565@compuserve.com If you still send mail the old fashioned way, for the speediest reply, please include a self addressed stamped envelope. I cannot guarantee that I have the answers to all your questions, but I'll try my hardest. @ Shareware Solutions IT 3 More Lost Classics Good computer games never die; they just get re-written with endless variations. To confirm that, just visit any local arcade emporium. Chances are pretty high that the latest and great- est releases are based on classic games. Doesn’t Smash TV look and play just a little bit like Robotron 2084, and doesn’t that brand new fast action outer space shoot ’em up look a little like Galaxian or Defender or Star Gate? Sure they do. But why dump endless quarters into an arcade machine, when in the comfort of your own com- puter room, you can play the originals on your Apple II? Until now, the only reason to keep rolls of quarters handy was that many of those original computer games were no longer being actively marketed. Have you tried finding a copy of Pac-Man for the Apple II recently? The early to mid 1980s was the hey-day of Apple II arcade game action. Back then, one company seemed to stand out above all others — AtariSoft. Many of their games have held up incredibly well, but in order to play something like Galaxian, you had to visit an arcade. That’s no longer the case, thanks to the latest efforts by Big Red Computer Club. Over the past few years, Big Red has made nearly 200 classic Apple II games avail- able again and most of them carry a price tag that is just a fraction of what software stores used to charge for them. Big Red’s latest coup has been to uncover a source for 15 different AtariSoft games, all of them classics, and all of them 4 Shareware Solutions IT Grapevine available at cut-rate pricing. All games come in their original packaging, complete with orig- inal manuals. Just seeing the list of AtariSoft titles will be like a stroll down memory lane for many of you. And, for those who purchased an Apple II long after these titles became un- available, you’re in for a real treat. Some of the best games ever released for the Apple II were put out by AtariSoft! Big Red is currently offering these AtariSoft titles: Track & Field, Centipede, Pac-Man, Ms Pac-Man, Star Gate, Donkey Kong, Defender, Robotron 2084, Jungle Hunt, Dig Dug, Moon Patrol, Galaxian, Battle Zone, Gremlins, and Joust. And, the pricing is simply unbelievable. Are you sitting down? Big Red is offering these titles for only $7.50 each, or if you want to purchase all 15 titles, you can for only $75. Add- itionally, Big Red charges $3 per order for UPS shipping and handling within the United States. For delivery outside the United States, you'll pay only for the actual freight charges. Big Red accepts VISA and MasterCard, checks and money orders, and school purchase orders. All AtariSoft games require only 48K, so they should work just fine on any Apple II, II+, Tle, IIc, or IIGS. The games are only available on 5.25" disks, as these games run under the DOS 3.3 operating system. A joystick is optional, but is highly recommended; if you do not already own a joystick, you can order one from Big Red for $22.50. For additional information, contact: Big Red Computer Club 423 Norfolk Avenue Norfolk, NE 68701 402-379-4680 Where Are They Now? Americans tend to move around a lot, and shareware program- mers are no exception. In fact, because so many of them are students, some shareware pro- grammers move each year. That makes it very difficult and frus- trating to submit shareware fees for programs that you like. In Shareware Solutions II, Issue #2, I announced that I would try to contact popular shareware programmers who had vanished. Hopefully, in the future, I'll be able to track down the where- abouts of many more pro- grammers. This is a good start. Lane Roathe has written several highly acclaimed IIGS share- ware programs, including the word processor Write Away!, and the wild and wacky arcade shoot ’em up game Space Whiskey. You can now contact him at the following address: Lane Roathe Ideas From the Deep 3701S. Higuera, Suite 101 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Paul Elseth wrote IconEd, a wonderful IIGS shareware Icon Editor. When he released the latest revision to IconEd, back in late 1998, he was in the process of moving. His current address is: Paul Elseth 27025 NE Dorothy Duvall, WA 98019 Jupiter Systems has written some fantastic IIGS utility programs, including FinderView and FinderSounder. As they are students, the members of Jup- iter Systems tend to move at the start of the school year. A number of people have reported that the Post Office returned their shareware checks, with the notation “Addressee Unknown.” The truth of the matter is that they just got a new post office box. Their current address is: Jupiter Systems P.O. Box 4841 Naperville, Il. 60567 Dave Lyons, an Apple Computer Inc employee who was involved in writing parts of System 6.0 and 6.0.1 for the IIGS, has produced several shareware pro- grams, and released them under a company name: DAL Systems. Those DAL titles include Davex, a command line shell, Nifty List, a programmer’s utility, and DIcKd, a IIGS Icon Editor. In late March, Dave announced that DAL Systems was no longer in business and that he’d closed DAL’s post office box. He now says that as far as he’s concerned, Apple II users are welcome to use Davex, Nifty List, and DIcEd without paying for them. Additionally, he confided that he “still may release updates to Nifty List and Davex some day; in that case the new versions would most likely be freeware, but I’m not promising any- thing.” Lastly, he confided that “if people want to send me outright donations, I suppose I will take them; but I want to be clear that I don’t have time to mail disks or answer US Mail. I generally answer email sent to dlyons@apple.com, at least if the questions are easy.” Dave’s current address is: Dave Lyons 20990 Valley Green Dr #664 Cupertino, CA 95014 In parting, Dave Lyons would like to share with you an obscure Easter Egg: “In versions of Nifty List that have command-line history (up and down arrows scroll through previous commands so you can edit and re-use them), if you go up past your earliest command, there is a message that varies slightly by version. It’s an inside joke for Andy Nicholas, who bugged me for many months to implement the history feature.” Joe Jaworski, who wrote much of Vitesse’s Salvation Supreme suite of IIGS utility programs, is primarily remembered as the author of Star Trek Classic, a wonderful IIGS strategy share- ware game. In the documen- tation included within the game, it states that upon pay- ment of the shareware fee, you will be mailed a printed man- ual. In the past two years, all checks mailed have been re- turned by the post office. I’m happy to report that Joe Jaworski is alive and well and although he no longer uses an Apple IIGS, he still has plenty of Star Trek manuals available. His current address is: Joe Jaworski 2280 Grass Valley Hwy Suite #146 ‘Auburn, CA 95603 KansasFest 1994 Although its name has been officially changed to ICON- ference, the Apple II faithful will once again descend on staid Avila College, in Kansas City, MO, on July 20, 1994 for KansasFest! The sixth annual “gathering of the Apple II tribes” will once again see a hundred or more Apple II programmers, power users, user group officers, and ‘just plain folk” assemble for several days of outrageous fun, late night talk sessions, and two days’ worth of Apple II related conferences. The conferences are scheduled for July 21st and 22nd, and July 28rd is an unstructured day. Try to make your plans early, as the “early bird” rate expires on May 15, 1994. Until then, the cost of the conference is $200; after May 15th, the price will be $250. Room and board are also available in the dormitory. Double rooms are $35 per night if you register before May 15th, and $40 per night after. Although the schedule for speak- ers is far from firm, I have sub- mitted a proposal to conduct two talks: “All About the Internet” and “Looking Good In Print.” I hope to see you then. For additional ICONference information, contact: ICON PO Box 11250 Overland Park, KS 66207 913-469-6502 913-469-6507 (fax) Kiss From Israel When the FTA still produced Apple IIGS freeware and share- ware software, many of their innovative scrolling text dis- plays proclaimed that “we are everywhere.” The Apple IIGS has a worldwide following, and informative news- Shareware Solutions II 5 letters are not strictly limited to those written in English or produced in the United States. A case in point is “Kiss From Israel,” a IIGS newsletter that is published in Israel, but written entirely in French. The IIGS has an extremely ded- icated following in France, and “Kiss From Israel” should be a welcome relief for those in France and in French speaking Canada. Although I do not speak or read French and therefore cannot comment on the actual articles contained in the newsletter, it certainly appears to be filled with new product reviews, dis- cussions of freeware and share- ware, and even contains infor- mation on Easter Eggs. Like Shareware Solutions II, it is primarily the work of one person: Steve Sebban. The cost for a one year, six issue subscription, is $30 for delivery to the United States or Canada. A one year subscription for delivery to France is 125 French Francs. There is, however, a discount available to members of the France based GS.Club. If you belong to that club, send a photocopy of your membership card, along with 100 French Francs. For additional infor- mation on “Kiss From Israel”, contact: Steve Sebban 8/15 Gordon St Netanya, ISRAEL The Kula Index Since 1984, Michael Ching has been keeping a watchful eye on all of the different Apple II publications and he has been releasing a yearly index of all the articles that appeared 6 Shareware Solutions IT during the year. The Kula Index is kept in an AppleWorks Data- base format, and it is quite complete. Available on either 5.25" or 3.5" disks, the indexes contain a listing of each article’s name, author, date and issue of pub- lication, and each has a number of keywords attached, making it easy to search for an article on a particular subject. Over the years, the Kula Index has included information on articles that appeared in A+, inCider, inCider/A+, Call-Apple, Creative Computing, Nibble, SoftTalk, Open Apple, and Scarlett. The latest 1993 Kula Index even includes information about II Alive and Shareware Solutions II. There are two types of indexes available — yearly indexes that include information on more than one publication, and pub- lication specific issues. Each costs $9.95. The Kula Index requires that you already own AppleWorks. For additional contact: information, Michael Ching Kula Software 2118 Kula Street Honolulu, HI 96817 808-595-8131 The Phoenix Project One day recently, British writer Richard King arrived on the Usenet’s comp.sys.apple2, and things have not been the same ever since. Richard posted some eloquent remarks, and made a proposal, and soon, more than 50 Apple II users expressed interest in the Phoenix Project, myself included. As proposed, the Phoenix Project is to be a non-hierarchical co- operative with the main dual goals of creating software and upgrading already existing commercial software that is no longer being supported or sold. Similar in concept to The Lost Classic Project which has been able to resurrect formerly comm- ercial Apple II software as free- ware, the Phoenix Project first set its sights on Foundation, the suite of GS/OS Resource Editors from Marc Wolfgram of Lunar Productions. Amazed at what the Phoenix Project was able to accomplish in just one week, I wrote to Marc Wolfgram for confirmation. His reply was short and to the point: “Yes, Foundation is being released to The Phoenix Proj- ect.” Many details still need to be worked out concerning copy- rights and legal issues, but it sure looks like the IIGS world will soon have an updated set of utilities to create, edit and modify GS/OS based resources. Hopefully, more details will be forthcoming in the next issue. In addition to Foundation, there has been much talk about those involved in The Phoenix Project to create a IIGS flight sim- ulator. If you'd like to help The Phoenix Project in any way, you'll need a modem and access to Internet email. Thanks to team member Austin Phelps, Phoenix now has an automated Internet mail hub and a mailing list set up. To be placed on that mailing list, send an email to phoenix-list@pro-lightning.oau.org and in the subject line, include the word SUBSCRIBE followed by your name. Let’s hope that The Phoenix Project is a rousing success. Stay tuned for details. @ Modem Madness Enhancing America Online For the past couple of years, Apple II owners who subscribe to the America Online network have been clamoring for an update to the AOL software. An email letter writing campaign to AOL management failed to sway them to release such an update, but those requests and letters were indirectly heard, and those who access America Online on an Apple IIGS can now use Online Enhancer to enhance and augment their online experience. Unlike the original AOL soft- ware that is provided free of charge to all new subscribers, Online Enhancer is a $30 com- mercial software package that is neither endorsed nor sold by America Online. It is not a stand-alone product that re- places the already existing AOL software; it works in conjunction with that software. The authors of Online Enhancer, Andy Wells and Steve Bernacki, should be well known to most AOL users. Andy Wells is the AOL Forum Assistant for the telecommunications forum, and Steve Bernacki holds a Forum Assistant position in the pro- ductivity forum. These qualifi- cations make the authors as knowledgeable as is possible in the inner workings of AOL. Online Enhancer requires an Apple IIGS running System 6.0 or later, with a minimum of 1.25 megabytes of RAM mem- ory installed. Of course, it also requires that you have a subscription to America Online. Online Enhancer provides both “bug fixes” and new func- tionality to the already existing AOL software. Although the “pug fixes” are not readily apparent to the AOL user, Andy Wells says that they have made the software much more GS/OS compliant and have fixed some bugs that could cause the AOL software to crash. Having had an account on AOL since its beta-test days, I’ve never experienced any crashes with the AOL software, but then again, that’s not the main reason that I wanted to use Online Enhancer. I, and most others, benefit most from new features afforded by Online Enhancer. Using Online Enhancer, it’s now possible to send or receive email from anywhere on the system. With Online Enhancer, it’s pos- sible to use New Desk Acces- sories while online, something that was never possible before. With Online Enhancer, it’s now possible to automatically dis- connect from the system after downloading a file. With Online Enhancer, and with either The Manager or SwitchIt installed, it’s now possible to download a file, and in the middle of the download, run another program. With a feature that was, in part, inspired by the Sound Control Panel in System 6.0, all sorts of digitized sounds can be assigned to online events. As an example, you could have a door bell chime when you first log on to AOL, or could have Porky Pig saying, “That’s all, folks” when you log off. Anyone who spends any time on America Online will enjoy using Online Enhancer, and it’s very well worth the $30 cost. For additional information, send an email to Andy Wells at his AOL screen name: AFA AndyW. To order Online Enhancer, send a $30 check or money order made out to Andy Wells, to: Andy Wells 307 Klotter Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45219-1424 LineLink 144e If you don’t yet own a modem, or are still trudging along with a 1200 or 2400 baud modem, the time has never been better to purchase one of the newer high speed modems that transfers data at six times the speed of a standard 2400 baud modem. In fact, it’s hard to imagine that modems can ever cost less than they do now. For only $99, plus $3 for over- night delivery, you too can be the proud owner of Technology Con- cept’s Linelink 144e. Included with the LineLink 144e is an Apple recommended high speed hardware handshaking cable, so you can be up and running with your new modem in just a few minutes. I recently purchased a LineLink 144e and have no hesitation in endorsing it and recommending it for your use. I was apprehensive at first. After all, in the not so distant past, I'd paid $200 for my first used 300 baud modem, $425 for a used 1200 baud modem, and $200 for a 2400 baud modem. I wondered how a company could offer a 14.4 baud modem while similar modems from other companies cost $200 or more. When the LineLink arrived, it was obvious why the modem could be offered for so little money. The plastic casing is very thin and there is no metal supportive materials. Also, there are only five status lights on the front of the modem, and unlike most other modems that Shareware Solutions IT 7 have separate status lights to indicate whether data is being sent or received, the LineLink has a single data transfer status light that indicates only that data is being transferred, but it doesn’t differentiate as to whether the data is incoming or outgoing. Despite the aesthetics, or lack thereof, the LineLink 144e is a Hayes compatible modem that, quite simply, works as adver- tised and works quite well. In several weeks of heavy usage, T’ve had absolutely no problems with the LineLink. Whether connecting to CompuServe at 9600 baud, GEnie or AOL at 2400, the Internet at 14.4, or local BBSs at 19.2, there have been zero problems. The LineLink 144e is sold as a combination fax machine and modem. The fax capabilities are provided within the modem’s hardware, but unfortunately, there is no Apple II software that allows us to send or receive faxes, yet. It is my under- standing, however, that Richard Wifall, a IIGS programmer who has written several freeware and shareware programs (DeskTracker and GS<->IRC) is currently working on send and receive fax software, and if and when it is ever completed and released, it will support the same Group 3, Class 2 faxes that the LineLink has the capability of supporting. T’ve tested the LineLink 144e with ProTerm v3.0, ProTerm 3.1, and AnsiTerm, and they all work great. When configuring your software, just choose the Hayes 9600 option or the SupraFaxModem option. They both work just fine. With a 14.4 modem, you too can 8 Shareware Solutions IT soon be cruising the highways of cyberspace. Watch out, though; at 14.4, you are subject to being cited for exceeding the speed limit. The LineLink 144e is only available, at this point, from MacWarehouse, a large Mac mail order company. Their part number is MOD 0145. For add- itional information, contact: MacWarehouse PO Box 3013 1720 Oak St Lakewood, NJ 08701-3013 1-800-225-6227 1-908-370-4779 1-908-905-9279 (Fax) Clementine With very little fanfare, the US has returned to the Moon for the first time since the end of the Apollo manned moon landing program in the early 1970s. Un- like NASA’s manned missions that captured the imagination of the world in 1969, the Clementine spacecraft that is currently orbiting our closest celestial neighbor is the first interplanetary probe ever to be launched by the US Department of Defense. The Clementine spacecraft will remain in orbit around the moon until May 5, 1994, at which time it will leave lunar orbit and pass by the Earth on its way to fly by asteroid 1620 Geographos on August 31, 1994. During the entire Clementine flight, selected images taken by the on-board high resolution cameras will be made available on a regular basis through the Internet. Images are updated daily, and an incredible amount of stunning views of both the moon and the earth have already been released. In add- ition to graphics, volumes of text based information are also available. If you have Internet access, just use FTP (File Transfer Protocol) to open up your link to clementine.sl.gov, and log in as “ftp” followed by your email address. All of the graphic images will be found in the /pub/clementine/images sub- directory; all of the text based data will be found in the /pub/clementine/information sub-directory. If you use one of the commercial online services which provides an Internet email gateway, or access the Internet from a ProLine BBS site, and therefore do not have the ability to use FTP, you're in luck. You can get any of the materials sent to you via FTP-Mail. If you’re not familiar with FTP-Mail, just follow these procedures: 1) Address an email message to ftpmail@clementine.s1.gov 2) The subject line may be left blank, it does not matter. 3) The body of the message should include just one word: help By return email, you should receive an informative document that tells you exactly how to use FTP-Mail, and more specifically, how to use it to retrieve data from the Clementine spacecraft. Downloading graphic images from a Department of Defense satellite would have been impossible just a year or two ago. Now, anyone with a modem and access to the Internet super data highway can do so. We certainly live in an exciting time! New Internet Tools: neftp When researching the article about the Internet that ap- peared a few issues back, I re- ceived a warning from a knowl- edgeable Internet user which stated that the Internet is changing so quickly that as soon as an article about the Internet appears, a lot of the information will already be obsolete. At first, I was skeptical; now I realize just how accurate that statement is. For those of you who use the Internet, please be aware that there is a new and greatly improved implementation of FTP, the Internet’s protocol for transferring files around the world. Named “ncftp”, this new implementation will quickly make the old way of trans- ferring files via FTP obsolete, except for those few who actually enjoy using UNIX and its somewhat arcane and cryptic commands. With ncftp, much of the process of transferring files is now semi- automated. With ncftp, you no longer have to manually log on to an ftp site; ncftp does it for you automatically. With neftp, you no longer have to type in long domain addresses of ftp sites; necftp stores that information, so you only have to type in the names once, and subsequent return visits to that ftp site can be chosen from a menu. Using ncftp, the last subdirectory you visited will be remembered, and you'll auto- matically enter an ftp site at the same subdirectory you visited during your last session. If you haven't yet tried ncftp, you'll be very pleasantly surprised when you do. Like all other Internet based tools, in order to use neftp, the actual program must be com- piled on your host computer system. If you access the net from a commercial Internet Service Provider, chances are high that neftp already has been compiled on that dial up system, so just type ncftp (or !ncftp or Yncftp) to use it. Please pay special attention to the different hints and tips that appear each time you use neftp. Tf you access the Internet from a network’s terminal, ncftp must reside on your network. If it doesn’t, ask your system administrator to contact the author of ncftp for the source code. Direct that email request to: mgleason@cse.unl.edu. New Internet Tools: Lynx As described in the “All About the Internet” article in issue #3, there are a number of different Internet tools available; each tool is used for a particular function. In general, the most common Internet tools people use are ftp to transfer files, Telnet to log onto remote systems, and Gopher to find out where on the Internet infor- mation can be found. Although long time Internet denizens know how to use those tools, figuratively, in their sleep, net novices are often confused by how to search remote data- bases and intimidated by the process of downloading software from far away sites. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Internet were a little more user friendly? To borrow from the terminology and analogies of the popular, but often misinformed popular press, many people think of the Internet as not quite a super data highway; it’s more like a dirt road with no clearly marked entrance and exit signs. It’s obvious that writers who use terms and analogies like the above have never heard of Lynx. To continue the super data highway analogy, if you use Lynx, you can soon be speeding down the super data highway at 200 miles per hour, on cruise control, with nothing more than a learner’s permit. In short, Lynx has to be the most fantastic, phenomenal and wondrous online tool ever developed. Using Lynx, even a first time Internet user can find just about any type of infor- mation they desire. They can visit online museums and stroll the aisles of the Library of Congress. They can download Apple II software without ever having to type a single command and they can easily retrieve data from computers world-wide. Lynx serves as a front-end to the World Wide Web, a large-scale networked hypertext informa- tion search and retrieval system that was started by CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics in Geneva, Switzerland. I first heard of Lynx several months ago, when Tero Sand, a subscriber from Finland, sent me an email about it. In that email, he quoted a European magazine that said, “The World Wide Web employs a technology known as hyper- media. The web is worldwide because the links between documents can stretch across the global network; click on a footnote to a paper in a London database and you might see a related graph drawn on the fly by a computer in Minneapolis from statistics stored on a computer in Stuttgart.” How, I wondered, was it possible Shareware Solutions IT 9 for me, calling an Internet Service Provider from my trusty Apple II, to use hypermedia to access the Internet? I decided to give Lynx a try. Using Lynx has changed my life. It has had as deep and profound an effect on me as when I first brought that Apple II+ home, many years ago. If you thought I was excited about the Internet before, I’m ecstatic, elated, and filled with joy now. Thanks, Tero! I have never encountered any- thing in the online universe that even remotely compares to Lynx and the World Wide Web. Lynx gives the Internet a user friend- ly face. It gives navigational powers to any and all. One moment you can be connected to a NASA computer at their Hunstville facility and a mom- ent later, you can be examining Roman archaeological data from an Italian university that you'd never heard of before. Seconds later you can be downloading Apple II software or reading the latest record reviews from MTV. And, you can do all this simply by using your arrow keys. Never again will you need to type a Unix command. Never again will you have to remember the long domain address previously need to access a university card catalog. The future has arrived, and it’s called Lynx! From Lynx’s main menu, you'll notice two different methods to navigate; one is by subject matter, the other is by type of information. Using just your arrow keys to choose items, choose access by subject matter, and you'll see a long alpha- betical list that includes just about everything from Anatomy 10 Shareware Solutions IT to Zoology, with everything in between. When you see a sub- ject you're interested in, press your right arrow key, and it will be like entering the Enterprise’s transporter system; instantly, you'll be browsing the contents of a computer half way around the world. When you're done with one subject, pressing a left arrow key amazingly brings you back to Lynx’s home page. If you press your right arrow key to choose Lynx’s option to search by type, you'll soon see a listing of all those old familiar Internet tools, including Telnet, Gopher and FTP. Choose any of them and a huge listing of sites appear. Choose any one by using your arrow keys. Never, ever again, will you be hopelessly lost on the Internet. Like ncftp, Lynx must reside on your local system. But, unlike neftp, if it doesn’t exist on your local system, you can still use it if you have access to Telnet. If so, just use telnet to connect to hnsource.cc.ukans.edu, and at the log in prompt, just type “www”. Those will be the last commands you'll ever have to type while using the Internet. In order to use Lynx, you need to be using VT-100 Terminal Emulation. The actual text links are displayed in Inverse, and if using ProTerm, you'll need to specially configure Pro- Term just right. To do that, select the Misc Pull Down menu and select the Preferences options. When those appear, choose the item named More. You'll soon see an item marked, “attributes to display in in- verse.” Make sure to choose only Reverse and Underline and then save your preference settings. You'll only have to set those preferences once, and after- wards Lynx will operate splendidly. Environet BBS Environet is a free electronic Bulletin Board System (BBS) which is sponsored by Green- peace and deals with the issues with which Greenpeace is pri- marily concerned. These include the environment in general and specific concerns such as toxic pollution, marine ecology, and disarmament. In addition to regularly updated Greenpeace press releases, the Environet BBS features stories and information and news- letters about hazardous waste, energy derived from the wind and about jobs available world wide. All registered Environet users also have access to Internet email and to Fidonet. Other grassroots organizations may also request a special private conference area for the use of their members only. First time callers have access to most parts of the system, particularly the News and Infor- mation area and the Confer- ences; you are therefore free to explore Environet to determine if it’s a BBS that you'd like to use regularly. To access Environet, have your modem dial 1-415-512-9108. Environet is located in San Francisco, CA. Woodstock ’94 25 years ago, a half million people descended on the small town of Bethel, NY for “3 days of peace and music” and left with a lifetime of memories. For those who were there, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair represented all that was wonderful about that unforgettable and tu- multuous era of the 1960s. It’s hard to believe, though, that a quarter century has passed since that event. To celebrate the anniversary of Woodstock, there are currently three concerts being planned for the weekend of August 13-14, 1994. One of the concerts dubbed “Woodstock ’94,” is being produced by those who produced the original event. Another concert dubbed “Bethel 94,” is being held at Yasgur’s Farm, the site of the original event. Lastly, an ad-hoc group of hippies that gathers at Yasgur’s Farm every August 15th is planning a free “Freedom Fest” to be held somewhere near Bethel, NY. Using your modem, there are two ways you can stay informed about these upcoming events. By dialing 914-679-3040, you can access the Woodstock BBS at speeds of up to 19.2. Or, you can use your modem to send email to woodstockr@aol.com and request to receive a free subscription to “The Wood- stocker’s Journal.” © Apple I Product News Despite what you may hear elsewhere, software and hard- ware companies are still re- leasing new or updated Apple II products. But you would be hard pressed to find Apple II soft- ware and hardware in stores. That’s why, beginning with this issue, Shareware Solutions II will be tracking down recently released Apple II products and listing them in “Apple II Product News.” In this issue we take a look at more than a dozen software programs that appeal to a wide range of users, from pre- schoolers to HyperStudio stack developers to Modula-2 prog- rammers. If a listed product piques your interest, call or write to the company to learn more about the product and to see if it fits your needs. Most companies have toll-free phone numbers so it only costs a few minutes’ time to learn more about products that can help you increase your enjoyment of your Apple II. As a service provided by Share- ware Solutions II for its sub- scribers, Apple II Product News is for information purposes only By Cynthia £. Field, Ph.D. and does not constitute an endorsement of any product. All prices are for single packages. Lab packs, network licenses, and site licenses may be avail- able. Contact the companies directly for free catalogs or to inquire about preview policies, money back guarantees, and other support services. Byte Works, Inc. HyperLogo HyperLogo is a scripting lan- guage for HyperStudio. You can create and run movies, use powerful artificial intelligence commands to drive your stacks, and make your stacks talk. Requires Apple IIGS, 1.75 Megabytes RAM, one 3.5" drive, HyperStudio 3.01 or later; color monitor recommended. Talking Tools ($30) required for speech. $50 Introductory Price ($90 after 5/31/94) 3D Logo This is the company’s brand new Logo programming environ- ment. After learning a dozen or so commands, you can create complete desktop programs that run from the Finder. Requires Apple IIGS, one 3.5" drive, 1.25 Megabytes RAM; color monitor recommended. Talking Tools ($30) required for speech. $50 Introductory Price ($90 after 5/31/94) Modula-2 Modula-2 is Niklaus Wirth’s successor to Pascal for systems programming. Requires Apple IIGS, 1.75 Megabytes RAM, and hard disk drive. $150 Shipping and handling $5 per order. Contact the company for a free catalog describing their many Apple II products. Byte Works, Inc. 4700 Irving Blvd. NW, Ste. 207 Albuquerque, NM 87114 505-898-8183 America Online: MW50 GEnie: byteworks Internet: mw50@aol.com Laureate Learning Systems Creature Magic Shareware Solutions IT i (Special Needs and Early Learning Software) Four games introduce impor- tant language and cognitive con- cepts: non-existence, one and more than one, prepositions “in” and “on,” and word order. Just press the single switch and the Wiz performs entertaining ani- mated routines. $65 (Requires Apple Ile, IIc, 64K RAM) $75 (Requires Apple IIGS, 512K RAM) Exploring Vocabulary Series: Exploring First Words Exploring First Words II Exploring First Verbs (Special Needs and Early Learning Software) Blob, Breaker, and Roggi help children reinforce vocabulary in fun, exploratory scenes fea- turing colorful graphics and high quality speech. Teachers control lesson presentation. Accessible with keyboard, touch screen, single switch, or mouse. $90 each (Requires Apple IIe, IIc, 64K RAM) $100 each (Requires Apple IIGS, 1 Megabyte RAM ) My Paint and Talking Coloring Books: First Words First Words II First Verbs Let's Go To The Circus (Special Needs and Early Learning Software) Using all the features of My Paint, your students will have a great time with these specially designed coloring books. Each has 20 engaging pictures fea- turing an early developing vocabulary word or language concept which the program says aloud. $50 each (Requires Apple IIGS, 512K RAM.) Let's Go to the Circus 12 Shareware Solutions IT (Special Needs and Early Learning Software) The program uses clowns, jugglers, animals, and acrobats to introduce the concept of opposites. Your students will be captivated by engaging scenes and lively animation and will be exposed to more than 75 words and 20 pairs of opposites. $90 (Requires Apple IIGS, 1 Megabyte RAM) Simple Sentence Structure (Special Needs and Early Learning Software) The program highlights the roles of subjects, verbs, and ob- jects in sentences. Two pictures appear on screen and the child is asked to choose the picture that illustrates a particular sentence. The program features clear speech, colorful graphics, and lively animation. $150 (Requires Apple Ile, IIc, 128K RAM) $175 (Requires Apple IIGS, 1 Megabyte RAM) Laureate Learning Systems Inc 110 East Spring St. Winooski, VT 05404-1898 1-800-562-6801 802-655-4755 802-655-4757 (fax) MECC Number Jumpers (Math - Grades 3 to 6) Frog-filled fun awaits students in this new program (available May, 1994) as they master the use of three strategies to com- pare and to order various types of numbers. $59 (Requires Apple Ile, Ie, TIGS, 128K RAM) Rescue in the Outback (Social Studies — Grades 5 to 9) Burke and Wills, the first people to cross Australia, are lost in the Outback. On this res- cue expedition, students learn about Australian plant and animal life and learn survival skills from Aboriginal tribes. This new product will be avail- able in May, 1994. $59 (Requires Apple IIe, IIc, IGS, 128K RAM) Science Giants (Science and Mathematics — Grades 3 to 6) In this new program (available May, 1994) students ask ques- tions of scientists and mathe- maticians to determine who they are, how they contributed to their field, and where they fit in a historical context. $59 (Requires Apple IIe, IIc, IIGS, 128K RAM) MECC 6160 Summit Drive North Minneapolis, MN 55430-4003 1-800-685-MECC 612-569-1500 612-569-1551 (fax) Micrograms Publishing Pondering Problems (Math word problems — Grades 2 to 5) Ferdinand Frog presents hun- dreds of math word problems. Problems for each grade are on a separate disk, and teachers control the level of difficulty. The program loads entirely into the computer’s memory. Micro- grams’ unique software license allows you to use the program on more than one computer at a time. (Requires Apple Ile, IIc, IIGS, 128K RAM) $99.80 (all four grades) $24.95/grade Micrograms Publishing 1404 N. Main St. Rockford, IL 61103 1-800-338-4726 815-965-2464 815-965-8456 (fax) Sunburst Communications Divide with Balancing Bear (Math/division — Grades 3 to 6) By sorting jellybeans at a jelly- bean factory, students have the opportunity to build visual models of the division process. They also construct concepts about how division applies to real world activities. $65 (Requires Apple Ile, IIc, IIGS, 64K RAM) <in COMMON? Arts & Letters (Interdisciplinary thinking skills — Grades 8 to Adult) Students draw on their knowl- edge of authors and books, clas- sical and contemporary music, the visual arts, and drama from screen and stage to identify attributes, infer categories, and analyze relationships. $65 (Requires Apple IIe, IIc, IIGS, 128K RAM) Sunburst / Wings for learning 101 Castleton St. P.O. Box 100 Pleasantville, NY 10570-0100 1-800-321-7511 914-747-4109 (fax) Please send announcements of new Apple II software and hardware to Dr. Cynthia E. Field, 60 Border Drive, Wakefield, RI 02879-3802. You may also send press releases via Internet email addressed to cefield@aol.com or fax product information to 401-782-0380. @ Getting Started With HyperCardIIGS In The Beginning The very final AppleFest was held on December 7-8, 1990 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Southern California. The keynote speech that year was presented by Ralph Russo, the former head of the Apple II Business Unit. After briefly speaking about plans that never came to pass, he then proceeded to introduce the entire team of software engineers that had spent a grand total of 25,000 man-hours developing HyperCardIIGS. To thunderous applause, Gary Phipps, the team leader for HyperCard- TIGS, proceeded to demonstrate HyperCardIIGS and some of the sample stacks that would be included when HyperCardIIGS was released the following month. HyperCardIIGS was made available as a six disk set that included three large user man- uals, and it retailed for $99. At that time, it was anticipated that this full color imple- mentation of HyperCardIIGS would have just as big of an effect on the IIGS community as the original HyperCard did when it was released for the Macintosh several years before. Soon after HyperCardIIGS was released, there were shake ups and shake downs in the Apple II Business Unit. The head of the department seemed to change with the same frequency as Apple released new Mac- intoshes. Ralph Russo was re- placed by Jane Lee, who was replaced by Rob Barnes, who was replaced by John Santoro. At that time, Apple’s waffling and indecision about the Apple II had dire significance for the newly released HyperCardIIGS. It was originally available from all the usual mail order firms, but with no promotion, adver- tising, or support from Apple, HyperCardlIGS never really seemed to catch on. Although no sales figures have ever been released, it’s been speculated that HyperCardIIGS never sold more than a few thousand copies. Eventually, the sale and sup- port of HyperCardIIGS was turned over to Resource Central, who offered an updated v1.1 package, complete with man- uals for $69. At one point, Resource Central even offered a $49 sale price for the complete package, yet HyperCardIIGS still failed to attract much attention. Eventually, however, Resource Central sold most of the pack- ages of HyperCardIIGS that they had, and when they went to re-order more from Apple, they were informed that there were no more. It was at that point, in late 1993, that several friends of the Apple II who still worked at Apple sprang into action. Working with the lawyers in Apple’s Software Licensing Department, they were able to convince Apple to extend the licensing agreements of the online services so that Hyper- CardIIGS could be downloaded from America Online, GEnie or CompuServe. At the same time, Apple also Shareware Solutions IT 13 decided to change the legal status of HyperCardIIGS; it is now considered to be in the same category as Apple II System Software. What that means is that Apple User Groups that are authorized to distribute System Software are now also authorized to distrib- ute HyperCardIIGS. Shareware Solutions II holds a license with Apple to distribute System Software and HyperCardIIGS. But, that license is limited; Shareware Solutions II is only authorized to make HyperCard- TIGS available to subscribers. It’s very important to clarify one major point; HyperCardIIGS is not freeware or shareware. It remains copyrighted by Apple Computer Inc, and in order for any organization to distribute it, it must hold a valid software distribution license. What Is HyperCardIIGS? HyperCardIIGS is a hyper- media toolkit. Hypermedia is, in essence, a software package that allows users to create their own non-linear interactive soft- ware programs that can contain any combination of graphics, music, text, digitized sounds, or animations. HyperCardlIGS provides all the necessary tools to create lessons, tutorials, interactive games, presenta- tions, or visual databases. Included with HyperCard, therefore, is a mini-paint pro- gram, a mini-word processor, and many other tools that allow words and graphics to be com- bined into interactive software. An interactive program that is created by HyperCardIIGS is called a stack. A stack is composed of many different computer screens that are called cards. It’s on those cards 14 Shareware Solutions IT that stack designers can place text information or graphic based images. HyperCardIIGS also provides a method that allows stack designers to place navigational devices, called buttons, onto cards and to specify what type of action will occur when a button is clicked. A navigational button can, for example, display another card, display an animation, playback a digitized sound, control a laser disk, or run another stack or even another program. In short, HyperCardIIGS is a complete development system. All you need is some type of information that you'd like to present to other people, and you can use HyperCardIIGS to create, organize and present that information in any way you desire. Getting Started There are two types of people who will use HyperCardIIGS. Some people will use it to create interactive software, while others will use it as a way to view and interact with stacks created by others. Whichever category you fall into, there’s quite a bit of technical infor- mation provided right from within the HyperCardIIGS pro- gram itself. Once you've installed Hyper- CardIIGS onto your hard disk drive, from the “Home Stack,” youll immediately notice two items that you should explore. From the Home Stack, click on the Tour button, and you'll be given a guided tour that shows what’s included in the Hyper- CardIIGS package. The Tour also shows you what is possible, and defines many of the new terms to which you'll soon be exposed. Viewing the Tour once should be a good introduction for most. After returning to the Home Stack, you'll notice a button that looks like a question mark. When you click on that button, you'll be transported to the built-in help system. The help system is amazingly complete, and it’s cross-referenced and provides examples, hints, tips and answers for just about every question a beginning Hyper- CardIIGS user would have. For the vast majority of HyperCard- TIGS users, that built-in help system will be the only Hyper- CardIIGS help they'll ever need! There’s a second built-in help system which should provide stack designers an excellent starting point for learning about HyperTalk. Although simple stacks can be created without using HyperTalk, most sophis- ticated stacks use the programming language that’s supplied as part of Hyper- CardIIGS. Using HyperTalk, it’s possible to create multiple choice quizzes, databases of in- formation, or just about any- thing else you could possibly imagine. HyperTalk is an easy to learn computer language that employs plain English com- mands, and the HyperTalk Help stack is a great way to become familiar with that language. The built-in dual help systems provide more than enough infor- mation about using HyperCard- IIGS to satisfy the new HyperCardIIGS user. They also provide enough information for the adventurous stack designer who enjoys learning by example. Those help stacks, therefore, may be the only HyperCardIIGS resources that you'll ever really need. If you feel that you'd like additional resource materials, take heed, as they are available. Additional Resources For those who feel that they do need additional written mate- rials and manuals, please keep in mind that the IIGS version of Hypercard is the functional equivalent of the Macintosh version 1.2.5. Essentially, then, if you were to visit a used book store in your area and happened upon manuals or books or tutorials that were based on Mac HyperCard v1.2.5, every- thing in that book would be valid for HyperCardIIGS. And, chances are, you can find older HyperCard books for only a dollar or three. There are also IIGS specific HyperCard reference materials available from Resource- Central (PO Box 11250, Overland Park, KS. 66207. 913- 469-6502) the same organi- zation that, until recently, provided HyperCardIIGS sales and support. They currently offer reference materials that were written by Apple Com- puter Inc. Those include the Hypercard IIgs Script Guide for $23.99, Hypercard Stack Design for $16.95, the HyperCard IIgs Developer’s Kit for $15.00, and the complete set of HyperCard IIgs Technical Notes for only $3.00. Resource Central also publishes Script-Central, a bi-monthly HyperCardIIGS based “maga- zine on disk.” Each two disk issue is filled with innovative HyperCardlIGS stacks, sample scripts, clipart, tutorials, music, and sounds. Above all, each issue of Script-Central is filled with wild and wacky humor. Without a doubt, some of the finest HyperCardIIGS stacks to ever appear have appeared on Script-Central, and subscribers are free to examine the Hyper- Talk scripts used to create the stacks and are free to copy portions of the scripts into their own HyperCardlIGS stacks. Each issue contains some off- the-wall digitized sounds that can also be copied to your own stacks. One of the original editors of Script-Central, Bo Monroe, was an art major in college and his professional training is readily apparent in each issue. There are many impressive areas to be found in each issue, not the least of which is the Rumor-o- Matic machine. Other publica- tions may print rumors, but none in quite the same manner as does Script-Central. Just wander down the hall and into the bathroom, and there, look- ing just like a paper towel dispenser is the Rumor-O- Matic. Pull the handle to be treated to the latest Apple II gossip. That feature alone may well be worth the price of admission. Currently, a gentleman who goes by the nom-de-computer of HangTime edits Script-Central, and in each issue, HangTime will teach you valuable tips and tricks about using this powerful hypermedia environment. Each issue is also bound to bring smiles to your face, as some- thing unexpected and slightly wacky is bound to be included. I heartily endorse Script-Central and recommend it to all users of HyperCardIIGS. I can honestly say that I really look forward to each and every issue and always learn something from it. Plus, in some wild and unexpected way, HangTime never fails to get me to laugh out loud. It’s a unique publication; it’s informative, inspirational, well designed, quite beautiful and has a sense of humor. From Shareware Solutions IT There’s no better way to experi- ence HyperCardIIGS than by examining, inspecting and scru- tinizing the work of others. For that reason, Shareware Sol- utions II is offering a potpourri of HyperCardIIGS stack disks that contain “a little of this, and a little of that.” HyperCardIIGS User Disks: This a 5 disk collection of Hyper- CardIIGS general interest stacks. There are tutorials, databases, games, and music, included. These disks really offer a wide range of subject matter, and range from the useful to the inane. But, they are all high quality freeware and shareware stacks collected over the past few years, and surely, there will be much of interest to the HyperCardIIGS novice in this collection. The five disk set is available from Shareware Solutions II for $15. HyperCardIIGS Designer Disks: This is a 3 disk collection of HyperCardIIGS stacks that will be of interest only to those who plan to use HyperCardIIGS as a development platform. Essen- tially, these stacks can assist you in designing your own HyperCardlIGS stacks. The three disk set is available from Shareware Solutions II for $10. HyperMover: This 2 disk set will be of interest to those of you who own both an Apple IIGS and a Macintosh computer. Hyper- Mover was developed by Apple Computer Inc as a means to move stacks back and forth between the IIGS and the Mac. HyperMover consists of a IIGS HyperCard stack and a Mac- intosh stack. Running either one, it’s possible to disassemble a stack, transfer it to the other Shareware Solutions II 15 platform, and then reassemble the stack on the other platform. As an example of how Hyper- Mover works, you could take a Macintosh stack and disas- semble it on the Mac. Once saved to disk, that same disk can be inserted into the IIGS, and the IIGS HyperMover stack will recreate a IIGS HyperCard stack. There are limitations, however, when using HyperMover; name- ly, not everything makes the transition smoothly. Graphic screens may need some touching up, and they may need to be colorized. XCMDs (External Commands) are machine spe- cific, so any Mac stack that contains XCMDs requires that those XCMDs be rewritten in a format that the IIGS will understand. The 2 disk set of HyperMover is available from Shareware Solutions II for $8. HyperCardIIGS: The 6 disk set that comprises HyperCardIIGS is available from Shareware Solutions II for $15. HyperCardIIGS requires a IIGS with at least 1.5 megabytes of RAM and a hard disk drive with 3.5 megabytes of free disk space. It also requires System 5.0.4 or later. What’s Next? Now that all IIGS owners have the ability to view HyperCard- IIGS generated stacks, it’s anticipated that there will be a slew of new freeware and share- ware HyperCardIIGS stacks developed and released over the next few months. If you use HyperCardlIGS to develop stacks that you think others might be interested in seeing, please send them along to Shareware Solutions II. I’ll attempt to categorize them by interest, and make them avail- able to other subscribers. Keep in mind that even if you can’t draw a straight line, or don’t know how to program, it’s still possible for you to use HyperCardIIGS to create so- phisticated software that others might enjoy. After all, you’re only limited by your own imagination. @ Shareware Solutions [e/IIc/Ilgs Library Notes Shortly after Randy Brandt released his Make402B Apple- Works 4.0 to 4.0.2 freeware updater utility, a minor problem was discovered. If you used Make402B, chances are high that the program “crashed” on you. The good news is that the crash occurred after the update had already been completed, so despite some anxiety, rest assured that you now have the latest version of AppleWorks. In any case, Make402B has now been replaced in the library by Make402D. Amazing Mazes If you're the type of person who thrives on unraveling complex or abstract problems, there’s a good chance that you also enjoy working with puzzles. Tradit- 16 Shareware Solutions IT ional puzzles provide an oppor- tunity to sharpen one’s mental acuity and decision making abilities, while providing a sense of accomplishment. Traditional paper based maze puzzles have made the transi- tion from the analog world to the digital word, and the electronic versions are actually far superi- or for several reasons. Electronic mazes can provide the puzzle player with endless variety, they do not require large amounts of table space, and most impor- tantly, they allow the puzzle player to not only solve the puzzles others have created, but to easily create their own! No matter what your age is, if you use an Apple II, there is bound to be a maze program that will enthrall, mystify, and intrigue you, while providing days or months of practice in abstract reasoning skills. Sokoban, a $5 shareware game by Evan Day, is a challenging double hi res (128K Enhanced Tle, IIc, IGS or Laser 128 required) keyboard controlled maze game, but one with a twist. Objects block your path, and you'll need to push the objects out of the way, one at a time, and push them into a storage receptacle. Unfortu- nately, the objects may become trapped against the walls of the maze, in which case, you'll need to start all over again. There is a save game feature, and an “ando last move” feature, so if you get real stuck, there may be a way out of your predicament. There are a total of 50 different mazes, and you can start at any level you want. The higher the level, the bigger the maze, and the tougher it is to navigate. The author of the program states in the documentation that he has never been able to get past level 22. Noted Apple II educator and journalist Phil Shapiro felt that the original Sokoban maze puzzles were too difficult for elementary school students, so working together with Evan Day, Phil Shapiro has created Simple Sokoban, a modified $5 shareware version that contains 50 new levels that even 2nd and 8rd graders should easily be able to navigate. In addition to the 50 easier mazes, Simple Sokoban also includes detailed instructions that explain how to create your own new Sokoban levels. Other noteworthy maze pro- grams include: Internamaze: This is a simply incredible 3 dimensional free- ware maze that was written by Dennis Ward and Bill Forten- berry. To help you on your quest through the maze, you can display a top down map, carry a compass or even leave foot steps to show where you've been. Mazel: This is a maze that you navigate via joystick. The goal is not so much to get out of the maze; instead, you'll try to pass over colored objects in order to score points. Dragon Maze: You'll watch as the computer generates a color- ful maze, but when it’s com- plete, the maze will be erased, and you'll try to find your way out from memory. It’s not impossible, though, as the walls appear as you bump into them. Mad Maze: This is a challenging cross between a maze and a numbers puzzle. You'll try to cross the 7 x 7 grid, but you'll need to compute some quick math before you complete the puzzle. Maze Creator: This will gener- ate a random 23 x 39 maze on screen, or a 59 x 59 maze that can be printed on paper. This is the only traditional maze to be found on Amazing Mazes! Evan Day’s original Sokoban game is available from Share- ware Solutions II; it is included on the “Summer Fun 1” coll- ection of ProDOS games, along with 40 other great freeware and shareware games. Avai- lable on either 5.25" or 3.5" disk, the Summer Fun 1 collection is available for $5. Simple Sokoban is also available from Shareware Sol- utions II, on the recently created “Amazing Mazes” collection. Available only on 5.25" disk for $5, that collection also includes the additional maze games and puzzles described above. Infiltrator The Empire has mysteriously come under alien attack, and as an ace star-fighter pilot, you are mankind’s last hope for salvation. That is the premise of Lim Thye Chean’s outer space, fast action, shoot ’em up arcade game. You'll have only 5 chances to save earth in this Defender style game from Singapore. Using either key- board controls or a joystick, you'll try to dodge the alien invaders while blasting them with all you've got. Infiltrator is a fun-filled DOS 3.3 based arcade game that is available from Shareware Sol- utions II for $5. It is available only on 5.25" disk. AppleWorks 4.0.2 First Kit Christian Serreau of Angers, France has recently released a set of 10 shareware TimeOut modules and Init files for use with AppleWorks 4.0.2, making that program even more feature laden and friendly. The files come with a complete on-disk manual that describes in detail what the files are, how to install them and how to use them. TO.CHARSET displays the whole AppleWorks character set as a memo for programmers. TO.CONTROL.PANEL lets the user modify a number of Apple- Works features, similar to the patches in Randy’s Free Patch. However, First Kit allows you to make these changes from within AppleWorks, and those changes are not permanent. TO.DATA- CAT provides enhanced catalog information for files that are saved in the current Apple- Works disk, directory, or sub- directory. TO.FREE.SPACE scans all online disks and shows how much free space is available on them, together with the size of the current file. TO.LINFO displays the version number of all installed init files. TO.I.MANAGER is a TimeOut application that lets you select what init files you want to use next time AppleWorks is run. LOAH2DSK lets you copy the current screen to the clipboard or to a new file. TO.SET.CLOCK allows the user to set the date and time when there isn’t a clock installed. TO.DEVLIST is a convenience for those who have only a single 5.25" disk drive. And finally, there are 2 init files that Shareware Solutions IT 7 perform typical AppleWorks preference patches such as changing the sound of the beep or the reversal of No/Yes prompts. First Kit has a shareware registration fee of $20, payable directly to Christian Serreau. A 5.25" or 3.5" disk containing AppleWorks First Kit is now available from the Shareware Solutions II library for $5. Filecard Builder This freeware utility from Geraldine Wright should be of great interest to those who program in Applesoft Basic, as it allows you to easily create sets of hierarchical menus which look and function just like those menus encountered in Appleworks. Filecard Builder contains an editing program which allows you to create TXT files that contain your menus, and a “template” program that contains all the subroutines you need to put into your own program in order to run the file- card interface. That “template” program also serves as a sample program, with examples of how you would accomplish various tasks using the filecard interface. The package also contains some binary programs, copyrighted by Apple Computer, which control the user input and console display and provide ampersand routines that facilitate display- ing the menus. These binary routines must be in the same subdirectory as the filecard builder program for it to work, and when you distribute your Applesoft Basic programs, a copy of these same binary utilities must also be in the same subdirectory as your program. In order to legally do that, you must first obtain a license from Apple Computer Inc’s Software Licensing Dept. A 5.25" or 3.5" disk containing Filecard Builder is available from the Shareware Solutions IT library for $5. @ Shareware Solutions IIGS The Tinies Brutal Deluxe, the French programming group that created last year’s wonderful IIGS freeware Bille Art game, recently uploaded to the Internet their latest [IGS freeware game, The Tinies, and within hours, it was “the talk of the global electronic village.” Within days, a world-wide con- sensus had been reached, and the overwhelming conclusion was that The Tinies was the best IIGS freeware game of the year! Combining 3200 color graphics with amusing sound effects and poetic documentation, The Tinies is an arcade style timed strategy game with 100 levels. Using your keypad, your goal is to move multiple animated Tinies onto their “sleeper pads.” On the beginning levels, 18 Shareware Solutions IT that’s pretty easy to do; however, you will eventually run into objects that block your path, and you'll need to quickly figure out alternate routes. Upon completion of any level, you'll be shown that level’s access code so that, in sub- sequent sessions, you'll be able to start off the game where you last left off. Suitable for all age groups, The Tinies even in- cludes an informative Easter Egg that displays all those access codes. To activate the Easter Egg, run the program, and look closely at the main menu. There are four possible options. In the upper left hand corner, as part of the graphic icon to “Select Level,” you'll see a representation of a small hand held computer. Just below that computer’s screen, you'll observe three small red lights. Click carefully on the middle light, and the next time you access the documentation, you'll see a number of additional screens. The Tinies can be launched from either System 5 or 6, and is hard drive installable. A 3.5" disk containing The Tinies is avail- able from the Shareware Sol- utions II library for $5. Treasures From Heaven Treasures From Heaven, written by Ken Burtch of PegaSoft Soft- ware, is an innovative sequel to his popular Quest of the Hoard IIGS shareware game. In the original Quest scenario, you were an apprentice wizard try- ing to recover stolen treasures from an evil sorceress. Appar- ently, you were too successful, as you recovered one too many treasures, and incurred the wrath of the sorceress. Out of spite and revenge, she starts throwing at you all the objects that her castle holds. In Quest For The Hoard II, you'll try to catch all those hurled objects with your magic shield, and you'll soon discover that if you stack the objects in a certain manner, they will dis- appear and you'll score points. Treasures From Heaven is based on Atari’s Klax, and it is a colorful strategy arcade game that requires forethought and quick thinking. It features ani- mated objects, a great musical soundtrack and a full featured scoring system. It can be played with either joystick or keyboard input, allows for multiple players and even includes a simple children’s mode. Treasures From Heaven is definitely a commercial quality game, and is certainly well worth the $30 shareware fee. The game itself requires a IIGS with 1.25 megabytes of RAM memory that is running System 6.0 or later. Documentation is provided on disk, and it is mandatory that you read that before playing the game, as there are several GS/OS Toolsets that must first be installed. Once those Tools are installed and the game is launched, several instructional screens will be displayed that clarify how the game is played; those screens should be understandable to even a pre- reading IIGS user. A 3.5" disk containing Treas- ures From Heaven is available from the Shareware Solutions IT library for $5. Star Trek Classic Joe Jaworski has thrilled Apple TIGS game players for the past few years with Star Trek Classic. Now that his where- abouts has been determined (see Grapevine), it’s time to add this wonderful game to the Shareware Solutions II library. Joe Jaworski’s implementation is a stunning Super Hi Res mouse driven version of one of the earliest games ever written for the Apple II: Star Trek Classic. As Captain Kirk, your ongoing mission is to make the galaxy safe from the Klingons. As the game starts, you'll hear the Star Trek theme song, digitized from the TV show. You'll soon learn that 21 invading Klingon ships have been spotted, and if you don’t stop them in 31 days, Federation Headquarters will come under attack. Just like on the real Starship Enterprise, you'll have access to the ship’s computer, navigation system, and short and long range sensors. You'll be able to assess damage control, and launch photon torpedoes and direct phaser fire towards the enemy. Will you be able to save the Federation? Star Trek Classic is a $20 shareware game. Upon payment of that fee directly to the author of the program, you'll be mailed a printed manual. No doc- umentation is provided with the game, but there are only 8 different commands, and you can enter those commands by clicking on the Enterprise’s computer console, or by using a pull down menu. It’s so apparent what to do that you'll be roaming the galaxy hunting Klingons within minutes of launching the program. Star Trek Classic requires System 5.0.4 or later, and 1.5 megabytes of RAM memory. It also requires you to have Apple’s Tool 29 installed on your IIGS system disk. The game is hard drive installable. A 3.5" disk containing Star Trek Classic is available from the Shareware Solutions II library for $5. Ordering Disks When ordering disks from the Shareware Solutions II Library, please order by disk name and specify the disk size you want. All prices include shipping and handling. Please keep in mind that you are still obligated to submit shareware fees directly to the author of any shareware program that you like and continue to use after the initial evaluation period. Please honor the requests for submission of shareware fees, but don't feel obligated to pay shareware fees for software that you don't like. Only checks or money orders, in US funds only, can be accepted for payment of disks from the library. Please make all checks payable to Joe Kohn. All disks are guaranteed to be free from any computer virus or physical defect. Disks damaged in the mail will be replaced free of charge. To prevent problems at a later date, you are advised to immediately copy all disks, and to store the originals in a safe place. In the computer world, that’s called practicing safe hex. ‘ Shareware Solutions IT 19 @@ Apple II Forever! 66 Joe Kohn Shareware Solutions II 166 Alpine Street San Rafael, CA 94901-1008 FIRST CLASS - AIR MAIL