This is version 1.4 of Virtuoso. It is shareware, which means you can give a copy (including this "read me" file and other support files) to your friends. But if you use it, please pay for it. The price is $20 drawn from a US bank. (See the order blank at the end of this manual). That's the only way I am going to be able to offer improved versions, as well as other ham radio programs for the Macintosh™. An added incentive for registering your copy is that you will receive a printed manual documenting hidden features and scripting in detail, as well as every other aspect of Virtuoso.
Have you been trying to find the perfect packet radio communications program for your Macintosh computer? Well, you have just found it. Virtuoso is a communications program written specifically for packet radio. This means that it has features that you as a packet radio operator need and also packs a lot of bells and whistles to keep your packet radio communications smooth and effortless.
I started my Macintosh packet radio career on programs written for general communications (you know the ones). This was okay for starting but it turned out to be quite a bother. I found myself spending more time trying to get the program to do what I wanted it to do than actually communicating on packet.
I have also, in the past, seen literature for other packet radio communications programs, (names not mentioned) but they lacked the power and ease of use that I have grown to love in a Macintosh program. What's the solution?
Virtuoso is the solution. It packs all of the power of the best of the programs and is written specifically for packet radio so operating has never been easier.
Some of the features now implemented are:
•Column Counter
•Word Mode
•A powerful scripting language to automate routine tasks.
•Automatic execution of a script when starting and quitting.
•Save incoming text to a disk file.
•Send a text file from a disk.
•Append a selection of text to the end of an existing file.
•Printing a selection of text.
•Word find - useful for finding the last time you heard someone.
•Spelling checker. Checks the words as you type them.
•Split screen (rx and tx) which can be adjusted easily.
•Windows can be scrolled up to see previous text.
•Full font, size, style, and justification support.
•Supports 300 - 9600 baud.
•Keyboard buffer window so you can type in long messages of text before they are sent over the air. This window supports full cut, copy, paste, clear, and undo like any good text editor does. To send the message, just hit Command-Return.
•Use the control key, or the option key (if you don't have a control key) to send control characters to the TNC.
•Option to strip off line-feeds, or all control characters on the input before it's displayed on the screen and saved to disk. Control-G's can be passed through to beep your computer if you want.
•Virtuoso can automatically put your TNC in KISS mode upon shutdown, and take it back out at startup. This is useful for TCP/IP'ers.
Getting started
When you receive Virtuoso, you will need to put the Virtuoso Prefs file, and the Scripts Folder in the same folder as Virtuoso.
Start Virtuoso by double clicking on it’s icon or any other normal Macintosh method you know. The “About Virtuoso” dialog is briefly shown and then a channel window opens. If a startup script was specified, it is executed immediately.
The channel window has two panels. The top panel contains all of the incoming information from your TNC. The bottom panel contains all of the things you typed and sent to your TNC. This split screen method makes for very convenient packet radio communications. If you are not used to a split screen it might take you a little while to become accustomed to it but it is worth the effort involved.
The size and location of the channel window can be changed easily just like any other Macintosh window. The size of the two panels in the window can be changed by moving your cursor to the split line (black double bar) between the panels, clicking your mouse button, and dragging the split to where you would like the new position to be. Both panels can be scrolled up and down to see previous items that have scrolled off the screen. The number of characters saved is set in the User Preferences dialog, shown by selecting this item in the Options menu.
Once again, if you decide to keep Virtuoso, register your copy. It is worth the money to receive the documentation, which includes descriptions of all of the available script commands.
In order for Virtuoso to check your spelling, it needs dictionaries. I have compounded a set of dictionaries for Virtuoso containing nearly 150,000 words. A file this size takes nearly 4 hours to upload to a BBS, so I decided to mail it to users if they want it. The additional $10 basically covers the cost of the disks, and shipping and handling.
