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.IF DSK1.C3
.CE 2
*IMPACT/99*
by Jack Sughrue
GOOD NEW DAYS
.IF DSK1.C2
Remember those good old days of
1982-84 when there were loads of
books and magazines for us TIers?
When we could buy text materials for
our computer faster than we could
read and use them?
Methinks these days may be
returning. At least a little.
At recent fairs and meeting I've
attended there has been lots of talk
about the disappearing textware in
the TI World Community. No more
books. No more magazines. No
more...
Actually, there is more good,
intelligent, useful TI stuff being
written for textware today than there
was four or five years ago. It's
just that most of it is being written
byusers in user groups, not by some
writer in an ivory tower somewhere.
Most of these new writings are free
(in newsletters with membership or in
exchanges with other groups) and
readily available.
Someday, I'd love to publish a
list of my favorite dozen newsletters
worldwide, but then the IMPACT column
may be reduced to only 12
publications.
So much for that idea.
Joining a user group, even by
mail if there aren't any nearby,
may be the most sensible investment a
99er make.
However, there are still lots of
other sources for textware in our
fellowship.
that ASGARD is coming out with. What
will it be like? In what ways will it
be different from, say, MICROpendium?
Will it be similar to their E-Z Keys
Journal that ASGARD publishes now?
I don't know the answers to these
questions. Idoknow that two issues
are already set up and ready to go
(and I'm sure it'll be up to ASGARD's
usual high standard), but all else
will be as much as a surprise to me
as to anyone. I can't wait.
For those unfamiliar with the
diskazine GENIAL TRAVELER, which is
one of the very best sources a TI
disk-drive owner can get, I would
suggest you write to Barry Traver to
get a subscription. There are years
full of great things on these disks
for an extremely moderate cost. (I
have not even begun to use all the
wonderful things contained in them.)
But there is another text/disk
setup out there that is really worth
your attention. It's been around
since September of '87, and it is
another large value for we 99ers.
TId Bits is a bimonthly magazine
for only $8 (6 issues) for hardcopy
or $12 (6 issues) for disk (SSSD
flippy). The disk contains lots of
additional PD and Fairware stuff to
extend to two sides. The magazine
contains photos and graphics.
Mail to Bruce Forbes, editor;
Route 2, Box 412; Sumerduck, VA
22742.
It may be hard to make a decision
about which version to get - disk or
text. Although the disk contains the
exact text of the hardcopy (and a lot
of other surprise goodies besides), I
personally am partial to the hardcopy
for a number of reasons.
TId Bits pilot issue contained
some screen photos, graphics of an
envelope cataloguer, and a screen
graphic to go along with a program
printed out.
The next issues, however,
contained some of the best
photographs I have ever seen of the
internal structure of our computer.
The text talks about chip
replacements and gives some very
precise, easy-to-follow photographs
and enlargements that make the
process very logical, very clear, and
- even to a non-techie like myself -
very unfrighteningly practical.
It's one thing to see drawings
(which are also in the magazine), but
it's quite another to have
step-by-step photographs of the
entire process.
These magazines are jam-packed
with all kinds of stuff that you
don't find in MICROpendium (at
present, the very best magazine
source for TI owners).
Bruce supplies the reader with
all kinds of inside information on
a large variety of things for us
99ers. Lots of prices of things.
Lots of addresses. Lots of reviews.
Lots of programs.
It's a one-man operation, and
each issue gets better and better.
Bruce has promised to continue
this magazine through at least one
year's subscription. And hardcopies
of all past issues will be available
through 1988 with each subscription.
The disk versions will continue to be
available, I assume, for a long time
to come. Newsletter editors may be
interested in getting this version
for an excellent source of some
interesting material.
Bruce says of his excellent
efforts, " A lot of thought went into
he pricing of TId Bits. We were
keeping in mind that the TI community
has been shafted too many times.
Therefore, we set a projected
break-even factor projected to
December 1988. If we should pick up
a sponsor or advertiser throughout
the year, those funds would be used
to lure a TI Brain to produce unique
articles for us.
"We are committed to 1988 and are
cautiously optimistically looking to
1989. If the world doesn't end or
the TI community completely collapse
we project some kind of survival into
1989 and beyond."
Hooray!
Writers and programmers and
techies and non-techies, here is a
good source for you to get those
articles published.
Readers, here is another great TI
source that needs all our support.
Good luck, Bruce!
*****************************
[Jack Sughrue, Box 459, E.Douglas,
MA, 01516]
If any newsletter editor prints
these articles, please put me on your
mailing list. Thanks - JS
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