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     MICROREVIEWS FOR SEPTEMBER 1995
     by Charles Good

     HYPER COPY by Mike Dodd

     In the July 1988 issue of MICROpendium Mike Dodd wrote about a
     mysterious author working on a fast copy program for the Geneve.  Mike
     wrote, "The author does not wish to reveal his/her name at this time;
     however, any comments sent to me will be forewarded." That software
     author turned out to be Mike Dodd.

     Hyper Copy is one of the very few applications that runs directly out
     of MDOS on a Geneve.  You can't use it on a 99/4A system, even one
     with an 80 column card.  It is the fastest disk copier anywhere for
     Geneve and 99/4A disks.  Although Hyper Copy has been available for
     several years, it has not yet been reviewed in Micropendium.  I have
     talked to several Geneve users who didn't know of its existence.
     Hyper Copy is so good that all Geneve users should own it.

     The first time I used Hyper Copy to copy a DSDD disk I was amazed as I
     watched what happened.  The Geneve sucked the entire contents of the
     master DSDD disk into the Geneve's vast memory in just one pass and
     then spit it out to the unformatted target disk.  The whole copy
     process using a CorComp disk controller took only 58 seconds!
     Verification is not total with this type of fast copy.  Most disk
     errors are reported, but some go undetected.  You can set verification
     "on" and this will completely check the target disk guaranteeing 100%
     reliable copies.  However verification "on" greatly inclreases copy
     time.  With verification "off", copying a DSSD disk also takes 58
     seconds.  A SSSD disk takes 29 seconds.  These are really fast times,
     and all include formatting and minimal verification of the target
     disk.

     Some comparisons, all with target disk formatting and some sort of
     verification using a CorComp controller:
     --Rediskit (my favorite 99/4A track copier, sharware by James
     Schroeder): DSDD 82 seconds, DSSD 75 seconds, SSSD 36 seconds.
     --Track Master 1 (another 99/4A track copier, sharware by Barry
     Boone): DSDD 96 seconds, DSSD 91 seconds, SSSD 53 seconds.
     --"Diskcopy" command directly from MDOS on a Geneve: DSDD 485 seconds,
     DSSD 312 seconds, SSSD 155 seconds.
     --Copy QM (a one pass IBM disk copier running on my 386 DX40): time to
     copy a 360K disk, which is the same as a DSDD TI/Geneve disk- 60
     seconds.

     Yes, Hyper Copy is the fastest whole disk copier I have ever tested,
     as fast or faster than my best IBM disk copier.  And it can do some
     additional tricks, not found on most other fast copiers, that make
     disk copying even faster.  Hyper Copy will copy to and from a horizon
     ramdisk and it will copy one master to multiple drives.  You can for
     example copy a disk to the Geneve's internal ramdisk or to a Horizon
     ramdisk.  Then you can copy from the ramdisk to floppy drives 1,2,3,
     and 4 with formatting of the copy disks.  (You need a CorComp or Myarc
     controller to use floppy drive 4.) This makes lots of copies of one
     master disk really fast! Adjustments you can make within Hyper Copy
     for interlace and skew allow the copy disks to run at maximum loading
     speed on the Geneve, often faster than the original.  I don't really
     understand these adjustments, so I just accept the suggested
     defaults.

     When you buy HyperCopy you get on one SSSD disk versions that support
     the TI, CorComp, and Myarc floppy disk controller cards.  There is no
     version of Hypercopy that is usable with floppys controlled by the
     Myarc HFDC, which is too bad.

     If you own a Geneve and copy disks you really should own Hyper Copy.
     It is a commercial product now available for $15 from 9640 news.  This
     is a reduction in price from when Hyper Copy was offered a few years
     ago by Genial Computerware.
     ----------------------------
     AMS COPY by Jack Mathis

     Here is a new whole disk copy program for 99/4A users.  It requires
     the AMS memory expansion card and is distributed as public domain
     software to AMS purchasers.  It is very easy to use in part because it
     does not first require you to initialize the AMS card by running the
     AMS program ABOOT.

     AMS Copy has the look and feel of the disk copying part of DM1000.  In
     fact it is the author's stated intent to incorperate AMS Copy into a
     new version of DM1000 for the AMS card.  You can select "Sector" or
     "Bit Map" copying.  As many sectors as possible are sucked into the
     AMS before being read out to the target disk.  With a 128K AMS card
     you can copy a SSSD disk in one pass.  With a 256K AMS card you can
     copy a DSSD (720 sector) disk in one pass or a DSDD disk in two
     passes.  You need a 384K AMS card for one pass copying of DSDD disks.
     The unusual thing about this disk copyier is that the contents of the
     disk remain in memory.  You can make multiple copies of the same
     master disk without spending unneeded time reading the master disk
     into memory again and again.  Unfortunately the multiple copy feature
     only works with one drive.  You can only specify a single output
     dirve.  To make multiple copies you remove the previous target disk
     from this drive, put a new target disk in the drive, and press a key.

     Here are some time comparisons copying all sectors of the same DSSD
     master disk with formatting of the target disk.  AMS Copy- first copy
     330 seconds, second and subsequent copies 255 seconds.  DM1000 v3.5
     and DSKU v4.2 both took 333 seconds.  Rediskit, my favorite 99/4A
     track copier, can do this job in 75 seconds.  These speed comparisons
     are somewhat misleading.  Rediskit always formats the target disk,
     even if it is already correctly formatted.  Times the other copy
     programs listed here will be faster if time is not taken to format the
     target disk.  They only take the time to do a format if they sense the
     target disk is not already formatted to the same capacity as the
     master disk.

     So why use AMS Copy if Rediskit is so much faster?   Because of
     reliability, particularly in making reasonably fast multiple copies of
     the same master disk.  Sector copy programs such as AMS Copy will
     never make a bad copy.  You are guaranteed that your copy will contain
     no errors that prevent it from being read on someone else's computer.
     When you use fast copy programs such as Rediskit or HyperCopy there is
     increased risk of destination disk errors that will not be reported by
     the copy program.  AMS Copy will detect and tell you about all master
     or target disk errors.  For 100% safe disk copying AMS Copy is one of
     the fastest copy programs available.
     -------------------------
     TI NOPOLY by Jon Dyer and Joe Delekto

     This game requires an AMS card with 128K or more memroy.  It is public
     domain and you get it as part of the software package that comes with
     the AMS card.  TI Nopoly does an excellent job illustrating how speed
     and graphics of assembly games can be enhanced by having the entire
     game reside in the AMS bank switched memory. First you run ABOOT and
     then you load TI Nopoly from the "Load and Run" or "Load and Retain"
     options of the ABOOT menu.

     Everything you need to keep track of the game is displayed on screen.
     The upper left shows the game board and the location of the player's
     pieces on the board periphery, from two to eight players.  In the
     center of this game board is a graphic of the current player's
     position.  These graphics have been accurately copied from the
     original monopoly game board.  As a playing piece moves around the
     board each board position graphic is shown VERY rapidly until the
     piece reaches its destination.  These board position graphics are
     quite well done and make game action visually very attractive.

     In the upper center of the board are the dice.  The middle right shows
     a status menu of choices. The lower screen half shows data of each
     player's owned properites, the information found printed on the back
     of property cards in the original board game.  The player who has the
     current turn can view the information for each property one at a time
     by cycling through owned properties using the arrow keys.  Property
     data displayed includes Current Rent, Mortage Value, Improvements
     (number of houses built), and Cost Per House.

     Prior to rolling the dice a player may do any of the following with
     properties he owns by pressing a key: (S)ell properties or houses back
     to the bank, (M)ortgage, (B)uild houses, or (D)eal.  A player can also
     do these things after dice roll if he needs to raise extra cash to pay
     rent.  If you press (D) you get these options relating to properites
     of other players: (T)rade, (Buy), and (T)rade.  These are all menu
     prompted and the computer keeps track of the results.

     To roll the dice you press (R) and you see and hear the dice as they
     roll on screen.  If you land on an unowned property you are given the
     opportunity to (B)uy or (C)ontinue without buying.  If you land on
     your own property you are told so and your turn ends.  If you land on
     someone else's property the rent you owe is immediately deducted from
     your money and given to the propoerty owner.

     Other features of the original board game are all there and
     functional: jail and get out of jail free cards, income tax, luxury
     tax, community chess and chance cards, etc.  If you land on Free
     Parking you get all the tax money collected, or $50.  If you roll
     doubles you get to roll again.  If you are in jail you get to roll
     first and only if you don't roll doubles are you asked to pay to get
     out of jail.  This slight deviation from the original rules saves you
     from wasting a get out of jail card or fee when you roll doubles
     anyway.

     There are some program bugs.  Sometimes the sprite of a player
     disappears as it travels around the playing board and reaches the
     current dice roll's destination.  It is still there and will reappear.
     Sometimes the game will let you purchases houses even if you don't own
     all the properties in the group and sometimes (this is VERY annoying)
     the game won't let you purchase houses even though you do own the
     necessary properties.

     I have played several TI Nopoly games with my 14 and 9 year old
     children and the kids say they like the game also.  I sometimes play a
     2 player game all by myself, making the decisions for both players.
     Games seem to go quite fast.  Just press the (R)oll key and the
     current player zooms around the board.  One does not normally consider
     speed to be important in Monopoly, but the two other Monopoly games I
     know of for the 99/4A are painfully slow.  Even with its somewhat
     significant bugs I consider TI Nopoly the most enjoyable of the
     various 99/4A Monopoly look alikes.
      -----------------------
     TIA PRINT by Bruce Harrison
     TIA SIGNS source unknown

     TIA Print is simple to use public domain program will print almost any
     TI Artist black and white picture using almost any 9 pin epson
     compatible printer.  It uses 25 sector TIA pucture files with the "_P"
     file ending.  The resulting output is properly proportioned (a circle
     looks like a circle) and fills an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper.

     TIA Print loads as either EA5 or as XB LOAD.  You are asked to verify
     your printer name and are then asked for the drive containing the TIA
     picures.  Drives can be 1-9 or A-Z.  The program then presents you
     with a list of only the "_P" 25 sector files on that drive.  Move the
     cursor around with the arrow keys and press <enter> when the cursor is
     next to a picture file name you want to examine.  That picture is then
     displayed in black and white on screen.  If there is a color file for
     the picture (a _C file) it is ignored.  If you like what you see press
     P and your picture is printed.  Press any other key and you are back
     to the list of "_P" pictures so you can examine another picture on
     screen.

     Printing takes awhile, between 2 and 10 minutes.  Large blank areas
     are recognized as such and the printer will quickly line feed past
     these parts of the picture.  This saves printing time.  MAX RLE and
     other TI software will print TIA pictures, but nothing does it as
     conveniently from a menu list of pictures and almost nothing else
     prints them SO BIG!

     I have an application that is perfect for TIA Print.  I have 4 DSSD
     disks of full TIA signs that somebody donated to my user group's
     library several years ago.  Each sign has a fancy border and often has
     a cute graphic in addition to the lettering.  These signs contain cute
     and sometimes serious messages and are designed to fill a full sheet
     of paper.  Now I have convenient and free software that will do this.
     The 112 signs on these 4 disks include "Things I Gotta Get Done"
     followed by some blank lines for you to fill in, "If you want quick
     answers ask the boss, If you want right answers ask the secretary",
     "Ask me, I might say YES", "It makes the day long when you get to work
     on time.", and many others.

     Send me $1 and I will send you TIA Print on a SSSD disk.  It comes
     with fully commented source code, a couple of original TIA pictures
     for you to view and print, and user friendly documentation.  When you
     get it, give Bruce a phone call and tell him how much you appreciate
     his public domain programming efforts on our behalf.

     Send me an additional $4 and I will send you the four DSSD disks full
     of TIA Signs.
     ------------------
     ACCESS:

     Southwest 99ers. This user groups manufactures and sells AMS memory
     expansion cards which come with two of the programs reviewed here.  A
     265K card costs $100.  P.O. Box 17831, Tucson AZ 85731. Voice phone
     520-747-5046.

     9640 News (Berry Miller, source of HyperCopy). P.O. Box 752465,
     Memphis TN 38175. email [e-mail]