┴LL ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST FROM "╘HE ├OMMODORE ═AI╠INK" FOR ═AY, 1994. "╘HE ├OMMODORE ═AI╠INK" IS THE NEWSLETTER OF "═EETING 64/128 ╒SERS ╘HROUGH THE ═AIL", PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY. ╨ERMISSION IS GIVEN TO COPY ANY MATERIAL HERE AS LONG AS CREDIT IS GIVEN TO THE NEWSLETTER AND THE USER GROUP. ╒NTIL ╩ULY 1ST, 1994, INQUIRIES SHOULD BE SENT TO:
─URING THE LAST WEEK OF ┴PRIL, 1993, ╔ HAD A CHANCE TO WORK WITH SOME NEW USERS OF ╟┼╧╙. ┼VERY MORNING TWO STUDENTS (DIFFERENT ONES EACH DAY) IN MY DAD'S GRADE FIVE CLASS, SAT WITH ME FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AT THE COMPUTER AND LEARNED HOW TO USE GEO╨AINT AND GEO╫RITE. ╫ITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE OF THEM, THESE STUDENTS HAD NEVER USED ╟┼╧╙ BEFORE. ┘ET WITHIN A WEEK, ╟┼╧╙ (OR AT LEAST GEO╨AINT) HAD BECOME ONE OF THEIR FAVORITE SOFTWARE PACKAGES. ┼XPLAINING TO THEM HOW TO OPEN THE APPLICATIONS WITHIN ╟┼╧╙ WAS EASY ENOUGH: SIMPLY CLICK TWICE ON THE GEO╨AINT OR GEO╫RITE ICON, OR CLICK ON THE PARTICULAR ICON ONCE AND THEN GO UP TO ╞ILE AND CLICK ON ╧PEN. ┼XPLAINING HOW TO USE EACH APPLICATION WAS ALSO EASY SINCE EVERY COMMAND IS EITHER REPRESENTED BY AN ICON OR LISTED UNDER A MENU.
╚OWEVER, IT WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO HELP THEM GET USED TO PRESSING THE JOYSTICK BUTTON TO START AN OPERATION, PULLING THE JOYSTICK TO ENACT THE OPERATION, AND THEN ONCE AGAIN CLICKING THE JOYSTICK BUTTON TO STOP AN OPERATION. ╙OME OF THEM WERE ONLY FAMILIAR WITH PROGRAMS SUCH AS ╨RINT═ASTER OR ╫HERE IN THE ╫ORLD IS ├ARMEN ╙ANDIEGO?, WHERE CURSOR KEY MOVEMENT IS ALL THAT IS NECESSARY.
╞OR THIS REASON, ╔ ENCOURAGED THEM TO JUST "PLAY AROUND" AND NOT WORRY ABOUT MAKING MISTAKES. ╘HAT WAY IF THEY DIDN'T PRESS THE BUTTON SOON ENOUGH AND SO MADE A SQUARE TOO BIG OR IF THEY PRESSED IT TOO SOON AND SO DIDN'T HIGHLIGHT A WHOLE SENTENCE, IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. ╘HEY COULD WORRY ABOUT MAKING MASTERPIECES LATER WHEN THEY WERE ON THE OWN.
╔ STARTED WITH GEO╨AINT WHERE ╔ EITHER TOLD THEM OR ELSE ASKED THEM WHAT THEY THOUGHT EACH ICON MEANT AND THEN LET THEM TRY EACH OUT. ╘HE PAINT BRUSH OR PENCIL AND FAUCET (PATTERN FILL) TOOLS BECAME QUICK FAVOURITES, OFTEN BEING USED INSTEAD OF THE HOLLOW AND FILLED RECTANGLE TOOLS. ╘HEY DREW BOATS, HOUSES, MOUNTAINS, AND DOODLED, QUICKLY FILLING SECTIONS OF A PAGE WITH A RAINBOW OF LINES, RECTANGLES, AND ODD SHAPES. ╔N FACT, SOME OF THEM FILLED UP SECTIONS OF THE PAGE (THEREBY MAKING THEIR FILES BIG) SO RAPIDLY THAT TWICE IN THE WEEK WE RECEIVED THE WARNING THAT THE DISK WAS NEARLY FULL.
╘HIS ALL TOOK ABOUT TEN OR FIFTEEN MINUTES, AFTER WHICH ╔ ILLUSTRATED HOW SOME OF THE MENU ITEMS WORKED. ┴LL THE STUDENTS THOUGHT THE EDITING, BRUSH SHAPE, AND PATTERN COMMANDS WERE "COOL, AWESOME, OR WILD!" ╘HEY WERE IMPRESSED THAT THEY COULD BLOW UP A PART OF THEIR WORK AND MAKE MINUTE CHANGES TO IT. ╚ERE THEY COULD MAKE SURE THEIR RECTANGLES AND OTHER SHAPES WERE CLOSED IN AND WOULDN'T LEAK WHEN A FILL WAS APPLIED. ╘HEY ALSO WERE EXCITED ABOUT THE BRUSH SHAPE AND PATTERN SELECTIONS AND CHANGED THEM AS OFTEN AS THEY CHANGED COLORS-- WHICH WAS EVERY FEW MINUTES! ╘HEIR FAVORITE BRUSH SHAPE WAS THE DIAGONAL DOTTED LINE AND ONE OF THE FAVOURITE PATTERNS WAS BRICKS. ╘HEIR BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT WAS THAT THEY COULDN'T USE THE BRUSH SHAPES WITH THE PENCIL OR AIRBRUSH TOOLS.
╘HIS PART TOO TOOK ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES, AFTER WHICH WE CLOSED UP THE ART SHOP AND WENT ONTO GEO╫RITE WHERE THE MOST DIFFICULT PART WAS GETTING THEM TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING TO TYPE. ╘HEY USUALLY ENDED UP WRITING SOMETHING LIKE, "╚ELLO, MY NAME IS ... AND MY FAVORITE SUBJECT IS...." ╞ORTUNATELY, AFTER PLAYING AROUND WITH GEO╨AINT, THEY WERE NOW USED TO PRESSING THE JOYSTICK BUTTON TO START AND STOP AN OPERATION AND DRAGGING THE JOYSTICK TO CARRY OUT THE OPERATION. ╙O NONE OF THEM EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS WITH CLICKING TO START HIGHLIGHTING, DRAGGING TO HIGHLIGHT DESIRED TEXT, AND ONCE AGAIN CLICKING TO END HIGHLIGHTING.
╬EXT, BECAUSE ALMOST EVERYTHING IN GEO╫RITE CAN BE DONE THROUGH MENU, ╔ SHOWED THEM HOW TO CHANGE FONTS AND STYLES AND EVEN HOW TO CUT AND PASTE. ╘HEY THEN TRIED THESE OPERATIONS THEMSELVES AND HAD GREAT FUN CHANGING THEIR NAME TO THE FANCY ─WINELLE FONT OR TO ONE OF THE PLAINER FONTS, SUCH AS ╥OMA, IN ITALICS OR OUTLINE STYLE.
┴BOUT THE ONLY THING THEY WEREN'T IMPRESSED WITH, IN EITHER GEO╨AINT OR GEO╫RITE, WAS THE PREVIEW. ╘HEY FOUND IT MUCH MORE EXCITING TO ENLARGE A PORTION OF THEIR WORK THAN TO SHRINK ALL OF IT TO MICROSCOPIC SIZE.
╠EARNING GEO╫RITE TOOK TO THE END OF THE PERIOD AND, WHEN THE BELL RANG, THE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE TO SCRAMBLE TO CLOSE OFF THEIR FILE AND PUT AWAY THE DISKS. ╟┼╧╙ HAD BEEN A BIG HIT! ╞ROM WHAT ╔ HEARD FROM MY DAD, IT REMAINED THAT WAY FOR THE REST OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
(╘HIS WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN FOR THE ╬EW ╒SERS ├OLUMN IN THE ╬OVEMBER, 1993, ISSUE OF GEO╓╔╙╔╧╬ ╔NTERNATIONAL.)
╔╬╙ ┴╬─ ╧╒╘╙. ┬ROWN ┬OXES ╔NC. ╨ART 3
BY ╩OE ╞ENN (┴╦┴ ╦ILROY)
╠ET'S PUT THE 128 "─OS ╙HELL" IN A 128 VERSION OF YOUR ╤┬┬, AND MAKE IT RUN. ╧BSERVE YOUR 1571 ─EMO ─ISK. ╬OTE THE 2 FILES CALLED "├┬═" (1BLK) (╒╙╥ TYPE) AND THE MAIN PROGRAM CALLED "─OS ╙HELL" (67 BLKS) ╨╥╟ TYPE. ╙INCE YOU CAN'T LOAD -USR- TYPE FILES INTO THE ╤┬┬, WE MUST USE ANOTHER WAY OF HANDLING THE SETUP. ─O THIS: FIRST USE YOUR 128 ╤┬┬ MANAGER TO LOAD IN THE MAIN PGM (67 BLKS). ╫HEN QUERRIED FOR ╔─, GIVE IT "─╙" AS THE ╔─. ╞OR A NAME GIVE IT "<╙╚┼╠╠". ┬E SURE TO PUT THE "<" AS THE FIRST CHARACTER. ╘HIS WILL PREVENT THE MAIN PGM FROM RUNNING WHEN INITIALLY CALLED FROM THE ╤┬┬. ╬OW IN DIRECT MODE, TYPE IN THE FOLLOWING SHORT BASIC BOOTER, WHICH WHEN INSTALLED IN THE ╤┬┬ AND CALLED WILL IN TURN PROPERLY BOOT THE MAIN PROGRAM.
╘╧ ╨╒╘ ╘╚╔╙ ┬╧╧╘┼╥ ╔╬ ╘╚┼ ╤┬┬ ─╧ ╘╚┼ ╞╧╠╠╧╫╔╬╟ ╔╬ ─╔╥┼├╘ ═╧─┼: ╚╔╘ (╒╨ ┴╥╥╧╫)─╠ "┬╘.─╙" (╥┼╘╒╥╬). ┘OU NOW ONLY NEED TO CALL THE BOOTER WITH *─╠ AND IT IN TURN BOOTS UP THE ╙╚┼╠╠. ╘AP THE SPACE BAR TO SELECT "┼╬╟╠╔╙╚" AND YOU ARE READY TO ROLL. ╥EMEMBER THAT IN THE ╙HELL PROGRAM, THE CRSR KEYS ARE USED TO POINT, THE SPACE BAR TO SELECT, AND THE ╞7 KEY TO EXECUTE YOUR CHOICES. ╔F YOU USE A DISK EDITOR AND EXAMINE THE ORIGINAL (╒╙╥) TYPE FILE CALLED "├┬═" YOU WILL SEE HOW A SHADOW BANK CALL IS USED TO ACTIVATE THE SHELL. ╘HIS IS WHY 128 PROGRAMS CAN BE A LITTLE TRICKY TO USE BECAUSE OF THEIR ══╒ BANK CONFIGURATION SYSTEM. ╙UCH PROBLEMS ARE NOT FOUND WITH 64 MODE FILES.
╔F FOR SOME REASON YOU ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL AFTER FOLLOWING THE ABOVE, USE YOUR ╤┬┬ 128 MANAGER TO EXAMINE THE SHELL SETUP IN YOUR BOX. ╩UST CHOOSE "C" (CHANGE) FROM THE MAIN MENU, AND GIVE IT THE ─╙ FOR ╔─. ╔T WILL SHOW YOU HOW IT IS CONFIGURED INSIDE T HE ╤┬┬. ╔T SHOULD APPEAR AS FOLLOWS: ╬┴═┼ ╘┘╨┼ ╙┘╙┬┴╬╦ ╥┴═┬┴╬╦ ┴──╥┼╙╙ <╙╚┼╠╠ ═/╠ 15 0 6144 ├╚┴╬╟┼ ─┼╙├╥╔╨╘╔╧╬╙? (┘/╬) ╔F YOUR BOX DOES NOT AGREE WITH THE ABOVE, JUST HIT ┘ FOR YES, THEN TYPE IN THE CORRECTIONS, OTHERWISE MAKE NO CORRECTIONS.
╧NE FINAL NOTE. ╫HEN YOUR FINISHED USING THE ╙╚┼╠╠ IN THE ╤┬┬, YOU CAN EXIT BACK TO ┬┴╙╔├ WITH THE ╞1 KEY, BUT YOU MUST THEN TYPE IN DIRECT MODE SYS57344 (RETURN) TO RESTORE SOME POINTERS TO THE ╤┬┬ ITSELF. ╬OW YOU CAN CALL ANY OTHER PROGRAMS YOU WISH TO USE IN THE ╤┬┬.
(╦EEP THOSE ╤┬┬S RUNNING) (╥EPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM "╧N-╠INE", ╬EWSLETTER OF ├OMMODORE ╚AWAII ╒SERS ╟ROUP (├╚╒╟). ═AY/╩UNE, 1993).
╘╚┼ ╠┴╬╟╒┴╟┼╙ ╧╞ ╘╚┼ ├-64.
┬Y ─AN ╞ABER.
├OMPUTERS ARE PROGRAMMED WITH COMPUTER LANGUAGES TO CARRY OUT SIMPLE OR COMPLEX TASKS. ╫ORDS, MATHEMATICAL SYMBOLS, AND THE RULES ON HOW THESE ARE TO BE COMBINED MAKE UP A COMPUTER LANGUAGE. ╬UMEROUS COMPUTER LANGUAGES ARE USED TO RUN COMPUTERS. ╧NE NA MED ├╧┬╧╠ IS USED TO MANAGE LARGE AMOUNTS OF DATA; ├╧┬╧╠ CONTAINS NUMEROUS ┼NGLISH WORDS AND IS CONSIDERED TO BE A WORDY LANGUAGE (SEE A COPY OF THE PROGRAM ├╧┬╧╠64). ┴NOTHER, NAMED ╞╧╥╘╥┴╬, CONTAINS A SERIES OF ALGEBRAIC FORMULAE AND VERY FEW ┼NGLISH WORDS (SEE A COPY OF THE PROGRAM ╞╧╥╘╥┴╬64). ┴ND, THEN THERE IS ┬┴╙╔├ (┬EGINNER'S ┴LL-PURPOSE ╙YMBOLIC ╔NSTRUCTION ├ODE) WHICH WAS FIRST DEVELOPED AT ─ARTMOUTH ├OLLEGE IN ╬EW ╚AMPSHIRE. ─ON'T CONFUSE A COMPUTER LANGUAGE WITH A COMPUTER PROGRAM WHICH CONSISTS OF A SERIES OF INSTRUCTIONS, DATA, AND MEMORY ADDRESSES- WRITTEN IN A PARTICULAR COMPUTER LANGUAGE- AND CAUSES YOUR COMPUTER TO PERFORM A PARTICULAR TASK.
╘HE ├-64 IS MULTILINGUAL, SINCE IT NORMALLY WORKS WITH FOUR DIFFERENT COMPUTER LANGUAGES, RANGING FROM HIGH-LEVEL TO LOW-LEVEL. ╘HESE LANGUAGES ARE: ┬ASIC, ┴SSEMBLY, ═ACHINE, AND ┬INARY. ╚IGH-LEVEL COMPUTER LANGUAGES ARE WRITTEN FOR USE BY HUMANS, WHILE LOW-LEVEL LANGUAGES ARE COMPUTER- OR MACHINE-ORIENTED. ╨EOPLE FIND LOW-LEVEL LANGUAGES LONG, TIRESOME, CONFUSING, AND MEANINGLESS. ╘HIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN WRITTEN FOR ├-64 USERS WHO ARE CURIOUS AND ARE INTERESTED TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE FOUR LANGUAGES. ╠ET'S LOOK DEEP, DEEP INTO THIS MARVELOUS PIECE OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE AND WHERE AND HOW THEY CAN BE SEEN!
┬ASIC IS THE MOST WIDELY USED LANGUAGE AMONG ├-64 USERS. ┼XAMPLES OF ┬ASIC LANGUAGE CAN BE SEEN IN ┬ASIC PROGRAMS PUBLISHED AT THE BACK OF ISSUES OF THE NOW-DEFUNCT ╥UN AND ├OMPUTE!. ╞IG. 1 ILLUSTRATES A FEW ELEMENTS OF ┬ASIC IN A SMALL ┬ASIC PROGRAM.
10 ╪=0
15 ╪=╪+1
20 ╨╥╔╬╘ ╪
25 ╔╞╪<20╟╧╘╧15
┬ASIC PROGRAMS CAN BE RECOGNIZED BY THE SERIES OF LINE NUMBERS, NOT ADDRESSES, ALONG THE LEFT SIDE. ╘HEY CAN BE TYPED IN AND VIEWED ON THE VIDEO SCREEN BY ╠╧┴─(ING) THE PROGRAM FROM A DISK OR CASSETTE AND THEN, ╠╔╙╘(ING). ┬ASIC PROGRAMS ARE LOADED AND STORED AUTOMATICALLY IN THE ┬ASIC ╥┴═ MEMORY ADDRESSES: DECIMAL 2048-40959 ($0800-$9FFF). ╘HE HIGH-LEVEL LANGUAGE, ┬ASIC, IS AUTOMATICALLY TRANSLATED INTO ═ACHINE LANGUAGE AND ┬INARY BY A COMPUTER PROGRAM CALLED A "├OMPILER". ╘HE ├-64 HAS A ├OMPILER BUILT-IN TO ITS ╥╧═, KNOWN AS THE "┬ASIC INTERPRETER" OR "╥╧═: ┬┴╙╔├"- DEPENDING UPON THE BOOK YOU READ. ┬ASIC IS NO LONGER ONE SIMPLE LANGUAGE BUT RATHER A SERIES OF SIMILAR LANGUAGES, SUCH AS ┬ASIC 2, ┬ASIC 8, ╤┬ASIC, ╟EO┬ASIC, ETC. ┼ACH VERSION IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT BUT STILL RETAINS THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING RULES FOR ┬ASIC WHICH WERE DEVELOPED AT ─ARTMOUTH ├OLLEGE.
┴LTHOUGH ┴SSEMBLY LANGUAGE PROGRAMS ARE USED LESS THAN ┬ASIC, ╞IG. 2 SHOWS WHAT ONE LOOKS LIKE.
╠─┴ $0380
╠─╪ $0381
╙╘┴ $0381
╙╘╪ $0380
┬╥╦
╘HIS PROGRAM IS NOT A TRANSLATION OF THE ┬ASIC PROGRAM IN ╞IG. 1. ╘HE 3-CHARACTER INSTRUCTIONS (KNOWN AS MNEMONICS) ARE ARRANGED ALONG THE LEFT SIDE AND VALUES AND ADDRESSES ARE ON THE RIGHT. ╞IG. 2 SHOWS DOLLAR SIGNS ($) IN FRONT OF HEXADECIMAL NUMBERS TO DISTINGUISH THEM FROM DECIMALS. ┴SSEMBLY PROGRAMS ARE TRANSLATED INTO ═ACHINE LANGUAGE BY A METHOD KNOWN AS "ASSEMBLING", WHICH IS SIMPLY A ONE-TO-ONE TRANSLATION OF THE INSTRUCTIONS, ADDRESSES, AND VALUES INTO MACHINE LANGUAGE NUMBERS. ┴SSEMBLY LANGUAGE INSTRUCTIONS ARE ALWAYS THREE CHARACTERS, SUCH AS ╠─┴, ╙╘┴, ETC. ┴SSEMBLY LANGUAGE PROGRAMS FOR THE ├-64 CAN BE WRITTEN AND VIEWED IN ╥┴═ WITH HELP FROM A "MACHINE LANGUAGE MONITOR", LIKE ═ICROMON, 64MON, ╙UPERMON64, ╙UPERMON+, ETC.
╔N ═ACHINE LANGUAGE PROGRAMS ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND NUMERICAL VALUES APPEAR IN 2-DIGIT HEX NUMBERS OR CODES. ╘HE ═ACHINE LANGUAGE PROGRAM IN ╞IG. 3 HAS BEEN ASSEMBLED FROM THE ┴SSEMBLY PROGRAM IN ╞IG. 2 AND IS ARRANGED BY LINES, JUST AS IN THE ┴SSEMBLY PROGRAM. ╠─┴ (LOAD ACCUMULATOR WITH MEMORY) IS ALWAYS TRANSLATED INTO ┴─ IN MACHINE CODE AND, IN ╞IG. 3, IS STORED IN THE FIRST ADDRESS. ╘HE NUMBER, $0380, IS STORED IN 2 ADDRESSES, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A 2-DIGIT NUMBER, 80 IN THE 2ND ADDRESS AND 03 IN THE 3RD ADDRESS. ╔N THE SECOND LINE ╠─╪ (LOAD REGISTER ╪ WITH MEMORY) IS ALWAYS TRANSLATED TO ┴┼ AND, IN ╞IG. 3, IS STORED IN THE 4TH ADDRESS. ╘HE 4-DIGIT NUMBER, $0381, IS ALSO STORED IN 2 ADDRESSES, 80 IN THE 5TH ADDRESS AND 03 IN THE 6TH. ═ACHINE LANGUAGE PROGRAMS CAN BE WRITTEN AND VIEWED WITH A "═ACHINE LANGUAGE MONITOR", LIKE ═ICROMON.
┬INARY LANGUAGE IS THE WORKING LANGUAGE OF THE ├-64. ╘HE BINARY PROGRAM SHOWN IN ╞IG. 4 IS A TRANSLATION OF THE ASSEMBLY PROGRAM IN ╞IG. 2 AND THE CORRESPONDING MACHINE PROGRAM IN ╞IG. 3. ╘HE BINARY NUMBERS IN THE ├OMMODORE'S 8-BIT MEMORIES CAN BE DETERMINED FROM MACHINE CODE WITH EITHER HEX OR DECIMAL NUMBERS. ╘HE FIRST MACHINE CODE ┴─, FOR EXAMPLE, CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO BINARY BY TWO 4-BIT NUMBERS, REALIZING THAT EACH 4-BIT NUMBER IS DETERMINED BY THE VALUES: 8,4,2,1. ┴ IS DETERMINED BY ADDING THE VALUES: 8+0+2+0, RESULTING IN 1010; ─ IS DETERMINED BY THE VALUES 8+4+0+1, RESULTING IN 1101. ┴─ IS EQUAL TO DECIMAL 173 WHICH CAN THEN BE TRANSLATED INTO AN 8-BIT BINARY. ┼ACH 8-BIT BINARY NUMBER IS DETERMINED BY THE VALUES: 128,64,32,16,8,4,2,1. ─ECIMAL 105 IS DETERMINED BY ADDING THE VALUES: 128+0+32+0+8+4+0+1, RESULTING IN 10101101. ┬OTH METHODS OF CALCULATION RESULT IN THE SAME BINARY NUMBER: 10101101. ╘HESE BINARIES CANNOT BE VIEWED ON THE ├-64 BECAUSE THEY ARE MERELY AN "ELECTRICAL IMPULSE" (1) OR "NO ELECTRICAL IMPULSE" (0) SPOTS ON SILICON COMPUTER CHIPS.
╔N SUMMARY, THE FOUR COMPUTER LANGUAGES USED BY THE ├-64 ARE: ┬ASIC, ┴SSEMBLY, ═ACHINE, AND ┬INARY. ├-64 USERS NORMALLY LOAD ┬ASIC PROGRAMS FROM DISKS OR CASSETTES INTO THE ┬ASIC ╥┴═ MEMORY AREA AND THE ├-64'S ┬ASIC INTERPRETER TRANSLATES THIS ┬ASIC PROGRAM INTO ═ACHINE LANGUAGE AND ITS EQUIVALENT ┬INARY. ┴SSEMBLY LANGUAGE PROGRAMS MAY BE WRITTEN BY ├-64 USERS ON ═ACHINE LANGUAGE MONITORS WHICH ASSEMBLE THEM INTO ═ACHINE LANGUAGE AND THEIR EQUIVALENT ┬INARY. ═ACHINE LANGUAGE PROGRAMS MAY ALSO BE WRITTEN ON ═ACHINE LANGUAGE MONITORS AFTER WHICH THE ├-64 AUTOMATICALLY TRANSLATES THEM INTO THEIR EQUIVALENT ┬INARY. ┬INARY LANGUAGE PROGRAMS ARE UNABLE TO BE SEEN, PER SE, ON THE ├-64 COMPUTER.
╔ SINCERELY HOPE THAT YOU NOW HAVE A BETTER IDEA ABOUT WHAT LANGUAGE YOUR ├-64 SPEAKS!!
╨╒╬├╚á├┴╥─ ═┴├╚╔╬┼╙á╘╧ ╨┼╥╙╧╬┴╠ ├╧═╨╒╘┼╥╙.
├╚┴╨╘┼╥ 4 ╙ECOND ╟ENERATION TO ╘HIRD ╟ENERATION
┬Y ╫ALTER ╩OHNSON.
╚OW COULD A COMPUTER POSSIBLY RUN TWO OR MORE PROGRAMS SIMULTANEOUSLY? ╚OW COULD TWO COMPUTERS TALK TO EACH OTHER OVER COMMUNICATION LINES? ╫E BEGAN TO ASK QUESTIONS SUCH AS THESE PRIOR TO INSTALLATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THIRD GENERATION COMPUTERS.
═ULTI-TASKING, THE TERM FOR RUNNING TWO OR MORE PROGRAMS AT THE SAME TIME, DID NOT ACTUALLY MEAN THAT MULTIPLE PROGRAMS WERE RUNNING "AT THE SAME TIME". ╔T SIMPLY MEANT THAT MEMORY HAD INCREASED IN SIZE AND SPEED TO THE POINT WHERE MEMORY HAD BEGUN TO WAIT ON INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICES AND TIME WAS BEING WASTED. ╘HUS THE CONCEPT OF MULTI-TASKING WHEREBY EACH PROGRAM GOT ITS SHARE OF MEMORY TIME UNTIL SOME I/O INSTRUCTION HALTED EXECUTION, THEN A SHIFT TO ANOTHER PART OF MEMORY WHERE ANOTHER PROGRAM GOT MEMORY TIME. ╔N ADDITION, THE I/O TASK WAS SHUFFLED OFF TO ANOTHER, SMALLER COMPUTER, AND PROCESSING COULD BE RESUMED THAT MUCH FASTER. ╨UNCH CARDS WERE BECOMING OBSOLETE AND KEYBOARD INPUT FROM REMOTE SITES PERMITTED CUSTOMERS TO INPUT FROM THEIR LOCATION, THUS CONTROLLING TIME AND ACCURACY OF INPUT.
╙MALLER COMPUTERS BETWEEN THE REMOTE INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICES SERVICED THE REQUESTS THUS SPEEDING UP THE PROCESS REQUIRED BY THE MAINFRAME MEMORY. ╙UB-SYSTEMS CONTROLLING THE SEVERAL PERIPHERAL DEVICES SUCH AS UNLIMITED (HA-HA AGAIN) DISK STORAGE DEVICES, MAGNETIC TAPE STORAGE, PRINTERS, AND REMOTE STATIONS WERE INTERCONNECTED.
╞ORMER "CRASHES" NOW BECAME "ABORTS" AND THE PROGRAMMER HAD THE FORMIDABLE TASK OF FINDING HIS/HER PROGRAM IN THE MANY PAGES OF MEMORY PRINTOUTS AND DETERMINING WHY IT ABORTED. ╫ITH MULTI-TASKING, IT WAS NOT FEASIBLE TO LET THE COMPUTER "HANG UP" AS IN THE PAST. ╘HE OPERATING SYSTEM DETECTED ERRORS AND "ABORTED" THE OFFENDING PROGRAM, LETTING THE REMAINING ONES CONTINUE. ╨ROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES AND LANGUAGES CHANGED, OPERATING SYSTEMS NOW PROVIDED MUCH MORE COMMUNICATION WHICH OPERATORS HAD TO INTERPRET CORRECTLY. ├╧┬╧╠ BECAME THE PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE AND INSTRUCTIONS AND TECHNIQUES FROM PRIOR EXPERIENCE WERE APPLIED WHERE POSSIBLE AND CHANGED WHERE NECESSARY. ╨ROGRAMS BECAME LARGER AND MORE COMPLICATED AS MEMORY LIMITATIONS WERE NOT AS RESTRICTED AND INTERFACE AMONG SYSTEMS WAS MANDATED WHERE POSSIBLE. ╘HIS RESULTED IN SYSTEMS GENERATING OUTPUT WHICH BECAME INPUT TO OTHER SYSTEMS, THUS ELIMINATING OR AT LEAST MINIMIZING ERRORS.
╘HE WORLD OF COMPUTING WAS CHANGING, FORCING DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS INTO MAKING EQUIPMENT THAT COULD COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER AND ESTABLISHING SOME STANDARDS.
├╚┴╨╘┼╥ 5. ╨ERSONAL ├OMPUTERS
╔N THE EARLY 1970'S, THE COMPONENTS FOR BUILDING COMPUTERS DECREASED IN SIZE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRINTED CIRCUIT. ╙OME OF THE MORE PROGRESSIVE THINKERS (READ WEIRDOS) IN THE COMPUTER FIELD BEGAN TALKING ABOUT ╨┼╥╙╧╬┴╠ ├╧═╨╒╘┼╥╙. ╤UESTIONS AND COMMENTS BEGAN TO BE COMMONPLACE AMONG ALL COMPUTER FOLK. ├AN YOU IMAGINE OWNING A COMPUTER OF YOUR VERY OWN? ╫HY WOULD YOU WANT TO? ╫HAT WOULD IT COST? ╫HAT WOULD YOU DO WITH IT? ╫HERE WOULD YOU GET THE SOFTWARE FOR IT?
╔N THE MID 1970'S A COUPLE OF ╙TEVE'S, ╙TEVE ╩OB AND ╙TEVE ╫AZNIAC PUT ACTION TO THOUGHTS AND CREATED A ╨ERSONAL ├OMPUTER WHICH THEY NAMED THE ┴╨╨╠┼. ╫HAT FOLLOWED WAS, AS ╘╚┼┘ SAY, HISTORY. ╘HE ┴╨╨╠┼ BECAME THE INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR PERSONAL COMPUTER AND IN THE EARLY 1980'S OTHER COMPANIES BEGAN TO PRODUCE PERSONAL COMPUTERS. ╙OME OF THE COMPANIES INCLUDED ╔┬═, ┴TARI, ╘ANDY, ├OMPAQ, ╘IMEX-╙INCLAIR, ╘EXAS ╔NSTRUMENTS AND ├OMMODORE. ╧NE OF THE MORE POPULAR APPLICATIONS FOR THE EARLY ╨├ WAS FOR ENTERTAINMENT. ╤UICKLY FOLLOWING WERE EDUCATION, BUSINESS AND PERSONAL FINANCES, AND WORD PROCESSING.
╘O COMPLETE AND COMPLEMENT THE ╨├, ADDITIONAL PERIPHERALS WERE DEVELOPED. ┴ DISK DRIVE WITH A REMOVABLE AND HIGHLY PORTABLE FLOPPY DISK ENABLED ╨├ USERS TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND PROGRAMS EASILY. ┴ PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE CALLED ┬┴╙╔├ (┬EGINNERS ┴LL-PURPOSE ╙YMBOLIC ╔NSTRUCTION ├ODE) WAS DEVELOPED. ╨RINTERS WERE DEVELOPED WHICH PRINTED WITH A SERIES OF DOTS MAKING UP THE DESIRED CHARACTERS. ╘HE PRINTING WAS NOT AS CLEAR AS THE STANDARD TYPEWRITER PRINT BUT WAS CERTAINLY READABLE. ─OT ═ATRIX PRINTERS COULD ALSO PRINT GRAPHIC CHARACTERS, GIVING VARIETY TO PRINTED MATERIAL.
╬OW, FAST FORWARD TO 1993, WHEN A COMPUTER SYSTEM WITH A CAPACITY LARGER THAN EARLY THIRD GENERATION MAINFRAMES CAN BE PURCHASED FOR LESS THAN $5000.00 AND WILL SET ON A DESK. ├OMPUTERS ARE NOW EVERYWHERE. ┼VEN KINDERGARTENERS ARE COMPUTER LITERATE AND THE ╨├ IS ALMOST AS MUCH A HOME APPLIANCE AS THE TELEVISION.
╬ONE OF US WHO STARTED WITH COMPUTERS IN THE 1960'S WOULD HAVE BELIEVED THAT IN TWENTY YEARS, WORLDWIDE INSTANT COMMUNICATION WOULD BE POSSIBLE, EVEN ROUTINE. ╫HILE THERE WAS A LIMITED REMOTE COMMUNICATION WITH FIRST GENERATION COMPUTERS, IT WAS OVER A TELEPHONE LINE AT A DISTANCE NOT OVER TWO MILES AND ITS USE WAS RESTRICTED. ╘HE INFORMATION NETWORKS AVAILABLE NOW THROUGH HOME COMPUTERS JUST ABOUT BLOWS THE MIND OF SOME OF US ├┼'S. ┴CTUAL SCENES OF A WAR IN REAL TIME FROM HALF WAY AROUND THE WORLD IS UNREAL. ┴ND A PERSONAL COMPUTER OF MY VERY OWN, WHOSE MEMORY IS COMPARABLE TO THE SECOND GENERATION COMPUTERS, AND WHOSE COMPONENTS ARE CONTAINED ON A DESK IN THE CORNER OF A BEDROOM ALONG WITH A 19TH CENTURY ANTIQUE BEDROOM SUITE, LEAVES MY WIFE SAYING, "╚ERE THE 19TH ├ENTURY MEETS THE ╙PACE ┴GE".├╚┴╨╘┼╥ 6. ╨ROGRAMMING ╠ANGUAGES
╫HEN COMPUTER ENTHUSIASTS GET TOGETHER AND TALK SHOP, ONE OF THE SUBJECTS SURE TO BE DISCUSSED IS COMPUTER PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES. ╧N THE FIRST GENERATION COMPUTERS, A GREAT MANY OF THE PROGRAM INSTRUCTIONS WERE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH WIRES ON THE PLUGBOARD. ╘HERE WERE SOME PROGRAM INSTRUCTIONS BUT THEY WERE LIMITED IN SCOPE. ┴S ╨UNCH ├ARD ═ACHINE ╧PERATORS, WE UNDERSTOOD PLUGBOARDS WITH WIRES SO WHEN THE INSTRUCTORS FOR SECOND GENERATION COMPUTERS BEGAN TO TEACH "IT IS ALL DONE WITH A MEMORY", WE COULD NOT COMPREHEND "MEMORY".
╫ITH THE INSTALLATION AND CONVERSION TO SECOND GENERATION, ╔┬═ 1401/1410 COMPUTERS, OUR WORLD CHANGED. ╙OME OF US WERE PROMOTED TO ├╧═╨╒╘┼╥ ╧╨┼╥┴╘╧╥╙ AND BEGAN A NEW PHASE IN OUR PROFESSION. ╘HE NEW GENERATION WAS FASTER, THE INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICES NOW INCLUDED MAGNETIC TAPE AND A HIGH-SPEED
PRINTER, AND THE PROGRAMS WERE PUNCHED INTO CARD DECKS OR ON THE DISK STORAGE OR MAGNETIC TAPE. ╘HE PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE COMMONLY USED FOR THIS GENERATION COMPUTERS WAS ┴╒╘╧├╧─┼╥. ╘HIS WAS A SHORTHAND OF THE ┼NGLISH LANGUAGE. ╘O ILLUSTRATE:
┴ ┴,┬ ADDS CONTENTS OF ┴ TO ┬, STORING RESULTS IN ┬.
═╠├ ┴,┬ MOVES LEFT, CONTENTS OF ┴ TO ┬. ┴ REMAINS SAME, ┬ BECOMES SAME AS ┴.
╙ ┴,┬ SUBTRACTS CONTENTS OF ┴ FROM ┬, STORING RESULTS IN ┬.
╘HERE WERE SEVERAL METHODS OF MOVING DATA, DEPENDING ON THE RESULTS DESIRED. ╧NE OF THE UNIQUE FEATURES OF THESE COMPUTERS WAS THE FACT THAT THEY WERE VARIABLE LENGTH WORD MACHINES. ╘HIS MEANT THAT EACH WORD HAD TO BE DEFINED WITH A "WORD MARK". ╔N ADDITION, RECORDS COULD BE BLOCKED, EACH RECORD TERMINATING IN A RECORD MARK, A CHARACTER WHICH, WHEN PRINTED, LOOKED LIKE A TELEPHONE POLE WITH ONE CROSSPIECE. ╘HEN THE END OF THE BLOCK OF RECORDS TERMINATED IN A GROUP-MARK/WORD-MARK (╟═╫═). ╔T BECAME A LEGEND AND A RARE BUT NOT UNKNOWN PROBLEM, "┴ GUMWUM (╟═╫═) WILL STOP ANYTHING".
╧THER PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES SUPPLEMENTED AND REPLACED ┴╒╘╧├╧─┼╥ AS WE ACQUIRED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT COMPUTERS AND EVOLVED INTO THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION COMPUTERS. ╘HESE INCLUDED:
╙┴┴╠- ╙INGLE ┴DDRESS ┴SSEMBLY ╠ANGUAGE- FOR THE ╒╬╔╓┴├ 1005.
├╧┬╧╠- ├╧MMON ┬USINESS ╧RIENTED ╠ANGUAGE- A LANGUAGE FOR MOST BUSINESS APPLICATIONS.
┬┴╙╔├- ┬EGINNERS ┴LL-PURPOSE ╙YMBOLIC ╔NSTRUCTION ├ODE- A COMMONLY USED LANGUAGE FOR HOME COMPUTERS, ESPECIALLY THE EARLY ONES.
╞╧╥╘╥┴╬- ╞╧╥MULA ╘╥┴╬SLATION- FOR SCIENTIFIC AND MATHEMATICAL APPLICATIONS.
┴ COMMON QUESTION ASKED BY NON-PROGRAMMERS IS "├AN EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF ONE LANGUAGE BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER LANGUAGE?" ╔T HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT IT CAN. ╘HE RULES MAY CHANGE SLIGHTLY BUT THE BASIC INSTRUCTIONS OBTAIN THE SAME RESULTS. ╔T USUALLY TAKES SOME TRIAL AND ERROR TO OBTAIN THE ULTIMATE RESULTS BUT EACH PROGRAM IS A NEW ADVENTURE WITH NEW PROBLEMS ANYHOW.
╧NE ANOMALY WHICH ╔ HAVE NOT FOUND AN ANSWER TO RESULTED WHEN ╔ RETIRED FROM PROGRAMMING IN ├╧┬╧╠ ON LARGE MAINFRAME COMPUTERS AND BEGAN PROGRAMMING IN ┬┴╙╔├ ON HOME COMPUTERS. ╔ HAD LEARNED THAT, SEQUENTIALLY SPEAKING, THE ALPHABETIC CHARACTERS ┴-┌ WERE LESS THAN THE NUMERIC CHARACTERS 0-9. ╘HE NINE (9) WAS THE GREATEST, SEQUENTIALLY SPEAKING, AND WAS COMMONLY USED AS PADDING IN FILLING OUT BLOCKED RECORDS. ╘HE SPACE WAS THE LEAST, SEQUENTIALLY SPEAKING, OF ALL CHARACTERS, BEING, AS ONE PROGRAMMER ASSURED A CUSTOMER, "LOWER THAN WHALE DUNG". ┴S A BEGINNING PROGRAMMER IN ┬┴╙╔├, ╔ BEGAN DESIGNING MY FILES IN THE SAME WAY, WRITING AN END-OF-FILE RECORD CONTAINING ALL NINES SO ╔ COULD USE THAT TO DETERMINE END-OF-FILE INSTEAD OF CHECKING ╙╘. ┴LL OF A SUDDEN, ╔ FIND THAT ALPHABETIC CHARACTERS ARE GREATER THAN THE HIGH AND MIGHTY NINE (9). ╫HAT IS GOING ON? ╔ SUPPOSE IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ┴╙├╔╔ VALUES BUT STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE RULES CHANGED.
┴ BIT OF ADVICE AND OBSERVATION FROM A ├┼. ╔F YOU ARE A WOULD-BE PROGRAMMER BUT DO NOT KNOW WHICH LANGUAGE YOU SHOULD USE, JUST CHOOSE ONE AND LEARN IT AS COMPLETELY AS YOU CAN. ╘HE EFFORT AND LEARNING WILL NOT BE WASTED. ┬EST WISHES TO YOU.
╔╬╞╧╥═┴╘╔╧╬ ╧╬ ╨┼╥╔╧─╔├┴╠╙.
╞ROM ┬╧┬ ╚╒╬╘┼╥: "┴FTER THE DEMISE OF '╟EO╓ISION ╔NTERNATIONAL,' ╔ THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT RECOMMENDING SOURCES OF ├OMMODORE INFORMATION" IS HOW ╩EAN ╬ANCE OPENS HER RECOMMENDATION OF ─IE╚ARD IN LAST ╬OVEMBER'S ├OMMODORE ═AI╠INK. ╫HILE SECONDING OUR ╨RESIDENT'S WARNING, ╔'D LIKE TO DRAW ATTENTION TO ═EETING 64/128 ╒SERS ╘HROUGH THE ═AIL MEMBERS TO ╙COTT ┼GGLESTON'S ╘HE ╒NDERGROUND, WHICH DEBUTED IN ═ARCH. ╔ SUGGEST GETTING A TRIAL ISSUE ($2.00; $3.75 OUTSIDE ╒╙┴) TO JUDGE ITS QUALITY FOR YOURSELF. ╙COTT IS LOOKING FOR SUBMISSIONS OF ARTICLES AS WELL AS SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR THE SMALL, BIMONTHLY MAGAZINE. ┴RTICLES, EXCEPT FOR VERY SMALL ITEMS, SHOULD BE SUBMITTED AS SEQ FILES ON DISK OR THROUGH ╟ENIE OR ╔NTERNET. ╘HE MAGAZINE'S ADDRESS IS: THE ╒NDERGROUND, 4574 ╓IA ╙ANTA ═ARIA, ╙ANTA ═ARIA, ├┴ 93455.
╞ROM ╩┼┴╬ ╬┴╬├┼: ├REATIVE ═ICRO ─ESIGNS (├═─) HAS COME OUT WITH DETAILS ON THEIR NEW MAGAZINE, ├OMMODORE ╫ORLD. ╘HE FIRST ISSUE WILL BE OUT IN ┴PRIL. ╘HEY PROMISE "REGULAR COLUMNS FEATURING NOTED ├OMMODORE EXPERTS", INCLUDING SOME REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS TO THE DEFUNCT ╥UN ═AGAZINE. ╘HEIR LEAD ARTICLE IS "╨RINTERS- ╧UR ╔N-─EPTH ╠OOK ╔NTO ╙ELECTING AND ╒SING ╨RINTERS AND ╨RINTER ╔NTERFACES." ╔ HAVE BEEN PROMISED A TRIAL ISSUE, SO ╔ CAN PROVIDE A REVIEW IN THE NEXT ═AI╠INK. ╔F YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A CHANCE ON
A SUBSCRIPTION, WRITE: ├REATIVE ═ICRO ─ESIGNS, ╨.╧. ┬OX 646, ┼AST ╠ONG═EADOW, ═┴ 01028, OR PHONE 1-800-638-3263. ┴ ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION, 8 ISSUES, IS $29.95. ═AKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO "├REATIVE ═ICRO ─ESIGNS, ╔NC".
╥┼╓╔┼╫╙..
╘╚┼ ╫╧╥╠─ ╧╞ ╟┼╧╙á╚┴╬─┬╧╧╦╙.
╥EVIEWED BY ┬OB ╚UNTER
╘HE ╫ORLD OF ╟┼╧╙ ╚ANDBOOKS ╔, ╔╔, AND ╔╔╔ IS A COLLECTION OF USEFUL HANDBOOKS PRODUCED "DOWN UNDER" BY ═RS. ╩ANE ═. ╩ONES. ┴ TALENTED USER OF ╟EO╨AINT, ╩ANE IS THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF ╩═╓ ╟RAFIX AND WAS THE ┴RT ╟ALLERY COLUMNIST FOR GEO╓╔╙╔╧╬ ╔NTERNATIONAL. ╙HE HAS JUST JOINED ═EETING 64/128 ╒SERS ╘HROUGH THE ═AIL AND SHOULD BE A VALUABLE ASSET TO OUR GROUP.
╘HE FIRST HANDBOOK INCLUDES AN INTRODUCTORY ARTICLE EXPLAINING WHAT ╟┼╧╙ IS, A PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF ╩ANE'S DISCOVERY OF ╟┼╧╙ AND GEO╨AINT, A DISCUSSION OF ╟┼╧╙ WORK DISKS, TWO ARTICLES ON FONTS (ONE OF WHICH A REVIEWER IN THE ┴USTRALIAN NEWSLETTER,├OMMODORE ╬ETWORK, CLAIMED WAS ALMOST WORTH THE COST OF THE HANDBOOK), A REVIEW OF THE ╚ANDY ╙CANNER 64, A STUDY OF THE ╟EO╨AINT-╟EO╨UBLISH CONNECTION, A "═ORE" ARTICLE ("═ORE" ARTICLES DESCRIBE THIRD-PARTY PROGRAMS THAT HELP ╟┼╧╙) ON PHOTO SCRAPS, AND A STEP-BY-STEP ACCOUNT OF ╩ANE'S MAKING OF THE FLYER THAT WON GEO═┼╘╥╔╪'S '─ESIGN A ╞LYER' COMPETITION. ╔T'S ACCOMPANIED BY A DISK OF PUBLIC DOMAIN/SHAREWARE PROGRAMS. ╨ERSONALLY, ╔ THINK THAT THE HANDBOOK'S WORTH THE $15 PLUS $5 POSTAGE/HANDLING CHARGE BEING CHARGED FOR IT, ESPECIALLY FOR BEGINNING USERS OF ╟┼╧╙.
╘HE SECOND AND THIRD HANDBOOKS CONTAIN MORE PAGES AND, BECAUSE OF USING A SMALLER FONT, ALSO HAVE MORE MATERIAL ON EACH PAGE. ╚OWEVER, ABOUT HALF OF EACH HANDBOOK CONSISTS OF REWRITTEN MANUAL MATERIAL AND OF MEMORY MAPS, WHICH WOULD BE OF LIMITED USEFULNESS/INTEREST TO MOST ╟┼╧╙ USERS. ╘HE SECOND ALSO CONTAINS ARTICLES ON CONFIGURATION, APPLICATIONS AND DESK ACCESSORIES, FONTS (TWO, ONE A "═ORE TO..." ONE), AND THE ╠ASER═ATRIX ─RIVER. ╘HE THIRD CONTAINS FIVE MORE "═ORE TO..." ARTICLES (ON DESKTOP, PAINTING, WRITING, AND MANAGING PHOTOS IN ╟┼╧╙, AND ON USING ╟┼╧╙) AND ARTICLES ON AUTO-EXEC FILES, MEGAFONTS, ICONS, AND THE ═╨╙-1230 PRINTER. ┴LTHOUGH THE TWO HANDBOOKS CONTAIN MUCH GOOD MATERIAL, ╔ THINK THAT THEY'RE OVERPRICED AT $15 + $5 EACH.
╩ANE IS MAKING THE THREE ╟┼╧╙ HANDBOOKS AND A HANDBOOK ON ├OMMODORE DISKS AVAILABLE FOR 4 @ $15 PLUS $13 FOR POSTAGE AND HANDLING. ╙HE (╩═╓ ╟RAFIX) ALSO SELLS CARD ART AND CLIP ART. ─ETAILS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM HER.
├┴╬╧╬ ┬╩-200E ┬UBBLE ╩ET ╨RINTER
╥EVIEWED BY ┬RIAN ╓AUGHAN
╘HE "E" MODEL REPLACES THE ORIGINAL ┬╩-200 AND SPORTS INCREASED PRINTING SPEED AND TWO PRINT REDUCTION MODES. ╘HIS INK JET PRINTER SUPPORTS BOTH AN ╔┬═ & ┼PSON MODE AND WILL WORK WITH ├= SYSTEMS JUST AS WITH ANY OTHER 9 OR 24 PIN PRINTER. ╧F COURSE, WE ├= USERS ARE LIMITED TO ADDRESSING THE PRINTER'S FEATURES THROUGH THE STANDARD ┼╙├APE ├╚╥$ DECIMAL CODES AND CANNOT EXPECT ANY GREATER RESOLUTION WHEN USING THE GRAPHIC MODES BECAUSE OF OUR LIMITED MEMORY RESTRICTIONS AND SCREEN RESOLUTION. ┬UT YOU CAN EXPECT EXCELLENT LETTER QUALITY PRINTING IN THE TEXT MODES AND THE CONVENIENCE OF USING SINGLE SHEETS (INEXPENSIVE 20# COPY PAPER WORKS FINE). ╔ HAD TO CALL ├ANON TO GET THE EXTENDED CODES FOR THE SLASHED ZERO & DOUBLE-HIGH FEATURE IN THE ╔┬═ MODE, SO IF ANY MEMBER REQUIRES THESE CODES, JUST DROP ME A CARD. ┬ESIDE ─RAFT MODE, THE ┼PSON MODE SUPPORTS 7 ╠╤ FONTS WHILE THE ╔┬═ MODE SUPPORTS ONLY 2 ╠╤ FONTS. ╘HE SLASHED ZERO FEATURE IS ONLY SUPPORTED IN THE ╔┬═ MODE. ╘HE INK CARTRIDGES COST AROUND $25 AND WILL LAST FOR 400+ PAGES IN ╠╤ MODE PER THE MANUAL. ╓-╘ECH & ═┼╔/═ICRO ARE TWO COMPANIES WHO SELL INK IN A CONTAINER FOR REFILLING THESE CARTRIDGES AT A GREAT SAVINGS OVER REPLACING THE CARTRIDGES. ╘HE PRINTER IS QUITE SMALL AND IS LESS THAN HALF THE SIZE OF A 24-PIN PRINTER. ═Y ╪ETEC INTERFACE FEEDS AN ┴-┬-├-─ PRINTER SWITCH WHICH ALLOWS MY ONE INTERFACE TO OPERATE MY TWO 24-PIN PRINTERS PLUS THE ├ANON PRINTER JUST BY SWITCHING BETWEEN THEM. ╘HE ├ANON PRINTER IS AVAILABLE NOW FOR $280 AT MAIL ORDER HOUSES AND OTHER PLACES LIKE ╨RICE ├LUB. ╔F YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A QUIET HIGH QUALITY PRINTER, ╔ WOULD RECOMMEND THIS PRINTER BUT YOU SHOULD PLAN ON CONTINUING TO DO LABELS ON YOUR CURRENT DOT-MATRIX PRINTERS.
┘OU WILL NEED A PRINTER THAT WILL REVERSE (BACK UP) LINEFEEDS. ┘OU SHOULD HAVE ╞╟═ "DRAW" MODE PROGRAM AVAILABLE. ╞AST ╠OAD VERSIONS OF THE PROGRAMS WILL HELP YOU KEEP YOUR FRUSTRATIONS DOWN.
├HOOSE "COLORING BOOK" TYPE GRAPHICS TO START WITH. ╘HESE ARE JUST OUTLINE DRAWINGS. ╙AVE THE GRAPHIC AS A WORK SCREEN AND TO PRINT IN BLACK. ┼RASE EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE PORTION TO BE COLORED AND SAVE IT AS ├LIP ┴RT TO DISK WITH A UNIQUE TITLE. ─O THIS FOR EACH COLOR TO BE USED. ╨UT A REGISTRATION MARK IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF EACH SCREEN SO THAT IT'S POSITION CAN BE MAINTAINED FOR PRINTING. ┼RASE THEM WHEN FINISHED. ╨RINT LIGHTEST COLORS FIRST. ╨RINT BLACK LAST TO AVOID CONTAMINATING LIGHT COLORED RIBBONS. ┬LACK WILL PREVAIL IF PRINTED OVER OTHER COLORS.
╘HANKS TO ╚UGH ═C═ENAMIN FOR THE FOLLOWING SAMPLE COMMANDS FOR ╔LLUSTRATOR ╔╔ TO PRINT OUT THE GRAPHICS. ├HARACTERS INSIDE BRACKETS DENOTE REVERSED CHARACTERS.
[N]@:-TEST DEMO. ╔NSTALL YOUR OWN TITLE FOR THIS AND SAVE WHEN DONE. [TM1LM10RM10] ╙ET YOUR OWN MARGINS
[1]=27,106,36
[MO]+ ╘ELLS PRINTER TO REVERSE AFTER GRAPHIC.
[MO]..GRAPHIC TITLE
[1W] ╨AUSES PRINTER TO CHANGE RIBBONS.
[MO]..GRAPHIC TITLE
[1W] ╨AUSES PRINTER
[MO]- ╙TOPS REVERSE OF PRINTER AFTER NEXT GRAPHIC
[MO].. GRAPHIC TITLE
[1W]
╔NSTRUCTIONS ARE FOR THE ╨ANASONIC ╦╪-╨1180. ╙HOULD WORK FOR ┼PSON TYPE PRINTERS.
╔F YOU NEED MORE HELP, WRITE ME AND ╔ WILL DO WHAT ╔ CAN. ╘HE BEST ADVICE ╔ CAN GIVE IS: ╘╚╔╬╦! AND PREVIEW BEFORE PRINTING. (┼DITOR'S NOTE: ╫E WISH WE COULD HAVE SHOWN A SAMPLE OF ┼MIL'S GRAPHICS HERE. ╘HEY ARE TRULY ARTISTIC.)
╧═╬╔╥┼┴─┼╥. ┬Y ╩OE ╞ENN (╦ILROY).
╔ WROTE THIS TEXT FILE READER A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND NEVER SUBMITTED IT, SO ╔ DECIDED MAYBE SOME OF THE 64/128 ╒SERS MIGHT FIND GOOD USE FOR IT. ╔T READS ANY TYPE TEXT FILE SEQ-PRG-USR AND EITHER PRINTS TO THE SCREEN OR PRINTER (YOUR CHOICE). ╔T WILL EVEN READ NON-TEXT TYPE FILES (BINARY FILES), BUT WHAT YOU SEE IS A LOT OF JIBBERISH EXCEPT FOR AN OCCASIONAL SPLASH OF ┴╙├╔╔ IN STRINGS. ╔T AUTOMATICALLY DETECTS MODE 64 OR 128, FILE TYPE, AND WORKS WITH 40 OR 80 COL SCREEN MODES. ╔T IS WRITTEN FOR ╤┬┬ , SO WHEN RESETTING, IT GOES BACK TO THE ╤┬┬ MENU RATHER THAN TO ┬┴╙╔├. ╔F YOU DONT HAVE A ╤┬┬ YET, (SHAME) IT WILL JUST REVERT BACK TO BASIC.
╘HE SECRET TO THE WHOLE THING IS IN LINE 20. ╔NSTEAD OF OPENING A SEQ, OR PRG ╞ILE TO READ, THE -═- ACTS SORTA LIKE A WILDCARD IN DOS TO READ ANY FILE REGARDLESS OF TYPE. ╔╬ 64 ═╧─┼ ┴╬┘ ╦┼┘ ╨┴╒╙┼╙ ╠╔╙╘╔╬╟. ╔╬ 128 ═╧─┼ ╒╙┼ ╬╧/╙├╥╧╠╠ ╦┼┘.
(╦ILROY ADDS THAT THIS PROGRAM WON'T DO BINARY FILES SUCH AS PRG FILES SAVED FROM WORD PROCESSORS. ╔F YOU SAVE THEM AS SEQ FILES, THEN IT WILL WORK. ╧R YOU CAN READ TRUE PRG TEXT FILES PRG/OR/SEQ SUCH AS ╠OADSTAR FILES. ╔T LACKS WORDWRAP.)
╚┼╠╨╞╒╠ ╘╔╨ ╞╧╥ ╞┴╙╘ ╚┴├╦┼═ ╒╙┼╥╙ - ┬RIAN ╓AUGHAN
╔F YOU HAVE MANY NEW DISKS TO FORMAT, ╔ RECOMMEND YOU USE ╞AST ╚ACKEM SINCE IT IS NOT ONLY THE FASTEST FORMATTER (ABOUT 8 SECONDS), BUT THE DRIVE HEAD WILL NOT KNOCK DURING FORMATTING. ╩UST LOAD THE SINGLE DRIVE MENU AND THEN SELECT THE ╞ILE ├OPIER MENU. ╘HEN USE THE "╔" (╔NITIALIZE-╞ORMAT) COMMAND. ┴S FOR COPYING DISKS, USERS ARE AWARE THAT THE FIRST DISK COPY WILL KNOCK THE DRIVE HEAD BUT THAT SUBSEQUENT COPIES WILL NOT. ╘O AVOID THE FIRST HEAD KNOCK ON A SINGLE DRIVE, HIT "─" TO LIST THE ─IRECTORY FIRST BEFORE COPYING. ╧N A TWO DRIVE SYSTEM, YOU WILL HAVE TO FIRST HIT "╞1" TO SWAP THE TWO DRIVE POSITIONS BEFORE USING THE "─" COMMAND TO LIST YOUR ─EVICE #9 ─IRECTORY. ┬UT WHEN YOU RETURN TO THE MAIN MENU, DON'T FORGET TO HIT "╞1" AGAIN TO RESWAP THE ORIGIN & DESTINATION DRIVES OR YOU WILL WIPE OUT YOUR ORIGIN DISK WHEN COPYING UNLESS IT IS WRITE PROTECTED.
╘HE ═AY 1986 "├OMPUTE'S ╟AZETTE" HAD "╘HE 64 ╒SER ╟ROUP OF ┴MERICA" ON THEIR LIST OF USER GROUPS. ╘HE ╨RESIDENT WAS ╦IRBY ╚ERAZY. ═EMBERS CORRESPONDED WITH ╦IRBY AND HE ENCOURAGED THEM TO WRITE TO OTHER MEMBERS. ╘HERE WERE NO REGULAR MAILINGS, NO NEWSLETTER, AND NO DUES. ╘HE FOLLOWING YEAR THE NAME WAS CHANGED TO "═EETING 64/128 ╒SERS ╘HROUGH THE ═AIL."
╔N THE SUMMER OF 1987 ╦IRBY ASKED ME TO TAKE OVER AS ╨RESIDENT. ╔ BEGAN TO PUT OUT A MEMBERSHIP LIST WITH "BIOS", AND IN ╙EPTEMBER 1987 THE FIRST SMALL NEWSLETTER WAS SENT OUT WITH DONATIONS COVERING COSTS. ─UES OF $5 WERE INSTITUTED FOR 1988. ┼LLY ├AREY BECAME ╘REASURER; ┬RIAN ╓AUGHAN TOOK OVER ═EMBERSHIP ╥ECORDS; AND ┬ILL ╥OBINSON BECAME ┼DITOR OF THE ├OMMODORE ═AI╠INK, AND HE ALSO PRODUCED A DISK VERSION OF THE NEWSLETTER. ╙INCE ═ARCH, 1990, WE HAVE HAD GUEST EDITORS FOR THE ═AI╠INK. ┴T PRESENT ╩OE ╨OWELL IS ╘REASURER; ┬RIAN ╓AUGHAN IS IN CHARGE OF ═EMBERSHIP ╥ECORDS; AND ╩IM ╟REEN EDITS AND DISTRIBUTES ═AI╠INK ON ─ISK. ╘HERE IS A ROSTER OF "╥ESOURCE ╨EOPLE" TO ADVISE ON COMPUTING PROBLEMS, AND AN ┴DVISORY ├OUNCIL TO ADVISE THE ╨RESIDENT. ═EMBERSHIP GOES UP AND DOWN THROUGH EACH YEAR BUT THE PRESENT MEMBERSHIP OF 259 GIVES MEMBERS A GOOD CHOICE OF CORRESPONDENTS AND PROVIDES PLENTY OF SUBMISSIONS FOR THE ═AI╠INK. ╬EW MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME. ╫E COULD ATTRACT MORE MEMBERS IF WE PROMISED MORE, BUT OUR POLICY IS TO PROMISE ONLY WHAT WE CAN DO WELL, AND TO PROVIDE EVERYTHING WE PROMISE.
╞┼┼─┬┴├╦
├╧═╨╠┴╔╬╘: ╔ SENT $10 TO ═IKE ├RAIG, ╥ICHMOND, ╓IRGINIA, FOR A ╟┼╧╙ DISK THAT WAS ADVERTISED IN THE ─ECEMBER, 1993, ├OMPUTE'S ╟AZETTE ─ISK. ╙TILL NO DISK AFTER 3 MONTHS. ╔ SENT A LETTER OF COMPLAINT TO ╘OM ╬ETZEL, ┼DITOR OF "├OMPUTE", ╟AZETTE EDITION, (THE ╟AZETTE DISKS THAT WERE PROVIDED WITH THE MAGAZINE), AND NOW EDITOR OF THE DISK VERSION OF "├OMPUTE'S ╟AZETTE". ╬O REPLY. ╨OSSIBLY ═IKE IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH PROVIDING WHAT HE PROMISED, BUT PERHAPS HE NEVER INTENDED TO PROVIDE WHAT HE PROMISED. ╧. ┬. ╚┴╥╓┼┘
╨╠┴╒─╔╘╙: ╔ HAD AN EXPERIENCE SIMILAR TO ┬RUCE ╦URSON. ═Y 1571 DISKDRIVE WAS MAKING A HORRIBLE NOISE WHEN READING, AS IF THE DISK WAS NOT SPINNING FREELY. ╔ SENT IT TO ┼ARL ╚ARVEY, 1409 ═ILL ╙T., ╠ARAMIE ╫┘ 82070. ╫HEN ┼ARL RECEIVED IT, WHATEVER WAS CAUSING IT TO STICK APPARENTLY FREED ITSELF UP. ┼ARL COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND RETURNED IT. ╔'VE BEEN USING IT SUCCESSFULLY FOR A MONTH NOW. ┼ARL CHARGED ME NOTHING BUT ╔ PAYED HIM SOMETHING FOR HIS TIME AND RETURN SHIPPING COSTS. ╔'VE FOUND HIM VERY CAPABLE AND RECOMMEND HIM. ├HARLOTTE ═ANGUM
╘O ╫ALTER ╩OHNSON: ╔N REGARDS TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIS MANUAL AND THE 1541 ╨RINTED ├IRCUIT ┬OARD. ╔ HAVE THREE 1541S AND THE ╨├┬ FOR EACH IS DIFFERENT. ╔N PARTICULAR, THE AREA CONCERNING THE TABS FOR CUTTING THE "╩UMPERS" ARE THE SAME IN TWO OF THEM WHILE THE THIRD IS IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION. ╘HERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN ├OMPUTE'S ╟AZETTE CONCERNING THE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE 1541 WITH DIFFERENT INNERS, WHICH MIGHT EXPLAIN THE SITUATION. ╧NE MORE ITEM CONCERNING THE 1541 MANUALS. ╘HERE ARE DIFFERENT MANUALS FOR THE 1541 AND IN THE MANUAL THAT ╔ USE, THERE ARE SEVERAL OBVIOUS ERRORS. ╚AROLD ┼LIG
