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I-LITES contains material of general interest from the November, 1993 issue of The Commodore MaiLink, newsletter of "Meeting 64/128 Users Through the Mail". In addition, each Commodore MaiLink contains group business, information about new members, a "Questions" column and a "Buy/Sell/Trade" column. Permission is given to reprint any of this material if credit is given to "Meeting 64/128 Users Through the Mail" and The Commodore MaiLink. FEEDBACK. The article on how to clean a sticking keyboard in the September MaiLink came just at the right time, and it worked! Many thanks to Jim Russ, he was a mind reader! The article on Commodore chip sources by Robert Ritchey explains how many different C='s were produced. As I am collecting all "locatable" C= equipment, I noticed the same thing even without opening them up! The original 64 has different colors, different color keys, some of the 64C's are also equipped with funny looking letters on the keys and so on. Same with the disk drives: spring doors, door lever, different color casings. I would be interested to know what was the production difference between them? Compute Gazette had an article on Disk Drive Genealogy in the October 1993 issue. It was interesting to read the evolution of C= drives, esspecially that the 1581 preceded the 1541II. Csaba Csaszar Term Paper Writer 128 David Rumberg With my daughter entering junior high school and doing more writing projects, I started looking for a word processor that might help her. Enter Term Paper Writer 128. This program is fairly easy to use and offers some features that I had not seen before. The four sections of the program are: Notetaker, Outliner, Writer, Bibliographer/Footnote Compiler. Notetaker is essentially electronic note cards where you jot notes and enter source information. You can edit, delete, search, sort, and print your notes. You can access the cards from the Writer and import information from the cards to the Writer. Outliner is what it says, an outliner. Here you organize your ideas and structure your paper. Up to four levels of headings and subheadings are allowed. Writer is the word processor which offers all the standard features seen in most word processors. Bibliographer/Footnote Compiler takes the source information from the Notetaker file and arranges it into one of three standard styles that you select. When you print the paper, footnotes are inserted at the appropriate places. This seems like a very good program for students and also for writing in general. The ability to make notecards with sources included and import them into the document is very handy. Other programs offer cutting/pasting, but this system is better. I have not had time to use the program extensively, but I hope it will help my children when it comes time to do term papers. Term Paper Writer 128, Personal Choice Software, $14.97 from Software Support. Requires: C128, 1571 disk drive. Printers supported: Commodore 801, 802, 803; Okidate 192, 193; Epson/graphics (EpsonJX-80, Panasonic KX-P1080, NEC Pinwriter P2); Epson/no graphics (Epson MX-100); Gemini 10X. Other printers not compatable with above will require some experimenting. Computer Foundation for Handicapped Children David Schiff I am happy to report that the Computer Foundation for Handicapped Children is back in operation following the retirement of its founder and director, Don Peterson. The new address is: CFHC, c/o Leslie Cooper, 111 W. Coronado Road, Phoenix, AZ 85003. Write for their catalog of Commodore software. Send SASE please. RECOMMENDATION I would like to recommend 'GENEALOGY' Version 4, by Jim Gary, 502 Kyle St, Sugar Land Tx, 77478. The cost is $10, including postage. It does a fine job in creating family trees up to five generations per page, after family records have been added. I used it to store data on all of Jean's ancestors as far back as the 1500's. Her pedigree is "cut and paste" because I haven't learned how to put my printer in compressed mode. Even so, there are four generations per sheet. John Hunter. Recommendation. After the demise of "GeoVisions International", I think we should all be cautious about recommending sources of Commodore information. However, I'll go out on a limb and suggest that some of you might like to try "DieHard" magazine. The subscription price is modest. It is a magazine for diehard Commodore 8 bit users. They seem to be a responsible group of people, action on subscriptions is prompt, and issues arrive on time. The articles are aimed at all users, not just the techies, and there is at least one short Basic type-in program in each issue. They carry advertising from a few Commodore suppliers, also offer "Classifieds", and a free "Trader's Corner". There are 10 issues a year, September '93, is #13. It is a professional looking periodical: slick paper, a colored cover, and elegant printing and design. The latest issue was 28 pages. You can order a single copy for $1.75, ($3 for Canada), a subscription is $15 a year ($25 for Canada). Back issues are available. There is an accompanying disk, $5 for a single disk, $45 for a year's subscription. DieHard, P.O. Box 392, Boise, ID, 83701-0392. Jean Nance From Jim Green... I have received 2 copies of DIE HARD and it seems to be worth the money. The November issue was 36 pages. Several type in programs are included. RAMDRIVE STILL AVAILABLE You may have noticed that recent ads from CMD (Creative Micro Designs) no longer list the RamDrive. The RamDrive is a battery-backed RAM unit for the 64 or 128, and is probably the best choice for those who do not currently own any RAM extension units and want a cheap alternative. The RamDrive is still available from the developer, Peter Fiset, Performance Peripherals, 5 Upper Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY 12211. Phones: Information 518-436-0485. Orders (U.S. only) 1-800-925-9774. See the November issue of "Compute", (Gazette edition), page G-1, for other offerings of Performance Peripherals. MORE ON RAMLINK - Brian Vaughan If you are planning to increase the memory on your RAMCard within RAMLink, I have located the cheapest source for buying SIMMs. Per the RL manual, your SIMM values cannot be mixed on your RC. You must use all 1 Meg. (1x8) or all 4 Meg. (4x8) SIMMs. Your SIMMs must also run at 100ns or faster (the lower the "ns" number, the faster the SIMM). There is no advantage for buying faster SIMMs as they just cost more. The source I use for buying SIMMs is California Memory & Components (CMC), 356 S. Abbott Ave., Milpitas, CA 95035, Tel: (408) 956-8291. They sell the 1x8-100ns SIMM for $26 and the 4x8-80ns SIMM for $112 (the 4x8 does not come in the 100ns speed). Another source which offers similar prices is AAM TECH, 1650 Zanker Rd. - Suite 244, San Jose, CA 95112, Tel: (408) 441-1629. When ordering, be sure to emphasize you want the 1x8 or the 4x8 SIMMs as most other users use the 1x9 and the 4x9 SIMMs. Also, when you receive your order, be sure to count the number of ICs on the SIMM board which should be 8. If there are 9 ICs on the board, you have received the wrong SIMM(s) and must exchange them. On another subject, I would like to hear from anyone who has been able to put a working copy of Side B of the Print Shop disk or the Print Shop Companion disk onto a 1541 partition of RAMLink. INVITATION: Canada's National Capital FreeNet BBS By Dan Faber BBS' are changing drastically day-by-day and on July 31, 1993, an in-depth article about the new National Capital FreeNet BBS appeared in 7 The Ottawa Citizen newspaper. I selected information from that article to compose this short note. Readers of Mailink might be interested in hearing about or using one successful -at this time- BBS. It could possibly be "the home computer BBS format of the future" which is accessable to C-64 and C-128 owners. An example of use: a university student at the University of Ottawa searched thousands of milkweed plants last year to find Monarch butterfly caterpillars for her biology project. This year she discovered they were as close as her home computer. With the click of a keyboard, she asked about the insects on the National Capital FreeNet BBS; a local woman read her request and immediately posted a note about her garden full of the chomping crawly critters. Whether one is looking for bugs, tips on buying a bed, wondering how to start a business, debating abortion, or just saying what's on your mind, FreeNet has become Ottawa's all-purpose, electronic open-line, talk show, and on-line library. Since February, 1993, 7,000 people have become registered users, with as many as 25 new users each day. Presently there are estimated to be about 100,000 home computers and 100,000 business computers in the Ottawa area, so it is possible that there could be 50,000 users by 1996. The biggest drawing card to FreeNet is that it is absolutely free and it is Canada's largest community network. FreeNetters are being heard from as far away as Singapore, Australia and Finland. They land here via Internet, the larger American Network that links 11,000 of the world's FreeNet-type databases in 135 countries. As a result, many local Ottawa BBS' are going like the Dodo Bird because of the cost differential. The user-profile of FreeNet is interesting but predictable. They are male (80%), English-speaking (96%) and only 10% take the road out-of-town through Internet. The most popular postings are in general discussions, an area that echoes coffeehouse conversation. Users post to discussion groups, broken up into 70 special interests such as golf, hobbies, computers, sex, and recreation. There is a lot of babbling back and forth with no real purpose. So, FreeNet is still at the citizen-band radio stage: lots of users just showing themselves that they can log-on and bragging to others about it. I am logged-on to FreeNet but have not had time to investigate the numerous menus thoroughly. I spend my free time during the summer repairing and renovating my home. Thought!! I wonder if someone logged-on will volunteer to replace the shingles on my house! Invitation!! Any readers of Mailink interested in talking with me on FreeNet? It's easy if you have access to InterNet; I promise to reply. COMPUTE (GAZETTE EDITION) GOES DISK The December issue of Compute (Gazette edition) will be the last hard copy issue. Starting in January, the Gazette will be entirely on disk, coming out monthly. The disk will have all the columns and features of the hard copy, and will have seven programs per issue, with documentation. It is hoped that some advertising will also appear in the disk edition. Those who are presently subscribing to Compute (Gazette edition) may upgrade to the disk version for 1994 for $29.95. Details will be in the December issue. This information is based on a phone conversation with Gazette editor Tom Netzel on October 7th. In a way, this is a better deal. We won't have to store stacks of slick paper magazines, of which we only read and want 40 pages each. We won't have to type in those interminable programs. Instead we will have everything on an easily storable disk. On October 30th, Tom Netzel on QuantumLink, suggested that Gazette edition subscribers phone the subscription number to get their subscription changed over to the new disk. He seemed to indicate that if this wasn't done, they would probably get the hard copy "Compute" with no Commodore material in January. Co-editor Willis Patten phoned as soon as he saw this notice, and the people at the subsciption office, even a supervisor, knew nothing about a disk edition! I phoned a few days later, and they were set up to accept disk subscriptions, or to arrange to have the rest of my subscription be in the form of the disk. Next the December "Compute" arrived, with the news, and a card one can use to subscribe to the new disk. Tom Netzel states there that all "Gazette" subscribers will get the disk automatically. Who's right, who's wrong, who's on First? What a way to run a magazine! SMILEYS Here is part of a message which was on FBN (Fly By Night) bulletin board, Champaign, Illinois. 217-359-2874. ***** GENERAL ***** Message 89945 was entered on 9/20/93 at 8:05 PM. (Read 20 times) From DAVE LISTER to PUBLIC about SMILEY DICTIONARY Unofficial Smilie Dictionary. (This is taken from the University of Illinois bulletin board system.) Last month this newspaper described some of the purported hazards of working with computers -- electro-magnetic radiation, strained limbs, strained eyes. We neglected to mention crooked heads. That is what you get from trying to read the expressions of a new hieroglyphic language that computer addicts have invented to enliven messages. Like prehistoric cave dwellers, the devotees of electronic bulletin boards and "e-mail" have struggled to find a new way to express themselves. Wall painting would not work. Words, it seems, are not enough. Inarticulate sounds cannot be displayed on screens. To make their messages feel more like personal contact, they have hit on using the punctuation marks on an ordinary keyboard in order to pull faces at each other. To read these signs, you have to put your head on your left shoulder. The basic unit is: :-) the "smiley", a standard smiling face. In context, this can mean "I'm happy to hear from you", or other pleasantries. Sometimes it also means, "Don't take that comment seriously,I was just joking". The smiley can also wink: ;-) or frown: :-( The language can express many things about the user's appearance: 8-) :-{) 8:-) :-)-8 :-Q `:-) These signs mean, respectively, that the user wears sunglasses, has a moustache, is a little girl, is a big girl, smokes, wears a turban. The smiley can also indicate some subtleties of mood and response: :-D :-/ :-e :-7 :-X These mean that he is laughing, is sceptical, is disappointed, is wry, is keeping his lips sealed. Many of the signs (perhaps the majority in use on America's biggest computer networks) are simply absurd fun, verging on the unintelligible: :-F *:o) +-:-) `= The user is a buck-toothed vampire with one tooth missing, is a clown, holds religious office, is pro-nuclear. Now you know what 7 electronic mail is used for. Note: A lengthy dictionary followed, but this introduces the subject. Submitted by Jean Nance. Quick Brown Box Ins N Outs. by Joe Fenn PRELUDE I was going to dive right in with part 1 of a series, but am already receiving letters from those who have acquired QBB ram boxes at swap meets etc., and know absolutely nothing about how to use them. QBB (quick brown boxes) originally came in sizes as follows: 16k 32k 64k versions. Then 128K and 256K big box versions were added. Each came with all its software managers installed in the box, so all you needed to do was plug it into your cartridge port and power up. It has a small slide switch at the top left corner which sets the mode. If up it will autoboot in 128 mode. If down it autoboots in 64 mode. The very first thing you must do after purchasing one is to dump its contents onto a freshly formatted disk so that you can get it back if something goes wrong and you initialize the cartridge without first saving. You do what is called a box save which will be a long "seq" file with any name you wish to call it. I suggest "QBB Utilities" as a name. In fact you should use the Manager utility in the box to save each file first (it asks if you wish to save a single file or all files). Choose single, give the 2 letter ID when prompted, and the name when prompted. This way they are saved as individual PRG files to the utility disk. If you choose "save entire box" then as stated above, all files are saved as one "SEQ" file which can only be put back into the QBB box using the appropriate "LDR" for your box. If your box is a swapmeet item and has nothing in it, you will first have to order from QBB inc. (address below) their utility disk. They might even send you a copy of the instruction book for your version when they send your disk. Be sure to tell them which one you have. If you have trouble with your box or it seems to be dead after initializing it with the proper manager software, then it may be that its been laying around for years, and/or the "lithium cell" backup battery inside the box is dead. You can buy one at Radio Shack for two or three bucks, but you must spot solder two leads to it. One (red lead)to the + terminal and one black one to the - terminal on the board inside the QBB. Toremove the old cell, use very sharp nippers to cut first the + side lug (being extremely careful that the cell itself touches nothing else on the board. Then snip the - side. Even if you measure the voltage on the old cell before removal and it shows 3 volt with no load on it, it still may be bad. Usually the old expended cell will show maybe 2.8 or something like that. A surefire test would be to use the manager to initialize the cartridge first. Then push the red reset button (top right on cart.). If you get a menu showing the contents then turn off the computer power and after a few seconds power up again. If the menu is no longer there, your battery is dead or below normal and not holding the contents of the cartridge. Now you can start your lithium battery replacement. The ones sold by Radio Shack do not have solder tabs. The ones sold by QBB Inc., do have them. I strongly recommend you purchase a cartridge extender board. I recommend the one still being produced by Skyles Electric Works (address below). Its called 2+1 (for a total of 3 slots) and each slot has 4 dip switches to turn on or off. This is important, as some other boards have only a single switch hence it does not make the cartridge completely invisible to the computer, and you might have trouble running other software from your disk due to interaction with the cartridge. As we follow up with future articles, you will learn how to make your own booters to boot files in your QBB, how to snapshot and get protected programs you already own into the QBB, and info on some programs that literally will not run inside the box but may be stored there, called into ram, then by turning the slot to your box off with the switches the program will run fine without removing the cartridge. One example is "Superaide" a great programmers tool, but more on this later. I am already getting mail and questions on the above items, hence am just writing this "prelude" or introduction today to kinda get yall started. Quick Brown Boxes Inc. 26 Concord Rd, Bedford, Ma. 01730 Ph (617) 275-0090 Skyles Electric Works P.O. Box 1984 Cupertino, Ca. 95015 (2 plus 1 CBM Expander) Ph Unknown Reprinted with permission from "On-Line", newsletter of Commodore Hawaii Users Group. May/June 1993. ANSWERS From Dick Righter: In response to Wylene Knight's inquiry about JiffyDOS, I recently bought JiffyDOS for my C-64 and my 1581 disk drive. According to CMD's comparison chart, JiffyDOS isn't of much assistance unless you are using the 1541 drive. However, on my C64 & 1581, I got a 12 time improvement in loading programs, so it is first class. I found it very easy to install and it only took 30-45 minutes. (Editor note: I have used JiffyDOS on C64 with 1541 and now on C128D. Not only does it speed up disk access, you also have a built in expanded DOS wedge, 2 drive file copier, and more. I can't imagine not having JiffyDOS on my system. HINTS & TIPS From Dan Faber: I suggest you beware of buying C64 computers made in W. Germany. For them to run properly with 120 volts, they need several electrical modifications. On the bottom label of my "Made in Germany" computer it says: C64 MADE IN W.-GERMANY 5V=; 9V 15W. These computers are constructed for 220 volts. From Andre Cardinal: I use a C=128 with a Panasonic KX-P1180i set to Epson Mode with a Micrographix MW-350 interface, also set to Epson-mode. My problem was, when running geoPublish under GEOS 128, I could not obtain acceptable results. The solution, geoPublish requires that the printer driver required be the first printer driver on the disk, if more than one is present on the disk. Also, geoPublish must be installed from a cold start. Now the program works perfectly. From David Rumberg: Anyone trying to learn how to use geoPublish needs to be sure to read the Errata Information found in Appendix C, pages 45-51, of the geoPublish Manual Addendum. There were many errors in the original manual and the ones in the tutorial section might lead to confusion if you don't know about them. From David Rumberg: As noted in the September Correction, some problems have arisen with Text Grabber and the conversion of articles. Another problem that I had was trying to use Text Grabber 128 to convert PET ASCII files to GeoWrite. I tried all of the conversions available, but I could not get a readable file. I had decided to print all the files, then edit them. Then I remembered that I still had GEOS 64 and that there was a Text Grabber on it. I discovered that the 64 version of Text Grabber has a Generic III file that the 128 version does not have. Using this file, I was able to convert the files with very little trouble. Willis Patten: Ditto to the above. You can transfer from Geos 64 directly to your C128 work disks also & it works like a cool dude.