Loadstar 128 42/q42.d81/t.diskovery 42

Text File | 2022-08-28 | 4KB | 73 lines

                  D I S K O V E R Y : THE WHIMPERLESS BANG

                              by Fender Tucker


    If this is to be the last LOADSTAR 128, at least it's one of the best
issues we've ever had. It reminds me of the old days, when I had many good
80-column programs to choose from, and the biggest problem was how to get
everything to fit on one 1541 disk. This issue, thanks mainly to Kate and
Ron Slaminko, had that same rare, wonderful problem.

    I'm probably the only person who feels relief that LOADSTAR 128 is
ending. The 284 subscribers seem to be quite happy to send $25 every year
to get four issues of the latest 128 programs. $25 is a small price to pay,
I guess, for confirmation that our favorite computer is still alive in this
age of the Internet. The money that LS 128 brings in each year is also
enough to pay for the work Judi and I do, as well as pay the programmers
who provide the programs. It's a great "second job" for a young couple who
are trying to get to the top of the heap in this dog-eat-dog world we live
in.

    Unfortunately, Judi and I are not young and we haven't eaten any dogs
in years. We are totally burnt out by our first job, LOADSTAR 64, and
whenever I see a heap ahead, the last thing I think about is getting to the
top of it. I want to settle down in a valley, as far from any heaps as
possible.

    Is this the last LOADSTAR 128? Well, it's the last scheduled issue. If
there is to be another, it will come out this year (2000). Since LOADSTAR
64 is going to be published throughout the year, I'll announce on it, and
on our web site (www.loadstar.com) and in the news groups, and any other
way I can think of, the publication of LS 128 #43. I'm hoping that those of
you who are paid up through #43 will hang loose until the end of the year
to see if you get that issue. If your subscription ends with #42, we hope
you call, write or email us to let us know that you want #43 for $7.95, the
usual one-issue price.

    We've always offered refunds on undelivered issues and we still will.
But if there are any back issues of LS 128 (or LS 64), or LOADSTAR products
like the LS Letter or Compleat packages that you'd like to have, we'd love
to send you those in lieu of cash. Check out the flier that came with this
issue and let us know what you want.

    Kate and Ron Slaminko and Richard Derocher have asked me to keep
LOADSTAR 128 going because they have more programs in them. I too have an
80-column program that I've been wanting to do. I really do want to put out
another issue this year, while at the same time it's a great relief to not
have an issue DUE. Schizophrenia and mixed emotions abound in these late
days.

    Adding to my confusion is the advent of an 80-column C128 emulator for
the PC, called VICE. I'm not familiar with it yet but it may provide a
large market for good 80-column 128 programs to be run on PCs. It's another
of those "projects" that perky young go-getters should jump on right away.
But again, at my age, the only perks I can use come in a pill bottle and
are spelled with a "c". Still, it's something to look into. I imagine that
at least half of our subscribers have PCs, and about all of our former
subscribers have them.

    So if the last issue of your subscription is #42, here it is. If you
are paid up through at least #43, then please wait till the end of this
year for it. For any paid-up issues beyond that, please figure out how much
that is at $6.25 per issue and let us know how you'd like that refunded --
in back issues, products, LS Letters, audio CDs, or cash.

    Enough whimpering. Check out the many great programs on this issue.
This is truly a bang-up LOADSTAR 128.

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