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Bits and Bytes Volume 11, No. 05 (1989-11)(Apple Computing Enjoyment Society)(Side A).zip
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Bits and Bytes Volume 11, No. 05 (1989-11)(Apple Computing Enjoyment Society)(Side A).po
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APPLE.SAUCE.txt
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1996-12-24
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APPLESAUCE
Being a puree of useful information for all Apple II users collected
from many sources. We'd appreciate some original ideas from our
members, too!
#################
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!!!!! ACES is 10 years old this month. I wasn't
around for the beginning, but it's been an educational and a fun
period during my membership. LONG LIVE APPLE II!!!!!
#################
30 DAYS HATH NOVEMBER - from Sandy Apple Press
--- But the 31st day of a month doesn't exist, or at least according
to the ProDos File System Translater in GS/OS. This FST contains a
very subtle bug, one that you won't notice unless the date is the 31st
of the month: when that day arrives, you'll notice that GS/OS
applications can't tell you what is the date. Here is a patch to fix
the problem; as always, don't patch your original disk. First enter
BASIC so that you have the ']' prompt. Second, set the prefix to the
SYSTEM/FSTS/ directory of your boot disk. Catalog the disk to be
certain the file PRO.FST is in it. Third, enter POKE 768,32. Finally,
enter
BSAVE PRO.FST,T$BD,A$300,LI,B$5CD. The patch is now installed.
#################
NEW HARD DRIVE FROM APPLIED ENGINEERING
VULCAN, as it will be called, will come in 20, 40, 60, 100, 140 and
200 Meg sizes. First versions will be internal for the IIgs and the
IIe/II+. GS/OS, proDos 8, DOS 3.3, Pascal and cp/M partitions are
supported, up to 16 partitions with 4 accessible simultaneously.
The interface card will be custom and it will be a lot faster than
SCSI. The power supply will be a 70 watt unit with a built in fan.
Uses a 16-bit data bus controller. The 20 meg unit will retail for
$649 and the 40 meg for $849. Prices on the 60-200 meg models have
not been set yet.
#################
To adjust the speed of Apple II drives, first TURN COMPUTER OFF.
Remove the screws from the bottom of the drive. Turn the drive right
side up, and slide the cover backwards over the cable to remove it.
Set the drive down on a level surface, then turn computer on and booat
any disk which shows you the drive speed. You may use the drive you
are testing as the boot disk is necessary.
The adjusting screw is NOT on top of the drive. The calibration screw
is on the right side of the drive (as you look at the front of the
drive - or around the corner from the Apple logo). Look to the far
right for a very small screw, and use a very small screw driver to
slowly turn the screw. You should see the numbers change either up or
down as you turn. When finished, TURN COMPUTER OFF. Check the
connector for the cable to be sure it is on tight. Put the cover back
on. Remember it slides from the back and forward. Replace the
screws and you're done.
#################
Diplomacy: Thinking twice before saying nothing.
#################
Flattery! The August, 1989 issue of NEAT NOTES, publication of the
New England Apple Tree, saw fit to reprint 4-1/2 pages worth from
recent issues of BITS AND BYTES. We must be doing something right.
#################
It seems that a problem has developed with top-of-the-line LQ
ImageWriter printers. Owners have experienced printing and noise
problems. All current owners who purchased an ImageWriter LQ between
August 11, 1987 and March 7, 1989 are eligible to receive a free
exchange to the enhanced printer. Exchanges can be made by all
authorized Apple retailers and are backed by a renewed 90-day
warranty.
#################
From Mark Twain: When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so
ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I
got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had
learned in only seven years.
#################
From A2 CENTRAL: Personal computers have unlimited potential for
saving us time. But they never do. This paradox has now been
explained by an amazing scientific discovery.
According to Dr. Kathleen O'Connell, a disorder called Computer
Perseveration Syndrome is responsible for the problem. She says
"perseveration" meant the uncontrollable repetition of some activity
or action.
Perfection seems like a real possibility to personal computer users.
Before computers were widely available, people would devote as much
time to a project as it deserved, she says. Now they do a project in
no time, but then spend hours repetitively refining it. She reports
that her husband once ran 12 drafts of a ten word letter through his
word processor.
Manifestations of the Syndrome are also seen in spreadsheet users who
fine tune a template for hours so it will be easy to use next time,
and then never use it again; in folks who spend days creating
databases on those who sent them Christmas cards, but who never have
the time to send any themselves; and in programmers who only write
programs that make it easier to write programs.
Some researchers think the Syndrome is a serious enough problem that
must be given utmost consideration by the scientific community, while
others think it is a sign of approaching nirvana!!
#################
Some daffynitions from BAUD:
APPLE MENU: List you select from at a Washington state fruit stand.
CHIPS: What cattleman have too many of, and computer owners too few of
CHOOSER: The right to select an Apple over those "other" machines
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: The chair you sit on when you call Apple Computer,
Inc. for help
DIALOG BOX: Friendly conversation from your computer
FONTS: What you alway want one more of
NeXT: Reinvention of the black box
PASSWORD: Thing you need to operate your computer but can't recall it
RAM: What you would like to do to your machine when it crashes
UPGRADITOSIS: A progressive disease that makes you want the absolute
latest version of a program even though you are perfectly happy with
the version you have.
#################
According to an article published in Apples's own Tech Tidbits
newsletter (2/24/89) Apple recommends the DB Master Professional
database for any Apple II user in need of a "heavy-duty relational
database program". They go on to say, "DB Master Professional offers
the ease of use of AppleWorks and the power of a true relational
database". Strong words from Apple!
#################
The Wall Street Journal recently published the following:
I bought the latest computer,
It came completely loaded.
It was guaranteed for 90 days,
But in 30 was outmoded.
#################
PRINCIPLES OF THE COMPUTER from the Apple COREspondent
Murphy is not the only one who has made some astute observations about
the law and principles of our society. Here are some, basic to
computer programming:
Any program, when running is obsolete. Any program costs more and
takes longer. If a program is useful, it will have to be changed. If a
program is useless, it will have to be documented. Any program will
expand to fill all available memory. The value of a program is
proportional to the weight of the output. Programming complexity grows
until it exceeds the capability of the programmer to maintain it. Make
it possible for programmers to write programs in English, and you will
find that programmers cannot write English. If architects designed
buildings the way programmers write programs, the first woodpecker
would have destroyed civilization.
#################
HINT FOR CORDLESS TELEPHONE USERS: If you have a cordless memory
phone, keep it away from your Apple, and also keep it away from a
stationary memory phone. There have been problems with this equipment
zapping the numbers in the phone memories. So do some careful testing
before using such a phone near your computer. Incidentally, this
interference appears to be worse with the IIGS than with other II's.
Interference between computer and TV is also worse with the IIGS. With
some set-ups, TV channels can become unstable.
(Reprinted in part from the Tri-City A.U.G. newsletter)
#################
An item I read someplace suggested a use for computer paper tearoff
strips: Fold and refold strips until you can do no more. Scotch tape
the resulting bundle and it makes handy anti-scratching pads for the
bottom of lamps, tables etc. This starting me thinking: Are there
other uses for these omni-present strips? Have any of our readers
found useful things to do with them? If so, would you care to share
your discoveries with all of us? Let's start a think session about
the subject and maybe we'll come up with something startling!
Good suggestions might merit a prize of tearoff strips in abundance.
#################
COMPUTER INDUSTRY NEWS:
There may soon be another in the "Carmen SanDiego" series from
Broderbund. This will be titled "Where in Time is Carmen SanDiego."
Carmen and her gang of international thieves use a time machine to
travel back in time, from 400 A.D. to the 1950s. For example, her
gang visits Spain in 1492 to steal Queen Isabella's jewels. The
program is designed to teach world history.
Both Apple II and MS-DOS versions are scheduled for release this fall.
The game comes with a 1,300 page reference book, "The New American
Library Desk Encyclopedia."
It was also announced by Applied Engineering that it plans to ship its
Vulcan internal hard drives this summer. They will be available in
20, 40, and 200 Megabyte sizes. These drives are similar to the AI
internal drive for the IIGS written up in Bits and Bytes in an earlier
issue.
Central Point Software has released Version 8.4 of its extremely
popular Copy II+ software. Major changes seem to be in the 3.5"
copying section.
It is expected that the total number of Apple II computers since their
introduction will hit 5 million in 1990. That's sort of a hard figure
to shrug off when talk of giving up the series is heard.
#################
Computer truisms from Applejacks Newsletter:
The strongest part of a sheet of computer paper is the perforation.
Godspell is the new spelling checker that corrects your thoughts
before you type them. (BEFORE you type?)
Address labels stick better to the roller on the printer than to
anything else.
And from PC REPORTS a few daffynitions: BASIC - Computer language
used for generating errors. Most billing programs are apparently
written in BASIC. CPU - C3PO's mother CURSOR - a programmer
driven to the use of foul language by his/her computer DISK DRIVE -
a motor for a Frisbee EPROM - an acronym for "Exit Program, Read
Owner's Manual" MEMORY - miniatured elephants used for
information storage in a computer MONITOR - a huge, ugly
oriental lizard that eats American computers PASSWORD - the
nonsense word taped to the CRT SAVE - what you should do before
you buy a computer SCROLL - what the instructions do when you are
trying to read them SOFTWARE - the padded covers your wife makes to
hide your computer VOLATILE MEMORY - when the computer only
accepts caustic, nasty-sounding kinds of information !!!!!!!!!!
#################
A late-breaking item from ACES Bulletin Board via Bob Sherman: "Apple
has stepped down as a partner in AppleLink Personal Edition. The name
will soon change as it merges with Commodore & IBM users on system
(once known as Q-Link). It will, however, now have a new name with
'American' in it." Full details available on Miami's Big Apple (305)
948-8000."
#################
And, with that note, we'll leave APPLESAUCE for this issue.