

     |||||| |||||| ||  || |||||| ||||||
     ||     ||     ||| ||   ||   ||
     || ||| ||||   ||||||   ||   ||||               Your
     ||  || ||     || |||   ||   ||
     |||||| |||||| ||  || |||||| ||||||             GenieLamp Computing

     ||    |||||| ||    || ||||||                   RoundTable
     ||    ||  || |||  ||| ||  ||
     ||    |||||| |||||||| ||||||                   RESOURCE!
     ||    ||  || || || || ||
     ||||| ||  || ||    || ||


                    ~ WELCOME TO GENIELAMP APPLE II! ~
                      """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
             ~ A2/PRO_DUCTIVITY: BASIC Basics and Advancements
                ~ FILE BANDWAGON: Top 10 Files for February
                 ~ REAL WORLD APPLE: Pushing Your Buttons
                   ~ HOT NEWS, HOT FILES, HOT MESSAGES ~

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
 GenieLamp Apple II     ~ A T/TalkNET Publication ~     Vol.6, Issue 63
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Editor...................................................Ryan M. Suenaga
Editor Emeritus................................................Doug Cuff
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
          ~ GenieLamp IBM ~ GenieLamp ST ~ GenieLamp PowerPC ~
        ~ GenieLamp A2Pro ~ GenieLamp Macintosh ~ GenieLamp TX2 ~
         ~ GenieLamp Windows ~ GenieLamp A2 ~ LiveWire (ASCII) ~
            ~ Member Of The Digital Publishing Association ~
 GE Mail: GENIELAMP                       Internet: genielamp@genie.com
////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

           >>> WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE APPLE II ROUNDTABLE? <<<
           """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                             ~ May 15, 1997 ~


 FROM MY DESKTOP ......... [FRM]        HEY MISTER POSTMAN ...... [HEY]
  Notes From The Editor.                 Is That A Letter For Me?

 A2/PRO_ductivity ........ [A2P]        FILE BANDWAGON .......... [BAN]
  A2Pro Bits & Bytes.                    Top 10 files for March 1997.

 REAL WORLD APPLE .........[RWA]        LOG OFF ................. [LOG]
  Pushing Your Buttons                   GenieLamp Information

[IDX]""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

READING GENIELAMP   GenieLamp has incorporated a unique indexing system
"""""""""""""""""   to help make reading the magazine easier.  To utilize
this system, load GenieLamp into any ASCII word processor or text editor.
In the index you will find the following example:

                   HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM]
                    Genie Fun & Games.

     To read this article, set your find or search command to [HUM].  If
you want to scan all of the articles, search for [EOA].  [EOF] will take
you to the last page, whereas [IDX] will bring you back to the index.

MESSAGE INFO   To make it easy for you to respond to messages reprinted
""""""""""""   here in GenieLamp, you will find all the information you
need immediately following the message.  For example:

                    (SMITH, CAT6, TOP1, MSG:58/M475)
        _____________|   _____|__  _|___    |____ |_____________
       |Name of sender   CATegory  TOPic    Msg.#   Page number|

     In this example, to respond to Smith's message, log on to page 475
enter the bulletin board and set CAT 6.  Enter your REPly in TOPic 1.

     A message number that is surrounded by brackets indicates that this
message is a "target" message and is referring to a "chain" of two or more
messages that are following the same topic.  For example:  {58}.

ABOUT Genie   Genie has pricing plans to fit almost any budget.  Genie's
"""""""""""   services include email, software downloads, bulletin boards,
chat lines, and an Internet gateway included at a non-prime time connect
rate of $2.75.  Some pricing plans include uncharged online connect time.
As always, prices are subject to change without notice.  To sign up for
Genie, call (with modem) 1-800-638-8369 in the USA or 1-800-387-8330 in
Canada.  Upon connection wait for the U#= prompt.  Type:  JOINGENIE and hit
RETURN.  The system will then prompt you for your information.  Need more
information?  Call Genie's customer service line (voice) at 1-800-638-9636.

GET GENIELAMP ON THE NET!   Now you can get your GenieLamp issues from
"""""""""""""""""""""""""   the Internet.  If you use a web browser,
connect to "gopher://gopher.genie.com/11/magazines".  When using a gopher
program, connect to "gopher.genie.com" and then choose item 7 (Magazines
and Newsletters from Genie's RoundTables).

                        *** GET INTO THE LAMP! ***
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""



       ///////////////////////////////////////// Genie_QWIK_QUOTE /////
      / "When I bought my Sportster, I didn't spend the extra bucks  /
     /   for a Sportster Vi (voicemail and Caller ID) because I     /
    /    knew the GS couldn't use either feature."                 /
   /                                                              /
  /     "Pessimist :)"                                           /
 //////////////////////////////////////////  A2.TONY & A2LAMP ///



[EOA]
[FRM]//////////////////////////////
                 FROM MY DESKTOP /
/////////////////////////////////
Notes From The Editor
"""""""""""""""""""""
by Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W., L.S.W.
                          [A2LAMP]



                    >>> PACK MY THINGS AND RUN AWAY <<<
                    """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

     Those of you who've read my work (not just in _GenieLamp A2_, but in
other Apple II publications) know that I'm not just a computer geek, I'm a
bicycling fiend (even though, especially since I started graduate school, I
haven't even been close to being in decent shape).

     That said, recently two of our local bicycle shops closed their doors.
These weren't exactly Mom & Pop operations, nor were they sports
superstores.  They were just stores that specialized in one thing with
people who worked there who were about as interested in what they did as
the clientele they attracted.  A lot of the people who worked there
could've taken a different job where they'd make more money, but they were
vested in cycling, and decided it wouldn't just be what they did for fun,
it would be what they'd do to live.

     So while I was happy to have an opportunity to pick up parts and
equipment at a discount price, it was sad to see two businesses that
serviced the enthusiast rather than the casual rider close, and I was left
to ponder the fact that we had lost yet another great resource for cyclists
on the island, and how few were left.

     It was the first Sunday in May when I ran into a buddy of mine in an
electronic conference room on a national online service who greeted me with
a private message:

     "Did you hear about EGO?"

     So, a day before the world at large heard the news, I learned that EGO
Systems, the former publisher of _GS+_ magazine and the distributor of one
of the most varied assortments of Apple II and IIgs software still
available,  was planning to close its Apple II mail order operations on
June 27, 1997.

     I didn't know Tom Weishaar when _A2-Central_ ceased publication, or
Joe Kohn when _inCider/A+_ published its last.  I didn't know the gang at
_Ingenuity_ or _CheckMate_ or _Applied Engineering_ when the plug was
pulled there.  Those were sad times as well.  But this time, it's even
sadder: you see, our world has become so small that like so many other of
these times over the last few years, I know the people involved.

     Steve Disbrow gave everything he had into _GS+_ magazine, then when he
found he couldn't do it profitably anymore, he kept going strong with EGO's
mail order business.  Unfortunately, the harsh realities of the
ever-shrinking Apple II marketplace made it tougher and tougher to keep
operating, and finally, it just no longer made sense to keep the mail order
business alive.

     To Steve and Noreen, I wish only the best.

     EGO Systems Apple II Mail Order: R.I.P.

     And I am left to ponder the fact that we had lost yet another great
resource for Apple II enthusiasts in the community, and how few are left.

                                [*] [*] [*]


     One of my best friends at the hospital I work with is our Child Life
Specialist, a delightful young woman named Elma (and if you don't know what
a Child Life Specialist is, don't worry--I didn't until I started working
at a hospital).  She's young, bright, absolutely great with kids, and
already has her master's degree (she's _only_ seven years younger than I
was when I got _my_ master's degree).  In the last year, she's also gotten
married _and_ gotten pregnant.  She's already done more things at age 23
than most of us do in a lifetime.

     Unfortunately, this has been a really rough pregnancy for Elma.  She's
called in sick--or at least it's seemed like she has--every week throughout
her pregnancy.  It's gotten to the point that I've begun to kid her that
she ought to save herself a few phone calls--instead of calling us to let
us know she's feeling sick and staying home, she ought to call us to let us
know she's feeling well and coming in.

     Now, why do I bring up the story of Elma here in an Apple II
publication, you ask?  To set the stage for this: this edition of
_GenieLamp A2_ is late, as it's been regularly since I became editor.  In
fact, I've been late more times in the first six months of publication than
my predecessor, Doug Cuff, was in his entire (prodigious) 40 issue run as
editor.   I've posted so many notes in the A2 RoundTable about
_GenieLamp A2_ being late that I think I would post a lot less notes if I
just did it to tell everyone when it'll be on time.

     I find this entire matter totally unacceptable, and since it's my
responsibility to do something about it, I've come up with a plan.

     Henceforth, _GenieLamp A2_ 's new publication date will be the
fifteenth of the month.  There's two reasons for this.

     First, I get totally bombed at both of my jobs at the end of the
month, so I think the middle of the month is just a better time for me.

     Second, since we cover everything happening in Genie's A2 and A2Pro
RoundTables right to the end of the month, it gives me a few more days to
catch up with any hot potatoes thrown out on the 30th or 31st.

                                [*] [*] [*]


     If this month sounds like a bummer so far, at least there's The Mother
Of All Silver Linings to this dark cloud of an editorial: KansasFest 1997,
_THE_ premier Apple II event of the year, is just around the corner.  For
the third year (and my first as editor of this publication), I plan to be
in attendance, and we'll again have full coverage in the August issue of
_GenieLamp A2_. . . which will be out around the fifteenth of the month.

-- Ryan

Genie Mail:  A2LAMP                           Internet:  a2lamp@genie.com



        __________________________________________________________
       |                                                          |
       |                   REPRINTING GENIELAMP                   |
       |                                                          |
       |   If you want to reprint any part of GenieLamp, or       |
       |   post it to a bulletin board, please see the very end   |
       |   of this file for instructions and limitations.         |
       |__________________________________________________________|



                                                           ASCII ART BEGINS

      _____            _      _                              ___  ___
     / ____|          (_)    | |                            / _ \|__ \
    | |  __  ___ _ __  _  ___| |     __ _ _ __ ___  _ __   | |_| |  ) |
    | | |_ |/ _ \ '_ \| |/ _ \ |    / _` | '_ ` _ \| '_ \  |  _  | / /
    | |__| |  __/ | | | |  __/ |___| (_| | | | | | | |_) | | | | |/ /_
     \_____|\___|_| |_|_|\___|______\__,_|_| |_| |_| .__/  |_| |_|____|
                                                   | |
                                                   |_|

                                                             ASCII ART ENDS


[EOA]
[HEY]//////////////////////////////
              HEY MISTER POSTMAN /
/////////////////////////////////
Is That A Letter For Me?
""""""""""""""""""""""""
by Ryan Suenaga
       [A2LAMP]

     o BULLETIN BOARD HOT SPOTS

          o A2 POT-POURRI

                    o HOT TOPICS

                         o WHAT'S NEW

                              o THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE

                                   o MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT



                     >>> BULLETIN BOARD HOT SPOTS <<<
                     """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

     [*] CAT 10, TOP  2 ....... David Kerwood's Modem Impressions
     [*] CAT 10, TOP  3 ....... Telecomm Program Roll Call
     [*] CAT 13, TOP 18 ....... Shifty List 2.0 Ships!
     [*] CAT 17, TOP 25 ....... Do Not Feed The Energy Creature
     [*] CAT 28, TOP  8 ....... LemminGS Hints
     [*] CAT 35, TOP 33 ....... A Mime Stealing Home
     [*] CAT 44, TOP  7 ....... KFest!  KFest!  KFest!  KFest!  KFest!


                           >>> A2 POT-POURRI <<<
                           """""""""""""""""""""

THE NEWER PRINT SHOP   I have uploaded 2 new New Print Shop files to the A2
""""""""""""""""""""   library. They are file #28514, version 2.2 of the
PIX.WHIZ program, and #28515, a design aid for people wanting to make NPS
graphics with "NO" signs in them.

The latest upgrade of PIX.WHIZ features sigmnificantly faster file
operations than before. It can now load Print Shop GS graphics and convert
them to New Print Shop format. I fixed the hardware conflict that prevented
PIX.WHIZ from running while some clocks were installed, as well as the
conflict with some RAM drives. I remedied the hardware conflict with the
IIgs that caused the drawing screen to be scrambled. There are some other
bug fixes, mostly related to the error recovery routine. There is even a
prettier splash screen!

File #28515, NO.SIGN.KIT, contains graphics grids with red slashed circles
superimposed on them to help you design "NO" signs. There are 5 grids: 1 to
design the lo-res picture of an NPS graphic, and 1 for each quarter of the
hi-res picture in an NPS graphic. These grids are NPS full panels, so you
can print them out using NPS. There is also a hi-res color graphic with the
red slashed circle, so all you have to do is add the item inside the
circle.
                  (G.WRIGHT12, CAT6, TOP34, MSG:4/M645;1)


MORE WITH HUGH ON PI!4   To all my PublishIt! friends:
""""""""""""""""""""""
Sorry I haven't written lately, and it has been intentional. <g>

By now, I had planned to make public much of the PI patch work I had been
hacking on.

Several weeks ago I was made aware of a pending important announcement
concerning the PublishIt! program for the Apple II.

As a result, I have temporarily refrained from uploading any of the patches
or 'work arounds' that I've been working on.

If things go well, perhaps PublishIt! will be improved even more than I had
imagined.

So, please don't give up on PublishIt! At least, not yet. <g>

Hugh...
                   (H.HOOD, CAT8, TOP18, MSG:168/M645;1)


                            >>> HOT TOPICS <<<
                            """"""""""""""""""

NIBBLING ON HISTORY   What was that last issue date of Nibble magazine? I
"""""""""""""""""""   was just going through my collection and my last
issue is June 1990, but the address label says my subscription ran through
May 1991. I figure I either misplaced some  forgot issues, to pay my
renewal, or June 1990 was the last one.

It was fun to go back and read some of them. My collection goes back to
1983 (its fourth year, I think.)

 - Tony
                   (A2.TONY, CAT2, TOP4, MSG:24/M645;1)

>>>>>   July 1992 (Vol 13 No 7), I'm afraid, Tony.  Looks as though you've
"""""   misplaced a lot.

Doug C.
                    (D.CUFF, CAT2, TOP4, MSG:29/M645;1)


THIS MIME DOESN'T TALK EITHER   I hope this counts as a "hard to place"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""   question.  Lately I've been receiving Email
through the internet in which attached files, even text files, have been
converted to something called "64-bit encoding".  The sender did not
specifically choose it, so I assume it's a default somewhere.  It's not
binhex, uuencode, apack, BINSCII, or anything else I've checked.

Does anyone know of an Apple II or IIgs program that can decode these
things?

- Phil Albro
                   (P.ALBRO, CAT2, TOP4, MSG:53/M645;1)

>>>>>   Those are Base64 encoded files, also known as MIME files.
"""""
 || Does anyone know of an Apple II or IIgs program that can decode these
 || things?

Yep. A program called StolenBASE was recently released by Aaron Pulver.
Unfortunately, it's available on-line only on Delphi. The author stipulated
it could not be distributed anywhere else on-line.

If you have an account on Delphi, you're all set. Just check out the
Databases (Libraries) on Delphi A2 or A2pro.

Otherwise, StolenBASE will also be available as a featured program on the
Juiced.GS Collection Shareware '97/Spring two-disk set, to be released on
or around June 1. Cost of the two-disk set is $7. Of course, there will be
tons of other stuff on the disk as well as StolenBASE.

Max Jones
Juiced.GS
http://users.ids.net/~kerwood/juiced.gs
                  (M.JONES145, CAT2, TOP4, MSG:54/M645;1)


SEE A DIFFERENT SHRINK   Why do various versions of ShrinkIt save .BXY
""""""""""""""""""""""   files under different filetypes?

I have them as TXT files and as LBR or $E0 files.

Charlie
                 (A2.CHARLIE, CAT3, TOP29, MSG:78/M645;1)

>>>>>   ShrinkIt 3.4 and GSHK 1.1 both use the proper filetype of $E0/$8000
"""""   when creating a Binary II file. They also use the proper filetype
of $E0/$8002 on the actual archive inside the Binary II. ($E0 and LBR are
hexadecimal and textual versions of the identical filetype, by the way.)

The problem may come when you download Binary II files. If your telecom
program strips the Binary II during the download, the internal archive will
arrive on your disk with the proper filetype and filename (at least for
files on Genie and Delphi, where they are carefully checked.) However, if
you download without stripping the Binary II, then the file will arrive on
your disk with whatever filetype your telecom program defaults to (usually
BIN or TXT.)

The whole point of Binary II (and MacBinary on the Mac) is to avoid the
mess of downloading files with unknown filetypes and having to manually
change the8m. If you choose to download files with the Binary II intact,
you'll run into TXT and/or BIN files instead of $E0 (LBR) files.

Does that answer your question?

 - Tony
                   (A2.TONY, CAT3, TOP29, MSG:79/M645;1)


                            >>> WHAT'S NEW <<<
                            """"""""""""""""'"

END OF AN ERA   EGO Systems  Mail Order Operation Closes Down on Friday,
"""""""""""""   June 27th 1997

Well folks, it s been fun, but I m afraid that it s time for me to pull the
plug on EGO Systems  Mail Order operation.

There are two reasons for this:

1)  Money.  Specifically, a lack of it.  The Apple II mail order business
is about as  dead  as it can get.

2)  Time.  Given that there was little or no money coming in from the mail
order operation, I had to take part-time employment as a consultant.  I ve
been far more successful at this than I had anticipated, and it s left me
very little time for anything else.  I ve also been doing some freelance
writing (which has resulted in even more consulting), so I just don t have
the time to continue to run the mail order business.

So, here s the plan:

o - Friday, June 27th 1997 will be the last day that EGO Systems takes
orders for any of the products listed in our last catalog.  (Assuming that
we have anything left.)

o - The EGO Systems web site (http://www.hypermall.com/ego/index.html) will
be updated as often as possible to reflect which items are still in stock
and which items are sold out.

o - EGO Systems will no longer accept purchase orders or invoices.

o - I am almost never in my office any more (due to my consulting work).
Because of this I strongly encourage everyone to mail, Fax or e-mail any
orders.  You can also call and leave a message.  I WILL call you back
(assuming you leave a daytime phone number), but it will be either on
Saturday or after 6 PM Eastern Time.

o - From this point on, items will be sold on a first-come, first-served
basis--when I sell out of an item, that s it, it s gone for good.  I m down
to my last 10 or so copies of most items, so if you want something, be sure
to place your order now to make sure you get your copy.  (If you want to
pay by check and want to make sure we don t sell out of something, CALL AND
LEAVE ME A MESSAGE and I ll hold a you a copy for ONE WEEK.)  If you order
by mail, be sure to include an e-mail address so that I can notify you if
an item is sold out.  (If we are out of stock on an item, I ll fill as much
of your order as I can and issue you a refund check.)

Of course, there are a few items that I m overstocked on.  So, I m lowering
the prices on the following items in order to move them out as quickly as
possible (all other prices remain the same due to the low quantities I have
in stock):

      HardPressed - $25
      Pointless - $25
      TypeSet - $15
      TypeWest - $15

The following items are already out of stock and will NOT be reordered (as
items sell out, I ll post announcements on the EGO Systems web site):

    Animasia 3D
    TimeOut AboutTime Module
    ZipGS accelerator

Any backorders for these items are hereby CANCELED.  If you want to get any
of these, you ll need to contact the publisher directly.

And, while I hate to do this, I m also pulling the plug on the KansasFest
96 video.  (We actually got about halfway finished with it when my
consulting business took off.)  Unfortunately, we never got more than 10
orders for the video, so there was very little impetus to actually finish
the video.

So, what will become of the EGO Systems product line (Balloon, AutoArk,
etc.)?  Well, I hope to sell the rights to most or all of these titles to
new publishers.  If you are interested in acquiring the rights to one or
more of these products, contact me as soon as possible.  I am also looking
for someone to take over the distribution of all of the GS+ Magazine back
issues I have left.   However, I am NOT releasing ANYTHING into the public
domain (or as shareware)!  So if anyone tells you otherwise, they are
either lying or misinformed..

Well, that about all I ve got to say, except  Thanks!   Because so many of
you were willing to actually put your money where your mouth was, I was
able to stay in the Apple II business for over 7 years!  Not too bad, not
too bad at all...
                     (DIZ, CAT33, TOP2, MSG:25/M645;1)

KFEST!  KFEST!  KFEST!  KFEST!  KFEST
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
  ______      _____
 (      )   (      )     ________________________________________
  |     |  /     /      (        _________________________'97____)
  |     | /     /        |      |
  |     |/     /         |      |                    II Infinitum!!
  |           /          |      |______
  |     |\     \         |      _______) __________    ________   ________
  |     | \     \        |      |       (     _____)  (     ___) (__    __)
  |     |  \     \       |      |        |   |__       \    \       |   |
  |     |   \     \      |      |        |    __)       \    \      |   |
  |     |    \      \    |      |        |   |_____   ___\    \     |   |
 (______)    (________) (_______)       (__________) (_________)    |___|



KFest '97 will again be held on the campus of Avila College in Kansas City,
Missouri. It will take place from July 30 - August 3, 1997. The cost will
be only $300 until May 20, which _includes_ use of a double room in the
Avila College dorms _and_ meals!  There are also a limited number of single
rooms available for $375. (If you wish to stay at one of the many hotels or
motels near the college then the cost is $225, but you would, of course,
have to find and pay for your own room and meals.) These prices will go up
by $75 on May 21, so sign up early. The last date pre-registrations will be
accepted is July 20th.

Check-in will be on Wedensday from 1-4 pm, and check-out from 11 am - 1 pm
on Sunday. Computer sessions will be conducted on Thursday and Friday. A
vendor fair is scheduled for Saturday morning, with software and hardware
demos slated for Saturday afternoon.

Meals included in the registration price are Thursday breakfast through
Sunday breakfast, with the exception of Saturday dinner. All children under
18 years must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

++ Please Note++ Dinner on Wednesday and Saturday are NOT included this
year. Attendees can dine on their own at one of the many fine restaurants
near the Avila campus, or join the Kfest '97 group for their annual treks
to KC Masterpiece and Jess & Jim's Steak House.

  ***

KFest this year is being sponsored by InTrec Software, Inc..  You can send
your completed registration forms to:

      KFest '97
      c/o Intrec Software
      3035 E. Topaz Circle
      Phoenix, AZ 85028-4423

 * Please make checks payable to: InTrec Software

  ***

Credit Card registration is also available. Just call InTrec Software, Inc.
with your VISA, MasterCard, Discovery, or American Express number at (602)
992-1345, Mon-Fri 8:00AM-5:00PM Mountain Standard Time.  If you prefer, you
can FAX your registration with credit card account number and expiration
date to: (602) 992-0232 Mon-Fri 8:00AM-5:00PM Mountain Standard Time.

If you prefer registering by Email, and are using a VISA, MasterCard,
Discovery, or American Express for payment, you can send the completed
registration form via InterNet Email to:  proterm@intrec.com


  ***

If you have questions about KFest, or wish to make suggestions, you can
find answers via the InterNet. Just send an email message to
Cindyadams@delphi.com, or visit the World Wide Web page at
http://www.primenet.com/~adams/kfest.html

  ****** (cut here)******
-   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -

                     KFest '97 Registration Form

 Name:

 Address:

 City, State, Zip:

 Phone  (w):                                 (h):

 Email address:

 Roommate preference (if any):

 Do you prefer a smoker or non-smoker?

 Howbout a collectible, soft and thrilling KFest '97 T-Shirt?
 Yes I want One (Many)!!!  [ ]

 T-shirts are $15.00 each and are available in Small, Medium, Large,
 X-Large.


 Please circle size(s)    Small     Medium    Large     X-Large

 Check here [] for additional X's on your X-Large T-shirt and indicate size
 needed:   _________

 Send this completed registration form and fee to:

      KFest '97
      c/o Intrec Software
      3035 E. Topaz Circle
      Phoenix, AZ 85028-4423

  * Please make checks payable to:  InTrec Software


Credit Card registration is also available.   Just call InTrec Software,
Inc.  with your VISA, MasterCard, Discovery, or American Express number at
(602) 992-1345, Mon-Fri 8:00AM-5:00PM Mountain Standard Time.  If you
prefer, you can FAX your registration with credit card account number and
expiration date to: (602) 992-0232 Mon-Fri 8:00AM-5:00PM Mountain Standard
Time.

If you prefer registering by Email, and are using a VISA, MasterCard,
Discovery, or American Express for payment, you can send the completed
registration form via InterNet Email to:  proterm@intrec.com

For Credit Card registration please check:

[] Visa    [] MasterCard  [] Discovery   [] American Express

Please charge my  account number:  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Expiration: _ _ / _ _
                   (CINDY.A, CAT44, TOP7, MSG:98/M645;1)

SHIFTY LIST 2.0: SHAREWARE   The Shifty List 2.0 Demo has been uploaded!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""   Once it's been released by our friendly
neighborhood librarians, it will be file #28522 here in A2!

The Shifty List 2.0 demo supports all the features of the full Shifty List
2.0, except --

1. You can't print out your scripts in the demo.

2. The boot-time script menu is limited to five scripts.

3. Although your scripts can have as many items in them as you like,
   when you boot, only the first five items in the script will actually
   be loaded.

Also, the demo pauses while booting your system and reminds you to pay your
$20.00 shareware fee.

Once you pay the shareware fee you will receive an unrestricted copy of
Shifty List 2.0.  If you include your email address with your registration,
you will be emailed a copy, and will receive a copy on disk a few days
later.  If you don't include your email address, you'll just get the disk
copy.

Note that the unregistered demo version of Shifty List 2.0 can be
distributedonline, on disks of the month, etc.  The registered version
CANNOT BE DISTRIBUTED without written permission from myself.

I hope you enjoy Shifty List 2.0! :)

Sheppy
                   (SHEPPY, CAT13, TOP18, MSG:74/M645;1)

CHRIS VAVRUSKA'S NEW STUFF   I have uploaded some finder extension that
""""""""""""""""""""""""""   some of you may find useful.

Let me know what you think



Current available 'vav-ware' programs:


Number: 28531  Name: FF1.0.BXY  FinderFlipper V1.0 Number: 28534  Name:
FR10.BXY  FinderRefresher V1.0 Number: 28532  Name: WORKSETS1.0.BXY
WorkSets V1.0 Number: 28533  Name: CDR1.0.BXY  CD Remember V1.0

FinderFlipper V1.0:

        FinderFlipper is a finder extension that aids in the task of
bringing windows up front.  No longer will you have to move windows around
in order to find one that you have buried.  No longer  will you have to
move your mouse all the way to the Windows menu to select the window you
want. <<<<Freeware>>>>


FinderRefresher V1.0:

        FinderRefresher is a finder extension that will force the front
most window to refresh itself. <<<<Shareware $5>>>>


WorkSets V1.0:

        If you work with different files in multiple folders often and dont
like to clutter up the desktop of the Finder with aliases then WorkSets is
for you.  WorkSets is a finder extension that allows the user to record the
open folders on the desktop in a list for later retrieval. <<<<Shareware
$10>>>>


CD Remember V1.0:

        Have you ever been surfing through a CD checking out what is there
weaving your way through all of the directory structures....wait, something
strikes your fancy, it's an application...Double-click....hey, this stinks
or worse yet, a system crash.  After you return to the Finder you have to
start all over surfing your way back down the directory tree to get back to
the point at which you left.  Well, no longer will you have to spend your
time retracing your steps, let CD Remember remember where you were. CD
Remember will remember folders you have open when you leave the finder
until you return.   <<<<ShareWare $15>>>>
                 (C.VAVRUSKA1, CAT13, TOP10, MSG:1/M645;1)


                       >>> THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE <<<
                       """""""""""""""""""""""""""""

BYTEWORKS REPRINTS APDA   While I have not sent out a mailing announcing
"""""""""""""""""""""""   the books we put back in print, I did announce it
a few places.  This topic wasn't one of them. Shame on me.

These books are now back in print as APDA reprints.  They are laserprinted
on 8.5x11 paper, drilled for standard notebooks.

 APDA-53 Apple IIGS Toolbox Reference Volume 1     769 pages  $45
 APDA-54 Apple IIGS Toolbox Reference Volume 2     730 pages  $45
 APDA-55 Apple IIGS Toolbox Reference Volume 3    1063 pages  $55
 APDA-56 Apple IIGS GS/OS Reference                526 pages  $30
 APDA-57 Apple IIGS Firmware Reference             345 pages  $30
 APDA-58 Apple IIGS Hardware Reference             346 pages  $30

Mike Westerfield
                  (BYTEWORKS, CAT4, TOP32, MSG:23/M645;1)


                         >>> MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT <<<
                         """""""""""""""""""""""""

Category 44,  Topic 7
Message 69        Tue Apr 15, 1997
CINDY.A [Cindy]              at 19:08 EDT



For the past nine years, Apple II enthusiasts from around the globe have
made an annual pilgrimage to Kansas City, Missouri, to learn more about
their computers, share their knowledge with others, and rekindle the spirit
that has made their virtual community unique and powerful.

Kfest has become a rich tradition. We are pleased to announce that in 1997,
the tradition continues ...

From July 30 through August 3, Kfest '97 will once again be in session on
the campus of Avila College in Kansas City. Sessions on a wide variety of
Apple II topics will be conducted July 31 and August 1. A vendor fair and
product demos will occur on August 2. The dorms, however, will be available
for attendees between Wednesday, July 30, through Sunday, August 3.

As always, the Kfest committee is working to make this year's event the
best ever.

Kfest '97 will provide the perfect opportunity for attendees to make new
friends, renew acquaintances, see the faces of on-line neighbors they've
chatted with through the years, meet some of the programmers, developers,
writers and publishers who help keep their computer platform viable is
today's world, and hear lectures on computer issues and witness
demonstrations of new and old hardware and software.

Most of all, they'll have fun!

So, you may ask, does this mean Kfest has everything an Apple II user would
want? Well, no. There are some things Kfest '97 won't provide. We can
almost guarantee you won't get much sleep. We can also guarantee that you
won't mind a bit. In fact, you won't want to sleep much for fear that
you'll miss something!

Last year's Kfest was special for a number of reasons. It provided the
first demonstration of Gus, the IIGS emulator for the Power Macintosh;
marked the release of Spectrum v2.1; roasted Apple II luminary Joe Kohn;
and gave birth to the first Apple IIGS web browser, Spectrum Internet
Suite.

It's too early to know what magic Kfest  '97 will conjure up. Be assured it
will once again produce special magic.

Now is the time to make plans and get registered for Kfest '97. As always,
staying in the Avila dorms is the recommended method of attendance. Much of
the special magic occurs after hours, and being on hand for informal,
spontaneous events will make your Kfest experience even more enjoyable.

Avila College will be providing up to 80 rooms for Kfest '97 attendees. So
there should be plenty of room for everybody on campus.

If you would prefer to stay off-campus, there are a number of hotels and
motels close by. Off-campus registrations are also available.

Ready to sign up? We thought so! You won't regret it.

Stay tuned for registration information as soon as it is available.


Cindy
(KFest Big Cheese)

                                 [*][*][*]


    While on Genie,  do  you spend most of your time  downloading files?
If so, you may be missing out some excellent information in the Bulletin
Board  area.   The messages  listed above  only scratch  the surface  of
what's available and waiting for you in the bulletin board area.

    If you are serious about your Apple II, the GenieLamp staff strongly
urge  you to give the  bulletin board area a try.   There are  literally
thousands  of messages  posted  from people  like you from  all over the
world.



[EOA]
[A2P]//////////////////////////////
                A2/PRO_ductivity /
/////////////////////////////////
By Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W.
                  [A2LAMP]



                        >>> A2PRO BITS & BYTES <<<
                        """"""""""""""""""""""""""

LEARNING THE BASICS
"""""""""""""""""""
 _________________________________________________________________________
|                                                                         |
|                Complete Applesoft Course Now Available!                 |
|_________________________________________________________________________|

           Now is a perfect time to learn Applesoft programming!

Former A2 University Dean, Charles Hartley, has written a beginner's course
on programming in Applesoft BASIC.  Applesoft is built into every Apple II
computer, so no compiler or special software is needed.  Charlie has
written quite a few outstanding programs including Computer Keyboarding 5,
Scavenger Hunt World, and Scavenger Hunt USA. Learn from one of the
masters, download the complete five lesson course from the A2Pro Software
Libraries.

 Files:    5186  APPLESOFT01.BXY     5204  APPLESOFT04.BXY
           5193  APPLESOFT02.BXY     5205  APPLESOFT05.BXY
           5203  APPLESOFT03.BXY

Discussion of all lessons will be held in the A2Pro Bulletin Board in
Category 22, Topic 20.  Type 'm530;1' to get there, without the quotes.
 
___________________________________________________________________________

                 (RUSSELL.N, CAT1, TOP17, MSG:194/M530;1)

DO IT YOURSELF HTML   I took the HTML course last year. Now I'm doing some
"""""""""""""""""""   casual page writing and decided to invest in a good
book. I looked at Lemay's "Teach Yourself HTML" as recommended by Charlie
in the lessons. It was $30, though, and seemed to cover much Netscape and
the like.

I picked up instead the "10 Minute Guide to HTML", only $15. It says right
in the introduction: "We don't make any assumptions about the kind of
computer system you're using because HTML is completely
system-independent." That was good to see.

The book covers some things A2U's lessons don't, but also vice-versa.  I
recommend both.

Now a quick question. When do I have to use reserved characters - such as
&amp; for ampersand, &#37; for percentages, etc? Lesson 7 in A2U gives a
full list that includes substitutes for everything, even commas. Can't I
use any punctuation in my web pages?

-Ken
                 (KEN.GAGNE, CAT22, TOP22, MSG:163/M530;1)

>>>>>   Sure you can.  Just because a character has an code equivelent like
"""""   &char doesn't mean that you can't just use the character straight,
as long as it isn't reserved for something. Like, you have to use the
equivelents for "<" and "&" itself, and be careful about quotation marks
when you are already within quotes like in a link name, <A HREF="...">.
The &chars also give you access to a much larger set of characters than you
could type, such as accented letters and stuff.  But yeah, feel free to go
ahead and use all the commas you want.  :)

-Bret
                 (B.VICTOR1, CAT22, TOP22, MSG:164/M530;1)

>>>>>   The only escape codes that you must use are
"""""
      <    &lt;
      >    &gt;
      &    &amp;

For example,

<p><code>if x < 0 thended as

<p><code>if x &lt; 0 then print i</code></p>

Otherwise the browser will think that the less than symbol is the beginning
of a tag and get confused.

There is also an escape code for the quotation mark, but most browsers
don't need it.

Charlie
                (A2.CHARLIE, CAT22, TOP22, MSG:165/M645;1)

>>>>>   Here is a bit of new information about the &quot; entity for those
"""""   of you who are writing HTML code. This comes from the official
source of information for the latest version of HTML (3.2).

From: http://www.w3.org/pub/WWW/MarkUp/Wilbur/

     What happened to &quot;?

    Several people have commented on the absence of the &quot; entity in
    the HTML 3.2 Recommendation. This disappeared in a rationalization of
    the entities, and with hindsight should not have been removed. In
    general, you don't need it, and here are two work arounds:

    When you want to include a double quote mark in a CDATA attribute
    value, you can go ahead and do so provided you use single quote marks
    around the attribute value itself, e.g.
      ALT='and then he said "Let it be done" and it was so'

    Another approach is to use the numeric entity &#34; as in:
      ALT="and then he said &#34;Let it be done&#34; and it was so"

    This latter method is perhaps better suited to authoring tools as it
    doesn't depend on any contextual clues and can be used in normal text
    as well as in CDATA attribute values.
                (A2.CHARLIE, CAT22, TOP22, MSG:170/M530;1)

<<<<<   I've been using the <P ALIGN=CENTER> and </P> tags to center text
"""""   ON the page. I was looking at the source for another A2er's page
and he used <CENTER> and </CENTER>. Are there any other easier
justification commands I don't know about? :)

-Ken
                 (KEN.GAGNE, CAT22, TOP22, MSG:172/M530;1)

>>>>>   The <center> and </center> tags were originally NetScape specific,
"""""   but are now generally recognized by most up-to-date browsers. I
believe (without looking) that the <p align=center> tag that you are using
is recommended in the HTML 3.2 specs.

Charlie
                (A2.CHARLIE, CAT22, TOP22, MSG:173/M530;1)

WHITHER GSOFT?   ...is there any word yet on when GSoft will be
""""""""""""""   available...

I'd guess late May to mid June.  Alpha test should start in mid May. A lot
of things could change the schedule, though, so don't make firm plans based
on this estimate.

Mike Westerfield
                 (BYTEWORKS, CAT36, TOP35, MSG:23/M530;1)

>>>>>   To what extent do us old Applesoft types have to retrain our
"""""   brains?  For instance, Applesoft likes this just fine:

 Q$ = LEFT$ (AZ$, 40)

That is, Applesoft isn't bothered by the fact that AZ$ is only 26
characters long, despite the fact that we're trying to take the leftmost 40
characters  of it.

(No wisecracks about D coming before E, okay?)

Doug C.
                   (D.CUFF, CAT36, TOP35, M26:19/M530;1)

<<<<<   Quite a bit, but not for reasons like the one you gave.
"""""
Applesoft was designed for a very specific operating environment: The 48K
tape based 8 bit Apple ][ computer.  Disk commands were hacked in later,
and it shows.  The limited space available forced you to do things with
PEEK, POKE and CALL that just won't port to any other platform--including
GS/OS.  THESE are the areas where you will need to retrain a bit.

On the other hand, the benefit is enormous.  You have a full set of disk
I/O commands built right in.  You get long integer, byte and double
precision variables in addition to Applesofts integer, real and string. You
get records and pointers so you can manipulate the toolbox the way it was
designed to be used--and a complete Apple IIGS toolbox interface, too.
GSoft supports ORCA compatible editors and debuggers (and can run from the
ORCA environment, although it ships with it's own Applesoft-like
environment).  You get structured statements, like IF-THEN-ELSE-ENDIF,
WHILE-WEND, SELECT-CASE and DO-WHILE.  You get PRINT USING (formatted
output) and LINE INPUT (input that works with commas).  Line numbers are
optional.  DEF FN takes multiple parameters, or you can create _true_
subroutines and functions with passed parameters and local variables.

Of course, the 48K barier is shattered: you can use all of available RAM
for program and variable space.  And since floating point is not done
inSANE, it's fast.  (Some compiled floating-point programs actually run
slower on the GS that the same program in Applesoft.  GSoft is faster
still.)

In short, GSoft is not (and cannot be) 100% Applesoft compatible.  Old
programs will have to be ported, and although tools included with GSoft
will help, they won't make it 100% automatic.  But the added features,
added memory, and extra speed will defintely make GSoft the choice for new
programs--and will make it worth while to port many old ones.

Mike Westerfield
                 (BYTEWORKS, CAT36, TOP35, MSG:20/M530;1)



[EOA]
[BAN]//////////////////////////////
                  FILE BANDWAGON /
/////////////////////////////////
Top 10 Files for March
""""""""""""""""""""""
by Douglas Cuff
       [D.CUFF]



     This feature lists the ten most popular files for the month.  To give
files a chance to seek their own levels, no files will be added to the list
until they've been in place at least a month.  This month, we look at the
files uploaded 1-31 March 1997.

     This isn't the Academy Awards ceremony, folks; it's more like the
People's Choice Awards (both of which are trademarked, by the way).  The
Top 10 doesn't necessarily tell you what's new and interesting--what files
_you_ might find interesting--it simply tells you what files have been
downloaded a lot--what other people found interesting!

     This month, GenieLamp A2 occupies two spots on the list, but we're
just counting that one file.  We hope this explains why there are 11 files
on the Top 10 list.

File #  Filename          Bytes  DLs  Short description
------  ---------------  ------  ---  -------------------------------------
28404   SIS.SCREENS.BXY   48512   76  Screen shots of SIS in action
28395   RTC.SIS.BXY       43648   62  Transcript of SIS RTC celebration
28394   FOGHORN.BXY       29356   58  rSound of old SF Bay foghorn.
28403   PAUG.SIS.BXY      19328   57  Transcript of PAUG-SIS
28368   DESKPLAY202.BXY   42240   51  Deskplay 2.02 plays Amiga MOD songs
28357   ALMP9703TXT.BXY   37248   42  GenieLamp A2, Mar. 97 (text)
28356   ALMP9703AWP.BXY   41472   42  GenieLamp A2, Mar. 97 (AppleWorks)
28422   MIME64.BXY        18816   40  base64 en/decoder for IIGS!
28424   SARA.GIF          51044   34  Color GIF of Sara Hussong
28438   ENVEL.PRINT.BXY    5376   28  Envelope Printer
28402   A2QWK23.BXY       95744   27  Freeware QWK mailer version 2.03


SIS.SCREENS.BXY   Nine sample screens from Spectrum Internet Suite, as
"""""""""""""""   provided by beta tester Max Jones.  You get a look at
Syndicomm's A2 Web page, Ewen Wannop's page, Geoff Weiss's page, the
official SIS site, and the Alta Vista web search engine site (with and
without SIS's text input-window interface).  You'll also see SIS's
bookmarks and options screens.  Freeware.

RTC.SIS.BXY   Transcript of the late-night conference at which Spectrum
"""""""""""   Internet Suite was announced to the world--Friday, 7 March
1997.  Special guests present are Dave Hecker, partner in Seven Hills
Software; Ewen Wannop, author of Spectrum telecommunications program for
the Apple IIgs; and Geoff Weiss, a system administrator for an east coast
internet service provider, who worked on the scripts for SIS.  Freeware.

FOGHORN.BXY   An rSound of a foghorn--the one of the old foghorn heard on
"""""""""""   San Francisco Bay, to be exact.  Suitable for use with the
IIgs sound control panel.  Freeware.

PAUG.SIS.BXY   Transcript of the Planetary Apple Users Group conference for
""""""""""""   those who missed the Spectrum Internet Suite roll-out
conference.  SIS beta testers Cindy Adams and Max Jones field questions
about the capacities without Seven Hills looking over their shoulders. :-)
Freeware.

DESKPLAY202.BXY   Deskplay v2.0.2 by Jesse Blue and Clue of Ninjaforce is a
"""""""""""""""   new desk accessory that allows you to play MOD (Amiga
music module) files from your desktop.  Deskplay depends on Shellplay by
Brian C. Bening to play the songs, but provides an attractive CD-style
playing interface.  This new version fixes two minor bugs, adds keyboard
equivalents for some commands, and allows viewing of pathnames in the song
list.  Freeware?

ALMP9703---.BXY   Two editions of the February issue of GenieLamp A2 grace
"""""""""""""""   our Top 10 list this month--and, for a wonder, both the
AppleWorks and the standard text file edition had exactly the same number
of downloads. All editions feature the same great articles--a
behind-the-scenes interview with the Spectrum Internet Suite development
team from Max Jones, the return of Peter Brickell's "Real World Apple"
column, and a "PD_Quickview" column on Change-A-File.  Freeware.

MIME64.BXY   Mime64 by Aaron Pulver is a base 64 decoder for the Apple IIgs
""""""""""   ported from a decoder by Karl Hahn.  It allows you to handle
the mime attachments that people on other platforms keep e-mailing you and
posting on usenet newsgroups.  It requires a shell like ORCA or GNO.  (A
desktop version is now available, but only on Delphi.)  Freeware.

SARA.GIF   A color GIF graphic portrait of A2 regular Sara Hussong.
""""""""   Freeware.

ENVEL.PRINT.BXY   Enveloper by John "Honeybee" Shaver is a BASIC program
"""""""""""""""   intended for those times when you want to address several
envelopes.  It will work with envelopes as small as 4" x 2.5" or as big as
8" x 11".  Freeware?

A2QWK23.BXY   The 2qwk! by Tom Larson is an offline mail reader for qwk
"""""""""""   mail systems.  Offline mail readers allow you to download new
messages and mail in a compact format and read and reply to them offline,
and qwk is pretty popular on other platforms.  Requires at least an 128k
enhanced Apple IIe.  Freeware?



[EOA]
[RWA]//////////////////////////////
            THE REAL WORLD APPLE /
/////////////////////////////////
Connecting to the World Outside
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
by Peter C. Brickell
        [P.BRICKELL]



               >>> PART 4:  PUSHING YOUR APPLE'S BUTTONS <<<
               """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

     So far in this series I have talked about timing sequences and the
paddle inputs.  This time I will be describing the push button inputs or PB
lines as they are known.

     Before I start, I should warn you that the push button inputs work
slightly differently on all the various Apple II models.  The //c actually
lacks one of the PB lines that the other models have.  So some caution must
be used with selecting an appropriate project for your particular machine.
I will give some details on the differences at the end of this article.

     With that said, the PB input lines are useful for a wide range of
projects that you might not think of right away.  Everyone has used these
PB lines at one time or another with a joystick or paddles (the "firing"
buttons) or when using the Open Apple (OA) or Solid Apple (SA) keys on the
newer Apples.

     The PB lines are simply a way of inputting an "on" or "off" signal to
the Apple.  They are actually the essence of digital logic as they can only
have on of two values - high/on or low/off.  They are in fact, TTL
(transistor-transistor logic) inputs for those who are familiar with such
things.  With that information out of the way I will leave digital theory
behind for the rest of this article!

     The three lines are found on both the internal 16 pin DIP connector
and on the external DB-9 connector (on models where it exists).  Their
operation is very simple.  If a high voltage (in digital terms) is applied
to a PB line, its corresponding memory location will hold a value greater
than 127.  If a low voltage is applied to the line, then the same memory
location will hold a value of less than 128.  The actual value stored in
each case is not important (actually it is random).  One can easily
determine whether the PB line voltage is high or low by checking to see if
its memory location is greater than or less than 127.

     Here is where the PB lines are found on the Apple 16 pin DIP
connector.


16 PIN I/O CONNECTOR (from above):
                _________      __________
               |         \____/          |
         +5 V  | 1 X                 16  |
               |                         |
         PB0   | 2 X                 15  |
               |                         |
         PB1   | 3 X                 14  |
               |                         |
         PB2   | 4 X                 13  |
               |                         |
               | 5                   12  |
               |                         |
               | 6                   11  |
               |                         |
               | 7                   10  |
               |                         |
         GND   | 8 X                  9  |
               |_________________________|


     On the DB-9 pin connector on the newer Apple IIs, here is the relevant
pin number assignment:


+5 V = Pin 2

GND  = Pin 3

PB0  = Pin 7

PB1  = Pin 1

PB2  = Pin 6  (not available on //c or //c+)


     To be specific, a TTL high voltage is greater than 2 volts DC and a
low voltage is less than 0.8 volts DC.  The range between 0.8 and 2 volts
is a digital waste land where the results will be unpredictable, so good
project design avoids producing this in-between condition.

     From Applesoft it is a simple matter to check the condition of a given
PB line.  The addresses to check for each line are as follows:

PB0 = 49249 decimal, $C061 hexadecimal (same number for those who don't
have 16 fingers)

PB1 = 49250 decimal, $C062 hex

PB2 = 49251 decimal, $C063 hex


     To continuously check and display the status of PB0 one can write
something like this:


10  X = PEEK(49249)
20  IF X > 127 THEN PRINT "PB0 IS HIGH"
30  IF X <= 127 THEN PRINT "PB0 IS LOW"
40  GOTO 10

     Obviously by substituting the other addresses listed above the other
PB lines can be checked.  Try this with a joystick or paddle.  If you have
a model other than a II or II Plus, you can use the Open Apple key to
activate PB0.

     Those of you who were paying attention in class will remember that in
my installment on timing loops I used the WAIT command to check the status
of a PB line and used the joystick button to change its condition to start
a timing sequence.  This is an example of a very straightforward use of the
PB lines.  On a joystick or set of paddles connected to your Apple, you
have access to PB0 and PB1.  The same lines can be operated on later model
Apple IIs by pushing the OA and SA keys respectively as well as by using
the joystick/paddles.

     So what is the big deal about telling when the joystick buttons or a
key is presses you may ask (and probably will!).  The real usefulness of
the PB lines for interfacing become apparent when you build your own
"switch" or "button" to push.  This need not be a physical button or switch
as we will see later.  But first, let's look at the wiring of a simple PB
circuit using a mechanical switch.  It looks like this:



    +5 V  ________________
                          |
                          |
                            /
                           /    Switch
                          /
                          |
     PB0   _______________|
                          |
                          |
                          /
                          \
                          /     Resistor
                          \
                          /
                          |
     GND  ________________|



     As the circuit is pictured above, any voltage present at the PB0 line
is drained to ground through the resistor.  Thus the voltage at the PB0
line is essential 0 volts and the PB line is low (or "off" in this case).
When the switch is closed, voltage will be applied to the PB0 line from the
+5 volt source.  If the resistor is of a sufficiently high value then the
voltage will not be drained to ground quickly enough and the voltage at PB0
will rise.  If the resistance is high enough to allow the voltage at PB0 to
rise above 2 volts, then the PB0 line will be high (or "on" in this case).

     This is how the push buttons on a joystick are wired.  Typical
resistor values would be 200 to 500 ohms.  The resistor is essential in
this circuit not only to raise the voltage at the PB line, but also to
prevent shorting the Apple's power supply +5V line to ground and possibly
resulting in damage to the power supply, the computer, or both.

     If you think about the schematic of the switch circuit for a moment,
you will realize that any device which can change its resistance from a
very high value to a very low value could be substituted in place of the
mechanical switch in this circuit.

     You may think that a thermistor (temperature sensitive resistor) such
as was discussed in the last installment might work here.  Unfortunately,
the lowest resistance of most thermistors is still too high for this
circuit.

     However, a simple replacement for the switch is a phototransistor.
Under normal conditions its resistance is high (tens of thousands of ohms
or more) thus producing an "off" when testing PB0.  When a beam of bright
light hits these phototransistors, their resistance drops to a few hundred
ohms or less.  In this case, the circuit above would produce an "on" signal
when tested with an Applesoft program.

     Here we have the makings of a simple intrusion alarm or automatic door
bell.  Simply place a permanently lit light source (or even an invisible
infrared radiation source) such that it illuminates a phototransistor
across some pathway that you wish to monitor.

     A fairly simple Applesoft program could be written to repeatedly check
the condition of the PB line.  When the beam of light is broken by a
person's body, the phototransistor will cease to conduct and the PB line
will go low or off.  The program could then beep the Apple's speaker to
notify the owner of the presence of another person.   Other possible
security related "switches" are magnetic proximity switches for doors and
windows and conductive tape for monitoring window glass.

     An enhancement to this type of device is a program which uses timing
loops to measure how long the light beam is broken or intact.  I am well
acquainted with this idea as I have been using such a device and program
over the last couple of weeks to test my camera shutters for accuracy and
consistency of timing.

     A beam of light is broken when the camera's shutter is placed between
the light source and the phototransistor.  When the shutter opens, the
Apple senses the high PB line and starts "counting" (i.e. the switch is
"on").  When the shutter closes, the computer senses the return to a low
condition at the PB line and stops counting (the switch is "off").  The
counts are converted to milliseconds (by using a previous known time
interval) and the shutter speed is reported on the screen as a fraction of
a second.  As you might suspect from my previous articles, this is a
project from the Vernier Software book "How to Build a Better Mousetrap".
See any of these articles for references.

     There are a myriad of other uses for sensing the PB lines.  Some are
quite complex in design.  For example another Vernier project uses an
integrated circuit chip which converts a voltage applied to its input pins
to a certain and precise frequency of on/off pulses at its output pins.  As
the applied voltage changes, so does the frequency of pulses.  By directing
these output pulses to one of the PB lines, and using a machine language
program to do the very fast counting required, the original applied voltage
can be determined by the Apple.  This device then becomes a way of turning
your Apple into an accurate digital voltmeter.  The ability to precisely
measure voltage with your computer opens the door to many other uses for
the venerable Apple II.

     I use this particular device for measuring nickel-cadmium battery
voltages during controlled discharging and charging operations.  With a
simple amplifier circuit added on, an accurate temperature probe can be
built using a thermocouple sensor.

     I will conclude by giving some details on the various circuits built
into the different Apple II models.  I do not know the exact circuit
layouts for all the computers, but here are the major differences that you
need to be aware of in order to use them for PB interfacing.

     First, let me say that the best machine for these projects is the
Apple II or II Plus.  Apart from being almost (or entirely) free if you
know where to look these days, they have no interfering circuitry built in
to them.  They also have the full complement of PB lines available (i.e.
three).


Apple //e and GS:

     The OA and SA keys are wired to the PB0 and PB1 lines.

     Problems arise using these lines since there are internal resistors
between the PB lines and ground.  This could make some external circuits
not behave as expected if they are very sensitive to resistance changes.

     Also, if the PB1 line is held high by an external circuit during boot
up, this will have the same effect as depressing the SA key.  The result is
that the computer will execute a self test, rather than boot normally.

     The solution to these problems is to use the PB2 line wherever
possible.  It is not wired to any key and so has no extra resistors, nor
will it affect the Apple's behaviour during boot up.


Apple //c:

     Unfortunately this model has both OA and SA keys wired to PB0 and PB1
but has no PB2 line available.  Use with caution.


Platinum //e (with numeric keyboard):

     This model, in addition to the normal problems with the OA and SA
keys, has capacitors wired to its PB lines.  This slows down the rate at
which they can change from high to low and vice versa.  For simple on/off
devices this will not matter.  However it will affect circuits which depend
on very high speed changes in these lines.  The voltage monitor and the
high speed phototransistor timer described above are candidates for trouble
with this model of Apple II.

     With these caveats in mind, the lowly push buttons are some of the
most useful "ports" on the Apple II computer.  Have fun experimenting with
them.  As always, if you do not feel confident of your electronics skills,
have someone who is experienced in this area give you a hand with project
building and inspection.

     Happy button pushing!


     Next time - Introduction to the Annunciator Outputs











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