October 1979 — Vol 1 No 9

Overview

The newsletter goes full magazine: real cover with graphic Pi logo and "Highlights" callouts, two-column layout inside, and a full page of display ads (Computerland, SOFTAPE, Personal Software, D.C. Hayes, Centronics, Mountain Hardware, Integral Data Systems, MUSE, Heuristics, Hayden, Automated Simulations). Bernard Urban is elected via secret ballot to represent Pi + NOVAPPLE at a two-day Apple-sponsored user-group summit in San Francisco on October 27–28, called to draft an agenda for a future National Apple Users' Group. (John Moon recused as a conflict of interest; the regular Pi meeting falls on the same day Bernie is in SF.) The Pi library is formally constituted: David Morganstein and Sue Eickmeyer co-chair the Library Committee; copying fee set at $1 per disk side. Technical content: Bruce F. Field on programs that erase themselves and on multiprocessing with the Apple, Samuel S. Cottrell's isometric 3-D plot showcase, William Reynolds' disassembly of DOS 3.2, Mark Crosby on simulation, plus reviews of the IDS 440 Paper Tiger printer and Systems Design Lab's Mailing List program.

Table of contents

Articles

Editor's note in place of President's Message (page 3)

Moon traveling. Big news: Val Golding called Sandy Greenfarb on behalf of Jim Hoyt of Apple Computer Inc., who's commissioning a two-day user-group meeting in San Francisco on Oct 27–28. Val invited Pi to send a representative at Apple's expense. Special joint Pi/NOVAPPLE officers' meeting convened; Moon recused as conflict-of-interest; Bernie Urban elected by secret ballot. Invited user groups: LA, SF, Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Houston, Washington DC. Primary purpose: prepare agenda for a March 1980 meeting (possibly at the West Coast Computer Faire) on creating a National Apple Users' Group; sub-topics include a National Digest of User Group Newsletters (Sandy's suggestion) and possible SIG structure (e.g. CAI).

Minutes of Pi 9/29/79 (page 3)

• Bulk Memorex disk purchase: 200 ordered, more to come
• Hersch Pilloff: IDS 440 group buy — 1–9 units 10% off, 10+ 12%, plus 2% prepayment; orders by Oct 15 set the discount tier for next 12 months. 5 orders so far.
• ROMPLUS+ board characteristics discussed (member experience)
• Computerland Gaithersburg offers a 1-year Pi newsletter subscription with each Apple purchase
• Library motion carried (as amended): $1.00 per disk side or tape equivalent
• Library Committee formed: David Morganstein and Susan Eickmeyer co-chairs

Minutes of NOVAPPLE 9/12/79 (page 3)

Demo of The Source (Telecomputing Corporation of America) by Steve Shank and Jim Clark — about 50 people attended.

Minutes of NOVAPPLE 9/28/79 (pages 3–4)

NOVAPPLE moves to new address (Computers Plus, 6120 Franconia Road, Alexandria; (703) 971-1996). Schedule: 2nd Wed Computers Plus, 4th Thu Computerland Tysons. Nominations: - President: Phil Eastman, Kim Woodward - Vice President: Nicholas B. Cirillo, Joe Fung, Phil Eastman - Secretary: Gerald Eskelund

Jim Nielson not running (other commitments) but will continue as Club Librarian. Dues collection starts: $6/6 months; non-payers dropped by October. Ken Woodward's machine language course continues with add/subtract programs; next session demos page-by-page memory dump to tape.

Editorial (page 4) — Bernard Urban

Urban thanks Pi officers and Phil Eastman for the vote of confidence. Officials from selected user groups across the US will attend the SF meeting "as guests of APPLE Computer, Inc." Solicits input from members on the form of a national org, what users should expect, the merits of incorporation, who should run it, vendor relationships. Address: 6205 Walhonding Road, Bethesda MD 20016 / (301) 229-3458.

NIBBLES (page 4)

• "Hands-On" Microcomputer Workbook APPLE II Edition from Sterling Swift Publishing (Manchaca TX) — $3.95 + cassettes at $10 each
• WACS journal access: 635-5710 (110 baud) / 635-5730 (300 baud), command HELP WACS
• Fourth Annual Tidewater Hamfest-Computer Show-Flea Market, Norfolk VA Cultural & Convention Center, Oct 20–21
• New magazines: Compute (Greensboro NC, $9 bi-monthly) and Softside (Milford NH; same company as Appleseed)
• Personal Software releasing a new Macro Assembler (Sunnyvale CA)
• Two new local stores: Your Own Computer Ltd. (Largo MD) and Program Store (Wisconsin Ave NW DC)

"How to Make an Integer BASIC Program Erase Itself" (page 5) — Bruce F. Field

Inspired by Greenfarb's September article. Trick: you can't type 100 NEW (syntax error) but if you can sneak the NEW token into a program, BASIC will execute it. Procedure:

1. HIMEM:4000; NEW
2. Type your greeting program; e.g. 10 PRINT "DOS 3.2 23 SEP 79" : 20 END
3. Insert a 15 REM line right before the END (don't type any chars/spaces after REM)
4. Verify: PRINT PEEK(3993) returns 93 (REM token)
5. POKE 3993,11 — replaces REM token with NEW token

Now LIST shows NEW in line 15; SAVE first, then RUN. The program erases itself. Editor's note adds that the same trick works for poking in a LOMEM token.

"Multiprocessing with the APPLE" (page 6) — Bruce F. Field (NBS)

Cover-highlight article. Adding an external microprocessor to the Apple II for multiprocessing — likely covers hardware interface and synchronization.

"Plotpourri — Isometric 3D Plots" (page 12) — Samuel S. Cottrell

Cover-highlight article. Showcase of the Apple II's graphics capabilities via isometric 3-D plots — likely includes example listings and screenshots.

Other articles in this issue

• "Mailing List" review (Systems Design Lab) — Lee Hausman reviews this software for managing membership lists
• "Paper Tiger" IDS 440 review — Fred P. Sharp reviews the printer the club is bulk-purchasing
• "On the Nature of Survival = Simulation" — Mark L. Crosby
• "Disassembling the DOS 3.2" — William Reynolds

Classifieds (page 5)

• HELP WANTED: Bill Barker (PO Box 36, Columbia MD) needs a 6502 programmer for contract Apple Disk I/O machine-language work
• WANTED: articles for the Pi newsletter (perpetual)

Club news / events / announcements

• Pi library formally established with fee structure
• Urban traveling to SF as Pi/NOVAPPLE delegate
• IDS 440 group buy continues; Memorex disk bulk buy in progress
• NOVAPPLE officer elections in flight

Notable advertisements

First full page of display ads (page 2): - Computerland Tysons Corner (8411 Old Courthouse Road, 893-0424) — headline ad - SOFTAPE - Personal Software - D.C. Hayes Associates - Centronics - Mountain Hardware - Integral Data Systems (IDS) - MUSE - Heuristics - Hayden (book publisher) - Automated Simulations

Eleven advertisers in a single issue. Pi has hit commercial viability.

Key quotes

• "Through a phone call to our Sandy Greenfarb from Val Golding of Call-A.P.P.L.E., Sandy learned that Jim Hoyt of Apple Computer, Inc., had commissioned Val to pull together individuals to attend a two-day meeting in San Francisco…" — Editor's note (page 3)
• "I shall do my utmost to justify that vote." — Bernard Urban (page 4)
• "Would that our budget would justify underwriting the expenses of one, perhaps two, others ---!" — Bernard Urban (page 4)
• "If you could somehow get the NEW command stored in the program, integer BASIC will execute it properly." — Bruce F. Field (page 5)

Entities

People: Bernard Urban, John Moon, Sandy Greenfarb, Mark L. Crosby, David Morganstein, Susan Eickmeyer, Hersch Pilloff, Bruce F. Field, Samuel S. Cottrell, William Reynolds, Lee Hausman, Fred P. Sharp, Val Golding, Jim Hoyt, Phil Eastman, Kim Woodward, Ken Woodward, Joe Fung, Nicholas B. Cirillo, Jim Nielson, Gerald Eskelund, Steve Shank, Jim Clark, Bill Barker Topics: National Apple Users Group, Pi Library, Self-Erasing Programs, Multiprocessing, Isometric 3D, DOS 3.2 Internals, Simulation Theory, Group Purchasing References: The Source, IDS 440 Printer, Telecomputing Corporation of America, Memorex Disks, ROMPLUS Plus Board, West Coast Computer Faire, Sterling Swift Publishing, Compute Magazine, Softside Magazine, Tidewater Hamfest, Computerland Gaithersburg, Computerland Tysons Corner, SOFTAPE, Personal Software, D.C. Hayes Associates, Centronics, Mountain Hardware, Integral Data Systems, MUSE, Heuristics, Hayden, Automated Simulations

Connections to other issues

• Library committee picks up the unfinished item from Urban's Sept editorial (1979-09 — V01 N08)
• Pi/NOVAPPLE merger discussion converges with the National Apple Users' Group thread
• Bernie's SF trip report should appear in 1979-11 — V01 N10
• Bruce Field's BASIC erase trick directly cites Greenfarb's Sept article 1979-09 — V01 N08

Open questions

• What did Bernie report back from the Oct 27–28 SF user-group summit? Look in 1979-11 — V01 N10 for the trip report.
• Did the National Apple Users' Group materialize at the March 1980 West Coast Computer Faire?