March 1980 — Vol 2 No 3

Overview

Pi makes the leap to institutional infrastructure: first official phone number (301-468-2305, at Treasurer Robert Peck's home with answering machine) and dues standardize at $12 per calendar year. Rich Wasserstrom joins as Associate Editor (replacing the role Crosby vacated). Urban heads to the IAC First Annual Meeting in San Francisco; his preview lists Pi's positions on dues structure (small clubs getting shortchanged), software handling, Apple Orchard royalties, and an objection to Apple Inc. mailing free Apple Orchard copies to all warranty-registered owners. WCCF rumors are juicy: DOS 3.3 coming to replace 3.2.1 with PASCAL-compatible files and ~140KB capacity, a Microsoft Z80 board for the Apple ($349, runs CP/M and Microsoft Basic), EasyWriter sprouts a product family (EasyMover, EasyMailer, Professional EasyWriter). And a classic letter-to-editor scolding for reprint credit oversights.

Table of contents

Articles

Editorial (page 3) — Bernard Urban

Apologizes to Stephen E. Bach (Scottsville VA) who wrote in to point out that Pi had reprinted from three other periodicals in a recent issue without proper credit or permission. "Not our policy — only the rush to meet a deadline." Dues now $12/calendar year; new members can call the official number or write the PO Box. Official club phone: (301) 468-2305 at Bob Peck's home, with answering machine; meeting details left on the message during meeting week.

"Seen and Heard at the Faire" (page 3)

A West Coast Computer Faire roundup: - Three Apple 80-column-and-lowercase boards: Super-terminal $395, Videx $345, Double Vision $199 (special) - Lobo minifloppy w/controller $450+ - IBEX dual-sided 8″ drives $1,295 w/controller (½ MB) - Microsoft Z80 board for Apple ~$349, runs CP/M and Microsoft Basic; available May - CP/A software for Apple II, in development by the firm that did DOS 3.1 for Apple Inc. - EasyWriter family expands: EasyMover (electronic mailer), EasyMailer (continuous letter writer), Professional EasyWriter - Rumor: dual 5¼″ 1.6 MB disk drive coming - Rumor: DOS 3.3 to replace 3.2.1 — PASCAL-compatible files, ~140 K bytes on Disk II - Fact: Wozniak says he loves his machine; Apple II will not become obsolete — implies upward compatibility with Apple III - Forth 1.7 for Apple now available (no docs yet); John Draper demoed at WCCF Saturday lecture; ~$55, wait for docs before ordering

Minutes of Pi 2/23/80 (page 4)

Urban (VP) presided; Moon absent. Short business: no immediate group-purchase plans (members lose interest waiting for 4 orders to accrue). Urban led discussion of items for the upcoming IAC officers meeting in SF: revising dues structure (small clubs short-changed), IAC software handling, Apple Orchard profit potential, objection to Apple Inc. mailing free Apple Orchard to every warranty-registered owner (encroaches on member-acquisition incentive). Program: Lo-Res Graphics by Gerald Eskelund reviewing Wadsworth's book. Post-meeting: Pilloff led the "meeting after the meeting" Q&A he proposed in February.

Minutes of NOVAPPLE 2/13/80 (page 4)

Cirillo presided. Constitution/By-laws drafts distributed for vote at next meeting. Discussion of Apple Pi back-issue reproduction problem (colored paper doesn't Xerox well). Theron Fuller presented PILOT language for CAI — his own implementation, copyright protected but free for club members.

Minutes of NOVAPPLE 2/28/80 (page 4)

Constitution and By-Laws approved (with a wording correction to Article I §2 on household voting). Not yet binding until Computers Plus members also vote. Members notified that all changes were made to Pi's reproduction-friendliness. Membership list now available — members must opt in/out on the printed list. Program: Gerald Eskelund's review of computing magazines (Byte, Creative Computing, Personal Computing, Recreational Computing, Micro, Call-A.P.P.L.E., Softside Apple Version, Nibble, Apple Pi, Popular Electronics).

"The Source: An Information Utility" (pages 3–4) — Chuck Reinbrecht

A substantial overview of The Source as a category — generic time-sharing (GE, SBC, TymeShare typically $10–15/hr + minimum $100/mo) vs The Source ($2.75/hr off-peak, no minimum, $9 init fee). Key differentiator: information access. Compares to Hersch Pilloff's January piece on stock data. Walks through:

• Source-to-Apple Data Transfer — Peripherals Unlimited TCA099 disk ($25) for downloading; Source is now the distributor
• Electronic Mail (MAIL) — Apple Corp., Call-A.P.P.L.E., IAC, Muse, Peripherals Unlimited all reachable; user directory with interests; found four Source users interested in APL for the Apple
• Source Information Files — UPI/NYTimes news, National Real Estate Locator, travel + airline schedules, NY Times Consumer Data Base, Entertainment Guide, Daily Horoscope and Biorhythm Cycles
• The Source HQ at 1616 Anderson Road, McLean VA with demo/classroom facilities, M–Sat 10–6
• Growing pains: 3,000+ users in just over a year; response degradation; bad/missing stock data (echoing Pilloff); slow file access; instructions hard to remember; 300 baud feels slow

To join Apple Pi's Source Users Group, send MAIL to TCA257 (Reinbrecht).

"Creating Data Statements" (page 5) — Theron Fuller (NOVAPPLE)

Applesoft program that generates DATA statements from variable arrays via a text file, then EXECs the file to inject them into another program. A trick for chaining Integer ↔ Applesoft programs — Fuller calls it "a Rube Goldberg method." Full listing included.

"Update for D.C. Hayes Micromodem Owners" + "Hello Apple II Plus" (pages 5–6) — Tom Jones

Notes for D.C. Hayes Micromodem users (likely firmware/dial-cmd changes) and a "Hello" guide for the new Apple II Plus.

Brain Teaser (page 4)

A 16-clue logic puzzle: five members each on a different machine (1–5) with a different library diskette, deduce who-had-what given Mike/John/Dick/Jeff/Henry as first names, and Mr. Bender/Grant/Carter/Wills/Harper as last names, plus clues about Alexandria/Bowie/Rockville/Silver Spring/DC and lawyer/accountant/doctor/physicist/programmer. Solution on page 5.

"Expanded Graphics Dump for the IDS-440 Printer" (page 7) — Robert N. Bolster

Improvement on the December '79 graphics driver — supports a larger printable area, and addresses the spurious-dot bug Pilloff already fixed in his January errata.

"SPIRO: An Applesoft Hi-Res Demo Program" (page 8) — Jim Simmons

HI-RES spirograph demo continuing the graphics tradition from Crosby/Mitchell/Schwartz.

Greenapples (page 8) — Andrew Rose

Andy Rose returns with another youth-section piece.

"IAC Report" (page 11) — Bernard Urban

Pi's positions for the SF meeting, ahead of Urban's trip. Concerns include: - Dues structure favoring large clubs - Software handling under IAC - Apple Orchard revenue/profit split - Apple Inc. distributing free Apple Orchard with warranty registration

"A Page from the Stack" (page 12) — David Morganstein

Library now at 10 disks with the new math/science. Continues the disk-by-disk review series.

"Economical Diskette Filing" (page 15) — Chuck Reinbrecht

A frugal approach to organizing diskettes — likely using inexpensive vinyl sleeves and/or binder systems (counterpoint to Crosby's earlier $6.40 vinyl set tip in 1979).

Club news / events / announcements

• Official phone established: (301) 468-2305
• Dues: $12/calendar year
• Rich Wasserstrom named Associate Editor
• IAC First Annual Meeting March 13
• Mountain Hardware to demo at NOVAPPLE March 27 — Pi members invited

Notable advertisements

• Computerland Tysons Corner with multiple sub-advertisers (page 2)
• Continuing display rotation

Key quotes

• "We have received a 'Letter to the Editor' from Stephen E. Bach… in one of our issues we reprinted from three other periodicals without giving proper credit." — Bernard Urban (page 3)
• "Apple II is not to become obsolete. Woz says he loves his machine." — Faire rumor mill (page 3)
• "I have found four Source users interested in APL for the APPLE. I haven't found an answer, but now there are four of us looking and aware of the others' interests. How would I have found four people with this interest out of 3000 without a computer search?" — Chuck Reinbrecht (page 3)

Entities

People: Bernard Urban, John Moon, Genevie Urban, Robert Peck, Mark L. Crosby, Susan Eickmeyer, Sandy Greenfarb, David Morganstein, Rich Wasserstrom, Chuck Reinbrecht, Theron Fuller, Tom Jones, Robert N. Bolster, Jim Simmons, Andrew Rose, Hersch Pilloff, Nicholas B. Cirillo, Gerald Eskelund, Stephen E. Bach, John Draper, Steve Wozniak Topics: Pi Official Phone, Reprint Permissions, The Source Information Utility, Apple II Plus, PILOT Language, DOS 3.3 Rumor, Microsoft Z80 Card, CP/M on Apple, Apple 80-Column Boards References: West Coast Computer Faire, International Apple Core, Videx, Microsoft Z80 SoftCard, Forth 1.7, EasyWriter Family, The Source, D.C. Hayes Micromodem, Apple Orchard

Connections to other issues

• Apologies in editorial respond to the kind of reprint-credit issues that have surfaced since 1979-07 — V01 N06 (Craig Crossman from ABACUS)
• Reinbrecht's Source piece extends 1980-01 — V02 N01 (Pilloff stock data) — together they make a definitive 1980 Source reference
• IAC report leads into 1980-04 — V02 N04 trip report
• WCCF rumors set up the April issue's confirmations (DOS 3.3, Microsoft Z80, Apple III)
• Pilloff's "meeting after the meeting" Q&A (proposed 1980-02 — V02 N02) actually happened post-meeting

Open questions

• Did DOS 3.3 ship in 1980 with 140 KB capacity? Track this in subsequent issues.
• Did the Microsoft Z80 SoftCard ship in May 1980 as predicted?
• What was the actual IAC dues structure outcome?