November 1980 — Vol 2 No 11

Overview

The merger talks end. Urban concludes that "one Apple Users Club for the greater Washington and Baltimore areas" is too difficult to accomplish logistically, politically, and administratively. Starting January 1981, Pi will treat all other organizations and individuals as non-members for software/newsletter/services purposes, while still co-sponsoring workshops or ABBSes and cooperating on equitable exchanges. Cover price up to $1.50. Other major editorial proposals: Pi to purchase its own Apple II + originate/answer modem + dedicated phone line for the official ABBS (with John Moon appointed to run it under Board rules); Constitutional amendment limiting the President to two consecutive terms; a Finance & Organization Committee for the 1981 budget and dues review. Pi's content gets a thematic upgrade — first "Hardware Corner" column (Eric and Greg Urban — sound generator for the Apple II), Apple FORTRAN review by Paul Sand, Computerized Garden Planner by Fred Sharp, and Sandy Greenfarb's deep-dive on the 6502 CMP/CPY/CPX instructions.

Table of contents

Articles

Editorial (page 1) — Bernard Urban

Four major proposals presented for membership vote in November or December:

1. Pi will not merge. "I have come to the conclusion that this has been and continues to be too difficult to accomplish." From January 1981, Pi treats other orgs/individuals as non-members for services (newsletter/software/courses/group purchases). Still open to co-sponsoring workshops, conferences, ABBSes; non-members welcome to attend the monthly GWU meetings. Equitable reciprocal agreements with other groups remain possible.

2. Pi to buy its own dedicated ABBS infrastructure. Many members have modems; the Club should buy an Apple II + originate/answer modem + dedicated phone line and install it in a member's home. John Moon to be appointed BBS operator under Board-established rules.

3. Constitutional revisions. Clarify financial-dealings language (purchase vs acquisition); two-term limit for President.

4. Finance & Organization Committee formed (per October 25 consensus) — will recommend legal form of club organization, Constitution/By-laws revisions, 1981 budget (to enable careful review of the dues increase).

Plus more proposals: Greenapples SIG, active WAP hotline, newcomer orientation workshop (10+ at a time), library of exchange newsletters/magazines/APnotes, new SIGs (EDSIG, MEDSIG), Apple II courses via rented self-instruction software + UMD, better software documentation, "Best of Washington Apple Pi" compilation.

Minutes of Executive Board 10/8/80 (page 2)

• Finance Committee formed for 1981 budget
• Hersch Pilloff to draft a Constitutional Amendment clarifying financial reporting obligations
• "Decided not to pursue at this meeting the concept of an area-wide integration of the local users groups" — the merger formally tabled
• Motion: $15/month for printer services (repairs/maintenance) for the newsletter Editor

Minutes of General Meeting 10/25/80 (page 2)

~95 attendees. Discussion of Club's past/future policies and financial practices; matter referred to Executive Board. PascalSIG meets 3rd Thursday monthly. Tom Jones showed proposed membership directory samples. Joe Lipson (Apple Education Foundation / NSF) spoke on microcomputer-research grants. Adjourned to SIGs + video tape of Woz & Jobs.

SIG News (page 2)

• SIGAMES: November covers (1) a new peripherals subgroup (joysticks, switch closures, game I/O port expanders) and (2) product reviews — John Epperson on SARGON, Thomas Steck on North Atlantic Raider, Jim Eatherly on Bill Budge's Space Games

Classifieds + Help Wanted (page 2)

Long list of volunteer asks: docs/articles/software for cassette-based members; contract disk duplication; back-issue management; bulk newsletter delivery to stores; pre-publication software testing; configuration-difference notes.

Static electricity warning — discharge before touching equipment.

"Washington Apple Digest" (page 3) — Dave Efron

Detailed abstracts of: - Creative Computing Sep 1980: education/CAI issue; Heapsort algorithm - Creative Computing Oct 1980: music systems for the Apple (6 reviewed); Tuesday Night Football; A Stellar Trek ($14/$18); EasyWriter ($100); WP6502 ($75); educational software part II; actor languages symposium; sort methods - InfoWorld Aug 18 1980: High Technology suing Apple for $70 million over distributorship termination; Apple III shipping to dealers now, complete by end of September; Stock-Market Strategy Machine; word-processing software comparison (Programma's Word Processing System, Muse's Super-Text, Rainbow's Write-on II, Apple Writer, EasyWriter, Pascal editor for reference); Apple suing ITT Consumer Products (UK) for copying Disk II analog board, controller, firmware, software, user manual

"DOS 3.3 and the Language System" (page 4) — Howard Lefkowitz

Follow-up to last month's piece on DOS 3.3 with the Language Card.

"Questions, Questions, Questions" (page 5) — Mark L. Crosby

Sample questions from members — Crosby curates and responds.

"Memory Map in Applesoft" (page 6) — Mark L. Crosby

Memory map of the Apple under Applesoft (companion to Greenfarb's Integer BASIC piece from Sept '79).

"Hardware Corner: A Sound Generator for the Apple II" (page 8) — Eric Urban and Greg Urban

Cover-highlight. First Hardware Corner column — and notably, written by Bernie & Genevie Urban's sons (a Greenapple family contribution). Sound generator hardware project.

"IDS-460 Impact Printer: A Review" (page 12) — Mark L. Crosby

Cover-highlight. Crosby reviews the IDS-460 Impact Printer — successor to the 440 Paper Tiger.

"Prettylisting" (page 13) — Paul A. Sand

Auto-formatter for BASIC listings.

"SIG for Education" (page 15) — Charles C. Philipp

Announces a new EDSIG — Pi's education SIG.

"Apple FORTRAN: A Review" (page 16) — Paul A. Sand

Cover-highlight. Review of Apple's official FORTRAN product — significant because FORTRAN was the language of science/engineering.

"Computerized Garden Planner" (page 19) — Fred P. Sharp

Cover-highlight. A whimsical-but-serious gardening application for the Apple.

"Wishing Well Coder" and "Aids to Formatting REM Statements" (pages 23, 25) — Howie Mitchell

Mitchell continues his contributions.

"The Disappearing Act" (page 28) — Jose M. Sanchez

Likely a stealth-program or hidden-code trick.

"Intelligent 80-Column Video Interface (SMARTERM)" (page 28) — Howard Lefkowitz

Review of the SMARTERM 80-column card.

"Letter to the Editor" + reply (page 29) — Stephen Bach (member from Scottsville VA, the one who scolded Pi for reprint credit in March) and Sandy Greenfarb

Round 2 between Bach and Pi — likely on a club policy matter.

"Flavors: Little Tidbits" (page 30) — Burton S. Chambers III

Likely a programming-tips column.

"To B Or Not to B — Testing the 6502 Compare Instructions" (page 33) — Sandy Greenfarb

The promised piece from ASMSIG October minutes. Greenfarb's deep-dive into what CMP, CPY, and CPX actually do — particularly the carry flag effects and branch behaviors. Pi reference-quality work.

Club news / events / announcements

• Merger talks formally tabled
• Cover price $1.50 (was $1)
• Dues increase coming Jan 1981; new dues form in Dec issue
• November Pi: Nov 22 — Steve Milner + Chuck Philipp on educational applications
• December Pi meeting moved to December 20 (3rd Saturday, holidays) — Dave Neumann on Z-80 Card
• January preview: Tom Woteki (Dr. Wo)
• NOVAPPLE: now meets 2nd Saturday at 1 PM at Kings Park Library on Burke Lake Road, Fairfax County

Notable advertisements

• Computerland Tysons Corner (page 2 — now smaller/cleaner layout)

Key quotes

• "I have long felt it desirable to have one Apple Users Club for the greater Washington D.C. and Baltimore areas… However, I have come to the conclusion that this has been and continues to be too difficult to accomplish." — Bernard Urban (page 1)
• "I therefore propose that we purchase an APPLE II with appropriate peripherals, including an originate and answer modem, for installation in a current member's home together with a dedicated phone line for use as WAP's official ABBS." — Bernard Urban (page 1)
• "Apple III's are being shipped to dealers now, and should be completed by the end of September." — InfoWorld via Dave Efron (page 3)

Entities

People: Bernard Urban, John Moon, Rich Wasserstrom, Robert Peck, Dana Schwartz, Mark L. Crosby, Sandy Greenfarb, Hersch Pilloff, Genevie Urban, Eric Urban, Greg Urban, David Morganstein, Dave Efron, Tom Jones, Howard Lefkowitz, Ira Cotton, Joe Lipson, Paul A. Sand, Fred P. Sharp, Howie Mitchell, Jose M. Sanchez, Charles C. Philipp, Burton S. Chambers III, Stephen Bach, John Epperson, Thomas Steck, Jim Eatherly, Bill Budge, Susan Zakar, Steve Milner, Dave Neumann, Andrew Rose Topics: Pi Goes Independent, Two Term President Limit, Pi Dedicated ABBS, Finance & Organization Committee, Hardware Corner, EDSIG, Apple FORTRAN, 6502 Compare Instructions References: Apple FORTRAN, IDS-460 Printer, SMARTERM, SARGON, North Atlantic Raider, Bill Budge Space Games, A Stellar Trek, Tuesday Night Football, WP6502, High Technology vs Apple Lawsuit, Apple vs ITT Lawsuit, Kings Park Library

Connections to other issues

• Merger thread (running since 1979-09 — V01 N08) formally tabled
• ABBS (live in 1980-10 — V02 N10) gets dedicated-hardware proposal
• Sandy Greenfarb's promised CMP/CPY/CPX article (teased in 1980-10 — V02 N10 ASMSIG notes) delivered here
• New Hardware Corner column inaugurated by Urban's sons

Open questions

• Did the dedicated-ABBS hardware purchase happen?
• Did the 2-term President limit actually pass?
• What was the dues increase amount? (Watch 1980-12 — V02 N12)
• How did Apple III shipping go vs. the InfoWorld claim?