January 1981 — Vol 3 No 1

Overview

Volume 3 debuts. Dues now $18/year (approved overwhelmingly at the December 20 meeting with ~160 attendees). Urban running for re-election as IAC East Coast Director (nominated by Maryland Apple Corps); IAC now exceeds 200 member clubs. Urban will produce a new monthly IAC News Bulletin; Crosby becomes Apple Orchard new-products editor; Dr. Wo chairs IAC's languages SIG (will run a workshop at IAC Chicago in May 1981). New SIG/Disabled launched by Curt Robbins (hearing-impaired) — needs sign-language interpreter volunteers. NOVAPPLE special arrangement extended six months: members can buy newsletters at dealer cost, library at member price, join group purchases; NOVAPPLE reciprocates. Pi at ~450 members (500th member to get 10 free library disks). First DOS 3.3-format library disk (Lawrence Hall of Science utilities via IAC). Headlining content: John Moon's Questionnaire Subroutine, Jim Rose's Fast Walsh-Hadamard Transform, C.K. Mesztenyi's HI-RES Applesoft notes.

Table of contents

Articles

Editorial (page 3) — Bernard Urban

Thanks Maryland Apple Corps for IAC East Coast Director re-nomination. IAC has grown in less than a year to >200 member clubs. Urban will produce the new monthly IAC News Bulletin (first issue printed in this Pi). Mark L. Crosby becomes IAC Apple Orchard's new-products editor; Tom Woteki (Dr. Wo) chairs the IAC languages SIG and will run a workshop at the IAC annual meeting in Chicago, May 1981. Thanks members for 1981 budget vote ("Wow!"). Calls for volunteers for the new SIG/Disabled — sign-language interpreters specifically needed.

Minutes of Executive Board 12/10/80 (page 3)

12 attendees at Urban's home. Reviewed proposed 1981 budget line-by-line (Rich Wasserstrom chairing). NOVAPPLE special arrangement extended six months — NOVAPPLE Board members Theron Fuller, Tom Lucas, and Nicholas B. Cirillo in attendance. Dealer newsletter price set at 85¢/copy starting January 1981. Adjourned 12:45 AM.

Minutes of General Meeting 12/20/80 (page 4)

~160 attendees — turnout for the big budget vote. Eric Ganien (The Source) gave a presentation with lively Q&A. Howard Lefkowitz reported on group-purchase status. Proposed 1981 budget passed by overwhelming majority. Holiday refreshments from generous members.

NOVAPPLE Minutes 12/10/80 and 12/13/80 (page 4)

• NOVAPPLE 1981 schedule: 2nd Saturday at Kings Park Library (reviews/evaluations/demos), 4th Thursday at Computerland Tysons (regular business + programs), 2nd Wednesday at Computers Plus Franconia (classes/tutorials, WAP-and-NOVAPPLE members only)
• 6 disks ready for NOVAPPLE library — $1/side copying fee, member supplies disk
• Craig Vaughan gave instructions for his bulletin board
• Shelley Kramer coordinating bulk Dysan diskette purchase
• Reciprocal arrangement with WAP outlined
• Programming tip: detect file existence with ONERR + RENAME (file to itself)
• Program: 9-voice ALF II board and 3-voice ALF board music demos

Editorial includes Albert Schweitzer quote: "Every start upon an untrodden path is a venture which only in unusual circumstances looks sensible and likely to be successful."

SIG News (page 5)

• SIGAMES (Al Gass) — joystick construction project continues; Bill Bowie and Brian Dormer co-chairing; Thomas Steck product review of North Atlantic Convoy Raider by Avalon Hill
• NEWSIG (Al Weiner) — at member request, now meets immediately after the regular WAP meeting. Kindergarten level during the regular meeting, grade one level after. Next meeting Jan 24: Steve Sondag gives kindergarten orientation. Volunteer phone-list published: Bob Chesley (Paper Tiger, Supertext II), Sara LaVilla (kindergarten), Boris Lavine (kindergarten, copied-program debugging), John H Smith (lo-res, cassette LOAD/SAVE, Basic & Applesoft), Steve Sondag (Z80 card, modem, printer)
• PascalSIG (Tom Woteki) — now meets at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), Bldg A Room A2054, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda
• EDSIG (Charles C. Philipp) — meets after WAP meeting on 4th Saturday
• ASMSIG (Jim Rose) — 3rd Monday at UMD Computer Science Center

"SIG/Disabled" (page 5) — Curt Robbins

New SIG. Robbins, who is hearing-impaired, describes the December meeting as his first — "the abundance and availability of software and hardware at discount prices, and a glorious collection of excellent brains to pick…" Needs an interpreter to fully participate; knows 5–6 other hearing-impaired Apple owners who could attend with proper accommodations. SIG also serves physically disabled Apple owners. Contact: 8805 Barnsley Court, Laurel MD 20811.

A genuinely moving moment in Pi history.

Notices (page 6)

• Dues: $18/year for 1981 (Jan 1 – Dec 31); most renewers owe the full year (expiration 8012 on December label = paid through Dec 1980)
• Membership cards: to be issued for 1981 (by Feb meeting or by mail)
• Sales protocol: group purchases 8:15–9:30 AM, library disks 8:30–9:30 only; $1 surcharge per disk for unordered pickups at the meeting; checks preferred over cash
• ABBS sign-up: still via club phone
• 500th-member promo: 10 free library disks of recipient's choice
• Pen Pal: Duncan Langford from Canterbury, Kent, England — "very few resources for APPLE support there" — looking for correspondence

"A Page from the Stack" (page 6) — David Morganstein

New library releases: - 5 new EAMON adventures - New "games" disk - 3 special-interest disks: CRAS (checkbook-based personal accounting, from San Diego Apple Core); SOLAR TUTOR (from Jim Reilly); GARDEN MANAGEMENT (assembled by Fred P. Sharp) - First DOS 3.3-format library disk: utility disk from Lawrence Hall of Science modified for 16-sector, via IAC

Commercial reviews: A Stellar Trek (Rainbow Computing — HI-RES classic Trek with realistic ships); Galactic Trilogy (Brøderbund — three games: trading, two combat-themed; HI-RES with computer-style data display).

"An Invitation to be a Lobbyist" (page 7) — Charles C. Philipp

EDSIG advocacy piece. Public schools developing FY81–82 budgets — time for citizens to engage about computer literacy programs. Strategies: PTA presentations, attend school budget hearings, supportive letters citing specific positive results of existing programs, advocate for programs where they're lacking. "Learning how to use computers is one of the most important basic skills." Notable early framing of computer literacy as essential.

Featured technical articles

• "A Questionnaire Subroutine" — John L. Moon: reusable BASIC routine for prompting users with validated questionnaire questions
• "Notes on Hi-Res Graphics Routines in Applesoft" — C.K. Mesztenyi: probably a deep-dive on Applesoft HCOLOR/HPLOT internals and timing
• "Fast Walsh-Hadamard Transform" — Jim Rose: cover-highlight — a Hadamard-style discrete transform (FFT-cousin, faster on bit operations), in 6502 assembly. Companion to Field's FFT from Sept 1980
• "Using the SMARTERM for Pascal" — Dr. Who?: 80-column SMARTERM card under Apple Pascal
• "The Wonderful World of B.I.T.S.: A Review" — Gerald S. Eskelund
• "Data Capture 4.0 Bug and Fix" — R.J. Decker
• "Graph of a Trigonometric Function" — John Mahoney
• "For IDS 440/445/460 Owners" — notes for the Paper Tiger family
• "Perpetual Calendar: A Revision" — Donald E. Kahler
• "Flavors: Little Tidbits" — Burton S. Chambers III

IAC News Bulletin, December 1980 (back of issue)

Inaugural IAC News Bulletin — Urban's promised monthly. Likely covers SIGs and committees; details Apple Orchard plans; previews May 1981 Chicago meeting.

Club news / events / announcements

• $18 dues now active; 1981 budget approved
• ~450 members; 500th gets 10 free disks
• SIG/Disabled launched
• NOVAPPLE special arrangement extended 6 months
• IAC News Bulletin debuts
• January Pi meeting: Jan 24

Notable advertisements

• Computerland Tysons Corner (page 2 — simple Apple-logo layout continues from Dec)

Key quotes

• "Wow!" — Bernard Urban on the 1981 budget vote (page 3)
• "Every start upon an untrodden path is a venture which only in unusual circumstances looks sensible and likely to be successful." — Albert Schweitzer (page 4)
• "I gain so much more from WAP than my eyes can bear if an interpreter was present." — Curt Robbins (page 5)
• "Learning how to use computers is one of the most important basic skills." — Charles C. Philipp (page 7)

Entities

People: Bernard Urban, Genevie Urban, Rich Wasserstrom, Robert Peck, Dana Schwartz, Mark L. Crosby, Sandy Greenfarb, Hersch Pilloff, David Morganstein, Howard Lefkowitz, Tom Jones, Curt Robbins, Jim Rose, John Moon, Tom Woteki, Charles C. Philipp, Al Weiner, Al Gass, Gerald Eskelund, R.J. Decker, John Mahoney, C.K. Mesztenyi, Donald E. Kahler, Burton S. Chambers III, Bill Bowie, Brian Dormer, Thomas Steck, Steve Sondag, Bob Chesley, Sara LaVilla, Boris Lavine, John H Smith, Theron Fuller, Tom Lucas, Nicholas B. Cirillo, Shelley Kramer, Craig Vaughan, Eric Ganien, Duncan Langford, Jim Reilly, Fred P. Sharp Topics: Volume 3 Debut, Pi at 450 Members, SIG/Disabled, IAC News Bulletin, Computer Literacy Advocacy, Walsh-Hadamard Transform, DOS 3.3 Library Disks References: Apple Orchard, IAC Annual Meeting Chicago 1981, ALF Music Cards, A Stellar Trek, Galactic Trilogy, CRAS Accounting, Solar Tutor, Garden Management, Lawrence Hall of Science, North Atlantic Convoy Raider, Avalon Hill, USUHS

Connections to other issues

• Dues at $18 — approved at December 20 meeting per 1980-12 — V02 N12 vote
• NOVAPPLE merger negotiations (formally tabled in 1980-11 — V02 N11) settle into a six-month special-arrangement compromise
• Jim Rose's Walsh-Hadamard Transform follows Bruce Field's FFT in 1980-09 — V02 N09
• IAC News Bulletin operationalizes Urban's role as IAC East Coast Director
• DOS 3.3 library disks follow Apple's DOS 3.3 release/bug saga of 1980

Open questions

• Did Urban win IAC East Coast Director re-election?
• Did the SIG/Disabled attract interpreter volunteers?
• 500th member — who and when?
• May 1981 IAC Chicago meeting — what came of it?