March 1981 — Vol 3 No 3

Overview

Pi at WAP #586 assigned (~80 non-renewers cleared, net active >500). New club phone (301) 621-2719 at Schwartz's home. Urban editorial asks members to weigh in on bit/nibble copy programs and their ethics — Val Golding (Call-A.P.P.L.E. Feb) and Robert Tripp (Micro Mar) both publicly oppose them; Urban wants member responses for his IAC deliberations. PASCAL 1.1 update saga: Urban admits he "committed a no-no" with January's instructions and prints Apple's official Software Product Note. NEWSIG has a new chair: Paul Hoffman (replacing Al Weiner). Headlining: Mark Cheren's "Here, So Slowly, Comes the ///" (Apple III user report), David Neumann's "CP/M for the APPLE," Mike Leavitt's expanded Washington Apple Digest.

Table of contents

Articles

Editorial (page 3) — Bernard Urban

Bit/nibble copy programs. Urban draws attention to March's IAC Bulletin (reproduced in this issue) on the ethics of bit and nibble copy programs (programs that defeat copy protection). Val Golding (Call-A.P.P.L.E. Feb '81) and Robert Tripp (Micro Mar '81) both wrote editorials opposing them. "Unfortunately I have not seen anything in print other than ad copy for the software which defends their use." Asks members to send responses for his discussions with IAC Directors and Officers.

"More on Pascal 1.1" (page 3) — Bernard Urban

Dave Escoffery, Product Manager Languages at Apple Computer Inc., called and said Urban's January Pascal 1.1 update instructions were a "no-no." Apple's official Software Product Note went to dealers Feb 15 and is reprinted here on pages 25–27. Excerpt of the Apple letter to Pascal owners + FORTRAN's FORTFIX program also included.

Minutes of Executive Board 2/11/81 (page 4)

8 attendees. Items: - Schools below college level with a computer and computer club can get a reduced membership rate (adult advisor as WAP member of record) — a new constituency policy - Several vendors have given Pi "dealer status" for group purchases - Membership Directory first edition encouraged; membership cards proceeding - Volunteer Coordinator role to be created to better utilize talents - ABBS monthly phone expenses now club-paid - 'Hot-line' questions directed to SIG chairs who agree - Steve Hadley volunteers to edit the 'Best of WAP' compilation

Minutes of General Meeting 2/28/81 (page 4)

~210 attendees. New club phone announced. David Moses (WAP #500) presented his prize. Urban surveyed opinion on universal copy programs and whether IAC's Apple Orchard should accept their ads. Presentations: Elaine Eckels asked for help on an elderly-aid project (625-7626); Rusty Luhring on setting up a software-development business.

Notices (page 4)

• New phone: (301) 621-2719 at Schwartz's home
• Foreign remittances must be U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank (some foreign drafts had been bouncing on collection charges)
• Questions column needs questions — send to Crosby via PO Box or club phone
• Newsletter article request — over 500 members, need more submissions
• WAP #586 assigned; ~80 unrenewed members about to be purged

SIG News (page 5)

• SIGAMES: Jim Eatherly tutorial on fixing Apple II game paddles (also covers soldering basics for the joystick project); product review of Space Eggs
• PIG: meets at USUHS
• EDSIG: 4th Saturday post-WAP
• NEWSIG has new chair Paul Hoffman (replacing Al Weiner)
• Greenapples SIG for young people now meeting during regular WAP meeting; adult-accompanied to the Apple room afterward

"Letter to VisiNews" (page 5) — Walton Francis

Francis writes to Wes Thomas (VisiNews editor, Kings Park NY) enclosing 10 charter subscriptions ($12 each) at the club rate for Pi members. Asks substantive product questions for the newsletter's coverage: - When will Apple II VisiCalc gain the extra features of the PET/HP versions (IRR, file merge)? - 80-column upper/lower case card support? - Serious data-base management interface (not CCA)?

Also asks for innovative tips, review of related software (Visilist from Computer Station, VU § 3 from Progressive Software). "I hope you find as many people interested in free contributions to fellow users, and publish these as well."

"Questions, Questions, Questions" (page 6) — Mark L. Crosby

Notable Q&A entries this month: - Disconnect DOS to take keyboard input while a file is open: PRINT D$"MON I,O,C", then PR#0:IN#0 for keyboard mode, CALL 1002 to reconnect DOS for disk writes

"Here, So Slowly, Comes the ///" (later page) — Mark Cheren

Cover-highlight. A Pi-member user report on the Apple III — likely chronicling Cheren's wait, configuration, and first impressions. Important because the III's slow ramp had been Pi reporting since 1980.

"A Page from the Stack" (later) — David Morganstein

Librarian's column continues.

"CP/M for the APPLE" (later) — David Neumann

Cover-highlight. Neumann (the Microsoft Z-80 SoftCard expert who had been slated for the December 1980 Pi program) writes the full how-to on CP/M for the Apple.

Other featured articles

• Washington Apple Digest — now bylined to Mike Leavitt (continuing Efron's column)
• Flavors: Little Tidbits — Burton S. Chambers III
• Master Catalog 48K Enhancements — Donald E. Kahler
• More Tips on the MX-80 — R.J. Decker

IAC Bulletin February + March (pages 23+)

Two months of IAC Bulletin reprinted (March's content includes the bit-copy ethics piece Urban discusses).

Apple Software Product Note (pages 25–27)

Apple's official Pascal 1.1 update note + portion of the letter to Pascal owners + excerpted Apple-to-FORTRAN-owners letter on FORTFIX.

Club news / events / announcements

• Pi #586 reached
• New club phone (301) 621-2719
• Mike Cornblith (Apple) speaks at NOVAPPLE April 11
• Special EDSIG meeting March 14 at UMD
• April newsletter has early deadline April 10 (editors away for Easter)
• Apple #586 assigned

Notable advertisements

• Computerland Tysons Corner (page 2 — minimalist logo)

Key quotes

• "Unfortunately I have not seen anything in print other than ad copy for the software which defends their use [bit/nibble copy programs] and presents the other side of the story." — Bernard Urban (page 3)
• "Apparently I too have led you astray." — Bernard Urban on the Pascal 1.1 update confusion (page 3)
• "VisiCalc is on the one hand arguably the single most brilliant and useful piece of microcomputer software ever developed (for me, indispensable), and on the other hand one of the most arrogantly cold-blooded marketing efforts ever seen." — Walton Francis (page 5)

Entities

People: Bernard Urban, Genevie Urban, Rich Wasserstrom, Robert Peck, Dana Schwartz, Mark L. Crosby, Sandy Greenfarb, Hersch Pilloff, John Moon, David Morganstein, Bill Bowie, Howard Lefkowitz, Tom Jones, Jim Rose, Charles C. Philipp, Paul Hoffman, Al Weiner, Tom Woteki, Al Gass, Curt Robbins, Mark Cheren, David Neumann, Mike Leavitt, Walton Francis, Wes Thomas, Elaine Eckels, Rusty Luhring, Steve Hadley, David Moses, Dave Escoffery, Donald E. Kahler, R.J. Decker, Burton S. Chambers III, Jim Eatherly, Val Golding, Robert Tripp Topics: Bit Copy Ethics, Pascal 1.1 Update, CP/M on Apple, Disconnect DOS, School Membership Rate, Best of WAP Compilation References: Space Eggs, VisiNews, Visilist, VU § 3, Apple Software Product Note Pascal 1.1, FORTFIX

Connections to other issues

• Bit-copy ethics editorial continues a theme since 1979-04 — V01 N03 (early copyright discussions)
• Pascal 1.1 saga from 1981-01 — V03 N01 / 1981-02 — V03 N02 continues
• Apple III coverage from 1980-05 — V02 N05 gets first member-experience report

Open questions

• How did membership respond on the bit-copy ethics question?
• Did Steve Hadley actually complete the "Best of WAP" compilation?