October 1981 — Vol 3 No 9

Overview

Urban returns from vacation and explains the issue-dating change: per Board recommendation, "for purely psychological reasons" issues are now predated by one month to match member expectations (December issue arrives in November, etc.). Still 12 issues per calendar year. New advertiser: Legend Industries 64KC board at $349 — 64K of dynamic RAM in one slot (recognized as a 16K RAM card in slot 0 by DOS 3.3, Pascal, and Microsoft CP/M). Major content: Ed Knepley's Two Pascal Graphics Units (the language-card second-HI-RES tricks promised in September); Andrew E. Scheck and Terry E. Phillips's long Apple→Epson MX-80 Graphics Dump (with or without GRAFTRAX PROM set); Morganstein's "Applesoft Compilers—What's the Big Deal?"; and announcement of DOS 3.3.1 coming.

Table of contents

Articles

Editorial (page 4) — Bernard Urban

"We're back…and Rich has ably passed the editorial baton back to the Urbans." Thanks Charles Dow and others for handling production. Explains the date shift: per Board recommendation, "most people get their publications dated one month ahead of actual receipt and like it that way." Now issues are predated, but still 12 per calendar year.

"Applesoft Compilers — What's the Big Deal?" (page 10) — David Morganstein

Cover-highlight (President now writing his own technical pieces). Discussion of Applesoft compilers — the latest crop converts interpreted Applesoft programs to faster compiled code.

"Two Pascal Graphics Units" (pages 14–19) — Ed Knepley

Cover-highlight headline. Pascal graphics tricks — likely covers using HI-RES page 2 from Pascal (which normally claims it) by carefully managing the Language Card.

"Apple to Epson MX-80 Graphics Dump (With or Without the GRAFTRAX PROM Set)" (pages 20–27) — Andrew E. Scheck and Terry E. Phillips

Cover-highlight. 8-page deep-dive on dumping the Apple HI-RES screen to the Epson MX-80 — both with and without the GRAFTRAX graphics PROM set (Epson's optional graphics ROM upgrade). A canonical reference for Apple+Epson users.

"Hires Binary Mosaics (Without Graphics Printer)" (pages 32–35) — Howard Mitchell (Howie Mitchell)

Cover-highlight. Print HI-RES screens as binary mosaics on a non-graphics printer — for users without GRAFTRAX or a Paper Tiger.

"Namelist Input in Applesoft" (page 36) — Charles K. Mesztenyi

FORTRAN-style namelist input adapted to Applesoft.

"Write Protect Switch" + "Preventing Accidental Reset" (pages 38–39) — Kevin Duffy + Boris Levine

Hardware mods for safety.

"Soft Ctrl Systems + RomPlus: A Review" (page 42) — Bob Schmidt

Review of Soft Ctrl Systems firmware on the Mountain Hardware ROMPLUS+ card.

"DOS 3.3.1 Is Coming" (page 44) — David Morganstein

Heads-up on the next DOS revision — fixes for the DOS 3.3 bugs Val Golding flagged in September 1980 (1980-09 — V02 N09).

"Inside Apple Pi" order form (page 47)

Likely the long-promised "Best of WAP" compilation finally available — Pi member Steve Hadley was named editor in February 1981. The "Inside Apple Pi" branding signals it's shipping.

Other content

• Soft Views: Recent Releases — Morganstein's monthly product roundup
• SIGAMES News + Hit Parade — John Alden
• Writing Business Letters with Pascal — Herb Klonsner
• Flag — Craig Feinstein

Club news / events / announcements

• Date-shift policy: issues now predated by one month
• DOS 3.3.1 coming
• "Inside Apple Pi" likely ships
• October Pi meeting: Oct 24

Notable advertisements

• Legend Industries 64KC Board (page 3, dramatic intro: "Just when you thought it was SAFE to go into a computer store…") — 64K RAM expansion for Apple II, $349; recognized as 16K RAM card in slot 0 by DOS 3.3, Pascal, Microsoft CP/M; companion McLaren LCG (Lower Case Generator) $49.95 — both from Legend Industries, distributed by Great Lakes Digital Resources (Detroit MI)
• Computerland Tysons Corner (page 2)

Key quotes

• "We're back…and Rich has ably passed the editorial baton back to the Urbans." — Bernard Urban (page 4)
• "This was done at the Board's recommendation for purely psychological reasons. Most people, it was reasoned, get their publications dated one month ahead of actual receipt and like it that way." — Bernard Urban (page 4)

Entities

People: David Morganstein, Mark L. Crosby, Dana Schwartz, Jesse Wagstaff, John Moon, Nancy Philipp, Rich Wasserstrom, Bernard Urban, Genevie Urban, Bob Peck, Dick Elkins, Howard Lefkowitz, Boris Levine, Charles Dow, Ed Knepley, Andrew E. Scheck, Terry E. Phillips, Howie Mitchell, Charles K. Mesztenyi, Kevin Duffy, Herb Klonsner, Bob Schmidt, Craig Feinstein, John Alden, Steve Hadley, Michael McLaren Topics: Magazine Date Shift, Pascal HIRES Page 2, Applesoft Compilers, Epson GRAFTRAX, Apple II RAM Expansion, DOS 3.3.1, Inside Apple Pi References: Legend Industries 64KC, Great Lakes Digital Resources, McLaren LCG, Epson GRAFTRAX, ROMPLUS+, Soft Ctrl Systems, Inside Apple Pi

Connections to other issues

• "Inside Apple Pi" delivers on the "Best of WAP" promise from Urban's 1979-12 — V01 N11 vision, Hadley's editor role from 1981-02 — V03 N02
• DOS 3.3.1 promise picks up from 1980-09 — V02 N09 DOS 3.3 BUGS
• Legend 64KC continues the RAM-expansion thread the September editorial previewed
• Schedule shift converts Pi to "post-dated" magazine convention starting July/August 1981

Open questions

• Did "Inside Apple Pi" sell well? Print runs?
• Did Legend 64KC succeed in the market or get overshadowed by the IBM PC's expandable architecture?