November 1983 — Vol 5 No 11
Source
Open original PDF • November 1983 • Vol 5 No 11 • 68 pages • $2
Overview
David Morganstein President. Four cover hooks: Gutenberg + Gutenberg Jr., Fall Disk Roundup, Zardax-Unusual Word Processor, VisiCalc Formulas in Screen Format. ★ Apple vs Franklin Court Decision (Robert C. Platt, 19) — landmark Sep 1983 Third Circuit ruling that operating systems in ROM are copyrightable (Franklin had sold knock-off Apple II clones with verbatim Apple ROM dumps); Platt is the right author since he's Pi's resident lawyer-programmer. Gutenberg and Gutenberg Jr. Word Processor (P. K. Wong, 20) — full Gutenberg coverage following the Oct first-look. Fall Disk Roundup (Robert C. Platt, 37) — twice-a-year Disketeria new-disks roundup tradition. Zardax Word Processor (William C. Jacobson, 54) — the unusual WP with built-in mailmerge. The Fourth Dimension Drive (Richard A. Untied, 13) — review of 4D-Systems' high-density floppy. LISA, From a Standing Start (Lewis H. Strauss, 46) — first hands-on of Apple's Lisa by an actual Pi member 8 months after the Lisa announcement in 1983-03 — V05 N03. The Struggling Dinosaur (C. Swift, 47). Apple Tracks (Richard Langston II, 26). Developing Multi-Drive Software (Daniel J. Blum, 27). A New SIG – CESIG (Roy Rosfeld, 28) — Computer Education SIG launches. Telecomm SIG News (Dave Harvey, 28). Okidata–AppleWriter //e Connections (Jean Panagakos, 29). WIZFIX Fix (Bill Guion, 36) — Wizardry-fix utility. Hi-Res Graphics for AJ Printers (Bruce F. Field, 50). LHR Checkbook Revisited (Leon H. Raesly, 52). VisiCalc Formulas — Screen Format (Leon H. Raesly, 58). Electronic Mail Through USPS (Stephen M. Libster, 60) — coverage of E-COM, USPS's short-lived hybrid email service. Logo SIG News (Nancy C. Strange, 16).
Table of contents (selected)
| Article | Author | Page |
|---|---|---|
| President's Corner | David Morganstein | 4 |
| ScreenWriter Hotline | Peter Combes | 9 |
| Q & A | Bruce F. Field | 10 |
| The Fourth Dimension Drive | Richard A. Untied | 13 |
| EDSIG News | Peter Combes | 14 |
| LogoSIG News | Nancy C. Strange | 16 |
| ★ Apple vs Franklin Court Decision | Robert C. Platt | 19 |
| Gutenberg and Gutenberg Jr. WP | P. K. Wong | 20 |
| I Am What I Am... | John A. Love III | 24 |
| Apple Tracks | Richard Langston II | 26 |
| Developing Multi-Drive Software | Daniel J. Blum | 27 |
| A New SIG – CESIG | Roy Rosfeld | 28 |
| Telecomm SIG News | Dave Harvey | 28 |
| Okidata–AppleWriter //e Connections | Jean Panagakos | 29 |
| Games People Play: Two Reviews | Leslie Shriner | 34 |
| GameViews | Jeff Brunner | 35 |
| WIZFIX Fix | Bill Guion | 36 |
| Fall Disk Roundup | Robert C. Platt | 37 |
| LISA, From a Standing Start | Lewis H. Strauss | 46 |
| The Struggling Dinosaur | C. Swift | 47 |
| A Page from the Stack | Robert C. Platt | 48 |
| Hi-Res Graphics for AJ Printers | Bruce F. Field | 50 |
| LHR Checkbook Revisited | Leon H. Raesly | 52 |
| Zardax Word Processor | William C. Jacobson | 54 |
| VisiCalc Formulas — Screen Format | Leon H. Raesly | 58 |
| Electronic Mail Through USPS | Stephen M. Libster | 60 |
Highlights
★ Apple vs Franklin Court Decision — Robert C. Platt
Platt explains the Sep 1983 Third Circuit ruling in Apple Computer, Inc. v. Franklin Computer Corp. — operating system code in ROM is a copyrightable work of authorship. This shut down Franklin's verbatim Apple II clones and is one of the seminal early-software-copyright precedents. Platt's reading is more thorough than any contemporary trade press took — a benefit of having a software-attorney as Pi's regular columnist.
LISA, From a Standing Start — Lewis H. Strauss
First member-hands-on writeup of the Lisa, 8 months after 1983-03 — V05 N03 announced it. Strauss is candid about quirks. Lisa adoption at Pi remains thin — most members stay with the II family until Mac arrives.
Gutenberg + Gutenberg Jr. Word Processor — P. K. Wong
Two-tier WP from Micromosaics with embedded fonts/page layout — a niche but technically interesting product line. Wong's coverage is the deepest the Pi runs on Gutenberg.
Electronic Mail Through USPS — Stephen M. Libster
Coverage of E-COM (Electronic Computer-Originated Mail), USPS's 1982-85 hybrid email service. Quaint in hindsight but a real cusp moment in 1983 when the Pi cared about how to mail-merge over the post office.
CESIG launches — Roy Rosfeld
Computer Education SIG joins EDSIG, LogoSIG, ASMSIG, etc. — Pi's continued SIG proliferation.
Entities
People: David Morganstein, Robert C. Platt, P. K. Wong, William C. Jacobson, Lewis H. Strauss, Richard A. Untied, Leon H. Raesly, Bruce F. Field, Stephen M. Libster, Roy Rosfeld, Dave Harvey, Nancy C. Strange, Jean Panagakos, Peter Combes, John A. Love III, Richard Langston II, Bill Guion, Daniel J. Blum, Leslie Shriner, Jeff Brunner, C. Swift Topics: Apple vs Franklin, Software Copyright, Apple Lisa, E-COM, CESIG References: Gutenberg Word Processor, Zardax, 4D-Systems Drive, VisiCalc
Connections to other issues
- ★ Apple v. Franklin coverage stands as the Pi's most consequential 1983 IP-law piece — Platt's resident lawyer role is foreshadowed by his earlier Public Computer Interest Assn. write-ups
- Gutenberg arc: first look 1983-10 — V05 N10 → full coverage here
- Lisa arc: announced 1983-03 — V05 N03 → first member writeup here
- ProDOS continues from 1983-10 — V05 N10 (no specific feature here but appears in Disk Roundup)
- CESIG joins the SIG roster that grows through 1984-85