When you truly immerse yourself in the hypermedia revolution, you'll find numerous newsletters out there to explore. The StudioWare Catalog, HyperStudio Network and The Stack Exchange are three I have had the pleasure of perusing lately...
The StudioWare Catalog is touted as a multimedia resource guide by its creator, Roger Wagner Publishing, P.O. Box 710582, Santee, CA 92072. The last issue I received had offers for HyperStudio 3.1 and System 6.0 upgrades. It also had the usual stacks for sale (all for HyperStudio) and an important message from Roger himself. If you use HyperStudio or need another resource for multimedia hardware/tools, you need to get on the mailing list.
HyperStudio Network subscriptions are also available. When members join the Network, they receive the quarterly publication and an annual disk called the Best of HyperStudio. Released in September each year, the disk contains original stacks, clip art, clip sound, and other stack tools that will enhance any HyperStudio library. Sign up now by writing to: HyperStudio Network, P.O. Box 103, Blawenburg, NJ 08504.
Finally, The Stack Exchange, published by Techware Corporation, P.O. Box 151085, Allamonte Springs, FL 32715-1085, has a wide variety of stacks (all for Tutor-Tech) and hardware worthy of your attention. Broken down into a multitude of topics from Adult Education to Science to Social Studies, you'll find all sorts of Tutor-Tech stacks here!
A Diskovery-sort of
I discovered an AppleWorks template on a disk last week. Might be a promising submission or something. Problem is, I can't figure out who sent it to me. So, if you're out there, you read this, and you're the one who sent in a disk labeled ╥FMT.BLOOD.WORKS,╙ please contact me. I don't know what to do with it!
A Bonus from Spencer
This month, we had extra room on the issue for a Spencer bonus. Inside the file ╥SpencerBonus╙, you'll find two Halloween bonus offerings. ╥HalloweenGrphc╙ and ╥HalloweenPgeLay╙ were both created in AWGS. The first is a 640-mode graphic, the second is an AWGS page-layout document. You should be able to load the 640-mode graphic into any paint program. The page-layout looks identical, but must be opened in AWGSs page-layout module. Enjoy!
TRE Matters
Recently, I have been receiving a quarterly newsletter produced by the staff of the Technology Resources for Education (TRE) Center. Entitled ╥TRE Matters,╙ it is for professionals and parents who want to learn more about assistive technology (to help their students with disabilities).
To quote one of their latest mailers, ╥The TRE Center's Mission is to provide information, training and other resources to enhance learning opportunities for individuals with or without disabilities through technology.╙
For more information about how to access any TRE Center services or materials, please contact the Center by modem (see below); by phone at 518-456-9290 (Voice and TDD); by FAX at 518-456-9289, or by writing or visiting the TRE Center at the Maywood School, 1979 Central Ave., Albany, NY 12205.
To reach TRE online...
CompuServe ID = 72050,1743
AppleLink ID = K2438
PROFS/COSY ID = DGrapka
SpecialNET ID = Maywood
Get in touch with them today and jump on their mailing list!!
This month I Diskovered...
ñ always keep a back-up of your software, especially on a computer that
has many different users!
ñ never use your friend's IBM while in the sauna. (Okay, so I gained a
little pleasure out of it-try it!)
ñ Bryan will make up a million and one excuses just to get the new 14 MHz
ZipGS. (I told him not to hold his breath waiting on it.)
ñ Jay wants a wife-real bad! Y'all write.
Coming Soon: KansasFest Goodies
We'll have lots o' amazing things to talk about on the next issue. Jay, Bryan and I will represent Softdisk this year at KansasFest. We hope to see and learn a variety of new things that will aid in the development of this product. Wish us luck, and if you happen to be in Kansas City from July 21-26, look us up!
'Til next month...
If anyone has anything to comment about, write us! We love to receive feedback from our subscribers. Now, read on for more tantalizing tidbits from our Apple gurus, Jay and Bryan.
I saw a perfect Ultima I clone for the Apple IIgs. It was written by an Apple II developer for Origin Systems to publish. Will it ever see the light of day? No, because Origin Systems says they won't make ╥enough╙ money so they'll just stick it on a shelf somewhere. It didn't even cost them anything to develop!
An Apple II programming guru offered to port Sierra Online's ╥game-maker╙ to the Apple IIgs so they could create IIgs versions of their hit products. He even offered to do this for free! Did they take him up on it? No, because Sierra Online just doesn't care about the Apple II anymore. It wouldn't have even cost them anything to develop!
A game called Shufflepuck Cafe came out for the Mac. A version for the Apple IIgs was completed, too. Was it ever released? No, because Broderbund decided to scrap it. They spent the money to develop it and then tucked it away! Out of sight, out of mind.
I can understand why some companies won't develop new software for the Apple II line. But I can't understand why they'll develop something and then throw it away. Some companies have licensed Big Red Computer Club to act as distributor for the Apple II games that have been discontinued╤that's good. But some companies won't allow BRCC to re-master once they sell the remaining stock. So when BRCC runs out of an Accolade or Taito product (like Arkanoid II) will we see any more? No, because Accolade and Taito are too smart for us mere mortals.
Software piracy is always against the law. But when a program like Spirit of Excalibur, which was dropped into a pit by Virgin Mastertronic, is pirated, I have a hard time casting stones.
Will contacting these companies and expressing your dissatisfaction make any difference? I'm not sure, but it might make you feel better. I know getting this off my chest made me feel a little better. :)
It's days like this that my co-workers hate me. See, let me explain a bit here. I like to shoot pool and on Friday nights I usually go out and play till at least dawn. This past weekend was no different-Friday night I went to ╥Pockets╙ and played One Pocket (race to 3 for table time) with a buddy of mine to around 8:00 am Saturday morning. I then go home and (usually) sleep for 10 to 12 hours, which means I wake up around 8:00 pm Saturday night. Then, I usually go out and shoot pool again.
Invariably, this whole sequence is repeated on Saturday night and Sunday. This past week was no different. This is where the problem begins: because I'm usually up all night Sunday, I come into work on Monday not having slept for the past 12 to 14 hours. By noon I am usually quite annoying. We have this little office mascot (a purple ball) that I usually throw at Jay while pretending to make it in his garbage can. Because this ball is bouncy, it also tends to hit Peter and Lee once and awhile! ╥Opps! I'm sorry, I didn't mean that! <snicker>╙
On another note, I recently heard a rumor that Western Design Center (the company that designed the 65c816 CPU used in the IIgs) had 14 MHz '816s available in quantity. After hearing this, I gave Zip Technolgies a call (800-937-9737) and got some great news! You can now get a Zip GS ranging in speeds of 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and yes, 14 MHz!!! I'm sure that all of you hungry power-users are going to want to snap up an incredibly fast 14/64 from these guys as soon as possible.
To give you an idea of just how fast a 14 MHz 65816 is keep in mind that there is approximately a 3:1 ratio with the 80x86 series. This means a 14 MHz GS is roughly equivalent to a 40 MHz IBM! Wow!
Well, today is Monday, and guess what? I'm tired-I think I'll go home now...
Would you like to be internationally known? If so, write us today! Your programs and letters could be seen all over the world! Yes, from programs to letters, graphics to puzzles, much of the material that appears in Softdisk is written by our readers. You could be known worldwide as a software genius! (That is, if you are one.)
We are always looking for new material. Use your computer to create something and send it to us for review. If it's good, we'll publish it and send you money!
Just send us a clearly-labeled disk with a cover letter and ask us to evaluate your creation. If you have questions about our requirements (they are very simple), drop us a line and ask for our free author's guidelines form.
