norm@rocksvax.UUCP (Norm Zeck) (05/07/84)
The May '84 issue of COMPUTE pg 97 has an add for a terminal package by an outfit called SOFTLAW. They claim to have a number of nice features that one would want in a terminal package along with the ability to display on the C64 in 40/64/80/106 columns with NO HARDWARE changes. The ad has a display that shows 80 columns that is very readable (ie it doesn't look like the 3 bit characters, 1 bit space that has been suggested as an 80 col no hw C64). Does anyone have any more info on this package? For $49.95 with the features it claims to have, sounds like a good buy.
das@ecsvax.UUCP (05/12/84)
i just bought this package and have only about 30 minutes use with it, so i'm
no expert yet, but i'm pleased with what i see. by the way, i am on an apple
right now (upper case only), not the c64, which lives at home. the vip 106
column characters are 3 dots wide, 80-col offers a choice of 3 or 4 dots wide.
i only looked at the latter, and it's quite readable on my zenith green-screen,
but not on my tv set. the default setup of the terminal emulates a vt52, but
settings of just about everything can be changed. it's very flexible, easy to
use, and user friendly. choices are made with icons, and the pointing hand
can be moved either by keyboard or joystick (alas, not by koala pad). you can
skip the icons and enter choices via function keys (always identified on screen
unless you choose to turn them of to get 5 or 6 more text lines). they claim
to even offer "autodial" for the 1600 vicmodem (which i have), by sending the
touchtone beeps through the speaker -- you have to hold the receiver in the
right place and set the volume right. i tried it only once, without success --
dialing is easier. however, vip can remember all sorts of messages (e.g. logon
sequences) and send them on command. all ascii characters are available from
the keyboard. and everything else you ever wanted (at least that i ever wanted)
is there. one thing i don't like: the disk is copy protected, and a backup
costs $10. i once swore off all such software, but it seems that most of the
good stuff for the 64 is like that. furthermore, while there is the usual
warning about not opening the package unless you agree with all the terms of
the "license", you have to open the package to find the backup policy. the
so-called license expressly forbids making your own backup, which of course
flies in the face of the copyright law. another curiosity: to have your
warranty in effect (180 days), or to get support over the phone, or notices of
upgrades, etc., you are supposed to send in the warranty card and register
your serial number. that seems reasonable, but there was no warranty card in
the package, and i could find no indication of a serial number either, no
numbered sticker on the disk, no message on screen about a software serial
number, nothing on the invoice about it.
i had problems communicating with unix using the vicmodem and the terminal
program that comes with it -- lots of dropped and garbaged characters. in my
brief trial of vip, the communication was rock steady, and the software 80
columns really works. capture to printer worked nicely -- i haven't tried
the file upload/download yet.
David A. Smith
Department of Mathematics
Duke University
Durham, NC 27706
(919) 684-2321
{decvax,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!dasdave@zinfandel.UUCP (05/13/84)
#R:rocksvax:-41200:zinfandel:19800007:000:1391
zinfandel!dave May 9 09:25:00 1984
I purchased this software a couple of weeks ago. Yes, it really can
display 80 (or even 106) columns on the screen. When chosing the
number of columns you want displayed, you also have a choice of selecting
character width (narrow, medium, or wide). The wider the character,
the easier it is to read. The 106 column display (not suprisingly) can
only use the narrow width.
106 columns is readable, but you have to squint a bit. 80 columns (in
medium width) is quite readable, but not as good as my 'real' terminal
here at work. 64 columns (in wide width) is *very* readable.
It also displays every printable ASCII character, and every ASCII
character can be typed from the keyboard (e.g |,{,},~).
The package is very easy (and fun) to use -- icons are used for menu
selections, but thank goodness you don't *have* to use a joystick (you
can use function keys).
My only gripe about it at present is that it won't work at 1200 baud,
although the documentation claims it can run even faster than that.
I called SoftLaw about this, and they say "that's Commodore's fault,
not ours". I know the 'stock' 1200 baud routine in the kernal (kernel)
from Commodore is flaky, but other people have gotten around this
problem...
Dave Funk
Zehntel, Inc.
2625 Shadelands Drive
Walnut Creek, CA 92598
(415) 932-6900 x309
....!decvax!sytek!zehntel!dave
...."zehntel!dave"@BERKELEYdas@ecsvax.UUCP (05/15/84)
I'm now logged on to ecsvax with VIP on the 64, and I have a few corrections. The
mode of print I'm looking at is 3-dot 80 column: that leaves a dot between
characters. The 4-dot mode runs the characters together (of coursee: 4 x 80
= 320), which is not very readable. But the 3-dot letters look OK, the word
wrap works, etcc. My previous note referred to rock-steady communication --
that was apparently beginner's luck. Each time I've been on since then, I've
had some flakiness, mostly dropped characters, perhaps a dozen per screen full.
As I enter this, some characters are not appearing on screen at the rate I
type (not fast), but I don't know yet if they are being transmitted. However,
this is bettter than I ever got with the Vicmodem before; the problems are
probably due to the modem and/or telephone system (GTE). Some other problems:
It takes a long time to boot: 40 sec. or so to get "Desktop", a clever picture
of a desk with 64, monitor, disk drive, printer, trademark and copyright
notices, and a bookshelf showing 9 VIP packages. The detail includes a
disk-in-use light that actually operarates as the disk does. The bookshelf is
the first set of icons, but the cleverness wears off quickly if you have only
one VIP package. It loads when you press return, but that takes another 2.25
minutes (at least). Worse yet, it fails about every other boot, probably
because of the copy protection. And the failure is not like any other I've
seen: the disk just continues to run, sometimes with the in-use light on,
sometimes off. The only way to telll the boot has failed is to time it -- when
2.5 minutes have elapsed, turn something off and start over (including
Desktop). All this spoils the fun of a good package when you finally get it up.
The 7K or so left over after all that booting is the "workspace" which can be
opened or closed selectively, edited, printed, saved, etc. The printer can be togg
toggled on or off, virtual files can be sent directly to disk, etc. The good
part about the long boot is that the whole program is in memory (except ffor
second-level help screens), so the disk can be replaced by a data and
environment disk for the particular application. Some of the things Unix sends
to the printer (Gemini 10) toggle its graphics or condensed modes --
apparently the "more" messages at the bottom of the screen, which can be turned
off if the printer is on. But there is also an environment option to strip
and/or replace certain characters before they get to the printer. Once I
learn all the things I need to know and save them, it should work pretty
smoothly -- except ffor the boot hassle..
David A. Smith
Department of Mathematics
Duke University
Durham, NC 27706
(919) 684-2321
{decvax,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!dasdas@ecsvax.UUCP (05/16/84)
After reading my own article, it was clear that a lot of characters got lost
--that's the result of Vicmodem, VIP Terminal,
and GTE phone system -- I don't know who's to blame, but I'm a pretty good
typist. Today I see more correct characters on the 64, so the quality of thee
phone connection may be the most important factor.
Paul Maioriello (spuxll!pjm) suggested I add to my comments on 80 cols the
type of monitor I am using. It's a Zenith green screen (ZVM 121). My 64 is
also connected to my TV set, for use when I wantt color and/or sound. Howeveer,
VIP characters are unreadable on the TV set, even in 40 cols (but I haven't
tried all possible color combinations). I might add that I have a pretty high
tolerance for computer-produced text. The 3-dot wide green screen chars I
find quite readable might be unacceptable to someone conditioned to a true
80-col monitor.
Looking at what I have typed so far, I see several double letters. That
comes from incomplete echoing, plus my uncertainty about whether I really
pressed the key hard enough, without the visual feedback (I'm not *that*
good a typist). VIP also provides audio feedback to simulate "key
click", but of course I have to have the TV on to hear it. The beeps
are a little annoying anyway, and I'm not convinced they add anything to
the sound and feel of the 64's keys. (Like all the other VIP features,
key click can be turned off.)
David A. Smith
Department of Mathematics
Duke University
Durham, NC 27706
(919) 684-2321
{decvax,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!das