info-mac@uw-beaver (04/04/85)
From: Moderator John Mark Agosta <INFO-MAC-REQUEST@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA>
INFO-MAC Digest Thursday, 4 Apr 1985 Volume 2 : Issue 26
Today's Topics:
'C Check' desk accessory
CHIPWITS game review
Shugart external drive for the Mac...
Request about MACBBS, User Groups and Compuserve
Hebrew Word Processors
Bargain sources for 1200bps modems
RE: The bottom line on the Bottom Line
Things like Trash Can & Folder Icons?
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Date: Monday, 1 April 1985 20:31:57 EST
From: Thomas.Newton@cmu-cs-spice.arpa
Subject: 'C Check' desk accessory
I found this desk accessory on Compuserve. It checks C source code
for unmatched braces, parens, etc. Convert with BinHex 4.0 and
install with Desk Accessory Mover.
[ You may find it in DA-CCHECK.HQX -jma ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 85 03:28:29 PST
From: Jordan Brown <lcc.jbrown@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA>
Subject: CHIPWITS game review
It is a real neat game in which you program a CHIPWIT (a simple
simulated robot) to perform various tasks. It is intended as an
educational game to teach people how to program and how to think
logically, but I (as an experienced programmer) found it entertaining
and challenging.
You program the CHIPWIT in a language called IBOL; really you draw
simple flowcharts. You have operations available like "move forward",
"turn left 45", "feel for floor" (returns T/F), "grab" (good things),
"zap" (bad things), "push number onto stack", "compare stack number
with constant", and several others. It's a very simple language
(numbers go all the way up to 7), but surprisingly powerful.
Once you have programmed your CHIPWIT, you release him (her, it?) into
one of eight predefined "environments". Each environment has set
characteristics and goals. "Greedville", for instance, has only "good
things"; the object is to collect as many good things as possible
before running out of time or fuel. "CW Caves" introduces
electro-crabs, which you must zap lest they zap you.
In some ways the problems resemble maze-running; certainly you have to
make your CHIPWIT somewhat smart about walls and such or it will run
into them and eventually break.
The graphics are amusing. So are the sound effects, but they get
tiresome after a while; luckily there is an option to turn them off.
The user interface is so-so. I'd say it was pretty good, except that
it isn't the standard Mac interface, exactly. It's modal. (building a
CHIPWIT is a different mode than running it on a mission, rather than
just being a window switch) The menus are non-standard. There's no
apple menu, file menu, or edit menu. The usual cut, copy, paste
metaphor is used, but under a different menu heading. Saving your
CHIPWIT is handled a little strangely - I don't know where they are
keeping them, but it's not as ordinary files.
I keep wanting to select a symbol and then a place to put it; this is
backwards from the way it works.
It can get a bit tedious once your CHIPWIT is basically debugged;
during a mission you don't do anything except watch (unless you use
the keystroke operator, which I consider cheating), and missions can
take quite a while (5-10 minutes for the Greedville missions I was
running).
It's copy-protected, which is a pain, especially considering that the
non-standard save mechanism means you can't save onto another disk.
I have a three-panel (main routine and two subroutines, totalling well
under 180 instructions) CHIPWIT for use in Greedville; he always
clears out each room before proceeding to the next, never runs into
anything. His best score so far is ~2800 points, and his average is
~2200. Anybody else who buys this can compare against these numbers,
and tell me if they beat them; we could set up a real competition.
Things they ought to work on: Remove the copy protection. Use
ordinary files to store CHIPWITS in. Move towards standard menus.
Allow 2-d cut and paste, not just whole-panel. Allow customized
environments and setups (this would *really* simplify debugging).
Allow breakpoints. Give more examples. (I'm asking a lot to demand a
real programming environment out of a game, but I take my games
seriously)
I'd say that this is the most interesting (and unusual) game I've
encountered for the Mac. I've probably said many more bytes on this
than a game deserves, but I really think it's neat; go out and at
least see it if not buy it.
$39.95 Brainworks, Inc 24009 Ventura Blvd, Calabasas CA 91302
818-884-6911 I've seen it in two retail stores so far.
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Date: Wed, 3 Apr 85 16:45:46 CST
From: Scott Comer <wert@rice.ARPA>
Subject: Shugart external drive for the Mac...
The latest ad from PC Network has listed an external floppy drive for
the Mac from Shugart. Their price is somewhere around $250. Does
anyone have any experience with this drive or this vendor? Any
comments would be appreciated.
I am interested in compatibility, maintenance, upgrade to 2 sided,
speed of delivery, reliability, etc.
scott comer
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Date: Wed, 3 Apr 85 13:30 EST
From: slade.wbst@XEROX.ARPA
Subject: Request about MACBBS, User Groups and Compuserve
Friends and relatives of mine who do not have access to this network
have asked me about Mac-oriented Bulletin Board systems, User Groups
and the Compuserve macug.
I haven't seen a listing of user groups and bulletin boards for MAC
users. Could anyone provide or point me toward such listings?
Also, could someone give a synopsis of what is available on
Compuserve, how to get it, and what software is most useful to
upload/download and converse with Compuserve from a Mac?
Mike Slade <slade.wbst@xerox.arpa>
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Date: 3 Apr 1985 15:18-EST
Sender: WEINSTEIN@BBNG.ARPA
Subject: Hebrew Word Processors
From: WEINSTEIN@BBNG.ARPA
The Hebrew word processor mentioned by Mazur@Harvard in his recent
message is being distributed in the US by the Davka Corporation, 845
North Michigan Avenue,Suite 843,Chicago, Illinois 60611. My own
operating-system patch to permit inserting Hebrew text into MacPaint,
MacDraw, MacWrite, file names, etc. is also almost complete, but
arrangements for distribution are still up in the air.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 85 10:51:26 pst
From: ssc-vax!alcmist@uw-beaver.arpa (Frederick Wamsley)
Subject: Bargain sources for 1200bps modems
The bargain hunters among you should look at recent ads in Byte. The
US Robotics Password, a 300/1200 bps modem, is available from a couple
of firms at really good prices.
Computer Warehouse quotes $209 (+ $8 shipping) over the phone.
Silicon Specialties advertises $219.
I ordered mine from Computer Warehouse, after checking with the Better
Business Bureau in the city they ship from. My modem arrived four
days after I ordered it.
You'll need to make or find your own cable, since the modem is shipped
with a 25-pin cable.
Fred Wamsley ssc-vax!alcmist@uw-beaver.arpa(from arpa)
{ihnp4,decvax}!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!alcmist (from uucp) I
am not connected with any of the companies I've mentioned and would
have said so if I were.
------------------------------
Date: Sat 30 Mar 85 16:41:42-EST
From: Ted Inoue <U.D6JJ-INOUE-THEODORE-DANA%CRNL20A.BITNET@Berkeley>
Subject: RE: The bottom line on the Bottom Line
I have had no problems with the Bottom Line, its too bad that
recently they have given you less than glorious service as it is run
by decent people, i.e. St
eve Ciarcia of Byte Magazine fame is the vice president.
Another place you may want to look out for is Conroy la Pointe,
which was und
er suspect last year and who seems to have exceptionally rude people
working the phones. Though this is just my personal feeling,
presently they may have better people and be shipping fine.
I think that each of us should report any exceptionally good or bad
mail order houses as a public service, this will help others make
better choices when they go to purchace anything though the risky
medium of phone lines.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 Apr 85 19:03:48 est
From: Velu Sinha <velu@maryland>
Subject: Things like Trash Can & Folder Icons?
Does anyone know how to make icons like trash cans and folders: Ones
into which things can be dragged.
I'd like to be able to set up devices as they are on Xerox 1100 series
machines: As icons. For example, an accessory to send things to
another machine in the background by just dragging the file over an
Icon representing that machine...
Thanks!
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End of INFO-MAC Digest
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