[comp.lang.apl] APL laptop

wxh@alpha.lanl.gov (Billy Harvey) (07/06/89)

I remember seeing ads a few years ago for a laptop computer which was
expressly designed for APL.  I believe it used a 68000 and an LCD.
Does anyone remember this?  Is it still made?  Where might I get a
new/used one?  Anyone ever use it?  Like it?  Thanks.

Billy Harvey            wxh@a.lanl.gov

ccoleman@gmu90x.UUCP (Chuck Coleman) (07/07/89)

In article <932@alpha.lanl.gov> wxh@alpha.lanl.gov (Billy Harvey) writes:
>I remember seeing ads a few years ago for a laptop computer which was
>expressly designed for APL.  I believe it used a 68000 and an LCD.
>Does anyone remember this?  Is it still made?  Where might I get a
>new/used one?  Anyone ever use it?  Like it?  Thanks.
>
>Billy Harvey            wxh@a.lanl.gov

This seems a bit like a waste to me. I have seen SHARP APL used on an old
Kaypro MS-DOS laptop. I think a better bet is to use STSC APL*PLUS on a
regular MS-DOS laptop. You can get  APL characters by either purchasing a 
character ROM, or by running a program to create APL fonts. The former is 
necessary if you have a plain MDA adapter and is preferable if have have 
Hercules or CGA graphics, to avoid performance penalties. Since EGA and VGA 
support soft fonts, you're better off running the font loading programs. 

If you have a '386 laptop, consider getting APL*PLUS II.

Chuck Coleman			"Sorry, no concluding witticism"

BITNET: ccoleman@GMUVAX
Internet: ccoleman@gmuvax2.gmu.edu

ljdickey@water.waterloo.edu (Lee Dickey) (07/08/89)

In article <932@alpha.lanl.gov> wxh@alpha.lanl.gov (Billy Harvey) writes:
>I remember seeing ads a few years ago for a laptop computer which was
>expressly designed for APL.  I believe it used a 68000 and an LCD.
>Does anyone remember this?  Is it still made?  Where might I get a
>new/used one?  Anyone ever use it?  Like it?  Thanks.

You are thinking of the Ampere WS-1.  It runs an APL called
"BIG.APL" on a 68000 chip, which is probably very much like
APL.68000.  I think, for instance that the workspaces are
interchangeable with those that are created by APL.68000 on
the Atari, Amiga, and the Mac.

I think that company Renaissance Data Systems can supply them.
They can be reached at:

	Renaissance Data Systems
	Suite 124
	660 Amsterdam Avenue
	New York, NY 10025
	USA


-- 
    L. J. Dickey, Faculty of Mathematics, University of Waterloo.
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