kamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath) (11/05/87)
This is part 2 of GAFRO. It contains the auxiliary hall, as well as the
conferences and addresses (w/ information and some prices)
Sean Kamath
====Cut here====
In the next room were a lot of user groups and miniature retail
outlets. The Big Red Apple Club had a really nice dragon kite with an
Apple logo on it. I wanted it. Oh, well. It wasn't for sale.
Most folks weren't thrilled with being in the anteroom, as it
just wasn't the happening place! Weird periodicals I had never heard of
were passing out copies, like "The Bay Area Computer Currents". Gee, I
wonder why I hadn't heard of it. I now have a grocery sack full of
"memorabilia" from AppleFest.
Also, the Apple Collection was there, with incredibly priced
things. I did buy a mug, and Robin a sweatshirt, from them anyway.
So much for the stands. It was strange, and I don't know what I
expected. I guess I expected something like the first West Coast
Computer Faire, but most of the people didn't know anything, and if they
did, it was solely about their product, or they were specialized.
That's what's happening. Computers are a business, and when it's
business, when you know enough to get by, you know enough. And you
don't care to learn a much more diverse knowledge of computers and
related subjects, any more than the chief designer of the Zip chip cared
o learn anything about AppleWorks, but I guess since I am in college I
have the time, energy, and resources to gain my knowledge.
When I saw Woz talk, it was weird. I get the impression that he
had given the same talk many times before. In fact, he has. Even
though I had read all about what he talked about, it was fascinating to
listen to him. If you ever get a chance to hear him talk, do so.
Apple had some other things set up to show, consisting of the
Apple Museum, the Classroom of Tomorrow and the "Hands On" room. I
asked the woman at the Apple booth a question. I forgot what it was,
but she suggested I go to the "Hands On" room because the "techies" were
there. I finally got over there, and saw a set of //GS's, a set of
//e's , a set of //c's, and a set of Macs. They were running all the
"Introduction to the . . ." series, and had other things like cartoon
coloring, mouse paint, mac write, etc. I figured I could at least
twiddle with a GS's super hires, but, yep, they were running cartoon
coloring on the GS's. I asked my question to the woman at the door, and
she informed me (contrary to the other woman) that this was just a
little thing to get people introduced to computer, to get over their
fear. Robin beat me out the door.
The classroom of the future probably got a lot of kids really
nervous, that is, the one's that were demonstrating the use of the
Apple. I think it was a little bit unrealistic. These kids were
sitting in a one on one environment, and we all know how often *that*
happens. I like computers being used in the classroom, but after about
grade 6 the little animated color graphic bears and what have you get to
be just a little much. By 9th grade a kid should be able to read and do
math without such incentives. Somehow the thought of a little animated
bear coming out and trying to show what "asymptotic" means just doesn't
fit quite right. I am very impressed with some of the things I've heard
AppleWorks being used for, such as history lessons that are interactive.
Does a 14 year old really want a critter to appear on the screen with a
little balloon next to it saying "George Washington was a general in the
army before he became our first president"? Why use a $1000 computer to
teach metal working?
I really liked the Apple Museum. All it was was a wall with the
illustrated history of Apple Computer on it. No one trying to sell me
anything, and I didn't have to read any propaganda that I didn't want
to. I.e., the last panel.
The conferences seemed to be set up with two basic people in
mind: Beginners, and others (I should have been a diplomat!). The
first conference I went to, entitled "Having fun and staying sane
telecommunicating on the Apple // computer", was not a lot of fun. Our
distinguished panelists either tried to point out how nice their
software was, or spent a lot of time trying to explain parity, which, if
you read "A Programmers Guide to Serial Communications", learn is
utterly useless. During one part of the demonstration, the //e was used
to call pnet-01 (which is also crash.UUCP) and people wanted to know
what the prompt was (not what it said, but "what's the thing in the
lower right hand corner next to the blinking box?"). Needless to say
(and perhaps I shouldn't) it was quite a washout for me personally.
Even Robin, who claims to have no great conceptual understanding of
computers, wanted very much to be asleep. This is because anyone who had
used a modem knew everything they talked about (probably). They handed
out a 24 page booklet, with six parts: 1) Choosing a modem, 2) Software,
3) File transfer (downloading), 4) Glossary, 5) Index, and 6) the
proposed rule by the FCC we've heard about. The first two sections were
basically reprints of A+ articles (amazing, seeing as how the "host" was
Michael Fischer of A+) with the little table out of date.
It was there that I met Jim Luther. He had written a DOS 3.3
(un)packer for .BNY files We talked about the lack of DOS 3.3 support
in the world. He gave me the files and I will gladly give them to
anyone who wants them.
The next conference was "Add-ons and Rip-offs: How to determine
what peripherals you need." The handout was huge and was a
conglomeration of just about every article in A+ (and I think some
others, such as InCider) about peripherals. When the president of
MDIdeas showed up (he was "detained"), he was immediately struck with
hardsellitus, and let us have it. When someone asked him about an
AppleTalk card, he started to say, "Since I'm not under a non-disclosure
agreement about . . . (aside) you said this is being taped? Well,
let's say, according on rumors I have read on certain BBS's, there is
rumored to be a card coming out within the year, priced approximately
[$350 something (I forgot, but he was specific to the dollar)]" I have
also read in the latest Nibble that it should be out in a few weeks.
Well, despite the presidents hard sell, he was interesting and
convincing.
Next up, "Programming the //GS." I don't have a GS yet, but I
do have a 65802 in my //e, and may someday have a 65816 with more megs
than our vax. It wasn't extremely informative (they made sure everyone
knew that a beta test version of GS Basic is available from APDA), but I
got a chance to meet David Eyes and Ron Lichty (of Programming the
65816), as well as some other people I had heard about. I asked if the
GS was going to force programmers to run event loops for everything, as
the Mac does. He said, no, that would be very impractical in the case
of the GS.
Following in the 816's footsteps was the two hour APDA
conference on proposed standards for the GS. The panel was made up of
several well known people, such as Tom Weishaar and Gary Little, as well
as three Apple folks. It seemed like the first hour was devoted to
"Making the GS standards the same as the Macintosh, whenever possible."
Among the things in this category were a resource and data fork for GS
applications. They took a long time to decide nothing.
Disk caching came up. Someone asked about Diversi-Cache, and
ProDOS 16. It seems that Apple is going to eventually build disk
caching into ProDOS 16, but no dates of proposed releases were given. I
won't hold my breath, and they didn't go into what specific type of
caching would be implemented. It may be as simple as keeping the last
block read in memory, and now writing it out till all modifications have
been made to it. The format for questions was not supposed to be
"shouted from the audience", but by written submission only. Only the
first question asked in the first hour was a prearranged question. The
rest were shouted out by the audience. Such as this one.
Tom Weishaar got a question that must have been asked by him.
To start the second hour off right, Michael Fischer read the next
prearranged question, "Why isn't there any Apple documentation about
AppleTalk on the GS? It seems that nothing like "Inside AppleTalk"
exists for the GS, and the Firmware Reference guide has not a peep about
AppleTalk routines (I don't know this for a fact, as I haven't read it
myself.). The Apple folk clammed up tight as a shell. When on of them
started to say something, he got interrupted and then stared down by the
other two. I have read the low level interface to AppleTalk for the
Mac, but according to Tom, there is *NOTHING* like it *AT ALL* for the
GS. And he's hopping mad about it.
Yet another question: File Types. Seems that Apple has been
rather lax about giving file types away. Seems that everyone and their
brother can get one (not really, but, well, you get the idea.). Let's
look at this absurdity. AppleWorks has three file types. Companies
like Broderbund and Activision have filetypes for their own picture
formats. There are only 256 types available! But the aux filetype is 2
bytes wide, with 4096 possible types! Why not give AppleWorks it's own
file type, then give it three subtypes? And have a type for Hi-Res,
Double-Hi-Res, and Super-Res, with subtypes for the various companies?
This way, people like PinPoint could make AppleWorks accessories, and
put them in the AppleWorks filetype, with their own subtype. Make
sense? It doesn't matter, we weren't allowed to make comments. I mean,
why have an aux type when it's almost always zeroed?
Finally (best for last) the Zip Chip. The guys that worked on
the Speed Demon (or whatever it was really called) decided to start
their own company, and so they formed Zip Technologies. And then they
put their card onto a chip. I talked a lot with these guys, and I
learned a lot about speedup technology. However, they have a 1.9 meg
limitation on auxiliary memory (The literature, of course, says 2 meg).
Anyone know why? I don't understand that restriction at all.
Why was I so interested in how SCSI does memory access? Because
you won't be able to reliably use DMA with the Zip chip, or any caching
memory speed up system. Because the speed up card/chip may have that
memory in its cache, and along comes the SCSI and changes that, get it?
The documentation claims tat you can use it with DMA, but I bet you turn
off RAM caching, and there goes the neighborhood. However, this does
make sense about the 1.9 meg limitation on aux memory. Does the chip
scan bank switches? If not, then how does it know which bank to nab
memory out of to cache?
The chip itself is composed of three parts. A 4 MHz 65C02, some
memory cache, and gate array logic. It has it's own internal clock, and
thus, by controlling the divider on the chip, you can get some 65535
different operating speeds. It's asynchronous, so there should be no
problems with the ][+, like there are with run o' the mill 65C02's. I
assume you grab control of it to program it much the same as the No-Slot
Clock's nasty 64 bit stream method. The chip is highly configurable,
with a few exceptions. You must always access the $Cx00 ($C100-$CFFF)
space at slow speed. You have control of the $C0x0 space, however. Why
the $Cx00 space isn't configurable I don't know. Since you can have
$C05x fast and $C03x slow, you can get a normal bell, but still fast
screen/memory flipping. It's my understanding that the clock slows down
to 1 MHz for 35ms or so, so that loops that repeatedly call a $C0x0
location loop at the slow speeds.
The chip supposedly (I say that because I didn't get one) comes
with complete documents on how to use it, as well as program it. You
can either use the configuration software provided, or write your own.
Dennis Domms bought one and should be reviewing it in this months
Open-Apple. [The literature says it comes with startup programs to
preset the chip to your custom configuration (DOS 3.3 & ProDos), as well
as a configuration program. The introductory offer (and probably
always) comes with memory checking and MMU tests to make sure your Apple
is running correctly. And a text file of the instructions, just in case
you cat "marks" the hard copy. . .]
That about wraps up the rest of it. Robin went off to the
AppleWorks conference, but she said it was boring and uninformative. We
didn't do much of anything else that weekend, though we did go shopping
in Chinatown a couple of times (where I summarily resisted purchasing
expensive but *NICE* kites.). So we didn't get to InCider's big party,
and I missed the developers dinner. We walked through the Hilton, so
that we could say we had been there. We decided to go down again
sometime, but for personal enjoyment for both of us, and not just me.
I.e. we go down with *no* plans. . .
We left San Francisco around 4 pm and arrived home around 3 am.
Robin even went to classes at 9 am the next morning. I have to thank
Robin for doing more than her fair share of driving, and for going down
with me, even if she spent $100, an I spent $400 :-) Thank you, Robin.
Well. That about wraps up my tome. I suppose many of you have
many questions about things I have said, and I apologize for incorrect
information and/or nonexistent information. While I am the sole
responsible individual for this work, I had a lot of help from Robin.
Disclaimer: Many of the products and companies I have mentioned
in this article are trademarked or copyrighted by the manufactures of
said products, among them Apple Computer, and the whole bunch of others
I won't repeat here. I have no affiliations with *any* of the companies
mentioned, except possibly as a customer or inquiring mind. These
opinions are strictly my own, and all quotes and attributions are
strictly from memory and, as such, subject to subjective error. I have
tried to be as accurate as I can, but there are no guarantees, either
implied or expressed herein. If an inaccuracy is found in this text, I
am sorry, and, if it can be shown an error suitable to the authors
content, shall be retracted formally and in writing, no less than 10
working days upon notification of the error. Any and all parts of this
text may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of the author, up to, including, but not limited to,
translation into foreign language, braille, or hand motions used for the
hearing impaired and gorillas. Bye!
Sean Kamath
3934 SE Boise
Portland, OR 97202
(503) 774-8343
kamath@reed.UUCP
===============================================================================
Products and addresses:
Applied Engineering
Products: Apple peripherals (An other hardware)
Address: Applied Engineering
P.O. Box 798
Carrollton, TX 75006
(241) 241-6060
Big Red Computer Club
Products: An International Computer Users Group
Address: Big Red Computer Club
423 Norfolk Ave.
Norfolk, NE 68701
(402) 379-4680
Apple Two Information Exchange
Products: Public domain software
Address: A.T.I.E
c/o George Goldsmit
1728 Galewood ct.
San Jose, CA 95133
(408) 251-2127
Checkmate Technology, Inc.
Products: Apple peripherals (and other hardware)
Address: Checkmate Technology, Inc.
509 S. Rockford Dr.
Tempe, AZ 85281-3021
(800) 325-7347
(602) 966-5802
Data Transforms
Products: Fontrix, Printrix ($65)
Address: Data Transforms
616 Washington St.
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 832-1501
Epic Modems
The best I could get out of the president of the company was a 30 day free
trial on a modem, and a 10% discount. He said if you bought in higher volume,
then they could give a bigger discount. I don't know of many places that buy
more than 10 modems at a shot, though.
Products: 2400 baud modems:
Classic, #2400C01 ($175) (Internal, Apple // line)
2400 I , #2400101 ($349) (Internal, Apple Macintosh SE)
2400 II, #2400201 ($349) (Internal, Apple Macintosh II)
2400 + , #2400301 ($189) (RS-232C Interface)
2400 PC, #2400401 ($159) (IBM PC XT/AT)
2400 PS2, #2400501 ($349) (IBM PS/2)
Address: Epic Technology, Inc.
46733 Fremont Blvd.
Fremont, CA 94538
(800) 634-9992
(415) 683-0932 (in CA)
(415) 683-0935 (FAX)
First Class Peripherals
Products: Sider series Hard Drives (From 10-140 Meg, Tape stream backups)
Modems.
Address: First Class Peripherals
3579 Highway 50 East
Carson City, NV 89701
(800) 982-3232
King George Hotel
Products: Hotel Accommodations.
Address: King George Hotel
334 Mason St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 781-5050
(800) 227-4240 (USA)
(800) 556-4545 (Canada)
Pinpoint Publishing
Products: (various software products)
Address: Pinpoint Publishing
5856 Doyle St.
Suite 112
Emeryville, CA 94608
(415) 654-3050
Zip Technology
Product: Zip Chip (Introductory offer: $133, reg. $183)
Address: Zip Technology
11340 W. Olympic Blvd.
Suite 350
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(213) 473-7662
(800) 628-FAST (3278) (for orders)
Pinpoint Publishing
Products: (various software products)
Address: Pinpoint Publishing
5856 Doyle St.
Suite 112
Emeryville, CA 94608
(415) 654-3050
Zip Technology
Product: Zip Chip (Introductory offer: $133, reg. $183)
Address: Zip Technology
11340 W. Olympic Blvd.
Suite 350
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(213) 473-7662
(800) 628-FAST (3278) (for orders)
--
UUCP: {decvax allegra ucbcad ucbvax hplabs ihnp4}!tektronix!reed!kamath
CSNET: reed!kamath@Tektronix.CSNET || BITNET: reed!kamath@Berkeley.BITNET
ARPA: tektronix!reed!kamath@Berkeley <or> reed!kamath@hplabs
US Snail: 3934 SE Boise, Portland, OR 97202 (I hate 4 line .sigs!)