goodin2@pro-charlotte.UUCP.UUCP (09/26/87)
TECH TIDBITS
SPECIAL ON-LINE SERVICES EDITION P
March through August, 1987 Apple II - Volume III
APPLE II FAMILY
Daisy Chain Anyone???
=====================
Q: I have a IIe, two 5.25" drives/controller and a 3.5" disk. How can I daisy
chain this configuration?
A: Unlike the IIgs and IIc, you cannot daisy chain drives on an Apple IIe.
The
two 5.25" drives can be run from the 5.25" controller, you will need a 3.5"
drive controller for the 3.5" drive.
My GS has Amnesia!
==================
Q: I recently upgraded to 1M RAM, but the GS won't recognize it. What's up?
A: The RAM chips on the memory expansion card for the GS are "150ns chips of
256K bits organized in 256K by 1 bit and they have to have CAS before RAS
refresh." This is extremely important! Some third-party RAM chips have an
incompatible Screen Refresh Rate. If you have populated the RAM Expansion
card
with third-party RAM chips, this is most likely your problem. Repopulate with
Apple RAM chips or chips that have the proper refresh sequence, and your GS
should have no trouble "remembering."
Printing from BASIC - Control-D
===============================
Q: My customer is using ProDOS Version 1.1.1 and an Apple //c. When printing
out a program listing, he gets not only the Line number and program line, but
also the # character in front of the line number. How do you turn this off?
A: This problem is caused in issuing the command "PR#1" in the program
directly. You need to preface all ProDOS commands with a CHR$(4), Control-D.
PRINT CHR$(4); "PR#1" is the correct Syntax for this command.
Apple Pascal on 3.5" Disks
==========================
Q: I would like to know if there is a way that you can boot Apple Pascal from
a 3.5 inch drive on an Apple IIgs. I have copied all of the files from the
5.25 inch disks onto a 3.5 inch disk. However, I am unable to boot this disk.
A: You should have no problem booting Apple Pascal on the IIgs from a 3.5"
disk. In fact, it is available on a 3.5" disk. Before you copy the files over
to the 3.5" disk, remember to format it as a PASCAL disk.
Backup II and ProDOS?
=====================
Q: Is Backup II compatible with P8, ProDOS 1.3? Whenever we try to use the
disk, it bombs and ends up in the Monitor.
A: You should not experience problems installing P8 on your Backup II disk.
Make sure that you rename the P8 file to "ProDOS" once you transfer the file.
If you continue to experience problems, try another copy of P8.
Joystick Adapter
================
Q: Where can I obtain an adapter to use Apple Joysticks on an Apple II+?
A: Southern California Research Group markets an adapter that will allow Apple
IIe Joysticks, 9 pin DIN connector, to be used with the Apple II's 16 pin DIP
connector. SCRG can be reached at (800) 635-8310.
AppleWorks Printing from Cursor
===============================
Q: When printing "From Cursor" in AppleWorks, the printing does not begin
correctly where selected. What's wrong?
A: When using the print "From Cursor" option in AppleWorks (all versions), you
must place the cursor in column 1 of the line from which you wish to begin
printing. Placing the cursor at any other location on the line will cause the
printing to be inaccurate.
Apple IIgs & LaserWriter Hints
==============================
There are several items that you need to be aware of to ensure that your
applications print properly.
a) When you quit from Chooser II, you will end up in the GS Program Launcher.
Launch your next program from this level. You can swap disks, but DO NOT
reboot the machine after using Chooser II.
b) Your application must be capable of printing to Slot 7 instead of Slot 1.
After your program has been launched from the Program Launcher, direct all
printed output to Slot 7.
c) Most importantly, you must not turn the Computer off or Reset it after
using Chooser II. The "Link" with the LaserWriter will likely be lost,
preventing printing.
Have Cable, Will Connect
========================
Q: I need the pinouts for the GS to Apple Color RGb cable.
A: The pinouts for the GS to Apple Color RGB cable are listed below.
DB15 DB15
---- ----
1 ------- 1
2 ------- 2
3 ------- 3
5 ------- 5
6 ------- 6
9 ------- 9
10 ------- 10
13 ------- 13
Shield ------- Shield
DISK DRIVES
Parking Heads
=============
Q: How can I lock Apple Hard Drive heads?
A: Apple's Hard Drives have no provision for "locking" the heads. During a
power off, the heads are "parked" on an unused section of the platter, however
no physical locking is possible.
PRINTERS
Perplexed about Plotter Pens?
=============================
Q: I have many education customers who use the Apple Color Plotter, and like
it very much. However, replacement pens are no longer available on the Apple
Price List. Where can Plotter users procure these pens?
A: Please check with Sun Remarketin at (800) 752-7631. They are an excellent
source of discontinued or "Orphaned" Apple products. Their Spring catalog
shows a supply of Plotter Pens.
ImageWriter II - Printing in Hex
================================
Q: Recently, I have been seeing strange problems with ImageWriter II's. I
have
had several complaints that occasionally the output of the printer is a
hexadecimal code dump. This problem seems to happen with several different
types of software and has happened not only on the Macintosh family but the II
family as well.
A: Actually, this is a "feature" of the ImageWriter II printer and is very
helpful for programmers. Hex printing occurs when the ImageWriter II is turned
on while the select button is accidentally depressed. This can accidentally
happen due to the proximity of the select button to the power switch. If this
occurs, power down, then turn the printer back on, making sure that only the
power switch is depressed.
FEATURE ARTICLE
PFS Conversion to AppleWorks
Compiled by Sue Goodin
Listed below are three options for converting PFS:Write files to AppleWorks,
and five possible solutions to convert from PFS:File files to AppleWorks.
PFS:Write
---------
1. You can upgrade to the ProDOS version of PFS:Write which is distributed
with
a free conversion program called PFS:Convert. This utility converts your old
PFS files to the new ProDOS PFS:Write format. Once you've made this
conversion,
start ProDOS PFS:Write and load in the file you want to transfer to
AppleWorks.
>From the PFS:Write Main Menu, save the file using the suffix ".TXT."
PFS:Write
will now save the file as a standard ASCII file stripped of formatting
commands
except line breaks. Now you can start AppleWorks, and use the Make a new
document for the Word Processor function and type in the file's pathname. You
will have to reformat the document.
2. Purchase Jim Luther's program ($20) that will convert Pascal PFS:Write and
PFS:File documents to ProDOS (ASCII) files.
3. Use Wes Felty's program in the March 1986 issue of Call-A.P.P.L.E. You
can
either type in the program from the article, or download it from the
A.P.P.L.E.
Crate Bulletin Board (206) 251-0543.
PFS:File
--------
If your PFS:File records fit within AppleWorks' limits (number of categories
and fields) no special preparation is necessary. If you have more categories,
you will have to decide which are not vital and delete them. If you have
fields longer than 76 characters, AppleWorks should truncate the additional
characters, but AppleWorks versions earlier than 1.3 do not always do so.
1. Purchase the ProDOS PFS:File and use the included PFS:Convert program.
Now,
use the "Copy Selected Forms to An ASCII File" in the ProDOS PFS:File program,
enter the prefix and filename for the new ASCII text file. When the ASCII
options menu is displayed, choose a number between 1 and 30 for the "End of
item code" and a different number for your "End of form code." PFS:File will
convert the file, albeit somewhat slowly. Now you can start AppleWorks, Make
a
New file for the Data Base, and Make a new file from A text (ASCII) file.
Enter the path name for the file you are about to port in. At the prompt,
tell
AppleWorks how many categories were in each PFS:File record. Give the file
you
are creating a name, Press Return. AppleWorks will create a database. A word
of caution. If you are working with 5.25 floppies, you must split PFS files
larger than 30K into smaller files.
2. Jim Luther's program, noted above, will perform the conversion, but is
limited in that it will only take data from the first page of PFS:File form
and
drops any categories after the 30th, truncating any entries in a category in
excess of 78 characters.
3. Another program by Wes Felty "PFS:File to ProDOS ASCII Converter is in the
June 1986 issue of Call-A.P.P.L.E. You can type in the program or download it
from the A.P.P.L.E. Crate Bulletin Board.
4. A commercial program called "Bridge" will convert Pascal PFS:File documents
to a DOS 3.3 DIF, sequential text file, or to one formatted for DOS 3.3
AppleWriter II. It will convert entire PFS:File forms without limitations by
the page or the form or the number or length of the categories. Once the file
is converted to standard DOS 3.3, you must bring it over to ProDOS with
Apple's
ProDOS Utilities diskette, System Utilities, or other conversion program.
5. Another Pascal PFS:Files to ProDOS conversion method uses the ProFiler
program. There are two ProFiler utility programs used to convert PFS:File
records to ProFiler records. One Program works with Pascal PFS:File records,
the other with ProDOS PFS:File records. You can batch process the conversion
from PFS by using an Exec file. Such an Exec file can be adapted for your own
use from a public domain diskette (No. 34) available from TAWUG, The
AppleWorks
Users Group for $3.00 (or $1.00 with your diskette, mailer and postage), or
you
can write to Don Lancaster c/o Computer Shopper including a self-addressed,
stamped envelope for a hardcopy of the program.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* The Bridge, Sun Microsystems, Inc., P. O. Box 1388, Fort Lauderdale, FL
33302, 305/486-6115.
* Call-A.P.P.L.E., 290 S. W. 43rd Street, Renton, WA 98055, 206/251-5222.
* Jim Luther, Pascal PFS Conversion Disk, 5716 Forest, Kansas City, MO
64110.
* ProFiler PM Software, P. O. Box 1788, 17610 Beach Boulevard, Suite 29,
Huntington Beach, CA 92647, 714/963-2221.
* Software Publishing Company, Attn: PFS Customer Updates, 1901 Landings
Drive, Mountain View, CA 94043, 800/851-2917.
* TAWUG (The AppleWorks Users Group), P. O. Box 24789, Denver, CO 80224-0869.
Condensed from an article by Don Lancaster in his "Ask the Guru" column in the
February, 1987 issue of Computer Shopper * 407 S. Washington Avenue *
Titusville, FL 32796. Don Lancaster also provides monthly AppleWriter
patches
in his column that you may wish to review.
WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE
Lost...Found...Stolen!!!
------------------------
Please be on the lookout for the following stolen equipment: Anyone with
information related to the following is asked to call Crime Stoppers in
Columbia, SC, at (803) 799-9001, Link George Loud at R743 or call (803)
786-6100, extension 34.
Macintosh: USC ID# 176386 and Apple S/N F4361E6
Ext Drive: USC ID# 176385 and Apple S/N 460CG2
Macintosh 512K: S/N F42540Q
ImageWriter I : S/N 398530
Ext 400K : S/N Y4490RJ
GOOD NEWS DEPARTMENT
"Apple's support is the best around. I can call anytime during the day and
receive clear, concise answers to my questions. Other vendors sometimes take
two to three days to respond, and then they don't understand the question,
much less have the answer."
"Keep up the good work with Tech Tidbits! It is informative, helpful and
often has info that is difficult to find elsewhere. I look forward to it each
week."
Copyright, August 14,1987 Apple Computer, Inc., East Coast Technical Support.
Permission is hereby granted for the use of Tech Tidbits, in part or in whole,
in any non-commercial publication, or for use by any non-commercial group or
organization or Apple User Group with the following credit: Reprinted from
"Tech Tidbits" with the permission of Apple Computer, Inc., East Coast
Technical Support." Permission to use "Tech Tidbits", in part or in whole,
for
commercial use must first be obtained in writing.
Sue Goodin, Editor-In-Chief.
AppleLink Address: Goodin2
Distributed via ProLine by Goodin2.
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