whitcomb@aurs01.uucp (Jonathan Whitcomb) (12/20/90)
This is in response to the call for lists of favorite software. I am new to the network, but I have been an ST user for four years. I initially got the ST for MIDI purposes, but I have also done some development. Anyway, here goes... MIDI STUFF Dr. T's KCS OMEGA. This includes what was called KCS Level II (with the Programmable Variations Generator), TIGER (The Interactive Graphic EditoR), and a new Song Editor. I also use the X-or Universal Editor/Librarian and have dabbled with T-Basic (a BASIC interpreter that has hooks into all of KCS's arrays). The nicest thing about this stuff is that it can all be loaded at once via the Multi Program Environment...provided you have enough memory. Also, you can save configuration files that let you load only the modules you want when you run, which is especially painless when used with Hotwire. The software is very powerful, and I can't imagine much that can't be done with it, but there is a bit of a learning curve associated, and you need to memorize lots of commands to really get cranking with it. I have found that it is well worth the effort, however, and having an integrated software setup to run my synths is great. I would not recommend this to the casual MIDI hacker, but if you really want to get into the guts of making music, it's a great system. UTILITIES Hotwire/Maxifile. These two utilities from Codehead software, along with the Shareware Little Green Selector have all but replaced the desktop for me. Hotwire! lets you assign keypress combinations to run your programs, but I tend to use their menus more. It sure beats rummaging around my hard disk to find programs. Maxifile is nice on its own because it lets me do any file and disk manipulation from any program with access to desk accessories or the file selector. Used in conjunction with Hotwire, it has become my main desktop. The only weird quirk I have had with Hotwire! is that it has trouble with a couple of Emacs implementations: it will crash after running Emacs and I attempt to re-enter Hotwire! from the GEM desktop. (I have only had this problem with the Mark Williams Emacs editor and one other.) However, since I only ever get to the GEM desktop by mistake now, this is rarely a problem. Hotwire also has hooks to Multidesk, but I rarely use more than 3 DA's anyhow, so I don't use it. As you might surmise from the last two paragraphs, I like software packages that work together as a system. Screwing around with the computer for its own sake is fun, but when I have serious work to do, I'd just assume not have to fight with it. COMPILERS: I've used Megamax C and Mark Williams C, and am not completely happy with either. Megamax is nice to play with because of the Graphic shell, but pukes when you try to compile big programs (I know, the upgrade to Laser C would fix this...). MWC doesn't suffer from this, but I don't like having to learn a shell and a bunch of cryptic commands before I can start compiling. At any rate, either one will get the job done if you fight with it long enough. GAMES: Well...The Ultima's are fun, if time consuming (and all the fighting tends to get boring). The puzzles and quests and bad puns more than make up for it. I love the two Lucasfilms flight simulators, Battlehawks and Their Finest Hour. Great graphics, but I wish the joystick interface was better...flying a Spitfire with a mouse just doesn't quite do it for me. I do like Dungeon Master, and the old Epyx Rogue is still a favorite. The best overall game, in my not so humble opinion, is still Sundog. I would avoid Captain Blood unless you need to impress someone with the graphics. I'll stop here, because game reviews are too subjective to be useful. THE END... Hope this amused some of you! If anyone knows a work around for the Hotwire! bug, let me know. Yowza, Jonathan *********************************|||********************************** Jonathan Whitcomb ||| UUCP: <...!mcnc!aurgate!whitcomb> (A Liberal trapped in...) / | \ Raleigh, NC / | \ ******Save the ST!!!******