mdavis@pro-sol.cts.com (Morgan Davis) (01/01/91)
NEWS RELEASE:
PROLINE 1.7 INTRODUCES NEW COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES
SAN DIEGO, CA, JANUARY 1, 1991 -- The Morgan Davis Group released
ProLine(tm) version 1.7, the first full-featured networked bulletin board
for the Apple(R) II, following a series of significant advancements
since last Fall. Version 1.7 heralds a completely redesigned mail
composition and forwarding system, a unique hardware modification for
Apple II+ systems to ensure compatibility with future software, a
newly structured file system to maintain optimal performance over
AppleShare-based networks, full cooperation with GS/OS-based disk
utilities, among other advantages.
Since 1985, ProLine has been communicating between remote computer
systems all over the world. Through the networking features of
ProLine, users and system administrators have enjoyed accessing
electronic mail services such as Compuserve, MCI-Mail, The Well,
FidoNet, as well as a collaboration of world-wide networks known
collectively as the Internet.
ProLine Mail Manager
ProLine 1.7 incorporates a new electronic mail system called the
ProLine Mail Manager, an Internet-compliant mail composition and
reading tool, capable of managing an infinite number of letters. It
offers novices and expert telecommunicators a high-end mail interface
with a variety of powerful features. Users can respond to e-mail from
local or remote senders with automatic multiple-recipient generation,
inclusion of "net-style" quoted mailbox messages, and integration with
ProLine's full-screen text editor. The Mail Manager supports carbon
and blind-carbon copies, user-defined variables for keeping personal
address lists and customizing operation, multiple user mailboxes, and
other advanced features.
The heart of ProLine's mail facilities is Sendmail, a smart mail
routing system responsible for delivering local, pass-through, and
outbound messages consisting of text and, optionally, attached binary
files. It also is capable of delivering mail to a list of recipients
aliased by one electronic mail address. Sendmail resolves message
addressing intelligently and efficiently by consulting a
cost-optimized database in order to select the quickest and least
expensive route to a remote ProLine site or Internet gateway. If an
address cannot be resolved, Sendmail can forward the message back to
the originator, or to a "smart host" capable of processing it
successfully.
ProLine's networking facilities include complete newsgroup unbatching
and distribution, and new management tools to restrict certain users
from accessing the network.
New Timing Standard
The Morgan Davis Group continues to support the Apple II+ by
innovating a single-wire modification to provide standard software
timing. Unlike newer Apple II systems such as the IIe and IIGS, the
Apple II+ does not include a readily accessible 60Hz timing signal by
which software can synchronize time-critical operations.
In the past, software developers assumed Apple IIs would always run at
the original pace of 1MHz. Now that 8 MHz CPU replacements are
commonplace, this presented a challenge to software developers. The
modification, as easy to install as the venerable shift-key
modification, provides developers with an accurate timing source for
the Apple II+. ModemWorks(tm), the communications toolbox upon which
ProLine is founded, is the first product to use this new innovation
successfully. This makes inexpensive Apple II+ computers excellent
high-speed bulletin board systems, rivalling pricey alternatives.
Complete ProDOS Compatibility
Earlier versions of ProLine came equipped with a unique RAM-based
patch to ProDOS 8 allowing it to mimic modern file naming conventions.
Operating systems such as UNIX and MS-DOS do not impose as rigorous
restrictions on characters that may be used in file names as under
ProDOS. While advantageous at one level, the UNIX-like file names are
a problem with GS/OS disk utilities as no patch was available to allow
GS/OS to access the otherwise illegal names. Now, ProLine has been
engineered to follow ProDOS naming conventions only. This has the
advantage of allowing GS/OS-based utilities and AppleShare to access
ProLine files without any difficulty.
Software Updates
A unique and progressive update policy allows ProLine sites to receive
software updates via the network. For Christmas, networked ProLine
owners received the 1.7 update, free of charge. Non-networked
customers can mail their original diskettes to the Morgan Davis Group
for a free update. ProLine 1.7 is available directly from the Morgan
Davis Group and Apple software distributors.
Today's Tools For Tomorrow's World
Contact:
Morgan Davis Group
10079 Nuerto
Rancho San Diego
California 91977-1736
(619) 670-0563 * FAX (619) 670-9643 * BBS (619) 670-5379
Apple and its respected trademarks are registered by Apple Computer,
Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T.
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INET: mdavis@pro-sol.cts.com ProLine: mdavis@pro-sol