To retrieve a PKZIP 1.01 archive of the individual articles in Commodore Hacking, request the file c=3Dhacking13.zip To subscribe to the Commodore Hacking and receive new issues as they are published, add the following command to you MAILSERV message prior to the quit command: subscribe c=3Dhacking Firstname Lastname msglen (msglen is largest size of email message in line you can receive. Each line is roughly 50 characters, so 600 lines is about 30000 bytes. When in doubt, choose 600) example: subscribe c=3Dhacking Jim Brain 600 Although no fee is charged for this magazine, donations are gladly accept= ed from corporate and individual concerns. All moneys will be used to defra= y any administrative costs, subscribe to publications for review, and compensate the individual authors contributing to this issue. New: As part of a magazine promotion, Commodore Hacking Issue #12 was professionally laid out on printed format. These printed copies are for = sale for US$6.00. Price includes shipping within the US. Any persons wishing to author articles for inclusion in Commodore Hacking are encouraged to view the submission guidelines on the WWW (http://www.msen.com/~brain/pub/c-hacking-submit.txt) or via the MAILSERV= server (send c-hacking-submit.txt). =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D @(#)rch: Reading C=3DHacking Starting with Issue 11 of Commodore Hacking, the new QuickFind indexing system is utilized to aid readers of the text version in navigating the magazine. At the top of each article or other important place in the magazine, a word prefixed with a special string is present. (See the title of this article for an example. Throughout the magazine, if an article is mentioned, it will be followed by a reference string. For example, if we mentioned this article, we would add (Reference: rch) afte= r the name. By using your favorite editor's search function and searching for the string after the word "Reference:", prefixed by the magic prefix string, will move you directly to the article of choice. To merely skip = to the next article in the magazine, search only for the magic prefix string. Some handy indexing strings possibly not referenced anywhere are: top top of issue bottom bottom of issue contents table of contents legal legal notice For those with access to a UNIX system, the command "what" can be run on the issue, which will result in all the article titles being printed. A slightly different magic prefix string "@(A)" is used to delimit sub-topics or main heading in articles. The text after the magic string differs depending on article content. For the Input/Output column (Reference: io), the text after the magic prefix will either be "c" for comment, or "r" for response. In features and columns, a number after the prefix indicates the ordinal of that heading or sub-topic in the article. If a specific sub-topic is referenced elsewhere in the article, a sub-topic reference will be indicated. A reference to "@(A)r" would be written as "(SubRef: r)". As time goes on, the role of this indexing system will be expanded and changed to ease navigation of the text version, but minimize the clutter added by these extra items. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D @(#)editor: The Hacking Editor by Jim Brain (j.brain@ieee.org) I recently had to choose between my interest in Commodore computers and something else. To many, the choice was clear. Many assured me that hobbies were important, but they simply had to take a back seat when other pressing issues came up. I'll admit that the decision was hard to make. I find that strange, do you? I mean, seriously, it's just an outdated, underpowered, orphaned, incompatible, proprietary, obsolete, 8-bit computer system. Why would I even consider that important? If you can explain that to me, then you are a true Commodore enthusiast as well. We are all bound together by the immense "pull" of these systems. We don't just "own" them, we treat them like part of the family. We buy toys for them, we help them grow, we accept their limitations, we spend hours with them, and we know everything about them. Although we might have younger and faster family members, we cherish our Commodore. No person or thing could convince us to trade in our familiar family member for a newer, shinier model. As I think of it this way, it seems a bit scary, doesn't it. Not to leave you in suspense, the "something else" I alluded to above was a new employment opportunity and the subsequent relocation of myself and my family. Even as strong as my feelings are for my beloved machine, I decided that my family came first. Hobbies, no matter how important, are not quite as important. I announced my decision to others who have similar "family members" in their homes, and I pulled the plug on my hobby. Now, I don't consider myself that important in the scheme of things, but I did underestimate the consequences of my decision. As friends and I tallied up what resources would be unavailable as I left, the amount grew sizable. Luckily, just as with all situations, friends stepped forward to help and keep information from becoming unavailable. Others simply provided moral support and all offered the precious gift of patience while I turned to matters at hand. I consider myself lucky that so many offered so much to make the situation more tolerable. For reasons unknown to me, it bothered me greatly that deadlines would be missed, pieces of information would go unpublished, important updates would not be updated, and information seekers would find nothing but unanswered questions. Although I knew better, I felt I had deserted the people who depended on me. It's amazin= g how wrapped up in this I have become. As you may have guessed, one of the most disturbing resources that was left unfinished was this issue of Commodore Hacking. Although originally scheduled for publication in mid-June, I regretfully shelved it and spent what little time that remained in preparing for a move. Luckily, the move is over, and you now hold the newest issue of this publication. With this newest issue comes some notes. My wife, Julie, has graciously agreed to offer her services as assistant editor. This will free some of my time to write articles and concentrate on technical article editing. In our quest to find capable writers to author the columns found in each issue, Geoffrey Welsh is now writing "FIDO's Nuggets". We encourage others to help out in this way. Finally, due to the delay in publishing this issue and the length of some submissions, this issue is far larger than our maximum desired size. We apologize for those who will find the excessive size a problem, but the timeliness of the articles and the sheer volume of current events information prevented reduction in size. We will return to a more manageable size by next issue. As well, we created a professionally laid out and printed version of Commodore Hacking Issue #12. If you would like one of these copies, please see "Commodore Hacking Information= " (Reference: info) for more information. Enjoy YOUR magazine, Jim Brain (j.brain@ieee.org) editor =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D @(#)io: Input/Output =09 Obviously, Commodore Hacking depends on the comments and article submissions from the Commodore community to flourish. Everyone sees the articles, but let's not forget those comments. They are very helpful, and every attempt is made to address concerns in them. Address any comments, concerns, or suggestions to: Commodore Hacking 10710 Bruhn Avenue Bennington, NE 68007 j.brain@ieee.org (Internet) @(A)c: So, You Think You're Fast Enough, Eh? From: Ralph Mason Dear C=3DHacking, Keep up the good work with C=3DHacking. I was just reading your article = about the Super CPU and thought I would add my 2p worth. You noted that the SuperCPU appeared to be 21.79 times faster but attributed this to the VIC chip stealing cycles. I think this is only = part of the story (the smaller part). I think the most cycles are likely to be lost or gained due to the jiffy interrupt routine. The standard 64 executed this routine 660 times and scanned the keyboard etc.= during it's count from 1 to 10000. The SuperCPU only executed this code 31 times. Far more of its cycle was spent actually doing work. I think if you could turn off these interrupts you would find that the SuperCPU is actually running short of the 20 times faster than it appears to be showing. It's almost stooping to silly IBM style Norton SI numbers or other useless benchmarks. These will never show the true story. From what I've = read, I'd guess (user's will see) a real world speed enhancement running real application of around 400%, more or less depending on the app. =09 Cheers, -Ralph Mason @(A)r: Jim Brain replies, Ralph, after reading your explanation, I think you are correct in stating that the bulk of the time saved on a 20 MHz unit is indeed due to the fewer interrupts it must service in a given time frame. However, since we can rarely turn off the 60 cycle interrupt, the effective speed is what people will notice. Also, while I think you are correct on this discussion waxing philosophic, I believe most users should see more than 400% increase in applications. Of course, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary). = @(A)c: A Round of Ice Water for the Editors From: drankin@crashb.megalith.miami.fl.us (Dave Rankin) Thank you for all your efforts and putting out this Mag. I and many others do enjoy seeing all this activity for the 8 bit Commodore. Dave @(A)r: Thanks for the letter. We always enjoy knowing that the hours we spend producing this magazine are appreciated by those in the community that read it. @(A)c: There's Nothing Like the Real Thing, Baby(tm) From: cjbr@gonix.gonix.com (Jim Lawless) Dear C=3DHacking, Just wanted to express my enthusiasm for your electronic publication and hope to make regular contributions in the coming months. I was a C64 hacker from '84 until about '87 when I progressed throughout the Amiga and into the PeeCee world. I found out about the C64 emulators for MS-DOS/Windows...etc. and downloaded one this morning. It was a great feeling seeing the '64 startup screen again! My wife expressed some curiosity seeing a pile of old Transactor magazines next to the recliner today. I told her how excited I was about the emulator. This evening, she returned from a church auction with a C128, a 1541, a 1650 modem, a westridge mode, and a bundle of software all for $30.00. I guess it's time to get back to my roots and have some fun! Jim Lawless, cjbr@gonix.com @(A)r: We appreciate the thanks. In addition, we always encourage Commodore enthusiasts to submit articles to the magazine. However, we are most grateful that you have come home again. While emulators have their downside, we have noticed that many who download one end up buying a real machine and rediscover the simple elegance of the Commodore computer. We applaud you for your choice. @(A)c: Copy Rights! From: EricJ1@aol.com I'll make this short and sweet. But, I have to tell you, I love C=3D Hacking. I'd like to post this as a public bulletin on my BBS if it is not a problem. Thanks Eric @(A)r: We encourage redistribution of Commodore Hacking for non-profit means. Simply read the guidelines in the issue's legal statement (Reference: legal). As long as the conditions in that guide are met, we would love to see C=3DH spread throughout the Commodore community. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D @(#)news: Newsfront @(A): ACE Release #15 ACE-15 Programmer's Reference Guide For those of you who have taken advantage of the Advanced Computing Environment (ACE) operating system written by Craig Bruce, Craig has published the programmer's reference guide for Release #15 of this popular application environment. It is available in the following locations: ftp://ccnga.uwaterloo.ca/pub/cbm/os/ace/ace15-prg.doc http://ccnga.uwaterloo.ca/~csbruce/mycommie.html If you haven't used ACE before, you should give it a try. @(A): Unscientific Study Proves Commodore Computers are Preferred! It seems that as homely as some may think the Commodore computers are, children warm up to them very quickly. In fact, the machines are chosen over more expensive machines, as the following stories attest: James Grubic (grubic@avicom.net) wrote: One of the teachers in the school I'm based in actually enjoys using the older computer systems like the Apple IIe, and her students are truly excited about using them. The other day, I gave them a 64c to us= e, and they were blown away! If you could just see it...a whole gang of youngsters gathered around the C64, waiting for their turn at Jupiter lander...almost brought tears to my eyes. Needless to say, I'll be arranging for them to get another one. And Bob Masse followed up with: I am not surprised. My little nine year old nephew has a brand new pentium beast with all the goodies, and he is scared to be in his room alone with it when it is on! On the other hand when He comes over to his Uncle Bob's house he has a tantrum to use this old Commodore. Bob kh6zv9@pe.net So, once again, bigger is not always better! @(A): Assembly '96 Is Coming! Have you ever been to a "demo party"? Well, if not, you are missing one of the staples of the Commodore scene since the beginning of the reign of the Commodore computer. Assembly is one such party held in Helsinki, Finland. In case you aren't aware, demo parties are where demo programmers, computer graphics artists, and computer music artists gather to compete for prizes. Assembly '96 holds parallel competitions for PC, Amiga, and C64 computer systems. Assembly '96 is to be held August 16 to 18 in the Helsinki Fair Center, Rautatielaisenkatu 3, Finland. Tickets are available for US$50.00. If you are in the vicinity, you should stop by and peruse the 1996 Commodore 64 entries. If, however, you would like to compete in the Commodore 64 class, please read the rules and information packet at: http://stekt.oulu.fi/~mysti/the_sharks/ Prizes of cash are to be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in the demo, graphics, and music categories. For more information, you can contact the organizers via the following ways: Voice: ASSEMBLY Org. +358-0-777 3741 WWW: http://www.assembly.org/assembly96 E-mail: assembly@assembly.org IRC: #asm96 Normal mail: ASSEMBLY '96 Lakkisepantie 13 00620 Helsinki FINLAND @(A): Where in the world is Novaterm 9.6 (NovaRom)? Late last year, Nick Rossi informed the Commodore community that he was developing a new version of his popular 64 terminal emulation software, Novaterm 9.6. However, Nick stated that 9.6 would be marketed as a commercial product, not as a shareware offering as in previous versions. Well, as with all announcements, speculation as to what the new version would include filled up the communication channels for quite a while. Then, in early 1996, the news that Novaterm 9.6 was to be marketed on CARTRIDGE surfaced. Nick cited concerns over piracy and ease of use in deciding to try the cartridge route. Users who asked were told that Novaterm (NovaRom by some accounts) would ONLY be offered as a cartridge. Performance Peripherals Inc. (PPI) was chosen to manufacture and market the new version. Tentative offering included the basic cartridge and an option that included PPI's CommPort Swiftlink-compatible cartridge and a PPI 3 slot cartridge expansion unit. Since creating a cartridge requires a higher level of code robustness, delays in the introduction generated reports that Nick was having trouble getting the code to a ROMable state. Other reports mentioned that PPI status as a part time endeavor was the reason for the delays. Whatever the reason, the following announcement was made by Nick Rossi concerning Novaterm 9.6 on July 5, 1996. Contrary to earlier reports, the software will be available on disk format only and will be initially be marketed directly through Nick Rossi: NOVATERM 9.6 ------------ Bring the telecommunications revolution to your Commodore 64. After many delays and headaches, I'm excited to finally announce the release of Novaterm 9.6! Novaterm 9.6 is available ON DISK, in either 1541 or 1581 format. It comes with a 90-page user's manual. The price for the disk and manual is US$29.95. =09 ORDERING INFORMATION Send check or money order for US$29.95 to: Nick Rossi 10002 Aurora Ave. N. #3353 Seattle, WA 98133 U.S.A. INTERNET CONTACTS Check out the Novaterm 9.6 web site for more information: http://www.eskimo.com/~voyager/novaterm.html My e-mail address is voyager@eskimo.com. NOVATERM 9.6 FEATURES Novaterm 9.6 supports the following new features: * Zmodem upload, download, auto-download, and crash recovery. Also supports streaming mode with the buffer. * Ymodem-g and Xmodem-1k-g streaming protocols with the buffer. * Use any RAM expansion device as the buffer: REU, BBGRam, GEORam, RAMLink or RAMDrive partition, C128 VDC memory. * "Buffer recovery" feature retains contents of the buffer between Novaterm sessions as long as the memory device does not lose power or get overwritten. * Text editor can read and write files directly from the buffer. * Supports the SwiftLink, CommPort, HART cartridge, and Daniel Dallmann's 9600 bps user port enhancement (see http://rpool1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de/~etk10217/proj.html). * Supports the C128's fast-mode 80-column screen in terminal mode (25, 28, 43, and 50 line modes available). * C64 80-column emulation features "scroll-ahead" for better scrolling performance. Optionally supports a fast scroll if you have an REU. * Built-in ASCII translation and UUencode/decode options * Built-in 80-column file viewer * Reads real-time clock devices (BBRTC, CMD drives) for terminal mode clock display * Single-menu loading of terminal emulations (finally!) * A step-by-step user-friendly configuration utility Novaterm 9.6 still supports the basic feature set: * Terminal emulations: ANSI graphics, VT100/102, VT52, Standard, and Commodore graphics in 40 or 80 column mode * Protocols: Zmodem, Ymodem batch, Ymodem-g, Xmodem-1k, Xmodem-1k-g, Xmodem-CRC, WXmodem, Kermit, Punter, Multi-Punter * Hardware flow control for high-speed modems * Script language for automatic operation * Multiple 19-entry phone books * 16 user-definable macro keys * Miniature BBS module / answering service * Text editor utility with integrated script compiler * ASCII table editor and Font editor utility I could keep going, but you get the idea! Novaterm 9.6 supports all of the standard features from previous versions, but its capabilities have been greatly expanded. Thanks for all the support and suggestions -- the new version finally made it! @(A): BBS Magazine dead, Long Live Some Trees Gaelyne Moranec, writer of articles for magazines such as Commodore Hacking (Reference: uqwk), Commodore World, and BBS Magazine, reports that BBS Magazine is no longer. Cited as a magazine for BBS operators and users, the magazine contained a monthly series by Moranec on Commodore BBS users and systems. Being one of the few magazines not Commodore specific to cover Commodore content, its demise is sad indeed. Evidently, the magazine continued on for one issue as _BBS.NET_ but has not been published since. Some of the writers for BBS will be given space in a new magazine to take the place of BBS, but the focus will be on sysops and sysadmins. Gaelyne hopes the new magazine will allow her to continue to write, but she is somewhat doubtful of the prospect. @(A): Hide the Wolf PC: Little Red Reader-128 2.5 released! Craig Bruce has released version 2.5 of Little Red Reader-128, the popular freeware utility that allows Commodore 128 owners with 1571, 1581, or CMD FD drives to read IBM PC disks. Features available in the new release include: * miscellaneous bug fixes * date support for reading and writing files * counts of bytes of files in a directory * remove Commodore files The program is available from the following locations: ftp://ccnga.uwaterloo.ca/pub/cbm/util128/lrr25.uua (uuencoded archiv= e) lrr25.doc (documentation) lrr25.asm (assembly source) http://ccnga.uwaterloo.ca/~csbruce/mycommie.html @(A): Basement Boys Software Demise The geoClub UK newsletter reports that Commodore software developer and distributor Basement Boys Software has ceased operation. Fortunately, Basement Boys Software completed all paid orders and settled all reported business before closing its doors. While we regret the closing due to "lack of support", we are impressed with the ethical methods of doing so. @(A): LOADSTAR LETTER Going Subscription As reported in "Hacking the Mags" (Reference: mags), LOADSTAR LETTER will become a subscription based publication. The LETTER, currently bundled with issues of LOADSTAR and LOADSTAR 128, contained 8 pages of additional content not found in either LOADSTAR or LOADSTAR 128. J and F Publishing, which publishes the LOADSTAR line of software and magazines, cites increasing costs and the need for more editorship support in deciding to change the magazine's status from free to subscription. The LETTER will be bundled with the disk magazines until Issue #37. A one year subscription can be purchased for US$12.00 from: LOADSTAR Letter P.O. Box 30008 Shreveport LA 71130 Starting with Issue #37, Jeff Jones will join with Scott Eggleston and others to turn the LL into a more hard hitting magazine with fewer ads. The new magazine will continue to run articles by Jim Brain, Gaelyne Moranec, and Jeff Jones, among others. J and F is trying to break 1000 subscribers in order to keep the subscription rate for future subscribers at US$12.00. @(A): The Commodore Cruiser Is on the InfoHighway John Brown, of Parsec, Inc., has announced the arrival of the Commodore Cruiser, a subscription based Commodore support BBS system. Accessible via direct phone lines and the Internet, The system is Internet accessible via a telnet to jbee.com. John is offering a free account to each Commodore User Group that requests one. For users, subscription includes full Internet access, as well as Commodore specific areas and file transfer areas. For more information, contact Parsec at: JBEE Parsec, Inc. PO Box 111 Salem, MA 01970-0111 USA @(A): Commodore and Amiga Technology Sold (Again!) By InfoWorld Staff Posted at 3:45 p.m., PT, April 11 Financially troubled German PC retailer Escom AG said Thursday that it will sell its Amiga Technologies GmbH subsidiary to Visual Information Services Corp. (VIScorp) of Chicago in a $40 million transaction. SEscom acquired the Commodore and Amiga computer technology, patents, Sintellectual properties, and brand names in April 1995 for $10 million= Sat a bankruptcy auction for Commodore International, which filed for Sliquidation in 1994. Escom earlier this year itself reported losses of= S$85 million for 1995, prompting founder Manfred Schmitt to resign last= Smonth. Selling Amiga will allow Escom to better concentrate on its cor= e Sbusiness of PC retailing, Escom said in a statement. VIScorp, which Smakes set-top boxes, will acquire the Amiga and Commodore technology a= nd Sintellectual property, but not the Commodore brand names, Escom said. VIScorp is online at: http://www.vistv.com @(A): DisC=3Dover a New Commodore Specific Technical Magazine As reviewed in "Hacking the Mags" (Reference: mags), there is a new Commodore publication available. Citing itself as the "The Journal for Commodore Enthusiasts", DisC=3Dovery contains technical content analogous= to that found in the defunct Transactor magazine and Commodore Hacking. Available only in text format, the magazine is available at: http://www.eskimo.com/~drray/discovery.html Alternately, the magazine can be requested via email from: s021126@dominic.barry.edu @(A): CMD SuperCPU unveiled Initial reports of the CMD SuperCPU are overwhelmingly positive. In fact, it is reported that one European publication would not believe a commissioned review of a beta unit and requested a first hand look at one before they would print the review. Suffice it to say they were impressed as well. For a report that Guenther Bauer wrote on the new accelerator, check out his review at: ftp://ftp.giga.or.at/pub/c64/Super64CPU_test.txt One of the units traveled to Michigan where Maurice Randall (developer of GeoFAX and owner of Click here Software) debuted it in the US to the Lansing Area Commodore Club. Tim Lewis, LACC President, reported to USENET after the debut: "I am one of the few lucky people who have seen for myself what the new Super64 CPU can do. It is nothing short of INCREDIBLE!!!=09 For all of you serious GEOS users, I can honestly say this: GET IT! It is money that will not be thrown away! The processing speed is amazing. If you use the Super64 CPU with a REU, I will guarantee you that you cannot go wrong! You have to see it to believe it! Club members that saw Maurice Randall demo this could not believe their Seyes! I was watching this go thru a directory of files, and it just Sflew! Folks, you have to see this to believe it! My hats off to CMD, they have really outdone themselves! All I can say is: (sic)COGRATULATIONS!!!" For more information on CMD or the SuperCPU, contact CMD or visit their WWW Site: Creative Micro Designs, Inc. P.O. Box 646 E. Longmeadow, MA 01028 (413) 525-0023 http://ww.the-spa.com/cmd/ @(A): Commodore Hacking Contributes to Computer-Mediated Communication Magazine Following a call for articles in alt.zines on hurdles faced by electronic magazines, Jim Brain contributed an article on the challenges faced by Commodore Hacking. Brain, editor of Commodore hacking, cited the challenges of providing a text version of the magazine for Commodore owners, while attempting to draw out of the closet Commodore enthusiasts online with a hypertext version of the publication. The full text of the published article is available at: http://www.december.com/cmc/mag/1996/may/brain.html @(A): "Zelch" Down for the Count In C=3DHacking #12, we noted that Bo Zimmerman had connected his Commodor= e 128 to the Internet, albeit through a Linux system. Well, as all good things must end, Bo has taken down the BBS system due to hardware overheating problems. However, Bo hopes to provide documentation on how the system was set up so that others can configure similar systems. @(A): The "Official" DesTerm WWW Site In March, Matt Desmond, creator of the popular 128 terminal emulation program DesTerm, announced that he is now online at: http://www.ionline.net/~mdesmond It contains information about Matt, but is more importantly the gateway to the "Official DesTerm Page." The site contains information about the new 3.0 version of DesTerm that Matt is developing. @(A): Compuserve INformation Service =3D Compuserve Internet On May 21, Compuserve (CIS) announced it would phase out its proprietary software and services in favor of providing service using Internet standards. The company hopes to re-launch itself as an Internet provider by year's end. The new service will be accessible through a standard World Wide Web browser. It is unclear how this change will affect Commodore users who rely on Compuserve's "shell" access for Internet and Compuserve specific access. @(A): Creative Micro Designs, Inc. New Sponsor of Genie CBM RTC Creative Micro Designs, Inc., has taken over as the sponsor of the Commodore RTC area on Genie. The Commodore RTC remains one of the few well utilized places to stay current on Commodore events and find Commodore information. CMD cited an interest in providing quality information for Commodore enthusiasts as a driving reason behind the decision to sponsor the Genie forum. @(A): Hail the New Prez Meeting 64/128 Users Through the Mail, a non-profit organization designed to allow Commodore users to unite and gather information about their machines via mail, has announced a change in presidency: The new president is Tom Adams, and the new address for club correspondence is as follows: Meeting 64/128 Users Through the Mail c/o Tom Adams, President tom.adams@neteast.com 4427 39th St. Brentwood, MD 20722-1022 If you are interested in membership, please contact Tom. The club is especially useful for those who live in areas with no Commodore support