================================================================== COMMODORE CRUISER Issue #1 February 1996 ================================================================== This newsletter can only be distributed on Genie. User groups with a Genie member can freely reprint the material in their newsletter providing the following four lines are provided at the beginning of each article used: "This article is from the Commodore Cruiser Newsletter distributed on Genie. Copyright 1996 by Parsec, Inc., P.O. Box 111 Salem, MA 01970-0111 USA. All rights reserved. Reprint permission granted." The Cruiser Staff: Producer..........................................John Brown Editor............................................Sherry Freedline Assistant Editor..................................Harold Stevens Assistant Editor..................................Lou Schonder Point of View & Humor.............................Max Cottrell Software Reviews..................................Irv Cobb Software Reviews..................................Harold Stevens Software Reviews..................................Tim Hewelt RTC Events........................................David Tuomi Genie News and Events.............................Cameron Stewart This Issue's Cruise: From the Top......................................Harold Stevens Genie Speeds Up!..................................Sherry Freedline Welcome to the Commodore 64/128 RoundTable........Lou Schonder Commodore's Humans................................Mini-Bio's Point of View: On-line with Max...................Max Cottrell geoFAX Arrives!...................................Maurice Randall Sherry Freedline Catch The Wave....................................Maurice Randall Sherry Freedline Getting the geoMost from your Printer.............Irv Cobb Review: Perfect Print LQ..........................Irv Cobb Bell's BBS is Beheld on Genie.....................David Tuomi Humor Expressway..................................Max Cottrell ================================================= From the Top by Harold Stevens (H.STEVENS5), Assistant Editor ================================================= Welcome to the first edition of the Commodore Cruiser. This is the new electronic newsletter for the Commodore 64/128 users of Genie's Commodore RoundTable. Editor Sherry Freedline (C128-QT.PIE) and I hope to keep you in touch with the happenings in the World of Commodore, here on Genie and elsewhere, so you can continue to get the most out of your Commodore computer. With each edition, we'll provide information about services we offer here in the Commodore RoundTable, reviews of popular software and hardware items that are still out there for our favorite computer, GEOS happenings and much more. Times are changing on Genie, and Sherry Freedline informs you of all the new changes initiated on-line August 1st, 1995. You'll also learn there's more to Toledo than being located in Ohio. Lou Schonder welcomes you to the C64/128 RoundTable. Lou gives you a little bit of background about the Commodore RT and what you can expect to find here in our Bulletin Board, the Real Time Conference (RTC) rooms and the file libraries. Next, we have the biographies of some of the C-64/128 RoundTable staff members. These are the people you want to meet to help you get the most out of your Commodore computer. As you will see, the staff members come from all walks of life, and are brought together for one reason -- their love for using the C-64/128 computer. Of course, we do have a "Point of View", a general column about using the Commodore computer. This month, Max Cottrell (MC.PHOTO), the Sunday night host in the Commodore RTC, brags how his Commodore computer is better than an IBM or MacIntosh. Maurice Randall, well-known master GEOS programmer, announces his release of geoFax. Commodores everywhere can now "cruise in the fax lane" thanks to Maurice! Irving Cobb, one of our power GEOS users, tells you how to get the most from your printer using GEOS. Plus, David "Doc" Tuomi, tells how it is still possible to use a C128 and run an electronic bulletin board system (BBS) with Brian Bell's Omni 128 BBS. Next, in "Humor Expressway", Max Cottrell focuses on the importance of humor to our everyday lives. If you've had the opportunity to visit Max during one of his Friday night RTCs, you already know Max can supply you with your recommended daily allowance of humor. Plus, up-to-date Genie and Commodore 64/128 RT news! So, that wraps it up for the first edition of Genie's newest electronic magazine geared specifically for the Commodore 64/128 user. If there is anything you would like to see in our newsletter, please feel free to drop me or Sherry a line via e-mail. ========================================= Genie Speeds Up! by Sherry Freedline (C128-QT.PIE), Editor ========================================= On the first of August, a lot of changes greeted the Genie population. Topping the list of new features is 14.4K bps Genie access through SprintNet for $3/hour ($4/hour Canadian) during evening, weekend, and holiday hours. If SprintNet access isn't available to you, cruise Genie at 9600 bps through your local Genie number at the same great rates you've been enjoying at 2400 bps. The new speedier Genie access can be attributed to a change in Genie's architecture, commonly referred to with the buzzword "Toledo". Toledo is also responsible for lower connect rates and a faster system. Genie members can now enjoy weekday usage at a decreased cost of $5.00 an hour ($7.00/hour Canadian) for access Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm. File uploading is now more efficient with a selection of XModem, Xmodem-1K, Ymodem, and Zmodem (highly recommended). Keywords and the MOVE command work from more areas on Genie, such as the Round- Table Bulletin Boards, File Libraries, and with the addition of a "/" slash they will work from the Real-Time Conference rooms. My personal favorite new feature is the ability to LOCATE and NOTIFY other on-line Genie users from the Real Time Conference areas. With Toledo, navigating between various Genie services now takes less time which, in the end, will save you on-line dollars, increase your productivity, and make your on-line time more enjoyable! Last year (1995) we saw quite a few Genie changes. One can only wonder what the future holds for Genie subscribers. (Ed: This article was completed prior to Genie's new rate structure introduced on January 31, 1996) ============================================== Welcome to the Commodore 64/128 RoundTable! By Lou Schonder (L.SCHONDER), Assistant Editor ============================================== If you are reading this newsletter, you've probably already won half of the battle in getting involved in today's modern world of Commodore computing. However, are you aware of the extensive level of support and companionship available from your fellow Commodore users in the Commodore C64/128 RoundTable on the Genie On-line Service? If not, we'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the best on-line support for C64/128 users anywhere! Introducing ... the Commodore 64/128 RoundTable, where your beloved C64/128 still goes on strong in the mid '90's! Unlike a magazine or your local user's group, the Commodore C64/128 RoundTable connects you to many Commodore users like yourself, and offers the opportunity to discuss issues, work out problems, or just plain have fun with other Commodore users and the RoundTable's experienced staff. Operated by Parsec, Inc. and founded in 1986, The Commodore C64/128 RoundTable consists of three basic venues: the Bulletin Board, the Real Time Conference (RTC) rooms, and the File Libraries. In its 13 years and counting, the C64 has been put to use in many ways, and tens of thousands programs have been written in several programming languages. Many hardware add-ons have been created, both by Commodore and others. Most of the creators of this long, proud legacy have moved on to the "higher" computing platforms, yet many still remain, and the creativity continues! The C64/128 RoundTable's Bulletin Board is where you can you quickly hear about what's new in C64/128 computing, and also find information and help on products where the manufacturer's support is no longer available. You can also find help if it is YOU who is working on a new C64/128 product! Nearly all topics of C64/128 computing are discussed on the Bulletin Board (BB); hardware, programming, productivity, GEOS (TM), games, music, graphics, telecommunications, it's all here! Take advantage of on-line support by today's C64/128 hardware and software manufacturers: Creative Micro Designs, Performance Peripherals, Inc., Parsec, Color 64/128 BBS, Maurice Randall, among others. The Bulletin Board participants range from new users needing help to get rolling to those on the cutting edge of C64/128 computing, and everyone in between. Our "For Sale/Wanted" area of the BB is a very active marketplace for C64/128 related items. There is also discussion (although no official support exists) for other Commodore 8-bit computers, including the PET, VIC-20, Plus-4, etc. You just can't find this kind of extensive support elsewhere. It's here, complete and readily available. The C64/128 RoundTable holds Real Time Conferences every night of the week, from 10PM to 1AM Eastern time. Many users attend to get immediate help, and many more just to relax and enjoy talking about their favorite computer. Many of the major players in Commodore computing are guest speakers in scheduled conferences announcing exciting changes in Commodore computing. You can be there as the news breaks! Our library has over 15,000 files available for downloading. The best in shareware, freeware and public domain software is at right your fingertips! Choose from games, productivity, educational software, graphics, utilities, SIDs, demos, and more! Visiting the C64/128 RoundTable everyday can greatly increase the enjoyment and productivity you get, and give, with your C64/128. Come join us on Genie! To join Genie: 1. Set your terminal program for half-duplex (local echo) at 2400 baud. Recommended communications parameters: 8 bits, no parity and 1 stop bit (8-N-1). 2. With your modem, dial toll-free in the U.S. at 1-800-638- 8369 or in Canada at 1-800-387-8330. 3. Upon connection, type HHH. Note: Every time you use Genie, you need to enter HHH at connection. 4. At the U#= prompt, type JOINGENIE and press . 5. Have a major credit card ready. In the U.S., you may also use your checking account number. There is a $2.00 monthly fee for all checking accounts. In Canada, only VISA and MasterCard are accepted. 6. Instant computerized verification will get you on Genie without waiting. Type COMMODORE at any Genie menu, which will move you to page 625. For more information, call Genie Client Services toll free: 1-800-638-9636. ================== Commodore's Humans ================== Day after day and week after week we gather together in the nightly RTC rooms and the Bulletin board area to discuss our beloved Commodore computers. It's the Commodore computer that is the common link between all the Commodore 64/128 RoundTable's staff and members. We thought you'd like to know a little more about the people you've come to know in the Commodore RoundTable. This issue we'll start with a few of our staff members: Mark Dulski (CBM-MARK) - the life behind the Commodore Bulletin Board and resident mailman; Greg Noggle (G.NOGGLE), our wandering host who's eager to answer your BBS and cross platforming questions; Max Cottrell (MC.PHOTO) - Sunday night host specializing in graphics (be careful with this guy, you'll never know which name he's hiding under!); and last, but by no means least is David "Doc" Tuomi - a well-rounded computer collector with a background in programming and BBSing. We hope you enjoy these mini-bio's. In the future, we'd also like to include mini-bio's written by you. Because, just as you'd like to know more about us, we'd like to learn more about you. So, if you'd like to be featured in our Commodore's Humans column, feel free to e-mail your mini-bio to COMMODORE$. We look forward to hearing from you! Next issue, we'll bring you bio's from Cam Stewart (CBM-BANDIT), Lou Schonder (L.SCHONDER), Eddie Bourdon (E.BOURDON1), Tim Hewelt (GEOS-TIM), and Harold Stevens (H.STEVENS5). Now, let's get on with this issue's bio's... CBM-MARK Mark Dulski Hello, fellow Commodore users! Here's a little bit of information about me. Currently, my Commodore system consists of a flat C128, 2-1571's, 1-1581, and a KX-P1091i Panasonic printer. Also attached at various times is a 1750 REU (when it decides to work, that is ;), SwiftLink cartridge with an Emerson 2400 baud modem plugged into it, an Aprotek C1200 modem, and a 1351 mouse. Of course, I also have a 40/80 column monitor. I'm not even going to begin to list all the software I've collected through the years. The largest percentage are games. Hey, I bought them for my kids. What? You don't believe me? ;> I've been with Genie since late 1987. When Wizard was first introduced, I was one of the beta testers, which eventually lead to maintaining the Wizard bulletin board that was once part of the Commodore RoundTable. Since then, I've been part of the Commodore staff, helping out with whatever I am able. My programming skills are limited to BASIC and just a touch of machine language. Besides computing, my other hobbies are small woodcrafts and gardening. For recreational exercise I do some bicycling. My longest ride was close to 70 miles one morning two years ago. Thought my legs were going to fall apart that time and haven't done a long one like that since. Maybe someday I will again. Have to be soon though. I'm not getting any younger! Like, a 'little' over 40 now ;> ~~Mark~~ G.NOGGLE Greg Noggle I went to college from 78-80 and learned various computer languages; COBOL, Pascal, PL-1, RPG, FORTRAN, APL, BASIC, LISP, and a couple of others that I don't remember anymore. I then ran out of money and joined the Navy. I wanted a computer system to play with, one I could afford, and take with me to different duty stations around the country. A friend of mine was an owner of a local Commodore products retailer who went out of business. This was due to a customer backing out of a $50,000 order after the products had been shipped, and Commodore selling it's inventory to chain stores like Kmart for cheaper prices than the dealers could afford to sell them. So, he sold me part of his inventory cheap. In 1985, I bought my first computer system for $125.00; a C64, a 1541 disk drive with an installed device number switch and write protect override, and a 1660 300 baud modem. This system led to my involvement in setting up a Commodore user's group of sorts on a United States Navy nuclear submarine. Then, somebody was "downgrading" to an IBM and was selling their C128. So, I bought it and fell in love with the flatter keyboard. My roommate at the time was on QLink, my first introduction to the concept of an on-line system run for profit. Up to that point, I was calling some local BBB's and the university's computer system. I joined QLink and Compu$erve for a while. Then, I ran a BBS system called "FRP BBS System" for a year. I was not heavily involved in computing from 1988 until 1992 due to being poor and at sea. I joined Genie in 1992 and became staff in late 1992 or thereabouts. During this time frame (since 1992), I like to think I have made up for lost time. I have since purchased and regularly use a CMD HD, Ramlink, FD 2000, REU and SwiftLink, and tried publishing a newsletter (and found out it takes an awful lot of time to do well), and setup and run another BBS based on the Color 64 BBS software. I have learned an awful lot in the last couple of years. My current long term computer goal is to become proficient in the C++ programming language so I can write really awesome game programs. Also in the house is an IBM 486DX 33 MHz computer, Amiga 2000HD, Mac SE, 28,800,2 14,400's, 9600 baud modems and miscellaneous ancient Commodore stuff like the 8032, minichief HD, 3 or 4 monitors, couple of 1571's and another RamLink, Turbomaster CPU, C64 and other miscellaneous items I can't remember at the moment. MC.PHOTO MAX COTTRELL My name is Max, and I live in southeastern Michigan in the small town of Ypsilanti. I am the Sunday night RTC host. The Commodore systems that I use are a C-64 (with a 64C keyboard) for my BBS which uses a Creative Micro Design HD20 and a FD2000 with a 1702 monitor. The modem that this system uses is an Aprotek 2400. My other Commodore system is a 128D, which uses a 1750 REU, a 2 MB REU, a 1581, and a 1541. This is my main on-line system, and it uses a SwiftLink and a U.S. Robotics Turbo 14.4 modem. The monitor on this system is a 1084S. I use these systems as the backbone of my business, MC Photography. I use the BBS to store my portfolio and articles that I write, which are in IBM format. And I use the 128D both for my work on Genie, and editing the files on the BBS. The software that I use the most is Pocket Writer 128, GEOS 64, and an ASCII text editor for the C64. My hobbies include spending time with my dogs, and riding my motorcycle at speeds close to the speed of sound. :-)= D.TUOMI (DOC) David "Doctor" Tuomi Age: 23 Most people, when they first meet me, think I'm nice, down to earth, and very intelligent. Then they get to know me... I'm a student, attending California State University at Northridge and studying communications. My hobby is collecting computers, of which I own a variety of makes and models from a Commodore PET to a MacIntosh Performa. I enjoy films, heavy metal and classical music, BBSing, and running up my charge cards. Commodore computers have always been an important part of my life. I was president of the local user group for several years, and have written programs and edited disk magazines for this computer. I intend on continuing to use my Commodore computer for my BBS and other applications well into the next century. ========================== Point Of View "On-line with Max" by Max Cottrell (MC.PHOTO) ========================== Well, my first column! Sometimes I wake up and think, "What have I done?". Lately, I've been thinking about being on-line and how it relates to the 'real' world. Does spending money so I can sit and talk to a dozen people from all over the country at the same time make sense? I mean, I have plenty of friends off-line, some of who even use Commodores! Hmm ... well, since I consider all of my on-line friends to be in some ways closer and more valuable than my real life friends, the answer is yes, it is worth it. To be honest, I really don't think about it too much. What I DO think about though, is this: do a /STA the next time there are a bunch of folks on-line, and look at where these folks are from. Now, consider this question: If you were not on-line, and distance was not a consideration, would these people still be your friends? Oh, I'm sure most of us would say yes, but think about it. From all ages, genders, faiths, races, and social strata do we come. School teachers, business owners, college students, housewives, we all are different. But (and this is my point here), we don't make any of those distinctions on-line. We are all equal and respect each other in the way that good friends do. To me, that alone is worth the time on-line. It is the same camaraderie that you get when your favorite sport's team wins the big one. The same as when you are standing in line somewhere and someone says something funny. As Commodore users, we have a special bond: That of people who are left out of the 'computer' world. We don't have 32-bit double parallel ports and 100 MHz chips, but you know what? I really don't care. My Commodore works better at a lot of things than my IBM does. And, I know that when I boot up a program, 99 times out of 100 it's going to run, and the newest program will run on the oldest machine. Cool. Who could want more? But, like a segment of society that is trampled on, we have to endure sooo much abuse. So, we come to the Commodore area of Genie, have fun, and enjoy ourselves. I spend so much time on-line, I probably know more on-line names than most, and I'm here to tell you, many times an IBM or a MAC user will show up just to say 'Hi', and ask "The Question." You all know "The Question". We ALL know "The Question". Let's say it together: "You mean people still use Commodores?!" Of course we do. As usual, we are forced to justify the machines that we use. I see this a lot, since I run a business off of a C-64. I can't even tell some people that I use a Commodore because they don't even want to do business with me. Talk about prejudice. It makes me feel like dirt, a careful business decision that I've made being treated like that. But, here on-line, even users in the IBM RT treat the Commodore area like an equal. In conclusion, I say this: We are helping to erase prejudice by being here. And, to me, that is worth the effort. But, that's my point of view. - Gotta problem with any of this? Join me Sunday nights from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. when I host in the Commodore RTC. Let's chat about it! - Next time: a comparison test! You WILL be surprised. Signed, Max Cottrell ======================================= geoFax Arrives! by Maurice Randall and Sherry Freedline ======================================= During the later months of 1995, we had the privilege of tracking geoFax as it progressed from a mere dream into a real working program! Maurice kept eager and interested Commodore RoundTable members informed of his trials, tribulations, and successes on a regular basis via the RoundTable's Bulletin Board area. And, finally, on August 10th, straight from the master GEOS programmer himself, we were pleased to read the following post (re-printed with Maurice's permission)... Ok, here's the scoop on geoFAX.... geoFAX is shipping. I have filled every order that I have received so far, so if you haven't received your's yet, it should be in your mailbox soon. I only had to refund one person's order and that was due to that person getting out of the Commodore market and into the IBM stuff. I sent his refund to California today. geoFAX sells for $39.95 plus shipping. I charge $4.00 for shipping and handling. Other dealers might charge more or less, that is up to them, but the selling price of the program on the retail level is always $39.95. I am sending out an order to CMD tomorrow, so they will have them in stock shortly. I understand they have already begun to take orders, and they have an ample supply of SwiftLink cartridges on hand for anyone that does not already have one. My address and phone number are: Maurice Randall P.O. Box 606 Charlotte MI 48813 Phone: (517) 543-5202 A quick rundown on some features... Send and Receive faxes at 2400-14.4 'IF' your modem can handle it. The modems have bugs that limit how fast a slow computer can use it. geoFAX works pretty good at 7200/9600 on sending and 2400/7200 on receiving depending on your hardware such as your drive setup. This is not like normal uploading and downloading, incoming and outgoing data must keep moving without stopping, so the better your hardware, the better geoFAX will perform. CMD can take care of you in this respect. You can send GeoPaint images or geoFAX images. You can receive fax images and convert to GeoPaint afterwards. You can print your faxes or GeoPaints from within the program. There are different contrast adjustments for when converting to GeoPaint. A simple high-speed terminal program is built in. You can run Desk Accessories from within geoFAX. You can select different printer drivers without having to do it from the Desktop. You can use geoFAX in an unattended mode with it's auto- answer mode. You can connect some of the newer fax machines directly to your modem and use the fax machine as a full-page scanner for GeoPaint. This is perhaps it's most useful feature. The fax machine also makes a very fast printer. It is faster than printing with a real printer. For the first time, geoFAX provides us, Commodore users, the ability to work with and print out high-resolution images. The more you use geoFAX, the more you will want the higher capacity drives. CMD devices with native partitions will come in handy. At least a 1581 is recommended, although geoFAX will run on a single 1541 system. If there are any questions, just fire away... - Maurice (Ed: geoFax is also available from Guy's Computers in Oregon, Performance Peripherals' catalog, and Sandinge's Imports in Sweden. Congratulations and thank you Maurice!!) Addendum: On January 6th, Maurice informed me he is almost finished with a new version (V1.7) of geoFAX. The new version will support Class 2.0 Fax Modems (i.e. U.S. Robotics 28.8K Sportsters). Maurice states there will be no reason to upgrade unless some of the changes in this version will fix a problem one may be experiencing. Version 1.7 fixes a problem which sometimes occurs when it appears a fax may have failed, but didn't. This is not the expected final upgrade version which geoFax users will receive upon its completion. ======================================= Catch The Wave by Maurice Randall and Sherry Freedline ======================================= This year, Santa left an extra special gift in the Commodore RT's Library. Ok, I'll confess, it was Maurice Randall hiding beneath the virtual red suit, who released a demo of his newest GEOS creation - The Wave. The Wave is a high-speed GEOS terminal program, featuring The Beachcomber - an ASCII terminal program with VT-100 support, The Sightseer - an ANSI mode terminal program, and last but certainly not least, The Wild Surf - a Web Browser! One of the best reasons for being a Commodore 64/128 RT member is the privilege of watching a dream progress from a mere wish into a really fantastic working program. And, much like geoFax, members were informed of Maurice's intent to create The Wave right from the start. Although the program is still in the creation stage, Maurice has generously uploaded a demo of The Wave allowing Genie subscribers to preview the program by downloading file #17718 from the Commodore RoundTable's Library (page 625;3). The demo features a glimpse of The Wave's inter- face (which I must say is really cool) and a working ASCII terminal program. Although the terminal program doesn't yet permit uploading and downloading, and the only working feature in the demo version is "The Beachcomber", it's enough to give you an idea of the capabilities of the finished product. Just as geoFax took the Commodore Community by storm, so will The Wave. The Wave will contain the first web browser for the Commodore computer. Initially, the program will require a C128 equipped with 64K VDC, a SwiftLink, and of course, GEOS. Just think! Soon, you'll be able to surf the net and enjoy all the fabulous features found on the Internet with your Commodore computer! The Web Browser isn't the only cool feature that will be found in The Wave as noted below: - Send GEOS Text Scraps and individual GeoWrite pages to the modem (allowing e-mail and messages to easily be edited offline) - Copy incoming screen text to a GEOS text scrap - Buffer memory is saved as GeoWrite pages - X, Y, and Z-modem protocol support - Automatic conversion of GEOS files during uploading and downloading - Plus many more cool features! I've said this time and time again, with the sheer genius of programmers such as Maurice Randall, the Commodore computer has no bounds. I pray we never lose the support of Maurice Randall and other such talented Commodore programmers. Thank you Maurice! ===================================== Getting the geoMost from your Printer by Irv Cobb ===================================== The ability to use a variety of fonts and graphics, is of course, one of the appealing things about Geos. But, in order for this ability to be of practical use, the fonts and graphics must transfer well to paper. Unfortunately, the dot matrix printers that many of us use don't always produce "great" printouts of GEOS documents. Regardless of the printer you may be using, this article will give you some ideas of ways to maximize your print quality. THE COMMODORE SERIAL-PLUG COMPATIBLES These printers are capable of printing at only 60 DPI, which is not enough horizontal resolution to print full width GEOS documents. To add insult to injury, these printers create horizontal distortion, so that fonts and graphics appear wider than they should. These problems can be solved to some degree, although not perfectly. Special fonts can be substituted for the standard ones. The fonts Universixty, Roma60, Calif60 and Sixtycanoes, available in the file 60DPIFONTS.SFX, correspond to University, Roma, California and Tippecanoe respectively, and simulate the size and shape of their standard counterparts when printed on 60 DPI printers. Roma, California and Tippecanoe are also available as 60 DPI mega fonts in the file 60DPIMEGAS.SFX if you use geoPublish. Of course, you still lose the rightmost portion of your document, so margins must be set accordingly in both 'Write' and 'Publish'. 60DPIFONTS.SFX is Genie Commodore 64/128 RoundTable file #17321 and 60DPIMEGAS.SFX is #17322. What about graphics? The printer driver 1525-80DPI will print the full width of a page at 60 DPI. There is some loss of detail, so not all documents look better, but in some cases the results are amazing. When printing text, the font substitution option is to be preferred. 1525-80DPI is file #14088. "STANDARD" DOT-MATRIX PRINTERS These printers, generally designed to work with PCs, can be connected to a Commodore computer through an interface, allowing us to print the full 80-column width of our Geos documents. While this is a great step up, two problems exist: speed and print quality. The speed problem can best be alleviated through the use of a "GeoCable" -- a product originally marketed by Berkeley Softworks. These cables speed up the printing process by as much as 30% -- depending on the document and the application printing it. Although GeoCables are no longer available from Berkeley, Creative Micro Designs now produces a "geoCable II" (complete with printer drivers), or it is possible to build your own. Instructions are available in file #9708. GEOS requires special printer drivers to use the GeoCable. These drivers are usually distinguished by "(gc)" in their file name. Print quality is a whole other world. If you are fortunate enough to have a printer that is "Epson compatible" (and most of the newer ones are), then there are a number of directions you can take. In some cases, you will find that your printer's resident "letter quality" fonts are satisfactory for your purposes. In this case, "TextPrint" is for you. This package provides everything you need to make those resident fonts work for you. Various versions of TextPrint are available as file #'s 7277, 13848 and 14107, 14108 and 14110. But if you REALLY like all those GEOS fonts, there's got to be a better way, right? Sort of. You may want to try "Ep8Pin3Pass" - one of G. H. Wells' Shell Printer drivers that smoothes as it prints and provides near laser resolution! If your printer is not Epsoncompatible, try LaserMatrix, which is kind of a "roll your own" high quality printer driver system. Some fonts print better than others using these drivers, and many graphics actually look better printed this way than they would on a laser printer (no jaggies)! Ep8Pin3Pass is file #13983 and LaserMatrix is #7267. SUMMARY With some care, creativity and the right files, you can push your printer to the limit and get the most quality it is capable of giving. By experimenting with various drivers and fonts, you can find the combination that works for you and best fits your preferences. To go beyond the quality achieved through these methods will require a greater financial investment. CMD's Perfect Print LQ will push your "standard" printer to even greater quality. A laser printer will do even better. But you'll be surprised how well you can do using files readily available on Genie! ==================== PERFECT PRINT LQ Reviewed by Irv Cobb ==================== Here's my advice: FORGET GeoWrite's FILE/PRINT menu option. You may never use it again! As a dedicated Commodore GEOS user on a budget, I've used my Panasonic KX-P1180's text mode for almost all the "serious" work I've done for the last three years. I've always found GeoWrite's standard high resolution printouts to be less than adequate for most professional or academic use, and even when they are souped up by a three-pass printer driver, there's just something missing. So I've used the printer's text mode for most of my important work. No more. Perfect Print LQ provides a superb way to print with extraordinary quality. GeoWrite documents printed with this program have a quality and a flair that is equal or superior to anything I've ever seen from any 9-pin printer on any platform. I purchased The Perfect Print LQ main package and Font Collections 1 and 2 from CMD for $49.95. I received six 5 1/4" diskettes which contained the Perfect Print application (which works ONLY with geoWrite documents), a group of utility programs for font creation and manipulation, High Quality printer drivers for use with applications other than GeoWrite, and, of course, fonts. I found the software fairly easy to set up, the manual adequate (if somewhat confusing and a bit poorly organized), and the results amazing. When working from GeoWrite, this package can produce stunning results, although different quality printers will produce different quality results. My old Epson LX-80 just can't do as well as the Panasonic, even though they both have the same number of pins working for them! PPLQ should be fairly intuitive for most GEOS users. It can run as a stand-alone program or from a desk accessory, which is especially helpful. Only the special LQ fonts (or fonts you design yourself using the utilities that are included) will print with near-laser quality. Other fonts will be smoothed, but will look a little different than they would if you were using a three-pass driver. (This is also true if your printer is not supported by PPLQ. The HQ drivers and fonts may work for you, but the quality will not be of the extraordinary nature that the LQ system gives.) When run as an application, PPLQ first presents you with a dialog box that allows you to choose what geoWrite document you wish toI%9Q9 The desk accessory option bypasses this, assuming that you want to print the document that is currently open in geoWrite. You are then given the opportunity to set various options that modify the print resolution in both the X and Y dimensions, print multiple copies, and print specific pages, as well as return to geoWrite or the deskTop. Due to the multiple passes required, printing takes longer than you may be accustomed to, but not as long as with "Ep8Pin3Pass," for example. PPLQ is "smarter" than a simple printer driver and linefeeds its way past empty lines on the page. Multiple fonts in a document, especially on the same print line, will slow down printing even more. More than ever, memory is a factor when using PPLQ. The special fonts are significantly larger than normal ones, and I find myself occasionally cramped on my 1571 RAM disk. Most of us GEOS users are used to this though, and it's not generally more than a nuisance. LQ font creation is a long, tedious process. The package includes the shareware version of Jim Collette's Font Editor, along with a number of sometimes redundant utility programs. The documentation is particularly poor here, and I had to use quite a lot of trial and error before I figured out what was needed and what was superfluous. Except for extraordinary situations, I have decided to stick with the fonts CMD provides. These fonts are, by the way, very well done and more than adequate for most purposes. If you use GeoWrite and a dot-matrix printer for any serious purpose, you need this system. Rating: Application: ***** out of ***** Utilities: **** out of ***** Documentation: ** out of ***** Price: *** out of ***** ================================== Bell's BBS is Beheld on Genie by: David "Doctor" Tuomi (D.TUOMI) ================================== Brian Bell's Omni 128 BBS was the subject of a recent conference on the Commodore RoundTable. The conference contained a lengthy discussion on various topics including; Brian Bell's background, how Omni 128 got started, and the current and future features of Bell's BBS program. Bell describes his program as a "complete on- line data storage and retrieval program." It is designed to allow an owner of a Commodore 128 computer to run a private BBS or Bulletin Board System. A private BBS does many of the same things as professional on- line services like Genie. Typically, a private BBS supports the sending of messages and e-mail, and transferring of files. The difference is that a private BBS operates on a personal computer run by a single individual or small business, while a large on- line service is run by a corporation on a mini or mainframe computer with many more capabilities. The Omni 128 BBS program has many of the typical BBS features listed above. Bell also elaborated on the many additional features that his program includes, some of which can't be found on more expensive BBS programs on other computer platforms. The program has an impressive message handling ability with private electronic mail, a public message area, news files and text. Its file transfer area is equally as impressive with a collection of upload and download protocols that are unmatched on any other Commodore BBS program, as well as a very capable way of retrieving the files. Finally, the program includes many utilities, games, and tools for the enjoyment of the owner (or SysOp) and the users of the system. Bell supports and upgrades his BBS program on a regular basis, and all updates are available to registered owners of the program. The conference included questions from the audience as well as Genie hosts. Bell's replies are full of excellent information about BBS concepts and ideas, as well as technical details on his own program. The event lasted for a little over three hours and was attended by about fifteen people. A complete transcript of the Brian Bell conference can be found in Genie's Commodore 64/128 RoundTable Libraries; file #17203. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave me e-mail. ========================== The Humor Expressway By Max Cottrell (MC.PHOTO) ========================== Humor. Who has it, who needs it and who wants it? Where does it come from and where does it go? It's one of the more popular things that we humans do and at the same time one of the hardest to describe. Humor makes us feel good and those of us who are good at it are more popular at social events. This article is an attempt to analyze on-line humor, whether it is in the bulletin board area or during our interactions in the RTC. Humor, it seems, is one of the more sought after personality traits in spouses and leaders and it seems to be one of the prime reasons that we come on-line night after night after night. Some would call it mindless banter, others, pointless drivel. I call it having fun with my friends. I call it that because fun and humor seem to go hand in hand, especially on-line. But is it constructive? I mean, is it worth coming on-line just to see some witty friends? The answer, it seems, is yes. Why? Well, keep reading 'cause I'm gonna tell you why. Recently, a good on-line friend lost someone who was close to them. During this person's time of mourning, the humor on-line kept the sadness at bay. In short, in this case and other instances, humor can ease both mental and physical pain. Dr. Laurence Peter, author of "The Laughter Prescription" wrote that humor (and laughter) controls pain in four major ways. (I truly believe that on-line humor helps us relieve our daily pain too). The four major pain-killing effects of humor are: 1. Distracting attention: Ever have a bad day and get on-line? Stress just melts away.... Try this sometime - it works. An on-line friend who is attending college seems to get on-line whenever he gets done with his homework. 2. Relieving tension: Tension is reduced when our attention is distracted from circumstances in our "real" life. 3. Stimulating the body's natural production of endomorphins: These are the body's way of killing pain and easing depression caused by stress. People who are sick have been proven in studies to heal and recover faster when exposed to humorous situations because of the body's production of chemicals that promote healing. 4. Venting hostility: In a study by researchers Holmes and Rahe on the way stress and humor affect us, it was discovered that long term stress will, in most cases, lead to more illnesses, both physical and mental. It has also been found that humor will help vent hostility and nervous energy. Humor will also relieve tension in a low confidence situation, such as when we are faced with strangers or a "bad challenge" in our lives (like writing this article). So, what have we discovered about humor? Let's summarize: 1. Relieves tension 2. Dissipates anger 3. Helps quell hostility 4. Lengthens life span 5. Helps take away mourning pains 6. Changes expectations that we have about difficult situations 7. Produces natural painkillers 8. Makes me popular! So, to end this article on a high note, I say show up on-line and you will get a natural high, live longer and not kill anyone today. Gee, I should get paid for hosting. See all of you on-line!! :-) Signed, Max Cottrell (MC.PHOTO) =END=