The Road Apple, Vol. 1, no. 1


Editorial


The Road Apple is one of those once in awhile newsletters that you come across
when you least expect it. Kind of like walking down a country lane and suddenly
coming upon, well, a road apple.

The purpose of this little bit of nonsense is to give one man's view of the
computing world of dear old Apple, Inc., is products, policies and peculiar way
of doing business.

There is no question that my bias is in favor of the //e, //c and GS, especially
the GS. In other words, computers for the rest of us. I believe that the
efforts to make a near deity out of the Macintosh is doing a disservice to us
loyal customers.

This paper will be sent to selected friends, editors, writers computer experts
and consultants. Permission is hereby given for reprinting, quoting, copying,
duplicating, shredding, tearing, folding, bending and stapling. Comments are
welcome and complaints will be cheerfully ignored. All of what is written here
is entirely my own and I refuse to be liable for anything, so there.

From time to time I can be found at 1121 NE 177th, Portland, OR 97230,
phone (503) 254-3874

------Al Martin


Apple, Inc. strikes again
This time with a vengeance


On May 4, 1988, I attended a presentation put on by a number of representatives
of Apple, Inc. Ostensibly the even was to introduce the AppleTalk networking
system and was aimed at school types like myself.

Livid with rage, I left the presentation at the first break.

Facts, impressions and predictions

My impression of the AppleTalk presentation on May 4th is that Apple, Inc. is
hell-bent on shoving Macintosh computers, the heart of the AppleTalk scheme, down
our collective throats, especially in the school environment. It is also my
impression that schools, particularly small schools and those financially
strapped, are certainly not going to be able to participate in the program, even
if they wanted to. In a cute little marketing maneuver, Apple, Inc. offers a
time payment scheme financed by Chase Manhatten Bank at a "modest" (somewhere
around 13%) interest rate. The fact is that whether you spend it all at once or
by the month, the bucks must be budgeted annually from the school side.

Not get this one: This wonderful networking program will work only on enhanced
Apple //e, GS or Macintosh. Notice that the //c is missing from the list.
That's right, the //c, which is one of the most popular computers for schools, is
unable to be part of the network. Schools with the //c machines now find
themselves working up the creek sans paddle. Thanks, Apple, Inc., you've done it
again.

There was one of the Apple, Inc. technical "experts" at the conference. When I
asked why this inability to hook up the //c, especially in the face of a possible
//c with a built-in 3.5 drive and 1 meg of memory coming on the market as
suggested in A+ magazine, this guy came out of his chair like a scalded cat and
lit into me about "rumor mongering" or something similar. He also "suggested"
that I subscribe to a periodical called MacWorld. Now, why in the world would I
even consider such a thing when my choice of computers to use is limited to //e,
//c or GS? makes about as much sense as a subscription to InfoWorld or some
other PC oriented magazine.

As far as I am concerned, Apple, Inc. can go its merry way with the Macintosh.
Yes, it's a good computer. Yes, it's the machine of choice for serious desktop
publishing. Yes, Apple, Inc. has marketed the hell out of it for business
applications. Yes, yes and yes. However, school using computers have followed
the software to the land of //e, //c and GS. For them to expend many extra
dollars they don't have for a Macintosh and the necessary (and expensive)
software, makes very little economic sense to me.

Third party developers have, thank God, not abandon us Apple // owners the way
Apple, Inc. has. For a long time to come we will still bang out our newsletters,
forms and other bits of hard copy with our "obsolete" machines with consistently
upgraded software. The average computer buff and many schools will also stand by
the don-matrix printer and not even think about the $3,000+ outlay for a laser
printer and the $0.30 cost per page for printing.

Apple, Inc. has forgotten those who built the company over the past decade. It's
cruel injustice and sneering jab in the eye (poke in the peek?) to those of us
who had faith in the product and were willing to shell out millions in
hard-earned bucks to buy the product and keep the company afloat. (Remember the
Apple/Bell & Howell deal that resulted in the "Black Apple" cpu seen in so many
schools? You can still see them only now they serve as door-stops and bookends.

Long time Apple // owners have felt and still feel left out by the corporate
leaders at Apple "What has Claris done for you today?" Inc. Apparently these
consumers beleive, with justification I have personally experienced, that Apple,
Inc. ignores their requests for assistance, suggestions for product improvement
and general support. A number of the current Apple // oriented publications have
editorially echoed this problem and have taken Apple, Inc. to task.

At the AppleFest Conference in San Francisco last September ('87), and Apple,
Inc. p.r. representative (read "apologist") stated that since Apple, Inc.
nationally or regionally, will not answer consumer questions and since the
harried and overburdened Apple dealers wee unable to keep up with the runaway
technological changes, that consumers should contact their Apple user groups for
tech support. Great! Now all we need to do is cough up $30.00 +/- and join a
user group just so we can find out how this damned machine works. And this is
really the result of crummy documentation and mysterious software coming out of
Apple, Inc. The GS Utility Disk is a wonderful example. Even the latest
version, which required a personal request to my dealer, is a mystery that barely
works when it finally boots up. What would the auto industry be like if every
time you bought a car you had to take to your mechanic to find out how to operate
it because the manufacturer gave you only part of the owner's manual?

From all of us who really fell that our loyalty and financial support have given
Apple, Inc. the elevator and left us the shaft, quote from Bill the Cat of Bloom
County fame: "Ptthhhttt."

Don't count on it department

When Apple, Inc. introduced the GS, they built in a "whopping" 256k of memory.
Big deal when most of the GS software gobbles up more than that just to put the
title on the screen. Responding to consumer needs (be still, heart), our
favorite company now sells the standard GS with 512k aboard.

Does this mean that dear ol' Apple, Inc. will offer a free memory upgrade to us
poor souls who got on the GS bandwagon early? Yeah, when the fella with the
pointed tail and pitchfork wears ice skates.

C'mon you Apple, Inc. guys, do something for your customers.

=====

Vol 1, #4

The Road Apple is printed and sent out every once in awhile from 1121 NE 177th,
Portland, OR 97230 (503) 254-3874.


I was "had"

This what happens when I read something I really want to believe is true and
don't have the sophisticated knowledge to tell difference between technical fact
and fiction. In the last issue of The Road Apple, I reported on a "new" Apple
///e. The information came via a contact in Canada who sent a copy of an article
from something called the Maple Orchard. The story was so well written and since
I don't know a chip from a potato, I believed it and wrote a brief description.
The whole thing was a hoax and if I mislead anyone, please accept my apology. Mea
culpa.


//c+ beaten to the punch

Look for the new Laser 128EX/2 computer with a built in 3.5" drive. This little
honey will sell for about $550.00 and should find a ready market for potential
//c customers. The Laser machines have long been a thorn in Apple, Inc.'s
collective ass with quality products at reasonable prices. I'm looking for a //GS
clone to come out from the same folks as well as 3.5" drives for the GS that will
sell for well under the current $300.00+ that Apple, Inc. is asking. Apple, Inc.
really missed the boat by not developing a //c with a built-in 3.5" and a meg of
memory. This is what happens when the only tune you know is "MacIntosh is the
Only Computer in the World." See the November, '88 issue of inCider for details.


The Apple //: Toy or computer?

The comments from Apple, Inc. execs and their reps would lead one to believe that
the MacIntosh is the only "real" computer. They have tried to shove the Apple //
line aside to the never-never land of elementary school and home use. The reality
is that this is simply ridiculous. The Apple // line has been used in a variety
of businesses ever since its introduction several years ago. Actually, the old
Apple + was used by business people. I am the administrator of an alternative
high school and have relied on the spreadsheet and data base features of such
programs as VisiCalc and pfs before I switched over to AppleWorks. If I can
design a spreadsheet that (1) records the courses, grades and g.p.a. of students
and (2) calculates the credits and hours necessary for graduation and the time of
graduation based on the student's latest performance on one 8.5 x 11 printout,
then making templates for ordinary business operations is a piece of cake. There
is no way I can possibly believe that AppleWorks and the //e computers are too
much of a "toy" for serious business use. Couple all of this with the flexibility
of word processing and you have a package that will do justice in any
environment. To date there is only one problem that I cannot reduce to the
AppleWorks spreadsheet and that is how basic school funding attendance is
computed by the Oregon Department of Education. From what I know about the
formula, I think it would give the Cray computer fits. There are a couple of
other benefits from the //e-AppleWorks package. The new desktop publishing
programs import AppleWorks text directly. A great feature for setting up forms
and newsletters. There are also many AppleWorks enhancements available for
editing, checking spelling and grammar and other features to make the process
easier. It's very cost effective. Finally, AppleWorks is one of the easiest
programs to learn and use. For instance, check out the instructions for
WordPerfect and then look at AppleWorks. WordPerfect would be OK if you just
wanted to write the great American novel and could take the time necessary to
learn the package. From user groups there are hundreds of AppleWorks business
templates available for modest cost. The formula work has been done for you and
editing them to meet your particular needs is no problem. A computer is a
computer is a computer, period. The only differences between them are the speed,
memory, operating system, software and price. The Apple // line can meet the
needs of business, despite the marketing manure from Apple, Inc. If anyone tells
you that the Apple // series of computers can't be used in business applications,
have them contact Randy Brandt at JEM Software, PO Box 20920, El Cajon, CA
92021, (619) 788-0423, or Chris Van Buren at Sage Productions, Inc., 5677 Oberlin
Dr., San Diego, CA 92121 (619) 455-7513, Wade Spafford at Insight, 19249 E.
Bagley Rd., Cleveland, OH 44130 (216) 234-6555 or anyone at Beagle Bros, 6215
Ferris Square, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92121 (619) 452-5500. The applications,
hints, tricks and enhancements for the Apple // family and AppleWorks provided by
these folks and companies is simply spectacular. At AppleFest '88, I noted that
the business seminars were featuring MacIntosh. I commented to Chris Van Buren
that it would be nice if a couple of business seminars featuring the Apple //
family of computers could be presented at AppleFest '89. He said that he doubted
if Apple, Inc. would permit such a presentation using "toys". I replied that
maybe we should get the folks from Central Point Software to do one using the
Laser 128 computer. How do you like that, Apple, Inc?



AppleFest Report

Marketing manure by degrees


In trying to piece together my report about my experience with Apple, Inc.'s
participation in AppleFest '88, I was struck by the fact that it fell into three
categories. To maintain the theme of The Road Apple, I borrowed from the
university and college method of designating degrees.

B.S.

Well, we all know what this is. Although it should be more properly
titled "H.S." to maintain The Road Apple theme. Anyway, it's all the same and the
Marketing Department of Apple, Inc. seems to have an inexhaustible supply. When I
first entered the convention center, I made a bee-line to Apple, Inc.'s display.
Making out like I was a country-bumpkin computer-illiterate educator from
"Oar-ee-gone" interested in a computer for a new school I was going to start up
"back home," I lied that I knew nothing about computers and wondered which one
should I buy for my school? I was immediately led toward the MacIntosh display.
Passing by the new //c+, I asked about it for my school and was told that the //c
line was not for schools since it could not be networked. Little did she know
that after purchasing 3 //c's this year our school has an inventory of 7 //c's
and 3 //e's, all functioning very well in our little alternative high school,
thank you. This networking takes expensive hardware and a teacher supervising all
the time. By using independent //c's and //e's, we can let the students use
individual software at their rate and be completely independent of teacher
supervision. After an intensive sales pitch of networking, MacIntosh, //GS and
other spendy hardware, I mumbled that I'd look around and come back. And, come
back I did, the next day.

M.S. (More of the same)

This time I asked to speak with the head person of the Apple, Inc. display. I was
introduced to a young lady who had not been with Apple, Inc. very long. I knew
this because when I asked her about the Bell & Howell/Apple "black Apple"
computer, all I got was a blank stare of incomprehension. Confessing to my ruse
of the previous day, I asked some very pointed questions about the marketing plan
of burying everyone in MacIntoshes at the expense of the // family. Denying that
Apple, Inc. was pushing the MacIntosh and holding back the // family, she quoted
from Apple, Inc. CEO John Sculley's speech of the previous day where he stated
that "...Apple (Inc.) has not abandoned the Apple //." Now, my question is, if
Apple, Inc. is not abandoning the Apple // line, then why did he make this
disclaimer? Somehow he has gotten the word that there is a rumor to that effect
making the rounds out there. I shared with her the anger of many Apple // owners
with the Apple, Inc.'s marketing program and told her to please let someone at
the headquarters know that the folks who have supported Apple Inc. all these
years with their hard-earned bucks are mad, period. After a few more questions
from me and denials from her, I suggested that since Apple, Inc. has a software
company in Claris, why not let the Apple // line split off from the parent
company and do its own production, development and marketing? They could staff it
with dedicated Apple // employees who could be free to really produce and market
the // line. She didn't think that would work because the all the people at
Apple, Inc. are so "close." I don't think that Apple, Inc. would let the // line
go because, (1) it makes so much money for them (MacIntosh), (2) they couldn't
keep the lid on the Apple // line and (3) they fear the Apple // independence
might find a breakthrough and take away the market from MacIntosh. I then told
her that I thought that the Apple //c+ was a dog. It's just a //c with a built-in
3.5" drive. The memory is still set at 128k. Big deal. At my mention of the new
Laser 128EX/2, she twitched as if zapped by an electric shock. "No comment," she
mumbled. The new Laser 128EX/2 is going to provide real competition for the Apple
// line because it is a response to consumer demand, something Apple, Inc. has
forgotten.

Ph.D. (Piled higher and deeper)

In the business production section of the Apple, Inc. display, the only machine
in evidence was (surprise!) the MacIntosh. Is there a message there somewhere?
Looking for the ImageWriter LQ? Actually it should be named the ImageWriter NLQ,
'cause that's what it really is. Anyway, I nosed around the Apple, Inc. display
trying to track down this elusive beast. Not to be found anywhere. I asked one of
the folks about it and was informed that the LQ could be seen at the Claris
booth. Claris? Isn't that the software company? How come the only LQ on display
at AppleFest '88 was tucked away in the AppleWorksGS materials? Is Apple, Inc.
again sending out a marketing message of farewell? By the way, the only printers
in evidence in the Apple, Inc. display were the lasers. Hmmmm, more messages.
Speaking of AppleWorksGS, when is AppleWorks not AppleWorks? When it's
AppleWorksGS. The only similarity between AppleWorks and AppleWorksGS is the
name. AppleWorksGS is not AppleWorks. None of the AppleWorks enhancements will
work on it; it simply is not AppleWorks. It's a graphic program created by
StyleWare (MultiScribe) before Claris bought them out. My fear is that unknowing
customers who own GS machines will buy AppleWorksGS because of the success of
AppleWorks and they might think that they are actually getting a souped version
of AppleWorks. I also believe this is a calculated strategy by Apple, Inc. to
trade on that success to sell AppleWorksGS. The term "bait and switch" comes to
mind. Finally I got so sick of hearing about MacIntosh that I felt like going out
to MacVomit.


Apple, Inc. raises prices

The highly profitable company of Apple, Inc. has just decided to increase its
profit margin by again raising prices. What else in new? The increases range from
a low of 3% for the Apple //e to 25% for an ImageWriter school package. The
increases are not confined to the // series; one MacIntosh basic system was hiked
up 22%. Remember, this is the same company whose top executives this past summer
sold off large blocks of stock they owned. Whatinthehell is going on, anyway? If
the top execs sell their stock just prior to a price increase that will elevate
profits, it just doesn't make sense. Do they perhaps believe that sales will fall
and thus profits as well? Interesting.


Update? Obsolete?


I sometimes wonder what is going on with many of the software developers, besides
greed. They come out with a gee-whiz program with some weak points. Most people
like it and buy it. The next thing you know, here is version 1.1 and for "only"
$20.00 plus your old manual cover, you can get an updated version that corrected
the errors and omissions of the 1.0 version. I don't know about you, but I get an
uneasy feeling about all of this. Software ain't cheap. It seems to me that when
you spend your bucks for a program, it better be the final version, bug free and
ready to run. I would hope that in the testing process, the beta testers would
have had the consumer sensitivity to make the suggestions for changes in time for
final revision prior to marketing. But, there is more to it. Of the productivity
programs I've seen (VisiCalc, pfs, AppleWorks, etc.), most folks use about 10% of
what the program offers. Then, they turn around and buy the new version to
"solve" the problem they believe was created by the old version. Many times, the
old version will do all they really want to do if they just keep pushing the
program and read the manual frequently. A good example is the AppleWorks 1.3 vs
AppleWorks 2.0. For $50.00 you got the update. $50.00(!) for mail merge and a
couple of other things? Not only that, you had to upgrade the enhancements from
Beagle Bros and Applied Engineering as well since the old ones will not work on
AppleWorks 2.0. Now we have AppleWorks 2.1 and guess what? The Beagle Bros
TimeOut series older than version 2.0 will not work. Check out the prices of the
TimeOut series; it's a healthy investment.


Call for items


If you have any information about Apple, Inc. and its marketing manure, Apple //
and GS products, gripes, articles, reprints and anything that might be of
interest to our readers, please send it along. I'll give you credit or not, as
you wish. Also, any suggestions for improvement of The Road Apple will be
received, read and implemented or ash-canned at the whim of the editor. I really
do want to make this a better newsletter, but I'm not giving up on my editorial
bite on Apple, Inc.'s collective leg.


Word to the wise dept.

If you haven't read the September 26th issue of TIME, do yourself a favor and do
it. The article on computer viruses is one of the scariest I have ever read. The
computer virus is transmitted on pirated program disks, not data disks. Those who
use and share pirated software are vulnerable to the electronic disease. The
virus can be transmitted over phone lines as well as software and lurks in your
computer to someday come alive and mess up your whole system as well as any
programs you have used. The "word" is, don't use any pirated programs and don't
let anyone else use your computer. Caveat emptor.


Guest Editorial Comment by Eric Hollowell

Why Apple, Inc. Hurts Apple // Owners


I find nothing wrong with Apple Computer, Inc. [Apple hereafter] endeavoring to
make more profit by promoting Macs. Nevertheless, persecuting Apple // owners by
cutting competition towards Macs is unacceptable. The claim that Apple is
purposely oppressing Apple // owners may seem unbelievable, but it is true.
Employees of Apple, from the top down, have admitted to this. And, unfortunately,
this scheme does, superficially, inflate profits. The failures of Lisa and the
Apple /// have taught Apple to be meticulously cautious. Apple has done
everything it possibly could to make the Mac successful, including: third-party
support, unsurpassed care in development, and taking amazing lengths to defend
the Mac from competition. Apple assumed that, since the Apple // is best-selling,
the Apple // would be the Mac's main competition. Instead of learning from the
common knowledge that has been consistently proven--a joined union is more
favorable than one plagued by civil war--Apple made a mistake more disastrous
than the Lisa and ///: They decided to gradually oppress their ally dressed as
the enemy, the Apple //. If Apple hadn't been so ignorant, there would be no need
to publish this newsletter. But despite the use of the past tense in this
paragraph, Apple can again change its course and learn that it's more fun to
embrace than to fight. Apple undoubtedly has, by now, realized that it is not
only hurting its customers, but itself. It is marring the market that has the
most repeat business, the most stable income, and the largest income.


Sculley Says Apple // "Can Do Anything," thus It Can't Be Used in Business

Apple, Inc. CEO John Sculley was interviewed for the January, 1988 issue of
Computer Currents. Below is Scully's illogical statement, but then again, (the
reason for this newsletter) Apple is illogical.

...The major part of our effort in the last couple of years has been to refocus
the Apple // towards home/education. The Apple // is a general purpose [sic]
personal computer that you can do anything you want on--it's got 10,000
application programs. In the last couple of years we've refocused that and said
the great strength of the Apple // is in K through 12 education...That turned out
to be a very good, profitable business for us. The Macintosh we consequently
focussed almost exclusively as a business machine, knowing we also had a good
following in higher education with students. Now that we have gotten the
footholds into business, and we're being taken seriously so we don't have to go
through the front door--we are now saying let's extend Macintosh as a business
computer that can also do your...home office.

Why did they chose to limit the market so much for home/education? We know why
they have pursued home/education: They already had an established market for this
area. But why was it limited? The only reason seems to be that they don't want it
competing with the Macintosh. At this point, the capabilities of the Apple // in
education are well-defined. If they broadened the market for Apple //, the only
direction for income is up. The Mac no longer needs to be protected, as admitted
here by John Sculley. So why does Apple neglect and even abuse the Apple //?
There's no real reason; they're just lazy.

Eric Hollowell


Ed comment: Eric Hollowell owns a company called Software Solutions in San
Clemente, CA.


=====

Vol 1, #5

The Road Apple is printed and sent out every once in awhile from 1121 NE 177th,
Portland, OR 97230 (503) 254-3874 and I'm Al Martin.


Another one so soon?

Hey what in the hell is going on here, anyway? How come another one of these darn
Road Apples so soon? Well, I thought that Eric Hollowell's stuff was too good to
keep under my hat and I wanted to give you Apple II buffs a boost by telling you
about a historical text for Apple II users that is as good today (maybe even
better) as it was when it first came out way back in 1984, the year of "Big
Brother" and the second election of President Ronald Reagan. One of the joys of
having my very own newsletter is that nobody tells me when or what to print and
share, at least so far. Haven't heard from those darned Apple, Inc. lawyers yet.


inCider's Paul Statt
by Eric Hollowell


Paul Statt, the Senior Editor of inCider, devotes many of his columns to the
purpose of The Road Apple: Improve Apple, Inc.'s market philosophy. I theorize
that Claris' acquisition of StyleWare [see "Claris: Another Close Buddy" in this
issue] was influenced by a paragraph that Statt wrote in one of his columns. He
said, basically, that all of the programming genius is at StyleWare, not at
Claris. These quotes were taken from his Aug. '88 column.

"I'm sorry I missed the Apple breakfast Saturday at AppleFest, but I had nearly
gagged watching an Apple 'Knowledge Navigator' on videotape Friday and was still
ailing. I hear Barney Stone stood up and told Del Yocam, Apple's chief operating
officer, that Stone Edge has been making Apple II business software for ten years
and that he's sick of Apple's insistence that the II is a great computer for
school children only. "I'm sorry Apply piles the marketing manure so high it
can't see that grownups use Apple IIs. Apple TV commercials star smiling kids
playing educational games on Apple IIs and solemn yuppies doing desktop
publishing on Macs; Apple fixes educational discounts so that the IIGS is cheap
if you're a teacher in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, but expensive at MIT; and
Apple's 'Home Office' display at AppleFest was filled with Macs. "Apple...makes
mistakes--such as not encouraging Barney Stone to write DB Master Version 5
Professional for the IIGS (because it does everything nine out of ten
business people need) or Bill Basham to write Diversi-Tune (because professional
musicians might use it)...Great Apple II software gets written despite, not
because of, Apple Computer."


The Endless Apple: Read it and cheer

The Endless Apple is one of those little jewels of a book that came out at just
the right time with just the right stuff. The only problem is that it is now out
of print. Check with a local used book dealer; for an Apple II fan, it's really
worth the effort. The Endless Apple, by Charles Rubin, published by Microsoft
Press, originally sold for $15.95 and well worth it. I picked up three copies
just the other day at Powell's Books, 1005 W. Burnside, Portland, OR 97209, (503)
228-4651, for $7.95 each. They have a good supply, so you might want to order
one. The theme of the book is that Apple II computers were far ahead of their
time and that, I suspect, is why they are still so popular. The Apple II line is
kind of like the DC-3 of the computer business. The DC-3 was the plane that put
the airlines in business for real. Apple II computers put personal computers in
business for real. Both were (and are) solid, dependable, adaptable and still
chugging along doing the jobs they were designed for and some they weren't
designed for. No other plane has served as well as the DC-3 and no computer has
served as well as the Apple II. Rubin's book not only clearly describes the
features of the Apple II and available (at the time) peripherals, but also
captures the consumer oriented spirit of Apple, Inc. in those days. From the
book:

"In the marketplace where newer, bigger, or faster is often confused with better,
the Apple II has remained one of personal computing's greatest success stories
for nearly eight years. It has done so in competition with some of the most
formidable marketers and some of the cleverest engineers in the world, because
the Apple II has always had something no other computer had --- a personality.
When we speak of my Apple, we're talking about more than a mass of plastic,
metal, and silicon. We're talking about a device so approachable, obedient, and
flexible it becomes a part of our lives in a way we may never have thought
possible. "The Apple's personality --- that feeling of it being your computer ---
isn't even approached by other products. Maybe it's the Apple's flexibility that
makes us believe the Apple does what we want, not that we do what it wants. Or
maybe the Apple's personality comes from Apple Computer's attitude toward
personal computing: That it really can change the world, and that a computer
should be willing and flexible enough to be as much (or as little) a part of our
lives as we like, rather than dominate our desks like an oversized calculator.
"This personality is as much a part of the Apple II as any of its other
components. Yet unlike the computer's more physical aspects, its personality
cannot be overshadowed by the march of mere technological progress or dimmed with
the passing of years. This is why the Apple II has the most diverse and loyal
following of a computer that has ever been (or is ever likely to be) brought to
the market. "The many devoted users who jumped on the Apple II bandwagon from the
beginning have formed what is still the largest and finest assemblage of
microcomputer user groups in the world. They publish magazines. They hold
Apple-only product expositions. Many of them know the Apple II inside out, and
almost all are more than willing to share that knowledge with newcomers. Just
about anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, Apple users can get answers to
technical questions anytime, day or night... "This book is a celebration of the
Apple's utility, its approachability, and its limitless appeal. In these pages,
you'll learn why the Apple II has been the greatest microcomputer in the world,
and why it will continue as such well into the future. If you yearn for the
latest technological twist, you'll see how your Apple can give it to you. If you
want to expand your computing horizons, you'll see where your Apple can lead you.
And if you simply want to know just what makes this computer different from all
others, what makes the Apple II every bit as exciting now as it was in the dawn
of microcomputing, then this book is for you." Amen.


Claris: Another Close Buddy
by Eric Hollowell

Claris Corp, Apple Inc.'s software subsidiary, inherited the same philosophy that
Apple has: The Mac is better because, well, they don't know why the Mac is
better; Claris just wants to be cruel to itself. Until recently, AppleWorks 2.0
was Claris' only Apple II program. AppleWorks has been the Number Two program for
years, being outsold only by Lotus 1-2-3. And every December, AppleWorks fills
the No. 1 slot. But what's utterly amazing is that AppleWorks has had, until
recently, virtually no advertising. People buy it solely on the reputation it has
for being an excellent program. And it is an excellent program. The following
quotes are from the April, 1988 issue of A+ Magazine:

"...Here's what Claris' first press release has to say about the company's
mission: '...Claris was created for three primary reasons: to eliminate direct
competition between Apple-labeled software and third-party developers, to create
a substance software company dedicated primarily to Macintosh applications, and
to create a vehicle for bringing innovative Macintosh software to the market.'
"Of the many titles Claris is selling, AppleWorks is clearly the cash cow,
bringing in more than 50% of the fledgling company's revenues. Yet, of Claris'
118 employees, only 3 comprise the AppleWorks department. "These three employees
aren't the only ones at Claris with AppleWorks on their mind, though. The dozen
or so technical-support people are all schooled in the nuances of AppleWorks as
well as of the rest of the programs in Claris' product line."

Apparently, none of Claris' management can do simple mathematics. A+ calculated
(Apple II owners can count) that, based on retail values, $150 million have been
spent on AppleWorks. Estimating that, after direct costs and dealer discounts,
45% is profit for the publisher, Claris is ignoring obvious business knowledge
that it is excessively imbalanced in the ratio of income to research and
development.

Marketing

In March of this year, we witnessed the result of a decision: Claris realized--to
a small extent--what an extraordinary potential advertisements for AppleWorks
would have. An early conclusion of this decision is that Claris is becoming a bit
more diligent in its Apple II efforts. The first ad was an introduction to Claris
and AppleWorks and the second (the current one) is designed for low-end buyers
who know nothing about computers (like the Claris people). These advertisements
are obviously created by advertising agents, but not Apple II fans (perfect for
Claris). The headline of the current advertisement states, "Some Apple II Owners
Still Don't Have AppleWorks." There are two reasons this advertisement is
insulting. First of all, it implies that an Apple II is good only for the things
AppleWorks does. Second, it states, "Apple II Owners." If you look through the
"Apple II" magazines in which these ads are carried, you will never find the
words "Apple II" in any headline of any advertisement. "Apple II" is obviously
stated as a prejudiced and degrading phrase, the "majority" of Macintosh owners
over the "minority" of Apple II owners. Then in June, Claris bought StyleWare,
one of the last of the major Apple II-only publishers. GSWorks (to be renamed to
AppleWorks GS) and MultiScribe GS (and possibly MulitScribe for the IIe and IIc)
will be marketed by Claris, adding to their current Apple II product line of
AppleWorks Classic and AppleWorks/Network. Everything that comes from Apple, Inc.
(or Claris) has to have something that's bad, and this is not an exception. We
lost some good programmers and faithful administrators. Take a long-shot guess at
what Claris is having the Apple II people do, now that it owns them. They're
working on Mac software. To make matters worse, that software is probably
AppleWorks Macintosh. When their Mac software can do what their Apple II products
do, Claris will probably be even more biased against the Apple II. The Mac is no
better than the Apple II. Apple, Inc. wouldn't allow the Apple IIGS to be built
much faster and with megabytes of RAM. Some dedicated Apple II people are
dedicated enough to buy enhancements even though Apple II people are continually
oppressed.

Direct Talk

O.K., Claris, now's your chance. You can easily become one of the most profitable
software companies; just do what publications like inCider and A+ and others
(like The Road Apple) suggest. Become a dedicated Apple II (as well as Mac)
company and try to work around the brainwash Apple, Inc. has installed; the Mac
is not better than the Apple II. Experts agree that, theoretically, an Apple II
is essentially just as powerful as a Cray Supercomputer, only slower. Software is
really what decides how powerful a computer is. You have the capability of not
only making the Apple II a more powerful computer, but also to make your income
more powerful. Those magazine editors know the industry; they're trying to use
their knowledge to help you and your customers. Claris, however, you are
beginning to show signs of improvement. The industry thanks you for the new
versions of AppleWorks you have released. As everyone agrees, the technical
support is excellent. Although rather slow, you're on the right track.

ed note: As reported in the last issue of The Road Apple, the idea of an Apple II
stand-alone division, like the Claris software division, as a part of Apple, Inc.
was suggested to the highest level Apple, Inc. rep at AppleFest '88 by yours
truly. You recall, I hope, her answer (sigh).

=====

Vol 1, #6

Editor's note: This file of The Road Apple is supplied as a service to Apple II
users. The text is in rough draft form and unedited for the most part. Some of
it was created using AppleWorks word processing and some imported from ASCII text
files directly without removing the extra returns.

For further information about The Road Apple contact:

Al Martin, Editor
The Road Apple
1121 NE 177th
Portland, OR 97230
(503) 254-3874

A sample edition is free, subscriptions are $9.95 for six issues delivered within
the U.S. Outside the U.S., the rate is $12.95 for six issues. Satisfaction
guaranteed or the balance of your subscription refunded, no questions asked.

"Semper Apple II"

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The Road Apple, vol. 1, no. 6


Road Apple now uses Publish It! 2.0

After seeing the newest version of Publish It! at AppleFest in San Francisco, I
could hardly wait for the release. The rep from TimeWorks "promised" me that it
would be out in October. Hah! I ordered my copy from my supplier, Educational
Resources, about September 20th. I was informed that it "should" be out "before"
the end of October. More calls to my supplier and to TimeWorks. I was finally
able to place the order just before Thanksgiving and left instructions to have it
shipped UPS Blue Label Air for soonest delivery. It arrived December 1st. As is
my style, I didn't even bother messing around with the new documentation; I just
plunged in. My first reaction is that the new version is a vast improvement over
the old, which was far and away the best Apple II desktop publishing program
around. One of the best features of the new version is that you can now take
advantage of your expanded memory card vs. a limit of 128k vs. version 1.0.
Another advantage is that graphics can be resized in the document as demonstrated
here. Another nice feature is the "Status" notice that tells you how many objects
(memory) you have used and how many (much) are available. After I've had a chance
to really work with Publish It! 2, I'll do a comprehensive evaluation in a future
issue. I must warn you that I have been favorable impressed with Publish It! for
some time so I'm going to be biased because the product works so well for me.

The Hacker
Condensed from "NorthEastern Ohio Apple Bits"
courtesy of Carol Baskovitch

What is a "Computer Hacker?" Is he/she a person that sits and dials number after
number on his/her modem trying to connect with the local bank so that he can add
$5000.00 to his checking account, or 5000 points to his grade point average at
the local community college? No, a computer hacker is one that sits in front of
his computer late into the night, programming new ideas, changing existing
programming to make it more efficient, probing into the very 'brain' of the
patient to find out just what makes it tick, or sometimes, why it doesn't. It's
easy to recognize one, just watch the frown appear across his eyebrows when
things aren't going quite the way he expects, or watch him jump out of his seat
with a grin from ear to ear when they are going right! He's the guy or gal who
bought an Apple because "it was new and different," he's the one who has cursed
it softly and sung its praises five minutes later. He's the one who survived all
his sane friend's comments of "What are you gonna do with that thing," and "Can't
you find better things to waste your free time on," and who gradually tamed the
beast to serve a few of his human needs and do a few of his everyday tasks that
before he considered drudgery.

In the early days, his creativity was born from need. The abundance of software
as we know it today didn't exist. A job needed done, and the tools weren't
available to do it, so like the pioneers, or the Indians, EarlyAppleman (a
species almost extinct now) used what he had available, refined it, and matured
right along with it. He started with the Dos 3.2 system disk, graduated to Dos
3.3 when it came along and beamed with pride at the first successful BASIC
program he wrote. He ventured into machine language reading Beneath Apple DOS
like it was the latest best-seller from Dalton Books! Later he dabbled in Pascal,
browsed and tried his hand at a few C/PM programs and like the rest of those of
his time, first rejected and then turned full-circle to sing the praises of the
"new" improved ProDOS operating system. Along the way he destroyed and repaired a
few Disk ][ disk drives, made more than a few cables for himself and everyone
else he knew who needed them, burned a few ROM chips so that his friends could
see their names at the top of the monitor screen when they booted up their
new-fangled machines and paid for a few of his own peripherals with the proceeds
from this cottage-type basement business.

One of these "basement businesses" or maybe it should better be referred to as
the "garage industry," was the beginning of Apple Computer Inc. (the company, the
classic) itself. Furthermore, its co-founder, Steve Wozniak, was and still is one
of the most renowned "Hackers" of all time.

Where have all the hackers gone? You say there's not one in sight! Well look
around. The Apple II phenomenon that started back in Woz's garage has blossomed
into a multi-million dollar business, and with that blossoming has come a
multitude of sophisticated and refined material for the Apple that no longer
makes hacking as necessary as it once was. The hacker is being displaced and
overwhelmed by the "users" who didn't buy Apple computers just for the FUN (!) of
owning one. A hacker thought of his computer as his "toy" as a challenge, as a
vista to new frontiers. Today's user looks at it as an appliance, something to
get the job done; as a tool to handle the mailing list, write the checks, and
balance the checkbook with no thought to braving the unknown. "If the manual
doesn't say so, don't hit THAT key!"

As more and more of us become users, less and less hackers surface. The computer
once stood in the den or spare room and replaced many hobbies that were put aside
in favor of "taming the beast sitting there." But looking at advertising
campaigns and marketing research studies of today, "hobbyist" is a dirty word
standing next to the prestige of yuppies in three-piece suits with computers
sitting on their desks, many times only as status symbols in a "computerized
society".

Hackers gave the computer industry its start, and many of the medium sized and
large corporations that flourish today, do so because of their efforts. Apple
(the company) is, of course, one example of this sudden growth, and even their
growth has not been easy and smooth. Trying to impose conventional business
practice and wisdom on a company that has fondly been referred to as "Camp
Runamok" has been a battle. All battles have fatalities, and in Apple's case,
Steve Wozniak was one of them. But similar to the battlefield, leadership changes
hands, new strategies are planned and renewed fighting takes place. Apple
continues to plan new strategies, using weapons like the IIe, The IIc, the IIgs,
The Mac SE, and the Mac 2. Although not all of us always agree with their
strategies, we have to admit, looking back, that Apple has very seldom made bad
monetary decisions concerning Apple! They are not only pioneers in the computer
field but in the business world (starting with so little, growing so very
rapidly, and achieving such a high run on the corporate ladder of success).

Yes, hackers are dwindling because Apple insists on pitching the Mac SE and the
Mac Plus as THE machine and along with it a policy of, "Don't start with driving
lessons, just buy a car and drive 'cross country." That theory is fine as long as
the road is perfectly straight and you don't hit any lights or bad weather along
the way. But hills and mountains, traffic jams, and chuckholes do come up along
with regular maintenance and someone HAS to know how to "change the oil!"

Hackers aren't happy just clicking the mouse to open a folder, clicking again to
drop a picture into that folder and clicking a third time to Quit. They want to
know why that folder is there, and how they can get to it faster, and how they
can put 5 other folders into it. They want to know not only how to print that
letter, but how to print it in condensed print, with subscripts and foreign
characters on an Epson, Imagewriter, Okidata 192, AND Panasonic printer all from
Ram using a print buffer in 1/3 the time it SHOULD NORMALLY take.

In 1982 at the Applefest Computer Fair, Madison Avenue tycoons in three-piece
suits hawked the latest wares of the software manufactures for the Apple II+ (the
Apple IIe wasn't to be introduced till early '83). They sang the praises of
Xebec's new 5 Meg hard disk for less that $1500, speculated on a new 5 1/4" hard
disk system of 25 Megs and a remote operating system for the Apple which would
handle up to 127 remote Apples for under $500. They admired print buffers that
held a whooping 32K, plug-in boards that allowed them to run IBM software on
their Apples (yes, way back then), and hashed over the rumors that the next step
in Apple's micro evolution would be a 16-bit machine.

In 1987 at AppleFest-San Francisco, not too much looked awfully different from a
bird's eye view. The three-piece suiters were still there, this time with the
first big wave of software available for that 16-bit Apple that had been talked
about so much in '82 but had only reached the marketplace one year earlier in
September of 1986. The games were still in evidence as were the "home use"
utilities such as Print Shop and the standard educational wares, along with a
dozen slide show programs to show off the GS's new graphics, and stereophonic
amplifiers with ear blowing speakers to show off the Equsonic sound chip in the
GS.

Apple was still pushing the II series as basically a home and educational
computer. This in light of the fact that IBM's are replacing Apple's everyday in
the schools because IBM is very effectively campaigning, "Why train them on an
Apple when they're going to work on an IBM afterward!" The Mac - The Business
Computer, The Apple - The Home Computer, an astonishing way of presenting the
Apple when about a half million Macintosh's are being used in business, and over
one million Apples are in use in a business environment. Apple II's business
program, AppleWorks, has exceeded sales of any business oriented software for the
Mac and with Beagle Bros. new Timeout Series announced at the AppleFest, should
continue to hold that distinction for quite a while. An Apple II GS equipped with
a 20 Meg hard drive (a la Macintosh), AppleWorks, Timeout, plus 1 1/2Megs of
on-board memory (2 1/2 with a Ramfactor or Apple Memory card added) is a
combination that rivals any of its relatives or competition and can handle any
job they can do as well if not faster, better and with color and great sound at
the same time!

Yes, Apple II will survive and quite nicely...As the editor of A+ recently
pointed out, there are more homes and schools than there are corporations so even
if Apple, Inc. continues to turn its corporate back on business applications for
its machines, it will survive. People in business will continue to discover that
these power houses not only do everything they need to have done, but do it
faster, cheaper, and easier. They will come to realize that "PRO"DOS means
Professional Operating System, not Mysteriously-Stubborn operating system, the
main reason now that hackers employed where MS-DOS machines are used, bring their
work HOME to do. Apple will survive because hackers will buy that new GSX or
whatever comes next, just to see what it'll do! Apple will survive because 3rd
party companies will continue to upgrade Apple to the "best dressed kid on the
block" with peripherals like mega-memory boards, accelerators, battery backups,
and stereophonic symphony orchestras on a chip.

And hackers will survive too, because somebody out there has to be able to answer
the questions when a program doesn't run "quite" the way the manual says it
should or when you decide you want your Donald Duck K-100 printer to use
proportional print starting 22 spaces from the right margin and you want it in
Green! Someone has to fix the bugs in a program after it has been marketed and
virtually abandoned in favor of the next release. After all someone should know
how to replace the "fan belt" when it breaks too!

Ghost of Apple II past

It's interesting to see what's going on in the Apple world lately. First we had
Sculley doing his "we will not abandon the Apple II" litany at AppleFest '88 in
San Francisco. Why the lip service, John? Methinks thou dost mea culpa too much.
Afraid of the Decline and Fall of the Holy Macintosh Empire? Do you expect the
war-weary Apple II folks to rally around the Mac-flag and save the organization
from the Big Blue Horde? The Nov. '88 Open-Apple gave us a "gosh, ain't it grand
that dear old Apple, Inc. has 'rediscovered' the Apple II?" article. C'mon Tom,
Sculley was about as sincere and believable as voodoo economics. I was at
AppleFest and I know a smoke and mirrors show when I see one. All you had to do
was visit the Apple, Inc. (not Claris) booth to get a dose of reality. As with
dealers across the country, Macintosh is still the product of emphasis. But,
Apple, Inc. is hurting in the retail market and it's looking around for someone,
anyone, even Apple II users, to come to the rescue. Want to give an Apple, Inc.
rep the whim-whams? Just say the "L" word: Laser. Elsewhere, take note of the
Claris ads in the latest Apple II mags. AppleWorks (1.3, 2.0 and 2.1) are given a
dinky two-color blurb while on the facing page, AppleWorks GS is featured in full
color. Remember, AppleWorks GS ain't AppleWorks; only the name is the same. Also
Applied Engineering has announced that they make expansion modules for the
Macintosh. "But don't worry---we remain fully committed to the Apple II and have
no plans to reduce activities in the development of Apple II products." Say what?

Barney blasts Apple, Inc.

In the Spring '88 issue of Barney Stone's Database News, he took some real shots
at Apple, Inc. in the same vein as The Road Apple. Despite the protests to the
contrary from Sculley et al at AppleFest, Barney's comments still hold a lot of
water for those of us who have been collectively milked and then ignored by
Apple, Inc. I think we will continue to be more than skeptical until there is
some real support for us from Cupertino, corporate verbiage nothwithstanding.
From that publication and with permission are some of Barney's comments: "...who
would have guessed that people could get so emotional about an (Apple //)
computer! Really, there's no other appliance, toy, hobby, tool or anything else
in our lives that we react to quite like we react of our computers. Can you
imagine people starting separate user's groups for owners of...typewriters or
VCRs or radial arm saws?" Barney reports that Steve Gibson wrote in an earlier
issue of InfoWorld "...that 'Apple Computer exists today for a single and
increasingly shaky reason: the Macintosh's user interface.'..." Barney speculates
that perhaps Apple, Inc. "...encouraged InfoWorld to stop covering the Apple
//...it does fit with their 'Apple // is for kindergarten thru 8th grade'
marketing approach, doesn't it?" He continues that when the Macintosh was
introduced "'the computer for the rest of us,'" it was a simple no attached wires
all in one box and "...incredibly easy to use." As Stone states, the problem was
that corporate users didn't want a simple box for a computer and with their
mainframe mentality (do as WE dictate; conform) the current Macintosh was the
result, "...almost as complicated as...an MS-DOS computer." "...the point of all
of this (is)...the Apple // just keeps chugging along as one of the nicest
computers ever made...And now that the Macintosh has joined the world of
interconnectivity, Unix, multi-tasking and other big words that 'the rest of us'
never wanted to know, I propose that the good old Apple // has become the real
'computer for the rest of us.'"

My gripe: premature ads

Something that really makes my blood boil is seeing an ad in a magazine or watch
a product demonstrated that really isn't for sale. Why do the developers get the
consumers all juiced up about a new product or upgrade and then not make it
available for several weeks or months? A prime example of this is the Zip Chip.
Ads for this latest gee-whiz computer ad-on have been running for over a year. At
AppleFest '88 it was demoed like mad. I placed an order on September 20th and I'm
still waiting for it. It seems only fair that new and improved products should be
offered for sale only when they are really available or at least put a disclaimer
in the ad. ---Al Martin


SPEAKING OF APPLES ...

BY

DENNIS McCLAIN-FURMANSKI

Way back in the olden days of Apple computing, when the hot new
software said "Requires 48 K and One Disk Drive", a beagle by the name
of Sophie immortalized her entire species by lending it's name to a
new software company. These folks hit the market with the philosophy
that computing should be fun, useful, entertaining, fun, easy, educational, and fun.

Every couple of months, a new ad would appear with one or more
new products offered; and in the ad were short Apple programs that did
amazing things. For instance: "Daughter of Eyes", a play on words,
took a line of input and dotted all of the "I"'s; or "Super Card
File", not the ultra-mini database one might suppose, it drew a
Rolodex on the screen, which proceeded to rotate to accompanying sound
effects. And all cryptically coded so that you had to enter and run
them to see their purpose. Even the artwork was a collage of wonderful
weirdness, old fashioned pen and ink drawings presented with significant silliness.

Who was this Monty Python's Flying Circus of Software, and Who is
the non-interuptable masked man behind it all, that can elicit such a
string of adjectives and alliteration? I'm waxing metaphorical about
Beagle Brothers Micro Software, Inc. (est. 1980), and their founder, Bert Kersey.

Last September, inCider reported in their Apple Bits column that
the TimeOut series was selling so well for Beagle Bros., that they
sold off their entire inventory of Apple utilities. Being a devout
follower of Beagle goodies, I moaned "Oh, no, the end of an era", and
vowed to get to The Bottom Of This. (Note: it is not the sign of a
successful writer to talk to yourself in cliches. But I'm not, and I do).

When I first tried to contact Bert, I talked to a very nice
receptionist who told me that "Bert no longer works here, but I can
leave a message for him". At this point, paranoid fantasies of hostile
take-overs crossed my mind. Due to an intervening illness, I didn't
get back to him for a couple weeks. When I did, I got a different very
nice receptionist (I'll bet they all are) who said "Well, Bert doesn't
have regular office hours, but he does come in once a week to have
lunch with the programmers. Perhaps you can talk with him then". Ah,
much better. After running a software company for nine years, I think
I'd retire, let some manager run things, and stay home and play.
I called back on the appointed day, and the second very nice
receptionist transferred me right to Bert. I must tell you that I had
to summon up all my interviewing training from college, and psych
myself to sound somewhat professional. After all, this was A Hero!

Bert quickly dispelled my tension. I should have known he was a nice
guy. The following conversation ensued:

R.A.: I hope you don't mind if I ask you a couple of questions.

B.K.: Well, I'm waiting to go to lunch with some people, and if they
come, ... I'll just hang up on you. (laughs.)

R.A.: Fair enough. From all of your ads and software over the years,
it's pretty apparent that computers and the computer business has been
a lot of fun for you. Is it still a lot of fun?

B.K.: Oh, yes. I'm having loads of fun.

R.A.: Our magazine was started because of the marketing policy of
Apple Computer Inc. that pushed the Mac over the Apple II. Have you
noticed any cases of this happening?

B.K.: Well, not other than the obvious, I guess.

R.A.: From the software part of the business, where would you say the
most business is being done, the Mac end, or the Apple II end?

B.K.: Oh, definitely the Mac end. Look at the magazines. The Mac
magazines are big and healthy looking, and the Apple magazines are...
small and healthy looking. There's much more being done on the Mac
side.

R.A.: What would you attribute this to? Is it the fact that Mac owners
are willing to pay more for their software, since they own more
expensive machines?

(This is an interviewing no-no known as a leading question. It usually
happens when an interviewer gets too big for his britches, and usually
results in an answer like this-)

B.K.: Well, yeah, that sounds as logical as any answer, I guess.
(There goes my Pulitzer.)

R.A.: It's been rumored that your company has sold off its line of
Apple II utilities. Is this true?

B.K.: No, that's not true at all. We still have our entire line
available. As a matter of fact, we've cut the price on some of our
utilities about in half. So no, that's not true.

R.A.: Well that's good to hear. Would you have any encouragement for
Apple II owners who've been feeling neglected? Anything to let them
know that they're not being orphaned?

B.K.: Well, I have both machines. I have an Apple and a Mac. I like
them both fine, and I think Apple is fully supporting of both of them.
It's just that it's run like two different companies. You know, I've
said for a long time, ever since the Mac came out, that one day they
would become the same machine. Someday they'll converge and be the
same thing. And I still say that.

So there you have it; the straight opinions of what the big
magazines call "An Industry Leader". I suspect that the way Apple
Computer, Inc. treats the end users and the way they treat the
software publisher that helped make the company what it is, are two
very different things. I also suspect that the way they treat the
software people is closer to what the company is really up to.

But rather than speculate on this and other things, perhaps we can
just look at the direction of someone whose business has grown up
right along side of Apple. If he says we shouldn't worry so much about
becoming neglected, maybe we can rest a little easier.

For the interview, and for the lesson "You ought to be having
FUN!", thank you, Bert Kersey.


Random Access Memory Lane for August 1988 by Clark Hugh Stiles

:Appleworks Loses Files:


A fellow member, John Lemke, had a big database file he'd produced in Appleworks
containing customer information for his business. After a save he was unable to
load it. When he asked me I told him that it might be a corrupt header problem,
but that he could get the actual data back by loading the file into the word
processor. To do this it is necessary to select the option 1 (Add Files to the
Desktop), option 3 (Make a new file for the Word Processor), and option 2 (From
an ASCII Text file), then specify the ADB file as the TXT file, since Appleworks
never checks the actual filetype. That would recover his data, but it gets more
difficult from there.

I just found what could be the solution for the original file. In Open-Apple for
February 1988, a reader wrote that the byte in the database file header that
tells the program how many report formats are specified (labels or tables in
however many configurations John may have set up) can get corrupted and this
means that Appleworks tries to find more report formats than actually exist. I
knew I'd read this somewhere.

To check this value, get into Basic.System and do this:

BLOAD DATABASE,TADB,A768,L1,B38
PRINT PEEK(768)

This loads just that one byte into memory and peeks the value. If this results
in the wrong figure (for example, if it says "15" and you know you've never set
up report formats), poke in the correct value (where X is the number):

POKE 768,X

and do this:

BSAVE DATABASE,TADB,A768,L1,B38

Now -Appleworks and try to load that corrupted puppy.

:Stealing Code:

The ultimate memory lane... yes, this month I will give you the machine language
for a handy SYS file. This program displays a message on the screen indicating
that you should insert a disk in the drive to be booted and press a key. Pretty
easy stuff, eh? It is a short routine, so get typing. The text is printed using
a routine in the Beagle Bros "ProByter" manual, so that is stolen. The disk
eject routine in the newly upgraded Eject.Boot.5 was written by Randy Brandt and
published in Incider, although there was a similar routine in Open-Apple which
could be used. This eject routine absolutely should not be used if you have
old-ROM versions of Apple's SCSI hard drive controller card, so go get the new
ROMs if you want to use this program. The disk ejects from drive 1, slot 5 (the
Apple 3.5 for you GS owners), the message gets displayed, and all you have to do
is put the ejected disk away and put in the disk to be booted. In short, the
disk eject routine is also stolen.

I did write the "Insert disk..." message.

The other portions of the routine jump (two are JSR, for Jump to SubRoutine, the
remaining one is a JMP) to ROM locations. The first such points to the 80-column
card location, but this does not seem to work on my machine. The second points
to the routine that waits for any keypress. The third points to the appropriate
disk drive controller. With very little imagination you can adapt this program
for the first drives in other slots, and the disk ejector will do the job on any
Smartport or Unidisk 3.5" device.

A new feature of these programs is the ability to cancel the boot. If you press
the escape key when the "Insert disk..." prompt comes on screen, you'll be back
in the quit code, such as Apple's own "ENTER PREFIX", Squirt, Bird's Better Bye,
Select.System, or ProSel. I wrote the routine to interpret the keypress, with
help from Roger Wagner's book "Assembly Lines" and from Grapple's own Brian
Patrie, but the quit code call is stolen almost verbatim from a letter to
Open-Apple.

The reasons for this routine are to escape from the current selector, whether it
is ProSel, Squirt, Bird's Better Bye, etc, AND to exit to another operating
system, such as going to Dos 3.3, ProDOS 8, or ProDOS 16. Sometimes ProDOS seems
to be corrupted, and it is very elegant to be able to just point 'n' click, hit a
Squirt key, or run the inverse cursor box up and down. I know it seems easier to
hit Open-Apple-Control-Reset, but COME ON...

Now the easy part. Type just what you see (no jumping back to the "]" prompt)

CALL-151

2000:20 0D C5
2003:04
2004:59 20
2006:8D 58 20
2009:20 00 C3
200C:A0 00
200E:B9 30 20
2011:20 ED FD
2014:C8
2015:C0 28
2017:D0 F5
2019:20 0C FD
201C:C9 9B
201E:D0 06
2020:20 00 BF
2023:65 29 20
2026:4C 00 C5
2029:04 00 00 00 00 00 00
2030:C9 EE F3 E5 F2 F4
2036:A0 E4 E9 F3 EB
203B:A0 F4 EF
203E:A0 E2 E5
2041:A0 E2 EF EF F4 E5 E4
2048:A0 E1 EE E4
204C:A0 F0 F2 E5 F3 F3
2052:A0 E1
2054:A0 EB E5 F9
2058:00
2059:03
205A:01
205B:10 03
205D:04 00 00
2000L
CREATE EJECT.BOOT.5,TSYS
BSAVE EJECT.BOOT.5,TSYS,A$2000,L$61
2000<2009.2057M
2006:27
201B:20
2000L
CREATE NEW.BOOT.5,TSYS
BSAVE NEW.BOOT.5,TSYS,A$2000,L$4F
201F:C6
2000L
CREATE NEW.BOOT.6,TSYS
BSAVE NEW.BOOT.6,TSYS,A$2000,L$4F
3D0G

Okay, you can stop typing. I would suggest strongly that you type this into
Appleworks and print to an Ascii text file (or just use Freewriter), then when
you return to Basic.System you can EXEC Boot.writer, or whatever you call your
word processing TXT file. Using a word processor, you can scroll back and forth
to proofread, correct, and all that kind of thing.

Lines 2000-2004 do the disk eject. Lines 2006-2017 print the message. Lines
2019-201E jump (like a GOSUB in Applesoft) to the get-a-keypress routine in ROM,
check for an Escape keypress, and if not found jumps (like GOTO) to 2026. Lines
2020-2023 perform the QUIT (like a BYE in Basic.System). Line 2029 contains the
data for the QUIT routine (notice the 29 20 in line 2023? That means "look for
the parameters in memory location 2029). Lines 2030-2054 contain the message
that gets displayed (notice the 30 20 in line 200E). Lines 2058-205D contain the
data for the disk eject (notice the 59 20 in 2004 for the data and the 58 20 in
line 2006 for the error code).

After all the code is entered we CREATE the first file, BSAVE the stuff we've
entered, and then begin to alter the code. The first thing we do is a memory
move, which eliminates the disk eject routine (for those who have disks that do
not eject, don't want to risk formatting their SCSI hard disk, or who just don't
need this capability all the time), and a change to a few of the pointers
mentioned in the preceding paragraph.

We CREATE and BSAVE that file, then put in the patch for slot six booting and
CREATE and BSAVE that version. For those who have their 3.5" drives in a
different slot and want the ejecting version, change line 2026 to read 42 00 C#,
where # represents the slot you want to boot, for example 4C 00 C7 for slot
seven.

Portions of the preceding programs were shamelessly stolen as noted. There is no
relationship between these programs and those of the same type on Glen Bredon's
ProSel package. In fact, if I may be so bold, the above programs are much
better. When you steal, steal only the best, and don't try to cover it up. Out.

Where do I go from here?

The Road Apple began with a dozen or so mailings last spring. This issue, number
6, will be sent to about 90 people. A number of people have responded to my
invitation for donations of checks or US stamps. Still, at 90 issues the
financial burden is a bit much for this little hobby of mine. There are, as
always, a number of options from which I can choose. I could just continue with
gratis copies to anyone who is interested and suck up the costs. I could cut the
number of issues to just those who have responded with a letter or donations. I
could establish a subscription price to cover costs. Or, I could just bag the
whole project. There are a couple of choices I have rejected. I will not quit The
Road Apple and I simply cannot continue to support the newsletter out of my own
pocket entirely. Which brings me to the choice of charging a subscription price
to cover costs.

That decision opens up a whole box of obligations on my part. First, The Road
Apple must offer something of value to the readers. It simply cannot continue to
be a forum whereby I vent my feelings about Apple, Inc., no matter how widely
held by others they may be. Second, The Road Apple must be timely. Reading about
something that's been around for some time is a lesson in history, not news.
Third, there must be an expressed warranty of customer satisfaction. With all of
this in mind, I offer the following for your consideration:

The Road Apple will be published at least 6 times a year. It will offer opinions,
editorials, product reviews, hints, tips, articles, reprints, and programming
ideas. It will be responsive to readers' needs. It will be devoted to Apple //
and GS products and will resist the Macintosh marketing manure of Apple, Inc.
Evaluations will be free of the halo effect of advertisers, since I don't have
any. The price will be $9.95 per year delivered to your address in the US.
Delivery outside the US will be $12.95 per year. Satisfaction is guaranteed, or
the balance of your subscription cost is refunded, no questions asked. Those of
your who have contributed already will have their accounts credited with their
donations. Subscriptions will be exchanged with user groups so interested. This
decision is not taken lightly nor alone. I have been encouraged by a number of
"movers and shakers" in the business to expand The Road Apple. If you have any
thoughts, ideas or suggestions, please let me know.

---Al Martin