A2 News and Notes
October 2000

INDEX

* ByteWorks CDs to be a reality
* LANceGS News
** New LANceGS driver reaches beta
** LANceGS groupbuy part 3
* Juiced.GS October 2000 ships
* A2Central.com News
** A2Central.com obtains license to distribute Apple System Software
** A2Central.com garage sale
** A2Central.com Starter Disks
** A2Central.com Status
* Shareware Solutions II News
** Spectrum Upgrade Pricing Announced
** No new SIS. . . yet
* Shipwrecked! in Australia
* Silvern Castle 5.2 available Now; 6.0 to come soon
* Lost Classics keeps rolling
** DiversiTune reclassified
** Pangea's Apple II titles reclassified
* New Brutal Deluxe web site

* ByteWorks CDs to be a reality

Mike Westerfield of ByteWorks announced on Delphi that not only will
there be a ByteWorks CD, there'll be two ByteWorks CDs.  One will
include all of the ByteWorks products that can be included, with manuals
in electronic format; the other will include source code for everything
on the first CD.  Cost will be $95 each.  This is one of the most
exciting product announcements in years.  Keep an eye on
http://www.byteworks.org/ for updates.

* LANceGS News

Several news items related to ///SHH Systeme's LANceGS network interface
card:

** New LANceGS driver reaches beta

A new driver for the LANceGS is currently in beta testing.  Unlike the
previous driver, this one allows the use of a router, which makes it
more practical for use with fast Internet connections such as cable
modems or digital subscriber lines (DSL).  So far, results have been
very good.  Keep watching Delphi A2 for updates (at least until
A2Central.com's message board areas are up and running).

** LANceGS groupbuy part 3

In a related development, A2Central.com is sponsoring a third group
purchase of LANceGS cards.  Cost is estimated to be $155 per card
including shipping in the United States of America.  See
http://www.a2central.com/ for details and email groupbuy@a2central.com
if interested.

* Juiced.GS October 2000 ships

The October 2000 edition of Juiced.GS, the premier Apple IIgs specific
newsletter is now in the hands of subscribers.  In this issue is KFest
coverage--lots of it, as well as a few other articles on the hot new
IIgs educational game Lemonade Stand GS and Bernie ][ The Rescue.  For
more information, see http://www.wbwip.com/juiced.gs/

* A2Central.com News

Lots of A2Central.com news this month.

** A2Central.com obtains license to distribute Apple System Software

Eric Shepherd of A2Central.com announced that the popular Apple II
website now has a license to distribute Apple System Software, including
Apple IIgs System 6.0.1, HyperCard GS 1.1, and a few other products. 
The disks are now available for download in both DiskCopy image Stuffit
archives and Shrinkit disk archives.  Finally, Apple II usable versions
of Apple System Software is again available legally on the Internet. 
See http://www.a2central.com/ for details or to order via regular mail
or ftp://ftp.a2central.com/ to download.

** A2Central.com Starter Disks

In a related development, A2Central.com is also offering modem starter
disks for sale.  At a meager $2 apiece for the IIe, IIc, or IIgs, these
self booting disks include Modem MGR modem software (reclassifed as
freeware, a former commercial product) as well as utilities such as
Shrinkit (GS Shrinkit for Apple IIgs users) and BSCit.  Again, see
http://www.a2central.com/ for details.

** A2Central.com garage sale

A2Central.com (there's that name again) is currently clearing out the
garages of well known Apple II celebrities Roger Wagner and Eric
Shepherd.  Currently for sale at bargain prices are the ComputerEyes GS
still video capture card, HyperStudio Quick Course, and the A2-Central
(not A2Central.com) Font Collection.  Check out their Kagi order page at
http://order.kagi.com/cgi-bin/r1.cgi?2QP&& for more information.

** A2Central.com Status

As the November 1 date when Delphi's text access is no longer supported
loomed near, A2Central.com's Eric Shepherd posted a status report to
update Apple II users eager to be a part of the coming "by Apple II
users for Apple II users" text accessible service.  See
http://www.a2central.com/features/2000-10/30-a2central/index.html for
the low down straight from the man himself.

* Shareware Solutions II News

A couple of small SSII news items.

** Spectrum Upgrade Pricing Announced

After a bit of confusion, Shareware Solutions II announced pricing for
the new Spectrum 2.4.

    * v1.0-=>v2.4 upgrade $25
    * v2.0-=>v2.4 upgrade $20
    * v2.1-=>v2.4 upgrade $20
    * v2.2-=>v2.4 upgrade $5
    * v2.3-=>v2.4 upgrade $5
    * New/Full floppy version v2.4 $35
    * New/Full CD version v2.4 $35
  Outside U.S.: Add $3.50 shipping for either upgrade; $5.00
  for full version.

Upgraders will need to provide proof of purchase.  See
http://users.foxvalley.net/~joko/spectrum.html for the various upgrade
and payment options.

** No new SIS. . . yet

In a related note, Spectrum Internet Suite author Geoff Weiss announced
that testing of a new version of SIS that uses TCP/IP connections
directly has shown that it is not much more reliable than the current
version with his alpha TCP/IP library.  What this means is that there
will not be a new version available as soon as was previously thought.

* Shipwrecked! in Australia

Australian Kim Howe, who is currently working on the IIgs web browser
known as Arachnid, has released his first shareware game, Shipwrecked! 
Shipwrecked! runs under HyperCard GS.  Check
http://www.omninet.net.au/~khowe/shipwrecked.html for details and help
to support a budding Apple II programmer.

* Silvern Castle 5.2 available Now; 6.0 to come soon

Jeff Fink has made version 5.2 of Silvern Castle available, with a few
fixes and changes as well as its new freeware designation.  The popular
text based adventure will be upgraded to version 6.0 in the very near
future.

* Lost Classics keeps rolling

Couple of more hits for the gang at Lost Classics.

** DiversiTune reclassified

Howard Katz, director of Lost Classics, announced that Bill Basham has
reclassified DiversiTune for the IIgs as freeware.  It is now available
for download in the Delphi A2 database and better Apple II ftp sites
Internet wide.

** Pangea's Apple II titles reclassified

Katz also announced that Pangea Software, a successful Macintosh game
company, has released its Apple II games as freeware.  This includes the
formerly commercial Xenocide as well as their former shareware titles
such as Senseless Violence, Grackle, Copy Killers, Cosmocade, and
Orbizone.  Lost Classics is still in the process of making these
available.  Thanks guys!

* New Brutal Deluxe web site

Finally, the French Apple IIgs programming duo known as Brutal Deluxe
has resurfaced with a new site on the World Wide Web.  See
http://www.brutal-deluxe.net/ for their new location.

* Sign Off

A2 News and Notes is produced with real or emulated Apple II computers
using Appleworks 5.1 and Hermes with the occasional assist from ProTERM
Mac on the Macintosh.  Apple II Forever!

A2 News and Notes is (c) copyright 2000 by Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W.  All
rights reserved.

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