\A2 News and Notes
November, 2004

INDEX
  
* KansasFest Venue Change
* CFFA Availability
* Software News
* Networking Apple II's
* Emulation News
* SignOff


-- Avila University, the "home" of the Apple II mecca KansasFest, has 
decided that they will no longer rent their facilities to any outside 
organization for use.  In order to continue the fine tradition of 
KansasFest, the event has been moved to a new location--Rockhurst 
University, located within 10 miles of the Avila site.  Apple II Advance 
Scouts state that the facilities appear to be more modern than what 
KFesters have become used to, with all the amenities we've come to expect.  
Reports on the quality of the cafeteria food are still pending, however.  
More information about the move can be found at the Official KFest 
website:  http://www.kfest.org/


-- Rich Dreher has begun to take orders for the 3rd run of his popular 
Compact Flash for Apple II card.  Able to use either a CF card or act as 
an IDE drive interface, this card brings current storage technology to any 
slotted Apple II.  Mr. Dreher says that shipping should begin in the early 
part of December.  For price and ordering information, please visit:  
http://spudboy.dreher.net/CFforAppleII


--Several Apple II or Apple II-related software titles were announced as 
either updated or new:
 
 - Ryan Suenaga has released updates of his Marinetti-compatible NDA's.  
MyIP.NDA,and TheirIP.NDA, check and report the user's and a distant 
computer's IP numbers, while MailChecker.NDA reports if there's mail 
waiting on a POP-3 compliant mail server.  These new versions are 
bug-fixes and have been uploaded http://lamp.a2central.com/ryans_software

 - Eric Shepherd has released an update to his DiskMaker program to 
version 1.4.  This version fixes several bugs including a problem 
recognizing disk image formats based on the filename extensions, and adds 
support for creating disks from .po format image.  The program runs on an 
Apple IIGS

Finally out of Beta, Shepherd also announced SideClick 1.0 is now 
available.  Originally conceived as a "HackFest" entry at the 2004 KFest, 
SideClick is a contextual menu manager for GS/OS.  Once the user has 
installed SideClick, applications, inits, and other programs can easily 
add items to a contextual menu that's reached by control-clicking on the 
screen, or by right-clicking if you have a two-button mouse. SideClick is 
freeware.  More information as well as downloading instructions can be 
found at:  http://www.syndicomm.com/products/sideclick/

 - Andy McFadden's popular CiderPress software has been upgraded to 
version 2.1.0.  This new version now allows a user to transfer old Apple 
II files stored on cassette tapes to transfer them via .wav files to an 
Apple II emulator as programs.  It has an AWGS or Teach file-to-RTF 
function, can change PrintShop graphics to button icons, and handles 
monitor disassembly code.  This version also contains several bug-fixes. 
Additional information as well as cost and downloading information can be 
found at:  http://www.faddensoft.com/ciderpress/


-- Apple II Networking

 -TCPSER is a utility that turns a PC/workstation Serial port into an 
emulated Hayes-compatible modem, with the phone connection replaced by 
TCP/IP.  TCPSER is being used by a number of folks to bring up vintage 
"telnet" BBS systems on older 8-bit computing platforms.  The program is 
available at:  http://www.jbrain.com/pub/linux/serial/

 -Michael McMahon's NadaNet continues to evolve and show that 8-bit Apple 
II's can be successfully networked together.  His new version contains 
software that recognizes ampersand commands, runs under different Apple 
DOS systems, and includes some useful utilities and applications.  More 
information on NadaNet can be found at:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/


-- Emulation News

Several announcements were made concerning upgrades to current Apple II 
emulation products:

 - Gerard Putter has released an updated version of his 8-bit Apple II 
emulator, Virtual ][.  Running under Mac OS X, version 3.3 includes sound 
files of the Apple II disk drive running, as well as the sound of the 
ImageWriter II when files are printing.  The new version can be found at: 
http://www.xs4all.nl/~gp/VirtualII/

 - Emulation users wishing to burn disk images to a CD-ROM may be 
interested in the files and instructions released by Scott Alfter.  The 
program will generate ProDOS and HFS partition tables needed to transfer 
the volume image to the CD.  More information can be found at:  
http://alfter.us/a2soft.shtml


* Sign Off
            
A2 News and Notes is produced with real or emulated Apple II computers 
using AppleWorks 5.1.  Apple II Forever!

A2 News and Notes is (C) copyright 2004 by Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W. and 
edited by Howard Katz.  All rights reserved.

Opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not 
necessarily represent the opinions of the copyright holder and publisher. 
The publisher does not guarantee the accuracy or suitability of any 
information included herein.  We reserve the right to edit all letters and 
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Material published in this edition may be reprinted free of charge 
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