A2 News and Notes January, 2006

INDEX
* Old Hardware Made New
* Funny Looking Apple II Information?
* Apple II View
* Software News
* Emulation News
* SignOff 


-- GSE-Reactive have announced the release of several new items in their 
catalog of products to help Apple II users keep their machines productive, 
longer.

 - If you're a IIGS user, check out their 200-watt power supply for your 
machine.  The supply incorporates built-in fans, and will power even the 
most heavily-populated motherboard.  A //e version has been promised for 
release in the near future.

 - If you've got a "peecee" floppy disk drive laying around unused, why 
not make it understand Apple II?  GSE-Reactive is offering a BlueDisk 
kit which will allow you to plug that drive into a //e or a GS.

 - And once you have that up and running, it's time to hear your favorite 
Apple II game (well, if it has sound that is.)  A Mockingboard clone kit 
is also available, as well as an optional speech synthesizer chip.

 - Need to speed up your GS to run all of those extra cards you've now got 
from them?  GSE-Reactive are also offering updated GALS, oscillators,  
cache, cables and other items necessary to boost the speed of your 
TransWarp GS.

More information on these items can be found at: 
http://www.gse-reactive.com/cre/all_products.php


-- Having trouble understanding computer jargon in magazines?  If you do, 
and you don't read or write Kanji, you might want to skip 
CALL-A.P.P.L.E.'s newest announced product--their magazine will be 
available in Japanese.  Editor Bill Martens lived for several years in 
Japan, and knows that there's still an Apple II following over there.  
Projections are for the Japanese version to be available on or about Feb. 
15th.  For more information, visit their website at:  
http://www.callapple.org/


-- Have you ever wanted a larger display for your Apple II?  Have you 
wanted something that would impress your friends and neighbors? Well, if 
your soldering skills are up to it, now you can!  Using a 81x34.5 piece of 
1/4" plexiglass, a Comp.Sys.Apple2 regular going by the name of "logjam" 
has constructed a display out of more than 19,000 LEDs, and is currently 
working on the driver software necessary to use this with his computer.  
Marble Madness will never be the same. For a view of his handiwork on a 
graphics-capable computer, go to 
http://www.stockly.com/images2/060129-LED_Display_Front_2718.jpg for a 
front view, and 
http://www.stockly.com/images2/060129-LED_Display_Back_2716.jpg for the 
backside.


 --Software News

  - Mark Percival's DiskMaker 8, described here last month, has already 
been upgraded to version 1.1.  The new version now offers faster 5.25" 
disk formatting, the  ability to boot from the newly-created disk when 
it's finished writing, and now has support for DOS 3.3 volume numbers.  
More information and the program itself can be found at:  
http://www.syndicomm.com/~mark/DM8/

  - Two new tools have been released to allow Semi-Virtual Disk users to 
write PO, DO, and NIB file formats.  These tools are automatically 
recognized by the program, so no new Control program is need.  More 
information can be found at:  http://www.rothfus.com/SVD/update.php

  - If you've ever wanted to capture images off your Apple's HGR screen, a 
new utility will now give you this option.   The BitMap Shape capture 
system  was written by Richard Jackson and can be downloaded from 
http://rich12345.tripod.com/bse/  The website also contains examples and 
instructions for the program's use

     - The graphics programming library program GTE: The Generic Tile 
Engine for the IIGS has been released for public review and testing.  This 
program allows the user to design games similar to early Gameboy and 
nintendo boxes.  Information and download instructions can be found at:  
http://iigs.dreamhost.com/gte/gte.html 

    -  CiderPress has been updated to version 2.3.2.  CiderPress allows an 
Apple II user to manage Apple II files on a Windows machine, including 
ShrinkIt archives, disk images, and text or graphic conversions.  More 
information can be found at: 
http://www.faddensoft.com/ciderpress/index.htm

 -  Everyone's favorite Apple II game Silvern Castle has been upgraded 
again! New spells, more monsters, and more fun are available in version 
9.1, downloadable at:  http://www.syndicomm.com/~finksterj/SilvernCastle/



 --Emulation News

   - Gerald Putter has updated the Mac OS X Apple II emulator Virtual ][ 
to version 5.0. This new version includes a few new features for OS X 
users, as well as bug fixes.  Download and information links can be found 
at:  http://www.xs4all.nl/~gp/VirtualII/

  - AppleWin, the Apple II emulator for Windows has been upgraded to 
version 1.12.7.2 by Tom Charlesworth contains a major bug fix, and 
includes some new features such as an experimental RamWorks III support, 
the ability to use Shift+Insert to paste from the clipboard during 
emulation, updated help files and more.  It can be downloaded at: 
http://www.tomcharlesworth.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/AppleWin.1.12.7.2.zip




* 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 2006 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
copy.

Material published in this edition may be reprinted free of charge
anywhere provided this copyright notice is included.

