A2 News and Notes February, 2006

INDEX
* Old Hardware Made New
* Easy to be Bugged
* Compact Storage
* Early AppleSoft
* Apple On A Card
* Wonderful Wiki
* 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:

 - Itching to speed up your SuperSerial Card?  Want to show people blazing 
speed?  Then check out the new Turbo ASB adapter.  Designed to replace the 
SSCs serial chip, there are promises that the card may fit other 
compatible cards, such as the Applied Engineering SerialPro.  Testing on 
the latter is currently underway.

 - //e and ][+ users looking for more amperage should check out their 
replacement power supply - if you have all your slots loaded, then more 
power is for you.  The PS includes a built-in fan to help keep it cool.

 - If your GS isn't keeping time any more, check out their selection of 
battery replacements.  ROM 03 users can purchase a new Tadiran brand 1/2AA 
battery to fit in the battery holder.  ROM 01 users can use their new kit 
that replaces the soldered-on battery with a holder that uses 3 AAA 
batteries.

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


-- If you prefer your power supplies to be external, then Dr. Steven 
Buggie is making his famous Bugg-Power supplies available again.  These 
units are rated for either 150 or 200 watts, and have versions available 
for either the //e or the GS.  A cable-only version is also available at a 
reduced price.  Contact Steve at buggie@unm.edu for full product 
information and ordering.


-- Rich Dreher has announced that round 4 of his popular CompactFlash for 
Apple II will incorporate several design changes.  Besides a cut-out to 
make removal of a CF easier, the board will use a surface-mount CPLD 
versus the removable one used in the earlier design, incorporate Dreher's 
3 jumper-wire fix to allow use with any CF, buy will only support 2 
firmware versions.  More information can be found at:  
http://spudboy.dreher.net/CFforAppleII


--  If your sleuthing skills are up to it, you might be able to solve a 
mystery.  An early version of AppleSoft BASIC, released on cassette, has 
been uncovered.  Stamped with a MicroSoft sticker, the history of this 
cassette is being investigated.  Could this tape have been personally made 
by Paul Allen, Bill Gates partner? How significant is this find?  If you 
think you can help solve this one, see the webpage at 
http://digibarn.org/collections/software/microsoft/basic-cassette/index.html
for contact information
 

-- With the blessing of Steve Wozniak, Alex Freed has begun working on an 
Apple II on a chip using a programmable FPGA chip.  Information on the 
FPGApple can be found at:  http://www.mirrow.com/FPGApple/


-- The Apple II Wiki project has a new online home:  
http://Apple2Guide.net An ongoing collaboration from several in the Apple 
II community, the wiki's aim is to be a repository of Apple II 
information, for both new and more seasoned users.


--Software News

  - Oliver Schmidt has begun working on a Mousecard compatible driver for 
use with the Contiki operating system for the Apple II.  Once done, people 
using Contiki to access the Internet will be able to use a mouse to move 
around the screen versus the keyboard-only option now in use.  Information 
about Contiki in general can be found at:  
http://www.sics.se/~adam/contiki/  and the current Apple II version can be 
found at http://www.a2retrosystems.com/downloads.htm
 
 - Power Unix users have at one time or another come across the editor 
called Vi which is either loved or hated for its flexibility and 
complexity.  Now a version of Vi has surfaced for the GS, for use in the 
ORCA program language environment.  More information and download 
instructions can be found at:  http://www.ware4.com/iigs.htm
  

 - Andy McFadden has released CiderPress 2.4.  This current version 
includes support for HFS disk images, added Tab as a special keyboard 
accelerator for the file viewer, and now includes a progress/cancel dialog 
box.  Several bug fixes are also included.  A shareware program, more 
information about CiderPress can be found at:  
http://www.faddensoft.com/ciderpress/

 
 - The popular role-paying game Silvern Castle  has been upgraded to 
version 9.2. This update fixes the moat teleport trap bug introduced in 
v9.1, and the game no longer disbands the party when entering the 
Adventurer's Guild.  More information can be found at:  
http://www.syndicomm.com/~finksterj/SilvernCastle/


--Emulation News

  - AppleWin, the Apple II emulator for Windows is now being distributed 
under the GPL open source license.  The current version (Version 1.12.9.0) 
as well as GPL information can be found at its new home:  
http://applewin.berlios.de/





* 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.

