Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!ginosko!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!gryphon!jdm From: jdm@gryphon.COM (John Mesiavech) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Amiga Origins & Trivia Message-ID: <21106@gryphon.COM> Date: 20 Oct 89 03:40:36 GMT References: <1921@nigel.udel.EDU> <19794@ut-emx.UUCP> Reply-To: jdm@gryphon.COM (John Mesiavech) Organization: Trailing Edge Technology, Redondo Beach, CA Lines: 81 In article <19794@ut-emx.UUCP> jonabbey@walt.cc.utexas.edu (Jonathan Abbey) writes: >In article ms0p+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Gordon Shapiro) writes: >>To answer your questions... >> [questions deleted for brevity] >> >>Here are some other trivia questions for Old Timers. >> >>-- Mike (An ex-1000 owner) > > >Here is some more trivia: > >5) What was ABasiC and > (extra points) what popular computer of 1978 did it model its editor on? ABasic was the original BASIC that came with the Amiga. It was only available for DOS1.0 machines (1.1 introduced the Microsoft AmigaBASIC). ABasic had all the graphic hooks built in...i.e. no need for .fd files, or .bmaps for that matter. it's editor and front end was based heavily on Applesoft BASIC. Many of the commands were the same. What IS suprising, is that ABasic still works fine with DOS1.3 machines, and handles extra memory by ignoring it. THe conputer name? Apple IIe, of course. >6) Why is there a redraw option on the workbench? The Redraw option is a hangover from 1.0 DOS, in that the Workbench graphics often got munged. Redraw forces a refresh of the screen. This would happen a LOT when scrolling icons, or moving windows in 1.0. Even in 1.3 it has it's uses, for example WICON doesn't always do it's expanding windows right when more than two are opening/closing at the same time. (WICON is a PD program to do exploding windows and iconization) >7) Who did the Amiga tutor? Ah, the Amiga Tutor. A PROGRAM THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN KEPT. Mindscape did a good job on the graphics, and it gives a good idea of what the Amiga's all about. It's an interactive intro to Amiga concepts. I'd bet many new Amiga users wish they had a similar program these days (NO B->)....B-< Believe it or not, it still works under DOS1.3, but not with the Overfed Agnus. Wonder why...... >8) How much was Commodore charging initially to tell you about CLI? At the place I bought mine, they wer charging $89 for the Amiga C and for the Amiga Macro Assembler packages, which were the only places where there was CLI ANYTHING. THe Assem manual had the CLI instructions in it.....the C manual mostly had info so's you could compile and ALink. Interesting: There was a copy of the .i files on the old Cambridge LISP disk! >9) What is Enable and why did people care about it? Enable? Oh yes, Enable/Write. Back in '86, Enable/Write was a big WP package on IBM machines. Was never as bis as WordPerfect, not even sure if the company that made it still exists. They were working on a version that would have been the first "name" WP for the Amiga...I still have a late beta of it. Still works, too....though is NOT an intuitive one. It never DID come out commercially. Don't know why. >10) When was the last time Commodore show an Ad for the Amiga on network tv, > and how long did they run? If I recall correctly, those were the "I am an AMiga 500" commercials, they aired in mid-1987, and ran here in Ca for about three weeks. > > > // /\ /\/\ | Jonathan Abbey - jonabbey@doc.cc.utexas.edu - (512) 926-5934 >\X/ / \ / \ | Wanted: Programmers interested in 3d graphics/modem games. Here's some trivia for you: What was AmigaCalc, who wrote it, and what commercial product looks like it today? It never was commercially released. John