Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!chrisj
From: chrisj@ut-emx.uucp (Chris Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: anywhere I can get a good LIFE program?
Keywords: life
Message-ID: <37928@ut-emx.uucp>
Date: 5 Oct 90 15:31:18 GMT
References: <1990Sep29.060028.26340@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: U.T. Austin Computation Center
Lines: 41

In article <1990Sep29.060028.26340@nntp-server.caltech.edu> julius@tybalt.caltech.edu (Julius Yang) writes:
>Having read Martin Gardner's _Wheels, Life, and Other Mathematical Games_
>I am interested in obtaining a well-programmed version of life (I can't believe
>there's not one here at Tech).
>My requirements are:
>
>1.  Runs on a Mac IIci
>2.  Fairly fast
>3.  Fairly large "playing field" e.g. at least 200x200 (but I'll take smaller)
>4.  ftp-able and, hopefully, fairly compact
>5.  Ease of use
>
>roughly in that order.  I appreciate any help (e-mail answers please).
>
>Thanks!  
>julius@tybalt.caltech.edu
>"come see the violence inherent in the system"

I've recently come across what I consider to be two good life programs, both
of which meet your criteria.  The first is "gadlife" by Garth Dickie which
is the fastest life program for the Mac that I've come across (there may
be much faster ones - I don't know; I haven't run into many of these).  Its
feature set is fairly simple, but it works very well, particularly when your
monitor is in black & white mode.

The second Life program is "LifeLab" by Andrew Trevorrow.  This program isn't
as fast as gadlife, but makes up for it admirably with all the extra features
it provides like the the abitity to save dishes, variable magnification of 
the dish, as well as searching and editing facilities.  It also comes with
a lot of sample dishes that illustrate various interesting life forms.

Both are available for anonymous ftp from ix1.cc.utexas.edu (128.83.1.21)
or ix2.cc.utexas.edu (128.83.1.29).  They live in the microlib/mac/game
directory.

Cheers,
----Chris (Johnson)
----chrisj@emx.utexas.edu

P.S. Want to help me round out this collection of life programs?  Let me know
     about other good ones....