Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!spool.mu.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!ucbvax!pro-grouch.cts.com!spi From: spi@pro-grouch.cts.com (John Wilson) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Back to the GS MMU hack Message-ID: <10932.apple.net2@pro-grouch> Date: 18 Feb 91 15:32:56 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 330 In-Reply-To: message from bazyar@ernie This is a proline coverup story. READ, its important for all to know about this scam from Morgan Davis. Anonymous Concerned Proline Sysop --------- --------- ------- ----- Date: 14 Feb 91 13:00:50 PST From: mdavis@pro-sol.cts.com (Morgan Davis) Subject: The Whole Story (part 1 of 2) Newsgroups: pro.team Okay, okay. I think it is time to speak up about this protocol thing, lest it get totally out of hand. I'll cover the past and future (ZMODEM). All the cards on the table, shall we? As you know, I've been working on a protocol solution for ProLine for some time. The intracacies of squeezing new technology into your Apple II boxes is not a trivial task. I think most of you can appreciate this when you look at all the other things I've managed to figure out. If you think I have some sort of fear or reluctance to add new protocols, you're dead wrong. I laid down the specifications for 4K XMODEM and successfully implemented it (and other XMODEM variations) into MouseTalk over two years ago. I was hired by Beagle Bros in 1989 to work on a complete communications module for an integrated Macintosh product that never got off the ground (very much). Anyway, I want to put to rest all those feelings you may have that I've somehow made promises I can't keep, or cheated you. This, I just had to say, in case any of you can relate to Kevin Black (and God help you if you do). Now, here's the whole story. BTW, this is being sent to pro.team beacuse I DON'T WANT ANY OF THIS TO LEAVE THE CONFINES OF OUR SYSOP-ONLY DISCUSSION AREAS. About three years ago, I got serious about adding 1K XMODEM to ProLine. ZMODEM wasn't even popular then, recall. I began writing the code to add to ModemWorks and its existing 128-byte XMODEM. It suddenly occurred to me that this new XMODEM chunk of code would be sitting around in memory all the time, wasting space that could be better used. After all, if you had to figure out the percentage of occassions when XMODEM is used, it would probably be less than 5%. What a waste. After all that coding, I scrapped the idea. Obviously, the architecture of ModemWorks (at the time) didn't readily lend itself to this. Plus, what happens down the road when a new protocol comes out that the sysops are clamoring for? It became clear that I'd have to pretty much rewrite ModemWorks -- a prospect not very desirable. After all, it had taken four years of hacking to get it where it was. Meanwhile, the facts of daily life became all too much a reality. Rewriting ModemWorks (and spending all that time doing it) was not going to bring in any income while I was doing it for four, six, eight or however many straight months of doing it (and nothing else) was going to take. I got jobs working for other people, which took time away for this sort of project. The time was not right. Actually, the time will never be right, but... Last year around May, I began to think about the remaking of ModemWorks again. This time, I'd start with a clean slate and address all the problems that we've faced over the years: o New protocols o Real world terminal emulation (this means VT100/ANSI) o Support for all high-end modems o ...and a way to make ModemWorks upwardly compatible with new technology Not a small feat, to be sure. A premise like this required much forethought about the physical nature of ModemWorks at its very foundation. You can't cram every feature at one time into the Apple, so you have to do it in interchangeable chunks, or *modules*. About this time, Beagle Bros let me (and a lot of other good employees) go due to financial trouble. That's when I decided to give the Morgan Davis Group the shot in the arm that it has deserved since I started it. It was always one of those "on the side" businesses. Now it is my sole source of income (which quickly turns into outgo, alas). For once, I felt like I finally had some time to devote to my projects. But, as they would now become my only source of income, I realized that I had a time deficit on my hands. Just the opposite of what I needed. I then laid the foundation by developing the Object Module Manager. The OMM was one of those "developed technologies" that you sell to make money so you can continue to use it to produce larger applications. This didn't take off, though. We've sold only a dozen or so OMM's for $20 a pop. Big deal. After many refinements, the OMM has come together as an excellent platform for all sorts of projects. To test it's abilities in real life, I started working on converting AmperWorks to the OMM format. It was painless. It worked great. So then... ...it was time to start on ModemWorks. With a completely blank slate, I began. First, I created a IIGS serial port module. Then, I wrote a Hayes smartmodem module. The opportunity beckoned to "do it right -- do it smart" this time. My single Hayes module has brains to work with practically any modem that uses the AT command set. In fact, it worked immediately with the Intel 9600EX the very first time I tried it. (The current ModemWorks has trouble dealing with the 9600EX). I had written the smartmodem module last summer, long before the EX was even in beta testing. The very next module was, of course, XMODEM. This one includes both send and receive code for plain 128-byte XMODEM, 1K XMODEM, 4K XMODEM, CRC-16, and the "ProDOS" modes. I still have a text filter and Binary II mode support to finish up. cs>read> Next Date: 14 Feb 91 13:04:51 PST From: mdavis@pro-sol.cts.com (Morgan Davis) Subject: The Whole Story (part 2 of 2) Newsgroups: pro.team In July, 1990, I spoke to Andy Nicholas at the A2-Central Summer Conference in Kansas City. Andy tells me he's working on ZMODEM for the Apple II. He actually got something working and was looking for opportunities to make it available to popular BBS software. After completing the OMM XMODEM module, I knew the time was right to discuss a ZMODEM possibility with Andy. I provided all the specifications (and then some) for Andy's version of ZMODEM for the module-based ModemWorks. He had it completed and working in short order (and commented that getting it to work with ModemWorks was a far sight easier and saner than with GBBS). In the meantime, we had been working out the legalities involved in MDG's *purchasing* the distribution rights to Andy's code. I contacted our own online attorney, Blake Farenthold, who gladly accepted the challenge of drafting up the contract. To this I owe Blake much thanks -- he did a great job, as this is not really his expertise. The contract is the best I've seen, and handled with all the professionalism I would have expected if I had to pay for his services. I think Blake realized that getting ZMODEM for ProLine would end up saving him a lot of money in the long run. It was mutually beneficial to all of us (and that includes you folks, too). Andy and I are still in the process of the legal negotiation. It is slow due to the both of us being super busy with other projects (he's working on the IIGS Finder now at Apple). Note that I said, *purchasing* the distribution rights. Rather than sell ZMODEM ability to each individual site as an option, it is being purchased outright for a one-time fee by the Morgan Davis Group. We can then incorporate it into all of our products. This lessens the burden on all of you, even though MDG will be paying an undisclosed amount. Throughout all this time, you'll no doubt remember, we've had a number of software updates. Pretty major ones (the incoming Patriot included). So you can see why it has taken so long to get where we are. But it wasn't by accident, I assure you. The timing is better than ever. A few years ago, although we needed the software then, the time was NOT right. You just can't rush this sort of thing, not if you intend to do it properly. Alas, here we are. The current situation is that I've developed the OMM, and have created some preliminary (far from finished) modules for testing. Behind all of this is a TON of coding, with at least as much left to go. Here's a tentative To-Do list: 1. Complete XMODEM module 2. Complete Hayes modem modules with true support for v.32 and v.42 3. Complete IIGS port module 4. Create and complete a Super Serial Card version of the serial module 5. Create and complete an Apple-Cat module (this may or may not be so). 6. Do the Console module 7. Do the terminal emulation modules (note: that's plural!) 8. Do the I/O portions of the ModemWorks module (massive job) 9. Integrate all this new stuff into ProLine (easier said than done). 10. Lots of beta testing! 11. Finish the new ModemWorks diskette with new samples, etc. 12. Documentation! (ugh!!!!) So, you can clearly see that great inroads have been made, but we're only about half of the way there. Significant portions are done, but gaping holes exist that make real-world usage a distant reality. The only thing that can help speed all this along is my time and financial status. I'm already forced to do more contract work with other companies to keep food on our table. I hope you folks realize that MDG is not some kind of factory that just turns out code 24 hours a day, consistently. I'm always forced to break away from what I really want to do in order to make a living. Life's a bitch, eh? Your support helps out. I appreciate it. It makes it easier to justify doing things like ProLine updates (which, for the most part, I do in order to *retain* and earn your support!). Anyway, now you know why it has taken this long. Now you know the story about ZMODEM and new protocols. You know they are about 99% reality (they work and exist, but aren't 100% done yet since there is so much left to do in other areas that may effect them). You probably have a good idea of what the next couple of months looks like. You also know that all the whining and ranting about new protocols in the past did ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD at all. In fact, it really put me out about it. I also don't cotton to any more "ETA" message. "When do you think you'll have the protocols done, Morgan? Huh? Huh?" Now you know. Please, leave me alone for a while. P.S. Many of you were just the opposite with respect to pestering me. I got a lot of good support. I thank you for hanging in there and believing in me. cs>read> Next Date: 14 Feb 91 13:25:44 PST From: mdavis@pro-sol.cts.com (Morgan Davis) Subject: Ramifications of Knowledge Newsgroups: pro.team Now that you know a lot more than what I initially wanted you to know, there comes with this knowledge some possibility of risk for MDG. If the general public realizes that ProLine will have improved protocols in the future, most people will put off their purchase until the final "New and Improved" product is released -- because you never know what may come out of a different company in the meantime. This is is one reason why it is very important that we do not discuss improved protocols in an open forum. If this happens on a large scale, the fallout will effect you. In fact, the product may not even be completed. If I can't afford to stop my current projects and finish the new ModemWorks because sales have declined significantly, I'll have to work on other immediate forms of income: contract jobs, short-term development projects, TYPESETTING NEW MANUALS for special marketing, etc. In the same vein, it is important to appease those customers who are unaware of the future of ProLine so that they will invest in it now. This is one reason why I've always maintained that work has always been in progress on new advancements for ProLine. It's not a lie. It's true. It sustains the business I need to continue to develop the product. So please jump in when you can to help defend ProLine against those who lambaste it for missing key features. Your messages that sarcastically harm the protocols issue in the eyes of potential sysops is self-defeating. Your "call to arms" messages (if we all just send lots of money to Morgan, maybe he'll do the work), all have negative effects on the consumer out there who is contemplating a $200 software purchase. Your attempts are admirable, but not helpful. I won't mention any names, but these sort of harmful messages have come from sites like pro-truckstop, pro-pac, pro-party, and others. Also, let's talk about how YOU are to come into possession of all of this new technology... I can PROMISE you that such a MAJOR update to ProLine demands an update fee. Not only is it ZMODEM, or 1K XMODEM, you'll be getting, but you'll be getting all the work that went into making this happen on ProLine: the OMM, the new MOdemWorks with new *everything*, rewrites of programs on ProLine that use XMODEM now (DL, CS, bin/xmodem, MDSS, you name it!). Because a new ModemWorks in involved, I don't pretend that there will be only minor modifications to other areas of ProLine -- there will be lots of surgery all across the board. We will be timing this update with a price increase on ProLine, too. Since you can now buy ProLine for less than $100 through mail order houses, we're not making enough profit to keep the retail price at $195.50. I don't know what the final price will be, but I can assure you it will be fairly significant. For you guys, that's good news -- your purchase has INCREASED in value! For newcomers, they'll pay more for the difference in price between what you spent initially plus your upgrade fee. You'll make out well in the end. Better than new customers. This is another reason to try recruiting your friends and associates to get onto the ProLine bandwagon NOW. Though you won't be able to give them any specific details. DO NOT mention the price increase. This will come in an official press release when the product is announced. Just persuade them for other positive reasons for buying ProLine, not because it will be more expensive in the future. Thanks for taking the time to read every word in these last couple of messages. It is all too important for you to breeze over it. --Morgan cs>read> Next ---- ProLine: spi@pro-grouch Internet: spi@pro-grouch.cts.com UUCP: crash!pro-grouch!spi ARPA: crash!pro-grouch!spi@nosc.mil