Path: utzoo!utdoe!generic!pnet91!sysadmin
From: sysadmin@pnet91.cts.com (Matthew Montano)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: MD-BASIC (was:Re: Apple ][ BBS Software)
Message-ID: <808@generic.UUCP>
Date: 3 Jun 91 22:00:03 GMT
Sender: root@generic.UUCP
Organization: People-Net [pnet91], Etobicoke, ON
Lines: 65

For your information:

The charge system in ProLine has NEVER been finished. It exists as a loose end
for some enterprising programmer to do his work in.

My background: I have run an Apple II BBS for four years now. I have used a
Macintosh, and presently use a UNIX box for the purpose. But for almost three
years I ran it on an Apple II, half the time on ProLine, half the time on
GBBS.

Guess which one I ran first? GBBS.

My opinions on ACOS: It's buggy as hell. Applesoft, albeit an interpreted
program, has virtually zero bugs. ACOS' bugs are intermittent and can wreck
havock on a system. It's handling of message files is attrocious (although
unique) and dangerous. ACOS has virtually no control over the serial port and
local screen except through poke's and peek's. ACOS cannot make a IIgs modem
port dial out.. useless for networking.

I wrote a complete networking/mail handler system in ACOS a few years back. I
never released it, but would dread doing it again. I was constantly fighting
ACOS bugs. It was also horribly slow. ACOS' bugs creep up in linking programs,
the use of global variables etc.

As well, ACOS does nasty things at the ProDOS level. Think it uses MLI calls
to read and write files? Nope, reads and writes files itself, block by block,
by passing the standard MLI calls. Real stupid there.. your simply asking for
a corrupted HD.

I paid $45 more for ProLine, and got a LOT more. For one thing, I can call (or
email) the author if I have a problem. He'll respond, usually with a fix,
whatta concept. I was writing a module for ProLine that would use a
non-sanctioned method of transfering messages faster. The author of ProLine
STILL helped me work on it. Almost any level headed suggestion gets
implemented in ProLine on the next release. ProLine sysops were talking about
a mail-based UNIX style mail-server. Two weeks later, we had one! Before
anyone wanted a full screen editor, we got one! 

ProLine is a modern, fully featured piece of speedy BBS software for any Apple
II capable of running ProDOS (even most clones). It has an author who
understands the BBS market, continually writes new programs, provides
immediate bug fixes and solutions. ProLine follows Apple's rules, connects to
the rest of the world in a standard publically documented method provides for
much easier user expansion of the system and still astounds some callers as to
the system it is running off of.

GBBS is a speedy, customizable package which doesn't follow the rules for
accessing the HD, uses poor security measures for passwords, has many back
doors etc. Has no standards for networking. Is ridden with bugs in the ACOS
compiler. GBBS's technical support person, Lance Taylor Warren never even
WROTE the damn program... he hardly knows 65C02 code! Mr. Warren has been
promising a new version of the GBBS system since a I year before I bought
GBBS, in 1987! Bug fixes (i.e. ACOS v2.0) cost people money!.. and it wasn't
bug free.... UGH!

Not that GBBS is horrible... But for MOST people, ProLine represents a better
BBS system to go for.

Matthew
---
ventureTech Intelligence - We're trying to make computers easy, SOME HOW!
Email: sysadmin@pnet91.cts.com (most mailers won't barf on that..)
My comments aren't even worth a disclaimer...
And the further I get from the things that I care about...
The less I care about how much further away I get   -   Robert Smith, 1989