Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!ucbvax!pro-charlotte.UUCP!goodin2 From: goodin2@pro-charlotte.UUCP.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Tech Tidbits Volume III Message-ID: <8709260856.AA01531@crash.CTS.COM> Date: Sat, 26-Sep-87 01:41:31 EDT Article-I.D.: crash.8709260856.AA01531 Posted: Sat Sep 26 01:41:31 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 27-Sep-87 21:52:38 EDT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: pnet01!pro-sol!pro-charlotte!goodin2@nosc.MIL Distribution: world Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 310 TECH TIDBITS SPECIAL ON-LINE SERVICES EDITION P March through August, 1987 Apple II - Volume III APPLE II FAMILY Daisy Chain Anyone??? ===================== Q: I have a IIe, two 5.25" drives/controller and a 3.5" disk. How can I daisy chain this configuration? A: Unlike the IIgs and IIc, you cannot daisy chain drives on an Apple IIe. The two 5.25" drives can be run from the 5.25" controller, you will need a 3.5" drive controller for the 3.5" drive. My GS has Amnesia! ================== Q: I recently upgraded to 1M RAM, but the GS won't recognize it. What's up? A: The RAM chips on the memory expansion card for the GS are "150ns chips of 256K bits organized in 256K by 1 bit and they have to have CAS before RAS refresh." This is extremely important! Some third-party RAM chips have an incompatible Screen Refresh Rate. If you have populated the RAM Expansion card with third-party RAM chips, this is most likely your problem. Repopulate with Apple RAM chips or chips that have the proper refresh sequence, and your GS should have no trouble "remembering." Printing from BASIC - Control-D =============================== Q: My customer is using ProDOS Version 1.1.1 and an Apple //c. When printing out a program listing, he gets not only the Line number and program line, but also the # character in front of the line number. How do you turn this off? A: This problem is caused in issuing the command "PR#1" in the program directly. You need to preface all ProDOS commands with a CHR$(4), Control-D. PRINT CHR$(4); "PR#1" is the correct Syntax for this command. Apple Pascal on 3.5" Disks ========================== Q: I would like to know if there is a way that you can boot Apple Pascal from a 3.5 inch drive on an Apple IIgs. I have copied all of the files from the 5.25 inch disks onto a 3.5 inch disk. However, I am unable to boot this disk. A: You should have no problem booting Apple Pascal on the IIgs from a 3.5" disk. In fact, it is available on a 3.5" disk. Before you copy the files over to the 3.5" disk, remember to format it as a PASCAL disk. Backup II and ProDOS? ===================== Q: Is Backup II compatible with P8, ProDOS 1.3? Whenever we try to use the disk, it bombs and ends up in the Monitor. A: You should not experience problems installing P8 on your Backup II disk. Make sure that you rename the P8 file to "ProDOS" once you transfer the file. If you continue to experience problems, try another copy of P8. Joystick Adapter ================ Q: Where can I obtain an adapter to use Apple Joysticks on an Apple II+? A: Southern California Research Group markets an adapter that will allow Apple IIe Joysticks, 9 pin DIN connector, to be used with the Apple II's 16 pin DIP connector. SCRG can be reached at (800) 635-8310. AppleWorks Printing from Cursor =============================== Q: When printing "From Cursor" in AppleWorks, the printing does not begin correctly where selected. What's wrong? A: When using the print "From Cursor" option in AppleWorks (all versions), you must place the cursor in column 1 of the line from which you wish to begin printing. Placing the cursor at any other location on the line will cause the printing to be inaccurate. Apple IIgs & LaserWriter Hints ============================== There are several items that you need to be aware of to ensure that your applications print properly. a) When you quit from Chooser II, you will end up in the GS Program Launcher. Launch your next program from this level. You can swap disks, but DO NOT reboot the machine after using Chooser II. b) Your application must be capable of printing to Slot 7 instead of Slot 1. After your program has been launched from the Program Launcher, direct all printed output to Slot 7. c) Most importantly, you must not turn the Computer off or Reset it after using Chooser II. The "Link" with the LaserWriter will likely be lost, preventing printing. Have Cable, Will Connect ======================== Q: I need the pinouts for the GS to Apple Color RGb cable. A: The pinouts for the GS to Apple Color RGB cable are listed below. DB15 DB15 ---- ---- 1 ------- 1 2 ------- 2 3 ------- 3 5 ------- 5 6 ------- 6 9 ------- 9 10 ------- 10 13 ------- 13 Shield ------- Shield DISK DRIVES Parking Heads ============= Q: How can I lock Apple Hard Drive heads? A: Apple's Hard Drives have no provision for "locking" the heads. During a power off, the heads are "parked" on an unused section of the platter, however no physical locking is possible. PRINTERS Perplexed about Plotter Pens? ============================= Q: I have many education customers who use the Apple Color Plotter, and like it very much. However, replacement pens are no longer available on the Apple Price List. Where can Plotter users procure these pens? A: Please check with Sun Remarketin at (800) 752-7631. They are an excellent source of discontinued or "Orphaned" Apple products. Their Spring catalog shows a supply of Plotter Pens. ImageWriter II - Printing in Hex ================================ Q: Recently, I have been seeing strange problems with ImageWriter II's. I have had several complaints that occasionally the output of the printer is a hexadecimal code dump. This problem seems to happen with several different types of software and has happened not only on the Macintosh family but the II family as well. A: Actually, this is a "feature" of the ImageWriter II printer and is very helpful for programmers. Hex printing occurs when the ImageWriter II is turned on while the select button is accidentally depressed. This can accidentally happen due to the proximity of the select button to the power switch. If this occurs, power down, then turn the printer back on, making sure that only the power switch is depressed. FEATURE ARTICLE PFS Conversion to AppleWorks Compiled by Sue Goodin Listed below are three options for converting PFS:Write files to AppleWorks, and five possible solutions to convert from PFS:File files to AppleWorks. PFS:Write --------- 1. You can upgrade to the ProDOS version of PFS:Write which is distributed with a free conversion program called PFS:Convert. This utility converts your old PFS files to the new ProDOS PFS:Write format. Once you've made this conversion, start ProDOS PFS:Write and load in the file you want to transfer to AppleWorks. >From the PFS:Write Main Menu, save the file using the suffix ".TXT." PFS:Write will now save the file as a standard ASCII file stripped of formatting commands except line breaks. Now you can start AppleWorks, and use the Make a new document for the Word Processor function and type in the file's pathname. You will have to reformat the document. 2. Purchase Jim Luther's program ($20) that will convert Pascal PFS:Write and PFS:File documents to ProDOS (ASCII) files. 3. Use Wes Felty's program in the March 1986 issue of Call-A.P.P.L.E. You can either type in the program from the article, or download it from the A.P.P.L.E. Crate Bulletin Board (206) 251-0543. PFS:File -------- If your PFS:File records fit within AppleWorks' limits (number of categories and fields) no special preparation is necessary. If you have more categories, you will have to decide which are not vital and delete them. If you have fields longer than 76 characters, AppleWorks should truncate the additional characters, but AppleWorks versions earlier than 1.3 do not always do so. 1. Purchase the ProDOS PFS:File and use the included PFS:Convert program. Now, use the "Copy Selected Forms to An ASCII File" in the ProDOS PFS:File program, enter the prefix and filename for the new ASCII text file. When the ASCII options menu is displayed, choose a number between 1 and 30 for the "End of item code" and a different number for your "End of form code." PFS:File will convert the file, albeit somewhat slowly. Now you can start AppleWorks, Make a New file for the Data Base, and Make a new file from A text (ASCII) file. Enter the path name for the file you are about to port in. At the prompt, tell AppleWorks how many categories were in each PFS:File record. Give the file you are creating a name, Press Return. AppleWorks will create a database. A word of caution. If you are working with 5.25 floppies, you must split PFS files larger than 30K into smaller files. 2. Jim Luther's program, noted above, will perform the conversion, but is limited in that it will only take data from the first page of PFS:File form and drops any categories after the 30th, truncating any entries in a category in excess of 78 characters. 3. Another program by Wes Felty "PFS:File to ProDOS ASCII Converter is in the June 1986 issue of Call-A.P.P.L.E. You can type in the program or download it from the A.P.P.L.E. Crate Bulletin Board. 4. A commercial program called "Bridge" will convert Pascal PFS:File documents to a DOS 3.3 DIF, sequential text file, or to one formatted for DOS 3.3 AppleWriter II. It will convert entire PFS:File forms without limitations by the page or the form or the number or length of the categories. Once the file is converted to standard DOS 3.3, you must bring it over to ProDOS with Apple's ProDOS Utilities diskette, System Utilities, or other conversion program. 5. Another Pascal PFS:Files to ProDOS conversion method uses the ProFiler program. There are two ProFiler utility programs used to convert PFS:File records to ProFiler records. One Program works with Pascal PFS:File records, the other with ProDOS PFS:File records. You can batch process the conversion from PFS by using an Exec file. Such an Exec file can be adapted for your own use from a public domain diskette (No. 34) available from TAWUG, The AppleWorks Users Group for $3.00 (or $1.00 with your diskette, mailer and postage), or you can write to Don Lancaster c/o Computer Shopper including a self-addressed, stamped envelope for a hardcopy of the program. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * The Bridge, Sun Microsystems, Inc., P. O. Box 1388, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33302, 305/486-6115. * Call-A.P.P.L.E., 290 S. W. 43rd Street, Renton, WA 98055, 206/251-5222. * Jim Luther, Pascal PFS Conversion Disk, 5716 Forest, Kansas City, MO 64110. * ProFiler PM Software, P. O. Box 1788, 17610 Beach Boulevard, Suite 29, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, 714/963-2221. * Software Publishing Company, Attn: PFS Customer Updates, 1901 Landings Drive, Mountain View, CA 94043, 800/851-2917. * TAWUG (The AppleWorks Users Group), P. O. Box 24789, Denver, CO 80224-0869. Condensed from an article by Don Lancaster in his "Ask the Guru" column in the February, 1987 issue of Computer Shopper * 407 S. Washington Avenue * Titusville, FL 32796. Don Lancaster also provides monthly AppleWriter patches in his column that you may wish to review. WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE Lost...Found...Stolen!!! ------------------------ Please be on the lookout for the following stolen equipment: Anyone with information related to the following is asked to call Crime Stoppers in Columbia, SC, at (803) 799-9001, Link George Loud at R743 or call (803) 786-6100, extension 34. Macintosh: USC ID# 176386 and Apple S/N F4361E6 Ext Drive: USC ID# 176385 and Apple S/N 460CG2 Macintosh 512K: S/N F42540Q ImageWriter I : S/N 398530 Ext 400K : S/N Y4490RJ GOOD NEWS DEPARTMENT "Apple's support is the best around. I can call anytime during the day and receive clear, concise answers to my questions. Other vendors sometimes take two to three days to respond, and then they don't understand the question, much less have the answer." "Keep up the good work with Tech Tidbits! It is informative, helpful and often has info that is difficult to find elsewhere. I look forward to it each week." Copyright, August 14,1987 Apple Computer, Inc., East Coast Technical Support. Permission is hereby granted for the use of Tech Tidbits, in part or in whole, in any non-commercial publication, or for use by any non-commercial group or organization or Apple User Group with the following credit: Reprinted from "Tech Tidbits" with the permission of Apple Computer, Inc., East Coast Technical Support." Permission to use "Tech Tidbits", in part or in whole, for commercial use must first be obtained in writing. Sue Goodin, Editor-In-Chief. AppleLink Address: Goodin2 Distributed via ProLine by Goodin2. Send all feedback to: crash!pnet01!pro-sol!pro-charlotte!goodin2 ****************************************************************************** UUCP: [ ihnp4 cbosgd sdcsvax nosc ] !crash!pnet01!pro-sol!pro-charlotte!goodin2 ARPA: crash!pnet01!pro-sol!pro-charlotte!goodin2@nosc.mil INET: pro-charlotte!goodin2@pro-sol.cts.com