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Table of contents: |
| COCO FRIENDS DISK MAGAZINE Issue #37 | Home | Index | Magazine | ||||||
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| Articles in section: ABOUT COCO FRIENDS DISK MAGAZINE |
| "ABOUT
CFDM" ABOUT COCO FRIENDS DISK MAGAZINE |
| Back to top |
"ABOUT CFDM" COCO FRIENDS DISK MAGAZINE is dedicated to those who still enjoy running under RS DOS. It will deal with that format exclusively. A primary goal is to keep the COCO community strong. By providing a unique means of communication, maybe old fires will be rekindled as you and I share our knowledge and experiences! The success of this effort depends on each one who becomes a subscriber. Everyone must contribute his/ her two cents in the form of articles, programs, opinions, experiences, etc. If this happens we will all look forward to the next issue. (Check out the manual with your starter kit for details on how to submit material.) Now let's have some fun!!! =* |
ABOUT COCO FRIENDS DISK MAGAZINE COCO FRIENDS DISK MAGAZINE is the creation and property of Rick Cooper. It is distributed solely by RICK'S COMPUTER ENTERPRISE. The material which makes up each issue remains the property of the author(s) or contributor(s) unless an agreement has been made otherwise. COCO FRIENDS DISK MAGAZINE is dedicated exclusively to those who enjoy the COCO3 operating under RS DOS. It is hoped that this publication will encourage the continued usage of our favorite computer. Neither CFDM nor RICK'S COMPUTER ENTERPRISE will be responsible for the submission or publication of any material that does not belong to the submitter. WE DO NOT ADVOCATE OR SUPPORT PIRACY! =* |
| Articles in section: ABOUT THIS ISSUE |
| CONTENTS...PART
I (i37) CONTENTS...PART II (i37) PROGRAM DIRECTORY (i37) THIS MONTH'S COVER |
| Back to top |
ABOUT COCO FRIENDS DISK MAGAZINE (2)
1 "ABOUT CFDM"
2 ABOUT COCO FRIENDS DISK MAGAZINE
ABOUT THIS ISSUE (4)
1 CONTENTS...PART I (i37)
2 CONTENTS...PART II (i37)
3 PROGRAM DIRECTORY (i37)
4 THIS MONTH'S COVER
ACTIVE COCO (6)
1 A CFDM EDITOR'S REPORT
2 A MAXWELL MOUSE WINNER <g>
3 AND THE WINNER IS...
4 COCO COLORING BOOK CONTEST!
5 LAST CHANCE TO BE REGISTERED! =>
____________________________________________________
6 THAEDIAK PROJECT UPDATE
ADVERTISEMENTS (6)
1 "STOP COLOSSUS!"
2 -> MAX-10 BORDERS & CM3 GRAPHICS
3 CFDM SUBSCRIPTION
4 JUMPIN' JIM'S ART DISK
5 Max-10 Printer's Shop Collection
6 Still For Sale - CFDM Patches
ARTICLES OF THE MONTH (1)
1 WHO IS THE COCO COMMUNITY?
COCO FRIENDS ART GALLERY (7)
1 A VALENTINE FOR THE FRIENDS!
2 AUTUMN LEAVES =>
____________________________________________________
3 HRIDDLE
4 JIM'S HISTORY OF FIRE FIGHTING
5 RAY'S HRIDDLE <g>
6 SILENT MOVIE PROJECTOR
7 VIEWING THE CFDM ART GALLERY
FAMILY TREE (2)
1 Debra H. Cain
2 MY FAMILY TREE
FORUM (4)
1 A Program Model Standard........
2 BE HAPPY...STAY ACTIVE
3 COCO EMULATOR FUND UPDATE
4 Family Tree Submission Form
=*
|
FROM THE EDITOR (2)
1 KUDOS <g>
2 TO THE FRIENDS...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (6)
1 3-D Figures (CFDM #31 [?])
2 ALPHABETIZED REGISTRY?
3 EXCERPTS FROM CANADA
4 KEEP YOUR CHIN UP VIC!!!!!
5 REMEMBER THE MUSIC MAN?
6 TO RICK
POTPOURRI (3)
1 Collecting Graphics Signatures
2 MISTAKES and how to recover.
3 RANDOMIZE FASCINATION =>
____________________________________________________
PROGRAMS OF THE MONTH (10)
1 ALPHABET SOUP
2 COLRSTARS (shining bright)
3 COSMIC AMBUSH
4 HEARTS
5 HEARTS (Continuation)
6 Listing Formatter
7 RND6x44 random ramblings
8 SOMETHING FISHY WITH STRINGART13
9 VIEWING /MAX PICTURES: PART 2.
10 VIEWING /MAX PICTURES:"MAXMENU".
REVIEWS (2)
1 Controller Upgrade Chip
2 The CoCo Registry Issue
=>
____________________________________________________
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (10)
1 A 68B09E SOURCE
2 BIOSPHERE AND DISK DRIVE ?
3 HOT CoCo - Herb Forger
4 LOOKING FOR.....
5 NEWSPAPER PLUS/NEWSPAPER-O9
6 Reply: To HARVEY DRISCOLL SR.
7 SOME HELP, PLEASE WITH EMULATOR
8 TO HERB FORGER
9 WANTED: TO BUY
10 WHERE IS MY PATCH?
=*
|
Here's a description of the files on the PROGRAM/
SIDE. File names preceded by an asterisk are data
files and are not to be RUN or EXECed!
NAME.........COMMAND..SECTION OR DESCRIPTION
* *2MOVIEP.NIB........ART GALLERY
ALPHABET.BAS..RUN...PROGRAMS OF THE MONTH
* ALPHABET.NIB........DATA FILE FOR ALPHABET.BAS
AMBUSH .BAS..RUN...PROGRAMS OF THE MONTH
* BFR .BIN........DATA FILE FOR HEARTS.BAS
* CBHAROLD.NIB........ACTIVE COCO
* CBERNEY .NIB........ACTIVE COCO
COLRSTAR.BAS..RUN...PROGRAMS OF THE MONTH
* FT FORM .DOC........FAMILY TREE
* FTIPUMP .NIB........ART GALLERY
* GFX .BIN........DATA FILE FOR AMBUSH.BAS =>
____________________________________________________
HEARTS .BAS..RUN...PROGRAM OF THE MONTH
* LEAVES .NIB........ART GALLERY
LISTER .BAS..RUN...PROGRAMS OF THE MONTH
* MAP .BIN........DATA FILE FOR AMBUSH.BAS
MAXMENU .BAS..RUN...PROGRAMS OF THE MONTH
MOVIE P .BAS..RUN...ART GALLERY
* NIBLOADR.BIN........PIX LOADER UTILITY
NIBSHOW .BAS..RUN...ART GALLERY
* PRG .BIN........DATA FILE FOR AMBUSH.BAS
READDOC2.BAS..RUN...USE TO READ "FT FORM.DOC"
RND6X44 .BAS..RUN...PROGRAMS OF THE MONTH
* STA16PP .NIB........ART GALLERY
STRING13.BAS..RUN...PROGRAMS OF THE MONTH
* VALNTINE.NIB........ART GALLERY
=*
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WINTER Another winter is upon us and so another
winter picture. So far this winter has been calm
compared to last year, especially here in the
East. I hope this finds you all beginning a
New Year on a happy note and I hope this picture
gives a little essence of WINTER. See you next
issue.
............ Jim Gibbons
=*
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| Articles in section: ACTIVE COCO |
| A
CFDM EDITOR'S REPORT A MAXWELL MOUSE WINNER <g> AND THE WINNER IS... COCO COLORING BOOK CONTEST! LAST CHANCE TO BE REGISTERED! THAEDIAK PROJECT UPDATE |
| Back to top |
A CFDM EDITOR'S REPORT CFDM has eight editors. Allen Curtis is one of our
underpaid but highly appreciated staff! Allen is
always faithful to check out his "draft" copy of
CFDM and let me know when he finds problems. The
editors copy is mailed out on or near the 25th of
the preceding month. This gives ample time for them
to let me know of the bugs they find and for me to
fix those that I can.
The following is Allen's report for issue #34:
Hi Rick,
It was probably just one of my bad days (fortunately
they are rare), but I had a number of problems with
issue #34: =>
____________________________________________________
1. RNR is an excellent program but it apparently is
incompatible with KC or vice versa. RNR will not
load KC but had no problems with the other BASIC
programs. Furthermore, KC would not load on its own
after RNR had been used to load another BASIC
program such as CONTEST for instance. A cold start
following the use of RNR, however, allows the proper
loading of KC.
2. No matter what I tried with regard to SP3OPTNS I
got the same graphics sequence and the same option -
13, apparently unlucky for issue #34 and me. Even
when I changed F to 1 in Line 210, the same graphic
sequence occurred; perhaps, I just don't understand
the program.
=>
____________________________________________________
3. Your KUDOS program was impressive except that it
was difficult to distinguish the names of the
contributors because many of the letters were black,
the same color as the background. (RICK: Fixed)
4. In TRAGIQ one time I got a DD error in Line 530,
but unfortunately I couldn't recall the numberical
choices that caused the error and thus could not
repeat the error to track down the bug.....
5. I had much better luck with CONTEST. My second
try at a correct solution was successful - Brie,
France. The home of the famous cheese was a logical
place for Maxwell Mouse to relocate.
(RICK: Thanks Allen for your report!!!) =*
|
AND THE WINNER IS... In CFDM #34 there was a contest titled "Where In The World Is Maxwell Mouse?" Maxwell could be found in Brie, France (he likes the cheese). For everyone who sent me the correct answer together with a snap- shot of themselves, I agreed to create a caricature which would appear in CFDM. The caricatures are intended to be humorous. I hope that no one will take offense if my interpretation does not seem flattering. I have done the best I could with the photos I received. I hope that you enjoy the caricatures. There are eleven winners and now one of the winners appears in this issue. And the winner is... (Load "A MAXWELL MOUSE CONTEST WINNER <g>")=* |
COCO COLORING BOOK CONTEST!
The Great CoCo Coloring Book Contest is over! This
contest was the brainchild of Godfrey Moll. Godfrey
produced the pictures, coordinated the judging, and
furnished the prizes.
And the winners are:
1st Place...Ray Berney picture..Hummingbird
2nd Place...Harold Moenich picture..Praire Dog
3rd Place...Marie Boudet picture..Coyote
4th Place...Herb Schuler picture..Woodpecker
In this issue you'll find the winning pictures by
Ray and Harold. They are named "CBERNEY.NIB" and
"CBHAROLD.NIB". Use the NIBSHOW to view these pics.
Next month we'll feature the winning pictures by =>
____________________________________________________
Marie and Herb.
Now for the prizes...the prizes are great! And each
prize seems to be of equal value..so how do we award
them? I decided to call each of the winners in the
order of place and give them their choice. I was
able to contact Ray and he chose prize #1. Since I
haven't been able to contact Harold yet, I won't be
able to announce who gets prizes #2 - #4. We'll do
that next issue.
Prize #1 - VIP Integrated Library, Elite Word,
Elite Calc, and Elite File.
Prize #2 - DMP 105 printer.
Prize #3 - CGP-115 Color Graphic Printer
with extra paper and color pens. =>
____________________________________________________
Prize #4 - CCR-81 Cassette Player with about
100 blank cassettes.
So thanks to Godfrey, Ray, Harold, Marie, and Herb
for their efforts in making this a successful
contest. And also thanks to our fine judges, Norm
Barson, Jim Bennett, and Jim Gibbons!
A final note, please participate in our contests.
You never know what you might end up with!
=*
|
LAST CHANCE TO BE REGISTERED! In the spring of 1994 the CoCo Registry project was
announced. The objective of this project was to try
to bring some unification to the CoCo Community by
creating a database of all active CoCoists. The plan
was to create the database, make it available to all
who would like a copy, and make two updates over a
period of about seven months. Later we added the
idea of including free ads for all interested CoCo
companies.
At this time the original Registry and the first
update have been completed. In mid March the last
update will be completed and mailed. What does this
mean to you who have not registered? Well...you'll
receive this issue of CFDM about Feb. 18th...that
leaves you with about three weeks to get your =>
____________________________________________________
official data form completed and sent to me. Unless
some very significant even occurs, the Registry will
not be continued as an active project. In other
words "the opportunity to be included in the CoCo
Registry is nearly at an end"! PLEASE PARTICIPATE
BY MAILING IN YOUR REGISTRY FORM!!
To all I say that if you haven't purchased your copy
of the Registry, you are missing out on a real neat
program with lots of info for a very low price. You
can still get your copy for $12. At this time you
will receive the 1st update and the final update.
The original Registry contained 262 members. The
first update contained 364 members.
=*
|
THAEDIAK PROJECT UPDATE I recently received a letter and THAEDIAKRAM (that's
a beautifully printed, one page newsletter by James
C. Mills and John D. Clemons) from Jim Mills. The
newsletter reported the on-going progress of the
Thaediak Project.
This project has really evolved since it's first
announcement nearly two years ago in CFDM. Jim has
enlisted a team of crack CoCoists to assist him with
their various talents. The current team and their
areas of expertise are listed below.
Jim Mills...Author, Project Coordinator, Artwork
Norm Barson...Artwork
Dorothy "Dottie" Funk...Artwork =>
Stuart Wyss-Gallifent...Story Reader-Programmer
____________________________________________________
and Artwork.
John Clemons...Artwork, Hardcopy
Harry Stern...Music Transcription
Quinn Granfor...Archivist
Jim mentions in his newsletter "the final version
will be submitted to Rick for consideration as a
Bonus Disk(s)". Well Jim, we are certainly looking
forward to the completion of your fine project and
wish you great success in your endeavor! I will
assure you of a place in CFDM for your product!
Those interested in lending a hand can contact Jim
at the following address.
3059 220th St.
Stockton, IA 52769-9671 =*
|
"STOP COLOSSUS!" An Adventure for 128k CoCo 3, RGB monitor & disk....
"STOP COLOSSUS! FORBIN'S LAST PROJECT"
An intriguing and offbeat Adventure set in the near
past. Based on the video, "COLOSSUS-THE FORBIN
PROJECT".
Your mission: to stop the power-mad SuperComputer
from ruling mankind by artificial means! Beware!
Other agents have attempted this by other methods,
but you have been given a unique plan! DON'T FAIL!
There are 3 locales for you to explore, seeking what
you need. Get the correct items and find the
transportation to get to the next locale. =>
____________________________________________________
There are a few unique features of this Adventure
that you will need to find out.
Hard Task: find out what you need!
Harder Task: find out how to get to the next locale.
Hardest Task: find out the actual method to STOP
COLOSSUS!
To make this Adventure affordable to CFDM members,
just send me a blank disk and enough postage for 2
ounces return postage letter packet from my address
to your address.
Ray Berney
Star Route 68 Box 880
Okanogan, WA 98840-9704 =*
|
-> MAX-10 BORDERS & CM3
GRAPHICS -= MAX-10 BORDER DISK I =-
Max-10 was created to turn the CoCo into a more ver-
satile computer, and here is your chance to add even
more features to your favorite word processer. The
disk contains eight easy to use borders, which are
pre-sized and pre-shaped for a high printout quality
Also contains pre-set margins, which prevent your
text from being placed over the border edges and a
detailed ten page manual. Make your documents shine!
Not Convinced? Send for a free copy of the actual
printout quality and see what Max-10 Borders are all
about.
Requires Max-10
and at least 512K
Only $10.00 See Page 2 =>
____________________________________________________
-= COCO MAX III GRAPHICS PACKAGE =-
CoCo Max III Graphics Package is a collection of 8
intricately hand drawn pictures for CoCo Max III.
Included are SIX DOUBLE PAGE PICTURES and TWO SINGLE
PAGE PICTURES. It's a disk packed with amazing
graphics to please all ages. So get the picture; get
all the pictures!
Requires
ALADDIN BEAST OPTIMUS THEXDER CoCo Max III
ALADDIN2 CONSTRUX SUNSTREK THE WALL and at least
128K
JEFF CHO Only $10.00
187 BRAMBLEBUSH RD.
STOUGHTON, MA 02072
-> LOOK FOR THE NEW RELEASES COMING IN JUNE!!! =*
|
CFDM SUBSCRIPTION Is your subscription running out? Here's how to check: On your mailing label next to your name is a number. The number after the last dash (-) is the last issue on your present subscription. Please don't let your subscription expire. WHEN YOU RESUBSCRIBE PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR ENTIRE SUBSCRIPTION NUMBER. THIS HELPS ME LOCATE YOU IN MY DATABASE! A single issue of CFDM is $6. Or get 3 issues for only $16. A 6 issue subscription is only $30 (a savings of 6$). Back issues are available at the same rates. COCOs FOREVER!! =* |
JUMPIN' JIM'S ART DISK The Art Disk was originally issued on a subscription
basis in 1994. Now you can have the complete set of
six flippies and one single-sided disk. There are
CoCo Max pix, Max-10 clip art, humor, animated pix,
digitized graphics, utilities, etc.
#1 - 9 CM3 pix, Mr. Art, Famous Art Funnies, Anima-
tion Theater, Color Doodler, new TRANSLAT (does both
CM3 and NIB), Max-10 clip art with an award design.
#2 - Keyboard Commander (typing game), 4 CM3 pix,
Mr. Art, digitized pix, 30 CLP files with BOLD caps
for Max-10, newsletter design, Famous Art Funnies.
#3 - Animated horse, Alphatoon fonts for CoCo Max,
CoCo Max Color mix chart, 5 CM3 pix, 4 CLP art, =>
____________________________________________________
#3 (continued) - Leonardo's Paintbox with demo.
#4 - 3 CM3 pix, 8 CLP art, This Old Car, Mr. Art, 16
background scenes for CM3, Leonardo's Paintbox 512K,
Animated display.
#5 - 7 CM3 pix, Mr. Art, 26 script caps for Max-10,
Who Is This Man?, 7 Max-10 greeting cards, digitized
graphics, random graphics.
#6 - 2 CM3 pix, cartoon faces for CoCo Max, 13 Max-
10 heading designs (one for each month of the year),
12 graphics programs, CoCo Max painting tutorial.
PLUS: There is a bonus disk with a Max-10 Title
Maker program. (next page) =>
____________________________________________________
In addition to receiving the complete set of Art
Disks, you will receive notice of future Art Disks
when they become available.
The Art Disks contain a bonanza of stuff to enhance
CoCo Max and Max-10. It's a graphics treasure chest!
ALL FOR ONLY $40.
**************************
* Jim Bennett *
* 118 Corlies Avenue *
* Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 *
**************************
=*
|
Max-10 Printer's Shop Collection This is a collection of 6 disks which expands the
capabilities of Max-10. There are borders, boxes,
frames, bold fonts, certificate designs, greeting
cards, clip art, and a title maker to make Max-10
really show its stuff! Now you can make your CoCo
perform like an IBM or MacIntosh computer!
Note: This set includes "Borders & Boxes +++" and
also the Max-10 art from Jumpin' Jim's Art Disk. If
you already have these, you do not need this set.
Price: $30 Jim Bennett
118 Corlies Avenue
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
*=*
|
Still For Sale - CFDM Patches Let's see if I got this straight....
All of Rick's UNBELIEVABLE OFFERs cost more than a
CFDM Patch.
All PATIENCE PAIRS cost less than a CFDM Patch.
H. Allen Curtis' PICTURE PUZZLER costs more than a
CFDM Patch.
Barry Michael's SCRABBLE package costs more than a
CFDM Patch.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But, the CFDM Patch still costs only $7.00 each,
postage included. The AD in CFDM #28 is still valid.
=*
|
| Articles in section: ARTICLES OF THE MONTH |
| WHO
IS THE COCO COMMUNITY? |
| Back to top |
WHO IS THE COCO COMMUNITY? Many times we wonder how many still own and use the Color Computer. In our mind's eye we see many dots scattered on the world CoCo map. At various places there are a number of dots clustered in a specific area. Yes there are still active clubs in some parts of the country, but most often a large area supports only a few of us. Per CFDM membership, I am the only active CoCoist in the entire state of Kentucky! Surely I'm not the only one here! There have always been those who never affiliated themselves with a group whether it be a club or a magazine. I believe this is still true today. Our group boasts nearly 200 active faithful supporters! Other large groups support MI&CC, 68 micros, and the Glenside Club of Chicago. Smaller groups are => ____________________________________________________ found in various local clubs, DELPHI and other BBS groups, and in newsletters such as the CoCo Trader and Adventure Survivors. It seems that each CoCoist has either found a group that he/she feels comfortable with or they live in their own little world, not supporting anyone unless they have a specific need. The CoCo Registry was an effort to bring some kind of unification. About 370 are presently enrolled in the Registry. Nearly half actually purchased a copy of the database even tho the cost of the program was barely enough to pay for the diskette, postage, and mailer! The majority who participated were members of CFDM and/or local clubs. Sad to say but true => ____________________________________________________ is that members of other magazines and Delphi did not join in significant numbers! So we have a diverse community with little chance of any central point of union. That is sad to me! I feel there is definitely strength in numbers and it appears that our numbers cannot be joined! How many CoCoists are still out there? No one knows but "over a thousand" would certainly seem to be a safe guess. Possibly a few thousand can be found worldwide! Finally I'll just say thanks to all those who have been so faithful in their support of our group. I think we have the best of it!! =* |
A VALENTINE FOR THE FRIENDS!
Here's a happy valentine thought from our friend
Paul Wolf!
( VALNTINE.NIB )
=*
|
AUTUMN LEAVES
By this time of year (December), if you are like
me, your recollection of autumn leaves is the chore
of raking them... and raking them... So, to remind
you of how beautiful they looked before falling, I
did this picture. It was suggested by a calendar
photo -- always a good source for picture subjects.
I tried to keep it simple and uncluttered. Select
LEAVES in Nibshow.
I have noticed that sometimes when pictures are
displayed, not all of the lighter colors are
visible, so I'd suggest you fiddle with the bright-
ness control on your RGB monitor until you can see
all the colors.
=*
|
HRIDDLE Here is a HRIDDLE from the Brain Donors Society. The
riddle asks for the name of a Friend. It may be hard
to comprehend, but if you look for the clues, you
should figure it out soon enough.
Contributor 12
(Load the entry Ray's HRIDDLE in this section.)
=*
|
JIM'S HISTORY OF FIRE FIGHTING
Here's a couple of great drawings from Jim Noah's
collection of firefighting apparatus and fire
stations. Jim's drawings can be viewed with the
NIBSHOW. They are titled STA16PP and FTIPUMP.
=*
|
SILENT MOVIE PROJECTOR
While at an estate auction of my great uncle's I
bought a rusty pile of iron which turned out to be
a 35 millimeter silent movie projector. After many
hours of penetrating oil, sandpaper, and paint, the
six foot tall apparatus is now standing tall and
looking clean. RUN "MOVIE P" and notice how much
technology has improved.
=*
|
VIEWING THE CFDM ART GALLERY Please use NIBSHOW to view the .NIB pictures on this
month's disk. As you recall, NIBSHOW was featured
in issue #18 and a more complete documentation can
be found there. NIBSHOW is the contribution of our
Friend Stuart Wyss-Gallifent. Thanks Stuart!
After RUNning NIBSHOW, press D for a directory of
the NIB pictures on the disk. Use the arrow keys to
choose a picture and press the spacebar to view it.
Press BREAK to leave the picture. Press X at the
MAIN MENU to exit NIBSHOW.
=*
|
| Articles in section: FAMILY TREE |
| Debra
H. Cain MY FAMILY TREE |
| Back to top |
Debra H. Cain I was born in Stoneham, Mass. and got transplanted
to North Carolina about 18 years ago. I am 33 years
old. I have been driving a handicap school bus now
for 13 years. I also work part-time for a local
animal hospital and am the President of Cumberland
Photo Club.
My CoCo system consists of: CoCo 3 (512k self-
installed), 2 double-side drives, CM-8 monitor,
DMP-105 printer, mouse, and 2 Tandy deluxe
joysticks. I have OS-9 Levels 1 and 2, but I haven't
been too successful with these. I also have Color
Max 3 and Max 10, both of which I really enjoy.
My husband of 11 years, Robert, has lived in NC
for most of his life. He works for a local building
supply company delivering building materials on
site. =>
____________________________________________________
We have no children, but we do have the pleasure
of sharing our lives and hearts with 2 dogs and 6
cats (that's why I work for a vet). Our dogs are
Cowboy- a 9 year old Flat-Coated Retriever, and
Schultzie- a 10 year old Keeshonden. Our cats are
Patches-13 years old, Gizmo-4 years old, Tequilla-
2 years old, and the 3 babies-Bear, Cinnamon, and
Jasmine- all littermates at 7 months old. All of our
pets have been spayed or neutered. And yes, most of
the cats were either strays or abandoned.
Outside of this, my interests are reading horror-
mystery books, CoCoing, and photography-nature,
animals, and close-ups. My husband's are CB side-
band (he's a member in several CB clubs) and sports.
Now for anyone who thinks this is too hard to do
or doesn't have the time to write a family letter =>
____________________________________________________
to the rest of us, if I can figure out how to do it,
then you can too. It really isn't hard and it takes
only a few minutes to think of what you want to say.
After all, Rick puts it all together for us, we have
it pretty easy.
If anyone would like to write to me, I would be
glad to hear from you. My address is:
Debra H. Cain
P.O. Box 48156
Cumberland, NC 28331
* *
* (Let's hear from you)
----- =*
|
MY FAMILY TREE Hi to all in COCOLAND. My name is Barry and I have
been a COCO operator since about 1990. I would have
submitted earlier but misplaced the startup kit. I
am not a programmer but could maybe alter a little
to suit my needs. I have at this time 2 systems up
and running. My system is a COCO 3, CM8 monitor, a
Disto controller with real time clock, Star NX-1020
printer, 720K drive for D0, 720K for D1, 360K for
drive 2. I like to play around in OS9 II and the 720
K drives allow plenty of room for the system. The
360K drive allows me to communicate with the real
world. I expanded to 512K about a year ago. My other
system is a 512K COCO 3, CM8 monitor, 2 360K drives,
and is used mostly by my wife and 2 daughters. I use
it mostly for the use of the 2 360K drives. Although
I spend a lot of time in OS9 I am not actually =>
____________________________________________________
partial to the system. I have an assortment of soft-
ware too numersous to mention but my favorites are
CM3, MAX10, and of course CFDM. I also use Deskmate
II sometimes because it is an OS9 program and is
easily used to edit or create BASIC09 procedures.
When I'm not "key crunchin" I spend my summers
raising a large garden and preserving what I raise.
Sometimes even get in a little fishing. Feel free to
call or write anytime. I work a seven day swing
shift so I don't even know when I'm going to be
home.
BARRY T. MILLER
5321W 8000S RD
CHEBANSE IL 60922
PHONE-(815)697-2533 =*
|
| Articles in section: FORUM |
| A
Program Model Standard........ BE HAPPY...STAY ACTIVE COCO EMULATOR FUND UPDATE Family Tree Submission Form |
| Back to top |
A Program Model Standard........ Several Friends have viewed their thoughts to CFDM about the need for information in the BASIC programs about printers, PCLEAR whatever, joystick or mouse needed, RAM required, etc. Maybe this idea might clear up most of the confusion. (Then again, it might not.....) At the beginning of EVERY program, we could put this information about the program: 1 ' <name of program> 2 ' <author of program date> 3 ' PRINTER <NOT REQUIRED, OPTIONAL, REQUIRED> 4 ' <if printer required, BAUD rate> 5 ' <RAM required: 32k, 64k, 128k, 512k etc.> 6 ' PCLEAR X:<clear up enough RAM for the program> 7 ' <list additional equipment as needed here> 10 <your program starts here...> =* |
BE HAPPY...STAY ACTIVE Since you were complaining about not having enough
to put together any issues of CFDM, I thought I'd
rummage through my collection of disks named "MISC"
to see if I had anything useful. I found two items
of interest. I hope these appease you some.
====================================================
In regards to you renewal notices - I had completely
forgotten that CFDM was up for renewal. If it hadn't
been for your slip in issue #28, I would never have
thought to renew. Those slips are invaluable - I
wouldn't dream of missing an issue, but things like
that slip my mind easily.
Keep up the good work.
=>
____________________________________________________
If ANY of you friends out there who have any ideas
whatsoever, no matter how stupid, for a program,
share them with the CFDM. There may be someone else
out here who could use such a program. In fact, many
of us programmers are not very creative when it
comes to coming up with ideas for programs. Maybe
one of us could be put to work?
This is an appeal from a sincere friend. I do hope
Rick's cupboards are not bare any longer. I raise my
voice with Rick's > Please do not be just a passive
friend, take an active roll in the community.
Ask and ye shall receive, that is one of the pre-
cepts of life. It usually works. Try it!!
=>
____________________________________________________
I just thought I'd put my two cents worth in here.
I know I've not just been passive, but there are
many of people out there who have. As long as we are
here to support Rick, he'll support us.
Rick: Don't flag in your excellent work no matter
how bleak the outlook. Those of us in much of the
world have no other affordable way to communicate
with the CoCo community!!!!
William Astle
5612 43 Street Close
Olds, Alberta
T4H 1C3
(403)556-1976 =*
|
COCO EMULATOR FUND UPDATE On December 21st the CoCo 3 Emulator Bounty Escrow
stood at $202.75. Today, January 16th, our fund is
at $296.75! Yes it seems that the Friends want to
see Jeff Vavasour at Rick's picnic!! I must say the
Friends are an unusual group of people! Some do not
seem to understand the philosophy of supporting the
CoCo with money and effort! But I thank you for your
generosity and hope we can raise enough to get Jeff
to the picnic!
Here's how we stand:
Beginning Balance December 21, 1994.......$202.75
Harold Dague 10.00
L.E. Padgett 10.00
Thomas Huber 21.00
Tim Mortensen 5.00
William Astle 23.00 =>
____________________________________________________
Harvey Driscoll 5.00
Herman Fynke 10.00
Ron MaCauley 10.00
Ending Balance January 16, 1995 296.75
Thanks to all that have participated and let's
continue to add to this to get Jeff down for Rick's
Picnic!!
=*
|
Family Tree Submission Form Since Family Tree submissions aren't coming in as
fast as they used to be, I've created a nifty form
for those out there who haven't gotten around to
sending one in yet. The form is a detailed fill in
the blank, finish the question and multiple choice
type of form. It won't take you much time at all to
fill out this form and send it back to Rick. Then,
your Family Tree entry will be done.
Use Stuart't README program or any word processor to
print out the form. It's a little less than 2 pages
long.
So, come on, what are you waiting for? A personal
call from Rick himself?? He's back at school.
Ray =*
|
| Articles in section: FROM THE EDITOR |
| KUDOS
<g> TO THE FRIENDS... |
| Back to top |
|
<< WILLIAM ASTLE >> << NORM BARSON >> << JIM BENNETT >> << RAY BERNEY >> << PETE BLACKWELL >> << ROBERT BRUHL >> << DEBRA CAIN >> << VINCE CARDILLO >> << JEFF CHO >> << IAN CUNNINGHAM >> << H. ALLEN CURTIS >> << HARVEY DRISCOLL >> << RAY EHLERT >> << HERB FORGER >> << JIM GIBBONS >> << VIC KELLS >> << DONALD KELLY >> << KEIRAN KENNY >> << NICKALOS MARENTES >> << PERCY MCDONALD >> << BARRY MILLER >> << JIM MILLS >> << HAROLD MOENICH >> << GODFREY MOLL >> << TIMOTHY MORTENSEN >> << C. B. NELIS >> << JIM NOAH >> << HERB SCHULER >> << KENNEY TREVINO >> << ROBERT A. TURNER >> << DAN WILLIAMSON >> << EDWARD WOLAK >> << PAUL WOLF >> << STUART WYSS-GALLIFENT >> |
TO THE FRIENDS... Just returned from a teacher inservice training on
writing portfolio analysis. I really enjoyed it and
feel I learned something about analyzing student
writing. This doesn't make me an expert by any means
but it does make me a little more knowledgeable, and
that puts me in a good mood.
When we began with CFDM I felt unqualified to become
the editor. I remember stating that fact in an early
issue. But you have not complained and I appreciate
your patience! I really do not have a background in
publishing and although I feel I've learned a little
about what do to, I'm pretty much the same as I was
back in January 1992. Although we have many fine
writers in our group, I'm glad that even we non-
writers can feel we can "speak out" and others =>
____________________________________________________
will welcome us doing so! I strongly feel that if
one knows what he wants to say, then he can say it
and others can understand.
Well enough philosophy...
I'd like to say congratulations to the participants
and winners of Godfrey's Coloring Book Contest! They
were Ray Berney, Harold Moenich, Marie Boudet, and
Herb Schuler. And thanks to Godfrey for his efforts
in organizing the contest and for the Great prizes!
Also thanks to our three judges, Norm Barson, Jim
Bennett, and Jim Gibbons. Great job fellows!
Also..it may be that we don't emphasize it enough,
but when someone takes it upon themselves to =>
____________________________________________________
begin a new CoCo project, business, enterprise, etc.
then I believe that person deserves to be supported
and recognized for their effort. At this time we
applaud Jeff Cho for his new CoCo enterprise! Jeff
does superior quality work and I know he well be
well received. JC Software is the name Jeff has
chosen for his company. Congratulations Jeff!!
----------------------------------------------------
This month's scripture...
You provide the verse(s) that tells of a man being
fed by ravens during a famine. What was his name?
=*
|
| Articles in section: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR |
| 3-D
Figures (CFDM #31 [?]) ALPHABETIZED REGISTRY? EXCERPTS FROM CANADA KEEP YOUR CHIN UP VIC!!!!! REMEMBER THE MUSIC MAN? TO RICK |
| Back to top |
3-D Figures (CFDM #31 [?]) Rick,
I was able to observe your 3-D figures, CFDM #31?
You kind of have to stare at it and let your eyes
'defocus', but if you do it once, after that it's
pretty easy.
My son who is 21 could see it after some con-
centration, but my daughter, age 30, gave up after
over half an hour. (She'd rather come over to play
SHANGHAI on MY CoCo [see my wanted to buy ad, CFDM36
]!!!)
Maybe us "old folks" with glasses can defocus
easier (?).
Pete Blackwell
-----
RICK: Thanks for the feedback on the stereogram!
=*
|
ALPHABETIZED REGISTRY? Dear Rick,
The CoCo Registry is working fine. I have printed
out all of the names in three columns. I have found
that having a printed copy of this typed data is a
quick reference and I don't have to activate the
computer.
This would be a better reference if it were alpha-
betized. Is it possible to do this?
-----
RICK: The entries in the Registry appear in the
order I received the data forms. It is possible to
alphabetize the entries and I will try to work on
an alphabetizer if time permits. Look for it in =>
____________________________________________________
a near future issue of CFDM.
(C. B. Nelis continued.)...
I have been reading about the Emulator. As I under-
stand this program will make it possible to run some
CoCo programs on the IBM PC. I don't have a PC
available and don't expect to get one. Is there to
be a reverse Emulator so that some PC programs can
be run on the CoCo3?
-----
RICK: C. B. a "reverse emulator" isn't possibile but
that doesn't mean you can't take, for instance, PC
BASIC programs and change them to run on the CoCo.
But even this is quite a job and I don't think =>
____________________________________________________
it happens very often. One thing I have done is
find appropriate PC programs and write a CoCo
version. See MINESWEEPER in issue #25.
=*
|
EXCERPTS FROM CANADA ...I would like to thank the many friends who have
sent me letters and programs to help me learn more
about my CoCo. It only affirmed my beliefs in my
neighbors to the south. Their caring, generosity,
and above all a friendship that no other two
countries of the world enjoy.
I have enclosed a money order for my renewal and an
additional $5 for Rick's Picnic Get Together fund...
Thank you for the very nice Xmas Card you sent me
and please extend my sincerest greetings to Donna,
Kristin, Kasey, and Kayla.
- Harvey Driscoll Sr.
P.O. Box 67
Maynooth, ONT K0L 2S0 Canada =>
____________________________________________________
-----
RICK: And thank you Harvey for the very nice letter
and also the reference letter that I'm too modest to
include. (Actually it was too nice!!)
----------------------------------------------------
Dear Rick,
Well Rick, it's "Renewal" time again, so I am happy
to attach a Money Order. Kindly extend my HARDCOPY
and CFDM subscriptions for another cycle.
I sure get a lot of pleasure out of the above Rick,
and earnestly hope you will be able to keep it alive
and well for the future. Thanks for all past enjoy-
ment and New Year's greetings to you and the family.
- Percy McDonald =>
____________________________________________________
1220 8th Ave. NE Apt 121
Calgary, AB T2E 0S6
Canada
Tel: 403-230-8010
-----
RICK: And thanks to you Percy for your faithful
support to both CFDM and HARDCOPY! It may please
you to know that you are the first to resubscribe to
HARDCOPY for the 3rd years subscription!!
CC C C C C CCC C C C
C C C C CC C C C C C C C C C
C C C C C C C C C C C C C C
C CCCCC C C C CCCCC C C CCCCC C C
C C C C C CC C C C C C C
CC C C C C C C CCC C C C C =*
|
KEEP YOUR CHIN UP VIC!!!!! Dear Rick,
This letter is being dictated to a friend, Ray
Ehlert, so that I may send this information to you.
My health is not good but is in a holding pattern,
and I pray every day and night for the Lord to show
me what he wants me to do to serve him, and if it is
His will that my health can improve.
...Vic has already ordered a CoCo3 Emulator direct
from Jeff Vavasour, along with Don Remter's order to
Jeff. We hope to contribute to the guest event for
the summer at a later date.
Vic also adds that he is "very pleased with every
issue of CFDM he has ever received and sends his =>
____________________________________________________
personal compliments to you for your important
efforts in keeping the CoCo alive.
Sincerely,
Vic Kells
-----
RICK: Vic, I very much appreciate your wonderful
letter! And my prayer is that you will get an
uplifting answer from God about your health! Our
work with CFDM is most insignificant in comparison
to many other things...but we appreciate your kind
words and hope that you will continue to enjoy CFDM
for a very long time. By the way, I'm very happy to
hear that you and Don have ordered the emulator. On
Jeff's return from Christmas break he reported =>
____________________________________________________
having about 50 requests for the emulator!!!
=*
|
REMEMBER THE MUSIC MAN? Hi Rick,
My gosh! It's that time again already! Time to
renew CFDM. Three years has gone by! Just can't
believe it.
Here's my check for $42. Please renew my CFDM sub
for six more issues and also please send the CoCo
Registry. I've been putting that off long enough.
Our best wishes for you and your family for a
Happy Holiday Season. And the best for you all in
the coming year.
- Herb Schuler
809 Locksley Lane
Woodbury, NJ 08096 =>
____________________________________________________
-----
RICK: And a belated happy holiday to you too Herb!
We appreciate Herb for his 12 issue music series
back in beginning of CFDM! (And invite him to send
more whenever he wants to!) It seems we have quite
afew gifted music Friends. Roy Atkins stepped in
and did a fine job when Herb "retired" and others
have also sent in great music from time to time.
=*
|
TO RICK FROM TIME TO TIME IN A PERSON'S LIFE THEY RUN
INTO SPECIAL SITUATIONS OR EXPERIENCES. CFDM HAS
BEEN ONE OF THOSE SPECIAL THINGS FOR ME.
For many months my COCO has been used for the
routine chores that I had condemned it to. Just
another tool to be used. Now the fun of exploring
has been re-kindled. Thank you and the many CFDM
friends that havn't abandoned this great machine!
The phone fest was fun and thanks to my son
Chris, I now own not one, but three compilers. If
you know of anyone else that could use a compiler,
I now have two more than I really need and will part
with them for a reasonable price.
I have enclosed my phone fest bonus certificate
and would like to order the following. =>
____________________________________________________
1. GrafExpress 2.0
2. CFDM issue #21
3. CFDM issue #22
Also, I am looking for a RS232 cable to connect
my modem to my RS232 pack(Avatex 2400). If you or
one of the CFDM friends has one or knows where I
could get one, please contact me.
Dan Williamson
6850 Georgetown Rd. N.E.
East Canton, Ohio
44730
TEL:216-875-1751
Call from 8:00am to 1:00pm EST or after midnight. =*
|
| Articles in section: POTPOURRI |
| Collecting
Graphics Signatures MISTAKES and how to recover. RANDOMIZE FASCINATION |
| Back to top |
Collecting Graphics Signatures -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ATTENTION! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I have started to collect the signatures of the most
talented graphic artists who have put their pictures
in CFDM. I already have the signatures of GARRY W.
SPENCER, JEFF CHO, NORM BARSON and BEN WALKER. I'm
still looking out for MAGPYE, MICHAEL LEWIS, STUART
WYSS-GALLIFENT, JIM MILLS and any other Friend who
signs their artwork.
You might see our signature on some graphics - The
Brain Donors Society. Our logo is proprietary and
anybody who dares take our signature and apply it
to their own artwork will be included into our
exclusive club. Not everyone can be a Brain Donor!
O:) =*
|
MISTAKES and how to recover. I'm entering text and I hit BREAK instead of the up arrow. Of course I don't want to save my text yet so I select ABORT THIS ENTRY. Then I press ENTER at the ENTRY WRITER prompt and select EDIT THE BUFFER. Then I'm back at my text with the cursor restored and I'm saved (until next time). I can also do a POKE41598,255 before I run "C" to disable the BREAK key. Then, if if really mean to to break, I can press SHIFT-ENTER. It's not easy to do that by mistake. Idiot trap # 2 is, for me, pressing CTRL instead of the SHIFT key: then the cursor disappears! To get it back, press CTRL with a page number (1 - 3) and it will reappear. If you know of other idiot traps and how to get out of them, let us know! =* |
RANDOMIZE FASCINATION In issue 31, Logan Beckley III gave us a way to
randomize the solitaire game Fascination. I think
that I have a much simpler way of doing the same
thing.
Edit line 8 of the FASCIN8.BAS program and change
Q=RND(TIMER) to Q=RND(-TIMER). This will also
assume randomization of the game.
=*
|
ALPHABET SOUP
OK, here's a game based on an original concept, sort
of! Most of the games I write are based on some
game or puzzle I have seen. This one is kind of like
HANGMAN but with a little different twist.
The object of the game is to guess the letters of a
word which CoCo has picked out before the time runs
out. When you run the program, ALPHABET, you'll see
a number of boxes lined up across the screen. Each
box starts out with the letter A in it. Below the
'A' boxes you'll see the same number of boxes which
will be empty. You'll also see a red arrow pointing
to one of the empty boxes. Here's what it all means,
the empty boxes is where you try to type the letters
of the secret word before they are uncovered by your
opponent, CoCo. If you type the correct letter, =>
____________________________________________________
it will appear in the box with a green background.
If you type a wrong letter, you'll see it displayed
briefly and you'll hear a low note. Then the letter
will be erased and await your next guess. If you
want to move the red arrow to another empty box,
just press the space bar to advance the red arrow.
This is a timed game in that the 'A' boxes will
sequentially turn to 'B' boxes, then to 'C' boxes,
etc. as time goes by. If one of the upper boxes
turns to the letter that's in the word, it will then
be displayed in the bottom box and displayed with a
red background.
If you uncover the last found letter in the secret
word, you win. If CoCo finds the last found =>
____________________________________________________
letter in the word, you lose. The score you see is
your score. If you find the last found letter in the
word you'll receive ten points plus a bonus of five
points for each letter you found in the word. If you
lose you'll be penalized five points for each letter
you didn't find before CoCo did.
I hope you'll enjoy this little game.
=*
|
COLRSTARS (shining bright). Put a varicolored star with your choice of 4 to 60 points on the screen. At the prompt, enter the number of points you want. The number may not be less than 4 nor more than 60, and it must be a fac- tor of 360 (i.e. it must divide evenly into 360). Illegal entries will be rejected and you can try again. The trig equations in lines 360, 370 and 390 es- tablish the positions of each outer point, inner point and next outer point. On each run through the loop in lines 360 to 420, these points are connected by lines. You will get a sound prompt when a figure is com- plete. Press A for another star, any other key to end and restore operating speed to normal. Colors are for an RGB monitor. => ____________________________________________________ Stars with 4 to 15 points show best on the sxreen while larger numbers tend to produce figures with overrunning lines and colors. =* |
COSMIC AMBUSH Several years ago, I got this program set from my
Aussie buddy, Robbie Dalzell. It is one of the
finest arcade games I have ever encountered or
played on the CoCo! It is called:
COSMIC AMBUSH
Shareware ver 1.0
by
Nickalos Marentes
It is a set of four programs. AMBUSH.BAS is the
loader. GRX.BIN are the graphics. MAP.BIN is the map
for the graphics. And PRG.BIN has the instructions.
Just RUN"AMBUSH" and everything will be loaded =>
____________________________________________________
and auto-execute. The top 10 scores are kept in
memory and it is preset for the first high score of
5,000. This game is not easy. After at least 2,000
games, I have exceeded 5,000 only once.
Let the self-repeating demo run awhile. You can read
the instructions, see the ship in action (usually
poorly) and see the top 10 high scores.
Just play it. You'll see what I mean.
--------
NOTE: Our Editors report that those using the CM8
monitor may experience a rolling of the screen. To
remedy this just adjust the veritcal hold.
=*
|
HEARTS Almost everyone, who has played cards, has enjoyed
the game of Hearts at some time or another. My
program, HEARTS, is a solitaire adaptation of that
popular multi-player card game.
Two mutually exclusive goals in HEARTS are:
A. Avoid taking "tricks" containing the Queen of
Spades or one or more of any denomination of
Hearts.
B. Take among your tricks ALL thirteen Hearts and
the Queen of Spades.
If you fail to achieve goal B, then you are
penalized 1 point for each of the Hearts 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King taken in tricks; 5
points for the Ace of Hearts; and 13 points for the
Queen of Spades. However, if you achieve goal B, you
are rewarded by subtracting 30 points from your =>
____________________________________________________
score. In HEARTS you strive for low scores.
The layout of HEARTS consists merely of a Tableau
and a Deck of cards. The Tableau consists of four
piles of facing up cards. No pile ever contains more
than one card. Each Tableau pile has a different
number label: 1, 2, 3, or 4. The Deck consists of
all cards not already played and not in the Tableau.
A "trick" is the result of comparing the facing up
Deck card with any one of the Tableau piles. You
take the trick if:
1. The Deck card and the chosen pile card are of the
same suit and the Deck card is the higher in
denomination. The denominations from high to low
are Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4,
3, 2.
2. The Deck card and the pile card are of =>
____________________________________________________
different suits.
If there is a pile card of the same suit as that
of the Deck card, you must NOT choose for comparison
a pile card of a different suit. That is, you must
always follow suit.
Until there are only four cards left in the Deck,
the Tableau pile card and the Deck card involved in
each trick are replaced from the Deck. The Tableau
pile card involved in every trick thereafter is not
replaced and the pile becomes empty.
The playing of 26 tricks is called a Round. A game
consists of as many Rounds as it takes to reach a
score of 100. The object of the game is to play as
many Rounds as possible in a game.
=*
|
HEARTS (Continuation) Key commands are used to play tricks. They are
merely 1, 2, 3, and 4. For instance, pressing 2 on
your keyboard will cause the comparison of the
facing up Deck card with the card in Tableau pile 2.
The only other key command is Q. This command allows
you to Quit the game by pressing Q twice in
succession. If you press a wrong key or try to make
an illegal play (not follow suit) a beep will occur.
After each taken trick containing a Heart or the
Queen of Spades, the point Count is recorded. If the
point Count at the end of a Round is less than 30,
it will be added to your Score; otherwise, 30 points
will be subtracted from your Score.
My best effort thus far was 19 Rounds in one game.
Can you do better?
=*
|
Listing Formatter The Listing Formatter is one of the first complex
programs I wrote. It's job is to provide a listing
of a program on disk in a pleasing format on the
printer. The program will work on either disk 2.1 or
2.0. The menu is self explanatory. To escape from a
menu back to the main menu, press BREAK. To escape
from an input line, press ENTER without typing
anything. Type RUN"LISTER" to execute the program.
Unfortunately, it only works in one column. Future
versions (if they happen) may allow more than one
column, but.......
==>
____________________________________________________
ENJOY!!!!!
William Astle
5612 43 Street Close
Olds, Alberta
T4H 1C3
(403)556-1976
==*
|
RND6x44 random ramblings A couple of years back, like Rick and Norm Barson I experimented with the RND command with a view to getting a better spread of values, mainly with my program to pick lotto numbers (6 out of 44). I read around the subject and tried a few possi- bililies. I tried simple R=RND(44) and also a con- struction like XX=RND(-TIMER):R=RND(44) but any dif- ference between the two was not very evident, if at all. One writer suggested R=INT(RND(-TIMER)*44) This gave a better spread, I think, but it could produce zero,which I did not want, and could not produce 44. So I finally settled on R=INT(RND(-TIMER)*44)+1. I have used it in a few programs since then and I think it is fairly satisfactory. But if you know a better equation, glad to hear from you. => ____________________________________________________ The program RND6X44/BAS gives examples of results obtained using: Example 1: R=RND(44) Example 2: XX=RND(-TIMER) - (once only) Example 3: XX=RND(-TIMER):R=RND(44) - (in loop) Example 4: R=INT(RND(-TIMER)*44)+1 Each example generates fourteen rows of six random numbers. A program guaranteed to generate the winning megabuck six does not exist, but I changed my my lotto program to give myself (I think) a very slight extra chance in the Dutch lotto. Lotto draws can generate consequetive numbers but not as frequently as computer programs do. Example 3 will not generate consequetive numbers as frequently as the other two, but I amended my => ____________________________________________________ lotto program so that consequetive numbers cannot occur inthe first six out of twelve tries. Since then I havehad enough small prizes to suggest that there might be something in my reasoning. But, otherwise, rest assured that your random scratches on your lotto card will always have just as much chance as my computer program. On repeated runs I found gained an impression that having XX=RND(-TIMER) repeating in a loop as in example 3 produced undesirable results: too many clusters of numbers within a small range like 6,5,3, 7,9,8. =* |
SOMETHING FISHY WITH STRINGART13 RUN STRING13 and you'll see what I mean. This one is
multicolor and more complex than some of my more
recent examples. I put the catchy title on the top
of the screen to let you know when the drawing is
finished.
=*
|
VIEWING /MAX PICTURES: PART 2. [DOWN ARROW] :This will scroll the picture up.
[LEFT ARROW] :This will invert the picture data.
Black will become white and white will
become black. The artifact colors will
also be affected. Press this key a
second time to restore the picture.
[RIGHT ARROW]:This will return you to the file
selection menu.
[CLEAR] :This will switch from PMODE 4 to PMODE
3. This will cause the graphics to
become 'coarse' in appearance and the
colors will appear different. It's
only practical use is that it should
allow a CoCo 3 with an RGB monitor to
display the artifacting colors. Press
this key a second time to switch =>
____________________________________________________
to PMODE 4.
[BREAK] :Two things could happen if you press
this key. 1] If you are using a CoCo 1
or 2, it will [BREAK] the program. 2]
If you are using a CoCo 3, it will
'gracefully' exit the program.
While you are at the file selection menu, you may
enter a zero, a negative number or a number that is
larger than the last available file, or simply press
[ENTER] alone to exit the program. If you are using
a CoCo 3, you may press [BREAK] at any point in the
program to exit. With a CoCo 1 or 2, you should only
exit at the file selection menu, because the program
uses the high speed POKE. It will return to slow
speed, if exited properly. =>
____________________________________________________
I wrote this program for inclusion on the public
domain /MAX & /BIN picture disks that I am in the
process of compiling for my PD library. See ads in
recent issues of CFDM. Any software donations,
including pictures, for the library are appreciated.
ROBERT ALLEN TURNER,
BINARY SYSTEMS,
PO BOX 396,
DOUBLE SPRINGS, AL 35553-0396.
=*
|
VIEWING /MAX
PICTURES:"MAXMENU". The need for a convenient method of viewing CoCo
Max II and standard CoCo PMODE 4 /BIN pictures
prompted me to write the program: "MAXMENU". It is
a BASIC program that POKE's a small m/l routine
into memory. The m/l routine is used to invert the
picture, if desired.
When you run MAXMENU, the program will check to see
if it is being used on a Color Computer 3, and, if
so, it will force the alternate color set. This will
cause the CoCo 3 to properly display the artifacting
color effect of those PMODE pictures that contain
them. This is only useful with a composite monitor
or television. The pictures will be in black and
white on an RGB monitor. This is because an RGB
monitor will not 'artifact'. The alternate color =>
____________________________________________________
set will also cause the 32 column screen to be blue.
(I do not know if this is true with an RGB monitor,
but it is so with a composite monitor/TV).
The program then reads the DIRectory of the last
accessed disk drive. If it finds no /MAX or /BIN
files, it will inform you as such and will then
instruct you to press the [ENTER] key. You should
then place a diskette containing /MAX and/or /BIN
picture files into the drive that is being accessed
and then press [ENTER].
When the program is satisfied that the diskette in
the drive contains PMODE picture files, it will
display a two-column menu of the available files.
You may then select the file that you wish to =>
____________________________________________________
view. The program will then load and display the
picture. At this point, you may use the following
keys to alter or scroll the picture, as described
below:
[UP ARROW] :This will scroll the picture down.
Note that there are generally 2 forms
of PMODE picture files: Four page and
Eight page. A four page file is one
screen in length. An eight page file
is two screens in length. MAXMENU will
load ALL files as an eight page
picture. If the file is only a four
page picture, MAXMENU will load an
inverted copy of that picture into the
second screen. (see part 2). =*
|
| Articles in section: REVIEWS |
| Controller
Upgrade Chip The CoCo Registry Issue 1 |
| Back to top |
Controller Upgrade Chip The UPGRADE chip for the RS controller which
converts most disk drives to double sided 40 track
works every bit as well as advertised.
I have used mine for several months and have
experienced no problems with it.
It's the simplist thing in the world to install.
The rankest amateur can do it.
If you feel you could use something like this,
contact: Terry Simon Mid-Iowa & Country CoCo
1328 48th St. Des Moines IA 50311
I believe he still has some yet.
He (they? we?) have lots more GREAT stuff.
Become a member.
Pete Blackwell
=*
|
The CoCo Registry Issue 1 When I first found out that Rick Cooper was going to
try to consolidate the CoCo Community into a product
called the COCO REGISTRY, I filled out my
informational sheet immediately and sent it in. I
paid for Issue 1, Update 1 & Update 2 later.
When I got CoCo Registry Issue 1, I read the
instructions and loaded up the personnel side. After
a full minute of causing my drives hammer like crazy
the main menu appeared.
When I pressed "1", following the instructions, I
thought by pressing "N", I would squelch the
unwanted addresses. Incorrect. Whenever I used
several parameters, always several unneeded
addresses came up. But the most frustrating =>
____________________________________________________
feature of all was: whenever I was done setting up
the search parameters and pressed "2", then tried to
use the UP and DOWN ARROWS to check out the
information, THE KEYS WOULD LOCK UP!!!!!! Only by
carefully timing my pressing the "2" key, then the
DOWN ARROW, could I get the information to display
properly. Only it took me about a month to figure
this out!
I wonder if any other purchaser of CoCo Registry
Issue 1 had this problem.....
Other that this ONE tinsy little glitch, I totally
enjoy the COCO REGISTRY!
Contributor 12
=*
|
A 68B09E Source A few days ago, I got a JDR Microdevices electronic
componenets catalog in the mail. Thumbing thru it, I
found on page 9, 68B09Es were still for sale at
$4.95 each. So I went and ordered 5 of 'em! Never
know just when you might need them!
JDR Microdevices
1850 South 10th Street
San Jose, CA 95112-4108
Sales 1-800-538-5000
Fax Orders 1-800-538-5005
Tech Support 1-800-538-5002
BBS 1-408-494-1430
O:) =*
|
BIOSPHERE AND DISK DRIVE ? I have software from Radio Shack called Biosphere.
It worked when I had a CoCo II, but when I upgraded
it wouldn't work...I kind of liked it and am unable
to use it. I tried the poke that is supposed to turn
a CoCo III into a CoCo II, but it still didn't work.
Any suggestions?
Also, several years ago my disk drive went kaputy. I
was told it was the controller and since that's
about 80% of the cost of a new drive I bought a new
drive. It was a double-sided drive in a double drive
case. How do I hook up my old drive (it works cause
I used the new controller on the old drive)? There's
a ribbon with 2 slots. I thought all I'd have to do
is hook up the old drive in this 2nd slot. My old
drive probably wasn't double sided. Is that why =>
____________________________________________________
it isn't as easy as I thought to hook-up my old
drive?
- Donald Kelly
72 Seneca Ave.
Oneida Castle, NY 13421
------
RICK: I can't help you with Biosphere, but I might
be able to give you a clue about your drive. Your
old drive is probably configured as a zero drive.
Since your new drive is also configured as a zero
(and the second drive as drive 1) then you have a
little conflict. I would advise you try making your
old drive a drive 2. If your new drives are set for
double-sided, that is drive 0, 1, 2, and 3, then =>
____________________________________________________
we'll have to ask someone else if it's possible to
use a drive 4.
Anyway, the way a disk drive is configured is by a
set of very small jumpers on the drive itself. If
you will take the drive out of the case, you will be
able to inspect it for these jumpers. You will
probably note that there is a small jumper over one
of the pins at one end of the set of pins. This
would mean that that drive must be read as drive 0.
Moving the jumper from that pin to the next pin in
line would configure it as a drive 1. There will
probably be only 4 pins, thus you can configure it
for any drive 0-3. Someone else I'm sure can write
in and correct or add to what I have written.
Good luck Don! =*
|
HOT CoCo - Herb Forger CFDM #34 - Herb Forger was experiencing a
great deal of heat on his upgraded (128k ->
512k) CoCo. I experienced the same problem
when I upgraded mine. My solution:
With keyboard toward you, cut out a section
of the top on the left side about 2 1/2" by 4"
glue a piece of plastic screen over the hole
(to keep out trash).
Buy a 6" 2 (or 3)-speed fan at Wal-Mart (or
other discount) and blow it across the rear and
top of the CoCo (low speed).
If you feel you need it, construct a card
board cone to direct the air flow from the fan.
After burning up the first upgrade; in over
2 years of use, I've had no problem with over-
heating. =*
|
LOOKING FOR..... From time to time Friends call or write when they
are looking for various CoCo items. Here's a couple
of Tim's needs.
---------
Do you know where I can find any books on writing
MS-Dos batch files?
Also I am looking for any books on 500 peeks and
pokes.
- Timothy T. Mortensen
P.O. Box 104
Antioch, IL 60002
=>
____________________________________________________
------------
And Robert A. Turner asked about obtaining Newspaper
Plus.....so Vince Cardillo sends the message to let
Robert know that he has a copy with docs. Please
contact Vince at:
Vince Cardillo
63 Foothill Drive
Lincoln Park, NJ 07035
------------
And Harold Moenich writes that he would like to see
a database program to use to keep tabs on all the
CFDM Friends. Name, address, date, and room for
comments would be some of the desired features. =>
____________________________________________________
Harold J. Moenich
715 Greenleaf Drive
Monroeville, PA 15146-1133
----------
And Ian Cunningham writes that he has a Tandy RGB
monitor which has a 9 pin "D" plug for video. The
CoCo 3 needs a rectangular 9 pin which is different.
Is there an adaptor for my monitor?
Rick: I don't know Ian....maybe a Friend can help.
Ian Cunningham
5920 Stephan Road
Sardinia, OH 45171 =*
|
NEWSPAPER PLUS/NEWSPAPER-09. I remember reading sometime ago that someone needed
some help in getting "NEWSPAPER-09" to print. Also,
a recent request for information on NEWSPAPER PLUS,
or more specifically, the whereabouts of the author,
appeared in CFDM. The author of both of these
programs is: ERIC A. WOLF, 1630 N. JOHNSON ST,
SOUTH BEND, IN 46628.
Eric should be able to help you with any problems
that you may be having with these two programs,
however, you must include a Self-Addressed Stamped
Envelope, if requesting a reply. Please note also
that Eric did not retain the Copyrights to these
two programs, thus he will not be able to send you a
copy of either. NEWSPAPER-09 is available from Rick
Cooper (CFDM's publisher, of course). NEWSPAPER PLUS
is no longer available, and I had written and =>
____________________________________________________
asked Eric if he might be able to sell me a copy,
but he said that all rights to the program had been
transferred to Second City Software, and as such, I
would have to track them down to obtain a copy. I
hope that this information is of help to the CFDM
members who were needing it. -Robert-
=*
|
Reply: To HARVEY DRISCOLL SR. To: Harvey Driscoll Sr.
The phone numbers for the R/S Tandy Corp. are:
1-817-390-3200 / 1-817-390-3700 / 1-817-390-3011
Main no. Main no. Switch board
The address for the R/S Tandy Corp. is:
TANDY CORPORATION
Executive Offices
1800 One Tandy Center
Post Office Box 17180
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
=>
____________________________________________________
Sorry: But I could not find a Tandy Express line
listed in either an 800 no. or regular Texas no.
I dialed 1-800-555-1212 and 1-817-555-1212 and
talked to at least 5 different operators.
Signed:
Kenney Trevino
1146 W. Lynwood St.
Phoenix, Arizona 85007-1917
=*
|
SOME HELP, PLEASE WITH EMULATOR I have read the docs for the COCO2 Emulator, but!!!
I wanted to try Rick's "Order.Bas" which was in CFDM
issue 35 (Feature Listing) but I didn't want to
pound in the code. So I thought of "scanning" the
code from Hardcopy on my PC & then using the COCO2
Emulator to copy the scan file (after editing by my
word processor) to a COCO disk. I then hoped to load
it into my COCO & run it. Well, all went ok until I
tried the last step. I had tried ASCII, Binary and
Basic copies but somewhere I am losing something
since I can't accomplish my goal.
Maybe when I get the new COCO3 Emulator I can figure
this out but until then, if ANYONE can help me, I
would be most grateful.
=>
____________________________________________________
Two things elude me: How do I accomplish the DSKINI
command from the Emulator menu(s) or the Retrieve
command. The menu(s) do NOT give you these choices,
or else I'm too dense to see them. I am using my
PC hard drive to store the Emulator files, and run
them as opposed to a floppy drive. Can anyone direct
me?
I can certainly see some good potential for me if I
can only get past this one problem!!!!!
Herb Forger 88 Dry Hill Rd Norwalk CT 06851-3127
Tel: (203) 847-4282
-----
RICK: Herb you have some interesting questions! I
can't replicate scanning in the listing so I =>
____________________________________________________
can only advise you that you should stick with ASCII
in making the transfer. (BASIC commands are stored
in tokenized format, so ASCII is the only way to do
that without problems.)
Per using RETRIEVE and DSKINI, these are PC programs
and must be used in the PC environment, not from
inside the Emulator. From the PC directory type:
RETRIEVE B: COCODISK (That's after putting the
CoCo disk you want to transfer in drive B. COCODISK
can be changed to whatever name you desire.) This
will make a Emulator .DSK file that you can load in
the Emulator....Now put a blank disk in drive B and
choose a .DSK file to transfer back to the blank
disk. Type DSKINI B: COCODISK. In about 45 seconds
you can put the disk in your CoCo to RUN!! =*
|
TO HERB FORGER Dear Herb: I was reading your letter in CFDM #34
asking for help in cooling problems with your CoCo3.
The CoCo 3 with 512K memory normally is hot because
there are 16 256X1 chips in that expansion board
alone. Plus there are about 20 more chips in the
main board and your power supply also. In your
letter you did not state how long you have your
computer up and running. I have my CoCc 3 running
sometimes for 3 or 4 hours. The case is warm to
the touch but not that hot. If you think it is to
hot put a 12 Volt DC fan motor on top of the
computer. That will help you get to cooling you
want but it may screw up the chips in your computer.
=>
____________________________________________________
If I was you I would contact a Radio Shack Computer
Repair Center near your home. They may be able to
better answer your questions about heat and also
putting a fan on top of the computer cabinet. A few
years ago I had the same problem with my FD-502
drives. I wanted to have a fan installed into these
drives. So I phoned Fort Worth and got the answer
"the computer is too old, no fan parts". After
contacting the Repair Center they suggested that I
get a 3 inch 12 volt DC motor from a Electronic
Store and they would installed it. They installed
the fan motor on the top of my FD502 drives. The
cost was $15.00 for the fan motor plus $15.00
installation. Plus they burned out one of my drives
trying to align them. They replaced the drive at no
charge. =>
____________________________________________________
Sincerely yours,
Edward Wolak
13526 S. Buffalo Avenue
Chicago, Il. 60633-1838
=*
|
WANTED: TO BUY Right now I'm not jumping too high. In fact, I'm
feeling really blue. I lost out on the bidding on
the one phone fest package that I really wanted. It
was the CBASIC compiler for the CoCo 3 originally
sold by Cer-Comp.
If anyone happens to have this compiler and would be
interested in selling it, I would like to buy it!
Please give me a call (collect) and I'll be jumping
again!!
Jim Bennett (914) 485-8150
*=*
|
WHERE IS MY PATCH? I was very pleased to find out that I had won a CFDM
patch via the OPERATION PATCH contest. Now Ray
Berney, you ask "Where'd you put your CFDM patch?".
Well, I have mounted my patch, & hung it on the wall
directly in the center of my two computers. Now when
I sit in my "command" chair in my "command" center,
(as Friend Jim Bennett might say,) I can view this
fine patch that has been so very well done (by
person(s) unknown). I thought of adding this patch
to an old jacket that I have worn for years with
patches of past clubs etc that I have belonged to,
but this jacket is long past any additional patches.
Even our old favorite clothes finally have to be put
out to pasture. So now my CFDM patch has a neat, dry
spot on my wall for me to tell my friends about and
for me to admire. THANKS, Ray for a very =>
____________________________________________________
nice contest!
Herb Forger 88 Dry Hill Rd Norwalk, CT 06851
Tel: (203) 847-4282.
=*
|
