Antigrav Toolkit Notebook
by Randy Winchester
Reader Mail

Antigrav Toolkit readers ask some interesting questions about hardware, software, and the future of GEOS. This month, I'll answer some of the mail I've received recently. Owing to the volume of mail received, very little gets edited out, and almost everyone who writes to me can expect a personal reply. Hey, this is a great magazine, isn't it? 

Dear Randy: 

Since, we have an Apple LaserWriter in the office where I work, I was eager to try out geoLaser with it. So, I purchased a Jameco RS-232C adapter just for this purpose. I packed up my C64, 1541, and a small B&W TV and lugged it all down to work. I hooked everything up as per instructions. I set the LaserWriter at 9600 Baud, and activated geoLaser. It worked beautifully! In just a few seconds the first copy came out and every one after that was fine also. 

Since that first successful test, I have used the LaserWriter many times with no problems. Except, the misery of disconnecting my at home set up and lugging it all down to the office. 
About that time a friend offered to sell me his SX-64. This was a dream come true! Great, I thought, now using the LaserWriter will be easy! 

The first time I brought it in to work and connected it up nothing happened. I used the same RS232 interface and cables as I had before, but nothing happened. I tried 9600 and 1200 baud, still nothing. Thinking that something might be wrong with the SX-64, I brought it to be repaired. I explained my problem, the technician said that sometimes a chip might be old and not work consistently. He ended up replacing CIA#1 and CIA#2. I tried it out again at work, but still nothing happened. 

As you may know, when you select a file to be printed geoLaser will go into the disk and then sends the file in the proper format to the LaserWriter. You know the LaserWriter is receiving the file when you see the center light on it flashes on and off. When the flashing stops, there is a short delay and then out comes the printed file. When I used my SX-64 no such flashing occurs. 

geoLaser does go into the disk for the file because the red light on the drive goes on, but nothing is sent to the LaserWriter. What do you think the problem could be? geoLaser thinks it is sending the file, but no file is getting through. A friend confirmed that nothing is getting through by connecting it up to a telecommunications checking devise. 

My thought is that it is something in the internal design of the SX-64. Some little thing that is different than in a C64. Or is it how geoLaser operates in a SX-64? Or is this the same problem? I would appreciate your help. I am sure there are many owners of SX-64's that would like to use them with a LaserWriter and can't that would like a fix to this problem. 

There is another problem that perhaps you could help with. I was told by BSW customer service that a new deskTop will be out soon that will enable a 1581 3.5" drive to be used with GEOS. But the new deskTop will not be able to be used with a 1764 REU and a 1541. I was told that GEOS will never be able to be used with three disks sources. Then I asked if BSW will provide 3.5" boot disks for GEOS to completely replace 1541 drive usage should a user desire to use a 1764 and 1581 exclusively. I was told, "No, the conversion would be too costly for BSW". I think that is dumb! 

The only problems with GEOS now are disk space and speed. Both would seem to me to be solved by the 1581. But as it seems to be now, a user will have to choose which they want to use, a 1764 RAM or a 1581, because GEOS will not accommodate both. 

Is this the straight story? Will it be possible to eliminate the 1541 and replace it with a 1581? How? When? 

Thanks for your time and attention to the above. Hope to hear from you soon. 

Dave Simcik
Naperville, IL 

Dear Dave, 

When I first read your letter, I was at a real loss trying to figure out what the problem might be. The first time I used GEOS with a LaserWriter, it was running on an SX-64. 

If your RS-232 interface still works with your C=64, I'm going to hazard a guess that there is something wrong with your SX-64. The SX-64 is mostly compatible with the C=64 except for it's most obvious difference - the portable case into which it is built. I've heard of other people having problems with modems that look like they plug into the SX, but just don't work. 

The best solution for you might be to modify the case on your RS-232 interface. You'll need to make sure it can freely fit in the user port slot in the SX case, and make good contact with the connector inside. 

I haven't seen the new deskTop yet. I don't think the folks at BSW's Customer Service line are prepared to answer questions about products that haven't as yet been released. Here's what I've heard though. (I'm not telling where I heard it!) 

The new deskTop will have a new version number. For now, lets call our new deskTop version 4.0-R, R standing for rumor. I think it will support more than two drives, with full support for the 1581, 1571 and 1750 REU. It will be able to do copy and scratch operations on multiple files and retrieve files dropped in the wastebasket. It will include a permanent time/date display, and an easy way of setting it on boot-up without having to run the Preference Manager. 

Now some of the things I'm hoping for would be a way of selecting files from the view by name, date, type, or size displays. How about a way to automatically configure a program, say geoWrite, on boot-up? Some simple I/O redirection, like being able to send screen output to the printer? Wait a minute, what about multi-tasking and ... Gee, selfish, aren't I? 

Copy protection is truly regrettable. So far, every protection method I know of has been hacked and cracked before it appears on the market. It doesn't even slow down most dedicated pirates these days, but it does cramp the style of honest users. I have a 1581, and I'd also like to be able to boot from it. Copy protection . . . JUST SAY NO! 

Dear Randy, 

One area of need is to be able to use the GEOS fonts with French accents. Do you know of a programme which allows one to modify fonts and add language accents? There would likely be a good market for something like this in Canada since about a third of all Canadians speak French. Commodore computers are common here. 

Keith E. Lohnes
Westbrook, Ontario 

Dear Keith, 

Look for the new Font Pack Plus from BSW. It should be on your C= dealer's GEOS shelf very soon now. It includes geoFont, a font editor that will make it easy to add any accents, from French to Farsi, to any GEOS font, or even create a whole new font from scratch. You'll probably enjoy some of the new fonts too. Some are pretty classy. 

Dear Randy, 

As I read your columns in the March and April issues of GEOWORLD, I realized that geoLaser and geoPublaser just send PostScript text files out the user port to the LaserWriter. It seems that it wouldn't be difficult for BSW (or someone else) to alter geoLaser and geoPublaser so they write PostScript files to disk. 

It's simple to find LaserWriters hooked up to IBM PCs, such as at print shops. Since programs like Big Blue Reader, by SOGWAP can translate C= files to MS-DOS files, it would be simple to put PostScript output from GEOS on an MS-DOS disk. You could use this disk with an IBM PC hooked to a LaserWriter to print the file. 

This is possible now, except for a version of geoLaser/geoPublaser that writes a PostScript file on disk. It seems that an arrangement like this would revolutionize the use of GEOS in desktop publishing. I'm convinced that there are many, many people who need and would buy a program like this. 

Mark Reeves
Glendale, CA 

Dear Mark, 

I agree wholeheartedly! This is something I've wanted to do for a long time now. I've been looking at the code for geoLaser and geoPublaser and don't see why it can't be done, although I haven't had very good luck myself. Since some of the best programming minds in the world read this column, you can probably expect to see a patch file from one of them on QLink any day now! 

I enjoy your mail. If you have any questions or comments, please write. 
Randy Winchester
P.O. Box 426074
Cambridge, MA 02142
