Copyright (c) 1993 Apple Users' Group, Sydney
Republished from Applecations, a publication of the Apple Users' Group, Sydney, Australia.
GS DISK 141
SHRINKIT GS Version 1.1:
Now considered the standard for file compression of programs on the Apple IIGS. You may compress a group of files or even complete disks!! The latest revision of the program features self-extracting archives which means that the person obtaining the archive does not need to have ShrinkIt to unpack the files.
Quit-To:
Quit-To is a "program switcher" for the Apple IIgs. It is a Classic Desk Accessory which allows you to jump directly from any application (either ProDOS 8 or GS/OS) to any other application (ProDOS 8 or GS/OS) without going back to the Finder (or other launcher). That is, it lets you "quit to" another application, rather than quitting to the Finder and launching the other application from there.
Minefield IIgs:
If you have ever worked with Windows (for those lowly PC machines), you may be familiar with MineSweeper, a logic-based game which runs under the windows environment. Minefield is based on this. It is played on a grid. A number of mines are spread randomly throughout the grid. The object of the game is to uncover all the cells NOT containing mines, and to place flags in the cells which do contain mines.
NoIntCursor:
By Jay Krell. A new feature with System 6.0 allows Battery Ram location $5F to be set that mouse pointer tracking is not based on scanline interrupts. This gives better results with accelerators, or with the Video Overlay Card. NoIntCursor enables this new feature. (System 6.0 does not provide a user-visible way to change the setting of this bit.) In my few minutes of testing, I found the cursor drawing to be much improved with an accelerator card enabled and noticably better even with the card disabled. NormalCursor sets the Battery RAM setting to normal.
COWBOY KID:
A neat little tune if you have SynthLab.
SUPERBASIC VERSION 4.0:
This is a shareware program from Matt Wachowski. Your fee to the author will enable him to provide you with access to
all of its features. Super Basic is a programming utility that adds the following to Applesoft basic:
% A set of new commands for creating pictures in Applesoft basic.
% Provides commands for loading and saving super high resolution graphics.
% Provides a fast and easy basis for creating your own commands.
An extensive tutorial/manual is provided on the disc. Also included here is a great demonstration of its features.
GS DISK 142
AUTOMENUS:
AutoMenus's purpose is to ease the use of the System menu bar (the one at the top of the screen.) When using AutoMenus, it is not necessary to press and hold down the mouse button to pull down and scroll through menus; the mouse is simply clicked to make a selection. AutoMenus definitely takes some getting used to, but I think you'll prefer it once you adjust. In fact, I originally intended AutoMenus to be freeware, but once I adjusted to it and realized how helpful it is, I decided that it is quite useful and worthy of being paid for. If you have any problems with any custom menus (such as the Finder's Color menu, but it works fine with AutoMenus), you may use the normal method for selecting from them.
FROGGIN:
A neat little game by Written in SuperHires. Froggin is similar to the arcade game. The object of the game is to help all of the little frogs across the street and river to their homes. Standing in your way is an onrush of traffic, logs, turtles fish and alligators. You start with 3 frogs (lives) and use the keyboard to move each frog.
Galactic Conquest:
A Shareware game by David Hallwas. This is a Galactic Board Game. You (and up to three more of your closest friends) can compete to become Supreme Emperor of the Galaxy. You each begin on your lowly home planet with 20 cash credits. From here, conquer the galaxy. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. You must amass a fleet of ships to do your dirty work-- trading, fighting, boarding ships, and of course conquering the planets. Fight amongst each other as well as the four computer opponent scout ships from surrounding galaxies. See who can build and maintain the greatest galactic empire.
Requires Tool 69 (included for playing SOUNDSMITH songs) to be installed in the SYSTEM/TOOLS folder.
ODOMETER MOUSE V2.30:
This little freeware NDA is by Paul Meyers. It tells you how far your mouse has travelled since startup and your current position (x,y co-ordinates).
Super Data Path Version 3.0:
This shareware NDA is by Bill Tudor. Well, you may have (like me) noticed that whenever you run a desktop program
and select 'Open' from the file menu, the system almost ALWAYS first shows you the directory that you do NOT want to load files from. You may have to go through the tedious process of moving through all your drives to find the data directory. SuperDataPath stops all this. The very first time you select "Open" from the file menu, the directory YOU want is displayed.
In all it does three things for you:
1. Transparently sets the default (original) data directory for any and all Apple IIgs desktop application (S16 files) that you wish. The default data directory is the one that is shown FIRST when you select 'Open' from the Application's 'File' menu. This feature is called FastPath.
2. Adds a folder icon to Open file dialog boxes that, when clicked, displays a pop-up menu of all you FastPaths so you can quickly switch to them. This feature is called SuperPath. This Power Tool is an optional feature of SuperDataPath. Over 2,000 paths can be set up in this manner, allowing you to quickly access various folders on your system. This is an invaluable tool, particularly for hard disk users.
3. Fixes a minor bug in the current version (System Disk 5.0.4) of Apple's Standard File Toolset.
*** With version 3.0, SuperDataPath will actually remember the last 5 paths that you used, and will present these paths in the file dialog pop-up menu for you. ***
SetTimeStamp:
This CDEV from Jay Krell is freeware. STS is really a rather simple control panel, but the explanation of what it does is not. Whenever you modify a file, its "last modified" time and date are set to the current time and date. Normally, the folder the file is in also has its last modified date updated. The folder this folder is in has its date updated and so on till the volume (disk) itself has its last modified time/date updated. The ProDOS FST, that part of GS/OS which actually understands ProDOS disks, has a command SetTimeStamp. The documentation (GS/OS Reference, page 295) has this to say about SetTimeStamp:
The SetTimeStamp subcall allows the user to set the time stamp option. This call affects the performance of the ProDOS FST. By default, the ProDOS FST time stamps all files and all subdirectories to the root level. This means that a change to a file in a subdirectory is reflected in the modification date of each parent subdirectory all the way to the root level of the volume.
Notice, SetTimeStamp is for the User to set the option. With the STS control panel, the user can change the setting. I have not used the control panel long enough to notice if there is much of a difference between the settings.
SetTimeStamp reads and sets the option from disk during boot and when you open it.
TrueType.Fonts:
Some fonts if you are using Pointless:
* Bubble
* CelticHand
* El Garret
* Jumbalaya
* Kennon
TWSETUP:
A Setup CDEV, from Louis Van Proosdij & BrainStorm Software (c) 1991. This freeware product is used for configuring your AE TransWarp Card.
TWILIGHT II Demo:
By Jim Maricondo. This is a demo version of a soon to be released screen blanker to prevent burn-in. Like AFTER DARK on the MacIntosh this program has colourful modules for a nice effect.
GS DISK 143
Calender demo:
A demonstration program for Calendar Crafter from MECC Software.. Now you can create personalized calendars quickly and easily and update them with the touch of a finger. Calendar Crafter makes creating custom calendars so easy that you will be able to use calendars much more often and more effectively that ever before. You can quickly generate special calendars for birthdays, historical events, assignments, meetings or anything you wish by creating categories of events.
With Calendar Crafter, you can view and print calendars from the year 1 to the year 9999. The two functions of viewing and printing operate independently of each other. The calendar viewed on the desktop is always for one month, but you can print calendars in eight calendar styles. Some features, such as page orientation, display, fonts, and pictures, can only be applied to a printed calendar. Being a demonstration some of functions such as the SAVE facility have been removed.
DESKCOLOUR:
Version 3.1 from Dave Leffler. This program is shareware. Here is a Control Panel that allows you to change the color of the IIGS desktop from the old periwinkle blue to any pattern or to a picture. Whatever pattern or picture you choose or create becomes the new desktop the next time you power up the computer, close the Control Panel, or launch another application.
FILE MGR:
Version 2.02 from Jeff Hartkopf. This program is shareware. File Manager is a new desk accessory (NDA) for the Apple IIGS which provides the user with a collection of highly useful file manipulation tools. Once it is installed, you will be able to perform the following operations from any standard desktop application using an intuitive, icon-based interface:
- view the contents of a disk or folder
- create new folders
- remove files and folders
- rename, move, and copy files and folders
- examine a file's size and calculate the contents of a folder
- examine and change a file or folder's file type, auxiliary type, and access attributes
- change the creation and modification time of a file or folder
- automatically search a disk or folder for a file
- view, search, and print any file
- initialize, erase, and rename disks
You will no longer need to quit back to the Finder or run another utility program for simple file management tasks. In fact, File Manager offers several useful capabilities not even available in the Finder.
FKey v1.0:
Freeware by Dave Leffler. Here is a Control Panel NDA Device (CDev) that adds function keys to the IIGS. FKeys are similar to NDA's, CDA's, or CDev's. They are mini programs stored on disk and loaded when you boot your computer. These programs are called up inside of other programs at the press of a key sequence, something like a macro. Several utilities already use this method. FKey is written as a standard environment to prevent conflicts between these types of programs, reduce memory and disk space requirements, and improve the overall efficiency of the IIGS with many utilities installed. FKey takes advantage of a IIGS with an extended keyboard.
INSTANT.ICON:
A FREEWARE NDA by Mike Nuzzi. Ever wish you could whip up a super looking Icon? Ever see a graphic on your SHR screen that you would like to have as an Icon? Instant Icon NDA will allow you to mark off part of the SHR screen and save it as an Icon. Just open the NDA, hold the mouse down to start marking off, and release the mouse when done. Fill out the attribute box, pick a filename, and that's it. Instant Icon. The Icons you save will load into an Icon Editor, or can be used right away.
PICTURE.INITS:
A group of desktop files for you finder!! .. includes SURF.INIT, RED.DRAGON.INIT, SKY.INIT... Place one in your SYSTEM/SYSTEM.SETUP folder and have an interesting result!!
WILD.ICONS:
Freeware from Procyon Software. Wild Icons is a Finder extension that allows you to select and deselect icons in Finder windows based on wildcards (regular expressions). Just drop this in your *:System:FinderExtras folder, run the Finder, Select 'Wild Icons!' from the Extras menu, and click the little Procyon logo in the bottom right hand corner for documentation.
GS DISK 144
OUT OF THIS WORLD DEMO:
Demonstration version of new adventure program for the Apple IIGS called Out of this World. It is programmmed by Bill Heinemann (Bards Tale and Dragon Wars fame!!). This version is the one released originally for Kansasfest in July 1992 and has no sound. The final product is shipping now and has amazing sound..
DEAD DEMO:
A curious little diversion... this program shows some neat sound and graphics... the author TREPTONU has even included the source for your perusal...
GS DISK 145
AWGS PATCH:
This patch for AppleWorks GS v1.1 is used if you wish to have fonts in the documents exceeding 48 points.
ARCADE KING SUPER:
Arcade King Super table version 1.0 by Clayburn W. Juniel, III. This program is SHAREWARE. Arcade King Super is a program that creates pictures and shapes. It also uses sound files. These objects can be saved separately or saved together in a table. Arcade King Super can also play most Sound Smith (TM) music files.
CASTLE:
Return to Castle Wolfenstein by Martin Hill. An incomplete program but interesting if you wanted to see what could have been!! Similar to the original game and uses either keyboard or joystick.
CHANGE.A.FILE 4.12:
CHANGE-A-FILE by Harold D. Portnoy. These utilities are used in conjunction with AppleWorks (Classic). CHANGE-A-FILE is distributed partly FREE (5 utilities) and partly as SHAREWARE (6 utilities). The following utilities are shareware and require a password:
The same password also unlocks the Auto-Restore functions of the AppleWorks file repair program, RESURRECTION, which can recover files even when disk directories are damaged. When an AppleWorks word processor or data base file goes bad is not the time to worry about how you are going to repair the damage. AWP File Doctor and Restore ADB can repair these files. With RESURRECTION, which can restore files from a bad directory, virtually any bad file can be restored. Each of these utilities, alone, are worth the small fee in time saved.
DOS 3.3:
This folder contains a group of utilities written by John MacLean. If you have a lot of GOOD old DOS3.3 games you and would love to run them under GSOS then this is for you!
1) Use DOS 3.3 Copier to convert the old program.
2) Use DOS 3.3 Launcher in conjunction with the resulting file to play your game!
These are Shareware so support a genuine Australian product.
GIFVIEW:
A program by Thomas Dorris for viewing GIF files. Has options for reducing the files for easier viewing.
FIXBOOT:
Version 1.3 by Eric D. Shepherd. FixBoot IIGS is Freeware. FixBoot is a simple program which makes a ProDOS-formatted RAM or ROM disk bootable. It simply copies the boot block from your boot volume to the RAM or ROM disk. It is written for people who forget to initialize /RAM5 before booting it. Useful for those constantly copying lots of files to /RAM5 to boot something quickly, but forget to initialize it - just use FixBoot!
QUINTETTE.ENG:
By Kwisartz & Ticks of AFA Software from France. The file folder entitled Quintette.ENG contains the English language version of the French game Quintette. Make sure that Tool 029 is installed into your System Disk Tools folder (located within the System folder). Double click on the respective system 16 files within the Quintette.ENG.
Permission is hereby granted for non-profit user groups to republish this content. PLEASE CREDIT THE AUTHOR AND THE SOURCE: Applecations, publication of the Apple Users' Group, Sydney, Australia