July 15th, 1997 - A letter from the Editor Welcome to the first issue of A2-2000, a freeware monthly disk-a-zine devoted to all Apple II models and users worldwide! Celebrating Twenty Years of Apple II Productivity I've been active and involved with the Apple II series of computers - for over twelve year now. I started out with buying my first Apple IIc - after having been introduced to it by Woz at the US Festival. I've watched the Apple II co mputer industry rise to it's peak in 1986 thru 1990 and then slide back to its current state of affairs with a healthy Internet presents, user community, webs ites, Usenet news groups, online services, BBS's, ftp sites and user groups worldwide. I've explored them all on a daily basis, for several years now. I see a very long and promising future still ahead for the Apple II computers and for those that continue to use and support them. I've seen many Apple II commercial software and hardware companies come and go. I've watched many publications come, prosper and end too. This is a fact one must accept in any computer platform and with any such industry. I'm sure many others will come and go. I've watched many Apple II computer users come, go and return also! It seems there is something about the Apple II computers they just can't do without. After twenty years of Apple II activities the A2 platform and its users are still very present amd very active (in smaller numbers - that's true). But, I'm also observing new and younger users inheriting Apple II models, buying them used and new (The Tiger Learning Computer). I've also noticed a fair share of new and older users enter and return to the Apple II community over the past few years - with much vigor and interest in the Apple II models they own and use for many, many needs. Over the years I've had some great joy and many rewards from the Apple II computers, with many friends and users, as well as some disappointments and problems that caused a bit of aggravation and pain. I've made some stupid mistakes and errors with my efforts over the years and I've learned a lot along t he way too. I've considered - on more than one occasion the option of leaving t he Apple II models behind and venturing into other more current computer technolo gies and platforms. But, in the end I've decided to remain and give all my productive efforts to the Apple II community that I possibly can give, for the balance of this century and for as long as I'm able to into the next millennium! Why? Because it's given me much more joy and rewards than it has aggravation and pain. Besides, I still have much faith in the future of the Apple II computers and a few more years of productive efforts I'd like to offer to it. I even intend to tap all the other computer platforms for what they can offer to the Apple II models and their users. And, why not - that's what they are there for anyway. I've found a great enhancement device to use for the Apple II computers too. It's called a Mac :) Using my great Apple II enhancement device to explore and tap all the resources during the past four years, I've learned about the offerings from the Internet and I've enjoyed using it from 5 up to as much as 12 hours per day, exploring all it has to offer the Apple II community. I've hosted a 'MegaWeb Site' (The GS WorldView EZine) and founded a worldwide Internet user group (US-A2WUG) both of which have offered much in the way of help to Apple II users around the world, who visit and enjoy their offered contents - for the past several months and years. With the departure of all of our Apple II monthly publications over the past years, I've felt the need for making available - a freeware monthly disk-a-zine like this to offer support, news and information on all the Apple II computer models have to offer their users around the world. Thus, I've decided to release A2 -2000 as such, in the hopes it will stimulate new interest, faith, production, development and the deserved appreciation in the Apple II computer models. And,I'm presenting some old classic and forgotten materials within the monthly issues of A2 -2000 also. To show the readers that after all these years, the Apple II's past is its future! Along with many old veterans and ICONS in the Apple II community, I intend to prove that Apple's past is INDEED it's future, to the best of my abilities. I've obtained ample permission to use most of the material from many old classic Apple II publications in this issue and all future issues of A2-2000. I'll be presenting in each issue of A2-2000 the most current news and product information I can gather also. I intend to continue with monthly releases of A2-2000 until at least - April, 2001 and as far beyond that date as possible. I'm sorry to say - with my many other personal and computer related obligations, priorities, etc. and in my haste to present it by the monthly relase date (7/15/97) - there is no table of contents to show you exactly what it contains with this first issue. If you are a real devoted Apple II user with a real desire to explore the contents - you can simply read the contents of each text file present in this premiere issue of A2-2000. I'll tell you this - you won't be sorry you did. So, take the time and explore it all at your leasure. With exclusive contributions by Steve Wozniak and many other Apple II ICONS and 6502 legends in the computer industry, I think you'll be impressed with what you find within this first issue of A2-2000. I had a mountain of contributions, past articles, reviews, interviews, etc. available and spent over a week just sorting thru them all - to determine what I wanted to include with this first issue of A2-2000. The contents just about cover everything you'd care to know about the Apple II computers over the past 20 years. Take your time, relax, read it all and enjoy! There's a lot more to come with each new monthly issue and I promiss you there will be a detailed table of contents for you to review - in each future monthly issue of A2-2000! The Apple II models have been improved, developed for and expanded - to offer things never thought possible with the introduction of each new Apple II model over the years of it's production. In this premiere issue of A2-2000 and every issue that follows - I hope to present an informative review for the reader with all the Apple II models have offered, can still offer and will be able to offer during the next several years. Expanding the user base of the Apple II computers with curremt emulators now available for all Apple II models on nearly every computer platform and many other Apple II model emulators now under development, the Apple II models abilities can be experienced by every user on every computer platform - in the near future. This surge in the Apple II models emulation development proves that the Apple II still has a place and special need that no other computers can replace. This first issue of A2-2000 is ASCII text in all of its content. No graphics, program archives, fonts, etc. are presented with it. It's simply text and nothing else. It's designed as a self-booting ProDOS 800k - using Karl Bunkers public domain program 'Sneeze' as the startuP basic program. I've designed the style and format of this premiere issue of A2-2000 to meet the request of many of my friends and contributors, with their suggestions as to just how they wanted to see its first release to the Apple II community. I'm certainly opened to all suggestions on improvements with the A2-2000 disk-a-zine format, style, offerings and contents with each new issue released. I hope to receive feedback on a steady basis from the readers of A2-2000 , with expressing what they do and don't like about it, what they want to see added or removed from its style and format - and what ever suggestions they can offer to make it improve to meet their needs, with each new issue. A2-2000 is devoted to the needs and desires of its readers and users. Please let me know how YOU want it presented! A2-2000 will be offered in three manners outlined below - in the hope that these will cover all options worldwide with its distribution and availability for everybody that wants it. (1) Each monthly release with this first issue will be available for free download - presented as a ShrinkIt self-booting disk archive - from the following ftp and http urls over the Net. ftp://128.255.21.234/2/apple2/A2.2000/ http://128.255.21.234/2/apple2/A2.2000/ http://www.grin.net/~cturley/gsezine/GS.WorldView/A2.2000/ All other ftp, BBS', web sites and online services are also welcome to make the A2-2000 monthly freeware archives available - if they wish (FOR FREE ONLY - with no restrictions). Posting the archive each month as a binary file to the Usenet Apple II binary news group is also an option - should anybody care to do that! (2) For those without Internet access or that simply wish to receive A2-2000 on a disk, ready to boot, read, review, view and enjoy - by mail each month, you can send $1.50 (US) per monthly issue or prepay $12.00 (U.S) yearly in advance - for covering the cost of each monthly 3.5 - 800k ProDOS disk, postage, shipping and handling only to: Charles T. Turley 115 Santa Clara St. Brisbane, CA 94005-1736 (3) For those that prefer it on 3.5 - 800k disk or in monthly disks bundles on 5.25 ProDOS disks only (if that's the only way you can use it) - you can email your request to: bmbj13@aol.com or bmbj@juno.com and arrange to receive it from him directly - as he is the only authorized and permitted distributor of A2-2000 in this manner - currently! My final thoughts to the A2-2000 readers are simply that I hope the monthly issues of A2-2000 (to be released on the 15th of each month) will prove to be of some useful value to the needs of the Apple II worldwide community. I can't please everybody and don't expect to. But, I try! I've presented this first issue of A2-2000 for viewing by any Apple II computer with 80 column text abilities - such as the the Apple IIe (enhanced) and on up - having a 3.5 - 800k disk drive . If your Apple II model does not have this ability - you can simply view each text file - with your favorite text file viewing program. I realize there will be several Apple II users with models that can't use it as presented. But, you do have the option of requesting it from Ben Johnson - as outlined above - on 5.25 data disk bundles for your needs. In my haste to get this first issue of A2-2000 completed, archived and uploaded to meet the release date of 7/15/97, having passed each text file thru a multitude of computers, platforms and text file processing programs - having annoying resource attachments added to them and removed again and again - it may have some typos and text file format irregularities in viewing. Produced and edited by me and me alone - no doubt the readers will find them all and either overlook them or complain to me about them. I invite you to email me and express your thoughts on the contents offered in any way you wish. Email: cturley@grin.net Cheers, Tom