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  Volume 1 Issue 1                                                 March 1989
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                       The Official Newsletter of:

                       The  Motorola  Users  Group 
                               of London


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                       O U R  F I R S T  I S S U E ! 



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                             Motorola  Users  Group
                                 of  London

                               1989  EXECUTIVE 

PRESIDENT     Stan Bischop   603-195 Berkshire Dr.  London  N6J 3R7  472-5360
VICE-
   PRESIDENT  Gerry Davis    1053 Frances St.       London  N5W 2L8  453-8686
SECRETARY     Judy Daviau    500 Osgoode Dr. #122   London  N6E 2G9  668-7277
TREASURER     Sheila Smith   95-305 Briarhill Rd.   London  N5V 4V8  672-3794
MEMBERSHIP
CO-ORDINATOR  Judy Daviau    500 Osgoode Dr. #122   London  N6E 2G9  668-7277
NEWSLETTER
      EDITOR  Sheila Smith   95-305 Briarhill Rd.   London  N5V 4V8  672-3794
P.D.LIBRARIAN Diane Gubbels  R.R. #1            Mt.Brydges  N7G 3H8  245-2623

                            APPOINTED OFFICERS
PUBLIC 
   RELATIONS  Gerry Thomas   232 Oakland Ave.       London  N5V 4H1  659-1374
B.B.S. SYSOP  Wayne Morrison 1089 Chippewa Dr.      London  N5V 2T8  451-7217
NEWSLETTER
   PUBLISHER  Wayne Morrison 1089 Chippewa Dr.      London  N5V 2T8  451-7217
TECHNICAL 
  ADVISORS    Stan Bischop   603-195 Berkshire Dr.  London  N5V 4V8  472-5360
              Gerry Davis    1053 Frances St.       London  N5W 2L8  453-8686
              Wayne Morrison 1089 Chippewa Dr.      London  N5V 2T8  451-7217




                                DISCLAIMER
   The  opinions  expressed  by  the  authors are not necessarily those of the
Motorola Users Group of London,  the  editors, or the club members.  While  we
try to make sure that  all software and hardware  projects  in this newsletter
have been tested and  do  work,  we will not  be responsible for any damage to
your own personal equipment resulting  from  using  information  contained  in
this newsletter.

                             COPYRIGHT NOTICE
   Contents  of this  newsletter are  copyrighted  1989 by the  Motorola Users
Group  of  London.  Reproduction by any means  other than for the personal use
of  members  without  prior  written  consent  is  forbidden. Other non-profit 
computer  clubs  may  make  use of  the  enclosed material as  long as written 
acknowledgement is made of the source.

                                 MANDATE 
   This newsletter is published by and for the Motorola Users Group of London.
This  club  has no affiliation with the Motorola Corporation.
This club is a non-profit  organization for  anyone  that may have an interest
in  Motorola 68XX and 68XXX based microcomputers  and the use and  exchange of
information about these machines.













     March 1989                   MUG Notes                       Page 2
     
     
     
     
                             Table of Contents
     
      Page                         Item
      ====                         ====
       1.....................List of Officers and Mandate
       2 ...................  Table of Contents
       3.....................President's Word
       5.....................Publisher's Page
       6.....................Startup
       8.....................Telecom Comments
       9.....................Secretary's Report: A Brief History
       10...................  The 1988 Clay Model Report
       15....................The NEXT Computer: Super CoCo?
       16....................IRQ Hack Instructions
       17....................Multi Pack Interface Upgrade
       18....................Goodman's Grumblings
       20....................A Review:A Complete Word Processing Package
     
     
     
     
      
      
     
     
                          SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
     
        The Motorola Users Group of London sponsors two special interest
     groups (SIG's for short).
     
        The  beginners  SIG meets on Tuesday nights  at Wayne Morrison's
     (1089 Chippewa Dr.) starting at 7:00 P.M.
     
        The advanced SIG meets at  Sheila Smith's (95-305 Briarhill Rd.) on
     Wednesday nights also starting at 7:00 P.M.
     
         Whether  you  have  just  started out or you are an experienced
     hacker, there should be something of interest for you!
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     




     March 1989                    MUG Notes                        Page 3
    
    
    
                              President's Word.

     Well,   here  we  are!  A brand new computer club. I hope that  we can
     survive  longer than our last club did! In order for that  to  happen,
     there   have  to  be some ground  rules.  A constitution is already in
     place.  That should take care of most of the official  necessary  junk
     that goes  with  running any organization. There is one VERY important
     part of any  club that still remains to be taken care of. "What?", you
     may   ask.   That  part is YOU. Without you, we are nothing. We need a
     SPECIAL you.  A YOU who is willing to participate in club functions. I
     don't   mean   just attending meetings. I mean getting INVOLVED. Now I
     know that public  speaking is enough to give some people the shakes.It
     gives others a lot  worse.Some people freeze up when the spot light is
     on them.I know this  happens when in a crowd, or before strangers. BUT
     remember, we are  all  supposed to be friends.  Don't be afraid to ask
     questions.(There is  NO   such thing as a dumb question when  you  are
     stuck.) If you are having  a problem with your computer, or a program,
     just ask. I can't  guarantee that anyone else in the club will be able
     to answer your questions, but WE as a collective group, will try to.If
     everyone in the group just came  to  the  meetings, and sat there, not
     contributing anything,  then  why have a club?  I won't believe you if
     you say that you never have questions or problems. You may have had an
     experience with  a   program  that could be shared with others. If you
     really can't talk at the meeting, then share your questions or answers
     with   us   on   the   BBS.  If  you  don't  have a modem, try to make
     arrangements to use one at a friends house.

     We  also need people for Special Interest Groups (SIG's).  A SIG group
     can be as few as two people getting together on  a  regular  basis  to
     discuss  anything  computer related. Two beginners would probably find
     that they could help each  other,  getting  a  lot  more  out  of  the
     computer, than just  asking  one of the old timers of computing for an
     answer to a problem. SIG groups are not run by the  club, but  rather,
     by the SIG members.  Whatever you want is fair game!

     Enough of what YOU are  going to do for the club.  What  is  the  club
     going  to  do  for you? The club will be there to help provide answers
     when you have questions  or problems.  We will try  (collectively)  to
     provide  advice  on  this or that software and hardware. We hope to be
     able to provide Public Domain software to you at a nominal price.  But
     what  I think is the best part of the club is being able to meet other
     people who share a common interest, COMPUTERS!.

     We would like to have our meeting topics follow Rainbow Magazines main
     theme. For example, January's meeting would  be  a  beginner  meeting.
     January's Rainbow generally has the majority of its  articles  devoted  
     to beginner type programs and articles (shorter programs  and  general
     how-to-get-started  articles).  Similarly  November's  Rainbow and the
     November meeting will be a Telecommunications bash. In patterning  our
     meetings this way, we hope that everyone has digested  their  Rainbows
     by meeting date, and we can give a little more insight  or  help  with
     the theme, while it is still fresh in your minds. This of course  does
     not mean that you have to  wait  until November's  meeting  to  ask  a
     question about a telecommunications problem.  We just hope that we can
     provide a  little  more  structure for our meetings.  By doing this we
    
    
    
    
    

    
     March 1989                    MUG NOTES                        Page  4
    
    
     also hope  that  people   will  make  a  point  of  making it out to a
     particular meeting if they know in advance that it will be on a  topic
     that they have an interest in, or are having problems with.
    
     Because of this we still  have  some  positions  available  that  need
     bodies (ones willing   to contribute a small amount of their time).  I
     really would like to see some beginners volunteer to  handle  some  of
     the meetings  or  SIG's.   First,  its  a  great way to gain knowledge
     quickly. Secondly, some of us old-timers (to computers at least)  have
     forgotten   how   hard/confusing/frustrating/?*"$2& (you fill   in the
     blank)  it  is  when starting out with a computer. I know that I have!
     Also, someone new to  computers has a different outlook/expectation of
     what a program can/should do. Sometimes a newcommer can  uncover  bugs
     that a more experienced user would overlook.
     
     I hope that this is the only time that I have  to  solicit  people  to
     help  keep the club going.  I know that the OS-9 group from some other
     club had a ball last year.  By co-incidence, most of us  were  on  the
     executive,  but we  had   some really great outings, both planning and
     putting on demonstrations for others, not to mention, learning  a  lot
     about the Coco. When a group of people can come together with a common
     interest, the job at hand isn't a job any more, it's just fun.
    
     SOoooo, lets put   the fun back into the Coco.  I hope everyone enjoys
     themselves, meets new friends, and gets past 10  PRINT  "HI  I'M  YOUR
     COLOR COMPUTER."
    
                                     TTFN
    
                                 Stan Bischop
                                  President
                                      of
                           The Motorola Users Group
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    





     MARCH 1989                  MUG NOTE                       PAGE 5
     
     

     
                           THE PUBLISHER'S PAGE
                                            by W.  Morrison
     
        I  guess that you could say that any GOOD computer club just has to
     have a newsletter.  Once that is out the  next  logical  question  is,
     O.K.  then,  where  is ours.  All else being equal, if you are reading
     this, you know where it is because you've got one.
        These  days though, with the high cost of just about everything, we
     had to find a way to distribute the needed information to help you run
     your  computers  in  a way that you want without incurring these large
     expenses. Considering the nature of our club, and its facilities,  how
     better than to make it electronic?
        I have belonged to several clubs in my time, and collected  several
     club newsletters and magazines.  In each case, after about a year, the
     stack of paper started to get in my way.  After a couple  of  years...
     well you get the idea.
        The neat part about what we are doing here is that you can, at your
     option  print out a copy at home (assuming that you have a printer) or
     store several complete newsletters on one computer disk!
        With  that  in mind, we have set up just that, a totally electronic
     monthly newsletter.  We have two methods of distribution available and
     I am sure that you will appreciate the end result.
        If you do not have a modem, we will have disks at each meeting with
     the  current  month's  newsletter  on  them,  either  in RSDOS or OS-9
     format. To obtain a copy, you can either swap a  blank  disk  for  one
     with  the  current issue, or buy a blank disk for $1.00 at the meeting
     to swap for one with the newsletter on it.
        For  those  of  you with modems, what could be easier than, at your
     leisure, phoning up the BBS and downloading it to your own  system  at
     home?  The  current  issue  will be available on the Sunday before the
     meeting, and this even gives you a chance to have a look  at  what  is
     new before coming out.
        Once you have your newsletter, either on disk or by download, it is
     quite easy to produce a hard copy or just read it.  If you have a word
     processor, set all margins to 0 and set your line length to  either  0
     or  79  and  then  load  it in.  If you want a copy on paper, set your
     printer to the start of a new page and send the file to  the  printer.
     All  margins  and  spacing  have  been  put in for you and after a few
     minutes and several sheets of paper you should have your  final  copy.
     Alternatively, if you do not have a word processor, both MIKEYTERM and
     ULTIMATERM have print options.  In either of  these  cases  load  your
     file  into  the  program,  set up your printer and again you will have
     your copy.  Either of these two programs can also be used just to list
     the  newsletter, allowing you to read it from the disk, should you not
     want a hard copy, or if you do not have a printer.
        Since  some word processors have a limited buffer size, we  will be
     putting out each newsletter in four parts.  After  you   have  printed
     out one just carry on with the next until you are  done.
        If you do not have a copy of either  of  these  programs,  our  own
     public domain library has both at a cost of $4.00 each.
        I hope you will find our monthly newsletter of value,  as  this  is
     what it is all about.
     







     March 1989                    MUG Notes                         Page 6
     
         SSSSSS   TTTTTTT    AAAA    RRRRR    TTTTTTT   U    U   PPPPPP
         S           T      A    A   R    R      T      U    U   P     P
         SSSSSS      T      AAAAAA   RRRRR       T      U    U   PPPPPP
              S      T      A    A   R    R      T      U    U   P
         SSSSSS      T      A    A   R     R     T      UUUUUU   P
                                         By: J.  Daviau
     
        Welcome,  everyone  to  the  Motorola  Users  Group!  We have great
     expectations for the new club and we know that it will be a  place  to
     meet  other  people  who share our interest in the Coco.  We also hope
     that the club will be able to help us understand all the great  things
     that a Coco can do.
        One of the things that the Coco can do so well is  run  OS-9  Level
     II.   So  what's  OS-9?   It's  an  Operating  System.   So what is an
     Operating System?  (This question will take a bit more to explain!)
        When  you  buy  a Coco, it comes with an Operating System in place.
     If you didn't have this system  you  wouldn't  be  able  to  use  your
     computer.  The  computer  needs  something  in there to tell it how to
     operate. This operating system allows you to type "PRINT MEM" and  get
     an  answer.It allows you to type "PRINT 2 + 2" and get the answer "4".
     In other words it allows you to do things with your computer.
        When  you  connect  a  disk  drive to your Coco you are now running
     under  "RS  Dos".   This  means  "R"adio  "S"hack  "D"isk  "O"perating
     "S"ystem.   This operating system makes your computer work differently
     than it would with the original operating system.  You will  now  have
     commands available that you didn't have before.  These are used to run
     your disk drive.  Eg: DSKINI0, DIR, PRINT FREE(0), ETC.  Programs will
     load differently too.  Some of your old programs will try to load into
     the same memory that your disk controller is using and  so  they  will
     not  work.   Anyway,  suffice  it  to  say that your Coco now operates
     differently under the new operating system.
        The  same is true of OS-9.  Your Coco will operate very differently
     under OS-9 Level II.  Using OS-9 Level II, you  will  be  able  to  do
     things  that  up  until  now  were  not  possible  on  a personal home
     computer.  You will be able to load and run many programs in memory at
     the  same  time.   You  will  be able to let your Telecom- munications
     program keep trying to reach your favorite BBS while you go to another
     window to finish the letter you were writing.
        Under RSDos, if you find out that you don't have a  formatted  disk
     to save the program that you just spent 4 hours typing in, you have to
     format a new disk and lose everything in memory!  Under OS-9, you just
     format a disk and then save your program.
        Under RSDos if you were printing out a 45 page manual in your  word
     processor  then  your  Coco  would be tied up doing that alone for the
     next hour or 2.  In the meantime you wouldn't  be  able  to  use  your
     computer. Under OS-9 you start the printout, set the priority to a low
     number and continue to use your computer for something else.
        You  can  have  many things going on at the same time.  I think the
     limit is between 6 and 15 programs that are all in memory and  running
     at  the  same time.  The actual limit depends on how much memory these
     programs use and how much you have available.  Graphics use a lot more
     memory than an ordinary program so you may only be able to have 4 or 5
     graphic pictures displayed at a time.
        Under  RSDos,  you  would  have  to  stop  the program that you are
     running just to do a DIR.  Under OS-9 you just go to another window.
        So  OS-9  is called a Multi-Tasking operating system because it can
     do many things at once.  It is called a Multi-User system because  you
     can  have other users "LOG ON" to your system and use it while you are
     using it.  Gerry Thomas's BBS, Midnight Remote Data System, is running
     under OS-9 multi-user.  He can still use his computer when you call up
     to browse around his BBS.
     


     March 1989                     MUG Notes                        Page 7
     
     
        That  is what an Operating System can do.  Needless to say some are
     better than others and some will let you do  more  than  others.   The
     choice of which to use is up to you.
        The minimum equipment required to use OS-9 Level II is as  follows:
                  1.  A Color Computer 3
                  2.  A video display eg: T.V., monitor
                  3.  A disk drive
        While the above list is an  accurate  description  of  the  minimum
     equipment  there  are  some  other  things  that  will  make your OS-9
     experience much more enjoyable.  One of the first extra's is a  second
     disk  drive.   Having a second disk drive will greatly reduce diskette
     swapping during many of the operations performed while using OS-9.
        One of the other nice extra's is a printer.  You may wish to make a
     "hard copy" listing of a program you are writing or get a hard copy of
     your directories, etc.
        Last but not least is a 512K memory upgrade.  OS-9 Level  2  itself
     takes 64K of memory to load into your Coco.  If you wish to make an 80
     x 24 graphics window  you  will  use  an  additional  32K  of  memory.
     Running  a  process  as  small as a DIR command will use 8K.  That's a
     total of 104K used leaving you only  24K  of  memory  left.   You  can
     configure (create) some customized system disks using Basic09's config
     utility and reduce the memory requirement of OS-9 and as well you  can
     stay  away  from graphic windows and use text windows instead and save
     on memory needs that way.  The choice is yours.
        Having  a double sided disk drive is also an added plus as you will
     get 630 sectors of storage space on a standard 35 track  single  sided
     drive,  720  sectors  on  a 40 track single sided drive and a whopping
     1,440 sectors on a double sided drive.  The  Tandy  1000  drives  will
     work  well  as  double sided drives or you may opt for a "third party"
     model.
        A  couple  of  other  things  that  come to mind, and things that I
     consider are absolutly necessary to understanding OS-9, are some books
     on the subject.  The manual that you get with the OS-9 system leaves a
     lot to be desired for the beginner.  If you are a  veteran  programmer
     and  have quite a bit of experience with computers in general you will
     no doubt find the manual very informative and  interesting.   However,
     as  a  beginner  it  is  very easy to get lost in the system's manual.
     There are three books that I will suggest.  The first two are  written
     by Dale Puckett and Peter Dibble.  They are titled:
               1.  "The Complete Rainbow Guide To OS-9"
               2.  "The Complete Rainbow Guide To OS-9 Level II
                   Volume 1: A Beginners Guide To Windows"
               3.  "The Official Basic09 Tour Guide"
        The third book is published by Radio Shack.   All  three  of  these
     books  are  available at Radio Shack and the first two through Rainbow
     magazine. All are well worth the money and will provide  you  with  an
     easy  to  understand  tutorial  on  OS-9  and  the programing language
     "Basic09". They also contain many sample programs,  illustrations  and
     examples  to  make  your  initiation  into the OS-9 world as smooth as
     possible.
        Again,  I  wish to welcome everyone to "The MUG Club" and I hope to
     see a lot of familiar and new faces at both the club meetings and  the
     SIG groups.
                                      Chow for Now
                                              Judy
     
     
     
     
     


 
        March 1989                 MUG Notes                     Page 8
 
 
                                TELECOM COMMENTS
                                              by W.  Morrison
 
           As Sysop of MUG's BBS I would like to take this  opportunity
        to welcome you to MUG.  I hope that together we will be able to
        create the kind of club that we can all be proud of.   To  that
        end, I am openly asking for your suggestions and comments about
        our BBS and what can be done to improve it.  If your ideas  are
        good,  I  will  do  my best to implement them.  Please remember
        though, that Ribbs is not  directly  modifiable,  and  any  new
        ideas  must  be able to be implemented without having to modify
        the actual code of the software.
 
           We  have  available,  in  our  software  library,  archiving
        utilities  for  both  RSDOS  and  OS-9.   I  am asking that all
        uploads to our board be archived to save space.  In  this  way,
        our  somewhat  limited  storage  area will be able to hold more
        downloads. At this time both archiving programs are  available,
        with  their  documentation files, for your downloading.  Please
        take advantage of this as you will, in the future,  need  these
        programs to be able to gain access to the software that we will
        be making available.
 
           Our club newsletter is also going to be  distributed  mainly
        through  the BBS.  This way our production costs stay extremely
        low and you, as members, stand to benefit from this.  Our board
        is  open  to non-members but they will not have access to areas
        including the newsletter and others.  In this way  there  is  a
        justification  for  joining,  instead of just getting access to
        our services for free.  The newsletter will not be archived  so
        you  can  either  read  it  on-line,  or  download  it for your
        personal files.  In this way we are offering you, our  members,
        the  most  service  and  utility  possible.   For  those of you
        without modems, we will be offering an  exchange  disk  service
        whereby  you will be able to obtain a copy of the newsletter on
        a disk in either RSDOS or OS-9 format at the  monthly  meeting.
        In  this way ,the club newsletter will be made available to all
        members.
 
           I hope that all of you will take advantage of our BBS and go
        on-line  with us.  Telecommunications can be very entertaining,
        especially within a club atmosphere.
 
             =====================================================
 
           *********************************************************
           *                                                       *
           *                 The Next Meeting of                   *
           *                                                       *
           *                      M  U  G                          *
           *                                                       *
           *                   Will be at The                      *
           *                London Public Library                  *
           *                    Main Branch                        *
           *                        On                             *
           *                 Tuesday April 11                      *
           *                Starting  6:30 P.M.                    *
           *                                                       *
           *********************************************************



   
    March 1989                    MUG Notes                            Page 9
   
                     Secretary's Report: A Brief History
                                     By: Judy Daviau
     One  evening in late November 1988, a few Coco enthusiasts were together
   discussing computers.  The talk rolled around  to  some  of  the  problems
   these  people  were  having  with  their current club.  There was a lot of
   "Wouldn't it be nice if our club ran like this?" and "Wouldn't it be great
   if our club could get involved in that?"
     Based on some statements made by Wayne Morrison a few months earlier, it
   was  generally  decided  that  what we really wanted was a whole new club.
   That was the birth of The Motorola Users Group.
     The  geniuses who brainstormed this great event were: Stan Bischop, Judy
   Daviau, Gerry Davis, Kim Lucas, Wayne Morrison, Sheila Smith, Gerry Thomas
   and  Rick  Tower!   Sheila  was nominated and elected as our Treasurer and
   then we told her that she had  the  job!   She  was  MUG's  first  elected
   Officer.   Stan   was  elected  President  and  Gerry  Davis  was  elected
   Vice-President. We told them of this about a month later when we  had  our
   first  official  elections.   At  these  elections  we put Gerry Thomas in
   charge of P.R.  and Wayne got the Sysop job.I was appointed  Secretary  (a
   position I was just dying for, Ha Ha), and then we all got down to the job
   of writing our club's constitution.
     This  little  job took a lot longer that any of us thought it would.  We
   had many meetings over the next three months and many  discussions  trying
   to  get  a  constitution that would both protect the club as a whole along
   with it's individual members and still limit the power of the Officers and
   the  Executive.  We re-wrote the document many times, added a few sections
   and revised other sections until we finally approved it.  Then we  changed
   some more things and so on until we arrived at the version we have now.
     Also at these meetings we had many other things to think about.  Eg: The
   user base of the club; what our purpose was; what we would and could offer
   support for and what areas we were going to avoid.  We filled in  some  of
   the  other  Executive  positions:  Diane  Gubbles  volunteered  to  be the
   Librarian, Sheila took on the Editors  role  and  I  took  the  Membership
   Co-Ordinator's  position.   We  designed  the layout of MUG's BBS (no easy
   task)  and  an  electronic  Newsletter.   We  layed  out  plans  for   the
   distribution of the Newsletter to non-modem and non-disk users and decided
   on a logo for MUG.  We  also  set  up  some  plans  for  some  advertising
   campaigns.  We  did quite a few revis- ions of the membership applications
   before we had a satisfactory one and there was also a  lot  of  discussion
   about where to hold our monthly meetings.
     At first we had decided to hold the meetings in our private  homes,  (we
   expected  a  membership  of 10-15 people maximum).  That idea quickly lost
   it's appeal  when  we  realized  that  there  were  more  than  20  people
   interested  in  the  new  club  right  away!   This  led to renting a room
   somewhere and we were lucky to find  a  meeting  place  available  at  The
   London Public Library for a very reasonable price.
     It was a really exciting experience to be involved in the creation of  a
   new club and all the Executive are looking forward to a very fun, exciting
   and productive year.
     Our  first  meeting  will be held on March 14, 1989 and we all hope that
   the new club will be able to sastisfy the needs of our  members.   We  are
   going to make it an enjoyable, helpful and fun club to belong to and to do
   that we need the support of every member that we have.   It  doesn't  mean
   hours of work or phone calls to your home at 1:00am.  Being a sup- portive
   member means asking questions at the monthly meetings and on the  BBS.That
   way  we  will  know  what  the  members  want and need.It means offer- ing
   constructive criticism to help us make the meetings something that  people
   want  to  come out to.  It means saying "Hi" to the person you are sitting
   beside in the meeting so that we can all get to know each other.
     I  would  like to welcome everyone to our new club and to the very first
   meeting of The Motorola Users Group!  Just remember that a  club  is  what
   ever the members make it!  This should be a very good year!
   

 
        March 1989                   MUG Notes                    Page 10



        The following is  from  a  Government  of  Ontario,  Ministry  of
        Government  Services  -  Computer  and Telecommunication Services
        publication.   It should give you some ideas as to the  direction
        that technology is taking.
        
                       C l o s i n g   t h e   G a p
              T h e   1 9 8 8   C l a y   M o d e l   R e p o r t
                   I n s t r u m e n t   o f   C h a n g e
        
         It's  no  longer  a  secret  that we live in a technology-driven
        information economy.  While de-industrialization may  well  be  a
        fact of economic life, our economy has yet to experience the full
        and positive impact of what may prove to be  the  most  important
        piece in the technology puzzle - telecommunications.
         Telecommunications technology is coming of age.  It is going  to
        revolutionize traditional information delivery mechanizims.
         And,  as  a  result,  it  will  fundamentally  change  the   way
        government  ministries communicate with the public, and with each
        other.
         Unlike previous Clay Model reports, which examined  all  aspects
        of information technology, the 1988 Clay Model Report focuses  on
        the  telecommunications  technologies   that   will   allow   the
        government  to better serve the public.  This report specifically
        explores the role  of  these  technologies  in  accelerating  two
        important  trends:  the  government's ability to e x p a n d  and
        i  n  t e g r a t e the range of services it can provide  to  all
        Ontarioans, regardless of where they live. Both of these develop-
        ments will depend on the open exchange of information.  Together,
        they will assist us in closing the gap between the government and
        the people it serves.
        
                    T h e   I n t e g r a t i o n   o f
                    T e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s
         The  single  greatest  barrier  to  the free flow of information
        today is the lack of a single communications standard, one  which
        will tie all computer systems and networks together.
         The telephone's greatest asset is that it is part of  a  network
        with a single global standard.
         Future telecommunications systems which will also transmit data,
        video  and  text  are  no  different.  They will require a single
        communications standard to realize their  enormous  potential  as
        cost-effective systems for delivering information.
         Fortunately, we are already moving in this direction.   Hardware
        and  software  barriers  between  different  computer systems and
        networks are breaking down.  They will soon disappear as we  move
        closer to Open Systems Interconnection (OSI).  OSI is a reference
        model  that  establishes  global  standards  for  the  electronic
        transmission of information.
         What exactly will OSI do for us?  More than  anything  else,  it
        will   establish   an  environment  in  which  telecommunications
        networks will be fully integrated,  making  information  delivery
        faster  and  more efficient;  integration, not just of equipment,
        but of all forms of transmission: voice, data, video and image.
         This means that costly reinvestment in new technologies will not
        be required to communicate.






        March 1989                  MUG Notes                     Page 11      
           



         A  single electronic access to all government services will be a
        benefit  of  OSI.   Because  OSI-based  networks  will  be  fully
        integrated  across  all  ministries  and departments, an enormous
        reservoir of information will become quickly accessible.
         OSI-based  networks  will make the government's interaction with
        the public more efficient.   Businesses,  for  example,  will  be
        able  to  file  their  taxes,  corporate financial data and other
        routine  paperwork  electronically,  through   telecommunications
        links with government databases.
         OSI will open up important new lines of communication within the
        government  and  between  the government and the public.  It will
        pave the way to a  new  level  of  communications  efficiency  by
        ensuring  universal  access  to information highways.  Government
        employees and the public  will  have  access  to  these  highways
        through  their  home  or  office from portable workstations.  Yet
        most will be totally unaware of the  hidden  element  making  the
        integration   of  telecommunications  possible  -  conformity  to
        standards.
        
           C o n n e c t i n g   P e o p l e   w i t h   P e o p l e
         Government  will  be  able  to  connect   advanced,   electronic
        information   services  into  a  single  network  or  information
        highway.  The highway which will  consist  of  such  transmission
        technologies  as fibre optics, microwave and satellite, will make
        the  delivery  of  information  to  program  services  affordable
        throughout the province.
         Through this information highway, services like electronic  mail
        and   point-of-sale  transactions  will  be  integrated  so  that
        everyone who works with or for the government will benefit.
         Integrated  electronic  mail systems such as facsimile and voice
        messaging  will  make  correspondence  more  immediate  and  more
        responsive.   Electronic  data  interchange  (EDI) and electronic
        mail will allow ministries throught  the  province  to  send  and
        reply  to  internal  memos  and  process  forms  more quickly and
        efficiently.  Electronic mail  will  also  allow  the  public  to
        communicate  with  the  government more quickly and directly.  It
        will also  improve  the  way  the  government  communicates  with
        suppliers and  other organizations.
         Point of sale transactions could become an important part of the
        government's  revenue-gathering  mechanism.   Organizations could
        make  direct  sales  tax  deposits  on  retail  sales,   gasoline
        purchases   and  a  variety  of  other  services.   Point-of-sale
        technology has the potential to allow the government  to  collect
        its  revenues  more  quickly  and  accurately,  generate  greater
        interest   payments  and  reduce  the  need  for   administrative
        support.
         These are just two of the services that will be possible with an
        information  highway.   It  is  this  highway that will bring the
        government  and  the  public  closer  together  and  remove   the
        geographical  barriers to service delivery.  The removal of these
        barriers will significantly alter  the  way  we  work  and,  more
        specifically,  flatten the structure of the program organizations
        that deliver services to the public.
        







        March 1989                 MUG Notes                      Page 12



                           T e l e c o m m u t i n g
         The most dramatic change in the future  workplace  will  be  the
        location  of  our work.  By the 1990's, 12 per cent of us will be
        telecommuters.   Telecommuters  will  work,  not  out  of  office
        buildings  but  in  the  field  or from their homes.  In only one
        example of what will be a  pervading  trend,  a  company  in  the
        United  States projects that a third of its 70,000 employees will
        work  outside of the office.
         How  will this change affect the workplace?  For the government,
        it will reduce the need and cost to provide office space for  its
        employees.  Telecommuters will link to their workstations through
        terminals and will be able to send and receive  facsimile,  data,
        voice  and  image  communications.  Telecommuters will be able to
        receive correspondence and policy directives, transmit  proposals
        and  reports,  and  access  expert  systems  for  assistance from
        anywhere in the province.  The rise of telecommuting  means  that
        ministry   operations   will   be  more  decentralized,  allowing
        government employees to be more in touch  with  the  local  areas
        they serve.
         As  government  and  other  organizations   decentralize   their
        operations,   we   will   depend   less   and  less  on  physical
        transportation.   Fewer  commuters  will  mean  less  pressure to
        expand roads, highways and other transit systems.
         While there will be less face-to-face contact amoung  government
        employees, telecommuting will enhance communication.
         A major  tool  to  enhance  communication  will  be  audio/video
        teleconferencing.   This  allows  people  to  see, hear and speak
        electronically.  Full-motion video between homes and offices will
        be as common as telephone conversation is today.
         Telecommuting  will   provide   more   opportunities   for   the
        handicapped,   who  will  no  longer  be  dependent  on  physical
        transportation to  do  their  jobs.   Disabled  people  will  use
        sophistated  computer systems and information networks to perform
        their work activities.
        
                   T h e   H u m a n   I n t e r f a c e
         A major characteristic of these sophisticated  systems  will  be
        artificial  intelligence.   Artificial  intelligence  (AI)  is  a
        concept  which  refers  to  computer  systems  that  mimic  human
        decision  making.   By the mid-1990's, intelligent information or
        expert systems  will  assist  the  delivery  of  many  government
        services.   They  will  be an integral part of strategic planning
        and  executive  decision  making.   These  systems  will  analize
        information,  ideas  and  interim decisions.  From this analysis,
        they   will    make   recommendations.    In   fact,   successful
        decision-making  may  depend  on the sophistication of the expert
        systems available t o decision-makers.
         One  promise of expert systems is that they will give ministries
        more comprehensive and accurate future forcasts.  They will  make
        strategic  planning  more precise and timely.  With their ability
        to manage  vast  amounts  of  data,  expert  systems  will  allow
        ministries to simulate a number of "what if" scenarios.
         Expert systems will prove critical to the future of health  care
        delivery in Ontario.  Linked to medical databases from around the
        world, they will provide doctors with the most up-to-date medical
        information  and  analysis  of diseases and drugs.  They  will be






        March 1989                  MUG Notes                     Page 13



        vital tools in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
         Expert  systems  will  also  perform many practical tasks.  They
        will sense impending breakdowns in  physical  resources  such  as
        heating   and   power   facilities.   Potentially  expensive  and
        disruptive breakdowns in the operations of government  facilities
        will  be detected before they occur.
         Intelligent systems will also help systems personnel manage  and
        monitor   the   telecommunications  networks  that  make  up  the
        government's information highways.  They will allow ministries to
        manage   by   exception.   They  will  ensure  that  problems  in
        processing and communicating government data and information,  on
        which  more and more people will come to depend, will be minimal.
         Advances  in  artificial   intelligence   and   other   computer
        technologies  will bring Ontario closer to the rest of the world.
        Computers  will  translate  languages,  allowing   us   to   more
        effectively  support multiculturalism in Ontario.  They will also
        let us c ommunicate directly with organizations  and  individuals
        in  foreign  countries.  Government trade offices will connect to
        foreign networks and their local databases  and  gain  access  to
        information not available today.
         With a clearer  understanding  of  foreign  cultures  and  local
        business  markets, the government can gain competitive advantages
        in assessing trade and industrial development  opportunities  for
        Ontario businesses.
         Artificial intelligence, embodied in both  expert  and  language
        translation  systems,  will  break  down  the  barriers  that now
        prevent people from communicating with  one  another.   As  these
        barriers  disappear, more and more information will be exchanged.
        Managing this information  will  require  innovative  information
        storage media.
        
                   S t o r i n g   I n f o r m a t i o n
         Smart  cards  are  just  one  example  of the revolutionary ways
        information will be stored.  Optical storage is another.
         "Smart  cards,"  simply  described,  are  electronic storage and
        access  devices  which  will  contain  a   wealth   of   personal
        information.   This  information  could include birth and vehicle
        registration, welfare and employement status and credit  history.
        Smart   cards  will become as much a part of our everyday life as
        credit cards are today.
         Smart  cards will be a source of tremendous cost savings for the
        government.  They will allow ministries to update their databases
        and  distribute  information  more  easily.   This  will simplify
        administrative procedures and control costs.
         Using  these cards, we will link to government networks 24 hours
        a day through home computers, employee  workstations  or  special
        outlets like the banking machines we now see on our streets.
         Through  these  networks,  information  changes  to   government
        databases and smart cards will be made simultaneously.  This will
        mean lower program administrative costs, fewer errors and  better
        service to the public.
         One of the most striking service improvements will be in  health
        care.   We  will  use  smart  cards to store medical information,
        improve overall care and lower health costs.   In  one  instance,
        doctors  and  hospitals  will  be able to use the card to study a
        patient's medical history in an emergency.  In another, a listing






        March 1989                   MUG Notes                    Page 14



        of  previous  prescriptions  will  be  available  to  doctors and
        pharmacists to prevent drug abuse and unsafe drug medication.  By
        preventing  or discouraging drug abuse by individual patients and
        giving doctors more complete information  about  an  individual's
        previous  health,  smart  cards  will help the government realize
        substantial savings in health care  costs  and  ensure  that  the
        public is better diagnosted and treated.
         The potential of optical  storage  technology  is  enormous.   A
        single optical disc, for example, provides the storage equivalent
        of 1600 conventional 5 1/4 diskettes  or  200,000  single  spaced
        typed pages.  And the future capability of this and other optical
        media will be even greater, benefitting the  government  in  many
        ways.
         Optical storage technology will  eliminate  the  need  to  store
        paper  and allow ministries to distribute vast quantities of data
        inexpensively.  Ministries will be able to store  information  in
        small  spaces  and  distribute  it  to  local  areas,  making  it
        accessible to both regional branches and the public.
         Information  on  provincial  regulations,  consumer legislation,
        workplace  safe  ty,  human  rights,  land  use,  and  all  other
        government  data could be stored optically and used by government
        or private organizations.
         Since  optical  storage  facilities will replace large libraries
        and database storage centres, the government will spend far  less
        on storage space than it does today.
        
                          C o n c l u s i o n
         The  future will see a closing of the communications gap between
        the  government   and   the   people   it   serves.    Integrated
        telecommunications services based on new communications standards
        will dramatically  improve  government  efficiency  in  providing
        information necessary to deliver program services.
         Linking  the  government's  local  communication   networks   to
        proviince-wide   information   highways   will   help   eliminate
        geographical  barriers  and  provide  ministries  with  new   and
        innovative  ways  to decentralize their operations.  It will also
        provide opportunities to flatten the  structure  of  the  program
        organizations  that  deliver government services.  Telecommuting,
        along with new ways of storing and distributing information, will
        permit ministries to be more flexible and responsive.
         To satisfy future demand for information,  the  government  will
        have  access  to  a  wide  range of sophisticated and intelligent
        information systems.  These systems will not "happen"  overnight,
        however.   The  lead time will be six to seven years.Although the
        cost will be substantial, telecommunication's strategic value  as
        a  cost-  effective information and program delivery vehicle will
        far outweigh its investment.
         As  managers  in  this  government,  the decisions we make today
        directly affect the service offered to the public  tomorrow.   If
        we  are  to successfully and economically deliver programs in the
        future, we must continue to embrace  technology  now.   Effective
        planning  and  management  is  the  key  to  harness  information
        technology for growth and positive change in Ontario.
         We must take advantage.








     March 1989                    MUG Notes                        Page 15

                               The NeXT Computer
                                  Super CoCo
     
         The NeXT computer was released in the fall of 1988.  This computer
     was designed  and  developed  by  Steve  Jobs,  the  man  who  brought
     computers  to  the  home,  by  developing  the  Apple II and Macintosh
     computers.
         I  was  able to see a demonstration of the NeXT computer and I was
     able to play around with it a bit.(no pun intended).  Believe me it is
     a fantistic machine!  You can find it at the University computer store
     in the Natural Sciences Building, room 110.
         What  did I like about this machine?  Well just about everything I
     saw.  First lets give some specifics.  It uses a 25 Mhz Motorola 68030
     processor(32  bit)  and  a68882  math  co-  processor.   Comes  with 8
     megabytes RAM expanable to 16 MB.  or  64  MB  with  4  MB  chips.   A
     Motorola   56001  DSP(Digital  Sig-  nal  Processors)  for  processing
     digitized sound and  digitized  images  at  high  speeds.   A  256  MB
     read-write  optical  disk,  it     is  supposed  to be compatable with
     compact disks when they be- come available.  All these are housed in a
     one  cubic  foot  black  With  this  comes  a  17 inch black and white
     monitor, a keyboard and mouse.
         The  monitor  which  plugs  into the black box has a resolution of
     1120 * 832 pixels.  The reason the monitor is black and white  instead
     of  color is sharpness and expense.  A color monitor not  as sharp and
     much more expensive.
         From  here  the  keyboard  connects  to  the monitor and the mouse
     connects to the keyboard.
         The  computer is very sleek looking and very modern with its black
     color, it would fit into what people would  call  a  rich   bachelor's
     penthouse would contain.
         The NeXT computer comes with Unix built in.   But  don't  let  the
     Unix  title scare you away, because it is well hidden.  It gives you a
     multi-view type of display.  It also has a  word  processor,  database
     and spreadsheet.  As well as the Webster dictionary and thesaurus(with
     all the pictures and diagrams,  it  was  scanned  in  page  by  page),
     collection  of  Shakespeare's  plays,  Oxford  Quotations  and  a math
     program called Mathimatica.
         All  these programs come on the optical disk and supposedly as new
     programs come you will be able  to  take  the  disk  in  and  have  it
     upgraded.
         Now enough talk about hardware and software that is avail-   able.
     This  machine  could  fly,  NeXT  personel showing the dem- onstration
     must have had up at least 20 windows, which would  show the need for a
     17  inch  monitor.   You  could have an 80 column word processor up as
     well as other windows without interfering with the display of the word
     processor.
         Windows could be created with a mouse and using the  mouse,   move
     the  window anywhere on the screen.  The characters on the  screen can
     be enlarged and shrunk with a click of the mouse key .  The  speed  of
     which  the  dictionary  moved  and  searched for words  you needed the
     meaning of (pictures and all) was amazing.
         But really the best way to judge this machine is to have a look at
     it yourself just to feel the power.  At only $8500 Canadian,  this  is
     truly  a  remarkable  machine.   There  is only one drawback, you must
     either be a student or a staff member of the  University to be able to
     purchase the NeXT computer.
         Well till NeXT time, happy computing!
     
                                 Lawrence Schembri



     
       March 1989                  MUG Notes                    Page 16     
     
     
     
     
                           IRQ HACK INSTRUCTIONS
                                           by Pete Lyall
     
       Maybe you've heard of  the  IRQ  hack that you can perform to the
       Deluxe  RS-232 pack, so  that IRQ  interrupts are not 'lost', but
       didn't know how to do it.  Here's  the information you need:
      
       Basically,  you are connecting the IRQ pin of the 6551 to the IRQ
       pin of the 6809..
      
       On the pak:
      
       Locate the little blue jumper wire near the edge connector.   One
       of  the solder pads it is connected to has the label '1' near it.
       Desolder  both  ends of this jumper, and solder one end of a long
       wire (1-2 feet - enough  to  comfortably  reach  the  back of the
       coco) to the solder pad near the '1' label. Burn (with the tip of
       the  soldering iron) or  file a small hole in the side of the pak
       so  that the wire can be passed through it without being pinched.
       Attach a miniature phone plug (male) to the end of the wire.
      
       On the Coco3:
      
       Locate the resistor that does the pullup of the IRQ line (CPU pin
       3) to the 5vdc. It is R2, and I believe it is the second from the
       left in a cluster of resistors to the right-rear of the 6809 chip
       (as seen from the keyboard).  Solder a wire to the  end  of  that
       resistor that is closest to the keyboard (the side that also ties
       to CPU pin 3).  Carefully route  this  wire  to the  back  of the
       machine, and mount a miniature female phone jack there.
      
       Poof.   
       That's  all  there is to it.  No software  changes  are  required
       -  the existing ACIAPAK driver will work (better!) as is.  If you
       run multiple paks (or other interrupt devices that could  benefit
       from the  IRQ hack), just  tie them all together at the male plug
       that will plug into the coco3.
       
       If you wish to perform this procedure for the coco2, the majority
       of the work is the same, except that the resistor that you should
       connect to inside the coco is R14.  As verification, ensure  that
       one side of this resistor ties directly to pin 3 of the 6809, and 
       tack the wire onto this side.
      
       --
       Pete Lyall (OS9 Users Group VP)|  DELPHI: OS9UGVP
     
     


         This article was downloaded from "Midnight Remote Systems" here
      in  London  and  reproduced for you here.  This will be of help to
      OS-9 users for sure!
     






      
       March 1989                 MUG Notes                 Page   17
      
      
      
      
                              MPI (26-3124) FIX
                            - CANADIAN VERSION -
                                     by:
      
                               James Korolas
                                 72747,444
         Here is what is needed to enable the smaller white Multipak
      Interface (model  26-3124) to work with the COCO 3:
                               - Satellite Board (part  AXX7119)
                               - solder
                               - Phillips screwdriver
                               - 20 minutes!
         1)  Order the Satellite Board through your local Radio Shack
             store, as they are not charged for the part!  (However,
             even if they do charge you the $7.50, rest assured that
             they will get the part in 3 or 4 days!)
         2)  MAKE SURE THAT THE MPI IS DISCONNECTED from the power &
             the computer.
         3)  Invert the MPI and remove the 4 screws (one in each of
             the four corners; one hidden under the black warning
             label).
         4)  Holding the MPI together, turn it over so that it is
             right side up and the card-connector is facing to the
             right.
         5)  Remove the white cover.
         6)  Remove the 3 screws holding the circuit board to the
             bottom cover.
         7)  Carefully remove the clips holding the foil-cover to
             the bottom of the circuit board.
         8)  Locate the trace from IC1 pin 19 to IC6 pin 52 and cut
             as close to IC6 as possible, without cutting the pin.
         9)  Solder wire 1 (RED) from the Satellite Board (SB for
             short) to IC5 pin 16.
        10)  Solder wire 3 (BLUE) from SB to IC6 pin 52.
        11)  Solder wire 4 (YELLOW) from SB to IC4 pin 11.
        12)  Solder wire 5 (PURPLE or BROWN) to IC4 pin 9.
        13)  Solder wire 6 (ORANGE) from SB to IC4 pin 3.
        14)  Solder wire 7 (GREY) from SB to IC1 pin 19.
        15)  Mount the Satellite Board over IC6 so that the SB's
             wires are facing away from you.  You will see 4 solder
             points on each of the 4 corners of IC6.  The three legs
             of the SB are soldered to these points.
        16)  Re-attach the foil to the bottom of the circuit board.
        17)  Screw down the circuit board to the bottom of the MPI's
             case.
        18)  Replace the top cover of the MPI.
      And there it is!!!
      
         This article is re-printed courtesy of the Toronto Colour
      Computer Club and the RDS09 BBS from which it was downloaded.
      Considering the current discussion by Marty Goodman in "The
      Rainbow" I considered this information quite timely!  And oh yes,
      it is quite accurate.  I did my multi-pak according to these
      instructions.
                                     Wayne
      
      
      
      


    March 1989                       MUG Notes                       Page 18
     


                             A Tale of an Epson MX 80
                                    (c) Marty Goodman

        The other day I was visiting some friends  who  had  an  electronics
     surplus   warehouse,  who   were  moving  their entire stock to another
     warehouse.  Looking through the piles of junk to be smashed up and sold
     by  the  pound  for salvage,  I noticed an EPSON MX 80 printer.  It did
     not look to be in bad condition  at all,  tho  there was just a  little
     rust  and  dried crystalline material inside it.  When I plugged it in,
     the lights came on and the head and carriage  felt "tense"  (indicating
     current  to  the  motors),  but the head did not reset, and the On Line
     light would not go out when the On Line button was pressed.   The paper
     feed light would go on and off when paper was put in or out.
        I  figured it was worth the $7 that the  chap  was  asking  for  the
     printer, and set about trying to fix the thing.
        I first obtained a full schematic  for  the  printer  (from  an  IBM
     technical   reference  manual, for the old Epson MX 80 was the original
     IBM printer).    I also obtained a working MX 80 from a friend  to  use
     for diagnostic purposes.
        The  slight   amount   of  rust  and  crystalline  material  was,  I
     speculated, the effect of the cats that lived in the warehouse spraying
     the  insides  of the printer.     I   gave   its   innards  a  thorough
     rinsing  with cool water, and scrubbed it clean.  I removed most of the
     rust with an  abrasive  plastic  pot  scrubber.   The  printer  circuit
     board and mechanism was not "looking clean".
        A  power  supply  check showed all  voltages  to  be  correct,  with
     adequate current available.
        Swapping all socketted 40 pin chips (8039, 8155, and  8041)   showed
     that  all  the  big   chips   were  good...   they  worked in the other
     machine.  My motor driver  board  worked  too.    And   the   ROM   set
     worked  fine  in  the  working printer.
        When  I  hooked  my mechanism up to the working printer, it  printed
     just  fine.   So the problem was in the mother board on my printer, but
     not  in  any delicate socketted chip.
        I   probed  around  with  a logic probe a bit, and quite incorrectly
     guessed that the cause lay in one of three small scale logic chips.
       Replacing   and  socketting  those   three chips as a genuine pain...
     the printed circuit board had a nasty tendency  to  part  company  with
     its  traces  during  desoldering.. but eventually  I properly socketted
     and replaced the chip.  It had no effect on the machine.
        Then a printer repair person I called  up  suggested  "check  the
      reset circuit".   This  seemed  like an odd suggestion, for the  reset
     circuit  was  a  simple  one  consisting  of a few logic gates,  a  few
     capacitors,  and  a  few resistors.   But,  to  my  astonishment,   the
     reset  circuit  turned  out  to  be locked in RESET mode.  When I did a
     quick and dirty fix of  manually  putting it first in reset then in non
     reset mode, the printer woke up and did a proper  self test.
        But WHY  was  the printer stuck in reset mode???  I traced  out  the
     reset  circuit,  and found that there was a reset  line  that  went  to
     the  36  pin parallel input  connector.  And that THIS line, which  was
     supposed  to  be  tied  high thru a pullup resistor, was low.  Checking
     further, I found  the  pullup was  actually  one  element  of   a   big
     resistor  strip,  located very near and parallel to the 36 pin parallel
     input  connector.     Checking   continuity,   I  found  NO  continuity
     between the pull up resistor and the reset line.







     March 1989                     MUG Notes                       Page  19
     
     

        FINALLY   I   looked  VERY VERY closely at the circuit board in that
     area. BINGO!  There was a HAIR LINE CRACK in the board between  the  36
     pin  connector   and the pullup resistor, that severed  about  a  dozen
     traces.    The  trace connecting  the  reset   line   to  its  required
     pullup  resistor was only one of those severed, but it was the one that
     was causing the machine  to  hang  up.  Other  severed   traces   would
     have   made   it impossible to get data into the printer, had the reset
     line not been  affected.    Clearly  some  trauma  had happened to  the
     printer  while  a cable was connected.  Perhaps it was dropped and fell
     on the connector.  Perhaps some one tripped over  the  cable.   Perhaps
     some  one  leaned  the  printer  backwards  and levered it on the cable
     connector. This problem is a common  one,  by  the  way...   I've  seen
     several  other  printers   that   were  perfectly  good  except  for  a
     major crack right by their 36 pin connector.  The main reason I did not
     find  the  problem  here  sooner   was  that the crack in this case was
     extremely fine, and hard to see.
        I   jumpered   all  the  broken  traces,  and  the printer appearred
     to be fixed.  It printer in draft, italics,  double  strike,  sub   and
     super   script,  underline,  and   low   res  graphics  mode just fine.
     Just when I was about to celebrate, I discovered   that   the   printer
     would   NOT   print   in   Enhanced, Condensed, or  hi density graphics
     mode.  When asked to do so, the head would  shudder  a  bit,  then  the
     printer  would  take  itself off line and lock up.  Only  turning power
     off and then on would wake it up again.
        I  again did the usual chip swaps, ROM swaps, and driver board swap.
     All  showed that none of those were the cause of the problem.
      I   again   drove   my  printer   mechanism  off  the working printers
     mother board plus driver board, and the mechanism of my printer printed
     in   Enhanced   mode   just   fine  when driven by  the other printer's
     electronics.  I again removed the mother board and  again  examined  it
     very  very  carefully  under  a  magnifying glass  for  more cracks.  I
     found  none.    I  checked  the   continuity   of  all  traces  in  the
     vicinity  of  the existing crack, and found all  was  well...    I  had
     indeed repaired all affected traces.  What to do?
        I  called  another  friend  of mine, and recounted my story.  He was
     puzzled  too, but suggested that the problem was likely due  either  to
     some  metal  thing   (staple  or  such)  wedged underneath some chip on
     the board, OR due to a bad connection between the driver board and  the
     mother  board,  perhaps   due   to   a cold solder  joint.   The more I
     thought about that last suggestion, the more plausible it sounded.  The
     driver  board connects to the mother board  via  40 or so delicate dual
     rows of pins.  I had that board on and of dozens of  times   during  my
     tests.   If  there  HAD  been a cold or marginal solder joint there, it
     would have been sorely strained.
        I  inspected   all  the solder joints, and saw nothing amiss.  But I
     have seen bad solder joints that looked perfectly good in the past, so,
     just   for  good   measure,  I RE MELTED and added a touch of solder to
     ALL the connections between the pins and the mother board.
      
        BINGO!  One working printer!
      
        If I am lucky, and  this  printer  had   its   accident   with   the
     parallel  cable connector early in its life, I may be in posession of a
     near new rugged  old printer.
     
      ---marty
     
       Reprinted with permission from Midnight Remote Data Systems
     


        
        March 1989                   MUG Notes                   Page 20
        
        
                            The Beginning of a Review
                      For a Complete Wordprocessing Package
                                By Mike Warcholyk
        
             It was around November that I decided that it was time that
        I  better  get  myself  a word processor, before I really needed
        one. I wanted to make sure that I would have  the  time  to  get
        accustomed to it before I had to actually use it for my business
        needs as well as for home.  But of course the first thing  which
        I had to do was decide which one would best suit my needs before
        I actually purchased one.  So what I did was make up a  list  of
        things I expected and wanted to have in a word processor.
             Since  I  had  previously  used  word  processors  on  some
        dedicated systems as well as IBM XT and AT systems I had an idea
        of what I wanted in mine.  Also I wanted it to  run  under  OS-9
        level  two,  since it happens to be a very flexible and powerful
        system to work under (much more then MS-DOS or our  RS-DOS).   I
        even  wanted  it  to support CoCo 3's added enhancements such as
        windowing and greater multi-tasking speed  and  processing.   It
        also  had  to  allow me to access the Shell without me having to
        change windows, this would be especially useful if I were  using
        a  remote  terminal and running the wordprocessor with my system
        at home, since I could then do other things  without  having  to
        quit  the  word processor and then going back to it.  There, now
        that I decided what I want for my word processor to  run  under,
        now  I  have  to  decide what I want it to do as far as actually
        word processing goes.
             It  has  to  be  fast,  professional and easy to use with a
        complete manual to follow.  It has to be able to handle any size
        file  which I decide to give the thing without choking on it.  I
        expect it to  have  all  the  common  things  found  in  a  word
        processor  such  as full cursor movement, search/replace, delete
        options etc.  as well  as  block  manipulation,  user  definable
        macros, ability to change the data directory, complete scrolling
        and help menus, ability to insert files or write files  to  disk
        and  full  printer  support.   Basically I needed a package that
        would keep up with my growing needs.
             Another  thing  which  I wanted was a spelling checker, not
        that I am terrible at spelling, but what the heck I want  it  to
        be complete!
         With the spelling checker I wanted a big  dictionary  with  the
        ability to add words.  This is especially useful for people that
        don't always use just "plain english".  This way for example,  a
        doctor  could  make  up a dictionary using his medical terms and
        put it into a file so the program would recognize it as  correct
        spelling no matter how odd it sounds to us "normal people".
             This is probably just 90  percent  of  the  capabilities  I
        wanted.  The other 10 percent I either didn't imagine of or know
        or anticipate that I would eventually need it.
             So  after many weeks of reading and comparing capabilities,
        asking questions etc I made my decision.  It was  DynaStar  with
        DynaForm  and  the  spelling  checker  DynaSpell.  And I will be
        reviewing the package for you next month.
        








     March 1989                    MUG Notes                         Page 6
     
         SSSSSS   TTTTTTT    AAAA    RRRRR    TTTTTTT   U    U   PPPPPP
         S           T      A    A   R    R      T      U    U   P     P
         SSSSSS      T      AAAAAA   RRRRR       T      U    U   PPPPPP
              S      T      A    A   R    R      T      U    U   P
         SSSSSS      T      A    A   R     R     T      UUUUUU   P
                                         By: J.  Daviau
     
        Welcome,  everyone  to  the  Motorola  Users  Group!  We have great
     expectations for the new club and we know that it will be a  place  to
     meet  other  people  who share our interest in the Coco.  We also hope
     that the club will be able to help us understand all the great  things
     that a Coco can do.
        One of the things that the Coco can do so well is  run  OS-9  Level
     II.   So  what's  OS-9?   It's  an  Operating  System.   So what is an
     Operating System?  (This question will take a bit more to explain!)
        When  you  buy  a Coco, it comes with an Operating System in place.
     If you didn't have this system  you  wouldn't  be  able  to  use  your
     computer.  The  computer  needs  something  in there to tell it how to
     operate. This operating system allows you to type "PRINT MEM" and  get
     an  answer.It allows you to type "PRINT 2 + 2" and get the answer "4".
     In other words it allows you to do things with your computer.
        When  you  connect  a  disk  drive to your Coco you are now running
     under  "RS  Dos".   This  means  "R"adio  "S"hack  "D"isk  "O"perating
     "S"ystem.   This operating system makes your computer work differently
     than it would with the original operating system.  You will  now  have
     commands available that you didn't have before.  These are used to run
     your disk drive.  Eg: DSKINI0, DIR, PRINT FREE(0), ETC.  Programs will
     load differently too.  Some of your old programs will try to load into
     the same memory that your disk controller is using and  so  they  will
     not  work.   Anyway,  suffice  it  to  say that your Coco now operates
     differently under the new operating system.
        The  same is true of OS-9.  Your Coco will operate very differently
     under OS-9 Level II.  Using OS-9 Level II, you  will  be  able  to  do
     things  that  up  until  now  were  not  possible  on  a personal home
     computer.  You will be able to load and run many programs in memory at
     the  same  time.   You  will  be able to let your Telecom- munications
     program keep trying to reach your favorite BBS while you go to another
     window to finish the letter you were writing.
        Under RSDos, if you find out that you don't have a  formatted  disk
     to save the program that you just spent 4 hours typing in, you have to
     format a new disk and lose everything in memory!  Under OS-9, you just
     format a disk and then save your program.
        Under RSDos if you were printing out a 45 page manual in your  word
     processor  then  your  Coco  would be tied up doing that alone for the
     next hour or 2.  In the meantime you wouldn't  be  able  to  use  your
     computer. Under OS-9 you start the printout, set the priority to a low
     number and continue to use your computer for something else.
        You  can  have  many things going on at the same time.  I think the
     limit is between 6 and 15 programs that are all in memory and  running
     at  the  same time.  The actual limit depends on how much memory these
     programs use and how much you have available.  Graphics use a lot more
     memory than an ordinary program so you may only be able to have 4 or 5
     graphic pictures displayed at a time.
        Under  RSDos,  you  would  have  to  stop  the program that you are
     running just to do a DIR.  Under OS-9 you just go to another window.
        So  OS-9  is called a Multi-Tasking operating system because it can
     do many things at once.  It is called a Multi-User system because  you
     can  have other users "LOG ON" to your system and use it while you are
     using it.  Gerry Thomas's BBS, Midnight Remote Data System, is running
     under OS-9 multi-user.  He can still use his computer when you call up
     to browse around his BBS.
     


     March 1989                     MUG Notes                        Page 7
     
     
        That  is what an Operating System can do.  Needless to say some are
     better than others and some will let you do  more  than  others.   The
     choice of which to use is up to you.
        The minimum equipment required to use OS-9 Level II is as  follows:
                  1.  A Color Computer 3
                  2.  A video display eg: T.V., monitor
                  3.  A disk drive
        While the above list is an  accurate  description  of  the  minimum
     equipment  there  are  some  other  things  that  will  make your OS-9
     experience much more enjoyable.  One of the first extra's is a  second
     disk  drive.   Having a second disk drive will greatly reduce diskette
     swapping during many of the operations performed while using OS-9.
        One of the other nice extra's is a printer.  You may wish to make a
     "hard copy" listing of a program you are writing or get a hard copy of
     your directories, etc.
        Last but not least is a 512K memory upgrade.  OS-9 Level  2  itself
     takes 64K of memory to load into your Coco.  If you wish to make an 80
     x 24 graphics window  you  will  use  an  additional  32K  of  memory.
     Running  a  process  as  small as a DIR command will use 8K.  That's a
     total of 104K used leaving you only  24K  of  memory  left.   You  can
     configure (create) some customized system disks using Basic09's config
     utility and reduce the memory requirement of OS-9 and as well you  can
     stay  away  from graphic windows and use text windows instead and save
     on memory needs that way.  The choice is yours.
        Having  a double sided disk drive is also an added plus as you will
     get 630 sectors of storage space on a standard 35 track  single  sided
     drive,  720  sectors  on  a 40 track single sided drive and a whopping
     1,440 sectors on a double sided drive.  The  Tandy  1000  drives  will
     work  well  as  double sided drives or you may opt for a "third party"
     model.
        A  couple  of  other  things  that  come to mind, and things that I
     consider are absolutly necessary to understanding OS-9, are some books
     on the subject.  The manual that you get with the OS-9 system leaves a
     lot to be desired for the beginner.  If you are a  veteran  programmer
     and  have quite a bit of experience with computers in general you will
     no doubt find the manual very informative and  interesting.   However,
     as  a  beginner  it  is  very easy to get lost in the system's manual.
     There are three books that I will suggest.  The first two are  written
     by Dale Puckett and Peter Dibble.  They are titled:
               1.  "The Complete Rainbow Guide To OS-9"
               2.  "The Complete Rainbow Guide To OS-9 Level II
                   Volume 1: A Beginners Guide To Windows"
               3.  "The Official Basic09 Tour Guide"
        The third book is published by Radio Shack.   All  three  of  these
     books  are  available at Radio Shack and the first two through Rainbow
     magazine. All are well worth the money and will provide  you  with  an
     easy  to  understand  tutorial  on  OS-9  and  the programing language
     "Basic09". They also contain many sample programs,  illustrations  and
     examples  to  make  your  initiation  into the OS-9 world as smooth as
     possible.
        Again,  I  wish to welcome everyone to "The MUG Club" and I hope to
     see a lot of familiar and new faces at both the club meetings and  the
     SIG groups.
                                      Chow for Now
                                              Judy
     
     
     
     
     


 
        March 1989                 MUG Notes                     Page 8
 
 
                                TELECOM COMMENTS
                                              by W.  Morrison
 
           As Sysop of MUG's BBS I would like to take this  opportunity
        to welcome you to MUG.  I hope that together we will be able to
        create the kind of club that we can all be proud of.   To  that
        end, I am openly asking for your suggestions and comments about
        our BBS and what can be done to improve it.  If your ideas  are
        good,  I  will  do  my best to implement them.  Please remember
        though, that Ribbs is not  directly  modifiable,  and  any  new
        ideas  must  be able to be implemented without having to modify
        the actual code of the software.
 
           We  have  available,  in  our  software  library,  archiving
        utilities  for  both  RSDOS  and  OS-9.   I  am asking that all
        uploads to our board be archived to save space.  In  this  way,
        our  somewhat  limited  storage  area will be able to hold more
        downloads. At this time both archiving programs are  available,
        with  their  documentation files, for your downloading.  Please
        take advantage of this as you will, in the future,  need  these
        programs to be able to gain access to the software that we will
        be making available.
 
           Our club newsletter is also going to be  distributed  mainly
        through  the BBS.  This way our production costs stay extremely
        low and you, as members, stand to benefit from this.  Our board
        is  open  to non-members but they will not have access to areas
        including the newsletter and others.  In this way  there  is  a
        justification  for  joining,  instead of just getting access to
        our services for free.  The newsletter will not be archived  so
        you  can  either  read  it  on-line,  or  download  it for your
        personal files.  In this way we are offering you, our  members,
        the  most  service  and  utility  possible.   For  those of you
        without modems, we will be offering an  exchange  disk  service
        whereby  you will be able to obtain a copy of the newsletter on
        a disk in either RSDOS or OS-9 format at the  monthly  meeting.
        In  this way ,the club newsletter will be made available to all
        members.
 
           I hope that all of you will take advantage of our BBS and go
        on-line  with us.  Telecommunications can be very entertaining,
        especially within a club atmosphere.
 
             =====================================================
 
           *********************************************************
           *                                                       *
           *                 The Next Meeting of                   *
           *                                                       *
           *                      M  U  G                          *
           *                                                       *
           *                   Will be at The                      *
           *                London Public Library                  *
           *                    Main Branch                        *
           *                        On                             *
           *                 Tuesday April 11                      *
           *                Starting  6:30 P.M.                    *
           *                                                       *
           *********************************************************



   
    March 1989                    MUG Notes                            Page 9
   
                     Secretary's Report: A Brief History
                                     By: Judy Daviau
     One  evening in late November 1988, a few Coco enthusiasts were together
   discussing computers.  The talk rolled around  to  some  of  the  problems
   these  people  were  having  with  their current club.  There was a lot of
   "Wouldn't it be nice if our club ran like this?" and "Wouldn't it be great
   if our club could get involved in that?"
     Based on some statements made by Wayne Morrison a few months earlier, it
   was  generally  decided  that  what we really wanted was a whole new club.
   That was the birth of The Motorola Users Group.
     The  geniuses who brainstormed this great event were: Stan Bischop, Judy
   Daviau, Gerry Davis, Kim Lucas, Wayne Morrison, Sheila Smith, Gerry Thomas
   and  Rick  Tower!   Sheila  was nominated and elected as our Treasurer and
   then we told her that she had  the  job!   She  was  MUG's  first  elected
   Officer.   Stan   was  elected  President  and  Gerry  Davis  was  elected
   Vice-President. We told them of this about a month later when we  had  our
   first  official  elections.   At  these  elections  we put Gerry Thomas in
   charge of P.R.  and Wayne got the Sysop job.I was appointed  Secretary  (a
   position I was just dying for, Ha Ha), and then we all got down to the job
   of writing our club's constitution.
     This  little  job took a lot longer that any of us thought it would.  We
   had many meetings over the next three months and many  discussions  trying
   to  get  a  constitution that would both protect the club as a whole along
   with it's individual members and still limit the power of the Officers and
   the  Executive.  We re-wrote the document many times, added a few sections
   and revised other sections until we finally approved it.  Then we  changed
   some more things and so on until we arrived at the version we have now.
     Also at these meetings we had many other things to think about.  Eg: The
   user base of the club; what our purpose was; what we would and could offer
   support for and what areas we were going to avoid.  We filled in  some  of
   the  other  Executive  positions:  Diane  Gubbles  volunteered  to  be the
   Librarian, Sheila took on the Editors  role  and  I  took  the  Membership
   Co-Ordinator's  position.   We  designed  the layout of MUG's BBS (no easy
   task)  and  an  electronic  Newsletter.   We  layed  out  plans  for   the
   distribution of the Newsletter to non-modem and non-disk users and decided
   on a logo for MUG.  We  also  set  up  some  plans  for  some  advertising
   campaigns.  We  did quite a few revis- ions of the membership applications
   before we had a satisfactory one and there was also a  lot  of  discussion
   about where to hold our monthly meetings.
     At first we had decided to hold the meetings in our private  homes,  (we
   expected  a  membership  of 10-15 people maximum).  That idea quickly lost
   it's appeal  when  we  realized  that  there  were  more  than  20  people
   interested  in  the  new  club  right  away!   This  led to renting a room
   somewhere and we were lucky to find  a  meeting  place  available  at  The
   London Public Library for a very reasonable price.
     It was a really exciting experience to be involved in the creation of  a
   new club and all the Executive are looking forward to a very fun, exciting
   and productive year.
     Our  first  meeting  will be held on March 14, 1989 and we all hope that
   the new club will be able to sastisfy the needs of our  members.   We  are
   going to make it an enjoyable, helpful and fun club to belong to and to do
   that we need the support of every member that we have.   It  doesn't  mean
   hours of work or phone calls to your home at 1:00am.  Being a sup- portive
   member means asking questions at the monthly meetings and on the  BBS.That
   way  we  will  know  what  the  members  want and need.It means offer- ing
   constructive criticism to help us make the meetings something that  people
   want  to  come out to.  It means saying "Hi" to the person you are sitting
   beside in the meeting so that we can all get to know each other.
     I  would  like to welcome everyone to our new club and to the very first
   meeting of The Motorola Users Group!  Just remember that a  club  is  what
   ever the members make it!  This should be a very good year!
   

 
        March 1989                   MUG Notes                    Page 10



        The following is  from  a  Government  of  Ontario,  Ministry  of
        Government  Services  -  Computer  and Telecommunication Services
        publication.   It should give you some ideas as to the  direction
        that technology is taking.
        
                       C l o s i n g   t h e   G a p
              T h e   1 9 8 8   C l a y   M o d e l   R e p o r t
                   I n s t r u m e n t   o f   C h a n g e
        
         It's  no  longer  a  secret  that we live in a technology-driven
        information economy.  While de-industrialization may  well  be  a
        fact of economic life, our economy has yet to experience the full
        and positive impact of what may prove to be  the  most  important
        piece in the technology puzzle - telecommunications.
         Telecommunications technology is coming of age.  It is going  to
        revolutionize traditional information delivery mechanizims.
         And,  as  a  result,  it  will  fundamentally  change  the   way
        government  ministries communicate with the public, and with each
        other.
         Unlike previous Clay Model reports, which examined  all  aspects
        of information technology, the 1988 Clay Model Report focuses  on
        the  telecommunications  technologies   that   will   allow   the
        government  to better serve the public.  This report specifically
        explores the role  of  these  technologies  in  accelerating  two
        important  trends:  the  government's ability to e x p a n d  and
        i  n  t e g r a t e the range of services it can provide  to  all
        Ontarioans, regardless of where they live. Both of these develop-
        ments will depend on the open exchange of information.  Together,
        they will assist us in closing the gap between the government and
        the people it serves.
        
                    T h e   I n t e g r a t i o n   o f
                    T e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s
         The  single  greatest  barrier  to  the free flow of information
        today is the lack of a single communications standard, one  which
        will tie all computer systems and networks together.
         The telephone's greatest asset is that it is part of  a  network
        with a single global standard.
         Future telecommunications systems which will also transmit data,
        video  and  text  are  no  different.  They will require a single
        communications standard to realize their  enormous  potential  as
        cost-effective systems for delivering information.
         Fortunately, we are already moving in this direction.   Hardware
        and  software  barriers  between  different  computer systems and
        networks are breaking down.  They will soon disappear as we  move
        closer to Open Systems Interconnection (OSI).  OSI is a reference
        model  that  establishes  global  standards  for  the  electronic
        transmission of information.
         What exactly will OSI do for us?  More than  anything  else,  it
        will   establish   an  environment  in  which  telecommunications
        networks will be fully integrated,  making  information  delivery
        faster  and  more efficient;  integration, not just of equipment,
        but of all forms of transmission: voice, data, video and image.
         This means that costly reinvestment in new technologies will not
        be required to communicate.






        March 1989                  MUG Notes                     Page 11      
           



         A  single electronic access to all government services will be a
        benefit  of  OSI.   Because  OSI-based  networks  will  be  fully
        integrated  across  all  ministries  and departments, an enormous
        reservoir of information will become quickly accessible.
         OSI-based  networks  will make the government's interaction with
        the public more efficient.   Businesses,  for  example,  will  be
        able  to  file  their  taxes,  corporate financial data and other
        routine  paperwork  electronically,  through   telecommunications
        links with government databases.
         OSI will open up important new lines of communication within the
        government  and  between  the government and the public.  It will
        pave the way to a  new  level  of  communications  efficiency  by
        ensuring  universal  access  to information highways.  Government
        employees and the public  will  have  access  to  these  highways
        through  their  home  or  office from portable workstations.  Yet
        most will be totally unaware of the  hidden  element  making  the
        integration   of  telecommunications  possible  -  conformity  to
        standards.
        
           C o n n e c t i n g   P e o p l e   w i t h   P e o p l e
         Government  will  be  able  to  connect   advanced,   electronic
        information   services  into  a  single  network  or  information
        highway.  The highway which will  consist  of  such  transmission
        technologies  as fibre optics, microwave and satellite, will make
        the  delivery  of  information  to  program  services  affordable
        throughout the province.
         Through this information highway, services like electronic  mail
        and   point-of-sale  transactions  will  be  integrated  so  that
        everyone who works with or for the government will benefit.
         Integrated  electronic  mail systems such as facsimile and voice
        messaging  will  make  correspondence  more  immediate  and  more
        responsive.   Electronic  data  interchange  (EDI) and electronic
        mail will allow ministries throught  the  province  to  send  and
        reply  to  internal  memos  and  process  forms  more quickly and
        efficiently.  Electronic mail  will  also  allow  the  public  to
        communicate  with  the  government more quickly and directly.  It
        will also  improve  the  way  the  government  communicates  with
        suppliers and  other organizations.
         Point of sale transactions could become an important part of the
        government's  revenue-gathering  mechanism.   Organizations could
        make  direct  sales  tax  deposits  on  retail  sales,   gasoline
        purchases   and  a  variety  of  other  services.   Point-of-sale
        technology has the potential to allow the government  to  collect
        its  revenues  more  quickly  and  accurately,  generate  greater
        interest   payments  and  reduce  the  need  for   administrative
        support.
         These are just two of the services that will be possible with an
        information  highway.   It  is  this  highway that will bring the
        government  and  the  public  closer  together  and  remove   the
        geographical  barriers to service delivery.  The removal of these
        barriers will significantly alter  the  way  we  work  and,  more
        specifically,  flatten the structure of the program organizations
        that deliver services to the public.
        







        March 1989                 MUG Notes                      Page 12



                           T e l e c o m m u t i n g
         The most dramatic change in the future  workplace  will  be  the
        location  of  our work.  By the 1990's, 12 per cent of us will be
        telecommuters.   Telecommuters  will  work,  not  out  of  office
        buildings  but  in  the  field  or from their homes.  In only one
        example of what will be a  pervading  trend,  a  company  in  the
        United  States projects that a third of its 70,000 employees will
        work  outside of the office.
         How  will this change affect the workplace?  For the government,
        it will reduce the need and cost to provide office space for  its
        employees.  Telecommuters will link to their workstations through
        terminals and will be able to send and receive  facsimile,  data,
        voice  and  image  communications.  Telecommuters will be able to
        receive correspondence and policy directives, transmit  proposals
        and  reports,  and  access  expert  systems  for  assistance from
        anywhere in the province.  The rise of telecommuting  means  that
        ministry   operations   will   be  more  decentralized,  allowing
        government employees to be more in touch  with  the  local  areas
        they serve.
         As  government  and  other  organizations   decentralize   their
        operations,   we   will   depend   less   and  less  on  physical
        transportation.   Fewer  commuters  will  mean  less  pressure to
        expand roads, highways and other transit systems.
         While there will be less face-to-face contact amoung  government
        employees, telecommuting will enhance communication.
         A major  tool  to  enhance  communication  will  be  audio/video
        teleconferencing.   This  allows  people  to  see, hear and speak
        electronically.  Full-motion video between homes and offices will
        be as common as telephone conversation is today.
         Telecommuting  will   provide   more   opportunities   for   the
        handicapped,   who  will  no  longer  be  dependent  on  physical
        transportation to  do  their  jobs.   Disabled  people  will  use
        sophistated  computer systems and information networks to perform
        their work activities.
        
                   T h e   H u m a n   I n t e r f a c e
         A major characteristic of these sophisticated  systems  will  be
        artificial  intelligence.   Artificial  intelligence  (AI)  is  a
        concept  which  refers  to  computer  systems  that  mimic  human
        decision  making.   By the mid-1990's, intelligent information or
        expert systems  will  assist  the  delivery  of  many  government
        services.   They  will  be an integral part of strategic planning
        and  executive  decision  making.   These  systems  will  analize
        information,  ideas  and  interim decisions.  From this analysis,
        they   will    make   recommendations.    In   fact,   successful
        decision-making  may  depend  on the sophistication of the expert
        systems available t o decision-makers.
         One  promise of expert systems is that they will give ministries
        more comprehensive and accurate future forcasts.  They will  make
        strategic  planning  more precise and timely.  With their ability
        to manage  vast  amounts  of  data,  expert  systems  will  allow
        ministries to simulate a number of "what if" scenarios.
         Expert systems will prove critical to the future of health  care
        delivery in Ontario.  Linked to medical databases from around the
        world, they will provide doctors with the most up-to-date medical
        information  and  analysis  of diseases and drugs.  They  will be






        March 1989                  MUG Notes                     Page 13



        vital tools in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
         Expert  systems  will  also  perform many practical tasks.  They
        will sense impending breakdowns in  physical  resources  such  as
        heating   and   power   facilities.   Potentially  expensive  and
        disruptive breakdowns in the operations of government  facilities
        will  be detected before they occur.
         Intelligent systems will also help systems personnel manage  and
        monitor   the   telecommunications  networks  that  make  up  the
        government's information highways.  They will allow ministries to
        manage   by   exception.   They  will  ensure  that  problems  in
        processing and communicating government data and information,  on
        which  more and more people will come to depend, will be minimal.
         Advances  in  artificial   intelligence   and   other   computer
        technologies  will bring Ontario closer to the rest of the world.
        Computers  will  translate  languages,  allowing   us   to   more
        effectively  support multiculturalism in Ontario.  They will also
        let us c ommunicate directly with organizations  and  individuals
        in  foreign  countries.  Government trade offices will connect to
        foreign networks and their local databases  and  gain  access  to
        information not available today.
         With a clearer  understanding  of  foreign  cultures  and  local
        business  markets, the government can gain competitive advantages
        in assessing trade and industrial development  opportunities  for
        Ontario businesses.
         Artificial intelligence, embodied in both  expert  and  language
        translation  systems,  will  break  down  the  barriers  that now
        prevent people from communicating with  one  another.   As  these
        barriers  disappear, more and more information will be exchanged.
        Managing this information  will  require  innovative  information
        storage media.
        
                   S t o r i n g   I n f o r m a t i o n
         Smart  cards  are  just  one  example  of the revolutionary ways
        information will be stored.  Optical storage is another.
         "Smart  cards,"  simply  described,  are  electronic storage and
        access  devices  which  will  contain  a   wealth   of   personal
        information.   This  information  could include birth and vehicle
        registration, welfare and employement status and credit  history.
        Smart   cards  will become as much a part of our everyday life as
        credit cards are today.
         Smart  cards will be a source of tremendous cost savings for the
        government.  They will allow ministries to update their databases
        and  distribute  information  more  easily.   This  will simplify
        administrative procedures and control costs.
         Using  these cards, we will link to government networks 24 hours
        a day through home computers, employee  workstations  or  special
        outlets like the banking machines we now see on our streets.
         Through  these  networks,  information  changes  to   government
        databases and smart cards will be made simultaneously.  This will
        mean lower program administrative costs, fewer errors and  better
        service to the public.
         One of the most striking service improvements will be in  health
        care.   We  will  use  smart  cards to store medical information,
        improve overall care and lower health costs.   In  one  instance,
        doctors  and  hospitals  will  be able to use the card to study a
        patient's medical history in an emergency.  In another, a listing






        March 1989                   MUG Notes                    Page 14



        of  previous  prescriptions  will  be  available  to  doctors and
        pharmacists to prevent drug abuse and unsafe drug medication.  By
        preventing  or discouraging drug abuse by individual patients and
        giving doctors more complete information  about  an  individual's
        previous  health,  smart  cards  will help the government realize
        substantial savings in health care  costs  and  ensure  that  the
        public is better diagnosted and treated.
         The potential of optical  storage  technology  is  enormous.   A
        single optical disc, for example, provides the storage equivalent
        of 1600 conventional 5 1/4 diskettes  or  200,000  single  spaced
        typed pages.  And the future capability of this and other optical
        media will be even greater, benefitting the  government  in  many
        ways.
         Optical storage technology will  eliminate  the  need  to  store
        paper  and allow ministries to distribute vast quantities of data
        inexpensively.  Ministries will be able to store  information  in
        small  spaces  and  distribute  it  to  local  areas,  making  it
        accessible to both regional branches and the public.
         Information  on  provincial  regulations,  consumer legislation,
        workplace  safe  ty,  human  rights,  land  use,  and  all  other
        government  data could be stored optically and used by government
        or private organizations.
         Since  optical  storage  facilities will replace large libraries
        and database storage centres, the government will spend far  less
        on storage space than it does today.
        
                          C o n c l u s i o n
         The  future will see a closing of the communications gap between
        the  government   and   the   people   it   serves.    Integrated
        telecommunications services based on new communications standards
        will dramatically  improve  government  efficiency  in  providing
        information necessary to deliver program services.
         Linking  the  government's  local  communication   networks   to
        proviince-wide   information   highways   will   help   eliminate
        geographical  barriers  and  provide  ministries  with  new   and
        innovative  ways  to decentralize their operations.  It will also
        provide opportunities to flatten the  structure  of  the  program
        organizations  that  deliver government services.  Telecommuting,
        along with new ways of storing and distributing information, will
        permit ministries to be more flexible and responsive.
         To satisfy future demand for information,  the  government  will
        have  access  to  a  wide  range of sophisticated and intelligent
        information systems.  These systems will not "happen"  overnight,
        however.   The  lead time will be six to seven years.Although the
        cost will be substantial, telecommunication's strategic value  as
        a  cost-  effective information and program delivery vehicle will
        far outweigh its investment.
         As  managers  in  this  government,  the decisions we make today
        directly affect the service offered to the public  tomorrow.   If
        we  are  to successfully and economically deliver programs in the
        future, we must continue to embrace  technology  now.   Effective
        planning  and  management  is  the  key  to  harness  information
        technology for growth and positive change in Ontario.
         We must take advantage.








     March 1989                    MUG Notes                        Page 15

                               The NeXT Computer
                                  Super CoCo
     
         The NeXT computer was released in the fall of 1988.  This computer
     was designed  and  developed  by  Steve  Jobs,  the  man  who  brought
     computers  to  the  home,  by  developing  the  Apple II and Macintosh
     computers.
         I  was  able to see a demonstration of the NeXT computer and I was
     able to play around with it a bit.(no pun intended).  Believe me it is
     a fantistic machine!  You can find it at the University computer store
     in the Natural Sciences Building, room 110.
         What  did I like about this machine?  Well just about everything I
     saw.  First lets give some specifics.  It uses a 25 Mhz Motorola 68030
     processor(32  bit)  and  a68882  math  co-  processor.   Comes  with 8
     megabytes RAM expanable to 16 MB.  or  64  MB  with  4  MB  chips.   A
     Motorola   56001  DSP(Digital  Sig-  nal  Processors)  for  processing
     digitized sound and  digitized  images  at  high  speeds.   A  256  MB
     read-write  optical  disk,  it     is  supposed  to be compatable with
     compact disks when they be- come available.  All these are housed in a
     one  cubic  foot  black  With  this  comes  a  17 inch black and white
     monitor, a keyboard and mouse.
         The  monitor  which  plugs  into the black box has a resolution of
     1120 * 832 pixels.  The reason the monitor is black and white  instead
     of  color is sharpness and expense.  A color monitor not  as sharp and
     much more expensive.
         From  here  the  keyboard  connects  to  the monitor and the mouse
     connects to the keyboard.
         The  computer is very sleek looking and very modern with its black
     color, it would fit into what people would  call  a  rich   bachelor's
     penthouse would contain.
         The NeXT computer comes with Unix built in.   But  don't  let  the
     Unix  title scare you away, because it is well hidden.  It gives you a
     multi-view type of display.  It also has a  word  processor,  database
     and spreadsheet.  As well as the Webster dictionary and thesaurus(with
     all the pictures and diagrams,  it  was  scanned  in  page  by  page),
     collection  of  Shakespeare's  plays,  Oxford  Quotations  and  a math
     program called Mathimatica.
         All  these programs come on the optical disk and supposedly as new
     programs come you will be able  to  take  the  disk  in  and  have  it
     upgraded.
         Now enough talk about hardware and software that is avail-   able.
     This  machine  could  fly,  NeXT  personel showing the dem- onstration
     must have had up at least 20 windows, which would  show the need for a
     17  inch  monitor.   You  could have an 80 column word processor up as
     well as other windows without interfering with the display of the word
     processor.
         Windows could be created with a mouse and using the  mouse,   move
     the  window anywhere on the screen.  The characters on the  screen can
     be enlarged and shrunk with a click of the mouse key .  The  speed  of
     which  the  dictionary  moved  and  searched for words  you needed the
     meaning of (pictures and all) was amazing.
         But really the best way to judge this machine is to have a look at
     it yourself just to feel the power.  At only $8500 Canadian,  this  is
     truly  a  remarkable  machine.   There  is only one drawback, you must
     either be a student or a staff member of the  University to be able to
     purchase the NeXT computer.
         Well till NeXT time, happy computing!
     
                                 Lawrence Schembri



     
       March 1989                  MUG Notes                    Page 16     
     
     
     
     
                           IRQ HACK INSTRUCTIONS
                                           by Pete Lyall
     
       Maybe you've heard of  the  IRQ  hack that you can perform to the
       Deluxe  RS-232 pack, so  that IRQ  interrupts are not 'lost', but
       didn't know how to do it.  Here's  the information you need:
      
       Basically,  you are connecting the IRQ pin of the 6551 to the IRQ
       pin of the 6809..
      
       On the pak:
      
       Locate the little blue jumper wire near the edge connector.   One
       of  the solder pads it is connected to has the label '1' near it.
       Desolder  both  ends of this jumper, and solder one end of a long
       wire (1-2 feet - enough  to  comfortably  reach  the  back of the
       coco) to the solder pad near the '1' label. Burn (with the tip of
       the  soldering iron) or  file a small hole in the side of the pak
       so  that the wire can be passed through it without being pinched.
       Attach a miniature phone plug (male) to the end of the wire.
      
       On the Coco3:
      
       Locate the resistor that does the pullup of the IRQ line (CPU pin
       3) to the 5vdc. It is R2, and I believe it is the second from the
       left in a cluster of resistors to the right-rear of the 6809 chip
       (as seen from the keyboard).  Solder a wire to the  end  of  that
       resistor that is closest to the keyboard (the side that also ties
       to CPU pin 3).  Carefully route  this  wire  to the  back  of the
       machine, and mount a miniature female phone jack there.
      
       Poof.   
       That's  all  there is to it.  No software  changes  are  required
       -  the existing ACIAPAK driver will work (better!) as is.  If you
       run multiple paks (or other interrupt devices that could  benefit
       from the  IRQ hack), just  tie them all together at the male plug
       that will plug into the coco3.
       
       If you wish to perform this procedure for the coco2, the majority
       of the work is the same, except that the resistor that you should
       connect to inside the coco is R14.  As verification, ensure  that
       one side of this resistor ties directly to pin 3 of the 6809, and 
       tack the wire onto this side.
      
       --
       Pete Lyall (OS9 Users Group VP)|  DELPHI: OS9UGVP
     
     


         This article was downloaded from "Midnight Remote Systems" here
      in  London  and  reproduced for you here.  This will be of help to
      OS-9 users for sure!
     






      
       March 1989                 MUG Notes                 Page   17
      
      
      
      
                              MPI (26-3124) FIX
                            - CANADIAN VERSION -
                                     by:
      
                               James Korolas
                                 72747,444
         Here is what is needed to enable the smaller white Multipak
      Interface (model  26-3124) to work with the COCO 3:
                               - Satellite Board (part  AXX7119)
                               - solder
                               - Phillips screwdriver
                               - 20 minutes!
         1)  Order the Satellite Board through your local Radio Shack
             store, as they are not charged for the part!  (However,
             even if they do charge you the $7.50, rest assured that
             they will get the part in 3 or 4 days!)
         2)  MAKE SURE THAT THE MPI IS DISCONNECTED from the power &
             the computer.
         3)  Invert the MPI and remove the 4 screws (one in each of
             the four corners; one hidden under the black warning
             label).
         4)  Holding the MPI together, turn it over so that it is
             right side up and the card-connector is facing to the
             right.
         5)  Remove the white cover.
         6)  Remove the 3 screws holding the circuit board to the
             bottom cover.
         7)  Carefully remove the clips holding the foil-cover to
             the bottom of the circuit board.
         8)  Locate the trace from IC1 pin 19 to IC6 pin 52 and cut
             as close to IC6 as possible, without cutting the pin.
         9)  Solder wire 1 (RED) from the Satellite Board (SB for
             short) to IC5 pin 16.
        10)  Solder wire 3 (BLUE) from SB to IC6 pin 52.
        11)  Solder wire 4 (YELLOW) from SB to IC4 pin 11.
        12)  Solder wire 5 (PURPLE or BROWN) to IC4 pin 9.
        13)  Solder wire 6 (ORANGE) from SB to IC4 pin 3.
        14)  Solder wire 7 (GREY) from SB to IC1 pin 19.
        15)  Mount the Satellite Board over IC6 so that the SB's
             wires are facing away from you.  You will see 4 solder
             points on each of the 4 corners of IC6.  The three legs
             of the SB are soldered to these points.
        16)  Re-attach the foil to the bottom of the circuit board.
        17)  Screw down the circuit board to the bottom of the MPI's
             case.
        18)  Replace the top cover of the MPI.
      And there it is!!!
      
         This article is re-printed courtesy of the Toronto Colour
      Computer Club and the RDS09 BBS from which it was downloaded.
      Considering the current discussion by Marty Goodman in "The
      Rainbow" I considered this information quite timely!  And oh yes,
      it is quite accurate.  I did my multi-pak according to these
      instructions.
                                     Wayne
      
      
      
      


    March 1989                       MUG Notes                       Page 18
     


                             A Tale of an Epson MX 80
                                    (c) Marty Goodman

        The other day I was visiting some friends  who  had  an  electronics
     surplus   warehouse,  who   were  moving  their entire stock to another
     warehouse.  Looking through the piles of junk to be smashed up and sold
     by  the  pound  for salvage,  I noticed an EPSON MX 80 printer.  It did
     not look to be in bad condition  at all,  tho  there was just a  little
     rust  and  dried crystalline material inside it.  When I plugged it in,
     the lights came on and the head and carriage  felt "tense"  (indicating
     current  to  the  motors),  but the head did not reset, and the On Line
     light would not go out when the On Line button was pressed.   The paper
     feed light would go on and off when paper was put in or out.
        I  figured it was worth the $7 that the  chap  was  asking  for  the
     printer, and set about trying to fix the thing.
        I first obtained a full schematic  for  the  printer  (from  an  IBM
     technical   reference  manual, for the old Epson MX 80 was the original
     IBM printer).    I also obtained a working MX 80 from a friend  to  use
     for diagnostic purposes.
        The  slight   amount   of  rust  and  crystalline  material  was,  I
     speculated, the effect of the cats that lived in the warehouse spraying
     the  insides  of the printer.     I   gave   its   innards  a  thorough
     rinsing  with cool water, and scrubbed it clean.  I removed most of the
     rust with an  abrasive  plastic  pot  scrubber.   The  printer  circuit
     board and mechanism was not "looking clean".
        A  power  supply  check showed all  voltages  to  be  correct,  with
     adequate current available.
        Swapping all socketted 40 pin chips (8039, 8155, and  8041)   showed
     that  all  the  big   chips   were  good...   they  worked in the other
     machine.  My motor driver  board  worked  too.    And   the   ROM   set
     worked  fine  in  the  working printer.
        When  I  hooked  my mechanism up to the working printer, it  printed
     just  fine.   So the problem was in the mother board on my printer, but
     not  in  any delicate socketted chip.
        I   probed  around  with  a logic probe a bit, and quite incorrectly
     guessed that the cause lay in one of three small scale logic chips.
       Replacing   and  socketting  those   three chips as a genuine pain...
     the printed circuit board had a nasty tendency  to  part  company  with
     its  traces  during  desoldering.. but eventually  I properly socketted
     and replaced the chip.  It had no effect on the machine.
        Then a printer repair person I called  up  suggested  "check  the
      reset circuit".   This  seemed  like an odd suggestion, for the  reset
     circuit  was  a  simple  one  consisting  of a few logic gates,  a  few
     capacitors,  and  a  few resistors.   But,  to  my  astonishment,   the
     reset  circuit  turned  out  to  be locked in RESET mode.  When I did a
     quick and dirty fix of  manually  putting it first in reset then in non
     reset mode, the printer woke up and did a proper  self test.
        But WHY  was  the printer stuck in reset mode???  I traced  out  the
     reset  circuit,  and found that there was a reset  line  that  went  to
     the  36  pin parallel input  connector.  And that THIS line, which  was
     supposed  to  be  tied  high thru a pullup resistor, was low.  Checking
     further, I found  the  pullup was  actually  one  element  of   a   big
     resistor  strip,  located very near and parallel to the 36 pin parallel
     input  connector.     Checking   continuity,   I  found  NO  continuity
     between the pull up resistor and the reset line.







     March 1989                     MUG Notes                       Page  19
     
     

        FINALLY   I   looked  VERY VERY closely at the circuit board in that
     area. BINGO!  There was a HAIR LINE CRACK in the board between  the  36
     pin  connector   and the pullup resistor, that severed  about  a  dozen
     traces.    The  trace connecting  the  reset   line   to  its  required
     pullup  resistor was only one of those severed, but it was the one that
     was causing the machine  to  hang  up.  Other  severed   traces   would
     have   made   it impossible to get data into the printer, had the reset
     line not been  affected.    Clearly  some  trauma  had happened to  the
     printer  while  a cable was connected.  Perhaps it was dropped and fell
     on the connector.  Perhaps some one tripped over  the  cable.   Perhaps
     some  one  leaned  the  printer  backwards  and levered it on the cable
     connector. This problem is a common  one,  by  the  way...   I've  seen
     several  other  printers   that   were  perfectly  good  except  for  a
     major crack right by their 36 pin connector.  The main reason I did not
     find  the  problem  here  sooner   was  that the crack in this case was
     extremely fine, and hard to see.
        I   jumpered   all  the  broken  traces,  and  the printer appearred
     to be fixed.  It printer in draft, italics,  double  strike,  sub   and
     super   script,  underline,  and   low   res  graphics  mode just fine.
     Just when I was about to celebrate, I discovered   that   the   printer
     would   NOT   print   in   Enhanced, Condensed, or  hi density graphics
     mode.  When asked to do so, the head would  shudder  a  bit,  then  the
     printer  would  take  itself off line and lock up.  Only  turning power
     off and then on would wake it up again.
        I  again did the usual chip swaps, ROM swaps, and driver board swap.
     All  showed that none of those were the cause of the problem.
      I   again   drove   my  printer   mechanism  off  the working printers
     mother board plus driver board, and the mechanism of my printer printed
     in   Enhanced   mode   just   fine  when driven by  the other printer's
     electronics.  I again removed the mother board and  again  examined  it
     very  very  carefully  under  a  magnifying glass  for  more cracks.  I
     found  none.    I  checked  the   continuity   of  all  traces  in  the
     vicinity  of  the existing crack, and found all  was  well...    I  had
     indeed repaired all affected traces.  What to do?
        I  called  another  friend  of mine, and recounted my story.  He was
     puzzled  too, but suggested that the problem was likely due  either  to
     some  metal  thing   (staple  or  such)  wedged underneath some chip on
     the board, OR due to a bad connection between the driver board and  the
     mother  board,  perhaps   due   to   a cold solder  joint.   The more I
     thought about that last suggestion, the more plausible it sounded.  The
     driver  board connects to the mother board  via  40 or so delicate dual
     rows of pins.  I had that board on and of dozens of  times   during  my
     tests.   If  there  HAD  been a cold or marginal solder joint there, it
     would have been sorely strained.
        I  inspected   all  the solder joints, and saw nothing amiss.  But I
     have seen bad solder joints that looked perfectly good in the past, so,
     just   for  good   measure,  I RE MELTED and added a touch of solder to
     ALL the connections between the pins and the mother board.
      
        BINGO!  One working printer!
      
        If I am lucky, and  this  printer  had   its   accident   with   the
     parallel  cable connector early in its life, I may be in posession of a
     near new rugged  old printer.
     
      ---marty
     
       Reprinted with permission from Midnight Remote Data Systems
     


        
        March 1989                   MUG Notes                   Page 20
        
        
                            The Beginning of a Review
                      For a Complete Wordprocessing Package
                                By Mike Warcholyk
        
             It was around November that I decided that it was time that
        I  better  get  myself  a word processor, before I really needed
        one. I wanted to make sure that I would have  the  time  to  get
        accustomed to it before I had to actually use it for my business
        needs as well as for home.  But of course the first thing  which
        I had to do was decide which one would best suit my needs before
        I actually purchased one.  So what I did was make up a  list  of
        things I expected and wanted to have in a word processor.
             Since  I  had  previously  used  word  processors  on  some
        dedicated systems as well as IBM XT and AT systems I had an idea
        of what I wanted in mine.  Also I wanted it to  run  under  OS-9
        level  two,  since it happens to be a very flexible and powerful
        system to work under (much more then MS-DOS or our  RS-DOS).   I
        even  wanted  it  to support CoCo 3's added enhancements such as
        windowing and greater multi-tasking speed  and  processing.   It
        also  had  to  allow me to access the Shell without me having to
        change windows, this would be especially useful if I were  using
        a  remote  terminal and running the wordprocessor with my system
        at home, since I could then do other things  without  having  to
        quit  the  word processor and then going back to it.  There, now
        that I decided what I want for my word processor to  run  under,
        now  I  have  to  decide what I want it to do as far as actually
        word processing goes.
             It  has  to  be  fast,  professional and easy to use with a
        complete manual to follow.  It has to be able to handle any size
        file  which I decide to give the thing without choking on it.  I
        expect it to  have  all  the  common  things  found  in  a  word
        processor  such  as full cursor movement, search/replace, delete
        options etc.  as well  as  block  manipulation,  user  definable
        macros, ability to change the data directory, complete scrolling
        and help menus, ability to insert files or write files  to  disk
        and  full  printer  support.   Basically I needed a package that
        would keep up with my growing needs.
             Another  thing  which  I wanted was a spelling checker, not
        that I am terrible at spelling, but what the heck I want  it  to
        be complete!
         With the spelling checker I wanted a big  dictionary  with  the
        ability to add words.  This is especially useful for people that
        don't always use just "plain english".  This way for example,  a
        doctor  could  make  up a dictionary using his medical terms and
        put it into a file so the program would recognize it as  correct
        spelling no matter how odd it sounds to us "normal people".
             This is probably just 90  percent  of  the  capabilities  I
        wanted.  The other 10 percent I either didn't imagine of or know
        or anticipate that I would eventually need it.
             So  after many weeks of reading and comparing capabilities,
        asking questions etc I made my decision.  It was  DynaStar  with
        DynaForm  and  the  spelling  checker  DynaSpell.  And I will be
        reviewing the package for you next month.