Z TIPS: An obscure and probably little understood feature of ZCPR3 is that of
using CMD and SHSET commands. Any program is converted into a shell by using
SHSET on it. Command (verb) is used to permit application programs to know
how to return to themselves (in addition to being user interfaces, accepting
inputs, and executing commands). For example, SHSET WS<cr> makes WordStar
into a shell and there's no way to get out of it, short of cold booting your
machine! Suddenly, CMD walks on stage, lends a hand, and allows you to have
your way with computer. Use SHSET WS;CMD<cr> as command or alias, then on
existing WordStar, CMD runs. Typing <cr> at this point exits shell (with
ERROR message set, permitting directional flow changes to occur if more com-
mands are on line). Try them, experiment, and see possibilities for improving
your environment.
VALIAS is out! Get it from our nodes...Jay Sage did truly remarkable job
of making aliases under Z-System easier to create and modify with this
utility. His TESTERR program, an alternate to FINDERR, is another for us who
use ZAS and the like. It too presently is on many Z-Nodes.
Along the way, Richard Conn has finished (at least for now) our library
support tools. New era begins--they run only on Z80/NSC800/HD64180 computers
using ZCPR3 or Z-System! LGET extracts files, LHELP processes HLP/HQP files
from within library files; LLF lists all files, and LX executes specified COM
files in libraries. Tools, on most Z-Nodes, are in file LUZ3.LBR. Richard
and Martin Murray (Dallas, TX) work together to make NULU a full Z3 tool!
What makes a ZCPR3 utility (tool) is described clearly on pages of 229
and 230 of the ZCPR3 Manual. Routines in Z3LIB reduce task essentially to a
few subroutine calls! Let's get Ashton-Tate (dBASE II), MicroPro (WordStar
3.0 and 3.3), Sorcim/IUS (SuperCalc II), T/Maker (T/Maker III), and Microsoft
(Multiplan) to enhance their 8-bit programs to full ZCPR3 tool status! Would
you buy them as upgrades to your presently owned versions? We would! Enough
said?
WOW! Article describing SB180 and Z-System in September BYTE Magazine hit the
spot! Thanks to all who contributed to make commentary possible, especially
Mr. Steve Ciarcia of "Circuit Cellar." (Eight-bit lives--move over 16-bitters
and make space for us!) But wait, there's much more to come; watch remaining
from-now-to-end-of-year issues of not only BYTE but many other magazines and
newspapers.
We Get Letters: From William A. Dunn, Springfield, OR, "I am pleased with the
software but was frustrated with your documentation. I am looking forward to
the manual which I ordered last week." (Manual was shipped same day we
received order.) "Keep up the GREAT work!" commands Alan, Cathy, and Cynthia
Foust, Leonia, NJ. And Virgil Cooper, Carpinteria, CA writes, "Gracious Al
Hawley responded to my message by phoning this evening... ." Larry Geller,
Tokyo, JAPAN, observes: "I noticed that each issue of Z-News is costing you
about one dollar to mail...enclosed find check for $24.00 to help cover those
mailings... ." Thanks, Larry, wish more people understood as you!
Paul Naitoh, San Diego, CA, asks, "Do I need a hard disk to enjoy Z3?"
No, Paul, as you now know two drives, each with 360k-bytes or more capacity,
are needed! Lots of Kaypro 4 folks are enthusiastic users; magazine/newspaper
columnists/editors Bruce Morgen (Warminster, PA) and Ted Silveira (Santa Cruz,
CA) are two such!
New Policy: You who receive hardcopy version of Z-News and also download it
from a Z-Node may notice that download version is available only after you
have received mailed edition. Thanks to Rea Williams (El Toro, CA) for
instructing us about fairness: those who pay for Z-News should receive it
first! Those who obtain it only from Z-Nodes, essentially for cost of phone
call, get it later. Phasing set: Z-News node file is behind mailers by up to
a fortnight (two weeks)!
Report Card: All books and copies of Term3 ordered have been shipped. These
two items were back-ordered for so long...if you have had an order with us for
more than three weeks, and haven't received it, please drop us a note. Our
records are not perfect, neither are we. Write us if you should have received
an order and haven't.
Again we thank you for being patient--the ordeal is over for us, and for
you. Never again will we get ourselves into such a helpless position of not
being able to control what we were responsible for creating
(Frankenstein/monster syndrome).
Amateur Z User's Corner: We repeat Lewis Carroll
(Rev. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, 1832-1898) frag-
ment, from his Alice in Wonderland and Through
the Looking Glass series, because it repre-
sents so closely what we do: many discus- (Walrus and quote from
sion levels, abruptly shifting from para- Lewis Carroll's works;
graph to paragraph; but within each, con- In subcription edition.)
sistency is maintained. These shifts
always produce movement leading to "The time has come," the Walrus said,
creation of mental spiral--never "To speak of many things,
linear, never to be understood as ups Of shoes and ships and sealing wax,
and downs, higher or lower, as if Of cabbages and kings."
climbing or descending a ladder, but
rather like soaring over vast multi-
dimensional (more than four) terri-
tory--observing, feeling, and doing. You are center of attention and producer
of motion! Please don't forget what and who you (and we) could be. Act (not
react) while re-acting (feeling)!
We wish mad hatter (hacker) would convince his editor to send us samples
of (subscription to) their slick Canadian magazine (Computek). We may want to
place an ad, among other things. Magazine contains a
wonderful 8-bit column written by one who cares,
feels. Our kind of folk!
Z-Node Activity: Welcome to mid-state Z-Node #34!
Sysop Rod Blackman, Visalia, CA, needs callers. You
central Californians let him know what you think of Z-
(Sketch of Lewis System; 209/739-8303.
Carroll's mad Here's a chance to see if community lives: Mark
hatter--in sub- R. Evans, potential Node #33, is having trouble under-
cription edition.) standing how to get his system up as a RAS. He wants
to learn; who wishes to help? If you can offer
assistance, contact him at 1720 Utah, San Angelo, TX
76904. Please!
While at it, we might look into Thomas Hill, 200
Oklahoma Street, Anchorage, AK 99504; Richard
Driscoll, 400 North 30th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008,
602/267-0504; and Robert Paddock, Box 167A, RD #1,
Summit Drive, Franklin, PA 16323, 814/432-3647. These
nodes may need assistance getting up.
Bob Finch, Node #21, our ham radio packet network
expert, should have a dial-in line soon; until then,
you Los Angeles area hams can contact him by radio for
transfers. His call is N5CXB-1, on 2-meter band
frequency of 146.745 mHz OUT/DOWN 600 kHz; IN N5CXB, Bob Finch. Other metro-
politan area hams, who presently operate packet networks, wanting to tie
landlines to radios using Z-Node concept should contact us, or Z-Node #2, Al
Hawley, voice: 213/649-3575. One day, when satellite repeaters are available,
all Earth will be tied together through Z-Nodes!
Wanting more traffic, Jay Sage installed a 2400 bps modem...try his
Boston-suburb Z-Node #3 for Z-System information and to get files: 617/965-
7259. Remember, Jay's a full downloader of EI proprietary programs.
WOW! again: Foot put into mouth! Suggesting (in Z-News 209, pg 2, first
line) that everyone read material seven (7) times, without simultaneously
giving full explanation of why, has been big stumbling block for many. So we
deliver details to remove those (mental) blocks; remember, read through
explanation (and everything else) seven times:
Readings 1 and 2. Skim material twice, quite rapidly. Use your finger
to help your eyes play over words, lines, and paragraphs. Key words and
phrases, ideas, and concepts begin to take from. You gain a feeling of the
thought-flow, a framework making next step more powerful.
Reading 3. Read material now from beginning, much more slowly and care-
fully. Pause to re-read and ponder new ideas and deep thoughts. Use diction-
ary for unfamiliar words.
Readings 4 and 5. Skim over material twice again, but not quite so
rapidly as first two times. Let key concepts sink in even deeper. This is a
more leisurely skim. Pause at any word looked up in dictionary and make sure
you know both basic meaning of word, and its meaning in present context.
Sometimes the thought expressed by a particular word or phrase is so new that
it's difficult to grasp at once, even with dictionary help! Do not worry at
this point. Future readings add clarity.
Reading 6. Now, read material from beginning again with extreme care.
Now is the time to really pause, to ponder, to digest, to impress deeply. Try
to obtain essential, inner feeling of messages, even though you may not under-
stand them fully or grasp completely at this stage. Try at this point to read
material aloud!
Reading 7. It's a slow skim. Somewhere between your leisurely skim and
your first careful reading, #3. It is time to enjoy, to bathe yourself in new
insights and viewpoints opening up to you...new understanding comes (in next
octave)!
There you have it--we do our best to explain. Never think that learning
something new, really new, comes quickly or easily. GREAT EFFORT IS INVOLVED!
But keep reading even if you think you don't understand--what comes later
(down the lines) explains what came before, following natural back-and-fill
(smoothing) concept.
Leadership! Who leads and who follows? Bottom of page 5, Newsletter 007, 15
October 1984, we addressed clone-magazines, copy-cats, people with less-than-
constructive ideas. Our present observation is: too many editors put out
cookie-cutter editions of their publication. The mold is supplied by adver-
tisers, and journal after journal use it! As we scan 30 to 40 publications a
month we notice a thread, one of indoctrination rather than education. So few
magazines have the staff to even edit a news release much less investigate
news and write their own reports. If the release wasn't styled by producer
for individual magazine format, it simply isn't run...sad! Oh! how sad! A
free press? We wonder what is free in what they generally do...freely leading
or freely following?
Clearly our trade journals show little leadership; so many seem detached,
unemotional, have little PURPOSE of their own (other than make money as prime
goal). They use pre-formed mold to produce their offerings. We are the
losers for it, but it's us who allow situation to exist.
Most magazines (but not all) follow standard Madison Avenue criterion for
ad space cost, keyed to numbers of paid subscribers. Consequently, sub-
scription prices are low--this results in main source of revenues coming from
advertisers! Any wonder who controls magazine contents? Roses don't grow on
stalks of clover. When corn seed is planted, peach trees don't come up! Is
this observation faulty?
Time to take a stroll, feel cool breeze coming in from the Pacific.
Listen to swaying palms and pines in coast town of Pescadero, and there sip
some white Zinfandel at Mrs. Duarte's restaurant and bar. See you down the
lines...
Echelon, Inc.
101 First Street
Los Altos, CA 94022
Telephone: 415/948-3820
Z-Node Central: 415/489-9005
Trademarks: SB180, COMM180, TKBBS, Micromint; HD63484/64180, Hitachi;
Z80/800, Zilog; NSC800, National; 8080/85, Intel; WY-50/75/85/350, Wyse
Technology; Z-System, ZCPR3, ZRDOS, Z-Tools, Z-Com, Zas, Zlink, ZDM, REVAS, Z-
Msg, DSD, TERM III, Term3, Lasting-Value Software, Echelon and their
respective owners and authors; MOSART, XE1201/03, Xecom.
Z-News 302 is Copyright 1985 Echelon, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Permission
to reprint, wholly or partially, automatically granted if source credit is
given to Echelon.
