 A                                                                  EDITOR THE VERY TALENTED PAT HERRINGTON.  We appreciate their continuing cooperation with ANN. 
 
 
the HARRIS FILE by MOAUG columnist John Harris from April, 1990 MOAUGTHE FOLLOWING ARE FROM THE APRIL l990 ISSUE OF MOAUG NEWS COMPLIMENTS OF THEIR EDITOR THE VERY TALENTED PAT HERRINGTON.  We appreciate their continuing cooperation with ANN. 
 
 
the HARRIS FILE by MOAUG columnist John Harris from April, 1990 MOAUG newsletter (appeared in very slightly rearranged form) 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
LETTERHEAD TEMPLATE--You can easily design letterhead templates for yourself and members of your family.
     You can do it with SmartWRITER. Center your name and address at the top. Set your margins and line spacing as you desire. Add a date line and "Dear  :" if you wish.
     Then store it on disk or tape. Then when you want to write a letter, just GET it, type in your letter, and your letterhead is already in place.
     And your blank letterhead template is still on your tape or disk awaiting use in your next letter.

     STORE IN PARTS--A book chapter I wrote recently ran l3 pages (36K).
     I had stored it in two parts, later merged the two parts into one file, and restored it.
     When I decided to revise the chapter, I pulled up the merged 36K file and inserted all my revisions. Then I tried to store it again. That's when I encountered the "No room..." message and the death spin bug set in. All my revisions were lost.
     Fortunately, the two parts stored separately were still available on another tape. This time I revised each part and then stored each separately. Then I merged the two for printing. No problems. 
     Lesson: Don't try to store a very long merged file. Better to store it in parts and then merge.

     SMARTWRITER VIDEO PROBLEM--Periodically I encounter a problem with the video display when in SmartWRITER mode.
     When I turn ADAM's power on, the typewriter roller which appears on the screen will have odd colors--reds and yellows--instead of the normal green and black. And there will be small line fragments or odd characters interspersed here and there. 
     The text appears in a very light purple color rather than in the normal black, and it may be blotchy.
     I can usually get away from the problem by turning the power off completely and then back on again. Sometimes I have to do this repeatedly before the screen display returns to normal.
     Anyone else having this problem? Know what causes it? What can be done about it?
     GIVE US DOCS! Okay, let me admit right off that I'm an inveterate no-tech idiot.
     With that confession out of the way, may I make a suggestion aimed primarily at our newsletter producers who also compile and sell PD software.
     You often run reviews on various software programs. But then too often (for no-tech idiots), the program turns up on a tape or disk with no documentation. Often, I can't figure out what it does, and more often can't figure out how to run it.
     If I'm lucky, perhaps I can find a newsletter index, rummage through a filing cabinet and perhaps find a review of the program in a back issue. Maybe not. Either way it's a time consuming and frustrating task.
     Now, listen up NIAD, Adam's House, E&T Software, and all you other you newsletter publishers: Somewhere you surely have those reviews stored on disk. Why not copy them onto the PD program disk or tape as a doc file along with the program. 
     Do so, and you'll earn the unending gratitude of no-tech idiots everywhere.
     LOCKUP MYSTERY--With a feeling of sinking dread, I read:  "This file can't be edited. Press Escape..."
     Here was one of my SmartWRITER H-type files stored on a datapack. And that's the message I got when I tried to GET it.
     I checked other files on that tape. Some could be accessed readily; others I got the dreaded message.
     Filemanager V 2.0's edit catalog function showed normal attributes for the no-access files, that is they were not locked nor write, read, nor execute protected, nor were they system or deleted files. 
     Backup+3's block status check showed no bad blocks on the tape.
     So why did my garden-variety SmartWRITER stored files become unGETable? Any answers or guidance will be greatly appreciated.

     SPIN IT--At times, ADAM has an irritating way of failing to recognize a datapack in a drive. I find this happens most often when the tape is in the center directory position or at an end.
     A quick way to get going again is to insert a hex-shaped pencil slantingly into one of the reel holes and give it a few spins to reposition the tape.
     Or if you have an audio cassette recorder, just pop your datapack into a drive and fast-forward for a few seconds. Then re-insert in your ADAM drive and you're on your way again.

     WHAT'S OBSOLETE?  We ADAMites have been blessed by the software developments of many talented programmers.
     And as time goes by, the offerings get better and better.
     The question arises: What programs from years past are now totally obsolete?
     Surely ADAMLink I must be one, with many new versions developed since Coleco offered that initial modem program.
     And Coleco's Disk Manager seems to be far surpassed by such utilities as Filemanager 2.0.
     Or do these older programs have features which have not been duplicated or improved upon in later releases?
     An evaluation of some of the old standards from the early years by one (or several) of our very knowledgeable users would be most helpful. Now, who will volunteer?

   A.N.N. or the Adam News Network.  I am a recent subscriber to this monthly disk news service and strongly recommend it to others.  In fact, I am very enthusiastic about this and look forward to the ANN offerings each month.  It's a real service for Adamites.  I am very happy to include this plug for this fine service.

   To receive more information on ANN contact: Barry Wilson, 12967 Weatherfield Dr., St.Louis Mo. 63l46. 
 
Your comments are welcome and may be addressed to: 
John S. Harris 105 Burning Tree Lane, Boca Raton, FL 33431 
 
new versions developed since Coleco offered that initial modem program.
     And Co
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