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Who's Who In Apple II
"""""""""""""""""""""
>>> WHO'S WHO <<<
"""""""""""""""""
~ Christian Serreau and Howard Katz, editors of _The AppleWorks Gazette_ ~
_The AppleWorks Gazette_ is a new disk magazine for AppleWorks users
and programmers. This month, we visit with the two editors--Christian
Serreau (France) and Howard Katz (United States).
[*][*][*]
GenieLamp> Would you tell us how you first became interested in the
""""""""" Apple II? Was it your first computer?
Serreau> An original Apple ][. I bought it in November 1977 from a
""""""" colleague that didn't want to spend more time trying to load
programs from the tape recorder. It still work well, though I must admit I
don't power it up very often :) My first contact with computers dates back
to 1973 when I used punch-hole cards on a mainframe to handle a MA degree
paperwork data.
Katz> A friend of mine had a ][+ that he had to sell for business
"""" reasons, and he made me a deal for the whole package. However,
this wasn't my first computer. When I was a pre-teen, my parents bought me
a kit that was a _mechanical_ computer--you set some slides, and
push/pulled on the handle to make it work. I never did figure how to read
the answer, tho. And I did make an abacus at Boy Scout camp.
GenieLamp> When did you first become interested in AppleWorks?
"""""""""
Katz> It took a while. I started my Apple II career with the purchase of
"""" a second-hand ][+, and stuck with the word processor I use on it
when I moved to my //e. It took quite a bit of coaxing from a friend of
mine to prove to me that AppleWorks wasn't as complicated as I thought it
might be.
Serreau> I've been using it from the start. I still have a few notes
""""""" about v1.0 and v1.0R, though I'm not sure I could easily locate
the disks. Those who already owned an Apple ][ in the late '70s and early
'80s sure remember a few milestones in software: they were QuickFile,
ProDOS, and then AppleWorks. AW really changed the way the Apple //e could
be used: a true word processor, and a data base you could use without
first quitting the program. The release of AppleWorks could be compared to
the introduction of the "Shugart" 5.25" drive: you suddenly saw you cpu
with different eyes. It should also be remembered that, when AppleWorks
was first introduced, no comparable software was available for other
platforms, even for the IBM PC. Considering the whole thing ex post, I
would bet that, if Apple had developed what was then known as the Apple
IIx--i.e. a 16-bit text-based Apple II--and a compatible, which means
faster, version of AppleWorks, things would have been much different.
GenieLamp> Chris, some of our readers will remember your AppleWorks First
""""""""" Kit. For those that don't remember, what was it?
Serreau> It was an attempt to make AppleWorks 4.02, then 4.3, more
""""""" flexible. There are a lot of features in those versions that
can easily be customized so that they're closer to what the user needs, but
you can't find any built-in menu to do it. The Kit contains a number of
init files that do the job. Except for the last version, that includes a
fileviewer, the Kit does not add any feature to AppleWorks. I hope there
will be versions for 3.0 and 5.1 in the future, but I'm afraid I don't know
when I shall have time to make them.
GenieLamp> What was the significance of the name, AppleWorks First Kit?
"""""""""
Serreau> I wanted to name it "Tool Kit", but I thought someone had
""""""" already used that name. As it was the first time AppleWorks
could be patched with init files (and not the old on-disk patches), I
changed "Tool" to "First".
GenieLamp> Howard, I believe you had some articles published in NAUG's
""""""""" _AppleWorks Gazette_. What can you tell us about that?
Katz> I was a NAUG member for around 5 years before I 1st wrote anything
"""" for them. My first article happened because of a printer problem.
I had just gotten a laser printer after trial, error, and numerous phone
calls to the manufacturer, I found out that fonts weren't additive like my
dot matrix. I then came across John Majka's Font Downloader program, and
realized that his program, plus information in the printer manual meant
AppleWorks users could use virtually any font. I simply put two pieces of
information together and then submitted the article to Warren Williams, who
published it.
After that, Warren asked me to do several projects for NAUG,
including the SEG.ER printer drives disks, and the US Government disks, as
well as several software reviews.
GenieLamp> How did you two first "meet"?
"""""""""
Serreau> Howard registered his copy of the First Kit, and asked for a few
""""""" more features.
Katz> ...after trying it out, I contacted him with a few suggestions, for
"""" which he let me beta test the next few versions of the kit. All of
our contacts have been made via e- and snailmail.
GenieLamp> So you've never actually met. Any plans to meet?
""""""""" Any reason to?
Serreau> It's actually a matter of time. I went to DC last year, but
""""""" never had time to take a plane to Chicago and meet Howard. I'm
pretty sure I won't be able to attend this year's KansasFest (I wasn't able
to come last year and the year before, either :), as July is the month when
university professors are asked as chairmen for the French "baccalaureat"
(the equivalent of your high school diploma), and when we make some kind of
plans for the coming university year, too. Maybe later...
GenieLamp> How is it that you decided to produce a magazine together?
""""""""" Who had the idea? Who approached who?
Katz> It's hard to recall to be honest. I think we both were lamenting
"""" the demise of NAUG, and decided that there was still a market for
an AppleWorks-related publication. I think the idea just grew out of our
discussions.
Serreau> When ICON stopped the publication of TO Central, I thought there
""""""" was room for an AppleWorks-related publication. I even designed
a four-page paper-based magazine, named "YAAWN!" (Yet Another AppleWorks
Newsletter!". I soon realized that going further would mean spending a lot
of time in page layout and printing, and the project was stopped there.
When NAUG stopped publishing the Forum and closed its doors, Howard
suggested that there could be a continuation to the NAUG publication.
Howard also brought the name.
GenieLamp> How often will you publish?
"""""""""
Katz> 6 times a year.
""""
Serreau> We go bimonthly. I first thought of a quarterly publication,
""""""" but Howard convinced me that 6 disks a year would be even
better.
GenieLamp> How much will a subscription be?
"""""""""
Serreau> U.S.$35 a year, worldwide mail included.
"""""""
Katz> For our non-US friends, I've made arrangements with a financial
"""" company that will cash foreign-drawn checks for an additional
$2.50/check. I have to rely on the subscriber to find out and figure out
what the check amount should be in relation to currency exchange rates.
GenieLamp> What do you see as the focus of _The AppleWorks Gazette_?
"""""""""
Katz> Well, AppleWorks. However, with 800k of room to work with, we're
"""" finding that we're becoming more like a cross between RESOURCE
CENTRAL and NAUG's FORUM. The 1st two issues have had a mix of software
reviews, and technical information, and we've received feedback from our
readers which we'll use to tailor the contents of future issues.
Serreau> And Apple ][-related issues, too, as you can't run the software
""""""" without the computer :)
GenieLamp> Do you produce one version for all subscribers, or do you have
""""""""" versions specially tailored to load into AppleWorks v3.0,
v4.x, v5.x, etc?
Serreau> We're working on the "one size fits all" principle. The
""""""" newsletter comes in AppleWorks 5.1 word processor format, and we
provide an updated version of Mark Munz's QuickView for pre-5 users. This
is far from being perfect, but we couldn't have three versions of a 200K
newsletter on the same disk without reducing the amount of software and
data. And producing three different disks would have been a nightmare for
the one that puts disks into envelopes :)
Katz> Most of the information can be read with AW3, but since we're
"""" making heavy use of AW4 and AW5's ability to display Mousetext
characters as well as inverse characters, users of the later versions will
get the full impact of the formatting.
GenieLamp> Do you offer _The AppleWorks Gazette_ in 3.5" and 5.25"
""""""""" formats?
Serreau> The standard size is 3.5". It _is_ possible to subscribe for
""""""" 5.25" disks, but we cannot include some of the software or data
files on the disks.
Katz> ....the vast majority of our subscribers have requested 3.5" disks.
""""
GenieLamp> Will you be having "outside talent" write for _The AppleWorks
""""""""" Gazette_, or will you do it all yourselves?
Katz> I think both of us would burn out quickly if we had to do
"""" everything ourselves.
Serreau> We already had Will Nelken and Ron Suenaga for articles, and Roy
""""""" Barrows and Joe Walters for software. A few others are
expected.
GenieLamp> I think you mean Ryan Suenaga. <grin>
"""""""""
Serreau> My apologies for that [the typographical error]. The paper came
""""""" in with "Ron M. Suenaga" in the header, and I didn't check with
the bio footer.
GenieLamp> So you perceive your contributors as coming from your
""""""""" subscribers?
Katz> We're hoping to have contributors from across the Apple II
"""" spectrum.
Serreau> We hope that many files will come from the readers, as they are
""""""" the ones who know how they use AppleWorks on a daily basis.
Katz> If any of our subscribers wish to submit an article, and we publish
"""" it, we'll extend their subscription by 1 month.
GenieLamp> What can we look forward to in future issues of The AppleWorks
""""""""" Gazette?
Serreau> As far as articles are concerned, I'll write a number of papers
"""""""" in the "Inside AppleWorks" series. The next one should be about
AppleWorks inits, with a focus on the PatchManager and dot commands (two
different topics). In the "tips and techniques" column, we'll have
something about machine language and macros, and how to assemble a file
without an assembler. The software subdirectories will contain updates for
a number of TimeOut applications (either never updated or updated with
bugs), some new applications and init files, and a few new dot commands.
Of course, that is my own stuff only, and as more people contribute to the
Gazette, there will be much more than that.
GenieLamp> Does Howard mail out the issues to the subscribers closest to
""""""""" him and Chris handle the rest, or how is it handled?
Serreau> If things go well, that's how it should work in the end. Right
""""""" now, all disks are duplicated, labelled and shipped from France.
GenieLamp> Does it cost a lot to mail an issue from France?
"""""""""
Serreau> $1.64 per disk. It may seem a lot, but it's actually less that
""""""" what we would have to pay to get the disks duplicated in the US.
I have a free access to what seems to be one of the last GCR disk
duplicators in Paris.
GenieLamp> Are computers a part of your daytime job? Please tell us a
""""""""" little about what you do between 9 and 5.
Serreau> I'm currently teaching political science in Paris, London, and
""""""" Moscow, which implies that I don't work much on a 9am-5pm basis.
The use of computers is part of the work, since the only way to find the
document you need is to maintain a very large data base. That part of the
work is done with the help of a Mac connected to a mainframe. But I may
read documents with the Apple //e I have at my office in Paris, provided
that they're not too long.
Katz> My college training was supposed to lead me to be a high school
"""" teacher, so of course I ended un in another field. I ended up in
the medical insurance field, where I've done everything from claims to
training underwriters. I've also become Adjunct Faculty at a couple of
local medical schools working with 2nd year Med students.
GenieLamp> What sorts of things do you like to do for fun (i.e.
""""""""" non-computer hobbies)?
Katz> I'm active in local politics and am currently running for a County
"""" Commissioner position. I do a fair amount of public speaking on
behalf of several organizations, and I also enjoy reading, mostly SciFi, as
well as skydiving.
Serreau> I'm collecting stamps and Rolls-Royce cars. But, if you have a
""""""" spare RR in your garage you want to dispose of, don't bother
sending it to me. In order to keep my monthly gas bill within reasonable
limits, I decided I would collect 1/43 RR model cars only.
GenieLamp> How did you get involved in telecommunications?
"""""""""
Katz> I got my 1st modem in 1985, and stumbled upon a small online
"""" service called Mnematics out of NY. I became their Politics SIG
leader, and conducted weekly online discussions.
Serreau> Well, I really began to use telecoms when I moved back to France
""""""" in 1989, first for email. I used the french CalvaCom network
first,and then moved to CIS when they made their services available in
France. Before that, I had been using CIS and The Source when in Berkeley,
but that was many years ago, I'm afraid...
GenieLamp> Howard, I seem to recall you're an old America Online hand.
""""""""" How long have you been a member of Genie? What new services
do you think Genie should provide its subscribers?
Katz> Actually, I was a Genie member up until around 1988. At that time,
"""" they changed their billing methods (I forget the details), and I
remember not caring for the open vein into my credit card. I became a
charter member of AOL (then called AppleLink), and was a regular over there
until they dumped us text-based users off the system in November 1994.
As far as new services go, I'd REALLY like to have the ability to
order chinese food from my local restaurant while online from within Genie!
:)
GenieLamp> What one piece of advice would you pass along to a new
""""""""" Apple II telecommunications enthusiast?
Katz> Don't let anything throw you--keep trying. Remember, you rally
"""" CAN'T make the other computer blow up by hooking into it, so if you
can experiment to find out what you need to know, do it.
[*][*][*]
If you'd like more information on _The AppleWorks Gazette_, contact the
editor nearest you:
Christian Serreau Howard Katz
12, rue de la Censerie 1104 Lorlyn Circle #2D
49100 Angers Batavia, IL 60510
France U.S.A.
100316.14@compuserve.com hkatz@delphi.com
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The preceding article is reprinted courtesy of GenieLamp Online
Magazine. (c) Copyright 1996 T/TalkNET Publishing and Genie Online
Services. To join Genie, set your modem to half duplex (local echo).
Have your modem dial 1-800-638-8369 in the United States or
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then prompt you for your signup information. If the signup server
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