Timex-Sinclair Survival Column

This month marks the second anniversary of the Timex decision to exit the home computer market. Many of us thought that it would all end then, but, happily, we are still here and stronger than ever. When Timex was still around, there was very little third party development going on, but now it is these independents which continue to suport the Timex/Sinclair line. For a while this past summer it seemed as if that support was about to dwindle to nothing, but Zebra Systems has made up for all lost time with a number of very exciting new releases. So to mark this infamous anniversary I present you with these new offerings.

The first release is actually a new, updated and less expensive version of my most often used software — MSCRIPT. Those of you who have been reading this column for some time know that my one “problem” with MSCRIPT was the inability to SAVE the files to my A&J microdrive. The first addition I noticed in this version is just that ability! With the original, once the program was started you could not exit to BASIC, and the software routed all files to a nonstandard cassette SAVE, with no other options. Since this was a nonstandard header, adding the “@” character did not send the file to your microdrive or other alternate mass storage device. In this new version, the menu option which would normally restart MSCRIPT now sends you back to the newly written BASIC program. Back to BASIC, (and the normal 32 column display) you are presented with the first of three new menus. This is also the menu which you are shown upon LOADing the new MSCRIPT software. The options presented here are;

1: RETURN 6: PRINTER 
2: WARM START 7: COLOR 
3: COLD START 8: CLICK
4: MEMORY 9: FAT
9: SAVE/LOAD 0: STOP

The first three options are the choices you would use to go from BASIC to the actual MSCRIPT program. Option number #1 would be used to return to the MSCRIPT program during a session in which you have entered text and subsequently had reason to return to BASIC. The second option would be the one to use if you have LOADed your text file before entering the program itself. This will preserve the file you have entered. If you choose the third selection, the program would start with its initialization, wiping out any text you may have LOADed. This third option replaces the RESTART MSCRIPT found on the original MSCRIPT COMMAND MENU.

The fourth option allows you to view and change any memory address. This is for any future modifications and/or patches which might become available for this program.

By selecting choice number five, you are presented with a menu of SAVEing/LOADing options. SAVEing, LOADing and APPENDing files are all available as they are with the original MSCRIPT, but this version also allows you to SAVE a marked block of your current document. After the SAVE has been accomplished, you are asked if you wish to VERIFY your SAVE. I find this to be a very important addition. With the original version I used to VERIFY by using the APPEND feature. If the file was longer than onehalf the full size of the buffer, I was unable to do this. In addition, you have the option of making a back-up copy of the software itself. When you choose this option you will be asked if you want to SAVE it to cassette or A&J microdrive. It will be SAVEd and VERIFYed to the A&J just as simply and automatically as to cassette. In order to SAVE a text file to the A&J microdrive all you have to do is add the usual “@” character plus file number before the filename, and the file is now SAVEd with a standard header — definitely a plus when interfacing with other programs, such as MTERM II.

Option number 6 on the main menu will allow you to customize MSCRIPT to your printer interface — AERCO, TASMAN, A&J, or even the T/S 2040 printer! Two other selections you may make are 1) whether or not the program will automatically send a linefeed after each carriage return; and 2) a block print option. Neither of these were available with the original version, so I had to set all of my other software/driver combinations to match the no linefeed situation of the original, causing problems with many other programs. Now I can configure my system to be compatible with the more standard situation.

Option seven allows you to set the paper/ink combination; number eight activates a small click with each keystroke; and option 9 toggles between a thin character set and one which is slightly thicker. The final option (0) stops the program so you can list and modify anything you feel needs it.

The CAPS SHIFT/BREAK. combination has been replaced by SYMBOL SHIFT/ BREAK (which worked with the original as well). The only major drawback I found with this new version is that in order to accommodate the improvements, the buffer has been reduced from 18439 bytes to 16319 bytes — a loss of 2120 bytes. A small price to pay for those many improvements, and with microdrive capability, a second file is so easy to SAVE on the same wafer that the reduction in the size of the buffer is only a small matter.

A second new product I have had a chance to try is the GREETING CARD DESIGNER. Similar to a very popular program for that other computer, you can make use of a number of different type fonts and graphics (supplied) to create your own personalized greeting cards for any occasion, using your 80 column printer. The program comes in three parts — a card designer, a library of graphics (I received 22), and a graphics designer for those who want to design their own additions to the library.

The first thing I did was to transfer the card designer and graphics designer to on microwafer, and the library to another. This was very simple to accomplish, and only required minor modifications to the original program. As with all of their software, ZEBRA has provided a back-up option right from the menu, making the transfer a snap. (Pressing BREAK during the normal cassette SAVE indicates the line where the SAVE routine exists.) Right now I have 31 graphics on a 35 foot wafer, with room for some more.

To create a greeting card, you LOAD the card designer, and are guided through the procedure. I suggest that the very first thing you do is to set your printer/interface combination, or else you may find that you have designed your card, but are unable to print it. This software supports seven printers (Epson RX/FX; Gemini 10X/SG10; Memotech DMX80; Panasonic 1090/1091; Spirit-80; Seikosha GP250; and Prowriter 8510) and four interfaces (AERCO; Tasman-b; Tasman-c; and A&J).

Next you will choose to design either the cover or inside of your card (the procedure is identical). In designing your card you may choose one of eight borders. For your text you have a choice of sizes (small and large), fonts (filled or open), and justification (right, left, or centered). Which of these options you choose depends on the type, size and placement of your graphic. You select the graphic from the menu, choosing from the graphics in your library. Once loaded, you have a choice of two sizes. The small graphic can be placed in any number of compartments with in a six by six grid, while the large graphic will fill a three by three grid.

By going through these procedures for both the cover and inside of your greeting card, you have designed your own creation, ready for your printer. The card prints as shown in the illustration — and upside down — ready to be folded, inserted into an envelope and sent on its merry way. You may also print more than one copy of your card just by specifying how many copies you want. If it is a particularly good design, you may SAVE it from the menu for future use.

While the package comes with a number of predesigned graphics, you may want to design your own. The graphic designer portion of this software allows you to do just that. When you load this portion of the software you can design your graphic on a 32 by 56 pixel grid. As you turn the individual pixels on or off, you can immediately see the result in an actual size window on the same screen. You can modify your graphic (or any of the existing graphics) at any time to suit your needs.

If this program proves popular, look for a poster and banner designer to follow. Greeting Card Designer is great for those of us with limited (or nonexistant) artistic talents, since the graphics come with the software.

When the T/S 2068 first appeared, many of us were excited about the possibility of the 64 column display. When it was released we were disappointed to find that in order to use this capability, it required some rather complicated machine code. In fact, the manual did not even cover this, and the tech manual (which was poorly reproduced, and not generally available) was fuzzy on the matter. Very few programmers took advantage of this display mode for this reason, and only MSCRIPT and TEXTWRITER 2000 used the true Timex 64 column mode. TASWORD advertised a 64 column mode, and even offered TASWIDE, a utility which produced a 64 column display on both the display and the T/S 2040 printer. But TASWORD and TASWIDE did not utilize the built in 64 column mode, but created their own character set which used fewer pixels and produced a fuzzier display which was almost impossible to read on the T/S 2040 printer.

Now accessing the true Timex 64 column display is as simple as inserting ZEBRA’s new OS-64 cartridge into your command cartridge port and you are in 64 column mode! The OS-64 is actually a modified operating system for your T/S 2068 computer. For the most part it is identical to the 32 column mode you are used to, and most of your existing programs can be modified to operate with the OS-64.

There are a few things you will have to be aware of however. First of all, the amount of free memory using the OS-64 is 33740 bytes as opposed to 38652 bytes with the standard operating system — a difference of 4912 bytes. This is caused by the additional coding for the features in this mode. In addition, the OS-64 does not support the T/S 2040 printer. This is in line with the fact that most people using a T/S 2068 (and Spectrum for that matter) are using full size printers rather than the smaller thermal printer. (In England, Sinclair has stopped production of the ZX printer.) The OS-64 has a built in Centronics print driver, and supports COPY on Epson compatible printers. The interfaces supported are the AERCO, Tasman-B, Tasman-C, A&J, and Oliger, or actually any other interface you may have connected. Instructions are included to set-up for any interface not listed. Control codes may be sent, and the design of the output may be customized.

Because of limitations in the Timex designed 64 column mode, there are a few other trade-offs. FLASH is an inoperable command in 64 column mode, and will cause the program to stop with an error if encountered. You cannot select the BORDER color, but instead it automatically set itself to the current PAPER color. When you set the PAPER color, the INK is automatically set to a complimentary color, and visa-versa. Also you cannot set temporary (local) PAPER or INK colors — they always change the entire screen. And finally, those LOADing and SAVEing stripes you are so familiar with no longer appear.

Other than those limitations, BASIC is the same in 64 column mode as it is in 32 column mode. The graphic commands, however, will operate as if in 32 column mode.

For all of those who wanted to make use of the 64 column mode, OS-64 is the best way to do it.

The final new offering from ZEBRA is their new ZPRINT-80 Printer Support Package. This supports AERCO, both Tasman, and A&J interfaces with LPRINT output, LLIST output, Normal size screen COPY and full page grey scale color screen COPY. (Screen copy routines support the printers listed above for the Greeting Card Designer. The tape comes with four versions of the driver software; a high memory and low memory version for both the T/S 2068 and Spectrum computers.

For more information and a copy of their latest catalog write to ZEBRA SYSTEMS, INC., 78-06 Jamaica Avenue, Woodhaven, NY 11421. (718) 296-2385.