This “quick, dirty, and compact” (QDC) edition of the November 1980 issue of Softalk magazine (Vol. 1 No. 3) was created by and is made freely available by The Softalk Apple Project (www.SoftalkApple.com). We thank fellow Friend of Softalk Bob Murphy for providing the loan of his issue for scanning by the project. For other PDFs of whole issues and sample pages, go to the Issue Profiles section of the project website. For more on the “preserve, explore, extend” mission of The Softalk Apple Project, go to: www.SoftalkApple.com/about Thank you… Enjoy! --Jim Salmons-- Founder and Research Director The Softalk Apple Project ' m t < j A g L VOLUME 1 NOVEMBER 1980 IN U T O n A Music Systems Exec Mountain I Bestsellers Autumn Leitmotif: The Musical Apple Meet IMP 2, the stylish impact printer with intelligent APPLE interface for HIRES and R\SCAL — $895. Designed for desk top use, this sleek unit combines for just about any system — high speed serial, Apple, an ultra-low profile with a unique fan-cooled printing Pet, TRS-80, IEEE 488... you name it. system that can knock out 80, 96, or 132 columns of Versatile character sets. 96 ASCII character set is crisp hardcopy with continuous throughput of one line standard. And you can select six character sizes, even per second. graphics, under software control. Options include full Three way paper handling. IMP 2 features three way page buffering and special character sets. paper handling for forms, single sheets and paper rolls, Service — a big difference. No other printer with tractors adjustable from 1.5 inch to 91/2 inches. manufacturer offers Axiom’s combination of low cost Software control of forms length, printer select/deselect plus nation-wide service and distribution — in the USA together with a choice of three standard interfaces and 18 overseas countries. make IMP 2 the most versatile printer available in its price range. Interfaces abound. IMP 2 provides parallel, RS232C and 20mA current loop as standard equipment. But if you need something special, we can supply interfaces Better phone or write today! AXIOM 5932 San Fernando Road, Glendale, CA 91202 Tel: (213) 245-9244 -TWX: 910497-2283 NOVEMBER 1980 Chairman John Haller CONTENTS President Margot Comstock Tommervik Vice- Uniforms by Apple President Allan Tommervik A pple an d a senior outfit the UCLA band. Vice- MATTHEW T. YUEN .........................................................6 President William Depew Treasurer William Blind Pathfinder in Alaska V. R. Smith Louise Rude holds a job usually reserved for the sighted, and Secretary John an Apple can help. Mitchell MARGOT COMSTOCK TOMMERVIK........................ 8 Editor Margot Comstock The All-American Apple Music Machine Tommervik An in-depth look at Apple as a synthesizer, and reviews of Technical Editor Bill three music systems that make it one. Depew CRAIG STINSON ............................................................14 Contributing Editor Roger Wagner Numbers Making Music Contributing Reviewers John N o hardw are is required for this music program that is a c ­ Haller tually a complete language. (WB6BEN) ROBERT KOEHLER......................................................... 18 Don Bostrom (N6IC) Apples' Adventures in Utopia Art Rock stars Todd Rundgren and Roger Powell talk about their Director Kurt A. Wahlner Apples: one for art and one for music. BRUCE R O S E N .................................................................22 Business Manager William V. R. Exec Mountain: Theirs Smith Is a Hard— and Now Soft— Life Operations Mountain Hardware becomes Mountain Computer and ex­ Manager John pands into software. Mitchell Production, AL TOM M ERVIK...............................................................30 Marketing A1 Tommervik The Ivory Keyboard: Editorial A Direct Line to Apple Music Assistant Bob Koehler A close look at the AlphaSyntauri keyboard music input for the Apple. Circulation Carmen Cowper CRAIG STINSON ............................................................ 38 Advertising Sales 213-980-5074 Bill D r P A P T M t N T S Smith Contest: Talking Turkey ....................................................2 Marketalk News ..................................................................13 A1 September Contest Winners .........................................2 Marketalk Reviews .............................................................. 2 6 Tommervik Straightalk ...................................................................................4 The Logical Way: Voyle Glover .............................. 2 9 Margot Advertisers Index .................................................................... 7 Assembly Lines: Roger W agner ................................. 3 4 Tommervik Open Discussion................................................................... 10 Tradetalk .................................................................................. 3 7 Cover photograph of Todd Rundgren courte­ N e w sp eak ...............................................................................12 Softalk Presents the Bestsellers ................................. 44 sy of Konnie K. Berner. Composition by Photographies, Hollywood, California. Printing by California Offset Printers, Glendale, California. Special equip­ ment photographed at and courtesy of Com- puterWorld of Burbank, California. Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer PREVIEWS Inc., Cupertino, California. Jingling into December . Holidays, So/talk. Volume 1, number 3. Copyright ® 1980 by Softalk Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Subscriptions to Sof­ bright lights, gifts . companies de­ talk are complimentary to all owners of Apple com­ scribe their best stocking staffers . puters in the U.S.A.; multiple or non-Apple-owner sub­ an eye for the Apple . planning scriptions for one year: one, $10; two through five, $8 each; more than five, $6 each. Softalk is published wines and libations for seasonal en­ monthly by Softalk Publishing Inc., 10432 Burbank Boule­ tertaining . meet the Disk Doctor . vard, North Hollywood, CA 91601. Tel. (213) 980-5074. teach your Apple to make Christmas Controlled circulation pending at North Hollywood, CA, cards . and more. * and at Los Angeles, CA. Mailed as controlled circulation at San Jose, CA. Postmaster: Send address changes to Softalk, 10432 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91601. 2 F T A LK NOVEMBER 1980 CONTEST: TALKIMC TURKEY W e've G o t There’s a message of sorts hidden in these words can be used in the final an- this month’s Softalk contest. If you can discover it, write it down, and mail it in, □ Anagram the first letters of these Most of the results of September’s you could win $100 in product from one of words to find the message that will fit on Softalk contests are in; and the big win­ the advertisers in this month’s issue of the dashes. For example, the first letters ners in the bestseller predictions are Softalk. Here’s how you solve it: of the words “Perfect Apple Software’’ Mark Korenkiewicz of Albuquerque, □ Consider the letters of the alphabet could be anagrammed as ASP or SAP. from A to Z to be valued from 1 to 26 re­ Write the message on the coupon (or a New Mexico, and the Easter Seal Socie­ spectively; for example, J = 10, S = 19. facsimile of it), fill in your name, ad­ ty of Little Rock, Arkansas. □ Grant each word from the list of sev­ dress, the name of your local retailer, Early winners of the Conpeople contest enty Thanksgiving goodies the value of and your choice of prize if you should are Harvey Shapiro of Northridge, Cali­ the sum of its letters. win, and rush your entry to the nearest □ Find all the words that fit the values mailbox. fornia, and Jan Halsall of Algonquin, Il­ given to add up to the grand total of 700. All entries must be postmarked by linois. Other winners are yet to be You’ll have more words than you need, November 30, 1980. named. - since there is more than one word repre­ In case of ties, Apple’s random gen­ Also, as we will do from time to time, senting some of the sums; only nine of erator will determine the final winner. we chose to take note of a Softalk mile­ The Words stone by awarding a surprise prize—in APPLE CIDER COFFEE GIBLETS NUTMEG SCALLIONS APPLE PIE CORN GING ER O N IO N S SKIN this case, the milestone was the first APPLES CRANBERRIES GOBBLER PARSONS NOSE STOCK entry ever in any Softalk contest. The BACON DRIPPINGS CRANBERRY JELLY GRAVY PEARS STUFFING BRANDY CRANBERRY SAUCE HARVEST PEAS SWEET POTATOES early bird was Bert Dellagatta of San BREAST CRISP AIR IN D IA N S PEPPER THANKS Jose, California. BUTTER CURRANTS MACYS PARADE PIANO THYME CARROTS DARK MEAT MAIZE PILGRIMS TURNIPS CAULIFLOUR DRUMSTICK MASHED POTATOES PLYMOUTH ROCK WALNUTS CELERY FAMILY SINGING MILK PUMPKIN PIE WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE FIRST S N O W M INCE PIE RELATIVES WHITE MEAT CHESTNUTS FOOTBALL GAMES MOLASSES ROAST TURKEY WHITE W INE C IN N A M O N FRUIT MORE GRAVY SAGE WING CLOVES GAMES NEW WORLD SALT YAMS Word V alues 45 . 74 69 . 80 70 104 71 114 73 700 Mail completed coupon or facsimile to Talking Turkey, Softalk, 10432 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91601. Answer Format What the turkey said to me in the N ovem ber S o fta lk contest was (Contest is open to all Apple owners and their HagahaTTitteen, ban Jose, receives a copy i _______________________________ I’ve immediate families except those in any way Computer Ambush from Joel Billings, president of Stra­ examined the ads in this issue, and the associated with Softalk. Use of computers in prize I choose to receive if I win is deriving