.IF DSK1.C3 .CE 2 *IMPACT/99* by Jack Sughrue GOOD NEW DAYS .IF DSK1.C2  Remember those good old days of 1982-84 when there were loads of books and magazines for us TIers? When we could buy text materials for our computer faster than we could read and use them? Methinks these days may be returning. At least a little. At recent fairs and meeting I've attended there has been lots of talk about the disappearing textware in the TI World Community. No more books. No more magazines. No more... Actually, there is more good, intelligent, useful TI stuff being written for textware today than there was four or five years ago. It's just that most of it is being written byusers in user groups, not by some writer in an ivory tower somewhere. Most of these new writings are free (in newsletters with membership or in exchanges with other groups) and readily available. Someday, I'd love to publish a list of my favorite dozen newsletters worldwide, but then the IMPACT column may be reduced to only 12 publications. So much for that idea. Joining a user group, even by mail if there aren't any nearby, may be the most sensible investment a 99er make. However, there are still lots of other sources for textware in our fellowship. that ASGARD is coming out with. What will it be like? In what ways will it be different from, say, MICROpendium? Will it be similar to their E-Z Keys Journal that ASGARD publishes now? I don't know the answers to these questions. Idoknow that two issues are already set up and ready to go (and I'm sure it'll be up to ASGARD's usual high standard), but all else will be as much as a surprise to me as to anyone. I can't wait. For those unfamiliar with the diskazine GENIAL TRAVELER, which is one of the very best sources a TI disk-drive owner can get, I would suggest you write to Barry Traver to get a subscription. There are years full of great things on these disks for an extremely moderate cost. (I have not even begun to use all the wonderful things contained in them.) But there is another text/disk setup out there that is really worth your attention. It's been around since September of '87, and it is another large value for we 99ers. TId Bits is a bimonthly magazine for only $8 (6 issues) for hardcopy or $12 (6 issues) for disk (SSSD flippy). The disk contains lots of additional PD and Fairware stuff to extend to two sides. The magazine contains photos and graphics. Mail to Bruce Forbes, editor; Route 2, Box 412; Sumerduck, VA 22742. It may be hard to make a decision about which version to get - disk or text. Although the disk contains the exact text of the hardcopy (and a lot of other surprise goodies besides), I personally am partial to the hardcopy for a number of reasons. TId Bits pilot issue contained some screen photos, graphics of an envelope cataloguer, and a screen graphic to go along with a program printed out. The next issues, however, contained some of the best photographs I have ever seen of the internal structure of our computer. The text talks about chip replacements and gives some very precise, easy-to-follow photographs and enlargements that make the process very logical, very clear, and - even to a non-techie like myself - very unfrighteningly practical. It's one thing to see drawings (which are also in the magazine), but it's quite another to have step-by-step photographs of the entire process. These magazines are jam-packed with all kinds of stuff that you don't find in MICROpendium (at present, the very best magazine source for TI owners). Bruce supplies the reader with all kinds of inside information on a large variety of things for us 99ers. Lots of prices of things. Lots of addresses. Lots of reviews. Lots of programs. It's a one-man operation, and each issue gets better and better. Bruce has promised to continue this magazine through at least one year's subscription. And hardcopies of all past issues will be available through 1988 with each subscription. The disk versions will continue to be available, I assume, for a long time to come. Newsletter editors may be interested in getting this version for an excellent source of some interesting material. Bruce says of his excellent efforts, " A lot of thought went into he pricing of TId Bits. We were keeping in mind that the TI community has been shafted too many times. Therefore, we set a projected break-even factor projected to December 1988. If we should pick up a sponsor or advertiser throughout the year, those funds would be used to lure a TI Brain to produce unique articles for us. "We are committed to 1988 and are cautiously optimistically looking to 1989. If the world doesn't end or the TI community completely collapse we project some kind of survival into 1989 and beyond." Hooray! Writers and programmers and techies and non-techies, here is a good source for you to get those articles published. Readers, here is another great TI source that needs all our support. Good luck, Bruce! ***************************** [Jack Sughrue, Box 459, E.Douglas, MA, 01516] If any newsletter editor prints these articles, please put me on your mailing list. Thanks - JS Հ