Category : Utilities for DOS and Windows Machines
Archive   : U-UTILS.ZIP
Filename : DOCUMENT.TWO

(15) Appendix A: The FreeSoft Duplication Policy
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Before we get into the meat of how FreeSoft is going to make you a
billionaire, we'd like to give you a little background on how the
Ultra-Utility series came to be. The software authors at FreeSoft
have been professionally involved with microcomputers since 1977.
When our IBM-PC became a member of the family, we were constantly
blowing up diskettes. This, of course, was before any utility
programs of value existed for the PC. Hoped as we did for help, the
Norton Utilities finally showed up and we snatched one of the first
packages that arrived at our local dealer. Although the Norton
Utilities are a fine piece of programming, we were still
disappointed. We suppose that the programs were great for the PC,
but being old-timers and certified hackers besides, we were spoiled
for what 80-bucks-plus-tax could buy in the way of utilities for our
other in-house micros. To make a long story short, we did what any
self-respecting computerphiles would do. We reinvented the wheel,
only made it round this time.

Several thousand gallons of Pepsi later, the Ultra-Utilities emerged
(TA-DA!). Everyone we showed it to alternated between spasms and
wild-salivation. We thought we had a winner. The next problem was
how to sell the damn thing. We don't know, but we think a company
would have to be nuts to plunk down a couple thousand clams for a
small-shot ad in some of the phone-book sized IBM-PC magazines.
Sandwiched in there between a million other products just didn`t seem
to be the way to get good exposure. Submitting it to a software
publishing house for distribution didn't seem like a good choice
either. A machine language game we had written for the TRS-80 sold a
grand total of 11 copies (to date) once we had submitted it to a
publisher . The problem is that you are at the mercy of how much
the publisher is willing to spend for advertising. (Games for the PC?
Hmmmm...). At any rate, it sure was funny that so many TRS-80
BBS's had rave reviews of the game. Those eleven guys sure had a lot
of friends. That brought us to the final problem. Could we afford
not to copy-protect the Ultra-Utilities? Much as we hate protected
software, when it's your money on the line you seem to modify your
feelings a bit.

When we started seeing programs distributed on the User-Supported
basis, the old cogs really started spinning. Now here was a way to
get maximum exposure at minimum cost. Instead of trying to defeat
the many ways that software gets passed around, you take advantage of
them. The whole thing relies on the fact that most of you folks are
honest users who will support a company that gives you a good
product. Having been burned by some products that didn't live up to
their claims, we certainly agree that the best way for a person to
evaluate a package is to have it in their hands and run it through
its paces on their own terms.

Therefore, we have decided to release the Ultra-Utilities by means
that will be the acid-test for the package. Give it away! If you
don't like it - pitch it. If you like it but can't afford the
registration fees, we'll appreciate any donation you care to make.
If you like it and want to support us, we hope you'll consider
becoming a registered user. Please think this over. If you want to
see more software from us, we'll have to make a decent enough go of
this to justify it. Without further pathos, let us make you an offer
of solid committment. You support us, we'll give you your money's
worth and more.
(16)
One thing is for sure, the quality of many User-Supported programs
certainly rivals, and in many cases exceeds, that of commercial
software costing much more. We hope you'll make User-Supported
software an experiment THAT WORKS!

Enough Coddling, Now On To The Good Stuff!
------------------------------------------

If you feel the Ultra-Utilities are a good product that is worth
supporting, we've got a deal for you! Here's the duplication policy
for FreeSoft products:

A) We not only encourage you to share this product with your
friends, we will make it worth your while. All we ask is
that you distribute the package as a whole in disk file form
as you would receive it from us. (If you didn't get your copy
from us, that means that the following files should be on any
copy you give out: U-ZAP.EXE, U-FILE.EXE, U-FORMAT.EXE,
DOCUMENT.ONE, and DOCUMENT.TWO). We also do not allow anyone
to charge money for a copy of our product. If you must charge
for the diskette(s), you may charge no more than $8.00 total
for all diskettes included with the Ultra-Utilties without
special written permission from FreeSoft.

B) You'll notice that on the main menu of each program is a
serial number. When you become a registered user, we will ask
you what serial number is on your copy. This does two things,
it tells you what version you have so we can send you the
latest if necessary, and it tells us where your copy
originated. We will then give you a new serial number with
the registered copy of the Ultra-Utilities we send you. When
someone registers and gives us your serial number, you get a
check from us for $10. If you give a copy to every member of
your users group or even put it up on a BBS, every time someone
registers you get ten bucks, just like that. Remember, in
order to get this commission, you have to register your copy
with us before giving out any copies. Don't underestimate the
ability of a program to get spread around - this can really
bring you some big bucks.

C) If you give someone a copy and you have not registered, you do
not make a commission. We offer two ways to register your
program. Registration with eligibility for commission costs
$40. If you don't know any other PC owners or just don't want
to risk getting yourself into a higher tax bracket off of
commissions (!), we also offer a registration without
commission eligibility. This costs $30, and gives full
benefits of registration with the exception of commissions. We
hope you'll agree that either way is still a lot cheaper than
shelling out $80 for the Norton Utilities.

D) If you can't afford the 30 bucks or are just the type who feels
better getting something for nothing, we understand. We
would appreciate it if you could at least give out some copies
of this package, though. The more people that get it, the more
people there are who will potentially support our company by
registering.
(17)
So What Do I Get For Registering When I Already Have It For Free?
-----------------------------------------------------------------

We thought you'd never ask. If you are one of the folks who support
us, we will continue to make it worth your while with the following
benefits:

1) If the version you register is not the latest, we will send
you the latest version, plus documentation, at no extra charge.
We will also inform you of any updates, and provide you with
those for no extra charge.

2) You will also receive the next FreeSoft product WITH
REGISTRATION WITH COMMISSION ELIGIBILITY free of charge. We
have many great products on the drawing board and near
completion, including machine language games, a database
program generator that is truly fantastic, BASIC programming
and compiler utilities, ready to run assembly language
subroutines, and a host of other goodies. Remember, as a
registered user of the Ultra-Utilities, you will be a preferred
customer for all future FreeSoft releases.

3) You'll get a free one-year subscription to "THE ZAPPER"
newsletter. This is a consortium of no-holds-barred knowledge
for the IBM-PC. It's where you'll find out the kinds of things
about your PC and PC software that the magazines would lose
advertisers over if they published them. "THE ZAPPER" is
published quarterly and will be sent to you at no charge.

4) Complete support by mail. If the need arises, we may open up
a telephone hotline or bulletin board for our registered users.

5) A date with our sisters - just kidding! But seriously, what
could be a better way to pay for a program you like than a way
that puts money back into your pocket?
(18) Registration Form
-----------------
<<< IF YOU NEED AN INVOICE FOR BUSINESS REASONS, PLEASE USE THE ONE
PROVIDED ON THE NEXT PAGE AND INCLUDE IT WITH THIS FORM >>>

Send to: The FreeSoft Company, P.O. Box 27608, St. Louis, MO 63146

YES, I want to be a registered user of the Ultra-Utilities and be
placed on the preferred customer list for all future FreeSoft
releases!

I am enclosing the following formatted diskette(s) with a
SELF-ADDRESSED, RETURN POSTAGE PAID MAILER. Please send me the
latest versions of the Ultra-Utilities and documentation manuals,
plus any other good things you might have laying around.

(Note: please sandwich your diskette(s) between two stiff pieces of
cardboard and mark the return mailer clearly with the message
"MAGNETIC MEDIA - DO NOT X-RAY OR EXPOSE TO MAGNETIC FIELDS".

Mark one of the following:

___ Single-sided diskettes enclosed (send two with your request).

___ Double-sided diskettes enclosed (send one with your request).
--------------------------------------------------------------------

The old serial number in my program is _ _ _-_ _ _ _ _
(This also tells us what version you have so we can send you the
latest. You will receive your personal serial number from us
after we have filed your registration).
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________

City: _____________________________________________________

State: ____________ Zip Code ____________________________

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please register me as (MARK ONE OF THE BELOW):

___ Registered eligible for commissions (I enclose $40 check or money
order, and postage paid return mailer).

___ Registered not eligible for commissions (I enclose $30 check or
money order, and postage paid return mailer).

PLEASE NOTE: Make all checks or money orders payable to THE FREESOFT
COMPANY. Foreign registrations please add $10 to help with later
postage.

Comments, Suggestions or Questions:
INVOICE
-------

Invoice #34-34256

Please make payable to :The FreeSoft Company

Quantity Description Price
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1 The Ultra-Utilities disk file $40.00
repair software.


Subtotal.......$40.00
Tax............$ 0.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Please remit -------------> Amount Due.....$40.00
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Company Name ___________________________________________________

Address ___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------
The FreeSoft Company
P.O. Box 27608
St. Louis, MO 63146
-----------------------------------------------------------------
(20) Appendix B: A Brief Discussion Of Diskette Formats
--------------------------------------------------

The standard IBM-PC stores data on floppy diskettes by dividing the
surface of the diskette into circular tracks (like the grooves on a
phonograph record, only complete circles instead of one long spiral).
There are 40 of these tracks on a standard IBM-PC disk drive numbered
0 through 39. Each of these tracks are further sub-divided into gaps
and sectors. Gaps are used to separate the sectors and help out with
the disk drive timing. Sectors are used to hold the actual data that
will later be retrieved by the computer. These sectors are numbered
1 through 8 on a standard diskette and hold 512 bytes of data each.
A double-sided diskette merely has an additional read/write head on
the reverse side of the diskette, effectively doubling the available
surface space for data. A single-sided diskette can hold 39 tracks X
sectors/track X 512 bytes/sector = 159,744 bytes. Double this for a
double-sided drive and you've got 319,488 bytes per diskette. Of
course, not all of this space is available for use by the user. Some
of it is set aside to contain the DOS system files. Another chunk is
reserved for the File Allocation Table (FAT) and Directory that tells
the DOS where files and free space are located on a diskette.

When you write a file on a freshly-formatted diskette, your data is
placed in consecutive sectors. If your file begins on track 1,
sector 1, the first 512 bytes of data is placed in this sector, the
second 512 bytes are placed in track 1, sector 2, and so on. What
happens when you reach the end of a track? If you have a
single-sided diskette, the data continues on the first sector of the
next track. If you have a double-sided diskette, each track is
actually composed of the sectors on both sides of the diskette. In
other words, track 1 begins with side 0, track 1, sector 1, and ends
with side 1, track 1, sector 8. When side 1 is filled up, the first
sector of the next higher track of side 0 is used. This is the
normal progression order of sectors on a disk with PC-DOS version
1.10, and how Ultra-Zap spans to the "next" or "previous" sectors in
multiple-sector functions.
(21) Appendix C: Version Changes and Additions
-----------------------------------------
11/03/83: Version 2.00 release
With the release of version 2.00 of the Ultra-Utilities, several new
and powerful features were added. Mainly, we added compatibility
with DOS versions 2.0 and (from what we've been able to gather) 2.1.
We also fixed some bugs from the first version that could cause some
potential damage under certain conditions.

Of course, even version 2.00 is not completely compatible with all of
the nifty features of DOS 2.0 and 2.1. In a few instances, you'll
have to be a bit sneaky in order to get the job done. Here's an
overview of the limitations and considerations for version 2.00 of
the Ultra-Utilities when being used on DOS 2.0 or 2.1:

1) Automatic DOS and FORMAT recognition: All Ultra-Utility
programs automatically recognize the DOS version being used
with a diskette, and the number of sectors formatted on each
track. This allows us to have only one version of the Ultra-
Utilities for use with all DOS versions. Since we are issuing
version 2.00 release before we have actually seen a copy of DOS
2.1, a new release may be in order at a later date.

2) No hard disk support: The Ultra-Utilities are not meant to be
used with hard disks, although a very few functions will work.
The Display/Modify File Sectors and Search For Bytes In File
Sectors functions in Ultra-Zap should work, for instance. For
other file work, the file should be copied onto a floppy.

3) Root directory support only: At this time, the Ultra-Utilities
are written to work only on files contained in DOS 2.0 and 2.1
root directories. Files in subdirectories should be copied
into the root directory. Again, experimentation will expose
a few features that will work on subdirectory files. However,
this is left to your own device and is not documented.

4) Format considerations: When using Ultra-Format, always verify
that the Highest Sector Number On Track byte in the Disk Par-
ameter Table is set correctly to the number of sectors you wish
to format. Disk swapping may cause this byte to be incorrect.
This is also true for the Re-Format Without Erasing Old Data
function.

5) Disk Roadmap: When you print out a map of a diskette using
Ultra-File, sectors allocated to subdirectory files may be
reported as ORPhan clusters. Always use the CHKDSK utility
to free up actual orphan (allocated but not assigned to a
file) clusters if there is any question.

12/10/83: Version 3.00 release
Because of a mysterious hand spasm that caused us to stab a single
wrong character while typing in Version 2.00, Ultra-File suffered
a partial lobotomy that made it forget how to read single-sided
diskettes. We fixed it and then went out to drink our embarrassment
into oblivion.

We also added an invoice to the documentation so companies could
register easier.
(22)
01/29/84: Version 4.00 release
U-Zap: Display no longer corrupted if you just press ENTER when
entering ASCII search bytes in Search For Bytes functions.

Interrogate function waits for prompt when finished if menu alert
tone function is turned off.

Fixed our post office box number on opening page (GADZOOKS!).

U-Format: Fixed main menu Format Standard Track function to reflect
correct number of sectors for current Disk Parameter Table.

U-File: Major bug fixed in Build A File From Scratch function when
working with single-sided diskettes. Approved a resolution to do
a version of The Ultra-Utilities for the MacIntosh the day after
IBM sponsors a multi-million dollar rock festival.

Waits for pauses after each main output section of Produce A Map
function if output is not to printer.

All three programs: Version number is now displayed on fancy-pants
opening title display. Serial number is still displayed on main
menu page.

Incorporated a secret into the Ultra-Utilities just to see how many
of you read this crap. You can skip the opening page altogether and
go directly to the main menu by pressing your ESCape key once while
the program is loading, but before it begins execution.

Thought about changing U-Zap and U-Format to automatically accept
numeric input in the same radix as display radix is set, but then
decided it would be too much work since you can do that anyway by
just entering &H or &O prefixes for hex or octal entry. Let's take
a vote whether or not Version 5 should include this.


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