Subject: PC/GEOS FAQ, Geos Software Information
From: [email-masked] (Raymond Ancog)
Date: 14 Feb 2001 16:58:10 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.os.geos.misc,comp.answers,news.answers

Archive-name: pcgeos-faq/part2
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: November 12, 2000
URL: http://www.geocities.com/originalravinray/geos/faq/pcgeosfaq2.txt

The most recent version of this file can be found at any news.answers
archive site. One such site is rtfm.mit.edu, in the
/pub/usenet/comp.os.geos.misc subdirectory. The most recent version of the
FAQ is also available from my home page at
http://www.geocities.com/originalravinray/geos/faq/ in both HTML and ASCII
format.

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DISCLAIMER

I make no claims about the accuracy of this information. Use it at your own
risk. This file is compiled from various sources, including but not limited
to USENET, the Web, commercial networks, and electronic mail. The FAQ is
mostly targeted towards desktop Geos users, both Ensemble and NewDeal
Office. However, there are still many sections devoted to other topics and
Geos platforms.

This information may be freely distributed, in whole or in part, in any
form, provided that any distributor:

   * Tells me, so that I can inform you of updates to the FAQ and tell the
     USENET community (I will keep the information confidential, if you
     desire)
   * Makes every reasonable effort to keep this information current
   * Releases myself and the rest of USENET from any liability.

If this file leaves the confines of USENET for any BBS's, web pages, user
groups, commercial networks, or other networks (FidoNet, GeoHolics Net,
etc.) or vendors, please let me know so that I can pass along the
information to others.

Please send submissions, comments, suggestions, or corrections to
[email-masked].

CREDITS

I'd like to give the following folks my thanks:

   * Steve Main ([email-masked], http://www.newdealinc.com) Director
     of Technical Services, NewDeal.
   * Anne Page ([email-masked]) for reposting this FAQ to
     FidoNet.
   * Lynn Montelauro (GSMLynn@aol) for making this FAQ a part of GSMN.
   * BlackEagle Services ([email-masked],
     http://dynasty.net/users/blkeagle/) for distributing copies of this
     FAQ to its customers.
   * Werni Grieder ([email-masked],
     http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/WerniGrieder) for being a
     Geos deity.
   * Doug Taylor ([email-masked]) for a lot of the PDA information.
   * All the people who have written great Geos software.
   * All the people who mail me information and follow comp.os.geos.misc.
   * And of course, James Bearden, the original author of this FAQ.

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INDEX

   * 2 Geos Software Information
        o 2.1 Desktop Software Products
             + 2.1.1 What desktop products are available for Geos?
        o 2.2 Geos Development Products
             + 2.2.1 What development products are available for Geos?
             + 2.2.2 How can I order development products?
             + 2.2.3 What is IZL?
             + 2.2.4 What is Geos programming like?
             + 2.2.5 Are there any visual developement tools for Geos?
        o 2.3 Shareware
             + 2.3.1 What shareware available for Geos?
             + 2.3.2 Are there any anonymous FTP sites for Geos software?
             + 2.3.3 Are there any Geos related BBS's?
             + 2.3.4 Are there any DOS programs written for Geos?
        o 2.4 Communications Software
             + 2.4.1 Are there any communications programs available for
               Geos?
             + 2.4.2 Does Geos do TCP/IP?
             + 2.4.3 What DOS based Internet software is available?

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2 Geos Software Information

2.1 Desktop Software Products

2.1.1 What desktop products are available for Geos?

There are many companies and individuals that sell Geos desktop software.
The most notable are NewDeal and Breadbox Computer, but there are many
more. Not only does this list keep changing, but the products offered by
these companies and the places and means to buy them continue to change.

NewDeal can be reached at:

     NewDeal, Inc.
     20 Holland St.
     Somerville MA 02144
     Sales and customer service
     email: [email-masked]
     phone: 800-985-4263
     Technical support
     email: [email-masked]
     All other calls: (617)-625-1890
     Fax: (617)-625-5299

Breadbox Computer (now part of MyTurn.com) can be reached at:

     Breadbox Computer
     PO Box 808
     Port Richey, FL 34673-0808x
     Tel/Fax (813) 847-6996
     E-mail: [email-masked]
     Web: http://www.breadbox.com

2.2 Geos Development Products

2.2.1 What development products are available for Geos?

Geoworks wrote several SDK's as Geos evolved. Version 2.0 supported the
desktop, Zoomer, and Sharp PT-9000 (a preview of a pen-based tablet
PC/PDA). Version 2.1 emulated the HP OmniGo 100/120. With the release of
the Nokia 9000, Geoworks created three versions of the Communicator SDK: a
DOS-based 9000 version, a DOS-based 9000i version (for the GSM model), and
an NT-based 9000i version. The latest version is an NT-based 9110 SDK. The
SDK's require Borland C/C++ 3.1 or higher (version 4.5 for the 9110 SDK).
Geoworks transfered the 2.x SDK's to NewDeal, and has discontinued the 9000
SDK's. The 9000i SDK is included in the 9110 SDK CD-ROM, though. The 9110
SDK is currently marketed by Nokia. It might sell off the remaining stock
of 9000 SDK's to those who are still interested; ask the Geoworks and Nokia
people.

   * Geos 2.x SDK - For NDO, the Casio/Tandy/AST Zoomer, and HP OmniGo
     100/120 (http://www.newdealinc.com/devrel)
   * Geos 3.0 SDK - For the Nokia 9000i/9110 Communicator
   * Geos 3.0 SDK - For the Nokia 9000i/9110 Communicator

(http://www.forum.nokia.com/developers/communicators/geossdk/geossdk.html)

NewDeal is selling off the 2.x SDK's and said that an NT-based version of
the NDO SDK will be available soon.

Geoworks Bindery is an application for creating electronic "books" that can
be read by a Book Reader on NDO or the OmniGo. It functions very much like
Adobe Acrobat or Corel (formerly WordPerfect, then Novell) Envoy, only it
is available exclusively on the Geos platform. As with the 2.x SDK's,
Geoworks has transfered the Bindery to NewDeal.

   * Geoworks Bindery - Electronic publishing tool
     (http://www.newdealinc.com/devrel/)

2.2.2 How can I order development products?

Geoworks has turned over Geos 3.0 development and support to Nokia. Go the
Nokia Communicator Forum (as listed above) where you can fill out a form
regarding your plans for developing Geos 3.0 applications.

The SDK's for Geos 2.0 and the OmniGo (v2.1) are still being sold (US$
99.50), while supplies last. You can e-mail directly to NewDeal's sales
department at [email-masked].

2.2.3 What is IZL?

John Feras' ([email-masked]) Feras Information Technologies has written
an easy to use, powerful Geos scripting language with which you can write
entire Geos applications. IZL is available in the desktop version, Zoomer,
and OmniGo flavors. The files and documents, including an OmniGo IZL FAQ,
can be found at Geos maven Holger Laux's website,
http://my.genie.co.uk/holger.laux/izl/izlapps.htm. More information can
also be found in the Geos Programmer's FAQ.

2.2.4 What is Geos programming like?

While this topic is broad, this section will be brief since there is
another entire FAQ devoted to it which I will put up. For serious Geos
programming you need to buy a Geos SDK that is tailored to the Geos
platform that you want to write software for. However, you can probably get
by with one SDK, hopefully the latest, as long as you don't try to take
advantage of any unique features of your platform. The main point to using
an SDK is that it is DOS-based, although a multitasking environment is
recommended for task switching. A second computer is required to use the
debugger, and unless you like programming in assembly, you have to use a
Borland compiler. However, an NT-based SDK is available for the Nokia 9000
and 9110, which allows for single-machine debugging. Please refer to the
upcoming Geos programming FAQ for more information. The main support for
Geos development is through the Geoworks developer relations webpages
(http://www.geoworks.com/DevRel/), the usenet newsgroup
news:comp.os.geos.programmer, and e-mail to Geoworks.

2.2.5 Are there any visual development tools for Geos?

Yes. NewDeal released NewBASIC over two years ago. It has an easy-to-use
syntax, and is marketed much as Visual Basic is for Windows. David Given
([email-masked]) is currently beta testing Metatalk, a Geos visual
developement system similar to Smalltalk. Along with other applications, it
can be downloaded at his GEOS downloads page.

2.3 Shareware

2.3.1 Is there any shareware available for Geos?

The list of Geos shareware is large and growing. Too much, in fact, to list
here.

2.3.2 Are there any anonymous FTP sites for Geos software?

For a more complete listing of Geos related FTP sites, check out
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jbearden/gfiles.htm. Some of the
bigger ones are:

   * ftp://ftp.newdealinc.com: NewDeal FTP Site
   * ftp://ftp.dusers.drexel.edu/pub/geos: Arginine FTP Site
   * ftp://ftp.gen.com/pub/argo-navis/ensemble/: Helmar's FTP Site
   * ftp://ftp.datanetworks.ch/pub/GOCE: Geos Optimismus Crew Europe FTP
     Site

2.3.3 Are there any Geos related BBS's?

The following BBS's are the only ones I know that have Geos related
content:

   * The Police Academy (49-611-1860516) in Germany
   * G-OS BBS ((03) 9803 6498) in Australia
   * GeoZ Online Services - Home of GeoNet (03)9803-6498 (222:222/0)
   * Ground Zero BBS, Ipswich, Queenslamd, Australia (07) 3812-0812
     Fidonet: 3:640/812.4 Sysop: Frank Moran.
     Current GeoNet main hub. Has Fidonet Geoworks echo, selection
     of Geoworks files for versions 1.x.x and 2.xx.
   * Past the Black Stump, Laidley, Queensland, Australia (074) 65-6667
     Fidonet: 3:640/404 Sysop: Rhondda Cook.
     Member GeoNet. Geoworks echo and selection of Geoworks files.
   * Lake Cathie BBS, Lake Cathie, New South Wales, Australia (065) 86-3067

     Fidonet: 3:711/475 Sysop: Glenn Pickford.
     Member GeoNet. Geoworks echo and selection of Geoworks files.
     Glenn is an Ensemble 2.01 user.

2.3.4 Are there any DOS programs written for Geos?

As usual, the list is always growing.

   * PicLab V1.83 - Excellent for converting graphics to 16 color. Later
     versions aren't as good at this
   * BKGD2PCX - Converts PCX files to Geos backgrounds
   * IconMake - Converts PCX files and Windows icons to Geos icons
   * GeoDir - Lists the full Geos filenames at the DOS prompt
   * EdFolder - Allows you to change the folder icons
   * GeoKermit - An excellent general communications package

2.4 Communications Software

2.4.1 Are there any communications programs available for Geos?

For the desktop version there is GeoComm (aka NewComm), AOL, and CompuServe
software. Hwoever, AOL can no longer be accessed from a Geos client, since
AOL is no longer available from Sprint dial-up's. For the Zoomer there is
ZCommLite, AOL, and CompuServe software. For the OmniGo there is CompuServe
and OmniCom. The CompuServe software, CIM4GEOS, requires a patch for it to
work correctly for the desktop and the OmniGo. There are also several more
shareware Zoomer and OmniGo communications programs and connectivity packs
that work more or less on all Geos platforms. Check out the Zoomer homepage
(http://www.grot.com/zoomer/) for more details. A variety of file transfer
software is available for a variety of platforms (including UNIX and
Macintosh), and there are also several communications programs under
development. As far as the Internet is concerned, two browsers are
available. GeoBrowser is included in the GeoBook and BrotherWorks for the
desktop. A version named NewBrowser was available as part of a beta testing
program of NDOr3. Breadbox developed Skipper and Skipper Pro for NDOr3.
Future versions will support SSL and cookies. Breadbox also wrote the
Meeting Room IRC client software for the GeoBook and NDO. A more advanced
IRC app, WebChat, has been released, along with a newsreader and NewMail.

2.4.2 Does Geos do TCP/IP?

With version 3.0, it does. A BYTE article (1995) reported that the TCP/IP
stack is derived from BSD Unix. Version 3.0 includes much better
communications support, bug fixes, and new features like the system
mailbox.

2.4.3 What DOS based Internet software is available?

Before the advent of Geos 3.0, people were using five DOS-based Internet
suites under Geos: Minuet, Net-Tamer, Terminate, DosLynx, and Arachne.
After listening to more than a few people, it seems that Net-Tamer provides
the best Internet access, although Arachne is also popular.

End of the PC/GEOS FAQ Part 2

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         Copyright =A9 199?-1999 James Bearden. All rights reserved.

   Copyright =A9 1999-2000 Raymond Thaddeus C. Ancog. All rights reserved.