!lm12
!rm75
Amper-Magic, The Routine Machine, and Amperware

A Comparative Review.......................Bob Sander-Cederlof

I have put off doing this for a long time.  The authors and publishers of all three of these programs are friends of mine, and I don't like to go around comparing friends.  On the other hand, all of you are my friends, and you have asked for my honest evaluations.

About two years ago, Bob Nacon visited me with an early version of Amper-Magic.  He wanted me to consider marketing it for him.  I wasn't ready at the time to market anything new, so I suggested he try Roger Wagner (Southwestern Data Systems) and Michael Heckman (then Aurora, now Anthro-Digital Software).  Bob went to Roger, and within the same week Peter Meyer came to Roger with his package called "The Routine Machine".  Roger opted for Peter's, and Mike took Bob's.  Amper-Magic has been available in stores now for about a year.  The Routine Machine took longer; I just got a review copy of the final release a few weeks ago.

About three months ago Amper-Ware appeared, and I received a pre-release copy for review.  Since then about half a dozen more similar programs have been advertised, and some of them are actually available.  Some of them sound very attractive, and I look forward to trying them out.  The advertising copy for ELF IV from Sierra On-Line is particularly seductive.
 I would like to hear from you readers any comments you have on any of these Applesoft extension systems.

Both Amper-Magic (&-M) and The Routine Machine (TRM) serve the same function, which is to provide a convenient method for using machine language subroutines with Applesoft programs.  Both use the same techniques, and both require the same "run-anywhere" subroutines.  Very few if any changes must be made to a subroutine from one package to make it work with the other package.

Amperware (AMW) is a different breed.  It is a fixed set of powerful &-subroutines which can be either loaded above the DOS buffers or below the Applesoft program.

TRM uses more memory, provides more features, has a better manual; &-M is more memory-efficient, includes the essential features, and costs $10 more.  AMW, least expensive of the three, has some powerful abilities missing from the others.


The Package:
       &-M     8.5" x 11" Report Cover
               51 page manual
               Card summarizing operating procedures
               Diskette not copy-protected
               $75

       TRM     6" x 9" Padded 3-ring binder
               162 page manual
               Summary of Subroutine Calls
               Diskette copy-protected, but will self-copy
                       up to three times.  Locksmith with
                       default parameters makes good copies.
                       Each individual file is copyable to
                       any other diskette.
               $64.95

       AMW     5.5" x 8.5" booklet, plastic-comb binding
               68 page manual
               Reference folder
               Diskette not copy protected
               $49.95



The Subroutine Management System:  This is the main program for TRM and &-M, which does the work of appending your selection of machine language subroutines to an Applesoft program.  AMW has no such program, being a fixed set of subroutines which are not relocatable.

Menu Function          &-M     TRM
-----------------------------------
Add a subroutine       yes     yes
Remove a subroutine    yes     yes
Remove all subroutines  no     yes
Remove other code      N/A     yes
Save appended code     yes     yes
Load saved code        yes     yes
Report current subrs   yes     yes
Search for CALLs        no     yes
Search for &s           no     yes
Inspect A/S line        no     yes
Inspect subroutine     yes      no
Display memory map     yes     yes
Exit                   yes     yes

Restart after Exit      no     yes



Subroutines Included in Package:

                     Number of Bytes
Function               &-M     TRM     AMW
-------------------------------------------
Binary File Info       253     443      no
Delete Array            47      no     yes
Disassemble             39      no      no
Dump Variables          80      no      no
Find Substring         120     140     yes
Find Substr in Array   285     456     yes
GOTO expr               43      17     yes
GOSUB expr              35      32     yes
Hex Memory Dump         26      no      no
Input Anything          92      41     yes
Input Form Editor       no      no     yes
Screen Control          no      no     yes
Move Memory            147     248      no
Poke a List             25      no      no
Poke hex list           70      no      no
Print Hex               26      no      no
Formatted String Print 380      no      no
Formatted Number Print  no     261     yes
Print w/o word break   118     197      no
Prune String           121      no      no
Restore DATA line       23      49      no
Speed up Applesoft:
   &SPEED=SAVE          28      no      no
   &SPEED=RESTORE       15      no      no
POKE two bytes          29     150      no
PEEK two bytes          no     156      no
Swap two variables      58      58      no
Sort string array       no     250     yes
Sort any array          no      no     yes
Sort array with index   no      no     yes
Tone (pitch, duration)  no      56      no
Sound effects           no      28      no
Fix Link Fields         no      66      no
ONERR Correction        no      63      no
Print Error Message     no     150      no
Restore DATA element    no     129      no
Convert hex/dec values  no     214      no
Restore Ampersand       no      18      no
Hires ASCII shapes      no    1190      no
Turtle Graphics         no     612      no
Turtle Graphics Plus    no     988      no
Super Fast BLOAD        no     597      no
Fast general disk I/O   no      no     yes
RESET vector = normal   no      16      no
RESET vector = ONERR    no      42      no
RESET vector = RUN      no      24      no
RESET vector = re-boot  no       6      no
Free Sector Count       no     116     yes



Separate utilities on disk:

       Amper-Magic

       The Routine Machine
               Shape Table Gobbler
               Shape Table Viewer
               Binary File Copier
               Back-up Disk Copier

If you have a serious need for Amper-Magic or The Routine Machine, you might actually find it worthwile to buy both.  The price is about equivalent to an hour or two of your own time, but your are getting hundreds of hours of Peter's and Bob's time in return.  Study the code in the machine language subroutines provided with &-M and TRM, until you understand how they work.

Once you have mastered the technique of writing "run-anywhere" subroutines that interact properly with Applesoft, both &-M and TRM are equally valuable tools for managing an ever-growing library of pre-coded modules.  Your own subroutines, together with Peter's and Bob's, and all the ones you find in AAL, Nibble, Call APPLE, etc., become the "IC's" of the programmer's world.  
