CFOG's PIP, September 1986, Volume 4 No. 11, Whole No. 47, page 10
Finding CP/M Software
by Benjamin H. Cohen
There are thousands of programs available for CP/M computers. Stop in at ComputerLand or the Softwaire Center, or even C.A.S. Computers <where you can generally find a used Osborne or CP/M Kaypro or two for sale>, however, and you won't find a single program for CP/M in stock. So, a question that is often repeated by new CP/M users is "Where do I get CP/M software?" The first answer that old time CFOG members give is "Right here!" The CFOG library contains a lot of public domain software, sophisticated file management programs like Dims and Pcfile, word processors like Vde, languages like Micromumps, utilities like Nswp207, Ftnote14, and more.
But in some areas the good old public domain is just plain deficient, but there is commercial software that works. If you can't get it in local stores, there are still plenty of ways to get it. The following list isn't intended to be comprehensive, by any means, but will give you a good lead on most of what's available.
Periodicals <other than user group newsletters> that consistently carry a number of advertisements of CP/M software at this point seem to be limited to one: Profiles, published by Kaypro Corporation, is a monthly slick publication of about 76 pages, $25 for one year from Circulation Department, Box 2889, Del Mar, CA 92014. Since Kaypro now sells MS-DOS computers as well as CP/M this magazine now has coverage and advertising for both systems.
Other magazines that carry some advertising for CP/M users include Micro/Systems Journal, $21.97 a year, Box 2930, Boulder, CO 80321, a generally highly technical publication, and Micro Cornucopia <sample issue $3>, Box 223, Bend, OR 97709, 503-382-5060, also technically oriented. Both were more CP/M oriented than they are currently, but still carry occasional articles and advertisements of interest.
The two user group newsletters that seem to carry the most advertising for CP/M users are the Foghorn, from FOG, Box 3474, Daly City, CA 94015 <dues $24>, and Morrow Owners Review, from MOR, Box 5487, Berkeley, CA 94705 <6 issues, 1 year,$18>.
There are also some mail order sellers that specialize in CP/M software. Primary among these are:
Spite Software, 4875 SW 19th Drive, Portland, OR 97201, 1-503-224-0137, publishes a catalog with ads from several software sellers, not the least of them Spite Software itself. The latest one I have arrived in August and was 44 pages.
Central Computer, 800-533-8049 <800-624-5628 in CA>, recently published a 64 page catalog aimed at CP/M users. It, too, has lots of software advertised.
Sudden Products!, 3421 M St., NW, Washington, DC 20007, 202-338-9256, also has a catalog and many fine software products for CP/M users.
PeopleTalk Associates, Inc., Box 863652, Piano, TX 75086, 800-782-6657, offers software, books, and accessories.
Advent Products, Inc., 3154-F LaPalma Ave., Anaheim, CA 92806, 714-630-0446, specializes in Kaypro add-ons, but offers software from many sources as well.
PDSC <Public Domain Software Co.> offers not only public domain software disks in a multitude of formats for various operating systems and computers, but also recently acquired a good deal of Osborne software, recently advertised at bargain prices.
A number of software houses do still sell some CP/M software directly. Some advertise in the Spite Software catalog, or have their software offered by Central, Sudden, or PeopleTalk. A number of others are notable:
Anderson Techno-Products, Inc., 947 Richmond Road, Ottawa, ONT K2B 6R1, Canada, 613-722-0690, offers the Poor Man's Network, for only $69.00.
For those who have extensive indexing needs, Macrex is available from Bayside Indexing Service, 265 Arlington Avenue, Kensington, CA 94707, 415-524-4195.
Borland International, 4585 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066, sells Turbo Pascal.
Civil Computing Corporation, 2111 Research Drive, Suite 1, Livermore, CA 94550, offers PropStar, a proportional spacing program for daisy wheel printers.
Computer EdiType Systems, 509 Cathedral Parkway, Suite 10A, New York, NY 10025, 800-251-2223, offers the Magic Series, proportional spacing printing for both daisy wheel printers and the Hewlett Packard LaserJet, footnoting, sheet feeder control, columns, file merging <said to be more sophisticated that MailMerge>, auto-numbering, indexing, tables of contents, and LaserJet graphics support.
CompuView Products, Inc., 1955 Pauline Blvd., Suite 200, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, 313-996-1299, offers V-Spell, a spelling checker, Vedit, a word processor with 10 scratchpad buffers, word wrap, undo key, macros, multiple file handling, special functions for programmers in various languages, and the ability to change disks while editing.
Control C Software, Inc., 6441 SW Canyon Ct., Portland, OR 97221, 503-292-8842, offers StarJet, a printer driver for the Hewlett Packard LaserJet that produces justified proportionally spaced text and graphics. <PIP is printed with StarJet.>
C.P.I. Business Systems, 15 Regency Hills Dr., Greenville, SC 29607, 803-268-3911, offers accounting software.
Flashlite Software, Box 2179, Daly City, CA 94017, 415-994-8282, offers FlashPrint, a printing utility of great versatility, used to send needed printer codes to just about any printer.
James River Group, Inc., 125 N. First St., Minneapolis, MN 55401, 612-339-2521, offers accounting and Tman,a file management program.
Kamasoft, 2525 SW 224th Avenue, Aloha, OR 97007, 503-649-3765, orfers two outline processers, KAMAS, a complex version with a built-in programming language, and OutThink, a scaled down version for those who want the power of outline processing without the complexity of the KAMAS programming language.
NightOwl Software, Rt. 1 Box 7, Ft. Atkinson, WI, 53538, 800-648-3695 <414-563-4013 in WI>, offers commercial versions of the public domain MEX communications program that offer even more features, including terminal emulation and remote operations, allowing you to use your computer while you are away from your home base.
Commercial disk cataloging programs are available from R&L Micro Computing Services, Box 15955, Station F, Ottawa, ONT, K2C 3S8, Canada, 613-225-7904 <Bobcat> and Mendocino Software Co., Box 1564, Willits, CA 65490, 707-459-9130 <Eureka!>.
Software Toolworks, 14475 Glorietta Dr., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423, 800-223-8665 <800-228-8665 in CA> has a catalog with a large number of offerings from the classic $49.95 Spell to games, compilers, etc.
Bruce Tonkin's T.N.T. Software, 34069 Hainesville Rd., Round Lake, IL 60073, offers a number of CP/M items, some of which are software placed in the public domain by Bruce, but for which the manuals need to be purchased from Bruce <all at modest prices>.
Workman & Associates, 1925 E. Mountain St., Pasadena, CA 91104, 818-791-7979, offers Jerry Pournelle's favorite word processor, the Writer's Really Incredible Text Editor <WRITE>, with proportional spacing and LaserJet support, for $99.95, and FTL Modula-II compiler with split-screen editor.
Last -- but hardly least -- NewStar Software Corp., 3351 Vincent Road, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, 800-932-2526 <415-932-2278 in CA>, offers NewWord, a Wordstar "clone". The last price I have is $125, bundled with The Word Plus spelling checker. NewWord is what WordStar ought to be, lots of features that WordStar doesn't have <and probably never will>, including support for many newer printers, the Hewlett Packard LaserJet among them, including LaserJet proportional spacing, but not justified proportional spacing. If you don't have WordStar, get NewWord. If you have WordStar 2.26 and want column block movements, get NewWord. If you simply want to be able to undelete that last block that you sent to word proccssing heaven by mistake, get NewWord. <See the "Newest Word on NewWord", elsewhere in this issue of PIP, for an update on NewWord.>
I've deliberately omitted some important CP/M software sources, Spectre Technologies <Presto!, Media Master, Twist and Shout>, Xpert Software <XtraKey, Side2>, CDE Software <Checks & Balances>, Software Research Technologies <SmartKey, SmartPrint>, Echelon <Z-System>, Techware <foreign language word processing with WordStar>, Edu-Kids <educational software>, Somogyi Software <Push 'n' Pull outline processor>, and Poor Person Software <Write-Hand-Man desk accessories>, because they advertise in the Spite catalog or their products are offered there or by Central Computer or Sudden Products! There are others mentioned in the magazines and newsletters mentioned in this article.
Be sure to check back issues of PIP, too, as some software items have been mentioned from time to time that aren't mentioned here.
If you need a program to perform a specific task, check with other CFOG members to see what they recommend -- a question on the RCPM, at a meeting, or by mail to PIP's Editor, Box 1674, Chicago 60690, may yield not only the name of a source, but also a recommendation on which of several alternatives to pick.
At one time Spite Software offered to attempt to find software for those who couldn't locate what they wanted in the catalog. You might try calling them to see if they are still providing that service.
After this article was composed, I received in the mail a letter from Software Dynamics, 217 East 85th Street, New York 10028, 212-988-2146. They offer about 100 CP/M programs in over 80 different formats. They list accounting, database, engineering, financial and business, graphics, games, languages, programming tools, spreadsheets and statists, system tools, telecommunications, and word processing and editing software, including WordStar and MailMerge. They offer 'full technical support' and to find software for specific applications not listed. A catalog <not seen by me> with 'in depth comprehensive descriptions' of the 100+ programs is $7.50.
If all else fails, Encyclopedia Publishing Corp., 950 Hampshire Rd #108, Westlake Village, CA 91361, 805-497-8002, at one time offered The Encyclopedia of CP/M-80 Software, said to be comprehensive, at $129 for four quarterly issues. Check out your local public library.
Suggestions for a supplement to this article are solicited and will be accumulated and published in the near future. We'll also add this to the new member disk.