
...announcing the hottest IIgs product with a 1995 copyright date!
 

                         -<>-   OPENING LINE   -<>-
 
                  The premier GS/OS splash screen enhancer
 
                               by Bret Victor
 
 
Have you grown tired of turning on your Apple IIgs and seeing nothing but
a bland periwinkle blue screen with a plain window on it?  Are you annoyed
that your computer, after all you have invested in it, still has nothing
more to say to you but "Welcome to the IIgs"?  Do you wish you could impress
your IBM and Mac friends the second you turn on your computer?
 
Sure, you could download simple freeware utilities to change the splash
color or icons, but it's still the same bland screen, day after day...
 
Until now.  Now, you can turn on your computer, and a stunning 256-color
picture of your choice (or design) will fade in from the background color...
And at the top of the screen, your IIgs will present you with a randomly
chosen line of text -- a profound quotation, a cynical witticism, or whatever
you desire.  Finally, you can customize your IIgs to be exciting as soon as
you turn on the power!
 
 
I THOUGHT YOU COULDN'T -DO- THAT!  WHAT IS THIS REVOLUTIONARY PROGRAM?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Opening Line is a combination Init and START.GS.OS patch.  It takes control
even before GS/OS itself has started loading, and does three things:
 
1.  It randomly chooses a picture file and puts it on the screen.  The pictures
    are fully customizable, and can be 640-mode or 320-mode, 16-color or
    256-color, with or without a thermometer, with or without the "Welcome"
    window.  The picture files are in the standard SHR screen format (type $C1)
    so no conversion routines are necessary -- simply drop the picture into the
    System:System.Setup:OL.Pics folder!  It couldn't be easier!
 
2.  It randomly chooses a "tagline" from a file and puts it on the screen.
    Again, it is fully customizable -- the tagline file is simply a standard
    ASCII text file that you can modify or replace as you like.
 
3.  It fades all of this in smoothly from the background color.  Even this is
    customizable -- choose the fade speed that is right for you.
 
Any of the three features can be easily disabled.  For example, if you don't
want a tagline, simply delete or rename the TAGLINES file.  If you don't want a
startup picture, Opening Line will use the familiar GS/OS splash screen.  No
configuration utilities are needed.
 
 
WHAT DO I GET?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The complete Opening Line package contains the following:
 
 - The Opening Line Installer (patches the START.GS.OS file quickly and
   easily)
 
 - The Opening Line Init
 
 - Over twenty impressive sample startup pictures, in a variety of graphics
   modes, some with thermometers and some without.  Several of them are
   original designs by Bret Victor (aka SLIXTER), the renowned artist for
   PowerGS diskazine, and GEnie LiveWire IIgs artist.  Plus, you get a picture
   file that details how to create your own startup pic, including how to
   control the palettes and thermometer.
 
 - A tagline file of over 3,000 lines.  (Imagine starting up your computer
   for eight years and never seeing the same thing twice!)  These lines were
   carefully selected and edited from much larger tagline files, so only
   the quality ones remain.  (They were spell-checked, too!)
 
 - A concise, three-page printed manual.  (So as to not waste your valuable
   time with excess verbosity.)
 
Opening Line also boasts a fast speed of operation, intelligent error checking,
and an innovative custom random number routine to ensure that you get a
different tagline every time you start up GS/OS.  Opening Line is compatible
with Custom.GSOS as well, in case you are strongly attached to your old custom
icons.
 
 
ALL THIS FOR LESS THAN THE COST OF DINNER AND A MOVIE?!?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's right:  Opening Line costs only  --> twelve bucks! <--
 
Opening Line is shipping NOW.  To place your order, send your name, address and
a $12.00 check (payable to Bret Victor) to:
 
       Bret Victor
       19253 Parkview Rd.
       Castro Valley, CA  94546
 
The $12.00 includes all shipping and handling.
 
If you have any questions about Opening Line, send them to the above address,
or e-mail bret@ugcs.caltech.edu.

Apple II forever!
