Here are several of the most commonly asked questions about MacFORTH: How is MacFORTH different than BASIC and PASCAL? MacFORTH is faster. Programs written in MacFORTH run many times faster than BASIC and PASCAL. MacFORTH is more compact, making better use of the Macintosh's memory, especially 128K Macs. Finally, MacFORTH is more powerful. MacFORTH puts the full power of the Macintosh into your hands. I've never programmed before. Is MacFORTH hard to learn? MacFORTH is easy to learn. An "on disk" tutorial is provided to teach you the fundamentals of MacFORTH. The manual walks you through several simple examples. Typically, a beginner is writing his first program in the first hour. Several MacFORTH educational games in the public domain were written by beginners. What if I get stuck? How can I get help? A MacFORTH hot-line is available every day from 1 to 3 EST. If you get stuck, you can call up and talk to the experts. They are friendly and very interested in your learning MacFORTH easily. CSI does not charge a fee for hot line calls, and there is no limit to the number of calls you may make. Also you can ask questions on this net. Are there many MacFORTH programs in the public domain? Yes. Most major Macintosh users' groups have a MacFORTH subgroup that keeps track of all the public domain MacFORTH programs. In addition, you can contact the National MacFORTH Users' Group (NMFUG) for disks containing public domain software. You'll find every thing from games to mathematical simulations to business programs to music programs to educational... Macntalk routines, Appletalk routines... Take at look at DL5. Contact: NMFUG 3081 Westville Station New Haven, CT 06515 Are many commercical software packages written in MacFORTH? Yes. Easy-3D by Enabling Technologies, Total Music by Southworth Music Systems, MacLabler by Ideaform, Back to Basics Accounting published by Peachtree, Quartet published by HSI, ChipWits published by Brainworks, Cyborg published by Broderbund, Magic Slate published by Devionics, and more every day. Commercial developers appreciate the level of support CSI provides. How is MacFORTH better than 'C'? MacFORTH is interactive. In 'C' and other languages of its type, you spend a tremendous amount of your valuable time waiting for compiles. In MacFORTH you can experiment freely, try out hunches, test your ideas, and in short use the computer to help you write your program. Also, with 'C', you must spend alot of time pouring over Inside Macintosh to figure how to do the same things that MacFORTH does for you automatically. What is the difference between MacFORTH Level 1 and MacFORTH Level 2? MacFORTH Level 1 is especially for beginners who are exploring the Macintosh. You can write programs that have windows, menu bars, and very sophisticated graphics. MacFORTH Level 2 is for professionals who are using MacFORTH in their work. Level 2 includes a complete in-line assembler, floating point routines, and advanced Macintosh programming tools that allow you to use "controls" (like the scroll bar in MacWrite), "text edit records", and much more. Can I upgrade to Level 2 from Level 1? Yes. You may upgrade to Level 2 for the difference in list price between Level 1 and 2. You can also upgrade to Level 3. Contact CSI for details. How can I get in touch with other MacFORTH enthusaists? This forum on CompuServe. You can ask questions and get help from the old pros. And you can take part in the program exchange. At any given time are more than 100 programs are available for "downloading". If you do not have access to CompuServe, many of the same programs are available via the National MacFORTH Users' Group. Who invented MacFORTH? Don Colburn, the founder of CSI, and his brother Dave Colburn, created MacFORTH. CSI has had many years of experience with the 68000 (the microprocessor in the Macintosh). CSI is also developing Multi-FORTH for the Amiga and Atari ST. What if I want to write a program to sell commercially? We recommend that you write it first using MacFORTH Level 2. Then, you can upgrade to the MacFORTH Developer's Kit which has all you need to converts your MacFORTH program to a stand-alone "clickable" program which you may distribute in any way that you like. The Developer's Kit includes lots of utilities and information especially for Macintosh developers, and is available directly through CSI. Where can I buy MacForth? Computer stores, Mac oriented mail order (like MacConnection), and directly from CSI (301 984-0262). Upgrades between levels are only available from CSI. Does CSI have any other products? We currently have Multi-Forth for the HP Series 200/300 computer, StudioMac, a music expansion kit for your Mac that includes a Casio CZ-101 synthesizer (source code is available), and Race Car Simulator, a race car game and construction kit for your Mac. Coming soon is Multi-Forth for Amiga and Atari ST.