The HyperCard version of First Screening

Click to download the HyperCard version of First Screening.


3.5" floppy disk on which the HyperCard
version of First Screening was distributed

By 1993, the Apple IIe and its 5.25" floppy disks were obsolete. J.B. Hohm, at that time, was a student of Fred Wah at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. With Wah's encouragement, Hohm created a HyperCard version of First Screening in 1992-93, nine years after the original 1984 publication and four years after bpNichol passed away. With Ellie Nichol's approval and the help of Dennis Johnson of Red Deer College Press and Fred Wah, this version was distributed on 3.5" floppy disk (shown above) and was sold through Red Deer College Press.

It has been a few years, however (as of this 2007 writing) since the Mac supported HyperCard. Currently, to view the HyperCard version, you need an old Mac. Alternatively, a product called Revolution, which is for sale over the Net, apparently displays old HyperCard stacks on the Mac and PC. If you are intent on viewing the HyperCard version of First Screening, do an Internet search on the matter to discover the current state of this issue which may, perhaps, change over time.

J.B. Hohm's HyperCard version kept First Screening breathing through the nineties.


Cover and back of the 3.5" floppy disk distributed with
the HyperCard version of First Screening.

J.B. Hohm on the HyperCard version

-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Hohm
Sent: January 15, 2007 7:03 PM
To: Jim Andrews; Geof Huth
Subject: Re: bp's First Screening

Hi Jim,

I found and scanned the Red Deer College cover (see above).

I was able to open the HyperCard binary (the attachment you sent me) as a text file, (see FirstScreeningHypercardText).  Between the binary dribnibs one can find much of the text displayed on the cards (typos and all), as well as the Hypertalk code [1].  HyperCard appears to store backup and deleted text in spare spaces around the binary file, because one can find various versions of the text scattered throughout.

I've extracted some of the text (including the translator's notes) from that file and put it into a smaller text file (FirstScreeningHypercardRemarks.txt).

Reading it, I now recall some of the design decisions I made were to include speed and font controls - that is I gave users the power to change fonts and display speed. (Blasphemy!)

Anyway, hope that helps,
Brian Hohm


Paper on which was printed the Installation & Operating
Instructions of the HyperCard version of First Screening.


Facing side.

 

Footnotes

[1] The Hypertalk code language is remarkably similar to old-style Director Lingo. This is no coincidence because the Lingo language of Director and its basic approach to multimedia was modelled on HyperCard. You can also see the similarities between Apple Basic and HyperCard. Interesting progresses in computer languages from Apple Basic to HyperCard to Lingo (Andrews's note).

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