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Opus ][ updated with ORCA/C v2.2.0

Opus ][ logo

Since 2015, Juiced.GS has been privileged to partner with Mike Westerfield of The Byte Works to make available his complete collection of compilers, utilities, and programming tutorials. Opus ][: The Software includes developer tools such as ORCA/C, ORCA/Modula, GSoft BASIC, and HyperLogo, as well as end-user applications including Quick Click Calc and Quick Click Morph; while Opus ][: The Source contains the source code for everything in the Software collection.

Fast forward to KansasFest 2023, when Stephen Heumann used The Byte Works’ source code to release a new version of ORCA/C. This update fixes hundreds of bugs, improves lint checking and debugging features, and more. Heumann’s v2.2.0 is available for free in GitHub as an update package that must be applied to The Byte Works’ v2.1.0, the commercial product included in the Opus ][ set.

Now, with permission from both Heumann and Westerfield and in collaboration with David Schmidt, Opus ][ has been updated to include Heumann’s ORCA/C v2.2.0. For the first time ever, you can get the latest version of ORCA/C in one convenient collection without requiring separate updates or patches.

We’ve also taken this opportunity to update all of Opus ][‘s disk images for compatibility with modern emulators, replace a GS-20 Toolbox C.pdf file that was previously incomplete, and make other minor improvements.

The updated Opus ][ collections — featuring 35 commercial applications, 16 unreleased applications, and over a million lines of code, all of which originally sold separately for US$1,680 — are available for the same great price as always: The Software and The Source are $25 each, or $40 from both, with instantaneous download access. (CD & USB formats are also available for an additional fee.)

If you have previously purchased Opus ][ from Juiced.GS, it’s a free upgrade to get the new versions! You can find them in the downloads section of your online store account.

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The Byte Works’ Opus ][ & Juiced.GS Concentrate: GSoft BASIC now available

The Byte Works
The Byte Works

SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 — LEOMINSTER, MA — Gamebits, publisher of premier Apple II magazine Juiced.GS, is proud to announce its partnership with software developer The Byte Works to sell Opus ][: The Software and Opus ][: The Source. These products, which collect the majority of The Byte Works’ products and source code, are available immediately on CD and USB and as downloadable disk images, starting at $25 each or $40 for both.

Juiced.GS‘s collaborations with The Byte Works began when we bundled GSoft BASIC with our December 1998 issue,” said magazine editor and publisher Ken Gagne. “We’re thrilled to work with Mike Westerfield to again make his programming tools accessible to the Apple II community.”

“The ORCA languages, including the assembler and development environment Apple shipped as APW, have always been the most complete and widely used tools for Apple IIGS programming,” said Mike Westerfield, president of The Byte Works. “They have been hard to get for a few years. I’m delighted that Gamebits is making these programs easily available again.”

To commemorate this release, Gamebits has released Juiced.GS Concentrate: GSoft BASIC, a PDF that collects Eric Shepherd’s six-part programming tutorial series that was originally published in Juiced.GS from 1998 to 2000. This PDF is free when purchased with any Opus product, or it can be purchased separately, bundled with a free trial edition of GSoft BASIC, for $10.

Additionally, a related product, Juiced.GS Concentrate: Back to BASICs, has been reduced in price by 33%, from $12 to $8. A further $2 discount is applied when purchased with Juiced.GS Concentrate: GSoft BASIC.

Opus ][ logo

Juiced.GS is the longest-running and last remaining print publication dedicated to the Apple II. Subscriptions are available at $19 for United States customers, $24 for readers in Canada and Mexico, and $27 for international customers. Receive news and updates about Juiced.GS by signing up for our email list or following us on Facebook or Google+.