Subject: GB aux. set is in use.

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 1991 11:28:19 +001

After having read posting on GB vers. BIG5, I can't help but writing
 what I learnt about GB set for traditional chars. Probably better to
 call it GB aux. set.
 I happen to have access to LianXian Han Ka system, the handling of
 traditional characters requires FANTIZI fonts. The system has a BASIC
 program to convert Jianti GB to Fanti GB file. To solve ONE to MANY
 characters problem in conversion, the BASIC search for string or phrase,
 so the wrong conversion can be kept low depending the context of the GB
 file. I counted the number of one to many character to be 119 on a
 24x24 FANTIZI font beginning at serial No. 941 and onwards. The total
 size of FANTIZI 24x24 is 588816, which means 8178 characters in all.
 It doesn't complete compatible with BYX since BYX doesn't have full
 range of GB code. Otherwise, it will be trivial to let BYX compatible
 with this GB aux set. The BYX 2.0A I bought can be redefined to reach
 those one to many characters via pinyin input method.
 The only thing I hate about LianXiang HanKa is it protects the FANTIZI
 fonts i.e 24x24 (although bitmapped format) in such a manner that it
 requires a drivers to be loaded in memory to decode the font when
 printing.
 It seems to me the soft company doesn't even want to share how the
 conversion is made. The BASIC program is saved with protect parameter P.
 To have a look at the conversion tricks, I have to look into RAM and
 hacked it out. I don't how if is illegal :++).
 I think if software is written with copy-protect nonsense, it should be
 legal to hack. +++)
 An interesting story which has nothing to do with software, but I would
 like to share with you. This country is going to add tax on empty
 cassettes and video tapes to compensate those would-be copy right holders
 for lose of pirat copying. Just image  someday the stupid politicians
 are ready to add tax on blank diskettes.