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Info-Atari16 Digest Vol. 90 Issue 074
=========================================================================
INFO-ATARI16 Digest Sat, 20 Jan 90 Volume 90 : Issue 74
Today's Topics:
Advertising in general
Atari STE :Need More Info Please
Chaos Strikes Back (CSB)
Discussion of poolfix3 -- why 3?
dissassembly
EPROM Burners
Facts, not only talking a
HAPPY NEW YEAR, ALL! (2 msgs)
HD... is it there or not?
reserving memory
Technical Documentation (
Upbeat note on Atari Cana
Who (where) is "ST Plus"?
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Date: 20 Jan 90 01:20:48 GMT
From: pepper!cmcmanis@sun.com (Chuck McManis)
Subject: Advertising in general
Message-ID: <130508@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Several comments here have said "See, the Amiga advertising this christmas
was a flop." And yet they don't characterize what a "success" is so it is
impossible to tell what they mean.
In order to determine success or failure one has to look at goals, some
hypothetical goals and their results :
1) Generate larger christmas sales.
- Overall the results of the advertisement campaign seems to be
and increase in the number of sales but not markedly so.
2) Generate name recognition
- Generally the campaign was very successful at this, many
people who might not have originally known what an Amiga
is do now. Many people I know who knew I have an Amiga but
didn't know what it was before have since asked me for
more information about it.
3) Educate the population to the availability of good software.
- Not as successful at this, although some of the "that is a
game machine" image was dispelled.
4) Give curious people information on the nearest dealer.
- Pretty successful, the 800 number was well run and that
seems to have generated some foot traffic in various
places.
Overall, it is a good start at taking a machine with zero or negative
recognition and putting it into the accepted computer option category.
Even the press is now quoting things like "... personal computers such
as those produced by Apple, IBM, and Commodore." Instead of thinking of
advertising as a cure think of it as a push on a very massive object.
Each time you do it it helps move that massive object a little bit in
the direction you want to go. Stop pushing and you are at the mercy of
the other folks pushing on it (in this case IBM and Apple). A steady
program of education and advertising will have an effect 3 to 6 months
down the road, not immediately. You only get "immediate" results when
the market is new and relatively light weight.
--Chuck McManis
uucp: ?anywhere?!sun!cmcmanis BIX: cmcmanis ARPAnet: cmcmanis@Eng.Sun.COM
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.
"If it didn't have bones in it, it wouldn't be crunchy now would it?!"
------------------------------
Date: 20 Jan 90 06:04:11 GMT
From: cunixc!cunixd.cc.columbia.edu!ia4@columbia.edu (Imran Anwar)
Subject: Atari STE :Need More Info Please
Message-ID: <2657@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu>
I am sure there have been many postings giving details and tech.specs of the
Atari STE machines but I seem to have missed them. If someone has a summary
they could email I would appreciate it.
I would appreciate info on machine capabilities/price n availability.
Regards
Imran Anwar
------------------------------
Date: 31 Dec 89 10:08:00 GMT
From:
sun-barr!cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!masnet
!canremote!allan.wong@apple.com (ALLAN WONG)
Subject: Chaos Strikes Back (CSB)
Message-ID: <90011904271566@masnet.uucp>
I'm Not sure the disappering fireballs is a bug. I think the monsters
are fire-resistant and just absorb it.
Same thing with the Knights. Sometimes the fireball bounces off and hits
you back!!
---
? Via ProDoor 3.2aR
------------------------------
Date: 19 Jan 90 23:52:48 GMT
From: imagen!atari!apratt@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Allan Pratt)
Subject: Discussion of poolfix3 -- why 3?
Message-ID: <1984@atari.UUCP>
I suppose you're wondering why POOLFIX3.PRG (posted under separate
cover) is number 3.
It's my fault. It hasn't been my week.
I created the fix and posted it, but it was busted. I fixed it, and
then busted it again. After each go-around, I posted the "fix" to
Usenet, GEnie, and CompUServe. Boy, when I want to make a fool of
myself, I don't do it in a small way.
But hey -- if Lexus can recall all their cars, and AT&T can go off the
air for nine hours, I can mess up once (or twice) in my life, right? I
know what this must do to my credibility, and I really am sorry it
happened. I hope that this will not discourage people from actually
USING poolfix now that it's available. The trouble, in each case, was
in the installation part of the program, not the part which actually
fixes the bug. The meat of the patch is robust (knock wood!).
So there you have it: my humble apology for the false alarms, and now
the fix itself. Use it in good health.
============================================
Opinions expressed above do not necessarily -- Allan Pratt, Atari Corp.
reflect those of Atari Corp. or anyone else. ...ames!atari!apratt
------------------------------
Date: 19 Jan 90 22:45:32 GMT
From: pyramid!athertn!alex@hplabs.hpl.hp.com (Alex Leavens)
Subject: dissassembly
Message-ID: <16869@laurel.athertn.Atherton.COM>
Howard Johnson writes:
>I found in MWC , using TOS 1.4 that there are still only a small finite
>number of Malloc calls allowed (20 min, 32 max).
>What MWC did is make the clicksize, that is the size asked for from Malloc
>user adjustable.
>When I ported STEVIE to the ST, I first find out how large the file is,
>and set the clicksize to about 1/16 of that size. Then malloc()
>calls Malloc only about 16 times. Works great.
Ok, so how do you set the clicksize???
--
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--alex | alex@Atherton.COM | Caution! Falling Opinions, next 6 miles |
| Now who are you gonna believe--me, or your own lyin' eyes? |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
------------------------------
Date: 20 Jan 90 11:26:24 GMT
From: nis!pwcs!stag!daemon@UMN-CS.CS.UMN.EDU (Kent Schumacher)
Subject: EPROM Burners
Message-ID: <1990Jan20.112624.3109@stag.UUCP>
[FCTY7284@RYERSON.BITNET ("Hiscocks, Peter") writes...]
> Anyone know of a good, inexpensive EPROM burner for the ST? I bought one for
> an (dare I say it here) IBM clone, was about $130, and it did very well for
> what I need. Unfortunately, the IBM emulators have no provision for plug in
> cards, sooo it looks like we have to buy a serial burner or something special
> for the ST. Now, serial EPROM burners generally come in at the price of a
> vanilla XT clone here in Toronto, so it would be possible to buy one of those
> and plug in the existing burner, but I get this terrible queasy feeling every
> time I start to use DOS. Hmmm, maybe I should adapt the one I use on my PET,
> the one that only burns 2516's and 2732's....
> Any ideas, folks?
> Thanks.
> Peter
I seem to remember that Michtron marketed an Eprom burner for the ST.
Unfortunately this was before I was interested in the topic, so I didn't
pay much attention to it.
- Kent Schumacher It's...
ardvar!krs@stag.UUCP
GEnie: K.SCHUMACHE1
------------------------------
Date: 5 Jan 90 08:33:00 GMT
From:
samsung!cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!masnet!
canremote!ron.sharp@think.com (RON SHARP)
Subject: Facts, not only talking a
Message-ID: <90011904271742@masnet.uucp>
Phoowie! The only way I can get simple information on memory locations
is to become a developer, because anyone else who has the info isn't
allowed to tell me.
So I can spend $300 U.S. on a giant stack of poorly organized ... stuff.
And after spending that, maybe I can write some software in my spare
time (I develop software for the PC at my job) that will garner a few
bucks, so long as Atari doesn't go down the tubes in the next year.
Forget it! I'm spending my spare time developing for the PC. My
development tools are much better, and I don't have to pay $300 to be
let into the boys' club, and be told the secrets -- which I have to
promise not to tell anyone not in the club. I really do hope that Atari
smartens up, and creates a new support class short of developer. (A
CHEAPER class -- I don't plan to spend $300 on photocopies.)
Flame off!
---
? QNet 2.02: The Crystal Palace * NorthAmeriNet * Toronto (416) 925-5742 *
------------------------------
Date: 2 Jan 90 20:50:00 GMT
From:
swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!masnet!
canremote!christian.dupuis@ucsd.edu (CHRISTIAN DUPUIS)
Subject: HAPPY NEW YEAR, ALL!
Message-ID: <90011904271676@masnet.uucp>
I replied the same to you on the IBM conf...
Hopefully, 1990 will bring me an STE... So I can have something else to
"ooh, and aaaahhh" on my desk beside my Amiga (groan!)
I like my old ST, however, I'm looking forward to the STE... Upgraded
to 4 megs, bien sur!
Cheers, western lass! (yup, Manitoba is west of here, last time I
checked it still was, anyway!)
---
* Via Qwikmail 2.01 PC users do it better!!! From Longueuil, QC
------------------------------
Date: 4 Jan 90 01:22:00 GMT
From:
samsung!cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!masnet!
canremote!sylvia.jumaga@think.com (SYLVIA JUMAGA)
Subject: HAPPY NEW YEAR, ALL!
Message-ID: <90011904271714@masnet.uucp>
Hi, Christian!!!
CP>Hopefully, 1990 will bring me an STE... So I can have something
>else to "ooh, and aaaahhh" on my desk
An STE sure would be GREAT!!! Are the STE's 'all-in-one' like
the 520STfm's are, or do they have the CPU separate from the
keyboard?
Unfortunately, an STE is FAR into the future for me... I still have
to get a color monitor for this 520STfm of mine! But first I
have to replace the drive...I've been told that it has one year to
live, and that I will start having troubles reading the higher
numbered tracks soon...oh great!
CP>beside my Amiga (groan!)
What model of Amiga do you have? I'm a true Atarian, and do take
the occasional pot shot at Amigas, but I do like them actually.
The reason I get against them is because most of the Amiga owners
in Brandon have the attitude of "My Amiga kicks your Atari's
butt and your Atari has the chips of a Vic-20 and your Atari can't
do anything...etc."
CP>I like my old ST, however, I'm looking forward to the STE...
>Upgraded to 4 megs, bien sur!
The STE's run all old ST software, hmmm? How much are the STE's
going for these days? Maybe sometime in the future...
CP>Cheers, western lass! (yup, Manitoba is west of here, last time I
>checked it still was, anyway!)
<GRIN> Take care, eastern garcon!
HEY, by the way, is there anyway to send accents with an ST with
FLASH v1.6 software?
Thanx,
* * * ____
* * * /___ / / / / / The Computer Matrix
** * ** ____/ /_/ /__ \/ Ace I / Ace II / Nick
** * ** __/
* QNet 1.03a2: Bert's Bulletin Board. Brandon, Man. Can. (204)763-4684
------------------------------
Date: 20 Jan 90 05:25:13 GMT
From: milton!blake!ramsiri@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Enartloc Nhoj)
Subject: HD... is it there or not?
Message-ID: <5394@blake.acs.washington.edu>
In article <7457@chaph.usc.edu> baffoni@aludra.usc.edu (Juxtaposer) writes:
>
> HELP!
>
> I am building a drive for my ST: I am using an old xt case w/ 63 wattt
>power supply, Quantum Prodrive80, and an ICD host controller. I have assembled
>the unit; the drive powers up and the ICD format software boots the clock info
>from the host controller. The problem is, when the software scans for a SCSI
>device (the Quantum has an imbedded SCSI controller), it cannot find any SCSI
>devices. I know the drive works because I had a friend format it on a MacII
>and run a surface scan (and found NO errors). Can anyone think of a reasonable
>reason why the drive should not respond?
>
> By the way, it DOES have the chip fix installed.
Make sure your
ribbon cable is connected. I
had the same problem a few weeks ago when
i got my QUantum back for the chip fix..
i opened my case and shoved the ribbon cable
in tighter... and all was fine.
-kevin
ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu
------------------------------
Date: 19 Jan 90 18:37:06 GMT
From: imagen!atari!mui@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Derek Mui)
Subject: reserving memory
Message-ID: <1979@atari.UUCP>
in article <11830071@hpldola.HP.COM>, jg@hpldola.HP.COM (Joe Gilray) says:
>
>
> I'm using MWC v3, when I malloc() all of the available memory my program
> recovers. But now when it calls fsel_input() to allow the user to save
> his or her data an alert box is displayed which says something like
> "system does not have enough memory for directory". How can I ensure
> that malloc() always leaves the system with "enough memory" to display
> the fsel_input() dialog box?
>
> Also if there is such a technique, what is a good amount of memory
> to reserve?
>
> Thank you for any help!
>
> -Joe Gilray
The fsel_input() needs a minimum of 3K of memory in order for
it to come up. The more the files in the directories, the more the
memory that it needs to allocate.
I don't exactly know what MWC v3 does with its malloc().
==================================================================
Derek Mui, Atari Corp, 1196 Borregas Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
UUCP: ?..ames!atari!mui?
FAX: 408-745-5179
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are my own and they may be
hazardous to your mind.
==================================================================
------------------------------
Date: 5 Jan 90 08:33:00 GMT
From:
usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utg
pu!utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!masnet!canremote!ron.sharp@apple.com (RON SHARP)
Subject: Technical Documentation (
Message-ID: <90011904271796@masnet.uucp>
Smile when you say "amateur programmer". Sure, I don't get paid for
what I do on the Atari ST in my spare time. However, I do get paid for
developing software on the PC during the daytime. A lot of people fit
that category.
Let's face it, most of the companies developing software professionally
in the the Atari market just aren't very large. There are probably a
number of programmers who would like to develop software in the their
spare time, and turn it into a business later -- one just as large as
any currently supporting the ST. (Sure, most of them are dreaming, but
a number of companies have been started by boot-straping.)
A part time developer has a choise: develop on a machine which has all
the information available for $30 at any computer book store, or $300
for a stack of photocopies from Atari.
---
? QNet 2.02: The Crystal Palace * NorthAmeriNet * Toronto (416) 925-5742 *
------------------------------
Date: 6 Jan 90 17:42:00 GMT
From:
samsung!cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!masnet!
canremote!calvin.bruner@think.com (CALVIN BRUNER)
Subject: Upbeat note on Atari Cana
Message-ID: <90011904271818@masnet.uucp>
I agree......the STE seems to be selling like hotcakes! My dealer tells
me about half of the purchasers are new Atari owners too, which is nice
to hear...we need some new Atari users!! There doesn't seem to be a
shortage of STE, although there is certainly no abundance either! My
dealer has in fact, just been sold out of them at three of their four
stores! Now what I want to see is how the TT will do!
.......Cal
---
* Via ProDoor 3.1R
------------------------------
Date: 20 Jan 90 02:09:25 GMT
From: unisoft!bdt!david@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (David Beckemeyer)
Subject: Who (where) is "ST Plus"?
Message-ID: <881@bdt.UUCP>
ST-Plus is Zepher is Microworld in Berkeley. Bill stits there
with three phones in his hand at once, switching "hats" (companies)
as he talks to the different people.
No comment.
--
David Beckemeyer (david@bdt.UUCP) | "I'll forgive you Dad... If you have
Beckemeyer Development Tools | a breath mint."
P.O. Box 21575, Oakland, CA 94620 | Bart - "The Simpsons"
UUCP: ?uunet,ucbvax?!unisoft!bdt!david |
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End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 Issue #74
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