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Info-Atari16 Digest Vol. 92 Issue 001
Info-Atari16 Digest Thu, 2 Jan 92 Volume 92 : Issue 1
Today's Topics:
512 color games? Any out there?
Atari Portfolio archive at umich up to date
Atari TTM195 Monitor
AUTO Folder Programs -- How do they replace system functions? (2 msgs)
Calamus/PostScript
Chaos S. B. Help
Emacs and big files.
HELP!!! I need an ATARI 800 keyboard... PLEASE!
High Density Drive via ATSpeed
History of Atari
IBM software emulator
Rom-moth?
Sozobon 2.0 and 8bit chars (2 msgs)
tc-power help
Turbo ST 1.84
VME and expansions
Wanted: PC-Ditto ][
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 1 Jan 92 11:16:48 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!yale.edu!spool.
mu.edu!agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!wsu-cs!vela!swood@arizona.edu ( EVENSONG)
Subject: 512 color games? Any out there?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Are there any games in the world of the STe and Rainbow TOS that use the
good resolution 512 color pictures that the spectrum graphics do?
would appreciate any replies...
thanks
swood
--
---- Insert favorite .signature here ---- | swood@argo.acs.oakland.edu
| swood@vela.acs.oakland.edu
Bitnet: swood@Oakland | swood@unix.secs.oakland.edu
UUCP: ...!uunet!umich!{vela, argo, unix, nucleus}!swood
------------------------------
Date: 31 Dec 91 20:31:44 GMT
From:
netnews.upenn.edu!msuinfo!sharkey!umich!terminator!terminator.cc.umich.edu!swoo
d@rutgers.rutgers.edu (Scott Wood)
Subject: Atari Portfolio archive at umich up to date
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Well, I have been real busy with non-archive concerns as well as plagued
with tons and tons of problems that have made it hard for me to do anything
but paltry updating on the boondoggle of incoming files at the portfolio
archive. But I just spent my New Years Eve working away into the wee hours
of New Years Day updating the whole shabang.
I have changed the format of the majority of the files over to .lzh as this
is the smallest compression type I could find and it seems to be resonably
well supported, even though there are a few problems with compatibility
between some versions. If this causes problems for anyone, let me know,
as I have considered converting the whole thing (yes once again) over to
zoo as it is almost as small, but a bit more supported. The only reason
I haven't yet, is that I have not found a zoo archiver for the portfolio.
Another thing. As you are looking through the archive, if you come accrossed
any files (.lzh) that have real messy filenames, please let me know. Seems
that weiner's version of lharc likes to garble file names beyond all
recognition upon compression into the archive. I think that I got to most of
the ones that I did it to, but there might be a few that I missed.
Lastly, I accidentally deleted a few files in the process of shuffling things
around, and I managed to recover all of them but one. If the person that
sent me the copy of ptetris could please send me the copy of the file again,
it would be greatly appreciated.
Otherwise, feel free to send more files. Now that I am once again up to date,
I should be able to keep up with them faster. And feel free to forward any
questions my way. If I can't answer them, I should be able to find someone
who can.
swood
------------------------------
Date: 1 Jan 92 14:50:28 GMT
From:
noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!yale.edu!think.com!spool.mu.edu!agat
e!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!cleveland.Freenet.Edu!aa399@arizona.edu (Len Stys)
Subject: Atari TTM195 Monitor
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Can someone tell me what TT color monitor handles the ST modes
and the new TT color modes? These resolution include:
320x200 16 colors
640x200 4 colors
640x400 2 colors
640x480 16 colors
And maybe 320x480
I'm not too familiar with the TT/030 since there aren't that many
in the U.S. yet.
Also, are these monitors capable of anything above these resolutions.
The 1280x960 resolution requires the TTM194 or I guess the new one--TTM195.
And how much do each of these monitors cost around (U.S. money)? Thanks.
.
--
------------------------------
Date: 1 Jan 92 04:24:40 GMT
From:
noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!yale.edu!think.com!mips!atha!aunro!e
rsys!mforget@arizona.edu (Michel Forget)
Subject: AUTO Folder Programs -- How do they replace system functions?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
For a long time, I've been wanting to replace one of the ST functions
with one of my own. For example, a critical error handler that tells you
what the error is in words, and what might have caused the problem. Or
I'd like to be able to press a key from the desktop and run a program.
Or even just make the screen invert colors after a period of mouse
inactivity. The point is that the method of doing this escapes me. The
screen inverter could be done with an accessory, but that would waste a
slot. I suppose a practical example might be this:
When the user presses TAB from a GEM program, an alert appears telling
the total ammount of free memory available. Again, this could be done
using an accessory, but it shouldn't have to be. I've seen all kinds of
programs that install themselves in the AUTO folder and activate
themselves when a key is pressed.
Does anyone know how I could do this? I use Personal Pascal mainly for
programming, but I also have access to Sozobon C and Modula-2. Or even
assemmbly, although I can't write anything in assemmbly. The assembler
is the german Shareware one recently released.
<< ------------------------------------------ >>
<< mforget@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca >>
<< ersys!mforget@nro.cs.athabascau.ca >>
<< Michel Forget >>
<< "Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, >>
<< for they are not happy campers!" - UNKNOWN >>
<< ------------------------------------------ >>
------------------------------
Date: 2 Jan 92 17:48:23 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!news-server.csri
.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!ccu.umanitoba.ca!bison!sys6626!marco@arizona.e
du (Marco)
Subject: AUTO Folder Programs -- How do they replace system functions?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
mforget@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Michel Forget) writes:
> When the user presses TAB from a GEM program, an alert appears telling
> the total ammount of free memory available. Again, this could be done
> using an accessory, but it shouldn't have to be. I've seen all kinds of
> programs that install themselves in the AUTO folder and activate
> themselves when a key is pressed.
Well, as you say you could use evnt_keybd() to do this from an ACC. To do
this from an AUTO program, would, I beleive require you to intercept the
TAB keypress.This would prevent the TAB from getting to the GEM program
which you said we were running. I think the best way is to have it as an
ACC and then evnt_keybd() (or evnt_multi()) for something such as
alt-TAB, this way, because no program I no of uses alt-TAB you don't have
to worry about interceppting it...
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
| John Perry*Voice (204)783-0812*Internet marco@sys6626.bison.mb.ca |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
------------------------------
Date: 1 Jan 92 17:45:24 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!umn.edu!cs.umn.edu!thelake
!steve@arizona.edu (Steve Yelvington)
Subject: Calamus/PostScript
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
[In article <1992Jan01.020044.7773@demon.co.uk>,
ksommerville@cix.compulink.co.uk (Keith Sommerville) writes ... ]
> Can anyone explain why Pagestream is SOOOOOOO SLOOOOOOOW. Its not as if it
doe-
> s anything radicly different from Calamus oes
> anything radically different from all the other DTP packages, so why does it
l-
> oload and run so slowly?
This (and the other recent DTP discussion) is not a proper question for
the .tech newsgroup, so I've crossposted this answer to comp.sys.atari.st
and ask that any further discussion take place there.
I don't regard PageStream as ``SOOOOOOO SLOOOOOOOW'' in comparison to
similar PostScript-capable programs running on other comparable machines.
In fact, if you'll go spend some time playing with PageMaker on a PC
running Windows with anything less than a '386-16, you'll come to regard
PageStream a a real piece of greased lightning. You'll also come to regard
PageStream as a very capable, very stable program that need not be
embarrassed in any crowd.
Calamus is a very different animal. It uses a single proprietary imaging
method to generate screen and output images. This is much simpler than
having to support several different output methods, as does PageStream.
The program's internal data representation can be more closely matched
to the standardized output. The result is that Calamus can generate
pages faster than PageStream -- in fact, faster than any other publishing
program I've seen on any computer -- but it comes at a cost, which is
the well-known and oft-lamented inability of Calamus to drive industry-
standard PostScript devices.
Issue #9153 of Z*Net, one of the weekly online Atari magazines, has an
excerpt from the Seybold Report on Desktop Publishing that is worth reading
if you're interested in desktop publishing on Atari hardware. The file
can be obtained from atari.archive.umich.edu.
--
Steve Yelvington, Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota <steve@thelake.mn.org>
Land of lutefisk, ice castles and jumper cables
------------------------------
Date: 2 Jan 92 02:18:26 GMT
From:
noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!yale.edu!think.com!spool.mu.edu!agat
e!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU!malgudi.oar.net!yfn.ysu.edu!ysub!cmuvm
.csv.cmich.edu!34zdfys
Subject: Chaos S. B. Help
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Hi there. I've been playing CSB all break now and have run into a
slight impass. I'm on the level with the flying serpents (Dain).
Anyhow, I've opened up the secret doors, found the gate by the
vorpial blade (by placing an object in the alcove, I opened up
the wall) and have found the door which needs a winged key.
Now for my problems:
1) How do I get the key in the middle alcove? (I'm in the
room with the map which describes the doors each of the
buttons a, b, and c open)?
2) What type of key do I need to open up the door in the
Cistern? I had some gold keys but I've long since lost
them.
3) Same question for the gate by the vorpial blade.
4) I've gotten to the Dragon den and back (alive after 2 nights
of frustrated reloading of past saved games). I was wondering
where I can find the 'power tower' I need to show to they eye?
5) I've been through 'Fighters Charge' in the DDD room. How
do I follow the way of the Wizard?
(i.e. how do I get past those damn pits to see what else is
on that level?)
6) I've gotten 3 different 'gem' keys, Saphire, emerald, turquois.
I assume that the key in the flying serpent room is another
gem which I'll have to use someplace else. What are they used
for? (o.k. I know I'm getting ahead of myself here, but
school starts in another week, and I don't want to spend ALL
of my time playing games ;)
7) Are there any help files/maps available? If so, could someone
please send me locations (ftp sites) and instructions for dl-ing
them?
8) Last question!!! I've gotten an encoded scroll. Does the
code mean anything, or can I stop trying to figure it out?
Boy, this list got long in a hurry. Any help would be most appreciated.
Thanx in advance
bob
------------------------------
Date: 2 Jan 92 16:03:15 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!linac!att!news.cs.
indiana.edu!pwp%iuvax.cs.indiana.edu@arizona.edu (Paul Purdom)
Subject: Emacs and big files.
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Can someone recommend a version of emacs that works reliably with big
files on the ST? For my application the bigger the file that can be
handled the better (up to 3 Meg.) but I am interested in hearing
from anyone that has found a version of emacs to be reliable with
any file size above 32K.
------------------------------
Date: 1 Jan 92 21:31:12 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!wupost!darwin.sura.net!udel!gatech!nntp.msstat
e.edu!Ra.MsState.Edu!jdz1@arizona.edu (John D. Zitterkopf)
Subject: HELP!!! I need an ATARI 800 keyboard... PLEASE!
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Hi friends,
I _REALLY_ need your help!!! One of my mothers TEN cat
has managed to render my Atari 800 in-operable. Some of my
keys don't work correctly on my poor, poor machine. As you
know it's almost impossible to communicate with a computer
without a fully working keyboard 8-(. The deal is that the
cat pissed on the computer and I belive it has success fully
ruined the keyboard. It might be too much corrosion in the
keyboard section of the main board.
Well, I am hoping that someone out there has pieces and
parts of one of these machines out there and they just want
to get rid of it. Of course I'll pay shipping and a little
more if you really need it! I'm also looking for schematics
on this Atari. Maybe someone out there has an Atari 8-bit
packed away somewhere like the attic, and they wouldn't miss
it! I belive you get the general Idea, so I'll close with
that thought. PLEASE E-Mail me _ANY_ responses!!!
--John Zitterkopf
EE major at Mississippi State University
jdz1@ra.msstate.edu
------------------------------
Date: 2 Jan 92 15:34:46 GMT
From: psinntp!rodan.acs.syr.edu!ggreenbe@uunet.uu.net (Gerald Greenberg)
Subject: High Density Drive via ATSpeed
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
I recently asked whether ATSpeed would support a 1.4 meg
floppy on an ST. The answer seems to be yes, if you have a
controller for the ST that will handle a 1.4 meg floppy...But
what about a high density 5.25" floppy? Can ATSpeed handle
one of those drives (1.2 meg) without any hardware
modifications to the ST?
Thanks for any info.
--Gerry
ggreenbe@rodan.acs.syr.edu
------------------------------
Date: 2 Jan 92 05:36:16 GMT
From: mcsun!unido!uniol!hb.maus.de!s2.maus.de!Uwe_Poliak@uunet.uu.net (Uwe
Poliak)
Subject: History of Atari
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Hello Jim,
t>To wit: what differentiates the STfm and the STe from the straight ST? How
t>are
t>the Megas different (as well as Mega STe)?
STFm <-> ST:
The STFm has a TV-modulator on board.
MEGA STE <-> TT:
The MSTE has no SCSI-Port, the TT has one.
MEGA STE <-> ST:
16MHz-68000-processor (switchable to 8MHz) , 16kB-Cache-Memory,
external 16-bit-, internal 32-bit-Bus, 24-bits adressable,
floating-point-processor-socket (68881/2)
2/4 MB RAM, 256 kB internal ROM, 128 kB external ROM using the ROM-Port,
TT-Desktop (TOS 2.05?)
Blitter-Graphics-Chip,
Resolutions: 640 * 400 -> monochrome
640 * 200 -> 4 colors +
320 * 200 -> 16 colors +-- out of 4096 colors
integrated Harddisc,
Stereo-DMA-Sound for digitized music,
Genlock-connenctor, DMA/LAN-Port,
Stereo OUT-Connector,
2 serial ports,
TV/Video-modulator,
VME-Port
MEGA ST <-> ST:
Slot for System-Bus - all processor signals are connected here
new housing
May be there are some more differences...
t>commercial arcade games before his home machines? What are the significant
t>featuers of the XE/XL 8-bit machines?
~~~~~~~~
64 kB RAM, ROM-Slot for 16/32 (?)kB-EPROMs
16 colors out of 256
XE<->XL:
XE: 128 kB, XL: 64kB (?)
I hope, I've helped you a bit.
Bye, -up-
------------------------------
Date: 2 Jan 92 17:11:51 GMT
From: coplex!disk!unknown@uunet.uu.net (unknown)
Subject: IBM software emulator
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Hmm, I've a few questions about IBM emulation:
Why not just make a program that converts an IBM program to an ST runnable
one? I'm not really concerned with graphical programs, just basic IBM
compat. ones.. Wouldn't it be possible to load the program into memory
and spend a few minutes to convert it? Then you could have a somewhat
faster application, and it could be used without loading a special emu.
If the problem is a legal one, is there any documentation on how to make
one of these types of programs? Or are there any "underground" versions
of such a beast?
Finally, I'll buy a used (BUT WORKING) copy of a good IBM software emulator
if the price is right. If we come to an agreement, you have to send the
disk first, so I can check it out.. (I never claimed to be trusting) :)
Better yet, if anyone just wants to throw away their emulator, I'll pay
for postage! :)
--
Shawn Beltz :) :) :) I may not agree with what you have to say
unknown@disk.UUCP but I'll fight to the death for your right
uunet!coplex!disk!unknown to say it... -- Someone I agree with!
------------------------------
Date: 2 Jan 92 00:52:17 GMT
From:
noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!wupost!darwin.sura.net!Sirius.dfn.de!fauern!unido!mcs
un!fuug!sics.se!seunet!isgate!krafla!adamd@arizona.edu (Adam David)
Subject: Rom-moth?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
In <1991Dec26.221455.12523@paramount.nikhefk.nikhef.nl>
paulm@paramount.nikhefk.nikhef.nl (Paul Molenaar) writes:
>But all of a sudden this stopped working. The diskettes the
>Atari produces are unreadble on a PC. I had to run Norton
>on the floppy to 'repair' it. Norton claims the disk have
>a wrong media descriptor byte. I thought that was the problem
>with the old TOS!
Looks like it could be a badly written virus at work messing up the disks.
If you don't have a program to check for viruses, it is worth getting one.
Of course, if you have one then use it.
--
Adam David.
------------------------------
Date: 1 Jan 92 13:30:50 GMT
From:
noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!yale.edu!spool.mu.edu!umn.edu!math.f
u-berlin.de!unido!mcshh!janhh!jan@arizona.edu (Jan Willamowius)
Subject: Sozobon 2.0 and 8bit chars
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Why do some people belive that the 8th bit in char doesn't matter ?
It always puts a little salt into otherwise good software when I see
that eg. in german special characters the hi bit is stripped off for
no reason at all.
I couldn't reach the authors of Sozobon C, but maybe somebody can tell
them (and all other Amercican software writers) that there are people
out there who care for that extra bit!
Jan
--
Jan Willamowius, Nienredder 6, 2000 Hamburg 54, Germany
E-Mail: jan@janhh.hanse.de
------------------------------
Date: 2 Jan 92 15:15:56 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!yale.edu!s
pool.mu.edu!umn.edu!ux.acs.umn.edu!cs.umn.edu!thelake!steve@arizona.edu (Steve
Yelvington)
Subject: Sozobon 2.0 and 8bit chars
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
[In article <2950.01.92@janhh.hanse.de>,
jan@janhh.hanse.de (Jan Willamowius) writes ... ]
> Why do some people belive that the 8th bit in char doesn't matter ?
>
> It always puts a little salt into otherwise good software when I see
> that eg. in german special characters the hi bit is stripped off for
> no reason at all.
>
> I couldn't reach the authors of Sozobon C, but maybe somebody can tell
> them (and all other Amercican software writers) that there are people
> out there who care for that extra bit!
I'm confused by this note, Jan -- under what circumstances are you losing
the high bit? I don't know of anything in the dLibs stdio that would
alter any char other than \r.
--
Steve Yelvington, Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota <steve@thelake.mn.org>
Land of lutefisk, ice castles and jumper cables
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 31 Dec 91 21:10 EST
From: <PALM_ERD%CTSTATEU.BITNET@YALEVM.YCC.Yale.Edu>
Subject: tc-power help
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
> I am just days away from purchasing At-Speed, probably from
> Arthur Brown Comp.
> Their catalog price is $369.95. They also offer a TC Power-Emulator
> Memory Manager for $49.95.
>
> My question is. Was the TC Power-Emulator Memory Manager originally
> sold with the AT-Speed board? Has it been separated to make
> the boards price more attractive?
>
> If TC Power is a sparate product does it work well as an extended
> menory
> manager?
Well, When I bought my Supercharger from Talon, I ordered
TC-Power as an addition. Well I haven't found much use for
frankly, as it says I need a 286 to use my extra 384K for EMS,
so I can only use hard drive page mapping, which is slow, and
not much use to any of the programs I have. i pretty much
wrote off my $50 that I payed for that thing. I do now have
Tandy 1000 286-10 which is a piece of garbage, and I still
haven't found much use for TC.
------------------------------
Date: 2 Jan 92 14:38:47 GMT
From:
noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!cronkite.Central.Su
n.COM!texsun!digi!rgoseweh@arizona.edu (Roy Gosewehr)
Subject: Turbo ST 1.84
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
In article <5440175@hplsla.hp.com> andyc@hplsla.hp.com (Andy Cassino) writes:
>Actually, Turbo ST 1.84 (the latest) is an AUTO program, not an ACC.
>
Actually, Turbo ST 1.84 is both. You get an ACC to use (if you like it
that way) and a program to use in your AUTO folder. I use the ACC
version, but have the program in my AUTO folder named ".prx" in case I
ever want to use it. Also note that there are two versions - one for
COLOR resolutions and one for the MONO resolution. (Apparently, TST
does not work on the TT.)
Roy C. Gosewehr
------------------------------
Date: 1 Jan 92 05:46:26 GMT
From:
noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!yale.edu!spool.mu.edu!agate!usenet.i
ns.cwru.edu!cleveland.Freenet.Edu!aa399@arizona.edu (Len Stys)
Subject: VME and expansions
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Hi, I'm kind of confused about what VME actually is and would like
to know some things about expansions slots.
I hear VME is almost a standard in Europe. Expansion slots are the
way PCs are expanded in the U.S.
I hear there are 3U boards which the TTs have. I've been told that
they are not the complete version.
I'm also told that there are 6U and 9U boards. What is the
difference between the boards?
How much do each cost if you want to buy one or want to buy them
in quantities?
If Atari did some rearranging with the 1040 STe, could a VME be placed
in it or would it fit? Are there just plain VME bus or are they cards?
Would it be nice if Atari had a few VME boards in the TTs and Mega STes
or is one enough?
Why is there one port on the Mega STe on back of the VME and two ports
on back of the TT/030?
Ok, now on to my expansion questions. I know this isn't an Amiga
newsgroup but if anyone knows, I'd appreciate an answer. What type
of cards does the Amiga 2000 accept? PC cards?
Also, how many expansion slots are there on an Amiga 2000 and 3000?
And lastly, which is better and why, VME or expansion slots?
THANKS. I know many people would also appreciate an answer to these
questions.
Len Stys
--
------------------------------
Date: 1 Jan 92 16:39:53 GMT
From:
noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!yale.edu!spool.mu.edu!agate!usenet.i
ns.cwru.edu!cleveland.Freenet.Edu!be824@arizona.edu (Steve Selick)
Subject: Wanted: PC-Ditto ][
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
If anybody has a pc-ditto 2 board that they don't want any more, please
contact me at <be824@cleveland.Freenet.Edu>. I may take boards that
are non-functional for a good price :-)
------------------------------
End of Info-Atari16 Digest
******************************
