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Silicon Times Report Issue 0024
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|//////////////////////////////////////|
|//////////////////////////////////////|
|//ST-REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ISSUE 24//|
|//----------------------------------//|
|//PUBLISHER/EDITOR|ASSIST. PUBLISHER//|
|// RON KOVACS | KEN KIRCHNER //|
|//////////////////////////////////////|
|//////////////////////////////////////|
|______________________________________|
|Syndicate Publications |
|Post Office Box 74 |
|Middlesex, New Jersey 08846-0074 |
|______________________________________|
|BBS: (201) 968-8148 300/1200 24 Hrs |
|______________________________________|
|//////NEWS and INFORMATION ISSUE\\\\\\|
|______________________________________|
|///////////[-CONTENTS-]\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\|
|______________________________________|
|*|Editors Desk |
|*|Midtown Television Report |
|*|Atari News Update |
|*|MAC Report |
|*|SPC Newswire---IBM News |
|*|QMI Update |
|*|Whats New On CompuServe |
|*|Michtron Update |
|*|Modem Noise Killer [Project] |
|*|Regent Product Brochure |
|*|FTL Confrence Highlights from GEnie |
|______________________________________|
|Editors Desk |
|______________________________________|
by Ron Kovacs
Comment on the recent STX-Press uploads have been delegated to the file
uploaded to GEnie 2/28/88. Please refer to ST-REPORT COMMENTARY on
the ST RT.
This particular part of the issue was included before press time. At
1:46pm EST, my wife gave birth to a baby boy. 7 pounds, 1oz, 22" long.
We have named him: Adam Michael Kovacs. It was a long fight but we have
the just reward. It being 4:30 pm and since I have been awake for about
a day and a half. I will pack it in for the night. Thanks to everyone
who has been sending the email! It has been appreciated!!
South-eastern Regional Headquarters for ST-Report and ZMagazine is:
The Bounty ST BBS (904) 786-4176.
North-eastern Regional Headquarters for ST-Report and ZMagazine is:
The XBN-ZMAG BBS (617) 770-0197.
ST-Report and Genie?
________________________________________
Midtown TV Report
________________________________________
Have you heard the latest...
by Mr. Goodprobe
According to the mourners at Apple it will be Spring before the cramp on
one meg ram chips begins to ease up a bit seems trade problems, the yen,
and a myriad of other problems have worked havoc on add-in storage items
for the Mac, and most certainly this hasn't helped Atari in its quest to
make the Mega the popular business-type machine it so desperately needs.
Apples problems are severe as the recently introduced Hypercard needs to
be run in an environment of at least one meg.
Need a nice laptop? Try IBM...heh..they are selling their $1,995 PC
Convertible Model II at the employee discount price of $498..they need to
make room in their warehouse for their new -286 and -386 based
machines...
Apple and DEC have signed an alliance..big news for the business world
for sure...
Activision has acquired Triton Products in California, and now have their
own direct marketing firm. They also acquired, uh oh, Rainbird and
Firebird from Telecomsoft. I sure hope this doesn't ruin these 2 firms,
as in my humble opinion they recently produced some of the best software
ever for the ST. Activision presently also owns Infocom, Gamestar, and
Electric Dreams, which means they are a veritable software giant, and can
be the death or life of our beloved ST...please support them!!!
Star Micronics has finally introduced their first model in the laser-
printer field, the Star Laserprinter 8. This gem has a normal
configuration of 1 meg internal ram, but can be upgraded to 2 meg. It
prints full page bit-mapped text and graphics at the amazing norm for
laserprinters of 300 by 300 dots per inch. It comes with emulation modes
of the HP Laserjet Plus, Diablo 630, Epson EX-800, and the IBM
Proprinter. Paper loading on this printer is the usual superlative style
of ease and flexibility which has set the Star line apart as one of the
finest in my opinion. The list is $2,699, but I have no idea what it
actually will be selling for.
A further note about the PC Pursuit upgrade I mentioned in a past
article. Word is now that by mid-February the following cities will have
been upgraded to 2,400 baud, this in addition to the present 1,200 baud
service they now enjoy...
Atlanta Boston
Chicago Dallas
Denver Detroit
Houston Los Angeles
Newark New York
Philadelphia San Francisco
Seattle Washington
Waldenbooks is now opening (last week) a chain of discount software
centers, and they hope to have 30 stores open by the end of 1988. I
visited one, and although the stock of St and Atari 8 bit programs was
not overwhelming, they did recognize the fact that possible someone might
want a program or two for these great computers. Bravo! I hope they
continue and in time upgrade that support!
Due to time constraints, this one is going to be short. Stay tuned to the
next few issues, I will be popping more hardware projects in future
issues of Zmag.
Along the line of the hardware hacker, I was speaking to the fine folk at
Happy Computing. Seems there are some undocumented features to the new
cartridge they are producing. The "Discovery Cartridge" although not a
mere cartridge, is as we all know designed to copy software of any format
out there as long as you have the proper drive. Within this gem is 2
eprom sockets for programs that the users wishes to install within the
cartridge itself, and some things they recommended would be custom menus
and utilities. He also mentioned that one could install Macintosh roms,
and with a bit of rewiring, use it with Magic Sac. Since there is a
thru-port on the Discovery Cart I hope users will support the monumental
efforts of David Small, and still purchase the original Magic Sac
cartridge. I have to admit that even the fact that they mentioned its
proposed possibility of use as a Magic Sac makes me question the intent
of their product. Other options available to the user via this cartridge
are much more palatable to this writer.
Keep those Atari's hummin!
Mr. Goodprobe
(on lend from)
Midtown TV 27 Midway Plaza Tallmadge, Ohio 44278
(216)633-0997 Atari 8/16 Repair/Sales
BBS (216)784-0574 300/1200 24 hours
Midwest Zmag Headquarters
Online program support for: Atari 8 bit/ST/Amiga Computers
________________________________________
Atari News Update
________________________________________
ATARI TO UNVEIL UNIX-LIKE SYSTEM (Feb. 22)
Look for Atari Corp. to use the stage of next month's Hanover Computer
Fair in West Germany for the coming-out party of its new low-cost
Unix-like, 68030-based workstations.
Computergram International newsletter reports that the workstation is
based on Whitesmiths' Idris system which Atari licensed last year. In
addition, the newsletter reports it hears that Atari also will introduce
a desktop publishing system for under $5,000, "getting close to the price
of a good laser printer alone."
The publication says the system will be composed of the Mega computer,
the SLM804 laser printer and Atari Deskset software. "The software is
claimed to put true WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) on the
screen," CI says, "and page formatting will be handled inside the
computer rather than on the printer, 1 meg of memory being dedicated to
laser printer commands."
Computergram International is a regular feature of NewsNet.
________________________________________
Mac Report---Misc Reports---
________________________________________
Known Bugs in DAS 4.0
1) The Monogram Converter doesn't work for me. The work around is to boot
from the system and Finder that came with DAS 4.0.
2) I Cannot delete auto-sets, I get an error 18. There is no work around,
but the auto-set can be replaced.
3) Sometimes, when editing a transaction, the changes that I make don't
"take". There is a work around. When editing a transaction, and you
change a distribution account, and you select that account from the
scrolling list of accounts, The change will not "take" unless you
change anything else in the transaction.
4) I get an Error 1 when printing checks, or the checks come out with
transactions repeated or are garbled. There is a work around. Always
preview every check before printing it.
5) There are spelling errors when the check is printed. There is no work
around at this time.
6) The Budget calculator does not amortize correctly. There is no work
around.
7) The cash flow report is incorrect. The net flow should be added to the
cash at start. Right now it is subtracted.
8) Crashes under MultiFinder. No work around.
9) The LaserWriter background printing spooler with MultiFinder "clips"
the page. The 1st page is OK, but the rest are "strange." Don't use
the spooler. However, 4.0 does work with other spoolers.
*****
VAPORWARE FOR SALE
By LINDSY VAN GELDER
Lotus Magazine, February 1988.
Copyright 1988 Lotus Publishing Corporation. Used with permission.
All rights reserved.
Two Christmases ago, (Christmas 1986), I bought a Mac Plus and
immediately began looking for a high-end word processor. An ad in the
current issue of MacWorld for a product called FullWrite Professional
made the program sound as if it would not only process my words but
possibly scrub my floors and empty the kitty litter box. According to the
ad, it was expected to obsolete all existing text-based products.
In the months following, I saw many other FullWrite ads, all swearing
that the program was the greatest thing since fork-split English muffins.
The most memorable ad was a two-page spread published in April, when the
long-awaited Microsoft Word for the Macintosh Version 3.0 had begun to
ship. DONT BUY IT, shrieked the headline; instead, hold on just a bit
longer for FullWrite, a superior word processor, at a better price at
your store within 60 days. And were going to change serious writing
forever.
"Forever" turned out to be a good description, not of how long it would
take FullWrite to set the world of serious writing on its ear, but of how
long it would take to get into the store. As of early November, it was
still not there.
In the computer biz, this stuff is called vaporware, but I think the term
is too kind. Something that promises to deliver the greatest experience
of your life and then stands you up can only be described as fraudulent.
And while I do mean to pick on FullWrite, I dont mean to single it out
the company merely provides a good example of how preannouncing products
can sometimes freeze consumer buying decisions. (FullWrite's number one
competitor in the knock-Word-off-the-throne sweepstakes, the Mac version
of WordPerfect, has been delayed even longer than FullWrite.)
This marketing technique is rampant in the computer industry. For
example, Lotus Development Corp. has said that the availability of 1-2-3
for the Mac will be announced during the second half of 1988; 1-2-3
Release 3 will be available mid 1988, and so on.
I'd like to believe that vaporware is just the legacy of the computer
industry's hippie past, the days when your typical software company
employee had to be prodded into wearing shoes on the job. But the current
delays seem less and less like mellowed-out goof-ups and more and more
like cynical hog-the-market policy.
Stewart Alsop's P.C. Letter has been keeping tabs on vaporware since
1985. Some products stay on the list for years, such as Crosstalk Mk. 4
announced April 1985, shipped May 1987.
Alsop says that what bugs him isn't that the companies take time to come
out with new products, since as any project manager can tell you, where
software is concerned, there's no correlation between the resources
dedicated to a project and the time it takes to complete it. Alsop says,
"In fact, with software, unlike with building a building, it's probably
true that the more programmers you assign, the more complicated it's
going to get, and the longer it will take." Nor does Alsop blame
companies whose delayed products end up being the subject of wide-scale,
industry-shaking rumors (the classic example being IBM's PCjr).
What he objects to is the official announcements of products, whether or
not they're anywhere near the market. It's horrible for the customer,
"It drives people nuts when they try to be conscientious consumers; they
read the magazines and make their decisions on that basis and then get
screwed by the politics of these vaporware companies."
Vaporware is especially rampant on the Mac world at the moment, according
to Alsop, since it's a dynamic market where big bucks can still be made
by the standard-setters, "but these things go in cycles, and you're going
to see it happening in the OS/2 environment too." Not every company is
guilty of pushing vaporware, of course, but it'ss a widespread problem.
Can you imagine Ford Motor Co. taking out an ad in Newsweek telling the
world that in exactly two months, it's going to come out with a car that
has all the features of a BMW, at half the price; and then, at the
appointed deadline, producing NOTHING? No you can't because nobody in
America is that arrogant or that dumb; not even politicians.
Nobody except companies in the computer industry, which is supposed to be
leading us all into a better, more productive future.
________________________________________
SPC Newswire
________________________________________
CREDIT CARD SOFTWARE SIGNS MARKETING DEAL WITH IBM
ORLANDO, Fla. (FEB. 24) PRWIRE - Credit Card Software, Inc., a leading
worldwide supplier of bankcard/revolving credit processing software
systems, has signed an Industry Marketing Assistance Program, or IMAP,
agreement with IBM Corporation.
Credit Card Software, Inc. is a worldwide supplier of bankcard/revolving
credit processing software systems. The agreement calls for IBM to
jointly market CCS software systems, increasing CCS's visibility among
community banks, as well as in the retail and other nonfinancial
environments.
CCS is the only revolving credit processing software vendor to have such
an agreement with IBM.
IBM, MICROSOFT BEGIN ROAD SHOW TO TOUT NEW COMPUTER LINE
SEATTLE (FEB. 24) UPI - International Business Machines Corp. and
Microsoft Corp. Wednesday launched a series of conferences meant to stir
up excitement among large clients and computer distributors for a new
generation of personal computers.
The three-day Seattle forum was the first of about a dozen similar events
planned around the country in the next several months. The sessions will
educate potential customers about the capabilities and promise of
increased productivity in the IBM Personal System-2 series of computers,
said IBM spokesman James Monahan Jr.
The PS-2 system was introduced last year with much fanfare and seen as
IBM's attempt to regain its edge in the fiercely competitive PC market.
It was designed to work with Microsoft's OS-2 -or Operating System-2 -
the successor to the enormously successful MS-DOS operating system, the
soul of millions of personal computers around the world. "1988 is a year
of transition, a year in which I believe that every week someone will be
announcing a new OS-2 application,'' said Bill Gates, chairman and chief
executive officer of Microsoft.
Gates said about 90 software programs designed for OS-2 are now on the
market but predicted about 1,000 would be available by the end of the
year.
IBM and Microsoft produced a slick program to convince customers-
especially large corporate clients who already have invested in hundreds
or even thousands of older computers - that the transition to the more
advanced models will not be especially painful and that software already
has been developed to take advantage of their capabilities.
________________________________________
QMI Update
________________________________________
ST-TALK Professional ($29.95)
QMI has been supporting the Atari ST since 1985 with the release of the
original ST-TALK modem program. The new GEM version, ST-TALK
Professional, brings advanced features and simplicity to the Atari ST at
a very low price. A demo version of ST-Talk Pro is available in the QMI
data library.
DeskCart! ($99.95)
Lots of functions in a little package, DeskCart gives you 14 Accessories
and a battery-backed Clock in a plug-in ROM cartridge. The hardware &
software product includes: a calendar/appointment book, notebook,
calculator, cardfile, typewriter, address book/dialer, vt-52 terminal,
keyboard macros, ramdisk, disk utilities, print spooler, control panel,
screen dump and memory test. The clock hardware sets the system date and
time automatically each time you power up.
BB/ST ($49.95)
Powerful on-line bulletin board system. BB/ST offers infinitely
programmable prompts, menus and system configuration. The "tree"
structured message system organizes message threads with up to 128 main
discussion topics.
There's electronic mail, on-line polls and batch file transfer protocols.
BB/ST may be further customized with script language files and external
TOS programs running on-line.
ProTablet ST ($395.00)
This Professional Graphics Tablet replaces the mouse device for virtually
all CAD and graphics programs. ProTablet uses a comfortable drawing pen
and digitizing tablet with an active area of up to 8 x 12 inches. All
cables and driver software are included in the complete package.
________________________________________
Whats New On CompuServe
________________________________________
WHAT'S NEW IN SIG*ATARI
(Feb. 16)
NEW FORUM SOFTWARE
A new version of the Forum Software was installed in all three Atari
Forums.
Most changes are internal, however, there are some changes to the USER
OPTIONS area (OP) of the Forum. Please see FORUM.235 in DL 0 of the
ATARI 8-Bit or 16-Bit Forum for details!
** The ATARI 16-Bit Forum ** (GO ATARI16)
The newest edition of ST-REPORT #21 is now available in DL 8. If you
haven't been reading the monthly editions of this EXCELLENT Atari-
oriented newsletter, we urge you to take a look at the latest copies.
Nice job, Ron Kovacs! (Ed. Gee Thanks!!!)
** ATARI Programmers & Developers ** (GO ATARIDEV)
ATTENTION ALL DEVELOPERS!
We will be assembling a list of developer names and User IDs of those
parties who regularly frequent the ATARI Forums for an upcoming
publication. If you do NOT wish your name and PPN to be included in this
published list (or to make sure that you ARE included in this listing),
please contact SYSOP*Ron Luks 76703,254 and express your desires.
________________________________________
Michtron Update
________________________________________
Robert Washburn Director of Operations
For January, 1988 Release:
MICRODEAL announces the release of Slaygon for the Amiga and the Atari
ST.
You have developed the ultimate infiltration device: The Slaygon. The
Slaygon is the most sophisticated military robot ever created,
conventional weapons have absolutely no effect on it! Controlled from
within by one highly trained specialist, Slaygon possesses the strength
of a hundred men, the armour and weapons of a small tank, and the
intelligence of its operator.
Now you and your remarkable machine are needed by the government to help
uphold peace and justice in the world. The situation is critical and
escalating. You accept immediate employment as an officer in the United
Defense Force. A top secret dispatch has given you orders to destroy the
Cybordynamics Laborotary facility at all costs. They are working on a
strain of toxic virus which could threaten to anniliate all human life
and allow them to capture the world without the use of destructive
nuclear weapons. If you can disable their main computer, their facility
will explode and their plans will be thwarted.
You have obtained a forged low clearance security pass. You must manuever
around the four different types of security robots that guard the complex
and covertly wind through 5 miles of hallways and 500 rooms in this 1/4
mile square complex. There are five security levels: if you can find a
higher level key card it will allow you to pass through lower level
doors.
Clever planning went into Slaygon's defense system. A special Cloaking
device makes Slaygon invisible to all security robots except the Base
Commander (unfortunately, it also makes the guards invisible to the
Slaygon). The Short Range Scanner notifies you of immediate danger. Your
shields will absorb destructive energy. Slaygon has storage room for 8
objects out of over 3 dozen you can pick up that may (or may not) help.
The only problem is the tremendous amount of energy these operations require! If your energy supply is depleted, Slaygon will cease to
function and your mission will fail.
You have, fortunately, built a comprehensive Information Panel into your
robot. You have an Energy Level Indicator, a Directional Indicator, a Map
View of your movements from the top that is continually updated as you
travel, and the Slaygon's 3-D Front View as recorded through its camera.
The Message Display Screen allows Slaygon's on-board computer to
communicate with you. Many of the features are color coded for easy use.
Activate the Slaygon and prepare for the most important mission in the
history of humanity. Slaygon is available from MICRODEAL for $39.95.
****
MichTron PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
TIME BANDIT by Bill Dunlevy & Harry Lafnear
Time Bandit is not only the newest game on the market, it's the biggest,
fastest, most detailed video game ever designed for a home computer. This
isn't sales hype; it's a fact you can see for yourself at your nearest
Amiga dealer. For those who need more to go on, this program has plenty
to offer:
In this game, you are the Time Bandit: an animated adventurer travelling
through Time and Space in search of treasure. From a land called the
Timegates, you can choose to enter portals leading to 16 different lands,
grouped in 6 time periods. Visit medieval Fantasy Land, the Old West, the
Future, Ancient Egypt, and Deep Space all in one game!
There's even a Pac-style dot-eating maze game in Arcadia's Shadow Land!
Upon entering a land, you become trapped with the Evil Guardians:
creatures intent on destroying you. You defend yourself with quick-
firing missiles: blasting the Guardians, and earning your bounty. To
escape, you must find the Key to the Lock blocking the exit, returning to
the Timegates with whatever treasure you've collected.
The screen scrolls quickly and smoothly in all directions, letting you
roam a landscape complete with trees and plants outdoors, furniture and
3-D style walls indoors.
The Bandit and his foes are animated in realistic detailed: from the
threatening stride of the club-wielding ogre, to the amusing expression
on the face of a bouncing red glob.
Time Bandit also features a unique Dual-Player mode that lets two people
play at the same time. There's no waiting for someone to finish their
turn; each player has his own independent screen section and can interact
with the other player in any way he wishes! Beware of treachery though;
if one player dies, it isn't necessarily the end of him!
This is the first arcade game that take full advantage of the ST's
special 16-color graphics, and 32/16-bit, 8 megahertz processor. Written
entirely in machine-language, the graphics are colorful and incredibly
detailed, while the speed and response is remarkable even for a coin-
operated video game. The quality and depth of the program are surprising
til one considers the authors: Bill Dunlevy is an experienced programmer
with a number of hit video games to his credit, and Harry Lafnear is a
graphic artist and writer. It took the two of them seven months to write
Time Bandit. The program is over 350K long, and you can see and feel
every bit of it as you play.
Time Bandit is available from MichTron. Time Bandit is priced at only
$39.95. For information on this or any of our other products, contact:
MichTron, 576 S. Telegraph Pontiac, Michigan 48053 Phone (313) 334-5700
________________________________________
Modem Noise Killer
________________________________________
With this circuit diagram, some basic tools including a soldering iron,
and four or five components from Radio Shack, you should be able to cut
the noise/garbage that appears on your computer's screen.
I started this project out of frustration at using a US Robotics 2400
baud modem and getting a fare amount of junk when connecting at that
speed. Knowing that capacitors make good noise filters, I threw this
together.
This is very easy to build, however conditions may be different due to
modem type, amount of line noise, old or new switching equipment (Bell's
equipment), and on and on. So it may not work as well for you in every
case. If it does work, or if you've managed to tweek it to your computer/
modem setup I'd like to hear from you.
I'd also appreciate any of you electronic wizzards out there wanting to
offer any improvements. Let's make this work for everyone!
Please read this entire message and see if you understand it before you
begin.
OK, what you'll need from Radio Shack:
1 #279-374 Modular line cord if you don't already have one. You won't
need one if your phone has a modular plug in its base $4.95
1 #279-420 Modular surface mount jack (4 or 6 conductor) $4.49
1 #271-1720 Potentiometer. This is a 5k audio taper variable resistor.
$1.09
1 #272-1055 Capacitor. Any non-polarized 1.0 to 1.5 uf cap should do.
Paper, Mylar, or metal film caps should be used, although #272-996 may
work as well. (272-996 is a non-polarized electrolytic cap) $.79
1 100 ohm resistor - quarter or half watt. $.19
1 #279-357 Y-type or duplex modular connector. Don't buy this until
you've read the section on connecting the Noise Killer below. (A, B,or
C) $4.95
First off, open the modular block. You normally just pry them open with a
screwdriver. Inside you'll find up to 6 wires. Very carefully cut out all
but the green and red wires. The ones you'll be removing should be black,
yellow, white, and blue. These wires won't be needed and may be in the
way. So cut them as close to where they enter the plug as possible. The
other end of these wires have a spade lug connector that is screwed into
the plastic. Unscrew and remove that end of the wires as well. Now, you
should have two wires left. Green and red.
Solder one end of the capacitor to the green wire. Solder the other end
of the capacitor to the center lug of the potentiometer (there are three
lugs on this critter). Solder one end of the resistor to the red wire.
You may want to shorten the leads of the resistor first. Solder the other
end of the resistor to either one of the remaining outside lugs of the
potentiometer. Doesn't matter which.
Now to wrap it up, make a hole in the lid of the mod block to stick the
shaft of the potentiometer through. Don't make this hole dead center as
the other parts may not fit into the body of the mod block if you do. See
how things will fit in order to find where the hole will go.
Well, now that you've got it built you'll need to test it. First twist
the shaft on the potentiometer until it stops. You won't know which way
to turn it until later. It doesn't matter which way now. You also need to
determine where to plug the Noise Killer onto the telephone line. It can
be done by one of several ways:
A. If your modem has two modular plugs in back, connect the Noise Killer
into one of them using a line cord. (a line cord is a straight cord
that connects a phone to the wall outlet. Usually silver in color)
B. If your phone is modular, you can unplug the cord from the back of it
after you're on-line and plug the cord into the Noise Killer.
C. You may have to buy a Y-type modular adaptor. Plug the adaptor into a
wall outlet, plug the modem into one side and the Noise Killer into
the other. Call a BBS that has known noise problems. After you've
connected and garbage begins to appear, plug the Noise Killer into the
phone line as described above. If you have turned the shaft on the
potentiometer the wrong way you'll find out now.
You may get a lot of garbage or even disconnected. If this happens, turn
the shaft the other way until it stops and try again. If you don't notice
much difference when you plug the Noise Killer in, that may be a good
sign. Type in a few commands and look for garbage characters on the
screen. If there still is, turn the shaft slowly until most of it is
gone. If nothing seems to happen at all, turn the shaft slowly from one
side to the other. You should get plenty of garbage or disconnected at
some point. If you don't, reread this message to make sure you've
connected it right.
________________________________________
Regent Product Brochure & Catalog
________________________________________
Exciting new software for your Atari ST computer! Power through your
small business and home productivity needs with our reliable and
inexpensive software products.
Regent Software
7131 Owensmouth, Suite 45A
Canoga Park, CA 91303
(818) 882-2800
Regent Base - A Full Function GEM Relational Database
Until now, there seemed to be only two types of databases available for
your Atari ST computer. Some databases give simple-to-use pull-down menus
and other GEM functions, but are fustratingly limited in function. The
other databases offer the power of a programmable database, but lack the
convenient mouse controls you should expect from your Atari ST. With
Regent Base you get all the power of the best programmable database, with
all the utility of an easy-to-use, mouse-controlled program.
Regent Base is a powerful means to manage the information you need now!
Regent Base uses the industry standard database language, Sequel. The
language uses English phrases to perform retrieval, insertion, and
modification of all information stored in its database tables. A complete
reference guide in the Regent Base Manual describes all of these easy to
understand commands.
A special Utilities program allows you to visually create, modify or
delete your database tables. You can also import or export dBase III TM
files. And for Ramdisk users, there's even a database table move
function.
Two applications are included with Regent Base: A Mail Merge program and
Check Book program. Both of these not only are fully working
applications, but are also examples of how your own custom database
solutions may be developed.
Your Regent Base files are disk based, they're not limited to available
computer memory, as is the case with other database programs. Regent Base
even includes a hard disk installation program. It runs on any Atari ST
system: Black & White, Color, 520ST, 1040ST, Mega ST systems, and
European systems. Not copy protected.
The Guide Book - An introduction and tutorial for Regent Base
The Regent Base manual is enough to get most people started using Regent
Base. For those that are intrigued by Regent Base's ability, but find it
difficult to get started we now offer the Guide Book. A tutorial for
Regent Base, the Guide Book is approximately 100 pages long and includes
a diskette containing the example programs discussed in the tutorial. The
diskette also has a demonstration version of Regent Base to work with.
The Guide Book steps you through the most basic levels of Regent Base.
The design principals, Sequel (SQL) language, and GEM object manipulation
are covered. Then the Guide Book walks you through the developement of
two Regent Base applications. First, a Phone Book program which shows how
easy forms are developed. Then, an Inventory program is built, which
allows you to maintain information on parts, costs, and orders.
Sections Include:
- What Is A Data Base?
- How To Use Information Stored In A Data Base
- Creating Your Own Data Base Tables
- Components of Regent Base and How They Work
- Developing A Form Using The Forms Editor
- Using Regent Word II As A Procedural Editor
- Developing Applications And More. . .
Regent Base Applications - Business templates for Regent Base
As time progresses more and more applications will be made available for
Regent Base. Currently we offer the following application disks:
Accounts Payable
Detailed Payables Reports
Check and Payment Advice Writing
Aged Cash Requirements Report
Soon to be offered:
Accounts Receivable
Vendor Analysis
Invoice Generation
Vendor Statement Writing
Aged Receivables Report
Inventory Control
Item Status Report
Slow Moving Stock Report
Reorder information
Retail Invoicing
Sales Commissions Summaries
Sales Recap
Customer Billing
All Application disks come with a tutorial and general documentation. The
disks are modestly priced and available individually or in groups.
The Inventory Manager - An Inventory Control with 20 Years Experience
Inventory control is money control. That is why we manage inventory
rather than control it. You want to minimize the amount of money you
spend on your inventory - which will delight the boss - but at the same
time you want an accurate, well supplied inventory - which will delight
your customers. The better your coverage, the more sales you are likely
to have. Armed with The Inventory Manager you may well become the most
valuable employee in your company.
The Inventory Manager is a comprehensive inventory control system with
custom reporting and sales projections based on sales history. The
Inventory Manager handles up to 40,000 parts and is ideal for small
business and retail operations.
The Inventory Manager is unique in that it gives purchasing projections
based on 7 user definable parameters. 11 inventory and ordering reports
are built in, with the additional capability of generating Custom
Reports.
Additional Features Include:
- Tracking of up to 40,000 Parts
- Instant Access To Any Part
- 16 Digit part numbers and descriptions
- Maintains up to 254 Vendors
- Sophisticated Order Generation
- Obsolescence Report
- Zero On Hand Report
- Overstock Report
- Inventory Analysis Report
- Tracks Sales History for 2 Years
- Complete Manual Including Examples
- Registered Users Customer Support
The Inventory Manager was written specifically for the Atari ST by Walt
La Foret, a individual with 20 years experience in the automotive
inventory control industry.
The Inventory Manager is hard disk compatible and works on any Atari ST
system with Black & White or Color monitors. The user manual is written
in a friendly tutorial fashion to bring you up to speed quickly.
________________________________________
FTL Confrence Highlights
________________________________________
Edited by Ron Kovacs
<NHARRIS> Our guest tonight is Wayne Holder, president of FTL Games.
FTL's most recent products are Dungeonmaster and Oids, their previous ST
game was Sundog. Wayne, can you tell us a little about yourself and about
FTL?
<FTL> Hello everyone... I have Andy Jaros the Graphic Designer for
Dungeon Master with me and also Dan Hewitt the designer of OIDS. When we
get started we'd love to answer any questions you may have. Also, let me
thank everyone in advance for the wonderful support you've given OIDS and
Dungeon Master.
<J.M.MESA> I like many other here tonight have finished DM and are
experiencing withdrawal symptoms... When can we reasonably expect either
a sequel or another game using the same system? GA
<FTL> Well, we just recently announced that we will release in March an
expansion disk that will work with your Dungeon Master disk, we'd like to
keep a few secrets...GA
<MFARRAR> I have two questions. First I'd like to know what language you
use for development. A brief description of the development process for
new systems.
<FTL> We developed Dungeon Master and OIDS in Megamax C. However, much of
the graphic code is done in assembly. Megamax C is nice because the PC
relative code is small and the in-line assembly makes inserting special
code easy. However, we have also developed an extensive game development
system which lets us build new games without programming, but we're
keeping details of this secret...GA
<W.SCHOONMAKE> Well, I have 2 questions for you this evening...The first
is about Sundog, I love this game and think it was done very well for the
ST, are there a set number of cryogens in the game? Question number 2,
will FTL ever consider doing business software for the ST?
<FTL> Yes, there are a set number of Cryogens but at the start of the
game, they are distributed randomly, except one Cryogen is always on the
last system you will be able to reach. Well FTL already does business
software under the banner of our Parent company Software Heaven, Inc. We
provide OEM programs to other vendors to distribute. However, we reserve
the FTL name for games...GA
<NHARRIS> How is your company set up? Are you the president of Software
Heaven also?
<FTL> We are incorporated in Calif as Software Heaven, Inc. and do
business as FTL games. We used to be incorporated as FTL Games, Inc. but
reorganized for reasons that are too tedious to describe. I am president
(Wayne Holder) Russ Boelhauf is our marketing director, Doug Bell is our
technical director, Andy Jaros is our Art Director, and there others too
numerous to mention... GA]
<J.JAVIER1> How many copies of Dm have you sold and if I could make a
suggestion please use the keyboard commands more often in the upcoming
games.
<FTL> Well, we don't release sales figures, but I can tell you that as of
two months into sales for DM we have sold twice as many as we sold
SunDogs for the comparable intro period. On your second comment, please
send us a detailed letter describing how you'd like to see DM improved in
the future. We love to get user comments because it helps us to review
these suggestions before starting new games...GA
<R.ROSENDALE1> Our ST GRoup ST-JAUG has grown basically do to DM. They
meet now weekly with a DM SIG for people with the same levels. How is the
newsletter coming?
<FTL> We will release a DM hint book in March written by Tracy Hickman
and the release will coincide with our next newsletter. Is that what you
meant?
<R.ROSENDALE1> Yes, thanks.
<R.MIRSBERGER> i must be stupid, what is oids? and how can i get it. It
is not at my local store and i don't see it advertised. ga
<FTL> OIDS is what we recommend for DM withdrawal symptoms. It's our
first arcade game. It comes complete with A Construction Set that lets
you build your own games and trade em with your friends. OIDS is a fast
paced game that we feel combines the best features of many other arcade
games. We will release a full OIDS demo in the next few days so watch the
DLs for this one. If you have trouble locating OIDS, call us at
(619)453-5711 and prehaps we can locate a stocking dealer for you...GA
<CAPT.COOK> OK, as I understand it, the future will bring us more games
from FTL using the same basic system as DM, but, are you going to stick
to the fantasy genre? I'd love to see a sort of DM set in space.
<FTL> The idea behind DM was to create a way of building games that lets
us recover the work we've already done when create new games. When we
created SunDog, for example, all we had left afterward was a lot of
specific code for this one game. In DM we created a system for making
games and then created DM.. Thus we have a head start for any new games.
They can be any type of game we choose. We are planning many different
scenarios from Science Fiction to Horror.. Of course, because of
development schedules, I can't say exactly what you'll see next. It
depends on what we think people want to see next...Everyone...send us
your requests..GA
<V.BUI> one suggestion on your future packaging, I think that you should
make more either way i loved both games
<FTL> Thank you for your suggestion. We are getting better at planning
our packages. Of course, its difficult to boil down a game as big as DM
onto the back of a box. What specifically did you not like?
<V.BUI> its just that the boxes didn't give the feel of the game when I
went to purchase DM and Oids the boxes didn't really tell me what I was
getting. Also accurate Graphics on the Dm box would greatly improve it.
the different graphics made me wonder if I was getting two different
products... Ga
<FTL> Thank you. On the DM box we printed the first run of the box
before the game was done and then changed the game. The recent versions
we have shipped have a new box back...GA
<D.GINBEY> Are you marketing your games overseas? GA
<FTL> Yes, DM and OIDS are marketed by Mirrorsoft in London and
distributed there, in France and Germany. In fact, we are just finishing
a French and German version of DM...GA
<W.WAKEFIELD> I have two questions, first are the last two levels smaller
than the 32 by 32 grid used on the upper levels and after careful study I
have not discovered any spells that use the GOR symbol. Why? ga
<FTL> Well, I hate to say too much here in open session. Send us elec
mail and I'd be glad to comment further. On the spell, GOR is not used
currently, but is reserved for future scenarios...GA
<P.KESTELL> Earlier you mentioned that Tracy Hickman was doing your hint
book, is this the same Tracy responsible for the Dragonlance stuff? If so
is there any plan to move in that direction? Also when might we see some
of the oids contest winners?
<FTL> Yes, the very same. Tracy was one of our DM Beta testers and has
helped us greatly. I'd also like to give a quick plug for his new series
from Bantam books called the "Dark Sword" Trilogy. The hint book is about
60 pages of in-depth DM strategy and hints. Also, We expect to announce
the first OIDS contest winners soon. We've had many very good
submissions. Remember, $100 given away every month!!!
<B.S.OPLINGER> Two questions One .. Why is there no support for us
monochrome users? Oids or even DM could have been done in mono without a
loss of playability. Are you really going to return a disk full of
submissions on ever disk submmitted like your flyer says? GA
<FTL> We didn't have room for the duplicate graphics and code that mono
support would require, sorry! However, I understand that E. Brown Co.
now has a cable that will hook a nonRF ST to a composite color monitor.
Perhaps you could connect your ST to a TV or color composite monitor?
<B.S.OPLINGER> AS a person who does just that, let me say it is a poor
second to a color monitor.
<FTL> Also, we expect to have a winner every month and every person who
submits an entry will receive the complete set of winners on disk at the
close of the contest. Could you repeat that last again?
<B.S.OPLINGER> Sorry, the suggestion of a composite monitor just don't
cut it. Picture is much worse that the ST monitor. I do understand about
space on disk etc, but just feel a need to bitch anyway. Done
<FTL> I sympathize. We spent considerable time trying to suppport mono
but had to give up...GA
<FRANK> My coworkers have begged me to ask you whether you have any plans
to release DM for the PC and compatibles. GA
<FTL> We are considering support for many new machines. The older IBMs
just don't have the horsepower we need. Perhaps soon...GA
<J.ZUKOWSKI> A couple of weeks ago here on the ST Round table someone was
complaining about programming bugs in Dungeon Master. Are you aware of
any bugs? If so, what are they, and how can they be avoided?
<FTL> The first release of DM had several bugs which we have corrected.
Version 1.1 which is availble as a free update if you return you disk and
include return postage. Call (619)453-5711 for details. Also, I believe
we have a notice posted in the SLs here about the current bug status. All
the bugs we've fixed however, occur only in the last phases of the game
and if you get the update from us before you encounter Lord Chaos, you
can continue your from your saved game with no problems...GA
<NHARRIS> How can you tell which version you have?
<FTL> The notice gives more details, but when you save or restore your
game the program displays a menu box. The upper right corner shows the
version number (no number means version the first release.)
<J.DESIMONE> Thank you and aloha from hawaii. Is ther a sequel planned?
We are never happy with what we have.
<FTL> Yes, and many other new games. If you missed it earlier we will be
releasing a mini-sequel soon which is a complete new mini DM adventure
that you can load as a saved game but acts like a new game. (a hidden
feature of DM) watch this space for details...GA
<NHARRIS> I just wanted to send a pat on the back to your graphics
person. The graphics in DM are stupendous! Best I've seen on the ST. Are
there more than 16 colors on the screen? How were they created?
<FTL> Andy Jaros (sitting here) thanks you. Yes the screen shows more
than 16 colors. We use special interupt code and a few other tricks...GA
<M.HAND> Two questions. 1) What are the names of the stranger creatures
in DM, the low to the ground things with green tentacles (on the Rat
Level, the "Rock Squids" and the "Blue Meanies", as they've been called
up here. 2) A vote for a Space (Star Trek-ish) scenario and a Jungle
Scenario for you next games.
<FTL> Well you can call them anything you like, but we get asked this a
lot so here are our names (you get to figure out what is what)...There
are Giant Scorpions, Swamp Slime creatures, running gigglers, wizard's
eyes, Pain Rats, Rusters, Screamers, Rock Piles, Ghosts, Stone Golems,
mummies, Black Flames, Skeletons, Couatls, Vexirks, Magenta Worms,
Trolins (blue guys), Giant Wasps, Animated Armours, Materializers (balls
with tentacles), Water Elementals, Oitus (spiders), Demons, The Red
Dragon, and Lord Chaos. Got it?
<J.JAVIER1> can we get the bug free version by sending in $10 for a
backup. i'd hate the thought of not having dm to play.
<FTL> Yes, we always send the very latest version whenever we send out
a backup disk. Also, we are fast at issuing backups. The only exception
is we sometimes hold backup orders a few days if we know a new release is
iminent...GA
<L.GANZ> Hi. I just had 2 questions. 1. DM is too hard for me, will
there be a toned down version? 2. Will there be a hard disk version?
<FTL> Well the hint book may be able help you get started. If you can
build your characters up a bit the game becomes easier. If you like, you
can call us at (619) 453-5711. We're glad to give phone hints. We may do
easier version in the future. On the Hard disk, we can't really use a
hard disk. On a 1040 or Mega we load everything to memory and on a 520
the lack of memory is what slows the game down, not teh lack of a hard
disk...GA
<D.HADLAND> This question is for all software developers. Why isn't the
version # put outside of the boxes or is that a marketing no no.
<FTL> Its just to difficult for us to coordinate the disk duplication
with the packaging. Also, it is a marketing no no.
<J.ZUKOWSKI> With 512, 1024, and 4096 colors now possible on the ST. Do
you see any new games that will use these extra colors?
<FTL> Well, it's possible but using these colors sucks up almost all the
processor time. But, who knows.
<A.MILLS> Well Im kind of new at this. But I would like to make a few
comments. First i hate to see a game with things like, commodore graphics
shown and also is there really an auto_slew in Sundog? If so where??
<FTL> Well most people have criticized us because our game box graphics
are LESS real looking than the real game. The Apple II version of SunDog
had a component called an autoslew and certain (unauthorized) hints books
mention this device, but it was removed from the Atari ST version of
SunDog...GA
<JM.YANG> Ok, can you give us a sneak preview of the up coming mini-
adventure. Depth of the dungeon, number of monsters, theme, etc...GA
<FTL> I could, but I'd rather it be a suprise.
<B.HILTY> THANKS FTL FOR THE BEST TWO ADVENT/ARCADE GAMES OF THE 1987/88
SEASON. IM A ST DEALER IN HOUSTON TEXAS AND WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT NOT
ONLY DID YOUR PRODUCTS SELL OVER 700 COPIES IN LESS THAN 3 MONTHS (4
STORES) BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN A GAME PRG (DM) HAVE SUCH A FOLLOWING.
ALMOST EVERY ST BBS IN TOWN HAS AN FTL MESAGE BASE...WOW...OIDS IS AN
ADICTIVE DRUG..GOOD SHOW FTL....GA
<FTL> Thank you, Dan Hewitt (creator of OIDS) Thanks you. Thank you
<GED> Do you have any plans do any real time 3d game systems that will
allow two players to comete via modem? ga
<FTL> My lips are sealed!
<M.HAND> There are many items in DM that don't seem to do too much, are
the details/uses of things covered in the Hint Book??
<FTL> Many items have secret and hard to discover uses. Of course, there
are also many red herrings too. Did you know the Gem of Ages increases
your healing ability. Also, the rabbits foot increases your luck. You
have to be very observant to figure out the effects. We didn't want all
DMs secrets to be easy to figure out...GA
<W.WAKEFIELD> have the same screen layout or does your system allow for
flexibility in the way the game is presented.
<FTL> We can change the screen layout easily, but we're trying to
develop a standard type interface so new games will be easier to get
into. Sort of the same rationale behind the Desktop design.
<J.M.MESA> Just a few comments. First, why don't we see DM advertised in
magazines such as Computer Gaming? Also I must congratulate Mr. Jaros for
his amazing artistry!
<FTL> We'd like to advertise everywhere, but it takes time to put
together an effective ad campaign. Many people don't realize the cost and
time it takes to just DESIGN an effective ad. We are trying to get better
here. Also, Andy Jaros says thanks!
<NHARRIS> Well folks, it's almost 9 PM here in warm California
and this has been a great conference! Thanks to the FTL folks...for
participating as well as for their great products, thanks also to all of
you for attending tonight.
________________________________________
ST-REPORT Issue #24 February 29, 1988
(c)1988 SPC/Ron Kovacs
________________________________________
