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Silicon Times Report Issue 0030
______________________________________
|////////////////////////////////////|
|////////////////////////////////////|
|//ST-REPORT WEEKLY ONLINE MAGAZINE//|
|//================================//|
|//Publisher/Editor| April 11, 1988//|
|// Ron Kovacs | Issue #30 //|
|//================|===============//|
|//Asst Publisher |Managing Editor//|
|// Ken Kirchner | Keith Whitton //|
|//================================//|
|////////////////////////////////////|
|////////////////////////////////////|
|____________________________________|
|SPC |
|Post Office Box 74 |
|Middlesex, New Jersey 08846-0074 |
|____________________________________|
|BBS #1: Syndicate (201) 968-8148 |
|BBS #2: Stairway (216) 784-0574 |
|GEnie ST Roundtable CAT #22 |
|____________________________________|
|Contents |
|____________________________________|
|*|Editors Desk |
|*|Users Guide To FNET D. Chiquelin |
|*|Public Domain Shelf Alice Amore |
|*|Computer Calender Gary Gorski |
|*|Systems Update Ron Kovacs |
|*|MAC Report Keith Whitton |
|*|Atari Scuttlebits Bob Kelly |
|*|PC Pursuit Update Keith Whitton |
|*|Reader Commentary on Issue #27 |
|*|A Letter To Compute Magazine |
|*|Panasonic 1524 Review R. Reade |
|_|__________________________________|
______________________________________
Editors Desk
______________________________________
by Ron Kovacs
In a near future edition of ST-Report, we will be publishing a rebuttle
article compiled by Henry Colonna. He has gathered a few articles of
commentary based on Issue #27 of ST-Report. In case you dont remember
the issue. We dealt with the subject of Word Perfect and the piracy
issue.
As soon as the article is ready for publication, we will list it here,
in one issue, or in a few issues. It all depends on the size of the
final product.
We will be doing an in-depth review of Word Perfect and have the results
of this review in a few weeks. We are currently going through it all
and should have something ready soon.
Look for ST-Report in it's own area on CompuServe's Atari16 area. Details
as they become available.
We have restructured our policy on handles in this magazine. You will no
longer see any article without the authors REAL NAME. Due to the
apparent commentary about it, we have banned the use.
User Group column has been delayed and will debut as soon as we can
get the information gathered!
Many other developments are under way, we will keep you informed as we
get them ironed out. Stary tuned, there is more exciting news coming!
_______________________________________
A User's Guide to FoReM Message Network
_______________________________________
(FNET)
by David Chiquelin
The FNET system is a method for exchanging messages between BBSs all over
the country, and in some cases overseas also. This guide is to help you,
the user, understand the system and how you can use it.
BBS networking systems are not new, having been used on some IBM systems
for some time now. It is new though to FoReM, and is the only ST BBS
that currently networks its BBSs together. You might have seen the Fido
/Opus system on other IBM boards. This is a large network of systems but
it works differently from and is incompatible with FNET.
The FoReM Net allows all the different types of messages to be
transferred between BBSs; standard message base messages, extended
messages and Fmail messages. When you enter a message it is sent with
the same parameters as on the local board, ie., if you send a message
Anonymously, it will show up on the receiving BBS that way. The big
question you may have now is "How do I send an Fnet message?"
How to send an Fnet Message
===========================
First, the very ability to send an FNET message is controlled by the
Sysop. The Sysop must give you the privilege to send them, and he also
controls what BBSs you may send to, and how many Fnet messages you may
send in a day. For now we will assume you have the necessary privileges.
The actual easiest method to send an Fnet message is to reply to one that
has been received on your BBS. Your reply will be 'mailed' to the BBS
that the original message came from. Now that's easy, right?
To enter a new message (not a reply) and have it sent to another BBS, you
would first go to the message base you wanted to send it on and enter "E"
(for enter message). The BBS will respond with a prompt asking you who
to send it to ("To:"). At this point enter the letters "FNET". The BBS
will respond with a prompt asking what node to send it to or ? to Search
for the node.
To digress a little, a node is the remote BBS. Node numbers are assigned
to each BBS in the net, and is the method used to route the messages.
Every BBS has its own unique node number, something like Your home
address or telephone number.
You may enter the node number, if you know it, or type a question mark if
you do not. When you search for a node to send it to the BBS will ask
you how you want to search; by the name, location, or all. If new to
this you might want to search all nodes. This will show you all the
nodes you may send messages to. After you have decided on a node to send
to, enter the BBS's node number or name. (I recommend the node number,
as it is too easy to miss-spell a name.)
The BBS will respond with yet another "To:" prompt. This time it is
asking for the name of the person you wish to send the message to on the
remote BBS. If you wish to address it to "ALL" on the remote BBS you are
allowed to do that. Now continue entering the message just as you
normally would. The next time the mailer sends messages for the node you
addressed it to it will be sent.
You might also see a prompt after you have saved the message asking if
you want to save the Fnet message locally. The reason this is asked is
normally Fnet messages are deleted on the local BBS after they are
delivered. If you have the ability (Sysop granted privilege) to keep
Fnet messages on the local BBS even after they have been delivered, you
will be shown that prompt. If you don't see it it means your message
will 'disappear' from the local BBS after delivery.
I've been saying "delivered", but in some cases the message may be erased
from your local BBS before the destination BBS has received it. This is
because not all nodes connect directly with every other node in their
list. Many messages are sent VIA another node. So sometimes it might
take two to three, or even more, days before your message finally arrives
at it's destination. Also, remember that the connections between the
systems may not take place every night. The Sysop may have the mailer
call another BBS to deliver and pick up mail anywhere from once a week to
7 times a week, or even only call if there is a message to be sent to
that node, no matter how long between calls. So even though many
messages are delivered overnight (and MUCH cheaper than Emery or Federal
Express!), your's might take several days.
Advance Features
================
What if you want to send a message to several nodes? Do you have to
enter the same message over and over? Well, to quote from a popular TV
series "No, of course not, don't be ridiculous!" When the BBS asks what
node to send your message to, enter the word "LIST". This allows you to
enter several nodes for the same message, much the same as "LIST" in
Email may be used to address an Email message to several users on your
local BBS. The exact number of nodes you may send a message to is
dependent on how many your Sysop has allowed you in your daily quota.
I said the Fnet system allows Fmail (message with attached file) to be
sent over the net, and this is true, however the ability to do this is
also a Sysop controlled privilege. So if you try and the BBS won't let
you, it means your Sysop has not granted you the privilege. An Email
message to Sysop explaining why you need to send Fmail might help you
gain this ability.
Some other users (not many I hope) may also be able to send a message to
ALL the nodes your local BBS sends to. This is a separate Sysop
controlled privilege and should not normally be given out. The reason it
should not is the Fnet system can only hold a certain number of messages
on each BBS. If everyone sent messages to all the nodes, the system
would become overloaded and messages would never make it through. But, if
you do have the ALL Fnet privilege you just enter the word "ALL" when it
asks what node to send it to.
Another Fnet privilege is the ability to send an already entered local
message on the Fnet. You can tell if you have this privilege by typing a
"?" at the Read msg prompt. The BBS will show you all of your available
options, and this one is designated by the $ sign. You would enter the $
and then the node to send it to. Again, this is probably a Sysop only
privilege.
How much does it cost?
======================
Use of the Fnet system is not charged on FoReM BBSs, at least not on any
I've seen. It is an expense absorbed by the Sysop for you, the user. One
capability of the Fnet system that helps hold the costs down is its
ability to use the PC Pursuit network to transfer messages. This does
reduce the costs, but still runs $300 a year.
How you can help out
====================
Don't be shy about sending Fnet messages. But at the same time don't
send a message to ALL nodes asking how the weather is. Some BBSs connect
with the other nodes using regular Long Distance calls, and the expenses
can mount up fast. Some BBSs even call overseas, and the rates then are
VERY high! I don't think the Sysop paying for the call would appreciate
it very much if you sent a 'just wondering' message all over the world..
The Fnet can be useful where you have a question that no one on your
local BBS knows the answer for. Some users keep in touch with friends in
other cities by using the Fnet. (Remember, Email may be sent over the
net, for a bit of privacy.) Some use it to do research for school papers
or business. There are many uses, even helping to plan a vacation by
asking for tips and "what's there to see" from BBSs located where you are
planning to head. So go ahead, use it if it's there, but don't abuse it.
David Chiquelin Sysop, Node 3 Atari-OH! BBS Houston, TX (713)-480-9310
_______________________________________
PUBLIC DOMAIN SHELF
_______________________________________
by Alice Amore
Sysop of:
Pineline BBS (216) 336-3774
Ohio Software Exchange (216) 334-4145
As promised, here's the rundown on some of the best public domain demos
available for your ST:
SBDEMO - "Shiny Bubbles" from ANALOG has been around for awhile, but it
still packs a wallop. By displaying a series of images in rapid
succession, the "bubbles" are animated smoothly. The speed is adjustable
from very fast to one image at a time. A "floor" of scrolling Atari
logos makes an interesting backdrop as well as providing additional
motion.
TINY - You don't need to buy a full-fledged paint program to show eye
catching picture shows. And you don't have to have any artistic talent,
either. The TINY series of utilities will compress (other people's)
picture files from either DEGAS or NEOchrome making them far smaller and
allowing for storage of many pictures on a disk. The public domain world
is rife with .TNY files. Take your pick. The best of them are
magnificent. But beware of files created by new owners of digitizers.
These people have a habit of digitizing just about ANYTHING lying around
the house and uploading it just about ANYWHERE. You'll be sure to
accumulate some clunkers, but take heart. There are always new .TNY files
on the horizon, and the good ones keep getting better and better.
SPXSHOW - Similar to TINY in that it's a slideshow utility, SPXSHOW shows
picture files made with SPECTRUM 512. Let's just say that SPECTRUM
allows up to 512 colors on the screen at once, so don't be surprised if
your screen seems to throb and glow. As with TINY, be careful to
separate the wheat from the chaff. As of now, the typical SPX file is
quite large, so, unfortunately, you won't be able to fit many pictures on
one disk. If you have a hard drive, you're way ahead.
ANIMATE - If any of us had seen ANIMATE files a few years ago, we
wouldn't have believed our eyes. ANIMATE displays data from "Cyber
Studio" (Antic Publishing). I won't attempt to describe an ANIMATE file
here, but I will say that I've seen one that shows no less than 9 (that's
nine) animations simultaneously!
GRDEMO - From W. Germany comes a graphics/sound demo that adds up to pure
entertainment for all ages. GRDEMO once again proves the point that even
with the best of technology, we still need good artisans to make that
technology look and sound good. GRDEMO is basically a cartoon of three
"animals" (plus a bird as maestro) making music together. A lot of
attention to detail went into GRDEMO. Watch the "guitarist". His toes
and fingers don't lie.
PAWNDEMO - "Pawn", one of the first really aSTounding games for the ST,
has alot of features that deserve more than passing attention. One is
the superb artwork, and PAWNDEMO lets us see quite a bit of that. But
PAWNDEMO also gives us a peek at the complexity of PAWN's parser. The
parser is what allows us to type complex sentences such as, "put the
clothes except the shirt on the bench on" without confusing the computer.
The parser aspect alone is worth making this demo part of your
collection.
PDREPLAY - This is a demo for "ST Replay" from MichTron. The data files
contain digitizations of voices, music, noises, and more. In general,
the quality of data files floating around the ST community is good-
to-excellent. Everything from Darth Vader to Larry Fine (of The 3
Stooges) is available. Some of the best are from The Church Lady of SNL
fame (could it be... SATAN?).
DMDEMO - "Dungeon Master" from FTL has wonderful graphics, and DMDEMO
shows them off very well. The artwork is tops. Among other things, it
proves how much interest can be generated by the pre-release of a demo to
wet the appetite of the ST community.
_______________________________________
COMPUTER CALENDAR
_______________________________________
Courtesy of Gary Gorski - Jersey Atari Computer Group (JACG)
April 9 Philadelphia Computer Swap Meet
Saturday 10 to 5 Philadelphia Park - Philadelphia, PA
April 21 Bussiness & Home Computer Fair, Tri State Fairs,
Thursday 5-10PM Rt. 46 Eastbound Wayne, NJ Holiday Inn, Info call
(201) 533-1991. Box 76 Livingston, NJ 07039
APRIL 23-24 TRENTON COMPUTER FESTIVAL - 850 VENDORS !!!!
SAT/SUN For more info call (609) 771-2667
May 5-6 The Nineteenth Annual Pittsburgh Conference on
Thursday-Friday Modeling and Simulation - Sponsered by The School of
Engineering, University of Pittsburgh
May 7 Philadelphia Computer Swap Meet
Saturday 10 to 5 Philadelphia Park - Philadelphia, PA
May Long Island (NY) Micro Show & Sale - 225 Tables
(to be announced) Grand Royal Hotel - Clinton Ave. - Hempstead, NY
June 4 North Jersey Micro Show & Sale - 500+ Vendors
Saturday 10 to 4 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Athletic Center
Hackensack Ave. - off rte. 4 - Hackensack, NJ
June 25 Philadelphia Micro Show & Sale - 190 Tables
Saturday 10 to 3 George Washington Conference Center-Willow Grove, PA
Exit #27 of PA Turnpike - Left after Toll Booth
August 20 Cherry Hill Computer Swap Meet
Saturday 10 to 5 Garden State Park - Cherry Hill, NJ
September 10 Cherry Hill Computer Swap Meet
Saturday 10 to 5 Garden State Park - Cherry Hill, NJ
October 22 Cherry Hill Computer Swap Meet
Saturday 10 to 5 Garden State Park - Cherry Hill, NJ
November 12 Cherry Hill Computer Swap Meet
Saturday 10 to 5 Garden State Park - Cherry Hill, NJ
For more information or current updated list call the JACG BBS (201)
298-0161. If you have a show that you would like added to this list, send
to JACG BBS, c/o 313 Sheridan Ave. Roselle NJ 07203.. Thanks for your
help, and enjoy.
-Gary...
_______________________________________
Systems Update
_______________________________________
by Ron Kovacs
We have adopted a new policy for BBS carriers of ST-Report and Zmagazine.
All carriers will be issued a registration number. This number will be
used at a later date for special offers and such which are currently
under development. To get your number, Please leave email on CompuServe,
GEnie, or the Syndicate BBS.
To reach us:
CompuServe 71777,2140
GEnie Services ST-REPORT
Syndicate BBS (201) 968-8148
Systems registered this week:
Number BBS Name BBS Number
==========================================================
H001-201 Syndicate BBS 201-968-8148
H002-216 Stariway To Heaven 216-784-0574
Z150-805 My House 805-929-1624
Z146-213 L.B.C.S 213-631-7328
X010-918 Tektron BBS 918-835-5198
X013-216 Pirate Busters BBS 216-545-4817
X009-916 Shadow Haven ST BBS 916-962-2566
Z148-215 Star Fleet Command 215-289-5245
X147-314 The Brick Yard 314-581-3801
X011-201 TimeLink BBS (down) 201-469-4474
The complete list will be put in order and released when we get some more
systems verfied. If your system carries ST-Report, Zmagazine or both
publications, please let us know!!
Code: Z=Zmag Carrier X=Zmag and STR Carrier S=ST-Report Carrier
H=Headquarters System
_______________________________________
MAC REPORT
_______________________________________
by Keith Whitton (Mr. Goodprobe)
As we begin another installtion of Mac Tips, I'd like to bring you the
following notice about a related and upcoming ST product. Read on:
"After reading the impromptu conference with Sam Tramiel that appeared on
Genie recently, we feel compelled to let you know of our plans for a
"Hypercard-like" application. This program, currently called, "Omnicard"
will enable the ST user to completely meld with his computer in a new and
exciting way. The friendly interface puts the user to rest immediately
via the familiar icons and mouse-clicking, none of which is implemented
in programs such as "Zoomracks."
A completely integrated software package is also available from the new
desktop, including a word-processor, paint program, database,
telecommmunications, mini-desktop (particularly of interest to the power
user with a lot of folders), and an exceptionally easy to use program
"Authoring Environment" akin to hypercard itself.
This Authoring Environment allows the novice to begin programming in the
most effective way, without him even realizing it! A card metaphor is
used throughout, to heighten the Stack (We call them decks) image. If
you can organize a speech, you can write a program. Buttons, icons,
graphics and text replace hundreds of lines of code, that to most look
like Greek!
Based on many of the underlying concepts that are currently being
explored in the realms of artificial intelligence, this program will be
THE program for the Atari ST. Optimized on a Mega 2 or above, Omnicard
will be available on all ST machines.
BeerysBit, A.S.C.,Inc; is currently marketing seven products specifically
geared to support the ST Market. In addition, the Omnicard project is
utilizing the talents of a PHD physicist, 2 CAD engineers, 2 professional
programmers, and a professional artist, all with extensive experience on
the Atari ST."
BeerysBit ASC,Inc;
8174 Century Circle East #8
Indianapolis, In 46260
(317)872-8622
Interesting eh? Coupled with an item I recieved from David Small of Magic
Sac, this is some interesting news! Dave has stated that as soon as a few
bugs are taken care of in Hypercard, he will make it work with the Magic
Sac. And the best gets better...
Also, there appears to be a product in the works by an as-yet unnamed
company that will plug into your ST and carries an onboard 68020! This
"Turbo-ized ST" module apparently turns your ST into a 16Mhz wonder that
almost makes the BLITter obsolete... I have no pricing information, but
will pass on the info as it becomes available.
And on with the show!...
Macintosh Labels - Why Aren't There Ever Enough?
================================================
Q: Where can I buy Mac labels in bulk? I am continually getting
requests for them, and we're always in short supply. Does anybody
make it in rolls for pinfeed? What about a Mac Label Maker/printing
program?
A: A few of the sources for labels and label maker programs for the
Macintosh include:
* MyDiskLabeler, Version 2 supports black and white and color
printing. Labels for MyDiskLabeler are available for both the
ImageWriter and LaserWriter. W. M. Williams & Macias, P. O. Box
19206, Spokane, WA 99219 [1-800-752-4400].
* MacLabels by DataWiz features rolls of blank Mac labels in 500 or
1,000 labels/roll, featuring wrap around, pin feed and removable
adhesive. Labels are available in six colors: White, Yellow, Pink,
Lt. Blue, Lt. Green and Grey. DataWiz, 21115 Devonshire Blvd., Suite
465-B, Chatsworth, CA 91311.
ImageWriter LQ Information
==========================
Q: Does the ImageWriter LQ have 24 pins?
A: No. The ImageWriter LQ has 27 pins.
LaserWriter ID - Gone With the Wind?
====================================
A "Tip-of-the Hat" to Jim Leathan of Computer Emporium, Vails Gate, NY
for the following:
The revision number on the LaserWriter test print (under the first chart)
used to be a reliable way to tell if it's a LaserWriter or a LaserWriter
Plus you were looking at, but this is only partially true now.
The Revision Number - What it really means:
1.0--256K ROMs installed--LaserWriter (No doubt about it)
2.0--512K ROMs installed---May be a newer LaserWriter or a LaserWriter
Plus
The revision number refers to the ROM revision used. A LaserWriter or
LaserWriter Plus using 512K ROMs has 8 ROMs, a LaserWriter using 256K
ROMs has 16 ROMs.
* * * PROGRAMMING AND DEVELOPMENT * * *
Apple Programmers and Developers Association
--------------------------------------------
Corporate Switchboard (206) 251-6548
Customer Service (206) 251-9798 * Best number for information *
Orders (800) 426-3667
Orders (800) 527-7562 * Washington state *
* * * APPLE TAKES A VACATION * * *
Apple Equipment Abroad
======================
Q: We've received a number of questions from our customers about using
their systems abroad. These Apple products are designed to operate at
a line voltage range of 107V to 137V, at 50 or 60 Hertz. In countries
that supply a different standard, usually 220V at 50 Hz, use a
grounded Stepdown Isolation Transformer to convert 220V to 110V for
these products:
Computers: Apple II, IIe, IIc, III, III+:
-- Video output is compatible with NTSC standard only.
Macintosh, Macintosh XL, Lisa:
-- The screen may flicker at 50 Hz.
Printers: Daisy Wheel, Dot Matrix, ImageWriter, Silentype
-- Use these with a grounded stepdown isolation transformer.
-- A 50 Hz source can noticeably affect spacing between
characters.
LaserWriter, ImageWriter II, Scribe, Apple Color Plotter
NOTE: Damage may occur with a 50 HZ source; these devices
are rated for 60 Hz only and should not be used
overseas.
Disk Drives: ProFile
Monitors: II, IIc, III
-- These work with NTSC composite video only.
-- There may be screen flicker at 50 Hz.
To use a U. S. Apple in a foreign country, you should know that country's
AC line voltage and frequency.
-- Voltage
If the country uses a line voltage of 220V AC, you'll need to 220V to
110V step-down transformer. Although converters are available in the
U. S., some of these have killed at least two Apples to our knowledge.
Don't risk this. Pay the $60 for an isolation transformer; the isolation
transformer is the only one known to give a clean 110V 50 Hz signal. A
500-Watt unit should be plenty for an entire Apple system (CPU, monitor,
and printer). The unit must have a third prong for a grounded outlet.
Electrical shock to you or damage to the hardware may occur if the units
are not grounded.
Apple power supplies function correctly with voltages between 107V and
132V. If the line voltage fluctuates outside of these specifications,
you'll need to use a power conditioner to insure uninterrupted operation
of your Apple. Operating your Apple without the conditioner will probably
not result in damage to the Apple hardware, although the voltage
fluctuation may cause your system to "crash"; in that event, you'll lose
any data in memory and may even lose data stored on the diskette.
-- Frequency
If the country uses a line frequency other than 60 Hertz (cycles per
second), then all devices attached to your Apple (monitors, printers,
plotters, hard disks, and so on) must be "frequency independent" -- that
is, they must be able to operate on a line frequency of both 50 and 60
Hz. All Apple-manufactured products are frequency independent EXCEPT the
Color Plotter, Scribe, the U. S. ImageWriter II, and LaserWriter.
If you wish to connect your Apple to a device that is not manufactured
by Apple, you can find out from the manufacturer of that device if it is
frequency independent. If it is, you can use the device with your Apple
(after you compensate for the voltage differences, if any); if the device
is not frequency independent, then you must purchase one that is.
Service and Warranty Repair are also affected when you take a U.S. Apple
overseas. The main piece of advice is: Buy the Apple where you intend
to use it. For example, European Macintoshes have power supplies designed
to handle Europe's 220 volt, 50 Hertz electricity. Although mice,
external drives, digital boards and similar modules are the same as
distributed in the U. S., the software and keyboards are different for
each country.
-- Service
Apple dealers overseas are capable of servicing the equipment designed
for their country only.
-- Warranty
The warranty is valid only in the country of purchase. A defective unit
must be returned to the country of purchase if service is desired under
warranty. Buy and use the Apple product well before your departure if you
intend to take it with you. Use it extensively before you leave so that
any problems that the warranty covers may be detected and corrected under
warranty.
Mr. Goodprobe
(on lend from Midtown TV)
Atari 8/16& Amiga Sales&Repair
27 Midway Plaza
Tallmadge, Ohio 44278
(216)633-0997
Stairway To Heaven BBS -> ST-Report Midwest Headquarters
216-784-0574 300/1200 24hrs. DL's for Atari 8/16 & Amiga
Permission is hereby granted for the use of Tech Tidbits, in part or in
whole, in any non-commercial publication, or for use by any non-
commercial group or organization or Apple User Group with the following
credit: Reprinted from "Tech Tidbits" with the permission of Apple
Computer, Inc., East Coast Technical Support."
_______________________________________
ATARI SCUTTLEBITS
_______________________________________
by Bob Kelly
All about computers or ... how are your acronyms!
Understanding the terminology associated with computers is becoming an
increasingly time consuming task to the layman. It often appears that a
deliberate attempt by professionals to obfuscate is underway. For
example, the table of contents in a recent issue of InfoWorld listed
these two articles:
"Microcom's new MLB/1500 LAN bridge connects two geographically separated
LANs over an ISDN network ............
Users think that adoption of SAA is inevitable step"
It used to be funny when someone peppered their sentences with words like
input. Now, with the addition of a bewildering array of acronyms, the
fun has become frustration for most. Even the substance of a simple
sentence becomes something Champoleon might have pondered for days.
When I first sought hacker status, an expert was somewhat simply viewed
as one who could explain the difference between RAM and ROM. If these
acronyms still elude your grasp, either owing to lack of interest or just
common sense, it might be wise to skip the first portion of this column.
However, if you want to continue, below are some of the latest phrases/
acronyms to identify. The easy ones are, of course, first. The answers
to this mini-quiz are below:
Hint
=========================================================================
1. LAN - The rage in the trade press
2. Presentation Manager - Big Blue developing
3. WYSIWYG - Word Processing
4. P.C. Virus - A sick computer system
5. Blitter - Easy, a give-away
6. Disk Caching - What's this about RAM
OK, OK, so you think you know all six. You're ready for the Senior
Computer Scientist's chair at Sunnyvale? However, before checking the
answers, let's turn the screw a little tighter. Here are a few more (no
hints for some either).
Hint
=========================================================================
7. DRAM - This is another give-away
8. RISC ---
9. CMMU ---
10. CASE - Software help
11. WORM ---
12. SAA - PC's, Mini's, mainframes
As for scoring, 10 or more correct indicates your knowledge is indeed
current. If your score is between 6 and 9, more reading may be in order.
Below 6, while the situation is not terminal, one can hope for a sports
quiz next time.
Disinformation:
===============
Do you ever get tired of stories about the Atari and software pirates. It
appears that when there is nothing else to write about, this subject
becomes a "hot topic", i.e., it fills space. The latest example is ST
Informer (March issue). There is one paragraph that illustrates the lack
of research common to all articles of this genre:
"ST Informer is concerned that the label of 'Piracy' is attached to the
ST because there aren't enough machines in circulation to still create a
heavy demand on software publishers. After all, publishers of software
must make a profit, or there is little sense in writing software for a
particular machine. The history of the CPM operating system, where
massive amounts of software were available in the public domain, seemed
to seal the fate of CPM based machines."
I would like to point out:
==========================
1. Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia have never had so many Atari
retail outlets as they now do. Computer retail stores live and die by
follow-on software sales. If no one is buying, the stores close.
2. The Atari ST is either the best or among the best selling computers in
several European countries. Most U.S. software manufacturers are not
ignorant. The more aggressive U.S. firms are exporting to Europe. As
a result, they have no intention of abandoning the ST and losing
actual or potential overseas markets. On the other hand, some
software firms may not recognize the importance of the international
market and are at risk in the long run. Their poor understanding of
the nature of the business competition they face is the issue and
"piracy" is only a convenient excuse.
3. True, Atari has not promoted ST sales in the U.S. market owing to
production constraints. Software dealers are well aware of this
situation. This again is another issue. Pricing policies of software
firms, however, can take this into consideration (economics 1).
One more point relative to the quote above. The statement that too many
public domain programs brought about the downfall of CP/M is about the
ultimate in s--------. Oh! How Atari Corp. wishes it had this problem -
too many users writing too many public domain programs. Being an old
CP/M type, I still use dBase II on my ST. One might say, this article
has "sealed the fate of ST Informer" in terms of business reporting.
Market_Notes:
=============
o I recently attended the Federal Office Systems EXPO at the Washington,
D.C. Convention Center. It was packed for the first time in years.
There was one outstanding item of particular interest to the home/
small business computer user. How about a printer that produces
better graphic images than a laser for under $700 retail? Canon has
just introduced such a machine. It is the BJ-130. Once you see it
you will be a believer. The BJ-130 is a bubble jet printer with a
resolution of 360 cpi.
o Did you hear that both Tandy and Texas Instruments may be producing
Mac clones? Word is they will be introduced this summer. Wonder what
the pricing policy will be?
o The shortage of 256K and 1 megabit chips is supposed to ease this
summer as a result of U.S. production. Yes, you heard right -
semiconductor chip production in the U.S. will increase. Motorola is
the primary firm. Hopefully, chip prices will ease by the fall so
that Atari users can upgrade their machines to 2 1/2 megs at a
reasonable price. With the new graphic animation programs, over 2
megs may become a minimum level.
o Current DRAM shortage is not affecting IBM. Naturally, IBM
manufactures their own 1 megabit chips supporting the introduction of
the new product line designed to run OS/2.
o IBM plans to dramatically cut prices for its new 80386 line of
computers by 1989. Entry level prices will decline from around $7,000
in 1987 to a projected $1,350 in 1989. The objective is to regain
market share which will in the process eliminate some clone
manufacturers. Remember, IBM makes about 80% of the components for
its computers and there is no doubt in my mind, they could be the
"low-cost producer" if so desired. Watch this one carefully if you
have invested in clone stocks.
o ST-Log (Analog) is finally out again. An April issue is on the
newsstands. Analog/ST-Log was purchased by Larry Flint, the publisher
of Hustler magazine. The disk version should eventually be real
interesting!
*********** ANSWERS **********
1. LAN - "Local Area Network" - A means to link several PCs together
permitting efficient use of peripherals and the exchange of
information.
2. Presentation Manager - GEM/Windows type interface for the IBM allowing
operation of multiple programs simultaneously.
3. WYSIWYG - "What You See Is What You Get" - The screen presentation for
a word processing program replicates print-out.
4. PC Virus - A program file that attaches itself to another file every
time it is run. "Evil" viruses can destroy the contents of a user's
floppy or hard disk. It has been said that two well-known IBM
utilities have been infected - ARC and LIST. Mac programs have been
infected on Compuserve and the latest word is that the infection has
spread to the Atari ST. There are anti-virus programs to check for a
virus (for ST protection see #6252, Protect. Acc, on GEnie).
5. Blitter - Computer chip purported to speed up screen display on the
Atari. (Many doubt it lives up to expectations.)
6. Disk Caching - Automatic saving to RAM permitting faster operation as
opposed to returning to hard disk/floppy for information recall each
time.
7. DRAM - "Dynamic Random Access Memory" - Advantage is the compact
nature of the dynamic memory chip as opposed to the static chip
design.
8. RISC - "Reduced Instruction Set Chips" - Mainly used in high-end work
stations, greatly increasing speed. RISC require 2 to 6 times less
logic than traditional Complex Instruction Set Chips (CSIC).
Ultimately, RISC technology will revolutionize home computers.
9. CMMU - "Cache Memory Management Unit" - A storage area where data and
instructions can move in parallel to the Central Processing Unit
(CPU).
10. CASE - "Computer Assisted Software Engineering" - Another way to say
the computer helps program the solution. Problem is that the human
operator must be very precise in the instructions given to the
computer doing the programming. How many precise humans do you know?
11. WORM - "Write Once Read Many" - Optical disk mass storage (200+
megabytes) device. While you cannot over write existing files, you
can write new files to the disk up to its capacity.
12. SAA - "System Application Architecture" - An IBM developed group of
interfaces and protocols which will eventually allow users to develop
consistent applications across IBM's PC, mini and main frames.
That's all folks .............
______________________________________
PC Pursuit Update
______________________________________
by Keith Whitton (Mr. Goodprobe)
In case you might be wondering whatever happened to Pc Pursuit and its
proposed upgrade to 2400 baud, you may have noticed..it STILL isn't
working! Here's the low-down from PC Pursuit itself, and after that is a
series of notices we have been receiving that serve to show you the
roller-coaster ordeal they have been going through with their new modems.
Good news is that there will be an additional 15 cities added to the
prior list of new cities. Reach out and touch someone...oops...isn't that
somebody elses line?
"Dear PC Enthusiast:
Since its introduction in 1985, Telenet's PC Pursuit Service has offered
you a cost-effective alternative to long distance telephone service for
PC communications nationwide. While the performance of PC Pursuit has
traditionally been very good, we have recently encountered problems that
have degraded the quality of the service and inconvenienced many of our
users. We apologize for any difficulties you may have recently
experienced using the service.
We are currently taking the following steps to provide you the type of
service that you expect and deserve.
Outdial Modem Deployment: A large number of outdial modems were
installed at the end of 1987 to expand the capacity of the service.
Unfortunately, unexpected problems were encountered during the deployment
of the modems, which caused the expansion To be delayed. These problems
have recently been corrected by the modem manufacturer, and we are
currently testing the modems to ensure their operation in the network.
Additional Expansion: Plans for additional expansion continue in order
to meet the growing demand for the service. In addition to the new
outdial modems to be installed in the network after testing, we will
expand the network to include even more outdial ports than originally
planned.
Enhanced Net Exchange: A new system is being designed for the Net
Exchange Bulletin Board System. The system will allow the Net Exchange to
handle four times the traffic it can currently accommodate.
We thank you for your patience and understanding during this period of
change for PC Pursuit Service. Over the next few months we will be
contacting you again as the specific details and timetables regarding
these expanded capabilities become finalized. As the new product manager,
I look forward to working for you in the future to provide you the best
possible service and support.
Sincerely,
Peter Naleszkiewicz
PC Pursuit-Product Manager
03-29-88
========
Daytime usage bills have definitely started going out in the mail.
Remember that problems should be addressed to BILLING DEPT in the BILLING
conference area.
The new PROMS are still scheduled for install tonight in DC. Give them a
good workout!
More expansion! We have tentative approval for 15 more cities (bringing
the total to 48). I can't say yet which ones but I'll let you know as
soon as possible. These too will be held up until the new modems are
working - but watch out after that! We'll be expanding the size of the
exisiting rotories too!!!
Take a look at the file LETTER.TXT in the PURSUIT file area. It's a copy
of a letter which is being sent to customers soon.
03-25-88
========
New version failed as well. All new modems to be removed from DC
Saturday morning [that means that the 2400 bps service will not be
operational through this weekend]. Another version is to be installed
during the day on 3/29 so the 2400 bps service should be operational
again Tuesday evening (in DC).
If all goes well on that test, the modems will be released to Denver and
Boston on 4/14. Further deployment to be announced as the modem status
firms up.
03-25-88
========
New PROM version being tested in DC modems...results pending.
Daytime usage bills for September to December should be mailed this week
or next.
03-21-88
========
Even though the new modems passed their lab tests, they have been failing
in the DC field tests. The vendor is aware of the problem and is working
with us to resolve it. The problem includes the modem locking up (no
response to ATZ) and failure to pass certain characters.
03-15-88
========
The new modems have finally passed all their lab tests!!! They're being
field tested start today for 2 weeks in DC to make sure nothing was
missed. That means that the 2400 baud rotory in DC should be available
for use starting tonight.
As long as the DC test goes well, the modems will be deployed to the rest
of DC, Denver, and Boston for final testing which will also last 2 weeks.
As soon as I have a schedule for the rest of the expansion work I will
post it here.
_______________________________________
Reader Commentary on ST-Report #27
...Commentary on Rex Read...
_______________________________________
by Bob Balay
Give some people a soap box and they will make an issue out of anything.
Who would have thought to question the SPA's decision to offer rewards
for information about pirate BBS's than ST-Report's own Rex Read?
Comparing it to Nazi tactics during World War II was the piece de
resistance! Imagine how thousands of police forces around the United
States, who use paid informants to gain leads on criminal activity, would
react to Read's assertion that such tactics equate them to the Nazi's
during WWII!
My question is, what does Rex Read have to hide that he fears the SPA so
much? Surely his disappointment that the SPA is not going to attempt to
regulate the software industry (a foolish notion in a free marketplace)
is not the sole cause for his acrimonious attack on their policy of
banding together to put the people who are putting them out of business,
out of business. This is not to accuse young Mr. Read of running a
pirate BBS, or even of owning pirated software. To do so would be
unfair; at least as unfair as his rhetoric about the SPA's attempt to
crack down on thieves. But with unwarranted zeal for defending the
rights of the folks who are slowly choking off the software industry, one
has to wonder about Rex Read's motives.
I want to know _where_ in the SPA's warning does it mention Atari? I
don't see it and I don't see the SPA's attempt to crack down on piracy as
being aimed solely at the Atari community, as Rex Read mistakenly claims.
But even if the crackdown _was_ aimed solely at the Atari community, we
should be happy that someone is taking an interest in weeding out the
low-lives who are undermining the software market for us all!
Does being a minor in high-school, living at home, with a small BBS (30Mb
or less), and college-bound justify someone breaking the law? When they
reach the business community after college? I don't want to find out. I
want them punished to the fullest extent of the law before they get the
opportunity to get out into the business community and commit more
criminal acts.
Berating the SPA's policy on the notion that the people being cracked
down on are "just kids" is the height of absurdity; something we've seen
before from Mr. Read.
If it sounds like this rebuttal was intended to be a personal attack on
Rex Read, let me assure you that this is not the case! I agree with Rex
on several points (I'm almost ashamed to say). ST developers need to
stop blaming their woes on piracy, implying in the process that _we are
all pirates_, and start taking a closer look at the market factors and
the quality of the software they are producing. They need to improve
their committment to supporting the products that they sell, as well.
But when Rex Read in his commentary (ST-Report #27) goes so far as to
attempt to justify the piracy of WordPerfect, stating in effect that
WordPerfect is guilty of a software rip-off and should leave the ST
market post-haste, he is being short-sighted, unfair to the rest of the
ST community, and deserves to have his vision corrected. And when, in
his latest commentary (ST-Report #28) about the SPA's attempt to buy
information about pirate BBS's, equating paid informants to Nazi Germany
and defending the rights of thieves, he shows his willingness to blind
himself to the problem, and deserves to have his sight restored.
I suppose in the next and future editions of ST-Report, we will have to
read more of Rex Read's rhetoric; inflammatory accusations, defending the
wrong side of the piracy issue, exhorting major software publishers who
do an outstanding job of supporting the ST community to leave us high and
dry, and very little common sense or foresight, and Rex Read's vision
will be completely gone. For there are none so blind as those who _will
not_ see.
Editor Reply:
=============
Bob, Thanks for your side of the story, The reason we allow Rex to
preach here is allow our readers to respond with their thoughts on any
topic we cover.
You have exercised your right to disagree and it has been printed with
being edited. I may or may not disagree with Rex or your article. But
not print anything is just as wrong.
If anyone would like to reply to your message, the space is ready for
further input. Contructive commentary is all that I am interested in.
Thanks again for taking the time to reply, it is greatly appreciated and
encouraged!
_______________________________________
A Letter To Compute Magazine
_______________________________________
by Kenneth Finto
April 5, 1988
Kenneth Finto
Route 2 Box 44
Rosebud, Texas 76570
The Editor, Compute!
Suite 200
324 West Wendover Ave.
Greensboro, NC 27408
Editor:
I just received the May 1988 issue of Compute! today. I am somewhat
surprised and very disappointed to learn that Compute! will no longer
print type-in programs. The reason I enjoyed your magazine so much in the
past is because you included so many type-in programs.
I began reading Compute! in February 1984. This is just after I bought my
first computer, a TI 99/4A. I continued reading Compute! after you
dropped TI coverage because I planned to buy a new computer in the
future. Well, in January 1988, I bought a XT Turbo clone. So, all of my
old copies of Compute! are more useful than ever as I learn MS-DOS and
GW-BASIC. Why just last night I learned how to use the SHELL command by
reading an article from the April 1985 issue of Compute!
Now, as I compare those old issues (pre May 1988) to the May 1988 issue I
find myself thinking that the old format is much better than the new one.
The old format had many programming tips that cannot be found in books.
The new format has an article about lap top computers and 11 reviews. How
many home computer users really care about laptops and expensive software
like Quattro?
I shall treasure my Compute! collection of February 1984 - April 1988. As
to the issues after April 1988, THEY ARE 90% USELESS TO ME AND I WILL NOT
RENEW MY SUBSCRIPTION. I will reconsider renewing my subscription when
you start publishing type-in programs again. But for now, I must go to
the local bookstore and find a new magazine to fill the gap that your new
format created for me.
I am sure you will not publish this letter in your magazine but you do
have my permission to print it and my name in your magazine if you wish
to do so. By the way, I will be posting this letter on GEnie and People
Link in the IBM, Commodore, Atari and Apple sections.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Finto
======================================================================
END OF LETTER
======================================================================
If you are reading this, you must be interested in forcing Compute! back
to their old format too. If you are interested, please write a letter, in
your own words, to Compute!. One person cannot change Compute!. But, if
we all write, maybe we can do it. You might want to write the parent
company too. The address is:
ABC Publishing Companies
President Robert G. Burton
1330 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
In the meantime, does anyone know of a good MS-DOS based magazine that
includes type-in programs? I know there are some very good Commodore and
Atari magazines published. I just wish some of those guys would start up
a new magazine for MS-DOS users in addition to their current magazines.
Kenneth Finto
April 6, 1988
GEnie mail address: Ken.Finto
Plink mail address: OBS264
P.S. Could the people that read this please upload it to the other
national services and to your local bulletin boards? Thank you!
_______________________________________
SOUNDS GOOD!
_______________________________________
by Tom "Rex" Reade
Whatever I thought was fast about Timeworks Desk Top Publisher is old
news...I just recieved my new Panasonic KX-P1524 and speed is now the
only thing I see...Timeworks' Install program set me up in minutes with
the driver I needed and the program prints out almost twice as fast as my
Citizen MSP-15 did!
Migraph in their usual super fast mode provided me with a driver and
fonts for the "24" and now EasyDraw is super nice!
The REAL NEWS is WORD PERFECT....I cannot start to find enough praise for
the print driver provided by WP for the "24" whatever was slow with the
nine pin driver is passe'.....Word Perfect is really as fast as any word
processor out there now..in fact, you have both the speed and the
fantastic features of WP in one neat package! It is really a shame that
I could only see the speed after obtaining a new printer, mind y'all now
that doesn't mean I HAD to buy a new printer to fully use WP! The new
printer was on the horizon in any case. When I first booted WP and
retrieved a file, I was hoping for a pleasant surprise......how about
sheer amazment at the difference!....I thought at first that there may
have been something wrong with the old 9 pin driver but thats not the
case. I redid the printer install routine and the Citizen under the 9
pin driver was still acting like "one line at a time and let me think".
For those who have been asking if Timeworks DTP will handle POSTSCRIPT,
the answer is YES!
If any of you are so inclined check out the new Panasonic 24 pin KX-P1524
at your favorite dealer....it will be worth the effort. It's quality
stops just short of "almost a laser". This printer has more features
than a new luxury sedan.
TO NAME A FEW:
==============
This printer is a high quality impact dot matrix printer designed for use
with a wide variety of computers in a business environment. This printer
can also be used to provide a printout from computer terminals connected
to a network.
This printer is rated at 240 characters per second (cps) and can print
bi-directionally, i.e., left-to-right and right-to-left. As standard,
the printer has three basic print fonts--Draft, Text and Letter Quality.
Additionally, external Letter Quality fonts are available by using
optional font cards. It also has 6 character pitch selections. They are
10, 12, 15, 17 & 20 characters per inch (cpi) and proportional spacing
(ps). These modes can be selected by front panel switches or through
software commands. This printer also has a graphics mode. In this mode
the user can create charts, graphs or other illustrations.
This printer uses a 24 pin print head to form a 24X9 dot matrix character
in draft and text modes. In letter quality mode, the matrix is 24X30.
The standard character set consists of 96 ASCII characters which can be
printed in conventional font or in italics. You can also select 11
international character sets.
Tractor feed and friction feed are both standard on this printer. This
allows the printer to accommodate both fanfold and single sheet paper as
well as envelopes. The unidirectional tractor option allows paper to be
fed from beneath the printer.
Also, the printer uses "push" tractors. Therefore, continuous forms can
be torn off without the need to skip a form when advancing to the next
one. The printer also has a forms length selector on the front panel.
The user can select the length of the form between 3" (76mm) and 14"
(356mm). This is very useful when printing on non-standard paper sizes
such as mailing labels. Those nice little labels for the 3.5" disks fit
perfectly and never skips a beat.
The printer head life is designed for 200 million dots per pin. The
seamless fabric ribbon has an operating life of 3 million characters. The
ribbon cassette design makes changing the ribbon easy and clean.
This printer has both Centronics parallel and RS-232-C serial interface
as standard. The RS-232-C interface supports the XON/XOFF and DTR
handshaking protocols at baud rates up to 9600 bps. The printer also
comes equipped with an internal standard 13.5K buffer. An additional 32K
buffer is available as an option. This expands the total buffer size to
45.5K. With this option the buffer or a portion of it can be used as a
receiving buffer or a portion of it can be used as a download font area.
The buffer area assignment is selected by DIP switches.
For software compatiblility, this printer has three command sets:
[A] Epson LQ-800, LQ-1500 [B] IBM Proprinter [C] Diablo 630.
This is a GOOD value for the money ..(519.00-600.00) depending on the
point of purchase.
'Til next time........
_______________________________________
ST-Report Issue #30 April 11, 1988
(c)1988 SPC/Ron Kovacs
_______________________________________
