Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Silicon Times Report Issue 0080
*---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original Online ST Magazine"
-------------------------------
March 24, 1989 Volume III No.80
==========================================================================
ST Report Online Magazine ½
------------------------------
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida
32236 ~ 6672
R.F. Mariano
Publisher - Editor
_________________________________________
Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EST
BBS: 904-786-4176 ~ 12-24-96 HST
_________________________________________
** F-NET/FIDOMAIL NODE 350 **
Our support BBS carries ALL issues of STReport¿
and
An International list of private BBS systems
carrying STReport¿ for their users enjoyment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Highlights
----------
~ The Podium ~ CPU Report
~ "GOLDEN FUJI AWARD" ~ COMDEX/Spring '89 PREVIEW
~ Pagestream Re-Visited ~ Atari Planetarium ST
~ PC-DITTO II ~ ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL
**** COMDEX and MACDEX IN CHICAGO! ****
** NEODESK 2.02 --- HOT! **
========================================================================
AVAILABLE ON: COMP-U-SERVE ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ THE SOURCE
========================================================================
> The Podium¿
----------
Good news comes in small but potent doses. Based on information just
received, the situation in Michigan is mellowing, apparently one or more
of the parties involved have posted either corrections or apologies
concerning their previous inflammatory statements and agreements have been
reached. Isn't it nice to be nice?
While on the subject, the position STReport has had all along is
quite simple, the entire concept of a usergroup supporting a company and
it's products is the right thing to do. If we, as users of the products,
care to show our endorsement of a company's products by participating
in a Usergroup dedicated to that product(s) is fine. We feel it is
incumbent upon the manufacturers to make doubly sure that the loyalty and
continued endorsement of products, both present and future, is vigorously
protected. The Usergroup must continue to be first in the eye of any
company, such as Atari, that enjoys National Support from enthusiastic
Usergroups.
Since the other online magazine has elected to release it's issue on
Friday evenings also, STReport warmly welcomes it's arrival, we have always
maintained there is plenty of room for different types of online magazines.
We will however, continue to lean heavily towards originality.
In so doing, we will be making a sincere effort at avoiding duplicate
articles. We will always strive to provide the high quality, in depth
articles that have become our hallmark. You are assured we will make
every attempt to bring you the very latest news, reviews and feature
articles in a concise, clear, plain language manner.
Ralph......
"1989 - ATARI'S QUEST!"
*************************************************************************
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
-----------------
As a reader of ST Report Magazine, you are entitled to take advantage of
a special DELPHI membership offer. For only $29.95 ($20 off the standard
membership price!), you will receive a lifetime subscription to DELPHI, a
copy of the 500-page "DELPHI: The Official Guide," and a credit equal to
one free evening hour at standard connect rates.
Signing up with DELPHI
----------------------
Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access DELPHI
services via a local phone call.
Join--- DELPHI
--------------
1. Dial 617-576-0862 with any terminal or PC and modem (at 2400 bps, dial
576-2981).
2. At the Username prompt, type JOINDELPHI.
3. At the Password prompt enter STREPORT.
For more information, call DELPHI Member Services at 1-800-544-4005, or
at 617-491-3393 from within Massachusetts or from outside the U.S.
DELPHI is a service of General Videotex Corporation of Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
**************************************************************************
> CPU REPORT¿
Issue # 14
by Michael Arthur
Remember When....
In 1981, the old Atari announced the 815 dual disk drive, saying it
was going to be out in the "Third Quarter", and how this product became the
VERY first piece of Atari vaporware?
CPU INSIGHTS¿
=============
V.32, the CCITT, and the Tale of the 9600 Baud Modem
----------------------------------------------------
Recently, a lot of attention has been placed towards the specific
types of 9600 baud modems. It seems that as developments such as Magneto
Optical Cartridge Drives, Megapixel displays, and 33 MHZ microprocessors
appear so frequently in the industry, that in our endless pursuit of faster
and more powerful computer technology (and to download that large file as
fast as possible), we have come to expect the same rate of progress from
our modems. But with the promise of faster modems have come controversy,
as many modem manufacturers come out with incompatible products, each
claiming to be the best. To understand the current situation, though, we
must take a look at the history of high speed modems.
Modems were perhaps the first kind of computer network. Until the
late 1980's, large corporations and the government were by far the biggest
users of modems, looking more at reliability and power than the price or
size of modems. In order to maintain compatibility in data communications,
(as compatibility is necessary in a global marketplace), the job of setting
standards for modem transmission protocols fell to the CCITT, an agency of
the United Nations that specifies standards for all aspects of the
communications industry.
When 9600 baud modems were first developed in the early 70's, the
CCITT drew up a recommendation, called V.29, which was the first such
standard for these modems. But as only large corporations could afford
them at that time, V.29 only covered synchronous modems communicating over
leased lines, as well as 9600 baud Facsimile, or Fax Machines. CCITT V.29
is still used today in all Fax Machines, but modems would eventually take
a divergent path.
In 1984, when advances in chip technology made it feasible to sell
9600 baud modems for less than 5000 dollars, the CCITT again set up a new
standard for 9600 baud modems, designated as V.32. This specification was
a great improvement over V.29, as V.32 modems could be used on regular
phone lines, and had some support for asynchronous transmission and full
duplex operation. The one problem with this otherwise adequate protocol
is that it was expensive to implement.
In order to accomplish full duplex operation, V.32 used a technique
called echo cancellation. When both modems transmit data simultaneously,
first each modem remembers what it has sent, then each modem uses echo
cancellation to separate the data signal that it sent, and process the
incoming data. At 9600 baud, though, it requires the use of high speed
Digital Signal Processors (or DSP's), and DSP's have only recently become
available commercially, as well as the other circuitry required for a V.32
modem being expensive to produce.
This was not a great factor in 1984, though, as high speed modems
were primarily sold to the business market back then, in a comparatively
small market. However, when the user demand for 9600 baud modems began to
increase in 1986, many modem manufacturers found the cost of developing the
circuitry for V.32 modems prohibitive, and looked to other ways of making
moderately priced 9600 baud modems.
One method of sending data at 9600 baud is to compress the data
that is being sent through the modem. In all modems, this data is sent in
10 bit segments (8 bits of data plus a start and stop bit). Modems using
data compression algorithms first compact these data segments to a smaller
size and transmit them. The receiving modem then decompresses the data as
it gets it. This enables modems running at a slower baud rate (2400-4800)
to emulate 9600 baud transmission.
In another way, called the ping pong method, both modems buffer the
data to be transmitted, and flow control is implemented, so stop and go
signals are sent to each modem at a quick rate, telling each when it has
the line free to transmit data. This, by the way, is similar to how packet
switched networks operate....
Ping pong is necessarily a half-duplex method (where only one modem
sends info at a time) because although full duplex operation does not
require echo cancelation at lower transmissions (since the signals sent by
both modems can both fit on the phone line's bandwidth), a single 9600 baud
signal can take up all of the line's bandwidth. Echo cancellation removes
this problem by cramming both signals together, and leaving it up to both
modems to sort the data out. Ping pong, however, cannot do this, but gets
around full duplex operation by acting as a "traffic cop" to manage the
time that modems have to transmit data.
Another problem with 9600 baud modems, whether they use ping pong,
echo cancellation, data compression, or any other method to achieve its
transmission rate, is the increased probability of flawed data being sent,
as a result of line noise or a poor connection. Because of this, the need
for error correction in modems (where the modem would decrease its baud
rate to reduce the chance of data errors, or simply retransmit the flawed
data) became apparent. Into this situation, a company called Microcom
arrived onto the scene....
MNP, CCITT V.42, and the future of Modeming
Microcom is a modem manufacturer selling primarily to the business
market. They saw the need for error protection in all types of modems (not
just the high speed variety) and invented the Microcom Networking Protocol,
or MNP....
MNP was the first protocol to implement point to point error
correction. This meant that if an MNP-equipped modem called another MNP
equipped modem, then they would have the benefit of error free data, but if
a non-MNP equipped modem was called, then another protocol (such as V.22)
would let the modems communicate, but without MNP error correction. There
are 9 classes of MNP, representing its various stages of development. MNP
Classes 1 to 3 only had error protection, as Microcom worked to make the
error protection 100% efficient. But at around Class 4 or 5, Microcom saw
that data compression would also be needed in modems, resulting that MNP
Classes 5 and above provided a very efficient method of error protection,
and excellent data compression. Many modem manufacturers, seeing its
capabilities, started licensing MNP, contributing to the general decline in
popularity for V.32.
So why isn't MNP the 9600 baud standard today, with Microcom becoming
the Hayes of the modem industry? As in many other tragedies in the
computer industry, this was caused by greed. Microcom, who also sold MNP
modems to the business market, wished to have an edge over the licensees
of MNP, who they began to see as their competition instead of their best
allies. In order to do this, they started offering higher classes of MNP
for their OWN modems than they licensed to other modem makers. As some of
the other modem makers saw that they were being given less powerful Classes
of MNP just so Microcom could become a standard, while Microcom itself took
measures to put them out of business, some began looking for other
protocols that implemented data compression and error protection. Even
though MNP became a de facto standard, and Classes 5 and 6 of MNP were
adequate for the job, the modem industry, not willing to overtly shun MNP,
delegated it to the status of an aging standard....
This was a master stroke of luck for Hayes in 1987. In the late 70's
and early 1980's, Hayes had made a de facto standard of the AT modem
command set by both selling aggressively to businesses and by considering
the needs of the home market in the area of 300-2400 baud modems. But in
1986, modem technology had progressed to the point where 300-1200 baud
modems could be made cheaply. The resulting competition, and the boom in
the modem market, resulted in that Hayes modems were being overlooked in
favor of less expensive, equally efficient Hayes compatible modems. So
when MNP began to be joined by alternative protocols which provided error
protection, Hayes saw an opportunity to regain its once gargantuan lead in
the industry.
The International Standards Organization (ISO), made up of the
organizations in many countries that are responsible for standardization,
(such as ANSI), designed X.25, the primary protocol used to connect
synchronous computers to packet networks, in 1976. The LAP B protocol, or
Link Access Procedure-Balanced, as well as LAP D (an extended version of
LAP B used for ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) communications)
are implemented in this protocol.
Since LAP B is an error correction protocol that was an international
standard (since it was designed by the CCITT), Hayes decided to use it in
their V-Series SmartModem 9600 modems. The SmartModem also uses a modified
version of V.32 which, instead of using echo cancellation at 9600 baud,
uses the ping pong method at half duplex. Many of the other modem makers
who rejected MNP, though, used their own proprietary methods, which
resulted in VAST incompatibility problems.
In order to establish a standard that would end these problems, the
CCITT developed a new standard, called V.42, in 1988. The CCITT has
developed a new protocol for V.42, called LAP M (Link Access Procedure for
Modems). LAP M is based on LAP B and LAP D, and provides the necesary
error correction for V.42. V.42 is designed for full duplex modems, and
achieves 9600 baud by the use of isochronous (asynchronous to synchronous)
converters, which convert asynchronous data to synchronous data which the
modem can interpret.
V.42 itself has not been fully defined by the CCITT, as neither data
encryption (something which is VERY important to businesses), half duplex
operation, or data compression has been addressed in V.42, but will appear
in LAP M as optional features. However, the vital components necessary to
modem operation have been set, and modem manufacturers (such as Hayes and
Microcom) will contribute to the process of establishing standards for
these areas. Until a standard for data compression has been established,
however, V.42 has "system hooks" in it, allowing modem manufacturers to use
their own proprietary protocols. V.42 regulates this so it appears as an
option, however, so potential incompatibility problems are avoided.
Even if aspects of MNP do not appear in LAP M, MNP Classes 1-4 will
be supported in CCITT V.42 as an alternative protocol included to maintain
compatibility with the vast user base which has accepted 9600 baud MNP
modems. However, since the American National Standards Institute (or ANSI)
would be the final determinant of the US implementation of V.42, more
Classes of MNP may be supported in the United States.
V.42 promises to be an excellent 9600 baud standard, which sets both
rules for the internal makeup and data transmission between modems (except
for the modem comand set, which will be developed by the CCITT) and which
establishes an adequate bridge/link for the present crop of incompatible
9600 baud modems. MNP modems, such as US Robotics and Telebit, will not
become obsolete, due to V.42 designating MNP, and Hayes 9600 baud V-Series
SmartModems will have minimal incompatibility problems if any, since LAP M
is a superset of LAP B. But since V.42 and LAP M will not be made
available in complete form for at least a year, the incompatibility
problems in the 9600 baud modem market will still be around for quite a
while. However, V.42 is a promising beam of light on the horizon.
There is even hope for CCITT V.42 being used in 19,200 baud modems,
as Telebit and US Robotics are working together to make a high speed
standard for transmitting data at above 9600 baud. And as the CCITT has
given them time to develop this system, there is a good chance that it will
eventually appear in V.42....
But ponder, if you will, these questions:
1) When will the issue of 9600 baud modems be vital to the majority of
modem users?
2) Motorola is making the VME140 microcomputer, based on their VMEsystem
Architecture. The VME140 is a 68030-based computer which uses the VME
Expansion Bus. Given that the VME140 was available shortly after the 68030
was introduced, and Atari started work on the 68030 TT at around this time,
why did Atari choose to use the VME Expansion Bus for the 68030 TT when it
was apparent that the NuBus Expansion Bus was technologically superior, and
would quickly become a new standard?
CPU REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿
=======================
Cupertino, CA Reportedly Apple will not be introducing Version 2.0 of
------------- HyperCard until 1990, and that when it does, it will
not have much support for color XCMD's. It seems Bill
Wilkinson has doubts about the usefulness of color
stackware. HyperCard 2.0 will have features making it
easier to design interfaces for Artificial Intelligence
databases, though....
Chicago, IL Spring Comdex 1989 will be taking place on April 14th
----------- and 15th. In this Comdex there will be a MacDEX show,
where Macintosh Developers can show their latest
products. It will be completely separate from the
regular Comdex, and will take place in a different
facility....
This was done in response to the many Macintosh vendors
who have avoided Comdex in the past because of the Mac's
low visibility there. But given that many large
computer companies usually show Macintosh products in
their Comdex booths, and that the Mac's popularity has
increased drastically, not many companies are expected
to pay for two separate booths to show their products,
which are often for both the IBM and Macintosh. As
such, this may not only be the first MacDEX, but the
last as well....
Northboro, MA Pixelations Inc. is making a program called Printscript
------------- for the Amiga which allows Postscript files to be
printed on non-Postscript laser, ink jet, or dot matrix
printers. Cost: $89.95. If you want more information
on this product, and its availability for other
computers, they can be reached at 1-508-393-7866....
San Francisco, CA The federal judge presiding over Apple's copyright
----------------- lawsuit against Microsoft has ruled that Microsoft's
1985 agreement with Apple to license certain parts of
Mac Finder for use in Windows 1.0 did not apply to
Microsoft Windows 2.03....
Now the issue becomes if Microsoft Windows and Hewlett
Packard's New Wave have infringed on Apple's copyrights
on the Macintosh Finder. And given Apple's unbeaten
string of victories in this area....
Errata: In Issue 12 of CPU Report, I mentioned the Turbo ST Accelerator
======= board, and the ST Expander Expansion Box. Megabyte Inc. is not
shipping these products yet. Also, I used the moniker of CPUville
USA for Verbatim's address since I didn't know their location at
the time. Verbatim's TMO Division is in Sunnyvale, California.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Microtyme-STR Spotlight¿
========================
"GOLDEN FUJI AWARD!"
===================
Every once in a while I run into a company that restores all of my
faith in mail order, especially Atari mail order. Allow me to share my
experience of last week with you.
I use my ST mainly from productivity and business, I run a small
mail order company and the vast majority of my customers are accessed
through telecommunications networks. I'm also a Game master for a Diplomacy
game on the GEnie information network. I use my modem a LOT and a lot of
people depend on me.
In a typical day I take orders for wargames as well downloading
customer and Diplomacy player's letters. At night I answer my mail, verify
wargame sales or trades, and post move results.
Over the past few weeks I noticed that my connections were starting to
get a bit flaky. At random I would be logged off for no apparent reason.
What started off as a mere annoyance quickly turned into a severe problem.
Last week the problem got so bad that my average connect time was
about two minutes before I was kicked off. The modem was all but dead.
Already I had a huge backlog and was facing a weekend of unanswered
letters and wargame orders, and the weekend is when most of my business
is done! I needed a new modem and I needed it FAST. I decided on the
Supramodem 2400 and was ready to break out the VISA and order.
Trouble was that it was already 4:30pm. Worse still, it was Friday!
If I was going to have a modem to work with it would have to be sent Federal
Express overnight.
I flipped through the latest issues of Current Notes, START, ST-LOG,
ST Informer, and ST World and started calling. I explained my situation to
each store making it clear that I needed a modem overnight. I told each
store I called that I would gladly pay the additional charge to have the
modem sent via Federal Express AND that I would even make all the
arrangements if they didn't have a FedEx account. All the store had to do
was put the modem in a box, slap on a label and wait for the smiling FedEx
man to show up at the door.
I called everyone from the big boys in California to the smallest
mom-and-pop store in Hicksville, ** ONLY ONE STORE ** was willing to listen
to my problem and ship the modem to me FedEx. That store was MicroTyme in
Kettering Ohio.
What makes this even more amazing is that Federal Express told me that
they needed someone to be at the store until at least 6:20pm for the package
to be picked up for morning delivery. It was already close to 5:30 and
MicroTyme was closing at 6:00pm! I frantically called MicroTyme back and
told them the details. Jeff, the fine salesperson I spoke to, reluctantly
told me that would be ok and took my order.
Mind you that this LATE FRIDAY NIGHT near closing time! I'm sure Jeff
wanted nothing more than to close shop and head home, but he was willing to
stay and wait for the FedEx man to show up and take my package! This is the
kind of service that every customer dreams of and every store wishes it
could provide. My hats off to you Jeff and MicroTyme!
To end this story, I received my new modem and was back in business
the next morning. MicroTyme was not only *THE ONLY* store that was willing
to listen to my problem and ship the modem overnight via Federal Express,
but it also had the lowest price of any of the other stores I called!!
For the record let me state that I am in no way affiliated with
MicroTyme and was not in anyway paid to write this post. This is entirely
in my gratitude for the fantastic service which MicroTyme provided me. They
have earned my mail order business for a long time to come and I would hope
that the people reading my open letter would call MicroTyme for their ST
mail order needs and save themselves a lot of wasted time and money trying
to find a reputable mail order dealer!
And to the 15 or so other stores I called last Friday that refused to
help me, all I have to say is that this letter could have been about you!
Peter Szymonik
MicroTyme
P.O. Box 369
Kettering, Ohio 45409
Tel. 1-800-255-5835
From: D.HELMS
To: ST.REPORT
Sub: XORG's Letter
Ralph, did you read Pete's text file on Microtyme(#9857)? They are the
same that did me right on my Mega. Sure is good to hear news like that.
Doyle..
Editor's Note:
We have recommended Microtyme a number of times as a very helpful
and eager to please dealer. Truly, it is a pleasure to heap praise on the
good folks at Microtyme. The amount of votes (letters) we received that
have had glowing reports about Microtyme were mighty respectable.
If you have had a good experience with a dealer, by all means, drop
us a line. Let us know about a dealer who is a credit to himself and
Atari. Show that Dealer your appreciation nominate him for the:
***** GOLDEN FUJI AWARD! *****
At the same time, if you have had a bad experience, let us know about
these also, we will be presenting the:
'TURKEY OF THE MONTH' AWARD!
(submissions will be kept confidential)
---------=======*****=======----------
*** CONGRATULATIONS: MICROTYME Job Well Done! ***
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> COMDEX/Spring '89 STR Features¿
==============================
COMDEX PREVIEW
===============
part I
------
CHICAGO ATTENDEES CAN RIDE THE DOUBLE 'DEX-er!!
In the past twelve months, the industry has moved light years ahead:
standardizing Unix, unveiling EISA, shrinking Laptops and enhancing mass
storage systems.
All of which makes COMDEX/SPRING 1000 mile odessy to Chicago from
Atlanta a very worthwhile trip.
In McCormick Place, April 10-13 over 1000 exhibitors will set up
their booths, this represents an 18% increase over
Comdex/spring '88 illustrated by Richard Schwab, Comdex Show Director. Over
60,000 attendees are expected.
Innovativly, COMDEX/Spring runs concurrent with another Interface
Group sponsored Trade Show, MACdex/Spring '89. At the new MacIntosh
distribution Expo, third party vendors can meet resellers of Mac related
products and build distribution Networks.
By virtue of a specially priced crossover program, attendees of
either COMDEX/Spring or MACdex can have access to both shows.
Atari will be in Booth 1208, right by the mezzanine stairway and the
23rd street entrance, (barring, some unforeseen, last minute changes), be
sure to stop by and see all the neat goodies being released this year.
Traditionally, Atari has provided us with a great deal of hope at every
COMDEX...this one promises to provide the real thing....PRODUCT.
COMDEX/Spring '89 has been certified by the U.S. Department of
Commerce through it's Foreign Buyer Program. As a result, US Embassies
and Consulates in more than 60 countries will promote the show and recruit
qualified buyers. To further assist overseas exhibitors and attendees in
establishing business relationships and international distribution,
COMDEX/Spring will have an International Business Center. Staffed with
foreign trade consultants and interpreters, the IBC will offer match-making
links between foreign resellers and US vendors.
Due to the Foreign Buyer Program, director Schwab expects a larger
number of international delegates than at COMDEX/Spring '88. He also said
that, despite the move to Chicago, show attendees will have roughly the
same profile as their counterparts at COMDEX/Fall, but we expect an
increasing quantity of volume buying end users.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> PAGESTREAM STR Review¿
=====================
PAGESTREAM RE-VISITED
=====================
by Ron Brunk
Being a novice to DTP (desktop publishing), it was with some
trepidation that I approached PS (Pagestream). My only prior experience
with any DTPs was with PAGEMAKER and VENTURA. After a couple hours with
each, I gave up in frustration due to poor documentation and unwieldy mouse
interaction. Recently though, a time came that I needed to do things that
only a DTP can do and, based on a friends recommendation, tried PS. To my
pleased surprise, PS not only did what I wanted, but did it the way I wanted
and when I wanted. After a quick breeze through the manual to get
familiarized with DTP terminology (which the docs explain very well) and I
was up and running. I can't think of a better compliment in this respect
than to say that the menus and tool box are so simple and self explanatory
that the docs are needed only to begin really advanced work.
The first thing that I noticed was the tool box which starts out in
the upper right hand corner. It is used to select the tools which determine
what mode the mouse is in (mark text, select objects, draw boxes, etc.). A
nice trick is to enlarge your workspace until it fills the entire screen
except for a small slice on the right hand side. You can bring the tool box
out by clicking on the top of the sliver that is showing and then cover it
up by clicking on the workspace. This allows a maximum area for work
without having to resize the window to find the toolbox again.
Text is entered by clicking on the text icon (A) in the tool box,
then clicking on the workspace wherever you want to enter text. Dropping
down the Style menu allows a change of font from the default (Tymes 12pt.).
A list of common pt sizes is listed for easy clicking, or any point size can
be entered with the keyboard. Each time the font is changed, subsequent
text will be of the most recent font selected. Existing text is changed
simply by dragging through the text, highlighting what you want to change,
then changing the font as before. The text will then be shown in the new
font and will remain highlited for further modifications. The display is
WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) so that all attributes (italics,
bold, underlined, shadowed, mirrored, etc.) are shown exactly as they will
appear printed out. Customized fonts can be developed by manually setting
the height and width of the letters making them appear tall and skinny or
short and squat. These customized fonts can be saved with all other
attributes set by saving the font as a tag which can then be recalled
anytime ready to use.
The word processing functions are so powerful, that I've begun using
PS for simple word processing. It's possible to set up the workspace to show
the entire width of the page, eliminating that annoying flip left and right
when approaching the end of a line. There is a spell checker, although it
is horrendously slow and incomplete (in the first sentence of this review I
had to add desktop, publishing, and even Pagestream to the dictionary (in
fact, I had to give up up spell checking this whole article because it
stopped on every third word, and took about 5 seconds on each and every
word)). The search and replace feature is more powerful than almost any
I've seen for a word processor. It allows case matching (if the word being
replaced is capitalized, the the replacing word is also), the use of the
wild cards * (for any string of any length), ? (for any single character)
and more (fortunately, this feature is not as slow as the spell checker).
The handling of text is not just powerful, but better than many
word processors. Text is automatically wrapped around to the next line with
long words automatically hyphenated. If you don't like the way that a line
ended, you can manually change the hyphenation for the last word and make it
hyphenate that way all the time if desired. Or a carriage return can be
inserted before the normal end of the line, and the text cut off will be
inserted at the beginning of the next line. It will not show up as a new
line by itself, but instead the rest of the paragraph will reformat itself
to fit the words in, eliminating the annoying need of removing carriage
returns and manually reformatting. This feature will not work itself around
a carriage return that has been entered manually, though. Such a carriage
return is treated by the program as "start a new line here".
(Unfortunately, one of the penalties of this feature is that each of these
adjustments causes a redrawing of all affected areas, slowing things down
quite a bit when trying to add changes in the middle of existing text). You
can also specify that lines be indented, outdented, and aligned left, right
or centered. In order to manually align blocks, a set of rulers can show
the mouse position along the boarders, and a set of guides can be used with
a background grid to cause page elements to snap to the guides.
If you want to really get involved with how the text is displayed,
it is possible to adjust the leading (spce between lines) and the kerning
(space between selected character pairs to look smoother). In order to
obtain smooth right and left margins, you can have the program add extra
space between words to take up the slack (called word justify), add space
between characters (character or microjustify) or automatically do both
(autojustify).
Of course, there are some minor problems that should be mentioned.
* Most talked about, and justifiably so, is the slow printing speed.
One page takes almost exactly 10 minutes (this was done on a Panasonic
KXP1524). Unfortunately version 1.52 did not arrive in time to confirm Soft
Logik's claim of vastly improved printing speed. Perhaps, it will arrive
in time for the rest of the review next week.
* Text is accompanied by a "white block" on which it is printed.
Although this allows it to be seen when pasted on top of graphics, it
prevents close placement to the edges of graphics without overwriting
them.
* Text is very messy in that deleting and backspacing leaves what looks
like smudges on a document until a screen redraw is done (this can be done
manually by clicking on the white part on either of the sliders).
* The text marker (a vertical line) occasionaly leaves a copy of itself
in the text until a redraw eliminates it.
* The mouse interferes with dialog boxes being drawn, causing the
document below to show through and obliterating any part of the dialog box
that happens to be under where the mouse is (like the save filename).
* Due to printer limitations, approximately 1/8" on all sides (top,
bottom, left and right) will not be printed. The exact amount varies from
printer to printer (not just model to model). Fortunately, PS allows the
grouping of all objects into one object that can be resized in accord with
your printer's limitations.
* Default choices in dialog boxes are not outlined, forcing a point and
click on each one. Fortunately, most defaults are "cancel" preventing
loss of work by accidentally pushing return.
In summary, PS is a very powerful and flexible yet easy to use
desktop publisher. The quality of output on a 24 pin printer, combined with
photocopying to remove the telltale pin dents, looks remarkably like a laser
printer. While the printing speed is slow, the time saved during
composition due to the ease of use substantially offsets the time required.
Next week:
---------
I'll cover the graphics and import/export capabilities of the program.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ST Planet STR Review¿
====================
Atari Planetarium
=================
by William Y. Baugh
With spring approaching and warm weather not too far off, this is
the start of a great season...no, not baseball, but star gazing.
If you've ever looked up at the stars and have been curious as to
exactly what you are looking at or even if you are an expert when
it comes to Astronomy then Atari has the program for you. It's
called the Atari Planetarium and Atari distributes it along with
their Scholastic Series, so you may have never noticed it. Which
is a shame since it is one of the easiest and versatile Astronomy
programs I have seen to date.
Atari Planetarium, unlike other programs, takes advantage of the
ST's superior graphics and mouse interface to create a fantastic
working environment. And, unlike other programs, computation
time is extremely fast. The only long computation time I have
experienced is if you go forward or backward in time (you may
range in time from 9999 BC to 9999 AD) a considerable distance
and the program must compute precession. Precession is the word
given to the wobble of the Earth's rotation causing the stars
to "move" out of place. The best example is that Polaris, the
current northern star, will not be the northern star by the year
4145 AD. So, as you travel back or forward in time, precession
must be calculated to give the actual position of the stars.
Once the program is loaded, you are presented with a map of the
world and a set of cross-hairs. Where the cross-hairs are placed
will be the area from which you are viewing. Have you ever
wanted to see the circumpolar stars at the North Pole? How about
the Southern Cross? Well now's your chance. Anyplace at
practically any time period may be accessed. Once you have
selected your viewing area, there is a slight delay as you are
taken to the actual planetarium part of the program.
If you are a 520 or 1040 ST user, you will need to set the date
(in the upper right) each time you enter the program. For Mega
users, Atari Planetarium reads the built in clock and sets the
time and date accordingly. The program has three different
calendars available. The first is Julian (after Julius Caesar),
the second is Gregorian (after Pope Gregory XIII) and finally
Auto. All of the calendars have their inherent errors, but the
Auto calendar takes the Gregorian date (our current calendar) and
translates it into Julian day numbers (not Julian Calendar). The
Auto Calendar is the best to use, unless you have a specific date
and know which calendar was used. The program does not safeguard
against erroneous dates such as Gregorian dating before 1582 AD.
Once the date and time are set, the fun begins. You are
presented with a 36 degree view of the sky looking north. The
viewing angle can be as narrow as 4.5 degrees or as wide as 72
degrees. In the center of the screen is a set of cross-hairs.
Placing the cross-hair over any one of the 3500 stars, 88
constellations, 300 deep-sky objects (galaxies, clusters, etc),
12 signs of the zodiac or Halley's Comet (only from 1985-86) you
may right click and receive information on the object. This can
range from a very long, complete description of a planet to a
brief description and Hale catalog number of a not too-well known
star. Along with the viewing angle, you may select between
having the planets as symbols, the constellations having lines
and names, displaying the deep-sky objects or having the display
be chart like (default) or as a grid (coordinate lines for
declination (latitude) and right ascension (longitude) on Earth).
Along with having these on the grid, they are always displayed
below the date/time area. This also includes the azimuth
(location of the cross-hair horizontally along the horizon) and
the elevation (location of the cross-hair vertically along the
horizon). All of these displays are vital if you are going to
use the program for actual star gazing. Another nice feature is
that you have the ability to view stars below the horizon. The
area below the horizon is colored an off green, but is still
clear enough to see through. If you scroll down far enough, you
will see a pair of legs and shoes (I think you need to tie your
shoe lace).
If you happen to have a telescope that is motored, or are just
curious as to the movement of the planet and stars
(retrogression, eclipses, etc) then you are in luck. Atari
Planetarium has a built in clock and tracking feature which
allows you to view and track the movement of the stars or planets
in real time all the way up to 64 times normal. This may also be
set to run backwards. This is an invaluable feature in star
gazing and as a learning tool. The manual gives plenty of
examples of each of the movement phenomenon in which to enjoy.
Location of planets is a breeze. You may either use the function
keys or use the drop down menu under Find. The function keys are
in order from the Sun, Moon, Mercury, etc...Constellations are
chosen from a drop down menu that has a large table with the
abbreviations of the Latin name of each one. Either you must be
familiar with the constellations to choose the right one or use
the manual. In the description of the planets, the distance it
is from the Earth at that particular moment is displayed. Also
the full phases of the moon are also shown. This detail and the
ease of use is what makes this program so enjoyable.
So, if you are just a beginner or are a noted hobbyist, I highly
recommend this program. This is also a good program to teach
older children about Astronomy. The manual is fantastic and
reads much better than any Astronomy book I've ever read. It is
full of examples, diagrams ,is very comprehensive and is also
from Atari! (Yeah!!) So if you like Astronomy, check it out, you
won't be disappointed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> PC-DITTO II STR Focus¿
=====================
PC - DITTO II
=============
Bill Teal, owner and driving force behind Avante Garde Systems,
developer of PC-Ditto and now soon to be released PC Ditto II took the time
to illustrate a) corrections of some apparent mis-information and b) some
of the motivating forces involved in the design and ultimate release of
his high quality products. Although addressed to two users on CIS in an
open forum, the information contained herein is highly informative and,
in our humble opinion, quite useful to anyone interested in, or using
Avante Garde Products.
courtesy; CIS
*****
Emulators
17-Mar-89 22:15:04
Sb: #PC Ditto
Fm: David D. Hagood 73437,3162
To: all
I'd just like to know why Avante Garde went with the 8088 @ 4.77MHz instead
of a 80286 at 8MHz. I am used to an AT at 10MHz at work.
David D. Hagood 73437,3162
Emulators
19-Mar-89 11:54:46
#6608-#PC Ditto
Fm: Patrick Yang 73437,1440
To: David D. Hagood 73437,3162 (X)
Hi David,
That was my question to them when they first announced plans for
the PC-Ditto II as well. Hope they can answer better than they did then.
Below, we present Mr. Bill Teal's Reply:
6780 S9/Emulators
Dear Patrick and David,
Interesting question. However, who says we "went" with any Intel chip?
(Is that speculation, or did you hear the rumor from someone else)?
I'm asking, and responding, because I don't want rumors such as these
floating about when a word from us could set the record straight.
Simply put, we are using custom gate arrays. We have used hardware to
speed up those operations in our software where performance was lacking.
Now, onto the speed issue. Unless I'm mistaken, my thinking is that you
don't care how we produce the results (wave a magic wand or stand on our
head chanting incantations), as long as it works and works well. Would
that be a fair assumption?
Well, in that scenario, the selection of speed is dependent on factors
determined from a business point-of-view, as well as a technical
perspective.
First, we sell in 11 (eleven) countries outside North America. Our volume
in most of the world exceeds our North American sales by a factor of 3 to 4
(depending on the time of year). We have surveyed our dealers and
distributors in the world market to find out what product would meet their
needs. The overwhelming response: The lowest cost IBM emulation add-on
running at XT speed (4.77MHz).
Now, note the wording: cost precedes speed. We carefully checked this
with our market channel, and that is the demand. We asked the question in
terms of speed with a correspondingly higher cost, and the response was
again clear: cost determines the need, not speed. Most felt, and they may
not be totally right, that an XT speed was the biggest potential seller.
Their reasoning, from those we could understand well, was that if we could
do AT speed, then XT speed could be done cheaper. And, they wanted XT speed
first -- due to the cost.
Well, they're right. The higher speed would cost more. No one said, don't
build AT speed products, nor refrain from '386 class performance. But, they
were consistent in adding that we should remember who the market the ST
buyers consist. The market, in their collective opinion, didn't want
to make their ST into an AT or 386, they just wanted sufficient speed to
make the access to the IBM products usable. (Please remember, the standard
of living in North America is much higher than many of the countries to whom
we sell in the remainder of the world. Also, the availability of high-end
IBM compatible software, which would require more powerful machines, is not
purchased as much and not as readily available as here in the States).
We also asked what types of applications most consumers used in an
IBM-type setting, so we might fine tune the performance of our hardware to
their needs. The response was: word processing (a little over 50 percent),
spreadsheets (about 20 percent), filing/mailing lists (about 20 percent),
and miscellaneous (the last 10 percent).
We wondered, where was the need for DTP, CADD/CAMM, and even games? Most
thought that was where the ST shines. And, in their views, people only
consider IBM emulation as a last resort, if the application they desire is
not available on the ST (or, unfortunately, as we heard a few times, if the
quality of the ST software was considered "poor" - I use that term,
because a few were indignant about a couple of hyped products).
OK. Bored so far, David and Patrick? I hope not. Because really, the
point I make here is simple: our company produces what the majority of the
market needs; not what is technically feasible state-of-the-art. When we
manufacture something, anything, we want to be able to sell it. To design
something to soothe our egos, but have the market turn its nose up to it,
would be suicide.
Your rebuttle is: "But, I would buy a 286 performance product, and I know
many others would." Am I close? (I don't mean to presume, but I have
gotten this response before, too). You're right. It would sell. But,
according to our research, it would sell only about ten percent of the
sales if we were to offer an XT product and an AT product. Thus, you state
further: "You're selling them, though. So, what's the problem?" No real
problem. Another factor is time and money. The priorities are clear: XT
speed product first. It will have the highest potential sales, and a
lower cost to produce. (Please reread that last part of my statement -
"lower cost..."). For us to get the BOM (bill-of-material costs down on a
per unit basis, we have to make lots of these things. I don't mean 10 or
20, but lots. Otherwise, the cost per product would be so high, we couldn't
price it so it would sell -- even an XT product. Second, when we go to a
manufacturer, these guys produce in large quantities. They won't even
discuss small quantities. If you want them, most companies then build them
in-house (which also requires people -- and money again). Since its my
money I'm risking on this venture, I'm going to take as few risks and keep
my costs down as much as possible. That translates into producing whatever
the majority of the market wants first, so I can get my cash flow going.
As you know, we are a small company. If we tried to build a product that
didn't sell well, we would be history in a few months. So, we can't afford
to make too many mistakes. Now, watch carefully, here's how I come back to
your 286 speed issue. IF (big if) we find there is sufficient demand for
such a high speed product, THEN we will consider the prospect of producing
such a thing. "What's sufficient", you say, "and how long will that be?" I
don't know. No one does. I can't foretell the future. But, by putting
pc-ditto II in the market, I will begin to get feedback. The feedback will
tell me the price sensitivity of the Atari world market, and give us a fair
idea of what kind of volume at several price points as 286 speed product
would be favorable. Then, we would back into the cost to manufacture at
those volumes and see if we could make a profit. No profit, no product.
Now, your final assault on my argument is "I can buy 286 add-in boards for
just a few hundred dollars." Yep, you'd be right again. BUT (big but),
look at their volume. One company we spoke to (to see about them producing
this thing, so we could just design and package it), told us that their
annual sales for a 286 add-on was a little under 50,000 units a year. (and
at last word, they said it was up this year already). Also, they have an
offshore facility (which they own), so their assembly costs are "way low".
If I can get 49,998 sales committed, besides your two, well I'm sure we
can do something about the price.
All this talk about price? Well, Atari has been successful because it
provides value: excellent product for the price. (And, I mean excellent;
this is without a doubt one of the best engineered microcomputers I've seen
on the market -- bar none -- hat's off to the guys in ENG at Sunnyvale).
I would like to be cavalier and say we'll produce anything you desire.
But, if I go out of business doing that, who do I help? The users without
someone to support them, me with a hungry mortgage company and family, the
ST market? Nope. So, we're going to hang tight, and HOPE we're doing the
right thing. There's no guarantees that we're right. You may very well be
foreshadowing the "real" needs in the market -- all those we surveyed may be
off their nut. I hope not. We'll see. Nevertheless, we're are still
listening to you (David and Patrick, and the rest of our market). If we can
make a profit at it, we do it the best, and you want it, we'll keep our
minds open to any suggestion or product idea.
Thanks for the chance to go on-record and let you know what we're
thinking. Please respond, if you wish.
(And, thanks for all the support!)
Bill Teal
Avante Garde Systems
381 Pablo Point Rd.
Jacksonville, FL 32225
904-221-2904
ps; Remember, registered owners of the Software version of PC Ditto will
receive a special discount towards the purchase of the hardware version
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿
======================
- Sunnyvale, CA. ******* USERGROUP/DEVELOPER COORDINATOR LEAVES *******
-------------
Cindy Clavern, Usergroup and Developer Co-Ordinator at Atari
has resigned. Cindy managed to keep a positive attitude and a smile all
the time. We wish her good luck and good fortune.
- Sunnyvale, CA. ***** TOS 1.4 ALMOST READY *****
-------------
All the waiting is going to be over very soon now....the code is
being placed in the chips at this time, we had heard some talk of certain
chips not being available, we trust it was just a bad rumor, something
about the [2] Two Chip Sets...not being available at the same time as the
[6] six chip sets. After having had the opportunity to talk to a number
of owners of STs from 520STF to MEGA4s there is a very large amount of
units out there with the [2] two CHIP sets. We shall see......
- Jacksonville, FL. ***** TURBO - ARC --- !BOGUS! *****
----------------
Turbo Arc 1.1; as it was called, is a shining example of how an
unscrupulous person can link a prominent and easily recognized product and
it's author to a bad dream. Think for a moment folks, that thing could
have contained the world's most virulent computer virus. PLEASE, IF YOU
HAVE DOWNLOADED THIS FILE....DELETE IT. If anyone has any idea where this
file originated, please let us know in E-Mail.
- San Diego, CA. ***** SPHERE INC. "TRAINS THE U.S.A.F." *****
-------------
Sphere Inc., announced it was involved in a joint effort with
Perceptronics Inc. of Woodland Hill CA. to produce the software for ASAT..
(Avionics Simulational Awareness Trainer). G. Louie, CEO, SPHERE INC.,
reported that, the use of Falcon as the basis for the software will enable
the defense contractor to "build trainers at a fraction of the traditional
cost to the military".
- San Francisco, CA. ***** EPYX COMES OUT ON TOP! *****
-----------------
Last Nov. the US Circuit Court ruled against Epyx and ruled that,
they could not offer World Karate Championship because it resembled Data
East's program Karate Champ in basically every respect. Fortunately, the
Appelate Court overturned disputed ruling and ruled in favor of allowing
Epyx to continue. Epyx CEO, David Morse asserted, "We are pleased we were
able to stop Data East and others with similar intentions from setting a
damaging precedent that would have had a totally adverse effect on the
software business and customers alike". PS..EPYX has acquired the
rights to INFOGRAMMES,S.A. through the outright purchase of all the
outatanding stock.
- San Diego, CA. ***** CHAOS STRIKES BACK - NOT UNTIL 1990? *****
-------------
I have to pass this on. "Rumor on the west coast has it that the
sequel to D.M. may not be out until the first quarter of 1990. Oh well,
the wait was worth it for the original....it will be for the sequel. The
good part is the the ST and the Amiga have "top priority". PLEASE, SAY IT
AIN'T SO!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> NEODESK 2.02 STR Review¿
=======================
NeoDesk 2.02
============
by William Y. Baugh
Yes, you read the title right. The folks at Gribnif Software have been
keeping tabs on user imput and have created some fantastic upgrades to an
already spectacular program.
First, and perhaps the most important (at least to me...) is that when you
are copying files, NeoDesk now uses all available memory to store the files
in before writing them to disk. This feature was stated in NeoDesk 1.0's
manual, but was never supported...until now. Mega users should really
benifit from this feature. I use a Mega 2 with a 65 meg hard drive, so it
is very refreshing and practical to put the 1.3 megs of memory to good
use. The speed at which data from a floppy is transferred is a large
improvement, but the speed at which you write to a floppy from a hard drive
is fantastic. The hard drive flys writing into the buffer, and the copy
process to the floppy could only be faster if it wrote as if it was doing a
whole disk copy.
If you are familiar with, or have seen the new TOS 1.4, you will recognize
the next upgrade. When you are copying or moving files, a box appears near
the top of the windows which displays the path that you are currently
copying/moving from, the file being copied and the number of folders and
files left to be written. This is also a handy feature in that it allows
you to view what is actually transpiring and to which file or folder (handy
if one of the files is bad) it is working with. It also gives you something
to watch while you're copying files. The number of files/folders "Left to
go" is fairly useful, but only works when it is writing to disk. As NeoDesk
copies the numbers don't change; so you may view which files/folders are
copying, but not know how many are left. Hopefully Mr. Wilga will fix this
soon (maybe 2.03?). This feature may be turned on and off from the Set
Preferences menu.
The next feature Mr. Wilga incorporated I have seen only in DTP programs.
It is "Snap Icons to Grid" command. When this feature is selected, a box appears with four
squares and arrow keys for up/down and right/left positioning of the boxes.
Manuevering these boxes allows you to set the distance apart from each
other and the sides for each icon. This greatly enchances icon arrangement
on the desktop.
Next are smaller, but equally important features are new keyboard
commands. You may hit Control/Clear Home keys to move the path of the
current window and move it to the root directory. This, in a sense, is like
"closing and reopening" the window. This is a great feature for hard drive
owners who find themselves four or five folders deep and want to return to
the root directory. Another keyboard controlled function is the ability to
scroll the current window using the up and down keys. This works as if you
are clicking on the shaded area, it moves a screen at a time rather than a
file at a time. Gribnif have also taken advantage of using the right button
on the mouse to work with non-activated windows a step further. You may
move, resize and scroll non-activated windows by pressing and holding the
right button and then using the left as you normally would (interesting
idea...). The Sort by Type function has been changed to work exactly like
the one found on the normal desktop. Finally, if a filename conflict
occurs, you have the option to either skip or abort the operation.
Oh yeah, almost forgot, the printer queue has been upgraded. It now prints
on an interrupt. It will print its 8K buffer and then load in another 8K.
Gribnif states though that depending upon the program currently running, it
may not load unless you are in a GEM-based program.
For being just a .02 upgrade, these features are terrific! I think Dan
Wilga and everyone at Gribnif deserve high praise for NeoDesk and the great
support they have given the users. Thanks guys!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> A "QUOTABLE QUOTE"¿
==================
--==ZAG-NUT ZONKS==--
"Those Who Can - DO!..........
Those Who Can't - CRITICIZE!!!"
"1989 - ATARI'S QUEST"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ST-REPORT¿Issue #80 "Your Independent News Source" March 24, 1989
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ½ copyright 1989
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those
of ST Report¿ or CPU Report¿. Reprint permission granted, unless noted
otherwise. All reprints must include ST Report or CPU Report and the
author's name. All information presented herein is believed correct, ST
Report or CPU Report, it's editors and staff are not responsible for
any use or misuse of information contained in this publication.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
