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Silicon Times Report Issue 0082
*---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original Online ST Magazine"
-------------------------------
April 07, 1989 Volume III No.82
==========================================================================
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Issue: #82 STReport¿
-------------------
- TOS 1.4 CHIP VERSION RECALLED FOR FINE TUNING.
- The original designer of the ST, Shiraz Ravji, on leave?
- Part one of "Setting Up MichTron's BBS Ver. 3.0".
- Exploring Double Click's Revolutionary Multi-Port Cartridge
- PAGESTREAM ver. 1.52 --> GLITCH FOUND and FIXED.
- Spectrum HoloByte Issue - An Opposing Viewpoint.
- PD ROUNDUP Comprehensive reviews of new PD Goodies.
- M.A.C.E. SHOW UPDATES & INFORMATION.
=========================================================================
AVAILABLE ON: COMP-U-SERVE ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ THE SOURCE
========================================================================
> The Podium¿
----------
Every so often, 'attitudes and egos' rear their ugly heads and are
allowed to overtake common sense and solid reasoning. Unfortunately, this
is happening in the Atari ST Community at this time. As the Editor, I am
held totally accountable for everything that appears in STReport Online
Magazine. Frankly, I don't mind because what we have to offer is a "Joe
Friday" type thing ...'just the facts'. Here is the 'catch'; We ALL are
only human and certainly, not "all knowledgeable".
In the last quarter of 1988, there appeared in ST Report an item
that was supplied to us by Happy Computers (represented as a Press Release)
that detailed certain ROM operations and their relationship to the Spectre
128 Cartridge made by Gadgets by Small. On the surface all looked ok, so we
used the press release at that time. Subsequently, the flak we received
was indeed impressive. Not being a wimp, I seek no excuse other than I made
a mistake for which I now apologize and also offer this promise.."In the
future all items 'supplied' to us will be scrutinized and verified to the
best of our ability" before being presented in any of our publications.
Hopefully, all those involved either directly or indirectly can also put
away the hard feelings and consider the future instead.
On another subject, Professionalism, this is the key to any
successful venture. Being professional in the ways one conducts one's
business is not learned overnight, it comes with experience. Atari has
been slowly developing an experienced attitude here in the USA, of this
there is no doubt. This process could easily be accelerated though, if
only the "powers to be" in Sunnyvale would look over the superb operations
in other countries; Atari-Canada, Atari-UK, Atari-Germany, etc. Atari
needs to quicken it's efforts and polish the presentation of itself to the
public. It is happening now, and what we are saying is it can happen even
faster if they are prone to do so. In this issue, the topic is covered in
depth in a few of our articles, let us know what you think.
thanks for your support!
Ralph.....
************************************************************************
:HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
---------------------------------
To sign up for GEnie service: Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.
Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
Wait for the U#= prompt.
Type XJM11877,GEnie and hit RETURN.
The system will prompt you for your information.
THE GENIE ATARI ST ROUNDTABLE - AN OVERVIEW
-------------------------------------------
The Roundtable is an area of GEnie specifically set aside for owners and
users of Atari ST computers, although all are welcome to participate.
There are three main sections to the Roundtable: the Bulletin Board, the
Software Library and the Real Time Conference area.
The Bulletin Board contains messages from Roundtable members on a variety
of Topics, organized under several Categories. These messages are all
open and available for all to read (GEnie Mail should be used for private
messages). If you have a question, comment, hot rumor or an answer to
someone else's question, the Bulletin Board is the place to share it.
The Software Library is where we keep the Public Domain software files
that are available to all Roundtable members. You can 'download' any of
these files into your own computer by using a Terminal Program which uses
the 'XMODEM' file-transfer method. You can also share your favorite Public
Domain programs and files with other Roundtable members by 'uploading'
them to the Software Library. Uploading on GEnie is FREE, so you are
encouraged to participate and help your Roundtable grow.
The Real Time Conference is an area where two or more Roundtable members
may get together and 'talk' in 'real-time'. You can participate in
organized conferences with special guests, drop in on our weekly Open
COnference, or simply join in on an impromptu chat session. Unlike posting
messages or Mail for other members to read at some later time, everyone in
the Conference area can see what you type immediately, and can respond to
you right away, in an 'electronic conversation'.
************************************************************************
> CPU REPORT¿
==========
Issue # 16
by Michael Arthur
Remember When....
In 1979, Xerox Corp., with the intention of eventually taking over
Apple to make it its Personal Computer Division, asked Apple if it could
invest in Apple in return for some of its stock, and how Steve Jobs got
Xerox to BOTH sign a contract limiting the maximum amount of Apple stock
it could have to 5 percent, and to make Xerox PARC Labs show Apple its
latest innovations in graphical user interfaces?
CPU INSIGHTS¿
=============
Comparison Contrast: The 68030 TT and ATW
------------------------------------------
Atari has recently announced the imminent availability of two new
workstations: The 68030 TT, and the Atari Transputer Workstation (formerly
named the Abaq Transputer). The capabilities of these two machines are
aimed at the high end of the microcomputer market and since the Atari ST
has not improved much in hardware capabilities since the introduction of
the Mega ST, many Atarians are paying real attention to them. In order to
fully understand the 68030 TT and ATW, we must know not only their advanced
capabilities, but the areas in which they are anemic.
When Atari announced the ATW in Fall Comdex 1987, they said that it
wouldn't be out at that time, but that it was still being developed. Not
at Atari, though, but at Perihelion Ltd., a British computer company who
approached Atari about distributing their new computer, called the Abaq,
after they had developed it. Not long after this announcement, a Belgian
computer firm showed that IT had first licenced the name Abaq. Even though
it wouldn't have cost millions to license the name Abaq, and Apple DID
license the name,'Macintosh', Atari chose to "save money" and make up its
own name for it. While this was happening, Atari England and Atari Germany
(two divisions of Atari Corp.) started shipping the Abaq in limited numbers
in Europe. Now rechristened the Atari Transputer Workstation, Atari's
imminent introduction of the ATW in the United States makes it a priority
that we know more about the ATW's capabilities....
The ATW is developed around the Inmos T800 Chip, a 32-bit processor
known as the Transputer, which uses many of the current advances in
computer technology. The T800 is a Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC)
chip capable of running at 10 Million Operations Per Second, or MIPS, which
can address up to 4 Gigabytes of RAM. It has a built-in Floating Point
Coprocessor, which can perform 64-bit math operations, and allows a 20 MHZ
T800 (the model used in the ATW) to perform 5 times as fast as a Motorola
68020 chip with a 68881 floating point chip....
Since one of the main deficiencies of RISC chips is that they handle
complex operations too slowly, the Transputer supports microcoding, where
a programmer can custom-program their own chip instructions into the T800
for an application, if the instructions that he/she needs are not in the
T800's instruction set . To store these "temporary" instructions, as well
as other data, the T800 has 4K of On-Board Static RAM built in, instead of
using programmable registers.
One of the most important aspects of the Transputer, though, is that
it is a parallel processor, being able to divide computing tasks so that
they can run on two or more processors, with each task being done by a
different processor. This results in a greatly increased execution time,
but in order to allow the Transputer to communicate with other Transputers,
the T800 uses four High Speed asynchronous serial communications links,
which allow a number of Transputers to be hooked together in a
Network-style configuration, and send each other data fast enough so it
doesn't hamper any parallel processing operations between the T800 chips.
The ATW also excels in graphics capabilities. It comes with 1 Meg of
Dual Ported Video RAM, and uses a special Blitter Chip (called Blossom)
which acts as a graphics coprocessor in bit-block-transfer operations, in
which it moves 2-dimensional rasters of color pixels, and in high speed
animation, so to make sure that the Transputer isn't burdened with handling
graphics operations. The ATW has 4 screen modes, which are:
- Mode 0: 1280*960 resolution, with 4 bits per pixel, making 16 colors
available out of a 4096 colors palette. This mode is the ATW's high
resolution mode, and Atari will be offering a monochrome monitor for this
mode that shows the colors in 16 shades of gray. Atari is not making a
color monitor for Mode 0 at this time because it would be too expensive,
given its high resolution.
- Mode 1: 1024*768 resolution, with 8 bits per pixel, allowing 256
displayed colors of a palette of 16,772,216 colors. This mode is mostly
suitable for high resolution 3D CAD work, and can be shown with a good
Multisync monitor.
- Mode 2: 640*480 resolution, with 8 bits per pixel, allowing 256
displayed colors out of a 16 million color palette. The difference between
Mode 2 and Mode 1 is that in Mode 2, the screens are double buffered,
meaning that two separate screens are available, so after one screen has
been displayed, the display controller can update the display by just
showing the other screen. The blitter chip then updates the screen that
isn't being displayed at that moment. Double Buffered screens allow for
VERY realistic animations, as well as other video effects.
- Mode 3: 512*480 resolution, with 24 bits per pixel, allowing the full
palette of 16 million colors to be displayed at the same time. This mode
is primarily made for rendering true color 3-D solid scenes, as well as
other high-end image manipulation tools.
The ATW also comes with 4 Megabytes of System RAM, and a built-in
40 Megabyte Hard Drive. It will also have 4 proprietary expansion slots,
which simply bring the Transputer's serial communications channels (these
are "links" which make it possible for the Transputer to network with other
equipment, including other Transputers) to the expansion bus's edge
connector.
There will be two varieties of cards made by Atari. A Transputer
"Farm" board having 4 Transputers and 1 Meg of DRAM on it, and a RAM
expansion board which has 20 Megabytes of RAM. This results in that the
Abaq could either have a 1 Transputer system with 84 Megs of Ram, or a
17 Transputers system with 9 Megs of RAM, if you decided to fill the
expansion slots with only one type of card. More likely, however, an ATW
Users will use them in combinations, such as using 3 Farm Cards and 1 RAM
expansion card to have a 13 Transputer system with 24 Megs of RAM. Since
one Transputer runs at 10 Million Instructions Per Second (MIPS), an ATW
with 13 Transputers could run at 130 MIPS, or at 170 MIPS with a system
using 17 T800s....
Two versions of the Abaq are planned. One will be an add-on for the
Mega ST, using a Mega ST expansion board to connect it to the Mega. There
will also be a stand-alone version of the Abaq, with a case similar to the
Mega ST's. As the ATW uses the Mega ST as an I/O processor, it will have
an ST motherboard underneath the ATW motherboard . The add-on version of
the ATW will cost around 2500-3000 dollars, while the standalone unit will
cost $5000.00. Lest this sound too expensive, remember that current
workstations with the Abaq's capabilities begin in price at $50,000.00....
The Helios Operating System
---------------------------
The Abaq itself is impressive, but its operating system, Helios,
makes it revolutionary. Since no other operating system has proper support
for either parallel processing OR the Inmos T800, Perihelion Software Ltd.
(the sister company of Perihelion Ltd.) decided to make Helios, a new
operating system which
Helios is designed to resemble Unix as much as possible on the User's
level. It uses the Unix C-Shell for a Command Line Interface (with all Unix
commands available), and Helios emulates Unix System 7 calls to the point
where MUCH Unix software can be ported by little more than recompiling its
source code on the ATW. Already Perihelion has ported much Unix software
to Helios because of its compatibility. One thing, though: since Helios
utilized code modules that can be shared by tasks, applications can use
these modules for their own operations, drastically reducing the size of
their own source code. For example, one Unix application (written in
Fortran) is 120K in size on AT&T Unix. This program, when ported to
Helios, was only 30K large. This means that not only will ATW Users be
able to multitask an extensive amount of powerful software, but software
development for the Helios Operating System should be more simple.
Development of Helios software is made even MORE simple by Atari's
decision to include Digital Research's X/GEM as the graphical user
interface of the version of Helios for the ATW. X/GEM is a version of GEM
which implements it with X/Windows, the standard windowing environment
used in Unix. Since GEM is designed to be portable over many operating
systems and computers, software developers will be able to use the GEM
Programmer's Toolkit to port the hundreds of GEM programs available on
other computers (such as Ventura Publisher) to the ATW. Also, since
X/Windows will be supported, most of the newest, most sophisticated Unix
software can be easily ported to the ATW.
However, the main goal of Helios is to allow Transputers to be
networked in a way that all of the Transputers in all machines running
Helios could be utilized by any one machine. This means that if you had 4
ATWs in a network, and 3 ATWs were idle, the fourth one could use the
Transputers in the OTHER THREE to speed up its own operations.
But this goal was not as hard as it sounds. In fact, this is made
simple by the Transputer itself. Since the Transputer's instructions for
on-chip communications are the same for using its serial communications
links for talking to other Transputers, when two or more T800s are used in
a system, they all function as ONE chip. Helios uses this capability to
distribute tasks between many Transputers (the T800 allows up to 100
Transputers to be networked) as easily as it manages one Transputer,
resulting in TRUE parallel processing. In order for Helios to pull this
off, however, it requires that EVERY Transputer in a Helios Network run its
own copy of Helios. But since 1 copy of Helios only takes up 100K, there
are 4 Megs of RAM on the ATW, and ATW Users will only work with ONE copy of
Helios, this will not affect system operation....
Both parallel processors and RISC chips are said to be the future of
computers, and the Transputer uses both of these technologies. Although
Helios will be available to other computer makers (including Commodore,
which plans to use it in a Transputer add-in board for the Amiga 2000), the
ATW is the first computer to use it. Also, the sheer power of the ATW's
other capabilities ensure that it is one of the most powerful computers
using a parallel processor OR a RISC chip available ANYWHERE....
The future of the Abaq seems very interesting. It is obviously aimed
at Universities and research facilities, who would be more likely to use
RISC Chips and/or parallel processing in day to day operations. However,
with the Abaq's price, one inevitably has to wonder if Atari would do best
to market this machine as a general workstation/minicomputer. Seeing as a
fully expanded ATW system could run at 170 MIPS (the Cray X/MP runs at
170 MIPS in sustained operation), the ATW would be a shining example of
Atari's motto of "Power without the Price". Also, since RISC chips and
parallel processors WILL become an integral part of the computer industry
in a few years, wouldn't it be nice if the ATW became the next IBM PC or
Sun because Atari unleashed it on ALL aspects of the microcomputer industry
and got a few years' head start on Apple, IBM, and Sun....
The 68030 TT: Unix Workstation on the Cheap?
--------------------------------------------
In 1988, Atari announced the 68030 TT at the Hannover Fair/CeBit Show
in Hannover, West Germany. Since it just revealed its existence there, and
has not given much information about it, there is simply not NEARLY as much
technical data on it as on the ATW. However, this is a FULL list of its
features:
The 68030 TT will use a 16 or 20 MHZ 68030, have 4 Megabytes of
System RAM on board, and use the VME Bus Architecture (which is used in
Sun Workstations), to provide 4-8 VME Expansion Slots. It will come with
a stock version of AT&T Unix Version 5.3, implementing X/Windows with it
for a windowing environment. In order to store Unix, it will come with an
80 Megabyte Hard Disk.
Since it IS a Unix Workstation, it must have Networking capabilities
to match the rest. To do this, it has support of Sun's NFS (for Network
File System) protocol. It also has SCSI/DMA ports, and MAY come with a
Motorola 56001 chip, which both provides 16-bit digital sound of compact
disk quality, and does Digital Signal Processing, which would allow the
68030 TT to be be exceptionally powerful in speech synthesis and voice
recognition, real-time analysis of digital data, and other scientific
and engineering applications now done on minicomputers. The 56001 DSP
chip is also on the NeXT Computer....
CPU Report is pretty certain that the 68030 TT uses some type of
graphics coprocessor (blitter chip), but HAS determined that it will have
these graphics modes:
- 1280*960 resolution with 16 colors displayed at the same time. This
may only be gray scale resolution at this time, though. It will mainly
be for Desktop Publishing applications.
- 1024*768 resolution with 256 colors displayed at the same time. It
will probably be for 3D CAD and engineering modeling.
- 640*400 resolution, with the entire palette of 16 million colors
capable of being displayed at the same time. This will definitely be for
high-quality image manipulation.
The 68030 TT will also come with a version of TOS 1.4, so Users can
either use it as a Unix Workstation, or as an Atari ST. Unfortunately,
although versions of Unix for 80386 machines can make MS-DOS run with Unix
at the same time by making MS-DOS run as a Unix task, Atari has not seen
fit to do the same and make TOS 1.4 run as a Unix task, so as to give
68030 TT users added versatility by not forcing them to choose between
whether to run ST programs, or Unix programs, and letting them run both at
the same time....
Atari has not announced the 68030 TT's cost, but given that a 68030
chip costs 500 dollars, that 4 Megs of 32-bit RAM may cost at least 1000
dollars for an OEM, and that implementing the VME Bus Architecture would
cost at least 500 dollars (including components), that in order for Atari
to make a profit, it would have to sell the 68030 TT for around 3500 to
4500 dollars. Taking into account Atari's aggressive price-cutting
methods, the 68030 TT will probably list for $4000.00. Which might seem
expensive for an ST system, but is VERY reasonable for what may be the
moral equivalent of cloning the Sun workstation....
In Part I of this series, CPU Report featured the capabilities of
the 68030 TT and Atari Transputer Workstation in an attempt to see what
their assets will be. In Part II of this series, CPU Report will compare
and contrast the 68030 TT and the ATW, so as to both analyze what markets
they will fit best in, and to see how they will affect the rest of the
computing market. Also, since the 68030 TT and the ATW are so closely
priced, CPU Report will attempt to see which computer is the best, not only
in the area of sheer power, but in many other aspects of the microcomputer
industry....
CPU Systems Roundup V¿
======================
80386 Clone from Japan: On its Way
----------------------------------
VM Technologies, a Japanese research firm, has recently announced its
new line of microprocessors, among which is the VM 8600, a 32-bit chip
that can clone the Intel 80386 chip. According to VM Technologies, the
VM 8600 actually runs FASTER than the 80386, while requiring far less
electricity to run.
Ordinary microprocessors, such as the 80386, put much of their
instruction set in ROM-resident microcode, using VLSI circuitry to actually
execute the instructions. The VM 8600, however, uses Programmable Logic
Arrays (or PLAs, for short) to perform its tasks. Basically, PLAs are
a series of input/output wires which are connected to additional VLSI
circuitry. In order to do computational tasks, a transistor is placed at
EVERY intersection, and each transistor on the chip is interconnected in
networks called logic gates. These logic gates use the transistors to
interpret digital input (in this case, machine language instructions), and
send out the resulting data through the output wires. VM Technologies has
written software that analyzes this data, and organizes it into logical
operations which emulate the 80386's instruction set....
VM Technologies is also making two 16-bit microprocessors, called the
VM 860 and VM 861. These chips use ordinary VLSI circuitry, and are both
compatible with the Intel 80286 chip. The difference between them is that
the VM 861 is pin-compatible with the 80286 chip, and the VM 860 uses a
32-bit data pipeline. VM Technologies intends to target these chips
towards embedded applications. This means that the VM 860 and 861 will
primarily be used in appliances such as microwave ovens, VCR's, or laser
printers, which need microprocessors, but do not need the versatility of a
regular computer.
Developed by Masatoshi Shima, who was instrumental in developing the
FIRST microprocessor, the Intel 4004, as well as designing the Intel 8080
and the Zilog Z80 chips, VM Technologies' line of microchips is scheduled
to begin shipping in the First Quarter of 1990. But while VM Technologies'
chips are good news for Japanese companies, who will not have to rely as
heavily on American microprocessors for their products as before, the
VM 8600 itself might not affect Intel's sales as much as expected.
One reason is that the 80386's main customers, such as IBM or
Compaq, will probably stick to Intel to both maintain their business
relationship and to ensure that they receive an ample supply of Intel's
future microprocessors (such as the 80486 or 80586). Also, since Intel
doesn't price their chips based on how much it costs to make them (which
MIGHT cause overpricing), it could simply slash the prices on its chips,
possibly starting a price war in the microprocessor industry....
The VM 860 and 861 may also not meet up to great expectations in the
embedded applications market, as there are many microprocessors already
available that can serve its needs. For example, American Micro Devices
will be selling the 16 MHZ AMD 29000 RISC chip, which can run at 17 MIPS,
for $100.00 by the First Quarter of 1990. In terms of performance, a
16 MHZ AMD 29000 would be more feasible in products requiring fast embedded
processors (such as PostScript laser printers or 9600 baud fax machines)
than a VM 860 or 861. Also, many other appliances which use microchips,
such as Xerox copiers or microwave ovens, can be served just as well by
4 or 8 MHZ chips. Motorola is now selling the 8 MHZ 68000 for less than
$10.00, and it would be more feasible in terms of price/performance for
these appliances than a VM 860 or 861. However, this only means that
VM Technologies won't suddenly become dominant in the industry, as the
market potential for these chips are VERY large....
But ponder, if you will, these two questions:
1) Would the 68030 TT OR the ATW be more popular than an Extended version
of the Atari ST, having greater capabilities such as 2-4 Mega ST Expansion
Slots, VGA-style graphics, and a 16 MHZ 68000 or 68020?
2) Will the arrival of the VM 8600 signal a greater Japanese presence
in the microprocessor industry, or will it encourage American chip makers
to become more competitive to stave off the potential threat?
CPU REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿
=======================
Scotts Valley, CA In a stunning move, IBM has announced that it will be
----------------- bundling Sidekick for Presentation Manager, a special
version of Borland Inc.'s Sidekick utility for OS/2's
graphical user interface. It is the FIRST application
to show the Presentation Manager's capabilities, and is
a powerful program, but it is a bit of a memory hog....
Houston, TX Compaq recently made a bid to establish the graphics
----------- standard that would be the SUCCESSOR to IBM's new VGA
graphics mode by introducing the Advanced Graphics 1024
Board, which can display 16 colors out of a palette of
16 million colors in a 1024*768 resolution. It uses
the Texas Instruments 34010 graphics coprocessor chip,
and sells for $1500.00. If you want to display 256
colors in a 1024*768 resolution, you can buy a $500.00
memory card supplying the necessary 512K of Video RAM.
Moscow, USSR World chess champion Gary Kasparov recently tried to
------------ donate two Atari 1040 ST's to a children's computer club
that he helped found. Oddly, certain officials at the
Soviet Academy of Sciences ALSO wanted the computers,
and tried to use political means to obtain them. After
loudly protesting (and donating an additional 70 Atari
machines, including the 130 XE), Kasparov was allowed
to let the Computer Club keep it's Atari units.
This episode brings up an interesting question: Now that
Atari is at the threshold of potentially dominating the
computer markets of Warsaw Pact nations such as the
USSR, and can serve the computing needs of Third World
countries VERY well with Atari 8-Bits and ST's, what
OTHER place in the world does Atari have left to make
the ST a viable standard in?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> MichTron BBS 3.0 Review¿
=======================
MICHTRON BBS VERSION 3.0
========================
by R.F.Mariano
part 1
BBS 3.0 is Multi-tasking, this means that while a caller is logged on
you may be logged on doing whatever you care to be doing at the same time.
This program has a number of fine features we will go into over the course
of the next few issues. But for now, we will approach this as if we are
brand spanking new at putting up a BBS.
BBS stands for Bulletin Board System. People, using a modem, connect
with your BBS via the telephone lines and then are able to leave messages,
read messages, upload (send) files and download (receive) files while
connected to the BBS. A BBS that multi-tasks and offers multi-line
potential is highly desirable from a sysop's (System Operator - one who
operates a BBS) point of view because; a) the system need never be
interrupted to allow for normal maintainence, b) more than one user may use
the system at the same time,ie; 2 on the phone lines and the sysop online
locally (at the console) at the same time.
A BBS offers it's users the latest in up to date information and
program update data in a most efficient and cost effective manner. Most
usergroups have a 'support' BBS where the usergroup offers to it's members
an excellent PD (Public Domain) library of files for their use as part of
the benefits of the dues paid to the usergroup. A BBS can also provide a
small amount of income to a usergroup by the fees they may charge
non-members for access privileges.
The first item to catch the eye is the fact you can boot BBS 3.0
immediately and actually see it run and...run it does. This version
appears to be very fast. One nice feature we see is the auto-comply it
does when booting, ie; you have set up a dozen different paths for the
files and have set a number of blocks aside for the message bases. As it
boots, if it does not "see" the folders or right config for the message
bases, it will create the folders and add the blocks the config file calls
for. This feature translates into no crashes if for some reason the system
does not agree with the configuration file. The actual steps taken to
create the config file are a "piece of cake" with the fancy and easy to use
Maintenance program supplied with the BBS.
The message bases are quite professional in their appearance, the
headers are complete and do not leave out any message routing or source
info. One feature we feel would make the BBS ver. 3.0 irresistible would
be the addition of F-Net compatibility. Sitting here I think of the
multi-tasking and the multi-line functions and imagine if it had Fnetting
..it would then become a partner in the ST's own international message
network.
The Maintenance program supplied handles most all the normal and
periodic updating necessary. Using this program, you also set the SIGS
(Special Interest Group) for the BBS. The system will support 16 SIGS
which become the specialized message bases and the file storage categories.
This all makes for a highly organized system with a flair for ease of use
for both the Caller and the Sysop.
Next week: THE MCL and how it works...
MichTron BBS Ver. 3.0
..is available from Your Dealer or:
Michtron Inc.
576 S. Telegraph
Pontiac, MI 48053
313-334-5700
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> DC PORT STR Focus¿
=================
DOUBLE CLICK MULTI-LINE PORT
============================
1. Hardware Description
--------------------
Q: What is DC PORT?
A: DC PORT is a cartridge based dual serial port interface which gives
the Atari ST a total of three serial ports.
Q: How does DC PORT work?
A: DC PORT uses a Motorola 2681. The power for the board (5v) is
supplied from the cartridge port. A MAX232 converts the 5v to +/-
10 volts for rs232 levels. Discrete logic is used to interface the
cartridge port to the DUART.
Q: Is DC PORT interrupt driven?
A: DC PORT provides a cable from the cartridge that plugs into the ST's
main serial port. This cable allows access to the ST serial port,
and provides a means for DC PORT to signal the software of a
read/write condition. On an interrupt, the software checks DC PORT
to see which serial port generated the interrupt, then services the
request. This alleviates the problem of constantly polling the
port, like other auxiliary ports available. DC PORT uses the 'ring
indicator' line of the main serial port to generate the service
request, since this is a rarely used interrupt line.
Q: How do I read/write data to a read only port?
A: Since the cartridge port does not have a r/w line, one of the
address lines is used to simulate the write operation. Eight
otherwise unused address lines are used as data lines during the
write operation. The read operation is a direct CPU read.
2. How to Call DCP from BIOS
-------------------------
For most applications an AUTO folder handler can be installed to
supplement the Atari BIOS calls BCONIN, BCONOUT, BCONSTAT, BCOSTAT,
IOREC, and RSCONF. (The calls CAUXIN, CAUXOUT, CAUXIS, and CAUXOS may
be supported.) Used this way, an application could access DC PORT as
though it were accessing the main serial port by supplying a different
device number.
For example:
-----------
Normal BIOS call (from C) to send an 'A' out the ST serial port is
Bconout(0x2,'A');
To send an 'A' out DC PORT #1 add 0x8100 to the first argument
Bconout(0x8102, 'A');
To send an 'A' out DC PORT #2 add 0x8200 to the first argument
Bconout(0x8202, 'A');
IOREC and RSCONF are handled in a similar fashion by adding 0x8100 or
0x8200 to the first argument.
NOTE: -1 becomes 0x81ff and -2 is 0x81fe.
If you have any questions concerning DC PORT
please call: (713) 333-2600.
Gilbert Callaghan and Michael Vederman
Double Click Software
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
STR Review¿
==========
Pagestream Revisited- Part 2
============================
by R. Brunk
In part 1 of this review, the focus was primarily on the text handling
abilities of PS; this part will concentrate on the graphics and printing
features.
But first, to clarify some points from part 1:
I did not make it clear that the problem concerning printing near the
sides of the paper is a problem associated with all printers. It is not a
problem caused by the program.
Also, it IS possible to make the text appear on a clear background by
using the fill choice in the upper left corner above the white box (no box
represents the clear fill background). This eliminates the annoying
"white-out" obscuring parts of images.
To continue:
The choice of graphic tools is extensive, including the ability to draw
perfect boxes (with square or rounded corners), circles, ellipses, arcs,
and polygons. Once drawn, objects can be resized or reshaped, and filled
with a variety of premade patterns, or with custom made patterns. Objects
can also be "brought to front" or "sent to back", enabling a group of
objects to form the illusion of continuous image created by the manipu-
lation manipulation of a series of layers of separate objects. Resizing
and moving can be done with the by now familiar control boxes that
surround them when selected with the object arrow. If more precision is
desired, you can specify the exact location and size/radius by entering
the numbers from the keyboard. There are also tools to make a single line,
a series of connected lines, or freehand drawings. Lines can be either
solid, dashed, dotted, or custom made, and can end in arrows if desired.
In fact, with a little enhancement, PS would be a credible drawing program.
Almost all of the above features can also be used with imported
graphics. PS is able to import degas (.PI#) and degas compressed (.PC#)
pictures, as well as gem (.GEM) and image (.IMG) files. While degas files
import and print beautifully, .IMG files from Easydraw sometimes lose their
high resolution, ending up as bare outlines of their original image.
Importing graphics are handled nicely, with menus showing all options every
step of the way. It is possible to import entire pictures, or crop the
images for just the part that is desired.
Once the image is in PS, it can be modified in numerous ways, including
resizing, reshaping, duplicating, rotating, slanting, twisting, etc. It
can also be locked in place to prevent inadvertent movement once it has
been placed, and unlocked to be moved again. To speed up screen redraws
when graphics are used, it is possible to deselect the "show pictures"
options, and a black box will show where the picture is positioned.
The printing features of PS allow a wide variety of choices. Documents
can be printed in ascending or descending order, and can be collated.
Printer resolution is adjustable (up to 7 scales), as well as printing
size, from 15-10,000% (15-65,000% for postscript printers). The tiling
option allows printing over several sheets of paper (with overlap added for
smooth borders). The thumbnail option print up to 16 miniature pages onto
one page to allow an overview of how the entire document looks. You can
print a standard black on white image; a negative image; in color or grey
scale; in 4 color separation (a black and white image for each cyan,
magenta, yellow, and black which will "mix" together for the final colors);
or with mechanical separation (each of 4 colors represented as black on
white). An extremely useful option is the ability to print an overhead
transparency, which outputs a mirror image that will be on the bottom of
the plastic sheet, allowing you to write and erase on the other side
without ruining the transparency.
Version 1.52 is out as a free update. But while the loading, screen
redraws, and printing of graphic images is substantially improved, and the
printing of text seems to be quicker too. As a comparison I printed three
documents on a Panasonic KX-P1124 printer with both 1.51 and 1.52 to
compare the printing and loading times. The first contained some text and
an imported degas picture (the STReport logo compressed to approximately
3"x1.5". The second was a combination of text and simple graphics
(actually, just lines). The third was the fonts doc included with PS
showing a variety of types and sizes of fonts.
PS 1.51 | PS 1.52
----------------------------------
Load/Print | Load/Print
--------------------------------------------------------------
Degas/text 31/59 | 04/35
--------------------------------------------------------------
Text/simple graphics 04/48 | 07/50
--------------------------------------------------------------
Fonts (1 page) 05/08:58 | 02:07/14:03 (4 pages)
--------------------------------------------------------------
secs/min:secs
As you can see, graphics speed is improved, and simple text and
graphics document prints appreciably faster on a 24 pin printer using
version 1.52. I want to emphasize that the results are extremely
impressive. In fact, the text/simple graphics example was an engineering
document that I sent back to corporate headquarters and got a "You did
this on an Atari!?!!"
Sources at SL report that version 1.6 will not be a free upgrade, but
will be inexpensive (~ $10 ~). This may be the end of free upgrades, but
I feel that I've gotten my money's worth with what is out now.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Atari Stock ~ STReport¿
======================
THE TICKERTAPE
==============
by Glenn Gorman
ATARI Corp. has been quoted as one of the stocks, on the American
Stock Exchange, to watch. So, I've been keeping track of it and thought
that others would also be interested.
Atari Stock took a big leap on wednesday, but dropped a 1/2 point by
Friday. Still up a 1/4 point from monday.
An article appeared this past week about Atari stock having jumped well
over 20 points, however, this was not verifiable. After having checked the
stock quotes a second time, they were still the same as listed below.
ATARI STOCK WATCH
-----------------
Week: 03-27 to 03-31
=========================================================================
| | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
+-------+----------+-----------+-------------+------------+-------------+
| Sales | 190 | 2471 | 551 | 240 | 587 |
+-------+----------+-----------+-------------+------------+-------------+
| Last | 6 1/4 | 7 | 6 3/4 | 6 3/4 | 6 1/2 |
+-------+----------+-----------+-------------+------------+-------------+
| Chg. | +3/8 | +3/4 | -1/4 | ------ | -1/4 |
=========================================================================
| From -> THE CAVE ST BBS <-> 609-882-9195 <-> 3/12/2400 <-> F-NET #351 |
=========================================================================
Editor Note; we hope to have Glenn's market observations here a regular
item henceforth.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> STReport Spotlight¿
==================
A Different Point of View
=========================
by Peter Szymonik
About advertising, you claim that SH spent $312,00 in advertising
last year, but you conveniently fail to mention that the amount spent
speficially on advertising in ST magazines was ZERO. I subscribe to EVERY
major ST magazine and not until Feb-Mar of THIS year did I see any ads for
FALCON in an ST magazine. Sure, I saw ads for FALCON in Computer Gaming
World and a few other non-ST magazines, but given the pro-MS-DOS and Amiga
slant of many of these magazines you reached a handful of ST owners. And
the ST users your ads did reach would not be aware that FALCON was out for
the ST because those FALCON ads made NO MENTION of the ST version!, only the
words 'coming soon'.
As for the reviews, again, those did not start appearing until after
January of this year, and yet by this time you were ALREADY proclaiming poor
ST sales due to piracy! I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. You are buying into
the ST/piracy hook line and sinker without any facts (or enough of them) to
back your claim that piracy has hurt sales of FALCON on the ST. You mention
the 25 pirate boards and the 'visibility' they offer FALCON. I take great
offense at the implication that the majority of ST users have access or do
access pirate boards. Seems to me like you are using this as a poor excuse
for not giving credibility to the advertising aspect of FALCON's ST sales.
I believe that if you ask your pirate mole you will find that the case is
more likely that the only people who have access to FALCON via pirate boards
are at most 20-25 board 'elites', and that hardly comes to a figure that
could imply that FALCON's sales are due to piracy.
This is not to say that piracy is not a problem, but I am getting
very sick your company's buying into the piracy b.s., especially the
publication of your letter in the latest Computer Gaming World. If you find
the same low level of sales six months from now in the ST world then you
* may * have a case, until then you are using insufficient 'evidence' and
viewing this whole situation with blinders on! There is a theory that if
you hear something long enough you start to believe as the gospel truth no
matter how absurd it is or how much evidence is presented to you against
it...
What is starting to happen now is that you have done little more
than promote the ST/piracy myth while sales of FALCON for the ST in Europe
are soaring (its number 1 in the best selling list of ST WORLD and ACTION)
and mail order houses such as Tevex report that sales for the ST version are
running at a good clip, thanks for nothing.
Now as for the figures listed in Current Notes. If the average
MS-DOS game program sells 40-100,000 out of an estimated user base of 10
million, and the average MAC program sells 20-40,000 out of a user base of
an estimated 1.5 million, and the average ST program sells 15,000 out of a
user base of an estimated 350,000; then lets see, we have:
MS-DOS 0.4-1.0 % of users buy a released game program
MAC 1.3-2.6 % of users buy a released game program
ST 4.3 % of users buy a released game program
(The sales figures are straight from Mr. Gilman himself in the latest
Current Notes, installed user base is the closest generally accepted
figures for each machine type.)
Now, as an advanced student of Statistics (pun intended) and having
taken three years of advanced theoretical Math I can tell you that if it
were the case that piracy was worse in the ST world than in the MS-DOS or
MAC world than these figures would be reversed. But they are not.
So out of which user base will a newly released game program sell
the most copies among members of the user base? The ST. This backs my
claim that ST owners support good programs. The figures show that the
average ST owner is TEN TIMES more likely to plunk down the cash and BUY a
game program than the average MS-DOS owner, and TWO to FOUR TIMES more
likely than their MAC counter-part. The figures don't lie and they speak
for themselves. More game programs sales are lost to piracy in the MS-DOS
and MAC world than in the ST world.
In the ST world a newly released game program can count on selling
FIVE copies per hundred users, MAC 2-4 copies, and in the ugly world of
MS-DOS LESS THAN ONE copy per hundred users. So if you really want to talk
about the effects of piracy and ST sales of game software then at least know
what you're talking about. I for one am sick of rumors being used as
'factual' evidence. Look at the figures, they tell the whole story. I'm
sick of the b.s. and I'm sick S-H shooting from the hip, we deserve
better...
And ..on a final note...
About your comment that when people mention sales of DungeonMaster
to you, you say "Look at the great copy protection." I may remind you that
when DungeonMaster came out it was cracked and found on pirate boards LESS
THAN SIX WEEKS after it was released, and yet it still managed to be the ALL
TIME BEST SELLING program not only for the ST, but also outselling many
popular productivity titles as well! Software Distributors of America claims
it is the best selling title they have EVER sold.
So what's the real difference between FALCON and DungeonMaster? Its
not the copy-protection of piracy. Rather its the fact that FTL sold its
copies of DungeonMaster long BEFORE the first package ever left the
warehouse. How did they do this you ask? By releasing the demo 'teaser'
over a year *before* the program was finished and by carefully preparing the
ST user base for its release through messages on GEnie and other services.
So, even when the program was released over a year after its intended
release date sales were phenomenal. They did not release a program and
expect everyone to buy it nor did they come out lamenting the ST/piracy
myth. The results are there for all to see...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> LAN for ST? STR FOCUS¿
=====================
A PROMISED LAN?
===============
Here is a general question for the Atari ST Community:
Is there significant interest or support for a true LAN for the
Atari ST?
If so: what features would you like to see? what kind of speed would
you you find satisfactory? Would you like just a file server, or would
you like support for shared printers, modems or perhaps even support for
the Atari Laser to be shared with multiple STs.
Even more important:
How much would you be willing to pay (per station) for such a
product?
PS: would you be willing to place a dedicated server (an ST) on the LAN
for all of the other terminals (a 520ST would do just fine)
Please leave replies to:
Rob Allbritton at 71750,457
or
STReport ,(we will forward all replies to Mr. Allbritton).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> PD ROUNDUP STR Review¿
=====================
Public Domain Roundup
=====================
by William Y. Baugh
(This week I wanted to take so time away from commercial reviews; so here
are some PD reviews)
CPOKER.ARC by Jeffery K. Hughes
-------------------------------
First file is a shareware program called Cpoker. Cpoker is a rendition of
the popular casino poker machines found in Vegas and other gambling arenas.
The game plays just like regular poker. The only difference is that you
must have a pair of Jacks or better to win. Once you win a hand, the fun
doesn't stop there. You have the option to "Double down". If you decide
to, the cards are cleared from the table and re-delt. The first card is
faceup with the rest of the cards face down. You must pick one of the
remaining four cards which you think will beat the upturned card. If you
pick and win, you've just doubled your money; if you lose, then you've won
nothing.
Cpoker will run in either low-res or high-res. Depending upon which
monitor you use will determine the style of cards used. The low-res
versions' graphics are great. Mr. Huges drawings of the cards rival
commercial software. (The only card I'm not to wild about are the Jacks,
but I got used to it.) But, much to my surprise, when I booted the game on
monochrome; 'lo and behold, a totally new deck! And believe me when I say,
it is fantastic! The styling is that of the old traditional decks with the
cards perspective staying the same no matter which way they are delt. Also,
the intracasy that he employed in the backs of the cards...suffice it to
say that this is THE BEST card game that I've seen anywhere and for it to be
shareware is amazing. If your into cards and poker, definitely
download this one, it's worth every 'bit' of it.
ELIMNTN.ARC by Franz Lanzinger
------------------------------
The next file is an older shareware program called Elimination. At first
glance this program sounds quite confusing and doesn't look very impressive.
I thought the same thing at first glance, but once you try this game; your
hooked.
Elimination is a game where you are pitted against 6 computer players.
You are situated at the bottom of the screen with the other players in a
circle about you. You start the game with 13 points and one card.
Depending upon the card delt to you and the number of players left in the
game will decide whether you keep the card delt or trade for the persons on
your left. You see, the person with the lowest card in each round loses and
the value of the card is subtracted from their point total. For example:
Say you are delt a 10 of spades, but the person on your right takes your
card in trade and you end up with a 2 of hearts. You may either keep this
card or trade it. If you keep it, you know you will lose. But you will
only lose 2 points. If you trade and receive a 4 of diamonds, that may be
the lowest card and you just doubled your losses; then again, you may get a
larger card and not lose at all. The game continues in this fashion until
only one person is left and the game is finished. At the end of the game
you have a list of the number of match points each person received and (if
you are playing multiple games) the overall percentage ranking.
As I stated before, the game is not fancy. It only shows the cards as
numbers (or letter) and the letter for its suit. You only use the K (Keep),
T (Trade) and the space bar while playing. This is really all the interface
you need, because the game is quite fast. I think Mr. Franz Lanzinger
deserves praise for such an imaginative program as this.
MicroEMACS 3.10
---------------
Anyone familiar with PC's or programming using Mark Williams C on the ST
should be familiar with this program. MicroEMACS is the text editor
extraordinaire. The package is huge! (The doc file in unformatted form is
245K!) Almost any facet of using a text editor is contained in ME; from
using it as a word processor to incorporating it into your C package ME
does it all.
MicroEMACS in all of its pomp and glory, is just a text editor. Its
authors, though, have not let it stop at that. They have included Pages
such as Word (Word processor), Box (Block functions), EMACS (Enter into the
macros and script language), PASCAL, C and COBOL. There are also a
multitude of Command files that are actually macros that allow you to do
differing things (from having a help file to changing your entire text into
Pig Latin). Say you're programming in C and want to save some time on
typing in the code. The C page has a menu selection that allows you, among
other things, to specify the procedure name and it writes and brackets
accordingly; all you do is fill in the blanks.
One drawback to MicroEMACS is that it is written for many computers and
being such, is not really optimized for any one of them (except maybe PC's).
It is definitely not optimized for the ST. There is limited use of the
mouse, which most of the time doesn't work correctly so is fairly useless.
Another problem is when commands are executed to DOS (not TOS), it looks
like there's a war going on with the number of bombs presented. If you can
find your way around these problems and (especially) if you program in Mark
Williams C, you'll want this version. There is an error checker built into
the program to interact as you type in your source. Also if you rename the
program, the MSH.PRG will have no problems in running the program.
I don't know if I can really recommend this program. If you are looking
for a fancy text editor and don't mind the LONG download time or as I said,
if you own MWC; it's for. If not, there are a few respectable editors out
there that would be better in the long run (Namely, PROED!).
BSCREEN.ARC by Julian F. Reschke
--------------------------------
BSCREEN.PRG or Big Screen is a very interesting and maybe useful utility
that takes the desktop and creates a virtual image of it (and also save a
bit image of the screen to disk). This means that it doubles the size of
the desk top screen vertically. Its great!
Once it loaded, I guess I didn't know what to expect. Nothing had
changed. Then I went to copy a file and only half of the file selector box
appeared. The other half was down below the screen (The file or alert boxes
center on the screen). When I moved the mouse down, the screen smoothly
scrolled to reveal the rest of the selector. You may create a window the
size of the screen, move your icons down or whatever you wish to do. You
may run a program while using Big Screen. I ran it under Calamus and it
worked well, if not a little strangely. When I quit the program though, the
desktop was in shambles so it does some strange things. In the docs it says
that it has troubles running under the Mega TOS, but had a fix program in
it. Don't know if it works or not. The author says though that it works
perfectly under TOS 1.4.
If you looking for an unusual utility, snag this one. It's small (6K) and
well worth a look at.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿
======================
- New York City, NY **** SHIRAZ SHIVJI ON LEAVE? ****
----------------
Discovered only three days ago, Shiraz Shivji is missing at Atari.
Shivji, a major stockholder, the designer of the ST has long been long
been regarded as "The Father" of the ST. Rumor has it he left while most
of the "crew" were in Germany on a leave of absence due to illness, we
certainly hope Mr. Shivji gets well soon.
- Chicago, IL. **** TOS 1.4 BEING FINE TUNED! ****
-----------
According to extremely _reliable_ sources, the latest version of TOS
[1.4], dated: 02/22/89, has a broken install application function and
possibly cannot operate properly under certain conditions when using flow
control. The big surprise is these problems seem to only be in the "chip
set" version and they have therefore, been recalled from the chip
manufacturer. Hopefully, when fixed, it will allow us to get away from
the huge auto folders or all the kludges needed to boot smartly.
Additionally, those of you who own ST computers having the [2]-TWO
chip ROM sets are on the short end of the stick...seems Atari does not own
an Eprom Burner capable of doing the job and now we hear that the Masked
ROMS have a large waiting period (in 1M parts) so there may be an interim 6
EPROM set made available for developers. Does this mean if the developer
owns a machine that uses 2 chips, but has the 6 sockets, can use the 6
chip set? NOPE! Not unless he cares to modify the motherboard (cut traces,
move jumpers, etc.). We certainly hope that all the active developers for
the ST have machines, MEGAS included, that use the 6 chip set. Also, it
is rumored that this TOS, already many months LATE, may not be available
before 08/89. In conclusion, it really is nice to see the folks at Atari
trying their best to release a bug free version of TOS...Congratulations.
- Sunnyvale, CA. **** SINGLE-SIDED DRIVES....YEEECH! ****
-------------
How many folks do you know who own a 520ST that is not upgraded to 1
mb and has at least 1 SF314 D/D-D/S drive as drive A? Hmmm, most of those
I know have at least 1mb in the 520st and a d/s drive in the "A" position.
Know what happens if the 520 dies and you decide to send it in to Atari
under the exchange program? They have NO 520St available. So, if you send
the extra dollars (115.00) and the old 520 they will send you a brand
spanking new 520STF (the one with the built in drive and RF modulator).
Good Deal you say??? READ THE SMALL PRINT. NOW, your 1mb upgrade no
longer fits...the disk drive drive that's built in is a S/S drive! What
does the user do with all the D/S boot disks and D/S library? Who plans
these things to occur like this? HONESTLY, of what good use is a built-in
single sided drive?? Double Sided Drives are Back-Ordered! And..the drives
supplied are the new S/S epson drive, that means the cabinet gets chopped
up if you try to place the D/S mechanism from the SF 314 in the new 520.
One other point here; Atari should realize the goodwill that could be
generated by going DOUBLE SIDED ONLY, the revenue saved by all the software
publishers alone is enough cause to do so. Most software companies are
going to go D/S only or are contemplating doing so. Why must Atari drag
it's feet? Please, get RID of the single sided drives...
- Pontiac, MI. ***** MICHTRON BBS 3.0 -->NO BACK DOORS!<-- *****
----------
The new Michtron BBS, ver. 3.0 is indeed a "new breed of cat" it is
sleek, trim, fast and best of all, secure. The MCL language used in the
new program is fast and highly efficient. BBS 3.0 is a fully functional
multi-line * multi-tasking system designed to take full advantage of the
68000. Coupled with the DC multi-port cart it becomes the "standard" by
which all future BBS programs will be written.
- St. Louis, MO. *** PAGESTREAM ver. 1.52 --> GLITCH FOUND and FIXED ***
-------------
Jack Durre, probably one of the most tireless troopers in the ST
community, spent the last 45 hrs tracking an elusive, but
decidedly
dangerous little bug. Finally, at about 7pm yesterday, (thurs. 4/6), Jack
FOUND and corrected the nasty little pfffft! Seems the master duplicator
disk had a blemish on the media, once a new master was made, the problem
was corrected. Fortunately, this bad boy was noticed by one of the first
46 recipients of the new 1.52 version and therefore the bad disks did
not get very far...SoftLogik is notifying all who received the defective
disks and replacing them at once. ...NOW, THAT'S CONSCIENTIOUS SERVICE!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
> STR FOCUS¿
=========
----- Attention Bulletin Board SysOps! -----
The most powerful BBS software ever written is available now for your
AtariST or IBM compatible. Announcing...
S t e v e N e t !
The three Steves have combined their efforts and developed the BBS program
the world has been waiting for. Here are some of SteveNet's unique
features:
o Multi-tasking: SteveNet supports multiple modems. In addition,
the system console is always available for your use. You may log
in, read messages, and perform system maintenance while other
callers are using your system.
o Networking: More than just the ability for one BBS to connect
to another, SteveNet brings advanced computer networking concepts,
hitherto available only on mainframe computers, to the micro-
computer community. Network message bases, network games,
network chat, and network Email are all possible.
o Forth: SteveNet includes a complete, no-holds-barred, multi-
user Forth program development language. You and your callers
can write games, utilities, and even programs that communicate
with one another over the network, using Forth.
o User Interface: SteveNet offers two extremely powerful user
interfaces: a command language and a menu system. You can create
your own hot-keyed menus, with each key assigned to any sequence
of shell commands. The command shell supports batch files,
command aliasing, variable substitution, and background execution.
o And much more: Real-time chat (including network chat with an
unlimited number of other SteveNet nodes), unlimited zero-
maintenance message bases, Email, Xmodem and Ymodem transfers,
FidoNet compatibility, a dumb terminal mode to allow outgoing
calls (and file transfers!) on unused lines, full file and user
security functions, and lots more.
SteveNet is currently running on both IBM compatible and Atari ST
machines.Macintosh and Amiga ports are planned.
In the hacker spirit, SteveNet is very reasonably priced. For less than
you might spend on a single game, your BBS can join the SteveNet!
SteveNet authors: Steve1 (Steve Belczyk)
Steve2 (Steve Gerakines)
Steve3 (Stephen Agneta)
For more information on SteveNet, please contact me at one of the
electronic addresses given below.
Steve1
P.S. You can reach me electronically any of these ways:
CompuServe: [75126,515] Genie: sbelczyk
UUCP: {harvard,vaxine}!bunny!seb3 CSNet: seb3@gte.COM
BBS: (508) 664-0149 (1200 baud) SteveNet: GENESIS:Steve1
(508) 664-2214 (2400 baud) 1/1:Steve1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> MACE SHOW STR Spotlight¿
=======================
Developing an Atari Show
========================
By Patricia Snyder-Rayl (MACE)
Way back in September, after just being re-elected as an officer of
MACE, I was thrilled to hear that Sig Hartmann at Atari wanted MACE to do a
show. I thought nothing could be better for MACE's image than to pull of a
terrific show. Also, it had been quite a while since the Detroit area had a
show, and some time since MACE was the host of such a show.
The Michigan Atari Computer Expo is set for May 6th and 7th at the
Detroit Metro Airport Hilton off of I-94 in Romulus. All of our booths are
full of developers, distributors and dealers. We have User Groups from
inside the state and out coming to the Expo to "strut their stuff," and many
who aren't interested in a free booth are still bringing "van-loads" of
members to see the faces behind their favorite Atari products.
Some of the Company Representatives attending:
---------------------------------------------
Word Perfect, ICD Inc. Alpha Systems
Innovative Concepts Gribnif, Scorpion/MicroDaft
SofTrek USA Media BEST Electronics
ST Informer/Index Legalis MichTron Inc. Total Control Systems
Cal Com Computers AccuStar Mars Merchandising
Hurricane Systems Joppa Computers CodeHead Software
Nice And Software DataFree Corp Electronical Software
Unicorn Publications
Local dealers include:
---------------------
Sector One Basic Bits 'N' Bytes
United Computer Computer Concepts
Rite Way.
Seminars are scheduled with many of the exhibitors to mention a few:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Darek Mihocka, creator of the ST Xformer.
DataQue's Chuck Steinman, Demonstrating the Turbo 8/16.
Bob Puff, creator of many 8bit PD utilities.
Other seminar topics include MIDI and Music Publishing, Hard Drive Kits,
ST-like desktops for the 8bit Atari, Copy Protection Pros and Cons, and
User Groups, what They are and what They can do for You.
Members of User Groups will receive discounts on products from the
many different exhibitors participating in the User Group Discount Program,
and those members of User Groups who can donate four hours of time to the
show, are eligible for the Gold Card Program which means they can get
extra discounts, plus the User Group rates, plus being admitted free to
the show!
o If you're a member of a User Group and wish to help MACE and get
a Gold Card in exchange, please contact:
Pattie Rayl at (313) 973-8825.
o If your club wishes to reserve a booth for the show, please contact
her at the same number. A User Group can obtain a booth for no
charge.
o Even if your club doesn't wish to have a booth, your club can make
money from the show. MACE is offering an advance ticket sales
program where your club can sell tickets for any price up to the $5
ticket price and pay MACE only $2.50 per ticket sold.
Discounts are also available on room rates at the Hilton and airfare
with Northwest Airlines. Rooms at the Hilton are only $55 a night, single
or double occupancy, and Northwest is taking 40 precent off their coach
fares or 5 percent off other airfares. Please call Pattie Rayl to obtain
your coupons for the Northwest discount.
See you at the Michigan Atari Computer Expo!!
"1989 - ATARI'S QUEST!"
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ABCO COMPUTER ELECTRONICS INC.
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32236-6672
904-783-3319 - Voice
904-786-4176 - BBS
HARD DISK SYSTEMS TO FIT EVERY BUDGET
-------------------------------------
All systems are complete and ready to use, included at NO EXTRA COST are
clock/calendar and cooling blowers.
SEAGATE hard disk mechanisms used exclusively.
40mb #SG44710 649.00 65mb #SG60101 949.00
80mb #SG840110 1019.00 130mb #SG3A1210 1449.00
ALL Units: Average Access Time: 30ms
LARGER units are available - (special order only)
--------------------------
*** Available for ST - Amiga - Mac - IBM ***
6 month FULL Guarantee
followed by
6 month Parts & Labor Warranty
(under normal usage)
NOTICE: As of 04-03-89, the 65mb hard disk system is being offered
at a special price for 30 days at $789.00
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> A "QUOTABLE QUOTE"¿
==================
"THOSE WHO CRY FOUL THE LOUDEST .....ARE USUALLY THE WORST OFFENDERS!"
"1989 - ATARI'S QUEST"
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ST-REPORT¿Issue #82 "Your Independent News Source" APRIL 07, 1989
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ½ copyright 1989
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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.
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