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Silicon Times Report Issue 0103
*---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original Online ST Magazine"
_______________________________
September 01, 1989 Vol III No.103
=======================================================================
ST Report Online Magazine¿
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Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida
32205 ~ 6672
R.F. Mariano
Publisher - Editor
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> Issue: #103 STReport¿ The Online Magazine of Choice!
-------------------
- The Editors' Podium - CPU REPORT
- Sam Tramiel tells ALL! - USERGROUPS NAILED?
- EXCHANGE PRG HAS HOPE - FCC a BOONDOGGLE?
- S-H ANGERS DEALERS! - T16 TO BEGIN SHIPPING
- ICD -> A Success Story! - ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL
----==*** ATARI ANNOUNCES TOS 1.4 IS SHIPPING! ***==----
---===*** TT SPECIFICATIONS DISCUSSED ***===---
=======================================================================
AVAILABLE ON: COMP-U-SERVE ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ BIX
=======================================================================
> The Editor's Podium¿
Here we are, a scant week after the Dusseldorf show and we now have a
good idea of what's coming down chute for all of us. Atari seems to be
making all the right moves. Now it remains to be seen if they do the
right thing. They must never loose grasp of the basic fact of not
forgetting the loyal, almost fanatical, userbase who remained loyal while
they (Atari) danced around with the European Marketplace and virtually
ignored the USA.
On another note, how encouraging it becomes to see STReport was quite
accurate on the issue of "Usergroups, An Endangered Species", remember
that article in STReport Issue # 78, 03/10/89 ?? We were taken heavily
to task for publishing it and almost everyone said we were wrong! Well,
lo and behold, the worm has turned. We will not dwell on this but, it
certainly is true that hindsight is pure 20/20, crystal clear. It is
sweet to enjoy knowing we, at the time, were right on the mark.
The Usergroups did get the short end of the deals. Ask a few of the
Usergroup presidents in the Dearborn area, and of course, let's not forget
the usergroups in the Dallas - Fort Worth area were ignored completely.
The tragic story is from California, Atari's own backyard! Where a
virtual institution, The Glendale Show, was clobbered by the, now also
cancelled, San Jose WOA show. The good folks who put on the Glendale Show
worked their tails off at Anaheim, only to find that they had indirectly
contributed to demise of their own show!
It's sad that our original warnings went unheeded and in fact, were
rebuked by other publications who now are in full agreement with
STReport's original warnings. Hopefully, all parties concerned have
learned by this experience. Again our position is plain and simple,
USERGROUPS MUST COME FIRST! After all, they are the backbone of support
for Atari.
Atari may be missing the boat once again, consider this; suppose the
TT and the STE were offered with a 'deal' for the users who have ST
computers (520 - MEGA ST4) that are in verifiably good working order? IE;
all the units that are received by Atari could be offered to schools and
other deserving institutions at a sustantially reduced rate. Thus,
perpetuating the ST learning cycle, ala Apple. Maybe, one day, Atari will
have a real marketing expert as part of the decision making team.
Thanks Again for your support,
Ralph.....
ATARI IS BACK!!
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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 to your own computer system 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
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everyone in the Conference area can see what you type immediately, and can
respond to you right away, in an 'electronic conversation'.
**********************************************************************
> CPU REPORT¿
==========
ctsy GEnie RT
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
===========================
I've been given leave to talk about TT "a bit" (whatever that means
;-) so I'll do my best to quell any misinformation without getting myself
in trouble with my boss (Leonard has a tendency to get, um, upset
sometimes ;-).
All the discussion in the world on Usenet is not going to mean a
whole lot until the people involved have actually _used_ TT's and have
read the hardware specs. The TT's hardware design is not going to make it
slow WRT other 68030 machines - in fact there are some features of the TT
which will make it much faster than an "ST with a 68030." Even so, as far
as compatibility is concerned, the TT _is_ an "ST with a 68030," and a lot
more enhancements. If you're interested, I might be able to provide a few
more specifics on the hardware speed issues; for now, let's just say that
some of the postings on the nets have ranged from slightly erroneous to
outright absurd.
The VME bus on the TT is not "modified" in any way; ..it is a standard
"Eurocard" format. Using the smaller cards in the first version of TT
(the one shown in Dusseldorf, called "TT030/2" for now) has a big
advantage in terms of cost reduction. We could have wangled the "full
sized" VME cards into a TT case, but it would have made it considerably
bigger, with considerably more complex hardware, and MUCH more expensive.
Atari delivers Power without the Price, remember?!
TT does not use a proprietary color monitor - any standard monitor
capable of displaying VGA graphics will be usable, with the proper
adjustments for screen aspect ratio. Currently in Sunnyvale, I have seen
five or six different kinds of monitors hooked up to TT's, including NEC
MultiSync monitors.
One other unfortunate bit of misinformation was put out at the
Dusseldorf show, and that is relative TT speed. In the original press
release we sent to Germany to be translated for the flyers handed out at
the show, we stated that the features of TT make for four times the memory
bandwidth of the ST. That means, _raw memory access_ in "dual purpose"
RAM (that shared by video and processor) is four times the speed of ST.
HOWEVER, there is also an option for "fast" nibble-mode RAM which is _not_
shared by video, and other hardware factors make actual program execution
speed as much as TEN TIMES as fast as on ST.
Your mileage may vary.
KBAD
Editor Note:
In the interests of good solid information we included the above, thank
goodness for a few couragous souls at Atari who are willing to keep the
faith alive through the flow of accurate information. After reading the
above, we are grateful our source of info concerning the TT was north and
not across the ocean. <grin>
_________________________________________________________________
> PRICE HIKE! STR FOCUS¿ An open letter to Atari Corp.'s leaders.
=====================
EXCHANGE PROGRAM BLUES
======================
by L.E.PULLEY
Recently, you have announced substantial increases in your exchange
prices. I'm sure that you had a very good reason for this decision,
although as an Atari Mega ST4 owner, I do wonder what is now going to
happen to the majority of the ST owners that do not live near a store
that provides repair service. But the purpose of this letter is not
to discuss or question your new exchange policy, but to suggest an
alternative. An alternative that I believe would strengthen your ties
to your user base and make sales easier.
A plain fact of life is that there are many of your dealers that are
not Full Service Dealers (not everyone lives in Southern California).
Even many that have the official title of "Full-Service" aren't
capable of handling most repairs (or won't handle the repairs) on the
Mega's and ST's that they sell. This leads to them sending a
customers' unit into you for an exchange instead of them doing the
repair. Or the customer, knowing that their local dealer can't (or
won't) repair their computer, sends their unit into you for exchange
themselves's. I'm sure with your new exchange prices (since they're
very close to full wholesale), that you don't mind a customer sending
their units into you for 'repair' (really an exchange) but this is
grossly unfair to much of your user base. Instead of just having a
$40 repair bill, they now have a $675 exchange bill (on a Mega ST4).
Yes, you furnish them with a new unit, but a large portion of these
people don't care if they have a new unit or not. They'd rather pay
$40 and keep their old unit than pay $675 and get a new one.
What I feel Atari needs to do is setup 6-8 "Super Service Centers"
(hereafter referred to as SSC's) around the country. You could have
at least one SCC located in each sales region (and maybe more than one
in some the larger sales regions). These would be full-service,
independent stores that would handle repairs for out of warranty
service (Atari or the regular dealers could still handle the in
warranty service). When users contacted you about service repairs,
you could tell them to either send their computers to you for an
exchange or you could send them a list of Atari Authorized Super
Service Centers.
To be considered for one of the SSC's, a dealer would have to .....
1) Sign an agreement with Atari guaranteeing that they would carry 'x'
amount of parts (Atari would have to determine the amount needed.
But it would have to be enough so that the dealer could handle 90%
of the repairs on all ST/Mega computers and peripherals without
waiting for parts from Atari).
2) Have their techs' tested by Atari so that we could be guaranteed of
competent service and repairs. (When I say 'tested by Atari', I
mean really tested by someone that really knows how to properly
repair computers, not just 'tested' by the local Atari rep.)
3) Have their tech department inspected by Atari, so Atari would know
that this dealer had the proper equipment to handle all repairs.
(Again, a real inspection and not just one by the local Atari rep.)
4) Have a flat-rate guaranteed price for certain repairs. (No more
$40 from one dealer to repair a 'widget' and $100 from another to
repair the same 'widget'.)
5) Have the dealer guarantee a certain turn-around time for x% of
their repairs. I.E. Maybe a 2-week, in-shop turn around time for
90% of their repairs.
6) Have a SSC dealer supply financial prove that they are financially
stable and will be around to warranty their repairs.
Of course, there would be some minor problems that would have to be
ironed out. One that comes to mind is some sort of 'watchdog' group
that would keep the SSC's honest. None of this "You need a widget AND
a whatchit" when all they really need is widget.
But, in reality, the pluses outweigh any potential problems:
1) Users without real, full-service dealers could get repairs done
without having to pay for an exchange, an exchange that they don't
really need or want. (If they want an exchange, they could still
send their computer to Atari.)
2) It would be faster than the normal exchange time from Atari. It's
faster to ship from Connecticut to New York than from Connecticut
to California. Depending on how the customer had his/her computer
shipped, the turn around time could be from 2-4 weeks (including
shipping time).
3) It would/could strengthen sales in areas where Atari doesn't have a
good dealer network (which we hope will change). People would no
longer have to worry about what they were going to do, and how much
it would cost, if their computer failed once the warranty period
had passed.
4) Customers would be guaranteed of reliable and constent service
for their computers.
5) Real full-service dealers that weren't SCC's wouldn't have to worry
about losing customers. The SCC's would charge prices comparable
to the normal retail prices of the regular full-service dealers.
Also, if there was a real full-service dealer available to the
customer, most people would rather go to him (assuming that he was
honest and reputable in his service repairs) because it would be
cheaper (no freight 'to and from') and faster (no waiting 1-2 weeks
for UPS to pickup and deliver).
I'm sure that there will be other things that will have to be taken
into consideration before this idea can become a reality, but it is a
very workable idea......if Atari is concerned with giving good,
inexpensive service to their users and if Atari would spend the time
and money to get it setup and working properly. I know that there are
some dealers that would love to be SCC's (and would be willing to
spend the time and money required to become one)....IF they knew that
Atari was going to support the idea.
_________________________________________________________________
> TRAMIEL CONF. STR FOCUS¿ A Comprehensive Interview..
========================
CTSY GEnie RT
GENIE CONFERENCE with SAM TRAMIEL
=================================
Conference Date: 08/30/89
<JEFF.W> Good evening. Welcome to the GEnie Atari ST Roundtable's real
time conference featuring Sam Tramiel, president of Atari Corporation.
<JEFF.W> Mr. Tramiel has just returned from Germany where Atari made some
announcements and displayed, among other things, the Atari TT, a
68030-based system. He is with us tonight to discuss these announcements
and to answer as many of your questions as time permits.
<JEFF.W> During the formal part of the RTC, only those I've selected will
be able to "talk". Let me know you have a question or comment for Mr.
Tramiel by entering the /RAI command to raise your hand. I'll let you
know when it's your turn.
<JEFF.W> In order to allow as many of you the chance to get in your
questions and comments, I'll be rather insistant that everyone limit their
turn to one question.
<JEFF.W> You may /RAIse your hand for another turn afterward, but only one
question for each time at bat. It's the only fair way to get to as many
people as possible in the time we have.
<JEFF.W> I'll also insist that you keep your comments brief and
to-the-point. If you won't make your point or ask your question in a
reasonable amount of words (or time), then I'll have to move along to the
next person.
<JEFF.W> It will help if you can buffer up your question/comment before
your turn comes up (if your terminal software allows it). I thank all of
you for your cooperation.
<JEFF.W> That takes care of the preliminaries!
<JEFF.W> I am very happy to welcome you, Sam, to the ST Roundtable this
evening! Thank you for taking the time to be here with us.
<JEFF.W> Before we start taking questions, would you care to make any
opening remarks? Perhaps you can also give us some of the highlights of
the announcements and products that were unveiled in Germany this past
weekend.
<STRAMIEL> As you all know, we just got back from Dusseldorf.
<STRAMIEL> There, we introduced the STE, TT030/2, and we showed the Lynx
game machine. There were 35,000 attendees at the three day Atari Fair.
There were 145 third party software and hardware suppliers there as well.
It was one hell of a show.
<STRAMIEL> The next challenge is to get the US market up to the same level
of support.
<STRAMIEL> We plan to ship the TT in 4th quarter, 1989.
<STRAMIEL> We are shipping STE to Europe in September. The US should see
STE's in October.
<[MAST Bob] R.JOHNSON22> The STacy recieved some good press in the music
industry, especially the Sept issue of Keyboard. Do you plan to follow
that up with advertising, especially in light of the new Yamaha midi
computer?
<STRAMIEL> We will be shipping Stacy by October, in the US also, pending
FCC bureaucracy. We will advertise in the appropriate magazines as we
have all along.
<STRAMIEL> What Yamaha MIDI computer are you talking about? The C1? It
has been around for quite a while.
<[MAST Bob] R.JOHNSON22> It is a '286 with one meg opf RAM (expandable),
is portable, and has a lot of MIDI ports.
<STRAMIEL> That sounds like the C1.
<NEVIN-S> Thank you. Mr. Tramiel, I wonder if you could tell us what you
(Atari) learned from the Federated experience. Where do you think Atari
would be today if you had spent $200-300 million not on Federated, but on
advertising, production capacity, and hardware research and development?
<STRAMIEL> Thank you for your support.
<STRAMIEL> We made a very, very costly mistake. It only really cost us
$100 million, but we can not look backwards, only learn from the mistake,
and not do it again. We are computer/consumer electronics people, not
retailers. In the future, we will stay in our field only.
<STRAMIEL> Incidentally, I'd just like to say that TOS 1.4 ROMs are now
available to your dealers. If you would like the upgrade, go to your
dealer and request it. If he doesn't have it in stock, he can get it from
Atari. Cost for the upgrade is up to the dealer; suggested retail for
parts is $100.
<JEFF.W> 2 and 6 chip sets, Sam? Will users be able to order direct from
Atari?
<STRAMIEL> Currently only 6 chip sets. 6 chip sets can be installed in
any board we have released (by your dealers). Users should get the
upgrade from their dealers.
<[John Hileman] J.HILEMAN1> Hello Mr. Tramiel. I'd like to ask about the
STE that you mentioned in your opening remarks. Could you please tell
more about this?
<STRAMIEL> The machine is a 1040 STE, it has a palette of 4096 colors, 8
bit PCM stereo sound, and hardware fine screen scrolling, and support for
light guns, paddles, and extra controllers. Also Genlock is supported
without the need for internal modification.
<JEFF.W> Sam, will STACY be an STE?
<STRAMIEL> Stacy is an ST.
<NHARRIS> Sam, thanks for being with us tonight! A new record in the ST
area here...
<NHARRIS> The buzz going around the industry is that you could sell a TON
of STACY's if you bundle it with the GCR from Gadgets by Small, because it
would be about half the price of a portable Mac from Apple. In fact, less
than the price of the cheapest Mac. So...
<NHARRIS> Will you?
<STRAMIEL> We will sell Stacy, and I hope that David Small will be
successful with his products. You are right on all accounts.
<[Double Click] M.VEDERMAN2> Thank you. Thanks for being here tonite to
field our Q's. I am representing the Houston Atari ST Enthusiasts on this
question. Our users' group started in 1985 and is the first and only
group for only ST users. At first, our meetings were very strong, mainly
because the machine was new, and people were quite enthused. Last year,
we saw our membership dwindle to about 60 people, and the meetings were
pathetically only about 8-12 people each month. Since January, I've taken
over as the club membership chairman, and have seen the membership more
than double, and the meetings rise to 40-50. My question is two-fold:
<[Double Click] M.VEDERMAN2> 1) Members seem apathetic now, not
enthusiastic. We offer give-aways at the meetings which draws them in.
Why do you feel the people have become apehtetic about the ST machine?
(This doesn't seem to be a localized phenomenon - as I have discussed this
with other user group coordinators, et. al. and they express the same.)
<[Double Click] M.VEDERMAN2> 2) If it weren't for the give-aways, I don't
believe the people would be interested in coming to the meetings, even tho
we have a defined topic for every meeting (this month is shareware/pd
ware). What do you think the people out there are buying the machines
for, so we can offer them interesting topics? (Could they be seeing it as
a game machine?)
<[Double Click] M.VEDERMAN2> NOTE: Since the STE seems to reinforcing
this idea, will we be forced to upgrade to the TT if we wish to make a
living selling real software?
<STRAMIEL> As most of you know, we had a tremendous DRAM shortage in the
years of 1987 and 1988. We made a tactical decision to support Europe and
keep our market there very strong. Very sorry to our loyal US supporters,
but it was a necessity. Now the DRAM situation has reversed. Does anyone
out there want DRAM?
<STRAMIEL> But seriously, it's now time to re-enter the US. We are
actively looking for a new US sales team, and plan to launch the
Portfolio with direct response big advertising in mid-September, and to
use this machine to attract dealers for the ST line as well.
<STRAMIEL> At the Dusseldorf fair, we saw a lot of serious software,
particularly graphics software. This runs on all ST products today. There
is no question that in the personal computer market, games are very
important. The better they are on your machine, the more you sell. The
STE definitely can be used for great games and other serious graphic
applications.
<STRAMIEL> News flash from Europe:
<STRAMIEL> Luckily no one was injured, but Atari France burned to the
ground in a huge fire that was caused by our neighbor.
<STRAMIEL> Insurance covers all costs, but poor Atari France has to
regroup, and is doing so gallantly.
<[Ron] RCARTER> Welcome Sam...
<[Ron] RCARTER> First, I would like to thank you again for allowing
company (COMPUTER AVENUE) to be at the SPRING COMDEX. I have been hearing
lots of negative response to the replacement program cost increases. Any
comments ?
<STRAMIEL> I didn't know about the exact cost increases, but I will look
into that.
<ANTIC> Thank you. I am interested in your compact disk player. Back
when it was first shown, the Grolier Encyclopedia was working on it. When
will the US public see the player and will the encyclopedia possibly be
bundled with it?
<STRAMIEL> I was personally very turned on by the CD ROM three years ago,
and still am today. The big problem we have is the lack of a consumer
software library on any system. We are working with a number of
developers around the world to try to alleviate this, but it really is a
chicken and egg problem. Developers can buy CD ROMs from us today. I
unfortunately can not predict when we will ship to the general market.
<[Steve] S.JOHNSON10> Should we call you Mr. Tramiel or Sam...or Mr.
President? The STE has a 4096 color palette, but is it still limited to
16 in low rez, 4 in med rez and 2 in high rez? Also, are the new sound
chips in the TT and STE 8 channel?
<STRAMIEL> Sam is fine, Steve. You are right about the STE color palette.
The sound in STE and TT are 8 bit stereo PCM. The number of channels
depends on the software.
<[Vinny] SALVIUS> Mr. Tramiel, my question is when Atari is going to lower
their dealer standards so that more dealers can sell STs in the US...too
many people have never heard of the ST here, and fewer dealers can carry
it. Do you have any plans to encourage the ST in the business world?
With Spectre GCR and PC DITTO II it has become a very powerful tool, if
only someone would have heard of it!
<STRAMIEL> Our standards for dealers are basically the same as the
industry's. We are not hard to deal with. We are focusing our efforts in
the small business and general computer market. We are not going after
the Fortune 500 types. I agree with you that the ST is tremendous, and,
in the US, is a well-kept secret. But for reasons I mentioned before, we
have not really launched in the US, but plan to starting in mid-September.
As our distribution increases, so will our advertising.
<[FAST TECH] J.ALLEN27> Hi SAM, great show, this shows the ST is hardly in
decline!!! I have 3 questions, will Atari: A...Release developer info on
the TT now? B...Allow general sales of the Blitter? C...Allow licensing
of the TOS roms for high speed copies?
<STRAMIEL> A. We will be releasing developer docs for TT in the near
future. B. Please call us to discuss BLiTTER chip sales. It will be
done on a case by case basis. C. See B.
<R.FLOYDD.III> Thanks. Sam, It's all well and good to encourage owners to
work through dealer channels. However, I live in a metropolitan area of
almost 1 million population and no dealer within 100 miles. How do I
upgrade my ROMs or consider buying a better system?
<STRAMIEL> The answer is that we must find dealers ASAP. In the
meantime, we will try to set up a service that we will upgrade the machine
for you. We will come back on GEnie before the end of the week with an
announcement how this will be done.
<K.BRICK> Mr Tramiel,is the STE a 16MHZ Machine with improved resolution
or the same as now and will there be any upgrade path (special deal) for
upgrading a 1040 ST to STE?
<STRAMIEL> The STE runs at the same speed as the ST. The upgrade path is
to buy an STE. We do not find it economical for us or for you to charge a
fortune for upgrade boards, like some other "A" companies I know of.
<[Robert] R.GLOVER3> According to the translated brochure by Ms. Brumleve,
the TT has only one VME slot, and pretty poor graphics (640x480 in 16
colors), compared to the Amiga (640x400 in 4096 colors), and Mac II
(640x480 in 256 or up to 800,000 colors depending on video card). Why
only one slot and no easy upgrade path for better graphics?
<STRAMIEL> The information on the nets is not altogether correct. Seems
that some mistakes were made in translation in Dusseldorf. Comparing the
640x400 Amiga mode to the 640x480 TT mode is misleading. To get 4096
colors on the Amiga, you need to use HAM mode. The equivalent can be done
in software on the TT. Plus, that one slot you mentioned can take a video
card.
<[Robert] R.GLOVER3> Anyway, why not have an internal STE upgrade for the
Mega owners, rather than buying a new machine...? It couldn't be that
expensive.
<STRAMIEL> The TT has six built in graphics modes: the three ST modes,
with 4096 colors, and three new modes: 640x480 16 colors, and 320x480 256
colors, both using the 4096 color palette, as well as a very high 1280x960
monochrome resolution. As well, in the VME slot, we will have future
video boards which will knock your socks off.
<[Bryan] BDHALL> Sam, thanks for staying on for more than 30 minutes!
First, why isn't Atari pursuing advanced dealers for the ATW line in the
US? I have been told that it is not going to be pushed at all here. This
is a mistake, as it could easily compete with other units from Sun, etc.
The TT is nice, but it is a bit slow (a 50Mhz version would be nice
though) for high end applications. A good first big contract would be
with NASA's AIMS Research Center. In place of multi-user Cray systems,
each user could have a 150 MIPS ATW.
<[Bryan] BDHALL> Second, what Chips (UARTS) are you using for the TT's
serial ports? They do support speeds greater than 19.2 Kbaud don't they?
(As you may know the New USR Dual Standard modems need buffered I/O and
38.4Kbaud ports). However, if it were faster, very low cost long-distance
networks could be put together.
<STRAMIEL> Regarding the ATW, we have shipped the first 300 machines to
Europe, and plan to bring this machine into the US some time before the
end of the year. I also think it is a great product, but we must focus on
getting the ST going in the US, and if we do too many things at one time,
we will not succeed.
<STRAMIEL> The TT has three chips for serial IO. Two 68901's, and an SCC,
which can go much faster than the 68901.
<M.MCCANN2> Can you give any more final details on Stacy, as in, does it
have a blitter?
<STRAMIEL> Stacy does not have a BLiTTER. It is an ST with a 640x400
backlit LCD display, with a built-in upside-down mouse (Trakball(tm)) in
the lower right hand corner of the keyboard. Many have said that it looks
beautiful.
<[Jason] J.BRUNKEN> Hello, Sam, I have a couple questions
<JEFF.W> One please, Jason.
<STRAMIEL> Yes, I must say, I'm sorry, but I'm still suffering from jetlag
and I'm going to have to limit this to three more questions before we all
go home.
<[Jason] J.BRUNKEN> First, I live here in a Iowa town of about 100,000.
We are working on getting a dealer, one of your reps is visiting this
week. Can you tell us what's the best way to get atari support for local
computer shows?
<STRAMIEL> Please write to us with your ideas on a local computer show,
and we'll get back to you.
<P.MCCULLOUGH> Sam, will the user be able to install TOS 1.4 himself
without having to pay for the labor costs of installation?
<STRAMIEL> Users should go to their dealers for TOS 1.4 upgrades.
People who do not have a dealer near by will learn later this week how
they can upgrade.
<STRAMIEL> Last question...
<[MAST Bob] R.JOHNSON22> I'm with the DC Fest commitee (WAACE) and would
like to thank Atari for supporting us again this year. My question is on
another tack... We heard a lot earlier this year about the Hotz box.
How's it coming, and when will it be available, if at all?
<STRAMIEL> We are working on the Hotz box as we speak. I do not want to
announce a delivery date that we can not meet, but we are supporting the
product and will announce delivery soon.
<STRAMIEL> Thank you all very much for joining us tonight.
<STRAMIEL> Let's do this again real soon!
<JEFF.W> I'll hold you to that, Sam!
<JEFF.W> Thank you, Sam and Ken for joining us tonight. And thanks to
everyone for coming. And my apologies to all whose questions we couldn't
get to.
<STRAMIEL> Good bye, all.
<[TOWNS] STRAMIEL> For those that have questions for Sam, please send them
to the STRAMIEL account and I will forward them to him. I can't guarantee
that you will get an answer, but I will make sure that he gets them.
<JEFF.W> Thanks again to everyone!
==========================================================================
(C) 1989 by Atari Corporation, GEnie, and the Atari Roundtables. May be
reprinted only with this notice intact. The Atari Roundtables on GEnie
are *official* information services of Atari Corporation.
==========================================================================
____________________________________________________________________
> A DIFFERENT VIEW STReport OnLine¿ Lloyd "takes another look..."
================================
ctsy GEnie RT
ALL THE WORLD IS A STAGE....
============================
by L.E. PULLEY
<STRAMIEL> There were 35,000 attendees at the three day Atari Fair.
....Almost more people than are left in the US that own a ST.
<STRAMIEL> The next challenge is to get the US market up to the same
level of support.
....Of course we said that last year...and the year before...
<STRAMIEL> We plan to ship the TT in 4th quarter, 1989. We are shipping
STE to Europe in September. The US should see STE's in October.
....Of course, I'm the guy that said the STacy and Portfolio would be
shipping in July...then August.
<STRAMIEL> We will be shipping Stacy by October, in the US also, pending
FCC bureaucracy. We will advertise in the appropriate magazines as we
have all along.
....of course you have to remember how long the blitter for the 520/1040
was held up by the FCC....and then we decided to drop it.
<STRAMIEL> We made a very, very costly mistake. It only really cost
us $100 million.....
....."only really cost" - $100 million here, $100 million there and
soon, you're talking about 'real' money.
<STRAMIEL> As most of you know, we had a tremendous DRAM shortage in
the years of 1987 and 1988....Now the DRAM situation has reversed.
Does anyone out there want DRAM?
.....in other words, like normal, we're a 'day late and a dollar short'
<STRAMIEL> But seriously, it's now time to re-enter the US.
.....since this is 'the Year of Atari', it's about time to think about
re-entering the ST market. After-all, it's only September.
<STRAMIEL> At the Dusseldorf fair, we saw a lot of serious software,
particularly graphics software.
.....if you want serious software for your ST, you're going to have to
move to Germany. Cause after the way we've messed up the US market,
there ain't anyone left here to write serious software.
<STRAMIEL> I was personally very turned on by the CD ROM three years
ago, and still am today....unfortunately I can not predict when we will
ship to the general market.
....we've got ton's of those turkeys in the warehouse that we'd love to
break even on. But since after three years we still haven't written the
software to support them, we're stuck with them....unless we can find a
'unsuspecting' developer to dump some onto.
<STRAMIEL> Our standards for dealers are basically the same as the
industry's.
.....if they'll carry the line, they're a dealer!
<STRAMIEL> The answer is that we must find dealers ASAP.
.....after 4 years, we just discovered our dealer network is almost
non-existant.
<STRAMIEL> The upgrade path is to buy an STE. We do not find it
economical for us or for you to charge a fortune for upgrade boards.
.....in other words, we've 'put it to you again' and stuck you with a
machine that isn't upgradeable. If you want to upgrade your 1-meg
machine to 2-meg, sell it and buy a Mega. If you want to upgrade your
2-meg Mega to a 4-meg machine, sell it and buy a Mega 4. If you want
the features of an STE, sell your Mega 4 (if you can find a buyer) and
buy a STE. We make more money when we sell you a new machine than if
we tried to give you 'support' and allow you to upgrade your old one.
<STRAMIEL> and if we do too many things at one time, we will not succeed.
.....you should know by know that Atari can't walk and chew gum at the
same time.
<STRAMIEL>.....I'm going to have to limit this to three more questions
before we all go home.
.....if I don't get out of here fast, they might ask me why Atari has a
revolving door policy for it's high-level management.
EDITOR NOTE:
The above passage speaks for itself and we commend Lloyd for having
the courage to say things, as always, just the way he sees them. We wish
to thank him for having brought these points out.
Now, there is one part that was missing that we all must pay close
attention to in the coming weeks. Sam was asked about the outrageous
price increases put in place in the exchange program and amazingly, his
answer was, simply put, he knew NOTHING about the changes! Hopefully when
he goes over this debacle, he will restore it to it's original format and
thus, give back to the loyal users the protection they desperately need.
_____________________________________________________________________
> WOA DALLAS SHOW NEWS¿ A superb and affordable networking setup..
=====================
LOW COST NETWORKING
===================
SHOWN AT THE WORLD OF ATARI
Paradise Computers and SGS software showed the first complete (low
cost) networking product for the Atari ST and Mega series of computers at
the World of Atari Show in Texas. The product, SGSnet, gave two "node" ST
computers the ability to share the 40 megabyte hard drive of the single
"file server" ST computer. People at the show were invited to try out a
variety of software over the network. SGSnet was also available for sale
at the show.
SGSnet uses a SGSnet connector box for each ST computer on the
network. These allow the network to operate even if other node STs are
turned off or removed from the network. There is also an activity light
on each SGSnet connector box to monitor the current network activity. The
connector boxes use the MIDI ports for a transfer rate of 31,500 baud.
Thats over three times faster then a 9600 baud modem attached to the
serial port. These boxes allow ST systems to be connected with up to 500
feet of coax cabling.
SGSnet is a "Network Operating System". The server computer receives
standard GEMDOS operating system commands from each computer on the
network. The server is a non-dedicated system being able to run either
TOS or GEM programs at the same time nodes are accessing the network. The
speed of the server is minimally affected by network activity. Up to 32
ST computers may be logged onto the network and up to 100 files can be
monitored by the server at one time.
SGSnet is fault tolerant. Network data is constantly checked as is
passes through the network. SGSnet will continue to work even if the MIDI
cables are unplugged and plugged back in without interruption of the data
to the nodes or the server. Furthermore, SGSnet was designed to insure
hard disk data integrity.
Other features of SGSnet include open file monitoring on the server,
setting node permissions, automatic re-login of nodes and automatic file
locking. Installation of the software is made very easy due to our new
INSTALL program that does everything except put the working disks in the
drive.
SGSnet can be used by any person or group with more then one ST
computer. This includes schools, Atari dealers, users groups, developers
small businesses, etc. SGSnet works AND its available NOW from your local
Atari Dealer or Paradise Computers.
The SGSnet starter kit including server software, node software, two
SGSnet connector boxes and six feet of coax cable has a retail price of
$159.95. This is everything you need to network two ST computers together
to share a hard drive or ramdisk. The SGSnet add on kit includes
additional node software & manual, an additional SGSnet connector box and
six more feet of coax cable. This is everything you need to add on a ST
computer to the network and has a retail price of $109.95.
Ordering information can be obtained by writing to:
Paradise Computer Systems
3485B Sacramento Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Attn: SGS Software
You may also call (805) 544-7130.
(805) 544-3165 for the Paradise BBS.
____________________________________________________________________
> H/D Backup STReport InfoFile¿ A Slick alternative...
============================
THE POWERHOUSE BACKUP
=====================
Announcing. . . . Diamond Back!
Defining a new standard as the FASTEST and most POWERFUL file hard
disk backup and restore program for the Atari ST. As a true file backup
that is FASTER than image backups and with more features than all the
rest combined, Diamond Back is in a class by itself! A brief synopsis of
some of Diamond Back's powerful features is presented below.
:SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
ANY Atari ST! No memory or hardware restrictions!
BACKUP FEATURES: The FASTEST and most POWERFUL hard disk backup available
for the Atari ST!
-Backup any number of drive partitions, directory paths, or single
directories in a single pass.
-Easy specification of directory paths using the GEM file selector dialog.
Backup specific files with wildcard search masks that can be different
for each directory path selected.
-Splits files between disks to backup files of ANY size! True file based
backup producing completely TOS compatible files.
-File compression, file encryption, incremental backup, and write
verify/no verify options available.
-Formats disks in normal/twisted, 80/81 tracks, 9/10 sectors, and
single/double sided formats.
-Pre-formatted disks do not have to be all the same type! No memory or
hardware restrictions, yet custom routines maximize the use of available
system resources including the use of two floppy drives if available.
-Creates a reference listing of all files on each backup volume for
archive and restore reference purposes.
-Load and save any number of default backup configurations to automate the
backup process.
-Online help for every program function.
All this and MORE, presented with an easy to use and understand,
completely GEM user interface!
RESTORE FEATURES: Restore any number of drive partitions, directory
paths, single directories, or specific files in a single pass. Recreate
the original directory tree structure or specify a new directory stucture
for the restored files. Destination paths can be specified on any valid
drive partition and can be different for each specific source path
selected.
Any number of specific files can be selected to be restored including
wildcard expansions. Basically, you can restore ANY backed up file, path,
or partition to ANYWHERE you want to put it on your hard drive! Use the
backup file listing to locate specific files or paths to be restored. You
can start the restore on any backup volume, so if the files you want start
on disk 11, you don't have to search through disks 1-10 to restore them!
All this and MORE in the most POWERFUL and FLEXIBLE hard disk restore
available for the Atari ST.
Distributed by:
Data Innovations, Inc.
644 Linn St.
Cincinnati, OH 45203
Retail: $39.95
Available NOW!
Note:
The current version is 1.03 and it is even faster than these benchmarks!
Diamond Back V1.00 vs. Turtle V3.0 benchmark
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Test Partition #1 = 4,131,012 Bytes, 16 Folders, 283 Files |
| Disks used: TOS pre-formatted double sided, 80 track, 9 sectors/track |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| No Verify Option Selected * Write Verify Option Selected |
| * |
| Diamond Back | Turtle * Diamond Back | Turtle |
|---------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|Disk|Minutes |Total |Total |Minutes *Minutes |Total |Total |Minutes |
| # |&Seconds|Seconds|Seconds|&Seconds*&Seconds|Seconds|Seconds|&Seconds|
|____|________|_______|_______|________|________|_______|_______|________|
| 1 | 1:04 | 64 | 98 | 1:38 | 2:09 | 129 | 162 | 2:42 |
| 2 | 1:07 | 67 | 115 | 1:55 | 2:12 | 132 | 178 | 2:58 |
| 3 | 1:11 | 71 | 125 | 2:05 | 2:17 | 137 | 187 | 3:07 |
| 4 | 1:15 | 75 | 112 | 1:52 | 2:26 | 146 | 177 | 2:57 |
| 5 | 1:06 | 66 | 118 | 1:58 | 2:10 | 130 | 181 | 3:01 |
| 6 | 1:04 | 64 | 103 | 1:43 | 2:05 | 125 | 170 | 2:50 |
|----|--------|-------|-------|--------|--------|-------|-------|--------|
|SUM | 6:47 | 407 | 671 | 11:11 | 13:19 | 799 | 1055 | 17:35 |
| ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- |
|Avg. per disk 1:08 | 1:52 |Avg. 2:13 | 2:56 |
| | |
| Diamond Back = 40% Faster | Diamond Back = 25% Faster |
|--------------------------------------+---------------------------------|
| Test Partition #2 = 13,507,389 Bytes , 61 Folders, 944 Files |
| Disks used: TOS pre-formatted double sided, 80 track, 9 sectors/track |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| No Verify Option Selected | Write Verify Option Selected |
| | |
| Diamond Back | Turtle | Diamond Back | Turtle |
|---------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|Disk|Minutes |Total |Total |Minutes *Minutes |Total |Total |Minutes |
| # |&Seconds|Seconds|Seconds|&Seconds*&Seconds|Seconds|Seconds|&Seconds|
|____|________|_______|_______|________|________|_______|_______|________|
| 1 | 1:17 | 77 | 107 | 1:47 | 2:25 | 145 | 174 | 2:54 |
| 2 | 1:12 | 72 | 123 | 2:03 | 2:16 | 136 | 184 | 3:04 |
| 3 | 1:02 | 62 | 91 | 1:31 | 2:07 | 127 | 155 | 2:35 |
| 4 | 1:11 | 71 | 119 | 1:59 | 2:20 | 140 | 184 | 3:04 |
| 5 | 1:02 | 62 | 95 | 1:35 | 2:09 | 129 | 162 | 2:42 |
| 6 | 1:17 | 77 | 117 | 1:57 | 2:22 | 142 | 175 | 2:55 |
| 7 | 1:31 | 91 | 133 | 2:13 | 2:39 | 159 | 202 | 3:22 |
| 8 | 1:09 | 69 | 103 | 1:43 | 2:13 | 133 | 164 | 2:44 |
| 9 | 1:31 | 91 | 161 | 2:41 | 2:37 | 157 | 226 | 3:46 |
| 10 | 1:01 | 61 | 98 | 1:38 | 2:11 | 131 | 160 | 2:40 |
| 11 | 1:04 | 64 | 91 | 1:31 | 2:09 | 129 | 139 | 2:19 |
| 12 | :59 | 59 | 82 | 1:22 | 2:02 | 122 | 149 | 2:29 |
| 13 | 1:06 | 66 | 90 | 1:30 | 2:11 | 131 | 150 | 2:30 |
| 14 | 1:13 | 73 | 113 | 1:53 | 2:16 | 136 | 181 | 3:01 |
| 15 | 1:07 | 67 | 112 | 1:52 | 2:13 | 133 | 176 | 2:56 |
| 16 | 1:15 | 75 | 105 | 1:45 | 2:20 | 140 | 170 | 2:50 |
| 17 | 1:23 | 83 | 122 | 2:02 | 2:26 | 146 | 177 | 2:57 |
| 18 | 1:20 | 80 | 118 | 1:58 | 2:28 | 148 | 177 | 2:57 |
| 19 | 1:08 | 68 | 119 | 1:59 | 2:23 | 143 | 182 | 3:02 |
| 20 | :40 | 40 | 113 | 1:53 | 1:09 | 69 | 177 | 2:57 |
|----|--------|-------|-------|--------|--------|-------|-------|--------|
|SUM | 23:28 | 1408 | 2222 | 37:02 | 44:56 | 2696 | 3464 | 57:44 |
| ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- |
|Avg. per disk 1:09 | 1:51 |Avg. 2:15 | 2:53 |
| |
| Free space on last disk Diamond back=395K Turtle = 27K |
| |
| Diamond Back = 37% Faster | Diamond Back = 23% Faster |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Reviews currently scheduled:
October 1989 ST World Reviewed By Victor Albino
October 1989 ST Informer Reviewed By LeRoy Valley
October 1989 ST X-Press Reviewed By Bob Higgins
October 1989 ST Log Reviewed By Peter Smith
Distributed by:
Data Innovations, Inc.
644 Linn St.
Cincinnati, OH 45203
Retail: $39.95
Available NOW!
_______________________________________________________________
> SUCCESS STORIES STR Feature¿ In the Atari Arena, "The Good Guys"
===========================
ICD INC., A NEW STAR!
====================
by R.F.Mariano
In the Atari Computer Users Community there are a number of rather
nifty stories to be told about young men and women who have done well for
both the users and themselves. We will, in the course of the next few
weeks, provide cameo spotlights on the movers and shakers in the Atari
arena. After all, it has been primarily through their efforts that we
have enjoyed bright new innovative products and software for use with the
Atari ST computers.
First things first, Last week we mentioned the new ICD Boot-up
software and we alluded to a new host adapter. Well, as fate would have
it, there was a word missing from the item as released. Therefore in the
interests of accuracy, we reprint and add the missing word.
As with all ICD hard drive format and booter upgrades, this new booter
is available free to all owners of the ICD ST Host Adapter. Soon to be
announced is the new and improved ICD Host Adapter ** SOFTWARE **.
Reportedly, this version, although modestly pointed out by Howard at
ICD as being simply an enhancement, is a radical departure from the
software we are very familiar with. From all preliminary indications this
set of hard disk utilities and formatting software, Our Humble Opinion,
will "leave the rest in the dust for some time to come". Consider this,
smart formatting software, it will sense which devices are present; ie,
Adaptek or OMTI, also, whether or not the drives are embedded and the
quantity thereof.
In the tradition of pioneering, ICD has been there and back. Fondly, I
remember the days of "Sparta-Dos", it was a remarkable time, to watch a
1050 disk drive go true double density and move at breakneck speeds
because of the US Doubler and spartados literally gave cause to everybody
to "get a set of doublers". The PR Connection came next and indeed, was
a major breakthrough for every Atari user suffering from the "850 Blues".
The PR made modeming for the Atari user an affordable reality instead of
an unreasonable luxury. More than likely, the PR opened up modeming to
many more Atarians and provided the necessary links to the information
channels (BBSs) that kept the Atari market alive. Then came the mighty
MIO, eight bit users went crazy trying to find ways to make this major
investment, it simply was unheard of to have a 1mb ramdisk on an Atari 8
bit or any 8 bit for that matter. The Atari community had little if any
inkling of what was to come...
Blazing a trail through the quagmire of muddled hard drive information
was a monumental undertaking. It appeared to all of us who were
interested in hard disks at the time that Big Blue (bleech) was very busy
trying to confuse and/or not reveal all there was to know about the drives
and the uses thereof. Of course, this was not entirely true, however, one
had to KNOW WHERE to look for the vital information. ICD willingly shared
that information with every MIO owner. Looking back it was quite an
adventure we went on, a one mb MIO connected to a 128k computer which, in
turn, was connected to a 20 30 mb hard disk. The MIO performed quite a
well for all the "hats" it wore, it was the modem interface, the printer
interface, the hard disk interface and of course a ram disk with MORE
memory than the computer! Thirty megs at that time was the cat's meow!
It was easy to hear.. "You'll NEVER fill up that monster of a hard drive!"
Famous last words. Speaking just for myself, I often recall the days when
the BBS was a Seagate ST 238N in a 'shoebox'.. and sit in sheer wonderment
at what ICD's bright young people will come with next. Hmmm that word
...next has a strange magical "ring" to it.
ICD has as the expression goes, "come a long way baby", the company
and it's product line are first class and....the folks they have there to
help the atari userbase are among the most courteous and helpful to be
found. The founders of ICD are Tom Harker and Mike Gustafson, the
technical personnel available are Howard Peters, Craig Thom and Jerry
Horanoff these folks are the "frontline", the buffer zone for every
complaint (almost or so it seems) that comes in. Barb Peden and Carol
Houston take expert care of the front office and Cliff Terry and John
Shoemaker are ready, willing and able to help as far as sales are
concerned.
ICD has constant new and innovative goodies under development for the
ST and other markets at this time. For the very near future, look for a
real muscle power, lightning fast autoboot program and a formatter that's
virtually "neophyte-proof". A formatter that's almost fully automatic in
all it's functions. ICD Inc., by it's actions, continues to be one of the
front running leaders in the third party support area for the Atari ST.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
ICD, Inc.
1220 Rock Street
Rockford, IL 61101
815-968-2228
______________________________________________________________________
> READER INPUT STR Spotlight¿ SH ..Did his dealer wrong....
==========================
WE GET LETTERS....
==================
This letter came from reader who felt he had to speak up in behalf of his
dealer... Was he right? You be the judge, let us know.
A couple of weeks ago S/H sent out a single page flyer to announce
that they had just updated Falcon for the ST. (The flyer doesn't mention
any other type of computer) The flyer mentioned the new features and had
a header; "Order the MISSION DISK, receive the FALCON UPGRADE FREE!".
They did say in the flyer that the upgrade would cost $7.50 ..if you
didn't get the Mission Disk.
Here's where I screwed up. I figured that since you can't use the
mission disk without the original program, and since they were saying that
the upgrade was free with the mission disk, therefore the upgrade must be
packaged with the mission disk. Well since I don't really care for the
company and I have a local dealer who can use all the business he can get.
I decided to purchase the mission disk from him.
Here's the part of the story I still don't understand. I purchased
the mission disk on Sat. 8/19 from my local dealer. It had no upgrade
included. So today (Mon. 8/21) I called S/H. They were very courteous and
explained that the upgrade disk was only free if I purchased the mission
disk DIRECT FROM THEM. Otherwise, it would cost me the $7.50!
Here's the confusing part; Why would a company that's always
complaining that they're not selling enough ST software, deliberatively
cut the local dealer out of the picture? Also why, if they knew that they
were planning to offer a better deal by buying direct that from a dealer,
why would they release the mission disk for retail sale?
If I was a dealer with S/H stock on the shelves. After seeing this
deal I would pack it up, demand any refunds I had coming, and never sell
S/H programs again!
Well there you have it. Maybe I'm over-reacting but there are so few
dealers stocking ST software that when a very vocal software company cuts
the dealers throat, I get angry.
Editor Note:
Let us know what you think of this, the latest in the ongoing reader
supplied "hot spots" that appear to be in need of attention.
_______________________________________________________________
> ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿ Sayin' it like it is...
======================
- Sunnyvale, CA ***** USERGROUP TO HOST BOB BRODIE *****
--------------
On Saturday, September 9th, I will be attending a meeting of the
Jersey Atari Computer Group. The members of the Jersey Atari Computer
Group have scheduled appearances from A.N.A.L.O.G. and Atari Explorer
magazines as well. Scheduled to appear from A.N.A.L.O.G. is Arthur
Leyenberger, and from the Atari Explorer either Elizabeth Staples or John
Jainschigg.
I would like to encourage all Atari users in the area to attend this
meeting. David Noyes of the Jersey Atari Computer Group has already
contacted a number of other groups, including the Jersey Atari Computer
Enthusiasts, ABE's ACES, Lehigh Valley Atari Users Group, Brooklyn Atari
Society of Information and Communication, and the Ol' Hackers. The
meeting will be held at the Bell Labs Auditorium on Mountain Ave, in
Murray Hill, New Jersey at 9:00AM. For further information or directions
to the meeting, please contact Dave Noyes, at 201-852-3165 evening, or
201-953-7977 daytime.
- San Francisco, CA. ******* HARD COPY MAGAZINE MAKING EXCUSES! *******
------------------
I just was told to not expect the STE until 1990. The TT in late
1989. The STE will also have a noticeable price difference between it and
current ST models. Reason for the delay: Too many products to release in
a short period of time. First come the Portfolio, Stacy, and Lynx.
-STeve Mortimer- ANTIC AUTHORS 76703,1077
Here we go folks, ....the first set of excuses! Don't look for this
and oh there's too many new pr
oducts to release, not enough time... GAAK!
The last thing we need is to see excuses..... Sorry guys, but the last
thing you should be doing is offering excuses for the blitzenzoomers. OR
is it in vogue these days?
- Jacksonville, FL. **** USER UPDATABLE OS CHIPS? ****
-----------------
The best of both worlds would be EEPROM. You flip a small dip switch
on the side of your ST, stick TOS 1.4 diskette into drive, click on Load
New Op System. After a short while the Op system is written to EEPROM,
and verified. You flip the dip switch back (the switch is connected to
the Write Enable pins of the EEPROM chips) and you're all set. No service
call required, you keep the disk safe - the disk could even be patched
with minor revisions. EEPROM memory chips have limited write capability,
about 100,000 writes max. I have to assume we would not have to worry
about going to TOS 1000.9 on the same set of chips. But then, nobody
ASKED me for my ideas, did they?
The above suggestions were made by J.Ness, AUTHOR OF QWIK CIS, we included
them because, to us, they make a whole bunch of good sense...
- Jacksonville, FL. ***** PC DITTO II COUPONS ARE MAILED OUT ****
-----------------
AVANT-GARDE SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES ..and it goes on to detail pc ditto II
fairly well. This is the header on the coupon, but ..the important line
on the coupon is "PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY - PURCHASE OFFER
EXTENDED TO OCT.15, 1989. If you are a registered owner of PC Ditto and
have not received your coupon, write to Avant-Garde at 381 Pablo Point
Drive, Jacksonville, Fl. 32225. The coupon permits a registered owner to
purchase the NEW Ditto II for half the regular price of $300.00.
- Andover, MA. **** FAST TECHNOLOGIES TO BEGIN SHIPPING! ****
-----------
Jim Allen, that photogenic character on the front cover of ST X-PRESS
magazine, is reportedly readily to begin shipping the T16 16mhz
accelerator boards within 2 weeks. This is super good news for the ST
community as this is the board we covered a few weeks ago and highly
recommend to the users as a reliable "it gets the job done" upgrade. He
also added, that the Atari floating point upgrade, since it uses it's own
oscillator, is not synchronized to the ST CPU so on the average, it is
actually slower than if Atari had used the ST 16mhz clock. This means if
one purchases the Atari board, or uses the moniterm board, one should
disconnect the 16mhz internal clock and use the 16mhz clock that is in
operation on the Mega ST motherboard. As an added benefit, the T16 board
increases the speed of the Floating Point Chip by a mean average of 50% in
all modes. He said.
_____________________________________________________________________
> WAACE ATARI FEST STR NewsPlus¿ Usergroups helping Atari and the users.
=============================
Washington Area Atari Computer Enthusiasts (WAACE)
Fifth Annual Atarifest
Scheduled for October 7th and 8th, 1989
The Washington Area Atari Computer Enthusiasts (WAACE) has announced
that the fifth annual Washington D.C. area Atarifest will be held at
Fairfax High School, 3500 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday
and Sunday, the 7th and 8th of October. Atarifest is a computing
exposition featuring the Atari line of personal and home computers, as
well as the complete line of entertainment systems. The show features
educational seminars covering nearly all areas of computing;
demonstrations of various applications of Atari computers, including MIDI
music, desktop publishing, and entertainment; and exhibits by software
publishers and hardware manufacturers showing the latest developments in
the Atari world. In the past, representatives from Atari Corporation have
been on hand to answer questions and provide assistance.
This year's theme is "The Atari Alternative," and the goal is to show
how Atari computers can be used in business and in the home. It will
include demonstrations of both eight-bit (400/800/XL/XE) and ST software
and hardware. Whether for creative endeavors, helping with some of the
household paperwork, or just to have fun, the organizers of Atarifest '89
intend to show how the "Atari Alternative" can meet and beat other
computer systems in its class, and why Atari Corporation's motto is "Power
Without the Price."
WAACE is a confederation of Atari user groups in the Maryland,
Virginia, and Washington, D.C. area, each dedicated to supporting the
Atari community in their respective areas. Atarifest is co-sponsored by
the Fairfax County (Virginia) Public Schools' Office of Adult and
Community Education, and the emphasis has always been on educating the
public about computers and their uses. The 1985 Washington Atarifest was
one of the first such shows, which are now held in more than 10 cities
across the nation.
Atarifest has grown in popularity, attracting thousands of attendees
each year. This year, organizers hope to attract over 5,000 people. The
show is open to all persons who have an interest in computing, and the
FREE ADMISSION and hourly door prizes (including an Atari hard disk drive)
encourage attendance by those who may not yet own an Atari computer. It
is especially designed to have something of interest for everyone, from
diehard Atarians to mainframe systems managers to computer neophytes.
Fairfax High School is located at 3500 Old Lee Highway, just off
routes 29 and 50 in Fairfax, Virginia. The school can conveniently be
reached from the Vienna Metro station (Orange line) by taking the Fairfax
Cue bus. Hours of the show are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, and
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Most user group demonstrations will be
conducted on Saturday only. For further information, call John Barnes at
(301) 652-0667.
For further information contact:
Gary Purinton (703) 264-8826
John Barnes (301) 652-0667
Vendors should contact:
Johnna Ogden (703) 450-3992.
IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT WAACE ATARIFEST '89
Having recently learned that our canvassing of the Atari World missed
a number of people who are interested in participating in WAACE's 1989
AtariFest.
Locations:
==========
WAACE ATARIFEST LOCATION - Fairfax High School, Fairfax, VA
Headquarters Hotel - Quality Inn, Fairfax City, Fairfax, VA
Rate: 49.50 regardless of number of persons in room
Phone Toll Free - 1-800-223-1223 MD-VA-DC 591-5900
Be sure to say that you are with ATARIFEST
Banquet - Hunan Lion III restaurant - Buffet Style, $20
Key Dates:
October 7 - 10 am to 5:30 pm - User group demos, seminars, Vendor
sales.
October 7 - 6 pm to 7:30 pm - Hospitality at Quality Inn October 7 - 7:30
pm, Banquet, Sig Hartmann featured speaker.
October 8 - 12 pm to 5:00 pm - Seminars, Vendor Sales, MIDI Concerts
September 25 - Hotel Reservation deadline September 20, 1989
Deadline for material for the printed program September 20 - DTP Contest
deadline (this is an extension)
Costs - all are prepaid, send check with order
Admission for the public - FREE
Vendor Tables - $150 for 3ft x 12 ft table, limited number in main area,
plenty in overflow areas.
Program Advertising - $60 for full page - Provide Camera-ready layout in 8
1/2 x 11 portrait format.
Banquet Tickets - $20 each, total available - 100 Addresses:
Vendor Tables: Program Ads: Banquet Tickets:
Johnna Ogden Steve Rudolph Russell Brown
15 Wedgedale Dr 11914 Galaxy La 13757 Mapledale Ave
Sterling, VA 22170 Bowie MD 20715 Dale City, VA 22193
703-450-3992
__________________________________________________________________
> Usergroup Support STReport InfoFile¿
===================================
August 27, 1989
Contact: Pattie Snyder-Rayl (313) 973-8825
Unicorn Publications
3487 Braeburn Circle
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Atari Interface Magazine Offers User Groups a Low Cost, Hassle Free
Newsletter Alternative
ANN ARBOR, MI
Has your Atari user group found itself spending a large chunk of its
funds to produce and mail a club newsletter? Do you have an overworked
newsletter editor who scrambles to get each newsletter produced? Does
your club find it increasingly harder to have a quality newsletter
containing original articles? Has your club tried including Z*Net
supplements only to find the increased production costs far outweigh the
benefits?
Unicorn Publications, producer of Atari Interface Magazine (AIM),
announces a plan to help Atari user groups overcome the hassles
associated with producing a club newsletter. We invite your club to join
groups from Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas in becoming a Participating Club
in Atari Interface Magazine for the unbelievably low price of only 50
cents per issue per member...for each member, that's only $6.00 per year!
For the price many clubs are currently paying for postage alone, your
members can have a high quality, national newsletter delivered each month
to their doors. Here's how it works: Participating Clubs submit club
news, minutes, reviews, editorials and other feature articles on or
before the 17th of each month. Participating clubs also supply mailing
labels for their members and a check or money order for 50 cents per
supplied label. Here at Unicorn Publications, we write monthly columns
and features, and we do all the "dirty work" -- editing, laying out and
producing the magazine and mailing each issue to the club members.
For those of you unfamiliar with AIM, Unicorn Publications began
producing the magazine back in December, 1987, under the name Michigan
Atari Magazine. With the addition of Participating Clubs outside the
state of Michigan in January, 1989, the publication evolved into Atari
Interface Magazine. The magazine supports both the Atari 8-bit and ST
computers. With over-the-counter sales in select Atari stores from Maine
to California, chances are you can find a copy of AIM at your local
dealer.
As well as submissions from participating clubs, the magazine currently
includes the following regular monthly columns:
* Atari Bulletin Board, a look at what's new each month in the
Atari world
* Turbo Info by DataQue's Chuck Steinman who discusses the Turbo-816
16-bit processor upgrade for Atari 8-bit owners
* Hard Drive Information from Toad Computers and ABCO Computers, two
of many suppliers of hard drive kits for the ST.
* An in-depth tutorial to help people get the most from the
AtariWriter+ wordprocessor
If your editor is currently struggling to produce a monthly
newsletter, or if your club has tried including Z*Net supplements only to
find that local content has to be decreased or newsletter production
costs soar out of reach, we urge you to consider participating in AIM.
Production and mailing of a monthly club newsletter is, quite often,
the largest expense for a club. As a Participating Club paying only 50
cents per issue per member, your newsletter costs should decrease
substantially. At the same time, your club joins with other Atari user
groups to gain the benefits of participating in a national user group
publication.
For more information on becoming a Participating Club in Atari Interface
Magazine and other benefits of participation,
contact:
Pattie Snyder-Rayl
(313) 973-8825
Or
Call our BBS at (313) 973-9137 (300/1200/2400 baud).
Unicorn Publications can also be reached via electronic mail on:
CompuServe (ID 71361,411)
GEnie (UNICORNPUB)
Delphi (UNICORNPUB)
We hope to hear from your club soon!
_______________________________________________________________
> STReport InfoFile¿ High Quality, Custom built, mass storage devices..
=================
NEW PRICES! & MORE MODELS!!
============================
ABCO COMPUTER ELECTRONICS INC.
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32236-6672
Est. 1985
_________________________________________
Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EDT
BBS: 904-786-4176 12-24-96 HST
FAX: 904-783-3319 12 PM - 6 AM EDT
_________________________________________
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 blower(s).
ALL ABCO HARD DISK SYSTEMS ARE FULLY EXPANDABLE
(you are NOT limited to two drives ONLY!)
(all cables and connectors installed)
SEAGATE HARD DISK MECHANISMS ONLY!
ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED
EXCLUSIVELY
* ADAPTEK 4000/4070/5500 CONTROLLERS *
* OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS *
32mb #SG32238 469.00 42mb #SG44710 519.00
51mb #SGN4951 579.00 65mb #SG60101 649.00
80mb #SGN296 779.00 85mb #SG840110 969.00
120mb #SG12044 1049.00 135mb #SG3A1210 1149.00
264mb #SGT41776 2189.00 320mb #SGN77884 3295.00
Listed above are a sampling of the systems available.
Prices also reflect different cabinet/power supply configurations
(over sixty configurations are available, flexibility is unlimited)
*** ALL Units: Average Access Time: 24ms - 34ms ***
ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> MAGIC SAC - PC-DITTO/II - SPECTRE/GCR
LARGER units are available - (special order only)
Removable Media Devices Available (44mb)
*** Available for ST - Amiga - IBM ***
LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS
- Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets -
TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets
ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED
12 month FULL Guarantee
(A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)
Quantity & Usergroup Discounts Available!
_________________________________________
DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!
Personal Checks are accepted.
ORDER YOURS TODAY!
904-783-3319 9am - 8pm EDT
____________________________________________________________________
> A "Quotable Quote"¿
=================
NITWIT SKULLDUGGERY...
"LET'S SET HIM UP, ... SO HE CAN NAIL US!!"
....DUH!!
"ATARI IS BACK!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ST-REPORT¿ Issue #103 "Your Independent News Source" September 01, 1989
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ½ copyright 1989
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
the editors, staff, ST Report¿ or CPU Report¿. Reprint permission is
hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. All reprints must include ST
Report or CPU Report and the author's name. All information presented
herein is believed correct, STReport or CPU Report, it's editors and staff
are not responsible for any use or misuse of information contained herein.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
