Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Silicon Times Report Issue 0112
*---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original Online ST Magazine"
_______________________________
November 03, 1989 Vol III No.112
=======================================================================
ST Report Online Magazine¿
__________________________
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida
32205 ~ 6672
R.F. Mariano
Publisher - Editor
_________________________________________
Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EDT
BBS: 904-786-4176 12-24-96 HST
FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EDT
_________________________________________
** F-NET 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: #112 STReport¿ The Online Magazine of Choice!
--------------------
- The Editors' Podium - CPU REPORT
- Anderson Trust Fund - STALKER A Review
- TOS 1.4 Features - PAGESTREAM 1.8 "SOLID"
--==** CALAMUS NOW BUNDLED WITH MEGA COMPUTERS! **==--
--==*** EIGHT TT COMPUTERS TO BE AT COMDEX!! ***==--
=======================================================================
AVAILABLE ON: COMP-U-SERVE ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ BIX
=======================================================================
> The Editor's Podium¿
From the amount of letters (US Mail) we received concerning the so-
called resurgence of Atari in the US and our use of the "Atari is back"
slogan, we simply must apologize. It now appears that the real push is
lurking somewhere in the 'wings' along with Salerno's "AIRCRAFT CARRIER"
("Atari is like a huge aircraft carrier, slowly turning into the wind. It
is now ready to launch its aircraft, (the new products)".) How I ever
allowed myself to be sucked in by that story is beyond me. It only goes
to show how far an individual will go when they believe in a product. The
old expression still fits this outfit. The computer products you love,
provided by a company easy to dislike.
After meeting Sig Hartmann and Bob Brodie at the WAACE Show, I
honestly felt there was light at the end of the tunnel. Now, with the
advent of Sig's 'retirement', and with Bob Brodie so heavily involved in
serving the attention starved Usergroups, there are few, if any, folks
with the experience of knowing what its really like "in the trenches".
Its easy to see that most of Atari's people have no idea what Atari is
like outside of California when one follows the online dialog.
It appears that Salerno has played the game at Atari well. Since he
wants so to be 'front and center' we'll be happy to oblige him. After
all, he is alleged to be "the man" who answers <only> to Sam Tramiel.
Have questions or suggestions? Send 'em to Antonio Salerno. You're
guaranteed to receive 'prompt and courteous' replies.
Congratulations are in order for John Townsend, he has been promoted
to Leonard's Dept., engineering... and a new title to go with the
promotion "Junior Engineer". Good luck John, keep doing what you do so
well and its a cinch you'll go far.
Hopefully, the aura of promise and the rumble of rumor surrounding
Atari and Comdex will bring more positive results for the userbase than in
the past, as most folks know, we have heard all the hype and conjecture
from the past shows. However, being a dyed in the wool optimist, we shall
wait and see with an attitude of "ok, let's see the big doings.. show us
how its really done". We have been hearing the old expression; "You ain't
seen nuthin' yet!" As for us, well... we hope it happens THIS TIME, the
entire US market NEEDS the shot in the arm.. Atari simply must get back
on the beam. They are simply spending too much time playing games with..
and feeding double talk to the US Marketplace.
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 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
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'.
**********************************************************************
> John Anderson Trust Fund STR Spotlight¿ Trust Fund for the Children
======================================
Good NEWS! The Anderson Trust Fund has been established.
=======================================================
A trust fund for the Anderson children has been established by Ziff
Communications Company; donations may be sent to:
The Anderson Trust Fund
c/o Nancy Woods
Ziff Communications Company
Human Resource Department
One Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016.
__________________________________________________________________
> CPU REPORT¿
==========
Issue # 39
----------
by Michael Arthur
Remember When....
In 1983, IBM released a version of their VMS/CMS mainframe operating
system for the IBM PC XT which could use 512K of system RAM, as well as
over 4 Megabytes of disk storage as Virtual Memory, and in 1984, when IBM
licensed Interactive Systems Corp. to port a single-user version of Unix
for DEC VAXes, called PC/IX, to the IBM PC XT?
CPU Systems Roundup XIV¿
=======================
CD-ROMs, WORM Drives, Floptical Disks, and the Future of Storage
----------------------------------------------------------------
In the time of the computer industry, advances in chip technology,
graphics, and RAM have occurred at an incredible rate. While these areas
are very important, one field which (although it is just as vital to
computers) has not achieved the level of recognition as areas such as
microprocessors is the matter of storing all the information that
computers handle.
As computers became more powerful, operating systems gained in
capabilities, and applications had more features, the need for ways to
store the data generated by all these computers grew exponentially. While
Five Megabyte hard disks were reserved for power users as late as 1985,
now 20-40 Meg hard drives are the norm, with 150-300 Meg Hard drives being
the Power User's dream. But as computers improve even more, it is a
certainty that even MORE storage will be needed. In the past few years,
four new technologies have emerged to fill the present and future need for
information storage: CD-ROMs, WORMs, Bernoulli Drives, and most recently,
Magneto-Optical disks.
CD-ROM's (or Compact Disk - Read Only Memory) read data from Compact
Disks through a pretty interesting process. First, a laser emits a beam
of light which is reflected by a mirror into an objective lens, which
focuses it onto the optical disk. Embedded into the disk are tiny pits
(or dots), and when the disk is rotated under the lens, the raised pits
reflect a greater intensity of light back to the lens than the rest of the
disk. This increase in intensity is then detected by the read head, to
denote the digital data stored on the disk. Laser technology is used to
pack an enormous number of "dots" onto the disk, resulting in that vast
amounts of data are densely compressed in Compact Disks. CD-ROMs are made
in an unconventional manner, with disks being formed by stamping them, or
cutting them out of a smooth sheet of plastic film. This, by the way, is
exactly how phonograph records are made in the music industry....
CD-ROMs might be perfect for storing large databases of general info
that doesn't require revision often (such as encyclopedias, digitized
sounds, and dictionaries), but if you need to store huge amounts of your
OWN data (such as a series of Auto Cad 3-D files with full schematics of
the space shuttle, or a complete catalog of ALL the source code produced
by a programming team from the program's inception) for archiving or
personal reference. In this case, WORM (or Write Once, Read Many) drives
may be the only option.
WORM drives read data in a fashion similar to CD-ROM drives, but
they can also write data to disk (though this writing is permanent; hence
the term, "Write Once Read Many"). This is done by using a laser to burn
holes directly onto the surface of the disk. Since these holes reflect
much less light than intact disk areas, the decrease in beam intensity
which is caused is used to denote the data stored on the disk. As with
CD-ROMs, the lasers are used to mark a great number of tiny holes in the
relatively small area of the disk, causing great information density, and
greater data storage capabilities....
Most of us identify Bernoulli drives with the 20 Megabyte Removable
Cartridges made by Iomega Corporation. This technology, though, is based
on a principle of physics that is used everyday....
Bernoulli's Principle states that an increase in the flow of a fluid
on one side of a surface produces less pressure on the other side, and
that a decrease in fluid flow on one side results in an increase in
pressure on the other side. For example, a plane's wings are made so the
speed of the airflow below the wing is greater than the speed above it,
resulting that the pressure below the wing is greater than the pressure
above it, producing a lift that helps the plane take off.
Iomega used this principle in the Bernoulli Box by having a flexible
magnetic disk rotate very closely to a circular plate which contains the
magnetic read/write heads. When the disk is spinning, the circular plate
draws in and manipulates air flow, lifting the disk up towards the plate
close enough that the head to disk spacing is VERY small (50 microns for
the Bernoulli Box). Since the magnetic head does not actually touch the
disk (doing so would create pressure that would push the disk away from
it, and nullify the Bernoulli effect), head crashes are practically
impossible. Also, since the disk is closely (but safely) aligned with the
magnetic head, more data can be stored and accessed, since the head can
accurately read/write from more tracks than otherwise possible. Also,
given the general basis of this method, Bernoulli technology can be used
with other storage methods, in order to achieve even MORE reliable ways of
storing MUCH more data than before....
Magneto-Optical Drives: The NeXT Generation, and a New Order
-------------------------------------------------------------
Although these three technologies will be important, most of them
deal with archival storage, or storing massive amounts of data for later
retrieval. Recently introduced, however, magneto-optical drives seem
certain to revolutionize the area of floppy disk storage. The most famous
of these drives is the Canon drive that comes with the NeXT Computer.
The disks for the NeXT drive use the same material as CD-ROM disks,
with a reflective "mirror" layer on top of a plastic film. NeXT disks use
a single laser to both read and write data.
To write data to the disk, first the drive applies a magnetic field
to the disk. This field is oriented to write the binary digit 0 on the
disk. Then, a laser is used to heat a sector on the mirror layer to its
Curie point, or the temperature at which the crystals in the mirror layer
change their polarity to match that of the magnetic field. This makes all
binary data in the sector consist of 0s. The drive then orients the
magnetic field to write the binary digit 1 on the drive. The laser then
heats all the sector's areas where a bit must be set to a 1, to the mirror
layer's Curie point.
To read data onto the disk, the drive first removes the magnetic
field. When it uses the laser to aim a beam of light at the mirror layer,
a phenomenon known as the Kerr effect causes the crystal alignment to
alter the polarization of the reflected beam. The amount of beam
polarization determines its intensity, and a polarizing filter in the read
head then determines whether a 0 or a 1 was read on the disk by the level
of beam intensity. As in CD-ROMs, lasers enable a large amount of data to
be written in a very small space.
Several Magneto-Optical disk drives have been introduced, most
providing 512 - 640 Megabytes of Storage per Cartridge. However, Maxtor
has introduced a drive capable of storing more than 870 Megs of data on a
single cartridge, with the potential for 1 Gigabyte (or 1024 Megs) of
storage. Given that it costs around $6000, though, it seems that there is
still room for improvement. For example, while the NeXT Computer shows
many of the potential uses for Magneto-Optical technology, at $3000 a
drive (and $100 for a single cartridge), it is too expensive for
conventional microcomputer use.
Targeted at bringing Magneto-Optical technology to the personal
computer arena, Insite Peripherals has developed the Insite I235 Drive,
which uses removable 3 1/2 Inch disks called "Flopticals", each capable of
storing up to 25 Mb of data. Designed by Jim Shugart (one of the
engineers behind the original 5 1/4 inch floppy disk) Floptical disks are
very similar to high-density floppy disks, which are capable of holding
1.44 Megs of data, and can be used by any computer with an SCSI interface.
One serious problem with current floppy disks is that they tend to
wobble, making it difficult for the magnetic read/write heads to track the
data on the disk accurately. So as to make it easier for the drive's
magnetic heads, floppy disks always have had a limited amount of tracks
per inch. Insite Peripherals solved this by embedding an optical servo
track (using lasers to precisely etch the track markers) onto the surface
of conventional high-density disks. An infrared LED is used to follow the
tracks, so magnetic heads can be aligned more precisely, preventing disks
from wobbling. Since the read/write heads are made more accurate, lasers
can etch tracks on the disk more densely, and the LED can easily follow
the tracks, this allows MANY more tracks (15,000 per inch, as compared to
regular 3 1/2 Inch disks, which only hold 135 tracks per inch) to be used
on Floptical Disks. Roughly translated, this means that MUCH more data
can be quickly stored and accessed from disk.
In fact, Insite's drives have the same seek time (65 milliseconds)
as a Seagate 225 hard drive, and the I235 is planned to match the cost of
Seagate's SCSI 20 Meg Hard Disk (at $300.00 to OEM/VARs), so it can go
head to head with current hard disk technology....
Most of us take disk storage technology for granted. While the
newest computer, powerhouse microchip, or the latest and greatest in
Display Graphics or sound causes excitement in all computer enthusiasts,
many never really take more than a passing interest in what we all use to
store the most important aspect of any computer: Data. Whether it be the
IRS 1040 Form, the Church Newsletter, or PC Ditto. Except of course, when
the ancient technology used in 95 percent of current hard drives fails,
causing an interesting phenomenon known as a hard disk crash. Since many
new mass storage technologies have the ability to both provide more
storage space, but to protect our systems from the "flaws" of current hard
disk drives, it is tragic that they have not received greater recognition.
But while information storage has received relatively little acclaim
in the computer field, it is unquestionably a vital part of all computers,
both now and in the future....
But ponder, if you will, these questions:
1) With the advent of Magneto-Optical disk Drives, will hard drives, as
we know them, become obsolete?
2) How many ST Applications that use the GEM Graphical Environment are
truly GEM-compliant, to the extent where they can utilize non-standard
video options such as Image Systems' 1024*768 Color Board for the ST,
given that many ST GEM programs even assume that only Low Resolution
will ever be able to provide 16 displayable colors or more?
CPU REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿
=======================
Los Altos, CA Paul Heckel, designer of Zoomracks (a database program
------------- for the Atari ST/IBM), has filed a suit against Apple
Computer, with the charge that HyperCard violates
Patent Number 4,486,857, which deals with how data can
be separated into hypertext-like fields, and displayed
as "racks", or stacked windows containing the fields.
Created in 1985, Zoomracks innovated this concept of
a graphical database on the Atari ST about two years
before Apple developed HyperCard. Paul Heckel has
chosen to do this after a two-year effort to negotiate
a settlement with Apple failed. Interestingly, his
lawyer is representing him on a contingency basis,
because of the weak financial condition of Quickview
Systems, his company. And given the state of Apple's
"small" Legal Corps....
Wood Dale, IL NEC is now shipping the ProSpeed CSX Laptop, the first
------------- Color Laptop now available. Using a 16 MHZ 80386 with
2 Megs of RAM and an internal hard drive as standard,
it supports VGA's 640*480 mode with the ability to
display up to 16 colors. But as it also weighs about
20 pounds, and (like Apple's Mac Portable) is too big
for use in the normal airplane, and given that Zenith,
Toshiba, and several other companies are readying to
introduce Color Laptops, the ProSpeed may not steal
the market so quickly. Cost: $8500.00....
San Francisco, CA The Pacific Stock Exchange has asked the Government
----------------- for permission to trade in futures for 256K and 1 Meg
DRAM chips, just as it now offers futures for grain,
cotton, and pork bellies. If accepted, this could
help to not only prevent "flooding the market" with
cheap DRAM chips to wipe out the competition, but to
prevent another DRAM Chip Shortage. If "chip futures"
are allowed for these DRAM chips, then other stock
exchanges are expected to trade in futures for both
SRAM (Static RAM) chips, and the growing field of new
4 Meg DRAM chips....
Armonk, NY IBM has introduced new versions of its Enterprise
---------- System/3090 mainframe line, which are both 50 percent
faster than previous machines, and come with new
software to optimize mass storage efficiency, and
processor management.
Interestingly enough, IBM's new models were introduced
about a week after Tandem Computers released their new
Cyclone, an IBM 3090 Compatible mainframe using 16
processors which, while being just as fast as the IBM
3090, is only half its price. Cost: $2-9 Million....
The Tandem Cyclone may have the same good fortunes
that Amdahl's IBM Mainframe clones did in the 1970s,
in seizing a chunk of IBM's main market. However,
given the advantages of IBM's SAA (or Systems
Applications Architecture) strategy, and given that
Amdahl proved that getting a foothold in the mainframe
market is MUCH easier than keeping it....
__________________________________________________________________
> TOS 1.4 STR Tech Notes¿ TOS 1.4.... The "Rainbow" TOS....
======================
=========================================================================
(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.
=========================================================================
ATARI RAINBOW TOS ADDENDUM
=================================
NOTICE: Rainbow TOS must be installed by an authorized Atari dealer.
The new Rainbow TOS provides many improvements to your computer's GEM
Desktop operating speed and make your computer easier to use.
To make sure you have Rainbow TOS installed in your computer, select the
Desktop Info option from the Desk menu. This dialog box appears.
---------------------------------------
| GEM, Graphic Environment Manager |
| TOS |
| ------------------------------ |
| /|\ |
| ATARI |
| |
| Copyright 1985,86,87,88,89 |
| Atari Corporation |
| Digital Research, Inc. |
| All Rights Reserved |
| |
| ---------- |
| | OK | |
| ---------- |
-------------------------------------
File Selector (formerly Item Selector)
--------------------------------------
Two important changes affect this dialog box. One is the addition of the
Drive Selector. The other is improved use of wildcard characters.
The Drive Selector displays drive identifier letters A through P. Click
on a letter to select that drive. Drive identifiers representing
uninstalled drives appear in a light typeface and cannot be selected.
Use of wildcard characters allows you to more easily control the Directory
window display. Use wildcard characters to replace portions of the last
section of a pathname on the Directory Line.
For example, if D:\SALES\*.DOC appears on the Directory Line, only files
with the .DOC extension will display in the Directory window. To display
the entire contents of the subdirectory SALES delete .DOC and replace it
with the asterisk wildcard character. Refer to your computer owner's
manual for further instructions on using wildcard characters.
To display the new directory, press [Return].
Move Files
----------
With Rainbow TOS you can move a file from one folder or drive to another
in addition to copying the file.
First, select the file(s) you wish to move. Then hold down [Control] as
you click on and drag the selected file(s) to a new location. During the
move process, a Move File(s) dialog box displays the number of files being
moved. As each file is moved, the Move File(s) dialog box displays the
file's name and complete destination (disk or logical drive letter and
folder name).
When you copy or move files, Rainbow TOS does not change the date and time
stamp of those files. File date and time information will only be updated
when the file is changed.
Skip a Single File During Group Copying
---------------------------------------
The option to skip a single file during a group copy procedure becomes
available when a file name conflict occurs. A file name conflict occurs
when a file is copied from one location to another and a copy of the file
already exists at the new location. The following three options are
presented when a name conflict occurs:
Copy Rainbow TOS overwrites the existing file and
the copy operation continues.
Skip Rainbow TOS does not overwrite the file.
Continues with the copy operation.
Quit Rainbow TOS does not overwrite the file. Ends
the copy operation.
Abort Group Copy, Move, and Delete Operations
---------------------------------------------
You can abort the copy, move, and delete operations performed by Rainbow
TOS. Press and hold down [Undo]. A dialog box displays, giving you the
choice of continuing or ending the operation.
MS-DOS Compatible Floppy Disk Formatting
----------------------------------------
Disks formatted with Rainbow TOS are fully MS-DOS compatible.
Auto-Boot Applications
----------------------
The Install Application option of the Options menu allows you to assign an
auto-boot feature to any GEM based application programs. An installed
application automatically opens when you boot the system. You can select
applications with .PRG, .APP, or .TOS extensions.
Follow these instructions to start an application from a data file
or autoboot an application.
1. Select a program file (.TOS, .APP, .PRG) from a directory
window.
Select Install Application from the Options menu. The
Install Application dialog box appears, listing the
application program file you selected from the desktop.
2. To install the application to run from a data file, type
the correct data file extension in the Document Type field.
This is the common extension of the files that use that
application. (Consult the manual supplied with the
application for the most common file extension.) If you
install an application to autoboot, you may leave the
Document Type field blank.
Note: Some applications can open from a desktop data file
only if the data file resides in the same folder as the
application program files. Check the documentation
supplied with the application for more information.
3. Select boot status: Auto to autoboot an application, or
Normal to start an application from the desktop.
4. Select an application type. Your choices are GEM, TOS, and
TOS-takes-parameters.
Most programs that run from the desktop have the extension
.PRG or .APP. Both of these extensions indicate a GEM
application. However, some applications have the extension
.TOS or .TTP. The extension .TOS indicates a TOS
application. The extension .TTP indicates a TOS-takes-
parameters application.
Note: To use a .TTP application, first select the
application, then enter the required parameters when the
dialog box appears.
5. Select OK to finish.
6. To save the application's installation, select Save Desktop
from the Options menu.
Disk Copy/Format Dialog Box
---------------------------
Rainbow TOS uses a combined dialog box for copy and format operations.
This box displays when you select either the Format option from the File
menu, or drag a disk drive icon on top of another disk drive icon.
Select Copy or Format from the Copy and Format dialog box. Select from
the available options and click on OK. The bar graphs in the lower half
of the screen graphically detail the copying or formatting that occurs.
Changing a Folder's Name
------------------------
With Rainbow TOS you can change the name of a folder. Click on a folder
and select the Show Info option from the File menu. The Folder
Information dialog box displays. You can now type in a new name for that
folder.
Keyboard Reset
--------------
You can now reset your computer from the keyboard. Hold down [Control]
and [Alternate], then press [Delete]. This key combination is exactly the
same as pressing the Reset button.
Pressing [Control] [Alternate] [Right Shift] [Delete] causes a VERY cold
boot. It clears all of RAM (except about 64 bytes at the bottom) and then
jumps to the ROMs. This cold boot clears all reset-proof RAMdisks and
other data and variables that are cleared by a cold boot but not a warm
boot.
--------------------------------------------
Atari, the Atari logo, Rainbow TOS and TOS are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Atari Corporation. GEM and GEM Desktop are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Digital Research, Inc. MS-DOS is a registered
trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Copyright 1989, Atari Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA.
_________________________________________________________________
> A REVELATION! STR FOCUS¿ .... A Freudian slip?
=======================
23-Oct-89
: John Townsend (ATARI)
: All
We don't design our computers to be hard to upgrade. We design them
so that they provide "Power without the Price." To do this, there has to
be some type of compromise.
-- John
Must've been a weak moment, or perhaps the frustration of trying to
continually please the boss and still endeavor to give the userbase
straight answers. In any case, this statement (above), has to be one of
the best examples of saying one thing and actually meaning another. (pure
doubletalk) No doubt, an uncomfortable situation such as this can, at
best, push an individual to extreme limits. In any event, the above
message sure reads like a Freudian Slip. The message is loud and clear
though, "TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT".... They don't design the computers to be
hard to upgrade, they just don't design upgrade capabilities into them at
all. After all, Lenny baby wants the company to make and sell "throw-
away" computers. Not a bad concept, "a never-ending, fully exploitable,
market"!
Big Blue has trained the US market to accept and readily pursue an
upgrade path, the sooner Atari realizes this the better off they.. and the
userbase will be.
Since we have been hearing that this Comdex show is to be one of
renewed vigor on the part of Atari, we only hope that they will adjust to
the 1990's marketing principles as fast as possible. To try to market the
ST computer line the way they did the C-64 when at Commodore will prove to
be a disaster. The purchasing public is far more aware of the pitfalls of
investing in dead end designs. We can thank IBM for having spent the time
and money in educating the US market. We may very well find that 'others'
learned the upgrade principle too. Comdex will tell all.
_________________________________________________________
> Hey Buddy! STR Feature¿ Maybe you were there? ...maybe
----------------------
"HEY BUDDY, WANNA BUY A COMPUTER?"
================================
by Doyle C. Helms Jr.
Ying:
Hey buddy, wanna buy a computer?
Yang:
Sure, I've been looking for one but I haven't made up my mind
or my wallet yet, what have you got in mind?
Ying:
Well Yang, I've got a Mega 2 ST with a 30 meg HD,modem,
printer, software and etc. This sucka has a color monitor out of
this world and a monochrome monitor that is almost easier to read
than hardcopy prints. The hard drive and floppy drives are
compatible in speed and storage to any other system for the PC
type user. The software is really great and easy to use (literal
license used).
Yang:
Ying, that system sounds great, what did you say it was called?
A Mega 2? You mean an Amiga 2000?
Ying:
No you silly fool, a MEGA 2! You know, the flagship (along with
the Mega 4) of the Atari ST computer line.
Yang:
Oh, Atari 520 ST?
Ying:
NO. Now try real hard to assimilate more than one word at a
time. A Mega 2 ST, A 68000 8mhz, blitterized color and
monochrome graphic icon based user interface computer.
Yang:
Ying, sounds like a "Mac" to me.
Ying:
Well, I guess you could say that is very similar to the Mac
in a lot of ways. In my opinion it is far superior to the Mac
in most respects.
Yang:
Well my friend, how much are you asking for it?
Ying:
$xxxx.99 for all of it. I'll even through in my cat too.
Yang:
Sounds like a great price, definitely cheaper than any Mac I've
ever seen. The price sounds almost too good. Is it "cheaply"
made?
Ying:
HE__ NO! Superior hardware quality.
Yang:
That's amazing for the price. Let me ask you this, since my last
computer was an Altair, great system for it's time, and the
company that produced it soon changed to something else and I was
left without ANY support except for the little user groups in my
area. How is the support and future of Atari looking? Should be
pretty good since they've got such a fine system huh?
Ying:
Well, Atari has been through some revolving doors with (most?)
exec's and brains lately (close to 4 years really), but you just
can't beat the computer value for the money though.
Yang:
Hmmm... How about software? You said it has some really great
software for it right?
Ying:
Uh, yeah. There's all sorts of graphic paint/art and desktop
publishing and tremendous amount of music/midi programs out
there. Not to mention the games, but this machine WAS NOT
designed as a game platform (just ask some of the people that
develop games for it).
Yang:
That sounds encouraging, what is up the road as far as some
business/productivity software is concerned? After all, I NEED a
computer system that I can use in my video rental business.
Ying:
I'm sure there's something out there that we(you) can find to fit
the bill. If not, I(you) could always write a program, design a
spreadsheet or set-up a database to get what you need.
Yang:
I don't know about you, but I don't think I could do any of that
effectively. I need something already "cooked" and ready to
serve.
Ying:
Well with a few "800" phone calls we (you) could probably find
something.
Yang:
Doesn't sound like a lot of that kind of software out there now.
Do you think someone will have some out soon?
Ying:
Uh, well, er, uh, A lot of the software people are kinda holding
there breath (some have already passed out so to say) to see what
happens with the overall userbase (expansion wise, MAJOR
expansion). A lot of the companies are not releasing any
upgrades or planning any special projects quite yet. BUT, Atari
has PROMISED to do a lot of advertising and begin other market
strategies to sweep the home/pc computer niche' "real soon now".
Yang:
Hmmm. So, Atari is not real good on customer service and the
software side is at a standstill. I'm not to sure about this
deal.
Ying:
But Yang, this computer is the best buy for your money. You
know,"Power without the price"!! The market will improve,
Atari promised to do all they can to help us U.S. users and
developers out (out of business/out of our money?).
Yang:
U.S. users? Do they sell these in Japan also?
Ying:
I don't know about Japan (does anyone?), but Europe is flooded
and enthusiastic about the ST line. It even beats out the "Mac"
and Amiga by a long shot in sales and use in Europe. Software is
abundant (along with computer sales). Atari sends ALL (seems
like) their hardware "over there" for "testing" before the U.S.
gets any. This way, Atari is sure only the best of the best
makes it back over here for us elite U.S. users.
Yang:
So, if I really need some software with a good future, I should
purchase what I can from European countries (and learn several
languages) and I will be all set for the future. Right?
Ying:
Hey, I never thought of that. Yea sure, that's the ticket...
Yang:
Look Ying, I think I'll wait and see what the want-ads have and
maybe shop around a little. I'll get back with you real soon...
Ying:
Wait Yang, This is got to be the best hardware value for your
money anywhere. Why pay more for something less powerful.
Yang:
Nah, Let me think about it, OK?
Ying:
You'll be sorry if you don't by this Mega 2 system from me.
Yang:
Ying, you never said why you were selling the Mega. Why?
Ying:
Well, er, uh, ya see I work around PC compat's all day and I need
to be able to do the same at home. I can't afford 2 computers
right now. But when I get a big raise in a few years I'll buy
another ST then. You know what I mean Vern?
Yang:
Yeah,I know! How much you say you want for the cat?
This article is fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents
are either the product of the authors imagination or are used
fictitiously, any resemblance to actual persons, living, dead or
otherwise, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
"HEY BUDDY, WANNA BUY A COMPUTER?"
Article is Copyright(c) 1989
[Original STuff]
Permission granted for reprint by STReport only.
Ed. Note...
The above article is fondly dedicated to:
Tony Salami and Johnny Blockhead.
__________________________________________________________________
> STALKER! STR Review A GREAT, Full Featured Terminal Program
===================
GEM, the State of ST Terminal programs, and STalker 2.03
--------------------------------------------------------
Strata Software has recently introduced Version 2.03 of STalker, a
new Terminal program for the Atari ST which is radically different from
Flash, Interlink, or any of the other ST Terminal programs. In order to
fully appreciate its capabilities, let us take a closer look at STalker.
STalker is a GEM-based terminal Emulator which runs as a Desk
Accessory, meaning that it can be accessed while using any ST GEM
application. It only takes up 80K of RAM (compared with 140K with Flash,
and around 170k with Interlink), so it should run well on a 520 ST, and if
you have Codehead Software's MultiDesk (a utility that allows Desk
Accessories to be loaded and cleared from memory at will), then STalker
can be installed/de-installed at one's convenience, without having to
reboot to use it.
STalker 2.0 also comes with STeno, a text editor contained in a
single GEM window with word-wrap, cut/copy/paste of blocks of text, and
many other useful features. STeno is the FIRST ST Desk Accessory to use a
GEM Menu Bar inside its window, and can be directly accessed by STalker,
by pressing the Alt-Tab key sequence. It can also be run as either a Desk
Accessory or a GEM program, so all ST Users can use it at any time....
Here is a list of STalker 2.0/STeno 1.0's features:
- ANSI, VT100 and VT52 terminal emulation within a GEM window, as
well as support of the full ISO Latin Alphabet #1, for
sending/receiving accented characters.
A)
STalker 2.0 uses this GEM window to implement a Virtual Screen
Terminal, with a size of up to 2000 lines. This is a buffer that
saves text received by (or sent from) the terminal. Meaning that,
given its being inside a GEM Window, one can scroll back and forth
through the text to see previous terminal activity, by using the
Window's Scroll Bars and Scroll Arrows. For example, you could call a
BBS, read its main menu, scan a few messages, and then, INSTEAD of
having to access the BBS's Main Menu again, you would simply use the
Scroll Bar to scroll the text in the buffer until you found the
original version of the BBS Menu that you read when you first logged
onto the BBS. This is a sophisticated concept but it is DEFINITELY a
lifesaver. Once you use STalker's GEM Terminal, with its Virtual
Screen, using anything else will be totally unacceptable....
B)
You can use the mouse to save a certain segment of text in the buffer,
by simply lassoing it as you would two or more files on the GEM
Desktop. You can save the text block to disk, print it, or copy it to
the ST's standard GEM Clipboard (currently a disk file called
SCRAP.TXT), just as the STeno text editor supports the ST's standard
GEM Clipboard.
C)
Using a GEM Window as a Terminal enables STalker to be FULLY GEM
compliant. This means that since the other ST Terminal programs use
TOS, instead of GEM, for their terminals, STalker 2.0 is the ONLY ST
Terminal program now available that will work with "big-screen", or
non-standard ST Video Modes, such as the OverScan modification, or
Moniterm's 1280*960 Monochrome Monitor....
- Background File Transfers, supporting the ASCII, XModem (both
CRC and XModem 1K), and the YModem Batch protocols. ZModem file
transfer support is planned for a future update of STalker.
- STalker also supports Antic's Shadow background file transfer
utility, and can monitor its activity.
- Background Auto-Dialer that stores up to 20 phone numbers, with
separate Terminal and Auto-Logon settings for each number. It
also supports dialing more than one number, in an alphabetical
sequence until it gets an answer, or the list has been tried a
set amount of times.
- Pop-Up Menu showing all of STalker's commands, which is activated
by either a right mouse click, or pressing the HELP key. Alt-key
sequences are available for accessing any of STalker's commands.
- Can be used to either communicate through the RS-232 port (for
modem transmissions), the MIDI port (for file transfers between
two ST's), or Double Click's DC Port (an ST expansion Cartridge
providing from 3 - 5 RS-232 ports, all of which can be used at
the same time), for providing multiple sessions (calling two or
more BBS's at the same time), each in their own GEM Windows....
FOR MORE INFORMATION
or
TO ORDER YOUR COPY:
Strata Software
94 Rowe Drive
Kanata Ontario, Canada K2L 3Y9
1-613-591-1922
____________________________________________________________________
> STReport OnLine¿ Dave Beckmeyer reflects on Atari's Role
===============
Conf : Atari 16/32 Bit
Msg# : 3671 Lines: Extended Read: 2
Sent : Oct 31, 1989 at 9:47 AM
To : EVERYONE
From : DAVE LOCKWOOD at THE CONTROL ROOM ST! 14.4K HST
Subj : Dave Beckemeyer's thoughts on Atari (cross post)
This is a Usenet cross post from the comp.sys.atari.st group.
I thought you might like to hear what Dave Beckemeyer has to say about
Atari.
Dave
---- 8< ----
From: david@bdt.UUCP (David Beckemeyer)
Organization: Beckmeyer Development Tools, Oakland, CA
Posted: Mon Oct 23 16:01:41 1989
[ It's probably stupid to get in the middle of this but, oh well, here I
go again. :-) ]
One thing I haven't seen brought up in this debate yet is the idea of
"shrink-wrapped configuration". What I mean by that is the way somebody
can buy a 386 box and the necessary boards and software to set it up in a
certain configuration using "over the counter" stuff that is easy to get
from a wide assortment of vendors and is generally well supported.
I go into a lot of companies to do consulting where there are a bunch
of different types of computers, mostly running Unix. The thing about
PC-type 386 boxes is that you can get almost ANYTHING for the damned
things. Buy a box, somebody's Unix, an ethernet card, a SCSI card, a
graphics card, a scanner card, etc. etc. and you've got a usable
workstation - all with "plug-and-go" stuff, in a usable package. You've
got your PC on your net with your Suns etc. and you have a wide choice of
vendors - and it actually works.
From the Atari die-hards in the peanut gallery, you'll hear "yeah, but
you can do that with the Atari too!". No way. I don't ever see Atari
getting the kind of 3rd party software/hardware support we have here in
the USA (maybe none of this applies to Europe, I don't know) for the
PC-type 386 boxes. As much as I *hate* the Intel junk and PC's in
general, I have to admit that there's no beating them in this area.
A TT with some limited connectivity and 3rd party support will sell to
a limited audience. There's a lot of catching up to do and I just don't
see Atari spending the resources to do it here in the USA.
Every year Sig says "I'm sorry for the poor support in the USA last
year... This year we are really going after the US market." Hasn't
anyone tired of this yet? Does anybody still believe Atari gives a damn
about the US market? Why should they? The US market couldn't give a
damn about them.
David Beckemeyer (david@bdt.UUCP)
Editor Note:
Another long time Atari developer shows his disgust. And now that Sig is
no longer forced to tell such lurid tales, who is going to be the "Wizard
of Words now? The best thing to come out of this is that Sig will never
have to face the angry, hateful questions posed to him so often. David
left out one other "canned expression", "Sam apologizes for not being
here, he really wanted to be here, instead he sent me..."
_________________________________________________________
> DTP & PRACTICALITY STReport InfoFile¿ Taking a hard look.....
=====================================
Ctsy GEnie RT
GOOD ADVICE ON DTP PROGRAM SELECTION
====================================
For folks who are still on the fence as to which way to go on DTP
programs, allow me to add a couple of things...
1)
When you make program comparisons, especially where feature sets are
concerned, make sure you've got as good a handle as possible on what
your long-term needs will be. The best place to start, in my book, is
to look at what you'll be doing with DTP 12 months from now, and then
multiply all the goodies you'll need by a factor of 10.
As with many things, you'll find that in DTP, the more you learn how
to do, the more you'll want to do. A lot of folks here have gone from;
"9-pin... Neat!" to "24-pin... Wow!" to "Desk-Jet... Great!" to
"Laser... Holy $#@%!" in a very short period of time. Don't saddle
yourself with a "crippled" program. (Oops! I left out;
"Lino...(Expletive deleted)" ;-])
2)
Even though the ST is not an industry "standard" machine, make sure
you look for programs that support as many industry standards as
possible. Look for PostScript Printer/Lino support for your future
needs. You may not need it now, but the day that you do need it,
you'll be awful glad you've got it! (I found that out the hard way!)
In the area of clip-art, look for the ability to import Encapsulated
PostScript graphics. With the advent of UltraScript, you can now take
advantage of some phenomenal commercial clip-art that blows the doors off
of anything you'll ever see in a .GEM file. Again, you may not see a need
for it now, but...
If this sounds like a commercial for PageStream, (which it isn't),
what you're tying into is how important it is to have a DTP platform which
will do what you want, when you want. Nothing is more important than
that.
Sorry about the long-winded stuff, but having tossed some very good
money down the dumper in the past, if I can help a few folks avoid some of
the mistakes I've made, it's well worth the "typer's cramp"!
Jim Morales
______________________________________________________________
> Viking Moniterm STReport InfoFile¿ The BIG Screen...has arrived!
=================================
TWO PAGES AT ONCE
=================
by R.F. Mariano
After a while, the "new" wears off and you begin to realize you have
just dropped a _few_ bucks on a monitor that will make your life pursuing
Desktop Publishing endeavors infinitely easier. After having had the
opportunity to see Nathan's Moniterm Big Screen Monitor in action while he
demo'ed OUTLINE, I decided then and there that I simply could not do
without one.
As with all new electronic hardware investments, we soon begin to
wonder if the money was well spent. Considering the amount of DTP work I
find myself involved in, the answer is an overwhelming yes. The
installation of the monitor and its control board is not simple, but then
being a hardware type, it was easy for me as was the installation of Fast
Tech's T16, the 6 chip chipset of Tos 1.4 and.... the math - co processor.
Now with the Mega 4 loaded for bear, let's see what this "el neato"
monitor can do.
First off, when you install the moniterm's driver in the auto folder
make sure GDOS or Gplus (very superior to GDOZE) boots before the driver,
I know, BOTH programs are from Atari and yet, they clash. Such is life...
Next, don't expect your favorite programs to run on the Moniterm and you
will not be disappointed because they, in most cases, don't. I found only
one term program that works on the moniterm, Stalker ran just fine.
Flash, Interlink, Uniterm and Vanterm bite the dust fast. Word Perfect,
the very latest upgrade version, is broken on the moniterm but I am told
their programmer now has a moniterm and is working on a fix. Both
software bitters choked on the moniterm. Actually, if I attempt to list
all the programs I found that didn't work on the moniterm, I'd be here for
quite some time. Seems many of the programmers didn't follow the
"mysterious rules" we hear about. Charles, even arcshell 2.0 misbehaves
on the moniterm.
On Bootup, Calamus, as usual, looks terrific and behaves perfectly as
does Pagestream. We have been assured by Nathan that DynaCadd will also
behave perfectly with both the Moniterm and the math co-processor. In the
next few weeks (after Comdex) we will have full featured reviews of the
new versions of Calamus, Outline and Dynacadd.
After installing and booting DeskSet II, it came up quite nicely
taking advantage of the entire screen. We will withhold most of our
comments about this "gem" until we have had more time to spend with it.
The only strong drawbacks we saw immediately was its slow speed and narrow
field of output, it only works with the SLM804.
The screen fonts are good looking, as is the output of DeskSet II to
the SLM 804. But in all honesty, it simply doesn't approach the quality
and speed of Calamus. Calamus also surpasses it by a country mile in the
user interface department, my impression was that Calamus seems to be
light years ahead in friendliness as it readily flows from start to finish
on any project. Whereas, DeskSet II continually asks for repetitious
moves from the user. Again, to be fair, I need to spend more time with
DeskSet II, the terminology used in the program is quite different from
other related programs and therefore, it is becoming an entirely NEW
learning experience which demands that one spend some real TIME with this
program.
PageStream 1.8, is quite solid, this coupled with its flexibility is,
without a shadow of a doubt, a far cry from the old days of Pub. Partner
or of the original demo of PPP. This version is almost as solid as the
Rock of Gibraltar. Compared to DeskSet II and Calamus, IMHO, Calamus
comes in first, then Pagestream a very close second.... DeskSet II gets an
honorable mention. Having spent the better part of this past week's
evenings experimenting with the new moniterm and the programs mentioned, I
am at the point of saying the moniterm is a super addition to any DTP
system and worth every schekel. Now, if Atari will make sure the
developers know MORE about the TT than they did about the ST line, we will
(hopefully) not experience the quirks we see in the moniterm and dozens of
our favorite programs.
___________________________________________________________________
> ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿ Sayin' it like it is...
======================
- Redwood City, CA **** EPYX IS ON THE REBOUND! ****
----------------
How refreshing to have a piece of good news surrounding this "never
ending story". Epyx now has almost 25 folks back at work and is striving
to bring back more. They hope to develop software for the new game
machine, among other projects, they said. Throughout the rank and file,
sentiments toward Atari run quite high and are usually interlaced with
expletives of a very unkind nature. Within the next few months we will
all read about the entire story. Additionally, it is rumored that certain
of EPYX's high level ex-employees are now working at Atari. hmmm...
- Chicago, IL. ***** ATARI DEALERS BURNT AGAIN? *****
------------
To further the separation between the few US dealers left and Atari,
an irate Atari dealer reported today that while ATARI DIRECT SALES is
offering a 6-MONTH GUARANTEE for Portfolio, if ordered from the
manufacturer (factory direct). They (ATARI) are not, however, permitting
dealers to offer the same guarantee. This comes directly on the heels of
many Portfolio ads placed nationally in areas where there are Portfolio
stocking dealers, requesting the prospective customer call the "factory"
and place an order. Thus by-passing the dealer entirely. Sigh... where
will it all end?
- Erie, PA. ******* IS THE PORTFOLIO A BARGAIN? ******
---------
If you wish to use the Portfolio to transfer programs via the serial
port the end user, must purchase, in addition to the Portfolio, the
following items to achieve effective transfers.
Portfolio $399.95 Parallel kit $49.95 Serial kit $79.95
128 Ram card $199.95 AC Adapter $ 9.95
Although the prices are reasonable, when added together they clearly
reflect a respectable investment in the Portfolio. If more than one ram
card is desired, the cost escalates rather dramatically. Quickly towards
the purchase price of a low end laptop.
- New York City, NY ***** CLAYTON WALNUM SETS RECORD STRAIGHT! *****
-----------------
To blame LFP for ANALOG's end is absolutely ridiculous. They gave the
magazine more than a fair shot. If you want to blame somebody, blame the
U.S. Atari market. It's also ridiculous to think that LFP bought ANALOG
as a tax deduction, especially considering it made a profit the first year
they owned it.
"Flynt is not in the business to promote good computers or reputable
things, but to make money." No kidding. I can't think of too many
businesses whose first priority is not a profit. Ever try to buy a week's
groceries with an Atari? Nope. That rotten, money-hungry grocer wants
only cold cash. It's tough to stay a business when you're not making
money.
And, how did Flynt "poison" ANALOG? He had absolutely nothing to do
with the editing or production of the magazine. If you didn't like ANALOG
or ST-Log, blame me. I was the editor, and the buck stopped on my desk.
I never even met Flynt. Deal with the devil? What clever thinking.
---Clay
Editor Note:
Being an editor myself, I find it easy and rewarding to agree with
Clayton on this matter, it seems that there are STILL those who wish to
blame everything and anyone except the real culprits for what can only be
called the "Bad Dream". Atari's mangling of their US Market has left many
fine support business' dead or dying in its path. That is the single
biggest cause of the, one time very strong, Analog/ST-Log's passing into
the history books. I certainly will miss these two fine magazines.
- Toronto, Canada ****** CALAMUS SPOTLIGHTED BY ATARI CANADA! ******
---------------
Atari Canada's Ian Kennedy knows a good thing when he sees it. In
bundling Calamus along with a Mega2, SM124 and an SLM804 Laser Printer!
There is strong indications that this sale offering for roughly 3800.00 US
is highly successful. The ads are appearing all over Canada, the market
penetration is increasing quite strong. Atari US ..take note!
- Las Vegas, NV. **** TT HEAVEN WILL BE AT COMDEX! ****
-------------
According to informed sources, Atari Corp. will be displaying and
using up to eight TT computer systems and Viking Moniterm Monitors at
Comdex/Fall 1989. By all indications Atari is making "all the right
moves" in staging a strong bid for the home computer market. Also it is
reported that the TT will drive the Moniterm without the need of the
interface board. Maybe 1990 will be the year...???
___________________________________________________________________
> Hard Drive Info STReport InfoFile¿ Affordable Mass Storage
=================================
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
* OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS *
32mb #SG32238 549.00 42mb #SG44710 619.00
51mb #SGN4951 639.00 65mb #SG60101 689.00
80mb #SGN296 729.00 100mb #SG84011D 969.00
130mb #SG1244D 1099.00 145mb #SG3A4210 989.00
170mb #SGT41776 1389.00 260mb #SG1244Q 2169.00
320mb #SGN7788Q 3295.00
** AVOID THE HOLIDAY RUSH! ORDER EARLY!! **
Listed above are a sampling of the systems available.
Prices also reflect various cabinet/power supply configurations
(over sixty configurations are available, flexibility is unlimited)
--> CALL for Special Holiday Discounts <--
*** 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) Syquest 555 *
* SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICES *
*** 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 and Company Checks are accepted.
ORDER YOURS TODAY!
904-783-3319 9am - 8pm EDT
_______________________________________________________________
> A "Quotable Quote"¿
=================
"The only perfect people ever born are.....
......PERFECT IDIOTS".
--- Jimmy Hatlow
"ATARI IS BACK?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ST-REPORT¿ Issue #112 "Your Independent News Source" November 03, 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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
