Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Silicon Times Report Issue 0117
*---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original Online ST Magazine"
_______________________________
December 08, 1989 Vol III No.117
=======================================================================
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/14.4
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: #117 STReport¿ The Online Magazine of Choice!
--------------------
- The Editors' Podium - CPU REPORT
- NEW! - ARC521c - STACY PASSES FCC!!
- INSIDE THE STE - Kidpublisher Pro. Part II
- PROBING THE FUTURE - ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL
---====**** PC DITTO II BEGINS TO SHIP! ****====---
--==** USR TO UPGRADE HST MODEMS TO V.42 FREE! **==--
==========================================================================
STReport's support BBS NODE # 350 invites systems using Forem ST BBS to
participate in Forem BBS's F-Net mail network. Or, Please call # 350
direct at 904-786-4176, and enjoy the excitement of exchanging ideas about
the Atari ST computers through an excellent International ST mail network.
==========================================================================
AVAILABLE ON: COMP-U-SERVE ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ BIX
==========================================================================
> The Editor's Podium¿
Only two weeks 'till Christmas. This is the time of the year to renew
old friendships and begin valued new ones. Hopefully, with the heartening
signs coming from Europe, the world will see an era of true peace.
In the past two years, we have met many folks in the Atari ST
community, all of whom were sincerely interested in the future of the ST
computer. Elsewhere in this issue the subject of the future is covered as
seen by yours truly. I would enjoy seeing your opinions on this subject.
With the Stacy about to begin shipping, (within 30 days), and the STE
not far behind, Atari is embarking on the new direction we all have been
hearing about. Also, let's not forget about the success of the Portfolio.
This palmtop computer has taken the MS-Dos world by storm. I can think of
no better way for the Atari name to gain prominence in the computing
community than to have the disciples of messy dos using a Portfolio.
As most have already heard, PC DITTO II is beginning to ship, just in
time for Christmas. Its reassuring to see things coming together in favor
of the ST ....at last.
Thanks for your support,
Ralph.....
"ATARI IS BACK!"
**********************************************************************
: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'.
**********************************************************************
> CPU REPORT¿
==========
Issue # 44
by Michael Arthur
Remember When....
In 1976, Jim Adkisson of Shugart Associates created the 5 1/4 inch
floppy disk drive after a request to make a floppy disk that was the size
of a napkin, and in 1981 when Sony introduced a 3 1/2 inch floppy disk
drive (which had disks the size of a shirt pocket), and submitted it to
ANSI, where it became the standard for 3 1/2 inch drives?
CPU Systems Roundup¿ XVI
========================
Practical Future Computer Systems III: The Price of Performance
---------------------------------------------------------------
Part I
In the computer user's quest for faster, more powerful systems that
will do more than the "older" computers, much of the focus in the computer
industry has been on the high-end of the market, highlighting low-end
workstations like the NeXT system, or high-end microcomputers, such as IBM
Clones using the 80486 chip.
To attempt to determine if this is feasible, I have made a list of
"Practical" Future Systems that could be configured from the major
computers in the low/middle end of the market, and compared their features
to make an objective opinion about which is the best. I ignored variables
like operating systems and software, and concentrated on the actual
computers' features and speed, the largest hard disk you could attain, and
the best graphics that system could provide. While operating systems and
software are a definite factor in a computer, I wanted to aim for the best
hardware itself, to which you could add the other items.
All of the Practical Future Systems shown cost from $3000 to $5000
dollars, since surveys have shown that the majority of computer owners own
systems that are in that price range. Also, all of the Dream Systems
should have from 1 - 2 Megabytes of RAM, since this is quickly becoming a
requirement for applications software.
For example, AppleWorks GS needs 1.25 Megs of RAM just to boot up, and
MultiFinder, as well as the Amiga's OS, need 2 Megs of RAM to be able to
multitask several programs, as well as to run more smoothly.
Since the main reason for a Practical Future System is to provide more
"bang for the buck", a large factor in deciding a system's worth will be
its price/performance ratio, to see if it meets the criteria for having
"Power Without the Price"....
After doing some research, I found several configurations that could
truly claim to be "Affordable Future Systems". Shown in no particular
order, here is my list:
System #1
---------
- Dell System 316 - Total Cost of System: $3700.00 Dollars.
This IBM Compatible is a 16 MHZ 80386SX system with 1 Megabyte of RAM
onboard, 7 IBM PC AT expansion slots, a 3.5" 1.44 Meg disk drive, and a
built-in EGA/VGA video board with a VGA Monitor. To augment this system,
a Dell 1 Meg SIMM RAM Card and a CompuAdd 70 Megabyte Hard Drive would be
added....
So, with this system, you would have:
Dell System 316 with Intel 80386sx chip (Cost: $2500.00)
Dell 1 Megabyte RAM Upgrade (Cost: $500.00)
CompuAdd 70 Megabyte External Hard Drive (Cost: $700.00)
EGA Graphics Resolution: 640*350 with 16 Colors out of 64
VGA Graphics Resolution: 320*200 with 256 Colors out of 256,000
640*480 with 16 Colors out of 256,000
Faults with System: The 80386sx chip isn't as fast as the 80386 chip or
a comparable 80286 chip....
System #2
---------
- Macintosh SE/30 with FDHD SuperDrive - Total Cost: $5100.00
The Macintosh SE/30 has a 16 MHZ Motorola 68030 chip with a 16 MHZ
68882 Floating Point Math Chip, 2 Megs of RAM onboard, uses 256K Mac ROMs,
and has a 1.4 Meg FDHD SuperDrive for the Mac. To enhance this system, I
have added La Cie's Cirrus 70 Meg Hard Drive.
So, with this system you would have:
Macintosh SE/30 w/1.4 Meg Disk Drive (Cost: $4300.00)
La Cie's Cirrus 70 Megabyte Hard Drive (Cost: $800.00)
Macintosh SE/30 Resolution: 512*342 in Monochrome Resolution.
Faults with System: Lacks a Color display, having a monochrome resolution
which is only adequate at best. It is also far more
expensive than the others....
System #3
---------
- Amiga 2000 w/CSA Midget Racer - Total Cost of System: $3690.00
The base system is an Amiga 2000 with 1 Meg of RAM, and 7 expansion
slots. Along with this would be a CSA Midget Racer board, which has a
14.32 MHZ 68020 w/68881 Math Chip, a Megaboard 2000 RAM board from
Progressive Peripherals, with 2 Megs of RAM onboard, for 3 Megs of system
RAM, and a 65 Megabyte Hard Drive from ABCO Inc., would be included.
So, with this system you would have:
Amiga 2000 w/color monitor (Cost: $1900.00)
CSA Midget Racer 68020 Accelerator Card (Cost: $500.00)
Megaboard 2000 RAM Board w/2 MB of RAM (Cost: $600.00)
ABCO 65 Megabyte Hard Drive (Cost: $690.00)
Amiga Resolutions: (Not including Overscan)
320*200 with 32 colors out of 4096
320*200 with 64 colors out of 4096 (Extra Half-Brite)
320*200 with 4096 colors at the same time (HAM Mode)
640*200 with 4 to 16 colors
640*400 with 2 to 16 colors (interlaced)
Faults with System: None whatsoever. An EXCELLENT system....
System #4
---------
- Mega 4 ST w/Turbo 16 Accelerator Board - Total Cost: $3890.00
This is a Mega 4 ST with 4 Megs of RAM, 1 Expansion Slot, and an
Omnimon Rainbow Monitor from Wuztek, which supports all of the ST's
resolutions. Along with this would be a Turbo-16 Accelerator Board from
FAST Technologies, having a 16 MHZ 68000 chip, and an ABCO Inc. 44 Meg
Removable Cartridge Drive, which uses Syquest Cartridges.
So, with this system you have:
Mega 4 ST w/4 Megs of RAM (Cost: $2000.00)
Wuztek Omnimon Rainbow Monitor (Cost: $700.00)
Turbo-16 Accelerator Board (Cost: $300.00)
ABCO Inc. 44 Megabyte Removable Cartridge Drive (Cost: $890.00)
Atari ST Resolution: 320*200 with 16 Colors out of 512
640*200 with 4 Colors out of 512
640*400 with Monochrome Resolution
Faults of System: Could use more expansion slots. Support for a math
coprocessor wouldn't hurt either....
System #5
---------
- Apple IIgs w/TransWarp GS Accelerator Board - Total Cost: $4170.00
The base system is an Apple IIgs with 1 Meg of RAM, a 65816 chip
which runs at 2.8 MHZ, 3 Expansion Slots, and a Color RGB Monitor. In
addition to this, two peripherals made by Applied Engineering, the
TransWarp GS Accelerator Board, which uses a 7 MHZ 65816 chip, and a
GS-RAM Memory Card, with 1.5 Megs of RAM onboard, would be added on.
Also, a Western Digital Preference 40 Megabyte Hard Disk is included.
So, with this system you have:
Apple IIgs w/RGB Monitor (Cost: $1650.00)
TransWarp GS Accelerator Board (Cost: $400.00)
GS-RAM 1.5 Meg Memory Board (Cost: $920.00)
Western Digital Preference 40 Megabyte Hard Drive (Cost: $1200.00)
Apple IIgs Resolution: 320*200 with 32 Colors out of 4096
640*200 with 16 Colors out of 4096
640*400 with 4 Colors out of 4096
Faults of System: Is far too expensive for the features it provides....
Please note, I did not mention products that are not shipping yet,
like the 68030 TT, or products which have not been fully announced.
In Part I of this series, I have given a list of the best affordable
systems to currently be found in the market, and shown their individual
features. In Part II these "Practical" Dream Systems will be compared to
each other, in order to determine the "best" one.
Based on this article alone, the Apple IIgs System is in serious
jeopardy, given that every other system provides similar capabilities for
a lower price. The IBM Dream System has maintained its good pricing,
while growing in versatility, with the 80386sx's ability to run 80386
programs. While they may not be affordable to ALL low-end computer users,
they ARE priced well enough for a significant part of the low/middle end
of the market. The Macintosh Dream System, while having superlative
capabilities, is VERY expensive for this type of list....
However, the Amiga 2000 System has maintained its lead over the
Mega ST System. Both are the SAME price, and the A2000 System has greater
speed performance. Both of these systems pass the "Power Without the
Price" criteria well, as they are the least expensive systems in this
list, and are equally powerful Dream Systems. But since the Amiga and
Mega ST Systems have fallen out of the $2500.00 - $3000.00 price range to
the price range of the other systems, the competition in determining the
best system may not be decided in terms of price/performance....
But ponder, if you will, this question:
1) How important is price, as compared to performance, in the decision
to buy a microcomputer?
---====***====---
CPU REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿
=======================
Osaka, Japan Matsushita Corp has announced a new 12-inch Gas-Plasma
------------ display (commonly used in laptops), which is capable
of displaying 4096 colors or 16 gray scales, with a
640*400 resolution. Sample units of this new screen
will ship in Early 1990, and Matsushita will price it
to be lower than any comparable color LCD screen to be
used in Laptops with Color Displays....
San Francisco, CA Apple reportedly won't introduce a $1500.00 Macintosh
----------------- until Early 1991, due to plans to incorporate segments
of System 7.0 (like Outline Fonts, the Communications
Manager, etc.) into its 256K ROMs, and to make it
inexpensive enough for Apple to make at that price.
This new Macintosh, which will replace the Mac Plus
(and maybe the Mac SE), will probably have 2 Megs of
RAM, an 8 MHZ 68000, 1 Mac SE Expansion slot, a sound
port, and a 1.4 Meg SuperDrive disk drive, in addition
to the other features of the Mac SE....
Armonk, NY IBM has introduced a new MicroChannel Expansion Card
---------- called the Wizard, which uses Intel's new 80860 chip
to compute up to 64 million floating Point operations
per second (MFLOPS), or several times faster than a
Cray-1. It will be introduced at around the Second
Quarter of 1990, along with a Developer's Kit to allow
applications to use the Wizard. Cost: $10,000.00....
Dallas, TX Texas Instruments has been granted Japanese patents
---------- for the fundamental aspects of the Integrated Circuit,
which is the basis of all computer chips. TI will now
negotiate with Japanese chip manufacturers for
licensing fees on these patents, which are valid thru
November 27, 2001. Industry analysts predict that
TI's royalties could exceed $500 Million dollars a
year, based on the size of Japan's IC market....
Interestingly enough, while Jack Kilby, a former TI
employee, invented it in 1959, and TI applied for
Japanese patents in 1960, the patents for it were only
granted in October....
__________________________________________________________________
> ARC_521C STR Tech Notes¿ ARC & ARCX 521c
=======================
ARC 521c - SOUPED UP!
====================
Appearing on the major services, ARC 521C has made its debut. And it,
by all the stats, shines.... Perhaps, the influx of the LHARC compression
efficiency has given rise to renewed enthusiasm in bringing the ARC format
to bigger and better heights. As with most all programs, the more they
are used the better they become.
ARC 5.21C features
==================
o larger buffers for file buffering (28,672 bytes as opposed
to 512) for greater speed.
o new data compression algorithms for greatly improved speed
AND compression.
o allowing invocation of 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16 bit file
crunching. To select bit size, insert 12-16 in the command
line (e.g. "a16 sample game.prg", "c14 sample", etc.). Each
larger bit size requires more free memory. The resultant
compression ratio grows more dramatic the larger the file.
o on some files, 12 bit crunching (the default) results in a
smaller compressed file than ARC 5.12 produces, although it
is completely compatible with the original ARC 5.12.
o a bug in all versions of ARC that caused a crash whenever a
verbose list of a file with an invalid month (less than 1
or greater than 12) has been fixed. I've run into this on
STart disks.
o the bug in ARC 5.21 that allows an archive to be built that
is larger than the sum of its included files has been fixed.
o the original wild card expansion algorithm has been
reinstated ('*.*' means ALL files again, not just all files
with extensions).
The speed improvements are sometimes dramatic over earlier versions of
ARC. Below are the results of running a suite of functions between each
version of the ARC program currently circulating.
To conduct the tests, two double sided disk drives were used. All
temporary files were written to a floppy disk. Some randomly selected
files of various types were read from disk B:\ to an archive created in
disk A:\. After each archive was finished, the archive was tested, which
actually extracts the file without writing it out to disk. Then a
"verbose" listing was made of the archive. The exact elapsed time for
these operations was then recorded. Then a disk directory was recorded
that shows the file length of the completed archive.
Each version of the ARC program started with the same disk setups.
Each test was done from a script without any human intervention. The time
and size differences reflect only the performance of the ARC programs
themselves.
=========================================================================
arc512.ttp
----------
Name Length Stowage SF Size now Date Time CRC
============ ======== ======== ==== ======== ========= ====== ====
EXAMPLE.PRG 116939 Crunched 36% 75184 1 Dec 89 9:53p 99A0
PICTURE.NEO 32128 Squeezed 51% 15816 1 Feb 88 9:24a 6B0F
RLE.DOC 505 Crunched 92% 44 1 Dec 89 10:03p 5008
SAMPLE.ARC 7808 Packed 1% 7758 1 Dec 89 10:35p CD5A
SAMPLE.DOC 189180 Crunched 48% 98922 2 Dec 89 9:24a 4ADC
SUMTHIN.SEQ 96572 Crunched 58% 40789 1 Dec 89 10:27p FE71
TEST.ARC 127693 -- 0% 127693 1 Dec 89 11:30p 5452
==== ======== ==== ========
Total 7 570825 36% 366206
elapsed time:
00:28:16.655
directory listing:
-rw-- 366411 Sat Dec 2 09:24 test.arc
=========================================================================
arc521.ttp
----------
Name Length Stowage SF Size now Date Time CRC
============ ======== ======== ==== ======== ========= ====== ====
EXAMPLE.PRG 116939 Crunched 42% 67922 1 Dec 89 9:53p 99A0
PICTURE.NEO 32128 Squeezed 51% 15816 1 Feb 88 9:24a 6B0F
RLE.DOC 505 Crunched 92% 44 1 Dec 89 10:03p 5008
SAMPLE.ARC 7808 Packed 1% 7758 1 Dec 89 10:35p CD5A
SAMPLE.DOC 189180 Crunched 47% 102118 2 Dec 89 9:24a 4ADC
SUMTHIN.SEQ 96572 Crunched 58% 41019 1 Dec 89 10:27p FE71
TEST.ARC 127693 -- 0% 127693 1 Dec 89 11:30p 5452
==== ======== ==== ========
Total 7 570825 37% 362370
elapsed time:
00:20:54.135
directory listing:
-rw-- 405406 Sat Dec 2 09:24 test.arc
=========================================================================
arc521b.ttp
-----------
Name Length Stowage SF Size now Date Time CRC
============ ======== ======== ==== ======== ========= ====== ====
EXAMPLE.PRG 116939 Crunched 42% 67922 1 Dec 89 9:53p 99A0
PICTURE.NEO 32128 Squeezed 51% 15816 1 Feb 88 9:24a 6B0F
RLE.DOC 505 Crunched 92% 44 1 Dec 89 10:03p 5008
SAMPLE.ARC 7808 Packed 1% 7758 1 Dec 89 10:35p CD5A
SAMPLE.DOC 189180 Crunched 47% 102118 2 Dec 89 9:24a 4ADC
SUMTHIN.SEQ 96572 Crunched 58% 41019 1 Dec 89 10:27p FE71
TEST.ARC 127693 -- 0% 127693 1 Dec 89 11:30p 5452
==== ======== ==== ========
Total 7 570825 37% 362370
elapsed time:
00:15:46.390
directory listing:
-rw-- 362575 Sat Dec 2 09:24 test.arc
=========================================================================
arc.ttp (version 5.21C)
-----------------------
Name Length Stowage SF Size now Date Time CRC
============ ======== ======== ==== ======== ========= ====== ====
EXAMPLE.PRG 116939 Crunch12 44% 65763 1 Dec 89 9:53p 99A0
PICTURE.NEO 32128 Squeezed 51% 15816 1 Feb 88 9:24a 6B0F
RLE.DOC 505 Crunch12 92% 44 1 Dec 89 10:03p 5008
SAMPLE.ARC 7808 Packed 1% 7758 1 Dec 89 10:35p CD5A
SAMPLE.DOC 189180 Crunch12 49% 97696 2 Dec 89 9:24a 4ADC
SUMTHIN.SEQ 96572 Crunch12 58% 40762 1 Dec 89 10:27p FE71
TEST.ARC 127693 -- 0% 127693 1 Dec 89 11:30p 5452
==== ======== ==== ========
Total 7 570825 38% 355532
elapsed time:
00:09:52.300
directory listing:
-rw-- 355737 Sat Dec 2 09:24 test.arc
=========================================================================
It's interesting to note that ARC 5.21C performed the functions 3
times faster than the original 5.12, and that's without using a ramdisk or
hard disk for temporary files! Also note that while EXAMPLE.PRG is
smaller in 5.21C, the original ARC 5.12 has no trouble whatsoever with
extracting it.
Notice that both EXAMPLE.PRG and SAMPLE.DOC compress to a larger size
in the ARC521 archive. And look at the final size of the archive, 405,406
bytes!
Even ARC521B pales with both compressed file size and elapsed time,
although at least it doesn't add garbage like ARC521.
ARCX 5.21c
==========
ARCX 5.21C extracts all files from the archives specified. As with the
original ARCX, you double click on ARCX.TTP. When the paramaters dialog
box pops up, you type in the name of the archive (or archives) from which
you want all of the files extracted. The extracted files are placed in the
same directory that ARCX.TTP is run from.
The differences between the original ARCX and ARCX 5.21C are few but
significant. ARCX 5.21C:
o has greatly improved speed (at least 100% faster on a
floppy drive system).
o can handle extracting "Squashed", "Crunch12", "Crunch13",
"Crunch14", "Crunch15", and "Crunch16" files.
o has far better error handling.
o handles being passed archive file names not in the same
directory as is ARCX (e.g. "b:\games\bestgame.arc")
o is smaller!
Enjoy!
Patrick Dell'Era
Compuserve 73157,2623
GEnie DELL-ERA
Delphi DELL_ERA
__________________________________________________________________
> PC DITTO II STR NewsPlus¿ It's shipping and AG is alive & well!!
========================
PC DITTO II from AVANT GARDE
============================
info provided by Avant Garde
These are the latest performance trials on pc-ditto II, using various
benchmark programs. The computer used is a 1040ST with two 3.5-inch
floppy drives and one 30 meg drive. IBM DOS is installed on the
harddrive, and the DOS was autobooted from the hard drive.
No DOS resident utilities were present, and the CONFIG.SYS file contained
two lines:
FILES=20
BUFFERS=16
The 8087 floating point coprocessor was not installed for these tests.
(It appears most benchmarks do not use or test the 8087).
Rather than try to summarize the various programs, I have left the
original screen dump intact to provide the detail (in some cases a summary
and subsequent comparison of the benchmarks would be difficult at best; as
you will see from the various performance descriptions below, there is no
standard for performance common to all the programs.)
---====**====---
Program: si.com
Source: Commercial product, from Norton Utilities
SI-System Information, Version 3.10, (C) Copr 1984-86, Peter Norton
IBM/PC
======
Operating under DOS 3.30
5 logical disk drives, A: through E:
DOS reports 640 K-bytes of memory:
51 K-bytes used by DOS and resident programs
589 K-bytes available for application programs
A search for active memory finds:
640 K-bytes main memory (at hex 0000-A000)
32 K-bytes display memory (at hex B800-C000)
Computing performance index relative to IBM/PC: 4.0
---====**====---
Program: mips12.com
Source: Public domain (available on this network)
COPYRIGHT (C) CHIPS AND TECHNOLOGIES INC., 1986
01/01/80 BENCHMARK PROGRAM - VERSION 1.20 00:15:08
BENCHMARK PERFORMANCE IBM/PC IBM/AT COMPAQ ACTUAL
RELATIVE TO => 4.7Mhz 8Mhz 386 MIPS
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS 2.00 0.58 0.29 0.33
INTEGER INSTRUCTIONS 4.00 0.63 0.27 0.67
MEMORY TO MEMORY 1.90 0.59 0.33 0.45
REGISTER TO REGISTER 5.25 0.68 0.29 0.94
REGISTER TO MEMORY 1.96 0.59 0.32 0.60
OVERALL PERFORMANCE 2.53 0.61 0.30 0.60
---====**====---
Program: speed.com
Source: Public domain (available on this network)
DESIGNS IBM COMPATIBLE PERFORMANCE ANALYZER (C) 1986
Copyright (C) 1986 Richard B. Johnson
Checking memory block write ticks: 117 compared to IBM/PC 431%
Checking register to memory ticks: 204 compared to IBM/PC 240%
Checking memory to register ticks: 263 compared to IBM/PC 186%
Checking register to register ticks: 234 compared to IBM/PC 235%
Checking divide by register ticks: 83 compared to IBM/PC 616%
Checking divide by memory ticks: 135 compared to IBM/PC 447%
Checking multiply by register ticks: 106 compared to IBM/PC 453%
Checking multiply by memory ticks: 133 compared to IBM/PC 418%
Checking stack operations ticks: 242 compared to IBM/PC 183%
Checking far jumps, far calls ticks: 272 compared to IBM/PC 190%
Total time is: 1789 clock ticks, (99 seconds) compared to IBM/PC 288%
---====**====---
Program: speed99.com
Source: Public domain (available on this network)
THE LANDMARK CPU SPEED TEST: SPEED Version 0.99
Copyright 1986 Landmark Software
1142 Pomegranate Court
Sunnyvale CA 94087
408-733-4035
This system is performing like an IBM AT running at:
Mhz
---
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
3.6 Mhz
2.1x
Performance relative to 4.77 Mhz PC or XT:
1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x
Current time: 00:37:36 Elapsed time since starting program: 00:05:32
Current test: 526 Elapsed time for the latest test: 304 ms
---====**====---
Program: sse-v2.com
Source: Public domain (available on this network)
IBM PC IBM PC AT
Routine: 8088 V-20 6 Mhz 8 Mhz
Yours
==========================================================================
Integer Count 24 (1.0) 23 (1.0) 9 (2.7) 6 (4.0) 10
(2.4)
Real Count 29 (1.0) 26 (1.1) 11 (2.7) 8 (3.6) 11
(2.6)
Table Lookup 28 (1.0) 26 (1.1) 9 (3.1) 7 (4.0) 11
(2.5)
String Manipulation 29 (1.0) 17 (1.7) 10 (2.9) 7 (4.1) 9
(3.2)
Empty Loop 29 (1.0) 25 (1.2) 9 (3.2) 7 (4.1) 12
(2.4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Timing 139 (1.0) 117 (1.2) 48 (2.9) 35 (4.0) 53
(2.6)
---====**====---
System Speed Evaluator Ver #2, by T. Gray
Program: ci.exe
Source: Public domain (available on this network)
CPU Information Version 1.10, by Simon Smith
Processor = 8086
Clock Speed = 38.4 MHz
Number for wait states = 10
General CPU performance factor relative to IBM PC = 2.6
---====**====---
Program: cputest.exe
Source: Public domain (available on this network)
CPU Benchmark Test
Running test, please wait
Elapsed time in seconds . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.26
Detected V30 CPU at equivalent of . . . . . . . . 9.54 mhz
Effective clock speed is . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.29
Estimate MIPS at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.45
Times faster than origianl 4.77 mhz PC . . . . . . 1.95
(C) Copyright 1989 Visionary Software Technology, Inc. Canton, CT
---====**====---
Program: bench.exe
Source: Public domain (available on this network)
(Part of the PC Magazine benchmark programs)
PC Magazine Labs Benchmark Series 5.0
File Performance Compatibility Quality Set Help
PROCESSOR SPEED TESTS
[ ] Instruction mix
L A B S [ ] 128K NOP loop
[ ] Do-Nothing loop
[ ] Integer add loop
[ ] Integer multiply loop
[ ] String sort and move
[ ] Prime number sieve
[ ] Floating point mix
[ ] All of the above
Enter Cancel
Esc=Cancel Spacebar = Select benchmark
V30/6.0
---====**====---
PC Magazine Labs Benchmark Series 5.0
Results
A B C
100
INSTRUCTION MIX
Time in seconds
L A B S _______________________________________
8088 80286 80386 75
______ _____ _____
This V30/6.0: 12.96 n/a n/a A
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 9.14 9.06 n/a B 50
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 33.01 n/a n/a C
Performance index relative to: 25
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 0.7 n/a n/a
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 2.5 n/a n/a
0
---====**====---
PC Magazine Labs Benchmark Series 5.0
Results
A B C
100
128K NOP LOOP
Time in seconds
L A B S _______________________________________
This V30/6.0: 4.23 A 75
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 4.17 B
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 10.16 C 50
Performance index relative to: 25
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 1.0
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 2.4
0
---====**====---
PC Magazine Labs Benchmark Series 5.0
Results
A B C
100
DO NOTHING LOOP
Time in seconds
L A B S _______________________________________
This V30/6.0: 4.94 A 75
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 3.64 B
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 9.94 C 50
Performance index relative to: 25
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 0.7
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 2.0
0
---====**====---
PC Magazine Labs Benchmark Series 5.0
Results
A B C
100
INTEGER ADDITION
Time in seconds
L A B S _______________________________________
This V30/6.0: 3.68 A 75
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 2.14 B
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 9.94 C 50
Performance index relative to: 25
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 0.6
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 2.7
0
---====**====---
PC Magazine Labs Benchmark Series 5.0
Results
A B C
100
INTEGER MULTIPLY
Time in seconds
L A B S _______________________________________
This V30/6.0: 2.53 A 75
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 1.21 B
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 9.99 C 50
Performance index relative to: 25
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 0.5
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 3.9
0
---====**====---
PC Magazine Labs Benchmark Series 5.0
Results
A B C
100
INTEGER MULTIPLY
Time in seconds
L A B S _______________________________________
This V30/6.0: 4.23 A 75
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 2.93 B
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 11.04 C 50
Performance index relative to: 25
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 0.7
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 2.6
0
---====**====---
PC Magazine Labs Benchmark Series 5.0
Results
A B C
100
PRIME NUMBER SIEVE
Time in seconds
L A B S _______________________________________
This V30/6.0: 4.45 A 75
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 3.02 B
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 11.54 C 50
Performance index relative to: 25
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 0.7
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 2.6
0
---====**====---
PC Magazine Labs Benchmark Series 5.0
File Performance Compatibility Quality Set Help
MEMORY SPEED TESTS
[ ] Conventional read
L A B S [ ] Conventional write
[ ] Expanded read
[ ] Expanded write
[ ] Extended read
[ ] Extended write
[ ] All of the above
Enter Cancel
Esc=Cancel Spacebar = Select benchmark
V30/6.0
---====**====---
PC Magazine Labs Benchmark Series 5.0
Results
A B C
100
CONVENTIONAL MEMORY READ
Time in seconds
L A B S _______________________________________
This V30/6.0: 1.92 A 75
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 1.43 B
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 6.37 C 50
Performance index relative to: 25
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 0.7
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 3.3
0
---====**====---
PC Magazine Labs Benchmark Series 5.0
Results
A B C
100
CONVENTIONAL MEMORY WRITE
Time in seconds
L A B S _______________________________________
This V30/6.0: 1.93 A 75
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 1.43 B
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 6.37 C 50
Performance index relative to: 25
8Mhz IBM PC/AT: 0.7
4.77Mhz IBM PC/XT: 3.3
0
----======*****======----
Editor Note:
After having observed the anxiety setting in on the online services,
we felt it best to try to bring positive news, week after week, concerning
PC DITTO II and its awaited release date. As we all saw, there was a
flurry of activity a few weeks ago, but that was a one shot deal.
To give all a rough idea of what actually happened, the course of
events were bizarre. (at least to us and surely the Teals). The first
contractor (in Texas) shipped a large batch of the 'finished' products to
AG and the letdown was plain and simple.. none of the new devices would
work! Murphy's Law at its best....
AG was then forced to find a remedy, after all, the users were getting
restless and AG has fine reputation to uphold. A new and far more
competent contractor was located (in Denver) and they were given the job
of producing the new Ditto 2 boards. Needless to say, these folks got the
job done and done well. PC DITTO II began shipping today in small numbers
and will continue to do so until about the first of the year, by that time
output will be up to full speed.
Congratulations are in order to the Teals for having had the fortitude
to hang in there and overcome devastating adversity and still triumphantly
come forward with a fine product.
Good Luck AG ..and Happy Holidays!
___________________________________________________________________
> Fontverter STR Spotlight¿ A neat product for the DTP set....
========================
FONTVERTER IS HERE!
===================
FONTVERTER for the Atari ST line of computers will begin shipping on
Monday, December 4, 1989. This program allows the conversion of outline
fonts between PageStream and Calamus desktop publishing packages. Users
will now be able to use the exact same font outline with both packages,
enabling the user owning both programs to determine which program they
want to use for a certain job based on the needed capabilities of the
program, instead of trying to make do because the font required is only
available for one of the package.
Fontverter is a conversion program, NOT AN EDITOR. Due to the radical
differences in the font handling in each program, to utilize FONTVERTER, a
font editor will be required in the destination format. What that means
is to convert a PageStream font to Calamus, you will need the Calamus font
editor to add kerning tables, to change rotation direction of some of the
paths to allow the font to fill properly, and to adjust the em square.
When converting a Calamus font for use with PageStream, the outline is
converted to the original Publishing Partner format, from there it is
converted to PageStream, and to Postscript if needed, using FONTEDIT.PRG,
which is distributed with PageStream and put up on all major BBS systems
by SoftLogik. This is due to the absence of a full editor for PageStream.
The user will require the use of Font Design Partner or the original
Publishing Partner editor to create screen fonts, and set the font widths,
along with proper adjustment of the em square. Automatic screen font
generation can be achieved with Font Design Partner, so it is the
recomended editor.
FONTVERTER is available directly from MegaType software, or from your
favorite dealer. To order direct, send $39.95 in US funds, including
shipping. (Money Order will ship immediately, personal checks allow 2
weeks to clear). No COD orders. Indiana residents include 5% sales tax.
($41.95 total)
Send orders to:
MegaType
PO BOX 645
South Bend, IN 46624
Dealer and Distributor inquiries and welcome. Quantity discounts for
users groups are also accepted. Address inquiries to the above address,
on your letterhead, or leave E-Mail to DFTURNOCK on Genie.
Dealers/Distributors please include proof of dealership, and a
dealer/distributor price list will be sent or e-mailed to you ASAP.
Happy Fontverting!
__________________________________________________________________
> USR HST SETUP STR Tech Notes¿ Unraveling the confusion....
============================
Getting a new modem on line can sometimes be a major task. With the
advent of these new high powered modems, the options and controls are
virtually unlimited. Between the dip switches, S-registers and the Nram
one can easily become confused. At least with the following setting
suggestions one can start off relatively easy.
1. USRobotics Courier 9600 HST Dual Standard NRAM Settings...
DIAL=TONE B1 F1 M1 X6
BAUD=19200 PARITY=N WORDLEN=8
&A1 &B0 &G0 &H1 &I0 &J0 &K1 &L0
&M4 &N0 &P0 &R2 &S1 &X0 &Y1
S02=043 S03=013 S04=010 S05=008
S06=002 S07=030 S08=002 S09=006
S10=007 S11=070 S12=050 S13=000
S15=000 S19=000 S21=010 S22=017
S23=019 S24=025 S26=000 S27=000
S28=008 S38=000
-----====*****====-----
2. HST Switch Settings
SW1 - Up
SW2 - Up
SW3 - Down
SW4 - Up
SW5 - Down
SW6 - Up
SW7 - Down
SW8 - Down
SW9 - Up
SW0 - Up
3. MODEMDAT.TXT (FoRem)
+++
AT S0=1 E0 V0 &B1
AT Z
4. FNETLINK.DAT (FoRem)
Verbose disk log
0
Baud 19200
Send "AT Z"
Pause 2 seconds
Send "AT E0 X0 &B1"
Pause 2 seconds
Request Routes
Maxtime 0330
3
Always call
Track calls on
Dial "1-713-480-9310" 40
This is all the HST info you should need.
========================================
Section 1
---------
- shows the HST NRAM settings you will notice that FIXED LINK is not
enabled with this setting ..just HARDWARE FLOW CONTROL. The reason being,
is it gives the greatest flexibility for all of the diffrent TERM programs
available for use.
Section 2
---------
- shows the dip switch setting used, ..maybe helpful.
Section 3
---------
- shows how the MODEMDAT.TXT file is set up so FoReM BBS SysOps can run in
FIXED LINK mode. Remember, to make the BAUD RATE line in the FOREM.OPT
file read 'HST'.
NOTE: if you just want to use HARDWARE FLOW CONTROL with FoReM, just
remove the '&B1' command from the 2nd line of MODEMDAT.TXT. Now, you can
have the BBS answer and connect at the rate the user is calling at.
Please remember to make the BAUD RATE line in the FOREM.OPT file say
'9600'.
Section 4
---------
- shows how to make the mailer run at a FIXED LINK rate of 19200. You
will notice this isn't the way the instructions say to do this, but after
many hours of playing with the mailer it has been found to be the best
method. It will connect with any mailer from 300-14400 at ease and
without any problems. The mailer can be set up this way even if you have
the BBS just using HARDWARE FLOW CONTROL.
Special Info:
Just to give you an idea of stats that became very real after testing the
various settings listed above. And now, after having operated the system
in this manner for over 3 months without any problems the following is
presented. When calling an USR/HST that isn't set for FIXED LINK you will
still realize higher U/L CPS rates, they peak at about 1150-1540 CPS using
Zmodem. If calling a USR/HST running FIXED LINK, an average of 1720-1790
CPS using Zmodem. The Fmailer should yield about 720-960 CPS on receive,
and about 820-1050 CPS on send.
Dennis McConnell
Sysop, FNET #453
______________________________________________________________
> WHERE TO? STR Spotlight¿ In what direction are we headed?.....
=======================
ATARIANS, REMEMBER US?
======================
by R.F. Mariano
Aside from the comfy feeling of knowing I have had a wonderful decade
of using Atari Computers. I remain, upset and angered, at being forced to
face a rather disturbing decision.
My friends, most of whom owned Atari ST gear along with me, have since
gone to either a MAC or an IBM (mostly clones) computer while preaching to
me to do likewise. Here I sit, faced with the decision of forsaking the
most enjoyable computer I have found to date, in favor of either IBM or
MAC, both of which I find lacking in one area or another. Sure, my
friends tell me they have my best interests at heart. However, I can't
help but remember the old adage of "misery loving company". After having
mentioned that to them, they mellowed somewhat in their enthusiastic
'conversion' efforts. I thanked them and made it quite clear I would have
to make up my own mind without any outside influences.
Thus, begins the long hard trek through all the 'common sense' and
demeaning rhetoric I know is in store for me. Without a doubt, I am a
diehard Atarian. Here then, are a few questions that provide pointers
that tell me so;
a) Do you get angered by anyone "badmouthing" the computer itself?
b) Do you find yourself wanting to reach out and shake 'the silly' out
of the bad decision makers at Atari?
c) Are there times you wish lived in the 'old days' of no computers
and maybe even no electricity?
d) Do you find yourself being an enthusiastic 'preacher' magnifying
the benefits of owning and using an ST computer?
e) Have you found that when you hear of another developer 'going over'
to the competition you are angered, not at him, but ATARI?
f) Are there times you wish Atari had never left the 'mail order'
scene, knowing full well they may have hurt dealers and sold more
machines by remaining in mail order distribution?
g) Do you find it easy to love the computer, preaching its wonders
while deep down inside you feel very uneasy about the company's
next unpredictable and usually zany move?
h) Have you found, as I have, that there are times your friends think
you have lost any sanity they thought had because of what you have
said pro or con about Atari?
i) Are you ready, willing and able to forgive and forget what you feel
are Atari's transgressions against the userbase if they show to the
userbase that they are serious about penetrating the US home
computer market thus, supporting the ST line?
j) Has it occurred, on more than one occasion, that when you cool down
you are ready once again to run right out and plunk down some more
hard earned bux for say.. the Stacy or a TT the minute they are on
the dealers shelves?
k) Would you be more comfortable if you found that Atari allowed its
folks to be more open about the future and Atari's plans for the
future? Of course, without betraying itself or its strategic plans
to the competition.
Ok, you read the questions, perhaps even twice...now, here's the
kicker... If... you answered 50% with a yes... you, mah fren' are still a
diehard Atarian. Its nice to let you know that in these times, you are far
from being alone. There are PLENTY of us.
Just a few short weeks ago, I attended Comdex/Fall '89 and came away
with my now famous; "Atari enthusiasm Fix". Although I missed seeing Sig
Hartmann touting the Atari line, I did get the opportunity to see him and
have lunch with him, he still had kind and supportive words for Atari and
its future. Afterwards, I heard the echo.. "Dat guy, he is such a guy!
You just gotta get to know him! He has jillions of goot ideas all the
time!" Little did I realize I would meet "Dat Guy" later on that day at
the Atari reception. Strangely enough that evening, more than once I
heard Sig's voice in the remote distance saying "Dat guy... Sig was
right. Leonard is quite a guy. I was treated to meeting many folks
associated with him and of course, his "henchmen" <grin> John and Ken....
they too were very interesting people and pleasure to meet and greet.
Once more, to those who felt it necessary to bad mouth the obvious
enthusiasm, all I can say is, after what I learned at Comdex, the embers
of faith are glowing once again and we all are able look forward to some
very interesting and enjoyable times in the future as long as we do not
allow ourselves to be blinded by the past.
As for the dealers who feel slighted, hear this... about how the
multitude of complaints that roll into Atari's offices almost every day.
Of dealers out there who lay off on Atari, their own shortcomings, ie;
"its backordered" ..when the truth is the dealer owes Atari bux and can't
be shipped until satisfactory arrangements are made. Or, and this is the
one that really galls me, the calls about the dealers who gouge the users
at every opportunity. List price plus 15% is not uncommon, how about a
520stf without TOS 1.4 or any upgrade other than a double sided drive
installed (actually they come that way from the factory)... The
promotional price is supposed to be 299.95 according to the statements
made at the SPA meeting, but we have found certain dealers trying to sell
these same computers at $450.00!! And more if the prospect is totally new
to the computer scene. Well as far as this writer is concerned, the
dealers who are engaged in this non-sense, (there are quite few involved
in the 'gouge' game), are begging for the return of MAIL ORDER and/or
factory direct sales and justifiably so! They give all Atarians a BAD
name and rep.
Almost everyone I talk to agrees, "its time for professionalism to
enter the marketing picture from the top all the way down to the street".
The time has come to eliminate the chastising and punishing and to open
the market up to as many dealers as possible, teaching and training them
as progress is made, (within reason) and without the inhibiting major
tieups of large dollars in parts/service inventories etc.
There was an excellent exchange program in place that proved to be
provocatively perfect. It allowed the dealers the opportunity to put more
of their capital into the computer inventory and thus, sell the heck outta
the computers. And, when and if the computer acted up, or croaked, after
the warranty period had expired, the customer was not caught in the middle
with a dealer adversely involved. Nor was the dealer facing the expense
of costly test equipment and technicians, not to mention having upset
users griping in the store while the sales people were trying to sell
computers.
The customers/users/owners/dealers had found an equitable solution in
the exchange program, they sent in the defective machine and the
appropriate remittance. And in return, had a fine working machine back in
no time at all. This particular exchange system was the rave of the
industry, it NEEDS to be put back in place along with reasonable pricing.
Truly, it, (the exchange program), could've been called the frontrunner to
the fully disposable computer. And, indeed, it was a shining example of
top notch executive thinking. Its revamp and cost hikes were, flawed
decision making at best and should be corrected.
Atari's future, at this time, may appear somewhat cloudy but in all
fairness, lets get real for a moment. Stacy is about to hit the US market
and the STE is right behind it, thank goodness for the new little shield
for the STE (it'll pass now <grin>), it is incumbent upon all of us
"diehards" to hang tough as there is still a very bright light at the end
of the tunnel. As for me..... I am going jump on a Stacy ASAP, and then
patiently wait for a second generation, Unix TT to arrive. Yep, you
guessed it. I have not given up on Atari at all.
__________________________________________________________________
> Kidpublisher Pro STR Review¿ ...another look at Kidpublisher Pro
===========================
Kidpublisher Professional (Part II)
===================================
by Bob Rosendale
It was brought to my attention that I made an error in the review of
Kidpublisher Professional in STReport 116, regarding the use of the "Font"
selector box. There are 33 text columns and seven lines per page, so that
no matter what font the user selects, no overflow will occur at the bottom
of the page.
I had also stated that the user would receive an alert box if the
"Blank" option was selected. This is only true in the typing mode, not in
the drawing mode. I did not know that the UNDO would retrieve the
picture, BUT, only if no other drawing commands had been selected. The
earlier version of the careware program was not version 2.7. What I had
stated was that I was familiar with the careware versions but did not
state which version it was.
It was also suggested to me that I might have misled readers to
believe that the only improvement to the drawing program was the addition
of UNDO. It is suggested that those in doubt re-read the second paragraph
of the original review. I do like the Undo feature but "I" would prefer
an alert box in the drawing portion for the Blank option. (Wondering how
many 5 to 11 year olds have read my original review and told their
parents: "Don't bother getting the program for me because there are too
many problems." My intention was to bring to the readers of STReport, the
fact
, that Kidpublisher Professional exists and that it was not a "remake"
of a careware program.)
I do like the autoboot feature that allows a child "load and go". I
do like the Undo feature in the drawing mode now that I know that I have
to select it before any other drawing commands if I want my picture back.
"I" would like an alert box in the drawing mode if I would happen to
select the Blank icon. "I" would like a Load feature to load in previous
saved work so that "I" wouldn't have to have the necessary Kidpublisher
Professional files and saved files per separate disk, per saved project
(that could end up being a lot of saved disks especially in a school
environment seeing as a bulk rate order of 3.5" disks costs about $.67
(low figure) per disk.
Most likely, the special version that I will order will be just the
text only version. Using the Large font makes reading easier for some of
the senior citizens who use and enjoy the song sheets I have done so that
they can get the whole song on a single sheet of paper. Thus, saving some
time in cutting and taping two half sheets together before copying.
I hope my corrections of several errors meets with everyone's
approval. One of the reasons that I was selected as the reviewer of
Kidpublisher Professional by Mr. Mariano was because of his knowledge that
I was familiar with previous "careware" programs by D. A. Brumleve. That
I have had other reviews published in STReport, if my mind serves me right
there is one in the famous issue #27, that I am particularly fond of.
That having retired from the Navy in January 1989 after 20 years as a
Yeoman (secretary), with countless volunteer hours to youth activities and
senior citizen organizations (mainly to scouting and nursing homes). That
my efforts to promote our local Atari User Group to anyone I meet who has
an Atari computer. I was NOT selected to write the review because I am 42
years of age with the mentality of a 12 year old.. but because of my "ever
watchful child's eye view".
___________________________________________________________________
> ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿ Sayin' it like it is....
======================
- Sunnyvale, CA. ******** STACY.. FRONT & CENTER!! ********
--------------
Atari Corporation is pleased to announce that the FCC has certified
the Stacy for Class A use in the USA. Atari will begin shipping the Stacy
in the Stacy 2 and Stacy 4 models through our dealers within the next
thirty days. Stacy 2 is a two megabyte version of Stacy, with a internal
40 megabyte hard disk. The Stacy 4 is a four megabytes of ram unit, also
with an internal 40 megabyte hard disk. Stacy 4's have been shown at a
number of recent events, including the 1989 WAACE Atarifest, the McDonnell
Douglas Recreational Computer Club Show, and of course, Comdex/FALL '89.
- Skokie, Il. **** USR MODEMS BOOST SPEED WITH COMPRESSION ****
-----------
Faster throughput will result from the addition of V.42bis data
compression to be added to all US Robotics high speed modems. V.42bis
creates a data compression ratio of roughly 3:1. The smaller file takes
less time to transfer, thus equating to faster throughput.
"V.42bis can be manufactured with essentially the same components as
MNP5, which is why we at CCITT selected it over other candidates offering
similar performance" said Dale Walsh, Vice President of Engineering at US
Robotics.
Walsh, who participated in CCITT's V.42bis data compression
recommendation process, said the protocol uses a higher level algorithm
than MNP5 compression, producing about 30% better compression on typical
data files.
US Robotics plans to begin shipping modems with the V.42bis standard
in January 1990. V.42bis will be added to the current high speed product
line to no additional cost to its customers, the company said. The
upgrade is free to those who have purchased their modems after October 1.
US Robotics will charge $50 to upgrade modems purchased prior to that.
Upgrades are available for internal, external, and rackmount models.
The Courier HST, HST Dual Standard, and V.32 modems will continue to
support MNP levels 1-5 guaranteeing compatibility with current de facto
error control and data compression standards, said Casey Cowell, US
Robotics Chairman and President.
- Houston, TX. ****** DOUBLE CLICK IS ON THE MOVE!! ******
------------
Coming soon to a desktop near you!
DC DESKTOP is the ultimate GEM desktop enhancement. You're not going
to believe your eyes when you see it. When DC DESKTOP is ready for
release, full ordering info will be provided. Simply put, DC DESKTOP is
everything you could possibly want the GEM desktop to be and do.
DC DESKTOP is not a replacement for the GEM DESKTOP..
.. DC DESKTOP _enhances_ it.
- Orem, UT. ****** WORD PERFECT ASSURES CONTINUED ST SUPPORT ******
---------
Word Perfect Corp. will be releasing an additional upgrade to the
current version of Word Perfect in release for the Atari ST computers. The
upgrade will encompass a group of upgrades including the new screen system
for those users having large screen monitors, ie; Viking Moniterm. In
making this statement, WP continues its promise to support the ST computer
systems. There may be a 5.0 or 5.1 in the future after all.
_________________________________________________________________
> INSIDE THE STE STReport InfoFile¿ Takin' a peek inside...
================================
ctsy GEnie RT
INSIDE THE STE
==============
Item I
Since there seems to be some interest here, and Atari hasn't helped
much by not releasing any detailed information, I though that some people
might like to hear the (possibly inaccurate) information on the STe I've
discovered so far. Having had one for over a week now, I've had the
chance to answer a lot of questions for myself. Of course, the first thing
I did (before even plugging it in) was to take it apart. But before that,
it comes with the standard old ST (as in 1040ST) manual, with a 6-page
addendum regarding the enhancements. 4 of the 6 pages discuss the
"Rainbow" TOS upgrades, and the last two give the pinouts of the new
ports. It is also supposed to come with a new control panel accessory
with an "enhanced color palette selector", but there was no disk at all
included with the machine I received. In any case, even without the cover
off, there are two differences obvious: Left and Right (stereo) RCA audio
output jacks under the power switch, and 2 15-pin "joystick" connectors
off to the left side. The rest of the outside is EXACTLY similar to a
standard 1040ST.
Inside, the first difference is obvious: 4 SIMM modules sticking up
from a hole in the RF shield. (I wonder if this will cause FCC problems?)
It would appear that these modules can be either 256K modules (total 1
Meg), or replaced with 1 Mbyte SIMMs for a total of 4 Megs. I would
assume that 512K and 2.5 meg combinations are also possible (I will try
tomorrow).
Well, off comes the RF shield - now the changes are more obvious. To
list them briefly: The standard (Mega type) BLiTTER is right there. The
68000 is now in a PLCC (square) 68-pin chip, not the ol' faithful DIP
type. (Time to revise Turbo16!) Bye bye to the old GLUE and MMU chips -
The GLUE has grown to 84pins (from 68), and in an orgy of unification, the
old Video Shifter and MMU have combined to make a 144-pin surface mounted
chip (dated 1988). The rest is pretty familiar - DMA controller, Yamaha
sound chip, the "68901 MFP" peripheral chip. An addition is a volume and
tone control chip to process the sound before output. And an RF-modulator
is standard.
I know, a lot of you are saying "Yeah, big deal. But what does it
DO?" Well, I can't review the sound quality differences or any of the
other changes because I don't have a bloody thing to try them with, and I
haven't had the time to try programming some tests yet. And maybe if
Atari could send some developer info on it someday, I can give some more
gritty details (or at least some STe Demos, please?) There's more I can
add, but I'll wait to see if anyone's interested. Oh, by the way, as I'm
looking at it right now beside me, there are a few glaring jumper wires
and kludges on the motherboard (even a piggybacked chip with pins cut off
and other icky stuff). But it's Serial #000008, after all... Got any
questions? Ask away!
Item II (second of two messages)
First off, before Atari axes my cherished developer status, I must
emphatically state that I have NOT received any developer information
(yet...) on the STe, and the unit I have is NOT a developer unit.
Therefore, non-disclosure is not in effect, and when you get down to it
Atari hasn't told me anything to disclose anyways. (They haven't even
given me access to the Developer RT yet, even though I've been a developer
for over four years, and in two countries). Everything I know about the
STe is from two sources:
1) Having it beside me (always a good place to start)
2) The excellent ST-FORMAT article mentioned earlier. The machine
(and also, I assume, the "000008" serial number) are thanks to Atari
Canada, and the short story of how I got one is that the retail store
I'm related with got one to appease us for the Stacy that kept getting
promised us for a short demo and then delayed.
Atari Canada has some allotted for Canadian developers (this too is
public information; after all, they're sitting by a wall in the warehouse
in open view), but since I'm not a game developer (and the STe
enhancements are primarily game-oriented) I didn't apply for one as a
developer.
In the end, we received it through plain ol' civilian channels for the
purpose of public display. And that's being done right now, displaying
(or at least describing) it to the public. As an observation, the reason
I like the STe is because it makes for a very nice, evolutionary
replacement for the ST series. Nothing startling or new, after all, the
ST design is virtually unchanged since 1985, and it's about time some
updating was done. I would have preferred a Mega STe, but ..oh well. I
just hope that the STe does not mark the beginning of the end for the Mega
design.
"BTW" - I severely doubt if the two 15-pin controller ports would or
could properly be used for audio input, any more than the joystick ports
on an IBM or Apple II (ick!). They are simply designed for two digital
joysticks and one set of paddles (or one analog joystick) per port! Why?
Heck if I know! It would seem to me that the resolution of the X/Y analog
inputs would not lend themselves to anything too fancy. However, in the
hands of a hack, who knows what's possible.
-- George Geczy, JMG Software.
Ed... Thanks for sharing that with us George..
_______________________________________________________________
> Recruits Needed! STReport InfoFile¿ A future in programming...
==================================
INTERSTEL NEEDS ATARI ST PROGRAMMERS
====================================
by Neil Bradley
Recently, I called Interstel Corporation, makers of EMPIRE, STAR FLEET
I, and GONE FISHING for the ST. I was curious as to the release date(s)
of EMPIRE 2 and STAR FLEET 2 for the ST. I talked to Mr. Bob Jones,
customer relations representative. Mr Jones was very frank and honest
with me, an attitude I appreciate in both a person and a company.
Mr Jones told me that yes, Star Fleet 2 was available for the IBM.
The reason that it is not out for the ST is that the programmer, Mark
Baldwin, found out that the "Real Money" for a programmer is in the IBM
world. He based this on the amount of dollars he received for the ST
version, and the IBM conversion. Mark will not be programming for the ST
any more.
Mr. Jones told me that Interstel Corporation is looking for a
programmer willing to do the Atari ST conversion of Star Fleet 2. He said
that the programmer would obtain a "Small Royalty" for each version sold.
Star Fleet 2 is written in IBM 'C'. The programmer would be required to
sign a non-disclosure agreement prior to being provided the code.
Based upon the quality of the work done previously by Mark Baldwin on
his program EMPIRE, I strongly entreat any aspiring ST programmer to
contact Interstel to consider working on this project. Empire won Game of
the Year from 'Computer Gaming World' Magazine. If nothing else, this will
give you a reference for your own work!
You may contact Interstel at:
Interstel Corporation
P.O. Box 57825
Webster, TX, 77598
Tel: (713) 486-4163
BBS: (713) 486-1877
______________________________________________________________________
> STReport InfoFile¿ Introducing... a NEW Dealer! Welcome!!
=================
*********************** Computer Emporium ****************************
* * 5033-E Rufe Snow * *
* Merry Christmas * N. Richland Hills, TX 76180 * Merry Christmas! *
* * 817-577-3470 * *
**********************************************************************
* Open from 9:00am - 10:00pm everyday! * Look for our ads!!!!! *
**********************************************************************
Xenon II 29.95 PC Speed 325.00 CE Stack 20 449.00
Ferrari Formula 1 33.00 Turbo 16 249.00 CE Stack 30 499.00
Paperboy 25.50 Video Key 69.00 CE Stack 40 569.00
Hard Drivin 25.00 Cub 3 1/2 129.95 CE Stack 65 629.00
Batman the Movie 32.00 Master 3-S 139.95 CE Stack 44RM 849.00
Knight Force 28.00 Supra 2400 119.95 CE 5 1/4 150.00
Powerdrift 32.00 Spectre GCR 239.95 10 DS/DD w/label 7.50
Altered Beast 25.50 VIDI ST 139.95 Mouse Mat 6.50
Page Stream 119.95 PS Cordless 89.95 Modem Cable 8.00
GFA Bas 3.0 w/comp 85.50 Tweety Board 39.00 Printer Cable 8.00
**********************************************************************
ST-Action 3.95 Ground 3-4 3.95 PD Game Pak of 10 2.00
ST User w/disk 6.00 Blue 2-3 8.00 PD Hard Disk Util 2.00
ST-World UK 4.25 C.O.D. add 2.75 ST Writer 3.0 w/sp 2.00
Games Machine 3.75 MC/Visa accepted!!! ST X-Former 2.00
**********************************************************************
_____________________________________________________________________
> 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)
RUGGED SEAGATE HARD DISK MECHANISMS
* ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY * OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS *
32mb #SG32238 549.00 42mb #SG44710 619.00
51mb #SGN4951 629.00 65mb #SG60101 689.00
80mb #SGN296 729.00 100mb #SG84011D 949.00
130mb #SG1244D 1099.00 145mb #SG3A421 1110.00
170mb #SGT41776 1389.00 260mb #SG1244Q 2169.00
320mb #SGN7788Q 3295.00
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 NOW for SPECIAL HOLIDAY DISCOUNTS <--*******
ORDER THIS WEEK TO GUARANTEE DELIVERY FOR CHRISTMAS!!
*** 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 NOW Available (44mb) Syquest 555 *
* SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICES *
EXTRA CARTRIDGES: 97.95 (anytime)
* SYQUEST 44MB (#555) REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE *
- SYQUEST 44 MB removable media drive - ICD ST Host Adapter
- ICD Mass Storage Utility Software - 3' DMA Cable
- Fan & Clock - Multi-Unit Power Supply
(1) 44 MB Syquest Cart.
Completely Assembled and READY TO RUN!
ONLY $869.00
We would offer floppy drives.. but Computer Shopper has 'em at the right
price. And.. you can plug 'em right into our cabinets and power supplies.
Low-Boy OR Standard Case (designed with room for another 3.5 OR 5.25"
drive) They're made for user expansion! TRUE UPGRADE-ABILITY!
* TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
SPECIALLY PRICED $1529.00
* SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
- Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
50mb SQG51 $1299.00 30mb SQG38 $1219.00
65mb SQG09 $1339.00 85mb SQG96 $1399.00
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"¿
=================
"TO INGNORE PROGRESS...
..IS TO DENY THE EXISTANCE OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS"
... Memorable Quotes
"ATARI IS BACK!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ST-REPORT¿ Issue #117 "Your Independent News Source" December 08, 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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
