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Silicon Times Report Issue 0402
*---== CPU NEWSWIRE ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
_____________________________________
from
STR Publishing Inc.
""""""""""""""""""
January 12, 1990 No.4.02
=======================================================================
CPU NewsWire Online Magazine¿
featuring
STReport ~ Online
__________________________
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 ** 500mb Online **
STR'S owned & operated support BBS
carries ALL issues of CPU/STR Newswire
and
An International list of private BBS systems
carrying CPU NewsWire for their users enjoyment
__________________________________________________________________
> Issue: CPU # 402; 01/12/90 The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine!
--------------------------
- The Editor's Podium - CPU REPORT
- O-Line! An overview.. - GEMDOS ARGV INFO
- PC DITTO II oops! - CES 1990 Report
- Cordless Mouse - CPU Confidential
---==** CIS OPENS AUSTRALIAN LINKS **==---
--==**!EXCLUSIVE! - GENIE SURVEY RESULTS - !EXCLUSIVE!**==--
==========================================================================
CPU NEWSWIRE¿
"UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
-* FEATURING *-
Current Events, Up to Date News, Hot Tips, and Information
Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
==========================================================================
CPU/STR'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¿
It seems that teamwork is the catch-phrase these days as far as our
offerings to our readers are presented.... by not only us, but others.
For this situation we are, extremely grateful to our competition, for
making sure as many readers as possible obtain the latest news and
information we present 'first' at 6pm on fridays.... <grin>
Moving right along, folks, we are on our way into the first quarter of
1990 and most of us anxiously await the re-appearance of Atari as a leader
in the US market place. Where are the are the Ads? Well, we are told
that the ad campaign is underway. However, it is focused on the Portfolio
and the Lynx. That's all well and good but what about us? the Loyal
diehards who have been here from day one? Rumor has it that the actual
push in the States is set to begin sometime during next month, February.
Thanks once again for your continued strong support!!
Ralph......
**********************************************************************
:HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
_________________________________
To sign up for GEnie service: Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.
Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
Wait for the U#= prompt.
-> Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then hit RETURN <-
**** SIGN UP FEE WAIVED ****
The system will now 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 # 49
by Michael Arthur
Remember When....
In the 1950s, scientists performed researched into a new type of
computer program called "self-altering automata", and when in the 1970s,
Xerox's Palo Alto Research Labs demonstrated a self-replicating utility
which they envisioned to be usable in many system applications, such as
tracing problems in LAN Networks, or when science fiction novels exploring
the implications of this "automata" called this type of program a virus?
CPU Systems Roundup¿ XX
=======================
Apollo, and the Tale of the Low-End 68030 Unix Workstations
-----------------------------------------------------------
When Atari first revealed that it was making a 68030-based Unix
workstation, much interest was turned towards how a reasonably powerful
Unix-compatible low-end workstation would do in the growing 'Personal
Workstation' segment of the computer industry. However, Apollo has
reopened this debate by introducing the Apollo 2500, a $4000.00 68030 Unix
workstation which appears to be poised at taking over the low/middle end
of the Unix computer industry. Since this is the same niche that the
68030 TT was intended for, let us both take a look at the Apollo 2500, and
compare it to the 68030 TT, in order to gain a more objective perspective
of this growing situation:
The Apollo 2500 uses a 20 MHZ version of Motorola's 68030 chip, and
a 20 MHZ 68882 Floating Point Math Chip. It has 4 Megabytes of RAM
onboard, and comes with a 1024*768 monochrome resolution. It also has
1 IBM AT Expansion Slot (which requires device drivers to use IBM AT Cards
with it), 1 SCSI hard disk port, and 1 Ethernet Port for interfacing with
Local Area Networks.
It currently uses Aegis, Apollo's proprietary workstation operating
system, but can run AT&T Unix System V.3. It also has Open Dialogue,
Apollo's Graphical User Interface (GUI) for Unix. One of the key features
of Apollo's operating system set is Domain/OS, or the Network Computing
System (NCS). This networking software provides many of the tools needed
for efficient workstation use of a LAN Network, such as allowing processes
(or tasks) within a program to utilize data, disks, and other resources
of another computer hooked up to the LAN. However, Apollo's Domain
Network Computing System advances this concept by allowing programs and
processes to utilize CPU processing time which is not being used by
another program on a LAN Network. Resulting in a system which can perform
distributed processing via software....
However, this all may change: Apollo is one of the charter members
of the Open Software Foundation (OSF), a group of several major Unix
Vendors developing OSF/1, a standard operating system based on Unix and
IEEE Posix standards. While the OSF has said it will consider supporting
Domain NCS in OSF/1, it seems that they may use the distributed processing
options in A/IX, IBM's implementation of Unix. Since the OSF is also
reportedly considering the use of Mach, the Unix OS that the NeXT Computer
uses, then Apollo may soon lose the advantages of its own Domain/OS....
Graphic comparison of the features of the 68030 TT and Apollo 2500:
Atari TT/Apollo 2500 Features List:
(Comparison of each Systems' Features)
_________________________________________________________________________
System Features| Atari TT030/6 | Apollo 2500 |
and Components | Cost: $4000.00 | Base System: $4000.00 |
---------------|------------------------------|--------------------------|
Processing | 16 MHZ Motorola 68030 chip |20 MHZ Motorola 68030 chip|
Features | 16 MHZ 68882 Math Chip |20 MHZ Motorola 68882 chip|
---------------|------------------------------|--------------------------|
Megabytes of |4 Megabytes of 32-Bit RAM, and| 4 Megs of 32-Bit RAM |
Standard RAM | 2 Megs of Burst-Mode RAM | |
---------------|------------------------------|--------------------------|
Description of |AT&T Unix System V.4, with the|AT&T Unix System V.3, Open|
Operating | X/Windows V11 Unix windowing | Dialogue GUI, and Domain |
Features |system, and the X/Desktop GUI | Network Computing System |
---------------|------------------------------|--------------------------|
Type of Bus | 32-Bit VME Bus Architecture | 1 Expansion Slot for |
Architecture | with Six Expansion Slots | Hard Disk Controller |
---------------|------------------------------|--------------------------|
| # of Displayable Colors | # of Displayable Colors |
| 1280*960 in Monochrome | |
Graphic Display| 640*480 w/16 Colors | 1024*768 in Monochrome |
Resolutions and| 320*480 w/256 Colors | |
Capabilities | | |
| The TT supports the ST's | |
|resolutions, and has a 12-Bit | The Apollo 2500 does not |
|per Pixel (4096 Color) Palette| support a Color Palette |
---------------|------------------------------|--------------------------|
Standard Amount| 40 Megabyte Internal | 100 Meg Hard Drive |
of Mass Storage| Hard Drive | As an Additional Option |
---------------|------------------------------|--------------------------|
Built in I/O |Atari ST Ports, and [1] SCSI | [1] SCSI |
Ports | [1] DMA [1] Ethernet Port | [1] Ethernet LAN Port |
---------------|------------------------------|--------------------------|
Sound/Audio |Uses Amy Sound Chip for Eight | Unknown at this time |
Capabilities |Stereo Sound Channels (Voices)| |
---------------|------------------------------|--------------------------|
Networking |Sun Network File System (NFS),|Domain NCS for Distributed|
Capabilities |and Ethernet Port |multiprocessing over LANs |
---------------'------------------------------'--------------------------'
Based on both this graph, and last week's System Descriptions, I
have made a comparative analysis of both systems, and made these
standings, which are classified according to the above topics:
Processing Speed:
-----------------
First Place - Apollo 2500. Since both workstations use the Motorola 68030
chip, and have a 68882 Floating Point Math chip, the criteria for
determining overall system performance is determined largely by the
computers' architectures, various coprocessors, and main CPU speed. While
the 68030 TT excels technically in terms of its overall architecture, it
just can't beat the increased MHZ speed of the Apollo 2500....
Atari TT030/6 Comparison:
------------------------
The Atari 68030 TT has Burst-mode RAM which can function as Dual Ported
Video RAM, has a Blitter chip for graphics coprocessing, and uses the
VME Architecture. But while all of these things help increase its overall
processing speed, the plain facts are that the TT has a 16 MHZ 68030, and
the Apollo 2500 has a 20 MHZ 68030 chip.
This means that, while the TT may approach or even equal the Apollo 2500
in processing speeds, and while one SHOULD be able to place a 20 MHZ 68030
into a TT, the Apollo 2500 starts out with a faster chip. But the most
important factor here is image. While the 68030 TT may be FASTER than the
Apollo 2500, people will perceive the Apollo as being faster simply
because of its higher MHZ rate....
Operating System Features:
--------------------------
First Place - 68030 TT. While both the 68030 TT and Apollo 2500 run Unix,
the Apollo 2500 doesn't come with X/Windows, the standard Unix windowing
system. This means that while many applications may run on the 2500, the
many Unix programs which use X/Windows will not. And since the 68030 TT
gives X/Windows a graphical user interface called X/Desktop, which
resembles GEM in its "look and feel"....
Atari TT030/6 Comparison:
------------------------
Along with running normal ST programs, the 68030 TT will be able to
run Unix. Atari has gotten the same company who made A/UX, Apple's
version of Unix for the Macintosh, to port AT&T Unix Version 5.4 (the
newest version) to the 68030 TT. Among other things, this has Sun's
Network File System, for file sharing among computers on a LAN. Atari has
also gotten Ixi Ltd. to port X/Desktop, a GEM-like Graphical User
Interface (GUI) running under X/Windows, to the TT. This means that the
TT has the power of Unix, combined with a Unix GUI to make it easier to
use. Furthermore, while X/Windows is a windowing standard in itself,
X/Desktop is also supported by several Unix software products, meaning
that if Atari R&D works with Unix software companies, that the 68030 TT
will have no lack of GUI-capable Unix software....
Apollo 2500 Comparison:
----------------------
The Apollo 2500 uses a version of AT&T Unix Version 5.3, but can
also run Aegis, Apollo's proprietary OS. It uses Apollo's own Open
Dialogue GUI for Unix. However, the best trait of Apollo's OS package is
its Domain NCS (Network Computing System). NCS allows CPU tasks and
programs to utilize system resources, including CPU Processing time, from
ANY workstation in a LAN Network. This means that, for example, a
spreadsheet program running on computer A could recalculate a spreadsheet
by using computer B, if both computers were connected via a LAN Network.
However, Apollo is also a member of the Open Software Foundation, as
is its parent company, Hewlett-Packard. This means that Apollo products
(including the 2500) will run under OSF/1, the Unix OS being designed by
the OSF, when it is introduced. But interestingly enough, the OSF has
indicated that it may not include Domain NCS into OSF/1, meaning that the
Apollo 2500's advantage with Domain NCS may only be temporary....
Expandability:
--------------
First Place - Atari 68030 TT. It uses the VME Expansion Bus, which is
not only used in Sun Workstations, but has been a standard for years. As
a result, there are hundreds of VME cards out on the market. In
comparison, the Apollo 2500 does not have any open expansion slots....
Atari TT030/6 Comparison:
------------------------
The 68030 TT uses a full 32-bit version of the VME Expansion Bus,
which was developed by Motorola and others. Besides being optimized for
the Motorola 680x0 series of processors, the VME bus has been in use since
the early 1980's, and as such, has a vast number of VME boards available
for it. Ironically, though, while most VME cards will be able to work
with the 68030 TT without modification, many boards which handle specific
operations (such as 24-bit graphics cards, or coprocessor boards) will
need to have device drivers written in order to work with the TT.
Meaning that the 68030 TT's expandability in this area depends on
Atari actively lobbying and working with the makers of VME Boards so they
can leap to the support of Atari's Unix Workstation Line. While this may
have seemed like Science Fiction only a few months back, Atari's recent
improvements in Developer Support, coupled with Charles Cherry's wise
efforts, may make this scenario more realistic....
I/O Ports/Networking:
---------------------
First Place - Atari 68030 TT. While the Apollo 2500 only has support for
an Ethernet or IBM Token Ring LAN Port, the 68030 TT provides all of the
necessary I/O ports (such as SCSI, RS-232, and Ethernet ports) which would
make it desirable in the low-end workstation market. In terms of software
support for computer networking, the 68030 TT will support Sun's Network
File System (NFS), which is a Unix standard for accessing files and
resources over a LAN Network. However, Apollo's Domain NCS networking
system is more powerful than NFS, and while it may not be as widely
supported, does give the Apollo 2500 added functionality. But in terms of
overall performance, the 68030 TT outshines the Apollo 2500 in this area.
Market Outlook for the Apollo 2500 and 68030 TT
-----------------------------------------------
Apollo 2500 Outlook:
-------------------
Given its performance against the 68030 TT, one might expect the
outlook for the Apollo 2500 to be grim. But contrary to the opinions of a
few, the Apollo 2500 should do very well in the Unix workstation industry,
simply because of the market which it was targeted at. The Apollo 2500
has NO disk drive and no expansion slots, it does have a lot of memory
capacity, good processing speed, and a usable high resolution monitor.
While the above may not be a good recipe for a microcomputer, it is
practically ideal for a low-end Unix terminal. Large businesses who have
bought high-end microcomputers or workstations often need to interconnect
their business through a LAN Network, but cannot afford the cost to buy
similarly powered computers for their entire business. With the Apollo
2500, these businesses will be able to buy an efficient low-end Terminal
which will both function well as a Node in a LAN Network, and cost
comparatively little money. And while this market may seem mundane, it
seems that this may be the largest untapped market in the workstation
industry. And good niches are very hard to find....
68030 TT Outlook:
-----------------
Since the 68030 TT runs TOS, has many improvements over its
predecessor (including VGA-style graphics), and has an industry-standard
expansion bus, the TT seems a fitting upgrade to the Atari ST. Being in
the $2500 to $5000.00 price range, the 68030 TT is obviously aimed at the
middle to high end of the market, and is intended for the ST User who
wants to upgrade to a more powerful system. Given all this, the 68030 TT
seems destined to become the ST's successor.
But since it is in the same price range as the Mega ST's, is aimed
at the same market, and uses an industry standard bus (while Atari shunned
the Mega ST's expansion bus to the effect that there are VERY few boards
out for it), the 68030 TT makes the Mega ST obsolete. And since Atari
will
probably not support any good policy allowing ST owners to trade-in their
Megas and upgrade to the 68030 TT for a price, the TT will be a harbinger
of tough luck for present Mega ST owners....
The TT030/6 is directly poised at the new 'Personal Workstation'
market, which promises to grow into a billion-dollar industry in the next
few years. It meets all the requirements for a workstation, as it has
AT&T Unix, compatibility with standard LAN Networking Systems, and
graphics which, though not spectacular, would be a desired asset for many
low-end workstations. Given that low-end Unix workstations aren't
currently targeting its niche, the TT030/6 has a great shot at propelling
Atari into the middle/high end of the microcomputer market. The TT030/6
will be especially popular in Europe, where there is a massive need for
good Unix workstations, and where Atari has enough clout to make the TT a
standard in the business market.
However, the 68030 TT may not be so lucky in the US, where most
people who need Unix would now, given the choice of the Atari TT030/6,
probably choose to pay more for a Sun or IBM that is less powerful,
because companies in those markets have two dominating advantages:
1) Companies like Sun and Apollo are more recognized for quality
products in that market, and their capability to SUPPORT that market. We
all know Atari makes good computers, but the potential for ENORMOUS
revenue that Atari could make off the 68030 TT will be seriously
jeopardized if plans aren't established for a Sales Force which would
lobby these companies for sales. Sun and Apollo have built their
businesses on having Regional Sales and Support Teams which would be best
suited for selling workstations in their district, and supporting their
customers so they will come back in the future.
One way that Atari could quickly establish such a sales force is to
build relationships with currently available options. For example, if
Atari were to get Computerland or Businessland to sell TT030/6's, not only
would Atari have a TREMENDOUS sales tool for their computer, but the
technical support resources needed to endear businesses to Atari would
come with the package. Also, the Public Relations bonanza that would
result from Atari getting someone like Computerland to sell their
computers would be priceless (and free) advertising for the ST line....
2) Sun and Apollo have "name/product recognition". This means that
the names "Sun Microsystems" and "Apollo" are synonymous with powerful
workstations with great abilities. IBM and Apple also have "name/product
recognition" in the microcomputer market. Apple gained its renown fairly
recently, and now it is making $5.3 Billion Dollars a year. Commodore is
trying to give the Amiga "name/product recognition", so they can also
become more prosperous.
Given that Atari's computers often provide more price/performance
than any of the aforementioned companies, it would be tragic if Atari were
not to give the Atari ST and TT "name/product recognition" via new
strategic marketing plans. In fact, often having good "name/product
recognition" in the desired marketplace can make a computer company a lot
of money, and since the Tramiels generally like to make more money....
But ponder, if you will, these questions:
1) Given the 68030 TT and ATW's advanced features, what is the
possibility of the main users of Unix workstations (mainly large
universities, Research Labs, and corporations) not readily accepting
the 68030 TT or the ATW in the US until the Atari ST's current status
in the US computer market improves to a certain extent?
2) Apple dealers are reporting that the sales of the Mac IIcx alone
(Cost: $5000.00) outnumber their combined sales of the Mac Plus and
Mac SE. How does this situation apply to the 68030 TT, which is aimed
at the same market as the Mac IIcx?
CPU STATUS REPORT¿
==================
Redmond, WA Microsoft has released a ROM-based version of MS-DOS
----------- version 3.3. Now licensed by several portable PC
makers, including Poqet Computer for its $2000.00
handheld PC, this ROM can save up to 40K of RAM over
the disk-based DOS. Given that Digital Research's
DR-DOS operating system (which clones MSDOS), released
several months ago, can also be executed from ROM
chips....
Cambridge, MA The Open Software Foundation, a consortium of major
------------- Unix vendors developing a new Unix standard, has
announced that OSF/1, the first release of its new
operating system, will be available by July 1990. It
recently released OSF/Motif, the Unix Graphical User
Interface standard which it developed, on schedule, so
so OSF/1, like the EISA Expansion Bus, may not become
vaporware, as has been speculated....
Bristol, England Following SGS Thompson's purchase of Inmos, and its
---------------- drastically cutting prices on its Transputer line of
microchips, Inmos Ltd. has announced that it is
developing a new version of the Transputer, which will
be MUCH faster at vector and integer operations, have
a built in 8-32K Static RAM cache, and include a
built-in hardware memory management chip. However,
this chip is expected to be introduced by 1991...
_____________________________________________________________________
> GEnie Survey Results CPU/STR FOCUS¿ Saying it with a smile.....
==================================
GEnie Atari ST Customer Survey
==============================
December 1989 - January 1990
This survey was designed to give GEnie a measurement of how well we
stack up to our main competitor, CompuServe. More than 700 people took
the time to reply, with hundreds of them sending messages of followup to
go into more detail on the answers.
Before we start off with the results, I'd like to thank all of you for
helping us out on this. All replies were useful and will help us steer
the development of GEnie and the ST area.
1. What computer(s) do you have?
A. Atari 520ST (no upgra 77 11%
B. Atari 520ST with extr 212 30%
C. Atari 1040ST 320 45%
D. Atari Mega 2 or 4 185 26%
E. Atari 8-bit 164 23%
F. Atari Portfolio 20 03%
G. IBM PC or clone 84 12%
H. Apple Macintosh 21 03%
I. Commodore 64 or 128 18 03%
J. Commodore Amiga 14 02%
K. Other 37 05%
Response: 711 out of 712 total visitors
--------
Almost half the people have 1040ST computers. Very few have
unexpanded 520 ST's, with a surprisingly large number of Mega 2 and 4's.
Overall, GEnie users have more sophisticated systems than the typical
user. And most of you have several computers as well -- the average is
1.6 computers per person.
*****
2. Which kinds of files do you like to download?
A. Demo Programs 272 38%
B. DeskTop Publishing 265 37%
C. Games 367 52%
D. Music or Digitized So 169 24%
E. Online Magazines (ST 353 50%
F. Pictures or Animation 278 39%
G. Practical Application 482 68%
H. Press Releases 155 22%
I. Programming Tools 275 39%
J. Programs for kids 129 18%
K. Support files for sof 428 60%
L. Utilities or Desk Acc 597 84%
Response: 707 out of 712 total visitors
--------
There was a clear winner here -- Utilities and Desk accessories are
downloaded by a whopping 84% of the respondents. Practical applications
and files supporting software you own are also very popular. Only kids
programs fared poorly in the survey, although download counts on those
kinds of files are still fairly strong. Those of us who have kids get
them, but lots of you must not.
*****
3. What is your typical monthly GEnie bill?
A. Less than $5 18 03%
B. $5-10 72 10%
C. $10-15 110 15%
D. $15-20 104 15%
E. $20-30 156 22%
F. $30-50 128 18%
G. $50-75 62 09%
H. $75-100 20 03%
I. over $100 29 04%
Response: 699 out of 712 total visitors
--------
The typical bills seem to be higher than average. You must like us!
Almost half the responses are under $20 per month, though, which is pretty
normal.
*****
4. If the Atari ST RoundTable could be offered to you at a flat
monthly price, what's the highest amount you think would be
reasonable?
A. $5 month 51 07%
B. $10 116 16%
C. $15 83 12%
D. $20 94 13%
E. $25 104 15%
F. $30 51 07%
G. $40 27 04%
H. $50 31 04%
I. Would pay by the hour 136 19%
despite the availability of a flat monthly price.
Response: 693 out of 712 total visitors
--------
This question made a lot of people nervous. I can't go into all the
reasons why we asked it, but we did learn a lot from it. More than half
the responses came in at $15 per month or less (including those who would
not accept a flat rate). The bottom line here is a flat rate only works
if it saves you money, and not just a few of you. There is no plan at
this time to charge a flat rate for access to the RT, especially if it
would penalize light users.
*****
5. Do you also have an account on CompuServe?
A. Yes, and have used it 229 32%
B. Yes, but have not use 186 26%
C. No 295 41%
Response: 710 out of 712 total visitors
--------
A majority of you also have CompuServe accounts, but less than a third
of you have active accounts. Thanks! ;-)
*****
6. If you also have a CompuServe account, which
system do you like better, GEnie or CompuServe?
A. GEnie 444 62%
B. CompuServe 42 06%
Response: 486 out of 712 total visitors
--------
Wow! By more than a 10:1 margin, GEnie is preferred. We were
ecstatic with this answer and with many of the very kind comments you sent
us by email after the survey. We'll try to do even better as time goes
by.
*****
7. If you have a preferred system, what features make you like
it better?
A. Atari Corp. and devel 262 37%
B. Bulletin board 210 29%
C. Local telephone call 197 28%
D. Other services on the 144 20%
E. Price 381 54%
F. Software libraries 392 55%
G. Sysops 151 21%
Response: 607 out of 712 total visitors
--------
The biggest winners here were the GEnie libraries, which you find are
bigger and easier to use, and the price. No answer scored less than 20%,
which is great -- it means you care about all the things we also care
about. For those people who picked CompuServe, the most common answer was
D, other services on the system. Since we've added 45 new products to
GEnie in 1989 and have about the same number planned for 1990, we hope to
see there be almost no reason to use another service. If we don't have
what you're looking for, ask and we'll try to help.
*****
Thanks again to all the survey participants, and have a great 1990.
---> Neil Harris @ GEnie HQ
__________________________________________________
> OUTLINE ART CPU/STR Feature¿ ISD'S new, super offering....
===========================
OUTLINE ART -> REAL MUSCLE
==========================
CALAMUS - DTP
by R.F. Mariano
a brief overview, a full review is in the works...
ISD, the folks who bring you Calamus and DynaCadd are about to bring
the competition to their knees with the imminent release of Outline Art.
or O-Line for short. This is an art program which manipulates vector
graphics thus producing stunning image and text special effects.
O-line uses vector co-ordinates to ascertain the position and outline
of graphics created. Upon re-sizing the graphic, the outline vectors
intelligibly expand relevant to each other, thereby preserving the
resolution of the image. Using these vector co-ordinates, the attainable
effects are beyond the imagination of most everyone, experienced or not.
The algorithms needed to accomplish these feats are coded into the program
thereby eliminating the use of many small utility programs that try to
come close to the results O-Line produces.
Incidently, since Calamus uses vectors to display the screen fonts,
the enlargement of characters and their outlines remain perfectly smooth.
Because Calamus can utilize vector or object oriented images, O-Line
becomes a virtual powerhouse allowing you to import your designs into
Calamus and produce absolute knockout results.
The entire process of creating an outstanding graphic representation
in O-Line begins with the establishment of start points in say, making a
custom logo for your company. After you have begun and have described
these points, you'll be presented with a menu that handles the text input
to the logo or whatever you are in the midst of creating. This menu
allows the loading of fonts and the positioning and justification of the
text. Additionally, this menu also permits the selection of greyscale and
its intensity if you so wish to use it. Greyscales are a series of greys
varying in intensity from almost black to almost white. When implemented,
greyscale affords the user an opportunity to impart rather spectacular
depth perception to the finished product.
With O-Line, dazzling three dimensional results are available through
the combination of geometric shapes etc. and grey scaling. Full text flow
is available to the user and coupled with the stretch and compress
functions text can be made interestingly attractive and attention getting.
In closing, Calamus users note; O-Line is an absolute must have the
results will by far, out weight your investment. The release of O-line
and when combined with Calamus, will finally put to an end the question of
whether or not the Atari DTP system is superior to DTP systems in use by
other computers. It is light years ahead of these other systems.
For more Information, contact your dealer or;
ISD Marketing Inc.
P.O. Box 3070
Markham Industrial Park
Ontario, Canada L3R6G4
1-416-479-1880
______________________________________________________
> FTL Speaks Up CPU/STR OnLine¿ Candid Answers from FTL
============================
Ctsy GEnie Atari RT
Sorry I've been offline for a while. Because of time constraints I
can only log on about once a week.
- - -
Regarding Game Speed: The speed loss is due to the greater number of
creatures in CSB. They each need CPU time to try and hunt you down.
- - -
Regarding Game Bugs: We'd like to hear from anyone with reports of a
game bug. I don't handle these requests, but if you call Debbi Nelson
at our office at (619) 453-5711 she'll take your information. It helps
us to know your exact machine configuration (model, # of drives, RAM,
accessories installed, etc.)
- - -
In the past, our most common problem has been damaged saved games. We
have improved the error checking on CSB saved games, but, of course,
nothing's perfect.
- - -
Regarding IBM DM: Yes, the rumors are true. Dungeon Master will soon
be available for the IBM PC. However, I want to emphasize that it is
not our intention to favor one machine over the other. We released CSB
on the ST first as a special tribute to ST users, because we started on
ST and ST users helped us grow and prosper. However, in the future our
goal is simultaneous release across all formats we support. To support
this goal we've been busy behind the scenes in 89. Last year we brought
DM to Japan (just to help the trade deficit a little.) And, in Japanese!
All coded in the good ole' USA on the three most popular Japanese PCs!
One version was a full CD/ROM version with 16 bit CD music produced for
a new Japanese computer called the "FM Towns." Look for this technology
to migrate to our games in the USA.
- - -
Regarding Loading Speed: Yes, DM and CSB on the ST are probably the
slowest loading games in history. We're sorry. But, it is a difficult
problem because of the amount of data we try to cram on the disk. We
use single sided disks because many ST users still have only single
sided boot drives. This requires a lot of data compression which slows
down loading. I've heard a suggestion to allow installation to a
hard disk. This is a good idea and we are considering how to do this
in the future. We've avoided it in the past because TOS seemed to be
in a state of flux. However, now things seem to be settling down.
- - -
Regarding Saved Game Uploading: I don't mean to make a big stink over
this, but unfortunately there are more serious problems we face, such
as piracy, that require us to protect our copyrights aggressively. If
we allow some materials to be copied, but restrict others it could
weaken our position with regard to piracy. The idea to separate user
created data and copyright data is a good one. We just didn't consider
it before, but I'll look into it.
However, we encourage you to upload Champion Portrait files which are
your own creation. That was why we defined a separate portrait file
type. If anyone is interested, we could publish the file format.
- - -
Regarding Game Suggestions: We are happy to have people write us with
suggestions for future games. We read every letter we receive on the
subject. In fact, we have a company bulletin board (near the
refrigerator, which all the programmers frequent.) where we post the new
letters. We're sorry that we can't reply more often, but please keep
them coming!
- - -
Well, since Chaos is just out, I'm sure it is "Chaos" at FTL and they
would probably appreciate letters more than phone calls, anyway, here
is their address and phone number:
Software Heaven/FTL Games
6160 Lusk Blvd Suite 206
San Diego, Ca 92121
619) 453-5711
_______________________________________________________________
> "THE MOUSE" CPU/STR Review¿ Practical Solutions' Infrared beauty.
==========================
"THE DAYS OF CLUMSY MOUSE CORDS ARE NUMBERED!!"
R.Mariano, STReport
Infrared.. the magic is known, Testy, short for Testarossa, as we call
this tailless mouse, is the power behind one of the greatest new products
for the user's comfort and ease of use. Practical Solutions has, without
a doubt, arrived at the cutting edge of high technology with this
exquisite mouse. One must use the mouse for a few short hours to feel it
superbly smooth handling and sure footed performance.
Lets take a moment and talk about Practical Solutions, they have
offered to the ST community many 'practical solutions' to otherwise P.I.A.
problems confronting the user. For example, the mouse and joystick ports
under the keyboard on the 520 & 1040 ST and STE machines, this has to be
one of the greatest sources of aggravation to most every ST user.
Practical Solutions provided the, now world famous, Mouse Master. Until
the advent of the Multi-sync monitor, two separate monitors and of
course, their connecting cables became another real P.I.A., until
Practical Solutions came forward with the Monitor Master. Why are we
talking about the well known products from P.S.? Easy answer... to give
you an idea of how intense the service and dedication from Practical
Solutions truly is. Knowing this, it becomes apparent to see why the
users find it so easy to readily accept new products offered by them for
use in the Atari computer userbase.
The 1990's promise to be the decade of sophisticated technology
coupled with first class reliability. If the new Infrared mouse offered
by Practical Solutions is any indication, we are in for some wonderful
treats in the way of 'amazing hardware'. If you have any inclination to
get a new mouse, don't hesitate about the wireless mouse from Practical
Solutions.
"Using this mouse is like stepping from a Ford Escort
...into a full house Testarossa!"
To order your Cordless Mouse
or
obtain more information
CALL or WRITE
Practical Solutions Inc.
1135 N. Jones Blvd.
Tucson, Arizona 85716
1-602-322-6100
______________________________________________________________
> GEMDOS NOTES CPU/STR Tech Notes¿ Good Info....
===============================
CTSY USENET->FNET->CROSSNET
Article 5130 of comp.sys.atari.st:
>From: kbad@atari.UUCP (Ken Badertscher)
Subject: GEMDOS Extended Argument Spec (LONG)
GEMDOS EXTENDED ARGUMENT (ARGV) SPECIFICATION
Introduction
The Pexec() function of GEMDOS allows a program to pass to a child process
a command line up to 125 characters long, with arguments separated by
spaces. No provision is made in GEMDOS for the child to know its own
name. This makes it difficult for C programs to correctly fill in
argv[0], the standard place where a C program finds the command which
invoked it. Because the command line arguments are separated by spaces,
it is difficult to pass an argument with an embedded space. This document
will specify a method of passing arguments which allows arbitrary argument
length, embedded spaces, and support for argv[0].
Standard Argument Passing
The Pexec Cookbook specifies how to use Pexec() to launch a child process,
passing a command tail (argument string) and an environment. Before
getting into the extended argument scheme, let's review how arguments are
normally passed to a child.
A parent process builds a command line into an argument string - a null
terminated string whose first byte contains the length of the rest of the
string - and its address is passed as one of the arguments to Pexec().
GEMDOS copies this argument string to the basepage which it creates for
the child. Thus the parent is responsible for gathering all the child's
arguments into one string. This is normally handled by a library exec()
function. The child is responsible for parsing the string of
space-separated arguments back into an array of strings. This parsing is
normally handled by the child's startup code.
Evolution
Several methods of bypassing the limits imposed by Pexec() have been used
by GEMDOS programs. Some allow a user to specify a file on the command
line which contains the rest of the arguments. Others get a pointer to
the arguments, or the arguments themselves, from the environment string.
Most MS-DOS programs use a command file for the extra arguments. This can
be inconvenient for a user, cluttering the file system with command files,
and making the operation of batch files and makefiles more confusing.
Several "standards" have arisen on the ST which use the environment to
pass arguments. While more convenient than command files, these standards
have other problems. Some rely on sharing memory between parent and child
processes. Some take advantage of undocumented features of the operating
system to get argv[0]. Others give the child process no way to validate
that the arguments it finds are intended for it.
Rationale
In order to pass more than the standard 125 characters worth of arguments
to a child, or to let the child find its name, the parent must place the
extra information in a place where the child can access it safely and
legally. The most convenient place is in the child's environment string.
An environment string is a series of null-terminated strings of the format
"VARIABLE=value" (e.g. PATH=c:\bin,c:\etc, or ShellP=YES). The last
null-terminated string in the environment is followed by a zero byte, thus
two consecutive nulls indicates the end of the environment. The
environment is allocated for the child by GEMDOS, it is owned by the
child, and its contents can be specified by the parent.
The child must have some way of knowing that the arguments which it finds
in its environment are intended for it. The child may have been invoked
by a parent which does not conform to this specification. Such a parent
would leave _its_ arguments in the environment, and could pass that
environment on to the child. The child would mistakenly interpret its
parent's arguments as its own.
Placing arguments in the environment passed to the child gets around all
of the command line limits of the standard Pexec() command tail. Because
there is no limit on the length of the environment, arbitrary length
arguments are supported. Arguments placed in the environment are null
terminated, so they may contain spaces. A parent can also place the name
of the command with which it invokes the child in the child's environment,
providing support for argv[0]. Validation of the extended arguments can
be placed in the standard Pexec() command line, by assigning a special
meaning to an invalid length byte.
The GEMDOS Extended Argument Specification
This specification uses the convention that the presence of an environment
variable named ARGV (all upper case) indicates that extended arguments are
being passed to the child in its environment. This means that ARGV is a
"boolean" environment variable. For the purpose of this specification,
its value is not significant, but its presence indicates that the strings
following it are the arguments for the child. Implementations of this
specification are free to give the ARGV environment variable any value.
The ARGV environment variable must be the last one in the environment
passed to the child, so that the child can truncate its environment at
that point, and treat everything before the ARGV as environment, and
everything after it as arguments.
The first argument to the child (argv[0]) is the first string in the
environment after the ARGV variable. This argument is the "pathname"
parameter passed by the parent to Pexec(). The remaining arguments are
those that the child would normally find in the command tail in its
basepage. Even if all of the arguments would normally fit in a child's
command tail, the parent should set up the arguments in the environment
to take advantage of the benefits of this extended argument scheme.
As many arguments as will fit in the command tail will be passed there as
well as in the environment, to support non-conforming programs. As a flag
that arguments are also in the environment, the length byte of the command
tail will be 127 (hex 7f). Non-conforming programs should not have a
problem with this length byte, because it is longer than the maximum 125
bytes allowed by Pexec().
As an aside, the Pexec Cookbook erroneously implies that a command line
can be 126 or 127 characters long. In fact, GEMDOS only copies to the
child's basepage up to 125 bytes, or until it encounters a null, from the
argument string passed to Pexec(). It ignores the length byte, placing a
null at the same place it found one or at the 126th byte if no null is
found. This has several implications: the length byte is not validated by
GEMDOS (necessitating validation in the child's startup code, but also
making this extended argument spec possible), and the null terminator
_can_ be located after the end of the real command tail (the Desktop
places a CR character after the command tail and before the null). The
ARGSTART.S startup code listing below demonstrates how to correctly
validate and parse a GEMDOS command tail.
A child which finds an ARGV environment variable can use the command tail
length byte value of 127 to validate that the arguments following the
variable are valid, and not just left over from a non-conforming parent
which left its own ARGV arguments in the environment.
Because the strings in the environment following an ARGV variable are not
environment variables, a child should truncate its own environment at the
ARGV variable by changing the 'A' to a null.
Implementation: Parental Responsibilities
To pass arguments in the environment, a parent must create an environment
string for the child. This can be achieved by first allocating as much
space as is used in the parent's own environment, plus enough room for the
ARGV variable and the arguments to the child, and then copying the
parent's environment to the newly allocated area. Next, the ARGV variable
must be appended, since it must be the last variable in the child's
environment string. Following the ARGV variable is the null-terminated
pathname of the child as passed to Pexec(), then the null-terminated
arguments to the child, followed by a final null byte indicating the end
of the environment.
After setting up the arguments in the environment, the parent must place
as many arguments as it can fit in the command tail it passes to Pexec().
This way, a child which does not conform to this specification can still
get arguments from the command tail in its basepage. When placing
arguments in the environment, the parent must set the first (length) byte
of the command tail to 127 (hex 7f), validating the arguments in the
environment.
Here is an example execv() library routine in C. It uses three local
utility routines, e_strlen(), e_strcpy(), and str0cpy() for getting
environment size and copying strings into the environment created for the
child.
/* EXECV.C - example execv() library routine
* ================================================================
* 890910 kbad
*/
long Malloc( long nbytes );
long Pexec( short mode, char *filename, char *tail, char *env );
long Mfree( void *address );
/* Return the total length of the characters and null terminators in
* an array of strings.
* `strings' is an array of pointers to strings, with a null pointer
* as the last element.
*/
static long
e_strlen( char *strings[] )
{
char *pstring;
long length = 0;
while( *strings != 0 ) { /* Until reaching null pointer, */
pstring = *strings++; /* get a string pointer, */
do { /* find the length of this string, */
++length; /* using do-while to count the */
} while( *pstring++ != 0 ); /* null terminator. */
}
return length; /* Return total length of all strings */
}
/* Copy a string, including the null terminator, and return a pointer
* to the end of the destination string.
*/
static char *
str0cpy( char *dest, char *source )
{
do { /* use do-while to include null terminator */
*dest++ = *source;
} while( *source++ != 0 );
return dest;
}
/* Copy an array of strings into an environment string, and return a
pointer
* to the end of the environment string.
* `strings' is an array of pointers to strings with a null pointer
* as the last element.
* `envstring' points to the environment string.
*/
static char *
e_strcpy( char *envstring, char *strings[] )
{
while( *strings != 0 ) {
envstring = str0cpy( envstring, *strings );
++strings;
}
return envstring; /* Return end of environment string */
}
/* Run a program, passing it arguments according to the
* GEMDOS Extended Argument Spec.
*
* `childname' is the relative path\filename of the child to execute.
* `args' is an array of pointers to strings to be used as arguments
* to the child. The last array element must be a null pointer.
* `environ' is a global array of pointers to strings
* which make up the caller's environment.
*/
long
execv( char *childname, char *args[] )
{
long envsize, ret;
char *parg, *penvargs, *childenv, *pchildenv;
short lentail;
char argch, tail[128], *ptail;
static char argvar[] = "ARGV=";
extern char *environ[];
/*
* Find out how much memory we'll need for the child's environment
*/
envsize = e_strlen( environ ); /* length of environment */
envsize += e_strlen( args ); /* plus command tail args */
/* plus length of argv[0] */
parg = childname;
do { /* use do-while to include null terminator */
++envsize;
} while( *parg++ != 0 );
/* plus length of ARGV environment variable and final null */
envsize += 7;
envsize += envsize & 1; /* even # of bytes */
/*
* Allocate and fill in the child's environment
*/
ret = Malloc( envsize );
if( ret < 0 )
return ret; /* Malloc error */
childenv = (char *)ret;
pchildenv = e_strcpy( childenv, environ ); /* copy caller
environment */
pchildenv = str0cpy( pchildenv, argvar ); /* append ARGV variable
*/
pchildenv = str0cpy( pchildenv, childname ); /* append argv[0] */
penvargs = pchildenv; /* save start of args */
pchildenv = e_strcpy( pchildenv, args ); /* append args */
*pchildenv = 0; /* terminate environment */
/* put as much in the command tail as will fit */
lentail = 0;
ptail = &tail[1];
while( (lentail < 126) && (penvargs < pchildenv) ) {
argch = *penvargs++;
if( argch == 0 ) {
*ptail++ = ' ';
} else {
*ptail++ = argch;
}
}
/* terminate command tail and validate ARGV */
*ptail = 0;
tail[0] = 127;
/*
* Execute child, returning the return code from Pexec()
*/
ret = Pexec( 0, childname, tail, childenv );
Mfree( childenv );
return ret;
}
/* End of execv() example code */
Implementation: Prenatal Responsibilities
A program's startup code must handle getting extended arguments out of the
environment. The startup code should get the basepage pointer off the
stack, then get the environment pointer from the basepage, and search the
environment for "ARGV=". If "ARGV=" is found, the command line length
byte in the basepage is checked. If the command line length byte is 127,
then the arguments in the environment are valid. The first argument
begins after the first null following the "ARGV=". It is important not to
assume that the null follows immediately after the "ARGV=", because some
implementations may assign a value to the ARGV environment variable.
After setting up an array of pointers to the arguments, the startup code
should set the 'A' of the "ARGV" variable to null, thus separating the
environment from the argument strings (remember: a double null terminates
the environment).
Here is some example C startup code which shows how a child could look for
arguments in its environment:
* ARGSTART.S - example C startup code
* using GEMDOS Extended Argument Specification
* ================================================================
* 890910 kbad
.globl _main ; external, C entry point
.globl _argv0 ; external, name used for argv[0] if no ARGV
.globl _stksize ; external, size of application stack
.globl _basepage ; allocated here, -> program's basepage
.globl _environ ; allocated here, -> envp[]
.globl _argvecs ; allocated here, -> argv[]
.globl _stklimit ; allocated here, -> lower limit of stack
.BSS
_basepage: ds.l 1
_environ: ds.l 1
_argvecs: ds.l 1
_stklimit: ds.l 1
.TEXT
_start:
move.l 4(sp),a5 ; get basepage
move.l a5,_basepage ; save it
move.l 24(a5),a0 ; bss base
add.l 28(a5),a0 ; plus bss size = envp[] base
move.l a0,_environ ; save start of envp[]
move.l a0,a1 ; start of env/arg vectors
move.l 44(a5),a2 ; basepage environment pointer
tst.b (a2) ; empty environment?
beq.s nargv ; yes, no envp[]
lea.l (sp),a4 ; use dummy return pc on stack for ARGV test
* --- fill in the envp[] array
nxenv: move.l a2,(a1)+ ; envp[n]
move.l a2,a3
nxen1: tst.b (a2)+
bne.s nxen1 ; get the end of this variable
tst.b (a2) ; end of env?
beq.s xenv
* --- check for ARGV
move.b (a3)+,-(a4) ; get 1st 4 bytes of this var
move.b (a3)+,-(a4)
move.b (a3)+,-(a4)
move.b (a3)+,-(a4)
cmp.l #'VGRA',(a4)+ ; is it ARGV?
bne.s nxenv
cmp.b #'=',(a3) ; is it ARGV=?
bne.s nxenv
clr.b -4(a3) ; ARGV marks the end of our environment
cmp.b #127,$80(a5) ; command line validation?
bne.s nargv ; nope... and we're done with the env.
* --- got an ARGV=, create argv[] array
clr.l (a1)+ ; terminate envp[]
move.l a1,_argvecs ; save base of argv[]
nxarg: move.l a2,(a1)+ ; argv[n]
nxar1: tst.b (a2)+
bne.s nxar1
tst.b (a2)
bne.s nxarg
* --- end of environment
xenv: move.l _argvecs,d0 ; if we got an argv[]
bne.s argok ; don't parse command tail
* --- No ARGV, parse the command tail
* NOTE: This code parses the command tail IN PLACE. This can cause
problems
* because the default DTA set up by GEMDOS for a program is located
* in the command tail part of the basepage. You should use
Fsetdta()
* to set up your own DTA before performing any operations which
could
* use the DTA if you want to preserve the arguments in the command
tail.
nargv: clr.l (a1)+ ; terminate envp[]
move.l a1,_argvecs ; base of argv[]
move.l #_argv0,(a1)+ ; default name for argv[0]
lea 128(a5),a2 ; command tail
move.b (a2)+,d2 ; length byte
ext d2
moveq #125,d1 ; validate length
cmp d1,d2
bcs.s valen
move d1,d2 ; if invalid length, copy all of tail
valen: clr.b 0(a2,d2) ; null tail because desktop inserts <cr>
moveq #' ',d1 ; space terminator
get1: move.b (a2)+,d2 ; null byte?
beq.s argok ; if so, we're done
cmp.b d1,d2 ; strip leading spaces
beq.s get1
subq #1,a2 ; unstrip start char
move.l a2,(a1)+ ; and store that arg
get2: move.b (a2)+,d2 ; next char
beq.s argok ; if null, we're done
cmp.b d1,d2 ; if not space...
bne.s get2 ; keep looking
clr.b -1(a2) ; terminate argv[argc] in the command tail
bra.s get1 ; get next arg
argok: clr.l (a1)+ ; terminate argv[]
* --- allocate stack
move.l a1,_stklimit ; end of env/arg vectors is stack limit
add.l _stksize,a1 ; allocate _stksize bytes of stack
move.l a1,sp ; set initial stack pointer
* --- release unused memory
sub.l a5,a1 ; size to keep
move.l a1,-(sp)
move.l a5,-(sp) ; base of block to shrink
pea $4a0000 ; Mshrink fn code + junk word of 0
trap #1
lea 12(sp),sp ; pop args
*
* Everything beyond here depends on implementation.
* At this point, _environ points to envp[], _argvecs points to argv[],
* and _stklimit points to the end of the argv array. Thus argc can
* be calculated as ((_stklimit-_argvecs)/4)-1.
* _main could be invoked as follows:
*
move.l a5,-(sp) ; basepage
move.l _environ,-(sp) ; envp[]
move.l _argvecs,-(sp) ; argv[]
move.l _stklimit,d0 ; 4 bytes past end of argv[]
sub.l (sp),d0 ; (argc+1) * sizeof( char * )
asr.l #2,d0 ; argc+1
subq #1,d0 ; argc
move d0,-(sp)
jsr _main ; call mainline
lea 14(sp),sp ; pop args
A Final Note
This specification was formulated with careful deliberation, and with
input from several companies and developers who have created development
tools for GEMDOS. The Mark Williams extended argument passing scheme was
the main influence for this specification, because it has been in use, and
supported by Mark Williams and other companies for several years. This
specification is very similar to the Mark Williams scheme, with the
following important exceptions:
1) Under the specification, the arguments after the ARGV environment
variable may be validated by checking the command tail length byte. The
Mark Williams execve() library function uses the command tail length byte
as a telltale, but it is not checked by the crts0 startup code. This
validation is important for the reasons mentioned in the Rationale section
above.
2) The specification allows the ARGV environment variable to take on any
value. Mark Williams uses the value of ARGV as an iovector, which is
described in the Mark Williams documentation. The iovector should no
longer be needed, as its primary purpose was to simplify the MWC
implementation of the C library function isatty().
3) Some versions of the MWC startup code do not require the ARGV= to have
an `='. Because ARGV is an actual environment variable in the
specification, the equals character is required.
--
||| Ken Badertscher (ames!atari!kbad)
||| Atari R&D System Software Engine
/ | \ #include <disclaimer>
Editor Note:
Why must this highly informative material come to everyone through
such an involved path? (UseNet -> FNET -> CrossNet) The MAJOR services
reach many more users and developers than FNET or USENET can hope to
reach. Is it because the major services are NOT looked upon as being a
REAL vehicle to deliver this data to the userbase? Surely this will be
rectified and this type of information will become available to all
services. After all, we all KNOW Atari is not desirous to offend any
users.......
__________________________________________________________
> PC DITTO II CPU/STR InfoFile¿ Headaches in Sleepy Hollow...
=============================
Reprinted with permission
NewsBytes News Service
by Steve Gold
PC DITTO II, MS-DOS FOR THE ATARI ST, SHIPS
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 06 (NB) -- Avant Garde, the
Florida-based ST hardware and software systems specialist, has begun
shipping PC Ditto II, a hardware version of its software package that
allows the Atari ST to emulate a PC running under MS-DOS.
PC-Ditto II costs $299-95, according to William Teal, a partner in Avant
Garde, and is capable of running most IBM PC software to PC-AT speed
standards, on all Atari ST and Mega ST models. The product's processor -
PC Ditto I - completed the same function under software, but only to PC-XT
speeds. Avant Garde claims that PC Ditto II has a Norton SI rating of
3.0, which compares with an IBM PC-XT rating of 1.0, the IBM PS/2 Model 30
rating of 1.8 and a Zenith EZ-20 rating of 2.6.
Teal said that PC Ditto II will appeal to existing users of the Atari ST
series as a utility. "Many people purchase the Atari ST for features
inherent in it. Yet, they also desire access to that large base of IBM
software," he said. "Many of our buyers (of PC Ditto I) are people that
like to take work home, but don't want to spend exorbitant sums of money
on a PC compatible. Other consumers are small businesses that cannot
afford and do not need more expensive computers. Both of these groups
require a product that is very compatible, fast and also inexpensive. PC
Ditto II fulfills that need," he added.
Teal went on to say that PC Ditto II was developed after all the bugs were
ironed out of PC Ditto I. PC Ditto I was a software only emulation,
whereas PC Ditto II is a hardware-based package, allowing advances in PC
emulation speed to be made, whilst still taking advantage of the ST's
processing power.
PC Ditto I, the software-only PC emulation package on the ST, continues to
retail for $89-95. Registered owners of PC Ditto I can obtain a $150
discount voucher towards the purchase of PC Ditto I.
(Steve Gold/19900106/Press & Public Contact: Avant Garde Systems - Tel:
904/221-2904)
---====***====---
Editor Note:
Presented above is the Good News.... We showed that to allow all to see
most of us were overjoyed to see the new emulator was finally shipping.
Below, we present a smattering of the "proverbial act of hitting the fan".
A.KLYM posts:
In my prior message I said that I would not try to install my PC-DITTO II
until this weekend. However, I found that I couldn't wait. I own an old
520 ST with an AERCO EasieST memory upgrade. I can't find any way that I
can fit my PC-DITTO II into my machine. The board and the connecting
ribbons are just too big. I am giving up for tonight. The only hope I
have is to take it all to the local store which used to sell the ST and
see if they can build up my case or build some sort of jerry-rigged
expansion box. I am very disappointed. Avant-Garde, please let us know
what the explanation is for this problem. Will you have a different board
for those of us who own old 520ST models? Is there some alternative way
to install PC-DITTO II in our machines?
J.KARP posts:
I have the same problem exactly with my newly installed PCDITTO II as
ELROD [Rick] above. I am stymied as have checked all of the connections
a dozen plus times... Also, no diagnostic program (as mentioned in the
manual) was included on the disk, so I don't know at to try next. Are you
listening Bill (Teal)? HELP!! Also, some users have mentioned a problem
with the size of the board... well my 1040 has the 68000 under the
keyboard, and even the clip won't fit inside the RF shield, never mind the
main board. Anyway, I cut a slot in the vents in the bottom of my case,
and ran the cables into a little box (the low profile metal box at Radio
Shack is the perfect size for the board. The connections all seemed
simple, so why doesn't it work???
Here; we present the replies sent to users experiencing one problem or
another...
AVANTGARDE posts;
ELROD
We have found that the lockups occur mostly due to poor connections.
Please recheck them (you may ultimately have to have them soldered, if
your 68000 is oxidized).
AVANTGARDE posts;
A.KLYM
Sounds like there is too much machinery under the hood. Please check with
your dealer and see what he says (I would have to see your machine to give
you a clear answer.). pc-ditto II fits in the 520 (old model) with room
to spare.
AVANTGARDE posts;
J.KARP
Have you checked the connections. That is where we have found the
problems to lie in other units? Also, the board should fit between the
power supply and disk drive in the 1040, and the cables are long enough to
allow the clip to attach to a 68000 under the keyboard. Which REV
motherboard does your 1040 have?
Thanks!
EDITOR NOTE:
At this point in time, we wish to submit that we have interviewed a
number of recent recipients of the new Ditto II package, and it now
appears that only those with revision 3 of the 1040 motherboard are
having little or no difficulty. We advise those of you who are having
difficulty please correspond with AG forthwith and bring your system
configuration to their attention.
The bottom line here is we are seriously concerned that AG, when
designing PC Ditto II, did not pay closer attention to the strong
possibilities that ST'ers would already have a multitude of goodies
installed. A 5 INCH BY 7 INCH PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD IS RATHER ON THE
LARGE SIDE AND COULD EASILY CONFLICT WITH OTHER ADD-ONS. (memory, etc.)
We are confident that AG will come up with an in-the-field fix, for
everyone, in the meantime, the official stance is the PCB was designed
with the revision 3 1040 motherboard in mind. Hmmm where, does that leave
the mega owners and especially those with the Moniterm board, Math Co-pro
and T16 already installed? Must these goodies be done away with? Also, a
number of folks have complained about the diagnostics spoken of in the
manual not being present on the disk. Regretfully, we find that getting
through to AG is "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE", all we can say is keep trying. If
the answering machine is at work.... don't give up hope.....
In recent posts, AG has stated the press would receive the review
units first.... well, STR is proud to say we are among those who are
still waiting.... and paid the coupon price of $150.00, speaking of
which, we now formally request a refund of same.
____________________________________________________________
> STACEY, A Tale CPU/STR Feature¿ Stacey, a Princess from Nod.
==============================
STACEY, A PRINCESS FROM NOD
===========================
by C. Medley
The following is a fairy tale.
The characters do not exist and bear no resemblance to real people. At
least, I hope they don't!
This story begins in the land of Nod.
Nod is ruled by a young princess whose name is ...Stacey.
Stacey loved computers. She used a mammoth machine with based on
transistors reminiscent of ENIAC during the 60's. However, she also
yearned to have the freedom to go wherever she wanted and still enjoy her
wonderful computer. However, one day, from a land beyond "where the sun
sets", a man came to the kingdom, seeking an audience with the royalty of
Nod. Repeatedly, both the people of Nod and Stacey's advisors rebuked
him as nothing more than a "common peddler".
Soon, the "common peddler" found out that the young princess sought
a computer. He felt that he could gain great wealth and influence in Nod
if he could make such a machine, much like ENIAC, but portable. But he
also knew that he would have to face the dread forces of the FCC, the one
unstoppable force that he would have to appease before attempting to make
his "portable computer".
So he labored away, hour after hour, attempting to conform carefully
to the ideal of the "portable computer" that Stacey wanted. When he was
done, he went to the great temple of the imperious High Lord elder, and
told him to examine his work for flaws. He knew that if the High Lord
found fault in his workmanship, the FCC would never let him show it to
Stacey.
As he approached the altar, he placed his computer on it and waited
for the High Lord. The High Lord then entered the temple and examined the
computer. He deemed it to be worthy for use by a blacksmith or a
minstrel, but not good enough, even for a commoner. Thinking to himself
of how he could make the most of the situation, the "common peddler"
began to scheme. He figured that the princess Stacey would be pleased to
buy his "portable computer" under the auspices of being a minstrel, and
then grant him great wealth and influence.
So he snuck into Castle Nod, and left a note for Stacey telling her of
his wondrous invention and how she may acquire it by posing as a simple
minstrel. When Stacey awoke, he was sure she would see his letter. And
when she read it, it was a certainty it would please her, and that she
would be grateful to him and grant him the very wealth and influence he
sought...
However, that very night, the brooding forces of the FCC gathered.
They set the standards for what was permissible as a computer in the land
of Nod. And they had contacted the High Lord about this "common peddler".
In their omniscient ways, they knew of his limited approval of the
"portable computer" but also knew that the manure peddler's intents, in
the case of Stacey, were not to make an industrial device. Verily, they
had deduced it was a computer and had to conform to very stringent
requirements, especially if it was to be portable. They decided they had
to inform the peddler that he could not sell his portable computer to
anyone, despite the limited approval of the High Lord.
Meanwhile, at his humble abode, the peddler was sleeping soundly,
dreaming of all the wealth and influence he would gain the next day....
but suddenly, his dream was interrupted and he awoke to see the face of
the High Lord before him as he lay on his bed.
"You must not tell the people of Nod that you can give them this
machine, wonderful though it may be! It does not conform to what the
all-knowing, all-seeing, FCC mandates! Verily, yours is not an
industrial device, and it certainly would be good for minstrels and
blacksmiths, however, it must ONLY operate when attached to the industrial
tools of either trade!"
"But, I have already told the princess of this portable computer, and
of how she can acquire one by posing as a minstrel! What am I to do?"
But the High Lord answered him not, and he left the manure peddler to
contemplate the error of his ways.
As the sun rose to herald the coming of a new day, the princess awoke
from her slumber. Examining her table, she saw the carefully scripted
note, left by the manure peddler. Upon reading it, she was so excited,
she immediately dressed up and prepared for the journey to the "Minstrel
Instrument Store", where she should be able to get this wonderful portable
computer.
But, alas, when she arrived, there was neither hide nor hair of it.
She asked the proprietor of the store about it, and he lowered his voice
to a whisper and said: "Ah yes, milady... there was talk of such a
machine, and verily, 'twould be a wonderful tool for the minstrel. But
such a machine would be able to work in its own right, not just as a part
in a very large machine. And therein is the problem.... I hear tales
that the forces of the FCC approved it for the very purposes for which it
cannot be used!"
"But what will I do? I grow weary of being bound to my home when I
wish to use my computer!"
"All we can do is wait... and hope"
____________________________________________________________
> Stock Market ~ CPU NewsWire¿
===========================
THE TICKERTAPE
==============
by Michael Arthur
Concept by Glenn Gorman
Stocks were not traded on New Year's Day. Atari Stock went down 1/8
of a point on Tuesday, and was down 3/8 of a point on Wednesday. On
Thursday, it went up 3/8 of a point, and went up 3/4 of a point on Friday.
Finishing up the week at 9 1/4 points, Atari stock is up 5/8 of a point
from the last report.
Apple Stock is up 2 1/2 points from Friday, Dec. 29, 1989.
Commodore Stock is down 1 point from 12/29/89.
IBM Stock is up 5 5/8 points from 12/29/89.
Stock Report for Week of 1/02/90 to 1/05/90
_________________________________________________________________________
STock| New Year's | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
Reprt| Day |Last Chg.|Last Chg.|Last Chg.|Last Chg. |
-----|------------|-------------|-------------|------------|-------------|
Atari| ----- |8 1/2 - 1/8|8 1/8 - 3/8|8 1/2 + 3/8|9 1/4 + 3/4|
| | | | | 96,800 Sls |
-----|------------+-------------+-------------+------------+-------------|
CBM | ----- |10 5/8 - 1/8|10 3/8 - 1/4| 10 - 3/8|9 3/4 - 1/4|
| | | | | 64,100 Sls |
-----|------------+-------------+-------------+------------+-------------|
Apple| ----- |37 1/4 + 2 |37 1/2 + 1/4|37 5/8 +1/8|37 3/4 + 1/8|
| | | | |1,107,200 Sls|
-----|------------+-------------+-------------+------------+-------------|
IBM | ----- | 98 + 3 7/8|98 7/8 + 7/8| 100 +1 1/8|99 3/4 - 1/4|
| | | | |1,890,500 Sls|
-----'-------------------------------------------------------------------'
'Sls' refers to the # of stock shares that were traded that day.
'CBM' refers to Commodore Corporation.
_________________________________________________________
> AUA NewsNotes CPU/STR InfoFile¿ Keeping up to date...
==============================
AUA NEWSLINE
============
by D.C. Signorini
My apologies to everyone expecting my articles in the last two
issue's of this journal. It appears that Ralph and I were having a data
communication problem that left my articles on Ralph's doorstep
unreadable. I believe that we have worked this minor technical difficulty
out and you will be reading my articles once a week. Ah, the perils of
modern communication technology and the never ending quest for a reliable
means of file compression and transfer. So, better late than never, on
with the 1990 show.
All of us make a new year's resolution or two. Some of us keep that
resolution while others let theirs dwindle away into "what I should have
done this year." My resolution (one of them) for the new year is to give
100% to the AUA and getting this monstrosity of a project underway and
supported by thousands of ST users. It is not an easy job. I am sure
that Robert Guadagno will agree with me on that! However, there are
several people in the Atari Elite organization and a few people in the
software industry who have pledged their hard work and support to the AUA.
Without them, and your support, the AUA would not survive!
If you missed my first article in STReport, I encourage you to get it
and read it. In that issue I explained a little of what happened to the
AUA in the later half of 1989 and informed the community of my goals for
the AUA in 1990. Instead of repeating all of that in this article, I ask
that you get issue number 118 and read it!
Well, in the past few weeks, along with celebrating Christmas and
getting ready for my first annual New Year's Eve Bash at my house, I was
able to square away and iron down a few details of AUA membership. You
will find below a list of benefits and a membership application. As I
mentioned in my previous column, the AUA is FREE to every Atari user.
However, the Atari Elite and myself were able to negotiate 2 other
benefits packages that I believe will be likewise attractive to all of
you. Remember, you do not have to pay a penny to be a member of the AUA
and have a voice in the ST community. However, if you want to receive the
Atari Elite newsletter, the Electronic Chronicles (see below), or the AUA
Newsletter published 4 times a year, then you will have to select one of
the other packages depending on your needs and wants. Please remember
also that the Atari Elite is a non-profit organization and that the dues
that you send in are only to cover the costs of mailings, disk
duplication, disk cost and publishing fees. I wish that I could offer the
AUA membership free newsletters, but at this time, that is not feasible.
At any rate, the packages requiring payment are not too damaging on the
pocket book, especially if you consider what you are getting in return for
your dues.
As for the people who have already sent in applications in early
1989. I have not yet at this time developed a plan for you. At this
time, all of you are on the AUA membership list under the free package
indicated below. Your membership will expire in May of this year, and if
you wish to continue your free AUA membership for one more year, then you
must submit a new application. So, if you will take the time to do that,
I will extend your membership NOW for the membership year ending May,
1991. If you plan on selecting one of the other pay packages then I
encourage you to do so now. Again, if your name appears on my database as
a AUA member from 1989, you will be given either an extended paid
membership for 14 months or something equally attractive to you. The
board of directors of the Atari Elite has promised me that those people
who have already sent in their applications prior to 1990 will be "taken
care of." I also ask that if you have had a change of address in the
past year to fill out a new application and send it to me so that I can
make the change in the database so that we can contact you.
This week I had the opportunity to speak with the people at
Microtyme Computers in Kettering, Ohio. In the last issue we learned
that STR awarded Microtyme the Golden Fuji Award for excellence in
support for the Atari ST computers. Before reading that particular
article by Ralph, you could have called me and asked me who I thought was
the best all around dealer/distributor for Atari products and I too would
have said Microtyme. I have dealt with Microtyme on a personal and
business level for almost 4 years now and I can honestly say that I have
never had a single complaint with the way they handle orders, their
service, or their overall knowledge of the Atari ST market place. I have
trusted Microtyme and I turn to them for all of my personal and business
needs and I am always quick to recommend Microtyme to anyone who needs
anything for their ST.
As you may already know, from my past few articles, I have been in
contact with several dealers about support for the AUA. Out of the 6 or 7
that I contacted, Microtyme has been the most cooperative and are willing
to go the extra mile to help support the AUA. This I knew they would do,
but I had to check with other dealers to make sure that I would not be
stepping on any toes as is very important when you want to form a national
organization and will be pointing potential sales in one direction or
another. As I said, John at Microtyme, was very enthusiastic about the
AUA and has agreed to work with me on discounts and mass purchases. So,
as my first official announcement for the AUA, Microtyme computers will be
an Official Supplier of the Atari User's Organization. I hope that we
will bring added business to Microtyme over the course of the year, and I
hope that you will also extend added support to their fine operation. The
address and telephone number of Microtyme is:
MicroTyme
4049-51 Marshall Road
Kettering, OH 45429
1-800-255-5835
When I am able to work out more details of support from Microtyme,
I will certainly pass this information on to you. One thing that I want
to stress. I am not attempting to remove support from your local dealers.
By all means, support them first. But, if for any reason you can not find
what you are looking for, then give Microtyme a call. I am also aware
that many areas in the country do not have a local dealer. In this case,
you will receive the service you want and expect from Microtyme. Give
them the support they deserve. Congratulations to Microtyme and I hope
that their extraordinary support for the ST community will continue long
into this decade.
On to business. The response to the re-structuring of the AUA
throughout the community has been very positive. I have received several
phone calls from people offering their help in getting the AUA back on its
feet and many have given me much needed encouragement and support. Keep
the calls and letters coming in as your requests and suggestions are
always welcome. Remember, the AUA is YOUR organization. I would also
like to thank Jon Clarke from Auckland, New Zealand for his support and
for his help in spreading the word of the AUA down under. He will be
helping me contact several user groups in his country as well as a few in
Europe. I am very optimistic that the AUA will be very welcomed in
countries abroad. Thanks again, Jon, for your enthusiastic support!!
I still have a great deal of work to do for the AUA. I do not want
to rush things and have everything tumble down as they did this past
summer. I want to build a concrete structure for the AUA so that the
organization will endure all the bad storms and will prosper from all of
the great opportunities. So, please do not expect immediate results.
Things like this take a great deal of time. My major concern is getting
people to join. Once we get an idea of how much support we have, we can
begin to offer more to the userbase. So, take the time and fill out the
AUA application. Membership to the AUA is FREE! You can join for the
price of a stamp. If however, you find the other 2 pay packages more
attractive, then I encourage you to contribute and join the AUA.
--------------------------- Clip Here ---------------------------
////////// // // ////////// ** ** **
// // // // // // ** ** **
// // // // // // ** ** **
////////// // // ////////// ** ** **
// // // // // // *** ** ***
// // ////////// // // *** ** ***
THE ATARI USER'S ASSOCIATION SUPPORTING THE REVOLUTION
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Thank you for your interest in the Atari User's Association.
Please take the time to complete this application and mail it
to the address below.
=========================================================================
First Name:_____________________ Last
Name:_______________________________
Address:________________________________________________________________
City:________________________________ ST:____
Zipcode:____________________
Country:_____________________________
Age:(optional)_______________________
Telephone: ( ) - _________________ Occupation:__________________________
[ ] Check here if you want your name on the AUA Public Membership
Directory
(This will allow you to be placed on national mailing lists for Atari
ST products and information)
=========================================================================
HARDWARE: [ ]520ST [ ]1040ST [ ]MEGA 2 [ ]MEGA 4 [ ]STacy [ ]Other
MONITOR : [ ]COLOR [ ]MONO [ ]OTHER:____________________________________
DRIVES : [ ]DSDD [ ]SSDD [ ]HARD DRIVE Model/Size:____________________
PRINTER : [ ]9 Pin Dot Matrix [ ]24 Pin Dot Matrix [ ]Laser [ ]DeskJet
Printer Model:____________________________________________________
MODEM : Max Speed [ ]300 [ ]1200 [ ]2400 [ ]4800 [ ]9600 [ ]14,400
Modem Model:______________________________________________________
OTHER __________________________________________________________________
EQUIPMENT
__________________________________________________________________
=========================================================================
Primary Use of your Atari
Computer:_________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
If you are a member of a User Group, Please give: Name, Address,
Telephone,
BBS # (if applicable), and President's
Name:________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Comments:_______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
I can be reached at FNET node:___________ and/or FIDO
node:_________________
=========================================================================
MEMBERSHIP FEES: [ ] Non-Active AUA Membership -- $ FREE $
[ ] Active AUA Membership -- $ 5.00/year
Please Select ONE [ ] Active Dual AUA/Atari Elite -- $ 15.00/year
=========================================================================
Mail to: The Atari User's Association
C/O The Atari Elite, Inc.
P.O. Box 18293
Pittsburgh, PA 15236
=========================================================================
MicroTyme Computers is an official supplier of the AUA at 1-800-255-5835
=========================================================================
The Atari Elite, Inc. is a non-profit organization. Atari Mega 2, Mega 4,
520ST, 1040ST, and STacy are registered trademarks of Atari Corporation.
=========================================================================
------------------------ Clip Here ---------------------------
_______________________________________________
> POINT/COUNTERPOINT? CPU/STR OnLine¿
==================================
CTSY GENIE ATARI RT
Category 14, Topic 40
Message 203 Tue Jan 09, 1990
J.Allen at 00:08 EST
After looking at the last 4 years I have to say Atari should be
brought before congress as an example of how American companies are so
screwed up. Atari should be held high as an example of how NOT to do this
and that. From both a marketing AND a manufacturing point it is
inconceivable that so many versions of the STE can exist. You put the
SIMM sockets in for what purpose? A user to upgrade? Well all I can say
is things are financially tough enough for the company, to go and have to
stock 4 versions of the SAME machine, differentiated by pluggable memory
only, and having to correctly forecast demand for each iteration is
absolutely INSANE! That's like Apple having a "line" of plus's, the
PLUS-1, PLUS-2, and PLUS-4. Obviously Apple isn't quite THAT stupid, they
sell the memory "on the side" and they price it too high because they
DON'T want to be in the memory business...too unstable. When is Wall
Street going to give Atari the "corporate slap-upside-the-head"?
And the issue of no 520s in the warehouse, I used to have two dealers
in the area but they just couldn't seem to get product. Maybe they
weren't paying their bills, either way, the lack of deliveries toasted
them, so now in the middle of a special...the $399.95 520 we find that
dealers can't get any product. Guys the idea of having a special is to
sell product, not to say we have a special. A special isn't particularly
special without product to sell for the "special" price :-)
Category 14, Topic 40
Message 205 Tue Jan 09, 1990
TOWNS at 01:23 EST
Once again, Jim.. you amaze me with your overwhelming attitude. It
makes me never want to call GEnie again. Hmm, now there's an idea..
On a serious note for the rest of the crowd.. What is wrong with
Atari making STE machines with different memory sizes? We buy memory
in large quantities and probably can buy it cheaper than most people
could on the street. What is wrong with us offering a machine with
the appropriate amount of money? Maybe we can offer a 2 meg machine
for less money than it would cost to buy the 520 version and upgrade
it to 2 megs! Not to mention those people out there who are using a
computer for a specific task and don't want to be bothered with SIMMS
or memory upgrades, but just want to buy the computer and use it..
-- John
------------
Editor Note:
Having been known for being 'outspoken' in the past, I find myself
hard pressed to not agree with J. Allen in this commentary, Allen
correctly points out one of the MAJOR marketing faults of Atari. As a
result, he is unduly chastised and a foolhardy attempt is made at making
him appear less informed than he is. John, you blew it on this one..
marketing is obviously not your forte....
The bottom line is simple, .. the userbase is very interested in a
number of memory configurations, of this there is no doubt. Let the
dealers/users perform their own memory upgrades. That is the common sense
way to accomplish the job. Furthermore, the STE should, without a doubt
be offered in the Mega Style, two piece cabinet, the majority of users
have already expressed a strong desire for such a choice yet all the input
seems to fall upon deaf or worse, smug, know-it-all ears. It is time
Atari began to listen to the the guys paying the bills, you know, the
folks who down in their pockets and peel off the cold, hard earned, cash.
Folks, we would like to hear concerning this matter and any other
suggestions you may have for Atari. Especially concerning the future and
the new cabinet design (wedding cake) for the TT and its non swivel
monitor.
_________________________________________________________________
> CPU NEWSWIRE CONFIDENTIAL¿ Sayin' it like it is.....
=========================
- New York City, N.Y. ***** USERBASE BEGINS ASKING POINTED ?s *****
-------------------
When is the STE going ON SALE IN THE STATES? Remember a certain
online conference where our 'fearless leader' said we will release and
sell in the States first? Hmmmm Canadian dealers HAVE the STE and its on
sale all over EUROPE!! It AIN'T available in the States. The FCC is
being blamed for this, something about a small added shield being needed.
Atari, when in heaven's name are you going to begin listening to those who
care the most about the future of the company? In regard to the STE, many
voices have already been heard BEGGING for the STE design to appear in a
Mega style case, and with 1mb of simm ram thus allowing the dealers to
upgrade the machines to meet the memory requirements needed by the
prospective purchaser. Additionally, there have been good suggestions
made that approach sanity in customer support, increased sales, profits
for Atari and joy for the ST owners. IE; Manufacture and market a cable,
much like the one that is supplied with the Mega, that would allow the
Mega keyboard to be used with ALL ST computers.
- Albany, N.Y. ****** LS74 MOD FINALLY DETAILED! ******
------------
Early T16 units came with a 74LS74 that is supposed to be piggy
backed to the 74LS32 (U78) on the Megas. It is supposed to be a fix that
even Atari puts into their computers now. Here's what you do:
1. Bend up all the pins on the 74LS74 except pins 7 and 14.
2. Cut the trace on the bottom of the motherboard that goes from pin 12
of the 68000 to pin 12 of the expansion port.
3. Solder pin 7 of the 74LS74 to pin 7 of the 74LS32 (U78) and solder
pin 14 of the 74LS74 to pin 14 of the 74LS32 (U78).
4. Using wire wrap wire, connect pin 2 of 74LS74 to expansion port pin
12.
5. Connect pin 3 of 74LS74 to pin 15 of the 68000.
6. Connect pin 4 of 74LS74 to pin 18 of the 68000.
7. Connect pin 5 of 74LS74 to pin 12 of the 68000.
8. All pins that don't make connections anywhere can be cut or left bent
up (as long as it isn't touching anything).
Atari does this to some of the later Megas that came out. Some
however have a similar upgrade with the 74LS74 soldered on top of the
68000 which would have to come off when installing an accelerator. This
fix works well with Blitters that are on National Semiconductor chips and
SGS-Thompson chips. From what I've heard, there are some real problems
with STs that have the Blitters by GE-RCA chips... Hope this little hack
can solve your problem with random dots on the screen and crashes.
- Sunnyvale, CA. ***** EVERYBODY OUTTA THE POOL! *****
-------------
The POOLFIX.PRG program that was uploaded recently has some problems.
It shouldn't cause any damage, but most of the time it will crash your
machine. We are working on a corrected version of this program and should
have it available soon. Please discontinue use and delete any copies you
have of the current POOLFIX.PRG.
We apologize for any problems this may have caused you. We will have
an updated version in the next day or two.
-- John Townsend
Atari Corp.
________________________________________________________
> Hard Drive Info CPU/STR 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
_________________________________________
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_____________________________________
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)
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* 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)
***** POST HOLIDAY SPECIALS ARE IN EFFECT! *****
*** 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"¿
=================
Valuable ZIRCONS Dept.
"MONKEY SEE ...MONKEY DO!"
...Ziggy Zagnutz
"THE NEW WAVE OF ATARI!"
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CPU/STR¿ "Your Independent News Source" January 12, 1990
16/32bit Magazine copyright ½ 1989 No.4.02
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Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
the editors, staff, CPU NEWSWIRE¿ CPU/STR¿ or CPU Report¿. Reprint
permission is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. All reprints must
include CPU NEWSWIRE, CPU/STR or CPU Report and the author's name. All
information presented herein is believed correct, the editors and staff
are not responsible for any use or misuse of information contained herein.
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