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*---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
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August 03, 1990 No.6.31
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> 08/03/90: STReport¿ #6.31 The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine!
-------------------------
- The Editor's Desk - CPU Report - CPU MacNews
- Neodesk 3 Overview - WAACE Updates - MIST News
- Delphi STR Online CO - Cordless Mouse - STR CONFIDENTIAL
* GRIBNIF SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES NEW NEODESK 3! *
* DEVELOPERS MUST RE-APPLY FOR GENIE ACCESS!! *
* START CANCELS SEPT. ISSUE! *
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> The Editor's Podium¿
Since its the summer, and most of us take our vacations during this
time of year, I too, will be grabbing an extra two days a week for the
month of August, Mondays and Tuesdays. This will afford me the long
weekends and an opportunity to take some time out to "smell the flowers".
On another note Atari is, from what we are told, working feverishly to
correct the STe DMA thing so hang in there folks all will be set in a
short while.
This column is brief this week so we could allow more room to our
featured articles and the Delphi Online Conference with yours truly as the
guest..
As Always, many thanks for your strong support!
Ralph......
Hey Antonio..... Be NICE!!
***********************************************************************
> CPU REPORT¿
==========
Issue # 78
by Michael Arthur
Remember When....
In May 1976, Gary Kindall copyrighted CP/M, the first industry
standard operating system, and started a company called Digital Research
in order to further it?
Or when, after Intel released the 8086 microchip in June 1978,
Digital Research flung many of its resources into making a multitasking
version of CP/M, rather than an 8086 version of CP/M, and later ignored
the queries of a company called IBM as to licensing CP/M for use on a
personal computer that it had under development?
CPU Dream Systems¿ VII
======================
Enhanced HAM, Media Engines, and Other Peripherals of Note
----------------------------------------------------------
Change is the only constant in the computer industry. As the
capabilities of microcomputers increased during the 1980's, they began to
provide the versatility, performance capability, and speed found in the
workstation field. In order to survive in the computer industry,
microcomputers have had to quickly improve. However, in most instances
third-party peripherals are the avenue through which microcomputers'
capabilities grow fastest.
Therefore, this section features examples of hardware peripherals
and computer systems which are both noteworthy as innovations in the
computer industry, and are unique in their respective markets. After
doing some research, I found a few pieces of hardware that could truly
claim to be "Peripherals of Note". Shown in no particular order, here is
my list:
PERIPHERAL #1: EXPANZ REAL-TIME DATA COMPRESSION BOARD
-------------------------------------------------------
InfoChip Systems Inc. is now shipping a data compression board for
the IBM PC. Called Expanz, this board increases the storage capacity of
any floppy, tape, or hard disk by an average factor of three. It does this
by compressing the data on disks in real-time (read: as it is being
accessed by DOS). As an extra feature, it also boosts data transfer rates
from disk, because the data which is being sent is logically compressed,
and takes less time to be sent.
The Expanz card compresses most files by a factor of three. However,
on CAD or image files it can shrink files by a factor of up to 15. Not
unexpectedly, the Expanz Card's compression is least effective on both
executable code, and archived files (ARC/LZH/ZOO/SIT/etc. files). In
these cases, it registers compression ratios of around 1.3:1....
The Expanz Card intercepts all read/write data requests. If data is
to be saved, the card stores it in a 32K Static RAM Cache, and uses a
proprietary coprocessor chip to compress the data. It then sends the data
to the system's disk controller. If data is to be read, it decompresses
the data from the disk before sending it to DOS. The coprocessor is fast
enough to handle compression/decompression in real-time (as it is faster
than the PC AT's Disk Transfer rates), and as such, the Expanz card is
completely transparent to both DOS, and all hard disk controllers....
Interestingly enough, IBM, Compaq, Dell, and MANY other major PC
companies are negotiating with InfoChip to use the Expanz technology on
future motherboard designs. Also, Novell is working with InfoChip to
modify the Expanz technology for LAN fileservers, so that all traffic on
a Local Area Network is in compressed format (resulting in MUCH faster
data transfer rates for LANs).
The Expanz Card fits in an XT 8-bit slot. However, InfoChip also
plans to show a MicroChannel-compatible version of the Expanz Card at this
year's Fall Comdex. Cost: $200.00. To get more information on the
Expanz Card (or if Atari wishes to look into using the Expanz technology
in future products), here is InfoChip's Address:
InfoChip Systems Inc.
2840 Sam Tomas Expressway
Santa Clara, CA 95054
1-408-727-0514
PERIPHERAL #2: MOTOROLA 96002 DSP CHIP - "MEDIA ENGINE"
--------------------------------------------------------
Motorola has now introduced a new version of their line of Digital
Signal Microprocessors, called the 96002. The 96002 is a 32-bit floating
point math chip based on the same architecture begun by Motorola's 56001
24-bit Digital Signal Processor (or DSP) Chip, which is used on the NeXT
Computer. Curiously, while many of the NeXT Computer's innovations (like
graphical user interfaces for Unix, magneto-optical drives, and Display
Postscript-like systems) are gaining much popularity in the computer
industry, DSP technology has not gained the same renown, even considering
its great capabilities.
Digital Signal Processors are designed to serve as coprocessors in
applications such as speech synthesis, real-time data acquisition, image
processing, or other areas in which digital data sets must be quickly
analyzed or manipulated. Digital Signal Processors are also programmable,
in order to be able to perform operations on any type of digital data.
Running at 33 MHZ, the Motorola 96002 is capable of performing 165
million operations per second, 50 MIPS (million operations per second),
and 16.7 MFLOPS (million floating point operations per second). Like the
68040, which can perform integer and floating point operations
concurrently, Motorola has designed the 96002 so it can analyze and
manipulate several segments of digital data in parallel.
One of the applications of this capability is rendering true color
(24-bit) color images while simultaneously generating stereo sound. With
the current excitement over multimedia, Motorola emphasized the name,
"Media Engine" for the 96002. It is hoped that this will both illustrate
the varied uses for it, and gain more popularity in the computer industry
for Digital Signal Processor technology....
PERIPHERAL #4: HAM-E FOR THE AMIGA (VIDEO BOARD)
------------------------------------------------
Black Belt Systems has introduced a new hardware peripheral for the
Amiga, called the HAM-E graphics system. HAM-E is a graphics processor
board which provides the Amiga with two new graphics modes, which are:
- REG Mode: This mode provides a 320*200 resolution (or 320*400 with
interlacing) with 256 displayable colors out of a 24-bit color palette
(or 16,776,216 colors). REG Mode has up to 236 usable color registers,
for animation application such as color cycling.
- HAM-E Mode: This mode is an Extended HAM (Hold-And-Modify) Mode,
which can display 262,144 colors at the same time with a 24-bit color
palette, at a 320*200 resolution. Here is an excerpt from Black Belt
Systems' Press release, further explaining how this is done:
--------------------
*** HAM-E Mode:
The second mode is the Extended HAM (Hold-And-Modify) mode. This mode
provides 236 24-bit color registers in four banks of 59, and full 18 bit
HAM capability. You can have 262,144 colors on screen at one time (in
exactly the same way "standard" HAM allows you to have 4,096) and instead
of having 16 color registers available to enhance "fast-edge" color
changes, you have 236, which are accurate to 24 bits (16 million colors).
You use this just like you use HAM mode, but you get:
(1) More than a quarter-million more simultaneous colors than standard HAM
mode (or any "normal" Amiga mode) can provide;
(2) You have much better sharp edge color changes because you have 59
immediately available color registers you can use to load the R, G and B
guns with no delay or HAM artifacts to a precision of 24 bits (16 million
colors);
(3) You have the ability to change anywhere in the picture to a new set
of 59 color registers - the cost is one pixel that does not change at all
from the previous pixel. Obvious "good" places to do that are at the
beginning of a scan line, or in an area of an image that is not currently
changing (say, the contour of a cheek). Remember, it only takes one pixel
and there is no processor overhead involved, no interrupts, no blitter.
It's all directly dependant on the pixel data in the image.
--------------------
Like the REG Mode, the HAM-E mode is fully compatible with Genlocks
and the IFF picture format, as well as supporting full register-based
color cycling. Like the Amiga's standard graphics modes, the HAM-E system
displays its images inside a standard Amiga window, and acts exactly as if
it was designed into the Amiga as standard. As such, the HAM-E's modes
can be interlaced, and its images can be accessible via the CPU or blitter
chip. However, there is NO CPU or Blitter overhead in maintaining images
produced by the HAM-E. Resulting in increased system performance....
Impulse (Turbo Silver CAD program), NewTek (Digipaint), Electronic
Arts (DeluxePaint, Deluxe Photo Lab), MicroIllusions (Photon Paint II),
and ASDG (Professional ScanLab, ScanLab 100) have expressed interest in
supporting the HAM-E system when it is introduced. Meaning that most of
the graphics and desktop video applications out for the Amiga will
probably support HAM-E when it is introduced....
The HAM-E is plugged into the Amiga via the RGB Port. It has its
own RGB port, for connecting a monitor or genlock. It also works with
all Amigas, and produces 24-bit RGB output. HAM-E is expected to be
shipping before the end of the year. Cost: Around $300.00.
If you want more information on the HAM-E Display System, Black Belt
Systems can be reached at:
Black Belt Systems
398 Johnson Road
Glasgow, Montana, 59230
Voice/FAX: 1-406-367-5509
8am to 5pm, Mountain Standard Time.
Part I of this series has featured a list of several hardware
peripherals in the microcomputer/workstation field which can truly claim
to be both uniquely innovative, and noteworthy in their specific
marketplaces. In Part II, CPU Report will attempt to compile a list of
"Dream Systems", or noteworthy configurations of several microcomputer and
workstation systems that could currently be the best in the industry, and
shown the individual features which make the system. But just as this
issue alone indicates several changes in the structure of the Dream
Systems Essay, the hardware peripherals shown above certainly indicate
certain trends in the computer industry....
CPU MacNews¿
===========
Adobe Introduces Adobe Type Manager 2.0, Illustrator 3.0
--------------------------------------------------------
Adobe Systems Inc. has recently announced Adobe Type Manager 2.0 for
the Macintosh. The new version of ATM is around 2 to 2.5 times as fast at
displaying text and printing Postscript text than ATM Version 1.2. Adobe
has fixed several bugs in ATM 2.0, which also has marked type quality
improvements over ATM 1.2.
Adobe Type Manager is a CDEV which intercepts Quickdraw calls and
automatically displaying or printing a scaled Postscript version of the
requested font. ATM also allows you to print high-quality text on both
Postscript-compatible and Quickdraw-based printers. Adobe is including a
utility called Font Porter with ATM 2.0, which allows ATM users to install
bitmapped screen fonts by simply dragging the suitcase files into the
System Folder, instead of using the Font/DA Mover to do so.
Adobe Type Manager 2.0 is shipping at Macworld 1990 (on August 8-11,
1990). Cost: $100.00, but Adobe is offering registered ATM Users the
option of either upgrading to ATM 2.0 for $20.00, or for receiving both
ATM 2.0 and a typeface package from the Adobe Type Library for an
additional $40.00....
Adobe has also introduced Version 3.0 of its Adobe Illustrator
drawing/design program. Among other things, Illustrator 3.0 features:
- Direct, onscreen editing of text, with advanced text handling
functions. Before, one had to enter text through a dialog box.
- New graphing and charting tools, allowing several types of graphs
and charts to be selected (from grouped or stacked bar graphs to
line, area, scatter, and pie charts), and then manipulated or
customized. Also, charts and graphs can be automatically updated
when data is entered or revised.
- Better User Interface, making it easier to learn and use. This
includes interactive feedback (online help), and enhanced dialog
boxes and tool selections.
- A completely redesigned version of Adobe Separator, with a better
user interface and more detailed access to important Postscript
file information. Adobe Separator also allows you to preview
color illustrations that are to undergo color separation, and is
compatible with Adobe Photoshop files..,.
To be demonstrated at MacWorld, it will ship in September 1990, and
will be bundled with Adobe Type Manager Version 2.0. Cost: $600.00, but
registered Illustrator users can upgrade for $100.00. Also, people who
have bought Illustrator 2.0 since July 1, 1990 will get a free upgrade....
> CPU STATUS REPORT¿
=================
- Washington, DC ANTI-COUNTERFEITING BILL MAY MAKE LASER PRINTERS ILLEGAL
--------------
The US Senate Banking Committee is now considering a new bill which
would make it a crime to own any electronic device which the Treasury
Department determines can be used for counterfeiting. The Secret Service,
Treasury Department, and other Government agencies have testified that
personal computers, scanners, and laser printers have made counterfeiting
FAR easier and more effective than before. The Secret Service itself has
said that it had seized $75.2 million of counterfeit currency, and that
approximately $14 million still passed into this country in 1989. All of
these groups are calling for stricter federal control on electronic
devices which could make counterfeiting easier....
However, the Software Publishers Association recently testified in
order to bring up one point: The bill under question, if passed into law,
would make document scanners, microcomputers, laser printers, and several
software industries (like image processing) illegal. However, while this
bill itself has a bleak fate, similar bills are also pending before
Congress....
- Brussels, Belgium EC MEMBERS ABOLISH BORDER CONTROLS FOR PRODUCTS
-----------------
Several members of the European Community (EC), including France,
Belgium, West Germany, and the Netherlands, have begun to abolish border
checks and other border controls between each other, in preparation for
the 1992 start of the European open market. This means that consumers
will be able to purchase products in countries with the lower VAT (value
added tax) rates, all without going through each country's border control
bureaucracies. This will also immediately increase market accessibility
for many companies with European operations.
Interestingly enough, West Germany has the lowest VAT rate in Europe
(14 percent). Also, Greece and England have expressed concern about this
new system, because of fears about terrorism in the UK, and Greece's fear
that their consumers will not wish to buy certain products in their
country....
- Washington, DC LOTUS FOUNDER LAUNCHES ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION
--------------
Mitch Kapor (Founder of Lotus Corp.) and John Barlow have recently
created the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an organization aimed at both
educating the public about computer technology issues (like the difference
between a computer hacker and a computer cracker), and serving as a
lobbying group in computer technology and telecommunications issues. In
forming this group, Kapor stated that there were many issues (both legal
and societal) concerning computers and communications technology which
have not been dealt with sufficiently, and that there must be a clearer
understanding of the uses of such technology. The EFF has also stated the
belief that computer technology has caused a sort of "future stock" in
today's society....
Steve Wozniak, Mitch Kapor, and several other parties are initially
funding the EFF. While the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) will try
to defend computer users where misunderstanding of technology has caused
false legal charges, Kapor emphasizes that the EFF will not be a "hacker
defense fund"....
- Budapest, Hungary EASTERN EUROPEAN CHARACTER SET STANDARD ESTABLISHED
-----------------
Representatives of several Western computer companies (such as IBM,
Microsoft, Ashton-Tate, and HP), and software developers from several
Warsaw Pact countries have established a single character set for the
Eastern European PC market. This character set, known as Latin2, contains
all of the Latin alphabet-based special characters specific for Eastern
European languages. Interestingly enough, it contains NO Cyrillic
characters. Lotus, Aldus, Microsoft, and Ashton-Tate have pledged to port
their products to the Eastern European market using the Latin2 standard...
Among other things, this means that Atari, Apple, and other computer
makers will have a unified standard with which to penetrate the personal
computer market in Eastern Europe and the USSR. Also, this step may be
the first clear signal that Eastern Europe will soon become a viable
market in the computer industry....
***********************************************************************
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> STR Delphi Conference STR FOCUS¿ The Editor of STReport interviewed!
===============================
DELPHI's ST Advantage
presents
A Formal Conference
with
ST Report's Ralph Mariano
August 1, 1990
.Gordie>
Good evening, and welcome to DELPHI's ST Advantage. Tonight we're
pleased to have Ralph Mariano, editor of ST Report, in a formal
Conference. Because this is a formal conference, we need to have some
rules, so let's get those out of the way first.
To keep things under control, we ask that you not "talk" until you've
been given the floor by the conference moderator (me). If you would like
to ask Ralph a question, signal the moderator by typing a question mark
(?). Your name will then be put on a list, and you will be notified when
it is your turn to speak.
When you have the floor, please keep your questions and comments as
brief as is reasonable. We want to keep things moving fast so that
everyone gets a chance to participate. When you have finished speaking,
signal us by typing GA.
Some conference commands that you might find helpful include:
/HELP Enter the CO help system.
/NAME name To give yourself a CO nickname.
/WHO To get a listing of members currently online.
Finally, I need to remind everyone that the transcript resulting from
this conference is the property of DELPHI. It may be freely reprinted
and distributed, but we ask that you wait for the final edited version
that will be available soon in the databases. If for some reason, you
cannot wait for the edited version, please contact me (BIBLINSKI)
immediately, so that I can provide you with the notice that must
accompany any reprint of this conference.
That out of the way, let's welcome Ralph Mariano. Ralph, do you have
any opening remarks you'd like to make? GA
.Ralph @ STReport>
Hi Everyone, wouldn't you know it now that I have the floor I am
speechless! It would most likely be better if we proceeded with the
questions... ga
.Gordie>
Okay, Scott, go ahead.
SCOTTJ>
Ralph , why did you stop the Atari Apocalypse series in ST Report?
.Ralph @ STReport>
There were a number of reasons...
A)- the reaction (in general from the readers was rather strong both pro
and con) We felt that this was not the time to split (divide) the
userbase in two or more opposing factions.
B)- Atari made some advances about the need for unity with the new fellow
from France and we felt he deserved the opportunity to proceed on a
positive note. ga
SCOTTJ>
Why do you have so much faith in this new guy from France? It seems
as if there is a new "savior" of Atari hired every other week and then
fired soon afterwards. What makes you think the French guy will be
different from all the rest. ga
.Ralph @ STReport>
Well, he is under a rather strong contract. That's for openers and
he has a PROVEN track record in SALES and Marketing. Now, if Sam and his
brothers let this man do what he does best. Atari will re-emerge as an
industry player instead of an 'also - ran.' The man is good. He made
Atari France the #1 sales region this past year. The big thing now he
has to overcome is the STe disaster... and it is just that... we shall
see. This will surely be his acid test. The DMA problem is just
blooming now, worldwide. ga
.Gordie>
Clay, you're next.
.Clay>
Charles Cherry seemed to have done a good job in pulling together the
developer's department at Atari. Do you think his leaving is a bad omen?
.Ralph @ STReport>
No, but you are correct in your assessment of Cherry's work. Charles
was quite good at dealing with people; his apparent problem was with the
lack of Atari's standing behind his decisions and promises to developers.
Charles was well on the way to solidifying the developer corps. ga
.Clay>
So he wasn't generally happy with his job at Atari?
.Ralph @ STReport>
That would be a reasonable assumption... ga
.Gordie>
Ralph, how much time a week goes into ST Report? Both yours and your
staff's?
.Ralph @ STReport>
That's a good question. At times it seems like an eternity, but it's
close to 45-60 hours combined. It's not the hours but the phone bills!
At times I feel like the phone is an extension of my ear! ga
.Gordie>
Does ABCO cover the costs of production?
.Ralph @ STReport>
Yes it does. And has from day one. ga
.Gordie>
Seems like it's more a labor of love than anything, then.
.Ralph @ STReport>
That is correct. Myself and the staff do enjoy putting STReport
together every week ga
.Gordie>
Clay, you're next.
.Clay>
A while back, ST Report had evolved into something that one could only
call controversial. It seemed that every issue raised hackles somewhere.
How did you deal with that pressure? And when (or actually why) did you
decide to try a new philosophy? GA
.Ralph @ STReport>
Ok, well, if you mean before STReport became a wholly owned entity of
mine, then the planning was not done by me alone and it was a mutually
agreed upon plan. After I assumed full control, it became quite apparent
that the readers wanted more than sensationalism.
It was at that time the decision was made to add quality to the
magazine. Controversy is only pressure filled when it is not truthful or
if it is overly exaggerated... then it came become an unbearable pressure
cooker. Through the all the issues since we became independent,
verification has been the law... ga
.Gordie>
Go for it, Scott!
SCOTTJ>
Recently , you complained about the editing of ST Report on Usenet by
Greg Lindhal. Why were you so upset about it. All he did was take out
the ads and some of the junk like CPU Report. Since you have told him not
to edit ST Report any more, people on Usenet can no longer get ST Report.
.Ralph @ STReport>
Quite the contrary, he edited about every other article and
editorialized as he went along. We have every one of his "edits" on file
and were most upset with the comments he made. After all, STReport is
(c) copyrighted. And frankly, CPU Report may not be your cup of tea, but
it certainly is NOT junk. That is not what I call CPU Report at all. ga
SCOTTJ>
Come on , Ralph! CPU Report until recently consisted of nothing but a
rewrite of the same basic article! The "dream systems" CPU Report that
contained EXACTLY the same info each time it ran, but in a slightly
different format. I often wondered if you were using some kind of ELIZA
program to write CPU Report. ga
.Ralph @ STReport>
I am not here to debate you on the merits of a column in STReport.
You are entitled to your opinion, but I am not going to get into a debate
over a weekly feature that changes each week. ga
SCOTTJ>
Won't answer my question , huh?
.Gordie>
Scott, it doesn't matter what the content is, it shouldn't have been
changed. That would be like the letter carrier ripping out the basketball
stories in your copy of Sports Illustrated, because he personally didn't
like B-ball. That's just silly to even try to defend. Okay, Clay, you're
up.
.Clay>
Ralph, what do you estimate is the number of readers who see ST Report
each week?
.Ralph @ STReport>
That is one of the most frequently asked questions. The best we can
do is say approx 75-90% of the Atari userbase sees STReport weekly through
the major services and the FNET which consists of well over 300 nodes
internationally and then the trickle down to individual BBSs from there.
ga
.Clay>
Wow! That's impressive. Do hard-copy versions get distributed
somehow to people without modems? ga
.Ralph @ STReport>
Yes, according to the mail we receive weekly from those without
modems, it is a rather high number. The volume of mail the last two weeks
about the STe thing has been unreal; we have four stacks of letters now at
over 18 inches high each! ga
.Clay>
Sounds great!
.Gordie>
Go ahead, Scott.
SCOTTJ>
What is the problem between you and John Nagy? You were partners in ST
Report once. Now it seems that there isn't an issue of ST Report or Znet
that goes by in which you two don't snipe at each other. This "download
pumping" stuff is a good example. ga
.Ralph @ STReport>
I was never a partner or an associate of John Nagy's. I WAS a
columnist working with Ron Kovacs and then he made me an equal with the
original ST Report. I don't believe you have been quite accurate in your
assessments, but then it appears you are attempting to get "something"
going here. I have no axe to grind with either Nagy or Kovacs. ga
SCOTTJ>
Then why do keep sniping at each other's magazines? Who cares if one
is downloaded more than another.
.Ralph @ STReport>
That, sir, is an impression you seem to derive, as far as sniping
goes. That, too, is in the eyes of the beholder. ga
.Gordie>
Terry, you're up.
.Terry>
You have mentioned staff a couple of times, Ralph. Just how many are
you? ga
.Ralph @ STReport>
There are 7 of us. ga
.Gordie>
I'm curious about the mechanics of it all. How do the various BBS's
get ST Report every week? Do you u/l it to them? Or what?
.Terry>
Sounds like a lot of work for that few.
.Gordie>
Sorry, Terry, I thought you were done.
.Terry>
GA
.Ralph @ STReport>
Aside from the major services like Delphi, the magazine is sent
through the FNET in manner not unlike FIDO etc. Terry, it is a lot of
work, but when you receive a letter from one of the users thanking you
for an article that helped him or delivered a message he had been wanting
to say, it all becomes so much easier. Even with the 'heat', there is a
great deal of satisfaction in reading the mail and receiving the phone
calls saying "thanks" etc... ga
.Gordie>
Clay?
.Clay>
As a former editor, I know that putting together an Atari - specific
magazine can sometimes be a thankless, even depressing, job. I can't
even imagine a weekly deadline and doing it all for free. Do you ever
get the urge to say "the hell with it" and leave it all behind?
.Ralph @ STReport>
hahaha at least twice a day! And then I regain my senses. <<grin>>
The most important point to be made is...
.Clay>
:-)
.Ralph @ STReport>
...the sheer numbers of folks willing to help. The amount of calls
that come in each day from different parts of the country and Europe is
amazing. Just today we got five calls from different folks within the
'hallowed' halls of Atari! Many times, we find that the employees want
the problems exposed and corrected as much as the customers (userbase)
do. It's the folks who call and volunteer info that really help us move
right along. ga
.Clay>
Well, we sure appreciate your continued support of DELPHI. Now if we
could only get you to put a sign-up blurb in each issue, like you do for
those other systems! <GRIN>
.Ralph @ STReport>
That... is a distinct possibility!
.Clay>
Great!
.Greg>
I'm curious... It seems that there is a lot of hearsay and rumour.
Are there things that you WON'T include? If so... what?
.Ralph at STReport>
Hmm. If so what? Stuff that is impossible to verify. Verification
comes in many forms, like hearing about a situation evolving from at
least three different reliable sources. This is only part of it.
STReport will not release anything not verified. ga
.Gordie>
Bob, Gotta question?
.Robert_T>
Just to throw in that Delphi's new rates would be a good time to make
it into ST Report.
.Clay>
Yes, DELPHI keeps getting more and more affordable.
.Ralph @ STReport>
hahahha nice "insertion"
.Clay>
(Okay, I'll stop with the sell!)
.Ralph @ STReport>
Please be sure to include the new rate structure with the transcript
of this CO. ga
.Clay>
Ralph, do you ever get really nasty calls from people at Atari
complaining about something in ST Report?
.Ralph @ STReport>
hahahahahahahahah... It is part of, or as I am told, comes with the
territory. But then only one of Atari's people has ever called and been
downright nasty. And it was a boss! No, none of the T's. ga
.Clay>
That was my shovel question: Digging for the dirt! :-)
.Ralph @ STReport>
You haven't lost your touch!!
.Clay>
:-)
.Robert_T>
If this has already been covered earlier sorry: "Can't Znet &
STReport peacefully co-exist?
.Ralph @ STReport>
Robert... Competition is a very healthy thing. I have no problem
with STzmagazine at all. ga
.Gordie>
Ralph, I know you know more than you can speak about, but is there
something that gives you a reason to be optimistic about Kenan, or is it
just a gut feeling on your part?
.Ralph @ STReport>
Kenan comes with great credentials and has a rather strong contract.
(non-interference) And he is in the process of re - aligning the flow
within the company. When one considers what he did in France, against
some rather formidable odds... he does appear to be the man of the hour.
Now, if only Sam lets him do his thing. Right now the big issue is the
STe/DMA headache. ga
.Gordie>
Ralph, there was a rumor that the reason for the problems was that
someone had too many buggy ROMs made, and they don't want to eat the loss.
Sound right?
.Ralph @ STReport>
Close, but its only the tip of the iceberg. The rom thing is easy to
overcome but the thing with the DMA port can get expensive. There are
rumblings of dealers joining in some kind of legal actions etc... among
other things. Atari must come forward and stand good on this issue. It's
really the first time a piece of hardware has fallen flat on its face.
And if Atari acts quickly enough, nobody will mind, but IF they drag their
feet... ga
.Gordie>
So the rumors about the Euro STe's not having a problem are wrong?
.Ralph @ STReport>
It seems that after the STe gained type acceptance in the USA by the
FCC, STe units worldwide began failing. Look at the pre - FCC STe units
that folks have; they work great, aside from the low rez bootup thing.
The folks I know, and after speaking with those who bought the early
Canadian machines, the apparent conclusion is that the machines after the
type acceptance mods are suspect. The early machines are solid. ga
.Gordie>
Okay. Scott, got another one?
SCOTTJ>
Just how bad & widespread is the DMA problem with the STE and how come
the Europeans, who have had the STE for 6 months longer than the US don't
have a problem? Do the US and European machines have the same DMA chip?
ga
.Ralph @ STReport>
Bad and widespread is a conclusion I don't have enough info to make
but Atari says it's about 10% of the machines shipped. My last answer, I
believe, covers the last part of your question but to repeat, it's seems
the only machines giving problems are those shipped after the mods for
type acceptance. ga
SCOTTJ>
I've seen reports on Usenet that Atari changed suppliers on the DMA
chips and that if you out one of the "old" DMA chips in a STE, the
computer then works fine. The message I saw was from someone in Germany.
.Ralph @ STReport>
Scott, that's true to an extent but it's because the old DMA chip has
a stronger output, but at the same time the newer...
SCOTTJ>
Do think Atari is doing a little too much cost cutting on the STE in
order...
.Ralph @ STReport>
DMA chip takes advantage of the buffering. I saw those messages too.
One machine does not make a production run... ga
SCOTTJ>
...to sell them for the lowest price possible? Are they trying too
hard to provide "Power without the Price"? ga
.Ralph @ STReport>
In fact, another was done in Canada that way just a week ago, but
still, it does not solve the problem- only sidestep it. As far as the
price and cheaply made, no, I do not think for a moment that the quality
is not designed into the machine,...
SCOTTJ>
I'm talking about the company who makes the DMA chip for
Atari, not the...
.Ralph @ STReport>
I do believe that they are frantically working on finding the error
and correcting it ASAP. But they must keep the userbase informed better
and, of course, make sure that all who bought a machine that falls into
the questionable grouping receive extended warranties or exchange
privileges. ga
SCOTTJ>
... overall quality of the design of the machine. Atari is notorious
for ...
.Ralph @ STReport>
Are we on the same track??
SCOTTJ>
...continually changing suppliers in order to get the lowest possible
price.
.Ralph @ STReport>
Let me know when you are done ga
.Ralph @ STReport>
Is it my turn??
SCOTTJ>
Don't you think that Atari should go back to the original suppliers of
DMA chip , even if they have to raise the price of the STE to cover the
extra cost? ga
.Ralph @ STReport>
Scott, three quarters of your questions (since you made sure to ask
them in a bunch) have scrolled off my screen, but in all fairness to
Atari, most companies have to change suppliers constantly to keep costs
down. There is nothing wrong with that. It's good business. ga
SCOTTJ>
finished/
.Ralph @ STReport>
whew!
.Gordie>
I heard, somewhere, that the author of TOS made an illegal call into
the 68000, and because of that there are compatibility problems with doing
a TOS for the 68030. And that the author no longer works for Atari.
Possibly as a result. ga
.Ralph @ STReport>
I have heard similar stories but since it was impossible to verify
other than the alleged line F stuff, we never covered it in detail. ga
.Gordie>
I just found it ironic that Atari, the company that rags about
programmers making illegal system calls, has that kind of problem. ga
.Ralph @ STReport>
How about the Maccel program? If you use it, it will slow down file
transfers and cause resends of blocks if you are in fixed link mode using
flow control. This is a common thing. Many folks have complained that
those at Atari seem to feel THEY are stars of some kind and therefore the
users should do things to please them. They have yet to realize that they
should be very busy trying to please the users at every possible
opportunity. Maybe it was Zsa Zsa Gabor who taught them how to win
friends and influence people. <grin> ga
.Gordie>
Time is marching on. Anyone have one last question?
.Gordie>
Okay, then I'll do it. Ralph, if there was any one thing you could
change about Atari, what would it be?
.Ralph @ STReport>
That's easy... the exchange program ... it used to be the jewel of the
industry, now its the joke of the century. ga
.Gordie>
Pardon my confusion. What exchange program? The hardware one?
.Ralph @ STReport>
Yes, of course, you said one thing. There are many that need changing
but the one singular thing at this time is the exchange program. With the
lack of abundant dealers, Atari's unrealistic exchange rates for
defective or dead goods out of the 90 day warranty period is a really bad
thing to do to the users and they (the users) will not forget the gouge
taken. ga
.Gordie>
Any last comments, Ralph?
.Ralph @ STReport>
One only... As an avid Atari user, and I am sure many of you are...
Don't give up on Atari yet! They are still capable of great things in
this USA marketplace; they just need better direction. They do respond
to mail. It is effective so please, send mail to Atari's leadership, be
it Elie, Sam, Jack or the other sons. They respect mail and the power of
the pen. Believe me they do. ga
.Gordie>
Thank you, Ralph, and thanks to all of you who attended.
.Ralph @ STReport>
Good night All and thanks for having me here tonight.
.Gordie>
This CO is officially closed!
********************************************************************
Special Announcement
********************************************************************
Beginning September 1, 1990, DELPHI will begin offering a new plan
that will save you money! The new plan is called the 20/20 Advantage
Plan and it features 20 hours online for just $20 a month! The $20 is a
monthly fee that covers your first 20 hours online via direct dial into
one of DELPHI's two direct-access lines, or via a special Tymnet 20/20
Access code. It also gets you additional hours at just $1.20 per hour.
And you get free access to several services on DELPHI as part of the
Advantage Perks.
Other telecom services may have additional charges. Canadian Tymnet
users have an additional telecom charge. Office Time access (7 a.m. to 7
p.m., weekdays) may have an additional charge. And of course, other
restrictions may apply. But this is still an amazing deal!
For more information, contact DELPHI at 1-800-544-4005 and ask for
Member Services.
DELPHI- It's getting better all the time!
*******************************************************************
> NeoDesk 3 STR FOCUS¿ NeoDesk 3 - The Ultimate Desktop
===================
Gribnif Software
PRESS RELEASE 8/1/90
For immediate release to PRESS ONLY. Please refer to the separate NEWS
RELEASE if you wish to copy the contents word by word.
Press Contact: Rick Flashman,
President
Gribnif Software
P.O. Box 350
Hadley, MA 01035
Tel: (413) 584-7887
Fax: (413) 584-2565
GEnie: GRIBNIF
GRIBNIF SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES NEODESK 3,
THE ULTIMATE DESKTOP FOR THE ATARI ST
HADLEY, MA (August, 1990) -- Gribnif Software has advanced the
state of the art in graphical user interface design with the latest
version of their desktop replacement, NeoDesk 3 - The Ultimate Desktop.
This new version offers both an easier to use and much more
powerful working environment than anything ever offered before for the
Atari ST. Its completely graphical approach brings to the Atari a more
professional and efficient interface which can compete head on with the
best offered by other environments such as the recently introduced
Windows 3.0.
In making this announcement, Rick Flashman, president of Gribnif
Software said "Our goal with NeoDesk 3 was simple, to create the best,
efficient, and easy to use desktop that has ever been available on any
machine."
Dan Wilga, head programmer behind NeoDesk 3, said "NeoDesk 3 is a
result of over 9 months of development and it is one of the most
ambitious projects of its type anywhere." During the process of
development entire sections of the program were rewritten several times
in an attempt to gain every extra ounce of performance.
NeoDesk 3 incorporates an incredibly impressive array of new and
enhanced features as have never been seen before. New features like
Desktop Notes , the File Clipboard , Macros, and Split Windows are
destined to become new standards in the type of features and capabili-
ties that all users expect from their computer.
Tricia Metcalf, CEO of Gribnif Software commented "Many of the new
features in NeoDesk 3 have never been seen anywhere, but they are very
likely to become the type of features that no one can live without!"
Gribnif Software is supporting the release of NeoDesk 3 with a
massive advertising campaign, aimed at supporting the product and its
dealers. "We were very surprised at the large number of dealers who
began including NeoDesk will all their ST systems.", Rick Flashman
commented. Many dealers report that with NeoDesk on an ST they are able
to effectively demonstrate the power of the ST when compared with the
graphical interfaces now being offered on other platforms.
NeoDesk 3 has a suggested licensing fee of $69.95 and will be
available in national distribution by September 1st. European distribu-
tion will follow soon afterwards including foreign language versions.
NeoDesk , Desktop Notes , and File Clipboard are trademarks of Gribnif
Software. All other trademarks belong to their respective holders.
________________________________________________________
> NEODESK 3.0!! STR FOCUS¿ A complete overview of Neodesk 3.0
=======================
Gribnif Software NEWS RELEASE 8/1/90
NeoDesk 3
----------
The Ultimate Desktop
Gribnif Software is proud to announce a brand new version of its best
selling program, NeoDesk . The new NeoDesk 3 is a result of almost a full
year of extra development.
Overview
--------
NeoDesk 3 is a complete replacement to the built-in desktop that
comes with the Atari ST/TT line of personal computers. It offers many
new features, enhancements, and concepts that have never been seen on
any other computer before.
Mainly, NeoDesk 3 offers both a easier to use and much more powerful
working environment. Its completely graphical approach allows users to
gain a new level of power, performance, and ease of use which has never
been available before. NeoDesk 3 also brings to the Atari a more
professional and efficient interface which can compete head on with the
best offered by other environments such as the recently introduced
Windows 3.0.
What's New?
-----------
New features in NeoDesk 3 include (but are not limited to):
o Split Windows
A new Split Window bar lets you split windows so that it can display
two different parts of the same directory. This allows you to find
files in different parts of the same directory without opening a
second window.
o File Clipboard
A new File Clipboard lets you temporarily keep files in memory while
you look for a disk, switch paths, or organize your hard disk. You
can think of it as an automatically expanding and shrinking ramdisk
which never has to be installed or removed. It consumes about the
same space as the total size of the files you put in it while being
much faster than any standard ramdisk. This exciting feature elimin-
ates 90% of the reasons why most people use a ramdisk.
o Desktop Notes
What good is a desktop if you can't write on it? Not much, so we are
introducing Desktop Notes . Whenever you need to jot down a fast
note, phone number, or memo simply write it directly on the NeoDesk
desktop itself. These can be saved and loaded at any time.
o Independent Windows
All windows in NeoDesk 3 are now fully independent. Each window can
display icons or text independently of what any other window is
displaying. Each window can also have its own "Sort" and "View" menu
settings. A special window button lets you toggle a window's display
between text and icons.
o Background Windows
All NeoDesk 3 background windows can be dragged, resized, scrolled,
closed, full sized, and manipulated just like any topmost window.
You can also manipulate any of the files and folders in a background
window, just like the items in a topmost window.
o Keep Items Selected
You can now keep files and folders that lie outside of the physical
window limits selected. You can select a file, scroll the window to
another part of the same directory, and then select another file.
Both files will remain selected and a special window indicator will
tell you that you have files selected off the top or bottom of a
window. It is even possible to resize a window an keep your items
selected.
o Select All Files
This new command lets you select all the files and folders in any
directory, including items outside of the window boundaries.
o Go Directly to Path
If you have a multiple folder path displayed in a window, you can
double-click on any part of the displayed path. The window will
automatically switch to the new selected path.
o Duplicate Window
A new "duplicate window" button lets you open a second window to the
same path of the selected window. Very convenient when working
several folders deep.
o Folders on Desktop
You can now place commonly used folders right on the desktop itself.
Opening a folder reveals a window to that path. You can even move or
copy items to it.
o Macros
You can now automate your most common desktop functions. Unlike
other approaches used in macros where all the mouse movements are
recorded which is both slow and can mess up if you move your windows
or files this new macro system records the actual actions you
perform. Use it to run programs, delete files, copy/move files,
manipulate windows, etc. You can then assign the macros to any
keyboard key of your choice.
o Low Resolution Support
The program now works in all the ST resolutions. A new command
allows the user to easily jump between available resolutions.
o Icon Editor
Also included is a completely brand new Icon Editor which is called
right from the desktop menus. This new editor supports multiple icon
windows and has a very complete drawing tool set. Several other new
features greatly increase its power and potential.
o Active Icons
NeoDesk 3 now supports Active Icons. Drag any group of files to any
program icon and that program is automatically executed with all the
selected files as parameters. Many programs already support this
feature and many more (including PageStream and WordPerfect) are
currently being updated to support it.
o "Reorder" Items Mode
Ever have to reorder the files in your AUTO folder to match a
specific order? What about other directories? Worry no more. A new
reorder mode allows you to graphically reorder the files and folders
in ANY directory. They are reordered almost instantly while at the
same time cleaning up the directory itself.
o Print Directory
Print a complete directory listing of any window. Optionally it can
include the file dates, times, and sizes. You can even have it print
the folder contents.
o Changing Fonts
You can change both the fonts used by NeoDesk 3 (in windows and on
the desktop) and the complete system fonts. The included Font Loader
lets you change every single system font (in all programs) to any
monospaced font of your choice. An included Font Converter makes it
easy to convert your Degas and monospaced GEM fonts.
o File Search Functions
You can find any lost file with the new File Search capabilities.
Not only can it search any drives of your choice bit it can also
search on any path that you specify. When it finds the file you are
looking for it will open a window to that path and scroll it to the
file, and select it for you.
o NeoDesk Programs
Separate NeoDesk Programs can now be run. These are similar to
NeoDesk Accessories in that they hook right into NeoDesk itself to
take advantage of its many features and capabilities. A new included
version of the NeoDesk Recoverable Trashcan will also let you run it
as a stand alone NeoDesk Program.
o Multiple Resolutions
Up to 10 different screen resolutions are supported. NeoDesk 3 will
automatically detect and adjust to support any new resolutions. A
conversion program lets you convert NeoDesk Information Files to any
resolution.
o File Ending Control
Full control over all program file endings is now offered. You
specify what each file ending does and you can even define new ones.
o 5 1/4" Drive Support
There is now full support for 5 1/4" disk drives. Simply tell
NeoDesk which drive letter is a 5 1/4" drive and NeoDesk will
automatically slow that drive down to the correct speed required for
5 1/4" drives. It will also let you format 5 1/4" MS-DOS compatible
disks.
o Install Application
You can specify if NeoDesk 3 should always unload itself whenever
you run a specific program or remain in memory. For example, you
could keep NeoDesk 3 resident all of the time but have it unload for
Calamus or other big applications.
A new option also lets you specify which method is used by Install
Application to run a program. It can either set the path to that of
a program (as NeoDesk always has before) or to the path of the data
file (as the built-in desktop does).
Another feature lets you view which applications you have installed
and remove or change them without having to find or select the
original program filename.
o Disk Formatting
All disk formatting and writing (including disk copies) is done
backwards. This means that if you start formatting a disk and
realize it is the wrong disk you can press the [Undo] key to stop it
and probably get most of the disk contents back. You see, the disk
directory and most of the disk data is usually stored at the
beginning of a disk. By formatting a disk backwards you are given an
extra safety margin to abort the format and possibly recover some of
the data.
o File Templates
Up to six file templates are supported at any given time. You select
which ones should be used. For example, you could have a single
window display all files ending in both ".TXT" and ".DOC".
o Higher Compatibility
Special code new removes the need for the external Shelfix utility
and the Startprg program. NeoDesk 3 also automatically detects
MultiDesk and other utilities to make sure there are no problems at
boot time. Even previously troublesome programs like CAD-3D 2.0 now
work perfectly.
o Disk Deleting
Whenever you drag a disk icon to the trashcan NeoDesk will erase the
entire disk contents by "zeroing" the disk directory and file
allocation table. This almost instant process is much faster than
deleting the files one by one. Of course, all marked bad sectors are
safely kept.
o Movable Dialog Boxes
All dialog boxes in NeoDesk 3 can be dragged from one location to
another just like a window. The new positions are saved whenever you
save your desktop configuration.
o Minor Enhancements:
1. All drive letters up to "Z" are supported for compatibility with
Atari's new MetaDos system.
2. You can independently save your desktop configuration, desktop
notes, and macros.
3. New icon attributes let you specify if an icon is only to be used
for folders or just for files. Limited color support lets you
specify a unique color for each icon and its mask.
4. Degas Compressed pictures can be loaded as desktop backgrounds.
5. You can open any NeoDesk Accessory directly from the keyboard.
6. A caps lock indicator shows when the "CapsLock" has been pressed.
7. The NeoDesk Screen Saver will automatically see the Atari Stacy
and turn off the LCD screen whenever the screen saver is invoked.
8. Form Feeds can be sent to the printer right from the menu.
9. You can edit the NeoDesk Volume Name right on the NeoDesk window
itself without having to use Show Information. The window will
also display the Atari Disk Label if no NeoDesk Volume Name is
available.
10. You can specify if all status numbers should be displayed when a
program exits, just the negative ones (system errors), or none at
all.
11. The NeoDesk "Show File" function can be replaced with any program
of your choice.
12. Lowercase letters may be installed on any desktop icon.
13. Improved "Show File" paging control.
15. NeoDesk windows have a special indicator to indicate if any disk
has an "executable boot sector". Very useful when looking for a
potential virus.
16. You can easily toggle any file's Fast Bit.
14. Plus much more!!
What's Old
----------
Of course, NeoDesk still has all the very large number of previous
features that have made it such a success. These include:
1. Custom File Icons (different icons for every file).
2. Desktop Icons (put commonly used programs on the desktop).
3. Uses all memory for file copies (no more useless disk swaps).
4. Keyboard equivalents for all desktop menu commands.
5. Executes desktop programs right from the keyboard.
6. Abil
ity to move items from one location to another.
7. Place any Degas or NeoChrome picture right on the desktop.
8. Much faster custom windows which make it easier to find files due to
its automatic item wrapping.
9. Replacement control panel with screen saver and corner clock.
10. Printer Queue which can handle up to 10 files at once.
11. Display multiple columns and different text sizes in Show as Text.
12. Much, much more!
General Info
------------
NeoDesk 3 fully supports the previously released NeoDesk CLI command
line interpreter, the NeoDesk Recoverable Trashcan, and other utilities
developed with the NeoDesk Developer's Kit.
NeoDesk 3 also includes a complete manual which clearly illustrates
the various aspects of this very powerful and easy to use program. Of
course, Gribnif Software follows up by offering free technical support
and online support on GEnie.
Upgrading
---------
Registered users of previous versions of NeoDesk may upgrade at
special reduced rates. Please contact Gribnif Software directly for
upgrade information.
Availability
------------
NeoDesk 3 has a suggested licensing fee of $69.95. Order now TOLL
FREE and we will ship your order 2nd Day Air free of charge! Visa and
MasterCard accepted:
1-800-284-GRIB (4742)
NeoDesk 3 is also available through all Atari dealers and major
distributors. For more information concerning NeoDesk 3 call or write:
Gribnif Software, P.O. Box 350, Hadley, MA 01035, Tel: (413) 584-7887,
Fax: (413) 584-2565.
Demo Version
------------
A complete demo copy of the program is available for evaluation. You
can download it from the online services or order it direct from us for
$5. This demo disk will let you see for yourself what makes NeoDesk
such a powerful and popular package!
Credits
-------
NeoDesk , Desktop Notes , and File Clipboard are trademarks of
Gribnif Software. All other trademarks belong to their respective
companies.
_________________________________________________________________
> STE & DMA STR Spotlight¿ What's the story Vern??
=======================
RUSSIAN ROULETTE ATARI STYLE
============================
by R.F. Mariano
So, you've owned and operated your hard drive since early 1989 and
after you saw the posts from the folks in Canada saying they simply
'loved' their new STe computers you decided to get one. The real clincher
was when you saw the STe at the usergroup show and found it humming along
showing all those great demos out of a hard drive. Then you found that
your favorite third party hardware company ran their support BBS on an
STe, so you really felt it was a rock solid performer, a definite 'must
have'. You then went out and got one the moment they were available in
the USA.
THE RUDE AWAKENING
Lil ole Bunky didn't even get his STe out of the box when he heard
about the developer who lost an entire week's worth of work because his
STe had an appetite for 'fat' tables. "An isolated incident!" He tells
himself and then continues unpacking the new machine. After all the
glancing at the manual etc... he finally gets the machine on the desk and
hooked up. His buddy, the guy who bought his old 1040 is here to pick it
up, shares his friend's joy at having the newest Atari available. After
letting the hard drive come up to speed, he hit the switch and blip, blip
the system booted and his ever familiar desktop was in view. He then
turned to his buddy and said "well, the 1040 is yours my friend, the STe
is working ok. With that, his friend left with the ever faithful 1040ST
under his arm. After pouring a cup of coffee, he walked to his desk to
admire the new acquisition. The phone rings.. its one of the guys from
the club, he says; "hey, you had better get online and read the messages
about the new STe computers. Bunky sez ok, and boots his term program
and set the dialer to make the call.
As he reads the messages his palms are getting sweaty and his knees
weak. But then he sez to himself, ah,... look here they say its only
about 10% percent of the units. Besides, what about all the folks in
Canada and the others who have had no problems with their STe computers.
After logging off this service, our friend called another favorite service
to see what was happening on that one. He soon found more of the same
heartbreaking messages. At this point he decided to log off, shut down
and check it out for himself. After logging off, his term program entered
the times he was on in his log file, and then asked if he wanted to quit
he indicated yes and the program ceased to run and started to go back to
the desktop... instead, it went straight to some bombs and a very
conspicuous re-boot. After much effort and a bootup from a floppy disk
your diagnostic program told you there were two fat tables and that they
didn't agree... Hmmm,
THE INSIDE TRACK
Folks, the above is a depiction of events that have been unfolding
for the past few weeks. Information has been flowing in from both the
online services and from hard copy letters sent to us via the US Mail.
The shame of it all is, there are very few first time owners of Atari
computers involved in this problem. The vast majority are those who have
been loyal to Atari for quite some time. The shocker is these folks are
really upset because they too realize that the quality of the hardware
offerings from Atari had been the only area that was virtually foolproof.
Now, their comments range from surprise to utter disgust. One letter
says, "You'd think they would do everything possible to protect the image
of the hardware, they've screwed up everything else!"
A FEW THOUGHTS
With the rather large number of folks visibly upset, Atari should make
every effort to nip this Ste problem in the bud. Or, so one would think,
well... such does not seem to be the case. Sure the dealers are eager to
swap out a problem unit for another, but what happens when he has no more
to swap? How about the guy who suggests that the dealers "burn-in" each
STe in order to ensure the buyer gets a good one? Can you visualize a
mass mechandizer's clerk giving each STe a trial run or keeping a hard
drive on hand to test the STe units on?
What about the guy who bought one this past July, and then FIVE (5)
months later his wife buys him a Christmas present like a hard drive or
any number of other DMA devices???? The "world famous" Atari 90 day
warranty is expired will this guy get the boot or will Atari take care of
him and the countless others caught in this particular trap? Atari
should make it their business to make the serial number run known and then
recall all the defective units within that serial number run. After all
that's the right thing to do. Many dealers have reported to us that they,
because of this problem, are NOT selling the STe computers. Not because
they don't care to its because the users already know about the problem
and have no clear cut way to go. The most unsettling premise is the
ominous silence coming from the crew at Sunnyvale. We are aware the folks
at Sunnyvale are working feverishly to find and correct the problem's
cause. However for some unknown reason, the simple but effective
stabilizing act of keeping the userbase informed has eluded Atari.
___________________________________________________________
> DOOM - GLOOM?? STR OnLine¿ A user saying it like it is..
=========================
ctsy Delphi
FORUM>Reply, Add, Read, "?" or Exit>
J15958 29-JUL 00:35 General Information
What's happened?
From: SANZA To: ALL
Every Saturday night for the past 2 years I've logged onto DELPHI and
read all the new messages in the forum. I've kept pretty quiet for the
most part, posting a message only when I needed help with one thing or
another. I've always received a quick and friendly response and when
people ask me which service is the best, I've always stated that DELPHI
was the one that I log onto every week.
Lately, it's become more chore than pleasure for all I read is the old
"Doom And Gloom". Atari's screwed up and I feel like I'm loosing an old
friend. It's not like we haven't seen this before-- We were pretty much
in the same ship before the ST came around. The ST was lucky enough to
be in the right place at the right time but I doubt that the STE or the
now infamous TT will be able to pull Atari out of the hole they've dug for
themselves.
I loved my 8 bit and hadn't even considered moving up into the 16 bit
world until I read about the ST. I had paid $1000 for my original 800
sans my Atari 810 disk drive ($325) so upgrading to a faster, more
powerfull machine for $800 was no problem at all. It didn't matter that
my latest computer (800XL) had cost me just $169 and therefore,
technically I was in fact going to a higher priced computer. Besides,
this was coming with a disk drive and a monitor! As soon as the ST was
released I had one. Since I had upgraded my memory to 1 meg and
purchased a second drive (this one double sided) the Mega2 that I
considered for close to a year before buying.
Now the question is, do I want an STE? No, my mega is only a year
old. I'd be losing memory and gaining stereo sound that I would never
take the time to hook up to my stereo anyway. Do I want a TT? Actually,
yes I do. But the correct question here is, can I afford a TT? In which
case the answer is no. I can buy myself a 20Mhz 386 machine for about
$2,500 which would include software support that doesn't fade away 5 years
later. Then again, inside of 5 years I'll probably be looking for a 32 bit
machine, won't I? Well, that depends. My mega is serving me just fine
right now, so why am I looking elsewhere? The support just isn't there
anymore. I'm still just considering Calamus right now because I'm not
sure if I want to spend that $200 on a program for a computer that I may
not be using shortly. Atari's last saving grace was a computer that was
not only powerful, but AFFORDABLE. The STE is essentially that same
computer 5 years later. If anything, it's what the Mega should have
been.
Besides, if we can't get anyone to program for the ST, who's going to
write the programs that take advantage of that stereo sound and expanded
color pallet? Without the software support the STE is reduced to a
standard ST. As for the TT, it's got power and it's got software, but the
software that runs on it also runs on my Mega. Given time the TT may end
up with it's own library seperate from the ST series. But I remember
only too well the "wait and see" attitudes of the early ST software
developers. Until this machine sells in quantity, who will do the
programing? Most people can't afford a $2000 computer system. As for
those who can, they'll look at Apples and IBMs because they're established
names in the computer industry. The TT would sell primarily to those
people who already own Atari computers. I fall into this category but
plan on taking the software developer's attitude--I'll wait and see what
happens before I throw my $2000+ ($3000+?) into the ring. I have no doubt
that I'm in good company here. I've defended Atari every step along the
way, but now that I've stopped to catch my breath my vision has started to
clear. It's a sad and sorry sight to see what's happened to the ST. I
just hope that someone over there at Atari is as disappointed as I.
Paul Weiss
Editor Note:
Paul... My heart's with you, I agree completely. You have put into
words exactly what many of us have been trying so diligently to say for
the last 18 months.... now if only every user sent a copy of your post to
Jack and his three young men... it may hit a nerve...
___________________________________________________________
> MIST UPDATES STR SHOW NEWS¿ The MIST show goes on.......
==========================
Here's the latest show update... Among the folks scheduled to attend:
ASCII Atari St Computers In Indianapolis user group.
They will have their PD disks. Co-sponsors of the
show along with...
BL.A.ST BLoomington Atari ST user group. The other
co-sponsor.
Atari Corp. Well, they won't actually _be_ here, but they
have made available six sets of TOS 1.4, along
with AtariWriter 80 for the 8-Bit folks. These
items (along with others) will be raffled off at
the 'Fest. ($2.00 per ticket)
Dorothy Brumleve Critically acclaimed author of KidPrgs, including
such hits as KidPainter, and KidPublisher
Professional. ...and a real nice lady. (grin)
She'll be donating a copy of one of her programs
to our raffle.
Sterling Kelly Webb Author of Seurat 2.0. A fine drawing program,
first seen on one of the STart magazine disks.
The new version is now a commercial release. Mr.
Webb will be donating a copy of Seurat 2.0 to the
raffle.
Cal Com A dealer from Kokomo, IN. They will be bringing
an extensive collection of software, and maybe
some hardware as well.
AIM The Atari Interface Magazine. They will be
bringing their large collection of PD disks,
along with other goodies, I'm sure.
Calumet Region UG An Atari user group located in Merrillville, IN.
EastSide Atari UG A user group based in Alton, Ill.
We will also have a mini Midi-Maze tournament. There is a restaurant and
bar at the Inn, so refreshments will be available.
This is shaping up to be a real quality event, so make sure that you come
on out!! See the press release uploaded previously for more details
or...
on GEnie: Send e-mail to W.LORING1, or check Cat 11, Topic 14
on FoRem: Send e-mail to William Loring at Node 141. (BL.A.ST)
Call the BL.A.ST BBS at (812)332-0573. 2400bps, 24 hours.
Write to BL.A.ST at PO Box 1111, Bloomington, IN. 47402
Call me by voice at (812)336-8103. Leave a message if I'm not home,
I'll call you back. (the message on the machine is wierd, I know.)
________________________________________________________________
> CORDLESS MOUSE STR Review¿ Practical Solutions Cordless Mouse
=========================
PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS CORDLESS MOUSE REVISITED
============================================
by Greg Granger
After having my third Atari mouse dying on me in three years, I
decided it was about time to find a different type of mouse for my ST.
Knowing of the quality of work that Practical Solutions puts into their
products, I know that I wouldn't be sorry if I went that route, since I
already own the Practical Solutions Monitor Master.
I ordered my mouse from a store in Texas, and I think it is almost the
best $90 I have invested in my computer. Many times I have griped about
how the Atari mouse looks and feels so box-like, but such is not the case
for the Cordless Mouse. It is an incredibly sleek piece of workmanship,
and the mouse is very responsive and fast. It has a range of 5 feet and
45 degrees from the signal receiver in any direction.
The main thing that I like about it is that when you leave it
unattended for about 10 minutes, it automatically shuts off the battery
power (it runs on 2 "AAA" batteries). For the average user, battery life
should last for about 3-4 weeks, depending on how much you use it. They
(Practical Solutions) also recommend that you use rechargeable batteries
with this mouse, and offer 4 "AAA" batteries and a recharger for an extra
$28.75. You also get 2 "AAA" batteries in the box, so it is ready to
"plug in & go".
So, if you want a mouse that sleek looking, and very responsive, and
you don't mind shelling out a little bit of extra money for a mouse, I
highly recommend that you take a long look at the Practical Solutions
Cordless Mouse. It will be the best investment that you have ever made,
and you won't be sorry that you bought it.
Practical Solutions
1135 N. Jones Blvd.
Tuscon, AZ 85716
_________________________________________________________
> WAACE/'90 STR SHOW NEWS¿ The Premier East Coast Atari Show...
=======================
WAACE AtariFest '90
The Washington Area Atari Computer Enthusiasts will hold WAACE
AtariFest 1990 on October 6 and 7 1990. This event will be the Premier
East Coast event for people who are interested in software and hardware
for Atari computers. The show will be staged at the Sheraton Reston Hotel
in Reston, VA. Show hours will be from 10 am to 7 pm on both days. In
addition to the shopping bargains available from over thirty vendors
there will be a full round of demonstrations, tutorials, and seminars. A
banquet on Saturday evening will feature a special speaker on Atari
matters and Current Notes Magazine's "Author of the Year" award. Special
mixers will cap off the evening's festivities. Approximately 3000
visitors from all over the USA, Canada, and other foreign countries
attended the 1989 edition of the show.
The Sheraton Reston Hotel is a spacious, attractive facility located
in a parklike setting near Washington, DC. The hotel is offering a special
room rate of $59 per night plus tax to Fest goers who reserve by August
6th. The hotel room rate includes 2-day passes to the show for room
occupants. Call 703-620-9000 for reservations. Be sure to mention
AtariFest '90.
The WAACE show has established itself as the premier Atari event for
East Coast Atari fans. Bob Brodie, Atari Corporation's, goodwill
ambassador, has labelled the WAACE show as one of the two "must see"
events for Atarians held in the USA.
HOTEL INFORMATION
The following information was taken from the Sheraton Reston Hotel
informational brochure.
The Sheraton Reston Hotel has 302 beautifully appointed guest rooms,
including 10 executive parlor suites (excellent for hospitality purposes).
The conference center and banquet rooms are all located on the ground
floor surrounding a large courtyard and outdoor swimming pool. Each
multi-purpose room is equipped with individual sound facilities,
individual temperature control and conference lighting systems, as well as
the capability for closed circuit television. A full line of audio-visual
equipment is available.
In addition, it provides complimentary shuttle van service to and from
Washington Dulles International Airport 24 hours a day , and has free
parking for over 900 cars.
At the end of a tiring day, enjoy a nice swim in the outdoor pool or a
fast game of tennis, volleyball, or basketball. Golf privileges are
available across the street adjacent to the Sheraton Reston Hotel.
Guests have access to a twin cinema, a full-service bank, and many small
shops and restaurants.
Scheduled and direct commercial limousine service to and from
Washington National Airport.
BANQUET INFORMATION
The 1990 WAACE AtariFest Banquet will be held at the Sheraton Reston
Hotel at 8:00 pm, Saturday, 6 October 1990. The dinner will be a
non-smoking event this year. Ample smoking areas will be provided near
the dinner area for smoking breaks. The Banquet will be proceeded by a
social hour held in the hotel. Dinner will be served at 8:00 pm. The
dinner will be followed by the Current Notes Author of the Year Awards
presentation and then the featured banquet speaker. This years banquet
speaker will come to us from Codehead Software.
The banquet will be a sit down dinner this year and a ticket will
cost $23.50. Please make checks payable to WAACE.
The menu is as follows:
Sliced Top Sirloin Merlot OR Chicken Europa
Salad with house dressing
Vegetable (to be determined)
Starch (to be determined)
Beverage (choice of ice tea or coffee)
The Chicken Europa consists of chicken breast served in a mushroom and
brandy sauce. Please specify with your ticket request your choice of
entree, beef or chicken.
Please send all ticket requests to the WAACE Banquet Coordinator,
Johnna Ogden. Johnna's address is,
Johnna Ogden
WAACE Banquet Coordinator
213 North Lincoln Ave
Sterling, VA 22170.
Tickets requests are being accepted now. Tickets will be mailed out
starting in August. If you have any questions please call Johnna at (703),
450-3992.
LOCATION:
--------
Situated in the heart of the Washington-Dulles corridor in Fairfax
County, Virginia, the Sheraton Reston Hotel is central to business,
cultural and tourist attractions.
Immediately adjacent to the Washington-Dulles Toll Road and 5 minutes
to Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts, the Sheraton is conveniently
located 20 minutes from downtown Washington via the Washington-Dulles Toll
Road or I-66.
Only minutes from Washington Dulles International Airport and the
corporate headquarters of major industries and businesses, the Sheraton
Reston Hotel is in the hub of Fairfax County's rapidly growing Hi-Tech
space-business community.
DINING & COCKTAILS:
------------------
Dine in the elegant Derby Restaurant and select from an extensive
American menu. For a more casual atmosphere, enjoy the Derby Lounge with
entertainment nightly.
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
-----------------
Reservations can be made at the Sheraton Reston Hotel by calling voice
(703), 620- 9000 or by FAX (703), 860-1594. Remember to ask for the
AtariFest rates; $59.00 for a single/double or $66.00 with breakfast
buffet, and $66.00 for a triple or quad.
____________________________________________________________
> AUA NEWSBRIEFS STR OnLine¿ Atari Users Association NEWSBRIEFS
=========================
REVISION: 073090
The AUA User Group Affiliation Program
======================================
by Derek C. Signorini, AUA Coordinator
INTRODUCTION
------------
At last! We were finally able to iron out the details of the AUA
User Group Affiliation Program (UGAP, for short) and get it launched. We
hope that you will find this outline very helpful and easy to understand
so that you can get your usergroup involved in the fastest growing and
largest ST user organization in the world! In order for the overall AUA
concept to be a success, we will need the participation of both the
individual Atari ST user, who we have been targeting up until now, and the
Atari ST user groups, who we realize will become the heart and soul of the
AUA organization.
You already know what the AUA is doing for the individual ST user
from the information found elsewhere in this package. Now it is time to
discuss how usergroups can benefit by affiliating with the AUA. We will
outline the basic concepts of the UGAP and how your usergroup can help to
strengthen the Atari ST community far beyond what the AUA is capable of
doing alone!
ATTAINING AFFILIATION STATUS
----------------------------
In order for a usergroup to attain AUA affiliation status under the
UGAP program, the following events must occur:
1. A representative of your usergroup, an officer or spokes person,
must fill out the AUA Usergroup Affiliation Application in full and send
it to the AUA.
2. Along with this application, we require that you send a copy of
your club's newsletter and a one time registration fee of $10.00.
3. We also ask that you provide the AUA with a complete mailing list
of your membership which will be used to enroll each and every member of
your group in the AUA at no charge so that they can begin to benefit from
all the AUA has to offer ST users.
AFFILIATION BENEFITS: THE INDIVIDUAL
------------------------------------
Once the affiliation application is processed, you will receive a
sample issue of the AUA NewsBriefs Newsletter and AUA NewsBriefs Disk
Magazine. You will be permitted to make an unlimited amount of copies of
both of these publications and provide them to your members to review.
You will also receive additional documentation outlining the AUA and its
benefits which you can distribute as well. At this time, you will have
the opportunity to upgrade your member's status in the AUA if they so wish
in order to receive the AUA publications at the special affiliation rate
as follows:
A. Your members can receive the AUA NewsBriefs Newsletter 4
times a year (described as package 2 in the AUA
Information package) along with ALL other benefits
of the AUA for only $3.50 a year.
B. Your members can elect to receive both the AUA NewsBriefs
Newsletter 4 times a year in addition to receiving the
AUA NewsBriefs Disk Magazine 6 times a year as well as
ALL other benefits of the AUA for only $11.50 a year.
(described as package 3 in the AUA Information package)
(NOTE: These rates apply only to those people who are members of your
organization provided on the membership list you supply to us when you
enroll)
All of your members, via the membership list supplied to us when you
applied for affiliation, will be enrolled as members in the AUA under the
free/non-active membership category and will make them eligible for all
benefits described in the AUA Information Package.
AFFILIATION BENEFITS: THE USERGROUP
-----------------------------------
Once your application is processed and you attain affiliation status,
you will be eligible to receive, via a SASE, the complete AUA Usergroup
Directory, which will allow your group to correspond with other AUA
Affiliated groups. This list is compiled by the AUA and is provided to
affiliated groups only. We will also have available a vendor directory
and are currently planning a vendor/software catalog that will be made
available to your group at a substantial discount. The following is a
list of benefits your group can enjoy by attaining affiliation status:
* Any affiliated group will have access to the AUA public mailing
list. This list can be supplied to you in ASCII delimited format at no
charge via SASE and a blank diskette, or you can have the mailing
addresses printed on labels at a nominal charge.
* Affiliated groups will have free advertising in the AUA NewsBriefs
Disk Magazine to advertise PD software, upcoming shows or events, special
merchandise, or anything you want the rest of the participating ST
community to know. Adds are limited to 2500 Bytes of information stored
in ASCII format. In addition, advertising in the AUA NewsBriefs
Newsletter, the hardcopy newsletter, will be made available at a nominal
rate.
* Affiliated groups can participate in the AUA/ST-Exchange Public
Domain Software exchange program at no cost. This program, started 2
years ago has been a great success and is a fantastic medium for your
group to receive public domain software and to help support authors of
shareware and PD software. More information on the ST-Exchange can be
found in the AUA Information package.
* Any usergroup in UGAP will have access to anti-piracy information
the AUA will compile for its members. Our goal is to help the Software
Publishers Association (SPA) stamp out piracy in the computer community
and help to educate our ST family of the perils of software theft. We
will become a leader in the ST community and help to eliminate this
problem.
CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION
--------------------------
We have established that any group wishing to participate as an
affiliated group of the AUA must uphold certain responsibilities and
conduct themselves in a professional and mature manor. The following
rules will apply to affiliation:
* Any affiliated group or any member of said usergroup found
practicing software piracy will be immediately banned from the Atari Users
Association and from the UGAP.
* Any affiliated usergroup found to be using AUA information such as
the AUA data lists or publications in any manor seen to be damaging to the
AUA will be banned from the organization.
* Any affiliated usergroup providing false or misleading information
to the AUA will be given one warning. If subsequent events occur, this
will result in immediate termination from the UGAP.
* Any group participating in the UGAP *must* renew their membership
once per year or they shall be dropped from the usergroup directory and
the UGAP.
ORDER OF EVENTS
===============
1. Fill out the application below. If you are asking for active
affiliation status, please check the appropriate box and enclose the
following: a) an updated mailing list of your members (see above) and
b) a one time registration fee of $10.00 made payable to the AUA and mail
to the AUA address given.
2. In 4-6 weeks, you will receive your affiliation package and
applications for your members to fill out if they wish to receive the AUA
publications at the affiliated usergroup rate. You will also receive your
sample issues of the publications as well as any new information you will
need.
3. During this time, your members, whose names are provided to us on
the mailing list, will be enrolled in the AUA. They can then take
advantage of any benefits outlined in the AUA information package.
------------------------------- Clip Here -------------------------------
////////// // // ////////// ** ** **
// // // // // // ** ** **
// // // // // // ** ** **
////////// // // ////////// ** ** **
// // // // // // *** ** ***
// // ////////// // // *** ** ***
THE ATARI USERS ASSOCIATION UNITING THE ST COMMUNITY
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>USER GROUP MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
=========================================================================
User Group Name:_________________________________________________________
User Group Acronym (if applicable):______________________________________
Address:_________________________________________________________________
City:_________________________ State:_____ Zipcode:______ Country:_______
President's Name:__________________________ Phone:( )________________
President's Address:_____________________________________________________
City:________________________________________ State:_____ ZipCode:______
Meetings Held :_________________________________________________________
Meeting Location:__________________________________City:_________________
Number of members (aprox):__________ Group formed (MM/DD/YY):___/___/___
=========================================================================
BBS Name:_________________________________ Phone:( )_________________
BBS Sysop Name:__________________________ City:_________________________
BBS Software:_____________________________ Baud Range:___________________
BBS FNET node:_____________________ and/or FIDO node:____________________
=========================================================================
Newsletter: Yes ( ) No ( ) If yes, name:________________________________
We want to be on the User Group Contact Listings: Yes ( ) No ( )
We wish to exchange News-letters with other User Groups: Yes( ) No ( )
We Require More Imformation on __________________________________________
=========================================================================
Other Comments:__________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
=========================================================================
MEMBERSHIP FEES: [ ] Non-Active AUA Affiliation -- $ NO CHARGE $
(Just places your group on
Please Select ONE the AUA mailing list ONLY.)
[ ] Active AUA Affiliation -- $ 10.00/once
(Enclose user mailing list &
copy of your newsletter.)
=========================================================================
Mail to: The Atari Users Association
UserGroup Affliation Program
P.O. Box 123
Canonsburg, PA 15317
Greetings and happy August to all. Hard to believe that 1990 has
gone this fast. Summer is almost over, and we will be heading into fall
with a full head of steam behind us.
My apologies for letting my weekly updates turn into bi-weekly
articles and then monthly articles. I have been extremely busy of late,
getting internal policies and procedures hammered out for the AUA and
working out details of the User Group Affiliation Program. Aside from all
of that, yes, Derek has a personal life, and I had to spend some time with
the family and friends over this summer season. Now that summer is
nearing an end, I will be spending more time indoors and more time at the
helm of my ST.
Many changes have occurred with the AUA. The changes that have been
made are more like additions to our present policies governing the AUA.
To begin with, we have finally installed a phone line for AUA use. We
want to call it the AUA Hotline, however, hotlines usually entail a person
answering 24 hours a day. Unfortunately, both Tony and myself have to
sleep, and the AUA can hardly afford to hire someone to answer the phone.
So, we compromised, and purchased the next best thing: an answering
machine. Now, our answering machine works for minimum wage; does not
require lunch or breaks; and never calls off sick. Tony and I would like
to think of the answering machine as the secretary we always wanted....
At any rate, the number is: (drum roll) 412-745-8930. This number can be
used to reach us concerning information about the AUA, information about
membership benefits, or just to fill us in on some good Atari gossip. If
you get the machine, leave us a message that includes your name, address,
and telephone number and we will get back to you.
Next on the agenda. We now have a CATegory on GEnie, #20. Almost
20% of our members are GEnie users, and a Category would provide an
excellent workshop for news and information. Tony and I are confident
that we will be up and running by mid-August. And, while on the subject
of GEnie, we have temporarily discontinued the AUA online conferences held
on Sunday evenings until further notice. While we are very happy with the
participation, my GEnie bills are going through the roof and I would
rather spend the money promoting AUA by calling User Group presidents,
BBS's, and developers.
The User Group Affiliation Program, or UGAP, has been launched. This
program will allow user groups to affiliate with the AUA and to enroll
their members in the organization. If you would like information on the
UGAP program for your user group, please call us or drop us a line. This
program is expected to increase AUA membership to 1500 members by year
end.
On the subject of membership, here are some quick stats. Membership
is up over 600% since January and is increasing an average of 63% each
month since April. By the end of August, total AUA membership shall
exceed 800 members, a number that makes the AUA the largest ST
organization in the world if my sources are correct. As I have in the
past, I would like to thank everyone who has joined the AUA up until now,
and I encourage those who are considering membership in the AUA to not
hesitate. Because of all of the requests we have had, we are offering a
special trial pack, or info pack, for only $2.00. We will send you a
sample copy of the NewsBriefs Newsletter, NewsBriefs Disk Magazine, and
AUA/STX PD Software Demo Diskette. We will also send you all the
information you need about the AUA and its benefits. If you are
interested in seeing what the AUA offers its contributing members before
joining, please send us $2.00, and we will get the disks to you
immediately.
One of the most exciting events to take place this summer is the AUA
merger with the ST-Exchange group. ST-Exchange, or STX, is a PD software
exchange program founded by Eric Lambeth which functions primarily as a PD
software distribution organization. Members of the STX would send a disk
full of PD software to the exchange, and in return, would receive a NEW
disk filled with NEW software. Now, members of the AUA can enjoy this
benefit, and members of the STX are now enrolled in the AUA. More
information on the STX can be obtained by contacting Eric Lambeth on GEnie
as E.LAMBETH1 or Compuserve as 72040,56. Or you can contact the AUA. We
will be releasing more information as it becomes available concerning this
merger.
Last but not least. Tony and I will be attending the WAACE show in
October. We encourage everyone to attend if possible and show your
support for Atari and the WAACE people. The show will be a fantastic
outing, and I am sure you will not want to miss it. If you attend, please
stop by the AUA booth and say hello! We are looking forward to meeting
many people!
Yours in Atari,
Derek C. Signorini, AUA Coordinator
_________________________________________________________________
> STReport CONFIDENTIAL¿ "BLOCKBUSTER ATARI NEWS FIRST!"
=====================
- San Francisco, CA. START CANCELS SEPTEMBER ISSUE!
------------------
In an unusual move, Start Magazine has cancelled it Sept.'90 issue.
According to our sources, the move is being done to accommodate the
addition of the previously separate Antic magazine (Atari 8 bit support).
Also, it is reported that Start has acquired the rights to LFP Publishing
Co.'s right to the subscriber lists of ST-Log and Analog roughly providing
an additional 13,500 subscribers thus bringing Start's subscriber list
into the neighborhood of 25,000. The best part is there have been
additions to the editorial and artwork departments designed to thoroughly
enhance the quality and appearance of Start magazine. Beginning with the
Oct '90 issue it will increase in size to 124+ pages packed with up to
date information dedicated to the Atari computer enthusiast. Calamus and
Outline Art are to be used exclusively to produce the NEW Start magazine
from Antic Publishing. Don't miss the first new issue Oct'90!!
- Las Vegas, NV PARSEC ACQUISITION UNDER NEGOTIATION
-------------
Rio Datel, long a strong supporter of new and innovative products for
the ST is involved in in-depth negotiations to provide production of the
parsec technology within the USA. "Negotiations are well under way and
looking very positive."
- San Francisco, CA. IMAGE SYSTEMS & LEXICOR JOIN FORCES!
-----------------
Image Systems, where the famous Jay (big screen) Craswell is now, has
entered into a joint venture with Lexicor Software in bundling Image
Systems' Isac Board and Lexicor's super powerful graphics package for this
fall. For further info, please contact Lexicor Software or Image Systems.
Further in-depth coverage on the dynamic plans of Lexicor will be carried
in STReport in the next few weeks.
______________________________________________________________
> Hard Disks STR InfoFile¿ Affordable Mass Storage....
=======================
NEW PRICES! & MORE MODELS!!
============================
ABCO COMPUTER ELECTRONICS INC.
P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32236-6672
Est. 1985
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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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HARD DISK SYSTEMS TO FIT EVERY BUDGET
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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)
* ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY * OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS *
* ICD ADVANTAGE+ HOST ADAPTERS * FULL SCSI COMMAND SET SUPPORTED *
* SCSI EMBEDDED CONTROLLER MECHANISMS *
51mb #SGN4951 519.95 65mb #SG60101 649.95
80mb #SGN296 709.95 100mb #SG84011D 839.95
120mb #SGN120FH 989.95 120mb #SG120DD 1128.95
170mb #SGN2962 1369.95 260mb #SG60102 1849.95
WE HAVE A COMPLETE LINE OF 3.5 LOW PROFILE HARD DRIVES
for
USE IN MEGA ST COMPUTERS AND RELATED CONFIGURATIONS.
20mb #AI020SC 379.95 30mb #AIO3OSC 419.95
50mb #AI050SC 449.95 65mb #AI065SC 499.95
85mb #AI085SC $559.95
>>> ALL ABCO DRIVES ARE HIGH SPEED UNITS <<<
(500 - 600k per sec @ 23 -33ms)
CALL FOR SUPER SAVINGS ON ALL OUR OTHER CUSTOM UNITS
FROM 30mb @ $419.00!
Ask about our "REBATE SPECIALS"
--==*==--
SHIPPING AND INSURANCE INCLUDED
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* SYQUEST 44MB (#555)>> ABCO "44" << REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE *
- SYQUEST 44 MB DRIVE - ICD ST ADVANTAGE PLUS H/A
- ICD Utility Software - 3' DMA Cable
- Fan & Clock - Multi-Unit Power Supply
(1) 44 MB Syquest Cart.
COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AND READY TO RUN!
>> SPECIAL NOW ONLY __$849.00__ <<
*** SPECIAL SYQUEST OFFER!! ***
ORDER YOUR CUSTOM SYQUEST UNIT NOW AND GET A SECOND COMPLETE UNIT!
***** for $50.00 LESS! *****
-> DO IT YOURSELF BARE SYQUEST UNITS $600.00ea 2 for $1100.00
Syquest Mechanism - 2 year warranty
* TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
SPECIALLY PRICED $1539.00
* SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
- Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
50mb SQG51 $1179.00 30mb SQG38 $1099.00
65mb SQG09 $1239.00 85mb SQG96 $1299.00
LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS
CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE
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)
*** ALL Units: Average Access Time: 24ms - 34ms ***
ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> SUPERCHARGER - PC-DITTO/II - SPECTRE/GCR
LARGER units are available - (special order only)
NO REPACKS OR REFURBS USED!
- Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets - TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets -
Keyboard Custom Cables Call for Info
ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED
-* 12 month FULL Guarantee *-
(A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)
QUANTITY & USERGROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!
_________________________________________
DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!
please, call for details
Personal and Company Checks are accepted.
ORDER YOUR NEW UNIT TODAY!
CALL: 1-800-562-4037 -=**=- CALL: 1-904-783-3319
Customer Orders ONLY Customer Service
9am - 8pm EDT
Tues thru Sat
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NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE
FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY
COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME
to the Readers of;
STREPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE
""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY!
Call any of the STReport Official BBS numbers
(Listed Above)
or
Leave E-mail to STReport - R.Mariano
Be sure to include your full mailing address so your
Compuserve kit can be immediately mailed to you!
NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE
***********************************************************************
> A "Quotable Quote"¿
=================
"YOU CATCH MORE BEES WITH HONEY THAN AN ICEPICK!"
....An old Sicilian Proverb
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STReport¿ "Your Independent News Source" August 03, 1990
16/32bit Magazine copyright ½ 1990 No.6.31
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Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
the editors, staff, STReport¿ CPU/STR¿ or ST Report¿. Permission to
reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Each reprint
must include the name of the publication, date, issue # and the author's
name. The entire publication and/or portions therein may not be edited in
any way without prior written permission. The contents, at the time of
publication, are believed to be reasonably accurate. The editors,
contributors and/or staff are not responsible for either the use/misuse
of information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom.
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