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Silicon Times Report Issue 0821
*---== ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
from
STR Publishing
""""""""""""""
May 22, 1992 No.8.21
==========================================================================
STReport International Online Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida
32205 ~ 6672
R.F. Mariano
Publisher - Editor
-----------------------------------------
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_____________________________________________________________________
> 05/22/92 STR 821 "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
----------------
- The Editor's Desk - CPU Report - PORTFOLIO NEWS
- ISD TradeUP OFFER! - 16mbit Dram - 1gb 3.5 FLOPPY
- Codehead CIS Conf. - Lattice V5.5 - TT Compat List
- BlueRidge Fest! - TURBO BBS v2 - STR Confidential
-* KEYBOARD SURVEY RESULTS! *-
-* WHO IS IN CHARGE? *-
-* AUA -> "LET TRUTH PREVAIL!" *-
==========================================================================
ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
The Original * Independent * Online Magazine
-* FEATURING WEEKLY *-
"Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information
Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
==========================================================================
STReport's BBS, The Bounty, invites BBS systems, worldwide, to participate
in the Fido/TurboNet/Atari F-Net Mail Network. You may also call our BBS
direct at 904-786-4176, and enjoy the excitement of exchanging information
relative to the Atari and other computers worldwide through the use of
excellent International Messaging Networks. SysOps, worldwide, are quite
welcome to join the STReport International Conferences. The Crossnet Code
is #34813, and the "Lead Node" is # 350. All BBS systems are welcome and
invited to actively participate. Support Atari Computers; Join Today!
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WHAT'S NEW IN THE ATARI FORUMS (May 22)
NEW FROM ISD
ISD has uploaded two new files to their library in the Atari Vendors Forum
(GO ATARIVEN). One is a Desktop Publishers TradeUP Offer and the other is
a Calamus SL Printer Driver Generator. See the files TRADUP.TXT and
PRNGEN.ARC in Library 17, ISD Marketing.
SOFTLOGIK UPGRADE OFFER
SoftLogik announces a special upgrade offer! Please read message # 26555
in the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN).
UPDATES FROM CODEHEAD...
A patch for Word Perfect users and an update for MultiDesk Deluxe (from
ver 3.4 to 3.4a) Now available in LIBRARY 16 of the Atari Vendors Forum
(GO ATARIVEN)
Codehead Technologies also announces the availability of a new word
processing program. See the file CALLIG.TXT now available in LIBRARY 16
of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN).
A demo version of XBoot: the Boot Manager from Gribnif Software is now
available in LIBRARY 8 of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN).
KEYBOARD SURVEY
We ask all members to read and respond to the keyboard survey message
#32438 in the Atari Arts Forum (GO ATARIARTS). (This is a new thread, so
even if you've discussed this issue previously, please re-post your votes
here.)
ATTENTION ATARI DEVELOPERS...
Atari Developers please read message 60654 in the Atari Productivity Forum
(GO ATARIPRO) for information on how to get your products included in an
upcoming software catalog.
ATARI 8-BIT MAGAZINE?
A dedicated 8-Bit mag? Why NOT?? If enough people care, it could happen.
See Message # 18446 in the Atari 8-Bit Forum (GO ATARI8) for more info on
the "Campaign." WE BELIEVE!!
NEW FOR THE PORTFOLIO
A Video Poker game now available for the Portfolio! Check out PFPOKR.ZIP
now in LIBRARY 4 of the Atari Portfolio Forum (GO APORTFOLIO).
THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM ON COMPUSERVE
HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AN
OFFICIAL SUPPORT SITE BY ATARI CORPORATION
"GO APORTFOLIO TO ACCESS THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM"
***********************************************************************
> CPU STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
=================
Issue #21
Compiled by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
-- Sun Develops Powerful Computer
Sun Microsystems Inc. introduced a line of powerful desktop comptuers
that can use up to four "brains" and have built-in telephone technology.
The Sparcstation 10 work stations, which are more powerful than personal
computers, can use multiple central processing units to control machine
functions, giving Sun the most powerful workstation on the market.
-- Microsoft Ships Three Million Windows 3.1
Since it's initial release six weeks ago, Microsoft has shipped three
million copies of Windows 3.1.
Not counted in the three million copy figure is the number of preinstal-
led copies on customer computers by over 90 hardware manufacturers who
are participating in the Windows 3.1 Ready To Run Program. Eight of the
top ten PC manufacturers are part of this program.
-- Sony and Sega to Join Forces
Sony Electronic Publishing and Sega of America Inc. announced this week
they have established a broad alliance to produce Sega video games and
interactive entertainment.
Sony will develop and market video games for all Sega cartridge- based
platforms, such as Genesis and Game Gear, and will become a primary
publisher for Sega's CD- ROM Genesis peripherals, called Sega CD.
-- NS Offers New Plug and Play Controller Boards
This week National Semiconductor (NS) introduced a new family of cont-
roller boards that makes possible off-the-shelf production of very low
cost PCL5 and PostScript-compatible laser printers.
Teh CG160LZ SWIFT-Start boards come in 15, 20 and 25mhz configurations
and printers using the board will offer more than twice the performance
of comparable Motorla 68000-based printers at the same system cost.
The SWIFT-Start family is configured with the popular page description
languages and interface from Phoenix Technologies Ltd. Available lan-
guages include PCL5, PostScript and AppleTalk.
-- TI Starts Shipping 16-MBIT DRAMS
Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI), a leading supplier of semiconductor
products, announced this week that initial production shipments of 16-
megabit (Mbit) DRAMs have begun. TI's 16-Mbit DRAM is based on a tech-
nology proven in TI's 1- and 4-Mbit DRAMs.
Less than two million 16-Mbit DRAMs are expected to ship worldwide this
year, with approximately 20 million units in 1993 and 330 million units
in 1995. By 1996, it is estimated that production of 16-Mbit DRAMs will
outpace 4-Mbit DRAMs.
A 16-Mbit DRAM can hold two million characters. A very large novel, such
as "Gone With the Wind," could be stored on one 16-Mbit chip.
-- Sierra Network Latest to Join Flat Rate Bandwagon
Joining other major services, including Compuserve and Genie, The Sierra
Network has established its own flat rate of $12.95 per month. This plan
includes all the company's services, including games, conferencing, and
electronic mail. Users are allowed up to 30 hours of game time per month
during evenings and weekends with options for additional playing time.
Also included are live chat services, conferencing, tournament play,
electronic mail, and use of electronic bulletin boards with wide ranging
topics.
-- One Gig 3.5-Inch Floppy Drive Announced by Fujitsu
Expecting high demand from mid to high-end users, Fujitsu Europe this
week announced it is supplying one gigabyte (GB) versions of its 3.5-
inch floppy drive on request on its PCs. The new drives offer improved
access times and a mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) rate of 300,000
power-on hours.
Dataquest, the market analyst and research organization, predicts that
around six million drives in the one to two GB data storage arena will
be sold before the end of 1995. This values the market at around $4,500
million, the company said.
-- Survey Says Michelangelo only Hit 4% of all PCs
According to statistics from a user survey that have been released by
S&S International, the Michelangelo virus only accounted for 4% of virus
outbreaks.
***********************************************************************
:HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
_________________________________
To sign up for GEnie service:
Set your communications software to Half Duplex (or Local Echo)
Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.
Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
Wait for the U#= prompt.
Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN.
GEnie costs only $4.95 a month for unlimited evening and weekend access to
more than 100 services including electronic mail, online encyclopedia,
shopping, news, entertainment, single-player games, and bulletin boards on
leisure and professional subjects. With many other services, including
the biggest collection of files to download and the best online games, for
only $6 per hour.
MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! Any time during your first month of membership if
you are not completely satisfied, just ask for your $4.95 back.
GEnie Announcements (FREE)
1. Monday, May 25, is a GEnie Holiday............................
2. The GEnie Faire is setting up booths getting ready for YOU....*FAIRE
3. Colorado Springs, CO - Access Number Change...................*PHONE
4. Order BOOKS Online & SAVE 20-25% EVERYDAY.....................READ-USA
5. NEW! Bookworms Find New Place to "Eat" on GEnie..............BOOKSHELF
6. Learn to use our 1,000+ new icons LIVE 5/24 @ 8:30PM EST......GEOWORKS
7. CONLINE VI - Online Gaming Convention 5/31....................TSR
8. ALIEN 3 review now available in the library at................SHOWBIZ
9. Science & Society--Prof.Henry Bauer, Sci-Literacy, Guest......SCIENCE
10. Meet CYBERPUNK author Katie Hafner on May 24 RTC in...........PF
11. UseNet Legend CHUQ VON ROSPACH speaks... See -->..............MAC
12. Apple's CHUQ VON ROSPACH on Apple's UNIX special conference...UNIX
13. Use Your VISA (R) & MASTERCARD (R) for Orders at..............SEARS
14. Stop and PLAY LIVE Interactive Football Saturday with.........QB1
15. Focus On: Project Management..................................BORLAND
ATARI ST RT
New Files in Your Library
No. File Name Address Description
----- ------------ ----------- -------------------------------------
24177 EZ_TEXT2.TXT PDC.SW Amazingly low priced DTP
24175 DISKDIR.LZH F.KOCH HiSoft BASIC 1.23 Disk Directory
24174 GLMPR221.LZH F.KOCH Press Releases,Shows,For Sale,Wanted
24171 KTEXT180.LZH D.PANKE K_TEXT V 1.8.0: file reader...
24170 ALLMAPS.DIR WAYNED. Dir of the files in Empmaps.lzh
24169 EMPMAPS.LZH WAYNED. All my map files for Empire
24167 RUFUS106.LZH J.WISNIEWSK2 Version 1.06 of Rufus
24166 WORD400.ARC J.WISNIEWSK2 Decent text editor Accessory.
24165 DISKSAVE.ARC J.WISNIEWSK2 This will recover files from bad dsk
24164 GPLIBS07.ZOO B.ZAWALSKI1 Sources for GPLIBO07.ZOO
24163 UPDT213.ARC S.SANDERS2 Update Newdesk Icon CPX to v2.13
24162 BS.LZH BENCHMARKSYS Benchmark Systems Mono Shareware
24160 GPFBIN07.ZOO B.ZAWALSKI1 GPROFF, GNU's proff utility
24159 KILLING.MOD C.SAMOJLENK2 Killing Game Show re-done on ST!
24158 TX2CNVT3.LZH D.HOLMES14 TX2 Converter: Supports latest AEO
24157 TESTS03.ZOO B.ZAWALSKI1 Test suite for LIBSRC80
24155 CAL_FEAT.TXT K.MILLER69 20 page list of Calamus 1.09N/SL
24154 SCRIPTTW.LZH S.SCHAPER An 18 point script font for TW
24153 ARKAN.MOD C.SAMOJLENK2 Another MOD by Martin Bertrand
24152 ENTERSAN.MOD C.SAMOJLENK2 EnterSandman by Metallica in MOD
24151 SHEDEVIL.MOD C.SAMOJLENK2 Noisetracker MOD composed on ST
24147 XPT1500C.LZH S.SAMUELS Calamus SL HP500C Color Table
24143 WORM_AMI.LZH REALM Animation of a Worm!
24142 HEIDSK19.LZH C.HAFNER HeidiSeek File Finder 1.9 ST(e)/TT
24139 MPLAY1_1.LZH C.SAMOJLENK2 BACKGROUND MOD PLAYER FOR *ALL* ST'S
24138 W9_PC3_2.LZH OUTRIDER GREAT .PC3 Pics for Warp 9!
24137 W9_PC2_2.LZH OUTRIDER GREAT .PC2 Pics for Warp 9!
24136 W9_PC1_2.LZH OUTRIDER GREAT .PC1 Pics for Warp 9!
24135 PRINTGEN.ARC ISD Calamus SL Printer Driver Generator
24131 LATC55.ZOO HISOFT Lattice C 5.5 Description
24130 HBSUBDIR.BAS HISOFT HiSoft BASIC Sub-directory lister
24129 LIBSRC80.ZOO B.ZAWALSKI1 Patch-level 80 sources for LIBOLB80
GEnie Information copyright (C) 1991 by General Electric
Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission
***********************************************************************
> THE FLIP SIDE STR Feature "... a different viewpoint
=========================
A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT
==================================
by Michael Lee
Again this week, we'll be visiting Delphi.
----------------
Questions from CKORMOS...
Any musicians out there? I picked up an Atari 1040st at a flea market
for lowbucks and I am interested in using its MIDI port. I have a Korg
DW8000 synthesizer and good computer background. However, does anyone
know what software I need? What hardware, translators, adaptors,
plugs, cables, power supplies, and anything else I haven't mentioned?
I would like to know exactly what to get to make it work 100% and a
ballpark figure on expenses.
Also how is the availability of sequences and preprogrammed stuff? How
much of this is public domain, how much commercial. Any feedback is
appreciated. Or should I just get an IBM compatible?
Answer RMORROW...
Does your Korg have MIDI in and out ports? If so, all you'll need is 2
MIDI cables which can be bought at the local Radio Shack for about
$10. Then you're into software. Notator, Midi Music Maker, and Cubase
are the ones I've heard of. Prices are around $100 I think. Try MC
Computers 310-867-0626
That's it! You won't need any external power supplies, translators,
etc. However, you will need a monitor....expect $350 for the color one
(medium and low resolution only) and about $150 for the hi-rez
monochrome. You may want a hard drive, new ones start at $400, but
they are not absolutely necessary.
Why buy an IBM when you already bought the computer that is almost the
standard in electronic music?
Reply from CKORMOS...
Thanks for the info. My Dw8000 has Midi in/out/and thru ports, so I
know it is ready. I have an RGB monitor, the Commodore 1702, does the
ST run on it?
And finally is all this software universal or is it keyboard specific?
I can remember years ago some system that was "state of the art" but
only worked on Casios?
Answer from Bill King...
Actually, the sequencing programs Notator and Cubase are more in the
$579.00 range (retail price). They are both *excellent* programs,
though. I use Cubase, myself. There are a ton of other sequencing
programs that are available for the ST that are more affordable, if
that is what you are after ($100 to $250). You should pick up an issue
of Keyboard Magazine and check out the ads to get a good idea of
what's available. A couple of developers that come to mind are Dr. T's
Software and Hybrid Arts--both offer great programs for the ST at
great prices.
You might also consider, sometime in the future, acquiring a
multitimbral synth module. If I remember right, the DW-8000 is not a
multitimbral keyboard. With a multitimbral synth module you'll be able
to create songs with full instrumentation (all sounds at the same
time), whereas, with the DW-8000, you'll be limited to one sound at a
time.
Congratulations on choosing the best MIDI computer out there!
Another response, this one from JGALLARDO...
There are different kinds of software packages available. for the most
part if they aren't fairly universal, they will say so (ie as to what
synth they are for.) One program you should check out is a shareware
one in the databases, I think it's in graphics & sound. It's name is
ALCHEMIE, it works fairly well but needs a monochrome display, (It
does run under the monochrome emulator known as monoware which is
probably in one of the databases as well.) It is a very capable
sequencer as far as I can tell.
You might want to check out some issues of Keyboard magazine &
Electronic Musician for more info as well as the Feb. 1992 issue of
Atari Explorer.
----------------
Question from CHUNK...
I have just heard of a company that is selling 68000 at 12mhz. Will
this work on my 1040st and are there any Caviets that I should know
about? The price is not much over $15.00. I am told but this price is
from a consumer (Amiga user) and not from the companies lips. I have
ordered a catalogue so as to get a definate price. Any advice would be
GREATLY appreciated.
Reply from Norm Weirness...
Make sure the 68000 is in the same package (DIP or PLCC) as your
Atari. But, while the 12 MHz chip will work as a replacement with no
problem, it will _not_ increase the speed of your computer! The
average price I've seen for an 8 MHz 68000 is about $10.
Reply from CHUNK...
I know that I would need a degree to understand why but is there a way
that you could explain the reason why it won't speed up my computer? I
don't really understand the "guts" of the ST, I just understand the
programs that I use.
Response from Duane Charter...
The speed of the processor is just how fast it is RATED to work at.
There is an oscillator (a frequency generating device) inside the
computer that actually determines the speed of your computer.
Reply from LMCCLURE...
...lest you think you could simply change the chip and the oscillator
and get more speed...you can't. To put it as simply as possibly, the
CPU is not the only thing in the ST accessing the memory chips...the
video chip does, as does the DMA chip. Change the CPU timing, and you
would get colliding signals on the bus.
That's why truly speeding up the ST requires a device like AdSpeed or
the Fast Technologies' T-20...a device with a RAM cache that keeps
external accesses to main memory at 8Mhz, while allowing code fetched
into the cache to be handled at a faster speed.
Another reply from Norm Weirness...
The speed of the computer is determined first by a master oscillator,
which is really the "clock" of the system. Then all the components
have to be made to keep up with that clock. Those include the memory,
the CPU (Central Processor Unit...the 68000) and all the support chips
like the ones that talk to the screen, the modem, the printer, etc.
Adding a faster 68000, or faster memory, doesn't change that "clock',
nor any of the other chips. If you add an accelerator, like the
Adspeed or the T-16, T-20 and the like, they contain a faster CPU
_AND_ a faster clock _AND_ circuitry to let the other stuff run at the
old speed...or else it wouldn't work. So you can speed things up, but
not just by adding a processor that _is able_ to run faster, but you
have to change that other stuff, as well.
----------------
Hard drive Question from SANTOR...
...I'm having problems getting my hard drive online. It seems that my
computer won't boot from drive A while I have my ICD interface plug in
to my computer and turned on. A few things I have tried are leaving
the power off and booting the computer but when I turn on the drive I
cannot access any information on the floppy. I believe all my
connections are correct. I've even tried removing the cable from my
hard drive to my interface but was unsuccessful. I've also tried the
Cntl/Shift/Alt key combo while booting the computer but no luck there
either. I'm very anxious to get my drive up and running so any help
will be much appreciated.
Answer from Wayne Dunham...
The problem you might be having is that all the later versions of TOS
(1.2 and up) require that you press down the Ctrl/Left Shift/Alt keys
AFTER the floppy light comes on as you turn the machine on. In other
words you have to turn the machine on and as soon as you see the
floppy light go on you press the key combo. This will boot your
machine from the floppy instead of the HD. Just make sure you have the
ICD disk in drive A and everything should go fine from there.
It's sometimes tough to get that key-combo pressed at the right time
especially if you have to contort yourself to reach the on/off switch
for the machine. If you press and hold them down before the floppy
light comes on the machine won't recognize them as being down, and if
you wait too long after the floppy light comes on the machine will
already be trying to boot off the HD.
That should do the trick for you from the way you describe your
problem.
Answer from MRBURKLEY...
...I have some suggestions that you might want to try. Try again the
Cntl/Shift/ Alt key combo. Press this immediately after you turn on
the power to your ST. That should do it. If you don't do it immedia-
tely after you turn the power on often you will acecess the HD anyway.
Of course, there is an exception to this! On some ST's you need to
watch the Floppy light and only press the key combo after you see the
floppy light turn on. Turn either of these. I hope they work.
More questions from SANTOR...
I did try waiting until the drive light went on but no luck. The
manual mentioned that you could boot the computer with the drive off
then run icdboot.prg would this give me the ability to format the
drive?
Another answer from Wayne Dunham...
Yes, if the key combo doesn't work. It should work by either holding
them down either as you turn the machine on with early TOS's, or after
the drive light comes on with later TOS's. With Tos 1.0 you MUST be
holding them down as you power up the machine, and with later TOS's
you MUST press them after the floppy light comes on. In either case
once you do depress them you MUST hold them down for a period of time
long enough for the computer to recognize it and bypass the HD boot. I
usually hold them down until I'm 100% sure that the machine is booting
off the floppy.
At any rate you can fire up the machine with the HD off, I believe the
ICD host card must also be unpowered (not sure though). Then after
you're at the desktop you power up the ICD/HD and wait for it to be
ready. This time can be anywhere from 10 seconds to 45 seconds
depending on the drive. The drive needs time to spin up to speed and
go through it's own internal startup check. On older drives you can
hear this, but with some of the newer SCSI drives it's tough to hear
it.
Then run ICDBOOT.PRG off the floppy and your HD should be recognized.
You can then run ICDFMT.PRG to format the drive.
If you're still having problems after that, sit at the computer and
call ICD's service # and they should be able to help you out.
Problem solved!! From SANTOR...
Well, I found the problem. I had the cable from the computer to the
controller connected to the out port instead of the in port.
Everything is running fine now. Thanks for all your help.
----------------
Question from JBARRERAS...
I have an old ST. If I get the TOS upgrade from the Codeheads, an
memory upgrade from JRI w/the 4096 color chip, will my ST be the
equivalent of an STE? Don't I still need the hardware scrolling and
the sound upgraded? I know I won't have the blitter, but is there
anything else I would be missing?
Answer from MRBURKLEY...
I asked the same question, and sorry, your ST will not be the same as
an STe. I had hoped the same, myself. The hardware scrolling and sound
are still not there in the old ST's.
Answer from LMCCLURE...
The JRI 4096-color mod has a slight artifacting problem with some
types of screen displays that the STe does not exhibit. Yes, you'll be
missing the hardware scrolling and DMA sound (and the extra joystick
ports, if you care), but more importantly, a ST requires the TEC board
to upgrade to TOS 2.06. An STe does not.
Add in the cost of the TEC board, and the JRI board, and you could
likely sell your current machine, buy a 520STe or 1040STe and come out
even or ahead in the cost department, as well as gaining the features
you would be missing in upgrading your ST.
----------------
Question from LAMARTH...
Does anyone know of a mail-order outfit who is a TT030 dealer? Not
having any Atari mags recent enough that would advertise such dealers,
and living in a town where the only computer store sports PCs I don't
have any other sources to turn to. Right now I'm mainly interested in
getting prices and information on the system - any help would be
appreciated!
Answer from Gordie (Sysop)...
I was told that Run PC, a Colorado store, has sold TT's via mail
order. Their phone number is 800-326-2344, or 303-493-5565. The
address is 524 W. Laurel #2, Ft. Collins, CO 80521. They had an ad in
the latest AtariUser.
Answer from TRAHERNE...
There's Toad Computers in Severna Park, Maryland. Their phone is
(301) 544-6943 or 1-800-448-TOAD. Ray, Dave and Jennifer are pretty
nice folks, too! Good luck!
----------------
Question from BENSONC...
I have an internal modem in my PC, but do not have a modem on my ATARI
520ST. I'm interested in downloading midi files for my ST and was
wondering if it was possible to download to the PC and then somehow
transfer it to the ST. If there is a method that can be used which is
less expensive than purchasing an additional modem, I'd appreciate any
suggestions.
Answer from LMCCLURE...
If you have a 3.5" drive on your PC, simply write the files to it in
standard 720K format (on a DSDD disk), and you can read them directly
on your ST.
You cannot use HD floppies on the ST unless you have a third-party mod
kit, or a Mega STe or TT that is factory equipped to handle 1.44meg
media.
Answer from TRAHERNE...
I think it should be possible if you have at least TOS 1.4 and use a
double-density formatted floppy in your PC. I do the opposite
(download to STE, transfer to PC) all the time.
----------------
From Charles Johnson (CodeHead Technologies)...
The first update to Warp 9 (which is coming soon) will fix the
incompatibility with Notator, so that Warp 9 won't need to be disabled
before running it. There was also a problem with Cubase -- Warp 9 had
to be completely removed from the system or Cubase wouldn't even run -
- and this is also fixed in the first Warp 9 update.
The update has new features too, including support for scrolling in
Word Perfect and other programs. Scrolling through text is about THREE
times faster with the new version.
----------------
Observation by HOWBAR...
I was shocked that my Mega STe could format Double Density disks to
1.44 Meg. However, I was advised not to rely on the data stored on
them. I bought a new box of High Density disks and finally have backed
up my hard drive. :-)
I wonder why no one knew about these disk drives being 1.44M. I called
all around trying to find a 1.44M drive and Ajax chips before I
finally used the built in formatter instead of my accessory formatter.
What a surprise that I already had a 1.44M drive! I even called Atari
trying to find out when 1.44M drives would be available. I am just
glad that they are here now.
Comments by RMORROW...
The reason that your MSTe couldn't format the double density disks is
that they lack the hole on the left side of the disk. This tells the
drive that the disk is HD, *if* it can put it's feeler in/through the
hole. If it can't, it thinks it's double density. (Write protect/
enable works exactly the same way). You could make HD disks out of the
DD ones, but like you said, that is not reliable.
Comments from Ralph Mariano (ST Report)...
I am afraid that's not quite right. Atari has not adhered to the "two
hole" premise. Atari HD floppies will format a disk with or without
the second hole.
To clarify, it makes no difference if the second hole is there or not.
Atari's HD formatter will do any disk in HD mode.
----------------
Until next week.....
***********************************************************************
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
=================
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ST Advantage on DELPHI. STReport readers are invited to join DELPHI and
become a part of the friendly community of Atari enthusiasts there.
SIGNING UP WITH DELPHI
======================
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DELPHI is a service of General Videotex Corporation of Cambridge, Mass.
DELPHI- It's getting better all the time!
***********************************************************************
> CIS CODEHEAD CONF. STR Feature The Codeheads on CIS in Conference
==============================
CIS CODEHEAD ONLINE CONFERENCE
==============================
Pattie)
Tonight's guest speakers are John and Charles from CodeHead
Technologies. They're back to tell us about their exciting new product
Caligrapher, and take questions on their other fine products. If you have
a question for John and Charles during the CO, please type a ? and I will
let you know when it is your turn to ask your question. We are on the
honor system to not talk until it's your turn to ask a question or make a
comment to Charles and John! Welcome John and Charles! Thank you for
joining us! Do you have any opening remarks?
John E CodeHead)
Actually, I haven't prepared any opening statement (and I don't think
Charles has either). I do have a couple of thing to mention though. We
just got our initial shipment of Calligraphers today. And we learned a
few new things about it that we didn't know. One thing is that there is a
demo version (Hooray). I trust everyone has read our press release.
That's all. Charles?
Charles)
Yes?
Pattie)
Charles, do you have any comments?
Charles)
:) So that means we're shipping Calligrapher now!
Pattie)
Ok.. the first question goes to Keith Joins...
keith joins)
Does Calligrapher use GDOS? I'm a bit behind in my reading. :)
Charles)
Yes...Calligrapher uses GDOS...or I should say, G+PLUS. It uses
G+PLUS along with another AUTO program called LINE_ARC.PRG which serves a
function similar to FSMGDOS - i.e. it handles the scaling of the outline
Fonts.
John E CodeHead)
A special version of G+Callig is included. I'd like to
also mention that another thing we discovered today is that PostScript
support is included in the Professional version. You don't need to go for
the Gold to get PostScript. <grin>
keith joins)
So it (LINE_ARC.PRG) will replace the need for FSMGDOS as
far as calligrapher goes?
John E CodeHead)
That's right. FSMGDOS has yet to be officially released. So we're
very happy that we don't need it.
keith joins)
That's great news!
Charles)
Yes, and there is a quite extensive library of fonts available for use
with LINE_ARC, at very low prices.
Pattie)
Next question is from Bill@AIM HQ...
Bill @ AIM-HQ)
The press release mentions that Calligrapher can do Tables and
Formulae...does this mean it has some spreadsheet-like capabilities, too?
Or just the ability to create mathematical equations?
John E CodeHead)
The formulae capabilities do not include actual calculations.. rather,
you are able to enter mathematical equations using symbols such as
"integral" and "root" and they are automatically sized to fit their
contents. The tables can be created using tabs, via easy-to-use rulers or
you can automatically create tables by entering vertical bars, e.g.
Col 1|Col 2|Col 3
23|14|16
etc.
Bill @ AIM-HQ)
Great! That's a feature I wish was in current DTP packages. The press
release also mentions an "Outliner" built into the software. Can you give
me some details on it?
Charles)
The outliner is great stuff. It lets you graphically arrange a "tree"
of idea boxes, sort in different orders, manipulate the hierarchy, etc.
It's very cool. A little hard to describe... but when you see it, it's
like an awakening. "Gee, you mean, and outliner really can be useful?" :)
John E CodeHead)
The outliner looks similar to a flowchart, and you can paste the
results into your document.
Bill @ AIM-HQ)
A well done outliner is a great tool for writers...it's another tool
we haven't had on the ST until now. Thanks for the info.
John E CodeHead)
BTW, Calligrapher has great tab support... with leading, centered,
left, right, and decimal tabs.
Pattie)
Ok... Dazz Smith is up next...
Dazzz Smith)
With the release of Calligrapher Codehead Software has a well rounded
product line. Are there any other areas you intend to produce more
software for? e.g. midi, comms, etc.?
John E CodeHead)
One of these days, I'll actually finish the manual for our MIDI Spy
program...The project has been pushed back many months due to all of the
other new things we've taken on.
Charles)
And we're also still actively looking into FAX software.
Dazzz Smith)
With all these projects on the go how much time do you have for
updates to your current products?
John E CodeHead)
We don't have too much time, but luckily everything else is perfect
<grin>. Seriously, Charles has been investing a lot of his time in Warp 9
tweaks.
Charles)
We just updated CodeHead Ramdisk, and MultiDesk just got an update
too. Eventually, I'm gonna tear into MaxiFile again...to make it more
compatible (friendly) with Multi-TOS.
John E CodeHead)
Speaking of Warp 9, we're about to upload a free update to Warp 9 that
gives everyone a lot of new compatibility and some new speed increases,
too.
Pattie)
Thank you Dazz! I'd like to jump in here and ask a question... My
question is about Calligrapher... you mentioned GDOS and PostScript...how
do you get them to mix?
John E CodeHead)
One of the drivers is a PostScript driver. So G+ is being used to send
output to the PostScript driver, which creates a disk file.
Charles)
There are Calligrapher equivalents for many of the common PostScript
fonts, like Times, Helvetica, Garamond, etc., and you can tell
Calligrapher to substitute the PostScript names in the output.
John E CodeHead) We've only tested some rather simple PS files...
but the ones we tried printed well from UltraScript and CompoScript.
Pattie)
Perhaps I'm a little confused...are you saying it's a two-step process
to get GDOS fonts printed out on a PostScript printer?
Charles)
Pattie: no! You _can_ print directly to a PostScript device too. You
can print either directly to a PS device, or to a disk file... for use
with a service bureau.
John E CodeHead)
You might want to output to a PS file and take it to a lino bureau.
PS is very flexible and can be used in many ways.
Pattie)
Ok... let's move on... Keith had another question!
keith joins)
What fonts come with it and have you set pricing on the
the additional ones yet?
John E CodeHead)
The included fonts are: Zurich (Helv), Holland (Times), Holland
Italic, Math (Greek, Symbols), Ornaments (Dingbats) and Unitype (Courier).
There are 64 other font disks available. We haven't formally set a price,
but I believe it will be between $30 and $35 per disk. These outline
fonts are from URW, a very professional font foundry.
Pattie)
Thanks, Keith! Rob Rasmussen has a question...
Rob Rasmussen)
Midi Spy is listed in your catalog as being for sale, but when I
called CH, and from what you just said, I get the impression it isn't
ready yet. Is it ready?
John E CodeHead)
I can't apologize enough for the delay on MIDI Spy. If you only knew
how much (little) free time I have, you'd figure it will never get
released. The program is basically finished, but the manual has not been
finished. The original release date was December 16th. Obviously, I
missed it. <grin>
Pattie) Dazz has another question...
Dazzz Smith)
How extensive are the spellchecker and thesaurus (spelling?) in
Calligrapher?
John E CodeHead)
The spell checker has 160,000 words...with phonetic and alphabetic
guessing. You can skip on or all occurences, and "learn" and so on. Spell
checking can be done manually on the document or automatically while you
type. The Thesaurus is very hip...It has 200,000 synonyms and maintains a
word trail that you can use to back up. It also has antonyms.
Dazzz Smith)
Does this mean that any manuals from Codehead will be typo free :-)
John E CodeHead)
<grin>
Charles)
Aren't they always?
Pattie)
Thanks Dazz! WE're back to Bill@AIM HQ...
Bill @ AIM-HQ)
The Calligrapher press release doesn't mention this, but I heard
(somewhere) that the program can set text on a user-defined path (wavy
line, etc). Is this true? Are there any other neat-o features we have yet
to hear about (and if so, what are some of 'em)? :-)
John E CodeHead)
That's a feature of Calligrapher Gold. It's called Flextext. <grin>
Charles)
Yes, that's the FlexText feature. It's one of the external modules
(known as "paks"). And that, by the way, is one of Calligrapher's nicest
features... the ability to call external modules. This means that new
features, import/export modules can be added as needed without having to
update the main program.
John E CodeHead)
Calligrapher Professional lists for $175. Calligrapher Gold is $250,
and the Gold Extension (update from Pro) is $100.
Pattie)
Ah! That's what you meant by "Go for the Gold!" :)
John E CodeHead)
Barcode generation is another feature. There's also a grammar
checker. And an automatic timed save. And a label printer. These are
all features of the Gold version.
Charles)
Another thing that wasn't mentioned in the press release: Calligrapher
has "paragraph tags" similar to Pagemaker that let you quickly set up
paragraphs in your favorite styles... you can edit the tags, and
automatically update all paragraphs that use them.
John E CodeHead)
There are also dictionaries available in French, German, Spanish,
Italian, Catalan, and Dutch.
Pattie)
What language is Catalan?
John E CodeHead)
Danged if I know <grin>
Charles)
Ya got me. Some kind of Spanish?
Pattie)
OK... If we can move off Calligrapher specifically for a second... I would
like to know how you guys feel about all the software coming from overseas
nowadays. Is that good or bad?
John E CodeHead)
I think some of it's good and some of it's bad. The software _we_
import is good, and the rest is bad. <grin> But seriously, we're just glad
to be able to provide the US users with quality software that meets our
high standards...even if we didn't write it.
Charles)
Some companies seem to have made importing their entire business.
We're still actively developing products of our own...such as Warp 9, MIDI
Spy, Icon Juggler, and others...so we're keeping our hands very much in
the development side of things too.
John E CodeHead)
And we've also been careful in selecting imports that allow _us_ to
write modules. We've already written seven modules for MegaPaint and we've
got some great plans for Calligrapher.
Pattie)
Do you feel it's a function of the small market now that developers,
whether on this side of the ocean or that, have to think globally to be
successful?
Charles)
Well, one unfortunate side effect of the small US market is that the
"major" applications have not found fertile soil in which to develop. A
program like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator takes an ENORMOUS amount of
time and money to bring to fruition, and these kinds of resources just
haven't been available to US developers. (With a few notable exceptions.)
However, in Europe (UK and Germany in particular) the market has been much
stronger and consequently the software has had more of a chance to mature
and develop. There's still a lot of trash (after all, Sturgeon said "90%
of everything is trash"), but there is also some excellent stuff. We're
trying to separate the wheat from the chaff in our own efforts. <gasp>
Pattie)
Thanks Charles! :) Enough of this... Dazz has a question!
Dazz, you're up!
Dazzz Smith)
Is there any other software you've got your eye on overseas that you
may want to import?
John E CodeHead)
Nothing interests us currently (as if we'd tell you here <grin>).
Charles)
No comment.
Dazzz Smith)
Do you feel that Atari could do more to help developers get good
quality software to its overseas userbase?
Charles)
I feel Atari could do more. Period.
John E CodeHead)
Well, Atari couldn't really do any less to help us export...
Charles)
(Because they do nothing.)
John E CodeHead)
but I'm not sure what else they could do.
Pattie)
Rob Rasmussen has another question...
Rob Rasmussen)
Is that first shipment of Calligrapher is spoken for (Can I get it NOW?:)
Also are there still plenty of TEC boards?
Charles)
We still have some left in the first shipment. Yes, you can get it right
NOW!
John E CodeHead)
BTW, during this conference I'm multi-tasking. I'm looking through a
new brochure we received today, and I'm learning even more new things
about Calligrapher that I didn't know before. Yes we've got TECs.
John E CodeHead)
One thing we haven't mentioned...Even though Calligrapher was
developed overseas, our deal is different with Working Title UK. We've
set up another company called Working Title US. This company is in
partnership with Working Title UK and we'll be manufacturing the product
here. This will allow us to offer larger margins to distributors and
dealers, increasing the market share for everyone.
Rob Rasmussen)
And I can use it with a color monitor, correct?
Charles)
Rob: yes. :)
John E CodeHead)
Yes, Calligrapher runs in all resolutions except low (and
TT low).
Pattie)
Thank you Rob! I guess I'm the lucky person with the last question
before Charles and John get to make any closing remarks! :) Can you tell
us what your thoughts are on the new system and what it could mean to the
future of Atari?
Charles)
Gee, a loaded question, eh.
John E CodeHead)
It has some enormous potential.
Pattie)
I didn't say I played fair! *huge grin*
Charles)
It's a killer machine. But they can't delay for too long, or everyone
will have them.
John E CodeHead)
Now if Atari could find some marketing specialists that also have
enormous potential, we'd be in business.
Pattie)
Thank you for joining us tonight...now's your chance to say anything
at all by way of closing! :)
John E CodeHead)
Anything at all? <grin>
Charles)
Always use paper!
John E CodeHead)
We've been really lucky to be able to sell the TECs here in the US and
it's opened our eyes to the value of selling hardware as opposed to
software.
Charles)
Ontology recapitulates phylogeny.
John E CodeHead)
We've got some plans for a couple of other hardware devices
also...surprise. That's all I'm going to say right now, but we're
excited.
Charles)
Oh yeah....but we'll talk about that next time.
John E CodeHead)
Thank you all for coming tonight.
Charles)
Yes, thanks, folks!
Pattie)
Great news! :) I'm sure everyone reading this is salivating! :) Thank
you Charles and John! Thank you to all the users who attended! Please
join us June 11th for a CO on FLASH II!
___________________________________________________________
> BLUE RIDGE ATARIFEST STR SHOW NEWS "The Summertime Atari Event!"
==================================
1992 Blue Ridge ATARIFEST
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
Where: Westgate Shopping Center - Asheville, N.C.
Take any major highway into Asheville (US 19-23, US 26 or I-40) to the
I-240 loop, then take the "Westgate/Hilton Inn Drive exit" into the
Westgate Shopping Center parking lot.
When: 18, July 1992
Time: 10:am to 6:pm
Points of contact:
Van Estes, BRACE Pres. Clifford E. Allen, V.Pres.
704-685-8358 GEnie: C.Allen17
INTERNET: callen@UNCA.EDU
704-258-3758
Sheldon Winick
GEnie: S.WINICK
Computer STudio
704-251-0201
Come for the day or come for the weekend,
but do come and enjoy yourself.
Great Smokies Hilton Resort Hilton Inn Drive (704)254-3211
Toll-free reservation phone number 1-800-733-3211
Radisson One Thomas Wolf Plaza (704)252-8211
Rate: $62.00 per room (1-4 people)
====== Additional Hotel / Motel Information ===========
Days Inn I-26 and Airport Road (704)684-2281
I-40 Exit 55 (704)298-5140
Econo Lodge US 70 East, I-40 Exit 55 (704)298-5519
Holiday Inn 275 Smoky Park Hwy (704)667-4501
Toll-free reservation phone number1-800-HOLIDAY
Red Roof Inn I-40 and US 19-23 Exit 44 (704)667-9803
Toll-free reservation phone number1-800-843-7663
Buget Motel I-40 Exit 44 (Enka-Chandler)
West Asheville Exit (704)665-2100
Best
Western Asheville Central 22 Woodfin St (704)253-1851
========= Local Bed & Breakfast lodging Information =========
Aberdeen Inn 64 Linden Ave (704)254-9336
Albemarle Inn 86 Edgemont Road (704)255-0027
Applewood Manor 62 Cumberland Circle (704)254-2244
The Bridle Path Inn Lockout Road (704)252-0035
Cairn Brae B & B 217 Patton Mountain Rd (704)252-9219
Carolina B & B 177 Cumberland Ave (704)254-3608
Cedar Crest Victorian Inn 674 Biltmore Ave (704)252-1289
Corner Oak Manor 53 St. Dunstan (704)253-3525
Cornerstone Inn 230 Pearson Dr (704)253-5644
Flint Street Inn 100 & 116 Flint Street (704)253-6723
The Lion and The Rose 276 Montford Ave (704)255-7673
The Ray House B & B 83 Hillside St (704)252-0106
Reed House 119 Dodge St (704)274-1604
The Wright Inn 235 Pearson Drive (704)251-0789]
(1-800-552-5724)
A more complete listing of Bed & Breakfasts can be obtained through the
Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Reservations should be made immediately, as July is the height of our
tourist season.
=========== CAMP GROUNDS ================
(reservations are a must during this time of season):
Mount Pisgah:
About 20 miles southwest of Asheville on the Blue Ridge Parkway at
mile post 408.6 (National Park Service). 690 acres. Elevation 5000'. One
of the nicest campgrounds in Western North Carolina. 67 tent sites, 70 RV
sites. For reservations: P.O.Box 749, Watnesville, N.C. 28786; phone (704)
235-9109. No showers. Groceries and resturant. Nature program. 14 day
stay limit.
Lake Powhatan:
4 miles south of Asheville on State road 191, 3.5 miles west on FR
806. 30 acres. 98 tent/rv sites. Reservation available thru Mistix
1-800-283-CAMP. Disposal station. No showers. Swimming; lifeguard;
fishing; nature trails; bicycles. 14-day stay limit.
While in the area, you might want to consider a little sightseeing,
and include a visit to the Biltmore House here in Asheville (the largest
single family residence ever built in the U.S.--its a "castle"). A visit
to the Biltmore can be a full-day's activity as you will want to view the
house, visit the winery, and walk some of the grounds and gardens.
Hours:
The House 9 am to 6pm The Gardens 9am to 7pm
Conservatory 9am to 5:30pm
The Winery Monday-Saturday 11am to 7pm Sunday 1pm to 7pm
Other areas of interest include; the Thomas Wolf home (adjacent to the
Raddison), the Blue Ridge Parkway and Folk Art Center. A drive up the Blue
ridge Parkway to enjoy the higher elevations and incredible views of our
mountains. Perhaps a hike up to Mount Pisgah and look back down to
Asheville(you can see Mt. Pisgah from most anywhere in Asheville). A
short drive from Mt. Pisgah will take you to Sliding Rock (for those of
you travelling with kids who are still kids at heart), the Cradle of
Forestry (first forest school in the country), waterfalls, trout hatchery,
etc. For the adventurous, white water rafting on the Natahala River near
Bryson City (approx one and a half hours from here).
There's obviously loads more to see and do around Asheville (in
addition to the Blue Ridge AtariFest and a visit to Computer STudio :-).
If any of y'all would like maps and additional tourist info of the area I
might suggest contacting the Chamber of Commerce:
Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
151 Haywood Street
P.O. Box 1010
Asheville, NC 28802
704-258-6111 FAX: (704)251-0926
BLUE RIDGE ATARIFEST '92 BANQUET
================================
Prepared by: Sheldon Winick
May 15, 1992 Asheville, NC
Computer STudio has finalized arrangements for an after show banquet
at the Pisgah View Ranch. This will definitely be somewhat different from
the usual semi-formal type hotel affairs of the other shows, and will be a
real down-home, country party in the mountains!
Dinner will be served family-style....... as long as you keep eating,
they'll keep serving! And check out the menu:
Tossed Salad
Country Ham
Fried Chicken
Cornbread Dressing
Rice and Gravy
Green Beans
Sweet Potato Souffle
Homemade Rolls
Beverages
Homemade desserts
After dinner, there will be live entertainment in the air-conditioned
barn, guaranteed to bring out he 'country' in everyone! There's also
volleyball and shuffleboard if anyone still has the energy after the
excitement of the show. Or how about just sitting on the porch and
enjoying our clean mountain air.
Advance reservations are required for the Blue Ridge AtariFest Banquet
as seating space is limited to 100 people. Cost is $17.50 per person
(children under 6 are half-price). If you're planning on attending,
please return the following reservation form along with you payment check
as soon as possible.
Reservations will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. In the
event we should receive more reservations than seating space available,
your checks will be returned.
cut here and return with your check
=====================================================================
BLUE RIDGE ATARIFEST '92 - BANQUET RESERVATION FORM:
Name: _______________________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________
City: _________________________ State: _________ Zip: ___________
Phone Number: ( ) _________________________________
Number attending: ______ Adults @ $17.50 each = $_______________
______ Children under 6 @ $8.75 = $_______________
TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED ............ $_______________
Banquet tickets and a map of directions to the Pisgah View Ranch will
be mailed to those with confirmed reservations.
PLEASE MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO "COMPUTER STUDIO" and mail this completed
reservation form along with your check to:
Computer STudio
Westgate Shopping Center
40 Westgate Parkway - Suite D
Asheville, NC 28806
======================================================================
cut here and return with your check
I'm pleased to announce that John Cole will be attending The Blue
Ridge AtariFest representing LEXICOR SOFTWARE. He has advised us that the
Lexicor booth will not only have loads of desktop video demos to show, but
will also have Leonardo and possibly Monalisa (the 'NEW' stuff!!).
DON'T MISS IT!
Blue Ridge AtariFest
Saturday, July 18, 1992 --- 10am - 6pm
Westgate Shopping Center --- Asheville, NC
_______________________________________________________________
> The UNTOLD Story! STR Spotlight PITTSBURGH.... Finally, the TRUTH!
===============================
THE UNTOLD STORY OF PITTSBURGH, PA
==================================
by DC Signorini
(c) 1991, 1992, 1992
Author's Note:
This series of articles were written over a 10 month period from the
summer of 1991 to the spring of 1992. The original six articles, entitled
"The Untold Story of Pittsburgh, PA" contain information about the events
that took place during a 3 year time period in South Western Pennsylvania.
These events are to the best of my knowledge true. Some names have been
withheld to protect certain individuals. The 2 sections, one entitled
"Prologue" and the other "Epilogue", were written to summarize the events
that took place during later part of 1991 and early 1992.
I ask that anyone reprinting these articles print all 8 articles
un-edited either in a continuing series or all 8 at once to ensure the
integrity of the story flow.
========
PROLOGUE
========
It is with great sadness and frustration that I write this article.
In 1990, when the AUA came to my hands, I was very enthusiastic about
molding the organization into one of power and respect. I had listened to
many people who offered advice on how I could achieve this goal, and for
the most part, everyone was very helpful.
When I wrote the following series of articles, back in the summer of
1991 while on vacation, little did I know that the events that would take
place over the course of the following year would effect my life as it
has. I had every intention of publishing this article in August 1991, but
instead, a close friend of mine, John Karlovich, asked that I wait until
after the WAACE show 1991 to see just how the Atari Elite would be treated
while at the show.
It is ironic that not less than a year previous, the Atari Elite was
being shunned by many in the ST community. Those who joked and called the
Atari Elite the slanderous names that they did are no longer even
participating in the Atari community. They have gone on to higher
platforms, or exited the computer arena all together. The same people who
caused 99 percent of the problems in the Pittsburgh area are not even
around to read this.
Now that things have taken a turn for the worse, I felt it was time to
release my article on the events that took place during my reign as
coordinator of the Atari Users Association. I do not know how many people
will even know what I am talking about in my 6 part article, but for those
who have been around long enough to witness the collapse of a once
prominent computer company, they may find some comfort in knowing that
things are bad all over.
This will be my last official dialog with the Atari community. Having
been a long time Atari user, dating back to 1981, and even earlier if you
want to count Atari's Pinball game system, I am very unhappy of the turn
of events that has left many people with no choice but to turn to other
platforms. Atari, when it announced the ST line in 1984-1985, was
destined to be the next Apple computer. Power without the price, I think
was the phrase back then, and a man named Jack promised to be the next
Steven Jobs. Instead, the current stock price of Atari on the AMEX is
below $3.00 a share, more than 300% less than what it was originally
issued at, and after it enjoyed a high selling value of over $30.00.
Funny how a company with so much potential was able to mislead consumers
and convince them that the ST line was THE computer to invest in.
Instead, today's ST survivors have to drive hundreds of miles to
purchase software for their machines. Sad. Very, very sad.
Now, almost 7 years after the ST was introduced in the US, its 68000
technology is dated and slow. Anyone who would invest in an Atari
platform computer this day and age is crazy. Especially when you can
barely find a dealer to handle the computer or its software.
An ST BOOK? Call me a skeptic, but I really doubt that the BOOK will
ever become a reality in the US. Atari boasts a 8mhz notebook sized
computer. Give me a break. If it takes as long to get the Notebook to
market as it did the Stacy, those of you holding out for the Notebook had
better invest in some Grecian Formula. The Notebook is a farce, and the
company behind it is a joke too. If it sounds as though I am bitter, good
assumption. I am very bitter. Probably more bitter than anyone you have
ever known before toward Atari. I used to fear those who would speak out
against me or my ideas. Now, I really do not care, because I have
projected myself above and beyond Atari. I am not going to look back, and
I certainly am not going to miss it. I feel sorry for those who read this
and condemn me for my thoughts or actions, because I know that one day,
most of you will experience what I am feeling today.
At any rate, I am just about finished badmouthing Atari. I ask that
you please forgive my bitterness. Perhaps I should have cooled off a bit
more before writing this section. But, I guess there is no time better
than the present. Here is my story.
After one and a half years, the AUA grew from a 100 member
organization to one with over 1600 members. AUA had become a voice, in a
very small circle, but had never really caught the eye of the press or of
Atari Corp. itself.
The reasons for this are many. First, and Bob Brodie will deny it,
but AUA was a threat to him and to Atari. Mr. Brodie I believe feared
what AUA represented, so his only way of dealing with the organization was
to pretend it did not exist. In one early conversation with Mr. Brodie
when I asked him to officially recognize the AUA, he stated, "The
revolution is the only movement that Atari Corp. will endorse or
recognize." Never did I ask Bob to endorse the AUA, but simply to
communicate with us so that our members would be heard. In another
conversation, when AUA was attempting to open communications lines between
the users and Atari, Bob stated that he was too busy reading messages on
GEnie and did not have time for the Fnet, a network which he has on a
number of times denounced as childish and immature. Ironically, Bob now
has his very own BBS, and is very much active in the Fnet. He never
really made an effort to help us, as I believe he feared that AUA would
become a very large lobbying organization.
Others feared AUA because of its early affiliation with Atari Elite.
And, after I was able to convince everyone that AUA was no longer
affiliated with this Pittsburgh group, no one was willing to even look at
AUA. Again, ironically, Bob Brodie calls on the Atari Elite to help him
route his BBS into the Fnet. Association is a convenience, I guess.
In late 1991, the Atari Users Association launched the Anti-Piracy
Movement 1991. We published some captures from Pirate BBS's that were
given to us, making the Atari public aware that this was going on right
under our noses. Piracy has reached paramount proportions in almost all
computer platforms, and we felt that the AUA could help to ignite a witch
hunt on those offenders who were destroying the userbase. Little did we
know that the witch hunt was turned onto us.
Shortly after announcing the movement via a text file on GEnie and
Compuserve, I received a call from a well known figure in the Atari
Community demanding that I "knock off the anti-piracy sh*t" and that I
"did not know who I was f***ing with..." He went on to say that the AUA
could never change what was happening with all of the Pirate BBS in the
USA and that I was wasting my time. I always had strong knowledge that
this individual had very strong piracy ties, and what he was telling me
was that I would be facing the wrath of the Pirate BBS sysops who would
not like what I was saying. I told my "friend" that I was not afraid to
speak out and that I would pursue the Anti-Pirate movement. Ironically,
this figure has everyone believing that he is pristine, while he is one of
the major Atari ST software pirates.
Three weeks after this conversation, AUA received its monthly phone
bill. During a two week period, beginning 2 days after my conversation
with my friend who stated, "you don't know who you are f**king with..."
211 calls were placed to destinations in England, Germany, Israel, and all
over the United States for a grand charge total of over $1800. Much to
our dismay, we did not make these calls. We called the long distance
carrier to get to the bottom of the problem, and we were told that someone
had placed all of the calls using the AUA calling card code. The phone
company insisted that we were liable for the calls, since from what they
could determine, all of the calls were placed from the AUA phone at Tony
Parry's home. Tony did not make the calls, nor did anyone in his home.
However, we were responsible for the calls pending an investigation.
Ironically, all of the calls were placed to BBS's.
Now, this placed us in a very difficult position. AUA had around $800
in the bank, and did not have the $1800 or so needed to pay the phone
company. We also did not have enough capital to hire a lawyer. This
would take much more money that we already did not have. What legal
advice we did receive was to issue a complaint with the PUC, which we did.
Our hearing, in late October, was the last stake in the AUA heart.
After the investigation, the phone company could not conclude that we did
not make the calls from the AUA telephone. Apparently, the calls were
made from the Canonsburg trunk line, which according to the phone company
can be done by only the most skilled phone hackers. However, we had no
proof that this was done by an outside person or party, and we were liable
for the $1800 bill. The phone company settled for a 50% payment and would
close the case. We agreed, since the alternative would be a lien against
Tony and his assets (since the phone was in his name...). We paid the
phone company and walked away.
That is where we are now. The AUA, for all intents and purposes,
still exists. However, there is no money in our account to even mail
notices to our members concerning our situation. The only assets we had
were in the form of printed materials that have no resale value and a few
pieces of hardware that we sold off.
It saddens me to see that a harmless threat from who I though was a
friend, turned into a flagrant attack against a productive organization.
Why have we let piracy take over the Atari userbase as it has? Could it
be because of the fact that Atari Corp. is poorly run, and that their
support people, such as Bob Brodie are in the wrong line of business or
over worked? And what about those people who ignored the AUA for a year
and a half, are they happy now to see that the AUA is paralyzed?
To all of our paid members, I apologize for the situation that we find
ourselves in. The last thing I would want those who lost their $15.00
membership fee is that we were a "ripping" off the Atari community
"again." We are not what Avant Garde turned into. Instead, we were
attacked by someone in the Atari community who probably felt threatened by
our Anti-Piracy movement and then left out to dry. Well, the individual
who did this to us won. The friend who told me I was out of my league
has won too. People like Bob Brodie, John Barnes, and others who were so
against the idea of the Atari Users Association are all winners.
A brave sole, one who has complete dedication to Atari and who has
been with the AUA for a very long time, is taking over the group. Eric
Lambeth, founder of the ST-Exchange PD Software program will be stepping
in to take over my position as Coordinator. I have vowed to help him in
every possible way to get on his feet with the AUA. It will take a lot of
work, but I am confident that he is the right man for the job. Please
understand that the fate of the AUA was left to a few immature people who
wanted things their way. What AUA is, and what it was founded for will
never change.
In closing, I suppose this serves as my letter of resignation with the
Atari Users Association. I have sold the 1000 shares of Atari stock that
I held, along with most of my equipment and software. The Atari ST is a
dead end platform, and anyone who hopes to be productive using a personal
computer should explore Macintosh or Intel based machines.
To say that it was fun would be a lie.
Enjoy yourselves.
Derek C. Signorini
Human
======
PART I
======
[This is part 1 of a 6 part story concerning the Atari arena in the
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. You are encouraged to read all 6 parts
in their entirety.]
INTRODUCTION
------------
Next time you are in Sunnyvale, gathering in the beautiful Southern
California sun, stop in Atari Corp. headquarters, tell the receptionist
you are visiting from Pittsburgh, and make note of the look you get (as if
you had a black patch over one eye...).
Or, if you ever get a chance, call up an Atari Developer and tell
them you are from Pittsburgh and listen as the line gets quiet (as if you
had perched upon your shoulder a parrot...).
Try coming to Pittsburgh to buy some Atari Software or some Atari
Hardware...you will be greeted with a smile and the answer "You can only
get software for the Atari from mail order, ah, I think."
Give Patty Marshall or Paul Plants a call and ask them how plans for
their show scheduled for the end of June in Erie failed and they will tell
you they have suffered from frost bite (with Atari Teeth marks...).
The story you are about to hear is one that I should have told a very
long time ago and one that I have been aching to get off of my chest for
almost a year. The current state of affairs within the Atari community
has prompted me to undertake this chore and to be honest, I simply could
no longer watch on as once "hardcore" Atari users switch to other
platforms.
I originally wanted to write one large article, but instead, I will
present the events surrounding the conditions of the Atari marketplace in
Western Pennsylvania in several installments. This will make it easier
for the media and usergroups to reprint without consuming pages and pages
in just one issue.
During the course of my "ramblings," you will hear things that were
up until now, secured behind closed doors or forbidden to speak of.
Everyone that I speak to realize that there is a problem within Atari, but
no one wants to take the initiative to do something about it. Maybe after
reading my story you will gain the urge to speak up. I encourage any and
all feedback to this story and you can do so by mail, Email, in person,
via satellite, telephone, or in the next life while sipping a beer at a
Hard Rock Cafe.
What finally prompted me to undertake this task was a conglomerate of
several different events, the most recent being the cancellation of the
Great Lakes Atari Computer Conference, GLACC, to be held in Erie, PA.
Also, the immanent death of the Atari ST is upon not only the people in
the Pittsburgh area, but also all over the United States. And there is
not a doctor in sight. I happen to live in the Pittsburgh area, and am
not willing to give up hope on the ST as easily as Atari has given up on
Pittsburgh.
Why things have become as bad as they are in this area is very
complicated. I am not an expert on marketing practices and never boasted
to be. Nor am I fully knowledgeable on every single Atari related
incident that has taken place in this area since the birth of the ST in
1985. However, because I was very active in the local Atari community for
nearly 6 years, I experienced many things that the guys at Sunnyvale
simply did not.
So, I find that it is my duty to present these events that occurred
here to the best of my ability. The issues that I will discuss are being
submitted to the best of my knowledge and any incidents that are mentioned
here that were presented to me by a third party are believed to be true
and accurate. I have included real names of people surrounding events in
some cases and only where I found it necessary in order to preserve the
integrity of my story and only by permission. I will not in any way
assume liability for any information mentioned herein that was presented
to me incorrectly. And lastly, I am writing this story of my own free
will. The opinions presented herein are my own and not of the Atari Users
Association or any other organization mentioned. If any information that
you find in the course of this story is incorrect, I apologize, and ask
that corrections be given to me so that I may make them public.
Before I begin, there are a few facts that must be stated. First of
all, immediately after the PACE show in Pittsburgh on April 29th, 1990, I
resigned my membership with the Atari Elite. I broke nearly all ties that
I had with the organization on the "advise" of several people in the Atari
ring and have only kept in contact with John Karlovich, president and
founder of the Atari Elite, over this long time period because he is a
personal friend of mine. Likewise, I have kept in contact with Paul
Plants of WACO as well as Bruce Markey of PACE simply because I felt that
it was necessary to demonstrate my (and AUA's) neutrality in the issues
that were being thrown onto the table.
For many of you who are unfamiliar with the Pittsburgh story, allow me
to quickly sum the situation up in 100 words or less. There are two ST
groups in Pittsburgh. One hates the other and wants the other to simply
die and go away. The other wants nothing more than to have the other pull
together and knock off the hatred. Confused? Yeah, me too. As you may
already know, I am currently the coordinator for the Atari Users
Association, or AUA, a world wide not-for-profit group with over 1600
members in 22 different countries. I graduated from Duquesne University
in 1988 with a B.S. in Pharmacy and have a B.S. degree in Computer
Science as well in 1989. I am married (3 years) and currently work full
time as a pharmacist and am the Director of Operations for a computer
business I started in 1988. My company is registered under the Atari
Developer program. I enjoy spending what free time I have golfing and hot
air ballooning. My wife, Deborah, complains that she never sees me, and I
always tell her that it will make our marriage last even longer...(grin)
Enough of the life history...
Prior to the April 1990 PACE show, the only affiliation the AUA had
with the Atari Elite is the fact that AUA used the Atari Elite newsletter
for their own and that I was a member of AE. After the April 1990 date,
AUA had NO affiliation whatsoever with the Atari Elite, or any other local
group for that matter. This separation was necessary to demonstrate that
the AUA was a true worldwide organization and that it had no local
affiliation as you will learn further into this story.
Secondly, I must also state for the record that of the 1600 members in
the Atari Users Association, only 1% of them are from Western Pennsylvania
-- a low number probably due to the deplorable conditions in this region
concerning Atari Computer hardware and software. When you walk into a
large software dealer in Pittsburgh and ask for Atari ST software, you are
often asked "an Atari what?" or "is that 2600 or 5200?"
Many of you may be wondering why now? Why does he feel the need to
talk about something that everyone is trying to "cover up?" Well, to be
honest, now that the AUA is a great success, I no longer feel threatened
by anyone or any group. A year ago, the AUA was a fragile infant whose
future was dependent upon the stability and purity of its image. I did
not want the AUA to be in the spotlight of controversy knowing that it
would not endure such, so my best action was to isolate AUA and continue
to promote AUA positively and professionally -- a move that has paid off
now that the AUA ground is firm and un-threatened.
In addition, I was hoping that the press would finally give the
area what it needed:
1) The Atari Elite the credit for not being involved in the "heavy piracy"
that had been reported.
2) The local dealers and users the promotion that could save the
Pittsburgh userbase.
3) Lastly to point the finger at the real culprits in the area's dilemma.
But, none of these events ever happened -- the press never published a
single good word about the area or the people here. And yet, I sat back
waiting for that day while I watched the conditions in Pittsburgh worsen.
Sure, things may be bad in your town also, but Pittsburgh has always
gotten the "bad rap" and since I have been a passive observer to this
"veil of conspiracy" that is draped over the area I could no longer sit
back and watch the Atari ST die a slow and miserable death. I have too
much time and money invested in Atari, including my equipment, my small
business, and stocks, to just let it all fall by the waste side. But yet,
I am afraid that the conditions not only here in this area, but also
throughout the entire United States, has reached a point of no return --
no matter how much Atari says they are "beginning a new aggressive
campaign" and no matter how much great enthusiasts like Ralph Mariano of
STReports, all of the Developers who would sweat blood for Atari, and
myself attempt to boost morale, things are really very bad for Atari
computers and Atari computer users.
Just as an example, Word Perfect has recently pulled out of the Atari
platform, and while I write this article using Word Perfect Version 4.1, I
wonder how much damage this move has caused and why Atari Corp. had not
tried to stop them from making this devastating decision. And if Atari
did attempt to block this decision, why did they not let the public know
that they at least tried. I can not change the state of affairs currently
being witnessed in the community, nor can you -- single handedly! But if
enough of us join together, then we may be able to possibly alter the
outcome a bit. This has always been a goal of the AUA, and will always be
our first and foremost priority.
Well, I guess the best place to begin would be the "beginning." I
thought about making this article a two or three part series, but decided
that it would be best to write my novel and let everyone read it without
interruption. If the media wishes to break up this story into sections,
you are welcomed to do so as long as none of the contents of this story
are changed.
The purpose of this narrative is to show why I believe the Atari Elite
had received no benefit of the doubt in the incidents surrounding the
April 1990 PACE show and to express why I feel the Atari community in
Pittsburgh has died. I also would like to demonstrate why they (Atari
Elite) may have been a scapegoat for Atari Corp. and also to display that
Pittsburgh would have been a great marketing asset if someone would have
pushed the right buttons. I must again stress that I am writing this out
of my own free will and hope that you will be able to base your
conclusions on what I believe to be the truth instead of fabrication that
has been seen in the past years.
THE BEGINNING
-------------
As far back as I can remember, dating back to 1985, this area really
never had a very strong Atari marketing or advertising venture for the ST.
The 800 was popular, and in the early 1980's, it was common to walk into
almost any retailer and find an 800. This shows me that the 800 was
marketed well and widely accepted here in the area. What went sour?
When I first purchased by Atari 800 in 1982, I had several choices at
the time. I could go to several toy stores in the area, Sears, Kaufmanns
or a few computer dealers. Actually, I never had a choice, since it was
my parent's money and decision and they elected to spend their cash at a
place called "The Toy and Gift Mart" -- a small local dealer in
southwestern Pennsylvania, not more than 10 minutes from my house. I can
remember after receiving my 800 for Xmas, going to the TGM (for short) to
browse and see what was new in the way of Hardware and Software. Since I
did not have a job and was still in high school, my money was scarce, but
I did what I could and spent nearly all of my money on computer supplies
from Harry, the owner of TGM. I spent a lot of time at Harry's over the
course of the next 5 years, and at one time, was considering working part
time for Harry on weekends to earn some extra cash. But, my parents were
a little protective and could see no reason for me to work since I was
given almost everything I needed when I needed it. (note: this attitude
changed when I went to college and my parents saw how much a college
freshman could spend per month...) At any rate, it was here that I met
guys like JG, John Karlovich, and Steve Kotula -- all local Atari
enthusiasts, and also members of the only Atari organization in Pittsburgh
at that time -- PACE. (note: WACO, or Westmoreland Atari Computer
Enthusiasts) has really never been considered a Pittsburgh group, since
they were some 50 miles away from the suburbs of Pittsburgh and a good
hour drive from the center of the city.)
It was through Harry and his store that I met these PACE people, and I
ended up going to some PACE meetings and meeting people like Mark G.,
Steve B., and a few others. I had a great time with PACE, but never
joined as a member. Why I never joined I don't really know -- lack of
money, lack of time, lack of motivation. I figured that I could go to the
meetings for free and would simply not receive a newsletter as did paying
members.
LATE NIGHT HACK SESSIONS --
THE LIFE OF THE AVERAGE COLLEGE STUDENT
---------------------------------------
Let us skip ahead a bit...
At this point in time, around 1985 or so, I never really gave the ST
much consideration. I did not have nearly enough money to spend on a new
system (being the poor college student that I was), and I could not
justify a new system since the old 800 was doing what I needed it to do.
I was programming heavily in BASIC (had written several programs that are
still being used today at my old High School physics class) and had put up
a 24 hour BBS in my dorm room run on my 800.
Now that was a crazy time, having to convince my roommate that it was
necessary to use the phone for the BBS and that no one of any importance
was calling on the phone anyway, so why not put it to good use. Besides,
if his girlfriend or mine had to get through, they simply had to let the
phone ring once to let us know they needed to chat. We stayed up many a
nights until 5 AM playing video games, when we should have been studying
for exams or sleeping (note: sleeping was rare in college...). I can
remember times when John Kacvinsky, my roommate then, would look at me and
say, "Time to go to PT -- see you when I get back..." "PT" was physical
training -- for the ROTC -- that takes place every morning on campus at
6:00. By telling you this, I am stressing that I was, and still am, a
true blue computer hacker. (note: hacker is defined as
programmer/enthusiast, not government computer raider) Ask my wife,
Deborah, about when I met her and stated, "My computer will always come
first...." I meant it, and my wife has accepted it. Even today, my
parents tell me that I spend too much time at the computer and not enough
with the family. Call me a computerholic, I dunno.
Anyway, my roommate had an Apple II, I had the 800. The ST had just
hit the market but I had no money. This is around the time that I made
first contact with the Atari Elite. I was running BBS software called
FOREM XL for the 8-bit and had bought it from a guy named John Graham,
whose nickname was/is "The Boss." I spent many hours on the phone with
John, getting the board set up and learning the "ins and outs" of the
software and the fine art of being a Sysop. Little did I know there was a
revolution going on -- the ST was born, and everyone was eager to get
their hands on it. At any rate, The Boss ran a BBS using the same
software that I bought from him, so he knew what he was doing. John
Graham was the first "hard core" Atari user that I had ever met and I have
a great deal of respect for him because of his knowledge of computers. To
this day, I have never met anyone quite like him. At any rate, I had to
get an update to the BBS software from him and was invited to meet him at
a computer fair at a mall here in Pittsburgh instead of him mailing it to
me. The Atari Elite had a booth at the fair, and he would be there. I
agreed and was anxious to finally meet the guy.
John told me about the Atari Elite for the first time while I spoke
with him on the phone. He said that there were a few guys in Pittsburgh
who just got ST's and were forming a new organization. I remember that
day vividly, because he was talking to me while he tinkered with his new
ST that had just arrived. He was describing the VT-52 emulator and the
control panel to me (the only software that he had at that time, which
was exciting to him and to anyone for that matter) Any way, the only
catch was, attendance to the Atari Elite meeting was by invitation only.
That was sort of neat, I thought at the time. Sort of made it seem a bit
mystical and made me feel important. I told him I was interested.
Later that week, I went to see my friend Harry at TGM, and he had
caught wind of the new group called Atari Elite. He called them snobs
because their membership was by invitation only and that he would never
tell anyone to support them as long as their doors were closed. My
question at this time is, first, who told Harry about the Atari Elite?
And second, if he was so against them, why did he later attend one of
their meetings? To me, this was a stupid attitude for a dealer. If he
were smart (and I am not accusing him of being stupid) he should have
jumped at the opportunity to promote his business to this "up and coming"
organization. But instead, he must have heard something from someone who
was attempting to discredit the Atari Elite and elected to be close minded
instead. Well, I went to the show at the mall that friday night and met
John Graham for the first time. I also saw John Karlovich there, as well
as Jim Laux and Dan Sullivan -- other founders of the new Atari group.
The Atari Elite had a 1040ST on display, and that unit was supposedly one
of only 15 in production! Seems that John Karlovich had a good
communication line with Sig Hartman and John talked Sig into sending the
unit for the show (they had to give it back, of course...) Let me tell
you, Harry found out about the 1040 and was furious because "a punk group
had the unit before he, a dealer, got to see one." So, I am under the
impression that Harry got a bad taste in his mouth about the Atari Elite
because of the 1040 and that a PACE person must have "filled him in" a
little about Elite. This I believe was the beginning of conflict in the
area which I will get into more detail later. At any rate, I had a great
time at the fair, met a lot of Atari people, and laid eyes on an Atari
1040ST for the first time. Most importantly, I was invited to attend an
Atari Elite meeting at the Marriott the first monday of the month of
April, 1986.
MY QUEST FOR THE 68000
----------------------
While I did not have enough money for an ST quite yet, my roommate
decided to sell his Apple II to get an ST. That was great, at least I
would have an ST to tinker with while he was in class! Since he was not
an Atarian, he looked to me to guide him in the right direction so I told
him about Harry at TGM, and he took my advice and bought a 520 color
system from him.
Now that John had an ST, the Atari Elite gave him an invitation to
attend their meeting in April "since he was a friend of mine." Now,
anyone reading this up to this point would have to conclude that the Atari
Elite had a "mafia" type air, or a "mystical" reputation. You had to know
someone to get in, and as you will see later, just because you were
invited to a meeting, did not necessarily mean you were accepted. Sort of
a fraternity of types. But John was happy, I was envious, and the meeting
was a few days away.
I attended a PACE meeting in the mean time, and had a great time -- as
usual. It was good to see so many people with similar interests in one
place having a great time and learning about the 8-bit. Note that at this
time, I knew nothing of the break-up that had occurred in the board of
directors and officers of the organization as you will read later. I
remember that PACE meeting in particular because someone from PACE spent a
great deal of time telling me that the Atari Elite had formed and that
they had a "rental library" that only members could borrow from.
I can not at this time recall who that person was, but I sensed a bit
of jealousy in his tone and a bit of resentment. You see, the PACE
organization finally had membership competition -- something they never
had to contend with. What I did observe was that they were still very
much 8-bit oriented and appeared to be content to be so forever, and for
me that was great because I was still heavily in love with my 8-bit. This
was of course, until I began tinkering with my roommate's ST and found
that the ST was a much better machine. I realized that I had to somehow
find a way to get one to "keep up with the Jones."
The day had finally come for the un-veiling of the Atari Elite. My
roommate and I attended the meeting at the Marriott (the same place that
PACE met), except in a much smaller conference room. We were greeted at
the door by Brian Kotula (Steve's son) with a smile and a handshake, and
further in the room, we were greeted by Graham, Karlovich, Laux, and a few
other local ST people. They made us feel very at home -- they wanted to
know us on a first name basis. There were about 15 people there that
night and the star attraction was a guy from Hybrid Arts demonstrating a
DX-7 Droid program. This was great! I got to see the ST in MIDI action
for the first time and was quite impressed. There was also a guy there
who demonstrated how to hook up a 5.25" drive to the ST. This too was
very impressive. Hard-core hacking stuff. Really technical. I could see
that these guys went out of their way. My roommate and I agreed, this was
the place to be so we asked to join. Jim Laux accepted us and our
checks, and we were members 13 and 14 in the organization.
(Note:
I found out a few years later that my now business partner who I met
through Elite was denied membership to the group his first time
around. Why he was not accepted we really do not know. Possibly
because he attended a meeting without invite, or that he looked too
much like Mr. Spock...(sorry John...))
From here on out, I am in no way degrading the PACE organization. I
am simply relating those experiences that happened to me as best that I
can recall. My first experience with the Atari Elite was a great one. My
last experience with PACE was a bad one. What happened next was ironic.
Up until this time, for about 2 months previous, I was an assistant SYSOP
for PACE on their BBS. Their SYSOP, Jeff W., asked me for my help, since
I had SYSOP experience and was very knowledgeable in telecommunications.
The experience of being and asst. sysop would be great and I could not let
it go by. So, here I was, with special privileges on the PACE BBS, and a
member of the Atari Elite. Remember, I was not even a member of PACE, yet
they entrusted me with this job. In May of that year, someone broke into
the PACE BBS while Jeff was on vacation and literally destroyed their
system password file and left some pretty blatant messages on the BBS.
You probably know what was coming next -- I was blamed for this break in.
Sure, I was the most probable suspect. I had access, I was a young cocky
college student, and I was computer wise smart. Last but not least, I was
a member of an organization that was looked upon as a threat to PACE. I
was blamed, and was told by Jeff that "they" were watching me. I was also
told that a phone trace was placed on the BBS and he advised me not to
call. I agree that I was a suspect, however, I knew nothing of the
incident and did not care for the way I was treated.
You see, there were a few people in the PACE board of directors who
did not care for me. They did not like the fact that I used a handle on
BBS called "Carbon 14" and asked that when on their BBS that I use my real
name instead of a handle. An officer of PACE at the time is quoted as
saying, "the use of handles denotes piracy." I argued with PACE about
this conception, asking if CB users were thieves just because they use a
handle on the radio? It was a ridiculous accusation, and I was in no way
involved in any type of "Piracy" as they felt my use of a handle denoted.
I really did not want to argue with them, and I simply quit calling their
BBS. After all, I was known by that handle by many, and wished to be
known as such.
School was out for the summer, and I had a buyer for my 800. I also
had an unsuspecting bit of financial help from my grandparents who wanted
to see me get a new computer, so I was ST bound. About a month later,
after selling the 800 to a friend who was going to give it to his 9 year
old son for games, my 520ST arrived. (Ironically, I spoke to this guy a
few weeks ago and he told me that the 800 is running just fine...) As you
probably think, I visited my friend Harry. He was happy to see me, and he
was very helpful in answering my questions. However, I did not buy it
from Harry, because money was tight, and Harry wanted almost $300 more for
the system than did MicroTyme, a mail order firm from Ohio. So, I broke
Harry's heart and ordered mail order -- a move that I do not regret since
I would go on to purchase many more things from MicroTyme. Yes, I was a
"mail order child" that Atari Corp. did not like. They abolished mail
order ST purchasing around 1988 saying that it was unfair competition for
local dealers. My only comment to that is that they sold more ST's then
with mail order and ask where are all of the local dealers now? For
people like myself, mail order was the way to go to save money! Dealers
like Harry had to charge such a high price because Atari did not offer
much of a profit margin for dealers. Really not fair if you ask me...
At that time, I knew only a handful of ST users. We were rebels in a
way, venturing into unexplored territory. Information about the ST was
everywhere, and I consumed all that I could. I kept in touch with my
friends from PACE for a while. Some of them did not get their ST's until
a few years later, and from what I am told, a couple never did move on to
the 68000. They will always be my friends, but it is unfortunate that we
have been placed on opposite ends of the battle grounds in the war you are
about to learn of.
PART II NEXT WEEK.....
====================================================================
Permission to Re-Print is granted as long as no part of this work is
changed in any way and credit is given to the Author and the AUA.
====================================================================
> ISD SPECIAL OFFER! STR InfoFile Calamus 1.09 Special Limited Offer!
===============================
PRESS RELEASE
ISD ANNOUNCES A SPECIAL TRADEUP OFFER
FOR ALL THOSE
DESKTOP PUBLISHING ON THE ATARI PLATFORM!
Thanks to our friends at Soft Logik for drawing our attention to the fact
that not everyone owns Calamus 1.09N. As most of you know, ISD proudly
represents the Calamus family of products. Calamus has always been one of
the finest desktop publishing packages on any computer platform. In fact,
Calamus 1.09N is currently available in 16 languages, in every country
where Atari has representation and is simply the most important
application software extant on the Atari platform!
If you choose to participate in the ISD tradeUP offer, you will receive a
complete Calamus 1.09N package, be automatically fully registered and
eligible for any and all future upgrades, should you so choose,
"including" says Nathan Potechin, President of ISD, "the ability to
upgrade to the finest desktop publishing package on the market today,
Calamus SL!"
This offer will run until August 31, 1992 so order your copy of Calamus
1.09N today. You will be really pleased that you did.
TradeUP OFFER
Publishing Partner - Pagestream (any version)
Fleet Street (any version) - Publisher ST
to
Calamus version 1.09N
for
only US $95.00
**** OF SPECIAL NOTE! ****
ALSO, the FIRST 100 ORDERS will receive The Guide to Calamus Desktop
Publishing absolutely FREE!! This excellent book is filled with 250 pages
of hints, tips and tutorials on Calamus, Outline Art and The Font Editor,
a true value of US $29.95.
To place your order, send ISD a photocopy of your original program disk
and registration card indicating your name, address, telephone number and
a listing of the computer equipment that you own, PLUS the upgrade fee of
US $95.00 and $5.00 for shipping within the United States and Canada only.
Payment made be made in US dollars by Visa, Mastercard or Money Order.
Note: ISD recognizes that you can become comfortable using a program. We
do not ask you to send in your original disks from any of the other
programs that you may be using. You will become proficient in Calamus and
will be amazed at the result!
ISD MARKETING, INC.
CONTACT: Nathan Potechin
2800 JOHN STREET, UNIT #10
MARKHAM, ONTARIO CANADA L3R 0E2
TEL: (416) 479-1880 FAX: (416) 479-1882
GEnie: ISD
Compuserve: 76004,2246
Delphi: ISDMARKETING
_________________________________________________
> TT Compatibility STR FOCUS Listing update of Compatible Software
==========================
This is an update to a list from about 7 months ago.
OS under Comments means OTHER SOURCE. I myself did not run, or see it
run. There are over 500 titles on the list now. I can be reached by
E-Mail on Delphi- Username: Schuylar
TT SOFTWARE COMPATABILITY TEST
05/17/92
Title Run Comments
---------------------------------------------------------------------
10th Frame Y Bowling game.
24Bit.prg Y Fixes some programs.
3-D Grapher Y OS
3-D Pool Y OS
3D Graphics Y by Abacus
A.G.E. Y OS
AAARGH N
APA Y American Personality Test
APB N
ARCX.TTP Y Very fast. Runs in TTRam also.
AVS Sequencer Y OS
Advantage Tennis Y OS, Too fast.
Afterburner Y Fast.
Alien Blockade Y OS
Alien Syndrome Y
Amaze.prg Y A maze program.
Animate 4 Y OS
Another World Y OS
Arabesque Pro. Y Demo
Areacode.prg Y
Arena N
Arkanoid N
Arkanoid, Revenge of DOM Y OS
Army Moves N
Arrakis Advantage Y ST Scholastic Series, Lots of titles.
Art Gallery Y ST res. only.
Artic Fox Y
Artura N OS
Autosort Y OS
Avantvector Y Demo
Axe of Rage Y Runs, but color funny.
BEST Business Manager Y OS
BGAMMON.PRG (public domain) N
BMVGTEFF.prg Y
BMX Simulator Y
BStat Y OS
Baal N
Babel Y OS
Baby Jo Y OS
Bad Cat Y Sound from RCA jacks, not internal.
Balance of Power Y
Banner Maker Y OS
Barbarian (old) Y OS
Barbarian II (old) Y OS
Bards Tale Y Runs, but a little funny.
Base Conversion Y OS
Batman-The Movie N
Battle Chess Y No sound from red side.
Battle Hawks 1942 Y
Battlezone Y Fast.
Bellum Y OS
Better Dead Than Alien Y Good game.
Big Sky Y OS
Bio Challenge N
Bionic Commando N
Bitstrip Y OS
Black Lamp N
Black Tiger Y OS
Blaster Y OS
Blasteroids N
TT Software Compatability Test 5/17/92
Title Run Comments
--------------------------------------------------------------------
BlockBuster Y A little fast.
Blue Angel 69 Y Good game.
Blue Max Y OS
Boink Y OS
Bomb Jack Y Fast
Boulder Dash Constr. Kit Y Fast
Bratacus N
Bubble Ghost Y
Burgur Man Y OS
Buzzword Y
CP/M 80 Y OS
Cadenza Astrocal Y OS
Calamus 1.09 Y STRam and ST High res. only.
Calamus Assistant Y Works in TTRam also.
Calamus SL Y Demo
CalcPlot Y OS
California Games N
Captain Blood N
Captain Fizz Y OS
Cards N by Michtron.
Certificate Maker Y
Character Combat Y OS
Chronoquest N
Chrystal Castles Y
Clean Up 2.2 Y ST med or high res only.
Club Backgammon Y
Code-Name Iceman Y
Colonels Bequest Y
Colorado Y OS
Colorbook N OS
Composer Y OS
Compute Your Roots Y OS
Construction Estimator Y OS
Cracked Y Fast
Creation TT Y OS
Crime City Y OS
Crissle Y OS
Crossword Creator Y OS
Crunchtime Football Y OS
Custodian N
CyberCAD 3D Y by Tom Hudson v2.03
DC Format Y OS
DCBoot It Y
DOS Menu Y OS
Dark Castle Y
Data Diet Y HD compression program
Datamanager ST Y Runs in TTRam and TTMed res also. Fast.
Day of the Viper Y OS
Death Bringer Y
Death Sword Y Fast
DeathBringer Y OS
Defender of the Crown N
Degas Elite Y OS
DejaVu Y
Deluxe Paint Y OS
Diablo Y
Digibase Y OS
Disciples of Steel Y OS
DiskCat Y OS
Diskstat.APP Y
TT Software Compatability Test 5/17/92
Title Run Comments
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Dive Bomber Y Sound is wierd.
Dogs of War N
Dominator N
Donald Duck's Playground N On copy protected disks.
Double Page IV Y STRam only.
Drip Y
Dungeon Master Y
DynaCADD Y Demo
ESTeem Disk Labeler Y OS
EZ Text Y OS
EZ Track Pro Y OS, Demo
Eagles Rider Y OS
Ear Trainer Y OS
EasyDraw ver 2.30 Y ST High res. only. No TT Med. res.
EdHak 2.3 Y OS
El Cal 2.0 Y OS
Empire Strikes Back N
F-15 Strike Eagle II Y OS
F-19 Stealth Fighter N
Falcon N
Falcon, V.1.2 or higher. Y OS
Fantasia Demo N Sound, but no graphics
Fast Lane N
Faster (Disk Magazine) Y
Ferrari N
Fiendish Freddy's Bigtop O' N
Fighter Bomber N Won't run on ST w/T16 either.
Final Approach Y OS
Final Assault Y
Financial Cookbook Y
Fireblaster N
Flash ver. 1.6 N
Fleet Street Pub. 3.0 Y
Flight Simulator II Y OS
Flight of the Intruder Y OS
Flintstones N
Floyd the Droid Y OS
Forgotten World Y OS
Fujiboink Y OS
Full Metal Planet Y OS
Fun Face N OS
Fusion N Loads to title screen only.
Future Wars Y Very fast.
G+Plus ver. 1.2 N Newer version works.
G+Plus ver. 1.5 Y Runs perfect.
GFL Football N
GIFCOLOR.TTP Y
GIFSCALE.TTP Y
Garfield N
Gateway Y Runs, but text is funny.
Gato Y
Gauntlet N Hard on disk drive.
Gauntlet II N Title screen loads, then bombs.
Gemview 1.1 Y ALL res graphics viewer.TT low 256
color!
Genesis Y OS
Ghostbusters II N
Ghouls & Ghosts N
Gilbert Y OS
Gold Rush Y
Golden Path N Runs only in TOS 1.0
TT Software Compatability Test 5/17/92
Title Run Comments
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Goldrunner Y
Goldrunner II Y Too fast.
Grapher Y OS
Graphic Artist Y Demo, very fast.
Great Giana Sisters N
Gunship Y
H.A.T.E. N
Hacker II Y
Hard Drivin Y Runs fast.
Hard Drivin II Y OS
Heavy Metal Heroes Y OS
Hero's Quest Y
Heros of the Lance Y
Hex Y
High Roller Y Sound from RCA jacks. Renamed Stike F.H.
Hippo Almanac Y
Hippo Jokes & Quotes Y
Hole in One Golf Y
Hollywoood Poker Pro N
Home Accountant Y
Hostages N Disk 1 runs, Disk 2 crashes
Hoyles Cards I Y Runs in TTRam also. Fast.
Hoyles II Y Runs TTRam also.
Hypercopy 2.0 Y OS
Hyperlink Y
I-Ball Y OS
Ikari Warriors Y
Ikari Warriors Y OS
ImageCAT Y
Impossamole N
Impossible Mission II Y
Indiana Jones N Arcade Version
Indiana Jones Y Graphic Adventure
Indy 500 Y OS
Infobase Y OS
Interlink Y OS
International Soccer N
Intersect Rambaby Y Runs TTRam, TTLow & TTMed res. also.
Into the Eagle's Nest Y A little fast.
Invaders Y PD Space Invader game
Iron Lord N
Jet (Sublogic) N
Joker Poker Y
Joust Y Almost too fast.
Karate Kid II Y
Kid Piano N OS
Kidswolf Y OS
Kings Quest IV Y
Klondike Y OS
Knicker Bockers Y
Knights of the Sky Y OS
LDW Power Y
LHARC.PRG Y
Leaderboard Golf Y Fast. Swing indicator is odd.
Leathernecks N
Leisure Suit Larry I Y Origional floppy gives a fit, but works.
Leisure Suit Larry II Y Runs in TTRam also.
Leisure Suit Larry III Y Runs in TTRam also.
Lemmings N Hard on disk drive.
Little Computer People N
TT Software Compatability Test 5/17/92
Title Run Comments
------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan Analyst Y OS
Logic Lab Y OS
Look It Pop It Y
Lost Dutchman Mine Y
Lotus Turbo Challange II Y OS
Lowswitch.PRG Y
MDISK60 N Ramdisk. Use Intersect Rambaby.
MVG Y
Maccel3 Y
Madam Librarian Y OS
Major Motion Y A little fast.
Make A Date Y OS
Makin Whoopee N
Mandelshow Y OS
Manhunter Y
Manhunter II Y
Marble Madness Y OS
MasterCAD 3D Y
Mastertracks Y OS, Demo
Mathtalk N OS
MegaPaint Pro. Y
Menace N
Metal Mutant Y OS
Miami Vice Y
Mickey Mouse N Tries to load into TTLow res?
Microscope N OS
Midwinter N
Mig 29 SuperFulcrum Y OS
Millipede Y
Min Cal 1.4 Y OS
Monopoly Y PD Version, Use 24bit.prg
Monty Pythons Flying Circus N
Mr Heli N
Mug Shot Y OS
MultiDesk Y
MultiGEM Y
Music Studio 88 Y
NMB.PRG (speed tester) Y Runs TTRam&STRam, TTmed. res. also.
Navy Moves N
NeoDesk 2.0 Y OS
Neochrome Y
Nevermind N
Nickelodeon Five N
Night Shift Y OS
Nightwalk Y
Ninja Mission Y OS
North & South Y Good game, but too fast.
Nova Y OS
OO-Topos Y
Obliterator N
Off Shore Warrior Y
Oids Y Sound likes RCA jacks best.
Operation Neptune Y
Operation Wolf N
Outline Art Y ST high res. only. TTRam & STRam.
Outrun Y Runs faster and smoother.
P47 N
Pacland Y
Pacman Y OS
Pacmania N
TT Software Compatability Test 5/17/92
Title Run Comments
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pagestream Y
Paladin Y
Paperboy N
Paula.acc Y Good .MOD player
Payroll Master Y by Royal Software
Peggammon Y
Perfect Match Y
Perry Mason Y
Phasar 3.0 Y Get Ver 4.0, much improved!
Phasar 4.0 Y Runs in TTRam and TTMed res also. Fast.
Photon Storm N OS
Pinochle N OS
Pipe Mania N OS
Platoon N
Plutos Y
Pokersqr.prg Y Runs in TTRam also.
Police Quest II Y
Populous N Too bad, hope fix comes!
Power Drift N
Powerdrome Y Almost too fast.
Powermonger N
Printmaster Y
Pro Tennis Tour N
Publisher ST Y TTRAM-SLM804 1" trash at top!
Puffy's Saga N
Q-Ball Y
QINDEX 2.2 Y
Quartet Y OS, Demo
Quizam Y
Rainbow Islands N
Rampage Y
Recovery Y OS
Red Heat N
Red Storm Rising Y OS
ReplayPro Ed Y OS, Demo
Return Of The Jedi N
Road Raider Y Fast, wait on disk access.
Road Runner N
Roadwars N
Robocop N Loads to title screen only.
Rocket Ranger Y Very fast.
Rolling Thunder Y OS
RomRam.prg Y TT Roms into Ram. Speed up!
Rubicon Y OS
SDI N Sega-Activision Version
SDI Y by Cinemaware
ST Accounts 2.0 Y OS
ST Karate N
ST Pool Y by Shelbourne Software
ST Wars Y Very fast. Sound from RCA jacks only.
ST Wrestling N
ST Writer 4.0 Y OS
STCopy Y For Navarone FB Scanner.
STEPLAY.TTP Y
STESOUND.PRG Y
STScan Y For Navarone FB Scanner.
ST_TYPE.TOS Y
Satellite Prediction Y OS
SciPlot N OS
Score ST Y OS
TT Software Compatability Test 5/17/92
Title Run Comments
------------------------------------------------------------------
Scrabble Y
Script 1.0 Y OS
Scruples Y A little fast.
Seconds Out N Tries to load into TTLow res?
Sex Olympics Y OS
Shackled N
Shadow of the Beast N OS
Shadowgate Y
Sheet 2.0 Y OS
Shufflepuck Cafe Y
Sierra Software Y Any that will install on HD will run.
Silent Service Y
Silent Service II Y OS
Sim City Y Fast
Skyfox N
Slayer N
Sleuth Y OS
Soldier Of Light Y Almost too fast.
Space Ace N
Space Cutter N
Space Harrier N
Space Invaders Y OS
Space Quest I Y OS, use 24bit.prg
Space Quest II Y
Space Quest III Y
Space Race Y OS
Space Racer N
Space Station Oblivion N
Spanish Mastery Y OS
Spectre GCR Y Ver 3.0, STRam only.
Spectrum 512 N OS
Speed Buggy Y Fast
Speedball Y
Speedmet.app Y German speed tester.
Spinwheel Y OS
SpiritWare Concordance Y OS
Spitfire 40 Y
Spitting Image N
Stalker Y OS
Star Base 1.1 Y OS
Star Blaze N
Star Raiders Y
Star Trek N
Starblade Y OS
Starglider N
Starglider II Y Fast!
Starquake Y A little fast.
Starwars Y Very fast.
States Y OS
Stats.prg Y
Steel N
Steno Y OS
Stock Market The Game N
Stratego Y OS
Strider Y OS
Strike Force Harrier Y Renamed from High Roller. RCA sound
only.
Strip Poker Y Origional Version
Stunt Car Racer N
Stunt Track Racer N
Sub Battle Simulator Y
TT Software Compatability Test 5/17/92
Title Run Comments
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub Cal Y OS
Sun Times Crossword Y OS
Sundog N
Super Hang On N
Super Huey N Not worth running anyway.
Super Ski N Loads to disk B, bombs.
Super Space Invaders Y OS
Super Sprint Y
Super Wonderboy N
Superbase Pro Y OS
Supercharger Y OS
Supercharger ver. 1.2 Y (for EasyDraw)
Switch Blade N
Table Tennis Simulation N
Tanglewood
Y Fast
Tank Attack N
Tass Times in Tonetown Y Runs fine.
Team Yankee Y OS
Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles Y OS
Terrorpods N
Test Drive N Runs some, but crashes.
Test Drive II, The Duel Y OS
Tetris Y Too fast.
Text Filter Y OS
Thai Boxing N
The Grail Y
The Last Duel Y OS
The Light Corridor Y OS
The New Aladdin Y Disk Magazines
The Newzealand Story N
The Pawn Y Runs fine.
The Running Man N
The Schedule Maker Y OS
The Secret of Monkey Island Y OS
The Ultimate Ride Y OS
The aSTronomer Y OS
Their Finest Hour Y
Thunderblade N
Timebandit N
Torvak The Warrior Y OS
Total Eclipse Y
Total Recall Y OS
Touch-Up Ver. 1.56 Y Runs in TTRam, No TTMed res. Fast.
Tracker ST Y OS
Trail Blazer Y A little fast.
Transputor Y
Trivia Challenge Y
Turbo Cup N Disk A loads titles & music, Disk B
locks
Turbo Outrun Y
Turbo ST 1.8 N New version is due out, should work.
TwinWorld N
Typhoon Thompson N
UIS ver 3.3 Y Runs TTRam also.
UNLZH172.PRG Y Works in TTRam also. Very fast.
Uninvited Y
Uniterm Y OS
VKiller.PRG Y Ver. 3.84, runs in TTMed res too.
Vegas Craps Y
Vegas Gambler Y
Violators Y OS
TT Software Compatability Test 5/17/92
Title Run Comments
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Virus Y Too fast.
Vixen Y
Volifed Y OS
Wanderer (1st version) N Starts to run, but bombs.
Warhawk Y OS
Warp9 Y Great prg., Buy it!
Warrior Y OS
Warzone N
Whatis60.PRG Y TTmed res. also
Wicked N
Willow Y OS
Winter Challenge N OS
Winter Games Y
Word Writer ST Y Use 24bit.prg to fix Spell checker!
Wordflair (Demo) Y
Wordup 3.0 Y OS, use 24bit.prg
World Darts N
World Games N
Xevious Y
Yahtzee Y PD version
Zak McKrackan Y
Zany Golf Y Faster than normal.
Zero Gravity Y OS
Zest Keno Y TTRam
Zest Poker Y TTRam also.
Zest Poker Squared Y TTRam
Zoomtest.PRG Y Works in TTRam also.
___________________________________________________________________
> STR Portfolio News & Information Keeping up to date...
================================
THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM
=========================
On CompuServe
by Judith Hamner 72257,271
This week marks my first anniversary as Portfolio Forum reporter. I
hope you have enjoyed my attempts and "keeping up to date". I'm doing an
informal survey and I would like to know what your favorite Portfolio
program is. Please email your nominees for the "user's choice". I would
also like to extend a special thanks to everyone who has uploaded files to
our library over the past year. There has been a never ending stream of
excellent software to report on.
Gerd Arnold is a German Portfolio programmer. He has uploaded his
file transfer program. This works with the parallel port and is faster
than the Atari transfer program. See ARLINK.ZIP.
Mike Delugg has devised a method for marking text in the built-in
editor to be formatted when imported into WordPerfect 5.1. Using this
method you can mark text for such attributes as bold, underline, or
Italics. TXT2WP.ZIP contains a description of the technique.
PFPOKR.ZIP is a shareware version of a video poker game. It is said to
be very addictive, but you can take consolation in thinking of all those
dollars you saved by not going to Vegas. Just keep spare batteries on
hand.
________________________________________________________________
> CHANGING TIMES STR FOCUS The KINDER, Gentler... Joke!
========================
WHO IS REALLY IN CHARGE?
========================
by R. F. Mariano
Atari lost the Nintendo Court Case plain and simple. Although I would
have enjoyed seeing Atari win the case.. they did not, in any way, win.
Ordinarily, I'd simply ignore all the apologetic rhetoric we've been
seeing lately by well meaning Atari supporters. A realistic approach is
far more appropriate but this apparently is too much to ask for. Atari
lost the case. Pure and Simple. There is no room for "well they this"
or, "the judge said...." The bottom line is the case WAS LOST! Lock,
stock and barrel. In the courts, there is no consolation prize. Unless
one cares to consider the privilege of paying the winner's costs a prize.
In this case a whopping seven figure remittance. The presiding judge did
say, in no uncertain terms, there is no loop hole and no further action is
warranted nor is it anticipated. In fact, the judge added that the action
itself was "frivolous".
On the other hand, Atari should be _concentrating_ on getting real
product out the door, winning friends and devoting its full energies to
promoting its business and goodwill. If one were to carefully examine
their current activities, one would see a company with no obvious real
guidance or direction. For example They've been considering a grandiose
scheme about publishing magazine(s), one for each of its platforms, with
the goal being to profit from doing so. They seem hell-bent on punishing
their adversaries, crushing their critics etc.... seems they forgot all
about their loyal users and potential new customers in the process. They
have infinite energy to devote to vendettas and head games from coast to
coast. But apparently, no resources to advertise and promote the company.
It has been stated that Atari's show rep and minister of information
has made "noises" to certain show organizers that if a 'favorite' magazine
editor were to be in attendance and acknowledged or have a seminar, they
(Atari) would only provide minimal support. Apparently, the obsession
continues. These hateful politics are doing Atari and its users no good
whatsoever. In fact, Atari's credibility is in the toilet as a result of
the despicable activities of these people. Actually, Atari's mid-
management is proving to be its own worst enemy. By their actions alone.
As an example, its been discovered that certain requests were made of some
show organizers that were absolutely ludicrous. A certain Atari plebe
wanted a "vote" on this organization's board of directors! Now that's
REAL GALL!
Will they have the "new secret weapon" available in time to salvage
the Atari marketplace? Who knows. Will they finally take full advantage
of the Christmas Holiday Sales? Doubtful. They've managed to toast
dealer after dealer at Christmas time... year after year. Will they ever
learn that Christmas is THE BIG SALES time of the year? Highly doubtful.
Will we see Atari's typical "big splash" and bag of promises at Comdex in
the fall only to wait until the following spring/summer to see the
products on sale in the USA? That is.. if the FCC isn't made a scapegoat
_again_.
All the "NEW" dealers they've claimed to have signed on.. Where are
they and are they really happy campers?? Do they have product or are they
too, clobbered by the "backorder blues"? The Atari userbase has had
promise after promise "thrown" at them only to see the promise dissipate
into cold, stale air. The TT030.. it was supposed to be the epitome of
machines it would do it all yet its rumored that there were pitifully low
numbers of them produced and a large number of the early ones took up
residence in a landfill. Were they that disappointing? Try getting an
answer to the big question; How many TT's were actually sold? Please
don't get me wrong, the TT is a very well made machine. Its a powerhouse
performer but....
Where is:
o - FSMGDOS o - The STBOOK
o - FontDos o - The STylus
o - MetaDos
The 'promise' of things to come is getting old fast. FSM has been an
on again off again "standard" for what seems like _time and eternity_! If
one didn't know better... the whole magilla is reminiscent of who's on
first". The people who use the hardware, on a daily basis are the first
to say the hardware is the nicest to use and is by far the easiest to
learn to use, are plentiful but... try to find the same numbers of people
who will readily praise the company's leadership and policy makers.
Why are there serious problems with the "in the field" upgrades for
Mega STe users wanting to go to the HD floppy drive, Ajax Chip and TOS
2.06?? Why all the mystery? Could it be the very same situation that's
plagued Atari for quite some time? "The old, _too many motherboard_
revisions" syndrome? Please don't offer the "go to your nearest dealer"
advice... that's non-sense. We all know that dealers are very few and
extremely far between. Its time Atari got off it dead rump and began
delivering to its loyal suffering customers. These people supported Atari
through its tight times, now, its really time Atari reciprocated.
_____________________________________________________________
> Lattice C v5.5 STR InfoFile Essential overview
===========================
Lattice C Version 5.5
=====================
Lattice C Version 5.5 is an extremely versatile and powerful development
system for the popular C programming language, adhering extremely closely
to the ANSI standard.
The system is characterised by a truly flexible environment together with
the attainment of a very high speed of object execution.
In the development of Lattice C 5.5 for the Atari range of 680x0
computers, the emphasis was on producing a package that could be used
easily by the novice to the language as well as by the seasoned expert.
Freedom of choice for the user is essential if such a goal is to be
attained and this has been achieved at all levels of the development cycle
resulting in a flexible, easy-to-use and extremely powerful collection of
programming tools - probably the ultimate C system for the Atari
ST/STe/TT!
The Compiler
____________
The Lattice C5 compiler is one of the most advanced compilers available
for 680x0 machines, having already been established on the Atari and Amiga
computers for over two years.
There are two phases of compilation (LC1 and LC2) with an optional third
phase, the Global Optimiser.
The code produced by the compiler is compact and executes as fast as that
produced by any other compiler that is currently available for the Atari
computers.
In addition to producing excellent code, Lattice C5 also gives you
tremendous flexibility through more than 100 compiler options, some of
which are listed below:-
* choose between large/small/mixed code and data models
* backward compatibility modes for nested comments/pre-ANSI
pre-processor etc.
* full xref and listing control
* error/warning message control - switch messages on and off on a
per-error basis
* full code generator optimisation control - turn on/off as required
* optimise for time/space
* pre-process only option
* full prototype extraction facility
* default int to short or long option
* define symbols on the command line
* full native 68030 and 68882 code generation
All these options (and many more) can be set from within the editor, in
the program or on the command line.
The compiler supports pre-compiled Header Files so that the header files
for a project may be compiled separately and the resulting symbol table
saved to disk, ready for re-loading by each compilation, saving valuable
time since the header files do not then have to be read. There is also
support for compressed header files to save disk space.
The ANSI compliance of the compiler is strict and complete as far as we
know including support for Trigraphs, Float as a native type and flexible
keyword ordering.
Language Extensions
___________________
The package supports all of the ANSI keyword extensions: const, enum,
signed, void, volatile.
Trigraphs, float as a native type and support for flexible keyword
ordering add to the ANSI compliance.
There are keywords to control how functions are called with parameters on
the stack/in registers: __asm, __interrupt, __regargs, __saveds,
__stdargs.
Several built-in functions provide fast, high quality inline code for
common simple library functions:
abs, max, memcmp, memcpy, memset, min, strcmp, strcpy and strlen.
There is also support for direct access to the instruction stream through:
__emit, getreg and putreg.
Inline TRAPs and Line-A usage are achieved via #pragma inline - tell the
compiler how to call the operating system and it does this
inline without a stub .
In addition, you can use anonymous unions, C++-style // comments, signed
and sized bit fields, zero length arrays, pragmas for listing and error
control and cast values are modifiable.
As with most parts of the package, the compiler can be invoked from within
the editor provided or from within a command-line shell. When using the
screen editor, there is full interactive error reporting, allowing swift
and easy correction of your syntactical mistakes.
The Linker
__________
Lattice C5 comes with a fast, high-performance linker (typically linking
in less than 5 seconds) with many powerful features such as:
* pre-linking - make several files into a partially linked object file
ready for further linking
* automatic link vectors (ALVs) for attaining the benefits of a small
code model (16 bit jumps) without the limitations of a 64k maximum
program
* definition and aliasing of symbols from the command line
* full DR and HiSoft symbols can be included in the executable
* TT program flag options
* Common Block support
* complete map file printing and format control
* fast, compact library format including a librarian.
The Editor
__________
Included in the Lattice C5 package is a complete, multi-window (up to 7),
GEM-based screen editor which fully integrates with the rest of the
system.
The editor is fast, easy-to-use and friendly with a full range of search &
replace and block commands together with powerful menus that allow you to
control and invoke all of the other tools in the Lattice C5 package.
All compiler, linker, debugger, assembler and librarian options can be
accessed through easy-to-use dialogs.
You can also customise the Tools menu to run your own programs (up to 20
of them), which will return to the editor when they terminate.
There can be up to 7 windows open at any one time with the ability to move
blocks of text between them and to use small fonts for up to 54 lines on a
standard monochrome monitor. The editor works in any screen resolution
that allows 80 or more columns.
Project Manager
_______________
Integrated within the editor environment is a powerful project manager
which allows efficient building of all types of program (GEM, TOS, DA,
etc.), libraries or pre-linked object files.
All source files (be they C or assembler) are tracked, together with their
include dependencies and there is support for recursive making of project
files.
Additional libraries, object or WITH files can be specified and compiler
options may be set on a per-file or per-project basis. All this is
controlled from an easy-to-use graphical project editor.
The Shell
_________
For the traditional user who may prefer to work from a command line
environment, we provide a powerful MS-DOS style shell supporting:
* line editing with full command history
* support for batch files with optional parameters
* command re-direction
* full support for environment variables
* over 25 built-in commands
The Debugger
____________
The highly-acclaimed MonST2 low-level debugger is supplied, complete with
extensions for supporting source line debugging. You can single-step, set
conditional breakpoints, search memory, move memory and much more.
Multi-windows allow you to inspect the processor's registers, memory
locations, disassembly and C source code, using line numbers to debug your
C program.
The Resource Editor
___________________
The resource editor supplied, WERCS, is a full featured editor for
designing menus and forms and includes an integral icon editor. It has a
number of advanced features not found in other resource construction sets,
such as 16 character object names, automatic naming of objects, searching
for strings, and no limits on the numbers of objects in a tree.
Also supplied are utilities for converting Neochrome and Degas files to
Icons and for using the name files used by other resource editors, making
upgrading to WERCS a snap.
The Assembler
_____________
The Lattice Macro Assembler is a full 68040/68881 assembler which handles
the complete set of Motorola 680x0 instruction mnemonics as well as an
extensive set of assembler directives and a powerful macro facility.
It can, therefore, be used to develop complete systems in assembly
language. Nonetheless, it is provided primarily to supplement the C
compiler and has not really been designed for large assembly language
projects.
For such tasks a full assembler package, such as DevpacST, should be used
giving more power and greater documentation on the assembly language
environment.
Global Optimiser
________________
Available as an optional third phase of compilation the global optimiser,
GO, allows you to hone the object code according to criteria of speed or
size.
Some of the optimisations performed are as follows:
* register assignment - commonly used auto, formal and temporary
variables are automatically assigned to registers
* dead store elimination - stores of values which are never fetched
again are eliminated
* dead code elimination - code whose value is not used is removed
* global common sub-expression merging - recalculation of values that
have been previously computedis eliminated
* hoisting of invariants out of loops - a calculation performed inside a
loop whose value is the same on each iteration of the loop is moved
outside the loop
* induction variable transformations - loops containing multiplications,
usually associated with indexing, have the operations reduced in
strength to addition
* constant propagation and folding - references to variables whose only
definition is a constant are replaced by the constant. Often the
definition is eliminated if all references are replaced. GO performs
constant folding to propagate new constants further
* very busy expression hoisting - code size is reduced by moving an
expression computed along all paths from a point in the code to a
common location
* strength reductions - associative re-ordering of additive operations
involving constants, to reduce the operation count
* control flow transformations - perform various transformations to
eliminate unreachable code or useless control structures Plus many
other powerful techniques.
The Lattice C 5 Tools
_____________________
Lattice C5 helps the programmer in his sometimes complex task by providing
a number of useful utilities designed to complement the main tools and
increase the general ease-of-use and speed of development. Reset Proof
RAM Disk
____________________
A full-featured auto-loading reset-proof ramdisk with configuration
program.
Header file compressor
______________________
The utility for compacting header files so that you can build your own.
Object Module Disassembler
__________________________
A disassembler for examining the output of the compiler/assembler. Useful
for hand optimisation or for eliminating those obscure bugs in your
program.
Object Module Librarian
_______________________
A full featured auto-ordering librarian (i.e. hand ordering of modules is
not required) for building libraries ready for linking.
Symbol Strip Utility
____________________
A fast utility for removing the symbol and debugging tables from an
executable program to remove the
need to re-link.
DERCS
_____
DERCS is a utility for turning a WERCS resource file into a set of
initialised data structures (OBJECT, BITBLK, ICONBLK etc.) which may be
compiled to produce an embedded resource file in your program.
This is advantageous when creating desk accessories since DAs should not
call rsrc_load(), and is essential for writing Control Panel eXtensions
(CPXs).
DERCS supports the generation of both C and assembly language structures
unfortunately the initialisation support available from other languages is
not sufficiently rich to allow the representation of general resource
files and so, if a language of anything other than C is selected, DERCS
will generate an assembly language file.
The Libraries
_____________
Lattice C 5.5 has an extensive set of library functions for all your
needs. Here is a selection of what is available:
C
In addition to standard UNIX library functions, there are many Lattice
extensions and a full range of ANSI functions.
GEM
___
Full support for all of the standard Atari GEM, AES and VDI functions is
provided and, in addition, there are functions for GDOS, FONT GDOS and FSM
GDOS, including bezier curves.
TOS
___
The TOS library includes all the GEMDOS, BIOS, XBIOS and Line-A functions
together with support for the new OS calls in the MegaSTe and the TT.
There are also Cookie Jar functions, even for early-ROM machines.
Maths
_____
Four different real math packages are supplied - a TT68882 library (for
best performance), an I/O-only library (for a MegaSTe or SFP004 card), an
auto-detecting library for portability and a software library.
Startups
________
There are CPX, Program, Desk Accessory and Resident libraries.
The Package
___________
Lattice C5.5 is supplied in attractive, rigid, protective packaging with:
* Multi-volume documentation - the User Manual describing the use and
function of each element of the package, the Library Manual detailing the
generic Unix, ANSI and Lattice libraries and the Atari
Library Manual which deals with the ST/STE/TT-specific GEM, AES,
VDI, XBIOS etc. libraries.
* An Installation Guide for easy setting up on various system
configurations.
* 7 double-sided diskettes in an quality disk wallet.
1Mb+ of memory and a hard disk are recommended if you wish to use Lattice
C5.5 to its full potential.
HiSoft
The Old School
Greenfield
BEDFORD
MK45 5DE
Please, see Cat 3 Topic 14 on GEnie in the ST RT for further
information & ordering details.
_______________________________________________________________
> ///TURBO BOARD BBS VER. 2 STR Spotlight
=======================================
TURBO BOARD ST VERSION 2 INFORMATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Turbo Board ST Version 2 is a total rewrite of our original BBS program.
Over a year's work has gone into the total rewrite of Version 1, and Bill
Miller has really outdone himself this time! We think we have a very good
BBS program indeed!
The ///Turbo Board Support bbs is running at bps rates from 1200-14400 if
you would like to give us a call, the number is 416-274-1225
Our F-net number is node 18, if you are calling from an ST bbs in the
Fnet.
John Miller, Bitblit Systems
Turbo Board Version 2's NEW Features
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Expanded User privileges and Bitmaps for Passwords
-KByte/File Ratio System
-Smart Batch uploading & User File Description Editing
-Ymodem-g uploads for HST users
-BBS Handles/Real Name system
-Full User File Editor
-Masked Sysop commands (For Co-sysops)
-Many NEW Sysop Functions, including new File Editor and Password Editor
-Execute files from Main menu commands
-Sysop definable Menus and Prompts
-Main Menu commands and functions fully programable (also Submenus)
-Many New Copy and Save Functions for Fmail, and other files
-Quick help edit prompt in message editor
-Modular BBS, (Main Module only uses about 80K of memory) for greater
free memory -lots- when running Binkley (Fido Mailer)
-NEW Database, you can use archives, and users can easily upload new
database entries, entries have access levels
-BBS handles line answering instead of modem
-NEW SIG system for grouping message bases, fully configurable by Sysop
-Quick Chat and DOS keys from local console
-NEW Turbo System Generator with expanded features
-UPDATE program for Turbo V1 and Forem ST Sysops to convert to V2
-New Version 2 Manual (addendum for Version 1 Turbo Owners)
-And many other new small features not listed here that are improvements
over our Version 1.0
Additional Features of Turbo 2.1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Version 2.1 running Version 2.0
New features include:
-New Gem BBS Executive Version 3.0 Totally rewritten and enhanced version
-QWK compatible Qmail system in Message Bases
-Integrated Full Screen Editor, with Merge and Copy file features for
sysop
-Binkley Mailer may be run as front door, or from BBS
-New Event Scheduler for all batch files
-Many smaller enhancements
Under Developement
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We have been promising this for a long time, and the Next version of Turbo
Board will contain -fully- Fidonet Compatible message bases. No need to
run Fifo, or Fidodoor. This new version is presently under developement.
$89.95 US - USA and International List price for new Sysops
$69.95 US - Special price for Current BBS Sysops (Supply current BBS
number and information)
$29.95 US - Special Update offer for Registered Turbo Version 1 Sysops
(Turbo 2 addendum instead of Turbo 2 manual)
Write or call for more information.
In Canada: The USA: Europe & UK:
Bitblit Systems ABCO Computer Consultants L.B. Van Bokkem
1580 Liveoak Dr PO Box 6672 100 Broughton Ave
Mississauga, ON Jacksonville, FL Aylesbury, Bucks
Canada L5E 2X6 USA 32205-6672 England HP20 1QB
800-562-4037
bbs# bbs# bbs#
416-274-1225 904-786-4176 +44-296-395935
____________________________________________________________
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
EDITORIALLY SPEAKING - STR CONFIDENTIAL - MAILCALL
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> STReport's Editorial Page "Saying it like it is."
From the Editor's Desk
----------------------
Once again we are on the threshold of a new Atari era, if only we can
see some light at the end of the tunnel. Time will tell if we are to see
that or any other 'lights'. In any case have a great Memorial Day weekend
enjoy yourselves and please don't drink and drive.
Ralph......
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport's Staff DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU!
----------------
Publisher - Editor
------------------
Ralph F. Mariano
PC DIVISION AMIGA DIVISION MAC DIVISION
----------- -------------- ------------
Roger D. Stevens Charles Hill R. ALBRITTON
STReport Staff Editors:
-----------------------
Lloyd E. Pulley Sr. Dana P. Jacobson Michael Arthur
Lucien Oppler Brad Martin Judith Hamner
John Szczepanik Dan Stidham Joseph Mirando
Steve Spivey Doyle C. Helms
Contributing Correspondents:
----------------------------
Michael Lee Richard Covert John Deegan
Brian Converse Oliver Steinmeier Tim Holt
Andrew Learner Norman Boucher Harry Steele
Ben Hamilton Neil Bradley Eric Jerue
Ron Deal Robert Dean Ed Westhusing
James Nolan Vernon W. Smith Bruno Puglia
Clemens Chin
IMPORTANT NOTICE
================
Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
via E-Mail to:
Compuserve.................... 70007,4454
GEnie......................... ST.REPORT
Delphi........................ RMARIANO
BIX........................... RMARIANO
FIDONET....................... 112/35
FNET.......................... NODE 350
NEST.......................... 90:19/350.0
____________________________________________________________
> STReport CONFIDENTIAL "Rumors Tidbits Predictions Observations Tips"
=====================
- San Francisco, CA. LOWEST-PAID CEO!
------------------
CTSY San Francisco Chronicle
Sam Tramiel, president and CEO of Atari, earned $195,779. That's even
less than the previouis year, when Tramile earned $200,198 at the
Sunnyvale Computer and Video Game Company notorious for penny pinching.
Tramiel can make up for the low pay if Atari's stock rises, since he owns
more than 1 million shares, or 2.2 percent of the common stock.
- Hopkins, MN ISAC CARDS FOR SALE!!
-----------
ISAC cards for SALE! $299.95 Wow Look out Watch out Asimo! 1024 x
768 (NON!-interlaced video at 48 Khz) 16 colors out of 4096. Also sports
a 68881 option socket for DynaCadd junkies! Will run in DUO-Chrome mode
for software which does not Grok "Low_res" color mode. Available in
800x600 version for cheap-o-monitor owners. Wow baby, this is the one.
Compatibility unmatched! The STANDARD of Atari graphics upgrades. No
soldering, jumping, cutting, welding, or hammering needed. Plugs right
in! What a concept!!! Available NOW (612) 492-3913 Dover Research.
- Palo Alto, CA PARTS SHORTAGE HALTS ASSEMBLY
-------------
According to our sources, the special parts needed to complete
assembly of the 'new' generation of machines are in extremely short
supply. Production has come to a temporary halt while a new shipment of
parts is awaited. Seems the custom parts are critical.
- Jacksonville, FL KEYBOARD SURVEY RESULTS!
----------------
The results are in! The questions were simple yet unsettling to some.
But the answers are real as was the participation on CIS and all the other
services, along with both the private and public networks. Also included
were write in replies from Usergroups.
Th results are as follows......
1139 REPLIES WERE RECIEVED, THE BREAKDOWN IN % IS AS FOLLOWS:
QUESTION
1 - Would you prefer a single case (1040 style) unit or a Mega ST/TT
style unit with detached keyboard? (pick one or the other only)
**** RESULTS ATTACHED: 11%
""""""" DETACHED: 89%
2 - If price were a consideration, how much more would you spend for
a detached keyboard:
A- $50.00 or less
B- $100.00 (approx)
C- $150.00 (or if price is no object)
**** RESULTS A - 30%
""""""" B - 65%
C - 05%
3 - Would you prefer (or be satisfied) with a connector that allowed
you to plug in a detached keyboard such as that used on the Mega
or TT style computers (the keyboard being an extra cost item)?
**** RESULTS YES - 65%
""""""" NO - 35%
____________________________________________________
> STR Mail Call "...a place for readers to be heard"
=============
STReport's MailBag
==================
From GEnie
Category 14, Topic 14
Message 81 Sun May 17, 1992
E.KRIMEN [Ed Krimen] at 15:14 EDT
I vaguely remembered that there was some discussion about the 1.44meg
drives a while back, so I went back and read past messages (because I've
been having problems with my recently-installed 1.44meg upgrade kit).
Wayne's info and Jim's addendum has been great. Another testament to the
wonders of networks and its users -- but I'll save the romanticism for
another time. :^) Thanks guys, though.
I popped open my Mega STE once more, yanked out the power supply (as if it
was really that easy! :^) , and found the screw I've grown to hate. But
there's absolutely no way I'm going digging in the middle of that
death-trap to unscrew that sucker and add some tape or high dielectric
plastic (of which I have none). I actually thought three times about
doing it; I successfully talked myself out of it all three times. My
computer and I have too much to live for. :^) (Is it really that
dangerous in there? I've been real careful, and don't intend to change
that.)
I'm willing to dive back in there, but must I remove the =middle= screw?
Can't I just remove and add tape to one on the corners?
Moreover, I can't BELIEVE I've gotta do this to get my damned computer to
recognize HD disks! What a %*&#ing pain!!
Now, Wayne, the god-send that you are :^) , you said recently that there
are some jumpers on the drive that don't need to be there. I noticed that
my drive had quite a few jumpers. Do you have any other information about
which ones should or should not be there?
BTW, I have one of the "old" MegaSTEs. I bought it in July of last year,
and who knows how long it was on my dealer's floor. It had TOS 2.05.
From GEnie
Category 14, Topic 14
Message 82 Sun May 17, 1992
R.WATSON15 [Wayne Watson] at 16:14 EDT
Ed,
If the middle screw is on the power supply, then you WILL need to remove
it. The main thing you have to worry about is if you have it plugged up
still. :-). Just a little care and you will be ok. Just grab the board by
the sides where there are no traces. This is also a good idea because of
static electricity. If you are uncomfortable with this procedure (which I
can't really blame you. I am used to working around HIGH voltage), then
get a friend that will do it that knows of such things or get your local
dealer to do it. I can assure you that the MIDDLE screw will help clear up
your problem, unless you also have the address line problem.
I am not saying go for it, the last thing I need is the headlines
saying, "Killed by a computer" and my name be mentioned. :-) No, really,
it will need to be done. Again, I am NOT responsible. You do this at your
own risk. It really isn't as bad as you think.
No, I don't have any information on the jumpers. I just remember some
people saying that some of the drives come with jumpers and that some may
need to be removed. Call Toad Computers, they may be able to tell you.
From GEnie
Category 14, Topic 14
Message 83 Sun May 17, 1992
KWERNER [Kurt] at 19:26 EDT
Wayne,
Where did you hear about the 'address line' problem? I removed and
insulated the middle screw from my Mega STe with change to my 1.44M floppy
problem. I am very comfortable hacking around inside a computer and am
willing to try anything to get this working!
Kurt
From GEnie
Category 14, Topic 14
Message 84 Sun May 17, 1992
E.KRIMEN [Ed Krimen] at 20:03 EDT
Thanks again for the help, Wayne.
I removed the screw and put two pieces of electrical tape on top of each
other, just enough to cover the hole and the small metal area around it so
it wouldn't make contact with the post.
That didn't work. The drive still doesn't recognize HD disks. :^(
Then, I played with the jumpers on the drive a bit. 0, I, and H are
selected. I removed 'I' and it didn't rec. HD disks. I removed 'H' and
it didn't rec. HD disks. I put 'I' back by itself and it didn't rec. HD
disks. I kept '0' selected the whole time because the DD drive has it
selected. So basically I'm back where I started. I'll probably give Toad
Computers a call tomorrow and see what they say. Do you have any details
on the address line problem?
ATARI, this is really a pain! I SHOULD NOT have to go through all of this
to get a damned 1.44meg drive to work! This reminds me of the FPU
shenanigans! This is what I get for supporting Atari early on and buying
a Mega STE soon after they are released. Thanks a lot.
From GEnie
Category 14, Topic 14
Message 85 Sun May 17, 1992
DOUG.W [ICD RT] at 21:02 EDT
Ed,
I seriously doubt that Atari considers this a "user-installable"
upgrade, so it's not really appropriate for you to complain to Atari about
the problems you are having.
--Doug
From GEnie
Category 14, Topic 14
Message 86 Sun May 17, 1992
E.KRIMEN [Ed Krimen] at 22:25 EDT
Thanks Doug.
The dealer I bought it from said it was easy enough for me to install it
myself. It sure was easy, until I found out that I had to go poking
around the power supply. Even if the dealer had installed it, he wouldn't
have known about the "removing the PS screw" fix, the "jumper settings"
fix, or the "address line" problem. So what's a customer to do? Without
GEnie, I'd have absolutely no hope of getting this 1.44meg drive upgrade
to work.
And I'd prefer not sending my computer to an out-of-state dealer. I want
to use the computer, not ship it around the country until I find someone
who can get this $170 upgrade to work. I didn't even buy the upgrade from
the same local dealer that I bought the computer from; that dealer doesn't
have a clue about anything that's available from Atari.
I'm sorry, Doug, but I think I have every right to complain. Let's just
call the 1.44meg drive B.S. a mighty-big spark, okay?
From GEnie
Category 14, Topic 36
Message 6 Sun May 17, 1992
D.BECKER8 at 15:55 EDT
Bob Beauchea recommended a power supply fix May 2, Cat 14, Topic 14
Message 37 This fix has helped other MegaSTE users but has not helped
me. My inability to format high density continues though I discovered by
accident before trying Bob's fix that I can read and write to SOME pre
formatted IBM high density disks. This is an erratic feat and is SLOW as
can be. Things just keep geting weirder! I have contacted Atari service
directly through Compuserve and I hope to do the same today through GEnie
mail.
I find I am not the only one with this problem, Kurt Werner has had this
problem for weeks and is really fed up. He also tried Bob's fix but it did
not help.
Atari, here is what we need:
1. The proper pin configuration for the high density drives,
maybe some of the pins are set wrong on the drive mechanism.
2. Is there a motherboard problem. If so what serial numbers are
affected.
3. Can Atari or one of there service centres (Toad Computer?)
please advise us on the missing trace problem or any other
fix that they have had to do.
I don't mind sending my MegaSTE back to Atari for a while, heck I'm even
willing to pay a dealer to fix it "if someone will admit that there is a
problem" and someone "really knows what that problem is"!
Maybe the difficulties are confined to a very small percentage of early
MegaSTE machines. If I sound frustrated, you are right,
I am.
__________________________________________________
STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> A "Quotable Quote" "...SINCE THE TRUTH HURTS"
==================
"SPEAK OR POST WHEN YOU ARE ANGRY....
YOU WILL PROVIDE THE BEST EFFORT YOU'LL EVER REGRET!"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> ABCO SPECIALS! STR InfoFile * NEW 1992 Prices! MORE Products! *
=========================== --------------------------------
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==================================================
Standard "Shoebox Cabinet style is also available
FULLY ASSEMBLED SCSI DRIVES DEDUCT $60.00
ADD $35.00 for 4 BAY "SUPER CABINET" w/250+w PS
MODERN TOWER CABINETS AVAILABLE Call for Info!
PLEASE NOTE: The above is partial listing only!
Many other configurations available.
20mb - 3.5gb
NOTICE - NOTICE - NOTICE - NOTICE
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SPECIAL PURCHASE! * 83mb - 1345mb * Hard Disk Mechanisms
Call for SUPER PRICING!! Limited Time Only!!
FULLY ASSEMBLED SCSI DRIVES DEDUCT $60.00
ADD $35.00 for 4 BAY SUPER CABINET w/250+w PS
EXOTIC TOWER CABINETS AVAILABLE Call for Info!
PLEASE NOTE: The above is partial listing only!
FAST TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATOR UPGRADES AVAILABLE & INSTALLED
*****
>> ABCO proudly offers ATARI PRODUCTS <<
Call for ABCO's * HIGHLY COMPETITIVE PRICING! *
ATARI COMPUTERS * STILL THE BEST VALUE!
*****
Original Atari Mouse replacement: $35.00 NEW!
If you don't see what you want listed here, call us.
Odds are, we either have it or, can get it for you!
* GUARANTEED * AT THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICE! *
** 800-562-4037 **
"WE SERVICE WHAT WE SELL"
****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******
* SYQUEST 44MB (#555) >> ABCOFILE "44" << REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE *
- SYQUEST 44 MB DRIVE - ICD ST ADSCSI PLUS H/A
- ICD Utility Software - 3' DMA Cable
- Fan & Clock - Multi-Unit Power Supply
(1) 44 MB Syquest Cart.
--->> LIMITED TIME SPECIAL! NOW ONLY __$ 579.00__ <<---
**** SCSI UNITS -> ONLY $489.00 ****
WE PAY SHIPPING & INSURANCE! >UPS!<
(Cont. USA)
COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AND READY TO RUN!
Cart and Utility Software Included!
EXTRA CARTS: $ 69.50
DRIVE MECH ONLY: $ 339.95
****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******
* TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
SPECIALLY PRICED ** $895.95.00 **
Includes: * TWO * cartridges!
* SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
- Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
** 50mb SQG51S $759.00 105mb SQG105S $959.00 **
Or, YOUR choice of Hard Disk Mechanism!
LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS
CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE
** ANNOUNCING THE NEW! -> ABCO CD-ROM! **
:Special Introductory offer:
ABCO CD-ROM $389.95 (limited time only)
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)
* IBM - MSDOS - AMIGA - ATARI - APPLE - MACINTOSH *
ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> SUPERCHARGER - AT/PC SPEED - GCR
LARGER units are available - (Custom Configurations)
*>> NO REPACKS OR REFURBS USED! <<*
- Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets - TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets -
Atari SLM 804, SLM 804PCV Laser Toner Kits
Memorex 2108, 5287
Oasys Laserpro 5287, 5308, Express 830, Express Series II
Silver Express, Gold Express
** $41.95 shipping Included **
Atari SLM 605 Laser Toner Kits
AT&T 593, CAF Laser, DSI Laser, DTP Systems, Epson EPL-6000
Facit P6060, Fontx Syslaser, Harris3M 2006, M-Tally MT905
Microtek Turbo PS, OAS Laserpro Executive, Packard Bell 9500
TEC LB 1305, Toshiba PageLaser 6
** $41.95 shipping included **
(TWO Toner Carts Incl.)
Panasonic Laser Toner Kits
Panasonic KX -P 400 series, Panafax UF-750 Facsimile
** $41.95 shipping included **
-- ALL TONER KITS * IN STOCK * --
* Toner Starter Kits-$62.95 *
* Replacement (804) Drums-$186.95 *
ABCO is PROUD to announce the acquisition of
the exclusive U.S.A. distribution rights for
** Bitblit Software's ///Turbo Board BBS. **
This fine Atari ST BBS system software and
user support is available through ABCO to all
Turbo customers in the USA. Call for current
pricing.
>> MANY other ATARI related products STOCKED <<
ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED
-* 12 month FULL Guarantee *-
(A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)
WE PAY SHIPPING & INSURANCE! >UPS!<
(Cont. USA)
QUANTITY & USERGROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!
_________________________________________
DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!
please, call for details
VISA - MASTERCARD - NO SURCHARGE!
Personal and Company Checks 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
ABCO is EXPANDING!! CALL FOR INFORMATION!
SEND FOR YOUR NEW ABCO CATALOG TODAY!
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STReport International Online Magazine
[S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport
Available through more than 10,000 Private BBS systems WorldWide!
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STR Online "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" May 22, 1992
Since 1987 copyright 1987-92 No.8.21
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Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
the editors/staff, PCReport, STReport, AMReport, MCReport. 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 entire contents, at the
time of publication, are believed to be reasonably accurate. The STR
editors, contributors and or staff are not responsible for the use or
misuse of information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom.
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