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Silicon Times Report Issue 0820
*---== ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
from
STR Publishing
""""""""""""""
May 15, 1992 No.8.20
==========================================================================
STReport International Online Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida
32205 ~ 6672
R.F. Mariano
Publisher - Editor
-----------------------------------------
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_____________________________________________________________________
> 05/15/92 STR 820 "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
----------------
- The Editor's Desk - CPU Report - PORTFOLIO NEWS
- NEW RIPOFF REPORTED! - CT FEST NEWS - AUA TELLS ALL!
- PGST 2 SUPER OFFER! - BITMAKER V1 - GEMulator News
- BLUE RIDGE FEST - MegaKern - STR Confidential
-* ATARI LOSES $13.8 MILLION IN FIRST QUARTER *-
-* BCS UNVEILING ON AGAIN! *-
-* EXPLORER SHAKEUP! *-
-* CALLIGRAPHER SHIPS! *-
==========================================================================
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!
==========================================================================
GENIE ~ CIS ~ DELPHI ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ FNET ~ TNET ~ INTERNET
EURONET ~ CIX ~ CLEVELAND FREE-NET
==========================================================================
COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME
to the Readers of;
ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY!
CALL: 1-800-848-8199 .. Ask for operator 198
You will receive your complimentary time
and
be online in no time at all!
WHAT'S NEW IN THE ATARI FORUMS (May 15)
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.)
ATTACHED or DETACHED?
---------------------
A SHORT SURVEY
As published in STReport 818, we would like your feedback about the
attached/detached keyboard issue in future computer purchases.
PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING THREE QUESTIONS;
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)
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)
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)?
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
We'd prefer your response in the following format:
--------------------------------------------------
1 - detached keyboard (or attached keyboard)
2 - B (or A or C)
3 - Yes (or no)
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Your response is greatly appreciated and will be compiled along with
the input received from private BBSs and the major online services.
Usergroups are urged to participate; Please, take a vote at your next
meeting, and send the results to: STReport Online Magazine via the most
convenient means at your disposal.
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.
CONFERENCE IN ATARI 8-BIT FORUM
On Sunday, May 17th, in the Atari 8-bit Forum, Bob Puff and Jeff Potter
will join us for a formal CO. Bob Puff is the Head of Computer Software
Services, a strictly 8-bit hardware company. Jeff Potter has written many
fine programs for the 8-bit, and is now working on a fax program. Please
join us at 9pm Eastern
Time as we talk about keeping an old machine very much alive!
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!!
CONTEST IN ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM (GO APORTFOLIO)
We are now running a NEW CONTEST for Portfolio Programmers. You can
submit any program you have written, in any language, in either compiled
or source form. Prizes will include free CompuServe connect time, ROM
cards, and a subscription to "Take it With You." Please read message #
28538 for complete details.
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 #20
Compiled by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
-- ATARI LOSES $13.8 MILLION IN FIRST QUARTER
Atari Corp. this week reported its operations for first quarter ended
March 31, 1992.
Net sales were $44.1 million as compared to $63.4 million for the same
quarter in 1991. A significant portion of the company's business is
derived from Europe and as a result, subject to fluctuations in exchange
rates. In the quarter ended 1992, the company experienced a loss in
exchange of $12.1 million as compared to a $4 million loss in 1991.
These losses in exchange when added to operating losses and other income
and expense items, resulted in a net loss of $13.8 million for 1992
compared to a net loss of $2 million in 1991.
Atari Corp. manufactures and markets video games and personal computers
for the home, office and educational marketplaces throughout the world.
Atari headquarters are located at 1196 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale, CA,
94089.
CONTACT: August J. Liguori of Atari, 408-745-2069
-- ADAPTEC, COREL PLAN JOINT SCSI DEVELOPMENT
Corel Systems and Milpitas, California-based Adaptec have announced an
agreement to work together on SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)
products. The two firms, both of which already sell SCSI products, said
they will cooperate on both development and marketing.
Corel produces SCSI device driver software for peripheral products.
Adaptec sells SCSI host adapters and created the Advanced SCSI
Programming Interface (ASPI) software.
Eleven-year-old Adaptec produces very large scale integration (VLSI)
circuits, controllers for the imaging industry, and SCSI products. It
employs approximately 1,000 people in the United States, Asia, and
Europe. Corel, founded in 1985 develops SCSI and graphics software, and
is best known for its Corel Draw software package.
-- APPLE SUPPORTS WORLD LANGUAGES
Reports from Apple Computer Inc.'s Cupertino, California facilities say
that Apple has announced a new software technology which it says will
allow its Macintosh PCs to handle most written languages.
The new WorldScript reportedly technology "includes support to text
input and display as well as for incorporating language attributes, such
as date and time formats, for most written languages."
Apple officials said the technology provides built-in support to handle
non-Roman languages and that WorldScript will be part of Macintosh
System 7, Release 7.1 software, which Apple said it expects to be
available in fall 1992.
-- INTERIM RELEASE OF WORDPERFECT 5.1 NOW SHIPPING
An interim release of WordPerfect 5.1 for Windows now is being shipped.
It includes enhancements such as "Drag and Drop," "Zoom Edit," "Bullet
and Envelope macros" and other features for creating and editing macros.
The new disks are dated April 30.
The company says the new release also has an updated macro language that
allows adding of dialog boxes to macros and a Macro Command Inserter
Program, similar to the pop-up menu in the WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS Macro
Editor that lists all the macro commands.
-- DELL COMPUTERS LOWERS PRICES BY AS MUCH AS 26%
Dell Computer Corp. this week lowered prices by as much as 26% on its
full line of desktop and floor-standing personal computer systems, as
well as its color notebook PC. This is the fifth such price change in
the last 12 months.
-- 40 MB MEMORY, SUGAR CUBE SIZE
Irvine Sensors says it has developed a technology for the US Air Force
for quadrupling the amount of memory that can be placed in the same
amount of physical space. The company maintains it is currently able to
package 40 meg of memory in a physical space the size of a sugar cube.
Irvine Sensors says this new technology can be applied to the micro-
computer industry, especially to the new flash memory card technology.
Called the "memory short stack," it is a stack of memory chips which is
physically interchangeable with a single-chip package but offers mul-
tiple chip performance. The faster the microprocessor chips get, the
more there is a need for speed in relaying information between
components. Packing integrated circuits (ICs) closer together provides
reductions in travel time and gains faster performance.
-- SEGA PAYS $43 MILLION TO U.S. INVENTOR
Japan's Sega Enterprises Ltd. says it will pay $43 million to U.S.
inventor Jan R. Coyle to use his technology in Sega's video game
machines, thereby settling a patent dispute over a mechanism that
produces sound signals to control the games' color displays.
Sega Vice President Tokuzo Komai as saying the total payment will cover
Coyle's losses incurred from the use of his patent, which was registered
in the U.S. in 1975, and for future sale of video game software.
Komai also expressed regret over the company's earlier decision to
appeal a previous verdict by a jury at the federal court of Los Angeles,
which ordered Sega to pay Coyle $33 million in April. "We should have
compromised earlier," Komai said.
-- TI TO BEGIN VOLUME PRODUCTION OF NEW CHIP
Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) announced this week it will begin volume
production in September of its TI486SLC chip in an attempt to take more
of the market from industry leader Intel Corp.
According to the company, the TI microprocessor will provide 486 soft-
ware compatibility, as well as serve as an upgrade to systems currently
using a 386SX chip without having to redesign the circuit board.
"TI's chip, when measured using industry-standard benchmarks, offers
comparable 486 performance and twice the performance of the fastest 386SX
chip,"
the company said.
-- SPA HOME COMPUTER USE SURVEY
A lot of useful information for software marketers was garnered in the
recent Software Publishers Association survey of nearly 1,200 home
computer and video game users in the United States. One fact is that
personal productivity software users own an average of 3.6 programs,
while entertainment users own almost ten.
Home based business users operate a computer nearly 17 hours each week,
while workers who take the office home with them at night spend about
one hour per night on average working on the bosses tasks (based on a
seven-day week).
Education software comes in for about four hours use each week but
recreation/entertainment programs get almost the same time.
These numbers refer to hours of use in households that predominantly use
a particular software category and don't mean that homes use education
and entertainment programs about equal amounts, but that education
program users run that software about the same amount of time that game
players play their games.
Personal computer usage at home is about double the video game usage for
those with a four-year college degree, while those with some college use
computers more than video games, but the numbers are much closer.
For those with an education level up to and including high school
graduation, personal computer use is less than one third that of video
games.
PC use is also tied strongly to household income, with 41% of homes with
PCs having incomes over $50,000, versus only 23% for those with video
games.
Nearly 40% of entertainment software homes have no children, while only
22% of education software is in childless homes and personal produc-
tivity software comes out highest in homes with no children, but not far
above entertainment programs.
Forty% of entertainment software users in the survey, along with 26% of
education software users admitted to the SPA that they copy software
from friends, work, or from school. The SPA did not release any estimate
of how much of that copied software would constitute pirated copies but
most software in schools or businesses would be copyrighted, licensed
programs which can't legally be copied.
Resellers and advertisers will be interested to learn that word-of-
mouth recommendations are the most important software buying influence,
every bit as important as seeing an actual demonstration, and more
influential than advertisements or even magazine reviews.
The data for the survey was collected during 15-minute long interviews
conducted with 1,190 U.S. households which reported having video games
or PCs and the questions only covered five software categories:
entertainment, education, personal productivity, business software for
home business, and that used for work brought home.
***********************************************************************
: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. VOTE TODAY in the GEnie Presidential Straw Poll II............*SURVEY
2. Join the NEW Explorer RT to see GEnie in a new light..........EXPLORER
3. NEW! GEnie's Reference Center: Your Personal Librarian.......REFCENTER
4. Gimme a G, Gimme an E, Gimme some time, Gimme it free.........BASEBALL
5. CONLINE VI - Online Gaming Convension 5/31....................TSR
6. Get Dozens of Software Programs - Most $1 Per at..............SOFTDISK
7. FREE hour of play with LiveWire Coupon in.....................TRIVIA
8. RTC - Meet Robert Shaw, Air Combat and Tactics author, 5/17...MPGRT
9. Thinking vacation -- it's Full Moon of SAGITTARIUS in the.....STARS
10. ATTN Car Buyers: Bargain with POWER/SAVE $$.................AUTOQUOT-R
11. ZILCH Author, Michael Riley, in conference May 17.............HOME
12. The StarShip 5-MINUTE Weekend News Network....................AMIGA
13. The great MARLENE DIETRICH: Her life, times, and films.......GERMANY
14. WordPerfect's 4/24 release of 1,162 printer drivers now on....WP
15. Tomorrows Headline--"Deadly Asteroid Menaces Earth"...........*SPACE
The Atari RT
Last Week's Top Downloaded Programs/Utilities:
23988 MULTI34A.LZH (LH5)LZH X C.F.JOHNSON 920506 28416 196 2
Desc: Updates MultiDesk Deluxe 3.4 to 3.4a
23987 FIX_WP.LZH (LH5)LZH X C.F.JOHNSON 920506 7552 188 2
Desc: Patch to fix bugs in Word Perfect
23962 HS_FIX.LZH (LH5)LZH X V.PATRICELL1 920503 3968 138 7
Desc: RTS/CTS fix for high speed modems
23935 RE_BOOT.LZH (LH5)LZH X GRMEYER 920501 8704 128 2
Desc: Re_Boot2 - hard drive delay timer
23966 RECV_CAN.LZH (LH5)LZH X S.HUGHEY1 920504 16128 112 2
Desc: Recoverable Trashcan for Neo/NewDesk
23934 JCLABEL2.LZH (LH5)LZH X GRMEYER 920501 56576 98 2
Desc: JC Label2 - mailing label printer
23977 IMGPRT42.LZH (LH5)LZH X D.C.GOUTHRO 920506 19712 95 10
Desc: Graphics program for HP Printers.
-------------------------------------------------
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
As many of my readers already know, Lloyd Pulley [Senior Staff Editor
for ST Report] supplies me with most of my online posts. It's been a
long time since Lloyd has been on Delphi and CIS but this week he came
through with almost 2 megs worth. So this week and next most of my
posts will be from Delphi, and the following two weeks from CIS.
----------------
About Warp 9 from Codehead Technologies - From RMORROW...
Well, my copy of Warp 9 (formerly Quick ST) came in a few days ago. As
usual, the CodeHeads cleaned it up and did away with most of the com-
patibility problems. WordUp 3 bombed with QST 3.04 but not with 2.2
(figure that one!). WUP runs fine with W9 installed; in fact the only
prg. I have that doesn't like it is the 4096 color demo I u/l'd here.
But probably the best features of it (for me, anyhow) is the con-
figurability of it. To get this you must have it's control panel.acc
installed. The docs say that this .acc actually speeds things up if
you have a bunch of AUTO stuff since it talks to warp 9.prg in auto.
Well, anyhow, you can turn screen acceleration on/off, set mouse
accelerator speeds, block the mouse from going to the Desktop menus
(click and it will cross into that area) as well as a "mouse jump"
feature that reads a right click and sends the pointer up to the
title bar to access menus-from anywhere on the screen! Plus horizontal
and vertical mouse-wrapping.
As if that's not enough, you can load background pictures and change
the ST system font! They supply about 70 different fonts on the double
sided disk.
----------------
Linotype and PageStream 2.0...
Question from DRWARBEAU...
Has anyone out there used Pagestream 2 to output a PostScript file to
a service Bureau? I've been trying to all week with 3 different
bureaus here on Long Island without success. I can print the file out
fine to UltraScript and the service bureau's laser writer, but when
they try to print to a Linotronic L300 it chokes.
I called Soft Logik's support line but all they told me was it should
work and check the manual under PS output. The bureaus say they can't
print direct from DOS like the manual says:(.
Not being well versed in the intricacies of the PostScript language or
Linotronics, I'm at a loss as to how to accomplish hi rez printing.
Any other insights or experiences would be great.
Answer from ERSOFF...
I use Pagestream 2 ALL THE TIME to print out to a Lino. The service
bureau I use does print from DOS. They are networked with 2 Macs and
one DOS machine. I use the DOS machine. All I do is type LINOPRINT
filename PS X and the file prints perfectly every time. Don't get
frustrated. It took me a few tries before I could figure out how to
print a Lino....
PS--- Don't forget to format your disk as an IBM (TOS 1.0 -1.2)
More from DRWARBEAU...
Thanks for your reply, Mayer. I called back SoftLogik today and got a
different and much more knowledgeable rep. He spent a lot of time going
over the details of Lino printing with me (I wish I could remember his
name..) It seems one of the problems was in setting up the PostScript
driver's page size. I had it 8 1/2 x 11 when it should have been 11 x
8 1/2 (!). He also suggested how I could convince my bureau that it
_could_ be done, if they used a little imagination and would try
something a little different than their usual applications.
...to make a long story short, armed with my new found Lino expertise
<grin> I returned to the last service bureau, and after a short dis-
cussion tried it again. It worked beautifully! I even fielded some
questions regarding my "maverick" computer by some curious IBM and
Mac-philes. One fellow had "heard rumors" about a DTP computer by
Atari (he originally thought it was Nintendo!) Anyway, my faith in my
beloved computer and software is restored.
----------------
Now the same questions for Calamus...
Question from MRBURKLEY...
Can anyone give me the phone # of a place that will do Linotronic
output of my Calamus Document? It would be nice if I could modem it
there as well!
Reply from JBEAU...
I have used OMNICOMP several times for 2540dpi film negative printouts
of my CALAMUS documents...and I also Modemed.
1270 dpi $13.00 (2pg min.)
2540 dpi $16.00 (?pg min.)
(415)398-3377/(415)397-4534
I think they are located in San Francisco, can't remember for sure.
But they will BILL you in case you are in a hurry. Here's how we did
it:
1) Modem your file(s) and any weird font(s) your using to OMNICOMP.
2) Include the name of your printer and have the neg(s) sent directly
to them. Have Omnicomp bill the printer.
3) Printer completes the printing order and sends you ONE bill for
negative(s) from OMNICOMP and from them for printing. ALso saves time
by cutting out the middleman!
----------------
Can you upgrade a Supra 20 meg hard drive?
Question from MRIVARDO...
I really hope someone can answer this for me...I have a Supra 20 meg
hard drive. Is it possible to take out the drive mechanism and replace
it with a larger one? Say 52 or 105? Or is that asking for too much?
As usual, any help at all is immensely appreciated as I'm dead broke.
Answer from Gordie (Sysop)...
The short answer is yes, you can upgrade to a larger capacity drive.
But you'll need to know if the mech you have now is SCSI, RLL or MFM,
and then make sure to get one that's the same. Beyond that, it should
be a fairly simple swapout.
More questions from MRIVARDO...
Great. Thanks. I assume the information is in the Supra drive manual
which I have somewhere around here...)
I also assume that I'll need a drive that does not have an imbedded
controller... Er, right?
Answer from LMCCLURE...
Yes...the Supra drive would use their ASCI-to-SCSI host adapter, so
with a imbedded SCSI hard drive (such as the Quantum LPS52 or LPS105),
it should be as straightforward as removing your old drive and
installing the new (assuming you current 20 meg drive is a 3.5" unit.
If it is 5.25", there would be a need to adapt the mount).
To my knowledge, Supra only used imbedded SCSI drives, so you should
not have to worry about dealing with ST506-type MFM or RLL drives.
Open up your drive's case. If there is only on circuit board (aside
from the one mounted to the drive itself), and the ribbon cable
connecting the two is a 50-conductor cable, it's SCSI through and
through.
Answer from Gordie...
If it's a SCSI drive, it has an embedded controller, and will need
that in any new mech you install. Otherwise, there should be some kind
of controller card inside the HD case somewhere. Either RLL or MFM in
flavor. As long as you stay with the same type of mech, you'll be
fine.
----------------
Confused about the different Spectrum modes...
Question from LAMARTH...
Can anyone tell me what the difference between a Spectrum .SPC and a
.SPS file? I've got a few Spectrum .SPS files that my viewer
apparently won't display. It'll view .SPC files just fine but
completely ignores .SPS. Any help would be appreciated!
Answer from JBEAU...
You need SPCELITE.PRG - SPC is "compressed" Spectrum format - SPS is
"smooshed" Spectrum format, even smaller.
----------------
Confused as to what 68000 replacement to buy?
Question by RMORROW...
I just got the Best Electronics catalog today (what a catalog!!) and
it lists a 68000NF8 PLCC MPU for the STE line. However, no real info
followed.
Answer from KSCHAFER...
Thats a 68000 FN 8, right?
68000 means 68000, FN means its a PLCC part, and 8 is the speed.
Answer from Norm Wierness...
From that number, I believe it is a full 68000, just in square
packaging. The clue is that there are no other letters between the 68
and the 000. N generally means plastic (as opposed to ceramic)
package, the F like indicates the PLCC and the 8 means 8 MHz. What
was the price?
Answer from RMORROW...
Price of that chip was $18 I believe. In other words, it's just
another box-stock 68k CPU chip?
Question from MICKEYANGELL...
What does the PLCC mean?
Answer from LMCCLURE...
The words 'Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier' come to mind for PLCC. I
assume the 'plastic' part refers to the chip package, as plastic leads
typically don't conduct electricity very well! <GRIN>
I would however, wait for a confirmation of that definition from a
second party before betting anything significant on its accuracy.
More comments by Norm Wierness...
'Fraid so. The normal price for a 68000-8, the DIP used in older
Atari's is about $10, in single quantity....
PLCC= Plastic, Leadless Chip Carrier. The square chips actually have
leads, but they are folded under the case. Instead of being inserted
through holes in the printed circuit board and soldered, they are put
in sockets.
----------------
From RMORROW...
For those looking for various hardware upgrades or simply replacement
parts, get the Best Electronics catalog. It's 44 pages long, with
parts for stuff going back to the original PONG game! Cartridges,
keyboard replacements, trackballs, light guns, CPU's , Math
co-processors, etc. Even a 120/230v power supply that fits in without
modification (& is better than the stock one).
Best Electronics 408-243-6950
----------------
More from RMORROW...
For those looking for Atari 8-bit and ST/TT ham radio programs, you
may want to check out The Atari Microcomputer Network by writing John
Adams KC5FW, 1011 Impala Isla, Granite Shoals, TX 78654. They have a
larger selection of 8-bit than ST stuff.
The deal is pretty good-send them a formatted disk and SASE (make sure
the postage covers the disk weight!) and tell them what you want based
on their list, then they put it on the disk and send it back. No $
involved. Other ham programs they may not have are always welcome-as
long as they're PD or S/W.
OR, they run an Atari net on 14.325 MHz @ 1600 GMT every Sunday. NCS
is Dave, KD7VA in Las Vegas.
----------------
Atari SC 1224 monitor problems...
Question from GODRULES...
I have an Atari SC 1224 Monitor on which the on off switch seems to
have broken. I called my local Atari dealer and he said they can't be
fixed.
Is this true. My gosh doesn't someone else make a switch that can
replace it????? This dealer told me I could bring my broken model in
and trade for the newer one, but that seems ridiculous seeing as the
part that needs to be replaced probably would cost 4-5$.
If I am stuck buying a new model, what is the best way to go, the new
Atari SC1435,(with planned obsolescence included?) or the Magnavox
1CM135, which I believe works with the Atari line. Any feedback would
be sincerely appreciated.
Answer from LMCCLURE...
Which model of SC1224 do you have? The original model, with the darker
gray bezel, and swoop back? The middle model that looks like the
SM124, or the later model that is rather squarish?
If worse comes to worse, you could always bridge the switch circuit to
the 'on' position and control the monitor power with a powerstrip, or
one of those under-the-monitor rocker switch power centers (which some
accessory companies in Computer Shopper sell for less than $15).
Have you gotten your hands on a Best Electronics catalog to see if
they carry the switch?
More help from RMORROW...
Call Best Electronics @ 408-243-6950. If they don't have it; it
doesn't exist! :)
More from GODRULES...
I have the later model that is rather squarish. I suppose I could try
bridging the circuit so it is on. I might give it a try. Thanks for
the idea....
Thanks for the phone number, they must be in No. Calif., by the looks
of the area code, so they may be within driving distance of where I
live. I hope they have the part, it seems like a waste of a good
monitor if they don't.
Further help from LMCCLURE...
I just checked my Best Electronics catalog. The picture identifies
your monitor as the model made for Atari by Samsung. It also lists the
following:
Samsung made SC1224 Color monitor
On/Off push button switch (Rhombus shape 1" wide) (less button)
C399230.....................$12.00
The catalog lists their phone number as 408-243-6950. This price was
taken from the Rev. 9 catalog, page 11. Their minimum order is $12,
but they do NOT accept credit cards (or didn't when the catalog was
issued), so you would either need to prepay or have it sent COD.
----------------
Should you speed your TT up to 50mhz?
Question from SCHUYLAR...
All this 50mhz talk has gotten me fired up. Does anyone know what
would happen if you switched out the 33mhz '030' inside a TT for a
50mhz model?
Any speed up? or nothing at all, and a total waste of $$? Thanks.
Answer from Norm Wierness...
Total waste. The clocking, the memory, and whole lot of other stuff
has to increase to get any advantage. It's like putting 70 ns. RAM in
an ST. It works, of course, but gains no advantage.
...[main memory]...That runs at a fixed clock, so faster RAM buys
nothing. Cache RAM only needs be fast enough for the processor to read
it (or write it) in the minimum processor-memory cycle...anything
faster also gains nothing. But it's fairly easy to supply a Motorola
processor with memory fast enough for fastest operation.
----------------
About Flash II...
Question from LMCCLURE...
Has anyone purchased or upgraded to Flash II yet? If so, how about
some feedback?
Feedback from WAYNEDUNHAM...
I received my Flash II update a few days ago and overall it's very
nice, but there are a few mixed emotions. Naturally most of that is
probably just having to adjust from the original Flash which I've used
ever since it first came out. Kind of like a new pair of shoes, at
first they hurt your feet and feel 'strange', but after a while they
get comfortable.
The type ahead buffer (using it now) is a MAJOR joy to use. You now
have a full screen width 3 line buffer. You can type 3 lines of text
before sending, and also edit it before sending it if necessary. MUCHO
better than the old Flash type ahead.
I've had good luck with my .DO files, but not all commands work and
some not quite the same as in Flash. Some of these discrepancies are
going to be fixed in future updates, and others that were left out are
being talked about over on that other network. Overall unless your .DO
files are VERY advanced you should have no trouble. The commands that
are left out are very obscure ones that are rarely used and in most
cases aren't necessary.
Also all the ones that I've found so far that don't work the same as
in the original are being fixed to work the same, but in the meantime
only minor changes to your .DO files are required to fix them.
There are MANY things in Flash II that weren't in the original Flash.
MUCH better ANSI emulation, Zmodem built in, now The transfer path can
be set separately from the normal path, etc, etc.
One thing I have a major gripe with is the Silent Line background
transfer program. It's a double-booter, i.e. it boots your machine
twice. To me that is an unacceptable thing. Also no Zmodem in Silent
Line yet. I have voiced my opinion about the double boot and they are
going to try and eliminate the double boot. They have already said
that they are going to try and get Zmodem into Silent Line on the
first bug fix/update round.
Overall I'm pleased with it. I've only been using it a few days, and
am learning more about it all the time and becoming more comfortable
with it.
More questions from LMCCLURE...
Okay...the big question. Is it, in your opinion, for a cash-strapped
individual, worth the $30 upgrade fee?
I gotta admit, the built-in Zmodem is what holds the greatest appeal
to me, but finding out that Silent Line does not yet support it is
something of a downer.
None of my Flash .DO files use anything more fancy than displaying a
dialog box, so I should be in the clear on that point.
Answer from WAYNEDUNHAM...
Is Flash II worth the $30 upgrade fee? Hmmmm that is something you'll
have to decide for yourself. I'll answer any questions you might have
to ask to help you make the decision, but the decision will have to be
yours ultimately.
Where do you find Flash deficient now? Does Flash II address those
needs? After totalling up all your gripes about Flash and how Flash II
addresses those needs does that come to a value of $30 or more?
The built in Zmodem is nice. It also is automatic. If you select
Zmodem download on a board or here the Zmodem transfer will
automatically start as soon as the other end starts sending. It wasn't
a major drawback to me with Flash though because I used XYZ 2.0 by
Alan Hamilton (registered) and had it set up on a function key. So all
I had to do was press F10 to download with Zmodem anyways. Zmodem
uploads will be a bit easier with Flash II. I have Zmodem uploading on
a function key with Flash also, but I still have to pump in the
filename to upload. After the upload I also have to remember to change
my default path back too due to the way I do the Zmodem upload on my
function keys.(the function key automatically resets the default path
on my downloads)
Another major feature to me is the expanded Type Ahead buffer. It's
now a FULL 3 lines instead of the single partial line of the original
Flash.
It can now round-robin style call several boards and keep trying them
in rotation until it connects with one of the ones you've selected.
After you logoff that board it will continue calling the other ones
selected if you like also. There are .DO files out there to do that
for Flash although I've never tried them since this isn't a major
feature to *me*. Many users find this a very desirable feature though
which is why I mentioned it.
Although I can't confirm it since I don't have one it's supposed to
work better than Flash on big monitors like the Moniterm, etc.
Enhanced text editor features in the capture buffer. You now have cut
& paste ability.
More terminal emulation support. The Ansi is much better but I haven't
used it a lot and *to me* it's still not as good as the ANSI emulator
for Interlink.
The setups for each board is separate. You can set things like the
terminal emulation, word wrap, capture buffer on, 7 or 8 bit, duplex,
etc, etc. This feature in itself will eliminate a major portion of my
logon .DO files.
There are many other things too. If you have a question feel free to
ask away.
More Questions from LMCCLURE...
In STR817, there was a message captured from FNET that complained that
Flash II seemed slow.
More answers from WAYNEDUNHAM...
Right now it does seem slow at pumping the incoming text onscreen, but
I haven't been losing anything with the couple places I call at 9600
baud.
Naturally as with any brand new major application there are some
glitches but overall it's not too bad. I'm not going to say waiting
would be bad because if Flash is doing the job for you right now there
isn't a pressing need to upgrade unless the upgrade offer runs out.
There is frank and open talk on *G* with them about the problems,
drawbacks, bugs, etc. They seem very receptive to the users at this
point so I have high hopes.
To some degree the glitches in Flash II are glaring only because the
original Flash was so robust and crash-proof.
----------------
A cute post about "Modem Addictus" from the Jerry Pournelle RT on Genie
that thought you might enjoy - Cat. 4, Topic 40 - Msg. 24 - From
J.HILL57...
It's Saturday night and I finally got my wife to sit up with me in
front of the old VGA (our little fireplace). I got her interested in
another board a couple days ago and today she told me she was ready to
start a topic. In the past my wife has called me a nerd, but as I
stared at her tonight, as she typed in her topic, I could not believe
what I saw in her eyes. She has become "MODEM ADDICTUS", a disease
which I have succumbed to. I know it's hard to .....
"What was that dear? ....." "Oh, alright."
Sorry, but we have to go. My wife wants to check to see if anyone
replied to the topic she started fifteen minutes ago. I think I've
created a "NERD- ETTE".
----------------
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
======================
Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access
DELPHI services via a local phone call
JOIN -- DELPHI
--------------
Via modem, dial up DELPHI at 1-800-695-4002
then...
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and...
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If you spend more than 200 minutes online a month, you'll save money
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There is no signup fee for joining the Basic Plan. There is a fee of
$39 when you join the 20/20 Advantage Plan, a one-time $19 signup fee and
your first month's $20 fee.
These connect rates apply for access via Tymnet or SprintNet (within
the continental United States) during home time (7 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays
and all day weekends) or via direct dial around the clock. Telecom
surcharges apply for daytime or international access via Tymnet or
SprintNet. See Using DELPHI online for detailed information on telecom
surcharges.
For more information, call: DELPHI Member Services at 1-800-544-4005
DELPHI is a service of General Videotex Corporation of Cambridge, Mass.
DELPHI- It's getting better all the time!
***********************************************************************
> 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 FEST! STR SHOW NEWS BLUE RIDGE DINNER DANCE ANNOUNCED!
==============================
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
_______________________________________________________________
> BCS UVEILING STR FOCUS "It's _ON_Again!
======================
ATARI UNVEILS AT BCS!
"IT'S _ON_ AGAIN!"
by Dana P. Jacobson
Earlier this year, Atari made arrangements to unveil their new
computer(s) at the Boston Computer Society's general meeting in April.
Atari had unveiled the "new" 520ST at a BCS meeting back in 1985; and
this was to have been the first time since then that Atari has utilized
the BCS' prominence in the computing arena to unveil its new machines.
Unfortunately, Atari cancelled the meeting due to some unforeseen
problems. Since the new machine(s) weren't available (production models)
for the CeBIT or Toronto shows either, that might explain the BCS
cancellation.
Regardless, Bob Brodie has _finally_ managed to contact the BCS to
reschedule the Atari meeting with the BCS general membership. According
to BCS/Atari personnel, the meeting will be scheduled for the Fall, most
likely in September, if the BCS docket is open. Specific meeting details
are naturally pending until the date is set.
According to BCS/Atari President Mike Newhall, Bob Brodie provided the
following information about the machine to be introduced at the upcoming
BCS meeting ("real and implied" info):
The announcement will be for _one_ machine (one main product,
questionable _with_ accessory products).
It will be a low-end, low-price consumer product, i.e. _not_ a new
flagship computer (not a TT replacement), but will possibly take the place
of the ST as Atari's baseline machine. (Editor's note: outsiders who
have seen the machine have guessed it will cost around $1200)
September announcement with BCS if the BCS makes this date available;
BCS Resource Center will get one immediately after the showing. Possible
Fall availability (just prior to, during, or shortly after the BCS
meeting) Reality - 1993?
The machine will be an 030. 16MHz - possibly. NO slots. Of course,
better sound and graphics, including hardware scrolling. Digital sound
in, implied. Implied - analog controller ports (from the STe but dropped
on the TT/MSTe).
Atari is NOT currently considering marketing this machine as a
high-end game machine. (Editor's note: does "currently" mean possibly in
the future it _will_ be?)
MultiTOS - runs legally written off-the-shelf applications (most games
violate Atari's programming rules). MultiTOS _can_ be made available for
older machines, but may or may not be (no special hardware required).
Middle management is currently trying to convince upper management to do
this even though it makes no sense to run MultiTOS on an 8 MHz 68000
machine.
(Editor's note: what about those people who have accelerator boards?)
Atari IS working on '040' machine(s). Also, all future slotted
machines will continue to support the VME bus standard begun on the MSTe
and TT machines. As more details are learned, we at STReport will keep
you informed. So far, this machine sounds like a contender in the
ever-growing price-competitive computer market. Atari needs to get this
new machine out into the streets as quickly as possible for any hopes to
survive - let's hope so!!
____________________________________________________________
> CALLIGRAPHER STR InfoFile SPECIAL TRADE-UP OFFER FOR CALLIGRAPHER!
=========================
For immediate release
CodeHeadQuarters
Friday, May 15, 1992
----------------------
NEWS FLASHES.....
CALLIGRAPHER IS SHIPPING!
SPECIAL TRADE-UP OFFER FOR CALLIGRAPHER!
POSTSCRIPT INCLUDED WITH CALLIGRAPHER PROFESSIONAL!
FONT DISKS ANNOUNCED!
It's an unusual event in the computer industry for a product to be
released on schedule, but CodeHead Technologies has done it. Calligrapher
Professional and Calligrapher Gold are ready to go.
We're convinced that Calligrapher is the Ultimate Writing Machine and
we'd also like to convince YOU. As an incentive, we're offering a special
trade-in discount to owners of other Atari word processors -- just send us
your master disk for any one of the programs listed below and you'll get a
$35.00 discount off of Calligrapher's normal price.
That's right, you'll get Calligrapher Professional for $140 or
Calligrapher Gold for $215 !!
Master disks for any of the following word processors will be accepted:
Word Writer Microsoft Word
Word Perfect 1st Word Plus
WordUp Signum
Wordflair That's Write
Regent Word Write On
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
We made a mistake in our Calligrapher press release when we mentioned
PostScript support. We didn't realize that PostScript support is
included with Calligrapher Professional also.
That's right...you don't have to GO FOR THE GOLD to get PostScript
support, it's a standard feature!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Font Disks
------------
Calligrapher Professional and Calligrapher Gold each include the following
outline fonts from URW:
Zurich Medium Zurich Bold (like Helvetica)
Holland Medium Holland Bold (like Times Roman)
Holland Italic Holland Bold Italic
Math Symbols (includes Greek characters)
Ornaments (like Dingbats)
Unitype Medium Unitype Bold (like Courier)
Besides these fonts, there's an entire library of high-quality outline
fonts available from CodeHead Technologies. These fonts are licensed from
URW, a font foundry well-known for its quality.
Font disks are $34.95 and each disk typically contains one main typeface
and related weights (e.g. Garamond, Bold, Italic and Bold Italic). The
following typefaces are available:
Washington Light Windsor Windsor Condensed
Weiss Rundgotisch Vag Runschrift Vivaldi
Vladimir Script Arnold Boecklin Arsis
Alte Schwabacher Alternate Gothic Accolade
American Uncial Baskerville Belwe
Brittanic Extra Light Brush Script Blippo Black
Binner Brody Broadway Engraved
Broadway Baskerville Old Face Bodoni Black
Bodoni Antiqua Bodoni Medium Bodoni Antiqua Condensed
Berling Brittanic Medium Bodoni Ultra
Balloon Bernhard Antique Bernhard Fashion
Chelmsford Light Chelmsford Medium Cooper Black Bold
Century Old Style Century Schoolbook Commercial Script
Castle Cheltenham Eurostile
Clearface Gothic Copperplate Copperplate Condensed
Congress Regular Caslon Graphique Davida
Dynamo Dom Casual Congress Bold
Eurostile Expanded Egyptienne Bold Cond. Egyptienne Black Cond.
Egizio Condensed Egyptian Fette Engschrift Din
Flyer Franklin Gothic Garamond
Garamond Condensed Gill Kayo Gill Serie
IMPORTANT REMINDER:
Remember that Calligrapher uses G+Plus (like GDOS) so you are not
required to purchase any of these fonts. You can use any
GDOS-compatible font with Calligrapher. The availability of these
outline fonts is an added extra that gives Calligrapher more power
yet.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Pricing
---------
Retail Price: Trade-up Price:
Calligrapher Professional $175.00 $140.00
Calligrapher Gold $250.00 $215.00
Font Disks $34.95 each
Only one $35 discount is allowed per customer. To take advantage of our
trade-up offer send payment and the master disk from any eligible word
processor to CodeHead Technologies at the address below. Mastercard,
Visa, and American Express credit cards are accepted. For shipping, add
$5 US and $6 Canada.
CodeHead Technologies
P.O. Box 74090
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Phone: (213) 386-5735
(Mon-Fri 9A-1P Pacific Time)
FAX: (213) 386-5789
BBS: (213) 461-2095
_____________________________________________________________
> NEWEST RIPOFF! STR FOCUS Should computer users be taxed.......?
========================
THE SOUND OF MONEY
==================
Should computer users be taxed to benefit the US record
business? They will be if Congress has its way.
by Peter Newcomb
Should the nation's computer users subsidize the super-rich moguls of
the US record business? Congress seems to think they should.e Audio Home
Recording Act of 1991 sailed through the Senate Judiciary Committee and is
now awaiting approval there as well as in the House.
Sponsored by Senator DENNIS DECONCINI (D-ARIZ.) and Representative
WILLIAM HUGHES (D-NJ), this bill, as well as a related House bill
sponsored by CARDISS COLLINS (D-ILL.), WOULD IMPOSE A 3% TAX the record
industry prefers to call it a "royalty on all blank digital recording
media": DAT cassettes and digital compact cassettes, as well as the
anticipated recordable mini disc due on the market by next spring.
ON TOP OF THAT, A NEW 2% TAX WOULD BE IMPOSED ON ALL DIGITAL TAPE
RECORDING MACHINES.
WHO WOULD GET THE MONEY? THE RECORD BUSINESS.
The idea behind the bill is that it would protect performers and
songwriters from pirates who could use the new digital recording
technologies to make perfect copies of songs. Record companies argue
that they lose $1.5 billion a year in revenues because of home taping.
The cassette, disc and hardware taxes would be collected by the US
Copyright Office and distributed by the Copyright Royalty Tribunal. Each
year, anyone who feels entitled to royalty payments could petition the
Tribunal.
Sounds like a fair idea. But is it? For one thing, most DAT
cassettes are now used for computer data storage, which has nothing to do
with music. Wide-scale consumer audio applications are still another five
years away.
Within that time the tax could raise as much as $100 million annually
with computer users coughing up two-thirds of that amount. Where would
the money go? Nearly 40% would go directly to the record companies,
including Sony Music Entertainment, and MCA Inc's huge record division,
owned by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. These companies are
already coining money, selling records and tapes to music-mad adolescents.
they really deserve to have the federal government act as a tax collector
for them?
But the record and entertainment moguls pack plenty of lobbying clout.
Another 17% of the tax would go to music publishers. After the costs of
administering the royalty fund get deducted, 44% of the pool would go to
songwriters and performers.
The proposed legislation also mandates that a special anti-taping
computer chip be installed in all consumer models of digital tape
recorders. Shown as the "serial copy management system," the SCMS chip
encodes a message onto every copied tape that instructs the tape not to
allow another copy to be made from it. The SCMS chip, made by Sony, will
add about $25 to the cost of the DAT recorder -- to be paid, of course, by
consumers.
If copies can be so easily limited, why are the record companies
pushing for the 3% tax on cassettes? Two reasons. The SCMS can be
easily bypassed by simply sending the digital message through the analog
jacks on the back of the tape unit. But Wayne Green, former publisher of
CD Review and owner of a handful of small record labels, gets closer to
the truth when he insists: "It's just a way for the record companies to
get a tax on blank cassettes."
Forbes address (for letters to editor or whatever)
Forbes Inc.
60 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
NOTE: this particular issue has a lot of other good articles and might
be worth buying. Particularly interesting is an article called "The
Tax Tree" that shows where America's income and tax revenues come from.
same old sample letter to Congress (for those who missed it)
Since so many people wrote me privately that they wanted a sample letter
to send to "the world's finest deliberative body", here it is... (keep in
mind what a politically-savvy person told me: Congressmen assume that for
every letter that comes in, there are 1000 constituents who feel the same
way, but weren't exercised enough to write -- so a single letter can make
a politician think that 1000 votes are at risk)
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Senator [Representative]
The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510 [20515]
Dear Senator [Representative]:
I would like to know how you intend to vote on the Audio Home
Recording Act of 1991 (AHRA). This bill will injure consumers and help
foreigners to compete with AMERICAN CONSUMER ELECTRONICS and COMPUTER
MANUFACTURERS. Worst of all, by taxing digital audio media that are used
for computer data storage, this bill will discourage Americans from
efficiently using information technology.
1) To not "promote the progress of the arts," the constitutional
justification for expanding copyright. In fact, struggling artists
will have to pay more for media and digital audio recorders, thus
hindering them in their ability to compete with established stars.
Will Michael Jackson produce better music if the AHRA increases his
income by 1%? will we be deprived of a future Michael Jackson because
an unknown artist could not afford a "professional" digital recorder?
2) To artificially restrain the American computer industry, which, in the
absence of legislation, would use the same blank media as digital
audio recorders.AT tapes, the only currently available consumer
digital audio format, are far more popular for computer data backup
than for copying CDs. Why should I pay a tax on tapes I use to
backup my Apple hard disk to Apple's foreign competitors (Sony and
Matsushita)?
3) To destroy an emerging American industry manufacturing digital audio
products and cause a substantial loss of manufacturing jobs. We
invented digital signal processing, but to build a digital audio
product, a small company would have to pay thousands of dollars of
legal expenses to review the AHRA and subsequent administrative
rulings to see if it was in compliance. This bill requires cash
strapped start-ups to hire lawyers instead of engineers.
4) To help create a Japanese monopoly on manufacturing digital audio
equipment.s bill gives a tremendous competitive advantage to big
consumer electronics companies that manufacture their own microchips.
By mandating SCMS, the AHRA ensures that American companies will be at
the mercy of their foreign competition.
5) To injure consumers, especially blind consumers (who do a
disproportionate amount of audio recording), by subjecting them to
price discrimination and taxes on computer data storage and
non-infringing audio storage.
6) To increase the trade deficit as Japanese manufacturers and foreign
owned record companies displace American suppliers and collect
American tax dollars.
7) To set up a new government bureaucracy to take money out of the hands
of consumers and feed most of it to a few big private corporations.I
don't care if the new bureaucracy can pay itself with money skimmed
off the top. I don't want my government involved in this sort of
thing.
This bill is completely unnecessary, unwarranted and totally non-
productive. Firstly, Congress's own OTA determined that most taping is
done on material the consumer already owns. I pay $15 for a CD that costs
$1 to manufacture, is it really so unfair that I make a copy to play in my
car? And why should Sony get more money a tax? They already sold me the
CD player, the receiver, the cassette deck, the blank tape, and the car
stereo, if not the car! Haven't they made enough money?? I think it
would be much more interesting if Congress investigating why CDs sell for
twice as much as LPs even though they cost less to manufacture. That
doesn't sound like perfect competition to me.
Secondly, we are about to enter into an era of high-band width digital
communications and machines that transparently handle computer data,
video and audio in the same manner. This legislation will look
ridiculously vague and silly in five years.
Only lawyers will be happy with the resulting chaos and litigation.
Finally, the idea that we Americans are all criminals doesn't sit well
with me. We paid $6 billion for prerecorded music last year despite the
fact that we all have cassette recorders. We paid tens of billions for
publications despite widespread Xerox machines. We paid tens of billions
for software despite the ease of copying it with computers. We gave you
the benefit of the doubt by voting for you -- please... at least do the
same for us the American Voters.
Very truly yours,
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The above article obtained from Usenet on the DAT tax issue, how it
insults consumers, and pads the pockets of those who don't need it at the
expense of an industry unrelated to the music business. I also like the
part in the form letter included at the end where it point's out that
congress is accusing it's citizens of piracy before the fact.
Act on it as you will.
On page 102 of the latest (May 11) issue of Forbes magazine, you will
find the only real article on the destructive Audio Home Recording Act of
1991 to have appeared in a widely circulated journal. The article
contains some errors, notably concerning SCMS, but it is basically on
target. Forbes magazine is by far the best of the business mags and has
a reputation for printing meaty stories the other guys replace with fluff.
___________________________________________________________
> STR Portfolio News & Information Keeping up to date...
================================
THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM
=========================
On CompuServe
by Judith Hamner 72257,271
The winners of the programming contest have been announced. First
prizemgoes to Don Messerli for PGCPZL, a pictorial version of the classic
sliding tile puzzle. Second place is awarded to Hugh Campbell for
GOLF10. Dwight Lindley and Tom Showers tied for third place and will
receive duplicate prizes. Both had useful programs to supplement the
built-in applications. Dwight's DU1 is an add-on to the diary program.
Tom's LISTER is a to-do list program.
With all of the recent interest in sound for the Port, there has been
discussion of the possibility of improving on the built-in speaker. Bruce
Coleman has described the construction of the Portfolio lid and given
suggestions for possible modification. If you want to void your warranty
or are just curious see OPENUP.TXT for a description.
Peter Bennett has uploaded QQHELP.ZIP which should be of interest to
programmers. It is designed to work with Qedit but can be used with other
programs to provide extended help and useful charts from within the
editor. CRIB.COM is a version of cribbage for the Portfolio.
There was some discussion of the use of the Portfolio to help
diabetics in controlling their disease. Look for the thread "Why I wrote
Pbasic" to find out how the Portfolio is used in a life-saving
application.
__________________________________________________________________
> CT SHOW NEWS STR SHOW NEWS CONNECTICUT SHOW NEWS
==========================
CT SHOW UPDATE
==============
The ACT Group has just announced that there will be an exciting dinner
dance Saturday evening featuring luminaries from the Atari market. The
core band will be composed of Atari Explorer's John Jainschigg and Peter
Donoso, as well as Sam Ash's Fadi Hayek. Interested musicians are invited
to sit in. At the cocktail hour, during the buffet, and between the live
sets, pre-recorded Atari produced synthesized music will be played for
your listening pleasure. With a spacious dance floor, cash bar and
plenty of room for schmoozing, this should be a wonderful and fun evening.
With some of the best names, latest products, and top vendors in the Atari
market, we think you'll find the CT Fest to be both thrilling and
educational. With a major emphasis on the musical side of the ST/TT (via
major vendors like Sam Ash and Manny's Music).
We'll have non-stop performances by live and studio musicians both
days. Of course, other aspects like DTP, graphics, video, telecomm, etc.
will be equally represented.
Raffles, door prizes, swap rooms, hands on DTP classes, desktop video
classes and more! Smack dab between New York and Boston, this may be the
highlight of the summer! The following are some of the special interest
areas we will be highlighting:
MIDI - In addition to the Sat. night entertainment, we will have
continuous musical activities, involving both performance and classes.
Representatives from Sam Ash Music Stores and Manny's Music will be on
hand, as will several important software vendors. We will have a
synthesizer set up for all who wish to bring in any pre-recorded samples
on floppy disk or casssette tape.
DTP - Representatives will be on hand to demonstrate Pagestream, Calamus
and Publisher 2 in both a booth setting as well as in a classroom
environment. Come see some of these exciting new products! Palmtops - The
Atari Portfolio will be spotlighted as an exciting link to the desktop
environment. Its size, portability, convienience and extensive
capabilities will be demonstrated throughout the show.
Telecommunications, word processing, P(ersonal) I(nformation
M(anagement), file transfer and many other features will be shown. Atari
Petting Zoo - Representatives from dozens of User's groups will be showing
a wide variety of their created applications, ranging from business to
entertainment. Several workstations will be in continuous operation,
allowing attendees to work with the systems directly. Come see what your
fellow Atarians have created!
8-Bit - We have a strong 8-Bit presence here in New England, and we will
be making every effort to support our friends. With the noted 8-bit
hardware vendor ICD Inc. present, we expect there will be some wheeling
and dealing going on.
Finally, we will be having tons of prize giveaways, and a very exciting
raffle for the grand prize!
For further information, contact Co-Chairpersons Brian Gockley (203)
332-1721 and Doug Finch (203) 637-1034.
_____________________________________________________
> PAGESTREAM TRADE-IN OFFER! STR InfoFile UPGRADE OFFER FOR ATARI USERS!
=======================================
SOFT-LOGIK ANNOUNCES A SPECIAL UPGRADE OFFER FOR ATARI USERS!
=============================================================
Press Release
-------------
ATTENTION CALAMUS, PUBLISHER ST, FLEET STREET, PUBLISHING PARTNER AND
PAGESTREAM OWNERS!
St. Louis, Missouri; Soft-Logik Publishing, the developer of PageStream,
the premier desktop publishing program for the Atari ST/STe/TT and
Commodore Amiga computers, is proud to announce a special upgrade offer
for the Atari version of PageStream.
PageStream 2 retails for $299.95. With our special offer, owners of any
Atari desktop publisher can upgrade to PageStream 2 at a very low price.
This upgrade will make you eligible for future PageStream upgrades. This
offer expires on August 31, 1992, so order your copy of PageStream 2
today!
This offer is limited to the Atari version of PageStream only.
UPGRADE PRICES
PageStream 1.x -> PageStream 2 ...$ 75
Publishing Partner -> PageStream 2 ...$100
ANY OTHER ATARI DTP PROGRAM -> PageStream 2 ...$120
HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS SPECIAL OFFER:
Owners of Programs other than PageStream or Publishing Partner:
==============================================================
Send the following to Soft-Logik:
- Atari DTP manual title page (any Atari DTP program, but no photocopies)
- your original program disk OR a photocopy of a disk or registration
card showing your registration number
- your name, address, telephone number - the upgrade fee - $5 for shipping
($15 outside of USA and Canada)
Owners of Publishing Partner or PageStream 1.x:
==============================================
Send the following to Soft-Logik or phone sales for faster service:
- your program registration number
- your name, address, telephone number
- the upgrade fee; $5 for shipping ($15 outside of USA and Canada)
- VISA and MasterCard are accepted for phone/fax orders
SOFT-LOGIK PUBLISHING CORPORATION
11131 F South Towne Square
St. Louis, MO 63123
1-800-829-8608 (314)894-8608
fax: 314-894-3280
Just an update on our current Atari products:
PageStream 2.1 - $299.95 - desktop publisher
TypeFace Library - $ 12.50/font - 600 PostScript Type 1 fonts
Starter Fonts - $ 99.95 - 8 PostScript Type 1 fonts
Newsletter Fonts - $ 99.95 - 8 PostScript Type 1 fonts
Designer Fonts - $199.95 - 16 PostScript Type 1 fonts
Classic Fonts - $199.95 - 16 PostScript Type 1 fonts
Graphic Library - $ 99.95/volume - 21 volumes of Illustrator EPS
clip art
Font Plus Pack - $ 79.95 - screen fonts, font metrics and
Soft-Logik font outlines for the standard
35 resident PostScript fonts.
Font Disk A - $ 39.95 - screen fonts and font metrics for the
standard 35 resident PostScript fonts.
Requires a PostScript printer.
Font Plus Pack - $ 39.95 - 14 Soft-Logik format outline fonts.
Business Forms - $ 39.95 - 40 commonly used business forms in
PageStream format.
____________________________________________________________
> A CONSPIRACY? STR Feedback "Don't believe any of this..."
==========================
ATARI'S DEMISE PLANNED?
=======================
Ctsy Delphi
13361 14-FEB 01:33 General Information
Stoned
From: VGHOWARD To: ALL
(Miscellaneous mail to VG&CE that can't be answered in the magazine for
various reasons -- usually legal -- will be done so here whenever time
permits by MR. VIDEO GUY. In this installment, MR. VIDEO GUY uncovers the
Grand Video-Gaming Conspiracy.)
Dear VG&CE:
I'm a 16-year-old video-game player and was wondering if you could
shed light on the first "Golden Age" of video games, the time when Atari
was king. What ever happened to this company? How did they lose their
position in the business to what it is today? Thanks, and I also wanted
to write to tell you what a fantastic job you guys are doing!
--Debbie Debs Rainsalot, CA
MR. VIDEO GUY RESPONDS:
Upon losing millions by the end of 1983, Atari was sold by its
parent, Warner Communications, and, thus, the Golden Age of video games
came to an abrupt end. Supposedly, this "crash" came due to Americans'
waning interest in playing video-games with blocky graphics and dinky
sound. Nintendo revived the industry in 1985, through careful marketing
and keen observation of what went wrong the first time around. This is
the "truth" according to many, including VG&CE's Arnie "Mr. Video-Gaming
Know-It-All" Katz.
Don't believe any of this for a second, Deb. This textbook fairy tale
is the biggest perpetrated lie in video-gaming today. How could Atari
Inc., one of the top American corporations in the early 80's, be deemed a
financial loser even though its losses didn't come close to overcoming its
past profits, taking inflation into account as well? Why did Warner act
uncharacteristically jittery about these losses? Couldn't one of the
world's biggest media conglomerates absorb Atari's losses for a lot longer
than they actually did? Consider the smaller company NEC and their
TurboGraphX-16. In the book ZAP! -- THE RISE AND FALL OF ATARI,
mismanagement is blamed for the video-game giant's demise. But even if
this were the case (which is dubious), why didn't Warner execs just ax the
boneheads in charge of Atari and replace them? And who says mismanagement
itself justifies the dismantling of an entire industry? Look at the
American auto industry. I know what you're thinking..."Whoa, Mr. Video
Guy has gone off the deep end because of his bitterness from not getting a
promotion where he works." Yet before you write me off as another
conspiracy paranoic, ask yourself these questions:
(1) Who would've benefited from Atari's death?
(2) Who could've pulled it off?
(3) Who could've covered it up? Who?
Atari didn't die, Miss Debs. It was killed -- by NINTENDO. Some
facts: From the late 1970's to early 80's, Atari dominated the coin-op
scene. Clearly, the beginning of the video-game industry was not only
American invented but influenced, too. The only stride that the Japanese
made during these times was Space Invaders, but they were still too busy
hawking pachinko, their lame-o answer to pinball. Eventually, it was
clear to the Japanese entertainment industry that America, along with the
rest of the world, would never be hip to Japanese pop music and Akira
Kurosawa flicks. Already the masters of consumer electronic gadgetry.,
they, naturally, wanted to produce a cultural export. After all,
America's most profitable export is its culture, in the form of bad
movies, dumb TV shows, and tone-deaf pop songs. How else do you explain
Jerry Lewis and the French?
There was only one avenue left for Japanese entertainment to try
pervading; video-games. But one thing stood in their way, Atari. Not eve
n the American companies Mattel and Coleco could topple Atari's grip.
Competing coin-op game makers also failed to break the company's equally
tight hold in the arcades, among them Sega. So, you see, Debbie, lots of
companies on both fronts wanted Atari dead.
Let us now SPECULATE the events that might have occurred leading up to
that tragic day in 1983...
* - Japan's #1 cheesy LCD "card" game maker Nintendo (overconfident by the
success of their Donkey Kong coin-op and sequels) forms a secret
alliance with Japan's #1 coin-op game company Sega (producers of
pretty looking but quickly boring-to-play arcade games) to look at the
possibility of unseating Atari in the video-game marketplace.
* - Atari sells over five million units of Pac-Man for their 2600 unit.
Sears declares the cartridge the second fastest selling item they've
ever carried. Seeing how Atari is so powerful that it can literally
slap together an atrociously bad arcade translation and make nearly a
billion dollars unsettles the Nintendo/Sega alliance. Prompted also
by the fact that Mattel's superior Intellivision still isn't taking
off (despite TV endorsements by boring George Plimpton and what
Nintendo/Sega feels is its excellent pad controllers), they decide to
back off for now.
* - (Late 1982) Nintendo cohorts with Coleco to bring Donkey Kong to the
former leather company's new ColecoVision system, and Sega
contributes their equally bland Turbo. Despite much fanfare and
moderate consumer interest, the system only does slightly better than
mediocre. The Atari 2600, primitive as it is, still manages to
maintain its majority share in the industry. The Nintendo/Sega
alliance seems to be going nowhere.
* - (Middle 1983) Atari reports losses in the millions since its
ownership under Warner Communications. This is not unusual
considering that the early years of the Reagan era were a time of
recession for most American businesses. To bring them out of this
slump, Atari has big plans for the 5200 and even bigger ones for the
still-on-the-drawing-board 7800, which promises to outperform all
video-game systems.
* - In a desperate move, the Nintendo/Sega alliance makes a deal with
Warner Communications: Sell off the consumer division of Atari to an
idiot who would likely run it to the ground. In return, the alliance
would insure that its powerful lobbyists would petition Congressmen to
lighten up on antitrust laws barring Warner from acquiring or merging
with other media companies. This should be a cinch to do, considering
the Reagan administration's "free trade" and "hands off" policy
regarding business. Executives at Warner, preferring to control one
big pie rather than having to worry about several pies, accepts the
deal.
* - (Late 1983) Warner publicly announces the financial losses of Atari
for the year and states misgivings about the video-game business.
Among their statements is that America is tiring of video games. The
mass media jumps on the bandwagon, adding that Atari's games are
"blocky looking" and "dinky sounding", too. Atari stock plummets.
* - Warner announces the sale of Atari's home division to Jack "The Patsy"
Tramiel. Tramiel, the mastermind behind the Commodore Vic-20 fiasco,
declares that the new Atari, Atari Corp., will be in the business of
selling computers which everyone can afford. He fails to add,
however, that hardly anyone will want them.
* - Warner retains the coin-op division of Atari, renaming it Atari Games.
Two years later, in keeping to their agreement with the Nintendo/Sega
alliance , they sell it for a killing to the Japanese company Namco,
the inventors of Pac-Man.
* - In the same year, Nintendo introduces the NES. After "careful
evaluation of the previous market", they state that the time is right
for a new generation of video games. Among the NES' selling points
are Robbie the Robot and its pad controllers, which are essentially
improved versions of the Intellivision's.
* - Having accomplished their mutual goal, Nintendo and Sega cease their
alliance. It's agreed that Sega will stick to the arcade coin-op
industry , where it has become #1 after Atari's demise, and stay out
of the consumer market. Likewise, Nintendo promises to concentrate
only on home video-gaming and keep out of the arcade scene, except for
an occasional, badly produced coin-op such as Super Mario Bros. and
Rad Racer that will only be available for play in kiddie "pizza-time
theater" restaurants.
* - Jack Tramiel nearly runs Atari Corp. into the ground, thanks to his
purchase of the Federated electronic stores and saying stupid, already
known facts such as Apple computers being "too expensive" and IBM
systems as "inefficient".
* - The temptation for Sega is too strong, and so they ally themselves
with Tonka Toys and jointly enter the home market with the Sega Master
System, sparking a blood feud with their former ally that continues to
this day. This venture fails, but Sega is even more determined to "do
it all".
* - (1988) Warner Communications merges with Time Inc., forming the Time
Warner company. The new company acquires controlling interest in
Atlantic Records. Time Warner is responsible for the Batman motion
picture and its inevitable, upcoming sequels.
* - In the January 9th, 1992 issue of Rolling Stone (with Michael Jackson
on the cover trying to look like a man) there's an article on Sigeru
Miyamoto, the twisted genius behind Nintendo's "Mario" games. David
Sheff writes, "...Japanese software, such as books, movies and
recordings, has had little impact outside Japan. The exception is
video games. One Japanese writer. ..has noted that Nintendo is
Japan's largest cultural export, 'bigger than Akira Kurosawa.'"
Ever wondered how Nintendo got off so easily in their recent court
settlement with California's Attorney General? Killing off Atari was by
no means easy for Nintendo, but they did it. Thus, having their sentence
reduced to a paltry $5 rebate plan couldn't have been that difficult for
them to do. And look at their past court cases against Tengen, the home
division of Atari Games, and their attempts to acquire the Seattle
Mariners.
Also, why has Sega -- like their trademark mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog
been such an annoying, arrogant pest to Nintendo? Because they're
aggressive competitors? Right. They're still resentful over their former
pact because they felt they got the raw end of the deal.
The one thing that didn't go as planned for Nintendo and Sega was that
Atari didn't die completely. Today, Atari Corp. would probably be
nonexistant if it weren't for the Lynx, originally designed by Epyx, which
has turned out to be their lifesaver for the time being. Otherwise, the
Nintendo/Sega alliance pulled off the perfect coup. Software support has
always been a problem for Atari Corp.'s hardware since the company doesn't
have the resources of an arcade division. "Divide and conquer" as the
saying goes.
I'm not the only one who knows of this insidious plot. I suspect that
Arnie Katz and the Game "Bill Kunkel" Doctor know it as well, have known
about it all along, and are keeping mum. However, I doubt they're doing
this because they're covering up for Nintendo and Sega. Rather, they
might've been warned to keep their mouths shut by the perpetrators. You
have to remember that in the latter years of Electronic Games (just before
the magazine was retitled Computer Entertainment), Katz and the Doc were
mysteriously absent from its pages, for reasons they care not to
elaborate. Had they discovered the truth and already knew of Nintendo's
plans as early as 1984?
I'll bet Steve "Arnie Katz Lookalike-and-Wannabee" Harris of
Electronic Gaming Monthly knows a lot about all of this, too. His
magazine has been bankrolled by Japanese investment from the very start
(when it was originally Electronic Game Player). Ever noticed how Harris
and Quarterman are a lot like Katz and the Doc in terms of concept, though
radically different in style? I doubt this is coincidence rather than by
design.
Another whom I believe knows a lot more than he's willing to tell is
Howard "TV Weatherman Dress-Alike" Phillips, the former Nintendo
spokesperson who left his position for a conspiciously ambiguous role with
Lucasfilm Games. Did he learn the truth, too, and decide to get out for
his own safety, thus, depriving Nester someone to be a sidekick for? A
while ago, I got a phone call from someone who sounded suspiciously
familiar:
"V-Video Guy! Listen -- you've got to get out! You're way over your
head!"
"Who is this? Howard?? Is this Howard Phillips?!"
"Didn't you read the ***damn business section today?? They got the
****ing California Attorney General?! The ****ing Attorney General of
California!! Not even Larry Flynt's ****ing lawyers can protect you!
I'm warning you as a colleague -- just drop it if you know what's
***damn ****ing good for you!!"
Well, I'm not going to drop it, Howard (or whoever you are). The
assassination of Atari was the single most horrible event for an entire
generation of video-gaming. It tore the heart out from what promised to
be a new age of electronic entertainment - - never mind that it had
primitive graphics and anemic sound. It robbed the dreams of those who
were the first to put their hands around a joystick. And, by golly, you
can be sure that I'm going to keep at it -- till all the files and other
relevant papers that are locked away in some big government building
sort-of-place are released so that the video-gaming public can decide for
themselves what really happened on that fateful day in 1983.
So there you have it, Debbie. The TRUTH. Now you know why
video-gaming is in the state it is. And why movies and pop music have
especially sucked lately. I'll tell you, every day I wonder how safe it
is to live in the U.S. of A. when even our own video games are dripping
with corruption and greed. Oh, and thanks for the kind words. We at
VG&CE always strive to do our best for readers like you!
____________________________________________________________
> GEMULATOR! STR InfoFile Gemulator On Schedule
=======================
GEMULATOR ON SCHEDULE FOR SEPTEMBER RELEASE!
============================================
Gemulator, the Atari ST emulator for DOS based PC clones, is on
schedule for a release in September at the Glendale show. After a
successful demonstration at the recent Toronto ACE show, where Atari ST
users were able to try (and see running) dozens of ST software titles on a
PC, we have begun production of the plug-in boards that make Gemulator
possible, and are ready to begin beta testing. If you are interested in
beta testing or reviewing Gemulator, please contact us in writing.
Gemulator has already been shown to run major ST applications such as
Pagestream and Calamus flawlessly, and is compatible with hundreds of
other programs including: GFA Basic, Laser C, ST Writer, Neodesk 3, Degas,
LDW Power, Tempus, First Word Plus, Flash, Hotwire, Multidesk,
GDOS/G+PLUS, Gemini, Quick ST, Warp 9, Sudden View, and Prism Paint. Even
TOS 2.06 runs.
Latest Gemulator Newsletter Now Available
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The April 1992 issue of BraSoft news is now available. This newsletter
gives the most up-to-date information on the Gemulator and includes an
order form for pre-ordering Gemulator as well as for ordering the
demonstration video.
Gemulator may be pre-ordered for $199 (U.S. funds) until August 31,
1992, after which time the regular price will be $399. The price includes
the Gemulator plug-in board and emulation software. TOS ROMs may also be
ordered.
Gemulator Demos This Summer
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Gemulator will be shown again at several upcoming U.S. Atari shows
this year:
- Indianapolis, July 25th
- Glendale, September
- WAACE, October (tentative)
As was done at the Toronto show, if you attend the show, bring along
some ST software to see for yourself how well Gemulator works.
Gemulator Demonstration Video
=============================
If you didn't get a chance to see Gemulator at the Toronto show, and
you won't be able to attend any of the other shows, then why not order the
Gemulator Demonstration Video. This short video shows you how simple it is
to install Gemulator, how it emulates both color and monochrome ST screen
modes on the same PC monitor, how it can run different versions of TOS
(including TOS 2.06) on the same PC, and even how it can multitask ST and
PC software at the same time. The video includes demos of several ST
programs including Pagestream and Calamus. The video is on a VHS cassette.
Sorry Betamax users.
The cost of the video is only $5 (shipping included). U.S. residents
only. Show the video to your friends and at user group meetings.
Still Have Questions?
=====================
If you still have questions about Gemulator, phone us between 8 pm and
11 pm Pacific time Monday through Thursday nights.
Branch Always Software
14150 N.E. 20th St., Suite 302
Bellevue, WA 98007
Phone/FAX: 206-885-5893
______________________________________________________
> AUA TELLS ALL STR FOCUS The real facts about what's going on.
=======================
AUA TELLS ALL
=============
Atari User's Association
""""""""""""""""""""""""
The following press release has been authored by Eric Lambeth. It has
been read, edited, and approved by Derek Signorini and Tony Parry. This
is our attempt to satisfactorily explain the current condition of the AUA,
how it got that way, and what will be done about it. There will be those
who dislike what they read, but this is the situation that we face, and
we can't change that. We have decided to be completely honest with our
members and the Atari Community at large, and the following is the
uncensored truth of what happened to us. We would like to thank those
individuals who have helped us to distribute this text, and those who
have continued to support the AUA despite our virtual disappearance in
recent months. We hope that we can live up to your expectations, and
prove that your trust was not misplaced.
WHAT IS THE ATARI USER'S ASSOCIATION?
For those who weren't familiar with the AUA, I thought I'd include
this brief explanation of what the organization was. Essentially, it was
an international user's group, which brought together users, developers,
and dealers, under one roof. The goals and activities of the AUA were
many: combating piracy, sponsoring a free software library for members,
running a member's BBS, a bimonthly diskette/newsletter, etc.. To put it
simply, the AUA was dedicated to improving the visibility of, and
supporting the users of, the Atari ST line of computers.
WHY HAVEN'T I HEARD MUCH FROM THE AUA IN RECENT MONTHS?
Last summer, the AUA undertook a very strong anti-piracy campaign,
which included, among other things, the forwarding of certain information
about certain pirate BBS's/individuals to the authorities. Although it
may be a coincidence, it appears that someone did not like this campaign
very much. The next month, a total phone bill of $1864.00 was received
due to phone "phreaking." Of this amount, we settled for approximately
half of it with the PUC and Ma Bell. The only option available to us was
to use to the AUA budget, in its entirety, to help pay for the charges.
WHAT HAPPENED TO MY MEMBERSHIP MONEY?
The AUA budget, including all membership dues, was paid out to cover
the phreaked phone charges. All AUA equipment and materials, except for
valueless items such as membership records, were sold to help cover costs.
Even so, Derek Signorini, AUA founder, was forced to sell a great deal of
his personal property, including all computer equipment and software. He
had to do it immediately, which meant that he sold at fire-sale prices.
The process completely sapped all financial resources of both Derek and
the AUA, not to mention Derek and Tony's morale. They boxed up all the
remaining AUA property, and, under the advice of an attorney, tried to
reduce the visibility of the organization, to prevent legal entanglements
and allegations of fraud.
WHY CAN'T YOU REFUND MY MONEY?
Maybe you've seen the Steve Martin movie, "The Jerk." In it, Steve
plays a bum who is catapulted into fabulous riches by the profits from an
invention of his. One day however, a consumer advocate group discovers a
defect in the invention, and the defect causes damage to everyone who
uses the product. 100 million consumers file a class-action lawsuit
against Steve, and win. The court awards them each $1.02. That may not
seem like much, but since it was paid out to such a large number of
people, it sent Steve back into bankruptcy. After all, $1.02 times 100
million is quite a substantitive amount of money.
The AUA faces a similar problem. I understand that a lot of you who
are reading this may feel ripped off, deceived, and angry. Anyone who
reads my occasional comments in the GEnie ST roundtables knows that I'm
the first to cry "foul" when I feel that I've been taken in, and if I were
an average AUA member, by now I'd have filed a complaint with every
authority on Earth in an attempt to get my money back and get revenge on
the jerk who ripped me off. To all outer appearances, it may have seemed
as if the AUA was a con operation from the start. In fact, I have
absolutely no proof that that isn't exactly what happened. But the
simple, ugly truth is this: The AUA treasury is GONE, stolen by an
inconsiderate hacker with a grudge. You have lost money, along with
others, but we did not purposely take it from you for that purpose.
I know that you may feel like we should send you a refund, but please
consider our scenario: there are many others just like you who want a
refund, too. $10 or $15 is really not a great amount, but to us, it is
tremendous, since we'd have to multiply that number by 253 (the number of
members who purchased the AUA disk package and have outstanding
subscriptions.) All I can ask is that you consider how much Derek & the
AUA as a whole have lost, and not hold any of us responsible for the
theft of your money. If it is any consolation, I pledge to try to honor
all outstanding AUA memberships, as finances permit.
Many honest ST users joined the AUA simply to fight piracy. The way
that I look at it, is that this entire nightmare can't be allowed to wipe
us out: it would be another victory for the pirates and crooks who are
slowly but surely killing the Atari ST. That's why I've volunteered to
take over operation of the AUA, and to rebuild it into the organization it
once was, and beyond.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE AUA?
On March 10 of this year, I returned from a 9-month stay in Germany.
Shortly thereafter, Derek told me the basics of what had happened. Up
until that point, I had had some contact with the AUA, writing a few
articles and managing the software library, but I was never highly
involved with the management of anything.
I was shocked by what he told me, as you probably are as you read
this. I was informed that the AUA was essentially a bunch of files and
miscellany stuffed in a garage and put out of mind. Understandably, Derek
is somewhat bitter about the entire ordeal, and wants no further
involvement with the Atari community.
I offered to take up the operation of the AUA, as I still have faith
in the Atari community and would like to try to breathe some life back
into the organization. Derek expressed some surprise that I would even
want to attempt to revive things after being dumped on so badly, but he
agreed to ship all remaining AUA materials from his residence in
Pennsylvania to me in Missouri, and he authorized me to continue to
operate using the AUA name.
Since that time, I have been going through all the paperwork, data,
and other information which has been forwarded to me. I have also been
working on a plan for reorganization and resurrection of the AUA, which I
am finally ready to present to the public. As of today, the AUA has
officially reopened.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
The rebuilding of the organization will proceed in stages. I have
several things in the pipeline, and one of the most important is honoring
those outstanding subscriptions. But, first and foremost, the AUA needs
to save face in the eyes of the Atari community.
STAGE I: Relaying the Foundations
Beginning immediately, I am reopening contacts with user groups. In
the near future, the AUA will operate as a limited confederation of user
groups. Essentially, we will offer three services: a software library, a
directory of user groups for those who are seeking local support, and a
support base of articles for user group newsletters. These will both be
primarily aimed at user groups, and are not generally intended for
individual end users.
The software library will work as follows: I am currently in
possession of the old AUA/STX library, which numbers over 400 public
domain disks. User group librarians may "swap" disks; that is,
librarians can request as many disks from the library as they want and
they will receive these disks at no charge. However, they must submit an
equal number of disks with new software to the AUA. For example, a
librarian who waited to obtain our 50 latest disks could do so at no cost
to the user group, but he would need to mail in 50 disks with other public
domain/shareware/etc. in order to receive the disks he wanted. In this
manner, I hope to help user group libraries nationwide grow and prosper.
There should always be something new and exciting in the AUA library,
since user group submissions will be continually "feeding" it. The costs
of return postage will be passed on to the user group, but there will be
no handling fees or any other hidden charges. I have always felt that
quality freeware is a wonderful & ethical antidote to piracy. By helping
to distribute freeware, I hope to indirectly combat the forces that are
destroying the Atari market. After all, if you could play a public domain
game, or play a similar commercial game and erode the Atari marketplace
(not to mention, damage your conscience as well,) which would YOU choose?
As for the database, it will work in much the same manner.
Interesting articles and information that can be used in user group
newsletters may be submitted and swapped for other such files at a ratio
of 1K to 2K. This may be done by US Mail or GEmail.
Finally, the AUA will continue to distribute local user group
information to users in search of such support.
Individual users who wish to be members of the AUA at this stage are
strongly encouraged to find a local user group and join via the group. If
this is absolutely impossible, however, users may join as members of the
"home chapter." They can use the software exchange just like a user
group, and can trade as much as they desire. However, there will be an
additional fee of 10 cents per disk. There are two reasons for this.
First of all, I have no desire to undercut local usergroups and/or PD
distributors, and I feel that a small fee may discourage users from using
the AUA when they could obtain software at a more local level. And
secondly, individual users tend to submit much smaller disk exchanges than
groups. It is much easier and less expensive for me to handle large
orders, and I don't want to receive hundreds of single-disk exchanges.
(For example, it would be much easier for me to box up and ship out 100
disks to one address than it would be to separately pack and ship 100
disks to different people.)
Former AUA-UGAP member chapters will be receiving a library catalog
and other pertinent information on a disk in the mail. (Last minute
addendum: My disk supplier is running behind, so this may take a few
weeks, but the information WILL get to you!) Other interested user groups
or individuals should send a SASE (or an international reply coupon) and a
blank disk to the address at the end of this text. The catalog and
information will be copied onto the disk and it will be shipped back to
you. (Unfortunately, this information may not be distributed on most of
the major commercial computer networks, since they prohibit transmission
of any information relating to software trading.)
I do ask that once you have tried the new program, and if you find
that you like it, you send a small donation to help keep the AUA going.
This is entirely voluntary, and I would like to suggest $5 for individuals
and $25 for groups. (Larger amounts would be _greatly_ appreciated.) Not
only will it make you feel good, but it will help the AUA rebuild a
financial base and advance to stage 2 of the reconstruction!
STAGE II: BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM
Once the user group network is firmly established, most of the
features of the "old" AUA will be brought back. Individual memberships
will be encouraged, and the AUA Disk Magazine will resume publication.
Outstanding subscriptions will be honored, and the AUA will take an active
stance in the Atari community, including (but certainly not limited to)
show appearances and BBS net support.
STAGE III: NEW & IMPROVED
Finally, when the AUA has successfully recovered its position and its
support in the Atari userbase, I will introduce several new projects that
I have in the pipeline. I am hesitant to say what these are, because at
this point they are just vaporware, and I hate that as much as anyone. I
will mention, however, that I plan to hire additional staff for a few
major, full-time campaigns.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE AUA IN THE FUTURE?
Only time will tell. The success of the "new" AUA is dependent on
many things. For now, the response I receive to this press release will
help me decide how much of my personal time & effort to dedicate to the
Association. But, to speak truthfully, any organization of this size is
really too much for one person to handle. Not only am I a full-time
college student, but I also work 2 jobs and am in the Army Reserve; I'm
hardly the ideal candidate for President of a massive, time consuming
project. In the end, I suppose, it comes down to whether or not the Atari
community is willing to continue to support the AUA. Not only does the
Association require financial support, but it also needs manpower to write
newsletter articles, copy disks for the library, keep records, answer
mail, and a million other things. If there are enough interested parties
who are willing to help out, the AUA will thrive. If not, it will wither
and fold. Frankly, with the departure of Derek Signorini and Tony Parry,
it lost two individuals of outstanding ability, and it may not be able to
recover. But I'm willing to contribute my resources to benefit something
that I see as a worthwhile project, and I'd be honored if you, the end
user, would be willing to do the same.
Thank you for your time,
Eric Lambeth
P.O. Box 1062
Springfield, MO
65714-1062
GEnie: E.LAMBETH
**********************************************************************
You are permitted and encouraged to duplicate and distribute this file.
Additionally, all back issues of the AUA Newsbriefs Disk Magazine, the
AUA/STX catalog, and any and all additional AUA publications are hereby
declared freeware and may be openly distributed.
**********************************************************************
> BITMAKER V 1 STR InfoFile Fabulous Font Creator Announced!
=========================
BITMAKER v1.1(c)
PageStream(c) and GDOS(c) users REJOICE!!!
MegaType Software is pleased to announce the release of 2 new programs
for the Atari ST and TT line of computers.
PageStream users can finally use PGS 2.1 without taking a nap during
every screen redraw, no matter what format of fonts they are using!
GDOS users can FINALLY have a choice of fonts comparable to what
Calamus(c) and PageStream(c) users have had from the beginning.
BitMaker allows the user to create fonts in the following three
formats for use on the ST:
1) Render screen fonts (.12H, .18H, .24H) for use with PageStream (all
versions) from .DMF printer fonts.
2) Render screen fonts (.ABF) for use with PageStream 2.x from Adobe Type
1 (.PFB) printer fonts.
3) Render SCREEN AND PRINTER fonts for any GDOS application and printer
from PageStream .DMF printer fonts.
All bitmap font creation is done automatically with a few simple mouse
clicks. No font creation knowledge by the user is needed to create or use
the rendered fonts. For PageStream, you just select a printer font, select
a point size to create, and sit back and watch the font being created that
will save you hours of redraw time when using PageStream. For GDOS fonts,
you also have to tell the program whether you wish to create a screen or
printer font, and what resolution to use based on your monitor and
printer.
All this for the remarkable price of $49.95 us
GDOS fonts can also be created from Type 1 fonts and Calamus fonts
with the help of FONTVERTER(c) and TYPE 1 CONVERTER(C), also from
MegaType.
Registered owners of the one or two module version BitMaker will
automatically receive the updated version by mail, as promissed when you
purchased the earlier versions. There is no need to return your master
disks. If you did not return your registration card, be sure to do so now
so you can receive your update. There are a few serial numbers that we
have not got back registration cards for.
"""""""""""""
MegaKern(c) and MegaKern lite(c)
ATTENTION PAGESTREAM(c) USERS!!
Auto-kerning has arrived for the ST!! Works on PageStream .DMF and
Adobe Type 1 fonts!!
Have you ever looked at you PageStream printouts and not been
satisfied with the uneven character spacing you see? We all have a LOT of
times! This can be from a variety of causes: 1)The lack of kern pairs in
the font. 2)The kern pairs that are supplied are not set evenly. 3)All
around sloppy setting of the character widths in the first place when the
font was created.
These problems are present in the majority of public domain .DMF and
Type 1 fonts out there, and in a large number of the commercial fonts
produced. This is due to the immense amount of time and dedication it
takes to produce a full kern set by hand.
MegaKern has solved all of these problems. In a matter of less than 5
minutes (2 1/2 minutes on a TT), you can have a precisely kerned font of
more than 1200 KERN PAIRS ready to use with PageStream. MegaKern will even
create kern pairs which make up for sloppy character widths within the
font. The result is a perfectly kerned font, which is much more pleasing
to the eye. Fonts that you quit using because of the erratic character
spacing could now become your most used fonts, once they are kerned
peroperly. Users of some of the expensive genuine Adobe(c) Type 1 fonts,
which are usually supplied with a lot of carefully done kern pairs, can
attest to the superior appearence of a properly kerned font!
MegaKern will be sold in TWO versions:
*** MegaKern(c) ($79.95us) ***
Kerns both Adobe Type 1 fonts (Mac and PC/ST), and PageStream .DMF
fonts. A special version which also kerns .ECF fonts for Font Designer
will be available for a very minimal charge for registered owners of Font
Designer or Font Designer Plus so both .DMF and Type 1 / Type 3 fonts can
be created from the same kern file.
*** MegaKern lite(c) ($49.95us) ***
Kerns only PageStream .DMF fonts. Great for UltraScript(c) users who
can't print Type 1 fonts from PageStream. Also a way to save some money
for present users of the MEGATYPE product line who can kern the .DMF font
and convert the kerns to their Type using Fontverter, Font Designer and
Type 1 Converter, although this would require a four step process.
***************
BitMaker 1.1 is Shipping as of Friday, May 8th
MegaKern lite is available NOW!!!
MegaKern will be shipping by May 22nd.
Call MegaType (6:00 to 9:00 EST) or email DFTURNOCK on Genie with any
questions or orders. Thank you for your support......
MegaType
PO Box 645
South Bend, IN 46624
(219) 288-7468
_________________________________________________________________
> WARP 9 STR Review SPEED CAN BE SAFE! ** WARP 9 IS PROOF!
=================
- WARP 9 -
THE SOFTWARE GRAPHIC/TEXT DISPLAY ACCELERATOR
by Doyle C. Helms
Senior Software Editor @ ST Report
It is once again my pleasure to review a software product from
Codehead Technologies. The staff at Codehead have had a long standing
reputation for producing relativity bug free and solid-to-the-core
software. With Warp 9, the tradition continues.
Most veteran Atarians are familiar with the name Darek Mihocka of the
8-bit Atari emulator fame. A couple of years ago Darek began developing a
software screen accelerator which he called Quick ST. At the time there
was really only one other competitor in this market, Turbo ST. Turbo ST
was a tough cookie to dethrone. Darek's initial releases of Quick ST were
shareware. Once the program reached a relative stage of maturity, Darek
transformed the program into a commercial release. Darek soon added
features to Quick ST that were quite unique. These features included
things such as custom fonts (screen) and background images that replaced
the rather drab Desktop of GEM. The user could not only design their own
background picture, but could also create a custom fill pattern as well.
Darek has since moved on to other projects and has allowed Codehead
Technologies to continue support and development of his excellent software
accelerator. Warp 9 is the an appropriate name for an extremely FAST
software accelerator.
Warp 9 comes to the user on a non-protected disk that allows the easy
installation on your hard drive or floppy system. The manual is very well
written (as always) and very informative as to the nuances of the programs
features and functions. Relative graphic examples follow the step-by-step
set-up and use of Warp 9.
Warp 9 is a program that is installed via the AUTO folder. Warp 9
also has an accompanying Desk Accessory that not only allows custom
font/fill/background picture configurations, but also aids in acceleration
of the graphic display offered by Warp 9 program.
Once the user has Warp 9 installed and working, there is really
nothing else the user HAS to do. All operations from this point are
transparent to the user. If the user wishes custom screen fonts or fills
or background Desktop pictures installed, the Warp 9 CP (Control Panel
Accessory) will allow the user EASY point and click set-up. The mouse
acceleration factors can also be configured from the Warp 9 CP. Before
Warp 9 CP, I was using HotSaver (from Codehead also!) as the mouse
accelerator program/Screen saver and SWITCH.ACC as the custom screen font
install program. Now I have all these options in ONE Accessory.
Let's take a quick look at the differences between Warp 9 and Turbo
ST 1.84.
In the past Turbo ST (TST here on out) has enjoyed the honor of being
more compatible with more software for the ST than Warp 9's predecessor,
Quick ST. Warp 9 has changed all that. Warp 9 now is as compatible with
current software offerings as TST. Probably more compatible if Codehead
is true to form.
TST and Warp 9 are pretty close in the majority of the operations in
terms of acceleration speed. There are however a few of the more
important screen acceleration functions where Warp 9 blows away TST. The
GEM Dialog display is one of the areas that Warp 9 is clearly FASTER than
TST. The Warp 9 CP and its configuration capabilities are another plus
that TST cannot touch. So if you are on the verge of purchasing a
software screen accelerator or are thinking of switching, all I can say is
"Engage"...
Now if you are like me(gawd, I hope there aren't too many more of me
running around loose) you will want some more facts before you drop your
money on a different accelerator or on a new purchase altogether. Let's
look a little closer at the hard facts in nose-to-nose comparisons.
JUST THE FACTS MA'AM...
Here's the scenario. MSTE4 with TOS 2.05. The only program (TSR)
will be the software accelerator that is being tested. There will be no
accessories loaded other than Warp CP Acc. when necessary for testing
purposes. The test results will be discussed with the BLITTER chip in the
ON mode and the OFF mode. I will likewise note the status of the BLITTER.
The two operating speeds will be tested, the 8Mhz "standard" mode and the
16Mhz cache ON mode. The 16 Mhz cache OFF mode will not be shown for
reasons of brevity. I will show the results of the software accelerators
in the MEDIUM and HIGH resolution ST modes. There is a difference in
acceleration times between Color and Monochrome.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8MHZ--COLOR--
BLITTER ON
DEFAULT TST Warp9 w/CP Warp9 no CP
-------------------------------------------------------------
CPU MEMORY | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
CPU REGISTER| 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
CPU DIVIDE | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
CPU SHIFT | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
TOS TEXT | 100% | 341% | 347% | 342%
TOS STRING | 100% | 1996% | 2016% | 2016%
TOS SCROLL | 100% | 104% | 104% | 104%
GEM DIALOG | 100% | 248% | 443% | 249%
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8MHZ--COLOR--
BLITTER OFF
DEFAULT TST Warp9 w/CP Warp9 no CP
-------------------------------------------------------------
CPU MEMORY | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
CPU REGISTER| 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
CPU DIVIDE | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
CPU SHIFT | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
TOS TEXT | 93% | 341% | 347% | 342%
TOS STRING | 95% | 1996% | 2016% | 2016%
TOS SCROLL | 78% | 103% | 103% | 103%
GEM DIALOG | 76% | 246% | 385% | 230%
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8MHZ --MONOCHROME--
BLITTER ON
DEFAULT TST Warp9 w/CP Warp9 no CP
-------------------------------------------------------------
CPU MEMORY | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
CPU REGISTER| 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
CPU DIVIDE | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
CPU SHIFT | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
TOS TEXT | 100% | 307% | 314% | 310%
TOS STRING | 100% | 1282% | 1364% | 1364%
TOS SCROLL | 100% | 103% | 103% | 103%
GEM DIALOG | 100% | 257% | 455% | 263%
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8MHZ --MONOCHROME--
BLITTER OFF
DEFAULT TST Warp9 w/CP Warp9 no CP
-------------------------------------------------------------
CPU MEMORY | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
CPU REGISTER| 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
CPU DIVIDE | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
CPU SHIFT | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100%
TOS TEXT | 100% | 341% | 347% | 342%
TOS STRING | 100% | 1996% | 2016% | 2016%
TOS SCROLL | 100% | 104% | 104% | 104%
GEM DIALOG | 100% | 248% | 443% | 249%
-----------------------------------------------------------------
16MHZ CACHE ON --COLOR--
BLITTER ON
DEFAULT TST Warp9 w/CP Warp9 no CP
-------------------------------------------------------------
CPU MEMORY | 165% | 165% | 165% | 165%
CPU REGISTER| 204% | 204% | 204% | 204%
CPU DIVIDE | 204% | 204% | 204% | 204%
CPU SHIFT | 208% | 208% | 208% | 208%
TOS TEXT | 111% | 587% | 568% | 572%
TOS STRING | 117% | 3383% | 3119% | 3119%
TOS SCROLL | 102% | 104% | 104% | 104%
GEM DIALOG | 120% | 306% | 545% | 348%
-----------------------------------------------------------------
16MHZ CACHE ON --COLOR--
BLITTER OFF
DEFAULT TST Warp9 w/CP Warp9 no CP
-------------------------------------------------------------
CPU MEMORY | 165% | 165% | 165% | 165%
CPU REGISTER| 204% | 204% | 204% | 204%
CPU DIVIDE | 204% | 204% | 204% | 204%
CPU SHIFT | 208% | 208% | 208% | 208%
TOS TEXT | 158%* | 589%* | 568% | 572%
TOS STRING | 155%* | 3383% | 3119% | 3119%
TOS SCROLL | 88% | 109% | 109% | 109%
GEM DIALOG | 124%* | 374%* | 579%* | 359%*
-----------------------------------------------------------------
16MHZ CACHE ON --MONOCHROME--
BLITTER ON
DEFAULT TST Warp9 w/CP Warp9 no CP
-------------------------------------------------------------
CPU MEMORY | 165% | 165% | 165% | 165%
CPU REGISTER| 204% | 204% | 204% | 204%
CPU DIVIDE | 204% | 204% | 204% | 204%
CPU SHIFT | 208% | 208% | 208% | 208%
TOS TEXT | 111% | 506% | 488% | 492%
TOS STRING | 117% | 1923% | 2046% | 2046%
TOS SCROLL | 102% | 104% | 104% | 104%
GEM DIALOG | 120% | 348% | 564% | 363%
-----------------------------------------------------------------
16MHZ CACHE ON --MONOCHROME--
BLITTER OFF
DEFAULT TST Warp9 w/CP Warp9 no CP
-------------------------------------------------------------
CPU MEMORY | 165% | 165% | 165% | 165%
CPU REGISTER| 204% | 204% | 204% | 204%
CPU DIVIDE | 204% | 204% | 204% | 204%
CPU SHIFT | 208% | 208% | 208% | 208%
TOS TEXT | 153%* | 505% | 488% | 491%
TOS STRING | 152%* | 1923% | 2046% | 2046%
TOS SCROLL | 86% | 109%* | 108%* | 108%*
GEM DIALOG | 120% | 365%* | 568%* | 365%*
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Please note that the above "*"'s represent a interesting surprise I
encountered while doing this review. The BLITTER OFF setting while in the
16 MHZ CACHE ON mode yields FASTER results than with the BLITTER is ON!
The 16 NO CACHE mode and the "standard" 8 MHZ mode results in FASTER times
with the BLITTER in the ON mode.
Well friends, these are the facts as told to me via the QUICK INDEX
2.2 program. I CAN detect a noticeable difference in "real world"
operations like PageStream, Touch-up and MANY other graphic/text intensive
programs. The Codeheads plainly state that the computational speed of the
system is not enhanced by a software screen accelerator, but by golly it
sure seems like it to me.
Warp 9, the software graphic display accelerator, is the Next
generation of speed for the Atari...
CODEHEAD TECHNOLOGIES
P.O. BOX 74090
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(213) 386-5735
__________________________________________________________
> NEWDESK ICON EDITOR STR InfoFile Software Development Systems
================================
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS
TO ANNOUNCE NEW PRODUCTS
AT THE BLUE RIDGE ATARI FEST
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Software Development Systems is proud to announce attendance at this
years' Blue Ridge Atarifest. We will be showing off our Newdesk Icon
Editor CPX for the newest TOS (>=2.05) from Atari Corporation as well as
the updated version of our top-selling Deskjet Utilities Pak called the
Printer Utilities Pak. In addition we will be premiering at least two new
products on or before the date of the show (details forthcoming).
The Newdesk Icon Editor CPX is a control panel extension for Atari's
Extensible Control Panel which allows editing, import/export, and
assignment of the Atari's system icons. Users can import .ICE, .NIC, .RSC,
.XIC, and .ICN format files as well as beign able to pull icons from any
program using 32x32 icons. The Newdesk Icon Editor CPX can also be used to
edit icon files for use with Hyperlink and the Resource Construction Set.
We also include a GDOS Icon File Printer and a public-domain library of
more than 1000 icons.
The Printer Utilities Pak is a compilation of utilities designed to better
implement the features of the HP Deskjet Series, HP Laserjet Series, and
Atari SLM line of printers. Among the programs included is a setup
accessory to control font/pitch/margins/printer fx, a powerful envelope
printer that prints Postnet bar coding, does mail merge (with zip
sorting), and maintains multiple return addresses, a disk labeler, and a
mailing label printer. All of these programs can optionally use GDOS (SLM
owners _must_ use GDOS). In addition drivers for Wordwriter, 1st Word, and
ST Writer are also included. We've even been able to add Deskjet 500C
color support to some of the programs!
For more information on these products stop by on the day of the show or
send E-mail to S.SANDERS2. We also maintain active support for
Deskjet/Printer Utilities Pak owners here on GEnie (Cat 4 Top 9), Deskjet
500C users (Cat 2 Top 3), and Newdesk Icon CPX owners (Cat 2 Top 39).
Other topics will be opened as new products become available.
Scott Sanders,
Owner Member IAAD
Software Development Systems
996 Redondo Ave. #404
Long Beach, CA 90804
Info: (310) 595-9799
Orders: (800) 237-4SDS
Fax: (310) 987-2205 (specify #404)
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EDITORIALLY SPEAKING - STR CONFIDENTIAL - MAILCALL
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> STReport's Editorial Page "Saying it like it is."
From the Editor's Desk
----------------------
The times are a changin' so they say.... It sure looks that way.
Changes coming up at Atari Explorer, Sam coming back from an extended
trip to the Orient and more rumors or changes in Sunnyvale. Judging from
the various financial reports currently circulating, perhaps its time to
make some sweeping effective changes. Its obvious far too much company
time and energy is being spent on frivolous "obsessions".
The important points to dwell upon is the new software appearing for
the Atari Computer Platform. It refreshing to see new goodies appearing
at the rate they are. Many of which are explained in this issue. We are
trying to remain the informative, well rounded online magazine you have
been accustomed to reading and now, with our added responsibilities the
task has become even more interesting.
The summer Atari shows are shaping up to become a superb prelude to
the Fall extravaganzas. Like Comdex Fall'92 (Las Vegas) and WAACE'92
(Washington D.C.). Atari is still producing the best hardware value in
the computing community its simply an outrageous shame that NOBODY knows
it but the staunch Atari users. When, in heaven's name, are they gonna
advertise to fresh markets? <sigh>
Hang in there my friends, someone out there is bound to wake up one
day and when it happens Atari will once again be on the top of the heap.
Ralph @ STReport International Online Magazine
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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
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____________________________________________________________
> STReport CONFIDENTIAL "Rumors Tidbits Predictions Observations Tips"
=====================
- Sunnyvale CA. ATARI POSTS DISMAL REPORT CARD!
-------------
From the San Jose Mercury News
Atari lost $4.4 million on sharply lower sales
Mercury News Staff Report
Late Friday, troubled Atari Corp. reported a loss of $4.4 million for
its fourth quarter on sharply lower revenues.
The 8-cents-per-share loss for the Sunnyvale maker of personal
computers and video-game hardware came on revenues of $96.2 million. In
the fourth quarter of fiscal 1990, the company made a profit of $8.8
million, or 15 cents per share, on revenues of $151.9 million. The 1990
quarter's profit figure, though, included $28.8 million in extraordinary
credits. The 1991 quarter included a $2 million credit for debenture
repurchases.
The company cut its operating loss for the 1991 fourth quarter to $9.4
million from $22.2 million in the 1990 quarter.
For the year, sales dropped to $258 million from $411.5 million in
1990. Net income for the year was $25.6 million, compared with $14.9
million for 1990. But the 1991 figure includes a gain of $40.9 million on
the sale of the company's manufacturing plant in Taiwan. And the 1990
profit included $35.7 million in extraordinary gains.
The operating loss for 1991 was $18.7 million, compared with a loss of
$25.2 million in 1990.
Buying back debentures helped the company cut interest expense, which
fell from $4.1 million in 1990 to $287,000 in 1991.
In a statement, Atari President Sam Tramiel said, "The company has
restructured its overhead and is focusing on the improvement of its
balance sheet and the development of new products."
On Wednesday, the company notified the Securities and Exchange
Commission that it would delay reporting results for the fourth quarter.
ATARI CORP <ATC.A> Q1 LOSS WIDENS
1992 1991
Share loss $0.24 loss $0.03
Net loss 13,848 loss 1,987
Revs 44,079 63,444
(All Data Above 000s Except for Per Share Numbers)
NOTE: 1991 FIRST QUARTER loss includes $1,960,000 or $0.04 per share gain
on the buyback of 5 1/4 % debentures.
- Sunnyvale CA. EXPLORER TO MOVE TO SUNNYVALE? WHY????
-------------
In what can only be termed a surprising move, one of our Atari
observers reports of a rumor that Atari Explorer's base of operations may
be moved from Astoria, N.Y. to Sunnyvale, CA.. If such a move were to
occur, it was also stated that its highly successful Publisher/Editor John
B. Jainschigg, would not be part of the move.
Although all the facts surrounding this matter are not evident at this
point in time, one can't help but recall the last upheaval Atari Explorer
went through. Most observers agree that; "without Jainschigg's capable
guidance, the recovery of Explorer was indeed doubtful." Also rumored was
that a publisher/editor combination "familiar with the Atari community"
would take over the operations of Explorer in California.
The current edition of Explorer, (about to hit the stands) and the
next issue or two will be last to enjoy Jainschigg's expert guidance.
- Exton, PA PRATT NOW PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
---------
Intelligent Electronics, Inc. (NASDAQ-NMS: INEL) today announced the
appointment of Michael R. Shabazian to the newly created position of vice
chairman and Gregory A. Pratt to the position of president and chief
operating officer.
"Mike's legacy of achievement at Intelligent is one of determination
and commitment to driving excellence in customer satisfaction," said
Richard D. Sanford, chairman and chief executive officer of Intelligent
Electronics. "The company has grown to a point where it has become
important to allocate a separate area of the business to ensure our world
class service to our customers. Mike will oversee this critical area."
Shabazian joined Intelligent in August of 1989 as president and chief
operating officer. In July of 1990 he was elected to the company's board
of directors.
Pratt, who joined the company in April of this year as executive vice
president, will report to the CEO. Said Sanford, "I have worked with
Greg in the past and watched his career development for the last 13
years. His bright sensitive management style, combined with his well
rounded background in finance, manufacturing and consumer retailing, are
already contributing significantly to the company's growth and strategic
development." Sanford said Pratt would focus on building synergies and
maximizing efficiencies in the business.
Pratt came to Intelligent from Atari Corp., where he served for the
past seven years as president of Atari Computer Corp. and vice president
of finance and chief financial officer of Atari Corp. A certified public
accountant who spent five years with the big six accounting firm Arthur
Andersen, Pratt holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's
Wharton School of Business.
Intelligent Electronics is a leading source of office productivity
solutions. Its network of 82 BizMart Supercenters and more than 1,500
reseller and affiliates serves businesses in all 50 states and more than
700 communities nationwide.
"Way to Go Greg!"
____________________________________________________
> STR Mail Call "...a place for the readers to be heard"
=============
STReport's MailBag
==================
FROM THE FNET
Conf : Atari 16/32 Bit
Msg# : 30212/30222 Lines: Extended Read: 1
Sent : May 12, 1992 at 9:40 PM
To : WHITE DRAGON
From : Stargazer at Fnet Node 657, The Round Table BBS - Node 657
Subj : Re: <30090> Atari TT
TT030 COMPATIBLE GAMES
""""""""""""""""""""""
Title comments
-------------------------------------------------------------------
3-D Pool HD installable, fast on the TT
A.G.E 2 disks, HD installable
Advantage Tennis too fast on TT
Afterburner auto-boot
Another World 2 disks, HD installable
Arkanoid, Revenge of DOM run from desktop
Baby Jo auto-boot
Ballistix
Barbarian (old) run from desktop
Barbarian II (old) auto-boot
Battle Chess HD installable
Battle Zone run from desktop
Battlehawks 1942 HD installable, turn off cache
Battletech
Black Tiger auto-boot
Blue Max 2 disks, HD installable
Burgur Man auto-boot
Captain Fizz Auto-boot
Colorado HD installable
Crime City HD installable
Day of the Viper auto-boot
DeathBringer 2 disks,HD installable
Disciples of Steel HD installable
Dive Bomber 2 disks, run from desktop
Eagle's Rider auto-boot
F-15 Strike Eagle II 2 disks,auto-boot
Falcon (Spectrum Holobyte) HD installable, V. 1.2 or higher
Flight Simulator II HD installable
Flight of the Intruder HD installable
Floyd the Droid runs from desktop, and HD
Forgotten World 2 disks, auto-boot
Full Metal Planete auto-boot
Garfield Use "24bit.prg" to fix
Hard Drivin' Use "24bit.prg" to fix
Hard Drivin' II run from desktop
Heavy Metal Heroes auto-boot
Hoyle's Book of Games I HD installable
Hoyle's Book of Games II HD installable
I-Ball very old
Ikari Warriors auto-boot
Indy 500 run from desktop
Joust run from desktop
Knights of the Sky 2 disks,HD installable
Lotus Turbo Challange II auto-boot
Marble Madness run from desktop
Metal Masters
Metal Mutant very good advanture game
Mig-29 SuperFulcrum HD installable
Narco Police
Night Shift HD installable
Ninja Mission auto-boot
Pacland very fast on the TT
PowerDrome
Recovery auto-boot
Red Storm Rising run from desktop
Return of the Jedi auto-boot
Rolling Thunder Runs from desktop and HD
Rubicon 2 disks, auto-boots from floppy
Satan
Sex Olympics Runs from desktop
Shadowgate Run from desktop
Shufflepuck Cafe 2 disks, runs very fast
Silent Service II HD installable
Space Quest I use "24bit.prg" to fix
Star Raiders Run from desktop
Stratego auto-boot
Strider auto-boot
Stunt Car Racer run from desktop
Super Space Invaders 2 disks
Team Yankee HD installable
Test Drive auto-boots
Tetris (Spectrum Holobyte) HD installable
The Duel, Test Drive II HD installable, better on TT
The Last Duel Auto-boot
The Light Corridor auto-boot
The Pawn run from desktop
The Secert of Monkey Island 4 disks
The Ultimate Ride 2 disks, killer motorcycle sim
Their Finest Hour HD installable
Torvak the Warrior auto-boot
Total Recall 2 disks
Violators Auto-boot
Vixen run from desktop
Volifed HD installable (Qix type game)
Warhawk run from desktop
Willow 2 disks, auto-boot
Zero Gravity auto-boot
Some of these games are not 100% compatible. Those that are not 100%
compatible may not have any or part of the sound of the game. Some may
bomb at times. The best games I've seen yet that run on the TT are the
Flight/Combat sims. The higher clock speed of the TT really improves these
games and make them more playable and enjoyable.
My Favorite games for the TT030 are:
F-15 SE II
Test Drive I and II
Knights of the Sky
Falcon
Their Finest Hour
Silent Service II
This list is only the games that I have been able to run on the TT. There
are of course many that I haven't been able to try.
From the FNET
Conf : STReport Online
Msg# : 20105/20113 Lines: Extended Read: 1
Sent : May 06, 1992 at 10:42 PM
To : Ty Hampton
From : Jason Alexander at Fnet Node 736, The MIDI Clinic BBS
Subj : Re: <20039> Keyboard Survey
Here's my little tid-bit to this whole survey.
I would like to see a lean, sleek looking machine, preferably as thin
as possible (no high IBM type things, we all have monitor stands for
THAT:-) and preferably with a front-loading floppy, none of this
side-mounted stuff where you must keep the 1040 a good half foot out from
the U-type monitor stand. I like the MEGA STe/TT case, however, do away
with the funny indentations, ridges etc. You don't have to make it look
like a space ship to make it powerful. Make it smooth, rounded, but thin
and solid. I wasn't a fan of the 1040 simply because the case buckles (on
the top when you put something heavy on it) and the side-mount disk drive.
Oh, also, do away with the crappy ST keyboard. Get the Mega/TT keys that
have a bit of 'click' to them so you KNOW you've made contact with the
board. Oh, and perhaps..god, I know this is REALLY stretching my hopes,
but for gosh sakes, why did they decide on "FALCON"???? I have mentioned
this name to five of my IBM friends and they all came up with rude remarks
about it being a toy. And as if Falcon wasn't bad enough...what is this
"Sparrow" all about? Man, what's the palm-computer version of this thing
going to be called? "Chickadee"??
Oh, and semi-gloss black is a good idea. Not flat, and not glossy,
just in between like the NeXT. Forget the grey though. ALso, if you're
going to have a black computer, of course this means new monitors with
black casings. However, I have one comment on a black monitor. Make the
border molding around the CRT anything but black. A black border may not
be the best of colors next to a black screen. Maybe it would. Who knows.
I'm babbling, but I would like to have Atari come up with not only a
terrific computer, but a cosmetically appealing one as well!
Jason Alexander - MIDI Clinic BBS -
From CIS
Date: 09-May-92 09:01 EDT
From: bill devonshire [73707,1656]
Subj: Keyboard issue
Hello there. Thank you for putting my letter about ACE Toronto into
your issue of ST Report! I thought I would drop you a line about the
keyboard issue for the new Atari computers. I would like to see the new
computers incorporate a happy medium method of keyboard addition to the
new line. Detached has the advantage of allowing you to source a keyboard
of your choice for your machine, but it poses a pain when used as a
portable system.
It really becomes just another component to have to pack and lug
around. This is particularly important to musicians that cart the ST with
them to the concerts or gigs.
The attached keyboard removes all flexibility in choosing your style
or preference in keyboard feel and response (for instance, I like the ST's
keyboard). I would like to see a combination method used, where the key-
board can be attached or detached from the main chassis. As far as desk
space is concerned it would be nice to be able to attach the keyboard to
the computer and make it one unit, and then at another time, remove the
keyboard (to sit it on your lap or a remote location). This can be done
with the present ST design by designing the case to accomodate a depress-
ion where the present keyboard sits. A separate keyboard can then be
dropped into the 'keyboard' area and attached by use of the foot tabs that
generally come with a detached keyboard. Atari could design several types
of keyboard to give everyone a price and quality choice. At anytime, the
user can detach the keyboard (with little detrimental effects to the
overall appearance of the machine). Thanks again.
from CIS
#: 32636 S8/Hot Topics
11-May-92 13:05:28
Sb: #32123-TinyTurbo 030 questions
Fm: George Richardson 75275,1363
To: Jim Ness 75300,3155
I would have to say that the full blown Turbo '030 is probably going to
be more than "a tad" faster than the SST, probably at least 20% faster I
would guess. However, look for a price much higher than the SSTs.
As far as compatibility goes, it should be pretty much the same. Jim
seems to have made some patches to the TOS, but that shouldn't bother
anything. He does have the ability to go back to the 68000 though, so
that help a lot.
The Turbo 030 can only have 4 or 16 megs of fastram (using 4 meg DRAM)
though. And it has no expansion capabilities. You also have to buy the
entire thing from Fasttech.
George Richardson
Merlin Group, Inc.
P.S. That's the *full* 4 meg Turbo 030. The Tiny Turbo will never touch
the SST in performance. And the Full Turbo beats us by running at 50mhz,
which we may soon do...... :-)
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> A "Quotable Quote" "They'll Do It Every Time!"
==================
"SOME PEOPLES IDEA OF FREE SPEECH IS...
THEY ARE FREE TO SAY ANYTHING THEY LIKE....
BUT IF ANYONE SAYS ANYTHING BACK, THAT IS AN OUTRAGE!"
... Winston Churchill
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> ABCO SPECIALS! STR InfoFile * NEW 1992 Prices! MORE Products! *
=========================== --------------------------------
****** SPRINGTIME SPECIAL!! TAKE 10% OFF _ANY_ PACKAGE!! *****
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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Advertised or Invoiced price * WE WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD!
ABCO COMPUTER CONSULTANTS
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Est. 1985
_________________________________________
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FAX: 904-783-3319 12 PM - 6 AM EDT
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- Available for all Platforms -
* ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY * OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS *
* ICD ADSCSI+ HOST ADAPTERS * FULL SCSI COMMAND SET SUPPORTED *
* SCSI EMBEDDED CONTROLLER MECHANISMS *
* MAXTOR - SEAGATE - QUANTUM *
WE PAY SHIPPING & INSURANCE!!! >UPS!<
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VISA - MASTERCARD - NO SURCHARGE!
*** NEW!!! ULTRA MODERN "SUPER STYLE" CABINET ***
DELUXE 2 bay Cabinet W/65w Auto PS & Blower
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Cabinet & ICD ADSCSI Plus Host [Hard Disk Ready] $259.95
Model Description Autopark Price
==================================================
SGN4951 51Mb 3.5" Y 419.00
SQN1096 83mb 3.5" Y 519.00
SQN2055 120mb 3.5" Y 574.95
SQN1296 213mb 3.5" Y 839.00
SQN4055 340mb 3.5" Y 1310.00
==================================================
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
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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!
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- Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
** 50mb SQG51S $759.00 105mb SQG105S $959.00 **
Or, YOUR choice of Hard Disk Mechanism!
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Listed above are a sampling of the systems available.
Prices also reflect various cabinet/power supply configurations
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* IBM - MSDOS - AMIGA - ATARI - APPLE - MACINTOSH *
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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.
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please, call for details
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Customer Orders ONLY Customer Service
9am - 8pm EDT
Tues thru Sat
ABCO is EXPANDING!! CALL FOR INFORMATION!
SEND FOR YOUR NEW ABCO CATALOG TODAY!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport International Online Magazine
[S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport
Available through more than 10,000 Private BBS systems WorldWide!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STR Online "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" May 15, 1992
Since 1987 copyright 1987-92 No.8.20
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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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