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Silicon Times Report Issue 0905
*---== STReport International Online Magazine ==---*
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
from
STR Publishing
""""""""""""""
January 29, 1993 No.9.05
==========================================================================
STReport International Online Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida
32205 ~ 6672
R.F. Mariano
Publisher - Editor
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_____________________________________________________________________
> 01/29/93 STR 905 "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
""""""""""""""""
- The Editor's Desk - CPU Report - PORTFOLIO NEWS
- FAT Cache Arrives - WINDOWS REVAMPED - SEGA TURNED DOWN
- INTEL FAXMODEMS - CONNECT DEBUTS! - MULTI-TOS RSN??
- NEW EXPLORER OUT - OPTIC COMPUTERS - STR Confidential
-* STUMPH HEADS UP CBM GERMANY! *-
-* ATARI & NAMM'93 *-
-* TWO PIECE FALCON IN MARCH? *-
==========================================================================
STReport 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
==========================================================================
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in the Fido/NEST/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 all computers, worldwide, through the use of excellent
International Networking Systems. 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 your favorite computers; Join Today!
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* ATARI EDITION *
=============
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 (January 29)
HARD DISK CACHE AND FAT SPEEDUP...
Download file FATCAC.LZH from LIBRARY 4 of the Atari Productivity Forum
(GO ATARIPRO) for a hard disk cache and FAT speed-up for TOS 1.0 and 1.2.
Faster, more compatible, more memory efficient than FATSPEED. Gives up to
1000% speed increase when copying files between partitions. Includes GEM
installation program and no technical knowledge require (please read the
docs though).
AMIGA .HAM PICTURES - SUPERB GRAPHICS ON YOUR STE!
Download file AMIGAH.LZH from LIBRARY 4 of the Atari Arts Forum (GO
ATARIARTS) for superb Amiga graphics that were converted. A viewer is
included in the archive.
K&R COMPLETE "C" COMPILER/DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM
Download file HSC140.LZH from LIBRARY 3 of the Atari Productivity Forum
(GO ATARIPRO) for a complete C compiler system for the Atari ST. Includes
GemFast v1.8 GEM programming library. The compiler is based on the
Sozobon compiler, but contains many modifications, bugfixes, and
extensions. The compiler features an automatic installation process. Just
unpack the archive and run INSTALL.PRG to install and configure the
compiler.
CODEHEAD ANNOUNCED RELEASE OF CALLIGRAPHER 3...
Download file C3NEWS.TXT from LIBRARY 16 of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO
ATARIVEN) for the official announcement of the release of Calligrapher 3
-- the next generation of the Ultimate Writing Machine. Read this text
file for details about the new version of this powerful word processor.
Information on upgrading from earlier versions is included.
NEW FILES IN PORTFOLIO FORUM (GO APORTFOLIO)
You asked for it and SYSOP*BJ Gleason has finally released it...
PPPP BBBB A SSSS III CCC 55555 000
P P B B A A S I C C 5 0 00
PPPP BBBB AAAAA SSS I C 55555 0 0 0
P B B A A S I C C 5 00 0
P BBBB A A SSSS III CCC 55555 . 000
The major change is that the serial I/O is now interrupt driven.
Download the following files from LIBRARY 8 of the Atari Portfolio Forum
(GO APORTFOLIO):
PBASIC.EXE - PBASIC 5.0 Interpreter ONLY, BASIC for Portfolio.
PBASIC.ZIP - PBASIC 5.0 Complete Package, BASIC for Portfolio.
THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM ON COMPUSERVE
HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AN
OFFICIAL SUPPORT SITE BY ATARI CORPORATION
"GO APORTFOLIO TO ACCESS THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> From the Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""
The last weekend in January, 1993 and still, we wait for the Falcon.
Sure they're still shipping in Europe in very limited quantities. Some
say its to make room for the two piece Falcons due in March some say
that's a fantasy. Frankly, the bottom line is the old expression; "To be
or Not to Be... that is the Question".. And the question is the Falcon
ever gonna make it and when will it be shipping in quantities? One can't
help but wonder what the story really is. We were stonewalled on the FCC
numbers and now the overheating questions along with the questions
pertaining to the SLM series of Laser Printers continues to go unanswered.
Why? Who knows!
One can only assume its because they have no solid answers to offer.
The power supply in the Falcon is it to be the same power supply we all
saw last year at its debuts or, is it to be something different and less
powerful? The SLM compatibility question goes unofficially answered.
Why? Probably because its a common fact that the Falcon is not compatible
and even if there are third party manufacturers and developers out there
willing to devise a solution, they cannot be expected to tool up and begin
production before the Falcon is a reality. So there you have it the
question of the chicken or the egg. Sadly the ones left in the cold so
far are those who took the big step to further support and back Atari by
investing in an SLM type Laser Printer. At this time, they have no real
indication that if they invest in a Falcon they'll be able to use their
SLM 804 or 605 with the new Atari Falcon030. That's sad.
February is a short month and then MARCH... we shall see if its the
deluge of Falcons hinted at or if its going to be another replay of past
years with the old, trickle of product and eventual lack of real market
share once again. At this time the dealers have either the 1040STe or the
TT030 to offer to users. Since the production TT030 is only class A, that
does not leave much of a choice to the home user or the few dealers left
for that matter. We can only offer a moment of sincere gratitude for
those dealers who are continuing to support the Atari platform.
Ralph @ STReport International Online Magazine
ps; Anyone on Genie wanting STReport please let us know and we'll be
happy to send it to you in email.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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:
"""""""""""""""""""""""
Dana P. Jacobson Michael Arthur John Deegan
Lucien Oppler Brad Martin Judith Hamner
John Szczepanik Dan Stidham Joseph Mirando
Steve Spivey Doyle C. Helms
Lloyd E. Pulley, Editor Emeritus
Contributing Correspondents:
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Michael Lee Richard Covert Scott Birch
Brian Converse Oliver Steinmeier Tim Holt
Andrew Learner Norman Boucher Harry Steele
Clemens Chin Neil Bradley Eric Jerue
Ron Deal Robert Dean Ed Westhusing
James Nolan Vernon W. Smith Bruno Puglia
IMPORTANT NOTICE
""""""""""""""""
Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
via E-Mail to:
Compuserve.................... 70007,4454
Delphi........................ RMARIANO
BIX........................... RMARIANO
FIDONET....................... 112/35
FNET.......................... NODE 350
NEST.......................... 90:21/350.0
GEnie......................... ST-REPORT
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STR'S "BELIEVE IT? OR.. WHAT?"
<>###############################<>
"There is no comparison! The Atari Falcon
is far superior to the PC platform."
Sam Tramiel, 08/92
"My new office, which has a better view than my old one, is so far
quite satisfactory. And Richard Miller is in my old office. The
Forbes article was a mish-mash and misconstrued article full of half
truths. We are anxiously awaiting the release of the Atari Falcon to
bring us back to the forefront. The article has given us some laughs,
but otherwise has not affected us."
Sam Tramiel, 08/92
"As I said before, all marketing announcements will be made at
Duesseldorf. I will not comment on future models of the Falcon.
WE ARE TALKING TODAY ABOUT A MACHINE.....
WHICH WILL BE SHIPPING NEXT WEEK."
Sam Tramiel, 08/92
"I've just returned from Asia, where I saw the first Atari Falcon
production coming off the lines. Let's hope this new offering will
make it in North America. I know that the specs are great."
Sam Tramiel, 08/92
"We have not yet even given the machine to the FCC. And we are only
applying for Class B approval. According to our "experts", it should
pass Class B."
Sam Tramiel, 08/92
"...... We are not working for Wall Street but to
make money for our shareholders and only think long term."
Sam Tramiel, 11/92
psssst.
FYI.... The Shareholder's equity is fine.... NOT!
The Stock is hovering around $1.12
CHRISTMAS '92 has COME and GONE...
FALCONS ....anyone?
By the Way.... Does the Falcon work well
with
any... of the SLM Laser Printers?? NOPE! NOT YET!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> CPU STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
=================
Computer Products Update - CPU Report
------------------------ ----------
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Issue #05
By: John Deegan
APPLE REASSIGNS HYPERCARD - Apple Computer Inc. and subsidiary Claris
Corp. say they will move product development of future versions of
HyperCard into Apple's Developer Tools organization in the Apple
Developer Group.
APPLE'S ORIGINAL BACKER DIES - Elmer Baum, the engineer whose $5,000
loan in the mid-1970s helped launch Apple Computer Inc., has died at 75
of kidney failure. Baum lent money to Apple founders Stephen Wozniak and
Steven Jobs for the Apple I computer board.
The Apple II came out in 1977 and the company took off. Soon after
that Baum, who had worked previously at ITT Corp. and SRI International,
joined Apple.
WINDOWS TO BECOME TRUE O/S - Microsoft is expected to brief key dev-
elopers next month on its plans to combine the MS-DOS operating system
with Windows into one 32-bit product.
Code named Chicago, the program is reportedly scheduled to ship with-
in the next 24 months, and will bypass the limitations of DOS as we know
it now and make Windows a true operating system. At present Windows is a
graphical user interface between the user and the underlying operating
system.
COURT DENIES SEGA RE-HEARING - Sega of America, has been denied a re-
quest for a re-hearing of its copyright infringement suit against
Accolade Inc.
The original suit alleged copyright and trademarks infringement, as a
result of Accolade studying the Sega Genesis game system and several
Sega game cartridges to learn how to make Accolade games compatible with
the system.
APPLICATIONS, OS SOFTWARE MARKET UP 30% - Dataquest researchers say
findings show the worldwide application and operating system market grew
30% in 1992 and surpassed the $7 billion mark in factory revenue for the
first time. Much of the credit was given to Windows-based applications,
which increased from $848 million in 1991 to nearly $2.9 billion in
1992, a 238% growth rate.
Preliminary figures showing the breakdown of worldwide application
and OS market share:
-:- DOS, Down to $3,756,700,000.
-:- Windows Applications, Increased to $2,873,500,000.
(The statement notes this includes only Windows applications.
Revenues from the operating environments Windows 3.0 and Windows
3.1 are included in the DOS revenue estimates.)
-:- Apple Macintosh, Up to $932,200,000.
-:- OS/2, Increased to $72,100,000.
The top five vendors in 1992 controlled nearly 74% of the revenue, up
from 60% in 1991. The preliminary figures for factory revenue estimates
in application software sales:
-:- Microsoft Corp. Increased to $3,378,900,000.
-:- Lotus Development Corp. Increased to $894,700,000.
-:- WordPerfect Corp. Up to $643,700,000.
-:- Borland International, Increased to $493,900,000.
-:- Symantec, Up to $206,800,000.
IBM DROPS OUT OF SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEMS - IBM Corp. this week allowed
its 5-year contract with Supercomputer Systems Inc. of Eau Claire, Wis.
SSI has been working on development of the world's most powerful main-
frame computer with financial support from IBM.
Steve C. Chen, founder of SSI and a former Cray Research Corp. emp-
loyee, had said earlier that SSI planned to begin manufacturing of the
SS-1 this year with full scale production due to start in 1994.
"DOUBLE-SPEED" CD-ROM DRIVE SHORTAGES - Because of a surge in demand
for the "double-speed" CD-ROM drives, prices are not dropping as rapidly
as had first been anticipated, and some value-added resellers are
reporting shortages.
While single-speed CD-ROM drives still maintain their low prices and
availablity, with the advent of multimedia presentations which demand
high-speed data transfer to produce seamless video, the need for ever
faster CD-ROM drives have become very important.
Among the products announced at the recent COMDEX were a number of
double-speed CD-ROM drives which provide data transfer at greater than
300 kilobytes per second, about double the speed of most earlier drives.
LOTUS POSTS 152% NET INCOME INCREASE - Lotus Development Corp. has
posted a 152% increase in fourth quarter net income. For the complete
fiscal year net income rose 87%. Lotus' revenue for 1992 increased 9%
to $900.1 million from $828.9 in 1991.
AT&T REPORTS RECORD EARNINGS - AT&T Co. reported record earnings of
$1 billion during the fourth quarter, a 36.5% increase over the same
period a year ago when $635 million was earned.
IBM CUTS DIVIDEND - Last week, IBM, the world's largest computer com-
pany, posted its first quarterly operating loss in history. This week it
cut its quarterly dividend to $.54 a share, down from $1.21.
IBM CHAIRMAN QUITS - John F Akers, IBM's chairman and chief executive
officer, has requested the board of directors to search for his replace-
ment. Akers will remain as chairman and CEO during the search, which is
expected to take about 90 days.
COMPAQ'S EARNINGS AND SALES JUMP - Compaq Computer Corp. announced
fourth quarter earnings that increased 34% to $89 million (or $1.10 a
share), compared with $67 million (or $.77 a share) for the same period
a year ago. Annual sales reached a record $4.1 billion, up 25% over 1991
sales of $3.3 billion.
_____________________________________________________
> ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
=====================
On CompuServe
-------------
compiled by Joe Mirando
73637,2262
Ah, the brisk air of winter and all the visions it brings with it:
Children playing in the snow, their parents fretting over the weather and
road conditions, and new computer users asking questions about how to get
the most out of their Christmas techno-gifts.
This week's column is jam-packed with questions from users (both new
users and experienced ones) and answers, tips, and useful information.
let's take a peek.
From the Atari Productivity Forum
=================================
Mike Marston posts:
"I'm trying to use either an Atari Color monitor (SC 1224) or Atari
Monochrome Monitor on a IBM PC. Does anybody know if this is
possible. If so what video modes/resolution can I use them with and
what modifications need to be made. It seems like the color one
should at least support CGA but i've been told that the scan rates
aren't compatible with IBM modes.
Second question has to do with using the SLM804 laser printer with
IBM-PC's (mainly from Windows) I don't think anybody makes a board to
allow a PC to print to the SLM804 but is there any software that can
be used to print postscript or HP-PCL files from the Atari. If that
existed then I could use the Atari (Mega 2 or 1040st) as a print
server for the PC. ( once I got a network of some sort between them)
can anybody Help??"
Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Magazine tells Mike:
"I don't know if anyone has ever connected the an Atari monitor to a
PC successfully but I highly doubt it. Also the scan rates I think
most are referring to are VGA (multi-sync) which come down to 30 (most
do) and the Atari needs 15hz for low res)."
Brian Gockley of ST Informer addresses Mike's second question:
"CompoScript and UltraScript are two commercial Postscript
interpreters for the Atari, there is also a Ghostscript PD prg out
there. Just copy the files to a floppy (sneakerNET)."
Lee Zion asks a question that has been asked by more than a few in the
past:
"When will Atari reach orphan status? CIS Mall support for the Atari
line of computers is finished. I normally check the Mall about once a
month to see what is available. Yesterday's quick check turned up
only three vendors who claimed to have any Atari applications at all.
-- CompuStore - CIS's own outlet for CIS programs and manuals. Nothing
Atari specific!
-- Computer Express - Although carried as an Atari vendor, I turned up
nothing for Atari computers in a browse of merchandise offered.
-- Sierra International - NO Atari programs. Want to buy a T-Shirt or
hint book for a game you can't buy there?
-- SOF and SDI are long gone. While I must admit that I did not
contribute much ($$$) to their efforts, I hoped that collectively we
could have made it worthwhile for one of them to continue to offer
Atari products on-line along with products for more popular computers.
Now Ron is considering consolidating the five Atari Forums into a
smaller number. While part of that is the expanded topic capability
of the new CIS forum software, it could also be viewed as a lack of
subscribers to justify the extended number of forums. We are all
driving further to get to our "local" Atari dealer. I'm lucky
compared to some. He is only an hour away. We eagerly wait for
Bill's latest update to "Vendor.dat" so we have a source of
hardware/software.
My wife is making serious hints that I buy a "useful" computer to add
to my Atari 400, 800, 130, 1040 collection. She has even offered to
pay for it! She wants something with software comparable to what we
use at work (in different offices) on a <yuck> PC."
Jim Ness tells Lee:
"Don't forget that, if your wife really needs a PC, there is the
GEMulator product, which allows you to run ST software on it. While
we haven't heard much about it lately, I know that Darek has just
passed out another beta copy to testers. Wish I was one of them. But
then I'd have to explain to the wife why I wanted a $300 PC card +
software to do what the Mega ST already does..."
For those of us who wish to stay with the Atari brand (and those of us who
are lucky enough to have spouses that stay clear of computers all
together), the question of replacement desktops often comes up. Let's
face it: all though the GEM/TOS desktop is light-years ahead of DOS, there
are ways that it could be even better. Mark Saunders asks:
"Can anyone advise me on the best replacement desktop for my STE?. I
am considering Neodesk 3 or maybe Harlekin 2!. I have also thought
about upgrading to TOS 2.06,has anyone done this and did they fit the
upgrade themselves,was it easy?. Is it worth the extra dosh,especially
for a switchable one because of the incompatibility problems for some
of the games software,of which I have quite a few. Any advice or help
greatly appreciated..."
Tim Rule tells Mark:
"I have reviewed Neodesk in depth and used it myself for about 2
years. I wholeheartedly recommend it if you have a hard disk (having
more than 512K RAM is helpful too). Without a hard disk Neodesk
doesn't work so well. The other replacement desktops are cheaper but
not nearly as good as Neodesk 3 (Ataris though has the advantage of
being in ROM)."
On the lighter side (or not, depending on how you feel about such things),
Haj Baxter tells us:
"And in the "Hollywood-just-can't-keep-up-" Dept., A guy in Calif. was
sentenced to 15 days ( for something ). He talked his friend into
doing the time for him instead. No one suspected anything until he
came to visit his friend in jail. When thy searched him they found a
gun, some Cocaine and his I.D. Now he faces up to 100 years. Smart
guy .. But never fear, now you can Fax GOD. Himself. Someone in
Jerusalem is now accepting faxes that they will go and stick into the
Wailing Wall. From your chips to his ears.
Who _are_ these guys?"
Hmmm... wasn't that the plot to one of the Star Trek movies? Yeah, Spock
gets drunk and installs a faxmodem in the ships computer and faxes God a
dirty joke about Doctor McCoy. Well, as I remember it, it was something
equally as useless. Anyway, Sysop Brad Hall thanks Haj for the "inside
track" on getting the Big Guy's ear:
"I'll keep that in mind about faxing God. I've heard He/She is hard
to reach by phone, so that may be the ticket. <g>"
The question of what it takes to become a registered Atari Developer is
often asked by curious people. Less often do they ask about what that
status gets them. Greg Wageman tells us a bit about what it entails:
"I'm registered as an Atari developer, at the "hobbyist" level (which
mostly means that I don't get phone support). The official Atari
documentation is extensive, and there are times when it is nice to be
able to go to the "horse's mouth", so to speak. However, when a
question arises I always consult 1) the Atari docs, 2) the Mark
Williams "Lexicon", 3) The Lattice C docs, and if I'm desperate, the
Abacus books. The Abacus books are usually wrong, but occasionally
offer a tip that the others omit. Mark Williams is getting dated now,
so Lattice is going to bypass it soon. The Atari docs don't always
provide as much detail about things as 2) and 3) do (usually with
source code examples), but 2) and 3) were obviously written from the
Atari docs with elaboration and experience thrown in. The Abacus
books also suffer from a poor translation from the German.
Fortunately, they are out-of-print. Unfortunately, they are still on
many dealers' shelves. :-)"
From the Atari ST Arts Forum
============================
John Amsler continues his quest to find which programs are compatible with
the Mega STe. He posts:
"Flight Simulator II, Chessmaster 2000, and Harrier Strike Mission DO
run on a MegaSTe/TOS 2.06 set up; High Roller does NOT.
I did some further testing; the following public domain/shareware
do NOT run:
Azarian Fast Poker Naval ST Blackjack
Bomber Football Nova Stoneage Deluxe
Brick Yard Joust Plutos Tunnel Vision
Car 0.47 Minos Mr. Potato Head ZXYM
Blackjack
and these DO:
Asteroids Floyd the Droid Night Crawlers ST Tac Toe
Atom Smasher Funjack Oddson21 Star Trek
Battleship Gnu Chess Oh-Craps Star Wars
Bnoid Hanoi Other Place States
Box the Dragon Hill Climb Panic Stocks & Bonds 3.0
Breakout Intuit Permute Strathello
Canfield Invaders Puzzle Sweeper
Celest Joute Race Car Tank
Cinko Karma Rayoids Target
Clue_So 1.51 Keno Reaction Tennis
Craps Kidsmath Reversi Trifide
Daleks 1.0 Lexicon Ripcord Trucker
Darts Lifewind Risk Twixt
Demolition Man Lunar Lander Score Four Wall Street
Dragon Maze 1.02 Megaroids Sharks Wheel of Fortune
Draw Poker 2.5 Mini Golf Slot Machine Windowball
Elim Missile Command Snafux Yahtzee
Flashcard Monopoly ST Nim Xevious
Flight Motor
Bob Ledbetter posts:
"TNX for ALL the info! You said, " Flight Simulator II, Chessmaster
2000, and Harrier Strike Mission DO run on a MegaSTe/TOS 2.06 set up;
High Roller does NOT." Will Flight Sim II run on a MegaSTe/TOS
_2.05_? If so, how?"
John replies:
"I _think_ it'll run under TOS 2.05; there actually isn't a
show-stopping chasm of difference between 2.05 and 2.06 like there was
between 1.0 and 1.4. Unfortunately, the games seem to all run at 8
MHz even if I have the machine set to 16 MHz. Darn!"
Clive Moore posts:
"Being completely new to downloading pictures from bulletin boards,
please could someone tell me what software I need and what king of
files to use with it in order to display pictures on a 1 meg Atari
STE."
Dazzz Smith, an old hand at these things, tells Clive:
"Gemview 1.1m is a great picture viewer/converter, as is that old
favourite Picview from John Brochu, if you want a full list of picture
formats and compatible viewers, give me an e-mail, If you want the lot
just to cover all the angles I can send you a few disks with the
appropriate software on.
P.s. Photochrome is the newest one, you may see a lot of files with
the .PCS extender going around BBS's at the moment."
Sysop Ron Luks fills Clive in on the rest of what he will probably need:
"To download the picture files, you need a telecom software package
that supports downloading protocols. Just about every telecom program
does. CIS supports Xmodem, Ymodem and CompuServe's own B-protocol
(the fastest and most reliable).
Since the files will probably be compressed or 'archived' you will
need the decompression utility to Un-arc or UN-lzh the files into
viewable form. These utilities are available in LIB 4 of AtariPro.
(See ARCLZH.PRG for a single file containing all the utilities and a
user-friendly front end).
Finally, you will need a picture viewer that supports the various
formats of pictures. Browse thru lib 14 of this forum and download
the one(s) that look useful to you."
In the "It works.... almost" department, Dick Barber posts:
"Little news on that old work horse TEMPUS II:
It does work with the Falcon (as reported over in ATARIPRO), but not
by any means in all resolutions.
Yesterday I learned during a call to the tech support line for TEMPUS
that it works, but only in ST high resolution. Apparently all of the
features of the program work.
We were trying to discover the answer to something else and just
discovered this. He was as surprised at our discovery as I was.
In little ways, the world advances."
Alex Kiernan tells Dick:
"Tempus does indeed work on Falcon, due to its 24 bit address bus; we
(HiSoft that is!) have the code and hope that we have found someone
lunatic enough to convert the highly compressed German assembler
source back to English. This would fix the 24 bit problem (2.11 is 32
bit clean), meaning you could use it with virtual memory on Falcon,
plus the video stuff is a lot cleaner (or rather it at least works in
more modes). I know no-ones asked me to dig the source off my HD yet,
so I don't know the details of anyone starting it but the possibility
is there."
David Hagood asks:
"You mean you are getting ready to make Tempus work on my TT? I was
quite miffed when Tempus crashed: it was the best programmer's editor
for the ST line."
Alex tells David:
"I say I hope, I don't know what the state of the deal is, so it could
all fall through; For what it's worth the German version works fine,
the problem is converting it back to English."
And now one of the things I've been waiting for: An article in a major
(read non-Atari specific) computer magazine. John Amsler posts:
"Hey, you guys (and gals)!!
The February issue of Byte has an article about the Falcon030!
The page-58 article is written by Tom R. Halfhill in the "NEWS:
First Impressions" section and is entitled "Atari's Falcon030 Leads
the Pack."
From the Atari Vendors Forum
============================
Anderson Meyer tells us:
"I am looking for an ATARI emulator for my Macintosh Powerbook. I
need something that is fast, and can run various types of ATARI
software quickly and well.
Any idea as to whether such a thing exists, and if so, where can I
find it...?"
Sysop Ron Luks tells Anderson:
"At the present time, no Atari Emulator for the MAc exists. there's a
PC emulator and the same outfit is planning an emulator for the mac,
but its not available yet."
Anderson then asks:
"How about an ATARI emulator for a PC computer...?"
To this, Ron answers:
"There is an Atari Emulator that runs on a PC. Its called the
GEMULATOR by Darek Mihocka and I have one over here. It runs on a 386
or 486, but you really need a 486 25Mhz to have it run ST programs at
the same speed as an Atari ST.
Look for reviews (including mine) in the upcoming issue of Atari
Explorer. You can also contact Darek online in the AtariPro forum
for additional details."
I have often heard the old phrase "Be careful of what you ask for... you
may get it" but it was not until recently that I have seen it in practice
in the computer world. Brian Gockley of ST Informer/MacDonald Associates
posts:
"I would like to start a thread as research for an article in ST
Informer. I am interested in getting your ideas as to what programs
are needed for the ST/TT/Falcon line of computers. There are many
great programs out there, but there are definitely some holes in the
list. I am not looking for existing programs, just ideas; however if
there is an obscure program that handles the task, then I'd love to
hear about it.
The main programs that I get requests for are as follows:
o Better database (similar to FoxPro)
o A good scheduler/datebook
o A video editing program
o A full 24 bit paint program that is rez-independent both in it's
operation and its file loading capabilities, properly windowed and
functional on ST through Falcons."
Eric Hall tells Brian:
"Yeah just a couple off the top! REXX! We've got it on MVS, VM, the
PC, and even the Amiga, but hows 'bout a version for the ST. Best
little interpretive and compilable language around, no brackets
required (curly or otherwise!). Then throw in a port of XEDIT off the
VM and you've then got the most powerful and flexible text editor in
existence. Then while you're at it toss in a truly full blown ANSI
implementation of an SQL database with full dialog screen
customization and completely flexible report formatter and, and, and
that's just for openers. :-)"
Boris Molodyi adds:
"Real photo-retouching software (like Photoshop, Color Studio etc.) at
_real_ price, not for 2000 bucks.
Vector drawing program, with color support, like Freehand or
Illustrator, at comparable prices.
_Real_ word processor. Like MS Word for Mac 5, Write Now etc.
Money management, electronic file transfer etc.
Etc. Etc. Etc. (In no particular order)."
Well folks, I ran out of space real fast this week, so I'm going to
have to say goodbye to all of you until next week. And so I don't get
hate mail from the Sysops on the Atari Portfolio Forum, I'd just like to
mention that Compuserve's Portfolio Forum is Atari's official support
sight (translation= If you want the best info and hottest files for your
Portfolio, then just sign up on CompuServe and then type "APORTFOLIO" at
any "!" prompt). How was that, guys? ;-)
See ya next week (same time, same station) when we'll all sit in and
listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
***********************************************************************
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
=================
STReport International Online Magazine is available every week in the
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...
When connected, press RETURN once or twice
and...
At Password: type STREPORT and press RETURN.
DELPHI's Basic Plan offers access for only $6.00 per hour, for any
baud rate. The $5.95 monthly fee includes your first hour online.
For more information, call: DELPHI Member Services at 1-800-544-4005
DELPHI is a service of General Videotex Corporation of Cambridge, MA.
Try DELPHI for $1 an hour!
For a limited time, you can become a trial member of DELPHI, and
receive 5 hours of evening and weekend access during this month for only
$5. If you're not satisfied, simply cancel your account before the end of
the calendar month with no further obligation. If you keep your account
active, you will automatically be enrolled in DELPHI's 10/4 Basic Plan,
where you can use up to 4 weekend and evening hours a month for a minimum
$10 monthly charge, with additional hours available at $3.96. But hurry,
this special trial offer will expire soon! To take advantage of this
limited offer, use your modem to dial 1-800-365-4636. Press <RET> once
or twice. When you get the Password: prompt, type IP26 and press <RET>
again. Then, just answer the questions and within a day or two, you'll
officially be a member of DELPHI!
TOP TEN DOWNLOADS (1/27/93)
===========================
STR903.LZH 01/16/93
AEO_0202.LZH 01/16/93
STZIP 2.1
STR904.LZH 01/22/93
NASTASSIA KINSKI IN PCS
ZMODEMFX.LZH
TOS 2.06 W/O A TEC BOARD
COLD REVENGE
CYBERNETIX
EVADER
All of the above files can be found in the RECENT ARRIVALS database for at
least one week after the posting of this list. Please Note that in the
case of online magazines, only the most current issue in the database at
the time of this compilation is considered for the Top 10 list. Also,
for all files, a submission is eligible for the Top 10 list for only four
weeks after its original uploading.
DELPHI- It's getting better all the time!
***********************************************************************
> INTEL SYSOP DEAL! STR InfoFile NEW FAXMODEM OFFER FOR SYSOPS
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
INTEL FAXMODEMS NOW OFFERED
IN SYSOP PROGRAM!
After PC Magazine's most intensive modem evaluation in years, the
Intel 14.4EX tied for "Editors Choice" honors with AT&T. The AT&T modem
is more than double the price of the Intel 14.4EX, making Intel's modem
the clear winner. Intel has combined this technology with our award
winning SatisFAXtion modems to bring you a new line of faxmodems. The
best of the bunch will be offered at special pricing to Sysops.
1) SatisFAXtion Modem/400 - an internal V.32bis, coprocessed
faxmodem with a V.32bis modem, Smart Line sharing and
Smart UART. Supports CAS compatible applications.
2) SatisFAXtion Modem/400e; an external V.32bis faxmodem.
Supports CAS and Class 1 fax interfaces.
[For more informaton, download the appropriate online
literature].
Common features of the 14.4EX, SatisFAXtion Modem/400 and 400e:
-V.32bis/V.32 speeds of 14.4K, 12K, 9.6K, 7.2K and 4.8Kbps.
-V.42bis, V.42 and MNP 5 data compression and error control.
-Automatic speed optimization. The modem monitors line
noise and falls back and/or forward to insure the maximum
throughput. These speed changes happen in less than 200ms!
-Adaptive handshaking. The 14.4EX samples the phone line
BEFORE the connection is made to maximize throughput.
-Quick connection option. The modem can be configured to
connect with other Intel modems in as little as six
seconds (vs the normal 12-16 seconds). Even if you're
connecting to a non-Intel modem, the connection time can be
cut to eight seconds. (NOTE: noisy phone lines will affect
the performance of this option).
-Automatic leased line restoration. In the event of carrier
loss on a leased line, the modem can be setup to automatically
attempt to re-establish the connection.
-Small form factor. Our external high speed modems are
packaged in the same metal case as our 2400bps modem,
reducing space requirements.
-Free communications software from Crosstalk. Each modem
comes with a free copy of "Communicator by Crosstalk".
This is the full $99 retail package which includes 13
terminal emulators and 8 file transfer protocols - including
ZMODEM.
-Status lights display connection speeds between 1200 and
14,400bps and when error control and data compression
connections have been made (externals only)
-Maximum DTE rate = 115.2Kbps
TO QUALIFY FOR THIS OFFER:
[] You must currently be operating a bulletin board system.
[] Purchase is for bulletin board use only -- not for resale.
[] The modem must be used on the BBS at least one year
before removal.
[] Bulletin board must display a message on user sign
on declaring an Intel 14.4EX or SatisFAXtion Modem/400
(or 400e) in use.
NOTE:
o Due to local market approval requirements, this
offer is only available in North America.
o This is a special limited offer from Intel. Intel
reserves the right to discontinue or alter the offer
at any time.
PAYMENT TERMS:
We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Cashier
check or money order.
SHIPPING AND HANDLING (please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery): $15/unit
OTHER CHARGES:
State sales tax must be included where applicable (or
provide a tax exemption number).
--------------------------------------------------------
SYSOP ORDER FORM -- INTEL MODEMS
NAME _____________________________________
COMPANY __________________________________
MAIL SLOT_________________________________
ADDRESS___________________________________
CITY____________________STATE____ZIP______
SHIPPING ADDRESS (IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE):
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Voice phone number:
_____________________________________
BBS phone number(s):
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Name and address of your BBS:
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
How long has your BBS been in operation?
________________________________________________
Hours of BBS operation:
________________________________________________
If you are a member of a network (eg. FidoNet,
Usenet, etc.) list addresses:
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Average number of calls per month:
________________________________________________
BBS software used:
________________________________________________
Processor used on BBS computer:
________________________________________________
Brands and speeds of modems you now use:
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Account number, name and password for Intel (so we can
log into your system for verification):
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
MODEL LIST SYSOP TOTAL
PRICE PRICE
14.4EX (ext) $549 $269 ________
* SatisFAXtion Modem/400e (ext) $549 $279 ________
SatisFAXtion Modem/400 (int) $499 $249 ________
SUB TOTAL (Quantity X Price) ________
(Limit 4)
STATE SALES TAX (Subtotal X State Tax %) ________
(or enter tax exemption number here)
SHIPPING & HANDLING ($15/unit) ________
(Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery)
TOTAL ________
CREDIT CARD NUMBER: VISA:_______________
MASTERCARD:_______________
AMERICAN EXPRESS:_______________
EXPIRATION DATE:_______________
--------------------------------------------------------
My signature below shows that I have read and
understand the terms of this agreement.
[] You must currently be operating a bulletin board system.
[] Modem purchased is for bulletin board use only -- not for
resale.
[] The modem must be used on the BBS at least one year
before removal.
[] Bulletin board must display a message on user sign
on declaring an Intel 14.4EX of SatisFAXtion Modem/400
(or 400e) in use.
PURCHASER SIGNATURE:__________________________
--------------------------------------------------------
FAX THIS FORM AND CREDIT CARD NUMBER TO:
INTEL SYSOP SPECIAL OFFER
at (503) 228-9707
*OR*
MAIL YOUR ORDER TO:
INTEL SYSOP PROGRAM
PO BOX 10723
PORTLAND, OR 97210
***********************************************************************
:HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
_________________________________
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.
1. Learn all you need about Computer Viruses and Security in.....VSRT
2. The GLADIATORIAL GAMES Return, Saturday, 1 PM EST in..........GEMSTONE
3. Send Flowers to Superbowl Football Widows from................LDROSES
4. PowerBook Power Book author, ROSS RUBIN RTC-Feb.2;10:30PM.....MAC
5. CONLINE VIII Role Playing Convention..........................TSR
6. Every Tuesday @9:30ET, travel trips on Germany/Europe.........GERMANY
7. Subscribe Online & Get FREE TIME...........................PCMAGAZINE
8. Special offer - for MEMBERS ONLY.............................SOFTCLUB
9. LAST CHANCE to get in the...................................SUPERBOWL
10. Stunning NEW PostScript grays, now on the.....................PSRT
11. The Association of GEOS Developers is now ONLINE..............GEOWORKS
12. Is there another....YOU.....................................ASTROLOGY
13. Catch a rising star..........................................FLAGSHIP
14. Yes we're still here..........................................A2
15. Students - Homework Help and Tutoring.........................CALC
GEnie Information copyright (C) 1991 by General Electric
Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission
***********************************************************************
> PERUSIN' GENIE STR Feature For a chuckle or two.....
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
AROUND GENIE
============
Compiled by Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
Here's a couple of humorous posts that I found in the Jerry Pournelle
Roundtable. I enjoyed them, I hope you do too.
From Nick Miron - cute taglines....
Stupidity is NOT a handicap. Go park your car elsewhere!
Junk-- stuff we throw away. Stuff--junk we keep.
This tagline is SHAREWARE! To register, send me $10
To err is Human. To blame someone else is politics.
I'm fat. You're ugly. I can diet.
Floggings will continue until morale improves!
From the Department of Redundancy Dept.
From B.BINDEL...
These were originally used in mathematical proofs, but they can be
applied to programming problems as well
I claim that -
I can't prove it, but I know no one will challenge me
It is clear that -
It is clear as mud
It is intuitively obvious -
See "It is clear that"
It is easily seen -
If you have several days free time ...
The proof is left as an exercise for the student -
Good luck. If you figure it out, let me know so I can use it next
year
This can easily be extended -
I don't think anyone has ever really done this, but if you have
several weeks free time ...
The proof of this is beyond the scope of this course -
Trust me (But, I think I read somewhere that a proof exists.)
Without loss of generality -
Using numbers is the only way I can understand this.
It follows that -
If you have several years and want to do the world a favor.
And, by induction -
Beats me. Looks like it should be okay.
Implies -
There are an awful lot of complicated steps here, which you
needn't concern yourself about
__________________________________________________________________
> Atari Explorer Info STR InfoFile
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
A T A R I E X P L O R E R M A G A Z I N E
Volume 7, Issue 6 C O N T E N T S November/December 1992
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
/// FEATURES
`````````````
<> Atari Falcon030 - U.S. debut
/// REVIEWS
````````````
<> Migraph PS-400 Wand - A full range hand scanner with optional
document feeder and the latest version of Touch-Up.
<> G-Man v3.0 - GDOS setup and management has never been easier.
<> The Link - Now ICD lets you connect SCSI devices to any ST.
<> Gemulator v1.00 - Emulator runs ST software on an IBM PC.
<> GenEdit v2.0 - Barefoot's powerful MIDI Editor/Librarian.
<> Tune-Up your Hard Drive - a feature by feature comparison of
the two best choices for keeping your data safe.
-- Hard Disk Sentry v1.3
-- Diamond Edge
/// ENTERTAINMENT
`````````````````
<> The Lynx Line - Clayton Walnum reviews Pinball Jam and Shadow
of the Beast plus Electrocop hints and more!
/// PORTFOLIO
``````````````
<> The Portfoilo Files - Answers to the most common Portfoilo
questions.
/// SPECIAL INTEREST
`````````````````````
<> Three Books for Coders - From GFA Assembly to the AES, these
books cover it.
<> The Atari Clipboard - How to best use the Clipboard in your
programs.
/// DEPARTMENTS
````````````````
<> Editor's Page <> Atari World News
<> Question Mark <> Advertiser Index
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND SAVE!
""""""""""""""""""""""""
VISA/MASTERCARD orders call (218) 723-9477
Subscribe today and get every issue of the only official Atari
magazine delivered right to your door!
[] YES!, I want to save up to 30% over newsstand price on Atari
Explorer Magazine. Please send me:
[] 1 year (6 issues) for just $19.95 - I SAVE 16%
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______________________________________________________________
NAME RJRSTR930129
______________________________________________________________
ADDRESS
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ATARI EXPLORER MAGAZINE
P.O. BOX 6488
DULUTH, MN 55806
(218) 723-9477
Newsstand price $23.70 per year. Canada add $5.00 per 6 issues.
Foreign add $10.00 per 6 isues. U.S. funds only. Canadian GST
included. Please allow 60 days for shipment of first issue.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advertising Director: Darren R. Meer - (408) 745-2134
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
__________________________________________________________
> OPTICAL CPU STR Feature Fast as the speed of light?
"""""""""""""""""""""""
SCIENCE NEWS
23 Jan 93
Computers
uggling at the SPEED OF LIGHT
Researchers have now demonstrated what they describe as the
first general-purpose optical computer. This maze of lasers,
switches, and optical fibers occupies a space about the size of a
desk, stores programs, processes data, and calculates using light
instead of electricity. Information inside the computer
circulates continually in the form of light pulses--except during
the brief periods when light pulses are converted into electrical
pulses to activate optical switches.
"Previous work in optical computing had not incorporated the
stored program, although there have been optical processors,"
says Harry F. Jordan of the Optoelectronic Computing Systems
Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, who along with
Vincent P. Heuring heads the development team there. The
researchers can program their optical computer to multiply
numbers and perform other simple operations.
"Our computer has [roughly] the power of a mid-60s
minicomputer," Jordan notes. "It's got a very small memory, so
only simple programs can fit into the machine--but they are
stored and interpreted optically. It demonstrates the principle
that all of the components of a general-purpose machine can be
done in optics."
The optical computer's most striking feature is that no data
are ever stored--even temporarily--in particular locations in a
memory chip, as they would be in an electronic computer.
Instead, information circulates as light pulses through optical
fiber loops. "For the first time, we have a computer in which
the program and data are always on the fly in the form of light,
eliminating the need for static storage," Jordan says. He
compares this mode of operation to a square dance, in which
everyone is moving and partners must wait until they're next to
each other to do the required figure.
With its instructions and data encoded as hundreds of
thousands of light pulses, the computer has nearly 5 kilometers
of optical fiber serving as its main memory. It also has 66
optical switches. During processing, infrared laser beams route
light pulses from memory through the switches.
[Reprinted without permission
under the "reasonable use" interpretation
of the 1976 Copyright Act. - John J. Amsler]
______________________________________________________________________
> CONNECT IS OUT! STR InfoFile "CONNECT is a new bi-monthly magazine.."
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
CONNECT Table of Contents
May/June '93 Issue
CONNECT is a new bi-monthly magazine focusing on telecommunications from a
user's perspective. Coverage includes the major commercial online
services, Internet/Usenet and bulletin board systems. The first issue of
CONNECT (May/June '93 cover date) will be available in mid-March.
Here is a list of the feature articles and columns that appear in this
premiere issue:
FEATURES
Telecomputing and the U.S. Constitution by Mark Leccese
This article explores the current STEVE JACKSON GAMES v. THE UNITED
STATES court case and its potential impact on BBS users and sysops
across the country.
History of FIDOnet by Kathleen Creighton
An interview with Tom Jennings, creator of FIDOnet, who discusses
how FIDOnet came into being, where it is now, and where it's going
in the future.
The Weather Underground by Ilana Stern
How you can get current weather data and maps online, with a detailed
look at the University of Michigan's Weather Underground.
Intro to Packet Radio by Andy Funk
This introduction to Packet Radio shows how you can get involved in
one of the fastest growing hobbies in telecommunications...phone line
and modem not necessary!
Getting Online with a High Speed Modem by Dan Romanchi
k
Some valuable tips for anyone moving up from 2400 bps or slower to
a new high speed modem.
Children and Telecommunications by Phil Shapiro
Children can learn a lot and gain new friends online. This article
gives tips on getting children involved in telecommunications.
COLUMNS
Connecting with CompuServe
Columnist Jim Ness gives us the "Grand Tour" of CompuServe, touching
on everything from 9600 baud access to recent changes in the message
base software.
Eye on America Online
Columnist Julia Wilkinson gives an overview of America Online, one of
the "newest" national online services with a slick graphical user
interface.
GEnie's Treasures
Veteran GEnie "treasure hunter" Jim Mallory is your guide to the
many hidden (and not-so-hidden) treasures waiting for you on GEnie.
Telecomputing the Delphi Way
Columnist Dick Evans shows us what Delphi has to offer, including the
recently added Internet FTP and Telnet capabilities.
The Internet Gateway
What is the Internet and what does it have to offer? Columnist Miles
Kehoe gives us an overview of Internet, along with a few e-mail tips.
Clear To Send (CTS)
A review of COMMO, the popular multi-tasking terminal package from
shareware programmer Fred Drucker. Columnist Victor Volkman tells us
why the software has created such a COMMOtion in the IBM telecom
market.
Dial M for Macintosh
Ross Scott Rubin, CONNECT's Macintosh columnist, takes a look at
MacIntercomm, the new multi-tasking terminal package from Mercury
Systems.
Staying Connected for about a Pound
Palmtops can be an excellent way to stay connected when you're on the
go. Columnist Marty Mankins shows you how to take advantage of this
fast-growing market.
For more information about CONNECT, please contact:
Pegasus Press
3487 Braeburn Circle
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
(313) 973-8825
e-mail us at:
CIS: 70007,4640
GEnie: UNICORNPUB
Delphi: UNICORNPUB
Internet: pegasus@grex.ann-arbor.mi.us
____________________________________________________________
> PAY OR NO PAY? - EXCLUSIVE? STR FOCUS! MTOS CENTER OF CONTROVERSY?
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
MULTITOS RELEASE TO BE ANOTHER CENTER OF CONTROVERSY?
=====================================================
by R. F. Mariano
Its amazing ....Does lightning strike twice in the same place? Maybe
it does. Just this past year, we went through a very similar situation
with the release of a modified version of FSMGDOS and UK magazine files.
The very same situation was generated by the same type thinking. Sure, we
where told the FGDOS was released in the FNET and on certain private BBSs
but the bottom line was really a statement of exclusivity. This was wrong
and it was recognized as a mistake and quickly corrected. Must it happen
all over again?
FORGET EXCLUSIVE & SERVE ALL ATARIANS!
--------------------------------------
Making the release of Multi-Tos exclusive to one pay service is a
mistake. Regardless of which pay service it may be. What about the
hundreds, perhaps thousands of loyal Atari users on the _other_ pay
services 'round the world? Perhaps those users don't count or, so it
would seem. This type of thinking is totally flawed and smacks of a total
lack of understanding of solid public relations and survival of a company.
Atarians around the globe _deserve_ to have the opportunity to gain access
to Multi-Tos (they've waited long enough) from whichever pay service they
subscribe to. To do less than this spells out an alienation of a large
segment of loyal Atarians. Atari might very well not recover from such
wonders in public relations being perpetrated.
WHY CHARGE FOR MULTI-TOS? SHOW SOME REAL PR GENIUS
---------------------------------------------------
Another of the thoughts surrounding this mess hovering over the
release of Multi-Tos is the public mention of whether its to be provided
to the services for download with no charges except for the connect
charges to actually download the file(s) for Multi-Tos. Mention should
never have been made referencing a cost factor at all. The decision had
not been made one way or the other. By mentioning aye or nay wish or
thought, even as a personal preference, only placed undue pressure on
those in the decision making position to do so and do so faster than they
liked to. This could cause an adverse effect upon whether the userbase
enjoys a favorable decision. One can only wonder what the underlying
causes of these never ending PR blunders are. We do know this, they are
not in the "best interests" of Atari or its future.
In our opinion, Multi-Tos should be made unilaterally available on all
the pay services and only for the connect time charges as a gesture of
good faith and appreciation to the loyal users who have "hung tough" all
these months. After all, it only the right thing to do.
Ninety nine and nine tenths of the Atari users in the world want
nothing more than to see this company survive and prosper. But at the
same time, most agree, perhaps its time the Tramiels and their entourage
moved on or, at least allowed the true professionals to get the job done.
They have shown little or nothing in the last five years that would
indicate a strong desire on their part to bring this company to greater
heights than ever before seen. Its been a constant procession of bungled
release dates, cancelled projects, huge losses, excuses, vendettas,
hirings and firings. Will they ever learn? Its doubtful, take a look at
the last fives years comparing each year month by month. They're almost
identical in happenstance except the models, features, updates and prices
change. The mode of operation does not and has not.
When the smoke finally clears, the most important facet for Atari is
to come away from these events and those in the future with a much
stronger image in the public eye. A progressive image which portrays a
real savvy of the future and how it can expertly be manipulated in Atari's
best interests. Atari's future is ever so dependent upon the PR and
Marketing efforts of the company. Nobody but nobody can do these things
for Atari, they must do it for themselves. They do not have the luxury of
an abundance of time to accomplish these things.
___________________________________________________
> NVN WANTS YOU! STR InfoFile Another Network Supports Atari!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
National Videotext Network (NVN) has recently added an Atari ST Forum
to it's growing lists of available services. The Atari ST Forum is ready
and waiting for you!
The future of NVN will be one which continues to remain sensitive and
responsive to market needs. Additional services and advances in electronic
information will continue to be added, to provide unique and interesting
services on an on-going basis.
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_____________________________________________________________
> STReport CONFIDENTIAL "Rumors Tidbits Predictions Observations Tips"
"""""""""""""""""""""
- Frankfurt, Germany ALWIN STUMPH NOW AT COMMODORE
------------------
Fact:
-----
The German weekly newsletter PC-Woche reports that the boss of
Commodore Germany, Helmut Jost, has left the company and will become a
member of the board of directors of ESCOM Computer AG, one of the biggest
German clone makers. ESCOM has some 150 stores all over Germany, two of
them in Karlsruhe. According to PC-Woche former Atari-Germany boss Alwin
Stumpf is going to be the new boss of Commodore Germany. Those of you who
have been following the discussions about Mr. Stumpf's leaving Atari at
the end of last year will certainly remember that Mr. Stumpf used to be
boss of Atari Germany from 1984 when he followed Jack Tramiel to Atari.
Rumor:
------
According to my sources Atari Germany has laid off about 5 of the
about 7 people who were working in the distribution dept. of Atari Germany
effective January 1, 1993.
Oliver
Further verification
--------------------
From....Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Subject: Re: CBM Germany
Message-ID: <10545@cbmger.de.so.commodore.com-
From: peterk@cbmger.de.so.commodore.com (Dr Peter Kittel Germany)
Date: 21 Jan 93 09:07:36 GMT
Reply-To: peterk@cbmger.de.so.commodore.com (Dr Peter Kittel Germany)
References: <1993Jan19.163009.29399@olymp.informatik.uni-bonn.de-
Organization: Commodore Germany
Lines: 57
-A friend of mine keeps having problems with the german branch of CBM.
-So do I. So does our local dealer...
Sorry for any inconvenience.
-A friend of mine got an A3000 (one of the last) last week from the local
-dealer. The dealer had this machine in stock for about 2 to 4 weeks.
-But the machine was definitly one of the oldest A3000 ever built -- it
-had no roms (at least no kickstart roms :), and booted 2.01 from harddisk
-As some applications do not run on 2.01 properly, and the < 2.04 KS/WB
-is known to be as stable as a bag of plutonium, I asked the dealer
-about an upgrade to at least 2.04. He said that an update from CBM
-will not be available as far as they know.
Little he knows. He can get so-called "master-disks" with exactly this
upgrade for old A3000's free from the Braunschweig Service branch. There
may be problems in the moment, as they move to a new building (a *much*
bigger one :-), though.
-Another friend of mine ordered an A3000. The dealer asked CBM Germany,
-and they said, they've got 12 machines still in stock, and confirmed the
-delivery.
In such cases, they should talk to their "Vertriebsleitung". I'm not
in that department.
-Another known problem are the hotline numbers. One has to dial more than
-twenty times to reach someone.
We had there two lines busy all day, but still much more people try to
reach C= directly. I always wonder why. When I have problems with my car,
I also don't call the manufacturer, but some service facility. And don't
tell me anything about their competence! Ok, hotline: The Brauschweig
enduser hotline is going to be closed. How this will be solved in future
is yet to be decided by our new management (Helmut Jost leaves, Alwin
Stumpf comes again after 8 years at At***), perhaps someone here in
Frankfurt will have to take over, let's see.
-Q2: Could anybody from CBM anywhere tell CBM germany about these
-registered user groups?
Sorry, what group(s) do you mean? You see, I'm not involved with this,
perhaps someone other here in Frankfurt knows more.
-Q3: Is Dr. P. Kittel unable to receive private mail? I tried his adress
-to get answers to these questions, and never got a reply, but the
-mail didn't bounce, either.
Hmm, until now my old-style bang path address in my .sig always
worked. No, I did never get email from you. Every mail I get, gets
answered. And I get much mail (so don't overuse this, PLEASE!)
--
Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel // E-Mail to \\ Only my personal
opinions...
Commodore Frankfurt, Germany \X/
{uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk
Wer's nicht kann, soll's bleiben klopfen oder Steine lassen!
____________________________________________________________________
> STR Mail Call "...a place for the readers to be heard"
"""""""""""""
STReport's MailBag
""""""""""""""""""
Messages * NOT EDITED * for content
-----------------------------------
From GEnie's ST RT
some good info about hard drive mechanisms
Category 4, Topic 1
Message 25 Sat Jan 23, 1993
T.DODGE at 02:50 EST
two more cents.
RLL drive encoding is at 26 sectors per track.
IDE drives are 16 bit, although there are a few 8 bit like the Seagate
351-X.
SCSI II standard allows for 56 devices. As for the data transfer rate I
am not sure that it is defined in the standard but to the limitations of
the electronics. I know that a 16 bit Ultrastor SCSI controller can do a
burst cycle at 33Mb/sec and a sustained 20Mb/sec, while many other
controllers hover around the 5-10Mb/sec range. Drives are plentiful at
the 10Mb/sec range and are going up.
The SCSI III interface allows for something neat, more than one computer
attached to one drive and a cable length in meters(I forgot how many, but
it is a considerable distance if you remember the 18" atari drive cable.)
There are a number of IDE low level formatting utilities currently
available. And while IDE drives usually only allow for a MASTER/SLAVE
(computer people are REALLY lonely) configuration, the makers of the
Summit 305 IDE tape drive attaches as the 3rd device, and it is a very
fast pc tape backup for around $300.
As for what drive to go with??? Stick to SCSI, by far the better choice
for the power user. The drive can always be used on another machine if
you ever decide that you need to move on/up, while IDE is limited outside
of the pc arena.
that's all
Tom Dodge
MegaComputers
About Shareware FEEs and their validity...
Category 18, Topic 19
Message 110 Fri Jan 22, 1993
J.EIDSVOOG1 [CodeHead] at 13:52 EST
Kent,
I guess the real "problem" is defining just what the "problem" is. My
definition of the "problem" we've been talking about is "something that
doesn't work for anyone". The Atari shareware market has this problem
(see note below). On the PC platform, as I mentioned before, there are
many shareware authors who are far more successful than CodeHead
Technologies. So obviously, shareware is working for many on the PC.
I would expect that there would be plenty of shareware authors for the PC
(or any other platform) for whom the concept is "not working". But the
same could be said of numerous retail software developers across all
platforms. There's no way that any method of distribution is going to be
successful for every single developer that tries it. I'm just trying to
say that if it works for a substantial number, then it's not a "problem".
NOTE: Some of you may be thinking that I'm contradicting myself, since
I've mentioned several times that shareware has given me exactly what I
expected. This would imply that it has "worked" for me. This all depends
on one's definition of "work". I would define it as "making money", since
that's what most people want. While it has given me what I "expected", it
hasn't given me what I "wanted". I would love to make a lot of money in
the shareware business -- I'm just realistic enough not to expect it in
the Atari shareware market.
John
P.S. It almost looks like I've painted myself into a corner. <grin>
------------
Category 18, Topic 19
Message 111 Fri Jan 22, 1993
D.A.BRUMLEVE [kidprgs] at 16:41 EST
I dunno about that, John -- there's a lot of room in that corner. In
fact, I believe you are suggesting that at least one reason shareware is
not profitable in the Atari market is that there aren't enough Atarians.
That's also been cited many times (by myself and others) as a reason
_commercial_ products may not sell by the thousands. Of course there are
no statistics, but would you take a wager that piracy in the commercial
market takes approximately the same percentage of "sales" as non- payment
does in the shareware market? Hmmm...There's a theory.
I think it's fairly well-established that the PC market is huge, even
when you discount all the legions who steal/borrow all of their software.
Yep, you are still left with a huge market of individuals who are willing
to pay for commercial and shareware offerings. If the same percentage of
non-payers exists among Atarians -- already a comparatively tiny market --
the size of the buying public is minute indeed.
------------
Category 18, Topic 19
Message 112 Fri Jan 22, 1993
J.EIDSVOOG1 [CodeHead] at 17:35 EST
Dorothy,
Yes, you are correct in your assumption. I did not make it clear, but I
am indeed suggesting that the overwhelming reason shareware is not
profitable in the Atari market is that there is such a small number of
Atarians left. Of course, the main ones who have control over this number
are those at Atari. A commitment on their part to try to sell computers
would go a long way towards solving a lot of problems for us all. (Oops,
gee I hope that didn't sound negative.)
John
------------
Category 18, Topic 19
Message 113 Fri Jan 22, 1993
D.A.BRUMLEVE [kidprgs] at 19:44 EST
I just finished my annual accounting marathon. Your phraseology looks
absolutely upbeat to me.
------------
Category 18, Topic 19
Message 114 Fri Jan 22, 1993
J.ALLEN27 [FAST TECH] at 20:35 EST
Time to wake up: SIZE OF MARKET, installed units:
PC.....50,000,000 units in NA.
Mac.....6,000,000 units in NA.
Amiga...2,000,000 units in NA
Atari.....100,000 units in NA.
So if'n a typical shareware author on the PC makes $20K or $30K in fees,
then the typical Mac author should make $3K or so, and the typical Amiga
author should make $1K, and the typical Atari author should make...FIFTY
DOLLARS!!
Like I said, all shareware is...REALISTICALLY NOW...is an "offering" just
as casually passed out as the music from a sidewalk musician with a hat
held out, and no one "sampling" the product is obligated to do anything
but pay what he/she chooses to pay, if the product gave them pleasure or
was useful to them, and they chose to make a payment...or drop a five'r in
the hat.
Shown in the light of the basic market size relationships, if an Atari SW
shareware author collects more than $50 in fees for a program, he/she is
doing average or better. I know that really stinks, but it is simply being
realistic...right?
If you have written some software, and wish to gain recompense for your
efforts, and the % response that shareware receives isn't good enough,
then publish and market the SW as a commercial product, OR don't publish
it at all, OR publish it shareware and be realistic about what to expect
in response.
I just don't see where the problem is?
------------
About the State of Atari.....
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 1 Sat Jan 23, 1993
M.HERZIG [BeebleBrox] at 21:02 EST
Here are some VERY personal thoughts about the _STATE OF ATARI_ and
computers and all.
Last night at my user's club meeting there was an attendance of six people
(no exception). I read about the (bad) _STATE OF ATARI_ in STReport (and
not so numerous other magazines) all the time. I got three ATARIS at home,
with two of them I experience some sort of trouble (hardware/software - I
don't know) - but I don't know of a place that could check what's wrong
with them, without driving out of state. All of that makes me think.
Again, this is personal. My experiences are biased. I am not a
knowledgeable business type. And I certainly don't have the latest
information.
I first got in touch with computers in 1983, when I got a job in a small
computer store somewhere in West Germany (small town). The C64 was just
starting to sell (at around 1000 marks a piece - just the console). At
that time typing commands into the keyboards to load programs and such was
common (right?). Everybody would have to know at least some computerese to
be able to do anything useful. Even people playing games exclusively, knew
stuff. In fact they knew more than anybody else. During the year I worked
in that store there developed some sort of 'underground'. New games and
other software would come out, employing the newest software protection
schemes only to be cracked by some hacker a week later. It was more like a
sport and a challenge. Could you imagine that all that 'illegal' activity
sold many computers? (at that time software copyright laws were still
being worked out over there). And would you believe me that eventually
many of those that started out with a C64 and some illegal copies went out
to BUY software? To crack some of those copy protection schemes is a
challenge, those people are great programmers (...did I hear virus?). If
you have heard about some smaller German software companies (no names,
please) you know where many of these excellent programmers and hackers
ended up. The point here: The lines between programmers ('producers')
and consumers ('users') were blurred. The role of a computer was not yet
clearly defined. (A little side story: Just recently a person from my
user's group asked me if I sold any of the software that I wrote. No, I
program as a hobby, it's very creative, it's fun. He wouldn't understand.
Either you're a producer or a user! How about produser?)
Into that exploding home computer market came the ATARI ST. Just at the
right time. There was also the AMIGA. And the SINCLAIR QL, a little later
the ACORN Archimedes. Damn, those were (at least) four VERY distinct
computer platforms to choose from. Of course there were early Macs (very
expensive).
Needless to say, that at the time when each of these machines came out
there was very little software available. Every early ATARI ST buyer will
probably remember the never released GEM Write. All you got in Germany was
ST Logo. A little later ST Basic. Looking at old magazines shows that a
year later the avalanche of software had started. About half of the
available software were programming languages and utilities (over there,
at least).
I don't even know exactly when ATARI started selling stock. However, it
seems up to that moment, its only stockholders were those who bought their
hardware. Going with their claim of their main goal being to 'make money
for their stockholders' ST users were in good shape, then. Thinking about
those early years, I can't get rid of seeing in ATARI a small, fast David
running against the giant but slow Goliath.
Who's to blame? With me not being an economist, the following is probably
pointless, but... Doesn't the economy seem like a 'chaotic' system. It
seems to have a life on its own and not care much about what WE want or
need. Anyone who claims to be able to control that complex system can't be
telling the truth (there are always some random factors in it, that are
NOT considered).
The people who make AMIGAs seem to be in trouble, too. The british company
Sinclair...they are out of business since a while. I haven't heard about
ACORN. All these Davids have disappeared, although many of their products
were (and are) far superior to what the Goliaths have to offer. ATARI
never came out with their Transputer (oh, did I want one of these). And
frankly, the Goliaths seem to suffer, too. Only they have more fat on
their bones. Honestly, though: The computing power of the stuff I have at
home probably surpasses that which has been used in NASA's Apollo program.
Yet, all I do with it is write dumb letters and play stupid games (ok,ok).
I have to admit it's more convenient now, than ever before. But think:
Where is it supposed to go? Yeah, we will dictate our letters not to far
from now. Yes, we'll have Virtual Reality games and productivity
software...
But are we being creative with it? There are the Producers on one side and
the Users on the other. The line is clearly defined! Nothing is blurred
anymore. There is not much room for imagination. It somehow reminds of
the comparison between reading Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and then seeing
the movie. The movie killed the book.
Obviously, ATARI thought about a new type of hardware, before they came
out with the FALCON. I won't buy one for once - it's too much of the same,
and the additions are too much of what I don't need. But there are many
other people who'll get one (if they ever can). One difference to the time
when the first ST rolled out: That was compatible _ONLY_ to itself. Is it
possible that they tried to create their own standard and are now going
down with it? Why are people so hesitant to work with anything else than
Lotus or Word Perfect? If this goes on we'll have only two (rather
standardized platforms left).
They (or somebody else) need to come up with something _NEW_! And not to
make money for stockholders but to further advance civilization. (ATARI
should have hired Star Trek's Gene Roddenberry to throw ideas at them.) Of
course the mass market is not ready for that. It's at a standstill. With
all that computer power it looks as if people suck applications for
digital sound, billions of colors and so on out of their fingers. We are
at a point that reminds me of the MIDI environment: In addition to home
recording, MIDI enabled a lot of _UNTALENTED_ people (sorry) to record
mediocre albums and CDs. Flooding the market, drowning. No way to stand
out, but to have a bunch of $$$ to be put into advertising. Do we need a
Co-op? A group of people, making suggestions, developing the stuff in
cooperation?
I am running out of ideas and time, but I feel this needs to be looked
upon with a much bigger perspective.
------------
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 2 Sun Jan 24, 1993
S.DANUSER [Soul Manager] at 04:11 EST
M.HERZIG - You raise many interesting points. With the mass acceptance of
computers, the "average user" has changed dramatically. When the first big
home computer wave hit the States in '82-'83, consumers were bamboozled
into thinking they _needed_ a computer to succeed in the modern world,
but, as you pointed out, with the technology level of the time, users
needed to be hackers to do anything productive with and Atari 800 or
Commodore 64 (other than using it as a game console or door stop, that
is). Neither the hardware nor the software had reached a level that made
the computer a tool that was usable by the average consumer.
When the Mac, ST, and Amiga hit the market, things started to change. We
began to see software use an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that made
complex tasks seem easy. With the advent of Windows (really, the program
that not only saved the clone market, but catapulted it into the
stratosphere), software is getting closer to the point where the user
needs to know very little about the hardware to make it useful. And this
fact has changed the type of person that uses computers.
The systems that people shelled out thousands for ten years ago are, for
the most part, gathering dust somewhere, because people didn't want to
learn enough of the technical aspects of the machine to make it useful to
them. Those that still use those old computers are mostly hackers, who
know how to squeeze the blood from techno-turnips, or those who used the
computer for one or two tasks for which the hardware is still suited (my
dad, for instance, still uses the old 130XE I sold him to write letters
and maintain his recipes).
The average user today probably only knows the basics of their computer
system. They know it runs Windows, Word, and Lotus, and how much RAM they
have, but they have know idea who makes their motherboard or what brand of
BIOS they're using or what the horizontal scan frequency of their monitor
is. But regardless, these $1000 clones are getting a _lot_ more use out
of them than most Atari 800's ever did.
Few write their own programs; it's just easier to buy a commercial package
or (if you're more technically inclined) look for a shareware program. I
used to write lots of little programs for my 800, but I've written
scarcely a line of code for my ST. The need (or maybe it's the ambition)
just isn't there.
Anyone else have some opinions on this? I'm tired.
Soul Manager
------------
Category 18, Topic 2
Message 3 Sun Jan 24, 1993
T.EVANS21 [<Ted E.>] at 08:37 EST
Soul Manager & Beeblebrox:
So, what's the point? Atari is about to join the Sinclairs and the
Acorns, and all the others who could not compete.. I hate to say it but we
are all are using and supporting a dinosaur..
Don't get me wrong, I love my Atari and will keep until I'm forced to move
on, which so many of us are doing lately..
Market strategies from Atari?? Are you kidding?? They have never had any.
PERIOD!! Look at the Falcon debacle now, if you want to see history
repeating it's self, over & over.. S.O.S. Nothing changes from these
guys..
I had a college graduation party for my twin sons, here in my home, and
over 100 kids attended.. Not one had ever heard, or saw an Atari computer
until they saw mine sitting here... That's good old Atari marketing at
it's finest, fellas...
I will always wonder what if?? What if Jack T. had not bought Atari in
'84!! What if Ted Turner had bought it instead, or anyone else for that
matter...... See what I mean??
As far as the state of computers in general.. There have been many major
advances in hardware, but the software has made quantum leaps. Remember
some of those early applications?? Ugghhh!! I believe that software
sells computers..
Later guys,
<-:}Ted{:-> Sunday, January 24, 1993 - 8:15:36 am
------------
From CIS .... more about NAMM'93
#: 36465 S5/Music/MIDI
22-Jan-93 19:25:59
Sb: NAMM tidbits
Fm: Sysop*Brad Hill 75720,540
To: All
After a week of reading hundreds of reports from NAMM posted in the
MIDI Forum (GO MIDIFORUM), I thought I'd summarize a few of the more
interesting items, for the benefit of those who haven't been wading
through the reports. Interesting to me, that is; these are just the
products which caught my eye enough for me to make note of them.
The MIDI Forum did a great job of reporting from the NAMM floor. I
almost felt like I was there, but didn't have to deal with sore feet. Many
thanks to everyone there for keeping us up to the minute.
~~~~~~
MIDIScan (Musitek) -- Forging ahead with optical character
recognition for musical notation, this system scans a sheet of music,
converts the data to Musical Notation Optical Translation, which can then
be converted to a MIDI file and played through a sequencer. The MNOT is
displayed on a split screen along with the scanned image, with editing
tools provided for corrections.
Omega II (Dr. T's) -- Deep sequencing for the Falcon, ST, STe.
SmpteTrack Platinum (Barefoot) -- Stefan Daystrom's high-end
sequencing environment, supported very strongly right here.
Vintage Keys (E-Mu) -- New keyboard, sample playback, featuring
classic analog and early digital timbres. BTW, E-Mu has been bought by
Creative Technology (they make the Soundblaster).
dataSYNC Plus (JL Cooper) -- generates MIDI Time Code from the "sync
out" of the Alesis ADAT. This is a great ADAT peripheral which plugs into
the 9-pin port on the back of the ADAT. It _also_ converts ADAT transport
functions into MIDI Machine Control messages.
QY-20 (Yamaha) -- Successor to the popular and
ever-so-fun-yet-frustrating QY-10, the traveling musician's friend. The
user interface is enhanced with a surprising 128 x 64 LCD (surprising
since the whole unit is no larger than before). 600 preset patterns!
PlusOne (Korg) -- A ROM upgrade for the M-1. New samples: World
percussion, flute, violin, distortion guitar, organs, EPs. 4 megs worth.
I'm not sure what the differences are between this product and the
T-series ROM upgrade which has been offered for quite some time.
Toolbox (Third Coast Labs) -- A one-space rack swiss army knife
containing widely-spaced power outlets, surge suppression, metronome,
tuner, and many other useful things.
-- Brad
From Delphi's Atari areas....
Use the Atari as long as it does the job..........
47335 23-JAN 19:59 General Information
IBM
From: BURNISH To: ATARIO (NR)
You say that any standard ST has features, speed, and available
programs comparable to AutoCad, 1-2-3, and Professional File on a
286-12 with math co-processor and VGA monitor. You say "so what's
the problem with making a living with the ST?". Let's see:
1. I mentioned previously that if Atari offered a decent CAD
monitor for use with a stock ST then I might reconsider my opinion
on professional CAD use on the ST. For my needs, 640 x 200 color
and 640 x 400 monochrome are not suitable. I need to be able to
simultaneously view and evaluate the geometric relationships of
work pieces, workholding fixtures, cutting tools, raw material versus
finished part profiles, machine spindles, and, perhaps, dimensioning
information. I need to be able to legibly view various combinations
of these features superimposed on top of each other. The only
satisfactory method I have found is to have them each drawn with a
different color, which can be turned on or off as desired. On a
complex drawing, monochrome results in an undecipherable mess. The
Atari color monitor does not have adequate resolution for my kind of
work (I might need, for example, to see if one arc is tangent to
another - a gap of one thousandth of an inch would be unacceptable.
This is not easy at 640 x 200!). I'm not asking for the world - as
I said previously, 640 x 400 with eight colors will get me by very
nicely. Do you know of something suitable that I don't?
As for CAD software for the ST, I can't claim to have tried them
all, but I did try several in the early years. First Cadd was
strictly for beginners, as was Athena. Drafix, as I mentioned
before, had plenty of power for most things, but no ability to
export drawings in a format compatible with the software that I am
required to use at work. Even the $50,000 Cim Link CAD/CAM software
I use professionally on a Unix workstation will import DXF (AutoCad)
files. The people who designed this software realized that DXF
import/export capability was desired by their customers. There are
excellent,powerful, user-friendly CAD packages in the DOS world,
with DXF capability, that cost under $150. As I said, I did
download and try the DynaCadd demo. I printed out the very thorough
on-line documentation file and gave the software a good workout.
The program is very powerful, but on a 14" screen (my SM-147) the
icons and other controls take too much screen space away from the
drawing. DynaCadd will export DXF files, but compatibility is a
relative thing - I have seen some really strange things in the past
when trying to import DXF files created by various CAD packages. I
don't have $600 to risk. Additionally, I was not impressed with the
speed (try complex crosshatching, for instance). My "local" dealer
(Sheldon Winick, Computer Studio, Asheville, NC, 2 hour drive) is
also a professional architect. He uses DynaCadd successfully, but
on a TT with 19" monitor. He apparently can get by in architecture
with monochrome. He told me not to use anything slower than 16mhz
if I wanted to run DynaCadd. Since that would still leave me with
the monitor problem, I think I'll pass.
2. Spreadsheet programs for the ST are also worth a few comments.
When I bought my ST in January 1986, VIP Professional was a
highly-touted product which claimed 1-2-3 compatibility and "blazing
speed". I spent a hundred and fifty bucks to find out that it
was incredibly slow and a memory hog. Loading VIP left my 512k
machine with only 80k available for a spreadsheet! Scrolling and
recalculation were painful to watch. It was so bad that I bought
PC-Ditto and ran it with 1-2-3. This combination (remember, we're
talking SOFTWARE emulation) was as fast as VIP Professional on the
ST! VIP was so bad that an issue of Atari Explorer reported that a
stock IBM PC with 256k and 1-2-3 was twice as fast and handled a 15%
larger spreadsheet than a 1040 ST running VIP. Later on, a GEM
version of VIP showed up, and I paid for the upgrade. It was
slightly faster, but the number of cells displayed was reduced by
the GEM interface and, check this, it left me 12k free for a
spreadsheet! It wouldn't even load the home budget template
furnished on the disk. LDW Power might be capable and fast - I'm
not really interested in spending yet another hundred bucks to find
out when I KNOW that 1-2-3 works (and if you spend an afternoon with
it, the interface proves to be very easy to use, in my opinion).
3. As for databases, again, I am not truly current with what is out
for the ST. I do know that I spent seventy precious dollars on
H & D Base back in 1986. Best documentation around, but my God, a
stark command-line interface and yet another programming language to
learn (but not fully compatible with Dbase II - some of the syntax
had to be changed to accommodate the Forth language used to create
the program). Bombs would appear at the slightest provocation, and
by the time a more stable version appeared, Mirage, along with
authors Holmes and Duckworth, had folded. I bought Base Two, but it
had no boolean search capabilities, making it useless for any
serious work. DBMan requires extensive programming and, according to
Ian Chadwick (whose opinion I respect enormously), is an unpolished,
slow, and cranky product. I probably should have tried Data Manager
ST or Superbase, but who has the money after all the other empty
promises? I hate to have to say it, but PFS Professional File has
all the power I need, is easy to learn and use, and Version 1 worked
as-advertised right out of the box - I haven't found a bug in seven
years of use.
I'm perfectly happy using my ST at home, and I don't really plan to
replace it with a 486. I don't think much of the capabilities of
the GEM desktop, but products like MaxiFile and Hotwire give me
excellent control over my hard drive, and are at least as good as
anything I have seen on other platforms. I like Stalker, though I
understand that it doesn't work well for everyone. My favorite word
processor is Regent Word II (does everything I need to do, costs
$15.00 from E. Arthur Brown). I have bought over three thousand
dollars worth of ST software through the years, and I intend to get
a lot more use out of it. Given that I am not in business for
myself, however, I would be very reluctant to try to make a living
with it. I would be wasting my time (again, in my field) trying to
create engineering data that wasn't compatible with the DOS world.
I enjoy these discussions - keep them coming.
Mike
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STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
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> A "Quotable Quote" "... CHEAP DIDN'T SELL ...."
"""""""""""""""""
"TO CHARGE THE LOYAL USERS FOR...
OR
NOT TO CHARGE THE LOYAL USERS FOR....
MULTI-TOS!"
.....Jimmy Lowhat
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> ABCO SPECIALS! STR InfoFile * NEW PRICES!! MORE Products! *
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ----------------------------
** EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY! **
NOTICE: ABCO will BEAT OR MATCH * ANY *
Advertised or Invoiced price * WE WILL NOT BE UNDERSOLD!
ABCO COMPUTER CONSULTANTS
=========================
P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32236-6672
Est. 1985
_________________________________________
Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EDT
BBS: 904-786-4176 12-24-96 HST
FAX: 904-783-3319 12 PM - 6 AM EDT
_________________________________________
HARD DISK SYSTEMS & DESIGNS TO FIT EVERY BUDGET
_________________________________________
All systems are complete and ready to use, included at NO EXTRA COST
are clock/calendar and cooling blower(s).
*-ALL ABCO HARD DISK SYSTEMS ARE FULLY EXPANDABLE-*
(you are NOT limited to two drives)
- Available for all Platforms -
-* ICD LINK & ADSCSI PLUS HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY *-
WE PAY SHIPPING & INSURANCE!!! >UPS!<
(Prepaid Orders - Cont. USA)
*_*_*_*
*** NEW!!! ULTRA MODERN "SUPER STYLE" ABCOFILE CASE ***
DELUXE 2 bay Cabinet W/65w Auto PS & Blower $119.00
<<<Coming Soon! ABCO Mini-Tower>>>
Case & ICD LINK or ADSCSI PLUS Host [Hard Disk Ready] $259.95
-STAND ALONE PRODUCTS-
Model Description Autopark Price
==================================================
SGN4951 51Mb Y CALL!
SQN1096 85mb Y CALL!
SQN2055 130mb Y CALL!
SQN1296 213mb Y CALL!
SQN4055 340mb Y CALL!
==================================================
Standard "Shoebox Cabinet style is also available
Call for pricing applicable to IBM - MAC - AMIGA
IDE - SCSI - ESDI
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!!
IDEAL FOR USE IN: IBM - MAC - AMIGA!
FULLY ASSEMBLED SCSI DRIVES w/o ICD LINK Available
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 <<
MAC PRODUCTS - AMIGA PRODUCTS - PC PRODUCTS
Call for ABCO's * HIGHLY COMPETITIVE PRICING! *
ABCO COMPUTER SYSTEMS * STILL THE BEST VALUE!
*****
If you don't see what you want listed here, call us.
Odds are, we either have it or, can get it for you!
* GUARANTEED * AT THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICE! *
"WE SERVICE WHAT WE SELL"
****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******
* SYQUEST 44MB (#555) >> ABCOFILE "44" & "88" *
* REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES *
--->> LIMITED TIME SPECIAL! NOW ONLY 44MB $ CALL! <<---
SCSI port READY 88MB $ CALL!
with
ICD Link add 80.00
COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AND READY TO RUN!
ONE Cart Included!
44mb CARTS: $ 69.50
88mb CARTS: $ 109.50
44mb MECH ONLY: $ 319.95
88mb MECH ONLY: $ 419.95
****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******
* TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
SPECIALLY PRICED ** $ CALL! **
Includes: * TWO * cartridges!
* SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
- Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
** 50mb SQG51S $ CALL! 105mb SQG105S $ CALL! **
Or, YOUR choice of Hard Disk Mechanism!
LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS
CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE
Listed above are a sampling of the systems available.
Prices also reflect various cabinet/power supply configurations
(over sixty configurations are available, flexibility is unlimited)
* IBM/MSDOS - AMIGA - ATARI - APPLE/MACINTOSH *
ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> SUPERCHARGER - AT/PC SPEED - GCR
LARGER units are available - (Custom Configurations)
*** --> COMPLETE IBM CLONE SYSTEMS AVAILABLE! <-- ***
GEMULATOR AVAILABLE! RUN ATARI SOFTWARE ON A CLONE!
CUSTOM BUILT TO YOUR SPECS!
CALL FOR PRICING & AVAILABILITY
386/486 25 MHZ - 33Mhz - 50Mhz - 66Mhz
From $839.95
*>> NO REPACKS OR REFURBS USED! <<*
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-$187.95 *
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.
ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED
Now Available
BUSINESSES, - LEASE TO OWN WITH AT&T -
Prices subject to change without Notice
15% Restocking Fee
-* 12 month FULL Guarantee *-
(A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)
WE PAY SHIPPING & INSURANCE! >UPS!<
(Prepaid Orders - Cont. USA)
QUANTITY & USERGROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!
_________________________________________
DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!
please, call for details
COD, Personal and Company Checks accepted.
ORDER YOUR NEW UNIT TODAY!
CALL: 1-904-783-3319
Customer Orders & Service
9am - 8pm EDT
TUES thru SAT
ABCO is EXPANDING!! CALL FOR INFORMATION!
SEND FOR YOUR NEW ABCO CATALOG TODAY!
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STReport International Online Magazine
-* [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport *-
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STR Online! "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" January 29, 1993
Since 1987 copyright (c) 1987-92 All Rights Reserved No.9.05
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
the editors/staff of STReport International Online Magazine. Permission
to reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Reprints
must, without exception, include the name of the publication, date, issue
number and the author's name . STReport and/or portions therein may not
be edited in any way without prior written permission. STReport, at the
time of publication, is believed reasonably accurate. STReport, its staff
and contributors are not and cannot be held responsible for the use or
misuse of information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom.
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