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Silicon Times Report Issue 0933
SILICON TIMES REPORT
====================
INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
=============================
from
STR Electronic Publishing
August 13, 1993 No. 9.33
=========================================================================
Silicon Times Report
International Online Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
R.F. Mariano
Publisher - Editor
-----------------------------------------
Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EST
STR Publishing Support BBS Network System
* THE BOUNTY BBS *
FIDO 1:112/35 ~ FNET 350 ~ Nest 90:21/350.0
904-786-4176 USR/HST 24hrs - 7 days
2400 - 38.4 bps V.32 - 42 bis 16.8 Dual Standard
FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EST
-----------------------------------------
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FNET. 620 : Leif's World <Home of STR>...1-904-573-0734
FNET.. 18 : ///Turbo Board BBS Support...1-416-274-1225
FNET. 690 : PASTE BBS....................1-206-284-8493
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FNET. 489 : Steal Your Face BBS..........1-908-920-7981
_____________________________________________________________________
> 08/13/93 STR 933 "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
""""""""""""""""
- The Editor's Desk - CPU Report - PORTFOLIO NEWS
- OPENDOC WPERFECT - DISCOUNT NOTICE - ATARI UNITED
- PEOPLE TALKING - NOVA CARD INFO - MOTIVE I & II
- ATARI GERMANY OK? - NVN OFFER! - STR Confidential
-* '486 66MHZ UNIT FOR UNDER $1,000! *-
-* POSSIBLE IAAD CHARGES COVERUP? *-
-* MOTOROLA & MICROSOFT PACT RUMORED? *-
=========================================================================
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
=========================================================================
STReport's BBS, The Bounty, invites BBS systems, worldwide, to participate
in the Fido/PROWL/ITC/USENET/NEST/F-Net Mail Networks. You may also Phone
The Bounty BBS direct @ 904-786-4176. Enjoy the wonder and excitement of
exchanging all types of information relative to computers, worldwide,
through the use of excellent International Networking Systems. SysOps,
worldwide, are welcome to join the STReport International Conferences. The
Fido Node is 1:112/35, ITC Node is 85:881/253 Crossnet Code is #34813, and
the "Lead Node" is #620. All platform's BBS systems are welcome and
invited to participate. Support your favorite computer Today!
=========================================================================
CIS ~ DELPHI ~ BIX ~ NVN ~ FIDO ~ PROWL ~ ITC ~ NEST ~ EURONET
USENET ~ CIX ~ CLEVELAND FREE-NET ~ INTERNET ~ FNET ~ GEnie
=========================================================================
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 (AUGUST 13)
ATARI IN THE NEWS
This is a GREAT TIME for Atari-related announcements. First, the alliance
between ATari and IBM for the new Jaguar, and now Gribnif Software
announces GENEVA, their new multi-tasking environment. See the GENEVA
press releases in LIB 15 of the Atari Arts Forum (GO ATARIARTS) or go to
the Gribnif section/library in the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN) for
additional info.
NEW JAGUAR AREA IN ATARI 8-BIT FORUM
With the announcement from Sunnyvale on the new JAGUAR Multimedia
Entertainment System, we've added a Message Section and Library to the
ATARI8 Forum. We invite you to join us in sharing news and views of what
promises to be an exciting machine. GO ATARI8 for Section 15 [Jaguar].
TWENTY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FALCON ... ANSWERED BY ATARI CORP.
Download file 20Q_01.TXT from LIBRARY 15 of the Atari Arts Forum (GO
ATARIARTS) for the first 20 QUESTIONS file of questions submitted by the
members to Atari Corp and answered by Bob Brodie, James Grunke and Bill
Rehbock.
AGITATION PUZZLE GAME
Download file AGIT.ZIP from LIBRARY 2 of the Atari Arts Forum (GO
ATARIARTS) for Agitation. Agitation is easy to learn, tough to solve. This
is the most indescribably difficult, infuriatingly impossible program you
could choose to run!
* create custom puzzles
* upload and share
* point and click puzzle solving
* multiple cheat, peek and help modes
* watch the computer solve puzzles
* custom graphics and dialogs
* check out the other puzzles here online! mono freeware
B/STAT VERSION 2.46 NOW AVAILABLE
Download file BSTAT4.LZH from LIBRARY 5 of the Atari Productivity Forum (GO
ATARIPRO) for version 2.46 of B/STAT. B/STAT is a shareware statistical
analysis and business graphics program. It requires a 1 megabyte machine
and double sided drive at a minimum. B/STAT makes use of GDOS or SPEEDO
GDOS if installed but requires neither. This is version 2.46 of B/STAT and
offers some improvements in graphing over earlier versions. B/STAT may be
registered online by GOing SWREG and selecting ID # 263.
OREGON RESEARCH JOINS ATARIVEN!
Message Section 12 and Library 12 have been established for online support
of Oregon Research's products. Please read OREGON.TXT in Library 12 of the
Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN) for an overview of the company. Also, be
sure to check out the other files in the Library for in-depth information
on their entire product line.
NEW SOFTLOGIK DEMO IN ATARIVEN
Download file FLAGS.LZH from LIBRARY 11 of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO
ATARIVEN) for Sample EPS (Adobe Illustrator) files of the new Flags of the
World clipart collection now being sold by Soft-Logik Publishing. The
archive contains four flags.
THE PORTFOLIO FORUM ON COMPUSERVE
HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AN
OFFICIAL SUPPORT SITE BY ATARI CORPORATION
"GO APORTFOLIO TO ACCESS THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM"
"ENJOY CIS' ATARI FORUMS WHERE CENSORSHIP IS A DIRTY WORD!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> From the Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""
Here we are in another week closer to mid August.... The time of the
year that's ever so famous for big changes at many computer companies.
Seems it occurs at this time of the year to allow for things to settle down
in time for the big fall show COMDEX. A rather disturbing rumor came in
from Europe.... seems Atari Europe, in particular Germany has their annual
lease still unpaid for over a month. In addition all but one magazine in
Germany that covers the Atari platform is left. "By all rightful reason,
the salvation of Atari the Falcon, has missed its mark terribly." an
interested observer was recently overheard saying.
In any case for those of you who are satisfied with your computer
system of choice, by all means continue to use them as long as they provide
the benefits they were originally purchased to provide.
The IAAD/Lexicor thing is apparently about to become ugly. It seems
there are a number of rumors circulating of further information releases
and of discovery lawsuits being initiated. In our opinion, the whole IAAD
affair should have and could have been totally avoided. Its a shame
certain egos simply _had_ to be massaged. Shame on them all.
Ralph.....
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
** STReport **
NOW AVAILABLE FOR
ELECTRONIC HOME DELIVERY
DIRECT TO YOUR (E-)MAIL BOX
STReport will be E-Mailed to any GEnie subscriber who requests it as an
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E-Mail utilizes the very same transfer protocols as the GEnie RT Libraries,
so there is little or no difference between downloading from a Library and
downloading an attached file (also called F-Mail).
To request STReport be E-Mailed to you, send subscription request in
E-Mail to J.MIRANDO1 requesting such and you will be put on our "paper
route" beginning with the next issue. Each issue will be uploaded by
Saturday evening and will be available to you immediately. It simply
appears in your E-Mail queue!
Wait no more for the REAL news and FULL information from the wonderful and
sometimes wacky world of computing...
Ask for your STReport deliveries to begin today!
*** 343 SUBSCRIBERS AND GROWING! ***
STReport's Staff DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU!
""""""""""""""""
Publisher - Editor
""""""""""""""""""
Ralph F. Mariano
PC DIVISION AMIGA DIVISION MAC DIVISION
----------- -------------- ------------
Roger D. Stevens Robert Glover R. ALBRITTON
Lloyd E. Pulley, Editor Emeritus
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
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
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ITC NET...................... 85:881/253
NEST........................ 90:21/350.0
GEnie......................... ST-REPORT
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> CPU STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
"""""""""""""""""
Computer Products Update - CPU Report
------------------------ ----------
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Issue #33
By: John Deegan
MICROSOFT-MOTOROLA PACT RUMORED - Microsoft Corp. isn't confirming
such a pact has been reached, but officials term as reasonable reports
of a deal under which Motorola Inc. would buy the rights to use Micro-
soft's Windows NT operating system. Motorola officials also declined to
comment on the report, saying only its PowerPC project was on schedule.
LIGHTNING COMPUTERS PROMISES '486 66MHZ UNIT FOR UNDER $1,000 -
Lightning Computers is offering a new 66MHz system with an IBM-made
motherboard and CPU, 170MB drive and SVGA card and monitor for $999 with
the trade-in of any working '286, '386, Macintosh or Amiga system.
Company President Richard McCabe said the Lightning Omniflex 486/66
also includes 16K internal cache and math coprocessor (25.811 MIPS), a
low-power consumption "green" motherboard manufactured by IBM, seven ISA
bus slots and 2MB of RAM, expandable to 16MB.
The company can be reached at 800/347-4486.
OKIDATA UNVEILS PRINTER - Okidata has introduced the OL400e, its new
compact, full- featured LED/laser-class page printer.
With a suggested list price of $699, the 4-pages-per-minute OL400e is
designed for use specifically by individual PC users. The printer has a
footprint measuring only 1.25 square feet. The OL400e offers a 4 pages
per minute print speed and a 32-bit RISC processor running at 16MHz. Its
300 dots-per-inch resolution, coupled with a new microfine toner, is
designed to produce crisp output of text and graphics.
DCA READIES NEW MACINTOSH TO MAINFRAME PRODUCT - Digital Communica-
tions Associates (DCA) will begin shipping its new Macintosh connect-
ivity products in a few weeks. MacMainFrame 3270 and MacMainFrame 3270
Gateway are the first Avatar-inspired software products to be released
since DCA acquired Avatar Technologies Corp. last December.
MacMainframe 3270 will retail at $425 while the MacMainFrame Gateway
software will sell for $2495.
NeXTStep SALES EXCEED EXPECTATIONS - NeXT Computer Inc. and its
master distributor Ingram Micro announce NEXTSTEP, NeXT's objectoriented
software, has greatly exceeded both companies' sales expectations.
Ingram Micro is a master distributor of NEXTSTEP, fulfilling demand
from VARs and resellers in North America.
NEXTSTEP Release 3.1 for Intel processors is NeXT's object-oriented
software that runs on industry-standard Intel 486- and Pentium-based
PCs. NEXTSTEP Developer provides visual application construction tools
and reusable application objects for the development of NEXTSTEP
applications. NEXTSTEP has received customer and industry accolades for
dramatically speeding the development of custom applications.
VIRGIN AIRLINES TO INSTALL INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS - Virgin Atlantic
Airlines has placed a $19 million order with Hughes Aircraft Co. for an
interactive in-seat entertainment and communications system.
The Hughes-Avicom system, which features high-resolution video
screens located in consoles or seatback on the aircraft, has been
installed in the first-class areas of Northwest Airlines, Swissair and
China Air, but the Virgin order represents the first time it will be in
every seat of a plane.
The system allows passengers to choose from services including on-
board duty free and mail-order shopping, Super Nintendo video games, 20
channels of stereo audio entertainment and 15 channels of movies and
other video entertainment such as music videos, sports, documentaries,
destination city information and flight information.
PC'S TESTED FOR SPACE TRAVEL - The effects of zero gravity on the
ability to use PCs in space are being determined through a collaborative
testing venture between PC World magazine's Test Center and the National
Aeronautic and Space Agency (NASA).
NASA will use the results of the specially-designed tests to evaluate
and recommend various PC models for future use in space.
Customized PC testing software, developed by PC World's Test Center
in San Francisco, will be used by NASA personnel at the Lyndon B.
Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas to measure the ability of PC
users to use both internal and external pointing devices during zero-
gravity space flight. Tests are to be performed this week during three
zero-gravity simulated space flights on board NASA's specially-equipped
McDonnell Douglas KC-135 airplane, which NASA uses to test computer and
electronic equipment and products for space travel.
NASA and PC World Test Center personnel will analyze data as users on
board the KC-135 put an IBM Thinkpad Notebook with an internal pointing
device through its paces. Use of the Thinkpad with a Microsoft "clip-on
mouse" will also be studied.
"When astronauts conduct scientific research in space, it's essential
that the PCs they depend on are functional, easy-to-use, and problem-
free," says Greg Smith, director of the PC World Test Center. "Using
test software is the best way for NASA to ensure that products work best
under zero-gravity conditions."
The PC World/NASA collaboration came about after representatives from
the Lockheed Engineering and Science Company, a NASA contractor, read
about PC usability tests that the PC World Test Center had recently
performed on board a simulated airplane flight at the American Airlines
Test Center outside Dallas, Texas.
TEXAN ARRESTED ON PORN CHARGE - Police alleged an Abilene, Texas, man
they have arrested is a key figure in an reputed nationwide computer
pornography ring.
Lodged in the Lubbock County Jail, 30-year-old Terry Kimbrough is
charged with eight counts of sexual exploitation and interstate
transportation of obscene material.
U.S. Customs officers said that Kimbrough was involved in a national
child pornography ring called "the Kiddie Pornography Computer Bulletin
Board."
Last March, customs agents served 30 warrants in 15 states across the
U.S., targeting alleged child pornographers who were using computers to
transmit and receive material.
______________________________________________________
> ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
=====================
On CompuServe
-------------
compiled by Joe Mirando
Hidi ho good neighbors and neighborettes! Let's get right to all of
the news and helpful hints available from the good folks on CompuServe...
there's always lots of interesting "STuff", so let's see what's out
there...
From the Atari Productivity Forum
=================================
Michael Vacca posts:
"I have been using Compuserve with my IBM clone and the Compuserve
Information Manager for Windows. Is there any software similar for use on
my Atari
520ST?"
Mike Mortilla tells Mike Vacca:
"Check out Quick CIS (QCIS). The program has it's own section here, too."
Sysop Brad Hill tells Mike:
"There is no version of CIM for the Atari platform. Many Atarians use
Jim Ness's QuickCIS, which can be downloaded from the library of this
forum. It's a highly automated message retrieval and posting program which
enables you to read and reply to forum messages and Email offline. It is
not as powerful an interactive navigator as CIM, but it's more automated
for regular forum activities, and saves a bundle of money.
The program is supported by Jim Ness in section 14 of this forum. If
you have any other questions about how it works, or how to get it, just
ask! You may also know that the current issue of CompuServe Magazine
devotes its cover article to a review of various navigation programs for
different platforms."
I can vouch for this, folks, QuickCIS is a great way speed up all of your
on-line processes... if you don't already have it, check it out!
Mary Keegan asks:
"Can you please tell me the program I need to explode the Arc Files
I have downloaded. I have tried everything, but the correct procedure."
Good old Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Magazine tells Mary:
"Download the file ARCLZH.TOS or it maybe ARCLZH.PRG. It has the program
to explode ARC files."
Shawn Laughlin tells Mary:
"If I remember correctly, you can download ARC_LZH.TOS for FREE in the
PRACTICE forum (GO PRACTICE). The nice folks over there will point you to
the proper library."
Sysop Keith Joins jumps in and tells Mary:
"The various compression utilities aren't available in the Practice forum
or the Help forum. The only thing they have is a file that gives the names
and locations of these utilities for each computer type."
David Hagood asks:
"Does anyone know if MultiTOS is shipping YET? I ordered it via CIS about a
month and a half ago with the assurances that "Yes, its shipping now, if
you order on Monday it will get there by Friday." My mistake; I didn't ask
which Friday!"
Sysop Bob Retelle tells David:
"A friend of mine who works at an Atari dealer here in Michigan has said
that they've had MultiTOS in their store for some time now.
(He's also the one who discovered a virus on one of the SpeedoGDOS disks)
I don't know what to tell you about your order though.. have you called
Atari Customer Service..?"
Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Magazine tells David:
"The best thing is to call Atari voice to find out what happened.
(408)-745-2000. Multi-TOS and Atari Works are shipping ... dealers should
be able to get it through Pacific Software."
Chris Gray interjects:
"...Multitos was on the hard disc of my Falcon when I got it a couple of
weeks ago. And a short while later I received a version on floppy from
Atari themselves."
Charles Smeton tells David:
"I saw copies of MultiTOS, Atari Works and Speedo GDOS for sale at Toad
Computers the other day. I would expect that most all dealers that are
Falcon approved have these as well.
FYI Toad Computers can be reached at 1-800-448-TOAD"
Ralph Kalatucka asks for help:
"I have apparently disturbed or destroyed the index at the head of a floppy
disk (I believe it is called the File Allocation Table)
I have a third-party Double-sided drive that does not recognize a "change
of media" when I swap disks. Normally its no big deal, but I put my foot in
it this time.
I boot up with GDOS for easy draw, but my drive #2 has a disk with only
text in it. I draw a technical drawing (I do this at work) and go to do a
"Save As..." and see I have the wrong disk still in drive B. I change disks
and save, and the damn thing re-writes that old directory to the new disk,
and now I cannot access over 500 K of technical drawings.
Is there a program I could buy or could I pay someone to recall my data?
(Granted, not all the drawings are valuable, only the most recent ones)"
That busy guy, Albert Dayes tells Ralph:
"If you have Diamond Edge or hard disk sentry, you might want to test the
floppy with it. Another problem dealing with disk changes is if the serial
number is the same.
But if you copied a directory from the wrong disk to the current list
things are not so bright. Unless you want to use a sector editor and check
each sector and try to figure it out that is near impossible. Since the
data is binary it would be almost impossible to recover something.
I hope you have some backups for your most important work."
John Damiano posts:
"I can tell you that from the standpoint of perception my Mega ST with 16
mhz upgrade DOES feel faster then my 486DX50. I use them both almost every
day. I doubt it really is faster of course but it feels like it. It does
have a screen accelerator also though. Both those add on products only add
150.00 to the cost."
Kirk and Joanne Sattley post:
"After a couple years of faithful service, our SLM804 has suddenly turned
ornery. The behavior is that, after a print command is given, the paper is
fed up to the point where it pauses before starting its trip along the
drum; the green "ready" light goes out, the red "wait" light comes on, then
the sheet feeds through without anything being printed on it, and whatever
driver we're using reports an error.
The TEST.PRG from Atari reports:
IRQ went LO premature at 00000020, in Band #2 Status: 02 [Status 02 is
defined in the manual as "Ornery printer".]
1) Is there anything we can do ourselves to resuscitate the printer?
2) Is there anyplace in New England that can repair an SLM804?
3) What phone number at Atari can we call to discuss the matter?
Heartfelt premature thanks to any experts who can advise us ..."
Atari Dev. Support (J.P.) tells them:
"Ornery printer is a catch all status code which the controller returns
when it does not know what the problem is. I don't think you can make much
use of this information.
If you are getting no print there are four probable problems listed in the
SLM service manual of which three can get pretty involved and you need to
be a technician or electrical background to tackle. You can check if the
drum and the shell roller are making secure contact. or that there isn't
toner accumulated between the two.
You can try Computer Zone in Attleboro, MA for service (508) 699 0430.
Atari customer service is at 408 745 2098. If you're looking for service
manuals for the SLM you might want to try B&C here in CA at 408 986 9960."
Kirk and Joanne reply:
"Thank you exceedingly for the good information and the prompt response on
our troubles with the SLM804. Thanks especially for the customer service
number for calling direct.
The printer seems to have ESP. When the print started looking flakey a
couple months ago, we ordered a drum replacement kit (from Computer Zone);
as soon as the kit arrived and we put it on the shelf near the printer, the
print quality became even and solid again. And now, the day after your
message arrived, the printer started working normally, and has continued
for two days! But as soon as it gets ornery again, I'll be on the phone."
Peter Joseph asks:
"As long as you're here talking about manuals, I have a question. I
recently bought a second hand MEGA ST4, MEGAFILE 60 and SLM804 Printer.
Unfortunately, manuals weren't included. How can I get manuals for these
machines?
Second question. My other computer is a 1040ST. It has TOS 1.4 in it. Can
I use TOS 1.4 in the Mega? The Mega has TOS 1.2, and there are definitely
missing things compared to 1.4. I looked inside and the ROM set is just 2
chips just like my ST. What about it?
I would appreciate answers to these questions from you or anyone else
reading this post. Thanks in advance."
J.P. tells Peter:
"The Mega 4 and SLM804 manuals you can get from customer service at Atari
(408 745 2098), the Megafile 60 we may or may not have. Manuals are 5.00
each with shipping and handling 3.50.
TOS 1.4 comes in two hardware configurations, 2 chip and 6 chip sets. If
both your computers have 2 chip ROMs you can interchange the TOS."
Peter tells J.P.:
"Thanks for the info! I'm probably going to put TOS 2.xx in the Mega at
some point, but until then I have to at least have 1.4.
Re: the manuals. You telling me that the two manuals are gonna cost me
$17?!
Anybody out there got used manuals for a Mega ST4, SLM804, and Megafile 60?
:("
John Damiano tells Peter:
"This is a great chance to get a TEC board from Codehead and upgrade to a
switchable 1.02/2.06. The best option IMHO. Especially since you STOLE
the dang thing."
John Amsler posts:
"I've got a MegaSTe with an external DS/DD floppy drive and an external
Maxtor 120Mb HD. The HD, of course, is plugged into the DMA port via
The Link.
I'm thinking of augmenting or replacing the external floppy with a
floptical. Could I simply daisy-chain a floptical to the external HD?
If so, would I have to adjust the "terminating resistor" on the
floptical so The Link would work in the new configuration?
Or would I have to buy a second Link to use with the floptical?"
Albert Dayes tells John:
"If your hard disk case has a SCSI outlet you can connect your floptical
directly. Just continue the SCSI chain. The other issue is to make sure
both ends of the SCSI chain are terminated correctly.
MegaSTE -> LINK -> Maxtor 120meg -> floptical"
Chris Gray adds:
"Make sure the middle of the chain is connected properly, not just the two
ends. The _last_ drive in the chain needs a block of terminating resistors
on it (you already have them, trust me). Intermediate drives must _not_
have this resistor block present."
Albert agrees:
"That is correct. Only the ends of a SCSI chain need to be terminated."
John Damiano adds:
"It gets confusing with Atari stuff in that you an have several devices
chained to the DMA buss but each one can be a separate SCSI chain. So you
end up with term. resistors on two or more devices."
John Amsler asks:
"Now that -- I'm guessing here -- Jim Allen won't be making any more of the
TinyTurbo030 boards for the MegaSTe, is there any other company that makes
a board that allows one to switch back and forth between a 68000 and a
68030?"
Nathan Potechin at DMC asks John:
"What gave you the idea that Jim Allen would not be producing TinyTurbo
boards for the Mega STe? Your guess is inaccurate.
Perhaps you should contact Jim directly at (508) 475 3810 or on GEnie at
J.ALLEN27 for the latest up to date information about his products."
Lars Borgh sends out an S.O.S.:
"This is an emergency! I have a problem with a 1040 ST. The disk drive
isn't acknowledged by the system! The hard disk (Megafile) is working but
disk A and B isn't "connected". When I switch on the computer without the
hard disk , the disk spins and the light comes on for a while, but nothing
happens on the desktop, the disk just keep on spinning. Could it be the DMA
or the sound chip that's defective? I have tried another disk drive but no
change, it's still the same. Does anyone know what it can be, I'm a little
bit stuck here and in Sweden there's a lack of repairing services."
Albert Dayes tells Lars:
"It almost sounds like some loose chips ( glue, mmu and shifter are most
likely). You might want to re-seat those three chips mentioned above and
see if that does the trick."
Lars asks Albert to clarify:
"Thank you for the suggestions. I have pressed every chip on the board. My
english isn't at all perfect, by "re-seat" do you mean that I shall lift up
the chips and then press them back in place?"
Albert explains:
"That is basically what I meant when I said "re-seat" the chips.
From the Atari ST Arts Forum
============================
John Amsler posts:
"I've read ST-Report every week for several years now, and I hate the idea
of missing an issue!
(Personally, I think they should stick to LZH, because that's what everyone
seems to have. People shouldn't be forced to spend additional TIME and
MONEY downloading an extra de/compression utility that's 100K or more.
Of course, people are probably better off having a ZIP program, but they
shouldn't be _forced_ to get one; that smacks of "Big Brother" knowing
what's best for everyone and contradicts the basic American spirit of
_individuals_ deciding how to live and what to do.)
After having spewed that out, I must say I LOVE ST-ZIP versions 2.2 and
2.3!!"
On the subject of STReport's multi-platform leanings, Sysop Ron Luks posts:
"I've talked to Ralph at great length about the increase in the PC content
in STReport. As you have said, some Atari-only owners have complained
about PC content matter. Conversely, Ralph has recently been uploading the
same issues to more PC-oriented forums and the reception has been quite
enthusiastic except for comments like "great magazine, but why do you have
to put all that Atari clutter in it?"...
There is still a significant number of Atari owners and enthusiasts out
there, but many, many of them now ALSO own PCs.
The audience for STReport encompasses a wide range of people and I think
Ralph is trying very hard to present a publication that appeals to the
broadest cross section. As in any endeavor, its impossible to completely
satisfy everyone.
I share Ralph's opinion that the worst thing we can do is to isolate Atari
owners from the rest of the computing community. That only serves to
reinforce two bad attitudes:
1) That its either Atari or nothing. (This often leaves Atari owners
without adequate options in the real world)
2) To the rest of the PC community that Atari's 'aren't a REAL computer'
when, in fact, an Atari can sometimes be the BEST solution to a
specialty situation.
Atari Corp, itself, gave up that attitude that Atari computers are the only
solution for every computing need a long time ago and today you can find
non-Atari computers in use at the company HQ.
I don't think that message has been fully accepted by all the Atari
enthusiasts yet."
Dazzz Smith tells Ron:
"I'm not disagreeing on the issue of multi platform owners in the states,
the situation isn't quite as prevalent here in Europe I suspect, which is
why some people are complaining.
I appreciate Ralph's need for a larger market, but if that's the case then
why not produce a general on-line mag? If he wants to he can get machine
specific editors to produce the other half of the mag.
I am a great believer in reality, I even sometimes switch it on to check
its still working. :-) But you cannot expect Atari only owners to download
a large file one third of which (guess-timate) is PC specific and come away
satisfied.....
I'm not disputing the reality of the situation Ron, merely voicing some
concerns, as someone who uses an Atari for home and also for running a
business I don't need to read about Wildcat BBS software, general news
I don't mind (I'm an information Junkie) but PC specific press releases
are just a wasted download to me and many others, and no one could accuse
me of being a gung ho Atari enthusiast.......if they did i'd fight em over
it. :-)"
David Hagood asks:
"Has anyone downloaded the copy of Soundlab and tried it out? I can't get
it to run on my TT: it crashes every time. I'd think an STE compatible
program wouldn't die on a TT..."
Greg Kopchak asks David:
"Are you using the 24BIT.PRG with Sound Lab?
The current version of Sound Lab does not run on a Falcon. I haven't tried
it on a TT. I'll check with Damien tonight and let you know."
David tells Greg:
"Tried using 24bit.prg (and throwing away 20MB of memory), didn't work.
Tried ST high rez, TT medium rez. Didn't work. Tried unloading MiNT. Didn't
work."
From the Atari Vendors Forum
============================
Darryl Ross asks for help:
"I live in Charlotte, NC and need find a dealer who can work on an Atari
ST. I'd also like to know the names of any publications that have ads for
Atari ST software."
Albert Dayes tells Darryl:
"There should be a store in your state. Computer Studio comes to mind. You
can download the file VENDOR.DAT in the (GO ATARIPRO) forum since it lists
dealers and developers of Atari products."
Nathan Potechin of DMC helps out:
"Computer Studio is located in Asheville, North Carolina. He is an
excellent, full-service Dealer. The owners name is Sheldon Winick. Their
telephone number is (704) 251-0201."
Matt Seitz asks:
"Could someone tell me the tech. support number and hours for Codehead?"
Albert Dayes tells Matt:
"The number is (213)-386-5735 or fax (213)-386-5789. Hours I would assume
would be normal PST time hours."
John Eidsvoog of CodeHead Technologies tells everyone:
"Yes, CodeHead's phone number is (213) 386-5735, FAX 386-5789, M-F 9A-1P
Pacific time."
Bob Bunce asks about using PageStream:
"I... had a problem with TIFF importing. I am running PageStream 2.2UK on
a 1040STFM upgraded to 2.5Mb. I recently scanned in a logo at work on a Mac
via Photoshop 2.0 for a friend to put into WordPerfect on his PC. Yesterday
I thought I'd have a go at putting it into PageStream. But when I imported
it, it came out reversed out, ie the white was black and vice versa. Why
should this have happened?"
Mark at Soft-Logic Publishing asks Bob:
"What version of the TIFF import module are you using? We are currently on
version 2.2.3 of the TIFF module. YOu can check the version by importing a
TIFF graphic.
You should be able to download the latest modules up here in the library."
Bob tells Mark:
"I'm using version 2.2.0. I'll download the new version and see if it makes
a difference."
Mark, being the good guy that he is, tells Bob:
"Wait and download the newest DRIVERS.LZH file I will be uploading today.
That way you're assured to get the latest."
From the Atari Portfolio Forum
==============================
Craig Davis asks Don Thomas at Atari about one of the latest games for the
LYNX:
"My son has a Lynx and would like to purchase Gordo 106. Could you give me
a brief description that I can pass on to him."
David Stewart chimes in and posts:
"I just got Gordo 106, and I'm really happy with it (although I am *very*
bad at it!)
It is about a lab monkey that was given intelligence by a nuclear
experiment ... you run about (and jump and climb and throw) and release
bunnies from cages. You also battle the humans through six levels, which
are split into many segments. There are also some random-seeming
"dungeon" levels where you can get stuck ...
The graphics are really good ... not quite as cartoon-esque as Dinolympics,
but very good ... lots of neat details.
Unfortunately, the game doesn't seem to have a level-select password (or
maybe just haven't gotten far enough to find one).
I'd say it's mostly like Scrapyard Dog, among the Lynx games that I've
seen, although Gordo is more difficult than that game."
Barry Hildress tells us:
"I have a viewer up that can get approximately 75 characters across on the
Portfolio. Check out BLPM*.ZIP in the utilities library if the small font
is readable to you then we can talk about an editor. (A TSR is out because
of the space the character set takes would not leave much room for anything
else.)"
Well folks, that's it for this week. Be sure to tune in again next
week, same time, same channel, and listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
__________________________________________________________________
> Discount Offer! STR InfoFile Special Discounts for CIS Members
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
DISCOUNT OFFERED TO CERTAIN COMPUSERVE FORUM USERS
==================================================
-- For Immediate Release
A leading worldwide dealer for Best Power Technology has announced a
discount program providing users of certain CompuServe forums access to
significant savings in their purchase of Best power protection products
such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), standby power supplies
(SPS), line conditioners, surge suppressors, uninterruptible battery
systems (UBS), environmental monitoring equipment and interface software.
To show their eligibility customers need only cite a code number when
ordering. The program is available only through the offering dealer, The
Davis Company.
To make effective use of the discount plan a member should contact The
Davis Company through e-mail (72770,1402) or use the phone, fax or mail
information given at the end of this file to request a full catalog, either
written or the hypertext floppy disk version.
The discounts are structured according to the following plan:
PRODUCT GROUP DISCOUNT
Group A:
Patriot, all products with model numbers containing "SPS"
FERRUPS, models ME500VA-ME3.1KVA (basic unit and internal extended runtimes
(ERT) only.
Fortress, all products with model numbers containing "LI"
Citadel, models LC110 - LC1800
SpikeFree, all models
CheckUPS and Interface Kits, all
Group A Discount...................................................20%
Group B:
FERRUPS, models FD4.3KVA - FD18KVA, RES 850VA - RD7KVA
UBS, all models including options and accessories
Power conditioners, models 2KVA and larger
All other options and accessories, all warranty and service plans
Group B Discount...................................................10%
QUANTITY DISCOUNTS: The following discounts may also be applied to the
NET AMOUNT (see example below):
Group A: A single purchase of five or more of the same product (sizes
can vary) for immediate delivery to a single location qualifies for an
additional 6% discount.
Group B FERRUPS ONLY*: A single purchase of multiple FERRUPS or
Rackmount FERRUPS (RES) for immediate shipment to a single location will
achieve discounts according to the following schedule:
QUANTITY DISCOUNT
Two..........................................2%
Three........................................4%
Four.........................................5%
Five or more.................................6%
* Applies only to the basic UPS, standard bypass switches (10-18KVA),
standard battery packs (10-18KVA) and ERT options (4.3 & 7KVA). Single
order quantity discounts do not apply to other options and accessories.
50 HERTZ DISCOUNTS:
All products designed specifically for operation with 50Hz power are
offered with an additional 5% discount (taken from the net amount, see
example below.)
PAYMENT DISCOUNTS:
Cash-with-order payments earn an additional 3% discount (taken from the
net amount, see example below.)
Letter of credit orders (for overseas customers ordering in large
quantities) earn an additional 1% discount (taken from the net amount, see
example below.)
DISCOUNT CALCULATION EXAMPLE. The following example is provided for
illustrating the implementation of the discounts. The dollar amounts
themselves have no significance in relation to the products cited.
EXAMPLE: Four 50-Hertz 4.3KVA to 18KVA FERRUPS units ordered for
immediate delivery to a single location. Payment by cash-with-order.
Total List Price (for example purposes only) $10,000.00
Davis Company Basic CompuServe Discount (10%) $1,000.00
Net Discounted Price $9,000.00
Quantity Discount (5% of net) $450.00
Net Discounted Price $8,550.00
50 Hertz Discount (5% of net) $427.50
Net Discounted Price $8,122.50
Cash Discount (3% of net) $243.68
Final Discounted Price $7,878.82
Actual Total % Discount Earned, this example 21.2%
ORDERING:
To qualify for the discount a customer must request it when placing an
order by reference to a code number consisting of the "GO" name of the
forum in which this offer has been placed followed by the digits of the
current date according to the following plan: yymmdd. Example: a discount
from the Novell Vendors Forum (GO NOVVEN) requested on June 1, 1993 would
be "NOVVEN 930601".
Orders may be placed by phone or fax from any anywhere in North America
using the following toll-free number: 800-488-6748.
Orders may be placed from anywhere in the world by phone or fax using
the following number: 1.907.279.3075.
Except for customers with established accounts, phone and fax orders can
be processed immediately only for those customers providing a valid
American Express or Optima card number, the name appearing on the card and
the expiration date.
Customers wishing to order by mail, and all those paying by check, should
use the following postal address:
The Davis Company
PO Box 230708
Anchorage AK 99523-0708 USA
FREIGHT:
Freight charges are not discountable. They will be quoted in advance if
requested.
Overseas customers must make prior shipping arrangements. Please use
e-mail to request this.
***********************************************************************
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 a friendly community of enthusiastic computer users 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 $3.96. But hurry,
this special trial offer will expire soon! To take advantage of this
limited offer, use your modem to dial 1-800-365-4636. Press <RET> once or
twice. When you get the Password: prompt, type IP26 and press <RET> again.
Then, just answer the questions and within a day or two, you'll officially
be a member of DELPHI!
DELPHI- It's getting better all the time!
***********************************************************************
> NOVA CARD NEWS! STR InfoFile NOVA SPECS and UPDATE NEWS!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
NOTICE:
SPECIAL NOVA CARD UPDATE
========================
Announcement from Lexicor Software Corp.
----------------------------------------
As of Monday 19th July 1993, the Special NOVA Deal offered by Lexicor
Software for the NOVA Graphics Card is over.
The NOVA Mega and the NOVA VME 16M will now both have the same price of
599.99 U$D.
The price for the SUPERNOVA has not changed and will cost: 999.99 U$D
The 32K Graphic Card is only available on Special Order and will cost 429
U$D both the Mega and the VME. For these Card's there may be an added
handling Price.
Shipping cost are excluded from these prices.
Technical Specifications
------------------------
NOVA Megabus 16M
----------------
Maximum Frame Rate : 90Mhz
Video RAM : 1 Megabyte
RAMtype : DRAM
Maximum Color's : 16,7 Million Colors (24bit)
Maximum Resolution (>70Hz): 1024x768 in 256 Color's
Maximum Resolution (15bit): 768x512
Maximum Resolution (24bit): 640x400
Virtual Resolution : YES
Automatic REZ Switch : YES
Upgradable : YES
VDI for 24bit : YES
VMG : YES
HARDWARE Accelerator : NO
NOVA VME 16M
------------
Maximum Frame Rate : 90MHz
Video RAM : 1 Megabyte
RAMtype : DRAM
Maximum Color's : 16,7 Million Colors (24bit)
Maximum Resolution (>70Hz): 1088x832 in 256 Color's
Maximum Resolution (15bit): 800x600
Maximum Resolution (24bit): 640x480
Virtual Resolution : YES
Automatic REZ Switch : YES
Upgradable : YES
VDI for 24bit : YES
VMG : YES
HARDWARE Accelerator : NO
SUPERNOVA
---------
Maximum Frame Rate : 135MHz
Video RAM : 2 Megabytes
RAMType : VRAM
Maximum Color's : 16,7 Million Colors (24bit)
Maximum Resolution (>70Hz): 1280x1024
Maximum Resolution (15bit): 1024x768
Maximum Resolution (24bit): 800x600
Virtual Resolution : YES
Automatic REZ Switch : YES
Upgradeable : YES
VDI for 24bit : YES
VMG : YES
HARDWARE Accelerator : YES
For more information check our previous releases on the NOVA Card. The
Virtual Resolution are programmable via the VMG. The VDI of the NOVA has
proven to be very compatible with our Software and many other Software
applications as well.
There is also a NOVA Special disk available soon that has some NOVA
Specific program's on it, including NOVA Mines, the game, and the special
Calamus SL driver that will enable Calamus SL to run in 15/16bit in
15/16bit color mode.
Yat Siu
Lexicor Software Europe
LEXICOR SOFTWARE CORP.
1726 Francisco ST.
Berkeley, CA 94703
Phone 510-848-7621
FAX 510-848-7613
_______________________________________________________________
> NVN WANTS YOU! STR InfoFile Another Network Supports Atari!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
NVN - THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK!
===============================
The Atari computer platform has support on yet another top notch
telecommunications service! National Videotex Network (NVN) maintains an
area just for our favorite computers. Type GO ATARI Order an extended NVN
Membership of 6 or 12 months, pay for it in advance and receive a bonus in
connect time at no additional charge.
NVN lowers its connect time charges!
$5/hour non-prime time (EST. 7pm - 9am weekdays and all day weekends)
$8/hour prime time (EST 9am - 7pm weekdays)
Choose from two great subscription plans:
6-Month Membership
==================
Pay just $30 for a 6-month Membership and receive a usage credit that
entitles you to $15 of connect-time in the Premium services of your
choice. Your total savings using this plan would be over $20!
12 Month Membership
===================
Pay $50 for a full year's Membership and get even more free time on-line.
We'll give you a $25 usage credit to use in your favorite premium services
or try out new ones. You could save as much as $45. NVN now offers
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). For a $2 per month service charge,
customers may have their NVN online charges automatically debited from
their personal checking accounts. Please contact Client Services for this
new feature!
For more information about either of these plans..
Please, give us a call at; 1-800-336-9096.
You can join NVN one of two ways...
By voice phone 1-800-336-9096 (Client Services)
or via modem phone 1-800-336-9092.
NVN Highlights
--------------
1. For the newcomers ....
2. NEW (MODIFIED) REFERRAL PROGRAM LET'S YOU EARN $10 USAGE CREDITS!
3. A library built *just* for business people
4. Board Certified Psychiatrist heads up the new Substance Abuse Forum
5. VETERANS: Please report to the Military Forum <GO MILITARY> for C&D.
6. Step out into the Great Outdoors Forum <GO OUTDOORS>
7. We've got just the cure for your medical information needs
8. The Diabetes & Hypoglycemia Support Forum is now online.
9. SOUND OFF!!! Take our Game Survey
10. Let's talk about Coins
11. Call all DISNEYphiles! Join the gang! <GO AMERICA>.
12. Amiga Forum now available for Amiga and Desktop Video enthusiasts!
13. NEW Email enhancements are on-line. Including personal mailing lists!
____________________________________________________________________
> MOTIVE PLEASE! STR FOCUS! The Badgering never ceases!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
WILL THE REAL REASON PLEASE SIGN IN?
====================================
AN OBSERVATION....
by R.F. Mariano
Dear Readers...
Below we present a one sided exchange of messages (if you wish to call
it that..) As an example of how the seemingly systematic and deliberate
practice of baiting and badgering may possibly be fine tuned to a science.
Craig Thom, a sysop for Darlah, of the infamous Nathan & Darlah Show, head
sysop of GEnie's STRT, has apparently taken on the job of creating some
sort of controversy on Compuserve.
As anyone can plainly see, he is being ignored and has been ignored
since the apparent attempt began. Further one can note the process began
with an interrogatory directed at Lee Seiler which he too, ignores.
Certainly MR. Thom can realize that many, if not all, the CIS members
deserved to know he was a GEnie sysop visiting the Compuserve Areas. Else,
they might get a totally different impression as to what his intentions
might be.
#: 41398 S8/Hot Topics
18-Jul-93 22:41:50
Sb: #41187-#IAAD statement
Fm: Craig S. Thom 71773,11
To: LEXICOR Software 75300,763
Lee, did you ever post here, as you did on GEnie, that your flag problems
were due to you calling at 9600 baud, where no flags are active, and that
this was due not to the action of anyone involved in the STRT or GEnie
management, and that it was not due to any problem with GEnie's software?
It was a mistake, and errors were made, but they were all on your end. All
your speculations about the lack of free flag status were proven false,
weren't they?
#: 41399 S8/Hot Topics
19-Jul-93 06:22:18
Sb: #41398-#IAAD statement
Fm: STReport - Ralph 70007,4454
To: Craig S. Thom 71773,11
My, My.... ANOTHER................ GEnie sysop!!!
There is 1 Reply.
#: 41400 S8/Hot Topics
19-Jul-93 07:25:04
Sb: #41399-#IAAD statement
Fm: Craig S. Thom 71773,11
To: STReport - Ralph 70007,4454
Not in the STRT, though, and that has absolutely nothing to do with the
questions I asked, does it?
#: 41414 S8/Hot Topics
19-Jul-93 21:43:59
Sb: #41401-IAAD statement
Fm: Craig S. Thom 71773,11
To: STReport - Ralph 70007,4454
You still haven't explained how my status on GEnie changes in any way the
message that Lee left there. You can read it yourself, ST RT, Category 25,
Topic 10, Message 159. Sorry, Ralph, your attempts to divert the topic
aren't working.
#: 41435 S8/Hot Topics
21-Jul-93 06:50:58
Sb: #41401-IAAD statement
Fm: Craig S. Thom 71773,11
To: STReport - Ralph 70007,4454 (X)
That's interesting. My original response to this message has been deleted.
I assue you did it, since I was not notified that it had been done. (That
should be "assume").
Again, you have brought up my status on GEnie without explaining how it
changes the message that Lee left there. You can read it yourself, ST RT,
Category 25, Topic 10, Message 159. The message is from Lee, and explains
how his flag problems were the result of calling in to a 9600 baud node.
Will this message be deleted, too?
#: 41440 S8/Hot Topics
21-Jul-93 20:07:52
Sb: Disappearing messages
Fm: Craig S. Thom 71773,11
To: Jim Ness 75300,3155
Well, I've responded to Ralph's last message to me twice, and both times
the response was deleted. That's interesting. As an experiment, I won't
leave it TO Ralph this time, to see if he is the one doing the delete.
Ralph, please explain how my status on GEnie affects the message that Lee
left there and I summarized here. You can read it there yourself, ST RT,
Category 25, Topic 10, Message 159. Could it be that you are trying to
avoid the real topic?
How quaint, we now find Mr. Thom, in his apparent zeal to create a
controversy of some type, is busy trying to drag in another of Compuserve's
members. He tried to bait Seiler, Mariano and now attempts to draw Jim
Ness into his one-sided crusade. tsk. tsk. tsk. Nowhere does Thom
mention the special circumstances revolving around his relationship with
Lexicor's Seiler. Seems there was a whole hullabaloo in the Lexicor areas
in the STRT it was pretty nasty until Thom was asked to cease his
activities.
Of course, this latest episode is ever so innocent and merely an
attempt to clear up some * CONFUSION * (Remember that word?) its a
favorite of the infamous Nathan & Darlah Show. "Everybody is so...
*CONFUSED *" and _they_ have clear visions galore. In any case, rather
than give Mr. Thom, Darlah's sysop, an opportunity to create his
controversy on CIS he was continually and politely ignored. As for this
article its merely here to point out the obvious. Ignoring Craig Thom's
head games and to explain the deleted messages. Nice try Craig.... but NO
CIGAR! .....NEXT!!??!! Read on McDuff.....
_______________________________________________________________
> ATARI UNITED! STR InfoFile An Overview......
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
WHAT IS THIS ATARI UNITED! THING?
=================================
When ATARI UNITED! was first announced in an online conference on
DELPHI, some DELPHI members had questions, which I'm sure others share,
about the intent, focus and reasoning behind ATARI UNITED!. A
bit of history about the development of this organization might help
begin to answer those questions.
ATARI UNITED! was born out of the suspicion that more Atari TOS
computer owners exist than most in the active Atari community realize.
Patti and I have both had many experiences in which we have come into
contact with owners who had no idea that a thriving Atari community still
existed. We have both been responsible for bringing ST owners
'out-of-the-closet' and renewing their use of their machines. And, of
course, with every renewed Atari owner comes some degree of new spending
on equipment and/or software.
ATARI UNITED! has been organized with the intent of searching out
these isolated owners on a nationwide scale, with the hope that these
users will expand the active userbase. And as a result will promote new
business for our loyal developers.
ATARI UNITED! seeks to repair the disintegration of communication
between users and developers in the Atari market, especially because
of the demise of many printed Atari-specific magazines that all too often
are an owner's only link to the community.
A late night conversation about the dismal state of the Atari
market in the US led to a discussion about ways that it could be
improved, independent of direct Atari Corporation involvement.
Obviously, we concluded that the creation of a nationwide database
containing information about users, dealers and developers was
the first step in rebuilding the lost lines of communication. This
has become the first priority of our fledgling organization. While
it is being compiled, other projects are and will be developed, so
that our database can be utilized to its full extent when more complete.
Atari user groups have always been a valuable means of keeping the
Atari community together, and it was obvious that user groups were the
best place to begin compiling information. Bob Brodie,
Director of
Communication for Atari Corporation, and former User Group Coordinator,
was contacted, provided an outline of our purpose and plan of action,
and asked for a list of user groups that could be used in the effort. He
was happy to provide us with the necessary information, and so, the work
began.
The name ATARI UNITED! was chosen, and again, Bob Brodie was
contacted. Permission to use Atari's name was granted, so long as the
organization was used to support Atari products and their users. As
this was the very foundation of the organization, an informal agreement
was quickly reached, and ATARI UNITED! became our official name.
It was further determined that AU! should be a not-for-profit
organization, similar to the general form that Atari user groups have
taken over the years. ATARI UNITED! does not exist to bilk Atari
users out of their money. Actually, we'd prefer that their money be
invested in hardware and software, so loyal developers can make a living.
We intend to make all ATARI UNITED! services and projects as affordable
as possible.
Registration is free of course, and many of the other benefits we will
be able to provide will be free of cost to the user also.
ATARI UNITED!'s first project beyond the database is a quarterly
DiskMagazine. It will be geared to provide developer news, product
reviews, game hints, help columns, and a few surprises. Eventually,
program demos might be included, so a taste of what is up and coming can
be given as wide an audience as possible. While similar things are
now available in the online magazines, it is important to realize that
most of the Atari community members are not 'modemized', and that
many TOS computer owners have no real link with the rest of the market.
So, it is not so much a matter of duplicating what already exists, as a
matter of distribution where that kind of information is so
desperately needed. Kinda like being modern technological missionaries!
The potential for ATARI UNITED! is enormous, for both the
developers and the owners of TOS computers. With better channels of
communication, developers will be able to sell more products, encouraging
them to continue investing in the TOS market. We, as users, will
continue to be able to purchase new products, and find support for the
old.
One particular benefit for user groups will grow as the database of
TOS computer owners grows. User groups who register with ATARI
UNITED! will have their contact information made available to anyone
who inquires about TOS support in their area. User groups will also
periodically be given access to information about local users contacted by
us. Just as the developer and the user can be connected, so too can
user groups and users. It's all a part of strengthening the
communication channels throughout the entire market.
In addition to communication between groups and owners, we can
also help on the individual level. When an owner has a problem with
his/her system, or with a piece of software, it is often helpful to
contact someone nearby with the knowledge to solve the problem. Even if
a user doesn't have a 'problem' per se, the exchange of information and
ideas can only benefit the community. Some users are lucky enough to have
a local dealer, but for many, 'local' is a term that can mean several
hundred miles. All of those in that predicament will be able to locate
owners nearby. Just consider us a friendly dating service for
your Atari computer!
Some of our future projects are not far enough along to be openly
discussed, but there are some exciting possibilities out there. It is
important that we don't take on too much too quickly, only to find that
we can't handle our first priorities. Too often a well-intentioned
enterprise fails while trying to do too much all at once. Instead, we
want to grow slowly with the aid and support of everyone involved in the
Atari community. With this in mind, the number of staff at ATARI UNITED!
is being kept very small. We have received many offers from users
volunteering to help with our project, and we are encouraged by all the
offers. But in these early stages, it is essential that our focus be
maintained. Too many people with too many ideas would only serve to
dilute our efforts at this point. However, as we grow, we will be adding
to our little group, to better serve the Atari community.
ATARI UNITED! intends to succeed in its effort to strengthen the
Atari community. Time and money have already been expended to that
end, and we are fully ready to expend more. But, it'll take the
cooperation and support of TOS computer owners all across the US to make
ATARI UNITED! the best it can be. To help us help all of you, register
now, while you are thinking about it! Together, we will make the
Atari community stronger!
Gordie Meyer
ATARI UNITED!
To register:
Complete the registration form below, and send to:
ATARI UNITED!
P.O. Box 691
Mountain View, CA 94042-0691
or via e-mail to:
abarbiero@delphi.com
Name (Last, First, MI): _________________________________________
Mailing Address: _________________________________________
_________________________________________
City, State, Zip: _________________________________________
Computer Model: ___ 520 ST ___ 520 STe ___ TT
___ 1040 ST ___ 1040 STe ___ F030
___ Mega ST ___ Mega STe
Computer Serial Number: (OPTIONAL)________________________________
User Group (if a member):_________________________________________
=======For further information, contact:=======
Patti Barbiero Gordie Meyer
P.O. Box 691 P.O. Box 1982
Mountain View, CA 94042-0691 or Ames, IA 50010-1982
(415) 903-9787 (515) 232-1627
abarbiero@delphi.com biblinski@delphi.com
__________________________________________________________________
> MOTIVE II STR FOCUS! What is really going on?
""""""""""""""""""""
YET ANOTHER DARLAH RT SYSOP
SHOWS UP ON CIS!
and
REOPENS A CAN OF WORMS!
The STRT's "PROVOCATEUR CLIQUE" and its
"HEAD GAMES" have yet to come to a halt!
by R.F. Mariano
Normally, an immediate response to the Lou Rocha, (ST Lou and Darlah
sysop on GEnie in the STRT), posts in the CIS message area would've
occurred. But actually, he didn't post to me! He posted to "all". NOT
ONCE BUT TWICE! A little grandstanding eh? Or, more accurately, some very
"expert coaching" appears to be taking place here. My, my could this have
been a well planned incursion?
Further on in this article, please find my reply to Rocha's obvious
absurdities. He truly fails to address the real problems which are;
a)- the total loss of credibility the IAAD has suffered and the
OBVIOUS COVERUP of why they really expelled Lexicor.
b)- the unjust manner in which the Lexicor matter appeared to be
handled.
c)- disclosure of the board members who actually participated in the
"ouster vote" of Lexicor.
d)- the less than candid attitude exhibited by the IAAD and its
current "officers".
Instead, he seemingly finds the time to accuse (as usual) STReport of
wrong doing etc.. The is exactly "the way it was" in GEnie's STRT for the
last three years. I guess since we refuse to offer any type of sacrificial
presence there in the GEnie STRT, they (Nathan & Darlah Show Sysops) are
eager to go elsewhere and 'pay to agitate.'
#: 41851 S14/ST REPORT
11-Aug-93 23:40:42
Sb: #Correction!
Fm: Lou Rocha 71351,72
To: ALL
With regard to the IAAD issue that Mr. Mariano has editorialized in STR932,
it is unfortunate that his latest tirade is based on his own misreading of
a message that has been publically available for some time. Mr. Mariano
wrote:
We checked on the ST$ address D.A. Brumleve wanted Lexicor
to send its defenses to... it's a cumulative address for
ALL the STRT sysops on Genie including Atari personnel.
That's incredible! Should Lexicor be required to send its
statement of defense to the charges made by the IAAD to
these NON-IAAD members?? ST$ lists out as STRT Sysops!
Something is not quite right with all this. In fact, it reeks!
From the official IAAD response uploaded to this message area exactly one
month ago (July 12, 1993) by the same D.A. Brumleve, President of the
I.A.A.D.:
If you wish to respond to the Charge, please reply to PERMIT$
via GEMail. You will be informed of the outcome of the Board's
investigation when it has been completed.
For those who may be interested in knowing, PERMIT$ is the group mail
address for the I.A.A.D. board members. I checked that with D.A.Brumleve
tonight to be
sure.
If Mr. Mariano thinks that something reeks, perhaps he should look
elsewhere for the cause. In the meantime, I certainly hope this correction
will be properly addressed in the next issue with the appropriate apology
to the I.A.A.D. and D.A. Brumleve.
Lou Rocha,
Concerned Reader.
#: 41858 S14/ST REPORT
12-Aug-93 04:11:04
Sb: #41851-Correction!
Fm: LEXICOR Software 75300,763
To: Lou Rocha 71351,72
For the record:
Lexicor was never instructed to use any special address, I responded
to the IAAD pres, in private and mr. Cole18 who is the proper corporate
person also responded with a request for specific information in order to
make a response. At no time did lexicor ever receive any thing remotely
resembling a specific and detailed or understandable charge, In fact as
already stated the whole process was conducted in secret, for obvious
reasons. it would not have made any difference what we did in fact, the
whole process was and is a gross violation of the very foundation on which
the USA was founded.
No amount of monday morning quarterbacking by IAAD or others wishing
to attack Lexicor will change the fact that what was done was wrong from
beginning to end. it all started with lexicor offering competitive graphics
cards, and ended with one flag now removed and suggestions that the
offering of proofs that there was a problem, some how being twisted into a
terrible crime of some
sort.
I have yet to see any one support secret accusations, secret proofs,
secret accusers etc...as reasonable and fair?
I have yet to see any claim that any valid pass word was ever
published, nor have I see any proofs that one or more of the supposed
judges were not Lexicor competitors.....you know; "like having the judge at
your trial being the father of your alleged victim....."
Just a few comments.
Lee@Lexicor
#: 41865 S14/ST REPORT
12-Aug-93 08:37:09
Sb: Correction!
Fm: Lou Rocha 71351,72
To: ALL
Good morning Lee. I certainly do not intend to rekindle the issue, nor to
debate it with you. I don't have any more information than what I read in
public and from that source it was evident that Mr. Mariano's latest
editorial was based on one grossly incorrect statement. What you are saying
suggests that he is even more incorrect. It is only my intention to see
that _his_ error is corrected.
On the rest of your message, please understand that I am not in a position
(nor is it my intent) to discuss Lexicor's affairs. I have not done so on
either service in the past and will definitely continue in the same manner.
Sincerely,
Lou
#: 41872 S14/ST REPORT
12-Aug-93 14:49:29
Sb: #41851-Correction!
Fm: LLOYD PULLEY 72637,745
To: Lou Rocha 71351,72
Lou,
It's always good to see so many current and ex GEnie sysops over here. I
hope you show up more often.
Now for your post #41851 - first a minor, but important point. Don't you
believe in copyright laws? Or don't they apply to Canadians. I believe
STReport gives permission to reprint articles to anyone as long as they
also include the name of publication, issue number, date and author's name.
I didn't see the date or name of publication in your post.
>>With regard to the IAAD issue that Mr. Mariano has editorialized in
>>STR932,
Also, STReport says that if you want to edit what you reproduce from its
issue, you have to get permission. Did you get permission to post only
PART of Ralph's editorial? Printing part of a total is called editing. If
I was Ralph, I'd ask the sysops to have your post deleted because of your
copyright infringement - but I'm sure that would lead to another Genie
sysop claiming 'censorship on CIS', so it isn't worth it.
Now for your complaint. If you're right, then STReport should correct the
minor error in its next issue. STReport should let its many readers know
that the same group that held a 'McCarthy type trial' on Lexicor wants Lee
to send his response (if he chooses to issue one) to the same board members
who conducted the original witchhunt and kangaroo court. That way they can
have another secret meeting and give an 'unbiased' (gag) report on Lee's
response.
Side issue -
Lee's nicer than I am. I'd tell the IAAD and their 'secret' tribunal where
they could put their group and trial - and it'd be in a place that would
make sitting down very difficult. This isn't the first witchhunt that the
IAAD has held. I remember them accusing several INNOCENT developers of
leaking 'confidential' information to STReport. And the amusing thing is
that they never once got the right one(s). One of our leaks is still a
member in good standing with the IAAD.
But the IAAD has never let facts and justice stand in their way before, so
why should they start now?
I find it humorous that the IAAD still thinks it still has some power and
standing in the Atari community. Most users could care less if a developer
is part of the IAAD and the developer community has shrunk so much, that
the few remaining developers gain very little information from belonging to
the IAAD (according to several developers I've talked to).
IMO, this is a classic example of the lake shrinking to a pond, then the
pond shrinking to a mud puddle - and the few remaining big fish are forced
to attack each other to survive (at least until they can get established in
the PC market - I believe that Calamus is being ported to the PC isn't
it?).
Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
In reply to Rocha & friends..
Permit$ ..... Now let's see... it also includes those employees of
Atari who are sysops on GEnie too or, at least it used to. Perhaps there's
been more changes to "fit the need". Oh! Is Lou Rocha not also a sysop on
GEnie in the Darlah RT? eh... Mr. Lou Rocha or, is that ST-Lou????? Is he
really concerned?? If yes, that's good. In fact, its unbelievably good!
Unfortunately, his "concerns" take on the appearance of being either
misguided or misappropriated. Unlike other countries, here in the USA
people are regarded INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. The IAAD had Lexicor
already guilty and then ...subsequently demanded, in what appeared to be
the ultimate expression of insidiousness, that Lexicor prove themselves
innocent! If Lou Rocha is really concerned? Shouldn't he, like many of
the users watching this matter slowly unfold, be concerned that Lexicor
was afforded every legal right allowed by the laws of the country under
whose jurisdiction both the IAAD and Lexicor fall?
As for REEKS.... sorry, those comments and opinions stand pat. In
fact, had Rocha not had something "cynical" to say, there possibly would
have been no need for this article. Something does indeed REEK and its the
manner in which the IAAD conducted itself in the Lexicor matter. Actually,
as a result, of Rocha's activities he's re-opened the whole can of worms.
The "reek factor" is now to a point where it becomes necessary to explain
why the term "reek" was employed. Its because far too many of our
confidential sources throughout the platform have clearly stated "there is
much, much more to this IAAD/Lexicor matter than is being told." It might
be added, after asking questions "around the platform", it becomes rather
obvious that something serious is "not quite right".
Additionally, has anyone noticed the "more than obvious" silence
coming from Sunnyvale relative to this IAAD/Lexicor matter? Normally, the
"good director" would have _plenty_ to say about most everything.
Particularly controversial matters and especially those involving
Nathan/Darlah/IAAD/Lexicor/STReport. Further, it is now becoming quite
evident that certain "other possibly financially debilitating events" could
be adversely effected by the IAAD's actions and/or unknown reasons for the
Lexicor expulsion.
The IAAD/Lexicor affair most certainly does REEK & STINK of coverup!
The way Lexicor was apparently "done" is an utter and total disgrace. The
charges revealed to the public in no way shape or form approach the
severity of the punishment dealt out by the IAAD. But then.. if the IAAD
had something REAL to hang its "hat" on perhaps they couldn't reveal the
entire matter for fear they'd place Atari's defense, in a court case
brought against Atari by William Yerger, in jeopardy. After all, Lexicor's
Seiler is testifying on Atari's behalf in that proceeding. Naturally, if
the IAAD were to accurately reveal their true reasons for taking action
against Lexicor it would not sit well with Atari.
Could this be the reason for Atari's silence about this festering
sore? Could it be Atari has a great deal more at stake here than just a
court case? Yes folks, the plot thickens... It would be a crying out loud
shame if the IAAD's actions eliminated Lexicor's Seiler as a credible
witness for Atari and it cost Atari the Yerger court case. Its incumbent
upon the IAAD to furnish the REAL reasons for their expulsion of Lexicor
and stop playing games with the truth. Must slimeball politics come into
play in everything that goes on in this platform? Its apparent by these
events that the IAAD is the real and serious loser in this matter. If
Rocha feels he must defend his friends, for whatever reason, that's his
right and privilege. However, it must be pointed out that they too are
able to come to CIS and post. Their obvious silence is deafening.
How very typical his behavior is. I might add, it was totally
expected of him to come to CIS attempting to represent himself as a "plain
old faithful" reader of STReport. When in fact, HE is one of the leading
critics of STReport in Darlah's GEnie STRT and the most vociferous debater
who continually attacked Lloyd at every opportunity. However slight.
Rocha claims to have pointed out an error in our last editorial. That was
a purposeful omission designed to bring out truth. Now, we find Rocha
trying to slur STReport even further by stating in his second post to
"ALL"; we are "even more incorrect" by what Lee Seiler is saying.
Unfortunately, Rocha is apparently "confused" again. Seiler said to us
"although the IAAD statement said they (the IAAD) had advised Lexicor to
send their defensive statements to PERMIT$, (forcing Lexicor to use GEnie),
they (Lexicor - Seiler & Cole) were never told to do so." But then Rocha
shines the shine of the "provocateur clique" .. ie.. if we can blame
STReport, "let's do it" type mentality. The old, kill the messenger thing
again.
Let's see, since the IAAD itself wouldn't dare to or simply avoided
responding to the outcry of injustice, railroad, kangaroo court etc..
Apparently, in fear of the truth becoming known. Other methods were put
into play to obtain a viable response from them. Therefore I purposely put
the ST$ error in my editorial to hopefully disentangle a truthful response
from the IAAD itself. How dare I expect something as fair and just from
the current officers of the IAAD. Look who appears; LOU ROCHA, GEnie STRT
Sysop!! Maybe, just maybe his conscience will remind him to tell the
WHOLE TRUTH. WHO actually receives the mail sent to the Permit$ address??
NAME names please. The IAAD demanded Lexicor send its defense statements
to PERMIT$. While Rocha is possibly in a sincere truthfulness mode, will
he also name the board members of the IAAD who actually VOTED on expelling
Lexicor?? The rumor is ..only three board members actually participated in
this "vote". The rumor indicates it was Dot, Nathan and Jim.
IF ...Mr. Rocha, is sincere and wishes to actually "clear the air"
then let's see if he'll put the whole IAAD/Lexicor affair in the sunshine
and allow the users/readers to decide if the manner in which Lexicor was
"done" was fair and just or, should be reversed with great haste.
Incidently, when Lexicor was asked if they'd accept re-instatement, Lexicor
clearly stated they'd decline on the advise of counsel. They said their
lawyers has advised them that being a member of such a group would make
them, as a member, jointly and individually liable for any and every
decision made by it's board of directors. As such, Lexicor will not
consider re-instatement to be in its best interests.
Rocha shows up on CIS accusing and carrying on and amazingly, he
appears right on the heels of the Craig Thom affair. Thom, another of the
GEnie Darlah/Atari RT sysops was very busy trying to agitate and annoy
anyone who would jump to the occasion by making all kinds of wild and
unfounded accusations against CIS. Of course, nobody made mention of the
fact that dear old Craig and STReport go a long way back and have never
seen eye to eye. Nor has anybody made mention of the hullabaloo raised in
the Lexicor areas by Thom where he carried on about Lexicor's business
practices until he was told to cease by a higher authority.
In reality, if GEnie's STRT is where the action is.. they can have it!
They seemingly THRIVE on grief, backstabbing, baiting and hate filled
debate. Especially those Atari RT sysops who go to other services trying
to create the same, tension filled atmosphere as found in the GEnie Atari
RT. Will they ever learn? I doubt it.
Is Rocha a member of the IAAD? NO! Does he represent them? NO! Is this
perhaps something to pay attention to? NOT REALLY! Is there something
unseen in the proverbial woodpile? VERY POSSIBLE!
Nah..... there is no scheme here, no ulterior motivation, no setup at all.
Rocha is merely a concerned reader........ YEAH... Right! NOT!
Ralph @ STReport International Online Magazine
ps; it STILL REEKS!! Only worse now... Thanks Lou.. for re-opening the
whole thing ..<sigh>
___________________________________________________________
> OPENDOC! STR InfoFile Open Technology Will Simplify Sharing of Documents
"""""""""""""""""""""
WORDPERFECT CORPORATION AND NOVELL ANNOUNCE PLANS
TO DELIVER THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF APPLE'S OPENDOC TECHNOLOGY ON WINDOWS
Open Technology Will Simplify the Sharing of Complex Documents in
Multivendor Environments
WordPerfect Corporation and Novell Inc. announced plans to deliver
the implementation of Apple Computer Inc.'s OpenDoc technology for the
Microsoft Windows platform in the second calendar quarter of 1994.
OpenDoc, the technology that Apple recently discussed at its Worldwide
Developers Conference, is an open software architecture that lets users
create compound documents---documents that include information and media
from many different applications. It lets developers write applications
that can handle different kinds of information, yet are simpler to create
and use. OpenDoc will interoperate with similar systems, such as
Microsoft's OLE 2.0. With OpenDoc, a text paragraph becomes a software
component that is usable wherever text is needed. Users can combine
components from a range of applications into custom solutions.
OpenDoc source code will be available to vendors who want to implement
the architecture in their applications. OpenDoc provides WordPerfect
Corporation and Novell Inc. with a controlling voice in the direction of
this multi-platform document architecture for Windows. This technology
provides "live" documents, which means the integration across multiple
platforms is seamless and the services provided are unlimited.
"We have always been committed to developing cross-platform
applications for our customers, and we have always had the need to develop
our software so that it can operate effectively under multiple system
architectures," said Alan Ashton, president of WordPerfect Corporation.
"We applaud Apple's efforts to provide in OpenDoc an open architecture
that supports compound documents and collaboration across platforms, and we
look forward to working with Novell to develop the Windows implementation."
John Edwards, executive vice president of Novell's Desktop Systems
Group said OpenDoc addresses many of the problems Novell customers have
experienced in working with compound documents. "This new architecture will
enable developers to provide end users with more powerful document creation
and manipulation capabilities."
Edwards continued, "We have committed to supporting OpenDoc in future
Novell products, and it is a key building block in our AppWare development
strategy." The AppWare blueprint, announced yesterday at PC Expo, is
Novell's comprehensive, multi-layer, cross-platform development platform."
"This announcement by WordPerfect and Novell represents a significant
step forward in providing unparalleled flexibility and ease of use on the
Windows platform," said David Nagel, senior vice president and general
manager of the Macintosh Software Architecture Division and Advance
Technology Group at Apple Computer. "OpenDoc technology will bring
integration and interoperability to customers and developers on multiple
platforms, ensuring a rich and streamlined computing environment."
Most applications include text-editing capabilities. With OpenDoc,
users can work in a more unified environment by taking their preferred text
editor and using those editing tools to work with any type of data. This
method of editing any type of content within a single document provides
users with upgrade options to other text editors that meet their specific
needs. Users can add and edit any kind of media in a document with nothing
more complex than cut-and-paste or drag-and-drop actions.
OpenDoc will allow developers to break existing applications into
independent components that can be combined in a variety of ways. OpenDoc
will provide faster development since components can be assembled into
plug-and-play bundles focused on specific markets. Software developers can
upgrade products more quickly by revising individual components rather than
rewriting an entire application.
"Borland endorses this new technology as another means of bringing
power, flexibility and ease of use to our customers," said Phillippe Kahn,
Founder and CEO of Borland. "Our focus on object technology is a natural
fit for OpenDoc plug-and-play solutions. We're pleased to see new models
of desktop computing emerging that will reduce the complexity of computing
and bring new levels of power to PC users and grow the market." Developers
for the Apple Macintosh and Windows platforms can begin coding for OpenDoc
later this year. Implementation of OpenDoc on additional platforms is
expected shortly after the Windows and Macintosh release.
_____________________________________________
> INSIDE SPA! STR InfoFile All About SPA and what it offers
""""""""""""""""""""""""
WHAT IS THE SOFTWARE PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION?
============================================
The Software Publishers Association (SPA) is the principal trade
association of the microcomputer software industry. Founded in 1984 by 25
firms, the SPA now has more than 900 members, which include the major
business, consumer and education software companies and smaller firms with
annual revenues of less than $1 million. The SPA is committed to promoting
the industry and protecting the interests of its membership.
The SPA has two membership categories: full and associate. Software
firms that produce, release, develop or license microcomputer software and
are principally responsible for the marketing and sales of that software
are eligible to apply for full membership status. Firms that develop
software but do not publish are also eligible. Associate membership is open
to firms that do not publish software, but provide services to software
companies. These members include vendors, consultants, market research
firms, distributors and hardware manufacturers.
Business, Consumer, and Education Sections
Full SPA members can choose to be part of the Business, Consumer, and
Education Sections by contributing 25% of their dues to one or more of
these specialized subgroups. Section participation comes free with
membership, and it entitles members to information on a specific segment of
the industry. Many members devote all 25% of their dues to one section, and
some elect to join all three sections. Either way, you will be invited to
participate in section meetings, projects, the planning of SPA meeting
sessions, and other activities related to specific software markets.
Business Section: The Business Section comprises the largest subgroup
of the SPA membership, with representative companies ranging from small
start-ups to some of the largest software firms. The group focuses many of
its activities and meetings on licensing and managing software assets, as
well as tax-related issues. The Business Section also played an integral
role in developing the SPA Resource Guide for Developing Your Software
Business, which is collection of articles covering key issues in the
industry such as marketing, distribution, PR, and finance.
Consumer Section: The Consumer Section is comprised of publishers of
consumer games, recreation software, home productivity programs, as well as
other companies specializing in consumer software. The Consumer Section
will be offering free to its members the results of its End-User survey,
which will scrutinize hardware and software purchases of 1500 households
with computers. The Section also publishes a quarterly newsletter focusing
on consumer software issues. The group meets several times a year at SPA
meetings and trade shows, including Summer and Winter CES, to discuss
projects and issues affecting the consumer software industry.
Education Section: With member companies publishing software for the
K-12 and higher-education markets, the Education Section plays an active
role in this segment of the industry. Past projects have included a School
Software Survey, the Education LAN Survey, the Report on the Effectiveness
of Microcomputers in Schools, among others. Programs are also being
developed to promote awareness of software piracy amongst teachers and
students. The Education Section comes together at SPA meetings and other
educational conferences throughout the year.
International Activities
SPA Europe was created to promote and provide services to the European
software industry. Now in its second full year of operation, SPA Europe
represents more than 100 European software publishers, re-publishers,
distributors, SPU manufacturers, and other industry-related firms, in 15
different countries from Iceland to Turkey. Companies interested in
joining SPA Europe should contact the membership department at:
SPA Europe
2 Place de la Defense
World Trade Center, CNIT BP 416
92053 Paris La Defense, France
Tel: 33-(1) 46 92 27 03/04 Fax: 33-(1) 46 92 25 31
Programs and Benefits
SPA Semiannual Conferences: The SPA meets twice a year, on the east
coast in the Fall and on the west coast in the Spring. The conferences,
which attract more than 1000 attendees, offer members an opportunity to
meet with industry leaders and executives. Attendees participate in
informative sessions, discuss issues and mobilize their efforts in
committee meetings, which focus on the consumer, education and business
markets.
European Conference: The European conference, hosted by SPA Europe,
is an opportunity to meet with more than 350 peers in an informal setting.
It also offers a chance to learn more about the European software industry
and the forces that drive international markets. For the past 3 year, the
European Conference has been held in Cannes, France.
Market Research Program: Each month, participating publishers receive
detailed market sales reports. Members use the SPA's monthly aggregate
sales reports to track software industry trends, the relative sizes of
market segments and their own market share. Members that participate in
this market research program submit sales figures and information to the
national accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Co. in Washington, D.C., The
reports are available only to the SPA members who share their confidential
sales figures and information. Individual company sales data is not
disclosed. According to many of the SPA's members, the reports are the
most reliable source of market data available to the industry.
Salary Survey: The SPA conducts the software industry's most
extensive salary survey. The annual survey focuses on human resource
practices, and short and long term compensation for more than 30 positions
common to companies in our industry. Participants receive the survey
results free of charge.
CEO Roundtable: Chief Executive Officers of member companies meet in
small groups with other CEOs of non-competitive firms to discuss informally
a wide range of business problems including marketing, personnel and
breaking into the distribution channel.
Contracts Reference Disk and Manual: The Contracts Reference Disk and
Manual (CRD) is a compendium of legal contracts used in the software
industry. Although it is not intended to replace an attorney, it is an
indispensable tool that includes everything from nondisclosure agreements
to site-licensing agreements. It costs $300 for nonmembers, but is free to
members.
Lobbying: The SPA provides industry representation before the U.S.
Congress and the executive branch of government and keeps members
up-to-date on events in Washington, D.C., that effect them. The fight
against software piracy is among its top priorities. The SPA is the
industry's primary defense against software copyright violators both in the
United States and abroad. Litigation and an ongoing advertising campaign
are ways in which the SPA strives to protect the copyrights of its members.
SPA Newsletter and Complimentary Subscriptions: Members receive the
SPA News on a monthly basis. The newsletter updates members on SPA
programs and activities. Special features include start-up success stories
and "country profiles" covering international marketing and distribution
issues. In addition, members receive complimentary subscriptions to
industry publications, including Jeffrey Tarter's Soft*letter, Digital
Information Group's Software Industry Bulletin and Broadview Associates'
Perspectives.
Award Programs: The SPA Excellence in Software Awards recognize
products that have achieved a high level of excellence, as determined by
the SPA members. They are the software industry's version of the movie
industry's Oscars. Members vote to award prizes in 25 categories,
including best software program, best entertainment, best business
application, best home learning and best new use of a computer. The winners
receive national publicity.
The Sales Certification Program awards certifications to software
products that reach outstanding sales levels of 500,000; 250,000; 100,000;
and 50,000 units sold. Gelfand, Renner & Feldman, the accounting firm that
manages the Recording Industry of America's certifications, conducts the
sales audits for the SPA.
Special Interest Groups (SIG) All SPA members may choose to join any
number of Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Each SIG maintains individual
memberships (unlike the SPA membership, which is corporate) with dues of at
least $100 per person per SIG.
All SIGs are member driven. While some SIGs have chosen to produce
reports, initiate projects, and assemble sessions at SPA conferences,
others use the group as a forum for information exchange, discussion and
networking. Refer to each SIG description for its specific activities.
All SIGs meet formally at least twice a year at SPA conferences. Some SIGs
meet more frequently at other industry trade shows, such as COMDEX and
CES.
CD SIG: The CD SIG was formed to promote the CD as a viable medium in
the computer industry. Through a better understanding of the implications
of this emerging technology, this SIG plans to assist members in planning
and profitably executing CD programs.
International SIG: As a coalition of software publishers and
distributors involved in international markets, the International SIG seeks
to provide members with information on creating partnerships and business
alliances in overseas markets. The SIG aims to help its members develop
and sustain profitable international sales and operations through reports,
resource guides and international sessions at SPA conferences.
Macintosh SIG: The Macintosh SIG consists of Macintosh software
vendors that work to facilitate the sharing of information and resources.
The SIG promotes the common business interests of companies developing,
publishing, marketing or reporting on products for the Apple Macintosh
computer.
Marketing SIG: The Marketing SIGs goal is to promote successful
marketing in the PC software industry by allowing participants to share
information and ideas regarding relevant marketing issues. SIG projects
have included a biannual marketing newsletter, planning the marketing
bootcamps at SPA conferences, and a collection of 450 tips called "The Do's
and Don'ts of PC Software Marketing."
Pen Computing SIG: The Pen Computing SIG offers players in this
emerging market an opportunity to network and discuss issues relevant to
pen computing. The SIG aims to promote awareness of pen computing in the
industry and acts as an information source for companies involved in this
emerging technology.
Public Relations SIG: The PR SIG offers public relations
professionals within the SPA and the software industry an opportunity to
share information, network and discuss common concerns.
Software Production Services SIG: Formerly the Packaging SIG, the
Software Production Services SIG was recently reorganized to meet the needs
of packagers and publishers alike. The group intends to act as an
information source for its members, and broaden its focus to include
translation, distribution, project management, as well as packaging issues.
Workgroup Computing SIG: The newly-formed Workgroup Computing SIG
aims to foster the growth of groupware capabilities and market acceptance
by enabling vendors of PC LAN products to share information on issues
related to this emerging segment of the industry. The Workgroup SIG is
currently soliciting new members who have an interest in groupware
technology.
_____________________________________________________________
> STReport CONFIDENTIAL "Rumors Tidbits Predictions Observations Tips"
"""""""""""""""""""""
- San Francisco, CA IS IT "INSIDER TRADING" OR, BUSINESS AS USUAL?
-----------------
Our sources reported shortly behind the IBM/Atari announcement about
the Jaguar joint venture that a large number of Atari stock had been
transferred/traded. They further reported; The telltale sign was the
little noticed press release noting that the directors of Atari had
voted against the split. Atari originally made the proposed split known
when the stock was at about 70 cents per share. The price was not a true
representation of the company according to Sam Tramiel. It was so cheap
that on May 17, 1993 when the stock was trading at 94 cents on NASDAQ,
Sam and Leonard both bought four million shares of the Atari stock from
their father, Jack Tramiel. On May 28, 1993, the same day the announcement
of the cancellation of the stock split was made, the stock rose to 2.50.
Also on the same day, the announcement of the Jaguar deal was made. Within
three days the stock had jumped to 4 3/8. Was it just a coincidence that
both announcements came shortly after the stock xfer?? Do you?
- Las Vegas, NV WHY ARE CERTAIN DEVELOPERS UPSET ABOUT FALCON VIDEO?
-------------
Amidst claims of defective, missing a vital part and simply general
disgust, a number of long time developers are making their thoughts known
about the Falcon's Video output. Its seems, according to one dev, that all
it will take to fix is the inclusion of an inexpensive part. Yet it is not
being done and the remark that "we are not in the business of fixing things
for third party developers" is the alleged answer from the company. Seems
the overlay bitmask in the interlaced mode is like shooting dice. You have
a 50/50 chance of the screen coming up scrambled! Another dev who also
asked to remain un-named said it all when he said "So where is all this NEW
software they were harping about? The Falcon is not selling well at all."
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
: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 Information copyright (C) 1991 by General Electric
Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> A "Quotable Quote" "The "real thing"..... Is it really?
"""""""""""""""""
"IF IT QUACKS LIKE A DUCK....
WADDLES LIKE A DUCK....
HAS WEBBED FEET LIKE A DUCK...
IT SURE AIN'T A TURKEY LIKE THE FALCON IS TRYIN' TO BE!
.... Willy "The Gizzard" Tradaire
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> DEALER CLASSIFIED LIST STR InfoFile * Dealer Listings *
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ---------------
ABCO COMPUTER CONSULTANTS
=========================
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
Est. 1985
1-904-783-3319
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
IBM/MSDOS-PC-CLONES-MAC-AMIGA-ATARI
CUSTOM - MADE TO ORDER HARDWARE
SOFTWARE, SUPPLIES & INSTRUCTION
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
COMPUTER STUDIO
===============
WESTGATE SHOPPING CENTER
40 Westgate Parkway - Suite D
Asheville, NC 28806
1-800-253-0201
Orders Only
1-704-251-0201
Information
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
Authorized Atari Dealer
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
EAST HARTFORD COMPUTER
======================
202 Roberts St.
East Hartford CT. 06108
1-203-528-4448
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
Authorized Atari Dealer
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
MEGABYTE COMPUTERS
==================
907 Mebourne
Hurst, TX 76053
1-817-589-2950
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
Authorized Atari Dealer
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
SAN JOSE COMPUTER
=================
1278 Alma Court
San Jose, CA. 95112
1-408-995-5080
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
Authorized Atari Dealer
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
CompuSeller West
================
220-1/2 W. Main St.
St. Charles, IL., 60174
Ph. (708) 513-5220
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
Authorized Atari Dealer
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
(DEALERS; to be listed here, please drop us a line.)
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport International Online Magazine
-* [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport *-
AVAILABLE ON OVER 20,000 PRIVATE BBS SYSTEMS
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STR Online! "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" August 13, 1993
Since 1987 copyright (c) 1987-93 All Rights Reserved No.9.33
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Messages quoted in whole or in part are done so under the Fair Use
provision of the US Copyright Laws. USPC Title 17. 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. STR, STReport and/or portions therein may not be edited in any way
without prior written permission. STR, STReport, at the time of
publication, is believed reasonably accurate. STR, 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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