Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Silicon Times Report Issue 0944
SILICON TIMES REPORT
====================
INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
=============================
from
STR Electronic Publishing Inc.
October 29, 1993 No. 9.44
======================================================================
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 ~ ITCNet 85:881/253 ~ FNET 350 ~ Nest 90:21/350
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
-----------------------------------------
Fido 1:112/35 The Bounty STR Support Central 1-904-786-4176
FNET. 620 : Leif's World ................1-904-573-0734
FNET. 690 : PASTE BBS....................1-206-284-8493
FNET. 460 : The Atari ST Connection......1-209-436-8156
FNET. 489 : Steal Your Face BBS..........1-908-920-7981
______________________________________________________________________
> 10/29/93 STR 944 "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
""""""""""""""""
- CPU INDUSTRY REPORT - AUDIOMAN RELEASED! - MOSAIC ART
- BBEdit Released! - MacIntosh TV! - TOAD HOLIDAYS!
- MISSIONWARE OFFERS! - FIREBALL SHIPS! - PALMTOP NEWS!
- PKLITE - PEOPLE TALKING - STR Confidential!
-* JAGUAR TO DEBUT! *-
-* STR HAS NEW ATARI EDITOR! *-
-* BETA-TESTERS? - WHERE??? *-
======================================================================
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 BBS, invites all BBS systems, worldwide, to
participate in the Fido/PROWL/ITC/USENET/NEST/F-Net Mail Networks. You
may also call The Bounty BBS direct @ 904-786-4176. Enjoy the wonder and
excitement of exchanging all types of useful information relative to
c o mputers, 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
computer platforms BBS systems are welcome and invited to participate.
======================================================================
CIS ~ AOL ~ DELPHI ~ BIX ~ 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;
STREPORT 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!
"Enjoy CompuServe's forums; where information is at its very best!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> From the Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""
Well now, there is a new editor for the Atari sections of our humble
offering. I wish him all the luck in the world. He'll need it! <g>
Actually, Dana has been around for a long time and is quite capable of
handling things quite well. I'll still be here in more ways than one but
he'll be calling the day to day shots in the Atari coverage areas. I am
very confident he'll do quite well. Also, in the Atari scene, the Jaguar
is due to debut this month and there is "bash" mid-month in NYC to set
the "festivities" off. Hopefully, Atari's made in the USA game machine
the Jaguar, will do the trick.
There is another subject that is becoming monstrous in proportions.
That is the "so-called" beta-testing corps. maintained by many major
software publishing houses. The big question is whether or not these
"beta-testers" are really performing the services they are rewarded for
performing.
At this very moment we have no less than seven major software
packages in house for review. Truthfully speaking we cannot, in all
fairness to the publishers, proceed with the reviews until such time that
we confer with the programmers of these packages. At such time we'll ask
all the questions we can to ensure the "dodgyness" being found in the
software is not of our doing but is indeed "undocumented features"
needing immediate attention.
Hopefully, the problems can be resolved quickly so we can proceed
with reviews. Believe me when I say these new programs are exciting and
worth the effort to make sure they are working well.
At the same time however, it must be made very clear; If the users
(purchasing public) are being force recruited into becoming the real
BETA-TESTERS.... because of shabby beta-testing procedures and policies
in use at this time, the only proper thing to do is warn the publishers
of an impending problem. The paying users should never be "the beta
testers."
Know a few of the "professional" beta-testers myself, it must be
made known quite frankly speaking, I would not allow them to beta test an
ordinary lead pencil! They BRAG about the freebies and proudly display
the shelves full of software packages but rarely USE the software enough
to uncover the many known, forget about unknown, features. More next
week about this.
Ralph....
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
** STReport International Online Magazine **
NOW AVAILABLE FOR
ELECTRONIC HOME DELIVERY
DIRECT TO YOUR GEnie (E-)MAIL BOX
and
in the MAC RT!
STReport will be E-Mailed to any GEnie subscriber who requests it as
an archived (in LZH format) attached file. Instructions for downloading
an attached file are provided on page 200 on GEnie (Type M200).
Downloading 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!
*** 380 SUBSCRIBERS AND GROWING! ***
_____________________________________________________
STReport's Staff DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU!
""""""""""""""""
Publisher -Editor
""""""""""""""""""
Ralph F. Mariano
Lloyd E. Pulley, Editor, Current Affairs
Section Editors
"""""""""""""""
PC SECTION AMIGA SECTION MAC SECTION ATARI SECTION
---------- ------------- ----------- -------------
R.D. Stevens R. Glover R. Noak D. P. Jacobson
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:
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Tim Holt Norman Boucher Harry Steele
Clemens Chin Neil Bradley Eric Jerue
Ron Deal Robert Dean Ed Westhusing
James Nolan Vernon W. Smith Bruno Puglia
Frank Sereno
IMPORTANT NOTICE
""""""""""""""""
Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
via E-Mail to:
Compuserve................... 70007,4454
America Online..................STReport
Delphi......................... RMARIANO
BIX............................ RMARIANO
FIDONET........................ 1:112/35
FNET........................... NODE 350
ITC NET...................... 85:881/253
NEST........................ 90:21/350.0
GEnie......................... ST-REPORT
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> CPU STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
"""""""""""""""""
IBM/POWER-PC/PC SECTION (I)
===========================
> AUDIOMAN! STR InfoFile
""""""""""""""""""""""
*** New Product Announcement ***
Logitech Inc. announces a new version of AudioMan, the complete
boardless sound solution for the Windows 3.1 environment.
The product will be available in retail stores in November at a
list price of (U.S.) $179.
AudioMan is an external audio device with an integrated speaker and
microphone. It attaches to the parallel port of any IBM PC or compat-
ible, allowing users to record and play audio (voice, sound and music)
within a sound-compatible application.
It uses Microsoft's Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), a cross-
document interface standard that allows users to integrate a variety of
data formats (i.e., graphics, sound and text) from diverse sources
within a single document. AudioMan records voice, as well as sounds from
other sources, such as tapes and CDs, via the audio input port.
An output port permits the connection of headphones or external
speakers. The device is powered by standard "AA" batteries or by AC.
Through new software, AudioMan can now play back in mono both 8-
and 16-bit mono and stereo files, as well as MIDI files. The upgraded
package also contains additional software enhancements, including:
-- BeSTspeech ReadOut from Berkeley Speech Technologies (BST) -
This text-to-speech utility, which works exclusively with AudioMan,
reads aloud from user-highlighted text and even numbers within
most Windows-based programs, including word processors, E-mail and
spreadsheets. Copying text to the Windows clipboard before reading
is usually unnecessary. Because BeSTspeech ReadOut is true text-to-
speech, not just a playback of pre-recorded words, it has an
unlimited vocabulary.
-- AudioMan Annotator from Voyetra - For annotating messages in any
OLE application.
-- AudioPanel - Lets users record, play and construct play lists of
.WAV files.
-- AudioEdit - Provides tools for editing .WAV files.
-- MIDI Player - Enables AudioMan to play MIDI files.
-- Icon Hear-It Lite from Moon Valley - Customizes the Windows desktop
by adding sound effects and personalized icons.
AudioMan's ergonomic shape is compact and easy to handle, yet the
product is designed for durability using industrial-strength materials.
It can be used hands-free on the desk, or hand-held, and is optimized to
"focus" sound output for single-user convenience and privacy. To
accommodate a printer, Logitech has designed a special parallel port
"pass-through" connection that ships with the product.
Registered users of AudioMan 1.0 can upgrade to the new software
for $19.95 through Logitech's customer service department.
Sales and General Product Information - U.S. and Canada
Logitech Customer Sales Center 800/889-0043
CONTACT: Logitech, Fremont
Betty Skov, 510/713-4463
__________________________________________________
> MOSAIC ART STR InfoFile
"""""""""""""""""""""""
*** New Product Announcement ***
New and Unique "Mosaic Art" CD-Rom Hits Mac Marketplace
Rocky Mountain Digital Peeks (RMDP) announces the availability of
its new CD-ROM, Calculated Beauty(tm), whose Mosaic Art may define a new
category of resources for the color publishing and design markets. It is
NOT clip art nor a stock photo collection, but a gigantic connected
Mosaic of over 6,000 square feet of beautiful customizable graphic de-
signs. RMDP has created a beautiful "fractal forest" covered with
psychedelic carpets and strange "forest" sounds sure to capture the
interest and imagination of anyone journeying through it. Since Apple
intends to ship over one million computers with CDROM readers in 1993,
it shouldn't be hard to find admirers of this low cost, multi-featured
CD-ROM for the Macintosh.
The concept of devoting an entire CD-ROM to a single detailed image
is new to the CDROM world. Using the MandelDisplay(tm) program in
Calculated Beauty(tm), users browse the image inch by inch or jump to
any area directly, defining their coloring choices with point and click
ease. Users can view the "forest" as if from space, or instantly view it
microscopically. The images and sounds are created from over 600 MBytes
of raw data pre-computed from the Mandelbrot equation. This equation was
discovered by Benoit Mandelbrot, who in the 1980's began a new branch of
mathematics, called fractal geometry, which studies self-similar shapes
that mimic the forms of nature and chaos. The similarity to nature, the
intrinsic beauty of the images, and the simplicity of the equation make
one ask if there might be one simple set of equations that describes the
creation of nature itself.
Calculated Beauty(tm) will create high-resolution image files for
use in generating intricate color background designs for brochures,
posters, business presentations, calendars, or even quality art prints.
The images produced from the MandelDisplay(tm) program are free from
copyright restrictions, which makes the CD-ROM a fantastic bargain for
designers.
Calculated Beauty(tm) is also of great educational and entertain-
ment value, making it attractive to anyone with of beauty or science.
The CD-ROM also includes a Gallery of fractal art, a slide viewing
program, QuickTime(tm) movies, and fractal Shareware programs.
Rocky Mountain Digital Peeks is a CD-ROM development company
specializing in multimedia titles fore design, entertainment, and
education markets. Efforts are initially for the Macintosh computer
platform, but future titles will address other platforms such as the IBM
PC and Power PC. RMDP is distributing the Calculated Beauty(tm) CD-ROM
from their Rocky Mountain office in Colorado and can be reached at (800)
266-RMDP (7367). The U.S. retail price is only $44.00. The product is
also being distributed by Educorp (800-843-9497) and Media Magic (415-
662-2426).
Mr. James "Newt" Perdue, author of Calculated Beauty(tm) and
president of RMDP, located his innovative company high in the Rocky
Mountains to provide a more suitable environment for his product ideas
and his family. Mr. Perdue was formerly co-founder of Ultra Network
Technologies of San Jo California. Ultra closed its doors this summer
after eight years of providing gigabit/second network capabilities for
interactive color graphics and other data intensive applications. Mr.
Perdue has traded the fast track, high stress corporate life in Silicon
Valley for the more relaxed, innovative atmosphere of the mountains
without abandoning his high tech interests and aggressive style.
Rocky Mountain Digital Peeks
P.O. Box 1576
Nederland, CO 84066-1576
For more information contact: Donna Perdue 1-303-258-3779.
Macintosh and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
Calculated Beauty and MandelDisplay are trademarks of Rocky
Mountain Digital Peeks. (C) MandelDisplay 1993 RMDP.
_________________________________________________________
> Reviewer Info STR InfoFile
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
An Introduction
Frank Sereno is the husband of the beautiful Denise Sereno and the
father of two sons, Jeremy age 5 and Timothy age 3. By trade, Frank is
an offset lithographer. Over the past 10 years, he has owned various
brands of personal computers from the Atari 800, the Commodore 64, the
Atari ST and now to an IBM clone running a 386DX-40 cpu with a
DoubleSpeed CD-rom drive. He has amassed a large collection of quality
IBM educational programs in the quest to give his children a head start
on their educations. Frank welcomes comments, suggestions and software
submissions for review. He can be reached via e-mail at the Bounty BBS
at 904-786-4176 or on the Internet at the following address:
frank.sereno@utibbs.chigate.com
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
: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
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
___ ___ _____ _______
/___| /___| /_____| /_______/ The Macintosh RoundTable
/____|/____| /__/|__| /__/ ________________________
/_____|_____|/__/_|__|/__/
/__/|____/|__|________|__/
/__/ |___/ |__|_/ |__|_/____ Managed by SyndiComm
/__/ |__/ |__|/ |__|______/
An Official Forum of the International Computer Users Group
.____________________________________________________________________.
| Help Desk - Having a problem with your Mac? Stop by the HD for the |
| answers! In the RTC from 9pm to 12pm EDT in ROOM 1........ (605;2) |
!____________________________________________________________________!
.____________________________________________________________________.
| A SyndiComm Round Table |
| (Tom Weishaar & Kent Filmore) |
|____________________________________________________________________|
| |
| Hosted by: |
| Chief SysOp: (Unk) DAVE.REID |
| |
| -- SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS -- | -- SOFTWARE LIBRARY -- |
| Education ....... (Rob) R.WHITELOCK | Chief Librarian: RANDY.SIMON |
| Mac Hardware ..... (Nick) N.PASSINO | Asst Librarians: |
| (J) W.GLENN1 | (Steve) S.MACK |
| Games ............ (Bart) MAC.GAMES | (Anne) ANNE-INDA |
| Telecommunity ........ (Kent) DRACO | (Phil) P.VALIQUETTE |
| PowerBooks...... (Doc) D.E.JOHNSTON | |
|_____________________________________!______________________________|
| --- Weekly RTC Schedule --- | -- Help Desk Schedule -- |
| (All Times Eastern) |
| Educational Mac Mon 9:45pm Rm 3 | Mon-Fri 9:00pm-12:00am Rm 1 |
| About PowerBooks Tue 9:45pm Rm 2 | Sunday 10:30pm-12:00am Rm 1 |
| Telecommunity Wed 9:45pm Rm 2 | ___________________________ |
| Macintosh Games Wed10:30pm Rm 3 | To enter GE-MUG RTC, type.. |
| Macintosh Hardware Thr 9:45pm Rm 2 | MOVE 605;2 and choose room # |
| Sunday Night Fight Sun 9:00pm Rm 3 |______________________________|
|_____________________________________!______________________________|
| **** IMPORTANT INFORMATION **** |
| For COMPLETE information and TIPS on downloading, be sure |
| to read item # 4 on page 605 -"About The RoundTable" |
!____________________________________________________________________!
MAC/APPLE SECTION (II)
======================
Randy Noak, Editor
/--------------------------------------------------------------------\
| * GEnie-MUG NEWS * for the week of 10/25/93 - issue 33 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
| What's Hot and Happening This Week In GEnie's Macintosh User Group |
\--------------------------------------------------------------------/
WELCOME to the GEnie-MUG RoundTable newsletter! This quick bulletin gives
you an idea of what's cooking in the GEnie Macintosh User Group
(GEnie-MUG). I'm Eric Mueller, and I write this file every week so that
you can find the action in GEnie-MUG: the latest controversy in the
bulletin board, the hottest files in the library, and the hippest chats
in the RTC rooms. I'm always interested in your comments on this file,
and would love to hear them.
If you're new to GEnie or GEnie-MUG, you can read about GEnie-MUG
(including information on what GEnie-MUG has to offer and the layout of
the system) by typing "M 605;4." Additionally, the GEnie-MUG help desk (a
live hotline) is available six days a week in the GEnie-MUG RTC (type "M
605;2" then choose room 1). For more information and a schedule of times,
type "M 605;4".
WORD WORKS for most people---that is, Microsoft Word, the ever-popular
ever-lovin' ever-top-selling Macintosh word processor, working for
practically everyone. But what if you don't have the latest version? Are
you missing out on something? Think there's more to life that you don't
know about? It's time to tune in to the latest revision of Word---or at
least listen to the features---and see what's in it for you. In GEnie-MUG
category 2 ("SOFTWARE: Daily Business"), topic 3 ("MS Word 5.1"), folks
are talking about the differences between Word 5.0 and Word 5.1a.
Interested? Check out messages 20 through the end of the topic!
WHAT DO MARK TWAIN AND THREE-D GLASSES have in common? They
combine in a new GEnie-MUG file, a "stereo" picture of the famous turn-
of-the-century humorist. To view the picture in 3-D, all you need is
standard 3-D glasses---you know, the kind with one red lens and one blue
lens. The image, one of over a thousand on a new CD-ROM, is available in
the GEnie-MUG library along with "stereo" pictures of Will Rogers
(another
famous humorist), and of a large train wreck. Interested? Check out
GEnie-MUG files #30683 (Twain), #30684 (Rogers), and #30685 (train
wreck) today!
IT'S ALL RELATIVE in genealogy and in relational databases, a special
kind of database that allows you to have one record affect another in a
powerful way. Relational databases (such as 4th Dimension and FoxBase+)
are exponentially more powerful than "flat-file" databases (like
FileMaker Pro), which simply store data and retrieve it for you quickly.
(There are more distinctions between the two, but the bottom line is that
power is in relational databases and ease of use is in flat-file
databases.) If you want to know more, and find some recommendations for
good relational databases, check out the messages in GEnie-MUG category 2
("SOFTWARE: Daily Business"), topic 3 ("Looking for Best Relational
Database").
EXCITED ABOUT NEWTON? We all are! The best part of Newton, though, isn't
the cool handwriting recognition or the neato way it knows when someone
wants to have lunch with you and schedules it for you, or the cool idea
of faxing a normal piece of paper from a minuscule screen. The best part,
without a whisper of doubt, is the Newton sound effects! Newton has four
"beep" sounds, and GEnie-MUG has them available for your Macintosh.
Download these sounds, and you can make your Mac _sound_ like a Newton!
The four sounds, named Bell, Chord, Xylo, and Trill. Interested? Download
file #30695 from the GEnie-MUG library now and live Newtonized!
AND THE NEWTON FUN JUST KEEPS GOING with a set of Newton icons! These
standard Macintosh icons are three versions (two in color, one in black
and white) of the famous Apple Newton logo. Share them with your friends;
pretend you have a Newton Message Pad! Check out file #30707 in the
GEnie-MUG library.
GOT A BUNCH OF MACS AND IBMS and you want them to talk to each other?
Are they sitting on opposite sides of the room right now, arms crossed,
grumpy and not cooperating? Want to have some printer sharing happening,
as well as maybe a little file sharing? Here's the place those kind of
tough problems are addressed: GEnie-MUG bulletin board category 31
("HARDWARE: Communication and Networks Hardware"), topic 4
("Networking Mac's and PC's"), messages 12 through the end of the topic.
POWER PC IS A HOT TOPIC in GEnie-MUG; everybody's talking about what it
will be and when it will be and what it's going to do. There's a Power PC
RoundTable but the PPC conversation in GEnie-MUG is still hot and
happening. Want to know if your Mac software will work? Curious if the
first generation of PPC machines will have the much-ballyhooed digital
signal processor (DSP) chip? The place to look for all this is in GEnie-
MUG category 40 ("MISC.: Open Window"), topic 38 ("Power PCs, the end of
the Mac?"), messages 51 through the end of the topic.
STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT... here's an exciting new screen saver that takes
hardly any disk space (a measly 7k), barely any RAM (a wimpy 40k), and
presents not only the famous starry sky, but has a group of quiet,
relaxing chirping crickets in the background. (They like stars, you
know!) Unlike most screen savers, which are too intrusive (with constant
background monitoring), you keep this screen saver in your "Apple Menu
Items" folder so you'll never have to hassle with waiting for the screen
saver to kick in or interfering with your work. Simple, basic, and
useful: just the way I like my software. If you like it, too, check out
file #30649, NIGHTSKY v1.01, in the GEnie-MUG library.
APPLE DOES IT AGAIN with PhotoFlash, a new way of getting photographs
into documents. PhotoFlash, unveiled last week at Seybold (a large
desktop publishing conference), has three key components: an "integrated
browser that simplifies selection of images, unique photo preparation
tools that enhance images, and scripting capabilities that place images
into popular page-layout applications and automate routine tasks." Sounds
like fun, doesn't it? If Apple's PhotoFlash catches on, it will be a sort
of breakthrough for all programs that want to incorporate images into
their documents. Watch the GEnie-MUG bulletin board for future topics
about PhotoFlash, and for now, check out category 42 ("MISC.: Press
Releases"), topic 44 ("10/18: Apple Unveils PhotoFlash")!
THAT'S ALL for this week. Until next week, continue to limbo with
Macintosh!
-------------------------
Mac Report
by Randy Noak
BBEdit - A Review
It was a Tuesday morning. One of those Tuesday mornings that never
should have been. One of those Tuesday mornings when the north wind
blew the stench from the steel mills and refineries of Northwest Indiana
southward to the verdant Hoosier cornfields, filling them with a
miasma of sulfur, diesel fumes and bovine flatulence. One of those
Tuesday mornings.
I entered my office. On my desk was a box. Lifting the box from my
desk, I carefully turned it over in my hands, examining every inch. The
box was sealed with clear plastic tape. I reached over to my tabouret and
selected an X-Acto knife from a piece of foam. I slid the finely
honed blade under the tape, and, with one deft movement, severed the
constraining band. Opening the box I saw two 3 1/2 inch floppy disks and
a soft bound manual. On the manual was written, "BBEdit, High Performance
Text Editing for the Macintosh". Good. It was the copy of BBEdit that I
had won during a RoundTable conference in GEnie's GE-MUG
RT.
Inspecting the disks, I noticed that one was labeled BBEdit Version
2.5, while the other was labeled BBEdit Demo Disk. Good. Most of my
friends had long since given up trying to coax me into the heinous crime
of software piracy, but now, at least, I could, in clear conscience, give
them a copy of the Demo disk. Setting the disks down for moment, I sat,
my mind racing back to the time when I had inadvertently accepted a
pirated copy of a program. I recalled my angry phone call to my alleged
"friend". I remembered my feelings as I formatted the disk he had given
me, erasing the purloined program. I thought about the long hours the
developers had worked to bring me, the user, such a wonderful program.
Didn't that same developer deserve the fruits of their labor? But no, it
was time to put those painful thoughts of the past aside and return to
the job at hand.
I picked up the manual and noted with satisfaction that it was
perfect bound. I opened the manual at random. The word, "Boolean" jumped
off the page and the room began to spin. A film of perspiration coated my
entire body as I was racked with spasms of peristalsis. I fell into the
abyss and knew no more.
When I awoke, the late afternoon sun was filtering through my
office curtains. The BBEdit manual was laying face down on my desk. I
stood up, reached for the manual, then, changing my mind, went into the
bathroom. I turned on the tap, splashed cold water on my face and looked
into the mirror.
"Boolean", I thought, "Out of all the software manuals in the world,
it had to be this one."
"Boolean". I hadn`t seen that word since my college days. Even now,
after these many years, it filled me with dread. Studying. Tests. Term
papers. What had I gotten myself into? Would I actually have to think
about that stuff again? I had been "winging it" so long, could I even get
back into the groove? My first thought was to use the techniques that had
served me so well back at University, but a few frantic phone calls soon
convinced me that Cliff`s Notes did not exist for BBEdit, so I walked
back into the office and, with trembling hands, picked up the manual.
Opening it this time to the beginning of the manual, I read the
reassuring words, "BBEdit is a text editor." Relief flooded my mind. All
would be well. I _will_ write this review!
A text editor. How simple, yet useful in so many tasks. Text editors
are used in programming (hence the "Boolean" reference), as well as,
well, text editing. A good text editor is easy to use, fast, good at
search and replace, has block functions, and is able to format text in a
variety of ways. BBEdit fills all these bills and also has several other
handy features.
BBEdit allows the user to edit text using a variety of options. Want
Auto-Wrap? You got it. Don`t want Auto-Wrap? You got that too. Auto-
Indent? Smart Quotes? Line numbers? All those and more are supported.
Movement through your document is aided by the use of key combos.
Alternately, the user can choose to use the numeric keypad to navigate.
Text transformation is a breeze also. BBEdit`s Twiddle feature will
transpose two characters. Did you type "hte" instead of "the"? No
problem. BBEdit`s can fix it. Hold down the Option key and you can
Twiddle two words instead of letters. Need to remove non-printing
characters from your documents? Use BBEdit`s Zap Gremlins command and
they are gone.
BBEdit can also be used as a text editor for programming. The
manual gives instructions on how to do this, but I'll have to take their
word for it since I'm a user, not a programmer. One interesting thing is
that the manual explains how to write BBEdit extensions that will allow
the user to customize certain aspects of the program. Almost makes me
wish that I could program. Almost.
Since I received BBEdit, I've been using it every week to assist me
in producing this column. It works as a text editor. It's saved me time
and effort, and what more can you ask? A big Mac Report thumbs up for
BBEdit.
Contact:
BBEdit
c/o R. Siegal
1 Larkspur Way #4
Natick, MA 01760
Internet/Usenet: bbedit@world.std.com
____________________________________________
I can hear it now. The workers of the world shouting, " I want my
Mac TV!" I can also hear the bosses of the world shouting back, "Turn off
that darn TV and get back to work." Such is life at the end of the
millennium. Here`s some info, courtesy GEnie`s GE-MUG RT, direct from
Apple, about the new Mac TV.
MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE AT 8:16 AM, EDT, MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1993.
Apple Unveils Macintosh TV
Macintosh Computer Combines Television and Stereo CD Player in
Single, Low-Cost Unit
CUPERTINO, California--Oct. 25, 1993--Apple Computer Inc. announced
today Macintosh TV, a new product that combines an Apple Macintosh
personal computer, television and CD-ROM stereo system into one
compact, low-priced unit. Designed for users at home and in higher
education institutions, the $2,079 system greatly reduces the cost
and space requirements currently required to obtain these electronic
components separately. This product underscores Apple's business
strategy to reach new users in the home and education markets.
Macintosh TV provides the integrated functionality of a powerful
personal computer with a cable-ready 14-inch color TV, and double-
speed audio CD player for high-quality stereo sound. The system can
also be easily connected with a VCR, camcorder, laserdisc player or
video game player. In addition, it comes with a sleek infrared remote
that controls both television and CD player functions.
"The computer industry and the consumer electronics market are
converging, and Apple is at the forefront of this transition," said
Brodie Keast, Director of Product Marketing for the Apple Personal
Computer Division. "With Macintosh TV, Apple extends its popular all-
in-one computer design with new media capabilities that create a
whole new category of computing and entertainment devices."
"With this special edition of the Macintosh, Apple hopes to learn
more about the needs of this market and to apply that knowledge to
future product development," Keast added.
Bundled Software Included
Macintosh TV comes bundled with several popular software programs
pre-loaded, including ClarisWorks 2.0 (an integrated program
combining a word processor, spreadsheet and database), American Heritage
Dictionary, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, HomeWork Templates, and The
Performa Click Art Collection. It also includes CD-ROM titles such as
Groiler's Multimedia Encyclopedia, World Atlas, Space Shuttle, Wonders
of the World (Volume I), Time Almanac 1993, and the Kodak Photo CD
Sampler.
Product Details
Macintosh TV combines plug-and-play simplicity with the power of a
32 MHz 68030 microprocessor. It comes standard with 5MB of RAM
expandable to 8MB. It has a 160MB hard disk drive and a 1.4MB Apple
SuperDrive floppy disk drive and reads MS-DOS disks with Macintosh PC
Exchange software.
The television capabilities include a 14-inch Color TV with a cable-
ready tuner, a coaxial port to connect an antenna or cable service
and a RCA port to connect a VCR, camcorder, laserdisc player, or
video game player. The software support for television features
includes frame grabbing, closed captions, channel scanning, and
password protection of TV mode.
The AppleCD 300i double-speed CD-ROM drive adds more flexibility to
Macintosh TV and provides a richer more exciting computing
environment. This built-in CD-ROM plays standard audio CDs, reads
data on CD-ROMs and views images on Kodak Photo CDs. The system
integrates a high-quality 14" Trinitron color display which provides
640 by 480 pixels, .26mm dot pitch and 8-bit color, displaying 256
colors.
The SCSI port will support up to six SCSI devices, such as hard
disks and scanners. There are two serial ports for printers, modems, and
AppleTalk networks. There are also two Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) ports
for keyboard, mouse, and other input devices. Macintosh TV also has
built-in AppleTalk networking and file sharing without a dedicated
server.
Pricing and Availability
Macintosh TV is a U.S. only, special edition product and will be
available immediately upon introduction at selected consumer retail
stores and higher education campuses, and through the Apple Catalog.
The consumer stores include Best Buy, Select Video Concepts, Silo
YES, and TOPS. The ApplePrice is $2,079.
U.S. Configuration ApplePrice Available
Macintosh TV $2,079 Immediate
5/160, Internal CD-ROM, 512K VRAM
----------
First came Hewlett Packard`s HP4M. A 600dpi laser printer that
was, at last, affordable. Now Apple ups the ante with a 600dpi laser
printer that is _more_ affordable.
MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE AFTER 8:15 AM, EDT, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21,
1993.
High-Performance Apple Printers Target Large and Small Workgroups
Aggressive Pricing and Fax Option Set New Standards
CUPERTINO, California--October 21, 1993--Apple Computer, Inc., today
announced the LaserWriter Select 360 and the LaserWriter Pro 810, two
new printers focusing on the needs of small and large workgroups
respectively. Priced to be a leader in its class, the LaserWriter
Select 360 is designed for networks of Macintosh and DOS/Windows
computers, while the LaserWriter Pro 810 offers the speed and
flexibility sought by large workgroups where users run a variety of
operating systems.
"Apple has configured specific technical features to meet the more
sophisticated requirements of both small and large workgroups. We
believe these products will be especially attractive to the growing
number of networks in which Macintosh computers are connected to
computers running a variety of operating systems. In addition, we
are delivering these printers at prices which clearly aim to make
them the market leaders," said Don Strickland, vice president for
Apple's Imaging Division.
Apple Offers PostScript Fax Option for the First Time
One of the most distinguishing characteristics of Apple's new
printers is their optional PostScript Fax capability. This add-in
capability turns the printers into plain paper fax machines which can
send and receive either standard faxes or high resolution PostScript
Faxes. Developed in conjunction with Adobe Systems, the PostScript
Fax capability on the LaserWriter Select 360 and LaserWriter Pro 810
is available to all users on the workgroup network.
The quality of this fax option is especially noteworthy when
PostScript Fax printers both send and receive the fax. The output
resolution is identical to printed output: 600 dots per inch (dpi)
for the LaserWriter Select 360 and up to 800 dpi for the LaserWriter
Pro 810. However, even traditional Group 3 faxes, typically
200 dpi, are rendered at higher quality when sent from one of Apple's
new printers. Fax transmission costs are also less when sending and
receiving on PostScript Fax printers due to the smaller file sizes
that must be transmitted.
LaserWriter Select 360
At an ApplePrice of $1599, the LaserWriter Select 360 provides 600
dpi print resolution at a print speed of 10 pages per minute (ppm).
Developed for small workgroups of networked Macintosh and DOS/Windows
computers, the LaserWriter Select 360 supports Adobe's PostScript
Level 2 software and PCL5. Apple Price for the PostScript Fax card
is $299. This combination of high quality resolution, optional fax
capability and speed makes the LaserWriter Select 360 one of the
highest performance printers in the small workgroup market.
"For most business printing, 600 dpi has become the standard for
print resolution," said Terry Bailey, director of marketing for
Apple's Imaging Products. "Apple now offers users the ability to
receive and print faxes at this resolution. For users who require
the transmission of high quality graphics or business information,
this feature is indispensable."
The LaserWriter Select 360 supports networked workgroups of
Macintosh and DOS/Windows computers with parallel, LocalTalk and serial
ports, as well as, Adobe's IntelliSelect software, which provides auto
emulation and port switching in ROM. As a result, users can send
documents to print without stopping to select between PostScript and
PCL languages or to configure the printer port for their particular
computer. The LaserWriter Select 360 automatically analyses the
incoming document and switches to the correct port and language.
Apple's new LaserWriter Select 360 ships with two paper trays
standard: a 250 sheet letter size cassette and a 50 sheet
multipurpose tray. Optional envelope, 250 and 500 sheet size paper
trays let users expand the paper handling flexibility of the
LaserWriter Select 360 to a total of 800 sheets. It is also
compliant with all EPA Energy Star standards which ensure energy
savings through automatic power-down when the printer is idle.
LaserWriter Pro 810
Apple's LaserWriter Pro 810 is designed for large workgroups with
mixed computing environments, requiring high volume printing in a
variety of page sizes. Available at the ApplePrice of $4899, the
LaserWriter Pro 810 prints up to 20 ppm from three universal
cassettes which can be configured for letter, legal, tabloid, A3, A4,
A5, B4, and B5 paper sizes. It supports Adobe's PostScript Level 2
software.
The LaserWriter Pro 810 is the first Apple printer to ship with
tabloid paper capability and the first to provide 750 sheets of paper
input standard. The Adobe PostScript Fax option is also available
for Apple's LaserWriter Pro 810 as a user installable cartridge that
prints 800 dpi faxes. The ApplePrice for this option is $299. The
printer comes with a SCSI hard disk expansion slot, an expandable
network architecture and maximum memory capacity of 32MB.
Four networking protocols are concurrently active in the LaserWriter
Pro 810 to ensure "plug and play" compatibility in Novell, Macintosh,
UNIX and DEC environments. The built-in Ethernet network card
provides transparent, simultaneous printing for IPX, TCP/IP,
Ethertalk, and Digital LAT protocols. The printer is compliant with
the industry standard Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and
has a remote console facility that allows network managers to
configure the printer and to obtain diagnostic information.
"Network versatility is the watch word for this product. Network
managers can now provide greater print speeds and higher capability
for multi-platform users than ever before," said Terry Bailey. "We
believe large workgroups with demanding printing needs will find no
better product on the market."
Virtual Printer Technology permits a network of Macintosh, UNIX,
DOS, DEC or Windows users to simultaneously access one LaserWriter Pro
810. Up to 64 different 'virtual' printers can be configured by the
network administrator, each with unique port, protocol, PDL and
imaging characteristics. As a result, the network administrator
can efficiently control network printer traffic, and users do not
experience any printer delay for reset or initialization. The
printer has a native 400 dpi resolution or users can select 300,
600 or 800 dpi depending on their output quality needs.
Availability
Both the LaserWriter Select 360 and the LaserWriter Pro 810 are
expected to be available shortly and can be purchased through
authorized Apple resellers and Apple Authorized Peripheral Dealers.
PostScript Fax cards for the LaserWriter Select 360 and the
LaserWriter Pro 810 can be purchased through Apple Authorized
Dealers.
For further information, customers in the United States
should call the Apple Referral Center at (800) 538-9696. Customers
outside the United States should contact their local Apple
representatives for information on availability and distribution.
Prices quoted below are ApplePrice. Apple Price will fall within the
general range of street prices offered by our resellers.
Model ApplePrice
LaserWriter Select 360 $1599
LaserWriter Pro 810 $4899
----------
I just received the new Mac User and Texas Instruments has an ad
for a 600dpi laser printer that is even more affordable. Ain`t life
grand. Also interesting is an ad from Hewlett Packard for their new
ScanJet IIcx. List price $1179. There are also numerous ads for 44meg
Syquest drives for under $300. How low can they go? All of this means
that choosing a Mac no longer means taking out a second mortgage. You can
pick up a Quadra, 600dpi laser printer, and a flatbed, 24-bit color
scanner for under $4000. Just last year, you probably would have had to
pay over $10,000 for the same combo. Yes indeed, life is grand.
All work and no play is real boring, so here, courtesy CompuServe`s
Mac Entertainment Forum is some info, direct from the developer, about a
new game.
INLINE SOFTWARE SHIPS FIREFALL ARCADE~
Fast-paced video arcade game for the Macintosh now shipping
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAKEVILLE, CT ~ October 22, 1993. Inline Software today shipped Firefall
Arcade, a fast-paced, heart pumping game for the Macintosh in the style
of classic video arcade games. Winding fireworms slink their way down
your computer screen past various barriers. The object is to destroy as
many fireworms as possible to collect points throughout the many levels.
As the player progresses through levels, the fireworms become more
ferocious and the challenge grows. Players can gain more maneuvering
space and collect powerups (three-way fire, double ships, invincibility,
the ability to pass through barriers, and heat-seeking missiles)by
clearing barriers.
Additional challenges include everlasting barriers, barrier droppers,
and a huge cube that pursues you relentlessly trying to destroy your
ship. Bonus rounds with hyper-powered fireworms add to the challenge and
excitement. Because it offers a range of difficulty, Firefall Arcade is
targeted at both the novice and expert arcade game player. The brilliant
colors, multiple levels and high score tables make Firefall Arcade a
compelling action arcade game. Firefall Arcade has a suggested retail
price of $49.95. It runs on all Macintoshes froman LC up, requires a hard
disk, System 7, 256 colors and 3 Mb of free RAM. Inline Software, located
in Lakeville, CT, was founded in 1989 and is a publisher of recreational,
educational and utility software for the Macintosh, DOS and Windows
operating environments. Inline currently has two educational products,
seven games, and seven utilities on the Macintosh market. Inline Software
also publishes two DOS games, and two games for Windows. Inline Software
may be contacted at 1-800-453-7671, 203-435-4995, or by fax at 203-435-
0091.
.---- You can get it now from MacConnection, MacWarehouse, and soon, the
Mac Zone or you can call us (203) 435-4995 and we will ship you a copy
today for 49.95.
David Maffucci
Inline Software
Tech Support
Sounds like fun to me. How about a review copy David?
Mail Call
---------
Perhaps a review of the procedures is in order here. The letter
carrier brings things to my house. I bring them in from the mailbox and,
excepting those that have, "Final Notice" displayed prominently on the
envelope place them in a pile on my desk where they sit until my wife
asks me when in the heck am I going to clear off my desk. At that point I
have two choices. I can either ignore my wife, or dig in and get to work.
I`ll leave it to you, gentle reader, to decide which choice I usually
make. Let`s see what the mailman has brought us lately.
A review copy of Word Perfect 3.0. This looks interesting. I have a
couple of choices here. I can either write a full review or another mini-
review. Right now, I feel that this media lends itself to the mini-review
type of review better than the full-blown type, but we`ll see. While I
can`t promise a literary "masterpiece" like the BBEdit review this week
every week, I`ll try to make it as interesting as possible.
Central Point Software sends me notice that I, being a registered
owner of MacTools, have the opportunity to purchase any of their other
programs at upgrade pricing. This effectively means that I can save
around 50% above the discount prices from mail-order houses. Good deal. I
use Mac Tools, and recommend the program highly. Call 1-800-278-6657 for
more info on this deal.
Another deal just for customers comes from Aldus. Aldus Mac
customers can purchase the Datebook & Touchbase Pro bundle for only
$49.95. Another great deal! I already own both of these programs and use
them daily. Call Aldus at 1-800-888-6293 Ext 2.
T/Maker introduces two new portfolios of clip art with savings up
to 58%. The two new "portfolios" (disk sets to you and I), care bit-
mapped collections of graphics for "Occasions and Celebrations" and
"Beastly Funny Cartoons", a collection of animal cartoons. For more info
call T/Maker at 1-800-955-1750.
The December issues of both MacUser and Mac World arrived the
same day. Guess who didn`t get much work done that day?
That`s it for this week`s exercise in periphrasis. Next week, we`ll
do some more mail, see if I`ve received any of the software or hardware
I`ve ordered, maybe report Apple`s involvement in GraphExpo, and try and
find some more FREEBIES. As always, please feel free to send your
comments or questions to me at:
Compuserve: 70323,1031
GEnie: R.NOAK
America OnLine: RandyNoak
**********************************************************************
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!
TOP TEN DOWNLOADS (10/27/93)
(1) STREPORT 9.43
(2) WINX 2.1/GEMRAM
(3) MICRODOS CLI
(4) THRONE11.LZH
(5) SUPRA 4.1 HARD DRIVE UTIL
(6) LIQPIXEL.LZH
(7) CLOCK11A.LZH
(8) BAGGETT'S PICTURE FORMAT LIST
(9) DOCS FOR XCONTROL 1.31
(10) INFOCOM GAME INTERPRETER
All of the above files can be found in the RECENT ARRIVALS database for
at least one week after the posting of this list. Please note that, for
all files, a submission is eligible for the Top 10 list for only four
weeks after its original uploading. The exceptions are on-line
magazines, which are eligible for only one week, and press releases and
other commercially oriented files, which are ineligible.
DELPHI-It's getting better all the time!
**********************************************************************
ATARI/JAG SECTION (III)
=======================
Dana Jacobson, Editor
WHAT'S NEW IN THE COMPUSERVE ATARI FORUMS (October 29)
ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM MERGES WITH PALMTOP FORUM
The Atari Portfolio Forum has been closed as a separate entity. All
activity and libraries have been moved to the PALMTOP FORUM (GO PALMTOP).
We would like to welcome all Atari Portfolio owners to the Palmtop
Forum. Section 9 and Library 9 are designated as the home base for
continued Portfolio support. You'll find over 750 Portfolio files (most
are DOS compatible) from the former Portfolio Forum available there.
Owners of other DOS palmtops should check out these files as many are not
Portfolio-specific and will run on your units.
NEW FILES IN CODEHEAD SECTION OF ATARI VENDORS FORUM
Download the following new files from LIBRARY 16 of the Atari Vendors
Forum (GO ATARIVEN):
W9380U.TXT - Press release describing version 3.80 of Warp 9
THRONE.LZH - A different sort of flying appliance...
EASYUP.TXT - CodeHead makes it easier to upgrade Warp 9
CLOK11.LZH - New EOS Clock fixes config save bug
CLOCK.LZH - Does anybody really know what time it is...
DESKTOP FUN!
Download file DESKFX.ARC from LIBRARY 14 of the Atari Arts Forum (GO
ATARIARTS) for a picture Desktop, an Animated Mouse, and a font program in
one(!). Personalize your color ST with any Degas pic you like instead of
a green desktop, you can even create your own animated mice with
ANIMOU.ARC (a separate download). Works in low and medium rez, resident
while you work/play.
__________________________________________________
> From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STREPORT & THE ATARI COMMUNITY
PAST, PRESENT, THE FUTURE?!
by Dana P. Jacobson
STReport Atari Editor
Well, it's my "inaugural" issue. It feels very strange to be sitting
in this position after for so many years seeing Ralph Mariano's name
usually in this spot. When I saw my first issue of CPU Report about 6-7
years ago, I was totally unaffected by it as I was a novice to Atari
computers. I remember downloading it and trying to figure out why I
really needed to read another issue; it was full of information that meant
little to me then. Had I continued reading a few more issues, perhaps my
learning how to use my ST would have gone a lot smoother. Oh well,
hindsight...
Over the years, I've had numerous ideas as to where I thought
STReport should be headed; and what I'd like to be able to contribute to
it in order to get it there. Well, STR has become more and more like a
multi-platform medium rather than separate magazines for each platform
with perhaps a "smattering" of platform-specific information. With the
Atari market shrinking almost daily; and many current users sharing
platforms, I do see the significance of incorporating PC and Mac
information into STReport. However, it's my goal not to let this other
information smother the Atari area. Ultimately, the Atari section is
going to once again outweigh the other platforms. I do believe that
there's significant information available that each platform has its own
magazine. The bottom line, however, remains with Ralph.
Yet, others also play a significant role. While the Jaguar is
currently the topic of the day, and will probably be in the forefront for
the next few months, Atari's future role with regard to the computer side
of things is crucial. Will our current developer base wait it out to see
where Atari is heading? Will the userbase hold on? These are truly
important questions that probably cannot be answered, at least for the
present.
What will STReport's role be for the future? Well, since my part in
all of this is to create that role, I can say that anything that I can do
to provide you, the user, with up-to-date information related to your
favorite machine, I'll do. I'm not a miracle worker but I am an avid and
active Atari user. If the information is out there and I can get at it,
I'll do my best to bring it to your attention. I'll also attempt to
re-establish working relationships with Atari, the developer base, and the
userbase.
I've already received numerous E-mail messages related to the changes
in STReport that were announced recently, specifically with my part in
those changes. The changes in editors is something that Ralph has been
considering for almost a year, perhaps longer. In the past, I've always
managed to talk him out of it <<grin>>. Somehow, and I don't recall how
he managed it yet, he convinced me to try it. Anyway, some of those
messages asked if STReport was going to remain the same, editorially. By
that they meant would STReport continue to come on strong with regard to
Atari, and also on controversial issues such as the recent Lexicor one. I
didn't reply to one or two of those messages because the questions were
worded in such a manner that an answer was pointless, regardless of what
that answer was. But, the questions will be asked by many who care, so an
answer is important. The answer is a qualified yes. I believe that it's
important for us to question things rather than take what's handed to us.
I believe that it's important for us to point out things that we feel are
wrong. Atari has made mistakes, and so has STReport. The "qualified"
comes into play because I feel that the attitudes, styles, etc. between
Ralph and myself are similar, but yet different. I feel that those
differences are significant. While we both may want to take an issue
head-on, each of us would do so differently. As time progresses, I think
you'll see what I mean.
Another question was will Ralph play a role with regard to the Atari
section of STReport in the future? I haven't directed that question to
him. But, to answer the question, I believe that he will still be
involved, but perhaps not as much in the forefront as he normally might.
Atari computers still play an important part of his computing endeavors,
but perhaps not as much as they did a week or a month ago.
One other query was what did I hope to add to STReport that the
readers haven't seen yet, or in quite some time? Well, I hope to have
more reviews of software and hardware
, for one. I'd like to see the
online community covered more since the majority of our readership is
comprised of modem users. CIS is covered well by Joe Mirando's "People
Are Talking" column, but I want to expand that with additional coverage,
especially what's available with regard to public domain/shareware
programs. I also would like to see more coverage of the Delphi community,
in a similar manner. As to GEnie coverage, that's relatively on hold for
the present. I think the reasons are obvious to most. In time, perhaps
things will change and attitudes will be different. I hope so. There
are also a few other ideas I'm kicking around. But, for the moment, I'm
still new at all of this so it's going to take some time to get my feet
wet!
The last question essentially asked was "who the hell are you and
what do you have to do with ST Report [sic]?" Hmmm, perhaps a former
reader back in the fold, or a new reader?? Well, if a quick biography is
in order... I've been an Atari user since 1987. I own three Atari
computers (2 STs and a Stacy) and a menagerie of peripherals. I've been
writing for STReport since the fall of 1990. I can be found on various
BBSs and the major online services. Married, my wife and I live in
Boston. My real job is as manager of a section of the medical records
department at the world famous Lahey Clinic. I've been there for almost
17 years (with a year "sabbatical" in the middle). A degree from Utica
College of Syracuse University in Journalism with minors in Public
Relations and Radio/Television. After a short stint in radio in upstate
New York, I returned to Boston (never made it back to my native Maine!)
hoping to get into radio here or into college radio record promotion work.
That didn't pan out well so I did some independent writing for awhile.
Since that wasn't overly lucrative, I got in at Lahey and have been there
almost ever since. My wife, Louise, and I have been married 9 years.
Louise just had her first fanzine published, along with her sister. It's
a Star Trek story entitled "Time Will Tell," just in case any of you ever
see it at a convention somewhere (buy it, it's good!!) Hundreds of
hobbies, including various computer topics. Any questions, feel free to
ask!
Back to STReport, I hope to be able to help fulfill the information
needs of the userbase. It's an enormous task, but I hope to be able to do
my part. I'll be recruiting volunteers to aid in this endeavor, in the
near future. As soon as I decide what I'm looking for, I'll be doing
that. For the present, however, I'll be providing as much as I can with
the aid of our current Atari support staff.
I appreciate all of the messages wishing me and STReport luck with
the new changes. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Until next time.....
-Dana
___________________________________________________
> ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
=====================
On CompuServe
-------------
compiled by
Joe Mirando
Hidi ho good neighbors and neighborettes. Its been a week since
we last talked and there is something a little bit different this
time around. As you may have noticed last week, the Atari Portfolio
Forum is no more.... to paraphrase Monty Python's parrot sketch, THIS
IS AN EX-FORUM!
At first I was worried about the future of the venerable old
Portfolio but after seeing the Portfolio section of the Palmtop
Forum I feel much better. All my old Portfolio Forum buddies are
there already: Don Thomas of Atari, Sysops Ron Luks, BJ Gleason,
Marty Mankins,and various other characters that were participants of
the Port Forum have come to the Portfolio section of the Palmtom
Forum. Who knows, maybe putting the Portfolio in with the other
palmtops will increase interest in the venerable old Port. Only time
will tell.
Well, let's get to the good stuff: The hints and tips available
on CompuServe...
From the Atari Productivity Forum
=================================
Last week John Devlin asked about using a mobile phone with a modem.
Master Sysop Ron Luks told him:
"If by "mobile" phone, you mean cellular phone, then I believe you
have to get a cellular modem."
John now asks Ron:
"Where would one get such a modem and what sort of price would I have
to pay?"
Bob Wilson tells John:
"There are several available. Motorolla makes one and I believe that
US Robotics does as well. They are not inexpensive, maybe 500 dollars
street price. The US version of PC Magazine had a big spread on fax
modems a few issues back and mentioned a few that were cellular."
Lee Seiler of Lexocor Software tells us:
"We have one from celluar which plugs right into our Star Trek style
Celluar phone. It works just like a regular Phone Fax. All you do is
turn on the phone which runs the modum from the same battery, boot
your telecomunication app and start typing. I still use Flash I, I get
about 4 hours on my regular batt, which normally last 8 hrs with out
the modum installed.
I called Pac Bell about the installation and they said they did not
care if I was on modum or voice...all the same to them.
We have the active stand by account which cost $26 bucks a month for
the whole month, if you use less than 60 minutes of air time there is
no extra cost save the normal on air charges, which comes to $26
bucks...
If I were using QwkCIS or something like that I could do all my
online from a laptop at no more than I pay now for regular wall
service.
Good luck on the mobil system!"
Ron Luks tells John:
"I honestly don't know what the cellular phone situation is in the UK
(prices or models). In the USA, I'd suggest grabbing a copy of MOBILE
OFFICE MAGAZINE but I dont know what the UK counterpart is."
John tells Ron:
"Dazzz has informed me that its not possible to hook up a cellular
modem to the network I was interested in. (frown)"
Bob Wilson softens the bad news when he tells John:
"I was just reading an article on cellular modems. The comment made was
that they were virtually useless above 2400 baud due to the inherent
noise on most cellular systems (until they all become digital)."
James Port posts:
"I'm Not real sure which message area is the most appropriate for this so
I'll try this one. If it should go elsewhere you can move it, yes?
What I want to know is if the ZIP23.TOS routine I found in DL4 is the
latest/greatest ZIP utility available for the ST. Got a ZIP file in
MIDI that comes apart fine on the Macs, and the MS/DOS sleds, but
freaks out the ZIP routines I've tried so far on my ST. Typically I
get a dialog box telling me it is a damaged ZIP file or maybe not a
ZIP file at all. Normally this means I have to update my ZIP routine,
but I didn't notice anything later than ZIP23 in DL4 for the ST here
in ATARIPRO. Is there another one I missed somewhere?"
Jim Ness tells James:
"Yup, ZIP23.TOS is the most recent, but I've never tried it.
You might want to try DCX22B.LZH, in Lib 4. It's the newest
shareware version of the old Double Click DC Extract."
James tells Jim:
"Thanks Jim I'll take a look. Evidently, it is a Mac generated ZIP
file, and the ST routines don't strip off the header first. They just
get confused and crap out."
Sysop Bob Retelle adds his thoughts on "headers":
"Argh... Jim, do you mean the Mac file has a MacBinary header on it,
or is it something else that gets "pre-pended" to the ZIP file..?
I used to run into picture files with MacBinary headers all the
time.. that's why I finally wrote a little GFA program to strip them
off...
Maybe something like that would work if it was run first, before
STZip...?"
Another one of my pals here on CompuServe, Myles Cohen, prods Bob:
"Why don't you upload your stripper...
It will [work]...absolutely...just strip off the first 128 bytes and
STZIP23.PRG will unzip as usual..."
James Port comes back and tells Bob Retelle:
"It appears the ZIP file has the MacBinary header on it. I've heard
from Stefan that isn't really necessary, and Mac users could turn it
off, but most aren't even aware of it. If you want to send me a copy
of your little chopper I'll see if it works for this. Too bad the
folks who did the ZIP utility didn't take care of it. The Amiga and
PC routines strip it out just fine. For the moment we just repacked
it with a 386 and it works fine now. Sure would be nice to get the ST
up to speed on this though.
BTW, Stefan mentioned QCIS still has problems with replies for
messages that have already scrolled. I thought you were going to fix
that. As you know I've moved over to the 386 for CS work. I've got a
lot more room on the hard drive there than on my ST. TAP just stores
the Fm: and Sb: fields in the reply file, and then does a COMP if the
REP command fails to due scrolling or deletion."
Bob tells James:
"I did a search in the libraries, and find that my utility isn't
there (I really thought I'd uploaded it some time ago), but actually
as it now exists it's only good for stripping the MacBinary header
from GIF files.. (it looks for the GIF8* signature at the beginning of
the actual picture file).
However, I did locate another MacBinary stripper that might work..
it's in ATARIARTS, and its filename is something like MACVER. umm..
ARC, I think.."
Matt Nichols asks:
"Can anyone help me with a little math problem? I'm doing a program
in GFA Basic which requires finding the angle (in degrees) from a
known Sine. i.e. I want the computer to look at the number .5 and
tell me that the angle which has that Sine is 30.
On a calculator all you have to key is .5 Inv Sin
Unfortunately, GFA doesn't have a Inv function (at least MY version
doesn't).
Any ideas?"
Sysop Bill Aycock tells Matt:
"GFA has an arctangent function, yes? ATAN, ATN, something like that?
Assuming so (and it's pretty likely)...
arcsin(x) = atn( x / sqr(-x * x + 1))
according to my handy-dandy Derived Math Functions chart."
Carl Barron adds:
"Not to mention that atan(y) SHOULD have |y|<1. if y>1.
two approaches. sgn(y)*(PI/2 - atn(1/|y|)) or use 2cot(2x) = cot(x)
-tan(x) to find half the answer and double it. One app. needed since
if tan(2x) >=1.0 tan(x) <1.0. In the principle range [-PI/2,PI/2]."
Matt thanks Bill:
"Thanks, the formula was just what I was looking for. The only small
problem is that it returns arcsin(x) in radians, but that was easily
fixed by multiplying the result by 180/PI (to convert to degrees).
You should have seen the contortions I was going through trying to
come up with that formula. I really should stop trying to invent my
own mathmatics! ;-)"
Rob Rasmussen asks:
"Can reading text on a monitor for long periods of time damage one's
eyes? I've never been clear about whether there is harmful radiation,
but I was told it can cause cataracts. A friend who uses computers a
lot at her job wears glasses which are treated with something that
filters out the radiation, I think. For the distance from my eyes to
the monitor, though (2-3 feet) I don't need glasses, but I don't want
to go blind either! Any thoughts?"
Myles Cohen tells Rob:
"I've never been clear about whether there is harmful radiation, but I
was told it can cause cataracts.
I bought a leaded glass shield called "EYE'S COMPANION" at a computer
show...that is placed over the monitor...
I don't know if the radiation is harmful or not...but with it I can
spend several hours on the computer...and without it only one half
hour...tops..."
Sysop Bob Retelle, a man who has spent many an hour in front of a
monitor tells Myles:
"It sounds like the problem you had without the monitor shield was more
related to eye strain... anything dealing with radiation would take
much longer to develop, and it wouldn't just go away..
There's been a lot of research dealing with eye strain and the
placement of computer monitors.. many times the best solution is to
use specially fitted glasses that change the focal point of your eyes
for close reading, like from a computer screen, so that the eye's
muscles don't have to strain to maintain the close focus.. the
glasses essentially fool the eye into focusing farther away, where
there isn't so much muscle strain.
In the case of the shield you use over your screen, it may reduce the
contrast between the text and the background, which can also help
reduce strain.. (I have a solitare game that just kills my eyes unless
I change the background color to a soft grey or blue...)"
Myles tells Bob:
"You are probably right...even with the glare shield in place on my
monitor...I still turn down the brightness to achieve a comfortable
level..."
Rob Rasmussen posts:
"Thanks Myles, I have ordered a glare filter from my trusty Lyben
catalog, and should have it next week. Besides reading text, playing
video games is also hard on the eyes."
Joh Sanford tells us:
"The long 'bottle neck' part of the CRT tube contains an 'electron
gun' it is pointed right in your face. Many people feel a kind of wind
burn after sitting in front of a monitor. I use a grounded screen.
There should be an investigation into why these things are so
expensive. For all I know its a black nilon mesh with a wire connected
to nothing. I should check it with an ohm meter."
Sysop Dan Rhea posts:
"Well, here's my 2 cents worth (depending of course on reading speed
and baud rate... er anyway). The "radiation" that is often discussed
is the magnetic lines of force going out the back and front of the
monitor and curving around the sides. The "bubble" of magnetic flux
can protrude a good distance from the front of the monitor. It is this
that the worry is over. The low radiation monitors use a combination
of secondary magnets and grounding to force the lines of flux to run
parallel with the front of the screen and project out only a couple of
inches (it's a lot easyer to describe with diagrams <grin>). The jury
is still out on the question of possible harm the field could impart
over long periods. The grounded (really GROUNDED), glare screens do
help contain the field a good bit, but not as well as the low
radiation monitors that are on the market.
For a while, there was a scare that UV was escaping from out CRTs and
giving us cataracts. Well, it just so happens that UV is blocked by
glass, and yes, that monitor is glass.
Finally, there is one type of radiation that does come out of your
monitor no matter what you do. And that is photons. In fact a CRT is
pretty much useless without them. I think the lack of danger from
emmited photons has been pretty well proven over the last few hundred
thousand years. :)
The bottom line, yes, there is a magnetic field in front of your
monitor that bulges out to the front and curves back around to the
rear in a torus. Is it harmfull? No one really knows yet."
Sysop Bob Retelle tells Sysop Dan Rhea:
"I think I remember there was also concern about gamma radiation back
in the early days of color TV, when the high voltage used to
accelerate the electron beam was far higher than it is today... in
modern CRTs though, I doubt that's a concern any more.
It's funny the reaction you get to the term "radiation"... as you
pointed out, the "radiation" from a CRT is magnetic, while most
people's concept of "radiation" is something completely different.
Some years ago, a friend learned that microwave ovens cook food by
bombarding fhe food with (gulp!) RADIATION...!!
He was afraid his hair would fall out and he'd glow in the dark if he
ate microwaved food... you know what "radiation" can do...!"
Dan agrees with Bob:
"That's exactly why the whole CRT "Radiation" issue gets me ticked off
(albiet, mildly). Had they called it Stray Magnetism or some other far
more descriptive term, we wouldn't have a problem. It's one of the
reasons I don't push the "Low Radiation" monitors we keep in stock.
Until I see some real double blinded studys of CRT EMR I can only
class it as a marketing ploy, and a pretty low one at that. On the
other hand, I DO believe in anything that reduces eye strain and
glare."
Bob Retelle waxes nostalgic:
"I remember an episode of "Lou Grant" where they came through the
newsrooms and put VDU shielding all around all the monitors, much to
the consternation of the people who had been happily using them
unshielded for eons...
I wonder how many people who saw that show were panicked about using
their own computers..."
Rob Rasmussen tells Jon Sanford:
"I see some mesh screen filters in a catalog of computer products that
are less than ten dollars! But I don't think these are what you use -
I was told that the grounded ones are also for radiation and static
electricity. These are just glare filters I guess, but that might be
all I need for now. I opted for a Clarity Plus filter."
Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer On-Line Magazine tells Rob:
"I suppose that radiation is a factor as well. But it seems that most
problems are due to eye strain. Some have suggested to look at other
objects at a greater distance from you, while you work. Other suggest
to get up and walk around for a few minutes."
From the Atari ST Arts Forum
============================
Dan Haris tells us:
"I'm looking for a Atari ST CIS navagation terminal program. I checked
out the file finder under navagation, navagate, term and terminal with
no luck. Has no one written a navigation term for CIS on the ST?"
Good old Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer On-Line Magazine tells Dan:
"Try (GO ATARIPRO) ... there is a program called Quick-CIS."
Listen to Albert! Quick-CIS is the way to go! Thanks to Jim Ness
for putting in all the work required to make Quick-CIS the great
program that it is!
Lyle Raymond posts:
"I guess I'm just a silly newbie, but I really need guidance: why is
it that every time I try reading a file, I can get nothing but random
characters flittering all over the screen? I'd appreciate whatever
input y'all have to offer."
Micky White tells Lyle:
"Well you can only read text files ( ASCII ) this way, Binary files
such as PRG's ACC's or RSC's simply don't make any sense unless you
are super educated in the intracacies of the innards of your ST.
Perhaps someone else can elaborate.
I hope this will be of some help..."
Lyle expresses his unhappiness:
"Okay, so you're saying that there's nothing here that I can read?
Bummer..."
Dazzz Smith, an old hand at telecommunications, tells Lyle:
"You can only read files with the extender .TXT .DOC .ASC almost
everything else here is compressed programs, which you need to
download to your computer and uncompress."
Along the same lines as Micky, Chas Cartwright tells Lyle:
"The symptom you describe is usually caused by trying to 'show' a
binary file such as a compressed file. What files are you trying to
read? Do they end in .ZIP, .LZH or .ARC? These are compressed files
that require a program (available in the libraries) to decompress
them. Also some compressed files (usually ending in .TOS) are self
extracting and when 'run' will generate the uncompressed files."
Sysop Bob Retelle tells Lyle:
"Where is it that you're reading the files you said came out looking
like garbage on your screen..?
If it's here on CompuServe, most of our files are specially
compressed with a utility program to make them smaller and faster to
download... but that also makes them "unreadable"...
You need to download them with a protocol like XMODEM, YMODEM or CIS
B to your computer at home, then use a utility program to uncompress
them back to their original form. (The file you need is called
ARCLZH.PRG, and its in Software Library #4 of the ATARIPRO forum..
just download it and double click on the filename.. it will create
several programs and text files by itself).
As was mentioned though, even after uncompressing, most files are
unreadable since they're actually the computer machine language, not
ASCII text.
If a file here in our software libraries has a filename extension of
.TXT, it usually means it CAN be read online..."
Lyle asks about the next problem that every newcomer to
telecommunications has to deal with... finding the right
decompression program:
"Ok, folks-new problem. I found a decompression program in the
LIBRARIES called MGDPK2.TOS. When I try to download it, though, I am
asked to choose a "transfer protocol." Since i'm terribly illiterate
with such brew-ha-ha, I take a guess-and pick "XModem." Then, when asked
to initiate XModem send, I am totally lost. *strangles manufacturer
of faxmodem for offering such a marvellously simple and
straightfoward, all-inclusive user's manual*"
Sysop Jeff Kovach tells Lyle:
"The many intricacies of file transfers is very much dependant on the
term software (modem program) that you are using. Before we can help,
we really need to know what software you are using, then we can get
you going in no time!"
Lyle tells Jeff:
"Hey, thanx for the help so far. Since you asked, I'm using the stock
VT52 emulator. Also, what's up with the "initiate XMODEM send" stuff
that I get when I try downloading? It's all greek to me."
AH HA! Now light dawns on the faces of all who know about such
things (specifically Albert Dayes and Bob Retelle... okay, and Ron
Luks too). Ron tells Lyle:
"You cannot download files with the VT52 Emulator. You'll need
another telecomm program."
Lyle asks about Ron's preference for a Telecomm program:
"What program do you recommend, and how can I get a hold of it?"
Ron tells Lyle what I have told many others:
"I'd suggest FLASH II from Missionware Software. They are a supported
vendor online and you can order directly from them."
Sysop Bob Retelle posts:
"I just read Atari's stormtroopers have been busy again.. this time
it's Sega they're after..."
Ron Luks asks a rhetorical question:
"After seeing the results of the lawsuit against Nintendo, I don't
think Sega is particularly concerned, do you?"
Bob replies:
"I certainly wouldn't think Sega would be particularly worried, given
Atari's recent history of lawsuits...
Makes you wonder why Atari is shooting the legal dice again, when
you'd think they'd be expending all their resources trying to get
their new product launched... after all, they ended up having to pay
Nintendo's legal expenses after losing the last one... wouldn't you
think that money would be better spent on more Jaguar ads..?"
Ron adds a piece to this particular puzzle:
"Yes, the money might be better spent on Jaguar promotions, but
sometimes (according to my lawyer) it is necessary to defend
patents/copyrights for them to remain in effect. If someone violates
your copyright/trademark or patent, and you know this fact and DON'T
defend against it, your copyright/trademark/patent may be
significantly weakened or possibly nullified. This effort *may* be
strictly a legal necessity...
According to news blurbs published on the online news services (like
Reuters), Atari is suing Sega over some Atari patents concerning
software screen scrolling methods. Apparantly, Atari has some patents
(or other legal protection) over some code that affects the way
graphics are scrolled across a screen and Sega may have violated those
legal protections in some of their software."
From the Atari Vendors Forum
============================
Bruno Billwiller asks about the next version of SPECTRE, the Mac
emulator from Gadgets by Small:
"I'm very interested in a new Version of Spectre. Which Date is a
new release availible. It is possible that can I have a Beta release?
Does the next release have 1.44 MB-Floppy support?"
Mark at Gadgets by Small tells Bruno:
"I don't have an exact release date for Spectre version 3.1. Going
from what Dave told me last time we talked it is getting very close. I
believe 1.4 meg floppy support is a feature in the next release."
Jody Golick asks the CodeHeads:
"Just received the Warp 9 upgrade and it works just fine thanks.
Here is an obscure little question.
Is it possible to use a screen generated by the Mandala Extend-o-save
as a "desktop" or background for Hotwire or the GEM desktop?"
For anyone who doesn't know, Extend-O-Save is the screen saver built
into Warp9. It allows you to use many, many different screen saver
modules instead of just one. Hey, variety IS the spice of life!
John Eidsvoog, CodeHead Extraordinaire, tells Jody:
"Using the "Test" mode of Mandala, you should be able to capture the
display with a snapshot utility. You can then save it and use it as a
desktop background picture."
Tom Mynar asks the CodeHeads about the best way to run the Warp9
control panel:
"I just got my upgrades, Warp 9/Multi desk Dlx. Can I run the Warp 9
Control Panel inside of MultiDesk ? Previously I couldn't (I think).
And much thanks for the button fixer built into MultiDesk. I got the
TEC board from you guys and it appeared the BUTTINFX.ACC from one of
your other disks didn't work with all programs (Uniterm), but
Multidesk does !!!"
CodeHead John tells Tom:
"Yes, we recommend running the Warp 9 Control Panel as the last
resident accessory in MultiDesk. That makes it the last TSR to
install in the vectors, which is the first TSR to see the calls and
act on them."
From the Palmtop Forum
======================
Rowan Prior of Psion Inc posts:
"I take it that the Palmtop forum is becoming (or has become) one of
the fastest growing areas on CompuServe ?
It seems like only yesterday that there was only a few files in each
library, now there must by hundreds of megabytes for downloading."
Ron Luks (boy, Ron GETS AROUND!) tells Rowan:
"The Palmtop/Pen/Newton areas ARE one of the fastest growing (if not
THE fastest growning) areas of CompuServe. I consider these 3 forums
as one big entity because they are so inter-related.
Because palmtop files are so small (due to RAM restrictions of the
machines), I dont know if hundreds of megabytes is an accurate
description. In the palmtop arena, I prefer to think in terms of
'total numbers of files' and we certainly number in the THOUSANDS, not
hundreds anymore.
Psion support is a key component in our success. Psion owners are
rabidly loyal to their units and Psion support has been exemplary. I
casn think of a few dozen other vendors who could benefit by emulating
your wonderful online support.
Over the weekend, I went to a mall with a Sharper Image that I think I
visitied for the first time. I was looking at a 3a and a salesman
walked up and started talking about the unit. Before I had a chance
to talk much, he mentioned that the unit was supported online on
CompuServe, which I thought was a very nice touch. [grin] See-- word
gets around!"
Brad Barclay posts:
"Hey hey, the gang's all here:
Well, even though it's tough to see our little community of Portfolio
users dissappear, at least the comparitive metropolis of the Palmtop
forum will allow us our own little niche [grin].
So, this is more or less just to say that I'm here, and to give all
Palmtop owners a bit of a tip: for overall handling of file
compression and decompression, I have found that if you compress the
newest version of LHArc using PKLite, you can get the overall fastest,
smallest (only about 25k) all-around compression/decompression utility
for the compression ratio available. I've been using this on my
Portfolio for quite a while now, and it's proven to be quite handy in
cutting down on card space usage.
Great to be in our new home..."
Barry Childress asks about Power Basic:
"I just got a hold of Power Basic for the Port and I'm wondering if
there is some sort of standard for uploading the files. Should I just
up load the program? as COM or RUN? Should I Zip up the PBRUN.RUN with
the program? If not where should I direct users to get PBRUN?"
Don Thomas of Atari tells Barry:
"In my opinion, a lot has to do with your preference, the size of
file(s) and your intended audience. Uploads which are actually groups
of files or any one file exceeding 10K should probably be ZIP'd. The
runtime module can be included in your zip if you wish, but I would
make sure the module is in our libraries and simply include a DOC file
as to where to find it. That way, those who already have it don't have
to download it again.
Maybe Ron Luks can fill in any formal policies that I am unaware
of...."
Well folks, that's about it for this week. With the Portfolio area
now firmly in place (some have said entrenched), I'll be bringing
more stuff from the other palmtop topics into the column. This will
include not only information about other palmtops and "pentops" such
as the Newton, but also lists of programs for other palmtops that
will run on the Portfolio.
Be sure tune in again next week and relax for a while among friends
here on CompuServe. Just sit back in your favorite chair, kick your
shoes off, get comfortable, and listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
________________________________________________
> TOAD COMPUTERS HOLIDAY STR Spotlight
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
TOAD COMPUTERS PRESS RELEASE -- HOLIDAY FESTIVAL '93
----------------------------------------------------
Toad Computers is proud to announce the TOAD COMPUTERS HOLIDAY
FESTIVAL '93! Just in time for the Christmas season!
On December 4th and 5th, the doors of Toad Computers will open wide
for a holiday celebration not to be missed! There ill be lots of great
deals on Atari hardware, software and accessories, hot apple cider, door
prize drawings, and much much more -- including the new Atari Jaguar video
game system!
Come see the Jaguar in action! We plan to have at least one Jaguar on
hand that everyone can play, and possibly even some to sell! For those of
you who are unfamiliar with the Jaguar, it is going to be big! It's
principal competitor is the 3DO which costs $700 and has only two or so
games right now! The Jaguar, to be released on November 15 in New York,
San Francisco and Texas, will have five to ten games and has a retail
price of only $199! The games are under $50 each! This is why Atari's
stock has gone from $0.50 to $8 per share in just six months!
I can tell you that I have seen the Jaguar and it is simply stunning.
The graphics are only comparable to those of workstations costing $5,000
and up! You must see it to believe it!
Here are just a few of the attractions planned for the
***** TOAD COMPUTERS HOLIDAY FESTIVAL '93: ******
- Great deals on all hardware and software
- Full selection of Atari hardware & software
- Atari Falcon030 Computer Systems at Special Discount Prices
- Super Low Clearance Prices on a wide range of items
including discontinued hardware and software, store demo
equipment, and much more!
- Our Toadally Cool Dog, Zoe
- Seminars By:
- Charles Smeton, Developer of STraight FAX!
- Tim Reyes, Developer of Silhouette Colortrace!
- Dave Troy, Current Notes Columnist (yours truly)
- Joe Waters, Editor of Current Notes
- Others To Be Announced!
- Free Hot Apple Cider (and cookies if you're good!)
- Special "Kid Korral" with fun stuff, like crayons
- Dave Small's Own "Live Rust" Neil Young Album,
The One To Which Spectre was Programmed!
- Demos of hardware and software!
- And of course, HANDS ON WITH THE JAGUAR!
How much would you pay to be a part of a celebration like this? $3.98?
$14.59? $75.00 Non Refundable? Well, no need! Admission to the TOAD
COMPUTERS HOLIDAY FESTIVAL '93 is ABSOLUTELY FREE!
In the immediate area is historic and scenic Annapolis! Annapolis had
been the capitol of the thirteen colonies under the Articles of the
Confederation. Its historic state house is the oldest in use in this
country and its white dome was built without the use of nails. Annapolis
has a truly quirky personality that is a combination of southern
hospitality, northern charm and historic clout. For you military buffs,
Annapolis is the home of the United States Naval Academy. It is open to
the public and features several museums, exhibits, and historical
buildings. Annapolis is also home to some of the best seafood in the
world, straight from the Chesapeake Bay.
Toad Computers is TEN MINUTES away from downtown Annapolis.
Also nearby is Baltimore, home of the recently renovated and world
famous Inner Harbor -- a huge shopping and eating area that's just minutes
from some of the city's most historic sites. In the inner harbor area, you
can visit the National Aquarium (home to thousands of species of marine
life) which also features a working rainforest in its pyramid shaped dome.
Visit the Maryland Science Center, home to a huge I-MAX theater and also
packed with hundreds of constantly changing exhibits that relate to
science, computers, and more. Visit the home of Babe Ruth, Betsy Ross, or
Edgar Allan Poe. See the new stadium for the Baltimore Orioles -- Oriole
Park at Camden Yards. You might also want to visit Fort McHenry -- the
rampart that still stood after a night of bombardment in 1812 that led
Francis Scott Key to write our national anthem to the tune of an old
drinking song. Find out why this happened! Visit the B&O Railroad Museum
where you can learn about the story of the rise and fall of the greatest
form of transportation this country has ever known.
Toad Computers is THIRTY MINUTES away from downtown Baltimore.
Lastly, you may want to make a stop in Washington DC -- murder
capital of the world and Capitol of the United States. Where else can the
mayor of a city smoke crack and still maintain a successful career in
politics? Come see the White House -- maybe you can visit Bill Clinton at
home and give him your ideas for healthcare reform. Visit the Smithsonian
Institute, National Art Gallery, countless memorials (Iwo Jima, Viet Nam,
Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington Monument), and more. There is more to do
in Washington than I could ever begin to list here with any justice. If
you do want to go to Washington, check with AAA to make sure that you're
not missing anything. It is truly a city with something for everyone.
Toad Computers is FORTY FIVE MINUTES away from downtown Washington.
HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS
-------------------
If you plan to visit the Annapolis area from out of state, there
are several hotels in the area that we may recommend:
Sheraton At BWI Airport 15 Minutes Away
(410) 859-3300 On Airport Grounds
Loews Annapolis Hotel 15 Minutes Away
126 West Street Downtown
Annapolis, MD 21401 AAA 4 Diamond Rating
(410) 263-7777 Somewhat Expensive
Days Inn 10 Minutes Away
1542 Whitehall Road Next to Outlet Mall
Annapolis, MD 21401 on U.S. Route 50
(410) 974-4440 Near Bay Bridge
Holiday Inn 15 Minutes Away
6600 Ritchie Highway On Ritchie Highway
Glen Burnie, MD 21061 (MD Route 2)
(410) 761-8300
Historic Inns of Annapolis For you lovebirds who
(There are several) are just dying to
Church Circle have a romantic time
Annapolis, MD 21401 in the "ancient city."
(410) 263-2641 15 Minutes Away
For more information, please call Toad Computers at
(410) 544-6943.
================
We certainly hope that you can join us for what we're sure will be a
good time. Jennifer, Ray, Dawn, Alex and I would like to thank you for
your continued, sincere support and we look forward to seeing you again or
meeting you for the very first time.
As you may know, there was no WAACE show this year, and we think that
this show will help to fill the void that was left. WAACE was often called
the "Glendale of the East" and as far as Atari shows go, it was truly a
class act. I have been peripherally involved in the promotion and the
coordination of that show for several years. This show will continue many
of the same traditions.
Depending on our needs, we have up to 10,000 square feet of space
available for this event (BIG!) along with plenty of free, easy parking
right in front of our store.
We will be sending out a large postcard mailing in November in
support of this show and we should hear from some more developers that
we've invited to the show shortly. We'll also be advertising the TOAD
COMPUTERS HOLIDAY FESTIVAL in Current Notes. Keep your eyes open for more
information about other attractions. Obviously, we're going to do whatever
we can to make this a successful event.
This will be the third major event held at Toad Computers. The first
was the TOAD COMPUTERS MOVING SALE in July 1992. The second was the TOAD
COMPUTERS FEST BEFORE THE FEST that immediately preceded the WAACE show
last year (and was the first showing of the Falcon 030 after the Boston
Computer Society meeting). Both of these events brought in over 200 people
and we're confident that this year's event will be at least as successful.
Again, we have made many friends throughout the years here at Toad
Computers and we hope to see you all on December 4th and 5th -- and not
just to do your holiday computer shopping but to stop in and just say
"Hi."
Sincerely,
David & Jennifer Troy
Ray Mitchell
Dawn Dineen
Alex Tinsley
Zoe, The Dog
===========
OK! So you're coming! TERRIFIC! Here's everything you need to know:
When: Saturday, December 4th 1993 10:00am - 7:00pm
Sunday, December 5th 1993 10:00am - 5:00pm
Where: Toad Computers
Park Plaza Shopping Center
570-F Ritchie Highway
Severna Park, MD 21146
Toad Music
556 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard
Severna Park, MD 21146
For More Information Call:
(410) 544-6943 Voice
(410) 544-1329 FAX
(410) 544-6999 BBS
For a map to Toad Computers and the immediate area, see GEnie ST
Roundtable file #25969 (PostScript) or #25970 (Img Format). Or just
call and we'll FAX or mail it to you.
So come see the Jaguar, see Falcons in flight, see Toad Computers
(America's Atari Source and the only Atari Superstore), see Toad Music
(purveyors of fine CD's and Atari Music hardware and software), see the
local attractions and have fun. And help us ring in the holiday season!
We look forward to seeing you!
===== (C) 1993 Toad Computers -- 10/20/93 =====
==============
SPECIAL DEALS ON MODEMS! -- MODEM BUNDLES FROM TOAD COMPUTERS!
If you've been intrigued by the idea of FAXing with your Atari, or
have been considering getting a high-speed modem of any kind, then you
should take a look at these terrific deals we have on these modem
bundles! They include STraight FAX! 2.0 and a modem -- all for one low
price!
ZOOM AFX FAX MODEM BUNDLE
-------------------------
- Class 1 FAX Compatible
- 9600 Baud FAX Send
- 4800 Baud FAX Receive
- 2400 Baud Data with v.42bis
4:1 Data Compression for speeds up to 9600 Baud
- Seven Year Warranty
- Full Display of Status Lights
- INCLUDES STRAIGHT FAX! 2.0!
ALL OF THIS FOR JUST $149.95!
ZOOM VFDX FAX MODEM BUNDLE
--------------------------
- Class 1 & 2 FAX Compatible
- 9600 Baud FAX Send & Receive
- 2400 Baud Data with v.42bis
4:1 Data Compression for speeds up to 9600 Baud
- Voice Mail Capability with Software
for Windows 3.1 Included
- Will Be Supported By Future STraight FAX!
Voice Mail Upgrade (Due in 1994)
- Seven Year Warranty
- Caller ID Ready
- Full Display of Status Lights
- INCLUDES STRAIGHT FAX! 2.0!
ALL OF THIS FOR JUST $199.95!
SUPRA 144LC FAX MODEM BUNDLE
----------------------------
- Class 1 FAX Compatible
- 14,400 Baud FAX Send & Receive
- 14,400 Baud Data with v.42bis
4:1 Data Compression for speeds up to 57,600 Baud
- Extruded Aluminum Case
- Silent Answer Capability
- Caller ID Ready
- Five Year Warranty
- Full Display of Status Lights
- INCLUDES STRAIGHT FAX! 2.0!
ALL OF THIS FOR JUST $249.95!
SUPRA v.32bis FAX MODEM BUNDLE
------------------------------
- Class 1 & 2 FAX Compatible
- 14,400 Baud FAX Send & Receive
- 14,400 Baud Data with v.42bis
4:1 Data Compression for speeds up to 57,600 Baud
- Extruded Aluminum Case
- Silent Answer Capability
- Caller ID Ready
- Five Year Warranty
- Full Display of Status Lights
- Alphanumeric LED Readout Shows Modem Actions
- INCLUDES STRAIGHT FAX! 2.0!
ALL OF THIS FOR JUST $299.95!
SUPRA FAX MODEM PLUS BUNDLE
---------------------------
- Class 1 & 2 FAX Compatible
- 9600 Baud FAX Send & Receive
- 2400 Baud Data with v.42bis
4:1 Data Compression for speeds up to 9600 Baud
- Extruded Aluminum Case
- Five Year Warranty
- Full Display of Status Lights
- INCLUDES STRAIGHT FAX! 2.0!
ALL OF THIS FOR JUST $199.95!
All of the modems above are based on ROCKWELL chipsets and have been
tested with STraight FAX! 2.0! Note that modems that are Class 1 only
(ZOOM AFX and Supra 144LC) _require_ STraight FAX! 2.0 and are not
compatible with previous versions of STraight FAX.
If you are a current owner of STraight FAX! and have not yet upgraded
to version 2.0, now is the time. The upgrade fee is $25. If you
purchased STraight FAX! after June 1, 1993, then the upgrade fee is
$20. Proof of purchase date is required.
STraight FAX! 2.0 is available separately for $89.95. All of the above
modems are available separately also. Call for pricing.
THESE EXTRAORDINARY PRICES ON OUR MODEM BUNDLES ARE GOOD UNTIL DECEMBER
31, 1993.
To order a modem bundle contact us here at Toad Computers in one of
the following ways:
GEnie: Toad-Serv. (include the period :-)
Order Line: (800) 448-8623
Info Line: (410) 544-6943
FAX Line: (410) 544-1329
BBS Line: (410) 544-6999
We accept MASTERCARD, VISA, and DISCOVER. We ship UPS or USPS.
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
10/19/93
-----------------------------
> MISSIONWARE NEWS! STR InfoFile
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Missionware Software Presents...
The Autumn Classic!
If you've been putting off deciding whether or not to purchase one
of these fine Missionware Programs, now is the time to do it. It's
also our opportunity to "reintroduce" you to our new stable of Fair
Dinkum products, a line we took over October 1st. This is a sale
you won't want to miss out on, especially with the holiday buying
season just around the corner.
The following selections are included in "The Autumn Classic":
Crossword Creator II
""""""""""""""""""""
This is the fastest, easiest to use, and most complete crossword
utility for all Atari ST/TT/Falcon computers. With CWC II you can
create symmetrical or non-symmetrical crossword puzzles up to 30x20
cells in size. You can place words manually or let the program do it
for you. Puzzles can be saved in the DEGAS graphics format and can
also be printed on most popular printers, including Epson, HP and
Atari SLM lasers. Works in both color and monochrome. CWC II is an
excellent educational tool. It's just plain fun too!
CWC II is normally sold for $34.95, but for this sale, we're
knocking $5 off the price. Now purchase the #1 Atari crossword
creation program for only:
$29.95
^^^^^^
Word Search Creator
"""""""""""""""""""
What CWCII does for crosswords, Word Search Creator does for word
search puzzles. But there's an added benefit! Not only can you
create your own word search puzzles, but WSC can also solve them for
you too! Puzzles can be created up to 24x13 in size, and the word
lists are compatible with those used in CWCII. Create one list and
use it to generate both types of puzzles. WSC also works in color and
monochrome on all Atari computers and can be printed out using all
popular printers. WSC is both educational and fun!
WSC is normally sold for $34.95, but for this sale, we're also
knocking $5 off the price. You can now purchase the #1 Atari word
serach creation program for only:
$29.95
^^^^^^
Puzzle Pack
"""""""""""
Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too? You say you want
both CWC II and WSC, all in one nice package? That's what the Puzzle
Pack is for. You can save even more money by purchasing both programs
together.
Puzzle Pack normally sells for $49.95, but for this sale, you can
purchase it for $5 off that price, making Puzzle Pack one of the best
bargains around today. It's now only:
$44.95
^^^^^^
That's only $10 more than you normally could purchase either CWC II or
WSC for! What a bargain! And only from Missionware Software!
The Cryptographer
"""""""""""""""""
This may turn out to be the biggest bargain yet! With The
Cryptographer, you can easily create your own cryptograms using one of
the secret codes provided or make your own with the code editor. Only
those with the proper codes can decipher your secret messages. The
Cryptographer is an excellent educational tool. And use The
Cryptographer's "Intelligent Assistant" to help you solve cryptograms
as well! CRYPTO, JR. is included for children aged 8 and up.
The Cryptographer normally sells for $34.95, but for this sale, we're
knocking $10 off the regular price. If you've every wanted to fool
around with cryptography, now is the time to take the plunge. After
all, you can purchase it now for only:
$24.95
^^^^^^
All Three???
""""""""""""
Interested in all three of these programs? Are you looking for the
bargain of the century? Then this is it. Order CWC II, WSC (packaged
as Puzzle Pack) and The Cryptographer now for only:
$59.95
^^^^^^
That's a savings of over $44 over the regular list price!
lottODDS
""""""""
We're not stopping with just the old Fair Dinkum products for this
sale. Nope - no way, no how! We're also "reintroducing" some of our
older Missionware Software Products too, like lottODDS. This is the
*only* game in town if you are interested in playing the lottery. And
not only are you getting an old classic here, but it's an updated old
classic as well. We've completed the first upgrade to lottODDS and
are now shipping version 1.2.
lottODDS maintains a database of historical numbers and now comes with
some premade lists for various lotteries including those for Illinois,
Wisconsin, Michigan and the national PowerBall. You can use lottODDS
to "Quick Pick" your numbers, or use any one of the 7 internal
statistical methods for picking numbers. You can enter your own
numbers too. And lottODDS supports a fully configurable wheeling
system to give you the best distribution of numbers picked to play.
lottODDS works in color and monochrome on all Atari ST/TT/Falcon
computers in all resolutions. Normally sold for $34.95, you can now
purchase it for only:
$29.95
^^^^^^
Printer Initializer
"""""""""""""""""""
Have you often wished for a program that would help you tame your
printer? If so, then Printer Initializer might be the answer you've
been looking for. Printer Initializer is used, via a desk accessory,
to send control codes out to your printer. These codes are used by
your printer to select various internal fonts and modes. Although
Printer Initializer can only be used for _text_ output, it's an
excellent way to set up your printer from within programs that don't
support printer setup (like Flash II, for instance).
Printer Initializer comes with both a Desk Accessory and text driver
creation program so that you can customize the printer drivers for
your needs and your printer. It's easy to do. The program comes with
with premade drivers for Epson, HP, StarJet and Diconix printers.
Printer Initializer normally sells for $24.95, but for this sale you
can purchase it for only:
$19.95
^^^^^^
All Five????????????
""""""""""""""""""""
Are you looking for the *ultimate* bargain? Can't wait to get your
Christmas shopping done early this year? Then this is it. Purchase
all 5 of the above products for only:
$89.95
^^^^^^
That's a savings of over $74!!! (Normal retail for all five is
$164.75)
Or purchase any three of the above five products for:
$59.95
^^^^^^
Flash II
""""""""
Naturally, you can also purchase Flash II directly from us. There is
no sale on Flash II right now, however, we are offering even more
bargains in conjunction with its purchase
If you purchase Flash II for the regular price of $49.95, for an extra
$15 you can purchase any of the above programs. Each additional
program is only $15 more. Not only that, but when you purchase Flash
II with an additional program(s), we'll ship everything to you postage
paid! There'll be no additional $4 shipping and handling fee!
These sale prices are good only through December 31, 1993 and only
from Missionware Software. We accept checks, money orders, and Visa
or MasterCard. Credit card orders are accepted via email. Your
credit card account is not charged until we ship. Please contact us
if you have any more questions.
And stay tuned. We'll soon be offering even more sale prices on two
items. Cyberdrome - The Hoverjet Simulator is due for an upgrade and
we'll be offering a special on that when it's available. We're also
going to be offering a brand new game soon too!
For mail orders, our address is:
Missionware Software
354 N. Winston Drive
Palatine, IL 60067-4132
USA
phone 708-359-9565
BIX: jtrautschold
CompuServe: 71333,1003
Delphi: MISSIONWARE
GEnie: J.TRAUTSCHOL
Internet: jtrautschold@genie.geis.com
All domestic and Canadian orders must include $4 for shipping and
handling (except for the special Flash II package mentioned above).
Overseas orders must include $8 for shipping. Residents of Illinois
must include 6.75% sales tax.
This sale is effective October 25, 1993 through December 31, 1993.
Missionware Software reserves the right to limit the number of items
ordered if over and above what the sale lists. This sale is designed
for direct orders only - Dealers and Distributors should contact us
for special bulk pricing.
> "CONNECT" - The Modem User's Resource
~~~~~~~~~
> CONNECT - The Print Magazine for the Online Community
An STR InfoFile
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The online community is very fortunate to have what may be
one of a few magazines available that caters specifically to the
modem user. CONNECT magazine, published by the same folks that
gave us Atari Interface Magazine, recently released their third
issue.
While CONNECT does not deal specifically with the Atari line
of computers, or any other specific platform for that matter, the
magazine does cater to the general user of online and BBS
services. Many of the articles contained in the sample copy this
editor received were of a general interest nature blended with
some platform-specific pieces. As will be sampled further along
in this "review," the generic articles were extremely informative
and enjoyable. Dependant on your computer(s) of choice, the
platform-specific articles have a lot to offer as well.
The magazine offers an assortment of articles, reviews,
education, and general information. It also offers various
topical articles dealing with most of the online services: America
Online, BIX, CompuServe, Delphi, GEnie, Prodigy, and the Internet.
For many of you, one or more of these various topics should contain
some informative articles dealing with your favorite system(s).
They may also show you that these services provide many more
offerings than we've realized or taken advantage of during our
many online sessions. You'll also learn that many of our various
Atari online friends are also in other online areas than just the
Atari forums!
Let's take a look at what the September/October has to offer.
Similar to the dearly departed A.I.M., Editor Bill Rayl has his
short, but poignant editorial, followed by a letters to the editor
feature. Next is what appears to be a regular column by Editorial
Staff Columnist Michael Banks, called "The Inside Line." This
month, Michael takes a look at online "life" with an editorial
entitled "Online Low-Lifes and Other Electronic Creatures."
Folks, this is one must-read article! Banks really explores
what's "wrong" with some online users. Essentially, he is
referring to what many view as the online troublemakers: the
"fakes, rabble rousers, and hate mongers." He discusses these
various online personalities and how to discover them and deal
with them online. Although Banks realizes that to the veteran
online user this is not news, he prefaces his "study" to say that
there's a need to share this "with newcomers, in order to help
them chart their way through the vast online realm." This article
is a terrific read for _all_ online users, veteran or beginner!
Tom Smith's column deals with "BIX Balliwicks," an
informative, but general look at, obviously, BIX. By the way, BIX
was recently purchased from McGraw Hill (BYTE magazine) by General
Videotex Corporation (the Delphi folks). According to Smith, one
of BIX's biggest strengths is its connection to the Internet.
For the online gaming community, Jim Mallory takes a look at
"GEnie's Treasures" and its widely acclaimed Games Room. Jim
takes us through a number of game choices as well as the game
support areas on GEnie. An informative piece, especially if you
never realized that there was more to GEnie than just the Atari
RoundTables!
For many students who use computers and modems, you're
probably well aware of the vast services provided by the Internet.
However, as Paul Gilster shows us, BIX and Delphi offer full
access while CompuServe, GEnie, and America Online offer limited
access to the Internet. Gilster details one of the largest
services provided by the Internet in his column entitled "The
Internet Gateway." This service is Internet mail and file
transfers. For those interested in learning more about Internet
mail, catch Gilster's column.
Dick Evans takes us through a tour of Delphi's Desktop
Publishing SIG and the Graphics SIG. He also has interviews with
Bob Gorrill and Bob Pataki, SysOps for each respective area. If
DTP/Graphics is an interest, or you're considering either, you'll
enjoy this article.
A familiar name in the Atari community has the next regular
column. Jim Ness, visible (and vocal) on all three major
networks, writes "Connecting with CompuServe." For those of you
familiar with CIS, you'll probably know Jim through his work with
QuickCIS, a CIS navigator program which Jim authored. Jim's
column this month focuses on a number of items. Essentially, the
column describes some of the available Forums available; and he
specifically mentions MODEMVEN, which is the Modem Vendor Forum.
It's there that you'll find such familiar companies as Supra,
US Robotics, Zoom and others. Another sample Forum is the TRAVEL
Forum which contains some interesting tidbits about an assortment
of travel services available. Jim also describes how some vendor
forums come about. SInce Jim has an interest in navigation
programs, he ventures a look at Win CIM, the Windows version of
CompuServe's Information Manager. There's also an interesting
sidebar article with Ron Luks, the Atari Forums manager, dealing
with the origins of our favorite CIS forums.
The "News Bits" column is an interesting assortment of
telecommunications-related news stories.
For the Internet crowd, Peter Plantec's "Riding the Wild
Internet" gives us an overview of some of his recent findings
during his Internet travels, including a few helpful hints to find
your way around.
PC Columnist Victor Volkman takes a look at PowerBBS for
Windows, a full-featured shareware program which also happens to
be the first BBS written for Windows.
Julia Wilkinson takes us through America Onlines educational
information offerings, specifically through the Interactive
Education Services area. IES offers a number of computer and non-
computer classes. There are even some in which you can earn a
degree!
Ross Scott Rubin, with "Dial M for Macintosh," gives us part
1 of his column dealing with AppleTalk Remote Access, including
the pluses and minuses it creates for Mac modem users.
There are a number of interesting feature articles. Ever
wonder what online conferences were all about? Joe Sewell's
"Conferencing 101" explains it all, including tips for the novice.
For the Internet crowd, Peter Plantec's "Riding the Wild
Internet" gives us an overview of some of his recent findings
during his Internet travels, including a few helpful hints to find
your way around.
Bill Rayl takes a look at the Electronic Frontier Foundation,
a non-profit organization designed to making the online world a
safe place. The history of the EFF makes interesting food for
thought and is a highly recommended read for everyone.
Another familiar face in the Atari community is Bob Retelle.
However, this month Bob features a look at Qmodem Professional, a
telecomm package from Mustang Software (creators of Wildcat BBS).
David Cole takes us through GEnie's BBS RoundTable and its
resources for the BBS SysOp.
For the business side, Susan Futterman provides us
information for making better investment choices with the
resources available on CompuServe; and Susan Bloom, a founding
member of The Business BBS, describes how any business can benefit
from running a company-supported bulletin board system.
CONNECT is an 82-page jam-packed magazine of information that
both the novice and experienced modem user can enjoy. If this
particular issue is an indication of future issues, it's a must
read if your interests lie in learning more about
telecommunications and what it has to offer.
CONNECT
3487 Braeburn Circle
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
(313)973-8825
CompuServe: 70007,4640
Delphi: UNICORNPUB
GEnie: CONNECT.MAG
Internet: pegasus@cyberspace.org
America Online: CONNECT
BBS: (313)973-9137
FAX: (313)973-0411
_______________________________________________
STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> A "Quotable Quote" "The times sure are changing..."
"""""""""""""""""
"THE TRUE MEASURE OF A MAN IS THE OS
HE USES IN HIS PERSONAL COMPUTER!"
..the village idiot!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> DEALER CLASSIFIED LIST STR InfoFile * Dealer Listings *
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ---------------
ABCO COMPUTER INC.
==================
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
Est. 1985
1-904-783-3319
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
MAIL ORDER SERVICE WORLDWIDE
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
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""""""""
EAST HARTFORD COMPUTER
======================
202 Roberts St.
East Hartford CT. 06108
1-203-528-4448
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
MEGABYTE COMPUTERS
==================
907 Mebourne
Hurst, TX 76053
1-817-589-2950
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
SAN JOSE COMPUTER
=================
1278 Alma Court
San Jose, CA. 95112
1-408-995-5080
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
CompuSeller West
================
220-1/2 W. Main St.
St. Charles, IL., 60174
Ph. (708) 513-5220
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
(DEALERS; to be listed here, please drop us a line.)
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport International Online Magazine
-* [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport *-
AVAILABLE ON OVER 20,001 PRIVATE BBS SYSTEMS
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STR Online! "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" October 29, 1993
Since 1987 copyright (c) 1987-93 All Rights Reserved No.9.44
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
All Items quoted, in whole or in part, are done so under the provisions of
The Fair Use Law of The Copyright Laws of the U.S.A. Views, Opinions and
Editorial 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 in any way
for the use or misuse of information contained herein or the results
obtained therefrom.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
