Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Silicon Times Report Issue 1022
SILICON TIMES REPORT
====================
INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
=============================
from
STR Electronic Publishing Inc.
May 27, 1994 No. 1022
======================================================================
Silicon Times Report
International Online Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
R.F. Mariano
Publisher-Editor
-----------------------------------------
Voice: 1-904-783-3319 10am-4pm EST
STR Publishing Support BBS Network System
* THE BOUNTY BBS *
ITCNet 85:881/253 JAX HUB ~ FNET 350 ~ Nest 90:21/350
904-786-4176 MULTI-NODE 24hrs-7 days
2400-57.6 bps V.32-42 bis 28.8 Hayes Optima V.FC
FAX: 904-783-3319 12am-6am EST
-----------------------------------------
Fido 1:374/147.3 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. 489 : Steal Your Face BBS..........1-908-920-7981
MNET - Toad Hall BBS.....................1-617-567-8642
______________________________________________________________________
> 05/27/94 STR 1022 "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
"""""""""""""""""
- CPU INDUSTRY REPORT - EPSON INKJET! - Apple Powerbook 500
- WordStar 2.0! - 200Mhz Chip! - HAYES Optima 288 V.FC
- ASPELL Updated! - Zilog Z80180 - Radio Shack Sells PCs
- STR MailCall - People Talking - The Old Fishin' Hole!
-* COMDEX/WORLD OF WINDOWS ISSUE *-
-* WORD PERFECT OFFERS MOST! *-
-* Bob Brodie Leaves Atari *-
======================================================================
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 ITC/PROWL/USENET/NEST/F-Net/Fido Mail Networks. You
may also call The Bounty BBS direct @ 1-904-786-4176. Enjoy the wonder
and excitement of exchanging all types of useful information relative to
computing & telcomm, worldwide, through the use of excellent International
Networking Systems. SysOps, worldwide, are welcome to join the STReport
International Conferences. ITC Node is 85:881/250, The Fido Node is
1:374/147.3, Crossnet Code is #34813, and the "Lead Node" is #620. All
computer platforms BBS systems are welcome and invited to participate.
======================================================================
CIS ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ BIX ~ PROWL ~ ITC ~ NEST ~ EURONET ~ CIX
USENET ~ USPOLNET ~ CLEVELAND FREE-NET ~ INTERNET ~ FNET ~ AOL
======================================================================
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!"
""""""""""""""""""""""
Comdex!! Can you say wall to wall people? Goodies Galore? New
Products? New Software and upgrades at every turn? You have an idea of
what Comdex looks like at its quiet times. This year's Atlanta show was
excellent. One simply had to walk away with sheer delight in knowing the
future of computing is such a shining star.
Enough of my babbling, let's get into this issue as there is plenty
of info for all. For the next three issues, expect a good deal about the
"new" that's on the way.
Next week, we shall have the second installment of our overview of the
online services, the networks and the future of telecommunicating through
networks. We shall have particular emphasis on front end, navigator and
OLR software.
Thanks again for reading.....
Ralph...
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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. Niles J. Deegan D. P. Jacobson
STReport Staff Editors:
"""""""""""""""""""""""
Michael Arthur John Deegan Brad Martin
John Szczepanik Dan Stidham Joseph Mirando
Doyle Helms Frank Sereno John Duckworth
Jeff Coe Steve Keipe Guillaume Brasseur
Melanie Bell Jay Levy Jeff Kovach
Marty Mankins Carl Prehn Paul Charchian
Contributing Correspondents:
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Tim Holt Norman Boucher Clemens Chin
Eric Jerue Ron Deal Mike Barnwell
Ed Westhusing Glenwood Drake Vernon W.Smith
Bruno Puglia Paul Haris Kevin Miller
Craig Harris Allen Chang Dominick J. Fontana
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..................... 1:347/147.3
FNET........................... NODE 350
ITC NET...................... 85:881/253
NEST........................ 90:21/350.0
GEnie......................... ST-REPORT
Internet.............RMARIANO@DELPHI.COM
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> CPU STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
"""""""""""""""""
IBM/POWER-PC/PC SECTION (I)
===========================
Computer Products Update - CPU Report
------------------------ ----------
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Issue #22
By: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
******* General Computer News *******
** Epson Unveils New Inkjet Printer **
Epson America Inc's first color inkjet printer capable of heightening
photographic imagery has been unveiled this week at the Comdex/Windows
World computer trade show in Atlanta.
Manager Edith Dees of Epson's printer group product is reported as
saying the Stylus Color uses Epson's proprietary stylus inkjet
technology.
"When used with special paper," reports say, "the printer can produce
near photographic quality images with 720 by 720 dots per-inch resolu-
tion. In normal mode, the Epson Stylus Color prints at 360 dpi resolu-
tion. Print jobs are prepared in the background so images are generated
in less than 90 seconds releasing the computer's processor for other
use."
Priced at between $550 and $600, a DOS/Windows version of the printer
is to ship in July, while an Apple Macintosh version will ship in the
fall.
Epson also has introduced its Action Laser 1600, a new laser printer
that provides 600 dpi resolution while printing at six pages per minute.
A 150 sheet paper tray can accommodate legal-and letter-sized paper as
well as envelopes. Available now, the printer lists for $1,199. Replace-
ment cartridges are $179.
** MIPS, Toshiba Offer 200MHz Chips **
A 200MHz version of a R4400 chip now is being offered by MIPS Techno-
logies Inc., a unit of Silicon Graphics Inc., and Toshiba America
Electronic Components Inc., a unit of Toshiba Corp.
Officials with the two companies are quoted as saying the new chip is
the first version of a MIPS RISC (reduced instruction set computing)
microprocessor that is certified as running at speeds of up to 200MHz.
"The the R4400/200 chip uses Toshiba's 0.3 micron energy-conserving
Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor process and contains 2.3 million
transistors".
** Apple Ships Mac CD-ROM Product **
The Macintosh Productivity Edition CD-ROM disk now is being shipped
by Apple Computer Inc.'s Software Dispatch business unit.
A report from Apple's headquarters says that the disk allows
customers to use trial versions of different products as well as view
self-running guided tours of those products.
"They are bundled with many external Apple CD-ROM drives, multimedia
kits and certain Macintosh computer configurations".
** Silicon Graphics & Nintendo Team Up **
Silicon Graphics Inc. and Nintendo Co. Ltd. announced this week they
will launch their jointly developed three-dimensional video machine,
called Project Reality, by the summer of 1995 -- just in time for the
start of next year's holiday gift-buying season.
"We're doing great with Nintendo. We intend to be out with that pro-
duct next summer for the Christmas buying cycle," said Thomas Jermoluk,
president and chief operating officer of Silicon Graphics Inc. "They're
very excited about it, and we have over 60 game developers already doing
games for the launch of the Project Reality system."
It will first be released in arcades sometime before the end of the
year and then shipped for home use next year. The target price for the
home system in the United States is under $250.
** Cable Modems **
Cable modems -- intended to enable users to plug the cable TV line
into the back of a computer to get faster, cheaper access to various
services -- have been announced by several companies at a convention of
the National Cable Television Association.
Reports say "The cable modems can move text, voice and pictures 1,000
times faster over cable TV lines than standard telephone modems," and,
"Those devices have more horsepower because cable television lines can
carry more information than telephone lines do now." The officials said
the modems are expected to be priced at $500 and up.
Reports are that Intel's and Digital's modem should be capable of
moving information at 10 megabits a second, or 10 million bits a second.
Said John Richardson, manager of Intel's consumer software laboratory,
"That means a person could go into a database, ask for a magazine quality
photo and get in on his computer screen in 10 seconds. That would take a
half-hour now."
Online services are represented at this week's convention because they
see opportunities to sell more services through cable connections.
Jeff Miller, CompuServe's director of research and development, said
that because information can be sent faster, service charges to consumers
could be cheaper than they are now. He added that about 24 million out of
the 26 million U.S. households with computers also subscribe to cable
television.
** Apple Portable Highlight at Comdex **
Apple Computer Inc. has introduced its promised new series of port-
able computers, the PowerBook 500, which is said to double the perfor-
mance of the existing line.
Apple product manager Julie Herendeen is quoted as saying the new
PowerBook features a 9.5-inch active color matrix screen and incorpor-
ates a new innovation, an integral solid state Apple trackpad. (Users
move their fingers across this flat surface to control the cursor on the
screen.)
** Poll: 12% of Homes Have Modems **
A new survey finds 12% of the nation's households now have modem
equipped computers and that 6% regularly go online.
The survey of more than 4,000 homes, funded by the Times Mirror Co.
to study the interplay of people with the media and formation and public
policy, also concluded that Americans no longer fear or distrust new
technology.
The polling, conducted by the Washington-based Times Mirror Center
for the People & the Press, found a generation gap persists with regard
to feelings toward computers.
Center director Andrew Kohut says that those under 50 like and use
computers "significantly" more than those over 50. Only 7% of those over
65 even use computers, the survey found. Also 45% of employed survey
respondents said they work at home at least sometimes.
** Zilog Makes Faster Modem Chips **
A higher performance, 33MHz version of its Z80182 modem controller is
being unveiled by chipmaker Zilog Inc.
Reports say that the new chip "allows internal, external and PCMCIA
modems to transmit at the V.Fast (V.34) speed."
The chip is available at 33MHz in a 5.5-Volt 100-pin packages for
$14.36 in 10K OEM quantities. The 3.3-Volts version running at 20MHz in
100-pin packages is available for $13.83 in 10K OEM quantities.
** IBM to Add Photo CD to OS/2 **
IBM says it has signed a licensing deal for Photo CD technology with
Eastman Kodak and will integrate the technology into future versions of
OS/2.
The computer maker says the move will make OS/2 the first PC operat-
ing system to be Photo CD-enabled without requiring users to buy
additional software.
An update that enables OS/2 2.1 to read Photo CD images will be made
available online from IBM and CompuServe this summer. IBM will integrate
the Photo CD read-only technology and the capability to write Photo CD
images into a future version of OS/2.
The licensing agreement also gives IBM the ability to deliver
integrated Photo CD support in its other operating system platforms.
"By integrating Photo CD support into OS/2, we're continuing our
commitment to making OS/2 an operating system that offers more power and
greater capabilities than competitive offerings," says Wally Casey,
director of marketing for IBM's Personal Software Products division. "We
believe this will make OS/2 an even more attractive option to anyone who
is working with or creating applications that involve multimedia
content."
Kodak's Photo CD system allows color images, including 35mm photos,
scanned images and computer-generated color graphics, to be stored in
the Photo CD format. Up to 100 high resolution Photo CD images can be
stored on a single Photo CD master disc.
** Radio Shack to Sell IBM PCs **
Under a new pilot program, Radio Shack is set to begin selling brand
name IBM computers in about 500 of its stores.
Reports say the agreement calls for Radio Shack, the retail subsidiary
of Tandy Corp., to sell various IBM PS/Note notebook computers and PS/1
desktop systems, along with its private label line of Tandy computers.
** Gates: Power Computers for $2,000 **
While new models of personal computers continue to offer huge increases
in computing capability, retail prices will continue to hover at about
$2,000 per unit, predicted Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates.
Gates said this week in a speech at Comdex in Atlanta: "Today, most
machines are being sold with audio capability, eight megabytes of RAM
and at least a '486 chip. By early next year, at a $2,000 price point,
we are going to be able to see Pentium-type performance, with 16MB and -
- I believe -- even a CD-ROM drive built in."
** Windows Users Now Number 50 Million **
The number of licensed users of the Microsoft Windows operating
system doubled in the previous 12 months, bringing the total number of
customers using it to more than 50 million.
Microsoft officials said Windows is the most popular PC operating
system in the world with a current sales rate of 2 million copies each
month.
Since Windows 3.0 first shipped, the number of users has roughly
doubled each year, growing from about 2 million in May 1990 to 5 million
in 1991 to 10 million in 1992. The number of Windows users in 1993 were
counted at the 25 million mark, while more than 50 million are claimed
in 1994.
** Dell Recalls Monitors **
Dell Computer is voluntarily recalling approximately 63,000 Dell
Model DL-1460NI 14-inch SVGA color monitors. The units were sold
directly by Dell, as well as through Sam's Club, Costco, Price Club and
CompUSA.
The computer maker says internal components may overheat, causing a
fire hazard.
Dell says consumers using its monitors should look for the model
number "DL-1460NI" on the back of their unit. Users of the affected
monitors should call Dell at 800-913-3355 to arrange for shipping and
repair of the monitor.
Dell says it has received 32 reports of its monitors overheating and,
in some cases, catching fire. None of the reported incidents involved
personal injury and the reported fires did not spread. Dell imported the
monitors from a Taiwanese manufacturer in 1992 and 1993.
** NEC Cuts CD-ROM Drive Prices **
NEC Technologies Inc. of Wood Dale, Ill., has cut the prices on its
Multi-Spin 3X family of CD-ROM drives.
The MultiSpin 3Xe, which used to cost $600, now sells for $499. The
MultiSpin 3Xi's price has been dropped from $500 to $465. The MultiSpin
3Xp, which used to sell for $455, is now priced at $415.
"The market for CD-ROM readers has transformed itself over the past
year," says Marc Miller, vice president of NEC Technologies' Advanced
Media Products Group. "The CD-ROM market has exploded: NEC introduced
triple-speed CD-ROM readers, availability of CD-ROM software titles has
grown exponentially and customers know about and want CD-ROM."
___________________________________________
> HAYES 288 V.FC STR InfoFile 288 V.FC PowerHouse Modems
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
HAYES INTRODUCES INTERNAL 288 V.FC MODEM
WITH HAYES ESP INCORPORATED
Atlanta, GA, 20 May 1994 -- Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.
today announced the availability of OPTIMA 288B V.FC + Fax for US$499 and
CDN$599. Incorporated onto this internal modem card is Hayes ESP
Communications Accelerator. The integrated Hayes ESP COM Port Technology
is a custom 16-bit communications co-processor which allows OPTIMA 288B
V.FC to achieve full data transmission port speed of 230,400 bit/s in
multi-tasking environments such as Windows.
This internal data + fax modem supports V.Fast Class (V.FC) for
28,800 bit/s (28.8 bit/s) data transmission; ITU-T V.42bis data
compression; ITU-T V.42 error-control; and Group 3 fax using V.17 for
14,400 bit/s fax transmission.
This product is also fully compatible with the installed base of
V.32bis (14.4 bit/s), V.32 (9600 bit/s) and V.22bis (2400 bit/s) modems.
In addition, OPTIMA 288B V.FC will operate at 28,800 bit/s with future
Hayes products implementing the V.34 (V.Fast) standard once it is
approved. Hayes will make an upgrade to V.34 (V.Fast) available at a cost
of less than US $100.
In order to achieve its superior throughput, Hayes OPTIMA 288B
V.FC supports an enhanced and well optimized implementation of the V.42bis
standard, as well as a larger dictionary than other modem vendors in order
to improve performance for a wide range of file types. Examples of files
that consistently achieve superior throughput rates include graphics
files, text files, e-mail message files, database/spread sheet data and
other types of user generated data.
It is a common misconception that an internal modem plug-in card
will not suffer the same throughput and data loss problems as an external
modem attached to a serial port. The combination of Hayes high-speed
OPTIMA technology and Hayes ESP provides reliable high-speed
communications for users who prefer an internal plug-in modem solution.
With Hayes ESP's dedicated co-processor, users benefit from built-in
automatic flow control to ensure data integrity by eliminating buffer
overrun errors experienced with even the 16550 UART at speeds of 115.2
bit/s or higher. The ESP COM Port Technology is the only serial
architecture to support speeds above 115,200 bit/s in Windows or network
operating system environments. To maximize the PC's performance, Hayes
ESP provides dual 1024-byte send/receive buffers and a 16-bit PC Bus
interface for superior I/O performance.
OPTIMA 288B V.FC + FAX comes with a two year limited performance
warranty which is extendable to five years when customers register the
product within 90 days of purchase (US & Canada only). OPTIMA 288B V.FC +
FAX is bundled with Smartcom for Windows LE and Smartcom FAX for Windows
communications software.
HAYES ANNOUNCES OPTIMA 288 V.FC
FOR
MACINTOSH
ATLANTA, GA, 20 May 1994 -- Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.
today announced OPTIMA 28800 V.FC + FAX for the Macintosh. OPTIMA 288
V.FC for the Mac will be available 30 May 1994 for an estimated retail
price of US$579 and CDN$719. This external data + fax modem supports
V.Fast Class (V.FC) for 28,800 bit/s (28.8 kbit/s) data transmission and
comes packaged with a Mac-to-modem cable, Smartcom FAX for the Macintosh
and Smartcom for the Mac communications software.
OPTIMA 288 V.FC + FAX for the Macintosh will operate at 28,800
bit/s with future Hayes products implementing the ITU-T V.34 (V.Fast)
standard once it is approved. Hayes will make an upgrade to V.34
available for less than US$100.
OPTIMA 288 V.FC + FAX for the Macintosh supports Group 3 Fax
standard V.17 for 14,400 bit/s for send/receive fax transmission. This
product also supports ITU-T V.42bis data compression, ITU-T V.42
error-control, and V.32.
"We are excited about bringing high-speed data transmission to the
Macintosh environment," said Hayes President Dennis C. Hayes. "The OPTIMA
product line was developed to provide Hayes customers with a
cost-effective way to get the job done. We are continuing this commitment
with the introduction of a 28.8 V.FC modem into the Macintosh
environment."
With so many tasks competing for the computer's resources, it's
virtually impossible for a communications application to maintain the
degree of control necessary to efficiently manage high-speed serial
communications. To attack this problem in the ISA/EISA and Micro Channel
bus architecture, Hayes recommends Hayes ESP Communications Accelerator.
However, for the Macintosh environment, Hayes recommends the Hustler card
by Creative Solutions, of Rockville, Maryland.
Included with OPTIMA 288 V.FC + FAX for the Macintosh is Smartcom
FAX for the Macintosh which allows users to fax documents directly from
their Macintosh computer, as well as receive fax messages and then view,
print or save them to disk. Smartcom FAX for the Macintosh also keeps
detailed Transaction Logs in files on disk so that both send and receive
fax activities may be viewed at any time.
All OPTIMA products carry a two year limited performance
warranty. A special offer by Hayes, available in the U.S. and Canada
only, allows users to obtain a free extension of the limited performance
warranty to a total of five years coverage when an OPTIMA product is
registered within 90 days of purchase by mail or through Online With Hayes
bulletin board system.
Notice: Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. reserves the right to make
improvements to the product described in this manual at any time and
without notice.
Hayes, the Hayes icon, the Hayes logo, the Hayes '302 Escape Sequence
Patent icon, V-series, Smartmodem, Smartcom, OPTIMA and ACCURA are
trademarks of Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. V.FC is a trademarks of
Rockwell International Corporation. MNP is a trademark of Microcom, Inc.
Other trademarks mentioned in this document are trademarks of their
respective companies.
Best known as the leader in microcomputer modems, Hayes develops,
supplies and supports computer communications equipment and software for
personal computer and computer communications networks. The company
distributes its products in over 65 countries through a global network of
authorized distributors, dealers, mass merchants, VARs, systems
integrators and original equipment manufacturers. Hayes, OPTIMA, Smartcom
and ESP are trademarks of Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. V.FC and
V.Fast Class are trademarks of Rockwell International Corporation. Other
trademarks mentioned are trademarks of their respective companies.
_______________________________________________
> A SUPER SPELL CHECKER! STR FOCUS! AboveSpell - A cut above the rest!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
ABOVESPELL
SPELLANYWHERE
INPLACE SPELL-CHECKER
Finally!! A Spell-Checker that works right within WinCIM!
Whether you make a spelling mistake because of keyboard-carelessness
or ignorance, it is going to hurt you. Typos are very easy to make, but
their effects on your image are not easy to deal with. It is therefore
very important to spell-check your email messages and forum postings.
CompuServe is the largest and most comprehensive on-line information
service you can find around. It has over 1.6 million members worldwide,
and the most impressive demographic fact says that 92% of which are
Executives or Professors. Thus, if you use CompuServe to communicate with
your friends or with people of your profession, it is of the utmost
importance to project a positive image and avoid typos in your emails.
AboveSpell uses a comprehensive 120,000 word American English
Dictionary to spell-check your emails and forum messages. There is
absolutely no need of you to go through the painstaking routine of
switching to your Word Processor simply to spell-check your emails. With
AboveSpell installed, spell-checking is a swift button click away.
AboveSpell adds a "Spell" button onto your WinCIM's Create Mail,
Create Forum, and Reply Forum Windows. In other words, the "Spell" button
is added everywhere you need it. A single button click and AboveSpell
goes through your text checking for misspelled words. If it finds any
misspelled word it stops, highlights the words, so that you can easily see
what is going on, and gives you suggestions of correctly spelled words.
Just terrific!
AboveSpell is very good. According to a number of CompuServe users:
"The spell checking is outstanding. Congratulations! ...Terry"
"Terrific! I couldn't be more enthusiastic. Wonderfully fast, you have the
context part, the apostrophe problem is solved. Just great. ....Dan"
"Got it, installed it, love it... ...Brooks"
"The WinCIM Spell Checker is just great and super fast too... ...Rapee"
"Received your Spell software, love it!! ....Donna"
Of course, technical support and product quality are absolutely the
best. If you ever run into problems or have questions, you can always
drop me an email or pickup the phone. And you always get good advice even
if you have problems that have nothing to do with AboveSpell.
With AboveSpell you will receive two gifts: SpellAnywhere and the
InPlace Spell-Checker, at absolutely no additional cost to you.
SpellAnywhere lets you spell-check your text anywhere, anytime and in
any Window's Application! SpellAnywhere's Dialog Box is like a Notepad
that is always there for you. You can be in any application, anywhere,
anytime and when you hit the popup Hot key, the dialog box below comes up
to the rescue:
You can easily edit text directly in SpellAnywhere's Dialog Box to be
spell-checked, or you can click the "paste" button to spell-check some
text from the clipboard. When you are done, you can either hit the
ESC key or click the "Close" button, SpellAnywhere disappears and puts you
back where you were.
Simply put, the InPlace Spell-Checker adds Spell-Checking
capabilities to 99% of all your present Windows Applications. For
instance, with the InPlace Spell-Checker you can:
Spell-check the Subject line of your emails in WinCIM.
Spell-check your text in Window's NotePad.
Spell-check your document summaries in Word for Windows.
Spell-check your Cards in Windows Card File program.
Spell-check your live talk messages with other CompuServe members in
the on-line Conference Rooms.
Spell-check your message in CompuServe's new CSNav program.
...And the list goes on, because you can practically spell-check your
text in 99% of all your Windows Applications!
The InPlace Spell-Checker is completely described in the
documentation you will receive. But briefly, 99% of your Windows
Applications use what is called Standard Edit Controls to prompt you for
text. Thus, when you are entering text in Windows, 99% of the time you
can simply hit the InPlace Spell-Checker's Hot key to spell-check your
text right where you are!
For example, if you set your InPlace Spell-Checker's Hot key to be
F12, then as soon as you have finished editing the Subject line of your
email, you can just hit F12 to automatically spell-check it! You can just
hit F12 to spell-check your text in Window's NotePad, or as another
example spell-check the description of your new software in Window's
Program Manager.
The InPlace Spell-Checker can become your best friend very quickly!
It is also very easy for you to configure AboveSpell to your personal
taste. AboveSpell adds itself to Window's Control Panel:
So all you have to do is start up Window's Control Panel, which is
found in your "Accessories" Group in Window's Program Manager. Locate the
AboveSpell's Icon, and double click it to have the a Setup Dialog Box come
up: In this Setup Dialog Box you can select to which Windows in WinCIM you
wish the "Spell" button added, and set SpellAnywhere's and the InPlace
Spell-Checker's Hot keys.
AboveSpell is absolutely the best spell-checker for WinCIM, and with
it, you receive two gifts: SpellAnywhere and the InPlace Spell-Checker,
for free. It is quite a bargain for only $23.10.
The fastest way to order AboveSpell is via CompuServe: type GO
SWREG, and register Program ID: 2413. The amount of $23.10 (plus $3.00
S&H) will be added to your next CompuServe bill automatically, and
AboveSpell will be at your doorstep in about two business days-- your
software will be shipped to you via USPS Two Day Priority Mail.
To order with a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or
Discover) you can email your order to GIR Software at CompuServe ID:
72603,666 or call us at 508-580-2404 (9-6pm M-F EST).
This terrific collection of Spell-Checkers will make your life
easier, especially if you are using CompuServe to communicate with your
friends and people of your profession.
Sincerely Yours,
Tomer Guez
P.S. To order AboveSpell, type GO SWREG, and register Program ID: 2413 .
Of course, you always have a 30 day money back guarantee-- zero risk to
you.
"By the way, I was sure surprised to find your disk waiting for me in
less than 24 hours since I ordered it... some kind of record! And thanks
again for the 'good phone' you gave me on so many other valuable topics
besides your fabulous suite of spell checkers. ...Bruce"
No Risk Order Coupon
--------------------
Yes! Please send me a copy of AboveSpell WinCIM Add-On for only
$23.10* (plus $3.0 S&H). If I'm not absolutely satisfied, I may return it
within 30 days for a full refund, and also send me my gifts, Spell
Anywhere and the InPlace Spell-Checker for FREE! *Residents of
Massachusetts, please add 5% sales tax.
Enclosed is my check for $_______ payable to GIR Software. Or bill my
Visa, MasterCard or Discover card:
CC#____________________________________ Exp. Date:_________
Signature ___________________________________________________
Name ______________________ Company _________________________
Address _____________________________________________________
City ______________________ State __________ Zip ___________
Country ___________________ Daytime Phone ___________________
Mail to:
GIR Software, Dept CST3.
16 Thomas Patten Drive
P.O.Box 680
Randolph, MA 02368-0680
ORDERS IN BY 4:00PM SHIP THE SAME DAY! You'll have your order before you
know it-- mail order convenience at it's best!
For questions regarding your order or for technical support, call
508-580-2404 or contact CompuServe ID: 72603,666. Thank you!
CompuServe is a Registered Trademark of CompuServe, Inc. Windows is a
Registered Trademark of Microsoft, Corp. WinCIM is a Registered Trademark
of CompuServe, Inc. Word is a Registered Trademark of Microsoft, Corp.
___________________________________________
> WORDPERFECT AT COMDEX STR InfoFile
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
WORDPERFECT CORPORATION SHIPS
NEW WRITING TOOLS
Grammatik 6 and Random House Webster's Dictionary improve grammar checking
and writing
ATLANTA # May 23, 1994 # WordPerfect Corporation today shipped Grammatik
6, a new version of its grammar and style-checker which offers several new
writing improvement features, a re-designed interface to make it even
easier to use, and a new automatic sentence rewriting feature that
has never been available in a grammar checker until now. The company also
shipped a concise version of the popular Random House Webster's Electronic
Dictionary. Both products are part of the WordPerfect Main Street
consumer product line designed for the home and small business.
Grammatik 6 (Windows)
---------------------
The complete revision of Grammatik featured a design process with
extensive user feedback, interface design and usability testing.
Thousands of hours of design and usability studies identified the need for
a simpler more speller-like grammar interface as well as new ways to
present powerful features like sentence rewriting and writing styles.
Grammatik 6's new QuickCheck option provides a simple, easy way to
do basic checks of spelling, mechanics and grammar, and saves users time
by not checking for style and more esoteric characteristics such as
archaic language, cliche's and gender-specific words. In addition to
QuickCheck, Grammatik 6 offers 10 predefined style guides and three levels
of formality to choose from, so users can personalize their proofreading
process for the appropriate audiences. Also, an extensive Help system is
available to give them guidance on both writing problems and program
features.
New features have also been added to help users improve their
writing. Grammatik 6 offers a high degree of grammar and spell checking
accuracy and is now the only grammar checker available that offers
sentence rewriting, a feature that allows users to automatically replace
their original sentence with Grammatik#s corrected sentence, simply by
double-clicking. To help users learn as they go along, the software also
provides readability statistics, background information, and a new
graphical Parse Tree that provides additional information on sentence
structure.
As with previous versions, Grammatik 6 offers accurate error
detection by using a linguistic technology called Mor-Proof meaning
morphology-based proof reading. Mor-Proof's combination of word and
sentence analysis allows intelligent replacement of spelling, grammar and
clause errors. As the software proofreads documents for errors in grammar,
style, usage, punctuation and spelling, it also explains errors and gives
advice.
Grammatik also provides a bookmark feature, which lets users stop
proofreading in the middle of a document and instantly return to that
point to resume checking.
The Macintosh version of Grammatik 6 is expected to begin shipping
in August 1994. The Windows version requires a 386 processor or higher
with 2MB of RAM, Microsoft Windows 3.1, and 2.5M of hard disk space. The
Macintosh version will require a Macintosh with System 6.0.5 or later, a
minimum of 2MB of RAM and 2.5M hard disk space. Both have a suggested
retail price of $49.95US/$60CAN.* With more than five million copies sold
and support for all popular word processors, Grammatik is the best-selling
writing improvement tool in the world on all platforms.
Random House School & Office Dictionary
(Windows & Macintosh)
Based on Random House Webster's College Dictionary, the program
contains quick and easy definitions for over 60,000 words, including the
latest contemporary words. A new engine in this version makes it more
compact and much faster to use. The dictionary provides a convenient way
to improve writing for new and experienced computer users working at home,
school, in small businesses or for those using mobile computers such as
laptops.
The program uses a computerized dictionary database supplied by
Random House, the largest general trade-book publisher in the English
speaking world. This database is converted to a highly compressed
WordPerfect format. The product also features a powerful search and
retrieval mechanism, and a user interface designed for speed and ease of
use.
For each word, the software gives the full definition contained in
the hard cover dictionary. The dictionary can be accessed from within all
major applications, making it appear as a feature of the application so
the user's work style is not interrupted.
The Random House School & Office Dictionary is available now for
both Windows and Macintosh. The Windows version requires a 386 processor
or higher with 2MB of RAM, Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later, and 3MB of
hard disk space. The Macintosh version requires a Macintosh Plus or
higher with System 6.0 or later, a minimum of 2MB of RAM and 3MB free hard
disk space.
Both versions of the Random House Dictionary have a suggested
retail price of $29.95US/$36CAN.* Localized versions for Canada, Germany,
France and the United Kingdom have also begun shipping.
WordPerfect Main Street products are available through computer
superstores, warehouse clubs, retailers, and directly from WordPerfect
Corporation by calling 1-800-321-4566. All products within the
WordPerfect Main Street line have a suggested retail price of
$29-139US/$35-169CAN.*
WORDPERFECT CORPORATION SHIPS
EXPRESSFAX+ 3.0 FOR WINDOWS
ExpressFax+ combines fax and data communications for the home and office
ATLANTA-May 23, 1994-WordPerfect Corporation's consumer products division
today began shipping WordPerfect ExpressFax+ 3.0 for Windows. As part of
the WordPerfect Main Street product line, the fax and data communications
product will allow users to send and receive faxes and connect with
information services and electronic bulletin boards.
ExpressFax+ integrates essential fax and data features into a
single product, distinguishing itself from other dedicated fax or data
communications software. "Home and small office users are not looking for
an intricate interface for their communications solution," said Sam Yee,
product marketing director, consumer products division. "What we provide
is a desktop that organizes the user's primary communication needs."
The ExpressFax+ Desktop is the starting point where users access
communication tools. From the Desktop, a user can enter the Phone Book,
where phone numbers for data and fax are stored in one common phone
book. Fax a Note allows users to create and send short fax messages. The
Inbox holds received faxes, while the Outbox lists all sent faxes and
status information. Users gain access into the terminal module by
pressing the communications icon.
"We've designed ExpressFax+ from the ground up for the consumer
market," said Jeff Mallett, senior director, consumer products division.
"The fax and data communications program will be a great starting point
for first time computer users as well as those computing on a portable.
Combining ease of use and essential features, users will receive a
complete solution for an excellent value."
TextBridgeTM Optical Character Recognition (OCR) by Xerox Imaging
Systems allows users to convert received faxes into text. Converted
information can then be retrieved and edited within a word processor.
ExpressFax+ 3.0 requires Windows 3.1, a 386 or higher IBM PC or
compatible, 5M of hard disk space and 4M of RAM. The product has a
suggested retail price of $109US/$130CAN* and is available through
computer superstores, retailers, warehouse clubs and directly from
WordPerfect Corporation at 800-451-5151.
WORDPERFECT CORPORATION RENAMES "OFFICE"
GROUPWARE
PRODUCT TO "SYMMETRY"
OREM, Utah # May 24, 1994 # WordPerfect Corporation today announced
WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1, an upgrade to WordPerfect Office 4.0a. The name
of the product has been changed to more closely represent the significance
of electronic messaging and eliminate possible confusion with
other software products named "Office."
"Symmetry means balance, completeness, and harmony in components.
We like the definition as it relates to people working with information
and information systems" said Adrian Rietveld, president and CEO of
WordPerfect Corporation. "With the move toward global communications,
mobile computing and the information superhighway, the expanding
WordPerfect Office product line needed a new name to better represent the
significance of this product."
"The industry should be very receptive to a name change for
WordPerfect Office," said David Coursey, editor of the San Mateo, Calif.,
based industry newsletter P.C. Letter. "While WordPerfect Corporation 1was
among the first to use 'Office,' the name has become associated with
product suites, or bundles of related software. With a new name, the
confusion will end, giving users a clearer understanding of the product
line and electronic messaging."
The new product offers increased capabilities in its electronic
mail, calendaring, scheduling, task management and workflow functions by
bringing these services into a common interface shared across multiple
platforms and operating systems. The result is a powerful, open electronic
messaging system that can be easily scaled across any size enterprise.
WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1 builds on technology initially introduced
with WordPerfect Office 4.0 and 4.0a, and differs from previous versions
by bringing all clients, servers and gateways to the same level of
functionality and consistency. This unique design uses the same core
engine code for clients, servers and gateways.
"Never before has a vendor released 50 completely compatible
messaging products that provide customers with more scalability, openness
and interoperability," said David V. Clare, senior director of marketing
for Workgroup Applications at WordPerfect Corporation. "With the release
of WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1, WordPerfect Corporation is again setting the
standard for the LANbased electronic messaging industry."
WordPerfect Corporation is a worldwide leader in providing business,
workgroup, consumer and electronic publishing software. Driven by its
vision to help the world communicate, the company develops software for
people to process, share, present and distribute information. The company
is widely recognized for its multilingual and crossplatform software
solutions and is the industry's premier provider of customer support.
Founded in 1979, the company markets software in 28 languages and in 117
countries. Through its merger with Novell, expected to be completed by
midsummer, WordPerfect will take a leadership role in developing networked
applications.
FIFTY NEW AND ENHANCED PRODUCTS TO BE
RELEASED WITH
WORDPERFECT SYMMETRY 4.1 MESSAGING SYSTEM
All WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1 products
completely compatible
with WordPerfect Office 4.0a
ATLANTA # May 24, 1994 # WordPerfect Corporation today announced
WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1, which features 28 new products and 22 product
upgrades to WordPerfect Office 4.0a. The new product line provides
enhanced features and functionality for end users, MIS and technology
executives.
WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1 is a fully integrated messaging
application that combines electronic mail, personal calendaring, group
scheduling, task management, rulesbased message management and workflow
routing into a single application. The product comprises 12 client
desktops, five remote operating systems, 10 server platforms and 23
gateways, making it the most open and scalable solution in crossplatform,
enterprisewide electronic messaging.
"WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1 has been designed to balance the needs
of three computing groups within an organization: end users, MIS managers
and technology executives," said David V. Clare, senior director of
marketing, Workgroup Applications at WordPerfect Corporation. "Workgroup
applications can no longer be developed for end users or system
administrators alone; robust feature sets must be provided for every group
that interacts with the product." "WordPerfect Corporation is not only the
first workgroup vendor to ship all the components of a messaging system
simultaneously; it is also the only vendor to provide each computing group
in the organization with significant product enhancements for their area
of responsibility," said Clare.
Ron Raes of Weyerhaueuser Mortgage said, "WordPerfect Office 4.0a
currently allows our users tocommunicate with each other in our local
offices as well as our remote offices. The product helps us meet our
demanding business needs by automating workflow and allowing us to get at
information more quickly. And now that WordPerfect Symmetry is Simple MAPI
compliant, it will allow our users to mailenable their word processing and
spreadsheet applications, making it easier for them to distribute
information to each other and Weyerhaueuser's sister corporations."
Enhancements for End Users
--------------------------
Client Platform Support: WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1 provides client
support for 12 computing platforms, and with the exception of
platformspecific features, all clients are identical in functionality and
feature sets. New with the release of 4.1 is a native PowerMacintosh
client and support for seven Unix environments, including HewlettPackard
UX (HP 9000), IBM AIX (IBM RS/6000), SCO Unix, Data General UX (AViiON),
Sun Solaris 2.x, SunOS 4.1.3 (Solaris 1.X), and SVR4 for Intel platforms
(reference platforms NCR & Novell UnixWare).
Openness: WordPerfect Corporation designed WordPerfect Symmetry
4.1 to be more open by using accepted open messaging standards. Support
for Simple MAPI has been added to the Windows client, allowing users
to mailenable any other thirdparty product that also supports Simple MAPI.
AOCE and AppleScript support have also been added to the Macintosh and
PowerMacintosh clients. In addition to industry standards, WordPerfect
Symmetry supports PerfectFit technology, allowing for greater
interoperability with all WordPerfect Corporation Windows products.
Custom Messages and Custom Commands: New to WordPerfect Symmetry
4.1 for Windows is the capability to extend the electronic messaging
services of the product to other applications. Through the use of custom
message mechanisms, other applications can be registered in the system and
identified in a user's In Box with a unique messagetype icon. Based on the
conditions defined in a custom message, an executable or DLL can be
executed to act on the information contained in the custom message.
Custom commands enable users to access other Windows applications through
any WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1 for Windows pulldown menu. Custom commands
can also be incorporated into any message view which could then trigger
any action or set of actions.
Electronic ListServer: Made popular by the Internet, ListServer
programs provide a means of sharing nonreplicationdependent information
through the use of electronic mail. ListServers allow email users to join
forums of discussion and automatically receive messages that are sent to
that forum. In WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1, a list is created by defining a
mailbox to which users can send messages on a particular topic. To be a
recipient of a particular list or forum, users send a message to the
specified mailbox with the word "subscribe" in the message text and they
are then added to the mailing list used to distribute messages sent to the
list. All messages and associated attachments are distributed to each
subscriber. List participants are maintained as Blind Copy recipients on
the list to preserve the privacy of each participant.
Mobile Computing: WordPerfect Corporation provides a large variety
of mobile messaging products that help users keep in touch with
information while away from the office. In addition to providing Remote
Symmetry 4.1 for Windows and DOS, WordPerfect Corporation is also
releasing a remote package for Macintosh. All three remote packages are
able to utilize both asynchronous and wireless connections. Also new with
the 4.1 release is the rulesbased Pager gateway which connects users to
local, regional and national paging services and the Telephone Access
Server, which enables users to use a touchtone telephone to listen to and
send messages.
Enhancements for MIS
--------------------
Installation: The WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1 Administration program
now provides an "assisted install" procedure that instructs the installer
on each necessary procedure to complete the install. The installation of a
single WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1 post office and clients can now
be accomplished by a novice computer user with the appropriate network
access in less than two hours. Additional installation enhancements
include: simplified client installation program, automatic update of
locallyinstalled WordPerfect Office 4.0a client software and directory
synchronization with the NetWare bindery.
Improved Uptime Support (24x7): New with WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1
is complete 24x7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) uptime support for server
and database maintenance. This includes online automated database
maintenance by server processes which automatically maintains the
integrity of the system databases. Also new is automated reporting of
problem files to the administrator and support for System Network
Management Protocol (SNMP) for NetWare Loadable Modules (NLM).
Administration Support: The WordPerfect Symmetry Administration
program provides scalable enterprisewide administration capabilities,
including central and distributed administration, automatic directory
synchronization betweendomains and electronic software distribution. All
WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1 products are fully plugandplay compatible with
WordPerfect Office 4.0a, allowing customers to upgrade the components of
their systems one piece at a time without losing information or
functionality.
Enhancements for Technology Leader
----------------------------------
Client & Server Architecture: The WordPerfect Symmetry clients
that span 12 desktop platforms and servers that span 11 operating systems
are all built on the same corecode engine, making them identical in
functionality and feature sets. All WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1 features
reside in the WordPerfect Symmetry engine,which is then ported to the
appropriate platform or operating system. This level of code integration
enables the clients and servers to work interchangeably, with complete
integration of functionality across the enterprise.
Enterprise Scalability: WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1 provides
highcapacity server support for better performance, high uptime
characteristics and increased administration capabilities on the servers.
Server platforms supported include NLMs, OS/2, DOS and the previously
mentioned seven versions of Unix. Both the Message Server (MS) and
Office Server (OFS) are supported natively on OS/2. Support is also
provided for native TCP/IP communications between OS/2 and Unix versions
of the server processes, and universal naming conventions (UNC) mappings
for connections made by the NLMs.
Connectivity/Interoperability: Connectivity between WordPerfect
Symmetry and foreign email systems has been significantly enhanced at the
4.1 level. The enhancements include better coexistence with other email
systems, including the Internet, X.400, and SNADS; interoperability
and directory synchronization between WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1 and
OfficeVision/VM (OV/VM), Lotus cc:Mail, and NetWare Global MHS; and a move
user utility for customers migrating from OV/VM or cc:Mail.
WordPerfect Corporation is also providing a WordPerfect Symmetry
Async Gateway for OS/2, incoming fax capabilities for the Fax/Print
Gateway, a new Pager Gateway with support for local, regional or national
paging services and SMTP Gateways for all seven supported Unix
environments.
Pricing and Availability
------------------------
WordPerfect Symmetry 4.1 Client/Administration Packs (which
include 5 licenses) for all platforms each have a Suggested Retail Price
of $695. Additional licenses range from $135 for one additional license
to $9,500 for an additional 100 licenses. The Message Server Pack is
available for the following prices: DOS, $495; OS/2, $1,495; Unix,
$1,995; and NLM, $2,495. All products are scheduled to release by the end
of June 1994.
WordPerfect Corporation is a worldwide leader in providing business,
workgroup, consumer and electronic publishing software. Driven by its
vision to help the world communicate, the company develops software for
people to process, share, present and distribute information. The
company is widely recognized for its multilingual and crossplatform
software solutions and is the industry's premier provider of customer
support. Founded in 1979, the company markets software in 28 languages
and in 117 countries. Through its merger with Novell, expected to be
completed by midsummer, WordPerfect will take a leadership role in
developing networked applications.
All brand and product names are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
_________________________________________
> Kids' Computing Corner STR Feature
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
KIDS' COMPUTING CORNER
======================
by Frank Sereno
This week I will be doing mini-reviews of the educational programs
that I have reviewed over the last six months in STR. This will start
our list of software ratings with 12 programs. As each new program is
reviewed, it will be added to the list which will be posted with this
column on a regular basis. If readers are interested in participating, I
am willing to tabulate your scores on educational programs. This is an
idea I would like to implement that has been used in Computer Gaming World
to rate computer games and by Consumer Reports to rate movies. All that
is required is to list the name of the program, the type of computer on
which the program runs and then your rating of 0 to 10 for the program.
Mail these scores to me at the addresses which are posted at the end of
this article.
A.J.'s World of Discovery is an excellent program and it is also an
interface for including additional A.J. learning games. The graphics are
very colorful and interesting. The program has many humorous animation
sequences. The music included with the program is very entertaining.
Voices and sound effects are used often and well. The user interface uses
the mouse and is easy to navigate. Audible help is provided in all
program sections. Negative feedback is very gentle and the positive
feedback is extremely enthusiastic. This program is very entertaining and
fun. This program has sections devoted to teaching time concepts, hand-
eye coordination, problem solving, memory enhancement and art
appreciation. A.J.'s was originally offered for FREE.
Scores:
Grafx | Snds | Intrfce | Play Value | Educational Value | Value | Average
9.0 9.0 9.5 9.0 9.0 9.5 9.16
Alphabet Blocks from Sierra On-line is an excellent program for
teaching 3 to 6 year olds the letters and sounds of the alphabet. This
program is the first in a series in which the lips of on-screen characters
are not only in sync with the sounds, but actually form the sounds. The
animation is excellent. Background graphics are a bit spare but are well
done. The sounds and voices in this program are top-notch. The interface
is excellent. The program is entirely mouse driven. Audible help is
available. Negative feedback is non-existent. Positive feedback is very
friendly and enthusiastic. The program actually measures the child's
progress and retests him on problems he has difficulty answering. With
the many rewarding animations given for correct answers and positive
encouragement of the on-screen coaches, children will play this excellent
program again and again. This program teaches its lessons very well and
will give children the building blocks for reading. This program
originally retailed for $40 , but I have seen it sell for $15. This
program established a new level of performance in educational software.
Scores:
Grafx | Snds | Intrfce | Play Value | Educational Value | Value | Average
9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 10.0 10.0 9.67
Beginning Reading (formerly known as and reviewed as Ready, Set,
Read) is the follow-up program to Alphabet Blocks. This program is an
introduction to reading designed for 4 to 7 year-olds. The graphics and
animations are just as good as Alphabet Blocks. The sounds are excellent.
The coaches sound enthusiastic and friendly. The mouse driven interface
is very easy for children. The coaches guide the children through the
program with audible help and introductions to the six available lessons.
Positive, enthusiastic feedback is used throughout this program. The
lessons are fun and enjoyable. Children will spend many hours working
with Beginning Reading. Many valuable concepts are taught such as
rhyming, two-letter sounds, word recognition, alphabetizing letters and
words, word building from sounds, and reading. I have found this program
in some retail outlets for less
than $20. It is a very good value.
Scores:
Grafx | Snds | Intrfce | Play Value | Educational Value | Value | Average
9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 10.0 10.0 9.67
Busytown by Paramount Interactive is based on the books of Richard
Scarry. It is filled with good graphics but unfortunately some of the
animations are a bit jerky. Sounds, music and voices are excellent. The
varied and bright music will cheer anyone. This program uses a mouse
interface to allow the child to choose between a dozen different
activities. Audible help is available at most times in the program. When
the child leaves Busytown, the parents can read an on-line book which
shows and explains the activities the child has done in this session with
the program. This program is great fun for children. The various
activities will teach children problem solving, counting, the parts of the
body, fire safety, cooperation and more. Prices range from about $25
retail for the floppy version to around $35 for the CD-rom version. With
all the activities and lessons learned, this program is an excellent
value.
Scores:
Grafx | Snds | Intrfce | Play Value | Educational Value | Value | Average
8.0 9.0 9.0 9.5 9.5 9.0 9.0
Early Math is a colorful program from Sierra On-line that is intended
to teach beginning math concepts to children ages 3 to 6. The graphics
and animations in this program are very colorful and interesting. The
usage of sound is excellent. The game is completely mouse driven.
Audible help is available and each of the six learning games is explained
upon beginning them. Early Math includes charting of each child's
progress. This game is very enjoyable for children and it will be played
many times. The program wishes to teach a great many concepts and it does
a very good job of teaching children counting, shapes, pattern matching
and spatial relations. I found this program in retail outlets for as
little as $15 so it has great value.
Scores:
Grafx | Snds | Intrfce | Play Value | Educational Value | Value | Average
9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.5 9.09
Just Grandma and Me is the first of Broderbund's Living Book series
of CD-ROMs intended as a learning aid for teaching reading to children
ages 3 to 8 years. JG&M is an animated book which is read to the
children. Each page is full of hidden animations which the child
activates by clicking on various objects on the screen. The graphics are
beautifully drawn and the animations are very funny. The voices, sounds
and music used in this program are excellent and entertaining. The
program is mouse driven and audible help is available. This program is so
funny that even adults will play it. Educationally, children should gain
a love of books and possibly pick some words from the narration of the
story. The disc also has the Japanese and Spanish versions of the book so
children could possibly learn a bit about other languages. Available for
around $30 retail, it is a good value.
Scores:
Grafx | Snds | Intrfce | Play Value | Educational Value | Value | Average
8.5 9.0 8.5 9.0 8.0 8.0 8.41
Lenny's MusicToons is a multi-media introduction to music for
children. Graphics are well drawn and colorful, although not particularly
detailed. Sounds and voices are quite good and the music is very
entertaining. The interface is using a mouse to point and click on
objects on the main screen. Some lead to learning games, others start
short animated sequences. Disappointingly, Lenny's includes no audible or
on-line help with the exception of the PTV game. Lenny's is fun but
younger children will not be able to play all the games well as some are
intended for older children. Children will learn about pitch, musical
scale, rhythm and other basics of music. Available for around $25,
Lenny's is not a bad value. If you have a combination of preschoolers and
grammar school children, this could be a good addition to your software
library. If you have younger children, they will eventually grow into the
more difficult exercises.
Scores:
Grafx | Snds | Intrfce | Play Value | Educational Value | Value | Average
7.0 8.5 6.5 7.0 7.5 6.5 7.17
Math Rabbit from The Learning Company is intended to build math and
thinking skills in children ages 4 to 7 years. The program uses VGA
graphics but these are not exceptional. Animations that are used are
smooth but not as impressive as those used in other programs. The sounds
are good. The interface is point and click with the mouse. Each lesson
is explained audibly at the beginning, but no audible help is available
after that point. Negative feedback is fair and non-critical but the
positive feedback doesn't seem enthusiastic enough. The different lessons
are entertaining and have good replay value. Math Rabbit teaches
counting, adding, subtraction and a bit about music as well so its
educational value is quite good. This program is a fairly good value
overall retailing for around $25.
Scores:
Grafx | Snds | Intrfce | Play Value | Educational Value | Value | Average
7.0 7.0 6.0 7.5 8.0 7.5 7.17
Mixed-Up Mother Goose is a multi-media children's adventure game.
Children use the mouse to guide their on-screen alter-ego around Mother
Gooseland to fix the mixed up nursery rhymes. No reading is needed to
play the game. The graphics are fairly good but they are dated since this
program is several years old. The sounds used in the program are quite
good, but the voice acting is a bit "stiff." The game is fun and non-
violent. This program doesn't have the same educational value as some of
the newer titles. It does teach problem solving and the various nursery
rhymes. Available on floppy and CD-rom, Mixed-up Mother Goose is
available for around $15 to $20.
Scores:
Grafx | Snds | Intrfce | Play Value | Educational Value | Value | Average
7.0 7.5 7.0 7.5 6.5 7.0 7.08
Snoopy's Game Club by Accolade is a collection of three games for
pre-schoolers. The graphics are good, but plain. The sound effects and
voices are good, but some of the voice tracks could be more distinct.
This program also uses a mouse interface. It does not use audible help or
encouragement but the games and interface buttons are fairly simple.
Encouragement is available in text displayed on the screen but the program
is aimed at children who are not expected to be readers. The games
include a matching game, an animated puzzle game, and a game to identify
two identical items in a group. The games are fun and the difficulty can
be raised so older children and even adults can enjoy the challenge. This
package has only fair educational value. The games are meant to improve
concentration, and memory and observation skills. Available at some
retailers for under $20, it is a good buy but not a great one.
Scores:
Grafx | Snds | Intrfce | Play Value | Educational Value | Value | Average
7.0 7.5 6.5 7.5 6.0 6.5 6.83
The Tortoise and the Hare from Broderbund Software is another in the
Living Book series of interactive animated books for children. Beautiful
graphics combined with hilarious animations make this a visual delight.
The music, sounds and voices are all top-notch. The standard mouse
interface is used to allow the child to interact with each illustrated
page. The Tortoise and the Hare is amusing and great fun for all ages.
This title has great replay value. Educationally, the program has both
the English and Spanish versions of the book on the disc and one can
change between either version at the push of a single key. Children
should learn some words as they are highlighted when the text of each page
is narrated. This program has good value. It is available for under $35
at many retailers.
Scores:
Grafx | Snds | Intrfce | Play Value | Educational Value | Value | Average
9.0 9.0 8.5 9.0 8.5 8.5 8.75
Yearn 2 Learn Peanuts from ImageSmith is an educational game intended
for children ages 3 to 10 years. Peanuts has a geography puzzle game, a
coloring book, a flying game, three levels of math games, comics and a
geography puzzle game. The graphics are true to the Peanuts characters.
They are really average. Sound effects, music and voice tracks are used
liberally throughout the program and are well-done. The interface leaves
a bit to be desired. I feel that the negative feedback used is
inappropriate for younger children. The positive feedback is often slang
expressions or just macho cheers. The available audible help is not all
that helpful. Playing the various lessons involves using a mouse point
and click interface that is fairly well done. Play value depends on the
age of the child. The range of ages for this software means that some of
the games are too advanced for the younger children while the easier games
will be too simple for the older ones. Most children will find at least
one activity they enjoy. Educationally, this program wishes to teach many
concepts but the poor feedback undercuts its effectiveness. Retailing for
around $30, I feel that this program is trying to appeal to too large of
an age group and can only be considered a fair value overall.
Scores:
Grafx | Snds | Intrfce | Play Value | Educational Value | Value | Average
7.0 8.5 5.0 6.0 6.5 6.0 6.5
STR Kids' Computing Corner Educational Software Ratings
-------------------------------------------------------
Title Software Company Rating
----- ---------------- ------
Alphabet Blocks Sierra On-line 9.67
Beginning Reading Sierra On-line 9.67
A.J.'s World of Discovery Sierra On-line 9.16
Early Math Sierra On-line 9.09
Busytown Paramount Interactive 9.00
The Tortoise and the Hare Broderbund 8.75
Just Grandma and Me Broderbund 8.41
Lenny's MusicToons Paramount Interactive 7.17
Math Rabbit The Learning Company 7.17
Mixed-up Mother Goose Sierra On-line 7.08
Snoopy's Game Club Accolade 6.83
Yearn 2 Learn Peanuts ImageSmith 6.50
Next week, I hope to review Fatty Bear's Fun Pack. If you wish to
send ratings, comments, suggestions or just say hello, I can be reached
via e-mail at any of these addresses:
FidoNET: Frank Sereno, 1:2235/10
Internet: frank.sereno@utibbs.chigate.com
U.S. Postal:
Frank Sereno
528 West Ave.
Morris, IL 60450-1768
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
: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
*** STReport available in MAC RT ***
ASCII TEXT
for ALL GEnie users!
MAC/APPLE SECTION (II)
======================
John Deegan, Editor (Temp)
> WordStar for Windows STR FOCUS!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Introducing.......
WORDSTAR FOR WINDOWS 2.0
========================
WordStar for Windows 2.0 (WSWin) is now shipping in the United
States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. With the combined power of
sophisticated word processing and powerful layout, WSWin is the only
product you'll need to create elegant and distinguished documents.
New Features in WSWin 2.0:
WSWin now allows you to open and edit multiple documents at the same
time. You can work with as many as sixteen documents at once, depending
on your system.
Drag and drop editing allows you to select text in one location and
drag it with the mouse to a new location, even into another WSWin
document. With smart marking, you'll never have to worry about extra
spaces around words when you drag and drop to move or copy the text. You
can also use drag and drop to move or copy graphics or tables to different
documents.
You'll want to use drag and drop with the new clip art that comes
with WSWin 2.0. Over 100 ready-to-use images appropriate for both
business and personal use are provided. With your mouse you can drop the
images right into your own documents!
MailList for Windows keeps track of your address book and other data.
You can create databases for your home video collection, mailing lists,
and other important information. MailList provides built-in support for
printing labels, envelopes, and simple reports. You can use WSWin to
create form letters that incorporate the fields from your MailList
databases.
A powerful macro system is included with WSWin 2.0. You can record
your actions and increase your productivity by replaying them over and
over. When you are ready to increase your word processing power, you can
write your own macros with the WSWin macro editor and debugger. You can
even create dialog boxes to provide interaction between the user and your
macro. It's as easy as drawing boxes on the screen! The StarBASIC
programming language allows you to access all the features in WSWin.
Many features were added to WSWin 2.0 using the macro system,
including smart typographic quotes, fill-in-the-blank templates, word and
paragraph count, and shorthand so you can insert formatted text into your
document with just a few keystrokes.
New pop-up menus appear when you click the right mouse button. These
pop-up menus are located right where you are working and make it easy to
access frequently-used commands. The commands on the pop-up menus change
depending on what you are doing, so you are never far away from just the
right feature.
WSWin also provides a customizable toolbox where you can add buttons
for the features you use often and for macros you create. The toolbox can
be attached to the main window, or you can leave it floating on screen.
You can even display text on the buttons to help you remember what they
do.
Now, you can change the keystrokes for any command, or you can add
keystrokes to the commands you use. Keystroke sets for WordStar for DOS
and WordStar 2000 users, as well as keystrokes that match other Windows
applications, are still available. With customizable keystrokes, you can
create a new keystroke set so that WSWin works like the word processor you
used to use!
A rich OnLine help system makes learning and using WSWin a snap. The
help contains graphics with built-in hotspots that you can click to learn
more. You can still get help on specific commands by pressing F1 when a
dialog box is displayed, or by pressing Shift+F1 and selecting a command
from a menu.
Other improvements in WSWin 2.0: faster spell checking, improved
find and replace, a list of recently-used files on the File menu,
automatic variables to place the time, date, or filename in your
documents, a snap-to grid that simplifies placing frames on the page, and
saved editing position when you open your documents.
Of course, the list of features does not stop there. Many of WSWin's
other features include:
Support for importing many different file formats for text, graphics,
and tables.
Multiple story lines, for creating newsletters and brochures.
You can link frames together, even from page 2 to page 99!
Object linking and embedding.
Font support, including TrueType, PostScript, and Intellifont.
You can format text from 1 to 792 points, in .1-point
increments.
Floating frames that move as you add or modify text.
Integrated drawing tools, with support for line styles, fill
pattern and color, and rotation. You can even rotate text!
Paragraph styles that support widow and orphan control,
automatic hyphenation, drop caps, bullets, and automatic
numbering. Paragraph styles give you control over line
spacing, alignment, lines and boxes around paragraphs, text
color, and text appearance.
Frame styles that allow you to change the appearance of
multiple frames with a single command. You can add borders,
change colors, or modify the margins of all the frames that
use the same frame style.
Tables with expandable cells, resizable dividers, and support
for different line styles and fill colors.
Running headers and footers, including on alternating pages.
You can even automatically include text on the page in a
header or footer, such as the words you see in a dictionary or
encyclopedia!
On-screen tab ruler for modifying tab stops, alignment, and
leader characters.
Changeable zoom level from 25% to 200%, with full editing
capabilities at any level.
Captions that stay attached to frames, graphics, and tables.
Table of contents, indexes, and table of authorities, figures,
and other lists.
Footnotes, including support for maximum footnote size, custom
dividing line, and automatic text that appears when footnotes
must be split across pages.
Bookmarks and references for automatic cross referencing of
text and page numbers.
And much more!
With its powerful word processing and desktop publishing
capabilities, WSWin would be an excellent value if it sold for the same
price as the other word processing programs. However, it is available now
for only $99.95! For that price, you can't afford not to try the most
powerful and exciting new Windows word processor! If you are not
completely satisfied, return the product within 30 days for a full refund.
If you already own an earlier version of WordStar for Windows,
WordStar for DOS, WordStar 2000, or NBI Legacy, you can upgrade to WSWin
2.0 for only $39.95.
For more information, call 1-800-227-5609.
______________________________________________________
> STR Mail Call "...a place for the readers to be heard"
"""""""""""""
STReport's MailBag
""""""""""""""""""
Messages * NOT EDITED * for content
-----------------------------------
PASSING COMMENT DRAWS SOME STERN COMMENTARY
-------------------------------------------
Letter to the Editor
From Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
Last week the Editor, Ralph Mariano, had the following comments to make
in his editorial.
"Now, for moment of silence for the poor souls on the Amiga and Atari
computer platforms. Hopefully, they'll see the light and make the
move. After all, only so many doors need stoppers."
I have to feel that Mr. Mariano has fallen victim to the -- "If it isn't
the latest and greatest, it's a door-stop" mentality. This mindset seems
to be the worst amoung those who 'convert' to another computer platform.
Mr. Mariano likes to say he's "telling it like it is", but in this case
he's "telling it like he believes it should be". When he says, "...see
the light and move...", he means move to HIS platform.
Allow me to remove Mr. Mariano's rose colored glasses and introduce him
to the real world. When Atari moved into the game market, my ST did not
automatically become a 'doorstop'. When Commodore closed their doors in
the U.S., Amigas did not automatically become a 'doorstop'. I can still
do all of the computing that I have done for the last 7-8 years. I still
do word processing, telecommunicating, DTPing, and most other computing
jobs that _I_ need done. I admit it might not do them as fast as his
"fancy-smancy" '486/Pentium/whatever-is-the-newest-this-week system, but
it still gets me there.
Oh yes, there is software and hardware that I can't run. So? I have a
customer who does $500,000-$750,000 worth of business a year who still
only has a '286 with a VGA monitor. There is a lot of PC software and
hardware that he can't run - is his system a "door stop" too? [Ralph,
don't tell me about how he can upgrade his system - he's priced getting
it upgraded and the price is almost the same whether he upgrades it, or
makes it a 'doorstop' and buys a new system.]
Will I "see the light and move"? Probably - one of these days when my
system stops working and really becomes a 'doorstop'. But until that
time, my system might not be state-of-the-art, but it's no 'doorstop'.
Editor;
-------
Geez I never meant anything more than please consider selling the
hardware before it has no value left in it all. That is of course except
the sentimental value it will always have. Just like my first computers
have. They're still here and always will be. <g> They are very fond
mementos.
In another scathing retort from a reader in the Boston, MA area;
"Now, for moment of silence for the poor souls on the Amiga and
Atari computer platforms. Hopefully, they'll see the light and make the
move. After all, only so many doors need stoppers."
Ralph Mariano, STR1021
OK, Ralph, enough is enough... Week after week, you've been getting in
your little digs at the Atari community. It was one thing when you
regulary attacked Atari Corp. for the constant mismanagement of their
computer business. You, and the rest of the Atari community were happy
with Atari computers and with much of the software available for them,
but constantly frustrated by the company's inexplicably bad decisions.
Now that you have decided to change your personal focus, and the focus
of your publication to the mainstream computer platforms, your attacks
have taken on an entirely new appearance, and it's gotten pretty ugly.
Although I made the choice to buy my first Atari computer before there
was any rivalry between Atari and Commodore (before the C-64 existed), I
nevertheless appreciated the rivalry between the companies and the users.
I take no pleasure in seeing the end of Commodore. I well understand
the attitude of Commodore users who feel that they have found platforms
that meet their tastes and their needs better than the machines that have
captivated so many others. You once understoood it too.
Commodore is gone now, and Atari may or may not survive. Even if Atari
does survive, it might go off in a different direction, and still leave
its computer users in the lurch. Even without the support of the
companies, however, the computers and their respective user communities
will continue for some time to come.
I was the last holdout in my usergroup to stay exclusively with my
Atari 800 (not even an XL). I was comfortable with the machine and the
software, and it did what I NEEDED to do (remember that word "need," it's
important). When the time came that it could not handle what I NEEDED to
do, I made the move to the ST platform. This was several years ago, when
I perceived it to be a better value than any other platform (a time when
you were also of the same opinion).
My ST system still meets my NEEDS more than adequately, and although I
might like more attention, and more respect from the larger "computer
community," I don't NEED it. Sure, we all like to get our egos stroked,
hearing how bright we are for making the "right" (i.e. "popular")
decision, but there is more to life than that.
Yes, I have no doubt that the time will come, sooner or later, when my
NEEDS exceed the capabilities of my current system. Unless a miracle
takes place, and Atari introduces a worthy successor at a competetive
price, I expect that my next system will not be an Atari. Will it be an
"IBM," or "Macintosh?" Will it be an 'x86, Pentium, Power PC, or
something we haven't heard of yet? I don't know, I'll cross that bridge
when I come to it.
I use my computer much as you do... to communicate. Sometimes the end
product goes out electronically (as this document is destined to do),
and sometimes it goes out on paper. Are my thoughts made any less clear
to you because I create this file on an Atari ST? Would you have any way
of knowing if, instead, I went into the next room and created it on my
Atari 800? No, of course you wouldn't.
Do I NEED a word processor that takes 30 megabytes of hard drive space?
Absolutely not, ST Writer Elite still handles most of my NEEDS, and
consumes a whopping 66,560 bytes of disk space, including the printer
configuration file. Do I NEED a desktop publishing program that will
handle high-resolution, true-color grahics? Absolutely not, although it
sure would be nifty. There are certainly people who either NEED these
things, or have enough financial resources to buy them just because they
WANT them, but at this time, I am not in either group.
Would I advise anybody to purchase an Atari computer system now? Only
if they were already an Atari user, and had the resources to buy a Falcon
or TT, or came across a REALLY good deal on a complete used system with
some good software included. Certainly not if they intended to use it
for any kind of standard business applications.
I don't see you making any effort to berate those people who still use
a Mac "Classic," or an IBM PC, XT, or even '286 class machine, even
though they are nearly as far out of the mainstream as any Atari or Amiga
user. You even continue to support the Atari community with a section
of your publication (now handled very well by Dana Jacobson, a personal
friend of mine through our local user group), yet you choose to direct
abuse, not at Atari Corp, but at the users. Is the only reason you
continue the Atari coverage, to keep us coming back so you can tell us
what a bunch of dorks we are?
My computer is old-fashioned, and out of date, and so are most of my
clothes, but I am comfortable with both situations. Do you want to be
the Mr. Blackwell of the electronic publishing world? Shall we take your
editorial comments as the computer equivalent of the "worst dressed"
list? What's the point, Ralph?
If there is a "light" to be seen, it's shining out there for you.
Forget the rancorous relationship between you and Atari Corp, and let go
of the love/hate relationship you once had with their machines. You
have moved on, and it's time you developed a little better perspective
on the situation. The truth is that you feel that you have done what is
right for you, and I, my fellow "Atarians," and "Amigoids" (or is it
"Amigans?) as well feel that we are doing what is right for us. The
larger truth is that you are happy, pounding out your wisdom on your
future doorstop, and I am happy doing the same on mine.
Let it be, Ralph, let it be...
Mitchell A. Myers
Boston, Massachusetts
May 21, 1994
Editor;
-------
For what its worth, you are right in everything you are saying. I
have only one thing to offer... as I said to Lloyd, I was pointing to the
sale value in the hardware. The longer its held onto the lower it goes.
Other than that... please let me be the first to say, I'll always have a
soft spot in my heart for Atari's computers. After all, I've had the
privilege to meet some really wonderful people on that platform. Times
change though, and I feel Atari forced the change upon us all. Now, the
name of the game is elsewhere. As for the world of Atari, you are right
again... it should be let alone. Folks will do what's best for them.
**********************************************************************
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
=================
STReport International Online Magazine is available every week for your
reading pleasure on DELPHI. STReport's readers are invited to join
DELPHI and become a part of an extremely 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 20/20 Advantage Plan
20 Hours for Only $20!
-----------------------------
Advantage Members have always enjoyed the lowest DELPHI access rates
available. On the new 20/20 Advantage Plan, members receive their first 20
hours of access each month for only $20. If you happen to meet someone
online or find some other diversion, don't worry because additional usage
is only $1.80 per hour.
20/20 Advantage rates apply for access via SprintNet or Tymnet from
within the continental United States during home time or via direct dial
around the clock. Home Time is from 6pm to 6am weekdays. Access during
business time carries a surcharge of $9 per hour. These rates apply for
most services, but note that there are some surcharged areas on DELPHI
which are clearly marked with a "$" sign.
Who is eligible to take advantage of the plan? Any DELPHI member in
good standing. Applications are reviewed and subject to approval by
Delphi Internet Services Corporation.
It's easy to join. If you meet the eligibility requirements, you can
apply online -- at any time -- for membership in the DELPHI 20/20
Advantage Plan. Your membership becomes active at 4 a.m. Eastern Time on
the first billing day of the following month.
The $20 charge will be billed to you at the beginning of the month to
which it applies. Any portion of the 20 hours not used in any month does
not carry forward into the next month.
Advantage rates may be changed with 30 days notice given online.
TRY DELPHI FOR $1 AN HOUR!
For a limited time, you can become a trial member of DELPHI, and
receive 5 hours of evening and weekend access during this month for only
$5. If you're not satisfied, simply cancel your account before the end of
the calendar month with no further obligation. If you keep your account
active, you will automatically be enrolled in DELPHI's 10/4 Basic Plan,
where you can use up to 4 weekend and evening hours a month for a minimum
$10 monthly charge, with additional hours available at $3.96. But hurry,
this special trial offer will expire soon! To take advantage of this
limited offer, use your modem to dial 1-800-365-4636. Press <RET> once or
twice. When you get the Password: prompt, type IP26 and press <RET> again.
Then, just answer the questions and within a day or two, you'll officially
be a member of DELPHI!
DELPHI-It's the BEST Value and getting BETTER all the time!
************************************************************
ATARI/JAG SECTION (III)
=======================
Dana Jacobson, Editor
> From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
To quote Bob Dylan: "The times, they are a-changin'..."
Bob Brodie, Atari's director of communications and owner of past
titles with Atari Corporation, earlier this week submitted his
resignation, effective June 3rd. In a public letter posted in Fnet, NeST,
Fido, AtariNet and the ST RT on GEnie, Brodie stated that it was time to
move on. Reasons given were to have the ability to devote more time to
his family. Bob also stated that he has accepted a new position, rumored
to be Lauren Sellers, owner of Goldleaf, and will have the ability to
perform many of his new tasks at home.
For many in the Atari community, this news has come as a surprise.
For Atari's contemporary history, Brodie has "survived" longer than
most and has been highly visible and community-supportive for the past
five years at Atari. Many Atari users, past and present, will miss
Brodie. There has been no public speculation as to a successor.
The staff here at STReport wish Bob all the best of good fortune
in his new positions. One of Bob's Atari-related complaints was the
fact that he was often away from his family for long periods of time.
He finally has an opportunity to combine a career and spend more time
with his family. Good luck, Bob!!
We've got a lot of information this week, which also includes our
expanded Jaguar coverage. So, let's get on with it!
Until next time...
___________________________________________________
> Bob Brodie Resigns! STR Focus! - Brodie Bids Farewell To Atari
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" An End of An Atari Era
For some time now, I have felt that I needed to spend more time
with my family. I have been presented an opportunity that will not only
allow me to work at home two to three days a week, and also includes a
substantial pay increase. The increase offered is much higher than I
could ever reasonably expect Atari to raise my salary in a single year.
I cannot in good conscience to my family refuse the opportunity to work
at home, along with such a substantial pay increase. It is with great
regret that I submit my resignation, effective June 3, 1994.
For almost five years now, my job at Atari has had a very high
priority in my life. During that time frame, my two sons have begun to
turn in to men, and my little girl into a teenager. My sons have been
a real handful the past two years in particular, and my being around
them the last three weeks during my vacation has had a very positive
effect on them.
Even though there have from time to time been other job offers, my
preference has been to remain with Atari. I believe in our products,
and they are my personal choice as a consumer as well. If my personal
circumstances did not require me to be at home more often, I would
gladly remain with the company. It's not often that someone has an
opportunity to turn their hobby into their job. I am thankful that
Atari allowed me to do just that!
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Atari, and the Tramiel
family. I have enjoyed my time at Atari, and have gained invaluable
experience. I wish the company great success with all of it's products!
If fate should bring our paths together again, I would welcome the
opportunity to work with Atari again. It has been a privilege to serve
Atari and you.
Sincerely,
Bob Brodie
__________________________________________________________
Delphi's Atari Advantage!
TOP TEN DOWNLOADS (5/25/94)
(1) ST-ZIP 2.6 (6) BATTLETRIS
(2) GUIDE TO THE INTERNET *(7) WINX 2.3G
*(3) APRIL 1994 CURRENT NOTES (8) SERIAL FIX CPX/PRG
(4) PROFILE 1.5 *(9) OCR V1.25
*(5) BERZERK *(10) NEOCOM - TERMINAL PROGRAM
* = New on list
HONORARY TOP 10
The following on-line magazines are always top downloads, frequently
out-performing every other file in the databases.
STREPORT (Current issue: STREPORT #10.21)
ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE (Current issue: AEO - VOLUME 3, ISSUE 8)
Look for the above files in the RECENT ARRIVALS database.
________________________________________________
> Atari Compendium STR InfoFile! - Atari Compendium Revised!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
=====================
LONG BEACH, CA; Software Development Systems (aka SDS Publishing) is proud
to announce the release of the first revision to the highly successful
programmer's reference guide, "The Atari Compendium" by Scott Sanders. The
new revision adds 60 pages of new material bringing its total size to a
whopping 920 pages of facts, tables, and diagrams useful for any level of
Atari computer programmer.
The new revision has also been redesigned to be slightly thinner and was
bound with a lay-flat binding for easy use. In addition, the cover is now
coated to prevent fingerprints and aging.
NEW MATERIAL INCLUDED IN THIS REVISION:
=======================================
Building MiNT Device Drivers and File Systems
The XBRA Protocol
Programming the IKBD Keyboard Controller
An Expanded Style Guide
More Memory Locations Documented
Programming the Internal FM Sound Generator
TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to Atari Programming
Chapter 2: GEMDOS/MiNT
Chapter 3: BIOS
Chapter 4: XBIOS
Chapter 5: Hardware
Chapter 6: AES
Chapter 7: VDI
Chapter 8: Line-A
Chapter 9: The Desktop
Chapter 10: XCONTROL
Chapter 11: GEM User Interface Guidelines
Appendix A: Functions by Opcode
Appendix B: Memory Map
Appendix C: Native File Formats
Appendix D: Error Codes
Appendix E: Atari ASCII Table
Appendix F: IKBD Scan Codes
Appendix G: Speedo Fonts
Appendix H: The Drag & Drop Protocol
Appendix I: The Programmable Sound Generator
Bibliography
Index
Each chapter contains an Overview listing the practical uses of available
system functions as well as a Function Reference which lists the features
and bugs for each OS function. Programming examples are given in 'C' and
Assembly depending on which is more appropriate and examples are given to
allow 'C' programmers to use Assembly bindings and vice-versa.
Most importantly, this revision of the Compendium contains a named
constant
for almost every practical function parameter and return value. Use of
constants is consistent with those documented by Atari and major compiler
manufacturers. A TOS.H/TOSDEFS.H set of include files for major compilers
is available from SDS to complement the book.
"The Atari Compendium" was edited by several members of Atari's TOS
development group and is now recognized by Atari as Official Developer's
Documentation.
SPECIFICATIONS
==============
Binding: 9" x 7" Lay-Flat Binding
Cover: UV Coated/Four-Color
Pages: 920
ISBN: 0-9638331-1-1
Library of Congress CIP: 94-66014
SRP (U.S.): $49.95
PURCHASING INFO
===============
"The Atari Compendium" is available for purchase worldwide at all fine
Atari Dealers and direct as follows:
USA/Canada/Mexico/South America
-------------------------------
Software Development Systems
996 Redondo Ave. #404
Long Beach, CA 90804
USA
Voice: 310/430-0364
Fax: 310/987-2205
GEnie: S.SANDERS2
Delphi: SDSSOFT
Compuserve: 71461, 3645
Internet: S.SANDERS2@genie.geis.com
Pricing: $49.95 US + S & H (Check or money order only please.)
We will gladly refer you to a local dealer for credit card
orders.
Shipping and Handling is $4.00 US, $6.00 Canada/Mexico, and
$12.00 outside of these countries.
Existing owners wising to upgrade to the first revision should
send the old front cover and $39.95 US + $4.00 S & H.
TOS Header File/Examples Disk is available with book purchase
for $10.00 + $2.00 S & H (All countries).
Europe
------
Hisoft
The Old School, Greenfield
Bedford MK45 5DE
UK
Voice: +44 (0) 525-718181
Fax: +44 (0) 525-713716
GEnie: HISOFT
Pricing: Contact for pricing and availability.
Australia
---------
Paragon Computers
17/5 Short St.
Perth 6000
W. AUSTRALIA
Pricing: Contact for pricing and availability.
______________________________________________
> COMDEX STR InfoFile! - Comdex Awards Announced
""""""""""""""""""""
Personal OS/2 from IBM, a 4MB version of OS/2 for Windows that's
slated to ship in about six months, was named Best of Show in BYTE
magazine and The Interface Group's Best of Comdex/Spring and Windows
World '94 award ceremony in Atlanta.
According to BYTE, Personal OS/2 will be faster, support for Windows
for Workgroups, and have an easier installation while offering better
stability than Windows 3.1.
Capturing the Most Significant Technology award was Ole Custom
Controls from Microsoft, which merges the benefits of VBX with OLE 2.0.
Finalists in the category were Alpha at 33MHz from Digital Equipment
Corp. and Kurzweil Voice for Windows, a voice recognition system from
Kurzweil Applied Intelligence Inc.
The Best Rookie award, presented to the top first-time exhibitor
with a product that shows outstanding potential went to Medio Multimedia
for Medio Magazine and other CD titles, a magazine on CD-ROM, which
integrates full-motion video, audio, text and graphics with current news
stories, entertainment, reviews, sports and children's materials.
In the Multimedia Software Category, Elastic Reality by Elastic
Reality Inc., a morphing and special effects software for Windows,
featuring warping, layering and matting capabilities was named winner.
Finalists in the category were MediaShop for Windows, a multimedia
production, integration and authoring package from Motion Works, and
Razor, digital video editing software for Windows from in:sync
corporation.
In the Multimedia Hardware category, Video Machine Lite, a video
editing system that allows users to add complex digital video effects
in real-time video, from Fast Electronic U.S. Inc. was named winner.
MediaPlayback PC and Macintosh, computer expansion boards and software
from International Interactive Media, and MGA Impression Plus 64-bit
graphics accelerator from Matrox Electronic Systems Ltd. were named
finalists.
In the Portable category, Apple Computers' new line of PowerBook
500 Series computers was named winner. Finalists in the category were
Z-NOTEFLEX, a modular notebook computer system from Zenith Data Systems,
and the IBM ThinkPad 755 family of notebooks with interchangeable modules.
In the Best System category, TD-4 Personal Workstations featuring
dual 90MHz Pentium processors and G91 graphics acceleration with optional
3-D GLZ graphics engine, from Intergraph Corporation was named winner.
Finalists in the category were the Revolution Q- SMP Symmetrical
Multiprocessor system from Advanced Logic Research Inc. and the MACH
1-166, an entry-level Alpha system from NEKOTech, a division of Inventory
Conversion Inc., were named finalists.
In the Peripherals category, Imagine-128, a 128-bit graphics and
multimedia processor from Number Nine Computer Corporation was named the
winner. Finalists in the category were ViewSonic 17 Monitor OnView from
ViewSonic and SmartRAID, a full "RAID-ready" storage solution from DPT.
In the Printer category, Epson's Stylus Color ink-jet printer was
named winner. Finalists in the category were the LaserJet 4 Plus and 4M
Plus from Hewlett-Packard Co. and Fargo Electronics Inc.'s PrimeraPro
Color Printer.
In the Best Software category, Lotus Forms Version 1.0
electronic-forms software for designing, routing and tracking forms,
from Lotus Development Corp. was named winner. Finalists in the category
were XRES, a painting/editing system for large, high-resolution images,
from Fauve Software and Ca$HGRAF, a financial management package designed
for small to mid size businesses, from Target Software Group Inc.
In the Communications category, Scanfix, a multipurpose scanner
that brings low-cost color faxing to the desktop, from Plustek USA Inc.
was named winner. Finalists in the category were CommCard, a high-speed,
wireless fax/modem with landline and voice capabilities from Open Sky,
and Connection Pro, a fax/voice modem with business audio and digital
voice messaging, from Digicom Systems.
In the Networking category, CorStream server, a dedicated server
for the LANtastic network operating system, from Artisoft Inc., was named
winner. Finalists in the category were SkyLAN local talk wireless LAN
from S&T Co. Ltd and Ben IIO, a 16-bit ISA Ethernet bus adapter, from
Boca Research Inc.
____________________________________________________
> New Modem User Poll! STR NewsFile! - 12% of Homes Have Modems
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
A new survey finds 12 percent of the nation's households now have
modem-equipped computers and that 6 percent regularly go online. The
survey of more than 4,000 homes, funded by the Times Mirror Co. To study
the interplay of people with the media and formation and public policy,
also concluded that Americans no longer fear or distrust new technology.
The polling, conducted by the Washington-based Times Mirror Center
for the People & the Press, found a generation gap persists with regard
to feelings toward computers.
United Press International quoted center director Andrew Kohut as
saying that those under 50 like and use computers "significantly" more
than those over 50. Only seven percent of those over 65 even use
computers, the survey found. Also, said UPI, 45 percent of employed
survey respondents said they work at home at least sometimes.
Covering the same story, business writer Evan Ramstad of The
Associated Press noted the poll also found more than half of all adults
work with a PC and one-third of all households own one. "In behavior
and activities, computer owners don't fit the nerd stereotype," Ranstad
added. "Less than 10 percent of all TVs are just a TV, not hooked to a
cable system, VCR, game machine or satellite dish. In addition to
confirming the wildly obvious, the survey's results reinforced the idea
that affluent, highly educated people own and use technological devices
more than the poor and less educated."
AP notes the survey's 107 questions also produced some important
findings for companies trying to understand how people now use computers
at home.
T-M Vice President Michael Leibhold told AP, "An awful lot of
companies are launching online services, interactive TV services,
multimedia services, with very little data. The importance of this study
is the fact it puts something solid on the table so we can really begin to
get a crisp picture of what reality is for these services."
Breaking down the 12 percent of the population with modems, AP says,
"Of that group, over half said they use electronic mail sometimes or
often and nearly two-thirds say they use their machines to communicate
with someone often or sometimes. But only one-fifth say they use their
modem-equipped PC to receive news, participate in 'chat' groups, play
games or get travel information."
The wire service says the poll didn't seek reasons for the habits,
but the survey found "that people who are most comfortable with PCs, VCRs
and fax machines read more, follow the news more and know more about
the world than those who are less technologically inclined," adding,
"That finding suggests that people use technology to supplement rather
than replace certain habits."
The poll also found 65 percent of PC owners would miss them a lot
if they no longer had them. "By comparison," says AP, "64 percent said
they would miss cable TV and 67 percent they would miss newspapers if
they were no longer available."
Reports from United Press International and The Associated Press
are accessible through the Executive News Service (GO ENS).
>Piracy In China! STR NewsFile! - China to Jail, Execute Pirates!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
China now promises to jail -- or even to execute -- copyright pirates
under new proposals being discussed in the wake of pressure from the U.S.
for increased protection of intellectual property rights.
In Beijing, the Reuter News Service says the state-run China Daily
newspaper is quoting Justice Minister Xiao Yang as saying, "Criminal
sanctions must be imposed on those who commit intellectual property
right offenses to safeguard the integrity of ideas and the dignity of
law."
And the Xinhua news agency quotes Li Bida, deputy director of the
trademark office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce,
as assuring a recent symposium on intellectual property protection,
"Violators of trademark laws face harsh penalties -- up to life
imprisonment and (the) death sentence."
Reuters notes the U.S. recently put off an expected decision to
brand China as a major pirate of software, books, music and movies in
order to give the two sides more time for negotiation. The piracy
decision now is due by June 30, when President Bill Clinton is set to
decide whether to renew China's Most Favored Nation special trade status.
Reuters says China has responded with repeated statements that it is
already doing a good job. Xinhua says, "China's courts and administrative
authorities at various levels have pledged continued efforts to enforce
the law to the letter and bring to justice violators of the intellectual
property rights."
The Chinese wire service also quoted Liu Jiyang, chief secretary of
the China Intellectual Property Society, as saying that as China's legal
authorities stick to "fair and just" principles, that China has moved
closer to the international standards in the enforcement of intellectual
property legislation.
Said Xiao, "China attaches great importance to intellectual property
protection work, and is improving the legislation in this regard. It is
in the process of making its own protection work meet international
standards. Law enforcement, on the whole, is good."
Reports from Reuter News Service are a regular feature of
CompuServe's Executive News Service (GO ENS)
_______________________________________________________
> The Old Fishin' Hole STR Feature
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
THE OLD FISHIN' HOLE
====================
-A Guide to the Online PD/Shareware Waters.
by John R. Duckworth
One of the most tedious chores is entering long passages of text
into a computer. This task can be simplified with the use of optical
character recognition software, which compares scanned text to a series
of internal font tables to convert the original scanned text file into
ASCII. This week I'll take a look at such a program for our beloved
Atari systems.
OCR (version 1.25) is a freeware optical character recognition
package by Alexander Clauss. Although I do not own a scanner (which
would be required to do any serious translation work), I did put the
program through its paces using the supplied demo scanned text files.
OCR is a GEM application and works on any Atari TOS system including
those running MultiTOS. For users of multitasking systems, Clauss
recommends using MultiDial, a shareware program that places dialog
boxes in windows so that other tasks running concurrently aren't halted.
Obviously the program uses memory up very quickly, so the more
memory one has in his/her system the easier the translation will be.
To get OCR started, first the user must load in the text file to
be translated, as well as a font database which should correspond to
the font of the scanned text file. If the type of font scanned has
never been used before, OCR will learn it as it goes along by allowing
the user to enter characters which it does not recognize. The scanned
text must be loaded in GEM .IMG format, and may be rotated 90 degrees
which is very useful for owners of hand scanners. The .IMG file may
also be re-sized onscreen at various magnifications so that the user may
be able to distinguish questionable characters if needed. After both
of the files have be loaded the user simply clicks on the _start
recognition_ menu entry and OCR does it's job. While trying out the
demo text, OCR did its work quickly and without many questions. There
are three levels of analysis available from within OCR: exact, medium,
and fast. While exact is slower, it yields the highest level of
accuracy.
OCR supports the standard Atari clipboard protocol. Such support
allows the user to easily cut text from that translated to be pasted
into documents being edited in other programs which support the
clipboard protocol. Also, .IMG files may be pasted into OCR which were
clipped from within other applications.
The program seems to do the job it promises quickly and simply.
Although actual performance will ultimately depend on the quality of
the scanned image, the program should prove itself useful after only a
small amount of experimentation. Future updates promise to include
scanning from within the OCR program, which will simplify the chore
even more. Clauss has released the package as freeware but asks for
donations which will encourage him to continue OCR development. At the
very least the author asks for an e-mail note to let him know that his
program is actually being used. DO IT!
I regret to announce that this will be the last installment of
"The Old Fishin' Hole". Events in my life have occurred which demand
more time than I have to devote. Therefore, I have had to make decisions
involving activities which I can eliminate to afford myself the personal
time needed. I have enjoyed being a part of the STReport staff and will
always remember the opportunity which Dana has given me. Perhaps
sometime in the future I will have the time to return (in some capacity)
to Atari journalism. Don't let the 'big one' get away...I won't!
-John Duckworth
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Old Fishin Hole Tackle Box * |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| OCR 1.25 |
| Delphi: Atari Advantage Area: READ OCR |
| |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
* The Tackle Box is meant to provide assistance in finding files
mentioned in the column. It should not be considered a COMPLETE
listing and is provided for convenience only. Delphi Atari Advantage
files should be found in the Recent Arrivals section of the database
until moved to their appropriate sections.
____________________________________________
JAGUAR SECTION
""""""""""""""
> From the Editor's Controller! "Playing it like it is!"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The Summer CES is rapidly approaching. The Chicago Cubs will have
some fierce competition in late June!! The STReport Jaguar staff has
been hearing quite a bit of noise from the Jaguar-jungle of new and
fascinating products for our favorite Cat!! CES should see the kickoff
of what we all hope will be Atari's national rollout in full force.
Look for special STReport CES bulletins throughout the show, as well as
at least two full-coverage articles from our staff attending the show.
There've been no new games released since we last visited the
Jaguar. Wolfenstein 3D has yet to go to production, but rumor has it
that it is real close. A couple of new titles have been announced for
expected release in the late fall: "Troy Aikman NFL (tm) Football" and
"Double Dragon V - The Shadow Falls".
Atari's Don Thomas has posted another "special offer" to the
Jaguar faithful online community. This time, it's free Jaguar bumper
stickers!! Look for details later on in this issue.
ICD's 'CatBox' is slated for release sometime next month. We're
anxiously awaiting our review unit to let you in on all of the details
of this new Jaguar peripheral.
Let's get to the rest of the issue; we've got a lot to cover this
week!!
Until next time...
> Jaguar Catalog STR InfoFile - What's currently available, what's
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" coming out.
Current Available Titles
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER
J9000 Cybermorph $59.99 Atari Corp.
J9006 Evolution:Dino Dudes $49.99 Atari Corp.
J9005 Raiden $49.99 FABTEK, Inc/Atari Corp.
J9001 Trevor McFur/
Crescent Galaxy $49.99 Atari Corp.
J9010 Tempest 2000 $59.95 Llamasoft/Atari Corp.
Available Soon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER
CatBox $49.95 ICD
Hardware and Peripherals
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAT # TITLE MSRP MANUFACTURER
J8001 Jaguar (complete) $249.99 Atari Corp.
J8904 Composite Cable $19.95
J8901 Controller/Joypad $24.95 Atari Corp.
J8905 S-Video Cable $19.95
__________________________________________
> Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Fox to Go Interactive
Hollywood studio 20th Century Fox is opening a business unit devoted
to creating interactive computer and video games. In Los Angeles
yesterday, Fox announced initially modest plans, a new video game to
coincide with the fall release of the Macaulay Culkin film "The
Pagemaster." Two titles are planned for 1994 and about eight interactive
products are scheduled for 1995.
The video game of "The Pagemaster," to be released around
Thanksgiving, is the first game released simultaneously with a major
motion picture, Fox said. Another planned game is based on "The Tick,"
a new cartoon series debuting this fall on the Fox Children's Network.
Entertainment writer John Horn of The Associated Press quotes Fox
President Bill Mechanic as saying the studio will "try to leverage the
other assets" of both Fox and parent News Corp. and that entertainment
and educational titles will be distributed through Fox's home video
unit.
Says Horn, "Future projects, for example, include a CD-ROM personal
computer game based on 'Scavengers,' a television action game show
produced overseas by a Fox television unit. Fox may also collaborate
with HarperCollins, News Corp.'s book publishing arm, on an interactive
Marilyn Monroe title combining Fox movie footage with HarperCollins
text."
The new unit will be led by Ted Hoff, formerly the senior vice
president of marketing and sales for Time Warner Interactive.
Reports from The Associated Press are accessible through the
Executive News Service (GO ENS) and in AP Online (GO APONLINE).
PENN & TELLER, THOSE 'BAD BOYS OF MAGIC,' MAKE ...
--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 1994--Multimedia software publisher Absolute
Entertainment, Inc. announced today that it has reached an agreement in
principal with Penn & Teller that will bring the popular
comedians/magicians/scam artists to the
world of mass market interactive
entertainment. The game, "Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors" for the Sega
Genesis(TM) and Sega CD(TM), is being developed with the full creative
participation of Penn & Teller themselves and will reflect the
cutting-edge humor and innovative style of the performing duo. Known as
"The Bad Boys of Magic" for their irreverence and nose-thumbing attitude
toward traditional types of magic, Penn & Teller have purveyed their
particular brand of cool in their two best-selling books, award-winning
theatrical shows, TV specials, and numerous appearances on David
Letterman's programs, MTV and Saturday Night Live. "Penn and Teller have
spent an extraordinary amount of time at our development labs working with
our designers" said Garry Kitchen, president and CEO of Absolute. "It's
been a very hand-on creative process, and one that I believe is unrivaled
in the video game mainstream. They've actually become a part of the
design team."
"Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors" will consist of several
independent game play segments, which in the world of Penn & Teller
translates into rip-offs, put-ons, flim-flams, and practical jokes. One
highlight will be video games' first fully interactive magic trick.
Also featured is a multi-level action/adventure starring Penn & Teller.
The CD version will contain digitized voice and live footage of Penn &
Teller created exclusively for the game. More details will be announced
at a later date.
"These guys have a unique way of looking at the world," continued
Kitchen. "About the only thing you can count on is to expect the
unexpected. This product is going to turn typical video game playing on
its ear." "Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors" is the first title to come
out of Absolute's relationship with the William Morris Agency. Both the
Sega CD and Sega Genesis version are expected to be released this winter.
Headquartered in Upper Saddle River, NJ, Absolute Entertainment, Inc.
is an independent developer and publisher of multimedia entertainment
software for Nintendo, Sega and 3DO hardware platforms, under the
Absolute and Extreme Entertainment Group labels.
The company is traded on the over-the-counter market and is listed by
the NASDAQ National Market System under the symbol ABSO.
--30--crh/ny
CONTACT: Absolute Entertainment, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ
Cheryl Morriss
Meredith Mansfield
201/818-4800
KEYWORD: NEW JERSEY
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS COMED ENTERTAINMENT
PRODUCT REPEATS: New York 212-575-8822 or 800-221-2462; Boston
617-330-5311 or 800-225-2030; SF 415-986-4422 or 800-227-0845;
LA 310-820-9473
Sega Provides Cable Video Games
Word is Japan's Sega Enterprises Ltd. is set to provide video game
software to homes, using cable TV networks.
The French Agence France-Press International News Service, quoting
a report in Tokyo's Asahi Shimbun newspaper, says, "The unique service
enabling people to play computer games at home will begin in the United
States this month and in Japan next month."
AFP says users will be able to play various video games for about
$29 a month on the Sega system.
Reports from Agence France- Press International News Service are
accessible in CompuServe NewsGrid database (GO NEWSGRID) are a regular
feature of NewsNet, accessible through the IQuest gateway (GO IQUEST).
Spectrum HoloByte Inc. signs agreement with ...
ALAMEDA, CALIF. (MAY 19) BUSINESS WIRE - May 19, 1994--Interactive
entertainment developer Spectrum HoloByte Inc. (NASDAQ:SBYT) has signed an
agreement with Paramount Licensing Group as agent for Paramount Pictures
Corp. to produce interactive software products based on the Nov. 18,
1994, release of the movie "Star Trek Generations."
This agreement is in addition to Spectrum's original licensing
contract to develop titles on certain platforms for the "Star Trek: The
Next Generation" television series, and is applicable through 1998. The
agreement outlines a multiplatform deal which will authorize Spectrum
HoloByte to develop games for all significant 16- and 32-bit platforms,
to include 16-bit video game platforms, 32- and 64-bit game consoles,
3DO, IBM and Macintosh CD-ROM and disk-based products.
"We're thrilled to have the opportunity to produce games for such
an outstanding Paramount property," said Gilman Louie, chairman of
Spectrum HoloByte. "'Star Trek' fans will be delighted to add another
element to their collection of our games based upon the award-winning
television series."
"Star Trek Generations" brings the cast of the award-winning
television series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" to the big screen
for the first time with fellow "Star Trek" alumni.
In 1991, Spectrum HoloByte entered into an agreement with Paramount
Licensing Group which provides Spectrum HoloByte the license to produce
computer and video games using the name and characters from the hit
television series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" for the 3DO
Interactive Multiplayer System, Super NES and IBM/compatible and other
personal computers.
"Star Trek Generations" is produced by the Motion Picture Group of
Paramount Pictures and is part of the entertainment operations of
Paramount Communications Inc., which is a majority-owned subsidiary of
Viacom Inc.
R&C 1994 Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved. "Star Trek
Generations" is a registered trademark of Paramount Pictures.
Spectrum HoloByte is a developer and publisher of interactive
entertainment software for use on CD-ROM and floppy-based personal
computers. The company also develops and publishes software for
cartridge-based video game machines manufactured by Nintendo and Sega.
--30--MEW/la
CONTACT: Spectrum HoloByte, Alameda
Holly Hartz, 510/522-3584
or
Bender, Goldman & Helper, Los Angeles
Jenny Roelle/Angela Edwards, 310/473-4147
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS COMED ENTERTAINMENT REPEATS:
New York 212-575-8822 or 800-221-2462; Boston 617-330-5311 or
800-225-2030; SF 415-986-4422 or 800-227-0845; LA 310-820-9473
___________________________________________
> Jaguar Developers STR InfoFile - Current Developer Lists & Titles
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
THIRD PARTY CHECKLIST
("borrowed" direct from Atari's Developer Support Team)
This list is compiled on a regular basis inside Atari Corporation to
notify departments the working status of specific 3rd party software
projects. With an understanding of the appetite for Jaguar news and
information, I managed to get permission to forward much of the data
from this document. Some of it may seem old to people since there may
have been rumors going around, however as of May 19, 1994, it is believed
to be accurate.
There are a couple of points I must make. First, these are only some of
working third party projects AND in no way intended to be a complete
list. After having "dumped" the data to a file, I was asked to "x" out
several additional projects which cannot yet be made public. I have
left the spaces intact to keep this list as authentic as possible.
PLEASE do not contact these companies. Many of these companies are
prioritizing these projects for release and they want to remain focused
on their work. Look to them to answer questions AFTER they have begun
shipping.
Many of the companies listed plus many more are working on projects
that are never included on this list. This list also does not
incorporate pending hardware projects. The companies noted here
reserve the right to change any or all of the information contained
without notice. I cannot be responsible for typing errors.
This list will be posted to the CATscan BBS. Call 209/239-1552 for
access 24 hours. Although normal phone charges apply, access to the
service is free. If you do not yet own a Jaguar... you probably will.
<g> ATARI will not accept the excuse that it's not in your area! <g>
Call the CATscan BBS for the dealer nearest you or contact Atari at
408/745-2098 during normal business hours; Pacific Time.
Fax 408/745-2088.
Ready to order inquiries via the Internet:
CompuServe >Internet:70007.2363@cis.com
GEnie >Internet:Atari@genie.geis.com
--Don Thomas
Atari Corporation
PUBLISHER DEVELOPER TITLE (- CD title) IN STORE
==========================================================================
All Systems Go All Systems Go Hosenose and Booger 4th Qtr 94
All Systems Go All Systems Go -BIOS Fear 4th Qtr 94
Anco Software Ltd Anco Software Ltd Kickoff 3/World Cup July
Beyond Games Inc Beyond Games Inc BattleWheels December
Beyond Games Inc Beyond Games Inc Ultra Vortex September
DTMC DTMC Lester the Unlikely -N/A-
Gremlin Graphics Gremlin Graphics Zool 2 October
Ocean Krisalis Software Soccer Kid June
-N/A- Loriciel S.A. Extreme Skiing/Snwbord -N/A-
-N/A- Microids Commando December
-N/A- Microids -Evidence 1995
MidNite Ent. Inc MidNite Ent. Inc Air Cars October
MidNite Ent. Inc MidNite Ent. Inc Dungeon Depths October
MidNite Ent. Inc MidNite Ent. Inc Assault 1st Qtr 95
Telegames Millenium/Teque Brutal Sports Football July
Ocean Software Ltd Ocean Software Ltd Ape Sh_t (WT) December
Ocean Software Ltd Ocean Software Ltd -Lobo 1995
Ocean Software Ltd Ocean Software Ltd Theme Park 3rd Qtr 94
Ocean Software Ltd Ocean Software Ltd Syndicate 3rd Qtr 94
-N/A- Photosurealism Galactic Gladiators 4th Qtr 94
PIXIS Interactive PIXIS Interactive -Neurodancer -N/A-
-N/A- Virtual Xperience Zzyorxx II July
-N/A- Virtual Xperience Indiana Jag July
-N/A- Silmarils -Robinson's Requiem September
Telegames Telegames Ultimate Brain Games September
Telegames Tradewest Double Dragon V July
Telegames Tradewest Troy Aiken NFL Ftball July
Trimark Interactive Trimark Interactive White Men Can't Jump October
U.S. Gold Ltd. Tietex/Delphine Flashback July
21st Century 21st Century Pinball Dreams September
Virgin UK Argonaut Creature Shock ____
V-Reel V-Reel Horrorscope ____
V-Reel V-Reel Arena Football ____
Readysoft Readysoft Dragon's Lair ____
END OF LIST
_________________________________________
TROY AIKMAN NFL(tm) FOOTBALL - SPORTS
He's the best player in football. And now, he's got the
best game available. This is the only football game that
captures Troy's style of play. And, the only one that has
Troy's favorite plays. This is a game scoring and passing
that puts the player in control. You decide who to hand
off to, who to throw to, and when. You decide whether to
go up top for a quick score or to try and grind out a
ball-control drive. And there are options like no other
game. Like Troy's Picks, a special feature that lets the
player allocate his team's budget - you decide if you
want to beef up the offensive line, muscle up the defense
or put more money into the kicking game. It's your call.
[1 or 2 players] $??.?? (Telegames) Release: October 1994
DOUBLE DRAGON V: THE SHADOW FALLS - FIGHTER
There are fighting games, then there is Double Dragon V;
the ultimate tournament style fighting game. Choose from
4 fighting modes, 4 levels of gameplay, 12 unique
characters and 12 different battle locations. Each player
specializes in up to 6 "secret" moves that are as much
fun to watch as they are deadly against fierce opponents.
If you're here for the awesome music and sound effects or
just for sport of blood, you will find this game tap
Jaguar resources to the bone.
[1 or 2 players] $??.?? (Telegames) Release: October 1994
____________________________________________________
> Game Console Media! STR Focus! - Game Media: What's The Best Format?
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
GAME MEDIA - THE BEST FORMAT?
=============================
by Marty Mankins, Staff Editor
Most game systems use a cartridge as the media for their gaming
library. But all that is now changing. There are many CD-ROM video
game systems coming onto the market. So far, only a couple can take
both cartridge and CD-ROM - Sega CDX and Atari's Jaguar. In this
article, we discuss the advantages and downsides of having both forms
of media and why the two media types differ.
Say you are a game developer. You want to create a game and you
want to make it good so all sorts of game players on different game
systems will like the game. Let's also point out that you want to make
sure the game appears to be real. What kind of decisions go through
your mind? Well, there are all sorts of screens and images that start
to make their way to your brain's video center. But one of the first
major decisions is what format to sell the game on. Believe it or not,
but after brief discussions with several game system companies, it
became evident that the main priority of creating a game was how to
squeeze all of the code onto the supported media.
For Nintendo, they are all cartridges and have to live within
those limitations. If the game is licensed, there's not a lot of
changes that can happen to the game if it's put onto media that holds
more, like CD-ROM. So the limitation is across the board. And while
we are on the subject of Nintendo, they have decided to not support
CD-ROM at all on the new game system they are working on with Silicon
Graphics, Inc. So they have eliminated any decision factor - it's
cartridge all the way. Not all companies work like that. Some of the
many 3rd party companies that create games for different systems will
allow for more work to be done for the CD-ROM version of the game.
Sega is the best example. They created an entirely new version of Sonic
and put it on CD. This created a new game based on the same game-play
functions of the cartridge-based Sonic.
The newer systems like 3DO and the Sony PSX system are CD-ROM only.
They have the limitations of not being able to use the fast speed of
the cartridge (not to mention the durability of a cartridge with younger
game players), but can stuff all sorts of action, realism and cool
scenery that adds to the intense level of the games. The game loads a
bit slower and can pause at times during some scenes, but the incredible
graphics and mass-storage of many pieces of the game can make up for
the slow wait.
HERE'S THE BEST SYSTEM YET!
While I've talked about some of the systems that use a cartridge
or CD-ROM as their sole input for entertainment, there are two systems
that use both a cartridge slot and can take a CD-ROM. The first is the
Sega CDX. This is a new unit which combines the Sega Genesis and the
external add-on Sega CD drive. Nothing has changed on the technical
side of things - it's just in a smaller package. While there are both
types of media available for games and the compact CDX system is great,
it offers nothing in the way of technology. You are not going to break
any speed records or have any sort of integration.
Enter the Atari Jaguar. While not all the specs have been
released, the overall focus of the Jaguar is to have two options for
games with the possibility of sharing the game between two media types-
cartridge and CD-ROM. This brings in some interesting advancements and
options for game play.
Picture a game where all of the controls and movements are stored
on the cartridge. You also have all of your polygon and other
rasterized graphics for movement on the cartridge (because you want the
game play action to be fast and furious!). Now you add to that a 600Mb
CD-ROM full of photos, game players and all sort of screens of data.
You now have the capability of two media types coming together on the
same system to create games so life-like and breathtaking that no other
system could even come close. Finally, bring in the 64-bit power of
the Atari Jaguar and the speed and flawless details of game control and
you have the only game system to own.
And it doesn't stop there. Think of the other multimedia
possibilities that the Jaguar could offer. It blows my mind when I
consider all that's out there now for the multiple platforms and how it's
going to get bigger and better.
ADVANTAGES vs DISADVANTAGES
The above was to whet your appetite. Those are some of the features
that we can expect from the Jaguar. Now what are the costs to make a
cartridge vs. a CD-ROM. Well, no one would release any prices for what
it would cost to make 500,000 cartridges, but it's somewhere under $15,
including packaging. The cartridge is fast when it comes to executing
code. It can pass code segments at speeds of 4000% higher than a CD-ROM.
The idea of a solid pack of plastic and silicon makes it more durable
with people of multiple ages in a household. I've seen Kool-Aid poured
onto a cartridge and with a good two or three days of drying time, it's
as good as new (well, most of the time).
The biggest disadvantages to cartridges is cost. You need to make
sure you have the bucks to make a bundle to bring the cost down. As
we've seen above, it's about $15 (you may need to add a few dollars,
depending on which system you are pressing for) to make cartridges.
There is also more time needed to press a cartridge. For the Atari
Jaguar, they need at least 6 weeks once the final code is completed to
manufacture a single game in large quantities. Six weeks can be a long
time if you're trying to beat the competition and get more games on the
market. Then you have more shelf space. You'll want a place to store
the manual and a likely candidate is a plastic case made to fit the
cartridge. Overall, cartridges are nice, but have some downfalls, most
associated with cost.
Now take the CD-ROM's cost. If you make enough (over 500,000),
you could get the entire cost - including packaging - to well under $6.
That's a savings of more than double! You are now looking at advantage
#1 for putting games on CD-ROM.
The large storage is a big plus. It's like having unlimited
storage. And the media is easy to use, easy to store and can withstand
some abuse (but not too much). But, what about the downside of using
CD-ROM. The first item to appear on my list is speed. Yes, the drives
are getting faster and there are a good amount of technologies that can
help data move faster (cache is one), but when compared to a cartridge,
CD-ROM is a speed snail. Some of the games that I have played on the
3DO system have taken up to 40 seconds to load. At times, it seems
like an eternity. We have gotten so used to fast everything, that it's
jaded us into thinking that it's slow. And by today's standards, it
appears to be unacceptable when used on a dedicated gaming system.
The other downfall to CD-ROM is not all discs can be shared
amongst multiple devices. There are some CD-ROM titles out there that
can be used on both a Mac and a PC. This is good. Then you have CD-ROMs
for the Philips CD-i system, you have Sega's CD-ROM games and 3DO is yet
another. But you can not share them amongst these systems. Why do I
bring this up? It's going to be common that some sales people will not
be able to tell the difference. Already, there are problems of CD-ROMs
getting shrink-wrapped into the wrong packages at the factory and even
more cases of retail mix-ups. One customer got his new Sega CD game
home to discover that he had an encyclopedia for Windows!
This may be taking things a bit too far, but if this universal
technology of CD-ROM is going to be a true standard, it would have been
nice if all of these companies would have met in a big room before they
created their systems and worked out a standard. Think of the
possibilities: walk into your favorite retail outlet or call up your
regular mail order firm and ask for a game (we'll say DOOM). They send
you a CD-ROM with the right manual for your gaming system and you're off
and playing. When you get tired of the game in 4-5 months, you can
take it to your used retail game exchange center, turn it in for a new
one and someone else with a different system can buy it and play it.
Well, it didn't turn out this way, so we are left with a
multitude of CD-ROMs that look alike, but don't play on different systems.
Like I said, maybe I'm dreaming, but it would have been perfect for the
gaming industry. The time to create games would not be an issue since
there would only be one development system, not 20 or more.
CONCLUSION
Well, I've babbled on long enough. The game media is a big issue
and the idea of CD-ROM as a major part of the future is something we
all will be used to (some of us may already be at that level). The
cartridge is here to stay as well. No need to get rid of the fastest
media to play games and other entertainment titles on. Think about the
future and what it brings with it. Some of it is good and some of it
will require some compromise. Either way, the Atari Jaguar is one of
the best and most flexible systems around. If you already own one,
hold onto something. It's getting hotter! If you don't own one yet,
check it out. You'll be amazed.
If you're going to the Summer Consumer Electronics Show in
Chicago, IL this summer, make sure you stop by the Atari booth. Check
out the new CD-ROM drive and all of the new game titles. You'll see
that it's the best up-and-coming system that's here to stay.
___________________________________________________
> Jaguar Online STR InfoFile - Online Users Growl & Purr!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
CATNIPS ..... (Jaguar tidbits from Don Thomas)
Atari has had some real CooL bumper stickers made up. They are black
and feature the yellow Jaguar eyes as well as the blood-red Jaguar logo.
I understand these are being shipped to the upcoming C.E.S. show, but I
have managed to, well let's say, "put some aside for my friends" <g>.
So here's another freebie for everyone... (YEA!)
Send me a self-addressed and pre-stamped envelope and I'll put one of
these "hot-off-the-press" three-color eye-poppers in it right back to
you. The dimensions are 3"x12" so keep that in mind. If you really do
not want a gentle fold in it, send an envelope at least 12 inches long
and make sure there's cardboard in it. If you are not sure how long
12 inches is, try a ruler.
Send to: Don's Really Hot Jaguar Bumper Sticker Freebie
Atari Corporation
P.O. Box 61657
Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1657
The bumper stickers are FREE as long as you promise that you'll proudly
display it where all your friends will see it. I recommend getting Mom
and Dad's permission before slapping it on their furniture, appliances
or automobiles. Maybe they'll let you tape it in the back window of
the car (tape it so the logo faces out please).
I hope everyone likes these. Consider it a "THANKS" for your patience
as we work our "bumpers" off getting some more software into your hot
hands as fast as we can!
--Don Thomas
Atari Corporation
_______________________________________
> CATscan BBS! STR BBS Info! - Don Thomas Starts Up A BBS!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" (Not an Official Atari Support System)
Although still in beginning development stages, I wish to pass on to my
distribution list a new Jaguar/Lynx resource. The CATscan BBS is up
and running. Although I realize that this BBS may not be practical for
most of you to utilize regularly, it is being set up as a data source
of news and information regarding Jaguar and Lynx products. Here are
some of the features:
An ongoing list of Jaguar/Lynx dealers which may be captured by state.
Product descriptions selectable by title.
Press releases from Atari and related third party sources.
Gaming hints and tips.
Game reviews.
Questions and answers.
Orders accepted for Atari products.
(Processed by Atari as an extension to Atari's Customer
Service Policies. All items sold at MSRP and billed by
Atari. NO funds collected benefit the BBS or the SysOp.
This is for the convenience of modem users who may not
have access to online services to leave orders in E-Mail.)
Competitive knock offs.
My first goal is to force myself into a practice to assemble pertinent
and accurate data in one central area. By doing this, I will also be
building a resource for the online press, SYSOPS of independent BBSs
and a resource for retailers to help them answer customer questions in
the store. It can also be used to preview editor's stories, if desired
for accuracy.
There are downsides right now. A lot of energy and time is going to
create this resource, BUT I still have obstacles to overcome.
1) At present, I am trying to overcome a barrier where it seems I can
only log on at 1200 baud... some sort of software <--> modem issue.
It really isn't THAT serious since the menus are set up clearly and
information takes longer than 1200 baud to read online anyway. I
hope this will be resolved before too long.
2) A lot of info is already on the system, but it will take time to
bring it up to speed. Many of the data banks are menu driven and
time consuming scripts files must be written to accommodate them.
At present product description and log on files are all taken care
of. I expect dealer lists will be formatted and up today.
3) Total storage is presently restricted to 20 MEG. I hope
this may be expanded as needed.
4) The system only supports one line at this time. In any case, feel
free to log on quickly and establish your accounts. TRUSTED remote
SYSOP positions are available.
The number to CATscan is: 209/239-1552
It is open to the public, but certain areas are disabled for initial
callers. There is NO fee to use the system. The system WILL BE
CENSORED. Only data that is positive toward the image of Atari and
companies supporting Atari will be permitted.
Please pass his number on to dealers and developers who want to be
included. I will be happy to be set up to accept 3rd party orders IF
they are registered and licensed by Atari. If a dealer wants to be
listed, all he has to do is post a request to the SYSOP. Information
may also be added to the system by contacting me at the following
addresses:
CIS: 75300,1267
GENIE: Atari
PRODIGY: EUKG11A
Again, don't expect too much initially and please be persistent if you
get a busy. I am conducting frequent tests that might tie up the line,
but I will not disconnect anyone on the system.
Thanks!
________________________________________
> ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
=====================
On CompuServe
-------------
compiled by
Joe Mirando
Hidi Ho friends and neighbors. First up is the news that Bob Brodie,
Atari's Director of Communications, has resigned (see the news elsewhere
in this issue). As most of you know, we at STReport and Bob have had
numerous disagreements concerning just about anything Atari-related.
Despite the "scenes" of the past, I've usually enjoyed talking with Bob
and now, would like to wish him well in his future endeavors.
Well, let's get on with the reason for this column... all the cool
news, hints, and tips available every week here on CompuServe.
From the Atari Computing Forum
==============================
Rob Rasmussen asks:
"I should probably ask this in Practice forum, but maybe others here
have had this problem too. I usually use QuickCIS to capture messages
from forums, and as usual it gets all the messages that are new since
the last time I did it. But sometimes I use Flash to go snoop around
in different forums, capturing selected threads by selecting the titles
from the menu that look interesting. In this forum, for example, I
hadn't done my regular QuickCIS capture of the sections I always read
for about a week, but I had looked at thread titles and captured a few
of them manually. Well, when I now do my normal capture with QCIS, I
miss most of the past week's messages and get only the ones posted
since I went on manually. This doesn't make sense to me, since I never
read those older messages, only looked at their titles. I know there is
a high message pointer, but how would I know what to set this to? Also
in the message menu I can set the DAYS, but I may not remember how many
DAYS to set it for. After reading selected threads, I would like to
restore it back to all new messages I haven't read. How can I do this?"
Sysop Jim Ness tells Rob:
"The forum software goes by the highest numbered message you've read.
So, if you skip 100 messages, but read the 101st, the software acts as
though you've read them all. The only way to go back is to reset that
high message number.
You'd have to jot it down, then maybe put it in the Read Command line,
like this: high 98584;rea new"
Rob asks:
"Do you mean jot down the high message number from the last time I
captured messages in QuickCIS? I understand how if I read selected
threads after that, it will reset the high msg #, but I still don't see
how I can know what the previous high message was. Whether I 'Select'
to read by subject manually, or use the command 'REA SEC:1,2,3' in
QuickCIS, the messages I read are grouped by thread, but the message
numbers are all mixed up, not in order. Out of all those, how do I know
what the highest msg # I've read is? I recall seeing something on my
screen that said something like "Highest MSG you've Read - xxxxx" but I
can't remember where that is."
Sysop Jim tells Rob:
"...Your current high counter is displayed as you enter the forum. If
you wanted to jot it down, that would be the time to do it."
Chief Sysop Ron Luks tells Rob:
"One trick I use to keep the message counter from changing when I do a
"manual" session is to read the messages that I want then (BEFORE
EXITING THE FORUM) type this command:
HI;D
This means "don't change my high message counter as a result of
anything I just read during the session."
For example, when you enter the forum, lets say your HI message
pointer is set to 1000. If you read messages 1015 and 1038 only, your
HI pointer will be set to 1038 when you exit. If you type HI;D it will
leave your pointer set at 1000 for the next QCIS run."
Rob tells Ron and Jim:
"Thanks... I tried it, and using HI;D solved my problem of the missed
messages. Now if only I can remember to do that before leaving the
forum. If I do forget, but I still have the previously captured
messages, can I jot down one of those msg numbers, go back to the forum
and set the high message # to one of those? If so, what is the
command?"
Ron tells Rob:
"Yes, you can ALWAYS set the HI message pointer to whatever number you
want. You can enter just "HI" and then be prompted for a value or you
can enter the HI command and the number at the same time like this:
HI;34567
The 3 parameters for the HI command are:
HI;xxxxxx == sets HI to a specific number
HI;D == leave HI set at the value you had when you entered the forum.
"D" means "Dont change"
HI;L == means set HI to the highest current message number. For times
when you want to reset the counter to avoid past messages. "L"
means the "LAST message (highest number) in the forum."
Marty Hall asks:
"Are there any Datamanager experts out there? I don't see Timeworks
listed anywhere....maybe I missed it. But here's my problem.........
I'm using it to crosscheck flight times for aircraft. I have found that
although you can set up a field for TIME, you can not set one up to
add or subtract TIME. It is not considered a calculable number by the
program. O.K., we convert TIME to a decimal number in the final
analysis so if I convert it, then enter that number, ( 12:50 would be
12.8 ), then do the calculations, it should work. WRONG! In industry (
and military ) aviation flight time is computed basically the same. In
24 hour clock, you subtract the Time Off from the Time On arriving at a
Hour:Minute answer, then convert to decimal, add all the decimal
figures from each leg and you have the flight time for the day. When
you convert to decimal, then subtract Time Off from Time On, etc., you
end up with a different answer as the times are rounded off at a
different point.
What I need to be able to do is set up Datamanager to treat TIME
figures as a numeric value, add and/or subtract them and then convert
using the same table that the rest of civil aviation uses ( ie, 58 to 3
min's = .0, 4 to 10 min's = .1, 11 to 16 min's = .2 etc. ) Any
suggestions????"
Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer OnLine Magazine tells Marty:
"I haven't used DataManager myself but I can think of some possible
suggestions. Make a copy of your database and then create some
additional columns that perform the calculations. Maybe 4 new columns
so you can check the calculations on every step of the way. Is there a
function that can break the TIME data into separate parts? So if you
wanted only time you would (should be wanted only minutes) it would
return minutes? And the same thing for hours? Then you can change the
minute value to a decimal value based on a lookup like table (you
stated in your previous message). The combine the hours and converted
minutes field together. One method would be to use a formula like the
following.
decimal_value = ( hours * 100 ) + converted_minutes
Or if your minute data is already 0.0 or less than you could just add
it to the hours directly.
decimal_value = hours + converted_minutes
Perform the following for both time values and then you can perform
math operations on the resultant decimal values. By having different
columns for your calculation you should be able to determine where the
linear error occurs. Using this method it might not generate any
significant amount of round off error at all."
John Damiano at Transierra tells Marty:
"I think the only way it will do that is if you enter time as a
numeric field rather then a time field and then deal with the time
value as a decimal input.
IE: 23.55=2355.... 23.55
-21.43
------
2.12 or 2 hrs/12 mins"
Meanwhile, Sheila Siegel asks:
"Does anyone know of a program for the Atari ST that optimizes the
hard drive? We have an Atari that we use for music programs almost
exclusively, and after a big project we would like to clean up the disk
drive with an optimization program.
Also--we occasionally have a loud buzz that comes out of the ST that
fades after 15 minutes use. We can't seem to find a way to eliminate
this noise from the screen. Anyone else have this problem and how did
you solve it?"
My pal Brian Gockley from ST INFORMER magazine tells Sheila:
"Diamond Edge is a great hard drive program, it is available mail
order. As far as the buzz (what's the buzz, tell me what's a
happenin'), I think it may be a small capacitor in the monitor ($2) that
always fails. If you know anyone who is handy with a soldering iron,
Best Electronics will sell you one."
Clive Parker at everyone's favorite ST Euro Mag, STFormat, posts:
"TOS 2.06 also has improved high density drive support and hard drive
support. With TOS 2.05 you can format a DD disk as high density. I was
informed by Atari UK that this was a "feature" and not a bug."
Gee, that sounds familiar don't it, folks?
Paul Sinnema posts"
"First let me introduce ourselves to You. We are a small company in
Holland. We have been programming for the Atari computers since 1985
(we were one of the first in Holland). We have created several products
for the Atari.
In the past we always contacted Atari Nederland when we discovered
errors or found trouble during programming. To be specific we called
Wilfred Kilwinger. Wilfred no longer works with Atari Nederland and it
looks as if there isn't going to be a replacement with the same
knowledge and expertise.
One of our products is a real Dutch program called 'Girotel ST'. This
program deals with telebanking in a read Dutch fashion. Lately we
received the new TOS 4.92 for the Falcon 030 from Atari Nederland B.V.
We find that our programs really have trouble executing correctly with
this version.
- Some of the first things I found is that our program doesn't react
to keys any more. Only when a window is opened the keys work correctly
again.
- A second thing I found was a real strange behavior of the
drop-down-menu's. When I move the mouse to the 'Desk' position the
program hangs and I have to reset.
Paul Sinnema.
SB Automatisering,
Postbox 56,
9649 ZH Muntendam.
Holland."
Kevin at PG Music tells Paul:
"Since all TOS development seems to be handled by Atari UK, those of
us in the US don't seem to know much about any newer TOS versions. :("
Dazzz Smith asks:
"I thought TOS 5 was the latest revision???"
J. Patterson at Atari tells Dazzz:
"TOS 4.92 is a beta version for the Falcon available only to registered
developers. There is a forum here online available to registered
developers which I can give you access to if you can give me
verification that you are a developer. Faxing me a copy of your NDA
and receipt for developer kit will be sufficient 408 745 2088 Attn
Developer Support with your CIS acct#. There are release notes in the
forums which will probably help."
Well folks, its getting late. Its time for all good newlyweds to go
to sleep. Be sure to tune in again next week, same time, same station,
and be ready to listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> A "Quotable Quote" "A Time to Remember"
"""""""""""""""""
Please take a moment or two to remember all the brave souls
who wore the uniforms of this great nation
in defense of its freedoms, principles and shores.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> DEALER CLASSIFIED LIST STR InfoFile * Dealer Listings *
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ---------------
ABCO Incorporated
=================
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
Est. 1985
1-904-783-3319
1994 SUMMERTIME SPECIALS NOW IN EFFECT!
------------------------
ABCO manufactures custom storage devices!
INTEL 32 BIT 486/66, VLB w/Math CoProcessor
8MB ram upgradable to 32MB 1MB SVGA VESA VIDEO CARD
Sound Blaster Compatible Stereo Sound Card
DOS 6.2 - Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Included
128K CACHE - 1.44/1.2 FLOPPY Drives, Mouse & 101 deluxe Keyboard
250MB IDE hd - 2 SERIAL, 1 PARALLEL, 1 GAME PORTS
250W POWER SUPPLY TOWER SYSTEM
14" Non-Interlaced SVGA 1024x768, 28dpi Monitor
66Mhz, S&H Incl 1695.00
695.00 with order, balance COD
other higher powered packages available
or, design your own! Call for value added pricing!
Call: 904-783-3319 Anytime, Voice Mail
=====******=====
Syquest Removable 44-105-270mb SCSI Drives
All Size Platters Available
Diamond Speed Star 24x SVGA/VGA Video Card w/1mbVRAM
Diamond Stealth & Viper 1mb & 2mb - Call for prices
Enhances Windows SPEED and EFFICIENCY
Diamond High Performance Sound Cards Available
Soundblaster Cards and compatibles 8 & 16 bit
Creative Technologies' Sound Blaster AWE 32 SUPER Sound Card
Pro Audio Spectrum STUDIO 16 - 16bit - Midi - Audio Recognition
Top of the Media Vision PAS Line - True Multi-Media
IDE Super IO cards & 16550 UART 2 & 4 Port Cards
Call: 904-783-3319 Anytime, Voice Mail
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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 FREE of Charge, 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" May 27, 1994
Since 1987 copyright (c) 1987-94 All Rights Reserved No.1022
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
