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Silicon Times Report Issue 1047
SILICON TIMES REPORT
====================
INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
=============================
from
STR Electronic Publishing Inc.
November 18, 1994 No. 1047
======================================================================
Silicon Times Report
International Online Magazine
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R.F. Mariano
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______________________________________________________________________
> 11/18/94 STR 1047 "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
"""""""""""""""""
- STR INDUSTRY REPORT - Photoshop 3 - ZEOS PANTERA 90
- Delrina Comm Suite - DELL PROFITS UP - MS CAIRO 1996
- HAYES Chapter IX - DEC NEW CHIP - NEW USR Modem
- Online Libel Suit - People Talking - Jaguar NewsWire!
-* COMDEX FALL'94 PRELIM REPORTS *-
-* ThinkPad Wins Best of Comdex *-
-* IBM's PPC to Use OS/2 *-
==========================================================================
STReport International Online Magazine
The Original * Independent * Online Magazine
-* FEATURING WEEKLY *-
"Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information
Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
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COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME
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"Enjoy CompuServe's forums; where information is at its very best!
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> From the Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""
The amount of new goodies being announced coupled with those that
have arrived has made for a wonderful gift giving season to be at hand.
The computer enthusiast, the businessman and the recreational user have
never had so many "neat" goodies at their disposal. In the past few weeks,
more software packages have been released on the Windows, Dos and Mac
platforms than many other platforms have seen in years. For example, new
versions of WinComm Pro and WinFax Pro in a single communications suite
that's outstanding. (It'll be reviewed in two weeks, so far it looks
great) Adobe has replaced the Aldus PhotoStyler with PhotoShop 3. (this is
a powerhouse) The entertainment software, far too numerous to mention here
all at once is absolutely stunning in both concept and appearance.
Please enjoy this issue as much as I did putting it together. The
new goodies outlined in this issue and to be reviewed over the next month
or so, should give everyone a little "push" in the right or desired
direction in aiding Santa's helpers make it a wonderful Christmas.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
Ralph.....
Of Special Note:
----------------
STReport will be branching out further to Internet's userbase in the
very near future. We've received numerous requests to receive STReport
from a wide variety of Internet addresses. As a result, we're putting
together an Internet distribution/mailing list for those who wish to
receive STReport on a regular basis, and we'll UUENCODE each issue and
mail it to you.
If you're interested in being added to our mailing list, please, send
your requests to either "dpj@delphi.com" or, RMARIANO@DELPHI.COM. Look
for mailings to begin by October first. We are also considering a number
of Internet ftp sites in which to post our issues for as well. Whatever
we can do to make STReport available to you. we'll try it!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport's Staff DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU!
""""""""""""""""
Publisher -Editor
""""""""""""""""""
Ralph F. Mariano
Lloyd E. Pulley, Editor, Current Affairs
Section Editors
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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 Paul Guillot 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:
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Dominick J. Fontana 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 Tim Holt
Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
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IMPORTANT NOTICE
----------------
STReport, with its policy of not accepting any paid advertising, has over
the years developed the reputation of "saying it like it really is". When
it comes to our editorials, product evaluations, reviews and over-views,
we shall always keep our readers interests first and foremost. With the
user in mind, STReport further pledges to maintain the reader confidence
that has been developed over the years and to continue "living up to
such". All we ask is that our readers make certain the manufacturers,
publishers etc., know exactly where the information about their products
appeared. In closing, we shall arduously endeavor to meet and further
develop the high standards of straight forwardness our readers have come
to expect in each and every issue.
The Staff & Editors
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> STR INDUSTRY REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
"""""""""""""""""""
IBM/POWER-PC/PC SECTION (I)
===========================
Computer Products Update - CPU Report
------------------------ ----------
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Issue #47
Compiled by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
******* General Computer News *******
** ThinkPad Wins Best of Comdex **
IBM Corp.'s ThinkPad 755CD has won the Best of Comdex award co-
sponsored by BYTE magazine and trade show organizer The Interface Group.
The ThinkPad 755CD is a mobile multimedia computer that features a
built-in CD-ROM drive, stereo speakers, enhanced video and television
integration features and a game port. The unit also won the best
portable system award.
Capturing the Most Significant Technology award was Clusters for
Windows NT by Digital Equipment Corp., a clustering technology that
allows multiple NT servers to act as a single computing resource.
Finalists in the category were the Sportster Digital SVD Modem by U.S.
Robotics and Hewlett-Packard's 4 megabits per second infrared
technology.
The Best Printer honor was taken by the PN60 Portable Printer from
Citizen America Corp.
The Best System winner was the Multia MultiClient Desktop by Digital
Equipment Corp.
Taking the Best Applications Software honor was PageKeeper 2.0 by
CAERE Corp.
Selected as Best Development/System Software was Delphi 95 by
Borland.
The Best Multimedia Software award went to Media Suite Pro for
Windows by Avid Technology.
** Dell Computer's Profits Rise **
Dell Computer Corp. this week reported substantially improved third
quarter revenues and profits largely credited to strong sales of the
computer maker's Latitude notebook computers and high-end, Pentium
processor-based systems.
Reports for the three months ended Oct. 30, show Dell reporting
profits of $41.4 million (or 93 cents a share), compared with profits of
$12 million (or 26 cents a share) a year ago. Sales increased 17% during
the quarter to $884.6 million from $757.3 million in the same period of
1993.
** Windows Printing Gets Support **
Microsoft Corp. reports that nine printer manufacturers have agreed
to support its Windows Printing System technology.
Microsoft notes that the printer makers -- including Canon, Epson,
Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark International, NEC, Olivetti and Texas
Instruments -- manufacture the majority of desktop printers worldwide.
The Windows Printing System technology is designed to seamlessly
integrate printers with Windows 95, providing easier installation, setup
and operation and what-you-see-is- what-you-get (WYSIWYG) printing.
** IBM's PowerPC Computers to Use OS/2 **
Despite earlier talks with Apple concerning a common operating system
for the PowerPC technology it co-developed with Apple and Motorola Inc.,
reports from Comdex say that IBM and Apple will each equip their PowerPC
based computers with different operating software. IBM revealed that it
will equip its PowerPC-based machine with the OS/2 operating system,
while Apple will use its MacOS.
Due to having to support two different operating systems, some
experts feel that this decision may make the cost of developing software
for the PowerPC too expensive and some developers may avoid writing
software for the PowerPC computers.
** Apple Passes Compaq in Shipments **
According to the latest marketing figures from Dataquest Inc., Apple
Computer Co. passed Compaq Computer Corp. in PC sales in the United
States during the third quarter of this year.
Dataquest researchers say that for the first two quarters, Compaq far
outdistanced its competition, but due to the strength of its Power
Macintosh line shipping 641,000 units, Apple was able to ship 24,000
more units than Compaq in the third quarter.
** Microsoft Net Eyes Spring Launch **
Bill Gates says Microsoft Corp. will launch its new online service --
called Microsoft Network -- in 35 countries in the first half of next
year.
Speaking at Comdex, Gates said the system will use financial incen-
tives and special development tools to attract companies that sell
information.
Software for linking to the new network is to be part of Microsoft's
new Windows 95 operating system, set for release by April.
Reports are that the Microsoft service -- code-named "Marvel" -- will
be run by a bank of computers on Microsoft's campus in Redmond, Wash.,
and will feature news and weather, science and technology, business and
sports.
** DEC Unveils New Chip, Printer **
Digital Equipment Corp. has unveiled a new faster version of its
Alpha microprocessor and has released what it says is the industry's
smallest, lightest portable ink-jet printer.
Digital officials said the new Alpha 21066A has an integrated on-chip
memory controller and graphics accelerator, which can reduce the cost of
computer systems. Included also is a feature that can vastly reduce
power consumption during periods of inactivity.
Meanwhile, the new printer, the DECwriter 90ip, introduced at Comdex,
is about a foot tall, 5 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches deep and weighs
less than 2 1/2 pounds.
Priced at $340, the unit prints two pages per minute and uses either
battery or AC current.
** Playboy Eyes Online Offering **
Officials with Playboy magazine say they are looking for a partner to
make the publication available on an online service within the next
year.
Speaking to shareholders at Playboy Enterprises Inc.'s annual meeting
in New York, President/CEO Christie Hefner said the company is working
with the media consulting company Creative Artists Agency to find a
partner.
** Microsoft's Cairo Ready in 1996 **
Microsoft Corp. announced this week that the next generation of
Windows NT, "Cairo," will be available in 1996.
"It's safe to say Cairo will be out sometime in '96," Mike Maples,
Microsoft vice president of products said.
Windows NT is a powerful operating system for workstations, servers
and advanced desktop computing.
Testing on Cairo will begin late next year. It will be fully portable
to the PowerPC computer design, which was recently announced by Apple
Computer Inc., Motorola Inc. and IBM Corp. Apple plans to introduce in
1996 a computer based on the PowerPC, which will be able to run Windows
NT, IBM's OS/2 and several other operating systems.
** Dell Rolls Out Five New PCs **
Five new personal computers built around Intel Corp.'s Pentium micro-
processor are being unveiled this week by Dell Computer Corp.
Reports say with Pentium chips running at speeds of 75 and 100 MHz,
the PCs range in price from $1,879 to $5,178, depending on hard drive
size and other features. The prices include a monitor. Since June has
sold a Pentium 60 MHz PC for just under $2,000.
Unveiled at Comdex, the new models are in Dell's OptiPlex and Omni-
Plex brands. The company says it also is rolling out versions in its
Dimension family and plans to offer a new 15-inch monitor.
** U.S. Robotics Offers New Modem **
U.S. Robotics Inc. has announced its new Total Control MP/8 and Total
Control MP/16, which it says integrate the firm's V.Everything modem
technology into a low-profile, enclosed chassis.
The MP/16 carries a list price of $590 per port, while the MP/8 is
listed at $624 per port.
In a statement, the company said it also has created a custom cable
for seamless connection to Cisco 2500 series access devices.
** License Plate Dating Unveiled **
Pro Components Corp., a computer products distributor based in South-
field, Michigan, has introduced an on-the-road dating service called
Love at First Sight (LAFS).
Members get a voice-mail box on the system equal to the first four
digits of their license plate number and a LAFS license plate frame that
tells other drivers they're a member. Interested drivers can contact
members by calling the LAFS system, entering the first four digits of
the member's plate number and leaving them a message. The system can
also page the mailbox's owner.
"You meet people in your neighborhood, at school, at work, at your
health club, at bars -- why not on the road while you're driving?" says
Pro Components' owner Mark Campbell. "LAFS gives people a new tool that
can be used in a lot of ways. For example, some members are using the
system to sell their cars and even their homes. Interested parties call
the LAFS number, enter a plate number or an address, and instead of a
description of a member, they hear a description of a car or home for
sale. It makes the entire process more efficient," says Campbell.
** Hayes Modems Files Chapter XI **
Modem industry standard-setter Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. has
filed for protection from its creditors under Chapter XI of the U.S.
Bankruptcy Code.
The Wall Street Journal quoted Hayes CEO Dennis C. Hayes as attri-
buting the action to a "short-term cash shortage" brought on by rapidly
growing demand amid what the paper terms a series of "manufacturing
snafus."
Hayes said the company, whose assets and liabilities total more than
$100 million each, remains solvent and expects to emerge from its
reorganization in a matter of months.
Hayes says sales at his 16 year-old company remain strong, with re-
venue for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30 totaling more than $270 mil-
lion, a 38% increase over the previous year. He said the figure would
have been much higher, if the company hadn't encountered its manufac-
turing difficulties. He declined to release information on the firm's
net income or to say whether it turned a profit last year.
** U.S. Marshals Close BBS **
Microsoft Corp. and Novell Inc. have announced that U.S. Marshals
have raided the home of the system operator of the Cloud 9 computer
bulletin board system (BBS) for suspected software piracy.
The companies claim that the Minneapolis-based BBS had been offering
users access to hundreds of illegal copies of copyright protected
software products, including Novell Netware and the beta version of
Windows 95.
The Cloud 9 system included 22GB of data. The system components and
pirated software were seized at the time of the raid.
A U.S. District Court judge has entered a preliminary injunction
prohibiting the system operator from any further infringing activity.
The judge also impounded all of the computer hardware and software
seized at the time of the raid.
"Although we are competitors in the marketplace, the damaging effects
of software piracy greatly harm both our companies -- and all software
publishers worldwide," says Jim Lowe, a Microsoft corporate attorney.
"Neither Microsoft nor Novell will stand by while bulletin boards
illegally offer our products to download. We intend to review the
business records and system information of the Cloud 9 BBS, and may
bring additional actions against the system's users."
** Student Admits Stealing Data **
A 32-year-old Cornell University graduate student has pleaded guilty
to using a computer to take sensitive information from the Pentagon's
Defense Mapping Agency in a plan to split the profits with a commercial
map dealer.
Andrew Fox, who pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria,
Virginia, to illegal conversion of government property, now faces up to
10 years in prison. The judge set Fox's sentencing for Jan. 20.
Sources say the court documents accuse Fox, a doctoral candidate, of
copying data from Cornell's computers to cassette tapes and taking more
than 200 tapes in 1993 to his residence in Vienna, Va.
Prosecutors told the court Fox began to provide the tapes to a com-
mercial map dealer, which was going to sell them and split the profits.
** Prodigy Agrees to Track User **
Word is Prodigy officials have agreed to track down a subscriber who
is accused of libelling Long Island, New York, investment bank Stratton
Oakmont in online messages last month.
The New York Times reports this week Prodigy agreed to this in State
Supreme Court in Nassau County, New York, in response to a libel suit
filed by Stratton Oakmont and bank president Daniel Porush.
The suit alleges the subscriber made libelous statements at least
twice during the third week of October, around the time the bank was
helping a company with its initial public offering.
Sources say, "The suit raises issues of defamation over electronic
networks, a subject with little case law. One issue was whether the
electronic bulletin board could be held responsible for the message of
one of its users."
Besides Prodigy itself, the suit names as a defendant a David Lusby
of Key West, Florida. Meanwhile, Lusby's lawyer is quoted as saying his
client's Prodigy account was inactive and that someone else must have
been using it without his authorization.
The electronic message at issue in the case appeared Oct. 22 or Oct.
23 on Prodigy's Money Talk bulletin board, where subscribers post
comments on financial issues.
** Atari Corp. Announces Third Quarter Profits **
Atari Corp. this week reported its financial results for the third
quarter ended Sept. 30, 1994.
Net sales for the third quarter of 1994 were $7.1 million, as com-
pared to $4.4 million for the same period of 1993, an increase of 61%.
For the nine months of 1994, sales were $23.4 million as compared to
$20.3 million for the same period of 1993, an increase of 15%.
A substantial portion of the 1994 revenues were derived from the
Atari Jaguar 64-bit multimedia system. As a result of the limited
software library available during the third quarter and the company's
increased marketing expenses to promote Jaguar, the company incurred a
net loss of $3.9 million as compared to a net loss of $17.6 million for
the third quarter of 1993. For the nine months ended 1994, the company
incurred a net loss of $8.2 million as compared to a net loss of $26.2
million for the same period 1993.
Commenting on the report, Sam Tramiel, President, said, "The company
continues to focus its efforts on making additional software titles
available for the Jaguar. Although late in delivering titles, the devel-
opers have passed through the learning curve of harnessing the Jaguar
technology and expect a continuous flow of software titles to be avail-
able throughout the current Christmas selling season and beyond. We are
very pleased with the success of our premier title for 1994, "Alien vs.
Predator"(TM), which has been critically acclaimed by various game
magazines. Over 50% of existing Jaguar owners have bought Alien vs.
Predator, a very high rate for the industry! Clearly a hit title."
** Atari and Sega Finalize Deal **
Atari Corporation announced this week that it has received regulatory
approval in connection with its agreements with Sega and the transac-
tions have closed.
Sega has paid Atari $50 million (Atari's net being less contingent
legal fees and costs) in exchange for a license from Atari covering the
use of a library of patents. In addition, Sega has made an equity
investment in Atari of $40 million at a common share price of $8.50.
Finally, Sega and Atari have entered into cross licensing agreements
through the year 2001. The cross licensing agreement also allows the two
companies to publish on each of their respective platforms.
Commenting on the announcement, Sam Tramiel, president of Atari,
said, "We are very pleased to have closed these transactions. These
funds will be used to increase software development for the Atari Jaguar
as well as increased promotional activity and other working capital
requirements."
** Nintendo Unveils 'Virtual Boy' **
Nintendo Co. Ltd. this week introduced its 3-D virtual reality system
it calls "Virtual Boy," a 32-bit game machine with twice the computing
processing power of the 16-bit units now popular in the video game
market.
Claiming that Virtual Boy will dominate the next generation of video
games, Nintendo displayed the new system at a trade show in Tokyo and
announced plans to start selling it next April in Japan and the United
States for about $200, reports say.
Virtual Boy seals players inside a private world by blocking out
light when their faces are pressed against a viewer. Two light-emitting
displays give a 3-D effect, and a small speaker for each ear provide
sound effects.
Reports state that the toy's three-dimensional, high-resolution
graphics, in shades of red on a black background, make characters and
other images seem to jump out and fall back while moving through space.
Those viewing the system for the first time this week expressed dis-
appointment that it was not full-color and does not "track" a user's
movements. Nintendo said the full-color system would have been
"unaffordable."
"It's not really good-looking yet," Hiroki Sasagawa, a 23-year-old
game software developer, said after pulling away from the view piece,
mounted on a stand, and releasing the hand-held control panel.
Software cartridges are expected to cost between $50 to $70.
___________________________________
> Frank's Corner STR Feature
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Mac Software Specials
from
Nordic Software
by Frank Sereno
Nordic Software is now offering 60 to 80 percent savings on their line of
MacKids educational software. Preschool Pack and WordSearch Deluxe were
originally retailed at $69.95 but are now discounted to $19.95. Preschool
Pack teaches counting, pattern recognition and the alphabet, and develops
short-term memory and beginning math skills in children ages three to six.
WordSearch Deluxe improves vocabulary in children ages six through adult
the solving of the hidden word puzzles included with the program or you
can create your own.
Jungle Quest, Word Quest and Christmas Pack were originally $59.95 but are
now discounted to $14.95. Jungle Quest and Word Quest are adventure games
which educate. Jungle Quest requires the child to solve math problems to
complete the quest. Problems can be customized. Word Quest allows the
child to rescue a kingdom by learning to spell. Spoken words include
spelling lists for grades one through six. Words which are often
misspelled are emphasized by the program and words which are missed will
appear later in the quest. Both Quest games are intended for children
ages five to twelve. Christmas Pack is for children ages four and up and
includes fifteen Christmas activities. A CD-rom version is available for
$19.95.
Turbo Math Facts combines racing fun with learning math skills. This
program has adjustable difficulty levels and includes tutorials. Turbo
Math is discounted from $49.95 to $19.95. Kolor Klips is a collection of
original 60 clip art pieces which has been reduced from $74.95 to $9.95.
Nordic Software also introduces three new products at greatly reduced
prices. Language Explorer has been discounted from $57.95 to $24.95 for
the disk version while the CD-rom version has been reduced from $77.95 to
$29.95. This program gives children the opportunity to learn over 500
words in English, French, German and Spanish. The program has five
adjustable difficulty levels. The CD-rom version features the words being
pronounced by a native speaker.
Coin Critters is available for $24.95 discounted from $57.95. Math skills
are learned by solving problems spoken by a human voice. Tasks include
identifying American currency, purchasing items and counting back change.
Coin Critters is designed for children ages five to twelve.
The final program in this sales offering is Clock Shop. Children ages
five to twelve learn digital and analog time by clicking and dragging the
hour and minute hands of the clock in response to questions posed by a
human voice. This program was reduced in price from $57.95 to $24.95.
Hardware requirements for all these programs are a Mac Plus or greater,
one meg of ram, hard drive and System 6.0.7 or greater. Language Explorer
requires a color Macintosh.
You may contact Nordic Software's order line at 1-800-306-6502 for more
details. Visa, MasterCard and personal checks are accepted. There is a
$5.00 shipping and handling charge on each order. Sales tax is charged
for sales to Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma
and Wisconsin. If you wish more information on these programs, contact
the publisher through the following:
Nordic Software, Inc.
P.O. Box 6007
Lincoln, NE 68506-0007
Phone: 402-488-5086
Fax: 402-488-2914
****
The Kids' Computing Corner
--------------------------
by Frank Sereno
Nordic Software presents the Preschool Parade for Macintosh and Windows
computers. This program is intended for children ages three to six and it
includes twenty-three learning activities. Preschool Parade is available
in floppy diskette versions for both computer types and as a dual format
CD-rom. Windows requirements are Win 3.1 or later, a 386SX CPU or better,
ten megs of hard drive space, four megs of ram, 640 by 480 display with
256 colors and a sound card is recommended. For the Mac, required are a
Color Macintosh, System 6.0.7 or greater, two megs of ram and 10 megs of
hard drive space. For the CD-rom, you must have a CD-rom drive and for
IBM compatibles your system must be compliant with MPC Level 1.
The main interface of the program is a multi-screen animated picture of a
marching band on a city street. Yellow right and left arrow icons allow
the child to scroll through the scenes. Activities are started when the
child clicks the mouse on any band character or float or by pressing a
function key. Children will learn counting, shapes, letters, puzzle-
solving, basic music, matching and the meaning of different and same.
While the program has twenty-three activities, four different interfaces
are used for four activities each. Each of these interfaces uses a stop
sign to end the current activity and return to the parade. The activities
are divided by color, shape, letters and numbers. The child continues
these activities until he tires of them and clicks on the stop button.
The talking aardvark is the host for four games involving the matching of
colors, letters, numbers and shapes. Four mismatched pairs of objects
will be shown on the screen. The child must click and drag a line from
the dot next to one object to the dot next to its match. When the child
correctly identifies all four pairs, he will hear a very short musical
bit. If any of the pairs are wrong, then all the lines will be erased and
he will have to start over. I feel the correct pairs should continue to
be identified by lines and only the incorrect pairs need to be changed.
Also, it would be more informative for the child if he could hear the name
of the shapes, letters, colors and numbers when he clicks upon them.
Positive feedback is almost nonexistent. The clicking and dragging of
lines from dot to dot may be too difficult for
younger children as they must hold the mouse button down while moving the
mouse. The aardvark will repeat the instructions for the exercises if he
is clicked upon.
Four activities for learning the names of shapes, letters, numbers and
colors are hosted by a talking rabbit. The rabbit will be shown on the
screen with five balloons. He will ask the child to click on the balloon
which features a specific color, shape, letter or number. If he clicks on
a wrong answer, it will simply be removed from the screen. A correct
answer gets a short little ditty. I believe the child should be told the
name of his incorrect choices and that he should receive more positive
encouragement than a short sound bit. Instructions will be repeated if
the rabbit is clicked upon.
The talking mouse hosts the games for learning differences. This
interface features five balloons and one will be different from the
others. The child's task is to find the different object. Again, wrong
answers are removed if they are clicked upon without the item being named.
Correct answers get a disappointing little music bit.
Another four tasks involve finding objects which are the same. The
interface consists a turtle holding a balloon featuring the target object.
The child must then find the match from five other balloons on the screen.
Picking an incorrect answer causes that balloon to pop without that object
being named. Correct answers again get a three or four note music bit.
The turtle will give instructions when he is clicked upon.
The seven remaining activities all have unique interfaces although they
all suffer from the lack of positive, vocal encouragement for correct
responses.
Concentration game has no audible instructions. It is designed as a two-
player game but an individual can play alone. There is no computer
opponent option. The player who is out of turn is indicated by a picture
of a sleeping animal with zzz's coming from its mouth. Click on the
squares to turn them over to match the pictures underneath. A little bell
will sound when a match is made and the computer will keep track of the
score.
The Alphabet Adventure has no audible instructions. Four blocks with
letters are shown to the left of a large illustration. The computer will
describe the picture and state the first letter of its name. The child
must then choose the beginning letter the object from one of the four
shown. The program will repeat the description if the child clicks on the
picture. If a wrong letter is clicked upon, the program will announce it
and then remove that letter as a choice. Positive feedback is a few
musical notes.
Count Off again fails to have audible instructions or help. The game's
objective is to count the marching band members shown on the street. The
child can click on each member so they will count off aloud. Members which
have been counted will quit marching and will not be counted aloud again.
Incorrect responses will be stated aloud and then removed from the screen.
This section again has little positive feedback. This activity does not
use the stop sign icon but a banner marked "Exit" to return to the main
screen. The "next" banner is used to skip a problem.
The Coloring Book allows the child to color four outlined pictures and a
blank page. This simple pain program has sixteen colors, two paint
brushes and a fill icon. Pictures can be printed to be colored with
crayons, markers, etc. The last painted image of each picture is saved. A
kaleidoscope icon allows the child to simulate an LSD trip! Sorry, that's
a bad attempt at humor. The icon does cause the picture to meld, fold and
rotate like a kaleidoscope. That's interesting but not particularly
educational. Again, no audible help is available to the child.
The Jumbled Picture activity again has no audible instructions. The child
must click on the picture once to have it jumbled, then click again to
stop the mixing. The puzzle is solved by clicking on a puzzle piece and
then clicking where it should be located. Four different pictures are
available using six to twelve pieces. This exercise should aid in
developing problem solving and logic skills.
Marimba is the last activity and it again has no audible instruction. The
child can play six different songs by clicking on the colored keys to the
pattern of the displayed sheet music or he can listen to the song by
clicking on the ear. He can also make original songs by clicking on the
keys to make xylophone music. This program does not have the option of
recording and playing back the original creations of your child. Piano
sounds are used for song playbacks and are scratchy and distorted on my SB
PRO audio card. This music is easily heard and distinguished though.
The user guide contains no technical help nor is a phone number provided
for technical support. The program should run flawlessly on a properly
configured system but most manuals do provide helpful hints should you
have trouble. The map provided in the booklet is incorrect on the
activities associated with several characters in the marching band. The
menu bar is hidden and is accessed by pressing CTRL-spacebar on Windows
machines. The program has the option of an adult password to prevent the
child from leaving the program without the parent's consent.
Graphics are colorful in the tradition of many children's books using
lots of bright colors. Some animations are jerky or do not look like
natural movements. Lips are definitely not synched with the sound. The
sounds are good usually, especially the marching band song. Voiced
instructions are easily heard and understood. Not many sound effects are
used. The one problem was the poor sound quality of the piano playback in
the Marimba game.
The interface needs improvement. Some activities do not have audible
instructions or help. The clicking and dragging of lines in some matching
activities is difficult for younger children to master. The lack of
feedback is a serious flaw. The magic of the computer is that it can
easily provide enthusiastic responses to correct answers long after a
loving parent has become too tired show the proper enthusiasm. In
instances where an incorrect answer is chosen, I believe the child should
be told the name of the object, letter or color he has chosen and reminded
of his intended target. Inaccuracies in the program booklet regarding the
map of activities are a minor inconvenience and do not affect gameplay.
Play value is average to below average. The lack of positive feedback does
not encourage the child to continue the activities for too long. Many of
these exercises are the computer equivalent of flash cards. Do you
remember those fondly? I think not. Another problem is that most of the
exercises have no conclusion. The child continues an activity until he is
bored with it, which won't take too long because of the lack of positive
feedback. If the parent or teacher provides the necessary feedback, the
child probably will play long enough to learn.
Educational value is good in that the program covers many subjects
necessary for preschoolers to learn before entering kindergarten. The
design of the exercises seems good except the lack of positive feedback to
encourage long enough sessions with the program. If you purchase this
program, you MUST provide the missing encouragement to get a full return
on this software investment.
Bang for the Buck. Preschool Parade sells for about $40 retail. This
program is only a good buy if a parent is willing to provide the
encouragement and incentives that this program failed to include. It does
have a good educational basis but this program seems quite primitive in
comparison with its competition. If this program is updated to overcome
its shortcomings, it could be a good buy but I cannot recommend it in its
current form.
Ratings
Graphics ........... 8.0
Sounds ............. 7.0
Interface .......... 6.0
Play Value ......... 6.0
Educational Value .. 7.0
Bang for the Buck .. 6.0
Average ............ 6.67
###
Activision announced recently that it has signed an agreement with Jim
Henson Productions for the development of Muppet Treasure Island. This
program will be the first title in a new product line called "Adventures
Games That Teach." Activision intends to use high production values and
Hollywood talent to bolster the Activision for Kids label to major
contender status in the children's software market.
Activision will bring children into the fantasy world of Robert Louis
Stevenson's Treasure Island by using 3-D backgrounds and live action
footage of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. The program is intended to
combine storytelling with educational activities that will delight and
educate both children and parents. Muppet Treasure Island has an expected
release date of Thanksgiving, 1995.
Activision also plans to bring many of its best-selling titles from the
80's back to prominence in the 90's. The first of these titles was last
year's successful release of the multimedia adventure, Return to Zork.
The next of the Infocom text adventures to get the multimedia treatment
will be Steve Meretzky's Planetfall. Additional material will be provided
by Hans Beimler and Richard Manning who wrote screenplays for several
years for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Activision is also planning
another return to the magical world of Zork with an unnamed title due in
1995.
In the first quarter of 1995, Activision promises to release two
compilations of Windows versions of their best titles from the Atari 2600
video system. These compilations will include ten to fifteen titles each
and will include titles such as Pitfall!, Kaboom!, River Raid and Chopper
Command. The games will be true to the originals and will come on a
choice of floppy disk or CD-rom. So parents will now get the chance to
show their children what gaming used to be like without having to hook up
an aging game console. Anybody up for a game of Freeway?
And speaking of classics, Activision is bringing a new Pitfall! adventure
to the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo and the PC. Pitfall: The Mayan
Adventure features the son of the original Harry in more spine-tingling
adventures. Fight crocodiles and explore abandoned mines. The program
will feature traditional cell animation by Kroyer Films, the company which
produced the animated feature, FernGully: The Last Rain Forest. Hidden
within the game will be a replication of the original Atari 2600 game.
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure should be available in retail outlets soon.
###
Edmark Corporation announces the imminent release of Imagination Express,
an interactive storybook maker for kids of all ages. The program will be
available on CD-rom for both Windows and Macintosh machines.
Imagination Express uses Theme Packs, each having its own unique art style
and containing hundreds of character and object stickers, richly
illustrated backgrounds, animations, video clips, sound bites, educational
tips and more. Children can then create stories by making scenes, adding
text, music, dialogue and narration. Stories can be played back on the
computer or printed out for sharing. Edmark included some samples of
color and laser output and it is beautiful.
Imagination Express will ship with the Destination: Neighborhood Theme
Pack which features characters and scenes of typical American life. As a
special introductory offer, a bonus Theme Pack, Destination: Castle will
be included. Destination: Castle features dragons, knights and more.
This program contains proprietary technology to allow images to be
automatically sized for the proper perspective as they are moved about the
screen. If an image is moved to the back of the picture, it will become
smaller. Objects can also be placed in front of or behind other objects
on the screen. For example, a character could be placed inside a house to
peek out a window.
The Adult Options section will allow parents to restrict tools to make the
program simpler for younger users or to enable all the tools to allow
older children to make complex multimedia productions.
Theme Packs will include Story Ideas via video clips of children
discussion story lines. A Fact Book is included with fascinating
information concerning each theme. Also included is a Dear Parents
section which gives tips to parents on getting the most out of the
software for their children.
Imagination Express will retail for $40 and will be available through
major software retailers and software catalogs. A School Version will be
made available in 1995. Additional Theme Packs will also be made
available in early 1995 but no pricing information is available at this
time. For more information, call Edmark Customer Service at 206-556-8484.
###
Items coming up for review in the Kids' Computing Corner include a
Wallobee Jack adventure from WordPerfect MainStreet, Wanderoos Go
Exploring by Optical Data Interactive, Word Stuff and Adventures in Flight
from Sanctuary Woods, and Thinkin' Things Collection 1 on CD-rom and
Thinkin' Things Collection 2 on floppy disk from Edmark.
The Internet mailing list is still under construction. More details on
that as they become available. Meanwhile, please contact me via the
following addresses:
Internet: FRANK.SERENO@uti.com
FidoNET: Frank Sereno at 1:2235/10
U.S. Mail: 528 West Ave.
Morris, IL 60450
As always, I thank you for reading!
__________________________________________
> COMDEX FALL'94 STR Spotlight Highlights & Information
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
MICROSOFT ONLINE SERVICE
========================
It was supposed to be a secret in the electronic world: "Microsoft is
organizing an online service." And as most Gates offerings are, it is
going to be quite elaborate. The prototype name is Marvel, it was
unveiled this past week at Comdex Fall'94 in Las Vegas. It has Internet
and everything else the other services offer. It will however, be an
integral part of Windows 95. This means that when Microsoft ships a
projected 20 million copies of Windows 95 during its first in release,
starting in mid-1995, Marvel will have the potential of generating a
membership of huge numbers. Of course, time will tell.
Marvel Now Microsoft Network
============================
Marvel, the online service to accompany Windows-95, has been publicly
renamed Microsoft Network. The online service will be offered with
Microsoft's operating system, Windows-95. Bill Gates offered, "We see
Microsoft Network as an opportunity to innovate this market. Currently,
less than 10% of the users who get on a service stay on. The existing
services are too slow, too complicated and offer no unique content. We
will not measure ourselves on content, but instead will focus on unique
developments and technology. "
IBM ANNOUNCES OVERNIGHT REPAIR FOR THINKPADS
============================================
Portable computer users who are constantly on the road all claim the
biggest problem with getting a notebook PC repaired may be that the owner
doesn't stay in one place long enough. IBM is addressing the situation by
establishing a new repair service for the ThinkPad notebooks. "EasyServ"
overnight repair option allows traveling ThinkPad users give a
malfunctioning computer to FedEx. Who then delivers it to the special
Technology Service Solutions repair center. The center is a joint venture
IBM established with Eastman Kodak Co. The service is designed to accept
the defective machine, repair it and ship it back to whatever the
designated destination may be via FedEx overnight.
"PLUG & PLAY" HDTV CAMERAS FOR PCS/MACS AT COMDEX
=================================================
EG&G Reticon displayed three new imaging peripherals for PCs and Macs
that are billed as the very first "plug-and-play" HDTV (high definition
television) desktop cameras. "There are two types' of HDTV: HDTV for
broadcast use, and higher resolution HDTV for scientific imaging". EG&G's
1024 by 1024 pixel HDTV cameras provide the higher resolution required for
scientific imaging, at prices starting at under $5,000.
COMDEX - Gates Keynotes
=======================
Bill Gates of Microsoft opened the 1994 COMDEX-Fall'94 in Las Vegas
with a keynote address done from the Aladdin Hotel Theater for the
Performing Arts. Gates began his keynote address by saying that the pace
of change has never been greater, and that the information highway is now
being shaped. He said there are 40 million PCs sold every year and he
expects the growth to continue. "The pace of innovation is the key to
growth," he said, "and processor performance is also key."
FED'S #2 MAN GOES TO IBM
========================
The FBI'S No. 2 "BOSS MAN" retires as of 12/30/94. Namely, Deputy
Director David Binney, who joined the FBI in 1970. Binney will assume the
position of Director of Security for IBM Corp. in Armonk, N.Y.
Over the course of the next three weeks, we shall be presenting a
good deal more of Comdex info. The flow of information about new products
being shown from Wireless Networks to Calamus NT has been overwhelming.
Once its all sorted out it'll be presented in a uniform format. It
promises to be quite a job.
____________________________________________
> Micrografx Designer STR FOCUS! HINTS & KINKS!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
MICROGRAFX DESIGNER HINTS
=========================
1) Many of the Designers dialog boxes have a lot of extra functionality in
them. In the upper right hand corner of some dialogs is a little button
with 2 arrow pointing to the right. This is the Details button. When
pressed the dialog box will open up to show extra and sometimes more
advanced options to do. Here is a list of the dialogs that have this
function.
File Save - Reveals the description field.
Page Setup - Show a preview of the page that you are creating.
Transform - Enables the transform stack for combining symbol rotation,
scaling and movements.
Spell Checker - Reveals custom dictionaries.
Palette Manager - Reveals the 2 and 4 color automatic color mixer.
2) There are two ways in designer to select symbols with a mouse. The
default ways is called visible picking and it requires that you click on
the fill or the edge of a symbol. This allows a more natural way of
selecting what you see. The second method, overlapped picking, allows you
select symbols whose bounding boxes are beneath the mouse cursor. It is
active by holding ALT key while picking. This is useful quickly selecting
overlapped or obscured symbols that cannot be selected by the visible
method. Continuing to click while the ALT key is down will cycle
through all the symbols whose bonds are fall within the cursor.
3) Clicking the right mouse button on the work area brings the mouse menus
actions for the current mode. Holding the ALT key down when right clicking
will perform any user defined designer command. This is useful for
performing common commands very quickly. The user may set the right mouse
command in the preferences dialog.
4) You can quickly change the symbol colors with any line or fill style by
simply clicking in the Floating or Ribbon Color Palettes. Left clicking a
color changes the primary fill color, while shift left clicking a color
changes the secondary fill color. Primary colors are the solid, starting
gradient, hatch, symbol, and bitmap colors. Secondary colors are the
background and ending gradient colors. Right clicking or shift right
clicking changes the primary and secondary colors of the line.
5) Clicking the system menu button of the floating palette brings up a
menu of all the palette management functions. This includes: adding,
deleting, sorting colors and arranging colors as well as enabling color
names, changing palettes, and spawning the palette manager dialog.
6) Clicking Fill style button in the status bar with the right mouse
button will make that style the default style. Clicking the Line style
button in the status bar will the right mouse button will make that line
style default. Making a style default means that any symbols created after
that point will have that style. Left clicking these buttons brings up the
line or fill dialogs.
7) The status bar at the bottom of the workspace has several handy picture
buttons. These are the snap points, snap to rulers, zoom page, zoom in,
zoom out picture buttons. Clicking on these pictures will perform the
particular action or command.
8) You can add any command to the designer toolbar. Just use the menu
command File > Preferences > Toolbox to bring up the toolbox dialog which
allows you to customize your interface.
9) Profiles are a collection of all of your preferences. You may want to
use a different profile for different kinds of work (such as graphic
design or technical illustration). You may want to change preferences for
one particular session or project, and then return to your normal
preferences. The profile document stores such things as your styles,
palettes, units, and tools. Use the menu File > Preferences > Profile
bring up the Profile dialog. This dialog will allow you to add, delete,
change and save your different profiles.
10) Moving while drawing - This useful feature allows you to move a symbol
before you finish drawing it. While drawing a symbol such as a rectangle,
press and hold the right mouse button without releasing the left mouse
button. While both buttons are down you can move the symbol to where you
want it. Let go of the right button and you can continue drawing.
11) Choose the Add View command (Shift+F4) in the Window menu to open
another window for the current drawing, so that you can have an additional
view of the file. You can use the additional view to see two different
zoom levels at once or to view two different pages at once.
12) The ClipArt Manager lets you insert a ClipArt item into your document
either by double clicking the item in the ClipArt window or by dragging
the item from the ClipArt window and dropping it into your document. Both
methods are quick and easy to use. You can use either method in button
view. You must use the double-click method from file view.
13) The Fill After Line command in the Overlap menu in the Style ribbon
causes the line fill to be drawn on top of the interior fill. This only
applies to symbols with wide lines. This allows you to hide some
overlapping lines of a symbol.
14) In Reshape, to add point, point to where you want the point, press
Shift, and click. The point is added. Release Shift. Be sure to click
rather than pressing the mouse button.
15) In Reshape, if you press and hold Shift while you move the control
point of an unlocked cusp, it behaves as if it were a locked cusp. If you
press and hold Ctrl, it behaves as if it were a symmetrical curve.
16) You can use the constraint buttons in the ribbon to restrict or change
how a symbol draws. For example, selecting the Proportional Constraint
button forces a rectangle to draw as a square. If you're drawing ellipses,
the same button forces an ellipse to draw as a perfect circle.
Pressing Ctrl as you draw constrained lines or forces horizontal and
vertical movements.
Pressing Ctrl as you draw rectangular or elliptical shapes to draw as
perfect squares or circles.
Pressing Shift as you draw also reverses the direction when creating
symbols from a single side.
Pressing Shift as you draw circles, lines and squares will make them draw
from the center.
_________________________________________
> ZEOS International STR InfoFile STReport Mini-Series
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
ZEOS INTERNATIONAL, LTD.
A DREAM SYSTEM!
Let's begin the fifth article in an STReport mini-series based on
what can only be called a "Dream System" with the ZEOS International 90MHZ
Pentium at the center. Through the course of the mini-series, we shall
cover in detail the installation of each of the custom peripherals which
are listed below.
The Peripheral List:
--------------------
A)- 2 1083 Mb Western Digital 31000a Enhanced IDE Hard Drives
B)- 1 Teac CDROM CD55a 4x Drive
C)- 1 Mitsumi IDE CDROM Drive
D)- 1 Archive Viper 250mb SCSI Tape Backup
E)- 1 Sound Blaster AWE32 Sound Card w 2mb & Roland SCD-15 Daughter
Board.
F)- 1 Maxtor 340Mb SCSI Hard Disk
G)- 1 Canon IX-4015 SCSI Color Scanner 1200lpi w/ADF
H)- 1 Fargo Primera Pro Color Printer 600dpi
I)- 1 Hewlett Packard Laser Jet 4P Printer 600dpi
J)- MAG Innovision MX17F Color Monitor 17" Non-Interlaced
K)- 1 USRobotics Dual Standard V.34/V.FC/28.8 External Modem
L)- Adaptec 1542cf SCSI
Busmaster card & EZ SCSI Software
along with a few other items yet to be made mention of.
Installation of DOS 6.22 & WFWG 3.11
SET-UP of System
by Ralph F. Mariano
In addition to reporting on the installation of the AWE32 card, its
entourage, the Corel 5 package and the various SCSI peripheral
installations, a few surprises arrived this past week that'll be included.
Let's begin shall we? The AWE 32 card... is BIG.. REAL BIG in fact,
there are some who thought it would not fit in this ZEOS Pantera. It did
fit rather nicely and now the only thing that's BIG is its sound output.
The AWE 32 has to be the "sound card for all occasions" and of course
running in the Zeos only makes it better. Two megabytes of ram were
installed on the Awe32 along with a Roland SCD-15 while it was out, within
easy reach. Connected to the AWE is a TEAC CD55a 4x CDROM. This
configuration, including ZEOS with its own IDE CDROM allows for easy twin
CDROM usage. You ask what would you use TWO CDROMS for? That's easy...
first, after we installed COREL 5 from CD to run from CD, we can now keep
the CD for the Corel programs in one CD and the other CD can be used to
access all the great clipart and photo-CD libraries. You see, Corel
allows you to install the ensemble at a minimum to the hard drive and run
the entire package from the CD. The "catch" is you must leave the CD in
the drive when running Corel. Thus, the second CDROM becomes quite
useful.
The Adaptec 1542cf SCSI card "slipped" right in the slot and wham!
We were up and running the SCSI2 Hard disk and the Archiver Tape B/U. It
was real nice to simply run the tapes back into the hard disks and have
the system up and running smartly in no time at all. SCSI is amazing. As
long as you pay attention to your termination setups the system is super
easy to handle. The Canon IX-4015 Color Scanner was hooked up and running
in no time flat. This is a dynamite scanner with gigantic output and a
very small footprint. It plugged right into the Adaptec SCSI bus and
worked as intended. The Canon ships with OFOTO. This has to be one of
the very best scanner managers I've ever had the pleasure to use.
As mentioned, the test of the "new" was about to occur. During the
past week, a number of software packages arrived. Among those the two we
mentioned in the editorial, Photoshop 3 from Adobe and the Delrina
Communications Suite were the most enticing. Cutting to the quick, both
installed flawlessly and were up and running in no time. Both programs
will be reviewed in depth in the next few weeks. Needless to say they
were both _very_ impressive. If any of you have any questions about the
hardware, as mentioned above, please don't hesitate to drop us a line. If
you'd like further information about the ZEOS Pantera Pentium 90 let us
know, we'll make sure you receive a prompt reply.
Next week; the Zeos Pantera P90 and the peripherals we are now
receiving. Their installation, setup and use will be fully described. I
might add, so far, everything we've "asked" of the Zeos Pantera has been
met and done without so much as a whimper. The machine is remarkable.
While I'm at it, I'd like to thank those of you who've written to let us
know you decided to purchase a ZEOS Pantera Pentium based on what we had
to offer in our humble pages. You made the right choice that's for sure.
Thanks for reading us.
______________________________________________________
> WFWG 3.11 STR Feature Optimizing WFWG 3.11
"""""""""""""""""""""
OPTIMIZING WINDOWS FOR WORKGROUPS 3.11
======================================
If you just installed Windows for Workgroups 3.11, you might be
wondering if you have it set up correctly. This file offers some
suggestions for initial optimization, plus other sources of information on
problems and questions.
The information contained herein was compiled by former MSWFWG MVP
Sue Mosher (75140,543) with the help of former MVP David Warren
(74774,1310) and MVPs Mike Crabtree (100023,1005) and Jim Blakely
(74431,1604), co-author of Windows 3.1 Configuration Secrets, which
contains many more tips and tricks.
OPTIMIZATION
============
Windows for Workgroups 3.11 includes a number of features that can
make your system run faster. Because these don't work on all systems,
Microsoft doesn't set them up by default. You must do that on each
system.
Details on how to optimize specific WFWG settings appear below, along
with some general things to check after installing WFWG. The first three
settings appear in Control Panel, Enhanced, Virtual Memory.
1. Enable 32-bit disk access if your hard drive and controller are
compatible.
Usually (but not always), the 32-bit disk access checkbox will be
grayed if your hardware is incompatible. You should NOT enable 32-bit
disk access if your hard drive controller is not WD1003-compatible, if
your drive is partitioned for more than 1024 cylinders or if you're on a
battery-powered machine. If you're using power management software that
spins down your drive during inactive periods, check with the vendor to
see if 32-bit disk access is OK.
2. Enable 32-bit file access. If you have 4mb RAM, set the cache to 512.
For 6mb RAM, use 1024. (With less than 8mb RAM, you will probably want to
disable SMARTDRV. See #4 below). With 8mb or more RAM, after adding 32-bit
file access cache plus SMARTDRV cache, you should be left with at least
6mb RAM. (That minimum figure can be 4mb on a dedicated WFWG server.)
Another way to look at it is that 32-bit file access cache plus SMARTDRV
cache should not exceed more than 25% of the total RAM on a workstation.
3. Set up a permanent swap file. Usually the number Windows suggests is
right for your system, about 1-2 times the RAM size, up to a maximum of
16mb. Note that a permanent swap file must be set up on an uncompressed
local drive. If your main drive is compressed, it really is worth the
effort to reconfigure its size to leave enough room on the uncompressed
partition for the swap file.
The next settings concern AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS. The best way to
edit them from within Windows is with the SYSEDIT program.
4. If you have less than 8mb RAM, remove SMARTDRV from AUTOEXEC.BAT. If
you have 8mb RAM or more, you may want to consider removing SMARTDRV if
you don't need it. With 32-bit file access turned on, SMARTDRV caches
only floppies and CD-ROM. If you use CD-ROM or floppies extensively, you
may want to increase the Windows cache, the second number in the SMARTDRV
command line, since turning on 32-bit file access reduces it to 128. See
#2 above for recommendations on total system cache size.
5. Check AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS for other commands you might no
longer need if you're running Windows. Depending on the way you work,
these may have included the MOUSE driver, DOSKEY and other TSRs. If you
have any doubt, remark it out for now, rather than remove it completely.
Be especially cautious with drivers in CONFIG.SYS. Have a boot disk handy
just in case.
6. Once you have AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS streamlined, use a memory
optimization program to get the best configuration. If you're using
EMM386 for memory management, you'll use the Memmaker program. Otherwise,
use the optimization routine that came with your memory manager.
NOVELL ISSUES
=============
If you are running WFWG over Novell NetWare, it is crucial that you have
the latest Novell client files. The list below was current as of
10/10/94.
Download the file(s) you need by doing GO NOVFILES and picking from the
list. Note that if you're using ODI drivers, you should get VLMUP1.EXE,
even if you're using NETX instead of VLMs.
File Notes
NET33X.EXE Latest NETX & NETWARE.DRV Files (DOS & Windows!)
NOT required for VLM users.
VLMUP1.EXE * Latest DOS ODI drivers & VLM's (v1.20)
Required for all ODI users, including NW4.02
NWDLL11.EXE Latest Windows DLL's for VLM's & NETX
Required for ALL Windows/WFWG users (inc. NW4.02)
WINDRV1.EXE * Latest Windows drivers(No NETX Netware.drv-see NET33X)
Required for ALL Windows/WFWG users(inc. NW4.02).
* NOTE:
VLMUP1 & WINDRV1 are upgrades to VLM clients as supplied with NW3.12 and
higher. NW 3.11 and prior users must order the VLM Client Kit ($99 for a
corporate license). Call 1-800-UPDATE1 or GO NOVFILES to place your order.
After installing the kit, apply the appropriate updates.
Further Notes:
PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THE TXT & DOC FILES CONTAINED IN THESE UPDATES!
WFWG 3.11 and 3COM users: - Important patch from Microsoft
If you using WFWG and 3com (specfically 3c509) get WG1004.EXE from MSL
(see below). Also GO ASKFORUM for new 3Com drives (esp. 3c503) as those
that ship with NW3.12 & 4.0x do not work with 32-bit file access.
MSWFWG, MSKB and MSL
====================
If you downloaded this file from the MSWFWG forum on CompuServe, then
you probably already know that you can get a lot of helpful information
there. Help will come faster if you give your messages titles that
describe your problem and include information on your hardware and
software configuration. Make sure that you post your messages in the
proper section to speed a response.
The Microsoft Knowledge Base (GO MSKB) contains thousands of articles
that can help you solve problems and decide whether a particular piece of
hardware will work with your system. Search for "Windows for Workgroups"
in the document text to get the most inclusive list of relevant documents.
Several updated files for WFWG 3.11 have been released to resolve
particular problems. Here is a list of those available from the Microsoft
Software Library (GO MSL) as of this writing, along with Microsoft's brief
description of the problem. The MSL also contains WFWG drivers for EGA,
CGA and Hercules monitors and Microsoft's DLC and TCP/IP protocols. To
search for all MSL files related to Windows for Workgroups, use the
keyword "WFWG." To download any of the application notes listed below,
choose to download the filename e.g. WG0970.EXE.
WG0970: VNETBIOS.386 CORRECTS REAL-MODE TRANSPORT PROBLEMS
If you run multiple real-mode transports with Windows for Workgroups
when the protected-mode redirector (VREDIR.386) and the protected-mode
server (VSERVER.386) are loaded, you eventually run out of network
control blocks (NCBs). As a result, you receive the following
error message:
Too many outstanding commands.
The updated VNETBIOS.386 file included with this Application Note
corrects this problem by allotting more hardware control blocks (HCBs)
WG0971: NDIS2SUP.386 CORRECTS PROBLEMS RESTARTING WINDOWS
FOR
WORKGROUPS ON TOKEN RING MACHINES
You may have problems quitting Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 on
systems using the NDIS version 2 IBM token ring driver (IBMTOK.DOS). If
you run, quit, and then restart Windows for Workgroups (without restarting
the computer), the computer usually stops responding (hangs). With this
driver, you may also notice that your video display is reset after you
quit Windows for Workgroups. For example, if your video display is set to
50-line mode before you run Windows for Workgroups, it may be reset to 25-
line mode after you quit.
This Application Note contains a new NDIS 2.0/3 support layer file
(NDIS2SUP.386) to correct these problems.
[Note: See WG0988 below for another potential problem with IBM Token Ring
cards.]
WG0973: RMM.D32 CORRECTS FIVE-SECOND DELAY
WHEN STARTING WINDOWS(TM)-BASED APPLICATIONS
When you start a Windows-based application under Windows for
Workgroups 3.11, you may experience a five-second delay before any disk
activity occurs and the application begins to load. This delay occurs if
you have 32-bit file access enabled and you are using one of the following
network configurations:
MSIPX
Novell(R) NE2000.COM ODI driver and IPXODI
NOTE: Microsoft has confirmed this problem occurs with version 1.34
of the NE2000 multiple link interface device (MLID) driver (dated
6/3/91) and the versions included in the Novell DOSUP7 and DOSUP8
client files (dated 1/18/93 and 7/30/93, respectively).
This delay is caused by the 32-bit file access real-mode mapper
(RMM.D32) timing out. Once the application loads, it runs at normal speed
because it is now stored in the 32-bit disk cache (VCACHE.386).
You can work around this delay by disabling 32-bit file access or by
installing the updated RMM.D32 file contained on the WG0973 disk included
with this Application Note. The updated RMM.D32 file is not hard-coded for
a five-second time-out. Instead, it has a one-second
default time-out and can be configured using the RMMTimout= entry in the
SYSTEM.INI file.
[Note: The current versions of NetWare support files are contained in
DOSUP9.EXE and WINUP9.EXE.]
WG0974: VKDA.386 CORRECTS KEYBOARD PROBLEMS ON AMBRA COMPUTERS
When you start Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 on an Ambra
computer, your system may stop responding (hang) at the password
dialog box or in Program Manager (if you set your password to null
during Setup). The WG0974 disk included with this Application Note
contains a new virtual keyboard driver to correct this problem.
WG0988: IBMTOK.386 CORRECTS PROBLEMS
WITH EXITING WINDOWS FOR WORKGROUPS
When you use the Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 IBMTOK.386 driver,
you may experience the following problems:
- A stack overflow error message occurs when you exit Windows for
Workgroups.
- Your system stops responding (hangs) when you exit Windows for
Workgroups.
This Application Note contains a new IBMTOK.386 driver to correct these
problems. The new driver allows the MCA IBM(R) token ring card to
correctly disengage from the network ring when the network interface card
(NIC) is set for IRQ 2.
[Note: See WG0971 above for another potential problem with IBM Token Ring
cards.]
WG0991: UPDATED NE2000.386 ALLOWS
WINDOWS FOR WORKGROUPS TO START CORRECTLY
When you use the Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 NE2000.386
driver with a Novell NE/2 network interface card (NIC), your system may
stop responding (hang) when you try to start Windows for Workgroups.
This Application Note contains an updated NE2000.386 driver to correct
this problem.
WG0992: UPDATED FILES FOR MICROSOFT AT WORK(TM) PC FAX VERSION 1.0
==================================================================
This Application Note contains updated files for Microsoft At Work PC Fax
version 1.0 that correct a number of problems:
WG1001: UPDATED SERIAL.386 DRIVER FOR WINDOWS(TM) FOR WORKGROUPS
================================================================
When you use Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 with serial
communications software, you may experience the following problems:
- If you are using a Pentium(TM)-based machine with a 16550 UART chip,
your system stops responding (hangs) if there is data in the chip when the
serial communications application attempts to open the communications
port.
A problem with the 16550 UART implementation causes the chip to become
trapped in a mode in which data is always detected in its FIFO buffer.
- When you are using communications software, you may be able to make one
connection after starting Windows for Workgroups, but any subsequent
connections fail and may hang your system.
This problem occurs when SERIAL.386 sends an extra NUL character
through the port when the communications software calls the CloseComm
application program interface (API) function. While this does not normally
cause problems, your second connection may fail with some modems.
This Application Note contains an updated SERIAL.386 driver that corrects
both of these problems.
WG1004: UPDATED MSODISUP FILE CORRECTS PROBLEMS
USING 3COM(R) 3C509 AND 3C5X9 ODI MLIDS
If you use the 3Com EtherLink(R) III (3c509) network interface card
(NIC) and a 3Com ODI MLID (3C509.COM or 3C5X9.COM) with Windows for
Workgroups version 3.11 and Novell NetWare is installed as your secondary
network, your system may:
- Stop responding (hang) when you copy large files across the network.
-or-
- Inadvertently lose network connections.
This Application Note contains an updated MSODISUP.386 file that
corrects both of these problems. The updated file correctly adjusts the
counter for the number of outstanding packets to be copied off the NIC
after the MLID fails to copy an incoming packet off the NIC.
This Application Note also contains an updated NETWORK.INF file that
corrects binding entry errors with the 3Com EtherLink III 3c5x9 driver.
The updated NETWORK.INF uses MLID=*:3C5X9.COM instead of MLID=*:3C509.COM.
WG1027: UPDATED NWLINK.386 ALLOWS ROUTING ACROSS CISCO ROUTER
=============================================================
When you are using the Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 NWLINK.386
file to connect to a network that uses a Cisco router, the following
problems may occur:
- Windows for Workgroups workstations configured with the "IPX/SPX
Compatible Transport with NetBIOS" option cannot communicate across a
Cisco router when both Novell routing and DECnet routing are enabled.
-or-
- A Windows for Workgroups workstation displays the "Error 51: Failure to
Connect" message in response to the NET USE \\<SERVER>\<SHARENAME>
COMMAND.
These problems occur when NWLINK.386 does not correctly handle
certain Cisco router addresses that begin with the letter A. Any address
with the high-order bit set on an end or intermediate system results in
NWNBlink truncating the routing address, which causes the network
connection to fail.
This Application Note contains a revised NWLINK.386 file that corrects
this problem.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
A T T E N T I O N -- A T T E N T I O N -- A T T E N T I O N
FARGO PRIMERA PRO COLOR PRINTERS - 600DPI
For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent
to you that demonstrates FARGO Primera & Primera Pro SUPERIOR QUALITY
600dpi 24 bit Photo Realistic Color Output, please send a Self Addressed
Stamped Envelope [SASE] (business sized envelope please) to:
STReport's Fargo Printout Offer
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155
Folks, the FARGO Primera Pro has GOT to be the best yet. Its far superior
to the newest of Color Laser Printers selling for more than three times as
much. Its said that ONE Picture is worth a thousand words. Send for this
sample now. Guaranteed you will be amazed at the superb quality. (please,
allow at least a one week turn-around)
A T T E N T I O N -- A T T E N T I O N -- A T T E N T I O N
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
: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.
Fire up that high-speed modem and head for your favorite GEnie Software
Library! Effective October 10, 1994, you'll be able to participate in an
open beta test, offering access to GEnie Services at 9600 bps for as
little as $5.00 per hour.
As a result of an arrangement with Sprint, GEnie will be offering 9600 bps
access from almost 300 SprintNet locations. Best of all, this high-speed
access will not be subject to high-priced surcharges. The normal $2.00
per hour SprintNet surcharge will apply...even at 9600 bps! This open
beta test is expected to run through the end of the year.
To find the number of the SprintNet access number nearest you, simply type
PHONES at any GEnie menu prompt (or use the "Move To Keyword" option in
GEnie for Windows and type PHONES). Remember, this rate applies only to
9600 bps access via SprintNet. So be sure to choose the access number
showing "9600" in the "Baud Rate" column AND "SprintNet" in the "Network"
column.
From the "Fine Print" department, please note that the $2.00 per hour
surcharge for SprintNet access is applicable even during your initial four
hours of monthly usage.
So, whether you're into downloading software, reading bulletin boards, or
accessing databases, it's about to become cheaper to do it faster!
GEnie Information Services copyright (C) 1994 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)
> CREATIVE NEWSWIRE STR InfoFile
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Creative Enters Compact Disc Recordable Market
with Digital Edge CD-R
Complete CD-R Solution for Under $2000
SINGAPORE -- November 14, 1994 -- Creative Technology Ltd
(Nasdaq:CREAf) today announced its initial entry into the
Compact Disc Recordable (CD-R) market with the introduction
of Digital Edge CD-R(tm), a complete write-once compact disc
authoring and data archival solution. Unlike traditional CD-
ROM, CD-R technology allows data to be written to a
specially constructed blank compact disc, which in turn can
be read by a standard CD player or CD-ROM drive. Recordable
CDs provide a solution for consumers who need to store,
transport, and have access to large quantities of data. CD-
Recordable discs are highly portable, can withstand enormous
amounts of abuse and offer up to 650Mb of storage capacity.
Creative anticipates CD-R will be rapidly adopted by
mainstream consumers including corporate communications and
training departments, multimedia authors, and those
consumers looking for high capacity data archival
capabilities.
As the number one provider of CD-ROM multimedia upgrade
kits in the world, Creative is ideally positioned to develop
and bring to market a complete CD-R solution that supports
the major CD-ROM formats available today. The Digital Edge
CD-R will be introduced with an attractive suggested retail
price under US$2000. Creative anticipates the Digital Edge
CD-R will expand and transform the CD-R marketplace by
leveraging Creative's massive reseller network and customer
support services to deliver a complete high performance,
high value CD-R solution to the consumer market.
"It has been Creative's philosophy to bring balance to
the equation between expensive, high-end technology and
mainstream customer needs," said Sim Wong Hoo, CEO and
chairman of Creative Technology. "Digital Edge CD-R is no
exception -- CD-R technology has matured to where it can be
beneficial to corporate and small business customers.
Creative has priced our CD-R solution to encourage the
market to embrace this technology. Just as Creative brought
the first complete CD-ROM multimedia kit solution to market
three years ago and encouraged its growth into a standard
computing tool, we will do the same with CD-R."
Applications for CD-R technology include desktop
publishing, electronic pre-press, graphic design, small
volume data distribution, confidential data distribution,
back-ups/archiving, CD pre-mastering and multimedia
authoring. The introduction of the Digital Edge CD-R will
expand the capabilities of these markets by making the
technology for creating CDs available on a widespread basis.
The Digital Edge CD-R can store 650 Mb of data on a
single disc, which equals over 70 minutes of digital sound
or video. It features an external 5.25" half-height unit, a
SCSI-2 interface with rotary/DIP switch SCSI ID selection,
and a caddy-based transport (preferred for CD-R to reduce
the risk of a write failure). It has a 2X read, 2X write
capability and is one of the few solutions available today
that supports the major CD-ROM formats, including:
red book
- digital audio (ability to record or playback audio compact disc)
yellow book
- CD-ROM (ability to read/write to standard CD-ROM)
orange book
- multi-session (ability to add files on a recordable CD)
white book
- video CD (ability to playback MPEG encoded video)
To complete the software solution, Digital Edge CD-R
will come supplied with CD-R authoring software from InCat
Systems Software USA, Inc. InCat Systems' EASY-CD PRO was
awarded the InfoWorld Buyers Assurance Seal for Microsoft
Windows- based CD-R authoring packages.
Digital Edge CD-R comes complete with InCat Systems'
EASY-CD PRO, a SCSI-2 interface card for the PC, SCSI cable
and five blank 74-minute recordable CDs. Initial shipments
will begin the end of December.
CONTACT INFORMATION
-------------------
Theresa Pulido Lisa Kimura
Creative Labs, Inc. Copithorne & Bellows
(408) 428-6600 ext. 6416 (415) 284-5200
****
Creative Technology Introduces
New Edition of Discovery CD(tm) 16 Multimedia Kit
SINGAPORE -- November 14, 1994 -- Creative Technology Ltd (Nasdaq: CREAf)
today introduced a new edition of the highly popular Discovery CD 16
Multimedia Kit. The new kit, with a suggested retail price of US$379.95,
is priced 10% higher than the original kit. The new kit will be available
in December, 1994.
The new edition of the Discovery CD 16 includes an additional four
titles: Ultima VIII, Strike Commander, and Wing Commander II, all from
ORIGIN Systems, and Syndicate Plus from Electronic Arts, for a total of 19
exciting software titles.
CONTACT INFORMATION
-------------------
Benita Kenn
Creative Labs, Inc.
(408) 428-6600 ext. 6406
Creative Technology Ltd develops, manufactures and markets a family
of sound and video multimedia products for PCs under the Blaster family
name. The company's Sound Blaster sound platform enables PCs to produce
high-quality audio for entertainment, educational, music and productivity
applications, and has been accepted as the industry standard sound
platform for PC-based software.
Creative Technology Ltd was incorporated in 1983 and is based in
Singapore. Creative Technology's U.S. subsidiaries include Creative Labs,
Inc., E-mu Systems, Inc., Digicom Systems, Inc. and ShareVision
Technology, Inc. Creative also has other subsidiaries in China, Europe,
Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan. The company's stock is traded on
Nasdaq under the symbol CREAf and on the Stock Exchange of Singapore.
# # #
Sound Blaster is a trademark of Creative Technology Ltd. E-mu is a
registered trademark of E-mu Systems, Inc. and ShareVision is a
registered trademark of ShareVision Technology, Inc. All other trademarks
are property of their respective owners and are hereby recognized as such.
________________________________________
> VIDEO & Windows STR FOCUS!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
MEDIA TRAFFIC Brings;
--------------------
VIDEO TO THE WINDOWS DESKTOP
============================
NEW YORK, NY, November 11, 1994 - Onlook Corporation, announces the
release of Media Traffic v1.0 for Windows, an application which adds
multimedia to the Windows interface. Media Traffic lets users attach
video, animation, graphics and sound to a list of over thirty system
events. Now anyone running Windows 3.1 can display video clips when
starting and/or ending Windows, play an animation sequence when quitting
an application, assign sound effects to the mouse and keyboard, and much,
much more! "With millions of Windows users through out the globe
possessing video capable computers and finding no opportunity to utilize
the media, the time has come for a program which provides a useful
solution," said Ray Sidwell, President of Onlook Corporation. "Media
Traffic is designed to make video, animation, graphics and sound an
integral and familiar part of the Windows experience. It's fun, fast, and
easy to use."
Media Traffic provides an easy-to-use interface which links the power of
the Windows operating system with the users own personality. No additional
scripting is required. Users simply attach their favorite multimedia files
to a list of events with the click of their mouse. It's that simple! Users
can even save their file assignments as separate "Maps", changing all the
settings with the press of a button.
A demonstration copy of Media Traffic can be found on a number of popular
on-line services like CompuServe and America Online (search "MTDEMO").
Media Traffic supports .AVI video, .FLI/.FLC animation, .BMP graphics,
and .WAV sound files. Sample video clips, sample sound files, Video for
Windows Player, and Autodesk Animator Player are all included. The program
retails for $34.95 and requires Windows 3.1, VGA 256-color display or
higher, 386 /SX-25 based system or higher, 4MB of RAM. A sound card or
speaker driver are highly recommended.
Onlook Corporation is a privately held software company founded in 1993.
Its President, Ray Sidwell, has worked in the film and video industry for
over nine years and is a leading film researcher in New York City.
Onlook Corporation
331 West 57th Street
Suite 264, New York, NY, 10019
Ray Sidwell, (800) 842-8944
Media Traffic is a trademark of Onlook Corporation. Windows is a trademark
of Microsoft Corporation. Autodesk Animator is a trademark of Autodesk,
Inc.
**********************************************************************
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!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
This is usually a bad week for Atari computer users, especially
for the past couple of years. Why? Well, the fall COMDEX show is just
winding down and since Atari is essentially out of the computer
business, they weren't in attendance.
Yes, if you're a dual-platform user, you'll be interested in the
goings-on from the show. And, you may be interested just because you
might be an information junkie. But for the rest of us, it's just a
sign of what was.
Why do I bring up such thoughts? I happened to get a message
about a week ago. It was an Internet address, and the name/handle
didn't ring any bells. However, the message wasn't inflammatory or
anything; it just thanked me for our efforts with STReport but "he" was
wondering why we continued with the Atari portion because "it's obvious
that Atari doesn't care..." Well, occasionally I do question why we
continue and I always come up with the same answer. We're here to help
keep Atari users, past, present, and possibly future, informed on
what's going on in our little community of users. Sometimes it's a
difficult task while at other times much easier. Doing STReport is
usually a lot of fun and it also helps me to focus on what's happening
whereas I might not "catch" it otherwise.
Also what helps us to maintain the Atari section of STReport in an
enthusiastic manner are the constant flow of well wishes and
appreciation of our efforts. It's even enjoyable to see an occasional
flame! We're the longest-running Atari-support magazine, whether it be
hard-copy or online. We're published EVERY week and we take a lot of
pride in our accomplishments.
We may not be a single Atari-specific magazine any longer, but we
seemed to have attracted a wide range of readers due to our multi-
platform diversity. I've had a number of E-mail messages letting me
know that even though a reader does NOT use an Atari computer, the
Atari portion is interesting and informative; and they're learning
about a platform that otherwise they might not have even known about!
So, with that in mind, COMDEX may be winding down and Atari
computers may be a thing for history; but there are many of us who will
still enjoy using them, and reading about them, for a long time to come.
Please have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday next week.
We'll see you all Friday, a little bloated perhaps, but satisfied!
Until next time...
Delphi's Atari Advantage!
TOP TEN DOWNLOADS (11/16/94)
(1) AHDI CONFIGURATION PRG. (6) OBSESSION PINBALL
(2) HACE NEWSLETTER ARTICLES (7) AVP MAPS (SUB-LEVEL 3)
(3) COMPLETE MAPS FOR AVP *(8) DR. NECRO DEMO
(4) GUCK 1.8 (ENGLISH) (9) PAGESTREAM LABEL PRINTING
(5) GUCK V1.8B ENGLISH DOCS *(10) LHARC 3.10 SHELL & ARCHIVER
* = 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 10.46)
Look for the above files in the RECENT ARRIVALS database.
__________________________________________
> CBZONE Released! STR InfoFile! - Latest Version of Battlezone Clone!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Release of CBZONE 1.0
Posted on behalf of Roland Givan, rgivan@cix.compulink.co.uk
Please direct any queries to Roland.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
My latest version of CBZONE has now been released.
This is a Battlezone type game ported from X-Windows, and runs on all
configurations of Atari (AFAICD). Its happiest most on a TT or Falcon
with FPU as it makes heavy use of floating point maths.
To support the HENSA ftp site, I am restricting its Internet distribution
to HENSA.
Site: micros.hensa.ac.uk
File: micros/atari/tos/p/p002/cbzone10.zip
Distribution outside of the Internet (PD libraries, BBS etc) is *not*
restricted.
CBZONE10.ZIP contains versions for the 68000 and the 68030/68882. It
also contains all source code to compile these (and other versions) as
well as all the original X-Windows stuff. The .zip file is approximately
150K long.
This .zip supercedes both CBZONE02.ZIP and CBZSRC02.ZIP which are
currently available on CIX.
Roland (rgivan@cix.compulink.co.uk)
> Ongoing Support! STR FOCUS!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Missionware Software Presents...
The Autumn Classic!
If you've been putting off deciding whether or not to purchase one of
these fine Missionware Programs, now is the time to do it. This is a
sale you won't want to miss out on, especially with the holiday buying
season just around the corner.
The following selections are included in "The Autumn Classic":
Flash II
""""""""
Flash II is the update to the most popular Atari ST telecommunications
program ever! It's available exclusively from Missionware Software and
at an affordable price! Flash II is completely rewritten by Paul Nicholls
of Clayfield, Australia. But don't let that fool you! Flash II has the
same look and feel as previous versions of Flash...plus a slew of new
features to boot! And it's just as easy and fast to use for the
telecommunications beginner or pro!
And now, for the first time ever, Flash II is on sale, directly from us.
Purchase Flash II now for the sale price of only $39.95 - that's $10 off
the regular price of $49.95.
But that's not all! For an extra $15 you can purchase any of the other
programs mentioned in this sale notice when purchased with Flash II.
That's right - only $15 *per program* when purchased in conjunction with
Flash II at it's sale price of $39.95! An amazing bargain!!!
SALE PRICE -> $39.95
^^^^^
Cyberdrome
""""""""""
When your nightmares become your reality, try telling yourself... "It's
ONLY a Game!" And now, for the Missionware Autumn Classic, Cyberdrome
is on sale. Normally $39.95, we're knocking $5 off the price making this
ultimate 2-player/2-computer Hoverjet Simulator from Rhea-FX the best
direct-sale price ever.
There's no where else that you can combine the realism of a real-time
flight simulator with arcade action plus problem solving and exploration
of adventure games for only $34.95! That's right - only $34.95!
And for an even better deal, purchase two copies, one for you and one for
your friend, for only $29.95 per copy, for a total of $59.90!!! That's a
total of $20 off the suggested retail price.
Cyberdrome runs on all ST, STe, TT and Falcon computers in color only.
Don't miss out on the fun. Order your copy TODAY!
SALE PRICE -> $34.95
^^^^^
Crossword Creator II
""""""""""""""""""""
This is the fastest, easiest to use, and most complete crossword utility
for all Atari ST/TT/Falcon computers. With CWC II you can create
symmetrical or non-symmetrical crossword puzzles up to 30x20 cells in
size. You can place words manually or let the program do it for you.
Puzzles can be saved in the DEGAS graphics format and can also be printed
on most popular printers, including Epson, HP and Atari SLM lasers.
Works in both color and monochrome (but not TT High). CWC II is an
excellent educational tool. It's just plain fun too!
CWC II is normally sold for $34.95, but for this sale, we're knocking
$5 off the price. Now purchase the #1 Atari crossword creation program
for only:
$29.95
^^^^^^
Word Search Creator
"""""""""""""""""""
What CWCII does for crosswords, Word Search Creator does for word search
puzzles. But there's an added benefit! Not only can you create your own
word search puzzles, but WSC can also solve them for you too! Puzzles
can be created up to 24x13 in size, and the word lists are compatible
with those used in CWCII. Create one list and use it to generate both
types of puzzles. WSC also works in color and monochrome (but not TT
High) on all Atari computers and can be printed out using all popular
printers. WSC is both educational and fun!
WSC is normally sold for $34.95, but for this sale, we're also knocking
$5 off the price. You can now purchase the #1 Atari word search creation
program for only:
$29.95
^^^^^^
Puzzle Pack
"""""""""""
Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too? You say you want
both CWC II and WSC, all in one nice package? That's what the Puzzle
Pack is for. You can save even more money by purchasing both programs
together.
Puzzle Pack normally sells for $49.95, but for this sale, you can
purchase it for $5 off that price, making Puzzle Pack one of the best
bargains around today. It's now only:
$44.95
^^^^^^
That's only $10 more than you normally could purchase either CWC II or
WSC for! What a bargain! And only from Missionware Software!
The Cryptographer
"""""""""""""""""
This may turn out to be the biggest bargain yet! With The Cryptographer,
you can easily create your own cryptograms using one of the secret codes
provided or make your own with the code editor. Only those with the
proper codes can decipher your secret messages. The Cryptographer is an
excellent educational tool. And use The Cryptographer's "Intelligent
Assistant" to help you solve cryptograms as well! CRYPTO, JR. is
included for children aged 8 and up.
The Cryptographer normally sells for $34.95, but for this sale, we're
knocking $10 off the regular price. If you've every wanted to fool
around with cryptography, now is the time to take the plunge. After
all, you can purchase it now for only:
$24.95
^^^^^^
All Three???
""""""""""""
Interested in all three of these programs? Are you looking for the
bargain of the century? Then this is it. Order CWC II, WSC (packaged
as Puzzle Pack) and The Cryptographer now for only:
$59.95
^^^^^^
That's a savings of over $44 over the regular list price!
lottODDS
""""""""
We're not stopping with just Fair Dinkum products for this sale.
Nope - no way, no how! We're also "reintroducing" some of our older
Missionware Software Products too, like lottODDS. This is the *only*
game in town if you are interested in playing the lottery. And not only
are you getting an old classic here, but it's an updated old classic as
well. We've completed the first upgrade to lottODDS and are now
shipping version 1.2.
lottODDS maintains a database of historical numbers and now comes with
some pre-made lists for various lotteries including those for Illinois,
Wisconsin, Michigan and the national PowerBall. You can use lottODDS
to "Quick Pick" your numbers, or use any one of the 7 internal
statistical methods for picking numbers. You can enter your own numbers
too. And lottODDS supports a fully configurable wheeling system to give
you the best distribution of numbers picked to play.
lottODDS works in color and monochrome on all Atari ST/TT/Falcon
computers in all resolutions. Normally sold for $34.95, you can now
purchase it for only:
$29.95
^^^^^^
Printer Initializer
"""""""""""""""""""
Have you often wished for a program that would help you tame your printer?
If so, then Printer Initializer might be the answer you've been looking
for. Printer Initializer is used, via a desk accessory, to send control
codes out to your printer. These codes are used by your printer to
select various internal fonts and modes. Although Printer Initializer
can only be used for _text_ output, it's an excellent way to set up your
printer from within programs that don't support printer setup (like
Flash II, for instance).
Printer Initializer comes with both a Desk Accessory and text driver
creation program so that you can customize the printer drivers for your
needs and your printer. It's easy to do. The program comes with
pre-made drivers for Epson, HP, StarJet and Diconix printers.
Printer Initializer normally sells for $24.95, but for this sale you can
purchase it for only:
$19.95
^^^^^^
All Five????????????
""""""""""""""""""""
Are you looking for the *ultimate* bargain? Can't wait to get your
Christmas shopping done early this year? Then this is it. Purchase
all 5 of the above products (includes CWCII, WSC, Cryptographer,
lottODDS and Printer Initializer) for only:
$89.95
^^^^^^
That's a savings of over $74!!! (Normal retail for all five is $164.75)
Or purchase any three of the above five products for:
$59.95
^^^^^^
These sale prices are good only through December 31, 1994 and only from
Missionware Software. We accept checks, money orders, and Visa or
MasterCard. Credit card orders are accepted via email. Your credit
card account is not charged until we ship. Please contact us if you
have any more questions.
For mail orders, our address is:
Missionware Software
354 N. Winston Drive
Palatine, IL 60067-4132
USA
phone 708-359-9565
BIX: trjautschold
CompuServe: 71333,1003
Delphi: MISSIONWARE
GEnie: J.TRAUTSCHOL
Internet: jtrautschold@genie.geis.com
All domestic and Canadian orders must include $4 for shipping and
handling. Overseas orders must include $8 for shipping. Residents of
Illinois must include 6.75% sales tax.
This sale is effective now through December 31, 1994. Missionware
Software reserves the right to limit the number of items ordered if over
and above what the sale lists. This sale is designed for direct orders
only - Dealers and Distributors should contact us for special bulk
pricing.
_______________________________________
> The Beat Goes On STR InfoFile
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
-/- Rolling Stones Do Internet Concert -/-
The Rolling Stones will be in concert next week on the Internet,
giving them claim as the greatest rock 'n roll band in cyberspace,
reports Reuters.
Now on a North American concert tour, the Stones have allowed
Thinking Pictures, a New York multimedia company, to carry on the
Internet the first five songs from their Nov. 18 show in Dallas, Texas.
"It's rock 'n roll's footprint on the Internet because it's the
world's greatest rock band, it's the biggest tour in history, and it's
never been done before (on an online service)," said Stephan Fitch, a
partner in Thinking Pictures.
With the right hardware and software, Internet subscribers will be
able to receive six to 10 frames per second of video at a color resolution
of about 320 by 240 with eight-bit video. Normal broadcast television
uses three times as many frames per second, so the quality of the
Internet show will be inferior.
Still, there are lessons to be learned from the venture. "We hope to
learn a lot about the limitations of the Internet," Fitch said.
Members of the band are reportedly excited about the Internet
"multicast." Rolling Stones spokesman Ted Mico told the Reuters news
service, "Mick (Jagger) actually plays around with the Internet quite a
lot. He's an info-freak anyway: he loves to get information from around
the world, so the Internet is perfect for him. I know that he studies
both history and literature...so what could be better?"
The band will not receive any payment for the Internet concert.
The Nov. 18 show begins at 0330 GMT and the log-in code is
"http:/www.stones.com."
________________________________________
> Pass the "Sheets" Please! STR InfoFile
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
-/- Playboy Eyes Online Offering -/-
Officials with Playboy magazine say they are looking for a partner
to make the publication available on an online service within the next
year.
Speaking to shareholders at Playboy Enterprises Inc.'s annual meeting
in New York, President/CEO Christie Hefner said the company is working
with the media consulting company Creative Artists Agency to find a
partner.
According to the Dow Jones news service, Hefner said the popularity
of Playboy's current offering on the Internet shows the potential for a
successful online service. (Playboy provides a World Wide Web home page
that allows users to subscribe to the magazine or order merchandise.)
Said Hefner, "On the Internet, the most commonly used word is 'sex.'
The sixth most commonly used word is 'Playboy.'"
Meanwhile, Dow Jones quotes the Magazine Publishers of America as
saying that with its planned launch, Playboy will joins more than 200
magazines already available electronically.
________________________________
Jaguar Section
==============
Primal Rage! Kasumi Ninja! CD-ROM!
Jaguar Interactive Cable TV! Doom!
Online Conferences!! and more!
> From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The games are coming! Add Kasumi Ninja to the current list of
Jaguar games currently in production. This is a major title that most
Jaguar owner have been waiting to hear about. The game has been
announced, delayed, and back and forth for a number of months now. It
appears that this time, it has gone into production and may make it
time for the holidays - along with a number of others.
While it was disappointing, for many, that the original 30-50
titles announce to be ready in time for the holidays is now but a
memory, it appears that we'll have close to 20 or more games in time
for Christmas. If Atari has this many games available, and in time, I
believe that many users will eventually forgive and forget and enjoy
the current batch of games. And, while doing so, we should start to
see a larger continuous flow of more and more new games.
So, while I take a "let's hope so" and a "wait and see" attitude,
I'll be anxiously awaiting the slew of new games like the rest of you
and hope to get some real time to enjoy the games that I currently
have! It must be something to do with the spirit of the upcoming
holidays!
A reminder that our current Jaguar contest is still ongoing.
Please check out past "even-numbered" issues of STReport for details,
as well as upcoming issues, for details. Also, starting with this
week's issue, we've added to our Jaguar support staff. Staff Editor
Joe Mirando, "People Are Talking" columnist, will be joining us this
week with Atari Gaming comments added to his weekly column. Also,
since he's been waiting for Doom to come out so he can finally have the
incentive to buy a Jaguar, he'll be joining our family of reviewers.
We're also looking to expand our Jaguar support staff! As expected,
some of the early interest with some of our original staff has waned
and a few have fallen by the inevitable wayside. So, if you're
interested in not only playing Jaguar games, but writing about them or
other Jaguar-related articles, please get in touch with me by E-mail
(a message to dpj@delphi.com will do nicely).
A lot of interesting news and tidbits this week, so let's not keep
you waiting any longer!
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.
J9028 Wolfenstein 3D $69.95 id/Atari Corp.
JA100 Brutal Sports FtBall $69.95 Telegames
J9008 Alien vs. Predator $69.99 Rebellion/Atari Corp.
Available Soon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER
CatBox $49.95 ICD
CatBox + $69.95 ICD
J9007 Checkered Flag $69.99 Atari
Club Drive $59.99 Atari
Doom $69.99 id/Atari
Theme Park TBD Ocean
Syndicate TBD Ocean
Troy Aikman Football$69.99 Williams
Sensible Soccer
J9036 Dragon: Bruce Lee $59.99 Atari
J9012 Kasumi Ninja $69.99 Atari
Cannon Fodder TBD Virgin
Hover Strike $59.99 Atari
Iron Soldier $59.99 Atari
J9042 Zool 2 $59.99 Atari
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!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Contact: Don Thomas/Ron Beltramo
Atari Corporation
408/745-2000
For immediate release
JAGUAR ONLINE! MEET THE ALIEN VS. PREDATOR DESIGN TEAM!
FREE-POSTERS TO CONFERENCE ATTENDEES! WIN A JAGUAR!
Sunnyvale, CA-- November 7, 1994 -- As part of Atari Corporation's
celebration of new 64-bit game releases for the Jaguar Interactive
Multimedia System, online conferences on the GEnie and CompuServe online
services have been scheduled. Within weeks following Atari's highly
successful release of Alien Vs. Predator, comes a wide assortment of
additional titles exclusively on the Jaguar and just in time for
Christmas.
The conferences will be held Tuesday, November 29th at 5PM (Pacific
Time) on CompuServe and Wednesday, November 30th at 6PM (Pacific Time)
on GEnie. The guest panel will feature the Alien Vs. Predator design
team, Mr. "Purple" Hampton, Senior Producer and Mr. James Grunke,
Director of Audio. They will be available to answer questions, provide
some great game tips and let everyone in on the inside story of the
making of Alien Vs. Predator. In addition, Atari's Mr. Ron Beltramo,
Vice President Marketing, will be in attendance with exciting news about
upcoming releases. Other popular Atari personalities will be in
attendance as well as members of the online press such as Mr. Travis Guy
of Atari Explorer Online and Mr. Dana Jacobson of Silicon Times Report.
All paid subscribers attending the conferences a minimum of 15 minutes
will qualify for a free Alien Vs. Predator cinema-quality poster. In
addition, all paid subscribers who attend each entire conference will
qualify to win a complete Jaguar system, an Alien Vs. Predator game
cartridge (autographed by the design team) or T-shirts. Winners will be
required to answer a fundamental trivia question about Alien Vs. Predator.
(Although the conference is open to subscribers worldwide, only North
American members are eligible to win prizes).
Also look for Atari's Fantastic Alien Vs. Predator online trivia contest
to begin November 29, 1994 and end on December 9, 1994. Win a Jaguar and
other prizes.
Due to the great number of people expected to attend, both services are
making special arrangements to accommodate the volume. For more specific
information, contact the System Operators. Type JAGUAR on GEnie or
GO JAGUAR on CompuServe to jump to the Atari Jaguar support areas. Both
services require a computer, modem and an account in good standing. Each
offers an excellent assortment of game tips, sample graphics and audio
files, interactive messaging with Atari personnel and many other
features. To subscribe, call 800/848-81
99 to join CompuServe or
800/638-9636 to join GEnie.
-/- Time/Warner & Atari To Offer Jaguar Games on Full Service Network -/-
MAITLAND, FLA. (Nov. 14) BUSINESS WIRE -Nov. 14, 1994--Time Warner
Cable's Full Service Network (FSN) President Tom Feige and Atari Corp.'s
CEO Sam Tramiel announced Monday an agreement to offer Atari's Jaguar
64-bit interactive video games on demand to FSN customers.
Jaguar, the world's first and only 64-bit interactive game system
features high-speed animation, textured three-dimensional color images
and graphics, and CD-quality sound.
Consumers will access the Atari games on the Full Service Network
using the 64-bit Jaguar game system device, which processes more than
100 times as much data at one time than 16-bit games, and twice as much
as 32-bit game systems. This significantly increases speed and lets game
players experience superior graphic performance and animation action.
Through the Full Service Network, the Atari games are digitally
compressed and stored on magnetic hard drives, and downloaded to the game
device at the consumers' request.
In addition, using a Hewlett Packard DeskJet 550C printer, consumers
will be able to print out game instructions with full-color graphics.
Approximately 30 Atari Jaguar game titles will be available on the Full
Service Network next year.
"We're proud to offer consumers games on demand from Atari Jaguar
because it's the most advanced and powerful game system available today,"
said Full Service Network President Tom Feige. "When we compared the
graphics and capabilities of the game systems on the market, Atari
Jaguar was the clear choice for us."
"Time Warner Cable's Full Service Network is the network of the
future, " said Atari President and CEO Sam Tramiel. "Atari's Jaguar
system brings the most sophisticated hardware and games to the network.
We are proud that Time Warner picked Atari Jaguar for the Full Service
Network."
Since its release in November 1993, Atari's Jaguar game system has
been named the industry's "Best New Game System" by Video Games Magazine,
"Best New Hardware System" by Game Informer, and "1993 Technical
Achievement of the Year" by DieHard GameFan. Jaguar is the only video
game system manufactured in the United States.
Time Warner Cable is the nation's second largest cable television
operator with 7.3 million customers in 34 states, and serves more than
500,000 customers in its Florida division.
Time Warner Cable's Full Service Network is a digital, interactive
television network which merges cable, computer, and telephone
technologies to provide customers greater choice, control, and
convenience in accessing information and services.
Atari Corp. markets interactive multimedia entertainment systems,
including Jaguar, the world's only 64-bit game system, and the only
video game system manufactured in the United States.
--30--gaa/mi CONTACT: Time Warner Cable, Maitland
Tammy Lindsay, 407/667-2034
or
Atari
Ron Beltramo, 408/745-8852
or
Edelman PR
David Harrah, 415/968-4033
_______________________________________
> NINTENDO Virtual Boy STR FOCUS!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
-/- Nintendo Unveils "Virtual Boy" -/-
Nintendo Co. Ltd. today introduced its 3-D virtual reality system
it calls "Virtual Boy," a 32-bit game machine with twice the computing
processing power of the 16-bit units now popular in the video game
market.
Claiming that Virtual Boy will dominate the next generation of video
games, Nintendo displayed the new system at a trade show in Tokyo and
announced plans to start selling it next April in Japan and the United
States for about $200, reports Associated Press writer Dorian Benkoil.
Virtual Boy seals players inside a private world by blocking out
light when their faces are pressed against a viewer. Two light-emitting
displays give a 3-D effect, and a small speaker for each ear provide
sound effects.
AP notes that the toy's three-dimensional, high-resolution graphics,
in shades of red on a black background, make characters and other images
seem to jump out and fall back while moving through space.
Those viewing the system for the first time today expressed
disappointment that it was not full-color and does not "track" a user's
movements. Nintendo said the full-color system would have been
"unaffordable."
"It's not really good-looking yet," Hiroki Sasagawa, a 23-year-old
game software developer, said after pulling away from the view piece,
mounted on a stand, and releasing the hand-held control panel.
Software cartridges are expected to cost between $50 to $70.
______________________________________
> Jaguar Developers STR InfoFile - Current Developer Lists & Titles
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Game Title Date Game Type MSRP Publisher
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Air Cars 12/94 Racing $59.99 Midnight Ent.
Alien vs Predator NOW Role Play/Adventure $69.99 Atari
Arena Football 1Q/95 Sports TBD V Reel
Assault 1Q/95 Action/Combat $59.99 Midnight Ent.
Barkley Basketball 2Q/95 Sports TBD Atari
Battlemorph 12/94 Flying/Action $59.99 Atari
Battle Wheels 1Q/95 Racing/Combat TBD Beyond Games
Blue Lightning (CD) 12/94 Flying/Action $59.99 Atari
Brett Hull Hockey (CD) 2Q/95 Sports TBD Atari
Brutal Sports Football NOW Sports/Combat $69.99 Telegames
Bubsy 12/94 Action/Adventure $49.99 Atari
Burnout 1Q/95 Sports TBD Atari
Cannon Fodder 11/94 Action/Adventure TBD Virgin
Checkered Flag 11/94 Racing $69.99 Atari
Club Drive 11/94 Racing $59.99 Atari
Creature Shock (CD) 1Q/95 Adventure/Sci-Fi TBD Atari/Virgin
Cybermorph NOW Flying/Action $59.99 Atari
Dactyl Joust 2Q/95 Action TBD Atari
Demolition Man 1/95 Action/Combat $59.99 Atari
Doom 11/94 Action/Combat $69.99 Atari
Double Dragon V 12/94 Action/Adventure $59.99 Williams
Dragon:Bruce Lee Story 11/94 Combat $59.99 Atari
Dragon Lair (CD) 1Q/95 Adventure TBD Ready Soft
Dreadnought (CD) 2Q/95 Adventure TBD Atari
Dungeon Depths 1Q/95 Action/Adventure $59.99 Midnight Ent.
Evolution: Dino Dudes NOW Puzzle/Adventure $49.99 Atari
Flashback 12/94 Action/Adventure TBD US Gold
Fight For Life 1Q/95 Combat TBD Atari
Hardball Baseball 2Q/95 Sports TBD Atari
Highlander (CD) 1Q/95 Action/Adventure $59.99 Atari
Horrorscope 1Q/95 Combat TBD V Reel
Hover Strike 11/94 Action/Combat $59.99 Atari
Iron Soldier 11/94 Action/Strategy $59.99 Atari
Jack Nicklaus Golf(CD) 2Q/95 Sports TBD Atari
Kasumi Ninja 11/94 Combat $69.99 Atari
Rage Rally 1Q/95 Racing TBD Atari
Raiden NOW Action/Adventure $49.99 Atari
Rayman 12/94 Action/Adventure TBD UBI Soft
Robinson Requiem 1Q/95 Adventure TBD Atari
Soccer Kid 1Q/95 Sports TBD Ocean
Space War 12/94 Action/Adventure $59.99 Atari
Star Raiders 1Q/95 Space Simulation TBD Atari
Syndicate 11/94 Simulation TBD Ocean
Tempest 2000 NOW Action/Adventure $59.99 Atari
Theme Park 11/94 Simulation TBD Ocean
Tiny Toon Adventures 1Q/95 Action/Adventure $59.99 Atari
Trevor McFur NOW Action/Adventure $49.99 Atari
Troy Aikman NFL Ftball 12/94 Sports $69.99 Williams
Ultimate Brain Games 12/94 Puzzle TBD Telegames
Ultra Vortex 12/94 Action/Adventure $69.99 Beyond Games
Val D'Isere Skiing... 12/94 Sports $59.99 Atari
White Men Can't Jump 1Q/95 Sports TBD TriMark
Wolfenstein 3D NOW Combat/Action $59.99 Atari
Zool2 11/94 Action/Adventure $59.99 Atari
[Editor's note: Titles, scheduled release dates, and prices are
verified from Atari and Edelman Public Relations - all subject to
change]
________________________________
> Crescent Galaxy STR Review
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Jaguar "Crescent Galaxy" STR Review
Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy
- Available Now -
by Dominick J. Fontana
Date of Review: October 3, 1994
Basic Information:
Difficulty Level: Very difficult
Type of Game : Side-Shooter
Format : Cartridge
Developed by : Atari Corp.
Published by : Atari Corp.
List Price : $49.99
Opening Comments:
Seven Jaguar games have been released to date and I consider
Crescent Galaxy to be the worst of the lot. It's not just that
there is nothing novel in a side-shooter or that the game doesn't
take advantage of the Jaguar's power. The main problem is that
the game isn't fun to play and the main reason for this is that
it is too difficult.
Try as I may, I couldn't get very far in the game. Thinking
that maybe my reflexes weren't what they used to be I had my two
nephews play the game. They didn't fare much better than I did.
Once I used the game cheats and could actually get farther on
into the game, I enjoyed it much more. However, using the game
cheats doesn't give one a feeling of accomplishment and playing
without the cheats, I consider the game a dud. I do not recommend
buying this game unless you really like side-shooters and are
extremely adept at them.
Game Review:
------------
You control a ship that appears on the left of the screen
and faces to the right. The joypad lets you move the ship up,
down, left, and right. You use one fire button to shoot straight
ahead, another to drop bombs downward, and another to fire a
Special Weapon. There are 9 Special Weapons. You start with one
of each and can collect up to 9 of each. You select which Special
Weapon you want to use either individually with the keypad or by
using the Option key to scroll through them. The game comes with
a keypad overlay. You can collect powerups to increase your fire
power, your bomb power, and to collect additional Special
Weapons.
You can alter the default controls and the volume level.
High Scores are also kept. The game cartridge retains the
control, volume, and high score information.
The object of the game is to steer your ship from left to right,
while avoiding and shooting enemy objects. The ultimate
goal is to destroy the enemy Odd-It on the planet Cosmolite.
However, you must first liberate the four moons of Cosmolite
before you can visit the planet and destroy Odd-It.
You can select any of the 4 moons from the Main Selection
Screen. However, you must conquer the 4 moons and then the planet
in one sitting, since there is no Save Game feature. However, you
do get 4 Continues, that allow you to continue where you left
off, each time you lose all your lives. After selecting a moon,
you must first make it through a Space Zone containing various
enemies that either shoot at you or break into smaller pieces
when hit. All the Space Zones look the same. Being hit by an
enemy blast or by debris will cause you to lose one life. Lose
all your lives and the game is over. You can earn extra lives by
powerups and by attaining certain scores.
After completing the Space Zone, you then must defeat an End
Boss to actually get to the moon. Each moon looks different and
has different enemies, but they are mostly eye-candy. You get a
Bonus World after completing a moon, which allows you to collect
more powerups by flying through Space Rings, without crashing
into them. After the Bonus World, you select another moon to
conquer and must go through the same sequence. Conquer all 4
moons and only then may you attempt to conquer Cosmolite. You
again go through the same sequence, except that after completing
Cosmolite, you finally meet up with Odd-It, the ultimate End
Boss. If you defeat him you have completed the game and are
presented with a final disappointing congratulatory screen.
The manual was very unclear on the above sequence of events.
I had to actually play the game to figure it out myself. Again,
the process is as follows for each moon: Select moon, complete
Space Zone, defeat End Boss, go to moon and complete moon, get
Bonus World. After 4 moons, you do the same thing on the planet
Cosmolite, except that instead of a Bonus World, you get to face
Odd-It, whom you must defeat to win the game.
The Spacecraft's View Screen shows your ship and the
enemies, your score, extra ships, and the selected Special
Weapon. One Special Weapon is Cutter, your sidekick. When
selected, Cutter will help you battle the enemies for a brief
time.
There is no music during gameplay and the sound effects and
the graphics for your ship are nothing special. However, the
enemies, space debris, backgrounds, and End Bosses have
spectacular graphics, but they don't add much to the enjoyment of
the game. It's still just a routine side-shooter.
The controls for steering and firing are good, except for
the Special Weapon selection. It's simply too tedious to try and
change Special Weapons in the heat of battle by using the keypad.
Therefore, you have to use the Option button to cycle through
them in one direction only, and that takes time.
The major drawback to the game is that it is extremely
difficult, even with the Continues. It's tough to even get
through the Space Zones at first. When you finally succeed, you
are presented with an End Boss, who will probably kill you the
first few times. That means you have to start over and complete
the Space Zone again before you can face the End Boss and all the
Space Zones are the same. It gets monotonous very quickly.
If you finally kill the End Boss, then you enter the moon.
Each moon has different backgrounds and different enemies and
the moons are actually the most enjoyable part of the game.
However, you spend too little time on the moons and too much time
trying to get there. The moons are nice because they are varied
and have excellent and unique graphics, but that's not enough to
make this game a winner.
Again, if you don't complete the moon, then it's back to the
drawing board to start again. If you do complete it, then you get
the Bonus World, which simply consists of flying through Space
Rings to collect powerups. If you crash into a ring, the bonus
round is over. My trips to the Bonus World were too infrequent
for me to get any good at it.
Only after finishing the Bonus World is that moon marked
completed. Then you can select one of the 3 remaining moons and
try it all over again. If you die on that moon, then you have to
start the entire game all over again, including the first moon
that you just struggled to complete.
For me and my nephews at least, it would have been virtually
impossible to ever complete all 4 moons, the planet Cosmolite,
and Odd-It, before losing all our lives. For that reason, I
consider the game pretty much unplayable. When I did play with
the Invincibility cheat mode I could finally go through the
entire game. It was fun to be able to shoot all the enemies and
see all the moons and End Bosses, but what's the point if there
is no challenge involved? Your score becomes meaningless.
If it weren't for the cheat modes, I don't think I would
have had the patience to become good enough at Crescent Galaxy
to make it to the end and see everything the game has to offer.
To me, that is the sign of a poorly designed game. Too difficult
to play and not interesting enough to keep playing it in order to
get good at it.
Hints and Tips:
---------------
Try to keep your ship at the top of the screen so that you
can also use your bombs. Since bombs fire from underneath, your
ship must be above your enemy in order to use them.
Also see the Cheat Modes contained in the Jaguar Hints and
Tips file, which can be found in the Jaguar Section of the Atari
Gaming Forum on CompuServe.
Manual:
-------
I didn't like the manual at all. It's basically just a list
of control features, basic information, and moon descriptions.
But nowhere does it tell you how to actually play the game. Nor
does it offer any hints or tips for doing so.
There is no screen shot for the Main Selection Screen and
the one for the Spacecraft View Screen is too dark to be of much
use. The pictures of the weapons, both in the manual and in the
game itself, are too small to see clearly. As such, during
gameplay I often wasn't sure which Special Weapon that I had
selected or what powers the different powerups would bestow.
Finally, the manual never explained the sequence of gameplay
events in chronological order. After reading the manual twice, I
still wasn't sure. When I first played the game I thought that
the Space Zone of the first moon was actually the moon itself.
Then when I couldn't complete it, I tried another moon and was
surprised that it was identical to the first moon. It wasn't
until I finally finished a Space Zone, killed the End Boss, and
entered the moon itself, that I actually understood what was
required of me. I hadn't realized that what I was playing at the
beginning of each moon was the Space Zone, which is identical
from moon to moon, and was not the moon itself.
After checking the manual again, it made a bit more sense
since it does mention Space Zones and the Bonus World on the page
before the credits. So the information is technically there. But
it was presented in such a way as to be very unclear, at least
for me, during my first two readings of it. I thought the entire
sequence of events should have been presented chronologically at
the beginning, rather than in bits and pieces, making them appear
as if they were an afterthought.
Summary:
--------
Crescent Galaxy has a poor manual, is very difficult to
play, has no music and mediocre sound, doesn't really add
anything to the side-shooter genre, doesn't take advantage of the
Jaguar's hardware, and just isn't much fun to play. For these
reasons, I cannot in good conscience recommend this game.
Ratings (based on 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest):
Graphics: 8
Sound FX/Music: 4
Control: 6
Game Manual: 5
Entertainment Value: 5
Reviewer's Overall Rating: 5
[Dominick J. Fontana - CIS: 74766,2154]
________________________________
> Jaguar Online STR InfoFile Online Users Growl & Purr!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
From CompuServe's Atari Gaming Forums:
From Atari UK,
NEWS HOT OFF THE PRESS. Thursday night I phoned the UK developer of
Kasumi Ninja to ask a question. He did not have the answer because his
lead programmer, who was in the USA to finish the product, was out,
celebrating the final approval of KN and its passage to production. Lo!
This AM an EPROM lands on my desk. Final Kasumi Ninja and in the same
parcel. Final Zool 2, Final Bubsy and a final EPROM of a game that we
have not yet announced. A nice surprise!
So, FACT, Atari will deliver BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, all of the Cart
titles we had in development for that period. PLUS Iron Soldier
(originally Q1'95) and this nice surprise title.
Published by Atari, you will get. Dragon, Club Drive, Doom, Checkered
Flag, Iron Soldier, Kasumi Ninja, Zool 2, Bubsy, SURPRISE!
That's nine more titles from Atari alone. Now if the third parties deliver
there should be much humble pie and edible hats on this forum.
Respect?
From Robert at Video Games Magazine, on the Jaguar version of Doom:
Before the actual review i would like to point out that i have never
played Doom on a PC, i only played the 32X version for a couple of days
before we got Jaguar Doom.
The game consists of 23 levels, five of which are supposed to be new,
while the rest are adaptations from the Pc version. Once you completed
a level you can go back to it as often as you want. The Jaguar will
remember which level you completed last. There are seven weapons
available, which you activate by pressing buttons 1-7. Buttons one is
used for your fists, but if you have the chainsaw you activate it here
too. You get to the map by pressing 9 and you can zoom in and out and
move your character in the map screen. There are 8 different alien
characters in the game. The resolution of the game is lower than the
32X version but the scrolling is very fast and smooth. The grafix are
very detailed although if you get close to things you can see every
pixel. There is some slowdown if the graphics become very detailed. I
noticed it in level 21 ( i think) which plays mostly in the open. There
is absolutely no music in the game, but the sound effects are excellent
(identical to PC i was told by a colleague). Of course there is lots of
blood n guts in the game as well as plenty of secret rooms and nice
extras.
I think Doom is the best Jaguar game so far, it is more action orientated
than AvsP, although i didn't find anything that scared the s... out of me
like the Alien ship level in AvsP did (i hate Facehuggers). If you want to
see what your Jaguar can do, get Doom. its lots of fun. By the way there
are two two-player modes in the game, Team and Deathmatch, but we didn't
get a link cable and we didn't get two Doom carts, so i cannot comment on
them, but i would imagine that Deathmatch, where you hunt each other must
be fun.
Robert
Atari's Bill Rehbock adds some more comments on Doom:
To quickly address your questions regarding Jaguar DOOM vs 32X Doom...
Jaguar version plays full screen with the Status Bar at the bottom; 32X
version plays in a window with border (about the size of the PC version
with the screen size set to about 4 up from the smallest).
Jaguar version has all views of enemies present (front, side angles,
back) so that when the enemies fight each other, it is 100% true to the
original. It has been reported to me that most of the enemy animation
frames wouldn't fit in the 32X version, so you just have front views
(like Wolfenstein). I don't know how or if the enemies can fight each
other in the 32X version, but I know you can't finish Jag-DOOM unless
you're good at getting enemies irked at each other :-)
Jaguar version is running in 16-bit (65,000) color, there is no annoying
color-swim caused by having only 256 colors. The shading when going down
dark stairwells is just awesome! 32X version is only 256 colors.
Jaguar version has 23 levels PLUS 1 secret level. American McKee at id
Software added new levels and tweaked with the others enough to keep
die-hard PC-Doom player off-balance.
Jaguar version has a good number of the new and improved textures that
were done for DOOM II. I don't know if any were used in 32X version, but
I've seen no screen shots that show any.
Regarding sound/music: John Carmack at id made the creative decision to
use all available voices for the digitized sound effects during gameplay.
I think that you will find that it sounds like there's _a_lot_ more going
on in JagDOOM than in other versions (wait until you get to level 23 :-).
It was a creative license that we gave id and a decision that I agreed
with. The full soundtrack from the PC version plays during the end-of
level tally screens.
Jaguar DOOM is very much written by id to be as cool of a DOOM experience
as you can get.
-Bill@Atari
Bill adds more info about the Full Service Network announcement and its
impact:
The Time Warner Full Service Network is T/W's interactive cable system
that is being deployed this fall/winter. Some may know it as the
"Orlando Trial". It will first be deployed in Orlando, Florida. The
idea is that you'll be able to pick movies on demand, go shopping, play
Jaguar games on demand, etc. While playing a Jaguar game, you can pause,
go back to the full service network, order a pizza over the system, and
then go back and keep playing Iron Soldier while waiting for your pizza
to be delivered.
-Bill@Atari
Primal Rage fans, Bill also states:
I'm happy to confirm that Primal Rage is definitely being done by
Time Warner Interactive for Jaguar. Sorry, no exact release date
at this time.
-Bill@Atari
Some updates on the pending CD-ROM for the Jaguar:
The CD is a 2x speed drive and will retail for $199.95. It plays standard
audio compact discs, plays cinepak compatible full motion movies, has a
built-in light show and will support an option MPEG cartridge as well as
a game save cart for CD-based software.
The announced release schedule was fourth quarter '94 with units "as early
as October" so they should start shipping real soon.
We have talked about titles such as Highlander, Demolition Man and quite
a few more... in fact Atari has "talked" about it ever since Summer CES
this past June.
-- Don Thomas
Atari Corporation
For those impatient for Kasumi Ninja:
Fm: Ted Tahquechi-Atari 72662,1314
To: all
Greetings all!!
For Everyone who does not know yet: Kasumi Ninja is in production. If
anyone has any questions on the game, let me know...
||| Ted T. Atari
/ | \ Riding the 64 Bit Wave.
______________________________________
> ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
=====================
On CompuServe
-------------
compiled by
Joe Mirando
73637,2262
Well folks, I think I may actually do it. I know, I know, I always
said that I'd never go that way... that I don't need the things that those
machines could do. And that I couldn't see spending the money for
something that I didn't really need. But for the past few weeks I've seen
more and more to change my mind. So, before too long, I'm going to go out
and buy myself a Jaguar.
What? You thought I was going to buy a DOS machine?!? C'mon, you
folks should know me better than that. As long as my STe keeps on doing
what I need it to do, I'll keep using it.
I always said that I don't have time for video games, but after
hearing all the good things about WOLF-3D, Alien vs. Predator, and the
soon-to-be-released DOOM, I started thinking back to all the good times I
had with my 2600. I could really use some of the kind of relaxation that
playing those games.
So you guys and gals can expect to see a bit more stuff pertaining to
the Jaguar in future columns.
Well, let's get on with my other all-consuming interest: The great
news, hints, and tips available every week right here on CompuServe.
From the Atari Computing Forums
===============================
John Masters asks for help:
"I need to transfer some database setup files that I have been working
on for Mike Myers. I've put them all in one ZIP file and it's not too
large. Can I just upload them to LIB 1 for Mike to download or is there
a better way? They probably won't be of much interest to anybody else.
Also I have a couple of FAX programs. They're both shareware and the
docs are in German. One is Coma and is about 300Kb when compressed, the
other is Junior Office and is 1/2 Mb when compressed!!! I've not tried
them so I don't know what they're like but if anyones interested I can
upload them to LIB 2. Won't be till next weekend though when the phone
call is cheap rate."
Sysop Jim Ness tells John:
"CIS Mail supports binary messages (file transfers). So, the best way
to give Mike his files is to GO MAIL, and UPLOAD them once you're
there. Make sure you have his User ID handy."
Al Cima asks for help too:
"Could someone let me know what the operating system for Atari
computers is and whether one can connect to Compuserve with one."
Mike Mortilla tells Al:
"The OS for most ST and later machines is in ROM. If you mean, is
there a WINCIM type program or menu driven Atari/CIS program, the
answer is no.
There is QCIS in the libraries here to automate your e-journeys,
however."
Sysop Bob Retelle adds:
"The operating system for Atari computers is called "TOS", and is not
compatible with other kinds of systems (ie: IBM DOS).
It operates under the GEM windowing system however, and looks and
feels a lot like Windows on the PC.
The OS is built into the computer in ROMs, so you don't need to boot
it from disk.. faster, and more resistant to viruses.
You can definately connect with CompuServe using Atari computers..!
We have several nice Public Domain and Shareware terminal programs in
our software libraries here, and there are some nice commercial
terminal programs available from vendors who frequent our Forums too.
As Mike mentioned, we don't have an Atari version of the CIM frontend
program, but we do have a very good "offline reader" type of program
called QuickCIS which can automate your Atari online sessions to get
you on and offline quickly.. and save you money..!
If you have any questions about Atari computers or their software,
this is the place to ask.."
Mike Myers tells us:
"I have an Atari ST. I've been looking for the model #, and I'm
probably doing some complex psychological thing, because I can't find
it. Where would it be? I remember it as a 1400, but I have been wrong
before, and will be again. Now for the important question. I was told
(by a salesman) that it is IBM compatible. Is so?"
Again Sysop Bob helps out:
"The model number of the ST line of computers is generally just above
the upper righthand corner of the keyboard, at least on those without
the detachable keyboard. I believe it should be on the case of those
other models somewhere in the front of the computer.
The Atari ST line is not directly IBM compatible. That is, you can't
run IBM software directly on the ST
(The disk format IS compatible between IBM and ST, but all that means
is that the ST will read an IBM disk.. it can't run the IBM programs.)
There ARE "IBM emulators" that will let an Atari ST run IBM programs,
the most successful of them are hardware addons, either computer boards
that have to be wired into the insides of the ST, or external boxes
that have to be plugged in.
I don't know how many of these are still commercially available, or
how much they're likely to cost these days. Originally most of them
were rather expensive, and do a middling to mediocre job of emulating
an IBM. Many give only 80286 performance, and emulate only a CGA color
monitor.
If you have a particular IBM application in mind, an emulator may be a
reasonable solution, but in general there's still no substitute for
the "real thing"."
Don Neuendorf asks for help with downloads:
"... I have tried 3 times to download PICSW1.LZH - twice I got "remote
device not responding" and once a complete download that my UNLZH said
has "bad headers." Am I doing something wrong? I can't afford to keep
downloading at this rate!"
Sysop Jim Ness tells Don:
"I don't know why you had trouble with your original download, but I
think your second one is okay. The error message you got is common for
files that are compressed with the newest LZH method, when you use an
old LZH program that does not recognize the new method."
Boris Molodyi adds:
"I believe that UNLZH is a rather old program, and it can not handle
the newer "lh5" format of LZH files. Most new files come with "lh5"
compression, so you need a newer utility to decompress them. I'd
recommend Gruenenberg's LHarc (it may be called LZH Shell or somesuch;
should be in the libs): it is much faster, handles all LZH flavours,
has the best graphical shell etc."
Peter Joseph asks:
"How does Gemulator work?"
Bob Carpenter tells Peter:
"...I'm not Darek, but I'll give this one a try. What Darek did is
replace all the ST custom chips (except for the MIDI chip and the
joystick ports) with software. You receive an 8-bit IBM board that
has the TOS ROMs already on it (I'd suggest getting 2.06 because that's
the version that Darek has done most of his testing with). You receive
a disk that has the Gemulator program on it (along with ST Xformer
3.0). After following the easy install instructions, you have an ST.
You'll want to read the 3.02 readme file on the disk as it describes
some important features (ability to use DOS partitions <=32 Meg,
autoboot off HD on IBM partition) that weren't available at the time of
the manual.
Gemulator is a DOS app that (currently) runs on a 386 or above.
However, Darek has talked about removing 386 support in the next
version. That's no big loss. I wouldn't run Gemulator unless you have
a 486DX33 or better. Otherwise, it's like watching slowdown.tos. It
runs in Windows just like any DOS app. When I only had 8 Meg, I never
ran Gemulator under Windows since I didn't want to mess with it. When
I upgraded to 16Meg on my PC, running Gemulator from Windows became
more realistic for me.
Re: MIDI He hasn't added MIDI support yet. The only thing I can
suggest is to ask him for that support. You aren't the first person
who's asked me about this. If enough people ask HIM for it, he'll
probably try to do it. After all, he wants to sell more Gemulators.
Yes, it's only $99 for the board and software. The ROMs will cost you
between $50-60. It used to be $199 for just the board and software,
but Darek's production costs on the board have been significantly
reduced. Remember, having a board mass produced has a definite initial
cost.
If you have any questions about what Gemulator supports, don't
hesistate to ask.
If you have other questions (or just want to harass him for MIDI
support):
Branch Always Software 14150 NE 20th Street Suite 302 Bellevue, WA
98007 Internet: brasoft.genie@geis.com (Internet gurus: Please
correct the Internet address, if incorrect. I usually enter Internet
addresses thru a dialog box so I don't worry about punctuation)."
Frank Hense takes the opportunity to ask his own question:
"Does Gemulator have a limit on hard drive partition size? Are you all
running it from a SyQuest or what. I guess the question is really how
to use an installed HD with partions of 200mb, etc. I do have SCSI
and both 105mb and 44 mb SyQuest drives which can be partitioned as
needed. I just don't want to screw up anything ala PCDITTO :-)
I don't have it yet but will soon if its compatible with my DX2-66.
Getting tired of looking at CGA on a 1224. :-( (just can't find a NEC
3d anywhere)."
Bob Carpenter tells Frank:
"Gemulator does have a limit on hard drive partition size if you use
real IBM partitions. If you do this, they have to be <= 32Meg. The
reason is that Atari and IBM handle partitions > 32 Meg differently.
If you want to have a hard drive partition larger than 32 Meg, you must
use a virtual hard drive. A VHD works like Stacker. It's one large
file that represents your entire ST HD partition. The disadvantage is
that you can't get at your ST data in a VHD from your PC size. To the
PC, it's just one huge file. If you've got a Syquest on your PC,
that's probably the best way to go about it. You can split your
Syquest partition into 32 Meg partitions or smaller.
I'm currently using VHDs because I screwed something up in my
partitioning when I got OS/2 and Gemulator can't see the 32 Meg logical
drives that I've got. I'm hoping to fix that soon. I don't have a
Syquest on my system, but I know people who run Gemulator quite happily
off of 1 44 Meg Syquest cartridge.
Some people like to do that so it doesn't take away from space hungry
PC programs. I do currently run Gemulator on a DX2/66 and it runs
about 10-12Mhz. I wouldn't run Gemulator on less than a 486DX/33. You
shouldn't have any problems running Gemulator on your 66, but there are
so many wacky configurations out there."
Peter tells Robert:
"I have P5-90 with 16Meg of Ram. I have seen some older programs
choke on the speed of this baby. Is the Gemulator equipped with PF
Flyers? ;)
Also, I have the TEC (TOS Extension Card) in my Mega with the TOS 2.06
ROMS so I imagine they'll work for that, or are these ROMS proprietary
to the design of the TEC?
As far as MIDI goes, I have a kickin' soundcard in the PC that
supports GM and all that good stuff. It's just that I spent quite a
bit of scratch <g> on sequencing software about a year ago and I don't
really want to run out and spend twice as much on more software for the
PC. I'm hanging on to the ST for that for now, so MIDI support doesn't
really concern me. Actually, the conversion process has been going
quite well. One of my biggest concerns dried up and blew away the
other night after I downloaded a converter that I can use with MS Word
to convert PC WordPerfect 4.2 files to Word. I've been using ST
WordPerfect 4.1 for years and it can save files in PC WP4.2 format.
They will then load directly into Word; it converts them automagically.
What's even more impressive is that Word has an option that let's me
use the WP function key combinations and it brings up a box that
'teaches' me the Word equivalents. The transition couldn't be
smoother. Now to figure out how to convert my database files to MS
Access.
One other question. You said the Gemulator has support for about
everything except MIDI and joysticks. You didn't mention DMA. In
other words, I assume I can't use my Megafile 60 or my SLM 804 with the
Gemulator? The SLM is another reason I'm hanging on to the ST for now,
although an HP could be used with both I suppose."
Brian Kolins posts that it's...
"Nice to see some other Gemulator users here. Good -- 'cause I have
some questions :)
Being new to this... Has any one encountered:
Lots of read errors from floppies Problems with Flash 1.6 (connects to
BBS but that's all) Unable to run CyberPaint Unable to reassign drive
letters (c: to d:, d: to e:, etc.) Unable to run in window (Windows
kicks into full screen--pif is set to window)
..certainly making some progress, so I think that's it for the moment."
Bob Wilson tells Brian:
"The floppy problems are common. You just have to keep hitting retry.
On the window issue try pressing ALT+ENTER when it is in full screen
and see if it goes to a window. The other problems I have no experience
with."
Brian tells Bob:
"Thanks Bob... Regarding erractic floppy behavior, I did notice in the
read_me a command to disable caching. I'll give it a try -- next time I
find myself reading a disk.
I was able to reassign drive letters finally. Silly me. Didn't realize
that ini commands VDHFILE and DISK are identical. But when making D
(now acting as C) bootable, 8 bombs appeared every time. So I'm back to
C as virtual, and just leave it at that.
Tried the Aladdin fix in the read_me for Flash 1.6 (modem command
AT&C1&D2), but still no luck.
Finally got it to run in a window by changing from the Mach32 video
driver to standard VGA. I'll give the ALT+ENTER thing a try later since
it's not very practical to have windows in 640x480.
Sorry -- One more thing while I'm at it...
Is there any other fix to gain use of the right mouse button other than
ALT+HOME, or by loading an older driver (which I don't have)?"
Bob tells Brian:
"According to the 3.02 readme file, the only solution is to find an
older mouse driver version. I guess there's a conflict between
Gemulator and MS Mouse driver 9.0."
Domingo Alvear asks:
"If I were to buy a Gemulator, what would I get in its current
incarnation? Also, what would be the optimum system to use it on? I
am looking for a good price/performance ratio so that I don't burn a
huge hole in my already riddled wallet. :-)
Of course I could just buy a used TT and a used Falcon and have more
computers in my house. <grin>"
Brian tells Dom:
"Regarding that p/p ratio, Gemulator's pretty darn good. Only having
it a couple of days, it seems to perform very well. But it is
essentially just an ST. Higher screen res and 8mb ram if you got it,
but color depth is still 4 bit. As a Falcon owner, I've been spoiled,
but still find Gemulator useful.
Depends largely on the kind of applications you use. In my case,
primarily into midi and graphics, most of the applications I use won't
even run on an ST."
Dan Danilowicz tells us:
"I recently downloaded a 280k zipped file. The program I attempted to
decompress it with (DC Extract) informed me that there were too many
files, and I might find that some were missing. Apparently many were,
since I ended up with a total of 245k worth of material. Do I split up
the original download, or is there another unzip utility I should try?"
Boris Molodyi tells Dan:
"Try STZIP (it should be in the libs here; the latest version is 2.6, I
believe). It is much better for ZIP files than DC Extract, and it
handles larger archives."
Dan also asks:
"Do you know anything about Discovery, or have you always been
successful with Pro Copy?"
Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Online Magazine tells Dan:
"Don't remember anything about Discovery. Wait ... was this a
cartridge that allowed you to copy anything? There was supposed to be
a cartridge that allowed one to use Spectre-128 on it I believe.
I only used Pro-Copy for Sundog. Since that was basically all of the
copy protected software I had. I refuse to buy copy protected
development tools. I made that mistake once with Haba's Hippo C
compiler. <grin>"
Sysop Bob Retelle tells Dan:
"As Albert surmised, "Discovery" is the "Discovery Cartridge"..
It's a hardware solution that plugs into the cartridge port of the ST
and as I recall, the floppy drives plug into the cartridge instead of
the regular floppy connector.
The cart will supposedly copy anything you can put on an Atari disk.
It's been a long time since the Discovery cartridge was marketed, and
the original price was a great deal higher than the $50 that was
mentioned here... again, as I recall, it was more like $250
originally."
Well folks, I was going to include some info on the Jaguar in this
week's column, but I really wouldn't know where to start... or finish.
Let's just suffice it to say that DOOM is going to be THE game for the
Jaguar. If it's even only _just_as_good as the PC version (and by all
accounts it's going to be much, much better), then we're all in for a
treat.
So tune in again next time to see if Joe gets his Jaguar. It'll also
be a good time to listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
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STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
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> A "Quotable Quote"
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After a year in therapy, my psychiatrist said;
"MAYBE.. LIFE ISN'T FOR EVERYONE!"
.. Rodney WHO??
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> DEALER CLASSIFIED LIST STR InfoFile * Dealer Listings *
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ---------------
ABCO Incorporated
=================
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
Est. 1985
1-904-783-3319
1994 HOLIDAY SPECIALS NOW IN EFFECT!
Take Advantage of the Holiday Specials
--------//*\\--------
ABCO manufactures custom storage devices!
TEN PERCENT OFF (10%) with this ad (clip)
* INTEL * 32 BIT 486DX66, VLB w/Math CoProcessor
8MB ram upgradable to 64MB 1MB SVGA VESA VIDEO CARD
Sound Blaster Compatible Stereo Sound Card
DOS 6.2 - Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Included
256K CACHE - 1.44 FLOPPY Drive, Mouse & 101 deluxe Keyboard
340MB IDE hd - 2 SERIAL, 1 PARALLEL, 1 GAME PORT - 14.4 Data/Fax Modem
250W POWER SUPPLY TOWER SYSTEM - 14" SVGA 1024x768, NI 28dpi Monitor
66Mhz, S&H Incl 1395.00 - 695.00 with order, Checks OK, balance COD
Other higher powered packages available or, design your own!
90Mhz - Pentium Call for value added pricing!
Call: 904-783-3319 Anytime, Voice Mail
=====******=====
Syquest Removable 200mb 449.95 SCSI Drives(Priced Right!)
All Size Platters Available 200mb (84.95)
One Platter included with each Drive free!
Bernoulli! Call for Prices!
ATI - Diamond Computer High Speed Video Cards w/1-4mb VRAM
Greatly Enhances Windows SPEED and EFFICIENCY
Diamond High Performance Sonic Sound Cards Available
Soundblaster Cards and compatibles 8 & 16 bit
Creative Technologies' Sound Blaster 16 SCSI
&
Sound Blaster * AWE 32 * SUPER Sound Card
Media Vision Line - True Multi-Media
IDE Super IO cards & 16550 UART 2 & 4 Port Cards
SCSI ADAPTER CARDS & SCANNERS COLOR & MonoChrome
Call: 904-783-3319 Anytime, Voice Mail
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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
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EAST HARTFORD COMPUTER
======================
202 Roberts St.
East Hartford CT. 06108
1-203-528-4448
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
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MEGABYTE COMPUTERS
==================
907 Mebourne
Hurst, TX 76053
1-817-589-2950
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
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SAN JOSE COMPUTER
=================
1278 Alma Court
San Jose, CA. 95112
1-408-995-5080
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
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CompuSeller West
================
220-1/2 W. Main St.
St. Charles, IL., 60174
Ph. (708) 513-5220
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
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(DEALERS; to be listed here FREE OF CHARGE, drop us a line in Email.)
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STReport International Online Magazine
-* [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport *-
AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE ON OVER 70,000 PRIVATE BBS SYSTEMS
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STR Online! "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" November 18, 1994
Since 1987 copyright (c) 1994 All Rights Reserved No.1047
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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, CPU, STReport and/or portions therein
may not be edited, used, duplicated or transmitted in any way without
prior written permission. STR, CPU, STReport, at the time of publication,
is believed reasonably accurate. STR, CPU, STReport, are trademarks of
STReport and STR Publishing Inc. STR, CPU, 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.
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