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Silicon Times Report Issue 1139
SILICON TIMES REPORT
INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
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September 29, 1995 No. 1139
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09/29/95 STR 1139 "The Original * Independent * OnLine Magazine!"
- CPU INDUSTRY REPORT - Micrografx ABC 3D - QEMM & Win95
- COREL 6.0 - HP buys Convex - China Slams Pirates
- Sony PSX - Frankie's Corner - Intel Prgrmr Jailed
- Mr.T's CATnips - FLIPOUT Review - Jaguar NewsBits
-* APPLE WOOS IBM! *-
-* NETSCAPE, More FLAWS! *-
-* MCI Launches High-Speed Net! *-
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From the Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
One thing that makes the computing community so small even though
there are people from all over the world involved is the quickness and
ease of telecommunications. Modem usage has more than quadrupled in the
last twenty four months. This is no easy feat. The "shake-out" in the
modem market was barely felt because of the robust nature of the market
itself. A good example is Hayes for even though the "good ship Hayes was
upon the "Shoals of Chapter eleven", they are recovering from the danger.
Some observers had stated Hayes will be stronger and wiser than they were
before their misfortune.
Meanwhile the ISDN "Rapture" sings a siren's song to many.. Industry
observers have stated that "ISDN is clearly the wave of the future in
reliable telecommunications. The only pitfall for ISDN and larger
bandwith service is the wildly different range of costs from region to
another in the USA. Another major pitfall is the fact that there is major
shortage of telco personnel who have any real knowledge of ISDN, T1 and T3
lines.
Additionally, the FCC and the DOJ have launched a formal
investigations into alleged price fixing, the unusually high rates being
charged in certain areas of the country for ISDN, T1 and T3 service and
possible cooperative efforts between major providers to keep the pricing
high. Prices for both for the lines themselves and access are being
analyzed, meaning the phone companies and the providers offering access
via such hookups. It is expected that as a result of the investigation
the newest of Telcom Industries will be the first of the "new generation"
of telco services to be "creatively" regulated. This reporter feels the
prices are far too high and are artificially inflated to minimize the work
load on telco services country wide.
"What the telco and service providers do not seem to realize or,
perhaps they simply don't care is the unfair competitive edge they are
giving to foreign corporations who compete directly with US Corporations.
The prices for similar services overseas are considerably lower and often
government regulated." One industry observer noted. He further stated;
"If something is not done soon the financial damage to many US business
will no longer be considered recoverable."
Ralph...
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STR INDUSTRY REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Computer Products Update - CPU Report
------------------------ ----------
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
-/- CompUSA Plans New Stores -/-
Superstore retailer CompUSA Inc. is planning to open 13 additional
outlets between now and mid-1996.
The new stores will be located in Burbank, California; Monrovia,
California; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Westminster, Colorado;
Wilmington, Delaware; Altamonte Springs, Florida; Boise, Idaho; Nashua,
New Hampshire; Nashville, Tennessee; El Paso, Texas; Houston; San
Antonio; and Dale City, Virginia. CompUSA will also open new training
centers in Schaumburg, Illinois, and New York.
"We are extremely pleased to announce these new locations as part
of our plans to open 15 to 20 new superstores during fiscal 1996," says
James F. Halpin, CompUSA's president and CEO. "We are committed to
growing our store base and remaining the nation's leading computer
superstore retailer."
CompUSA, based in Dallas, currently operates superstores in 41
major metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. CompUSA's superstores
average 26,000 square feet and include technical departments and
classroom training facilities.
-/- Brother Readies E-Book Technology -/-
Brother International Corp. and Franklin Electronic Publishers
Inc. have announced a strategic alliance that will place Franklin's
electronic book technology inside Brother's portable electronic
typewriters and personal word processors.
The new Brother products, scheduled for release in 1996, will
feature slots that allow users to plug in any of more than 30 Franklin
Bookman cartridge-based dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference
books. The data will be displayed in a full-sized format that's
approximately 3.3 times larger than the image provided by the current
handheld Bookman reader.
"This joint venture is a win-win partnership," says Morton E.
David, Franklin Electronic Publishers' chairman and CEO. Brother
expands the functionality of its products, while Franklin expands
Bookman technology beyond Franklin-branded products to gain additional
outlets for Bookman cartridges."
The deal's terms weren't disclosed.
-/- Sun to Launch Internet Terminals -/-
Sun Microsystems Inc. officials say their firm and others are
trying to create machines that would sell for just a few hundred
dollars and access the Internet and other networks, a move observers
say may ultimately shake up PC design.
"The computers would be little more than a microprocessor and a few
other chips, keyboard, screen and a communications connection," says
business writer Evan Ramstad of The Associated Press. "They would be
able to access and manipulate sophisticated programs and data on other
computers."
Ramstad says a new Sun programming language called Java allows
software creators to make products that can easily be sent across a
network, whether a telephone line, cable system or wireless.
"For instance," notes AP, "a person would not need a personal
finance program in their home computer to interact with a bank. The
portion of the program that the person needs would download upon
request from the bank and vanish when the work is done. With less need
for hard drives, floppy disks or CD-ROMs, a computer could be
streamlined and produced for less money. That would be important for
people unable to afford today's desktop PCs, which start around
$1,000."
Observers say it may take several years for such machines to reach
stores, but Sun Chairman/CEO Scott McNealy said some firms have created
prototypes and he expects Sun to be working with them.
Also, he said, the ability to connect to networks and manipulate
Java-based programs could be added to video game machines and other
consumer electronics devices at little cost.
While Sun reportedly is talking to several electronics makers
about such integration, McNealy declined to comment specifically.
-/- Adobe Illustrator Updated -/-
Adobe Systems Inc. has released Adobe Illustrator 4.1 for Windows,
an update of its illustration and design program. The Mountain View,
California, software publisher has also cut the program's price from
$695 to $495.
The update adds compatibility for Windows 95, allowing users to
run the 16-bit application under the new operating system. The
software, which ships on floppy disks, also adds TrueType support and
comes bundled with Adobe Type Manager 3.02, Adobe Separator, Adobe
Streamline 3.0 for Windows and Adobe TypeAlign. Also provided is Adobe
Type On Call, a CD-ROM featuring 200 free fonts and more than 2,000
typefaces that can be purchased and unlocked.
Registered users of any previous version of Adobe Illustrator for
Windows may upgrade for $49. Users of Macromedia FreeHand for Windows
and any version of CorelDraw can upgrade for $149.
-/- Hewlett-Packard to Acquire Convex -/-
For $150 million in stock, Hewlett-Packard Co. has agreed to buy
struggling Convex Computer Corp. HP already had a 5 percent stake in
the Richardson, Texas, firm.
Writer William M. Bulkeley of The Wall Street Journal sees the HP
move as "preserving a high-end technology partner and continuing the
supercomputer industry shakeout."
The Palo Alto, California, buyer says it will exchange HP common
stock with a value of $4.83 for each of Convex's 26.7 million shares
outstanding.
"The agreement," says Bulkeley, "marks the end of the road for
Convex, a venture-finance backed firm that was started 13 years ago to
build the first mini-supercomputer. It later built full-fledged
supercomputers used for weather forecasting, seismic modeling and
industrial design."
But, says the paper, "demand for supercomputers has shrunk with
the end of the Cold War and the reduction of Defense Department
spending on high-end computers," and Convex reported losses in most
quarters for the past four years.
Analyst John Logan of Boston's Aberdeen Group told the paper the
acquisition gives HP a full line of scientific computers from
workstations to supercomputers and will make the buyer a tougher
competitor for IBM and Silicon Graphics Inc., two companies that also
have their own compatible lines of high-performance workstations and
massively parallel supercomputers.
-/- Netscape Buys Collabra for $109M -/-
Web browser publisher Netscape Communications Corp. is laying out
nearly $109 million to buy Collabra Software Inc., a producer of a
groupware program that competes with Lotus Notes.
"The price is large," comments business writer Evan Ramstad of The
Associated Press, "for a company that, like Netscape, has been around
for just two years and is relatively unknown beyond Silicon Valley,
where both are based."
AP says Netscape will give 1.85 million shares to the owners of
privately-held Collabra. Based on the company's closing share price of
$58.75 Thursday, the transaction would be worth $108.7 million.
Collabra publishes Collabra Share in the groupware category of
software intended for networked computerists.
Writes Ramstad, "Analysts say the big valuations reflect a belief
that programs like Collabra Share and Lotus Notes will become more
prominent in corporations, particularly as they are made to work with
the Internet. The products could ultimately act as a transparent bridge
between internal networks at companies and the Internet, a quasi-public
data network."
Officials with Netscape says the firm plans to weave Collabra
Share with its Netscape Navigator program for browsing the World Wide
Web portion of the Internet.
Collabra Share, which provides a way for group conferences and
other information sharing to occur on office computers, is said to be
"generally simpler to use than Lotus Notes but lacks data replication
and other features of Notes," Ramstad commented.
Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale told the wire service, "Most of our
revenue comes from customers who use our software to facilitate
intra-company communications. This will allow people to use our
software to do collaborative document sharing."
He added it will take several months to integrate the Netscape and
Collabra products, saying Netscape also will continue to develop and
market Collabra as a stand-alone program.
Ramstad said Lotus also is working on making Notes capable of
browsing the Web.
-/- Apple Sees End to Supply Problem -/-
Apple Computer Inc. CEO Michael Spindler says that by next month
his firm will have largely overcome the supply constraints that have
cut into its sales and profits this year.
"There has been a steep ramp of new technology" coming out of
Apple in upgrades of 75 percent of its product line, Spindler told
Barbara Grady of the Reuter News Service, adding that there had been
"some supply hiccups."
Speaking with reporters after a speech in San Francisco, Spindler
defended his company's progress in bringing new products to market.
Grady notes that during much of this year, Apple's sales potential
was limited by shortages of supplies needed to produce enough PowerMac
computers and other products to meet strong demand. Two weeks ago,
Apple said those supply problems would curtail its sales and earnings
in its fiscal fourth quarter ending Sept. 30.
"People were lured into the belief that we made the product
transition last year. We did that in 25 percent of the business, and
that went smoothly," Spindler observed, referring to Apple's
introduction of its PowerMac computers, based on the PowerPC chip
developed by Apple, IBM and Motorola Inc.
This year was more complex, he said, as the rest of Apple's
product line was being upgraded to work with PowerPC chips. "When you
introduce this many technologically complex transitions," said
Spindler, "it's bound that things will happen. It isn't an easy
subject. Saying they couldn't figure demand -- that's not it. In part
it is a massive transformation of the entire product line this
quarter."
Now, though, he said, 90 percent of Apple's product line is
powered by PowerPC microprocessors.
When asked when the company may begin to see revenue gains from
the new products, Spindler said he hoped to see some revenue payback in
fiscal 1996.
Apple's board is scheduled to meet next week, and Spindler said
"we are going to tell them what we are going to do next year."
Grady notes that speculation about Apple in recent days since it
warned of a shortfall in fourth quarter results "has focused on whether
its board might alter Spindler's role as CEO and whether Apple and IBM
might finally decide to coordinate efforts around one computer
platform, namely Apple's PowerMac and Macintosh operating system."
Spindler declined comment about IBM or speculation of renewed talks
between the companies.
-/- MCI Launches High-Speed Network -/-
MCI Communications Corp. says it has deployed the world's fastest
telecommunications network.
The company states that the network, which uses Northern Telecom's
Transport Node OC-192 transmission system, can send information at
speeds of 10 gigabits--10 billion bits of information--per second. It
notes that the network is four times faster than its nearest
competitors.
The 10 gigabit traffic is being carried initially along a 125-mile
stretch of MCI's network from Dallas to Longview, Texas. MCI notes that
the service marks the first time that the OC-192 technology has been
successfully deployed in a commercial telecommunications network.
MCI says it eventually plans to use the high-speed, high- capacity
technology throughout its network structure, giving customers swifter
access to a wide range of services, including interactive multimedia,
teleconferencing and medical imaging.
MCI hopes to multiplex its network capacity to 40 gigabits in the
next two to three years. The company notes that at 40 gigabits the
entire U.S. Mail list of names and addresses could be transmitted from
New York to Los Angeles in about four seconds, while a single optic
fiber could carry over 500,000 simultaneous Internet conversations.
-/- Apple Tries to Persuade IBM -/-
Word is Apple Computer Inc. is trying to persuade IBM to abandon
its own OS/2 operating system for the Macintosh and, instead, market
Apple's system.
Apple Chairman A.C. Makkula is quoted in The Wall Street Journal
this morning as saying, "It would make a very, very powerful
alternative if IBM chose the Mac operating system."
Journal reporters Jim Carlton and Laurie Hays say Makkula
confirmed his firm and IBM have held talks on the possible move,
characterized by analysts as an effort by Apple to improve its
competition with Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating systems.
Also, the Journal reports IBM made a bid for Apple in September
1994, offering $4.5 billion, according to people familiar with the
talks. The sources says IBM's $40 per share bid was not high enough.
Apple sought $60 per share or more, they say.
-/- PowerBook 5300 Shipments Resume -/-
Apple Computer Inc. has resumed shipments of its PowerBook 5300
notebook computer line and announced an immediate $100 price reduction
on the systems.
On Sept. 14, Apple reported a safety problem with the lithium-ion
battery packs in two early-production PowerBook 5300 models. The
Cupertino, California, computer maker immediately halted shipments, and
says it has contacted virtually all of the fewer than 1,000 buyers.
Apple has replaced all of the lithium-ion batteries with
nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) power packs.
"The PowerBook 5300 is the most powerful PowerBook Apple has
produced yet, and we're back in full production, using NiMH batteries,"
says David Nagel, Apple's vice president for worldwide research and
development.
With the price cut, the PowerPC 603e-based PowerBook 5300 line now
starts at about $2,099 for a monochrome model featuring 8MB of RAM and
a 500MB hard disk. The top-of-the-line system, featuring an
active-matrix color display, 32MB of RAM and a 1.1GB hard disk, now
sells for about $6,399.
-/- Another Netscape Flaw Reported -/-
Members of the Internet's "Cypherpunks" discussion group report
uncovering a third security flaw in the popular web browser software
from Netscape Communications Corp. The same flaw has been found in
similar programs from other publishers.
Unlike the prior glitches, however, the latest Netscape flaw
doesn't lend itself to the theft of multiple credit-card numbers.
"Instead," writes Jared Sandberg in this morning's Wall Street Journal,
"it could allow a savvy hacker to damage an Internet user's computer,
such as crashing the computer or deleting files."
As reported previously, the Cypherpunk group, which includes
mathematicians and hobbyists who discuss security methods of
cryptography, last month broke by "brute force" Netscape's "key" that
protects sensitive data. Last week, other members found a flaw that
could let intruders essentially pick the lock in Netscape's software.
The latest flaw actually goes beyond Netscape. "It first reared
its head seven years ago when Cornell graduate student Robert Morris
used it to create a 'worm' that crippled thousands of computers on the
Internet," Sandberg writes. "Last February, the same kind of flaw was
found in the popular Mosaic program created by the University of
Illinois. But that strain of the flaw was more serious than its latest
appearance because it affected the computers that store many users'
credit-card numbers. Now experts are discovering that the flaw shows
up in other so-called Web browsers such as Links and Arena."
Of the programming quality of many browsers, security researcher
William Cheswick of AT&T Corp.'s Bell Laboratories commented to the
Journal, "We're so glad that the network dog dances, we don't realize
that it's rabid."
Meanwhile, Netscape Vice President Marc Andreessen told the paper
his company will issue fixes for the recent glitches later this week,
adding it is unclear whether anything other than temporarily crashing a
user's computer could result from the recent flaw. However, he said,
once users adopt the modified software, "this won't be around long
enough to cause a problem."
Still, notes Sandberg, others online worry that another variation
of the flaw will prove more difficult to cope with in the coming
months.
President Bruce Fancher of Phantom Access Technologies Inc.,
operator of the Mindvox Internet access service, said a variation of
the security hole has been found in several UNIX software packages that
run on thousands of Internet computers. It could cause far more damage
than the Netscape flaw.
"This is going to be a big problem," he warned, adding he has been
told computer vandals already are devising software toolkits to exploit
the hole. "This flaw is an easy mistake to make, but it's also easy to
fix," he said.
The Journal says the latest flaw came to light early Friday when a
reader of the Cypherpunk mailing list discovered the glitch and posted
a message to the Internet.
-/- Cops Fear Net to Hide Drug Money -/-
New rechargeable "smart" credit cards could allow drug barons and
other criminals to launder profits via the Internet, international law
enforcers say, calling for tighter checks on the technology.
Reporting from Paris, the Reuter News Service observed, "The
digital cash cards, which make it possible to order goods and services
from home personal computers, could also allow money transactions and
bypass the banking system. Payments made with the cards, which are
marketed by the Mondex firm in Britain, are carried out through an
electronic chip."
Ronald Noble, a U.S. Treasury official leading the Financial
Action Task Force, told the wire service, "The chip can contain
millions of dollars. Unlike Visa cards, there is no registration of
each operation. It's a way of moving vast sums of money with no record
of the transaction. The makers are looking at ways of tying the cards
up to Internet."
Speaking after the agency's annual meeting in Paris, Noble said
the group had met the makers of the card about what he called
"cybercash" and that they were being very cooperative about money
laundering concerns.
He said, "The Colombian Cali cartel is believed to generate
revenues of seven billion dollars a year -- that's the combined
revenues of Toyota, Boeing and Pepsi."
-/- China Punishes 12 Pirate Firms -/-
Twelve compact disc factories have been penalized by the Chinese
government in Beijing for copyright theft.
United Press International quotes a report in the China Daily, an
official state newspaper, as saying the State Copyright Administration
has banned the 12 factories from reproducing works that included U.S.
films and Hong Kong pop music until they receive proper authorization
from the legal copyright owners.
The paper says the factories - - located in Beijing, Shanghai,
Nanjing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, some of the country's largest -- were
found to have forged or made false claims about documents giving them
rights to reproduce the works on compact and laser discs.
A copyright administration spokesman said the government plans a
campaign aimed at fighting piracy and copyright violations, adding,
"Those who break the law to a serious extent will be caught and bound
over to the courts."
As noted earlier, China and the U.S. reached a landmark agreement
in February to curb the abuse of intellectual property rights in China
and provide greater market access for U.S. companies. Prior to the
signing of the accord, Chinese authorities closed seven compact disc
factories in southern China cited by Washington as the worst pirates of
laser and compact discs. They also destroyed more than 2 million
pirated compact discs and pieces of computer software.
"Since then, however," says UPI, "enforcement has been sporadic
and the government has refrained from factory closures and the seizure
and destruction of pirated products."
-/- Ex-Intel Programmer Jailed -/-
Accused of stealing millions of dollars worth of Intel Corp.'s
Pentium chip production secrets and giving them to a rival computer
company, a software engineer has been jailed in Arizona.
The FBI arrested 43-year-old William Gaede at his home in Mesa,
Arizona, Saturday. The Associated Press reports Gaede, an Argentine
national who worked for Intel in Chandler, Arizona, in 1993-94, was
being held at the Maricopa County Jail in Phoenix pending a hearing
before a federal magistrate.
Gaede was charged with mail fraud and interstate transportation of
stolen property. AP says an FBI complaint alleged Gaede sent videotapes
with instructions for making Intel's Pentium microprocessor to Advanced
Micro Devices Inc., which, says the bureau, immediately returned the
material to Intel.
As reported earlier, Gaede, who also worked for AMD from 1983 to
1993, told The New York Times in May he stole secrets from both
computer companies and gave the information to China, Iran and Cuba.
The newspaper reported the information included designs and
instructions on how to make the '386, '486 and Pentium chips that power
most personal computers. Gaede said he was first motivated by a love of
communism but later stole for personal gain.
Says AP, "The information he passed to Cuba was given to the
Soviet Union and East Germany in the last years of the Cold War, Gaede
has said. His account of his involvement with foreign governments could
not be confirmed."
Meanwhile, the San Jose Mercury News reported yesterday Gaede fled
for Argentina after a storage locker he rented was broken into and
plans for Intel devices were discovered. The paper did not say who
broke into the locker or when. Gaede had been living in Mesa since
returning from Buenos Aires this summer.
-/- High Court to Rule on Copyrights -/-
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide for the first time
whether U.S. copyright laws protect computer software.
The justices will review an appellate court ruling that sided with
Borland International Inc. in its computer spreadsheet copyright fight
with Lotus Development Corp.
Lotus sued Borland in 1990 for imitating the menu structure of its
1-2-3 spreadsheet software. A federal trial judge in Boston ruled that
Borland's Quattro program copied 1-2-3's system of menus and commands,
but the decision was later overturned by the federal appeals court.
Borland has since sold Quattro to Novell.
In its Supreme Court appeal, Lotus stated that the appeals court
decision "has the potential to undo a generation of copyright
protection." It added that software developers "can no longer tell
whether, or to what extent, their creative efforts will receive
effective (copyright) protection."
A ruling by the Supreme Court is expected sometime this winter.
-/- Rolling Stones Come to CD-ROM -/-
Following Bob Dylan and the Beatles, the Rolling Stones have
finally found their way to CD- ROM, announcing a disc that will feature
music from the double-platinum album "Voodoo Lounge."
A statement from Virgin Records, which is marketing the product,
says the Voodoo Lounge CD-ROM will offer "a multi-faceted interactive
adventure presented in a totally immersive environment."
Adds the statement, "Filled with dozens of themes -- ranging from
the dark and mysterious to the risque and hilarious -- the disk's
sophisticated architecture insures that no two user experiences will be
the same," promising to reflect the band members' "personalities,
aesthetic tastes, and humor."
The disc, developed by Los Angeles-based Second Vision New Media
and set for release this autumn, is set on "a sprawling plantation
featuring numerous rooms, including secluded party areas, courtyards,
bathrooms, the Voodoo Lounge bar, and VIP areas accessible only with a
special laminate pass. ... While roaming the 3-D environment, the user
is apt to bump into various shady denizens, Rolling Stones entourage
stalwarts, glamorous scenesters, and the Rolling Stones band members,
who talk and interact with visitors."
-/- Online Payment Spec Released -/-
Microsoft Corp. and Visa International have published a
specification that aims to secure electronic payments over public and
private networks, including the Internet's World Wide Web.
The open specification, known as Secure Transaction Technology
(STT), is designed to make shoppers and merchants more confident about
the security of online credit card transactions. By providing a
technology that's integrated with the current bank card system,
Microsoft and Visa hope STT will serve as a reliable payment system for
software providers to incorporate in their products.
To encourage widespread adoption of STT, Microsoft and Visa are
making the specification available at no charge to all card brands,
financial institutions, software developers and the Internet community.
"This specification will help enable the electronic commerce
marketplace by calming some of the anxieties many consumers and
businesses currently have about conducting transactions over electronic
networks," says Richard Lonergan, executive vice president of Visa's
point of transaction division. "Millions of cardholders and merchants
expect security and protection whenever they use or accept a Visa
card -- and we want to make sure that's the case whether they're using
it at the point of sale or on the Internet."
"Consumers, merchants and financial institutions will soon have a
highly secure environment for conducting transactions in the 'anytime,
anywhere' world of electronic commerce," says Craig Mundie, senior vice
president of Microsoft's commercial systems division. "Because STT is
designed to provide strong authentication and was developed with Visa,
software developers can design and deploy solutions that will ensure
the highest levels of security."
The specification can be downloaded from either the Visa
(http://www.visa.com) or Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com) Web
sites.
Corel News Updates STR InfoFile
#6001---IPFs and the Layers Manager
Selecting the Layers Manager in CorelDRAW6.0 may cause an Invalid Page
Fault (IPF) under certain conditions. To avoid this IPF, all references
to 16 bit device drivers must be removed from the following configuration
files: AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, WIN.INI and the SYSTEM.INI.
NOTE: The following files are essential to the operating system. If you
are unsure as to how to edit the contents of these configuration files,
please contact a Microsoft Representative for further assistance. Please
backup all configuration files before making any changes by copying these
files to a floppy diskette or to another directory.
1. In Microsoft Windows 95, select Start | Run and then type SYSEDIT at
the prompt.
2. Edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT as follows (if applicable):
Disable the following entries by placing the word REM followed by a blank
space in front of command lines that load mice, or 16 bit interface
drivers, ie:
MSINPUT Software
Kensington Pro Mouse, Tablets, etc.
DOS command line entries..ie: REM c:\mouse\mouse.com
If the above mentioned entries require a duplicate or tandem entry in the
CONFIG.SYS, edit accordingly following the same steps as above.
Close window and save changes if prompted.
In the WIN.INI file, two lines must be disabled by placing a semi-colon (;
[space] ) in front of the line: (if applicable) "load=..." becomes ";
load=" and "run=..." becomes "; run="
Note: Terminate Stay Resident programs (TSRs) will require system
resources that may conflict with CorelDRAW 6 and the Layers Manager, ie:
POINTER.EXE, MSBUTTONS and the WINCIM Spellchecker (16 bit Compuserve
application). Therefore, in order for the Layers Manger to function
properly, these TSRs must be disabled.
Close window and save changes if prompted.
In the SYSTEM.INI file, the following subsections containing mouse entries
should read:
[Boot]
mouse.drv=mouse.drv
[Boot Description]
mouse.drv=Standard mouse
[386 Enh]
mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd
Close window and save changes if prompted.
Close off System Editor and select Start | Shutdown | Restart Computer.
All of these command line modifications will load native Microsoft Windows
95 mouse drivers for CorelDRAW 6.0. If different device drivers are
selected for use with our software, it is recommended that 32 bit drivers
be used. Updated drivers may be obtained from the Device Manufacturer.
3. To verify that the proper mouse driver is correctly installed, please
do the following:
Select Start | Settings | Control Panel | System | Device Manager. Double
click on the Mouse and then double click on a Mouse Driver. Select the
Driver tab. If the following drivers are displayed then simply Cancel and
Close the Control Panel. Otherwise proceed to Step #4:
Drive letter\Windows directory\System\MSMOUSE.VXD
Drive letter\Windows directory\System\MOUSE.DRV
4. Select the Change Driver option. Show all Devices and select
"Standard mouse type" from left hand panel and from the right hand panel,
select the appropriate Mouse interface type, ie. "Standard Bus Adapter
Mouse", "Standard PS/2 Port Mouse" or "Standard Serial Mouse"(consult
mouse documentation if unsure). Select OK and Close. Reboot the system
if prompted.
Diagnosing Invalid Page Faults (IPFs)
USER ADVISORY
This document is designed solely to assist the user in the detection and
correction of memory conflicts, incorrect system configuration or device
incompatibilties. The importance of adhering to recommended recovery
precautions as listed cannot be overstated. The Corel Corporation assumes
no expressed or implied liability for any system or software damages
resulting from the use or misuse of this information.
The operation of current computer systems depends upon the dynamic and
interactive manipulation of data. Optimal performance of system hardware
is essential for the correct operation of Corel software. Before
attempting to diagnose and correct Invalid Page Fault (IPFs) errors within
the Windows '95 environment, the following precautions are strongly
recommended:
Create a Startup Disk. This is invaluable for the recovery of basic
computer function in the event of complete system failure. The Startup
Disk may be created during the Windows '95 installation process or after
installation is complete by selecting "Start | Settings | Control Panel |
Add-Remove Programs | Startup Disk | Create" from within Windows '95.
Copy the SYSTEM.DAT, USER.DAT, CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT, WIN.INI and
SYSTEM.INI files, plus any CD-ROM or other device drivers to a
subdirectory on the STARTUP diskette, or to an additional diskette if
there is not enough space on the Startup Disk. Disable the Windows
Background, Screen Saver and any third-party applications to free up
active memory space. Remove all applications from the Startup folder.
1.) If the system has failed from within an active application, an
attempt should be made to save any files that are currently open. If the
lockup occurred while working in CorelDRAW, check for .ABK or .BAK files
on the system. These are CorelDRAW autobackup files that may be renamed
to a .CDR extension to recover the open file. You must rename the file to
a .CDR extension before exiting Windows '95.
2.) If the lockup occurs when typing text of any kind, re-install that
particular font. Remove the font from the Control Panel | Fonts list, and
re-install the font from the original source.
3.) Exit all applications. Select Shut Down... | Restart the computer.
Try to duplicate the error which caused the original failure. The error
condition may not re-appear if it was caused by a momentary memory
conflict. If the error continues, proceed to step #4.
4.) Verify that the system conforms to Corel's minimum hardware/system
requirements.
5.) All applications require an area of hard disk space to be set aside
for the creation of temporary files used during the course of normal
operations. At the DOS Command Prompt, enter the command SET to find the
TEMP directory path(s). A TEMP directory path will be generated:
.ie TMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
The TEMP directory must be located on a drive with ample space for
expansion. Windows '95 supports TEMP files on compressed drives by
default. Try relocating the TEMP directory to an uncompressed drive by
modifying or constructing appropriate statements in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
ie. SET TEMP=D:\TEMP SET TMP=D:\TEMP
6.) Run the Scandisk* utility "Start | Programs | Accessories | System
Tools | ScanDisk". The "Automatically fix errors" box should be selected.
This will repair lost clusters and corrupted sectors of the hard-disk.
7.) Using Microsoft Explorer or File Manager, locate the CORELAPP.INI
file in the COREL60\CONFIG directory. Browse the file to find the [Temp
Paths] section which contains the TEMP file directory locations, ie.
0=C:\TEMP. Additional lines may be added to this section to point to
other drives or partitions on the system with available space. Insert
additional TEMP file pointers underneath 0=C:\TEMP ie. 1=D:\TEMP,
2=E:\TEMP. Make appropriate changes, select File, then Save. Corel
applications may be returned to default initialization values by re-naming
the modified CORELAPP.INI file and re-launching any Corel application. A
new CORELAPP.INI file will be generated.
8.) The drive partitions should be defragmented. Defragmentation
consolidates the information stored on the hard drive so that it is more
easily accessed, and prevents read/write errors when the hard drive is
activated. Select "Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Disk
Defragmenter*".
9.) Check system resources by invoking "Start | Programs | Accessories |
System Tools | Resource Meter*". This will place the resource meter in
the bottom right hand corner of the display. Double-clicking this icon
will display system statistics. Low values for System Resources, User
Resources, or GDI Resources indicate that system performance is deficient,
and may be the cause of IPF errors.
10.) Re-boot the system. When the "Starting Windows '95" appears press
F8. Choose Step-by-Step Confirmation. Select NO to avoid executing the
AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. Select YES when prompted for all other
questions.
11.) Install the Standard VGA display driver. Select "Start | Settings |
Control Panel | Display | Settings | Change Display Type... | Change
Adapter Type | Show all devices | Standard display types | Standard
Display Adapter (VGA)". If the video card installed on the system is not
supported by Windows'95, have a backup copy of the driver on hand.
12.) Verify that all devices (CD-ROM, Display Adapters, Monitor, Mouse,
Sound) are operating properly. Select "Start | Settings | Control Panel |
System | Device Manager". By double clicking on a device and viewing the
properties of that device the Device Status may be viewed. Any device
with a memory conflict will display a yellow 'flag' with an exclamation
point inside it.
13.) Select System Performance, Control Panel | System | Performance.
Select the following settings:
Graphics -> Turn OFF any video acceleration. This prevents possible
memory conflicts.
Virtual Memory -> Virtual Memory ( Swap File) is space reserved on
the hard drive for RAM memory to store information it requires on an
ongoing basis. You may specify your own settings to increase this space
as follows: Select Let Me Specify My Own Virtual Memory Settings.
Re-locate the virtual memory to a NON-COMPRESSED drive, and specify a
Minimum of 10MB and a Maximum of 30MB (increase as necessary). Re-boot
the computer when prompted. Windows will revert to managing the virtual
memory by expanding or contracting it within the boundaries of your
specified settings.
14.) Un-Install the application. Select Start | Settings | Control Panel
| Add-Remove programs | Select the application to Un-Install. Re-boot the
computer and re-install the application when finished.
15.) Safe Mode removes all specific system configuration settings, and
loads generic Window '95 device drivers. It is a method of determining if
system settings and device-specific drivers, etc, are interfering with the
normal operation of hardware and software. To operate in Safe Mode,
re-boot the computer. When the "Starting Windows '95" appears press F8.
Select Safe Mode. This will bypass all startup routines including registry
entries, CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files, and the [Boot] and [386Enh]
sections of the SYSTEM.INI file. The standard VGA display driver will
also be installed at this time. If the installed video card is not
supported by Windows'95, be sure to have a backup copy of the driver on
hand. Note: The user will notice reduced system speed and lower display
resolution during this test. Safe Mode may also disable any CD-ROM
devices. Re-booting the computer will return the system to the default
configuration at any time.
16.) Re-boot the computer. When "Starting Windows '95" appears, press F8
and select Command prompt only. Start Windows '95 by entering these
commands on consecutive re-boots, or enter either of these commands if a
specific condition is suspected:
WIN /D:F -> This disables 32 bit disk access. Use this for disk access
problems.
WIN /D:X ->This disables the adapter area (from A000 to FFFF) which
Windows '95 scans for unused space. This may resolve memory problems on
systems using video accelerator cards.
17.) Empty the RECYCLE BIN (if activated) of unwanted files. Invoke
Recycle Bin | Properties and select "Use one setting for all drives".
Select 0%, then select "Do not move files to the Recycle Bin..." This
procedure prevents Window '95 from filling the hard disk with copies of
deleted files. Because the Recycle Bin utilizes hard disk space,
disabling its functionality allows resource intensive software to access
this space more efficiently.
NOTE: All subsequently deleted files will be irretrievable.
To free up additional disk space for TEMP files, check each drive in the
Explorer for a Hidden directory called "Recycled" (View | Options | Show
all files). Remove any unecessary files from these directories. Windows
'95 will prevent the deletion of any files currently in use.
18.) For DRAW v5 and earlier releases only, Windows '95 can enhance the
compatibility of 16 bit applications with its 32 bit environment. To
troubleshoot 16 bit applications, enter "MKCOMPAT.EXE" at the Start | Run
command line.
Select "Lie about Window's version number" to allow the 16 bit application
to operate under Windows 3.1 parameters.
Select "Give application more stack space" to provide DOS file buffering.
*Note: If these programs are not on the Desktop or Start Menu, they can
be installed via "Control | Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Windows Setup |
Accessories | Details..."
Dungeon Master 2 STR FOCUS! Skulkeep!!
THE LEGEND OF SKULKEEP!
General Information
-------------------
Some of the objects that are listed on the maps in this book are
randomly placed when the game starts and may not be found in the locations
labeled. Also, with all the monsters running around with minds of their
own, some will pick up objects and move them around as they see fit.
In selecting other members of your party (you can add up to three
more characters from a selection of seventeen.) you will find that not any
one champion contains a large amount of experience in any of the four
classes that they can excel at (if they even contain any experience at
all!). It will be up to you to develop these skills early on and 'beef'
them up in order to survive the horrors once the party gains access with
Skullkeep.
Though you may feel it wise to specialize each character in a
different profession, remember that a character need not practice the ways
of just one of the four classes. In fact, I highly recommend to try to
advance each of the champions in at least two of the classes. This makes
a more well-balanced party thtit is stronger both offensively and
defensively. In a situation where one of the characters is wounded,
weakened or has been slain, having another party member that can perform
the skills of the downed character can make all the difference between
surviving an encounter and having to restart from the last save point.
Although a list of all the available spells is given here in this
article, your characters can still learn to use a number of the available
spells by examining the objects you find. You'll find that by holding an
object, if the object is magickal, it will be described by the magickal
components it is composed of Likewise, placing a magickal weapon in a
character's hand and arming that weapon will also display the magickal
symbols that are required to cast the weapon's spell counterpart.
NOTE:
Using up all the magickal properties an object contains without
writing down the symbols that describe the magickal components, may lose
you the opportunity to use that spell again. Some of the objects are very
rare while others are simply one-of-a-kind artifacts. Using a potion has
the same effect, as only an empty flask remains after the potion has been
consumed.
You can't expect a character with a neophyte class status in the ways
of magick to be able to cast a roaring fireball on their first attempt.
Use the time while locating the four clan keys to practice casting both
priest and wizard spells and gain experience as well as proficiency. Each
time a spell is successfully cast, the likelihood to cast the same spell
again with successful results increases.
The World of Zalk
-----------------
Many things have changed since the time of Theron and the first
battles with Lord Chaos. This world is a world where both magick and
technology coexist. The minions, technology formed servants, allow the
party members to explore unknown areas, avoid others, =sport or retrieve
objects or simply provide a 'diversion' while beating a hasty retreat.
Use of the minions, while not imperative, can ease the party's progress
through the game. There are puzzles in this game whose solution may not
seem as apparent as in the original Dungeon Master. Remember that almost
all of the puzzles may be solved using the characters themselves, but some
require the use of the minions.
Make use of the multiple save slots. Nothing is more annoying than
plodding your way through an area for hours only to die by a foolish move
and have to re-play the entire area over again. There is only one altar
of VI that is located where you first begin the game, so the option of
resurrecting your fallen comrades may not always be available.
Shops and Shopkeepers
---------------------
Unlike its predecessor, Skullkeep allows you to interact with some of
the characters found in the game. The shopkeepers will not only sell you
items that your party can use such as weapons and armor, but allow you to
sell back to them items that you acquire during your joumey. Shops are
also a great place to save the current game in progress.
A final word of warning: Be careful when placing objects on the
merchant table. If you release item when the object is in the top half of
the view window, it will be thrown at the shopkeeper instead of placing it
on the table. When this happens, the shop's guard will commence to earn
his pay by 'remedying' the situation in 'an eye for an eye' fashion. If
your party is quick enough, it's possible that some of its members may
even make it to the shop's exit alive!
Although each item has a price attached to it in the shop you can
sometimes get a better deal by 'haggling' with the shopkeeper. Haggling
is accomplished by offering an amount less than the posted amount. If
'you wait patiently, the shopkeeper may accept your offer. Be careful not
to set anything on the merchant table after it has started to rotate. The
shopkeeper is likely to take any money or possessions for their own
without compensating the adventurer for it.
Frankie's Corner STR Feature
The Kids' Computing Corner
THINKIN' THINGS COLLECTION 2
Hybrid CD-ROM for Windows 3.1, Win95 and Macintosh
for ages 6+
from Edmark Corporation
P.O. Box 97021
Redmond, WA 98073-9721
206-556-8484
Program Requirements
--------------------
IBM Compatibles Macintosh
CPU: 486SX-33 CPU: Color Mac w/ 256 colors
RAM: 8 megs RAM: 4 megs
OS: Windows 3.1, Win95 supported OS: System 6.0.7
HDISK: 2 megs HDISK: ?
Video: SVGA, 640 by 480 w/256 colors Video: 256 colors
CD-ROM: Doublespeed CD-ROM: Doublespeed
Misc.: Mouse, sound card
Optional: Microphone, Edmark TouchWindow
Thinkin' Things Collection 2 is a fascinating and entertaining learning
program which develops thinking skills. Rather than forcing children to
memorize facts, children are encouraged to explore five activities which
develop spatial awareness, visual memory, auditory discrimination, and
musical and visual creativity.
Thinkin' Things 2 was originally released last year in a version for MS-
DOS and for the Macintosh. Improvements in the new version are improved
graphics, smoother animation and better sound. The interface has been
changed to use a task bar along the bottom of the screen rather than down
the left side. Another addition to the new version is a set of videos
from Donna Stanger, Edmark Vice President and award-winning software
designer. In the videos she explains Edmark's mission and the learning
opportunities contained within Thinkin' Things 2.
The first of the five activities is Frippletration. This is a matching
game for one or two players. Cards can be matched using visual or audio
cues to develop visual and audio discrimination and memory. The activity
gradually increases difficulty or it can be set using a slider. Not only
does the number of cards increase in higher levels, but the differences
between the cards become more difficult to discern as well.
Toony's Tunes features an amusing musical loon. Children can create and
record their own songs on his unique xylophone. By pressing a button,
children can change the sounds of the xylophone from regular to tuba to a
synthesizer to SHEEP. Toony has fifteen songs that he can play. A memory
game is also available. Children choose a song and Toony will teach the
notes to them by breaking the song down into measures and having the
children repeat the notes. Toony will patiently correct their mistakes
and repeat the lesson until the song is memorized.
Snake BLOX is visually and creatively stimulating. Snakes are sets of
connected polygons. Children create a path for the snake to travel across
the screen. They can create their own background using the painting tools
or choose one of many included. 3D effects can be made by using masking
tools to create the visual image of the snake passing over and around
objects on the screen. The snakes and backgrounds can be manipulated in
many interesting ways. The program includes many ideas that can be used
as templates or broken down to discover how it was built. Children can
select background music for their masterpieces which can be saved for
later viewing.
2-3D BLOX is another adventure into creativity and discovery. This
activity allows children to map two-dimensional objects onto rotating
three-dimensional objects moving over a background. This activity
encourages visual creativity and to experiment with the many tools and
images provided. A lathing tool permits children to shape the mappable
objects. Painting tools allow for the creation of new backgrounds or
customizing of those included. The program includes many background music
scores that can be added. Finished works can be saved for future viewing.
It is a fascinating opportunity to watch your child's imagination grow as
he plays with 2-3D BLOX.
The final activity in Thinkin' Things Collection 2 is Oranga Banga's Band.
In creativity mode, children can create rhythms and music. Oranga and his
two band mates can play a variety of instruments of the child's choosing.
The created songs can be saved for future enjoyment and experimentation.
In the learning mode, children are asked to determine which pattern is
being played. In higher levels, children must decide which of the band
members is playing the indicated rhythm. The difficulty will
automatically increase or it can be adjusted with the slider bar.
Thinkin' Things 2 features attractive graphics using eye-catching colors.
Sounds are excellent. The digitized voices are well characterized and are
easy to understand. Sound effects are very distinctive and entertaining.
The music is varied and interesting.
TT2 has a very simple and easy to operate click-and-point interface.
Audible help is provided only in Loony's Tunes, Frippletration and Oranga
Banga's Band. Children are encouraged to use experimentation in the BLOX
sections by the lack of help available on the screen. Full expl
anations
of the tools for those sections are provided in the manual. The manual
contains necessary information about program functions and includes a
troubleshooting guide and information to parents about the learning
opportunities within TT2. The CD-ROM also extensive information available
in text format plus the video clips from Donna Stanger. If more help is
needed, free technical assistance is available by phone.
Children will find the activities of TT2 to entertaining and fascinating.
These are more like games than learning exercises. The creativity
sections of the activities will expand and strengthen their thinking
skills while they have fun creating songs and artwork. Play and
educational values are very high for this product.
TT2 can be purchased from many fine retailers and discounters. It can be
found in many stores for about $35. This alone would make TT2 an
excellent buy, but Edmark backs this product with a 30-Day satisfaction
guarantee. If the purchaser is unhappy with the product, it can be
returned for a cash refund or exchanged for another Edmark product of
equal or lesser value. This award-winning program is great addition to
any home education library.
Ratings
Graphics ................ 9.0
Sounds .................. 9.5
Interface ............... 9.5
Play Value .............. 9.5
Educational Value ....... 10.0
Bang for the Buck ....... 9.5
Average ................. 9.5
###
How the Leopard Got His Spots
Windows CD-ROM
suggested retail $34.95
for ages 6 to 10
from Microsoft and Rabbit Ears Productions
Program Requirements
---------------------
CPU: 486SX-33
OS: Win 3.1 or higher
RAM: 4 megs
HDISK: 6 megs free space
Video: 640 by 480, 256 colors
CD-ROM: Double-speed
Misc.: Sound card, mouse
Join P.J. the rabbit in this interactive storybook of the famous Rudyard
Kipling fable. The program includes four games, fifteen play pages and a
multimedia dictionary. Danny Glover performs an excellent narration and
is supported musically by the a capella ensemble Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
However, the program does run slowly on even fairly fast machines.
P.J. is the host for the program. Clicking on him will enable audible
help sequences. The interface is very simple. Mr. Glover reads part of
the fable while it is animated on the screen. The child can then click on
the play page for humorous hotspot animations or he can open the book to
see illustrated pages for that passage. Each word when clicked on will be
pronounced to help children learn spelling and enunciation. Highlighted
words will be defined audibly and visually when clicked on twice to
increase the child's vocabulary and his understanding of the fable.
Some play pages have activities associated with them that can be accessed
by clicking on P.J.'s bag. One activity is Mancala, the world's oldest
board game, which originated in Africa. If a human opponent is
unavailable, P.J. will serve as the computer opponent. He has three
difficulty levels. The game is simple, but very tricky to master. It
involves moving groups of beans or beads around a series of holes.
Another activity is a jigsaw puzzle in which the child chooses a picture
and the number of pieces for the puzzle. A musical matching game and a
painting activity are also included.
Another option is to click on the rabbit hole and visit P.J.'s warren.
The four activities can be accessed by clicking on the icons on the
library shelves. Various books are scattered about this very lived-in
home. Clicking on these begin multimedia presentations. One is a short
biography of author Rudyard Kipling. Another is a video clip of
illustrator Lori Lohstoeter explaining how she designed the artwork for
the program. Another book explains the many variations of Mancala played
around the world. Clicking on other objects in the room will trigger more
hotspot animations.
"How the Leopard Got His Spots" has rather uneven graphics. The water
color illustrations are a bit surreal. I personally did not like them but
I believe most children would find them to be interesting and attractive
due to their colorfulness. The animations are not state-of-the-art. P.J.
is animated fairly well, but the hotspot animations in the play pages are
very jerky and not realistic in motion. The movies were done well.
The audio portion of the program is very good. Danny Glover does an
excellent narration of the fable. The different speakers all talk very
distinctly and are easy to understand. I found the music to be
fascinating. It is unfortunate that more music wasn't included or that a
few complete songs weren't made available for listening.
The interface is very easy to use. P.J.'s audible instructions are simple
and easy to follow. The program does not include much documentation on
troubleshooting but is available through a several means including a toll-
free automated answering system. "How the Leopard Got His Spots" is
supposed to be compatible with both Windows 3.1 and Win95. My
installation of "Leopard" was a bit of an adventure. The installation of
the program somehow messed up my Windows 3.1 setup so that I could no
longer get it to run. It would start to load and then crash back to DOS
after the Windows logo was displayed. Since I had been putting off an
upgrade to Win95, I decided to do the upgrade rather than struggle with
troubleshooting the old Windows. "Leopard" does run fine in Win95 but it
doesn't appear to support the autoplay feature of the new Windows.
Play value is going to suffer due to the slowness of the program. Loading
times were long for the animations and story pages. This was occurring on
486DX-80 and P5-60 machines. These aren't the fastest machines available,
but they are well above the program requirements. If your child has
patience, he will enjoy the fine narration, music and activities.
The program has numerous educational opportunities. The book portion of
the program provides a very good method of learning word spellings,
pronunciations and definitions. The Mancala game gives children an
opportunity to learn logic and strategy in a fun way. It just seems that
the program needs a bit more depth to compete with the best products of
this genre.
"How the Leopard Got His Spots" has a reasonable price. Microsoft backs
it with a 30-day moneyback guarantee. It is a fairly good value with
little monetary risk.
Ratings
Graphics ........... 7.0
Sound .............. 9.0
Interface .......... 8.0
Play Value ......... 7.0
Educational Value .. 8.5
Bang for the Buck .. 8.0
Average ............ 7.91
###
Edmark Announces...
Edmark Corporation has announced the development of enhanced versions of
two of its classic learning programs, "Millie's Math House" and "Bailey's
Book House." Both programs will come on hybrid CD-ROMs with versions for
Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and Macintosh. An additional learning activity
has been added to each product and many of the original activities have
been expanded to provide greater educational content. Approximate retail
of each of these products is $40.
###
For immediate release:
Edmark Announces Limited Edition Holiday Bundle:
The Early Learning Trio
Redmond, WA-- Edmark Corporation announces plans to release three of its
award-winning Early Learning House series titles in a limited edition
holiday bundle that will be available to the consumer from October 1
through December 31, 1995. Edmark's Early Learning Trio will feature
newly enhanced versions of the popular "Millie's Math House," "Bailey's
Book House" and "Sammy's Science House." The Early Learning Trio will
introduce children ages 2 to 6 to the fundamentals of math, science and
reading. The new CD-ROM versions of "Millie's Math House," "Bailey's Book
House" and "Sammy's Science House" will be designed to take full advantage
of Windows 95, and be fully compatible with Windows 3.1 and Macintosh
computers.
"Millie's Math House" was designed by early childhood experts and gives
young children the building blocks they need to develop a solid foundation
in math. In seven fun-filled activities kids explore numbers, shapes,
sizes, patterns, addition and subtraction as they build mouse houses,
create wacky bugs, count animated critters, make jelly bean cookies and
answer math challenges posed by Dorothy the duck. Ten additional numbers
have been added to the Cookie Factory: kids can now decorate cookies with
zero to twenty jelly beans. Twenty additional numbers have been added to
the Number Machine, where little critters pop up and count off when kids
select a number from zero to thirty. In a new activity, What's My Number,
kids add, count and subtract in order to place the same number of objects
on their stage as Dorothy the duck has on hers.
In "Bailey's Book House," Bailey and his friends encourage young children
to build important literacy skills while developing a love for reading.
IN Bailey's house, seven interactive activities invite kids to explore the
sounds and meanings of letters, words, sentences, rhymes and stories. In
the NEW activities kids will sound out and read three-letter words at the
Three-Letter Carnival and they'll learn common adjectives and build
descriptive phrases with My Friend. In Bailey's house, no reading skills
are required: every word on the screen is read aloud, and each word in a
sentence is highlighted as it is read.
"Sammy's Science House" builds important early science skills and
encourages wonder and joy as children discover the world of science around
them. Five engaging activities help children practice sorting,
sequencing, observing, predicting and constructing. In the Sorting
Station, kids learn simple scientific classification. In the Workshop,
kids construct machines and toys they can print. They discover how plants
and animals live at Acorn Pond - and can read and print a "Field Notebook"
of interesting information about the pond's animals. Kids control the
weather in the Weather Machine and learn to build logical sequences in
Make-A-Movie.
"It's tremendously rewarding to watch a child's face light up with joy
when they play with Millie, Bailey and Sammy," said Sally Narodick, Edmark
CEO. "This collection of highly acclaimed, award-winning programs is a
valuable addition to every family's software library."
Two Modes of Learning
Some children learn better when they direct their own learning, others
learn better with more prompting and direction. "Bailey's Book House,"
"Millie's Math House" and "Sammy's Science House" make both types of
experiences available to kids by offering both and Explore & Discover, and
Question & Answer Mode for most activities. In the Explore Mode, kids
direct their own learning - they decide what to explore - and build
divergent thinking skills that promote creativity and inventiveness. In
the Question & Answer Mode, kids are prompted and directed by animate
characters to find answers. This mode of learning builds convergent
thinking skills that promote logical reasoning.
Helpful Information for Parents
In the NEW CD-ROM versions of "Millie's Book House," "Bailey's Book House"
and "Sammy's Science House" there is a special Dear Parents Video
Presentation that helps parents understand more about their children's
learning. In the presentations, Edmark Vice President Donna Stanger,
award winning software designer and teacher, discusses early learning and
offers parents information about how children learn inside each activity
of these programs.
In addition, the User's Guides include "Together Time" activities for
parents and children to share away from the computer. The Guide offers
suggestions for easy, at-home activities that help parents integrate
reading and math learning into everyday life.
Recognized by Experts
"Millie's Math House," "Bailey's Book House" and "Sammy's Science House"
have been honored with a combined total of thirty prestigious industry
awards; some of the highlights include:
ù Parents' Choice Award
ù MacUser Editors' Choice Award for Best Children's Program
ù Software Publishers Association Codie Award for Best Early Education
Program
ù FamilyPC Family Tested Recommended Award
ù Parents' Choice Award for a "Classic Computer Program"
ù All Star Software Award, "Children's Software Revue"
ù "Technology & Learning", Software Award of Excellence
ù Teachers' Choice Award
Product Availability and Pricing
The Limited Edition Learning Trio including Millie, Bailey and Sammy will
be available as a special holiday bundle from October 1 through December
1, 1995 on CD-ROM for both Macintosh and Windows operating systems, at a
price of approximately $80. For more information, customers may contact
Edmark at 800-691-2985 or 206-556-8484.
System Requirements
Macintosh System Requires: Color Macintosh (256 colors required); 4 MB RAM
(8 MB recommended); CD-ROM drive (double-speed recommended); System 7.0.1
or higher; Mouse and 13" monitor or larger. Optional: Edmark TouchWindow
and printer.
Windows System Requires: Windows 3.1 (enhanced mode), Windows95 or later;
4 MB RAM (8 MB recommended); CD-ROM drive (double-speed recommended);
SuperVGA (256 colors required); 386DX (486 recommended), 33Mhz; Hard disk
with 2 MB free; Mouse; Windows-compatible sound-output device. Optional:
Edmark TouchWindow and printer.
###
Discovering Shakespeare
hybrid format CD-ROM for Windows and Macintosh
approximate retail $30
ages 10+
from IVI Publishing and Bride Media International
7500 Flying Cloud Drive
Minneapolis, MN 55344-3739
Program Requirements
----------------------
IBM Macintosh
CPU: 486SX-25 CPU: Color Mac, LCIII or higher
RAM: 8 megs RAM: 8 megs
OS: Windows 3.1 OS: System 7.1
Video: SVGA, 640 by 480, 256 colors Video: 13" monitor, 256 colors
HDISK: 2 megs for QuickTime player HDISK: n/a
CD-ROM: Doublespeed CD-ROM: Doublespeed
Misc.: Mouse, sound card Misc.: Mouse
"Discovering Shakespeare" is a fascinating multimedia study of the life
and works of one of histories greatest authors. This program combines
still images, text and QuickTime movies to teach us of the genius of
William Shakespeare.
The program includes extensive information on the life of Shakespeare,
including a section which debunks many myths of his life. Also, included
are history lessons about Sixteenth Century life, theater and customs.
"Discovering Shakespeare" is divided into five sections for his life, his
times, the theater, his works and his world. There is connectivity
between these sections and the user can jump from one to another as he
wishes.
The interface is point-and-click and is very user-friendly. It is
explained very well in the help video. Any graphic with a border can be
clicked on to see a movie related to that subject. Also linked to movies
are text highlighted in red and map locations. These movies appear to
have been culled from a television special about Shakespeare. Sixty
minutes of video is contained in the program. It is very enjoyable just
to click on different items and to wander about the program.
Two shortcomings do exist in this product. First, only synopses of
Shakespeare's plays are included rather than the actual texts. This could
have been an outstanding product had it included those texts along with
the synopses and perhaps translations of the idiomatic language of the
plays. The second shortcoming is that the program does not allow the use
of a printer. This is a reference work but it does not allow the user to
cut and paste any of the information into a word processor. Perhaps this
decision was made to prevent plagiarism but no explanation is given in the
program's documentation.
"Discovering Shakespeare" contains a great multitude of facts about
Shakespeare's life and times. The narrators attempt to explain
Shakespeare's gift and genius in context to his time and to ours. This
study is fascinating to students of literature and Sixteenth Century
history. Even with its shortcomings, it is an excellent product for those
wishing to learn more about William Shakespeare.
Ratings
Graphics ............ 8.0
Sound ............... 8.0
Interface ........... 8.5
Play Value .......... n/a
Educational Value ... 9.0
Bang for the Buck ... 8.5
Average ............. 8.4
###
And even more news from Edmark
Edmark announces the shipment of two new educational products for
children. Both are produced on hybrid format CD-ROMs which can be used on
both Windows and Macintosh computers.
"Trudy's Time & Place House" teaches fundamental concepts about time and
geography to children ages three to six. Trudy, a charming alligator,
coaches children through five activities. Several friends assist her in
building children's time-telling skills, mapping and direction skills and
to learn about geography while "traveling" the world. All directions are
spoken to make the program user-friendly for pre-readers.
"Trudy's Time & Place House" will retail for approximately $40 and will be
available from most computer retailers and wholesalers, and directly from
Edmark. A school version of "Trudy's" will be made available later which
will feature a teacher's guide, lesson ideas and reproducible activity
sheets.
"Thinkin' Things Collection 3" is the latest in a series of programs which
encourage creative and logical thought through fun activities and
exploration. TT3 includes five mind-expanding activities. Three
activities involve problem-solving. In Stocktopus, the children play a
stock broker and must make trades with other brokers to make profit.
Half-Time is an exercise in logic as children program the characters to
perform an exciting football half-time show. Half-Time is also an
exercise in creativity. In Fripple House, children play detective as they
deduce the correct location for Fripples from written clues.
Carving BLOX is an activity of creativity, imagination and
experimentation. It is a world of rolling, colliding balls moving about a
virtual metal that the child can shape or drill holes in. Children are
encouraged to learn about physics as they watch the balls reactions to
moving up inclines, fall through holes and bounce off other objects.
The final activity is Photo Twister. Twenty-two tiny green aliens each
have individual special effects tools. An image has been distorted by one
or more of the aliens. By looking at the photo, the child must deduce
which of the aliens was involved in changing it. He can then use the
special effects tools to warp the picture and then save the image for
later viewing.
"Thinkin' Things 3" will also retail for approximately $40 and will be
available from most computer retailers. For more information, Edmark can
be contacted at 206-556-8484 or 800-691-2985.
###
It's been a busy week. I hope that you enjoy the information and reviews
that I provide. If you have any comments, please send me E-mail at
fsereno@matrix.uti.com As always, I thank you for reading.
MS Internet Explorer STR InfoFile
MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER FOR WINDOWS 95
The Microsoft Internet Explorer is the easiest browser to set up and use,
delivering power and performance while innovating for the future. For more
details, check out the Internet Explorer 2.0 Beta Reviewers Guide.
*New Internet Explorer 2.0 features are indicated in bold italic.
EASE OF USE
-----------
The Microsoft Internet Explorer makes browsing the Internet as easy as
using Windows 95.
Setup: One-stop setup allows you to connect to the Internet easily and
quickly. The set-up Wizard configures your computer to automatically
connect to the service provider of your choice. If you do not currently
have a service provider, the Microsoft Internet Explorer will connect you
to the Internet via MSN, The Microsoft Network.
Integration with Windows 95: Developed specifically for use with the
Windows 95 operating system, the Microsoft Internet Explorer is completely
integrated with the new user interface and the underlying architecture. It
takes full advantage of ease-of-use improvements in Windows 95 by
supporting Shortcuts, the right mouse button, Favorites, Drag and Drop,
OLE, and more.
Favorites: Not only does the Microsoft Internet Explorer automatically
keep track of the sites youve recently visited, it also allows you to
create Favorites. Favorites provide a quick and easy way back to your
favorite places on the Internet.
Tutorial and Search Button: A complete online tutorial helps first-time
users become comfortable browsing the Internet. A search button on the
toolbar provides instant access to powerful search engines like Yahoo,
Lycos, and Infoseek.
POWER AND PERFORMANCE
---------------------
The Microsoft Internet Explorer is a full 32-bit application building on
the Windows 95 infrastructure to provide speed and functionality.
32-bit: The Microsoft Internet Explorer is a complete 32-bit application,
building on Windows 95 services such as Telephony API, and on the native
32-bit TCP/IP stack. This means the Microsoft Internet Explorer is more
robust than existing 16-bit browsers and will multitask smoothly with
other 32-bit applications.
New HTML Extensions (proposed): Marquees, inline AVIs, font
specifications, and background sounds can all be used to make Web pages
more interactive and interesting.
News Reader: Support for standardized Internet newsgroup reading (NNTP).
Security: Support for the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and RSA encryption
technology allows integration with secure sites. Also, support for
Internet Shopping tokens (cookies) allows you to shop at your favorite
Internet outlets. In addition, the Microsoft Internet Explorer is STT and
PCT Ready, which means the Internet Explorer has the support hooks for the
Microsoft/Visa Secure Transaction Technology and Private Communication
Technology already coded in.
E-mail: A full e-mail package allows you to send and receive mail over the
Internet. E-mail support is integrated with the Exchange Inbox included in
Windows 95, so all of your mail can be viewed from the same location, and
you can maintain a single address book. The mail package also supports the
Internet MIME standard for sending attached files in Internet mail
messages.
Performance: Multi-Threading and Progressive Rendering greatly increase
the responsiveness of the user interface to even the most complex Web
pages. This, coupled with a persistent page cache using standard HTTP
Last-Modified-Since and Expires attributes, greatly improves browsing
speed.
HTML Standards: Support for all of the standard Internet HTML tags,
including right align, centering, tables, client pull, etc. Also, the
Internet Explorer provides access to FTP and gopher servers.
INNOVATION
----------
The Microsoft Internet Explorer was developed for flexibility in the
ever-changing Internet world.
VRML: The Microsoft Internet Explorer version 2.0 is VRML Ready. VRML
technology in the Microsoft Internet Explorer will combine a 3-D viewer
with the high-speed Reality Lab engine for fast viewing of 3-D objects
over the Internet. Look for the VRML Browser add-on later this year.
Fast Connect: HTTP-KeepAlive is a protocol enhancement that allows the
Internet Explorer to open and download multiple items over the same HTTP
connection instead of opening a new connection for each file. Since most
Web pages are made up of several files, this can improve performance and
reduce server loading when used in conjunction with a KeepAlive-enabled
server.
SPECIFICATIONS
--------------
System Requirements
The Internet Explorer is designed to work with Windows 95. It requires a
minimum of 8 megabytes of RAM, 13 megabytes* of hard disk space, and a
modem. A 14.4 bps or faster modem is recommended for optimum performance.
* This assumes an existing Internet provider. If no provider is in use, an
additional 1015 megabytes is required to install the MSN components.
(C)1995 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This data sheet is for
informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Company names and/or data used in screens are
fictitious, unless otherwise noted. Microsoft, Windows and the Windows
logo are registered trademarks and MSN is a trademark of Microsoft
C o r poration. Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA
98052-6399 USA
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
___ ___ _____ _______
/___| /___| /_____| /_______/
/____|/____| /__/|__| /__/
/_____|_____|/__/_|__|/__/
/__/|____/|__|________|__/
/__/ |___/ |__|_/ |__|_/_____
/__/ |__/ |__|/ |__|______/
________________________________________
/_______________________________________/
MAC/APPLE SECTION John Deegan, Editor (Temp)
Micrografx News STR InfoFile
MICROGRAFX ADDS 3D CAPABILITIES TO THE ABC GRAPHICS SUITE
Tightly Integrated, Value-Packed Graphics Suite Available Immediately
Richardson, Texas (September 25, 1995) - Micrografx(R), Inc. (NASDAQ:
MGXI) today announced it has extended the graphics capabilities and value
of the ABC Graphics Suite(TM) by including Visual Software's Instant
3D(TM) for Windows 95 (Instant 3D). The Micrografx ABC Graphics Suite is
available immediately with the value-based pricing of $299.95 ESP
(estimated street price) for the full version and $149.95 ESP for the
upgrade/competitive upgrade.
The ABC Graphics Suite is the first integrated offering of award-winning
diagramming, flowcharting, clipart management, painting, image editing,
and drawing tools, with an interface designed for Microsoft(R) Office for
Windows(R) 95. In addition to using the Office interface, the ABC
Graphics Suite supports the Office Binder, which lets users seamlessly
combine data from a variety of applications.
Like the ABC Graphics Suite, Instant 3D also carries the Microsoft Windows
95 and Microsoft Office 95 logos. It provides a quick way to add 3D text
and graphics to any component of the ABC Graphics Suite such as Micrografx
Designer or Picture Publisher, or to easily incorporate 3D in Word for
Windows documents, PowerPoint presentations or any other Windows 95
application.
Instant 3D Extends the Graphics Capabilities and Value of ABC Graphics
Suite "Both customer feedback and International Data Corp. research
indicate that 3D is among the most requested features of the ideal
graphics suite," said J. Paul Grayson, chairman and CEO of Micrografx.
"With the addition of Instant 3D to the ABC Graphics Suite, Micrografx
continues its strong tradition of driving our products to meet and exceed
customer needs, while offering a compelling value at the same time."
Using Instant 3D's Office-compliant interface, users can turn any text
into a 3D object wrapped in textures such as wood or chrome, or choose
from hundreds of 3D clipart objects such as planes, frames, balloons and
3D buttons for web home pages. Instant 3D also includes hundreds of
textures such as stones, wood, skin and even red chili peppers. Unlike
traditional 2D clipart, users can clip, spin and scale text and objects in
a 3D window on the page.
"The ABC Graphics Suite gives me all the award-winning Micrografx
applications in a single, integrated package that's easy to learn and
use," said Neal Katz, president, Katz Creative Services. "And adding 3D
capabilities makes the ABC Graphics Suite an even stronger value. This
has just become my favorite graphics application."
ABC Graphics Suite Unlocks Creative Potential Using Native Win32
Applications
By giving every Windows 95 user instant access to the fullest range of
graphics capabilities, Micrografx ABC Graphics Suite provides unlimited
creative potential to PC users worldwide. The product employs a "use what
you know"SM metaphor that helps Microsoft Office for Windows 95 users
easily access Micrografx's powerful tools to create, enhance and place
graphics in a familiar, productive setting.
The Micrografx ABC Graphics Suite integrates native Windows 95-based
versions of Micrografx's best-of-breed graphics applications including:
Micrografx Designer(TM) 6.0; ABC FlowCharter(R) 6.0; Picture Publisher(R)
6.0; and ABC Media Manager(TM) 6.0. All components are written to the
native Win32 API, and provide performance up to 2 - 3 times faster in
operations such as file open, graphic importation/creation, and filter
application.
An additional benefit of the Win32 API is a dramatic improvement of
operations including OLE functions such as Drag-and-Drop, In-Place Editing
and full 32-bit OLE Automation.
Similar to the ABC Graphics Suite, Instant 3D takes full advantage of
Windows 95 and its enhanced OLE capabilities. Instant 3D works seamlessly
inside a user's application by adding its own button bar and menu option,
and uses standard Windows TrueType fonts that can be extruded, beveled,
wrapped along a line and deformed using a wide selection of pre-defined
shapes.
New, Innovative Features Provide Instant Creativity
In addition to specific enhancements related to Windows 95 and Office 95,
the Micrografx ABC Graphics Suite provides extensive new features. Most
importantly, the newly developed ABC Media Manager 6.0 provides an easy
method of dragging and dropping clipart, photos and diagramming symbols
into and out of Micrografx ABC Graphics Suite or any Windows 95
application. The ABC Media Manager transparently manages more than 50
file formats including TIFF, BMP, DXF and CorelDraw.
In addition to award-winning graphics applications, Micrografx ABC
Graphics Suite also includes:
20,000+ pieces of clipart
7,500+ photos
2,000+ diagramming symbols
250+ fonts
Micrografx develops and markets graphics software to meet the creative
needs of everyone who uses a personal computer. Founded in 1982,
Micrografx has become a leading software publisher by responding quickly
to customer and worldwide market needs. The company's U.S. operations are
based in Richardson, Texas, with a development office in San Francisco.
International subsidiaries include Canada, the United Kingdom, France,
Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, and Japan.
Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
QEMM NewsNotes STR InfoFile
QEMM and Windows 95
Quarterdeck Technical Note #305 Filename: W95-QEMM.TEC
by Michael Bolton, Mike Bryant II, CompuServe: W95-QEMM.TEC
and Rod Mathews Category: SW3
Last revised: 09/07/95
Subject: A discussion on running QEMM under Microsoft Windows 95.
QEMM refers to the following versions of QEMM:
QEMM 7.01 - 7.04
QEMM 7.5 9/17/94, 10/12/95, 11/22/94, 5/12/95
QEMM GameRunner Edition
Overview
Microsoft Windows 95 is fully compatible with QEMM386.SYS, the
driver that supplies QEMM's memory management features,
including QEMM's Stealth ROM technology. QEMM will continue to
provide memory management services to Windows 95 and to the
programs loaded before it.
The Windows 95 installation process will automatically detect
and disable QEMM's DOS-Up features. DOS 7, the version of DOS
that lies beneath Windows 95, is incompatible with current
versions of DOS-Up. The new version of DriveSpace that comes
with Windows 95 is similarly incompatible with QEMM 7.5's Stealth
D*Space and QEMM 7.0's Stealth DoubleSpace, and the Windows 95
installation process will disable these drivers as well. Future
versions of QEMM are expected to address these incompatibilities.
Installing Windows 95 on a system with QEMM already running
When you begin the Setup process, Windows 95 will display a
message warning that QEMM will interfere with the hardware
detection phase during Windows 95 setup. Although this message
is generally incorrect, you may wish to ensure that the Windows
95 accurately detects all of your hardware devices by disabling
QEMM temporarily during the Windows 95 installation process.
This is most easily done by making the following changes to the
system configuration:
1) Using any text editor, edit the CONFIG.SYS file.
2) Disable the QEMM device driver by placing the word REM at the
beginning of the line containing the QEMM386.SYS driver. The
line will look like this after all changes have been made:
REM DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS (followed by any existing
parameters)
3) Add the following line to the beginning of the config.sys file:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
4) Save the file, exit the editor and reboot the system.
NOTE: It is possible for Windows 95's Setup program to run out of
conventional memory. Before you proceed, check to make sure that you
have at least 417K of conventional memory by typing MFT<Enter> in the
QEMM directory. If the listing for "Conventional Memory Available" is
greater than 417K, proceed directly to step 5. If this value is less
than 417K, remove the HIMEM.SYS line in Step 3 above, and remove the REM
from the beginning of the QEMM386.SYS line. Also remove the ST:M or
ST:F
parameter (if one exists) from the QEMM386.SYS line; save the file,
reboot the machine, and continue with step 5.
5) Install Windows 95.
6) After the installation is completed, restart your computer in MS-DOS
mode by clicking Start, Shutdown, and "Restart your computer in
MS-DOS mode".
Edit the CONFIG.SYS file using any text editor. Remove the following
line from the CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
After removing this line, remove the REM from the beginning of the
QEMM386.SYS line. It should then look like this:
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS (followed by any existing parameters)
7) Save the file.
8) You are now ready to follow the optimize procedure.
Running Optimize on a Windows 95 System
At boot time, Windows 95 loads a number of device drivers that
may not have been present in your DOS and Windows 3.1
configuration. These drivers may load into regions of High RAM
in such a way as to alter the region layouts calculated by
Optimize. After you install Windows 95, to make sure that you
are getting the maximum possible conventional memory, perform
the following steps:
1) Restart your computer in MS-DOS mode by clicking Start,
choose "Shutdown", and "Restart your computer in MS-DOS mode".
2) Using a text editor, edit CONFIG.SYS and add the following
lines to the file:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\SETVER.EXE
FILES=60
LASTDRIVE=Z
BUFFERS=30
FCBS=4,0
STACKS=9,256
SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM /P
DOS=HIGH,NOUMB
If any of these lines already exist, it is not necessary to add them!
Save the file after changes have been made.
These are the default settings that are loaded from IO.SYS when your
computer is booted. If you have any of these settings in your CONFIG.SYS,
it is not necessary to add them again. You may also wish to reduce the
amount of buffers allocated by changing to BUFFERS=15, reduce the amount
of memory required by the drive table by changing the lastdrive statement
to LASTDRIVE=E, and reduce the stacks to STACKS=0,0 . These suggestions
will maximize the amount of conventional memory that QEMM makes available.
3) Check the \WINDOWS directory for the existance of DOSSTART.BAT, and
if it is not there,skip to step 4. If DOSSTART.BAT exists, use a text
editor to edit AUTOEXEC.BAT and add the following line to the end of the
file:
CALL DOSSTART.BAT
Save the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
4) Change to the QEMM directory.
5) Run QSETUP.
6) Select Enable/Disable DOS-Up, and disable QEMM's DOS-Up
features. If you are using DriveSpace, select Enable/Disable
Stealth D*Space and disable this feature as well.
7) Select Save Configuration and exit, then run Optimize.
8) After the optimize process has completed, edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT file
and remove the CALL DOSSTART.BAT line (if you added it in step 3) from the
end of the file. You need this line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT only when you
run Optimize.
Installing QEMM on a Windows 95 System
QEMM will install on a Windows 95 System with a little modification.
The following steps will ensure that you are obtaining the maximum amount
of conventional memory:
1) Before installing QEMM, check the \WINDOWS directory for the
existance of DOSSTART.BAT, and if it is not there, skip to step 2. If
DOSSTART.BAT exists, use a text editor to edit AUTOEXEC.BAT and add the
following line to the end of the file:
CALL DOSSTART.BAT
Save the AUTOEXEC.BAT file after making the change.
2) Next, add the following lines to your CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\SETVER.EXE
FILES=60
LASTDRIVE=Z
BUFFERS=30
FCBS=4,0
STACKS=9,256
SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM /P
DOS=HIGH,NOUMB
If any of these lines already exist, it is not necessary to add them!
Save the file after changes have been made.
These are the default settings that are loaded from IO.SYS when your
computer is booted. If you have any of these settings in your CONFIG.SYS,
it is not necessary to add them again. You may also wish to reduce the
amount of buffers allocated by changing to BUFFERS=15, reduce the amount
of memory required by the drive table by changing the lastdrive statement
to LASTDRIVE=E, and reduce the stacks to STACKS=0,0 . These suggestions
will maximize the amount of conventional memory that QEMM makes available.
3) Install QEMM, and select Custom Installation.
4) At the end of the installation, you will be presented
with the QEMM Setup screen. Select DOS-Up, and disable
the DOS-Up features. If you are using DriveSpace,
select Stealth D*Space and disable this feature as well.
5) Save the configuration and exit, then run OPTIMIZE.
6) After the optimize process has completed, edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT file
and remove the CALL DOSSTART.BAT line (if you added it in step 1) from the
end of the file. You need this line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT only when you
run Optimize.
For further information about the Windows 95 setup and installation
process, please refer to your Windows 95 documentation or to the Windows
95 Resource Kit (published by Microsoft Press).
******************************************************************
* Trademarks are property of their respective owners. *
* This and other technical notes may be available in updated *
* forms through Quarterdeck's standard support channels. *
* Copyright (C) 1995 Quarterdeck Corporation *
******************** E N D O F F I L E ***********************
QUARTERDECK MOVES
Yes, after 12 years in Santa Monica, California, we have finally outgrown
our home. The tiny suite where we once packaged DESQ by hand is now the
mailroom in one of half a dozen buildings we occupy. Although we have
many memories here, it's time to move on.
The new address for Quarterdeck Corporation, as of Saturday September 30:
Quarterdeck Corporation
13160 Mindanao Way
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292-9705
This move puts us into a new telephone exchange; thus, our phone numbers
are changing as well.
Main Numbers for Business and Technical Support
-----------------------------------------------
The product information number, (310)392-9851, will become (310)309-3700.
The tech support number, (310)392-9701, will become (310)309-4250.
After September 29, anyone calling the old numbers will receive a message
that "the number has changed; the new number is..." and then will be
transferred to either our business or tech support line.
Direct Dial Numbers
-------------------
Direct Dial numbers are any of our numbers that begin with 314-32xx or
314-42xx. The numbers assigned to the BBS, Qfax and fax machines will
change so that the new prefix will be 309. The rest of the number will
stay the same.
The BBS number, (310)314-3227 will become (310)309-3227.
The QFax number, (310)314-3214 will become (310)309-3214.
The tech support fax, (310)314-3217 will become (310)309-3217.
PORTABLE COMPUTERS & ENTERTAINMENT Marty Mankins, Editor
Notes from the Editor
Technically, this is our third segment of STReport s new Portable
Computing/Entertainment Section. Logically, it is only the second. Let
me explain. Last week, we ran 3 Jaguar game reviews in this section.
There should have been nothing in this section last week as we are running
it on a bi-weekly basis until the end of the year. Then in 1996, we start
coverage every week. It s amazing to think of all that we have planned
for this new section. But, the one thing that wasn t planned was posting
the Jaguar reviews here. As I noted in STReport #1137, all of my Jaguar
reviews will still be published in the Atari/Jaguar Section. So public
apologies go out to Dana Jacobson for this mistake.
Enough about that. On with the coverage. This week, we have Craig Harris
as a contributor to this section with his PlayStation game review for
Ridge Racer. We did have reviews planned for NBA Jam T.E. and Power
Server 3D Tennis, but something happened - we ran out of time to provide
the quality of game reviews we wanted to. So in two weeks, look for
those. Speaking of PlayStation games, a new one appeared in stores this
last week. PGA Tour 96 is the PlayStation s answer to popular golf games
like Links for the PC and Microsoft Golf. I ve only had a glimpse of the
screen shots and it fares well. We ll have to see how game play is when
we review it later on.
I ve been visiting some dealers here in the Salt Lake City area and the
PlayStation is doing very well. Some places like Software Etc. inside my
local Barnes & Noble store have reported slow sales, but Toys R Us,
Babbage s and a local set of stores called The Game Peddler is reporting
increased interest in PlayStation. 3DO sales have dropped and so have
games and systems for Sega s Saturn. Why? Sony has used their marketing
muscle to get people interested in PlayStation and they already show 11
titles that are widely available. It was told that there were about 17
titles that were supposed to be available on the September 9th US launch
of the system and being able to find 11 of these is good. Developers are
racing to create games at a break-neck speed. The list of games that are
already coming out (thanks to Next Generation Magazine Issue #9) is well
over 50 and that s by the end of 1st Qtr 96. We should see at least 30
games by the end of the year. It s no wonder PlayStation is doing well.
So keep watching and play hard!
Turning our attention to the portable computing, I have a story to share.
I was working with a client this last week in Las Vegas. He s been using
a laptop for the last 8 months and has managed to put a lot of data onto
it over the course of this time. Given that his laptop is a 486 with 8Mb
of RAM and a 250 Mb hard drive, it s a nice machine. Well, there s really
no easy way to back it up except by using the floppy drive. Sure, you
could get an external tape drive hooked up to the parallel port or using a
SCSI drive through the PC Card (formally known as PCMCIA) slot with the
proper adapter. But, these items seemed like overkill for only one
laptop. I had recommended a good backup program that would help restore
the system in the event something happened. Well, things were going well
and kept going well until I got a call this last week. It seems that some
sort of error happened and a good 75% of this user s data was corrupted.
Even Norton Utilities 8.0 couldn t save it. We tried and tried to get
some files back. We got somewhat close and ended up writing off 50% of
the 75% of damaged data.
I consider myself spoiled because I get to backup my laptop to the
network. I can spare a good 100 Mb of space for a backup and it seems
that is not going to be enough in a week or two. That s ok. I can make
room for more. But, in the case above, we didn t have that luxury. Not
even a floppy backup was made. A big lesson was learned. Take time out
to backup. No matter how little money or time you may have, find a way to
backup. Borrow a friend s computer. Offer to buy them espressos for a
week. Anything is cheaper than losing data.
With that in mind, now that I can put this week s section to bed, it s
time for me to backup my laptop. <smile> See you in two weeks with a ton
of coverage.
- Marty -
E-Mail: 75300.1770@compuserve.com
ENTERTAINMENT: PlayStation
PlayStation Game Review: Ridge Racer
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
List Price: $59.95
Ease of Play: Intermediate/Advanced
by Craig Harris
When someone says "Playstation," what's the first game that comes to mind?
"Toh Shin Den!"
Hmm...ok, the second game? Despite it's repetitive design, Ridge Racer
will definitely go down as one of the two most talked-about Playstation
games.
If you own a Playstation, chances are you've played Ridge Racer. If you
haven't played it, you've definitely seen it on the provided demo disc.
It's as much fun to play as it is to watch...but with only one track, how
long can the fun last?
GAME PLAY
The game starts off with a relatively high bang - while the disc's booting
after a power-on, a version of Galaxian is provided to pass the time.
There *is* a secret embedded within this nostalgic piece - it's up to you
to figure out what it is.
After the game loads, you are provided with a choice of circuit
difficulty, automatic or manual transmission, and 4 different cars (or 10,
if you discover the Galaxian trick), each with their own speed,
acceleration, handling and traction attributes.
After listening to the announcer egg you onto the starting position, hit
the start button to begin the race. The X button is accelerate, the []
button is brake, and the /\ button changes your view from inside the
cockpit to above and behind your auto. If you've selected manual
transmission, the shoulder L buttons downshift, and the R buttons upshift.
Steering the car, naturally,
comes from pushing left and right on the directional pad.
In the first two circuits, the track will take you through two tunnels,
around a mountain, and careen you around two hair-pin turns. In the later
circuits, the same track will rout you on a one-lane road through a
construction yard. A helicopter will be in constant view through-out the
race, ducking behind buildings and swooping through turns.
Early on, you'll notice the car tends to skid around corners. Power
sliding is extremely important in becoming a Ridge Racer professional.
Slowing down your car to take a heavy turn is a no-no in this
game...power-sliding will allow you to slide through a turn with a minimal
loss of speed. It's a difficult art to master, but it is certainly worth
practicing if you want to
succeed in this game.
After placing first place on all 4 circuits, 4 more circuits will open up.
In this round, you'll be racing on the same track, but traveling the other
direction and with *much* smarter opponents. Purchasing a memory card for
Ridge Racer is something to consider - you can save your circuit times and
placements...you won't have to do it again to play the extra circuits.
DETAILS
The graphics are very slick - cars are plastered with logos, wall textures
are extremely detailed, and the babe in the bikini at the beginning of
each race...*ahem* - sorry.
With all this detail in the game, the graphics still flow at a
silky-smooth frame rate. On the occasion, there's blue-line breakup -
blue-lines appear between road and wall textures, giving the impression
that the wall textures are not seamless. And on the extreme occasion,
you'll notice a severe drop in frame rate for no apparent reason.
Sounds are equally impressive, if not totally repetitive after very few
plays. The crystal-clear announcer repeats the same introduction every
single race. His sound-bites are used over and over throughout the race.
There's only 6 different in-game music selections (which can be changed by
providing your own music CD - but you didn't hear that from me). The only
sound that remains fresh time and time again is the helicopter buzzing
overhead, swooping from right channel to left channel of the stereo
system.
OVERALL
I have to admit it: I had to force myself to like this game. With only one
track provided, there wasn't anything here to justify a "keeper" status.
Once you attempt to master the art of power-sliding, however, this will be
one game you'll be playing over and over again. Master the craft, impress
your friends. 'Nuff said.
Graphics: 9.0 - Apart from break-up and slowdown, this game looks slick.
Sound: 9.0 - Repetitive voice samples, bizarre BGM...but of very high
quality.
Controls: 9.0 - Initially tough to get used to. Power-sliding's a dream
when learned properly.
Manual: 4.0 - Lousy. Full of inconsistancies. Doesn't teach power
sliding well.
Funfactor: 8.0 - Only one track...only one player against lots of
computer opponents. But it *is* a blast to play.
Overall: 8.5 - Great first generation title. Let's get more tracks in
the sequel, eh guys?
ATARI/JAG SECTION Dana Jacobson, Editor
From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
It appears that we're close to seeing the first issue of Current
Notes, under the new management of Howard Carson and company. As
you'll note below, ads are coming in and the magazine is taking
subscriptions and renewals. I think it's time to see what my current
subscription status is and drop them a line, as others are doing! We
at STReport wish Howard and the rest of the staff at the new Current
Notes the best of luck, and good fortune with the magazine. We're all
anxiously awaiting to see the "first" issue.
We're still looking for users of the current Web browser that are
available to do some reviews or articles about these programs. We've
also heard of a new Web browser, called "Stik". If you have some
experience using any of these programs, please drop me a line if you're
interested in doing an article about it - many Atari users are curious
about this new capability that's been essentially limiting for the
Atari platform.
I've been checking out the "Project Gutenberg" CD lately and
reading a number of interesting things that are included with it. Once
I've done a little more exploring, I'll talk about it more in a future
issue. Just imagine, some of your favorite literature available on
CDROM. I never thought that I'd be reading Jules Verne via the
computer rather than a hard cover book!
Until next time...
Current Notes STR InfoFile! - Current Notes Magazine Update!
Hello All:
Things are hopping up here. Ads are rolling in, Columns are rolling in.
We're hearing from all kinds of interested people and even new
subscriptions are coming in the door.
For those who haven't yet subscribed or want to renew as soon as they
can, here are the rates for the new _Current Notes_.
1 year 2 year
U.S. Addresses: $25 $46 - U.S. funds
Canadian Addresses: $35 $65 - Canadian funds
Other countries: $48 $90 - U.S. funds
Send subscriptions (new or renewal) to:
Current Notes Subscriptions
Robert Boardman
559 Birchmount Rd, Unit 2
Scarborough ON Canada M1K 1P9
Make cheques and money orders payable to _Current Notes_.
Please be sure to include your full name and address printed legibly
with your subscription. DO NOT assume you are in our database just
because you are renewing.
We prefer to communicate with you electronically. If you have an email
address, please include it with your regular address (your user name on
GEnie is fine, as long as you tell us you are on GEnie).
Keep watching this spot for exciting new developments with _Current
Notes_.
Robert Boardman
redfrog@io.org
BlowUP! STR InfoFile - Falcon030 Extension Card Ready!
Finally, BlowUP - The Falcon Company has finished it's ultimate
extension-card for the ATARI Falcon030:
FFFFF X X
F X X
FFF XX
F X X
F X X the Falcon Xtender
And these are the Features:
FastRAM-Expansion (max. 32MB)
-----------------------------
** 4 SIMMxSlots onboard (fits into original case)
** 4 additional slots on optional daughter-card
** 1MB and 4MB SIMMs, two-by-two
** The original 4MB of the Falcon stay active.
** With only 2*4MB and 2*1MB inserted, your Falcon then has 14MB!
** Memory over 14MB is organized virtually.
** With speeder: data throughput up to 20MB/s (standard 8MB/s).
** No soldering for RAM-function needed!
** Expansion-port daisy-chained! Tested with NOVA & FalconSpeed!
Hi-Speeder: CPU, DSP & System clock:
-----------------------------------
** System clock 32, 36 or 40MHz
** CPU/FPU-Clock 16,18,20,32,36 or 40MHz
** DSP 50 instead of 32 MHz
** Switchable by software.
** Soldiering needed.
Resolution-Expansion BlowUP Hard I
----------------------------------
The original with the Video-Mode-Generator
with improved bus timing higher resolutions/refresh rates in 256
colors/TrueColor.
Installation:
-------------
If only the RAM-option is to be used, no soldering is needed for
installation. The card is simply plugged into the expansion-slot, which
is daisy-chained, so that other expansions might be used in rebuilt
(tower-)Falcons. Only a small piece of the shielding has to be removed
in normal Falcons. For the speeder-option soldiering is needed as with
other speeders available, so that rebuilding from those other Speeders
is easy. Soldiering should only be made by routine people.
Fast-RAM:
---------
The Fast-RAM follows the Falcon RAM (4MB), the original 4MB-RAM-PCB in
Falcon will still be used! There are 4 SIMM-sockets on the FX-card
giving you two 16bit memory-banks. With an optional daughter-card two
further Banks are available (fits only in rebuilt Falcon e.g. tower).
The memory-banks may be filled with 1MB or 4MB SIMMs. This is an easy
way to get 14MB with only 2 x 4MB and 2 x 1MB SIMMs. Our FastRAM can
be used for all functions , including DMA-access, except video. As
there are no video-accesses on the FX-RAM it is up to 50% faster in
color modes. The FX-RAM normally has no problems with installed
Speeders. If the Speeder on the FX-card is used, a special Page-mode
will be used for RAM-access in the 32/36/40MHz-modes. This allows
RAM-access with no wait states and increases the memory throughput from
normally 8MB/s to max. 20MB/s. If you don't need the speeder FX is a
simple "plug'n play" memory-card. If more than 10MB is inserted into
FX the upper part is switched by the MMU an the FX-logic. The
management of the extended memory is done fully invisible for all
applications with the PMMU of the 68030 CPU. The speed-loss
with this
is minimal compared to virtual RAM on a hard disk. This optional
configuration allows a maximum use of 32MB. So that 8MB are standard
FastRAM (no video-access) and 24MB are EMS-RAM. For standard
applications there is no difference.
CPU-Speeder:
------------
The Speeder included on the FX-card increases the system-clock from
32 MHz to 36 or 40MHz. The CPU then can run with 16MHz (normal), 18MHz,
20MHz, 32Mhz, 36MHz or 40MHz. With the special FX-logic now nearly all
Falcon can use the 40MHz clock. The clock may be switched on booting or
later with a CPX-module. We have also solved the problems some
programs had with the DSP if the CPU ran at 40MHz and the DSP at 50MHz.
Soldering is needed for installation.
DSP-Speeder:
------------
Increases the DSP speed from 32MHz to 50MHz! Superb for MPEG-Decoder.
Solved problems with CPU at 40MHz. Soldiering is needed for
installation.
BlowUP Hard1:
-------------
The well known and time-tested resolution expansion also found a place
on the FX-card. With the confortable Software and super resolutions
(e.g. 800*608 at 84Hz ni, 1024*768 at 104Hz i). Soldering is needed for
installation.
Technical data:
size ~160mm*65mm, simply plugged into the expansion-slot (put through)
power taken from expansion-slot 4 SIMM-sockets onboard for
1M*9/1M*8/4M*9/4M*8 SIMMs (min 70ns), with changed FIRMWARE 16M*9 can
also be used 4 additional SIMM sockets on daughter-board with 2*4MB and
2*1MB SIMMs power consumption of ~200mA. Controller chip re-programmable
by software (Hardware-update by Software possible)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And even better!! the price: 349,-DM
Order information:
FX is now available from all ATARI dealers, our distributors in the UK,
France, Sweden and the U.S.A.
If you have problems to get it, order directly from us:
Either by normal mail - including a cheque
or by normal mail or FAX - paid by CREDIT CARD (VISA or DINERS don't
forget to include card-number and Exp. date) -
Please state the way of delivery you prefer:
UPS expedited or air-mail (with insurance - w/o insurance)
e.g. U.S.A. 90DM 45DM 30DM
e.g. London 40DM 30DM 20DM
BlowUP - A.E.S.GbR
Eslarner Str. 34
81549 Muenchen
Germany
Fax: 0841-86480
e-mail: acher@informatik.tu-muenchen.de
--
Bye
Georg Acher
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
| Georg Acher, acher@informatik.tu-muenchen.de |
| "Oh no, not again !" The bowl of petunias |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
- US Distribution done by Lexicor Software Corporation
- Lexicor Software - (617) 437 0414 - email: service@lexicor.com
-/- "Kevin and Kell": Cyberspace Comic Strip -/-
Want a good laugh to start your day? After you check your e-mail
and stock quotes, be sure to read Bill Holbrook's "Kevin & Kell," the
first mainstream comic strip to be syndicated in cyberspace. You'll
find it in dozens of CompuServe forums, including the Funnies Forum's
Library 20, "Kevin and Kell."
This is the first time a syndicate has distributed a professional
comic strip through a computer network--and the network is part of the
story! The wonderfully funny strip created by the award-winning
Holbrook features Kevin, a middle-aged professional rabbit, who runs
the Herbivore Forum on CompuServe. Kell, his wife, is a wolf; a
professional predator for Herd Thinners, Inc. They met and fell in love
on CompuServe; only in cyberspace could two individuals from such
different backgrounds get together. Both their families think they're
nuts, but the marriage works wonderfully! You'll also meet Kevin's
daughter Lindesfarne, a 17-year old porcupine, and Kell's son Rudy,
your basic 14-year old rock and roll wolf cub.
Holbrook is also the creator of "On the Fastrack," which has
appeared in hundreds of papers for over 12 years, and the writer and
artist of "Safe Havens." While these two strips are both for King
Features Syndicate, Holbrook created his own syndicate for
"Kevin & Kell."
The daily strip is available in the libraries of over 40 CompuServe
forums. Check your favorite forum by searching its libraries for files
with the names Kevin or Kell.
To access the Funnies Forum, GO FUNFOR.
JAGUAR SECTION
JaguarCD Review! FlipOut Review!
CatFights! CD Memory Cart Ships!
Live 95 Report! CATnips!
And much more...!
From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
We just received a developer Jaguar console (to go along with the
developer JaguarCD). I'm still having some trouble getting it up and
running but that should be resolved soon. Since we do have a review of
the JaguarCD and the pack-in games in this issue, I'm not in a rush to
get our second review out. However, we do have the current version of
"Highlander: The Last of the MacLeods" sitting here so we want to get a
look at this title and review it for you. We understand that this
current version of the game is in the final test stage, so we hope to
learn that it will be going into production shortly.
There's a lot of online activity happening over the latest games
to hit the streets. Rayman and Ultra Vortek are getting rave reviews.
I've seen very few negative comments to-date. The JaguarCD pack-in
games are getting pretty good marks also, except for Blue Lightning,
which people seem to have expected better. Personally, I'm looking
forward to seeing Blue Lightning in action; I hope that I won't be
disappointed as it is one of my favorite games on the Lynx. Even
VidGrid is getting better comments than anyone expected, so I'm
actually looking forward to seeing this one in action also. I've never
seen Myst, so that demo CD should be interesting also.
The one thing that I am a little disappointed about is the fact
that there are no other CD-based games available at the present time.
We all heard that the JaguarCD was being held up because of software,
over the past many months. Yet, there are still no titles available
other than the pack-ins. Is the Virtual Light Machine good enough to
hold people's attention long enough while we wait for some new CD
games? I certainly hope so. Atari has managed to obtain some positive
feedback with the JaguarCD available, the latest cart-based games, and
the memory cart being recently released. However, they cannot afford
to let this momentum falter - Atari and the public need a continuous
stream of games coming over the next few months to take them into a
successful holiday season.
Along with the JaguarCD review this week, we have a review of
FlipOut by Steve Watkins, who recently joined the STReport Jaguar
staff. Rayman will be in the hands of reviewers in a matter of days,
so expect a couple of reviews of it in a couple of weeks. Other
reviews are also on the way; we're working busily to keep you apprised
of our opinions of as many of the current titles as possible.
The first of what we hope to be a long series of "CatFights", the
online debates (which will be published) with members of the Atari
Explorer Online staff is currently underway. Look for the transcript
of that debate in our October 6th issue. The topic of the current
debate is: "If you were Atari, which type of games would you be
focusing your attention on at the present time?" This should be an
interesting "discussion". Stay tuned!
Well, we've got a lot of news and information for you this week
even though this is our "off" week for Jaguar coverage. As Jaguar
activity grows, there's not going to be any holding back of information
just to hit our every other week primary coverage.
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 $29.99 Atari Corp.
J9005 Raiden $29.99 FABTEK, Inc/Atari Corp.
J9001 Trevor McFur/
Crescent Galaxy $29.99 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.
J9029 Doom $69.99 id/Atari Corp.
J9036 Dragon: Bruce Lee $39.99 Atari Corp.
J9003 Club Drive $59.99 Atari Corp.
J9007 Checkered Flag $39.99 Atari Corp.
J9012 Kasumi Ninja $69.99 Atari Corp.
J9042 Zool 2 $59.99 Atari Corp
J9020 Bubsy $49.99 Atari Corp
J9026 Iron Soldier $59.99 Atari Corp
J9060 Val D'Isere Skiing $59.99 Atari Corp.
Cannon Fodder $49.99 Virgin/C-West
Syndicate $69.99 Ocean
Troy Aikman Ftball $69.99 Williams
Theme Park $69.99 Ocean
Sensible Soccer Telegames
Double Dragon V $59.99 Williams
J9009E Hover Strike $59.99 Atari Corp.
J0144E Pinball Fantasies $59.99 C-West
J9052E Super Burnout $59.99 Atari
J9070 White Men Can't Jump $69.99 Atari
Flashback $59.99 U.S. Gold
VidGrid (CD) Atari Corp
Blue Lightning (CD) $59.99 Atari Corp
J9040 Flip-Out $49.99 Atari Corp
J9082 Ultra Vortek $69.99 Atari Corp
C3669T Rayman $69.99 Ubi Soft
Available Soon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER
J9101 Pitfall $59.99 Atari
Power Drive Rally TBD TWI
Dragon's Lair TBD Readysoft
Hover Strike CD $59.99 Atari
Demolition Man $59.99 Atari
Hardware and Peripherals ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAT # TITLE MSRP MANUFACTURER
J8011 Jaguar (no cart) $149.99 Atari Corp.
J8904 Composite Cable $19.95
J8901 Controller/Joypad $24.95 Atari Corp.
J8905 S-Video Cable $19.95
CatBox $69.95 ICD
J8800 Jaguar CD-ROM $149.99 Atari Corp.
J8908 JagLink Interface 29.95 Atari Corp.
J8910 Team Tap
(4-Player Adapter) 29.95 Atari Corp.
J8907 Jaguar ProController29.95 Atari Corp.
J8911 Memory Track 29.95 Atari Corp.
J8909 Tempest 2000:
The Soundtrack 12.99 Atari Corp.
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
-/- Game Counterfeited in Three Weeks -/-
If the speed of the ripoff artists is any indication, the
Albuquerque, New Mexico, American Laser Games must have a hit on its
hands.
The firm reports counterfeit copies of "Mazer," its new game for
the 3DO system that shipped just three weeks ago, have been discovered
on their way into the United States.
ALG President Robert Grebe says other titles from his company have
been illegally copied, but this is the quickest appearance of a
counterfeit.
"We knew 'Mazer' was a good game, and now we know other people
recognize it too," he said. "Unfortunately, this form of imitation does
more harm than good for our industry."
The publisher says the pirated copies were intercepted earlier
this week by U.S. customs in Anchorage, Alaska. The shipment from the
Far East, identified as plastic for bank cards, contained 1,000 CD-ROMs
that were unauthorized copies of four different 3DO game titles.
JaguarCD STR Review
-= Available Now =-
Price: $149.99
By Craig Harris
August 24, 1995 will go down in video game history. It will be
known as the day when thousands of Jaguar owners shouted in unison:
"It's about time!!!" This was the day designated by Atari Head Ted Hoff
as Jaguar CD's release date. After waiting a year and a half for the
unit, it looked like it was finally fading into view.
August 25, 1995 will go down in video game history as well. It
will be known as the day when those same thousands of Jaguar owners
shouted in unison: "Alright, where the *beep* is it???" This was the
day that people discovered the Jaguar CD was nowhere to be found. These
people wanted an explanation.
After wading through two weeks' worth of angry Jaguar CD threads
and Newsgroup messages, the unit finally hit the store shelves. Was it
worth the wait?
/// Jaguar CD - Built Ford Tough
According to the packaging, the Jaguar CD player is a Philips-made
double-spin drive (meaning the mechanism has the capability to spin
discs at twice the rate of standard music CD players, allowing twice
the data to be read in the same amount of time), and has the capability
of reading standard music CD's, CD+G (a not-widely used standard of
storing graphics on music CD's) and Jaguar CD software.
Physically, the drive sports only one control: the OPEN DOOR
button. This button unlatches the drive door and pops it up. Once it's
unlatched, the user has to open the lid like a toilet seat to fit a
disc in. And because the unit interfaces with the Jaguar's cartridge
slot, it provides its own replacement. (They still didn't provide a
dust-cover for the slot...ah well.)
The drive also has a small plexi-glass window in the front. I've
found that it serves two purposes: One, to show that a disc is in the
drive. Two, to prove to skeptics that the drive is indeed a double-spin
drive. You can see that Jaguar CD's spin twice as fast as music CD's.
As stated on a vivid sticker slapped on the front of the system
box, the Jaguar CD comes packaged with Blue Lightning, Vid Grid, the
Tempest 2000 soundtrack on CD, and a short demo of Myst. You'll find
each of these discs sandwiched in their own styrofoam cubby-hole within
the system's packaging. It also comes packaged with a set of
multi-lingual instructions, an AC adaptor (disappointingly, a fat
"power-pack" style AC adaptor, not a standard two-prong plug that's
becoming a video game standard - included in the 3DO, Saturn and
Playstation's design), a registration card, and a small ad for the
upcoming Memory Track back-up cartridge (used to save CD games in
progress).
/// Installation - a Two-Step program
Now that everything's carefully taken out of the box, plug the
Jaguar CD into the cartridge slot of the Jaguar - making sure the unit
lines up with the U-shaped groove on the Jaguar (So *that's* what it's
for - as if you didn't know already). When it snaps firmly into place,
plug the fat part of the AC adaptor into the wall, and the thin part
into the back of the Jaguar CD unit.
That's it. No heat-sinks, no screws, no changing AUTOEXEC.BAT or
CONFIG.SYS files. That sucker's installed.
Powering on the system will give you a brand-new Jaguar
intro-screen. The Jaguar logo appears with swirly colors - no more
Jaguar cube and dinky "Have you played Atari today" tune. Though you'll
miss the deep gurgle of the Jaguar growl, you'll notice a pretty decent
replacement of that intro on one of the included discs.
At this point, the system will check to see if a cartridge is
plugged into the slot. If the cartridge in the slot is a stand-alone
game, the Jaguar will boot it within about five seconds after the new
Jaguar logo. If the system sees a Jaguar CD related cartridge (like the
Memory Track) or no cartridge at all, it will then check the drive for
a CD. If it recognizes the CD as a Jaguar CD, it will boot the program.
If it sees a standard Music CD, the system will load the CD-player.
If there is no power to the Jaguar CD when it checks the CD drive
for a disc, a small graphic will appear under the logo: an arrow
pointing to the back of the Jaguar CD, indicating that the AC adapter
isn't plugged in correctly.
If there is no disc in the drive and no cartridge in the slot, a
different graphic will appear under the logo: a Compact Disc with a
flashing question mark, a polite way of stating, "All right...where is
it?"
Ok...enough about the hardware. Let's see what this puppy can do.
/// VLM - I can see the music!
The Virtual Light Machine is a program that's built into the ROM
of the Jaguar CD system. The swirly colors of the new Jaguar
introduction screen is just a small sample of what it's capable of.
Putting a standard music CD will key up a pretty standard (and
plain-looking) on-screen CD controller. Play, Stop, Scan controls on
the top; track numbers on the bottom. In the middle sits the session
settings...Randomize, Repeat, Program, etc. There's also a button for
VLM and CD+G.
Play the CD by hitting the 'B' button. A melt-o-vision graphical
light show will begin playing behind the control panel. Hit the A
button once to remove everything but the track-selection, time, and
VLM effect number; hit it twice to enjoy just the lightshow.
Hitting "option" will temporarily display the VLM logo in the
corner, VH-1 style. If the logo is rightside-up, the keypad functions
as the effect selector, and the D-pad controls any user-defined effect.
If the logo is upside-down, the keypad functions as the track selector,
and the D-pad controls volume and scan functions.
VLM has 9 banks, each assigned 9 effects. Do the math (tm), and
you get 81 different effects utilizing a color palette of 65,000. Each
effect ranges from subtle to surreal, but they all are affected by the
intensity of the music being played. Some effects will look better with
techno, some with classical, some with Floyd, etc. Hours will be lost
flipping through CD after CD, discovering which effect works best with
what disc.
While it's a stretch stating that VLM is worth the price of the
Jaguar CD alone, it's damn close. You'll be amazed how little you'll
use your "regular" CD player after playing with VLM. A definite 10.
/// Blue Lightning - Geez, Columbus was wrong...
Yeah, we know you didn't buy a CD-ROM player to see a trippy light
show - you want to play GAMES. Well, with this first (and free)
offering, it's sure to leave a bitter taste in your mouth.
Blue Lightning is loosely based on the Lynx game of the same name.
The Lynx version was a fantastic air-combat arcade game that showed off
the capabilities of the system. The Jaguar version is a pathetic rehash
of the same game, minus the impressive use of the system's hardware.
Though the developers tried *real* hard to utilize the CD, it all falls
apart because the gameplay does not weave well with the CD-assisted
features.
First of all, the game world is FLAT. You fly your flat aircraft
in a flat 3D perspective, cruising over flat enemy grounds, shooting
flat missiles at flat targets, avoiding flat mountains and flat
buildings...all while trying to avoid being a giant flat explosion.
The game features some above-average rendered video sequences that
show off the Jaguar CD's full-motion video capabilities, and has a
decent Top-Gun-ish hard-rock soundtrack that show off the Jaguar CD's
music capabilities. But these features do not mesh at all well with the
poor attempt at an air-combat game.
/// Vid Grid - Jump in when you feel the groove.
Free disc number two is a niche product at best. Thank god it was
free; otherwise it would be "Yet Another Atari Dust-Collector" sitting
on retailer shelves. This way, it can be "Yet Another Atari
Dust-Collector" sitting on *your* shelf.
Vid Grid is a port of a PC game you can find in those discount
5-foot 10 packs. It's a bunch of music videos starring Peter Gabriel,
Aerosmith, Soundgarden, Van Halen, and other modern rock stars, thrown
together in a "slide-puzzle" style game.
The idea is to piece each video in the proper order before it
ends. While pieces are always the same size in a puzzle, the size of
the pieces will shrink with a difficulty increase. Pieces can be
mirrored, flipped upside-down, or both to make your going even tougher.
The video quality is excellent, the viewing window being around
3/4 the size of the monitor. The music quality is also equally
impressive, with the music being in true stereo.
This is a definite "once around the block". Once you've seen all
the videos, it's doubtful that you'll ever play this game again. And
because of the music selection, I doubt I'll ever catch Grandma firing
this disc up on her next visit.
/// Myst - Sorry, I myst the point.
Myst is a game I just can't figure out. No, not because of its
difficult riddles and puzzles - but because of its resistance to remove
itself from retailers' shelves and Top Ten lists. Why would something
with so limited gameplay appeal to so many people for over 3 years?
First, it appeared as a Mac title, filling the Apple niche for a
few months. Soon, it was moved over to the Windows platform, where a
much larger audience enjoyed the game (and all the Application Errors).
Then, the geniuses over at Sunsoft decided that platform-gamers were
missing out, so they ported it over to the Sega CD, 3DO and Saturn
machines.
Now Jaguar CD owners get a taste of things to come. Oh, heck, why
not? Everyone's getting into the act, why should Atari be any
different?
This demo disc gives a sample of Myst's appeal by offering two
options: Interactive, demonstrating the game's interface, video
capabilities, and cryptic storyline; and Slideshow, showing the
beautiful artwork that will be used in the full version.
On Atari's side, the artwork ports extremely well from Myst's
native 640x480 resolution to NTSC's more limiting standards. The colors
are more detailed than the Windows version, too.
Bringing Myst to the Jaguar seems like a small cry from Sunnyvale:
"See? We can do it, too!" It's time to move on...Myst had a good life.
Let's find a better, more appealing game to associate with the term
"CD-ROM game."
/// End of Track
With the Jaguar CD sitting quietly on top, the system finally
looks complete. The question, though, is how much will Atari use this
accessory?
The promise: 12 CD games by Christmas.
The reality: Too early to tell.
It's a gamble to purchase the CD unit without any retail software
to back it up - you can only sneer at Blue Lightning and Vid Grid so
many times. The promise from Atari is that 'A' quality CD titles are
forth-coming, including Iron Soldier II, Primal Rage, Alien VS.
Predator, Black ICE/ White Noise, Brett Hull Hockey, and Demolition
Man.
But for now, you have the VLM.
///// Reviewer's Ratings:
Design: 8 - Looks like a toilet. No dust cover on the cartridge
slot. Other than that, it makes the Jaguar
look "finished". The unit will not budge after
installing.
Construction: 7 - The hub on the door rattles when
open. The door only clicks shut when pressing on a
specific spot.
Pack-ins: 6 - Blue Lightning - ick. Vid Grid - Nice
videos...next. Myst Demo - You again???
VLM - "*****!" "A Ten!"
"Must See Event of the Year!"
Overall: 8 - Even with sub-standard packins, the system will
give you hours of entertainment right out of the
box.
Jaguar Game Title STR Review - "FlipOut!"
-= Available Now =-
"FLIPOUT!"
by Steve Watkins
Developed by: Gorilla Systems
Published by: Atari Corporation
Price: $49.99
Genre : Puzzle
# of Players : 1
Save Feature : Battery
Welcome to the Great Tile Flipping Festival, hosted by the
reigning World Champion, King Fluffy, and the people of the Planet
Phromahj. As a new participant in this traditional contest, it's your
goal to complete the various increasingly difficult levels of
competition until you ultimately come face-to-face with King Fluffy in
a battle to become the new Champion of the Great Tile Flipping
Festival.
GAME PLAY
Each level begins with King Fluffy flipping all but one of the
tiles, and an extra tile that has no home base position and is only
there to make your task more difficult, into the air to mix and
randomly land in a scrambled mess on the game board. As the mixed-up
tiles settle back onto the game board, the tile that was not initially
flipped pops into the air. It is at this point that you gain control
of the flipper/cursor and begin play.
Your goal is to flip the tiles, one by one, into the air and make
them land in their correct "home color" positions on the game board.
As you attempt to do this, you must keep the extra tile(s) from landing
in an already occupied position. If a tile lands on top of another,
you lose and must start that level over. The outer edges of some
"home color" positions give away what lies underneath, but to
completely view a concealed "home color" space, you must flip the tile
covering it into the air.
To complicate your task, other competitors (enemies), who are
usually content to watch from the sidelines, will sometimes wander
around the game board and cause havoc by doing nasty tricks with the
tiles. Some will flip random tiles. Others will imitate tiles and
take up empty spaces, forcing you to keep extra spaces open on the
board to accommodate the real tiles. These competitors, which vary
from world to world, range from harmless to quite annoying. The
enemies give Flipout the majority of its charm.
THE DIFFERENT WORLDS OF FLIPOUT!
There are nine different Worlds to complete and each has a
specific number of levels to complete before you're allowed to move to
the next. Below is a brief description of each you will encounter, in
order. The number of levels each world has is in parenthesis.
Cheese Planet (11) - The Flipout training world. Even the extra tile
is helpful early on. The board is a 3x3 tic-tac-toe-like square
grid.
Yellowstone National Park (5) - Instead of tiles and a square grid, you
must place the six 'geyser rider' characters on the correct geysers,
which are arranged in a triangular pattern.
Mt. Rushmore (3) - The four former President's faces are cut into four
slices each. Place the face pieces in the correct positions.
Sphorkle Diner (5) - Flip plates of food to the correct tables. The
tables, six in all, are arranged just like the Yellowstone geysers.
Easter Island (4) - One of the best worlds. A 3x3 grid in which the
top three squares are on the tongues of three Easter Island stone
monuments. The tongues move in and out of the mouths, trapping your
cursor when it's in a closed mouth.
Hoopla World (10) - Back to the basic 3x3 square. Numerous enemies
make their debut. This is where the game starts to get confusing.
You will need to juggle several tiles at once, now and then, to stay
alive.
Planet Pigskin (10) - Same as Hoopla World, with a different
background. It's also a bit more hectic. The toughest levels in
the game. Not as tough as King Fluffy on the Psychotic setting.
ZeroGravity Arena (5) - The basic 3x3 grid is joined by two other
rectangular grids on top and to the left for a total of twenty-one
squares. Moving the cursor from grid to grid is the biggest
challenge this world has to offer. It's an interesting twist, but
there's not much happening here.
King Fluffy Encounter (1) - A 4x4 board with sixteen different tiles.
Old Fluffy has a multiple tricks up his sleeves to keep you from
claiming his tile flipping crown.
FEATURES
There are only a couple of options available in Flipout. These
are Load Game (from one of _five_ available save slots) and Difficulty
(choose Normal, Hard, Insane or Psychotic).
Here's a quick description of each difficulty setting:
Normal - All tiles (or objects, like the Geyser Riders, Food Plates,
etc.) remain visible throughout the game. Tiles correctly placed
in their "home color" spaces will continuously flash.
Hard - Tiles (and objects) on the board are all one color (to confuse
you), but a tile flipped into the air appears as its true color.
Correctly placed tiles flash continuously, but are still only one
(decoy) color.
Insane - Tiles (and object) remain only one color throughout the game
and you never see the true color. Correctly placed tiles still
flash continuously.
Psychotic - Same as Insane except the correctly placed tiles will
only flash for a brief amount of time, after which you'll have to
rely on your memory skills.
One feature many people will find helpful, especially parents who
have a tough time with video games, is the ability to start a game on
any difficulty setting after loading a game. This means you can play
to the end of the game on Normal, save your position, then use that
save to skip to any world on Hard, Insane or Psychotic. Be careful to
save _before_ entering the final level, because you can't go back
after reaching it.
GRAPHICS & CHARACTERS
Gorilla systems has created solid, yet unspectacular graphics for
Flipout. The backgrounds are usually shaded, but are otherwise
simplistic and, well, boring. The characters are also simple, but
nicely shaded and animated. They give Flipout all of its charm and
make the game interesting. They are bright, animated and have
wonderful, unique personalities. You will chuckle, or even guffaw, a
few times when you hear and see a couple of them in action. Again, this
is the best aspect of Flipout, so I won't spoil the fun by describing
them in the review.
The majority of the remaining graphics (tiles, objects in place of
tiles, game boards) are simple, crisp and vibrantly colorful. One
drawback is that certain tile colors are very difficult to distinguish
from one another during the Zerogravity Arena level. None of the
graphics will make you shout, "Wow!" In fact, some will remind you
of 16-bit efforts. However, the important graphics, the characters and
game pieces and boards, are well done.
MUSIC & SOUND EFFECTS
Half of the music sounds wrong for this game and the other half is
right on. It's all quickly repetitive, some to the point of annoyance.
A few worlds, however, include music that is imaginative and fun. I
wonder if perhaps two different people worked on the music or if there
was some sort of development compromise made because of cart space
problems or ship date urgency. The familiar music, classical, you have
heard before if you've spent any time in an elevator or a dentist's
chair.
The sound effects save the day. They range from clever to
sophomorically funny and all add something extra to the game. The
score keeper has a gleeful cackle. The Rodeo Rider has a couple of
wonderful sound effects associated with the mayhem he causes during
play. And crisp (compared to most games) applause and sympathetic
moans from the unseen audience add the 'nice touch' that gamers always
appreciate. The only complaint I have is that some characters don't
have sound effects.
CONTROL
The control was good, but not perfect. When play get harried,
you need to hold down the fire button a split second longer than you
usually would and sometimes you'll need to hit the fire button more
than once or twice to register a flip. Younger children will find the
controls easy to learn, but will most likely become frustrated during
the Zerogravity Arena levels and the Insane and Psychotic worlds.
BUGS!
I don't know if the Atari testing department is overworked,
ignored by programmers or marketing, or just not real sharp, because
this game, like several other Jaguar titles, has some obvious bugs that
can be quite annoying. They aren't serious, but they may well cause
you to lose, forcing you to start a level over. Since the game uses
unlimited continues and you never lose the game, these bugs aren't
terrible. I encountered half a dozen in two days of solid test play,
which equated to about sixteen hours of game play.
OVERVIEW
I really _wanted_ to love Flipout. I'm a Tetris and Klax addict
and I was hoping that Flipout would be the next brilliant, addictive
puzzle game to waste my brain cells on. This was not the case.
Flipout is an easy game that becomes more a test of your patience and
memory rather than a game of strategy, skill and reflex.
In fact, I finished the game on the Insane setting _faster_ than I
finished it on Hard. Granted, I had the control and "strategy" down
much better after finishing Hard, but this points out that the
difficulty settings didn't accomplish the goal of making the game more
difficult. The main reason I finished faster on Insane was due to the
randomness of the enemies "attacking" the board. They were much more
active during the Hard game.
Even though there's a nice mixture of enemies, they are all very
easy to deal with (flip, flip, flip, flip, flip...), even when many are
moving around on the board at one time. There are no new enemies in
the higher difficulty settings and the same ones will be found in the
same places throughout the game. It would have been cool to have a
"free for all" world with all the enemies going at one time.
Flipout, during the higher two difficulty settings, becomes
trial & error and memory recall. It was like when you were a kid and
you were playing concentration with a deck of cards on the floor of
your room and your brother or sister messed with the cards while you
played. The game, for me, needs more than disguised tiles to make it
challenging.
I expected the higher difficulty levels to add different enemies,
different speeds, more tiles or a random placement of the "home color"
positions, that was not the case.
I think a big flaw, if that's the right word for it, is that you
don't ever lose the game. There are no "lives" to lose. There's no
time limit. There's no incentive to finish a level that gets your
adrenaline pumping. You can "die" on any level hundreds of times and
keep playing that level until you pass it. It would be nice to play
more games that don't go by the old "3 lives" scheme, but this game
shouldn't have been one of them. If anything, Gorilla should have added
this option so younger children and adults could customize the game to
their tastes.
CONCLUSION
Flipout has fun, unspectacular graphics, great sound effects and
ease of play that will appeal to many gamers. Grizzled Tetris & Klax
veterans will probably find this title easy and lacking the "one more
game" addictive quality that great games have. I think this title is a
real hit or miss proposition for Jaguar 64 owners and a gamble at $50+.
Flipout is a definite Play Before You Pay title.
SCORING:
Graphics: 6.5 (_Wide_ variation)
Music/Sound Effects: 5.5 / 8.5 (A single score isn't fair...)
Control: 8.5
Instructions: 8.0 (B&W pics for a game that depends
heavily
on color is not great)
Reviewer's Overall: 7.5
Reviewer Recommendation: If you enjoy puzzle games, Play before you
Pay. If you can take or leave them, check
out Rayman or Ultra Vortek. Or save for an
upcoming release.
Comments, questions to Steve Watkins c/o STReport. CompuServe users
can reach me easily in the Video Games, Sega and Atari Gaming forums.
Jaguar Online STR InfoFile Online Users Growl & Purr!
CATnips... Jaguar tidbits from Don Thomas (95.09.25)
We'll just have to call this the BIG NEWS issue!
"Coming October 6, Plug in the JAGWIRE(tm) network."
What does it mean? Here's the word...
"On October 6, Atari Corporation, CompuServe Information Service, Atari
Explorer Online Magazine and Silicon Times Report unveil a new
comprehensive official network of support for Jaguar 64 gamers. Make
your modem roar with new official support access on the Internet and
the CompuServe Information Service."
[Please note: the event above involves commercial
participation between Atari Corporation and CompuServe
online service. Please do not incorporate the above tag
line on commercial services other than CompuServe such
as Prodigy, Delphi, America On-Line or GEnie. Those are
very reputable systems also and deserve your support
while a guest on their service. This message is a
courtesy with appreciation for your support of Jaguar
64. Please feel free to CLEANLY delete all "Plug in the
JAGWIRE" text found in this CATnips prior to posting
on alternate systems if you desire.]
~ "That's ZOOPer" ~
Jeanne Winding, Atari Corporation
(Hello, Jeanne, we want to know what's "ZOOPer"!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CONTACT: Patricia Kerr or Jennifer Hansen
Shandwick USA
(310)479-4997 or (800)444-6663
Rayman Saves the Day
Ubi Soft launches new 'super hero' title for Jaguar 64
SUNNYVALE, CA (September 19) -- Atari Corporation announced this
morning the launch of Rayman for the Jaguar 64 entertainment system.
Rayman is a challenging, unique game developed and published for Atari
Corporation by Ubi Soft for the powerful Next Generation Jaguar 64.
Rayman transports players to a mystical world with vibrant animation
and an upbeat soundtrack as they help the affable adventure her defeat
bizarre enemies, rescue his friends and restore peace and harmony to
the world. Combining challenging game play, cartoon like animation and
authentic sound effects, Rayman appeals to gamers of all ages and skill
levels. Players explore multi-layered worlds with independently
scrolling backdrops leading to clever enemies that learn each gamer's
playing style and fight back with wicked skill.
"Ubi Soft has developed an outstanding game for the Jaguar 64," said
Ted Hoff, Atari's President of North American Operations. "The
animation for Rayman consists of over 50 hand-drawn characters, 65,000
colors and 60 frame per second movement all of which highlight the
superiority of Jaguar's 64-bit technology."
Gaming capabilities and sophisticated visual presentation have the
industry buzzing about this new game for Jaguar 64. In the September
issue, Electronic Gaming Monthly awards Rayman for Atari Corporation's
Jaguar 64 the Editor's Gold Choice Award.
Rayman is rated (KA) for kids through adults, is in stores now, and has
a suggested retail price of $69.99.
For over twenty years, Atari Corporation has provided consumers with
high quality, value-priced entertainment. Atari Corporation markets
Jaguar 64, the only American-made, advanced 64-bit system and is
located in Sunnyvale, California.
Headquartered just outside of Paris, France, Ubi Soft develops,
publishes and distributes video games and computer entertainment
software throughout the world, with offices in the USA, Germany, Japan,
Spain, Italy and the
UK.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: JOHN MARCOTTE TEL: (916) 954-0468
"THE JAGUAR'S EDGE" SIGNS MAJOR DISTRIBUTION DEAL
SACRAMENTO, Calif., September 22, 1995 -- Just days after shipping its'
inaugural issue, "The Jaguar's Edge" announced an extensive agreement
with International Periodical Distributors (IPD), a leader in the world
of magazine distribution.
"Our agreement with IPD will allow us to reach thousands of potential
readers," reported Publisher John Marcotte. "Their extensive
distribution network will insure that every Jaguar enthusiast in the
country will be able to go down to their local bookstore and get the
very latest in Jaguar news and information." IPD supplies numerous
bookstores and other retail outlets including Barnes & Noble, Inc.
(B. Dalton Bookseller, Bookstop/Bookstar, Barnes & Noble Superstores,
Doubleday, and Scribner's), Waldenbooks (Brentano's and
Waldenbooks & More), Crown Books, Borders Book Shops, Hastings, Tower
Books, Encore and Coles, Lichtman's and United Cigar Shops in Canada,
and many other independent retailers throughout the United States and
Canada.
"The Jaguar's Edge" is the first magazine dedicated to the 64-bit Atari
Jaguar interactive multimedia home entertainment system. The bimonthly
publication is just $15 within the U.S. for one full year. Write:
Jaguar's Edge, P.O. Box 660291, Sacramento, CA 95866-0291.
Atari and Atari Jaguar are trademarks or registered trademarks of Atari
Corp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Immediate Release:
September 22, 1995
Contact: Eric Cohen @ Extreme 912-475-1937 (fax)
"EXTREME" INKS EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE OF JAGUAR
(GA) - "Extreme" has announced that the publication will exclusively be
covering the Atari Jaguar. In addition to television, motion pictures,
music, and radio being covered, "Extreme" will now feature a section
called "Extreme Interactive". "EI" as it will be known will cover
topics including interactive cable, HDTV, and the Atari Jaguar.
"Extreme" sees the Jaguar as the wave of the future and is ready to go
hand in hand with the system through its voyage through the gaming
world.
"Extreme" is an entertainment publication that is available through
mail order. "Extreme" is available at $2.50 per copy and $15 for six
issues. "Extreme", 119 Saddle Run Court, Macon, GA 31210. For more
details or to order, send information to the aforementioned address or
fax us at 912/475-1937. Watch for Extreme2000 via FAX and INTERNET
this October.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jaguar Journal September 1995 is online. It is the one year
anniversary issue and is dedicated to Josh Fritsch. It will feature
reviews of VLM, Blue Lightning, Vid Grid, and more, along with lots of
news and info, as always found in each and every Jaguar Journal. The
file includes the transcript of the recent conference with Ubi Soft's
Frank Slater.
Look for Jaguar Journal on CompuServe or on CATscan [209/239-1552].
SysOps should feel free to re-post this publication.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FROM THE INTERNET...
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 1995 22:49:01 -0400
From: Neuralog <neuralog@Starbase.NeoSoft.COM>
To: Multiple recipients <jaguar@bucknell.edu>
Subject: Super VLM *Without* CD!
Comment: Discussion of the Atari Jaguar and
video gaming industry
Hi,
My first post to this list, so hope you get it!
You may know this already, but...
I was fiddling with my JagCD to see if there was
some secret way to get it "Roar", and I discovered that
with NO Cd or cart in pressing "* + # + A" puts it in VLM
mode.
Not JUST VLM mode, but VLM mode with greater (more wildly
colorful) effects! Try it and select effect 3-8 and
select track 85 and enjoy.
I'm posting this in hopes someone who doesn't already
know will find it entertaining and also to see if anyone
has found any other bits'o fun.
Still Looking for the Roar,
Ken Land
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Coming October 6, Plug in the JAGWIRE(tm) network."
# # # E N D O F F I L E # # #
Sb: #Live 95!
Fm: Simon Grierson 100407,2075
To: all
Okay,
I'm sending this into each section, so as to assure that you all get to
see this nice little report on my escapades today :)
Okay, Live 95 is the event of the year for the UK consumer electronics
industry.
It hosts most of the large, medium and small UK, american and oriental
companies displaying their wares.
This year hosted the biggest VIdeogames presence of all. They were all
there. Sony, 3DO (via Goldstar, and Panasonic), Atari, Sega and
Nintendo.
Sega and Atari were present via a large games testing area, - the
Ultimate Future Games show. Sony had machines in that section too, but
more were available in their HUGE stand (better described as an
'Experience'). 3DO were absent from the game show, in fact, only a
handful of machines were available to play on the manufacturers
stands. Goldstar seemed more committed with their own upcoming games
playing on TV screens.
Nintendo were present via their tour bus, the Challenger -and various
machines in the Ultimate games show.
Anyway onto the games.
Sony:
By far, it was Sony who had the biggest presence, and most games at the
show. They had rows of machines in the Ultimate Future Games show,
mainly playing Rayman, but also some strange puzzle game :). Not only
that, but they were in there with force in the HUGE Sony stand. Sony
had a gigantic section of the exhibition hall taken up, with banners
with their logo out, and a twisting walkway through which you walked,
and experienced (hands on) all the Sony products. Lazer shows, big
screen projection TVs, Playstation being yelled out at you at 10000
decibels, and finally, at the end of it all, a sweaty-hot room full of
Playstations! Unfortunately, they were all occupied :) You also
walked through a TV tunnel with a Playstation video playing looping
over and over.
As a side note, Sony also had Destruction Derby and Wipeout demoing on
the PC demonstrating their monitors. Basically, Wipeout stunk on the
PC. Polygons tore (I.E. the joins between them split momentarily), the
framerate was LOW, and the actual texturing and background graphics
were of a significantly (and noticeably) poorer quality than that of
the Playstations. 256 colour VGA just ain't the same. I believe it was
also running on a Pentium system (since that's all they had available
on the stand). Destruction Derby was running (as I said) and was
showing the 'bowl' demo that is featured on the Playstation demoCD. It
was a lot smoother than Wipeout, but the textures and general framerate
was lower than the Playstations. The higher framerate could also be
attributed by the fact that not as much was happening, and not as fast
as the scene from wipeout. Again, running off a Pentium PC.
Neither game was demoed for the Playstation at the show.
The Playstation room had lots of US NTSC units playing the launch
games. Starblade Alpha, - stunk. Tekken, Brilliant. Jumping Flash,
nice looker! Ridge Racer.<drroool>. Ace Combat. <droool>. Toshinden.
<Droool>
Basically, it was all seen and done before.
The Sony presence at the Ultimate Future Games show section, was a
little better. Rayman was very impressive on the Playstation, but it
wasn't the best version (I'll come onto that later!). Most machines
had it running, but there was also that aforementioned puzzle game
(also on Saturn). Rayman looks absolutely spiffing, and an arcade
quality game (if there ever were one, that is :) ). Whoever doubts
the Playstation's sprite handling abilities, should shut up, or have
me come round and give them a good hiding :)
That's it for the Sony stuff.
Sega:
The second best presence at the show. Sega had the most GAMES showing,
with the odd new one too. As I said earlier, Rayman PSX was impressive,
but its the Saturn that takes the crown for the best version. More
parallax. But only in the foreground. That's about it really.
Otherwise, it's nearly full-screen on a UK saturn too.
Bug was there, but Sega insisted on using TINY screens instead of the
huge 29" affairs Sony had all over the place. Even Atari had large
screen TVs. This made the games look more washed out and less
impressive. (the TVs they use suck too). Bug was great. I particularly
like the scaling 3D effect. Parallax has a new meaning! (Me want,
drool drool!).
Clockwork Knight. Well, ya know! Daytona, VF, VF Remix, and all the
other current Saturn games were there too.
There were a few Megadrive/CD (genesis to you Yanks out there <G>)
games, but nothing to get excited about :). Myst made an appearance on
the Saturn and MegaCD (SegaCD).
Nintendo:
Quite simply, I wasn't impressed with their showing. Maybe it's me, I'm
used to seeing lots of flash 3D graphics. But they had loads of SNES
with Killer instinct, a few Super Gameboys with Donkey Kong Land, and
a couple with some dragon eating game (?). Killer Instinct looks quite
good (for 16-bit), but frankly, it wouldn't incite me to get a SNES.
Killer Instinct never excited me in the arcade either. But for a SNES
owner, it's certainly worth a purchase. It's as competent as any other
beat-em-up.
They had their challenger bus there too. Nothing to mention there
either. It wasn't running when I went past. A few more stand-up SNES
display units were there too. Overall, Nintendo had more UNITS on
display, but less GAMES.
3DO:
Ech. What are the 3DO Company Europe up to? Only 4 games to speak of,
on display. Need for Speed, Fifa Soccer, Street fighter II, and one new
one, Space Hulk. And as many display machines too. Panasonic had a
paltry 2 units on display, while Goldstar had a games room (with a
rather nice babe sitting in the doorway handing out a goodies bag!).
Goldstar had their video running on ground-level screens (all 14") with
a handful of upcoming games showing. BC racers looked shite to be
frank, Primal Rage looks arcade perfect (better than the Pixel-land PC
version, that's for sure). That was all I saw.
One of the other confounding elements was that 3DO Company were not
even present. Also, neither stand were close. The Team 3DO stand at
E3 sounds as though it totally blew away their Live95 efforts.
But Space Hulk was the 3DO showstopper for me. Unfortunately, the
framerate was VERY low (IMHO). It was as low as AvsP. But technically,
the graphics in general, blew away AvsP. More detailed, varied, and
colorful textures - with more detailed, less blocky, and better
animated enemies. Can't wait to get it
:)
Even Atari did better!
Atari:
More impressive showing than I thought they would have. Certainly
better (in terms of variety of games) than Nintendo or 3DO. They were
also present at the Ultimate Future Games show (in fact, thats ALL they
had there. No stand).
Rayman on the Jag had to be the Jag's best game at the show. I was
frankly unimpressed with most other games there.. Like with all games,
gameplay can't easily be assessed in a five minute blast, but graphics
can. Nothing on the Jag impressed me more than Rayman. Not the best
version (the controller sucks compared to Sega's nice rounded, and
delightful affair), but certainly comparable to the Sony version.
White Men Can't Jump. Err? I hope it plays well, because it certainly
doesn't move or look good to me.
AvsP. Similar situation. Low framerate, grainy bland textures, with
blocky characters. I hope it plays well though (it seems to, I had a
fun five minutes wandering around being shot at!).
Tempest 20000. Impressive special FX, smooth, and quite good. Just not
my cup of tea as a game though.
Bubsy. Why bother? It just doesn't even do the Jaguar justice!
Val'desair Ski-ing (SP?). Okay, this one stumped me. I was convinced
Atari had invented a SNES emulator, if it weren't for the fact that I
knew it was a Jag game. The graphics, while not bad, were not exactly
the quality I'd expect a system costing just under 2/3s the price of a
Snes. But still, it was quite fun to play. Smooth and fast too. But
I'd only really see it as a sub-level in a winter-sports game pack. Why
didn't they do that?
Super Burnout. Okay. Lots of colour, very silky smooth, and fast. The
control ain't bad either. And a 2 player mode. But the flickering
headlamps in the night level, and the low-quality of the sprites
(artwork wise), and the lack of variety in track detail put me off. I'm
sure it's a blast to play long-term. But not my cup of tea. Not enough
variety :-(
I may have missed a game or two, - but overall, I'd say, well done to
Atari for actually beating 3DO to something that they NEED. COVERAGE
AND PRESENCE! But in terms of software quality, - it paled in
comparison to what Sega had on display. Sony had a similarly impressive
showing (to Saturn) in their own stand.
Well done to Atari, but not-so well done for not having the JagCD
there.
and as a side note:
Amiga:
Guess what! The Amiga 1200 from "Amiga Technologies GmbH" was there
too! Only a few AGA+ piccies were spooling, and a demo of a new
pinball game (with the Amiga connected up to a pair of TV goggles
(impressive too!).
Anyway, to round off the show
- CES blows it away in terms of New stuff, and E3, well, another
galaxy?
Unfortunately, no other event is held this year for gamers. Only the
computer specific shows (Like the Apple Xpo, or Mac Shopper/Computer
Shopper shows). So we can't see the cool stuff until it's televised or
printed in magazines :-(
Anyway, I hope my report was of value to you :)
TTFN,
Simon Grierson.
ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
On CompuServe
-------------
compiled by
Joe Mirando
73637,2262
Hey there friends and neighbors. Boy, I'm constantly amazed by PC users.
By PC I mean DOS/WINDOWS of course. A guy I work with got himself a
computer a while back. Every other day, on average, he will walk over to
me rather sheepishly and ask a "newbie" question. Y'know, something that
has a simple answer, but someone just starting out doesn't know about.
This, in and of itself, isn't what I'm talking about. Heck, that's the
way you learn things. What I'm talking about is the old "Keeping up
with the Jones's" syndrome. First, he's _got_ to have a CDROM. Then,
he's _got_ to get 16 meg of RAM. Then he stops and asks "What's out on
CDROM, anyway?" Then, he asks "What will more RAM do for me?"
It seems that he figures that these things will increase his
understanding of what he's doing. Sorry folks, but that ain't the way
it works. If you can't figure out how to associate a file in windows
without a CDROM, you won't be able to to figure it out _with_ one. More
computer memory won't fill _your_ memory. Make the most of what you've
got! That's the ticket! If you _need_ more memory, by all means, go
for it. But understand that it won't fix anything but a memory shortage.
Well, let's get on with the reason for this column... all the news and
stuff that's available every week on CompuServe.
From the Atari Computing Forums
===============================
Last week Terry Cano told us about his STE, which shows signs of
scorching from quite a bit of heat. This week Simon Churchill tells
Terry:
"If there has been alot of heat then something is way out.
Do you know if the computer works? Dont try turning it on for the
sake of finding out if it is o.k. as the PSU may be playing silly
buggers and zap your I.C's with a bit more than +5Volts.
If your near the U.K. I'd say 'Have my old one'. I had to remove
mine as it was under powered for the system. My tower has lost the
TWO PSU's it had and I know have a 200Watt PC PSU and all is well
sorted!
(+4.5Volt's on the +5Volt rail!!, how the hell the computer worked I
don't know)."
Terry tells Simon:
"Actually I still get this guy to work....how....by holding one hand
over top the case, over PSU, until warm uped...then it works for about
two hours. The real irrating thing is that I'm in Los Angeles CA there
is and Atari place here, Alternative Computers and Music Box. Both
basically ignore the request for info. to upgrade to a Falcon. They put
you on hold, don't return faxes and phone messages... I'm about ready
to go to the IBM, which what I'm typing on as we speak."
Simon replies:
"Have you tried look further afield if they have no interest? If you
do go for a PC your might like to think about the GEMULATOR 4 which
will still use any (most) of your ST software. A P75 or greater is
recommended for Falcon type speed."
On the subject of browsing the Internet, Andrew Wright of Atari World
Magazine asks:
"What about the new TCP/IP Internet/Web browser program suite that has
just been released? Has anyone tried getting on to CIS with it?
For the record it's a TCP/IP stack called Stik which works as a desk
accessory, HTML Browser for reading web pages and a special overlay
file. Reports say it worlks with demon (a UK provider) but is
problematic with some others at present. I can upload it if necessary.
I must say it sounds impressive - you could browse the WWW on a 520!"
Denis Postle tells Andrew:
"That sounds good. Let's have a look at it. Anything easier to set up
than chimera will be good news."
Chris Roth asks Andrew:
"I'm looking forward to hear and see more about Stik. Will there be a
feature in AW about that?"
Michel Vanhamme jumps in and adds:
"From what I understand, only SLIP is implemented at this time. I
believe CIS requires a PPP connection, so my guess is that we will have
to wait for PPP to be implemented in Stik, which the authors apparently
intend to do...
> I must say it sounds impressive - you could browse the WWW on a
520!
It does sound impressive! However, though Stik can run on a 520, the
Web browser does require 1MB ram I think. If you ask me, that's still a
very impressive achievement when you look at the RAM needed by other
machines to surf the Web..."
Michael Zehrer asks:
"But does anybody know, how to configure this for Compuserve?"
Michel Vanhamme tells Michael:
"As I've said, I don't think it is possible to use it with CompuServe
yet. I think we will have to wait until PPP gets implemented in the
program. Let's hope the authors are fast coders..."
Curt Vendel tells us:
"I was at the UNIX EXPO in New York City and I stopped by a booth that
was selling the LINUX UNIX operating system, I nearly feel on my rear
end when the guy started telling what systems it ran on and he said
ATARI ST!!!! So where is it, where can I buy it, which systems does it
run on, I have a MEGA STE with 4 megs and 120MB HD, I'd love to have
UNIX on my Atari, can anyone help???"
Patrick Wong tells Curt:
"I think you can buy Linux for the ST from Toad Computers. I remember
seeing something about a Linux CD version for the ST too."
Curt tells Patrick:
"Hey, I've been outta the ST scene for a while, I have freeze dried
terminal, is there anything else out there that is better, for some
reason, none of my transfer protocols work anymore, I reloaded, got
serial fixes, etc... and nothing seems to help, so you got any good
suggestions????
Also, I know I can access the "NET" from CIS now, but is there a
Mosiac type browser out there for ST's???? This is one of the reasons
I'd love to run UNIX on my ST so I can use Netscape Navigator."
Patrick replies:
"Welcome back to the ST scene. I keep track of the STs even though I
use mainly my IBM these days. The ST is a great computer!
About your terminal problem, what kind of software are you using?
Which STE do you have? Also which modem are you using? I use to have
problems downloading stuff on ST but I'm sure it was more of a software
problem than a hardware problem.
You know, I read somewhere that someone or some company was suppose to
be making or trying to make a browser for the STE but as of this
moment, there are no Web Browsers for the STs. Hopefully someone will
make one soon.
I hope this helps."
Well folks, I know that the column is short this week but,heck, you guys
deserve a break <grin>. Be sure to tune in again next week, same time,
same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALK
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