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ST-ZMagazine 044
| ST*ZMAGAZINE ISSUE #: 44
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||||| October 27, 1989
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||||||||| Editor: Ron Kovacs
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||||||||||||| JOIN The REVOLUTION! Use Atari Computers!
||| ||| ---------------------------------------------
||| ZMAGAZINE ||| COMPUSERVE: 71777,2140 GO ATARIARTS LIB 1
||| ||| ---------------------------------------------
||||||||||||| GEnie: ZMAGAZINE ST RT BB CAT 31, LIBRARY 25
||||||||||| ---------------------------------------------
||||||||| Copyright 1989, Rovac Industries, Inc.
||||||| Post Office Box 59
||||| Middlesex, New Jersey 08846-0059
||| (201) 968-8148
| ---------------------------------------------
Xx CONTENTS
=======================================================================
Issue #44
<*> THE EDITORS DESK..............................Ron Kovacs
<*> RATTY'S RAP.............................Matthew Ratcliff
<*> ZNET NEWSWIRE...........................................
<*> FTL UPDATE.........................................SDACE
<*> SPA UPDATE..............................Ctsy Michtron RT
<*> THE WITTY MOUSE............................D.A. Brumleve
<*> TOS INSTALLATION..........................Scott Chilcote
<*> FIRST ANNUAL CPU AWARDS.............Shareware Connection
<*> ATARI ASSOCIATION OF DEVELOPERS............Press Release
<*> THE REVOLUTION PART 2......................Donald Thomas
<*> CODEHEAD SOFTWARE UPDATE...................Press Release
<*> CARE AND FEEDING YOUR MODEM................Keith MacNutt
NEWS HEADLINES:
: GCR is Shipping : Analog Magazine's Last Issue : Pepsi :
: Quickview Law Suit : Atari Developers Association :
: News without the Blues :
Xx THE EDITORS DESK
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
by Ron Kovacs
Happy Halloween!
Getting ready to experience the first real tour of the neighborhood with
my daughter, I have been repeatedly told to watch out for razors in the
apples, pins in the candy and countless other Halloween tales that I
wish not to repeat. Since it is that time of year again, let me pass it
right on to you and remind you to check ALL the candy your children or
relatives bring home, there are sicko's everywhere!
This week we are including a regular ZNet/ZMag feature Ratty's Rap.
This column written by Mat*Rat covers the Atari arena and focuses much
attention on the 8-bit Atari, but this time around the news is for
everyone, I am sure you will enjoy it.
Until next week.....
Xx RATTY'S RAP
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
by Matthew Ratcliff
New Atari Product, Delivered
The Portfolio is now shipping. This IBM PC compatible computer is about
the size of a video cassette tape. It is incredibly light, small, runs
about 30 hours on a set of AA batteries, and is extremely nifty.
However, it has two significant limitations due to the cost/performance
trade offs that Atari made. Its display isn't anywhere near 80 columns
by 24 lines. The simple LCD display is a "window" into a virtual 80x24
display. It will be a nightmare for word processing on the go. The
other problem is no disk storage. It remembers everything when it's
powered down, much like the long popular Tandy Model 102 - the first
true lap top computer. There is a 60+ pin connector on the Portfolio. I
suspect it is virtually identical to an IBM PC 8bit bus connector,
logically speaking.
With a special adapter cable and chassis, the Portfolio might be hooked
up to an external box capable of holding floppy disks, hard drive, video
adapters and more. That makes about as much sense as adding a megabyte
of ram to a Sinclair ZX80, however. Likely candidates for this
connector will be RS232 adapter cables, to connect to a desktop PC for
data and program exchange. An external floppy drive, possibly a 2 and
1/2 inch unit like that used in some of the digital still cameras that
are all the rage, that runs on a couple of batteries and fits in one's
shirt pocket, is another potential expansion. Right now the Portfolio
can be ordered direct from Atari, over a toll free line, at the FULL
list price of $399.95. Traditional Atari dealers should be able to get
the Portfolio ("50 have been allocated to each Atari dealer", according
to one source, although none have seen the product yet).
There appears to be a great deal of interest in the Portfolio outside of
traditional Atari markets. There are other hand held PCs coming to
market, such as the Poquet, with far more capabilities - most notably
integral disk storage and a full 80x25 line screen. However, the
competitors' prices begin at about $1000. Comparing the cost, the
limitations of the Portfilio may be quite tolerable.
Atari is now pondering who it will let sell the Portfolio. If they do
allow non-Atari dealers (such as Business Land) to sell it, will Atari
attempt to force them to push the ST as well? Atari is considering
that, but any "forceful" sales tactics on the part of Atari would make
about as much sense as trying to rid yourself of an in-grown toe nail
with a .357 magnum. Atari should follow Commodore's lead. Get their PC
products into the non-Atari channels. Let them sell for a while, and
let Atari prove it is a reputable computer producer once again. This
will grease the skids for the introduction of the ST and future Atari
products. For example, Sears has been marketing Commodore PC
compatibles for a couple of years now. In the latest Sears catalog you
will now find Amiga computers too. If Commodore had attempted to
"force" Sears to sell the Amiga along side their Colt PC's, from the
outset, they would have never gotten their foot in the door - they'd
just have blown it off.
The WAACE (Washington D.C. Area Atari Computer Enthusiasts) show was a
big success. (See their ad in the October/November Antic on page 12.)
Bob Brodie of Atari, the latest (and one of the greatest, in my opinion)
user group coordinator, was there. He helped demonstrate Stacy,
production model #2. I suspect that serial #1 is in the hands of Mr.
Leonard Tramiel, his pride and joy. A point was made of showing off the
Stacy with the Spectre 128 installed, the under $2000 Macintosh portable
computer. (The Macintosh portable costs more than your basic Hyundai
automobile.) Once the Stacy hits the market in force, I suspect Apple
will suddenly notice that Atari exists and will work hard at putting the
"Gadgets by Small" out of business. Since losing their battle with
Microsoft and Hewlett Packard over the "Windows thing", I suspect
Apple's lawyers are hungry for a new victim. (The latest joke has it
that Apple Computer is trying to sue the Washington State Apple Grower's
Association for infringing on their corporate logo.)
Where is the Stacy? Since RAMs are now plentiful, the standard answer
is "the machine is being held up in FCC certification testing". I'm
eager to see the Stacy, but am skeptical that it will appear before
Christmas. A LOT of products have been promised in time for the
shopping season, from Atari, but nothing new has come out since "Air
Ball" early this year, and the Portfolio (which has yet to reach many,
if any, distribution channels). Production of the Stacy is supposedly
ramping up now, in either Korea or Taiwan.
According to a reliable Atari source, Commando for the XEGS should hit
dealer's shelves in mid November. Most of us won't see the Atari Lynx
portable game system this year. Atari will produce them in time for
Christmas, but they will be marketed in mass in the New York area. Why?
Atari thought it better to have plentiful supply in one area, than a few
machines in short supply spread widely across the US. In other words,
they are "test marketing" in New York. Nintendo used this same approach
when introducing the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). They sold
300,000 units in a couple of weeks, and the rest is history. Atari has
been advertising regularly in the New York Times, and other prominent
newspapers in the area. If the Lynx does well here, with a great deal
of press coverage and hot sales, it is much more likely to sell well
across the US, by starting a trend and developing demand for the product
before it is in wide release, thus opening new distribution channels to
department store chains. I don't like waiting for my Lynx, but the
marketing approach does seem sound, if only because Nintendo has done it
before.
VIDEO GAME WARS
The battle for your Christmas video game dollar has begun. At the top
of the heap is Nintendo, of course. However, you can find the NEC Home
Electronics' offering of the TurboGrafix-16. Don't let the "16" fool
you, it is still an 8bit machine (a 6502 screaming along at 8MHz - the
Atari's 6502 runs at about 1.2MHz). NEC never claimed the TurboGrafix-
16 was a 16 bit machine; however the name seems to imply this.
The next contender, on the Toys 'R' Us store shelves now, is the Sega
Genesis 16, a true 16bit game machine. This box contains a Motorola
68000 microprocessor, the same breed found inside the Atari ST
computers.
So, how does the competition stack up? Both of these "16" machines sell
for nearly $200, while the basic Nintendo is being discounted to below
$90. Do the new machines appear to be more than twice as good as the
Nintendo? All of the game systems were running side by side at the
local Toys 'R' Us. Each was connected to a Commodore 1802 monitor, so
video quality comparisons were made with the same "measuring stick".
Was the Nintendo "blown away", visually, by the new kids on the block?
Surprisingly not. They do look better, but the difference doesn't seem
to justify the hefty price tag.
It is too early to call, but I think consumers are more inclined to
purchase the Nintendo, even those who understand the "high tech" meaning
of the number 16 in the new systems. There is simply far more software
available for the Nintendo. The best part of all this confusion is that
it promotes healthy competition, and the outrageous $50 (and more)
prices of the Nintendo game cartridges will begin to tumble.
One industry insider says that the TurboGrafix-16 is dead, virtually no
sales at all. The Sega Genesis is starting to pick up in sales, because
of its installed base of Sega users, certain joystick and peripheral
compatibility, and a promised "adapter" that will allow it to play older
Sega cartridges. The Nintendo Game Boy, according to some, isn't
selling well at all - and won't until its price is slashed by at least
half. But those are just insider opinions, and we won't know for sure
until after the cash registers have rung in the new year.
Where does Atari fit into all of this? About the same place as one of
Jose Canseco's home runs, somewhere outside of the ball park. Toys 'R'
Us, and other similar toy chains, continue to offer the Atari 2600 and
7800 systems. Often their Atari game selection is much smaller than it
could be, simply because so much shelf space is dedicated to the
Nintendo. Toys 'R' Us continues to offer the Atari XEGS, at $99.95,
while Children's Palace and Kay Bee Toy and Hobby seem to have dropped
it all together. Little or no software for the XEGS is found at Toys
'R' Us (usually on the 'flip side' of the Commodore 64 software they
continue to sell).
The only real contender Atari has in all this is the Lynx, the LCD color
portable game system. It knocks the bits off the Nintendo Game Boy.
However, the Game Boy is on the toy store shelves now (at a hefty $89),
but the Lynx doesn't even exist in the eyes of the consumers. Reliable
sources indicate that working models of the Lynx are difficult to come
by for Atari shows, so, as of mid October 1989, they don't seem to be in
full production.
Of the many advanced features reported for the Lynx, a very special one
has been overlooked. The production model of the Lynx was to sport an
RF modulator, if the size and cost could be kept low enough. This
feature would allow the Lynx to be easily attached to any television
set, when the eyestrain of color LCD game playing gets to you. The RF
modulator makes the Lynx a powerful home entertainment game system, in
addition to its portable game playing power. The RF modulator idea has
been dropped, however, because the 160x102 (not 160x192 as has been
reported before) just doesn't look good on a TV. The marketing decision
was to keep the RF modulator out, keep the price down, and concentrate
on the portable game play features.
All the hype over Atari's new products is fruitless with no advertising,
nor product delivery to back it up. I'm assured it is coming,
eventually, soon, in time for Christmas for sure. I wonder what new
excuses we'll hear when Christmas has come and gone? I hope I'm wrong,
and Atari hits the market full force with the Lynx, Stacy, Portfolio,
and PC-5 (Atari's awesome economy IBM PC compatible '386 powerhouse)
before the Thanksgiving holiday. I've made nearly a dozen phone calls
to Atarian's in the know and everything still appears to be slated for
delivery before Christmas, although it is most likely to be concentrated
in the New York area.
EARTHQUAKE UPDATE
As all of you know by now, San Francisco and Oakland California were hit
hard by an earthquake on Tuesday, October 17th. Antic Publishing is
located in San Francisco. I am pleased to report that Antic is back in
business, as of Friday, October 20th. The offices were without power
for two days, but no major damage was inflicted to the offices by the
quake. Unfortunately, some of Antic's employees lived in the Marina
area of San Francisco. Your prayers and charitable contributions to the
Red Cross and other relief efforts will help our friends at Antic get
back on their feet once again soon.
Long faithful Atarians may remember Creative Computing, one of the
earliest supporters of the Atari 400/800 computers with regular columns
and software. John Anderson, once an associate editor for the now
defunct Creative Computing, was killed during the earth quake on the
highway 880 collapse. He is best known to Atarians for his innovative
"Outpost:Atari" column. John held a senior position on the editorial
staff of MacUser at the time of his death. John leaves his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. John Anderson of Cresskill, NJ, and his wife, Lauren Hallquist,
and two children, Peter, 4, and Kate, 1, of Boulder Creek, CA. Friends
and fans who wish to send condolences to his family may do so c/o Atari
Explorer, 7 Hilltop Rd., Mendham, NJ 07945. (Excerpted from CompuServe,
reported by Betsy Staples.)
Have you ever noticed who still staunchly support the 8bit Atari
computers, continue to advertise in Antic and Analog, and WHERE they are
located? American Techna-Vision (415-352-3787) is in San Leandro, just
southeast of Oakland. B&C Computer Visions (408-749-1003) is located in
Santa Clara, about half way between San Francisco and Santa Cruz (the
epicenter of the quake). San Jose Computer (408-224-8575) is just south
of Santa Clara. These businesses and more (such as Epyx and Broderbund)
were adversely affected by the quake, to one degree or another. If you
have benefitted from their support, please give them a call and offer your
support in return. I doubt any of them had earthquake insurance; the
costs for it are astronomical in California. You might make a good deal
on damaged equipment, while providing them with needed cash to get back
in business; or simply offer an outright donation. Are any of your
favorite Atari dealers, or mail order houses located in the damage
radius of the earth quake? Give them a call and see if they're ok.
Show your community spirit, show that you care, and, if nothing else,
satisfy your urge for a new toy and order something.
FAREWELL TO FRIENDS?
Many people are concerned about Antic magazine, and for good reason. It
has gone from a healthy 88 page monthly magazine to an anemic 43 page
bimonthly newsprint publication in just the last year. Antic truly
reflects the 8bit market, since they depend primarily on subscriptions
and advertising dollars for their profit. Many subscribers were
displeased that they were "forced" into a disk subscription. However,
the disk subscription is more profitable (and the price to you for the
disk/magazine combo is lower besides). Advertising continues to
dwindle. As a result of the earth quake it may well drop off to
virtually nothing (B&C, American Techna-Vision, and San Jose computer
account for 80% or more of Antic's advertising now). But I have been
assured that so long as Antic turns a profit, it will remain in print;
even if it is a shadow of its once robust self. Buy it off the
newsstand, or take a chance and subscribe. If you don't, you will miss
this dear old friend when it's gone.
Buy the December 1989 issue of Analog. It will be a collector's item!
Why? Because, sadly, it will be the LAST issue. As of November, 1989,
Analog absorbed ST-Log. Since ST-Log is no longer an independent
publication, it seems that you can kiss this baby goodbye too. I just
got the fatal news, and don't know all the details. However, it seems
that LFP (that's Larry Flynt Publications) has decided that Analog is
not profitable (or not profitable enough?) and will discontinue it after
December 1989. This deeply saddens me, since I have been closely tied
with Analog for nearly six years (and well over 60 publications of my
work).
I'm very close to selling all the Atari equipment I own, I'm so upset.
WRITE! Talk me out of it. Actually, this might be the best time to bid
my Atari computers a fond farewell. My pursuit of a Master's degree is
very demanding of my time, and next month I will be teaching part time.
My Atari work may become more of a grudging, annoying, distracting
demand of rare time, than the dear friend it has been all these years.
I suspect I will keep at least the good old 800XL and the game
collection. It will become a relic, someday.
Mat*Rat
Xx ZNET NEWSWIRE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
~ LFP Publications has decided to stop publishing ANALOG Magazine with
the last issue set for December. Last month Analog announced that ST-
Log Magazine would be absorbed and be a part of the original mag. For
more information read Ratty's Rap in this edition.
~ David Small stated in the October issue of ST-World Magazine that the
Spectre GCR is shipping, these comments were echoed at the recent WAACE
Atarifest by Sandy Small. If your waiting for yours, they should be
arriving soon.
~ Datel Computers is shipping the ST Clock Cartridge. The $49.95 cart
plugs direct to the cart port on the ST and is software set and memory
stable via batteries lasting over 5 years. Even with the cart
disconnected from the ST, the batteries will keep the time and date.
Datel Computers (800) 782-9110.
~ Pepsi is bringing the Game Boy, home for the holidays in an exclusive
promotion with Nintendo. Pepsi announced October 24th that it will
award more than 4,000 Game Boys to consumers during a two-month
promotion that begins Nov. 1. Consumers can win the Game Boy and other
Nintendo accessories and free Pepsi products via an instant-win, under-
the-cap giveaway on specially-marked packages of Pepsi products.
Additional prizes include Nintendo Action Sets, U-Force Remotes,
Nintendo Game Paks, $5 Nintendo vouchers and free coupons for two-liter
Pepsi products.
~ Quickview Systems has filed a suit against Apple Computer for patent
infringement. Quickview has alleged that HyperCard, which has been
bundled with every Macintosh computer since August 1987, infringes U.S.
Patent No. 4,486,857. The technology at issue is also used in
Zoomracks, which was introduced in 1985, two years before HyperCard.
Zoomracks is published by Quickview Systems and also incorporates
technology covered by U.S. Patent No. 4,736,308, which Quickview has not
alleged that Apple has infringed. In January 1989, Zoomracks was chosen
Best Database for its ''influential interface ahead of its time'' by
Compute! magazine.
~ Fujitsu announced October 24th that it has reached an agreement to
supply Pepsi hand held computer systems for Pepsi's route distribution
vehicles. The System 29, puts computing directly in the hands of the
sales people and allows sales and route distribution people to produce
invoices and inventory and pricing updates as well as a variety of other
reports directly from their sales or delivery vehicles. The system is
designed for use in particularly harsh route distribution environments.
Unconfirmed rumor: Epyx has closed it's doors. Details next week.
Xx FTL UPDATE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ctsy SDACE, CompuServe, GEnie
I just got back from the local S.D.A.C.E meeting where our featured
guest was Russ Boelhauf (marketing whiz) from FTL. He had many
interesting things to say about Chaos Strikes Back (the official title
of the long-awaited "sequel" to Dungeon Master.) This is a stand-alone
game. Despite what the box says, it does not require Dungeon Master at
all. This decision was reached after the artwork went out for the box.
FEATURES
o There are around 13 NEW MONSTERS! The play testers were unanimous:
more monsters!!! So they had to move away from the "expansion set"
approach they had been following, and move to a stand-alone game.
o No news on spells. No one asked, and he didn't volunteer. Sorry!
o Shipping between November 6 and November 15!!! (Yes, that's this
year :-) Suggested retail $39.95. Just like DM.
o Chaos is not a sequential games as was DM. You can apparently wander
around and solve the various "predicaments" piece by piece. So you can
concentrate on one part of the dungeon and then go back later and work on
another part.
o A character editor. Now you can draw or edit your characters just the
way you like! Included are artistic renditions of the way your favorite
characters would look after years of adventuring. (Russ' favorite
addition was a pair of sunglasses to protect from that fireball glare
:-) You can save your artwork, and trade with your friends!
o You can use old characters off of a Dungeon Master save disk, or build
a new party out of characters they provide. You should have made it
through at least half of Dungeon Master for your characters to survive
more than 30 seconds :-) They will enter the world naked! (No firestaff
or armor :-)
o A hint "oracle". You insert your saved disk, and get context-sensitive
help. That way there are no "spoilers". For completeness, I will
mention the animated "cartoon" sequence you can optionally view.
o Some really mean situations. Russ normally gets blown away in about
sixty seconds! You enter the dungeon "naked and with your pants down" as
Russ says :-) (How can you have pants if you're naked? :-) He says the
monsters are *mean*! When you open the door, you'd better be ready!
o The copy protection on Dungeon Master has been patented! They are
"thinking" about having some means of individually registering a copy
and at the same time, removing the copy protection. The idea is that if
they see pirated copies, they will know where it came from.
o Other ideas for other games from FTL include a sci-fi adventure, a
Stephen King style horror, and a haunted house, all first person-style
adventures a la DM. Don't hold your breath! These are just "ideas"!
o He felt that he experienced less piracy on the ST than any other
machine. Gillman Louie take note!
o 2/3 of the total sales of DM were in Europe, which he considers to be
a much more "boom and bust" market. Most of the european sales were in
a very short period of time immediately after announcement.
Note: Russ gave us permission to post whatever he said on GEnie, etc.
Thanks to FTL for giving us the info we've been waiting for! Thanks to
our club newsletter editor for the coup!
Paul Close
paul@cacilj.CTS.COM
...!{uunet, ucsd, crash}!cacilj!paul
Xx SPA UPDATE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ctsy MICHTRON ROUNDTABLE on GEnie
Category 9, Topic 9
Message 1 Tue Oct 17, 1989 by GORDON at 16:25 EDT
I have just returned from the SPA (Software Publishers Assn) fall
convention. It was a very uplifting experience. Amiga had lots of
people there and Atari had Sam Tramiel and Antonio Salerno (first time
Atari has attended in 2 years). Both companies made some rather
startling announcements.
Atari's President, Sam Tramiel, speaking about new technology at the
Conference told the developers that Atari was going back to what it new
best! He reminisced about the good old days when they made 400,000
C64's a month. He said that Atari wanted to seize the home computer
market. And that to do that they would have to aggressively market the
520ST, and should price it at under $300. Sam said this campaign would
begin late this year or early next year. (looks like the year of Atari
is really going to be 1990! )
Antonio Salerno told me that he has been promoted to Vice President of
software and reports directly to Sam Tramiel. Antonio has two main
responsibilities, getting developers to write applications for the
portfolio and to reestablish the ST developers. He mentioned that Atari
was making many changes in the way they deal with developers. New
people are being hired to insure the timely publishing of a newsletter
and to expedite other developer services.
Antonio also mentioned that Atari was really starting over again. They
have new management, new engineering team, new goals and they are going
to spend the money necessary to make it all work! Atari is aggressively
advertising the Portfolio and are starting to plan the campaign to seize
the home market! Atari is going to battle Nintendo and Tandy and try to
take the home market by force!!
Amiga has announced that they are going to spend around 20 million
advertising the Amiga this Christmas season. At the Conference they
showed their new advertising. The print advertising was OK but the TV
commercials were OUTSTANDING. They will attract lots and lots of
attention. Amiga is planning on doubling the size of their support
staffs. They are hiring more people as you read this.
Commodore also did a brand awareness study. They showed people the
names of 4 computers, 1 fake computer name, and the Amiga name. More
people said they heard of the fake name then had heard of the Amiga. I
am sure the same would be true of the ST.
It looks like both companies have come to the realization that they can
not just design an outstanding product and say here it is. They are
both going to start AGGRESSIVELY MARKETING their Computers. I say its
about time!
Message posted by Gordon Monnier of Michtron
Xx THE WITTY MOUSE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviewed by D.A. Brumleve
My dealer at One Stop called me the other day. "Thought you'd like to
see this replacement mouse I have," he said. "$35.00!" I thought of the
many times I'd paid about that much--and had to throw in my dead Atari
mouse--to get a working replacement mouse for my ST. As it happened, I
didn't _need_ a new mouse at that particular moment, but I was intrigued
by the price. Was it the BEST mouse? I'd heard of that one. Was it
the new cordless mouse from Practical Solutions? No, much too cheap for
that! No, this turned out to be the "Witty Mouse" from Taiwan. He'd
gotten it from Commax in New Jersey, along with some joysticks made by
the same folks in Taiwan. So I went over to One Stop and bought it as a
backup, just in case.
When I got home, I took the mouse out of its unnecessarily large box.
(The box is black and has "Mouse" written in grey cursive letters at
intervals on all sides except the bottom. A large white "Mouse" on each
side declares the contents also.) The mouse is about the same dimension
as the ST mouse, but its sides taper toward the cord end, and the top
surface slopes downward toward the cord end as well. The body of the
mouse is off-white with two black buttons and the cord is ST grey.
"WITTY MOUSE" is printed in black letters on the top surface. The top
surface of each button is 1 5/8" long by 5/8" wide, and the buttons are
separated from each other by a small off-white strip. The grey mouse
ball is enclosed by a removable circle of off-white plastic. No
documentation was included with the packaging.
I plugged it in, and, sure enough, it worked! The mouse was more
responsive than I'm used to. It took some time before I adjusted to its
tracking; I kept moving the mouse arrow on the screen farther than I
intended to, because my movements were geared for the ST mouse, but
this mouse required less movement to travel the same distance on the
screen. When I use the ST mouse now, it seems sluggish by comparison.
The buttons, too, have a more responsive "feel". Double-clicking is
easier for me with the Witty Mouse. The mouse fits comfortably in my
hand, and the distinct separation of the two buttons prevents me from
accidentally hitting the wrong button. I like it!
I decided to open up the mouse and check it out. This took some
creative thinking; it was clear that the top fit into the bottom by
means of little plastic tabs, but it simply wouldn't come apart. My
husband removed (over my objections) a little sticker on the underside
of the mouse and revealed a screw; once this was removed, the top came
off easily. Inside is a neat and tidy circuit board, two very
responsive little button switches, brass wheels contacting the
mouseball, and the expected plastic optical encoder wheels. The layout
and design is similar to the ST mouse, but the parts are not identical.
The Witty Mouse has enough advantages over the ST mouse--and is so close
in price to the Atari replacement mouse--that, the next time I discover
a dead mouse in my house, I will definitely buy another one of these
rather than send the old one back to Atari. (I'll keep the old one, of
course, and fix it with replacement parts which are available from BEST
Electronics. That way, I'll have a stock Atari mouse to use as a backup
should my Witty Mouse ever fail...) The folks from Commax are scheduled
to be at Fall/Comdex, so if you are going, seek out their booth and
check out the Witty Mouse for yourself. Finally, there's a replacement
mouse that gives you more power for the price than Atari itself!
Xx TOS INSTALLATION
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
by Scott R. Chilcote
I just got done upgrading a 2-chip ROM Mega 2 ST to TOS 1.4 using a six-
chip PROM set from Atari. The source of this upgrade was Lyco in
Woodbridge, Virginia. If you are interested in upgrading from a two-
chip ROM set to a six chip set, here's how I did it.
I'd better add a disclaimer at this point. The following is merely a
description of something I did to my computer. How you use this
information is up to you. With that said...
First, I removed the motherboard from my Mega. I also removed the
floppy drive and the power supply -- it makes the board much easier to
handle. I was careful to observe static electricity minimization, since
some of these chips contain MOSFET devices.
I noticed that my Mega had no sockets for the four ROM chips that had
not been installed; not only that, but the holes were all soldered
closed! The first thing I had to do was use a solder-sucker and some
desoldering braid to carefully open the closed holes for U3, U4, U6, and
U7. It took great care not to scratch the ultra-fine traces that run
around and between the solder pads.
Next, I installed the sockets. I inspected each solder joint with a
magnifying glass to look for solder bridges and cold solder joints at
each pad.
It was then time to move the two jumpers marked 'w2' and 'w3' on the
motherboard. At the front of the Mega's motherboard, right next to the
MMU chip, there are two small jumpers that look exactly like resistors
(or at least they did in my Mega). They are marked with a single black
band -- perhaps to signify zero ohms? Whatever the case, they are
labeled with small white boxes on the board's silk print, with holes 1
and 3 marked on each. The jumpers were installed in holes 2 and 3 in
both cases. These two jumpers had to be desoldered and moved to holes 1
and 2. If I'd been careful, I could have just desoldered the wire in
hole 3 and moved it to hole 1... Now that I think about it.
Another jumper, which was not already present, had to be installed in a
nearby box labeled 'w4'. This box is clearly marked on the motherboard
in between U12 and U24. I used a lead clipped from a spare resistor,
about 1" long for this; any fine bit of wire would have done. It was
stiff and so did not need to be insulated from surrounding metal.
I saved the most difficult part for last. The final step was to remove
an integrated circuit entirely from the Mega's motherboard. This chip
is labeled U12, and its only purpose is to take the ROM signals that
would normally activate six separate chips, and funnel them (through the
use of a three-input AND gate) into the two-chip ROM set. Since I
needed to use all six ROM chips, this IC had to be removed. It was
difficult for me because the desoldering braid did not remove all of the
solder, and my solder-sucker couldn't vacuum enough of it out. It took
some severe wheedling to finally get this guy loose.
Of course, I had to remove the existing pair of ROMs and put the new
chips into the proper sockets. This took a bit of doing in itself,
since the ROMs are labeled with the proper numbers for the 520 and 1040
STs, but _not_ for the Mega ST. I had to match up the chip designations
instead. This is the table I came up with:
520 ST Designation Mega ST
---------------------------------
U2 Hi-2 U3
U5 Lo-2 U4
U3 Hi-1 U6
U6 Lo-1 U7
U4 Hi-0 U9
U7 Lo-0 U10
After plugging the ROMs -- which are actually EPROMs with labels stuck
over their glass lenses -- into my Mega, I plugged 'er in and booted.
The system works perfectly, or as close as TOS 1.4 gets (pretty close)!
I am using it and TEMPUS II to write this file, and will be using it to
upload it as well. The improvement in FAT searching is worth the price,
by itself! Other features have also proven handy, including the
keyboard cold-start.
Wether you have TOS 1.4 professionally installed or choose to do it
yourself, I can heartily recommend the upgrade.
_________________________________.
|.--------------------------------.|
|| Usenet: src@xanth.UUCP ||
|| Arpa: src@xanth.cs.odu.edu ||
|| Earth: Scott R. Chilcote ||
|| ||
|| ||| "Sure, Jack, we ||
|| ||| trust you. But will ||
|| / | \ will you respect us ||
|| / | \ in the morning?" ||
|:________________________________:'
----------------------------------
Xx 1ST ANNUAL CPU AWARDS for PUBLIC DOMAIN & SHAREWARE SOFTWARE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Vote For Your Favorite Software"
This is our 1st Annual Awards ballot for public domain and shareware
software for the ST/MEGA. Please give us your input so we can determine
which programs ST users really feel are the best. After all, who better
knows what software is used day in and day out than you, the end user.
ST enthusiasts are urged to vote for their favorite programs and forward
their ballots to Computer Publications, Unltd. for tabulation. Voting
will close as of November 30, 1989 with results appearing in the January
1990 issue of The Shareware Connection.
You may enter up to three programs/items in each category with your
primary selection listed first, etc. By allowing users to vote on more
than one selection per category, the accuracy of the awards will be
assured by awarding points for first, second and third and then
tabulating point totals to determine award winners.
Please fill out this ballot as complete as possible and return it to
CPU. You may either forward it via U.S. Mail, or F-Mail it to us via
GEnie (our address is S.SWANSON1) or F-Mail it via Skyline Bulletin
Board here in Denver at 303/457-0320. Your participation will be
appreciated by ST programmers and public domain/shareware users alike.
(---------cut here--------------)
1st ANNUAL CPU AWARDS OFFICIAL BALLOT
=====================================================================
UTILITY PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: Our definition of a utility is any program
that helps the user accomplish a task, most times related directly to
computer use. Formatting programs, ramdisks, cataloging programs, etc.
fall into this category (EXAMPLES: Mystic Formatter, STDCat, Intersect
Ram Baby, Arc Shell, Virus Killer, Head Start, Super Boot, DCopy).
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
APPLICATIONS PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: An applications program is defined as
a program which accomplishes a complete, specific task. Spreadsheets,
word processors, database programs, financial calculation programs, etc.
fall into this category. (EXAMPLES: Sheet, ST Writer, Manual Maker, The
Address Book, Ad Base, Opus).
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
ACCESSORY OF THE YEAR: Any program which loads and is used from the menu
as an accessory is eligible for this category. An accessory could
easily fall into other categories as well. (EXAMPLES: Quick ST, ASCII
Print-Out, Intersect Ram Baby, Notepad, DC Stuffer, Perfect Timing).
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: Any program, accessory or
utility which directly relates to telecommunications in any fashion is
eligible. (EXAMPLES: VanTerm, XYZ Modem, Citadel BBS, TC Companion).
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
GRAPHICS/DTP PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: This category includes any program or
utility which relates to computer graphics of any type or desktop
publishing. (EXAMPLES: PicSwitch, DegaSnap, Art-ST, IMG View, Icon2,
Print It!, Printmaster Cataloguer, Art Gallery).
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
GAME OF THE YEAR: All entertainment software falls into this category.
(EXAMPLES: Guess-A-Sketch, Bubble, Hero, Statistically Accurate
Baseball).
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
SOUND/MUSIC/MIDI PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: This category includes any sound
or music programs or utilities. (EXAMPLES: MS Player, Sound, Player).
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
LANGUAGE/PROGRAMMING UTILITY OF THE YEAR: This category includes
utilities, accessories or complete language packages which relate to
programming or creating programs. (EXAMPLES: Mark Johnson C, Sobozon,
Text Editors, Adventure Game Toolkit).
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: Any program which deals with education
or learning is eligible. (EXAMPLES: Kid Publisher, Wee Games, Ear
Trainer, Speed Reader, Barnimals, ABC's, Mathwork).
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
BEST USE OF GRAPHICS (Non-Game): In this category, vote for the program
which best makes use of graphics in its interface or backgrounds.
(EXAMPLES: Arc Shell, Virus Killer, ASCII Print-Out).
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
BEST USE OF GRAPHICS (Game): This category covers the use of graphics
within a game. (EXAMPLES: Hac Man, Pengy, Hero, Pile-Up, Video Poker).
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
MOST USED PD/SHAREWARE PROGRAM or UTILITY: This category covers those
programs you find yourself using day in and day out. (These will
probably include formatting programs, accessories, ramdisks, arc
utilities, etc).
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
THE 1989 PD/SHAREWARE PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: This category is open to all
programs regardless of type or category. Simply vote for the program you
feel is the best pd/shareware program ever written.
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
THE 1989 PD/SHAREWARE PROGRAMMER OF THE YEAR: Which public domain/
shareware programmer do you feel has done the best job of writing
programs for the ST? Here's your chance to let us know!
1. ______________________________________
2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
=======================================================================
Please send all ballots to:
Computer Publications, Unltd.
P.O. Box 2224, Arvada, Colorado 80001
GEnie: S.SWANSON1
Skyline BBS: STAN SWANSON
=======================================================================
Xx ATARI ASSOCIATION OF DEVELOPERS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Release
!!!!!!!!!!!!NEWS!!!!!!!!NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!NEWS!!!!!!!!NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WASHINGTON D.C.
October 8th 1989, this morning over 40 Atari developers attending the
WAACE show gathered to discuss many issues facing developers in the
Atari community and the formation of a developers association. This
spirited 2 hour meeting resulted in the agreement that an organization
of developers was needed and the establishment of the "Atari Association
of Developers".
A temporary board of directors was approved consisting of:
Gordon Monnier, Pres of Michtron Corp.
Nathan Potechin, Pres of ISD Corp.
Rich Flashmann, Pres of Gribnif Software
John Eidsvoog, Partner in Codehead Software
George Morrison, Pres Alpha Systems
James Allen, VPres of Fast Technology
The temporary board was given the task of developing a constitution for
the AAD, a set of membership guidelines and qualifications, and a set of
goals which the association will work to achieve.
The AAD is an independent association that seeks to strengthen the
developer support structure already provided by Atari Corporation.
"Developer Helping Developer" is the motto of the AAD which will provide
support to the Atari development community.
Direct support to developers will center around the online network
GEnie. GEnie officials have pledged support to the AAD and have a long
history of assisting Atari developers bring technical support to their
users. GEnie currently plays host to direct online developer support
from Atari Corporation.
The AAD currently seeks Atari developers to join in this effort, all
registered developers qualify for AAD membership. This association is
devoted to the exchange, expansion, and coordination of developer
information and related activities.
The goals of the AAD are divided into the following categories, listed
in order of priority:
o Development and expansion of developer guidelines which will (in
addition to the already published developer's documentation from Atari
Corporation) assist developers in creating problem free, efficient,
and complete hardware and software products.
o Exchange and discovery of information which will assist developers in
producing professional, complete, and problem free hardware and
software products.
o Assistance and support to developers in the marketing, distribution,
promotion, and support of developed hardware and software products.
o Offer assistance to Atari Corporation in the Sales and Marketing of
Atari products in concert with developer products.
There are two types of members in the AAD, these are defined as:
o "AAD Developer" - Any developer who is registered with Atari
Corporation as a "Registered Developer" and is such recognized by
Atari Corp.
- All "AAD Developers" will have access to development support from
the AAD and Atari Corp.
o "AAD Professional Developer" - Any developer who has proven to have
created or is creating a viable hardware or software product for the
Atari product line, with the intent of releasing this product into the
commercial market. Shareware products may qualify on a case by case
basis.
- Public Domain products do not qualify as commercial products, nor do
hardware products which are assembled from other developer's kits or
parts.
- A member must first qualify as an "AAD Developer" before being
considered for "AAD Professional Developer" membership.
- "AAD Professional Developer" specific support will consist of
business related assistance to help commercial developers bring
products to market.
- All development support provided by the AAD will be provided to all
"AAD Developers" in concert with support currently provided by Atari
Corp. All "AAD Developers" will have access to development support
provided by the AAD.
It should be noted that the following are NOT part of the purposes of
the AAD:
o Handling of complaints that developers might have with Atari
Corporation.
o Replacing the developer support presently offered by Atari
Corporation.
Developers who wish to join the association should first join the GEnie
online service by calling 1-800-638-9636 or sending a letter to: GE
Information Services, 411 N. Washington St., Rockville, MD 20850.
Once online send Email to "TOWNS" to request Atari Developer RT access,
and to "PERMIT$" to apply for "AAD Professional" membership. When
admission to the Developers RT is granted you will be recognized as an
"AAD Developer" member.
Developers currently online at GEnie and interested in becoming "AAD
Professional Developers" should answer the following questions and send
via GE EMAIL their answers plus request for membership to the "PERMIT$"
mail address on GEnie. More information can be found in the "AAD"
category in the Atari Developers Roundtable:
1. What is your name?
2. What company do you represent?
3. What is your mailing address and daytime phone number?
4. What software or hardware products have you developed or are in
the process of developing (for commercial release)?
5. State you agree to the rules and Regulations (listed below) for AAD
Professional Developer.
Upon review of the application developers will be permitted access to a
special "Category 70" for "AAD Professional Developers" in the Atari
Roundtable on GEnie. The AAD "New Members Committee" retains all rights
to refuse any membership to the "AAD Professional Developer" Category
which it feels would not result in the benefit of the association. It
also reserves the right to make any exceptions to the above
requirements. All decisions are final.
Rules & Regulations for "AAD Professional Developers"
As an "AAD Professional Developer" you are required to comply with the
following set of rules. Failure to do so will result in the removal of
your "AAD Professional Developer" status.
1. Unless you have been given the specific permission from the Board of
Directors of the AAD, any information released in the "AAD
Professional Developer" category area in the Atari Roundtable shall
be considered "Confidential".
2. You will not represent yourself as a representative for the AAD
without the explicit permission from the Board of Directors of the
AAD.
3. You will not make any public statements, comments, or take any
public action which would cause bad press, harm, or misconceptions
about the AAD.
We ask all Atari developers who have not arranged access to the GEnie
online service to please do so, and who have not registered as
developers with Atari Corp to please do so also. Please join with us
and help raise the level of Atari Software to new heights.
The AAD represents a clear step forward for the future of all Atari
development efforts. Working in concert with Atari Corp the AAD will
raise Atari product awareness worldwide and ease the entry of new
products and developers into the Atari marketplace.
Xx The REVOLUTION(tm) Part 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
by Donald A. Thomas, Jr.
=1989 ARTISAN SOFTWARE
GENERAL PRINCIPALS
There are some basic principals which are important for all of us to
agree to. These principals become our foundation for all other
participation.
One of the most significant principals is that we all do what we can to
stop the most blatant forms of piracy. Artisan Software's philosophy
that passing to a friend a copy of a program, to determine if he likes
it, is not a high crime. This is IF the friend buys it after deciding
to use it. This philosophy is not shared by all publishers nor is it,
technically, legal. This philosophy's down side is the difficulty of
paying for something you already have in your possession.
Slowing piracy plays a critical role in Atari's success. Even if, per
capita, piracy is no worse in the Atari community than other computer
communities, our lower user base amplifies the problem. While any form
of unauthorized duplication and distribution is wrong, the foundation of
"The REVOLUTION" is to pay for the software you use. If you obtain a
title and never use it, you must turn to your own values, otherwise,
"The REVOLUTION's" policy will ask that you buy it through legitimate
means. In addition, "The REVOLUTION" urges you to report pirate boards
to Artisan Software or persons who profit by selling unauthorized copies
of software. Please understand that these people are destructive.
Type: "I'VE JOINED THE REVOLUTION!" if you come across these boards and
hang up.
If we make any effort in this area, we will see improvements. In short
order, publishers will see the difference and be even more encouraged to
support our common cause. In addition, cleaning our closet will attract
more publishers and new users.
Another critical principal is to be prepared to accept all fellow
members and our growing base of Atari owners as family. Be prepared to
assist them and depend on them. New customers will be referred to "The
REVOLUTION" members. The impression you offer them will make a
difference in their buying decisions. Be positive and supportive.
If we get each others way, take an initial approach that a combined
effort may prove beneficial. Recently, closely scheduled Atari shows
caused for there not being a show at all in that area. We need to look
for ways to avoid these problems.
Another significant principal is that of good communication. Remind
others what needs to be done, offer new ideas and creative approaches
and never hesitate to proclaim your status as an Atari user to anyone.
Apply a great deal of friendly peer pressure.
It is encouraged to capitalize on "The REVOLUTION's" concepts and
strategies to gain recognition for you, your company or user group.
Please do not do this directly against a competitor. Do not use this
campaign to attempt to pull user group members away from an existing one
or to sell products away from another dealer in this way.
Be supportive of activities enacted by other groups or individuals.
Thank them for their interest and help. If there is a show in your
area, try to attend. Join a users group. Contact Artisan Software to
help you find one or for advise on starting one.
Please encourage your relatives, neighbors and friends to participate,
but never participate under an alias to boost representation. We have
an obligation to maintain real numbers and a visual integrity. One
individual can destroy the efforts of all of us by participating with
wrongful actions or under false pretenses. You may write letters for
other people if you have them read, sign and understand the position
they are representing. To insure consistency within the campaign, label
each and every project "The REVOLUTION". This will reinforce retention
and give us strength.
Please remember that what we wish to accomplish is make the consumer
aware of the Atari alternative and its' benefits of owning an Atari
computer. The sales will come naturally as a result of accomplishing
just that. We will not sell everyone and would be fooling ourselves to
think so. We just want our computer on their shopping lists.
BENEFITS TO ENTREPRENEURS
If you profit in any way from the existence of Atari computers, you are
being asked to help support this campaign. You have many benefits
coming to you as a result of the inevitable success of us all working
together.
With an annual registered participation, you will receive the following
benefits:
1) Access to the list of registered individuals who support the campaign
nationwide for a nominal charge. This list consists of qualified
Atari enthusiasts who will be the prime prospects for any direct mail
advertising you may wish to implement. Artisan Software will also
maintain a list of Atari dealers throughout the U.S. and this list is
available as well.
2) Marketing data and information can be assembled using the
registration forms. A verifiable count of Atari consumer trends can
be established while Atari maintains their secretive policy to such
statistics. This information may assist your considerations to
release new products or decide where your advertising dollars might
best be spent.
3) You will also have limited rights to integrate "The REVOLUTION" in
your marketing plan with promotional stickers and/or literature such
as "WE SUPPORT 'THE REVOLUTION'". A logo is being assembled and will
be sent to you for such purposes.
4) An effort to educate the consumer of the harms of piracy and piracy-
like activities will be an integral part of the campaign. Your
pledge will assist in this effort.
5) Companies can make one phone call to Artisan Software and have the
network of Atari publications exposed to the latest news and
information regarding their products. A professional press release
will be written in your behalf and issued directly to their offices.
6) As participation grows, other companies may provide discounts to
other companies who participate.
PLEDGES
YOU DO NOT NEED TO MAKE A PLEDGE TO PARTICIPATE. You may choose to
pledge any amount you wish. The funds will cover administration of
press releases, public relations and a host of other functions. The use
of the word "pledge" references your endorsement of the marketing plan
and your purchase of the services the plan provides.
The plan is an unprecedented campaign to benefit the exposure of Atari
computers. It is a commodity packaged and marketed by Artisan Software.
As participation grows, you will find access to a network of benefits
increase in context to this manual. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE A
PLEDGE TO PARTICIPATE WITH THIS CAMPAIGN, IT MERELY HELPS TO FINANCE THE
ONGOING SUPPORT EFFORTS OF 'The REVOLUTION'.
Individuals
Have yourself counted as an individual user of Atari computer and a
member of this marketing plan.
User Groups
Users' Groups are highly endorsed by this campaign and you have a
nationwide network of users, dealers and other groups backing you up.
Dealers
We are going to get people in your area to shop you more often and help
you develop a low-budget public relations campaign. Many projects
suggested can put money directly in your pocket.
Distributors
Make the commitment to back a campaign that backs you and all of your
dealers. Your registration helps to keep us informed of the important
businesses which make up the network.
Software Publishers
If you are small, we know how hard it is to make it with Atari
computers. We want to help you. We will help with marketing
strategies, recommend ad designs, and look for every way possible to get
your name known and recognized. If you are sizeable software company,
you have a lot of Atari titles at stake with the success of this
campaign. Help assure the longevity and get some healthy PR for
supporting a worthwhile marketing plan.
Third Party Hardware Developers
Now is your opportunity to back a solid campaign to attract more
customers. We need your help to do it.
Atari Publications
For an entire year, this campaign endorses subscriptions and advertising
in your publication.
PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION
PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM AND MAIL WITH YOUR CHOSEN PLEDGE TO:
ARTISAN SOFTWARE, P.O. BOX 849, MANTECA, CA 95336
PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY!
___ YES, I understand the campaign entitled: "The REVOLUTION" and
agree that a unified national effort to enhance Atari computer
sales may be a fun project and one that will better protect my
investment in the future. I acknowledge that the campaign
HANDBOOK makes suggestions only. I am not obligated to do any or
all of them if I choose not to. (Make checks payable to Artisan
Software.)
PLEDGE ENCLOSED $_________________ (NOT REQUIRED)
SIGNATURE _______________________________ DATE ____________
NAME _______________________AGE ___ PHONE (_____) _________
COMPANY OR USER GROUP REPRESENTED (if applicable):
COMPANY NAME ___________________________________
ADDRESS ________________________________________
CITY __________________ STATE _____ ZIP ________
COMPANY PHONE NUMBER (_______) _________________
DEALER ___ DISTRIBUTOR ___ PUBLISHER ___ MFG___
OTHER _________________________________________
PERSONAL ADDRESS __________________________________________
CITY ___________________ STATE _____ ZIP _________
OCCUPATION ________________________ PHONE (_____) _________
COMPUTER(S) OWNED _________________________________________
MY USER GROUP MEMBERSHIP IS AT ____________________________
___________________________________________________________
I USE THE COMPUTER PRIMARILY FOR __________________________
___________________________________________________________
Xx CODEHEAD SOFTWARE UPDATE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Release
SOME LIKE IT HOT!
Announcing HotWire 1.4....plus MaxiFile!
Here's what START magazine had to say about HotWire, in their October
1989 issue:
"When the START editorial staff first saw HotWire, our collective
reaction was 'Wow!'"
"If you don't have a hard drive, HotWire is still useful. Have all your
programs in a .HOT file, and when the menu comes up, just put the
necessary floppy disk in the drive and then press the Hot Key. ..."
"Overall, I find HotWire amazingly convenient. ... The 'one keypress'
environment is very, very satisfying."
Well, now we've made HotWire even BETTER! And look what's happened to
MultiFile!!!
CodeHead Software would like to announce the impending release of a
major upgrade for HotWire (our innovative desktop/shell program)! At
the same time, we are releasing a new product, MaxiFile...a _greatly_
enhanced version of MultiFile from the CodeHead Utilities disk.
MaxiFile and HotWire will be bundled together and sold as HotWire Plus.
Both products will continue to be sold separately as well.
The new HotWire 1.4 includes a direct interface to
MaxiFile, letting you
enjoy MaxiFile's flexible file manipulation abilities without having to
exit HotWire. MaxiFile can be run as either a desk accessory _or_ an
ordinary GEM program, letting you configure your system for your own
memory needs.
HotWire Plus with MaxiFile can be used as a COMPLETE replacement for the
GEM desktop. Both programs work in all resolutions. And MaxiFile
includes many advanced file-handling features previously only seen on
those "other" computers.
Both HotWire and MaxiFile are written in 100% assembly language, so you
know they're as compact and fast as possible.
(And by the way, both programs will also still continue to be sold
separately as well.)
Here's what HotWire 1.4 and MaxiFile can do for you:
HOTWIRE 1.4 by Charles F. Johnson and John Eidsvoog
---------------------------------------------------
o HotWire lets you set up an infinite series of program menus and
instantly run any program, no matter where it's located on your
system! You can run any program either from the HotWire Menu or FROM
THE GEM DESKTOP simply by pressing a hot key...that YOU assign to each
program!
o Summon up the HotWire Menu any time you're at the GEM desktop...simply
by clicking the right mouse button (or by typing a special "Hot Key".)
o HotWire runs as either an ordinary ST program, or as a "resident"
program that's always at your beck and call!
o HotWire can AUTORUN GEM applications, on all versions of TOS in ROM.
(In fact, HotWire's autorun feature works better than TOS 1.4's...)
o Program menus (.HOT files) can be entered into the HotWire Menu, and
given descriptive titles. You can load a completely new menu just by
clicking its title, or typing its hot key!
o Up to 54 programs can be entered into each HotWire Menu. You can use
"headings" to customize the look of each menu to your own taste.
o Programs can be given 20-character titles which describe their
purposes, or include their full names. For example, you can name
PUBLISH.APP by its real name..."TimeWorks Desktop Publisher".
o Documents can be linked with their respective applications, and
entered into the HotWire Menu. So you can click on "Great American
Novel" and instantly run Word Perfect, which will automatically load
your Great American Novel. With one click, you're ready to start
working!
o HotWire 1.4 now has an advanced "Ledger" function, which keeps track
of all programs you run, showing the Start, End, and Elapsed time of
each program. It also keeps track of the total time elapsed since you
began working. If you started an application by passing it a document
(as mentioned above) the name of the document you worked on is also
shown in the ledger. In addition, each program in the HotWire Menu
can be either included in or excluded from the Ledger record, as you
choose. This feature is INVALUABLE for people who do work for hire on
their STs. Now you can keep accurate records of all your computer
usage with no effort whatsoever. Just click the button labelled
"Ledger"!
o HotWire also now includes a resident corner clock, which shows you the
time of day in the upper right corner of the screen...even when you
run other programs! You can even set each program in the HotWire Menu
to turn off the corner clock when it runs, in case the clock
interferes with any program's display.
o HotWire works correctly with all the programs that give other shells
fits! Programs like CAD-3D 2.02, Cyber Control, Easy Draw/OUTPRINT,
Antic's Base Two, SuperBase, and many others which don't work 100% (if
at all) with other shells, work EXACTLY as they do from the desktop
when you run them through HotWire!
o HotWire has many powerful and advanced features designed to aid
software developers in the process of compiling and/or assembling. If
you're not a programmer, we won't smother you in layers of complexity;
but if you are, you'll find that HotWire has all the power you need in
a developer's shell. Up to 12 environment parameters may be passed to
any program in the HotWire Menu, and the command line handling is way
beyond that offered by any comparable shell. We've been using HotWire
as a shell to develop _itself_ (using the Mad Mac assembler from
Atari) ever since version 1.0.
o For added security, HotWire 1.4 now has an exclusive "password"
feature, which lets you assign a separate 8-character password to each
program in the menu. Every time you run a program which has a
password, HotWire will ask you to type the password before it lets the
program continue. (Your input is NOT echoed to the screen as you
enter the password, of course.) You must also type the existing
password before HotWire will let you change it.
o HotWire is unbelievably easy to set up and use! An intuitive GEM
interface lets you enter new programs in the menu, move existing
entries around, and edit their parameters with simple point-and-click
operations.
o HotWire 1.4 is compatible with all current versions of TOS in ROM,
including the recently-released "Rainbow TOS" (TOS 1.4).
o You want desk accessories? HotWire lets you access CodeHead's
MultiDesk accessory loader/unloader, giving you access to more DAs
than you could ever possibly use.
o HotWire 1.4 allows you direct access to MaxiFile (when MaxiFile is
installed as a desk accessory), either by clicking on the MaxiFile
icon or by typing function key F10!
o ...and there are MANY more features not mentioned here, designed to
make your computing life as easy as possible. HotWire is ADDICTIVE;
but has been certified by the Surgeon General to have no ill effects
whatsoever. :) Be prepared to become happily dependent on it!
MAXIFILE 2.0 by Charles F. Johnson
----------------------------------
o MaxiFile is a multi-featured file-handling utility, similar to the
"DOS Shells" available on other computers, but GEM-based.
o MaxiFile runs as either a desk accessory or an ordinary GEM program.
If memory is tight, just run MaxiFile as a program. If you run
MaxiFile as a desk accessory, you can use it in any ST application
which employs the GEM menu bar. You'll never have to quit a program
just to copy a disk or rename a file again!
o MaxiFile lets you move/copy/delete/rename/touch any combination of
files and/or folders. You can see up to 80 items at once in the
MaxiFile "control panel" display.
o All parameters of MaxiFile's configuration can be saved, so that
everything comes up set the way you want it, every time.
o An intelligent disk copying routine lets you copy any type of floppy
disk (except copy-protected ones) automatically! You can even use a
blank unformatted disk for the destination if you like; MaxiFile will
automatically format it to match the source disk.
o MaxiFile can be switched between an 80-name display, showing just the
filenames in a directory, and a 48-column display which shows the
file sizes, times or dates.
o MaxiFile works in all three resolutions, and also works with "big-
screen" monitors.
o Format disks single or double sided, with 9 or 10 sectors per track,
80 or 82 tracks per disk. If you have TOS 1.2 or greater, you can
use the "Sector Skewing" option (also known as "Twister Format".)
o Enter COMMENTS for any file or folder, similar to the Macintosh
Finder's "Show Info" function. MaxiFile allows up to three lines of
information about each file or folder. Every time you 'Show Info' on
a file/folder, MaxiFile displays the comment and lets you change it if
you wish. You can tell MaxiFile where to save the comments.
(Comments are not physically attached to the files.)
o Select MULTIPLE TEMPLATES to show files with several different
extensions at the same time. For example, you can show all files
with .ARC, .LZH, and .TXT extensions. You can also choose whether to
INCLUDE or EXCLUDE files that match the extension templates. There
are 16 editable extensions, which can be saved with all the rest of
the configured data.
o Up to 20 paths can be instantly selected with a single keypress, for
either the source or destination. (Of course, the paths are editable,
and saved with the configuration.)
o Create new folders.
o Show or print files.
o Change a file's attributes; MaxiFile lets you lock, unlock, hide, and
unhide files.
o If you have TOS 1.4, you can enable (or disable) the "fastload"
feature for any executable program.
o Rename folders in all versions of TOS!
o "Disk Info" shows all pertinent statistics about a disk; the number of
files and folders it contains, the number of tracks and sectors per
track, and even the location of the first directory sector. (Don't
ask. <grin>) You can also edit and change volume names (disk names)
in all versions of TOS.
o Print directory information in two ways: showing only the files, or
with a full listing including the size, time, and date of every file
in the directory.
o Almost all functions of MaxiFile can be operated with either the
mouse or the keyboard. "Power users" can get their file maintenance
chores done faster than ever, while novices can take things at their
own speed.
o Set the double-click rate you wish to use while in MaxiFile.
o Sort by Name, Size, Extension, or Date, or display files in their
true, unsorted form. (In other words, exactly as they appear in a
disk's directory.)
o Up to 10 levels of warnings (for things like deleting files,
formatting disks, overwriting files, printing directories, etc.) can
be turned on and off, letting you use MaxiFile exactly how you want!
If you like to live dangerously you can even turn off ALL warnings,
and let the chips fall where they may. (Some of our customers are
real daredevils.)
o Instantly select or deselect ALL files/folders in a directory.
o Instantly select/deselect all files/folders with the same extension,
or with the same pre-extension name.
o Optimized mouse routines for smooth, FAST operation.
o When MaxiFile is called directly from HotWire, you can double-click
FILES AND DOCUMENTS to launch them, just as if you were in a window
on the GEM desktop. Anything you run in this way will be recorded in
the HotWire ledger, just as if you had run it from HotWire.
o If installed as a desk accessory, MaxiFile can also be called directly
from Charles F. Johnson's shareware "Little Green Selector," a
complete replacement for the GEM file selector (with MANY extended
features) that is included with MaxiFile. This lets you use any or
all of MaxiFile's advanced file-handling functions in any program that
uses the GEM item selector! (The Little Green Selector is also
available on the major info services, and probably at a BBS near you.)
o Believe it or not, there are many more features in MaxiFile as well!
MaxiFile will take care of all your file-handling needs.
Upgrade Policy
--------------
Since MaxiFile started life as MultiFile, part of the CodeHead Utilities
disk, we decided to allow current Utilities owners an upgrade "path" to
purchase MaxiFile for a considerable discount over MaxiFile's retail
price.
Current owners of CodeHead Utilities (release 1 or 2) may update to the
latest version (release 3) of CodeHead Utilities for $5 (plus the
original master disk) as per our usual update policy. We'll have more
info soon; many of the programs on the Utilities disk have also been
significantly improved. Current owners of CodeHead Utilities may also
purchase MaxiFile for a special price of $15, direct from CodeHead
Software only. (The retail price of MaxiFile is set at $24.95.)
Current owners of HotWire version 1.0 through 1.3 may upgrade to the
latest version (1.4) for $5 plus the original master disk, as per our
usual update policy. Registered HotWire owners may also purchase both
HotWire 1.4 and MaxiFile for a combined price of $15, which includes the
HotWire update.
The suggested retail price for the HotWire Plus package (which contains
MaxiFile) is $49.95. Look for this package at your local Atari ST
dealer, or (to be first on your block) order it directly from CodeHead
Software at:
CodeHead Software
P.O. Box 74090
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Tel (213) 386-5735
Over the phone, we accept Visa, Mastercard and COD orders. If you order
by mail, please include $2 shipping/handling (Canada $3, Europe $5).
California residents please add 6.5% sales tax.
Release date for HotWire 1.4 and MaxiFile 2.0 is set for the second
week in November.
Xx THE CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR MODEM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
by Keith MacNutt, TRACE
(Reprinted from the Puget Sound Atari News)
BACKGROUND
Three years ago when I bought my first computer the only thing I planned
to use it for was to play games and maybe type a few letters. I soon
learned that few games could keep you entertained more then one or two
hours at the most. I also learned that using any kind of business
software on my 800XL or 130XE left a lot to be desired. It's not that
you couldn't make a database or use a word processor. It was more a
lack of speed or polish in the output to the screen or the printer.
Two years ago I decided to change all that and bought a 1040ST. I
finally had speed, and the output was terrific. Playing games was never
better and I could finally be proud to send a letter to anyone. As time
went on I tired of even the best games and letter writing is something I
really don't care to pursue. At this point I wondered what I would do
with this great computer besides play games or write the great novel.
The answer came one day when I was browsing in my favorite computer
store. There, on display, was a supra 2400 modem at a price I couldn't
resist. Visions of logging on to the local BBS's or maybe even GEnie,
CompuServe, CBCHAT or why not even distant worlds across the great pond
where the ATARI ST reined supreme. At this point I knew that I had
finally found the perfect use for all that equipment sitting on my table
at home. I rushed home and quickly plugged in the modem, loaded in a
communication program, read the doc's on how to set the whole thing up
properly and proceeded to logon to the club BBS.
Everything went perfect until half way through a download, line noise
put an end to it in short order. Great! I just bought the latest in
technology and a little line noise had tripped it up! So what now?
Take the modem back to the store, or try another call to a different
number..
This time totally different results. No line noise and a perfect
download. At this point I decided that I would keep the modem for a
week and see how things went. One week past and then another and still
no problems. Getting brave I signed up for CBCHAT, then GEnie, and
finally CompuServe, so that I could keep in touch with the rest of the
world.
As long as I stayed at 1200 baud things weren't bad, but if I went to
2400 you never knew when line noise was going to strike. I tried
different times of the day, and the evenings and nights seemed to be the
best.
Next I installed a separate line just for the computer and all the
problems disappeared. Now I had no line noise and best of all I didn't
have to wait for my turn to use the phone.
With the problem solved I decided to do a little research into the
causes of line noise and maybe in the process discover how to eliminate
or cut down the likely hood of having it happen again. After weeks of
reading up on the subject I decided to pass on what I had found out in
an article that might save others the pain that I had to go though.
FINDINGS
Most of the problems associated with using a modem on the phone lines is
that it was never designed for data. The first problem you encounter is
one of capacitance, resistance and inductance. These three forces are
responsible for the distorted wave shape you receive and transmit. They
take a normally square wave and turn it into a signal that looks more
like a saw tooth.
At slow baud rates these factors have little or no affect on the signal,
but as the baud rate increases the wave becomes more distorted until the
signal at the other end may not be anything resembling what was sent.
To get around this the first thing that must be done is to change the
digital pulses into tones that are easier for the line to transmit.
The capacity of an analog line to transmit frequencies is called its
bandwidth. The wider the bandwidth, the more tones or information that
can be sent. Phone lines have a bandwidth of about only 4 kilohertz
(300hz to 3300hz) with a space on either side to prevent interference
with other lines in the system. This leaves about 3000hz for
transmitting our information which is very narrow by todays standards.
To get around this problem businesses use leased lines which are lines
that are permanently connected and allow the user to use most of the
4000hz bandwidth. The other advantage to using leased lines is that
they are much cleaner because they are tested to have no more then a few
errors per minute. Normal phone lines are less reliable and have
signalling frequencies that the central offices use for switching.
Today most people use 1200 or 2400, with even fewer 9600 baud modems in
use on ordinary lines. While 1200 and 2400 cause few problems, 9600
baud due to different standards by manufactures cause communication
failure or inconsistent results. So for best results at 9600 you should
use similar or known compatible modems.
Transmission errors on good quality phone lines are as follows:
300 baud 1 in 700,000
1200 baud 1 in 200,000
2400 baud 1 in 100,000
4800 baud 1 in 10,000
9600 baud 1 in 1,000
(These figures are before error corrections are applied.)
As you can see the rate climbs very quickly as the speed increases. To
correct these errors there must some way of detecting the error and
calculate what the data should have been. Most home systems today do
not attempt to correct the error but instead retransmit the faulty
block. If the data transmitted is also in error the data is again
retransmitted, and if it is also faulty the data will be sent again and
again until either the program reaches its time out limit or the person
manually stops the transmission. So you can see that if your lines are
of good quality and you use a 1200 or 2400 baud modem you may be able to
use Y or even Z modem, but if they have more noise and drop outs you may
have to go to 1200 using Xmodem.
The xmodem protocol transmits fixed 128 character blocks while Ymodem is
a modified xmodem and uses 1024 character blocks instead. Each block
starts with a SOH ascii code followed by a one byte sequence code that
is increased by one for each block transmitted. Next comes the
compliment of the sequence number followed by 128 bytes of data. The
final data is called the checksum and it is calculated by adding all the
bits in the 128 byte block and using only the lower 8 bits of that sum.
To illustrate the receiving of data here is the sequence of events:
The receiver begins by transmitting a NA ascii code to tell the other
end to send a block of data.
The sender replies by transmitting the block of data.
The receiver receives the block and performs a checksum calculation and
sends a ACK code if the sum is correct.
The sender adds one to the block count and sends another block.
The receiver receives the block and finds an error in the checksum and
responses by transmitting a NAK code.
The sender retransmits the second block.
The receiver correctly gets the data and sends a ACK code.
The sender indicates that all data has been transmitted by sending a EOT
code.
The receiver acknowledges this by sending an ACK back to the sender.
So you can see there is a fair bit of overhead in sending or receiving
even one or two blocks of data.
To cut down on possible errors in the home you should:
* Insure that all data cables between the modem and the computer are as
short as possible. The longer the cable the more likely you may have
problems.
* Insure that all your phone cables are also as short as possible and
are not coiled around others that have AC or other high signals going
though them.
* Check all connections insuring that they are properly connected and
there are no bad pins.
* One of the most common faults is having your system on an AC circuit
that supplies power to a high current source such as furnaces, stoves,
laundry rooms or heaters.
* If you don't have a protected power bar you should consider getting
one, as they could save your system if you receive a power surge.
This is only a brief outline on a very lengthy topic and I hope some of
the information comes in handy the next time you have problems.
Remember the phone company can't help you if you experience the
occasional problem with your setup because they only guarantee that you
are able to talk on the line without to much noise.
Good luck and many happy downloads.
***********************************************************************
Next week: The Revolution continues.......
STZMAGAZINE ISSUE #44 OCTOBER 27, 1989
COPYRIGHT (c)1989, ROVAC INDUSTRIES, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
***********************************************************************
