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Syndicate ZMagazine Issue 004
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Zmagazine Special Editon CES 1986!!
The Final Rap Up
Ron Kovacs-Editor June 15, 1986
Special Edition #4
Xx Summer CES Rap-Up
-----------------------------------
ANTIC ONLINE
PUBLISHING COPYRIGHT 1986,
REPRINTED BY PERMISSION
FROM COMPUSERVE ANTIC ONLINE.
By Jack Powell
Associate Editor, STart
6/4/86 CHICAGO
Tantalizing glimpses of the long-
rumored ST 32-bit machine were
offered by Atari Software President
Sig Hartmann and Computer Product
Marketing Manager Brian Kerr.
Hartmann said,- presumably an
operating system compatible with
UNIX, the multi-tasking operating
system developed by ATT Bell Labs.
According to Kerr, the 32/32 uses
the Motorola 68020 chip. The 68020
is in the same -family- as the
68000, making all 520ST and 1040ST
software -downwardly-compatible-
with the new machine. Atari is
toying with two possible
configurations: either an open
architecture machine with slots, or
using the ST as front end to the
32-bit as number cruncher.
This all happened when the
Chicagoland Atari User's
Group ( C.L.A.U.G.) invited Atari
Corp., Antic magazine,
Analog magazine, and Bill Wilkinson
(representing both his company
Optimized Systems Software and
Compute! magazine) to participate
in a Tuesday night dinner meeting
at Trinity College. The Atari
representatives fielded questions
from over 250 members of several
midwestern Atari user's groups
during the informal panel session.
THE IBM ST: According to Atari's
Sig Hartmann, the ST IBM PC
emulator will -hopefully- be ready
before the end of the year.
Hartmann added that he expects the
future to bring an ST emulator for
those unfortunate enough to still
own an IBM PC.
THE APPLE ST: Atari is also
considering the possibility of
developing their own Apple II
emulator. This move would allow
schools with ST computers to tap
the vast Apple II education
software library. Hartmann is
negotiating the legal complications
with Apple Computer Corp.
BLITTER CHIP: Questions on the
rumored -blitter chip-, said to
improve the ST's graphic
capabilities, prompted Hartmann to
announce, -We will definitely have
a one-million pixel machine early
next year.- It is not known if he
was referring to an add-on for the
existing machines, or the
resolution of the new 32-bit
workstation. Hartmann also vaguely
mentioned a project that would use
the ST as the -brain- for a low-
cost laser printer. Though
Hartmann declined to source at
Batteries Included told Antic
that Atari has asked them to design
software for the laser printer.
200,000 STs WORLDWIDE: The latest
Atari sales claims came from Kerr
who announced sales of 200,000
units worldwide, 40 percent of
which have been sold in the United
States. In Germany, the 520 and
1040ST are number one and number
two respectively on the German
hardware best-seller lists.
NEW DOCS: The infamously obtuse
ST developer's documentation is
being re-written by a team of seven
professional writers. Atari expects
to receive the first draft this
November. No date was set for
publication.
MORE ATARI MAGAZINES: At the
meeting, Bill Wilkinson announced
Compute!'s new ST magazine,expected
in September. Like Antic
Publishing's STart, the new Compute
magazine will include a 3 1/2-inch
disk. Lee Pappas of Analog
Computing magazine announced a
special, one- time, exclusively
8-bit issue. At the same time,
Pappas took the opportunity to
announce that ST Log, the ST
section of Analog, will become a
separate magazine -by the end of
the year.-
SNEAK PREVIEW:
THE NEW DEGAS
Batteries Included showed Antic a
sneak preview version of the new
DEGAS Elite written by Tom Hudson.
No release date was set for the
updated version of the popular ST
paint package, which will retail
for $79. An upgrade will be
available to registered DEGAS
owners at half price. The new DEGAS
can load practically any file
format including 8-bit picture
files, various resolution formats,
or Macintosh and Amiga picture
files. It works completely within
the familiar GEM interface. Click
and drag colors, blend between
colors and create multicolor fills.
Up to eight screens are available
within RAM in the 1040ST, and half
that number on the 520ST . Color
palettes may be loaded from any
picture file on disk. The program
will eventually have a distort
function allowing you to grab and
stretch parts of the picture. The
version shown had a system to
create color animation with four
different sets of colors. There are
ten levels of zoom with a split
screen which you can scroll within.
Batteries Included also showed two
business-oriented packages; Thunder
($39.95), a real-time spelling
checker, and I*S Talk, ($79.95) an
advanced telecommunications
package. Both programs are now
available.
INTEGRATED SOFTWARE: Timeworks
demonstrated Data Manager, the
first in a series available in late
August. All programs are GEM-based
and all are designed so that you
may use either the mouse or
keyboard commands. Intuitive and
fairly easy to use, the non-
relational database features a
flexible report generator. View
records in form view or column view
-- which looks much like a
spreadsheet. Fields may be defined
as text, numeric, calculator, time,
date, and custom. The custom design
lets you design your own field
format from elements of the other
field formats. SwiftCalc, the
spreadsheet part of the package and
the WordWrite, word processor were
not available for demonstration.
SwiftCalc is described as a Lotus
1-2-3 -type- spreadsheet without
macros, but with windows.
Timeworks is also releasing Silvia
Porter's Personal Finance, a
financial planning package. All are
packaged in in professional-looking
IBM-style box-and-binder, and sell
for $89.95 each.
CONTROLLING HOME: With this
system, you can be sure your
electric ice cream maker is turned
on and ready for you when you
return from vacation. X-10 USA has
created a collection of home
control hardware for various
computers. The main controlling
interface - which is expected to
sell for $69.95 - is programmed by
the computer, which may then be
turned off. The Powerhouse retains
the instructions and acts
accordingly. Each remote module
($16.95 each) can control a single
appliance or light. Hippopotamus
Software and Michtron are creating
ST software to interface with the
X-10 Powerhouse modules.
TERMINAL SPORTS: Hardball,
Accolade's baseball program for
8-bit Ataris has some very
detailed, three-dimensional
graphics and a good sense of play.
Also available for the 8-bits is a
fight game called, appropriately
enough, Fight Night. Both games
will be available in July for
$29.95. For the ST, Accolade
demonstrated Mean 18, a golf game.
Shipping date is the end of June
for this $49.95 golf simulation
featuring four famous courses
(Pebble Beach, St. Andrews) and a
course architect program which lets
you create your own.
MORE FORE: Golf seems to be a
popular ST sport this year.
Access software has their own ST
golf release, Leader Board ($39.95)
with 3-D point-of-view and
computerized scoring, handicap
system. While swinging clubs, we
checked out Artworx Hole in One
Golf ($29.95) which provides an
overhead view of the game and a
-course creator- to design your own
challenges.
KIDS STUFF: Parents desperately
seeking ST software suitable for
children, will be relieved to hear
about Baudville's Rainy Day Games,
for kids age 4 and up. This package
is a collection of three family
children's classics: Concentration,
Old Maid, and Go Fish. Also from
Baudville, a company new to the
Atari world, is Video Vegas, a game
for grown ups which includes a slot
machine, blackjack game, Keno, and
draw poker. Guitar Wizard, a guitar
tutorial, is in the works. The
programs will be available this
Fall for $34.95 each.
BUSINESS IS WAR: Avalon Hill was
touting Spitfire 40, a game and
flight simulator for both the ST
and 8-bit, available in October at
$35 for both machines. For the
8-bit only is Mission on
Thunderhead ($25), an arcade
adventure which is available now.
In September, 8-bitters can look to
this company for Guderian, a
strategy game priced at $30.
SILENT SERVICE: Programmer Silas
Warner showed an ST version of
Microprose Silent Service. Expected
by the third quarter for $39.95,
this thoroughly accurate submarine
game contains seven scenarios which
we were assured, are exact
duplicates of the actual event --
unless you change the course of
history by torpedoing the wrong
vessel.
PENGUIN DOES IT AGAIN: A few years
ago, Penguin Software -- makers of
adventure games such as
Transylvania -- created a
marketing stir by lowering their
prices to $19.95 at a time when
everyone else was selling game
software for $49.95. Well, they're
doing it again. At CES, they took
the opportunity to announce that
all Penguin ST software will
henceforth be priced at $19.95.
Many Penguin 8-bit products are
even lower.
SOFTWARE AS MOVIES?
Several companies have recently
tried incorporating movie editing
techniques in games for a greater
sense of reality. The Lucasfilm
games come most readily to mind.
Mindscape -- in addition to
throwing the best party at CES --
rented a hotel suite to Demonstrate
Cinemaware, a series of
-graphically advanced- computer
games for the ST. Among the
impressive list of contributors to
this series are Bill Williams,
author of Necromancer and
Alleycat; Sci-Fi author and
computer pundit Jerry Pournelle;
Bruce Webster, author of Sundog;
and Doug Sharp, of Chipwits fame.
The games have theatrical titles as
well: -Sinbad and the Throne of
the Falcon-, -The King of Chicago-,
-Defender of the Crown-, and
-S.D.I-, a Sci-Fi thriller. All
four games were prominently
illustrated with garish movie-style
posters hanging from the walls of
the Mindscape suite. A Mindscape
representative said the games were
designed with the -older, more
sophisticated gamer- in mind. All
games are to be primarily the
best graphics possible. They will
each feature an original musical
score and an -open universe- --
there will be no -right- way to
play. -We learned a lot from
Sundog,- the Mindscape rep said.
The games will also use real-time
situations with built-in timers.
Players will be forced to make
decisions within the limits. -We
picture the player with sweat
dripping down their faces,-
Mindscape said.
The Amiga demo was a little more
involved than the ST, but both
demos were essential picture slide
shows with a bit of animation now
and then. The graphics on both
machines, however, were excellent.
No mention was made of how many
disks each game would require to
display a complete movie, or how
the designers would manage to
manipulate massive amounts of
graphics memory. S.D.I. the first
release, should be ready by October
1st. The remaining games are
expected in time for the Christmas
season.
INFILTRATOR: For the 8-bit crowd,
Mindscape will be releasing
Infiltrator, a C-64 port. Described
as a -strategy adventure-, it
sounds more like an arcade game.
You are helicopter ace Captain
Johnny -Jimbo- Baby- McGibbits.
Your mission is to fly through
hostile enemy air space. No release
date was given. Price is expected
to be $29.95.
AND YET MORE PRODUCTS
Although no one product struck us
as the star of this CES, we were
impressed by the energetic support
of Atari by third-party developers.
Q, no A: No name has been set for
the Softronics' integrated package
similar to Q & A on the IBM which
will include telecommunications,
CAD, word processor, database, and
sdYM!Q9j|
JUST LIKE THE OLD DAYS: Epyx
Software decorated a room in the
West Hall to look like a Chicago
gangster's warehouse. Computers sat
on crates and life-size cardboard
gangsters glared threateningly from
behind tommy-guns. Epyx is adapting
the Temple of Apshai Trilogy, World
Games, and Rogue to the ST. All
were in final form at the show and
are expected on dealer shelves by
the end of June. Rogue, a graphic
version of an old classic fantasy
role-playing game which graced the
minis and mainframes of college
campuses for many years, is mouse-
driven and takes good advantage of
ST graphics. There are 27 levels,
and role-player fans should love
it. The old favorite, Temple of
Apshai has been placed within GEM
with drop-down etc. Graphics are
slightly clearer than the 8- bit
versions, but otherwise the ST
Apshai is pretty much the same as
the 6502 classic.
SUPRA DRIVERS: Did I mention the
Supra 20-meg hard disk that is
about 3 1/2-inches longer than an
Atari 3 1/2-inch drive, but
otherwise the same size? How about
the Supra 60-meg hard disk which
is the size of the old Supra
10-meg? Supra scattered a few of
these at select booths at CES just
so we would believe they really
exist.
80-COLUMN CARD ADDENDUM: For the
technically minded who are
wondering how to program the Atari
80-column card, Jose Valdez of
Atari tells us the adapter takes E:
device calls and can also receive
P: device calls. Just send certain
codes to the device and you're on
your way. The card will be
completely -transparent- to any
software using the E: device --such
as BASIC cartridges. Programs
addressing the screen directly will
run into some unusual problems and
have to be reprogrammed to work
with the new card. FTL gave Antic
demo disks of Micro Cookbook and
Dungeon Master to take home. Yes,
Micro Cookbook is a cookbook on
disk. The database of recipes is
easily searched according to a
variety of categories.
Dungeon Master, a point-of-view
dungeon maze, will be followed up
with construction set disk. FTL is
currently talking to dungeon-game
fans to find out what they like.
The graphics on the demo disk are
remarkable -- you -walk-
downstairs, through doors and as
you approach objects from a
different angle, you get a
different point of view. Both are
due in September.
A-MAZE-ING! Xanth, creator of the
8-bit and ST Boink! and Fuji Boink!
demos is developing a 3-D maze game
with smooth-scrolling mazes. The
trick here is that Xanth plans to
make this a multi-machine game
where each player can track down
another with the maze.
SHANNER SLEW: Shanner International
has a whole slew of ST products on
the way, including ST-Key, a desk
accessory for function-key macros;
Soundwave SW-1, a single-track MIDI
sequencer; Colorwriter, a GEM-based
word processor; LogiKhron, a real-
time clock cartridge; and MacroDesk
from Blue Moon Software, a desk
accessory which includes calculator
weekly planner, card file database,
and alarm clock calendar.
XLENT: Xlent Software will be
adapting all its 8-bit products,
including Rubber Stamp and Page
Designer, to run on the new Atari
XMM 801 printer. Xlent will also
create a translator program to make
your computer -think- the XMM 801
is an Epson.
PROFESSIONAL-QUALITY MIDI:
Hybrid Arts, makers of professional
MIDI software, such as DX-Droid and
the Oasis series of waveform
synthesizer editors, introduced EZ-
Track ST, a consumer-oriented, 20-
track, polyphonic MIDI recorder.
EZ-Track lets you control up to 16
different synthesizer channels and
record full MIDI specs, including
velocity, program changes, pitch
wheel, mod wheel, and all 128 MIDI
controls. The GEM-based program,
expected on the shelves by July at
$65, will be the first in a series
of increasingly complex and
professional ST MIDI sftwr tools.
Frank Foster of Hybrid Arts told us
there is a large user base of
professional musicians using Hybrid
Arts products on the 8-bit Atari's,
and a growing base of musicians
beginning to use ST's.
BUFFER CONTROL:
Up to 11 computers to share up to
two parallel printers with the
Falcon ACS (Automatic Control
System) series of printer buffer-
controllers from Pace Mark, a
Chicago-based hardware firm.
The main unit, Falcon ACS 3000,
comes with either a 64K or 128K
buffer (priced $449.95 and $589.95
respectively). This allows three
computers to use one printer.
Additional units increase the
capabilities of the system, which
is argeted at schools and
businesses.
Mastronic International, a London-
base software firm with stateside
offices in Maryland, showed several
games for the 8-bit and announced
more to come for the ST.
Ninja, Speed King, Electra Glide,
and Action Biker are 8-bit games at
the low price of $9.99. Ninja will
be adapted for the ST along with
another game called Mirage.
Hi Tech Expressions has a series of
Print Shop-like programs with the
added gimmick of in-computer
animation presentations. CardWare
(greeting cards), PartyWare
(placemats and invitations) and
HeartWare (mushy stuff) retail for
$9.95 each.
Want some cheap software? The
Keypunch Software series of titles
for the 8-bit all retail for $6.99
and include Space games, Adventure
Pak and Mind Mazes. Each disk is a
collection of three to four games.
THERE MUST BE MORE...
We've tried to cover all available
Atari products in these reports,
but there were so many at CES some
were inevitably omitted.
-----------------------------------
Zmag Rap of the CES Show.
-----------------------------------
Xx Other news
-----------------------------------
Our next regular edition of Zmag
will be June 18th.
XxZmag Notes
I have modified a file called
PRINTDOC which was original made
by Jerry White a year or two ago
to read and or print DOC files.
I have modified it for Zmag. This
file will allow you to either see
what issues are on your disk and
give you the choice of making a
hard copy. I have renamed it ZPRINT
.BAS. It is available only at the
Syndicate BBS right now. Should
this file become a wanted utility,
I will make sure the other Zmag
systems get it on their Zmag file
area.
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Zmagazine Special Edition #4
Antic Online ctsy of Antic
Publications, Copyright 1986.
June 15, 1986 Happy Fathers Day!!
See you soon!!
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