Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Syndicate ZMagazine Issue 071
//////////////////////////////////////
ZMAGAZINE 71 ////////////////////////
//////////////////////////////////////
September 18, 1987 (c)1987 Ron Kovacs
______________________________________
Published/Edited by: Ron Kovacs
Assistants: Ken Kirchner, Sue Perry,
Rich Decowski of ST-Xpress
______________________________________
ZMAG BBS (201) 968-8148 PCP Access
______________________________________
Xx ZMAG INDEX 71
<*> Atari News Update...SX212 Release
<*> Zmag Newswire.......Commodore News
<*> User Group Focus....By Mike Brown
<*> Pay Services........Special Report
<*> Compute 10/87.......Chicago Zmag
______________________________________
Xx ATARI NEWS UPDATE
______________________________________
From GEnie ST RT
The Atari SX212 modem is currently
shipping to Atari dealers in the USA.
The first shipment arrived at the
Sunnyvale warehouse during this past
week.
The SX212 is a Hayes-compatible modem
which operates at 1200 baud (and also
at 0-300 baud). Its Hayes-
compatibility extends to the
S-registers.
The SX212 modem includes both the
standard RS232 port and the Atari
8-bit SIO port. However, 8-bit users
should be aware that the software to
support this modem through the SIO is
not yet released -- in the meantime,
the modem can still be used through
an 850 or equivalent interface.
The modem package includes a power
supply (identical to the 2600's), a
detailed manual, and special offers
from the GEnie (General Electric) and
BIX (Byte Magazine) online services.
To connect the SX212 to an ST or to
any other RS232-equipped computer, a
full RS232 cable is needed -- a
3-wire cable does not work with smart
modems.
When the software is ready, Atari
will market an add-on package for
8-bit users. This will contain an SIO
cable and a disk which includes the
modem driver and the SX Express
terminal program by Keith Ledbetter.
The suggested list price of the SX212
modem is $99.95.
______________________________________
Xx ZMAG NEWSWIRE
______________________________________
Commodore is about to announce a
special upgrade program for owners of
its Amiga 1000 computer system. A
Commodore sales executive says that
the firm has just recently completed
dealer notification of the plan's
details. Participating dealers are
authorized to accept an Amiga 1000 in
trade, along with $1000, for a new
Amiga 2000 computer. Except for a RAM
expansion device, all A1000 peripheral
devices will work with the new
computer. --James Moran Online Today
______________________________________
Xx ADVERTISING
______________________________________
Want to leave an ad in this space??
If so, Contact the ZMAG BBS at:
(201) 968-8148 and leave a message to
me for more information!
Xx________User Group Focus___________
___________by M. G. Brown____________
As I said in my last report, The Atari
MAGIC show was a wealth of information
about what has been happening with the
Atari User groups here in the upper
Midwest. If any one group can lay
claim to the title of -host- for the
show, it would have to be the Michigan
Atari General Information Conference
(MAGIC). Now, before I get a bunch
more -hate E-Mail-, let me remind
readers that there were MANY user
groups that worked hard to produce the
successful show held in Detroit. Last
issue I mentioned the efforts of the
major players in the Detroit 'Fest.
Anyway, back to MAGIC, they are a
relative newcomer to the southeast
Michigan area, somewhat overshadowed
by longer established clubs such as
MACE. Unfortunately, I was not able to
speak much with any of the officers of
MAGIC, due to the fact that they were
somewhat short-handed at the show, and
were very busy! I did pick up a copy
of their newsletter -The Sorcerers
Apprentice- and will base all of my
comments on the information contained
in it.
First of all, MAGIC is following the
trend of other Michigan user groups
and the Michigan Atari Magazine of
format more like a magazine as opposed
to a standard newsletter. I found the
printing quality to be first rate,
although the various type styles, etc.
detracted a bit from the finished
product. It appeared as if they are in
the process of converting to an ST
based typesetting program, but this is
purely speculation. One of the most
impressive things about the MAGIC
newsletter is the fact that it is
almost 90% original material. This is
almost unheard of when so many groups
have problems getting members to
submit articles.
Something new for MAGIC, is the -disk
of the month-, available for a nominal
extra cost with the newsletter. I
found several useful utilities on the
-A- side and a neat PD slide show
utility with micro painter files
filling up the -B- side. The
newsletter was also unusual as they do
have commercial advertising. This may
become a trend as more and more clubs
strain under the burden of printing
costs for their newsletters.
The MAGIC meetings are held the first
Tuesday of each month at 7:30PM at the
Italian Community Cultural Center,
Warren Michigan, Located near Hoover
and 12 Mile Road. The annual dues are
$15. They operate two BBS systems that
can be accessed by the public:
-MAGIC Express- at
313-978-1685
and -MAGIC Clipboard- at
313-368-6882.
The current officers of MAGIC as of
August 1987 are as follows:
President- Mike Simpson
Vice President- Chuck Macek
Treasurer- Henry Malavolti
Membership- Paul Attard
Secretary- Norm Browne
Mem. At Large- Mike Lechkun
Newsletter Ed.- Norm Browne
Mike Lechkun
Disk Librarian- Chuck Cobb
MAGIC welcomes membership applications
from individuals and would like to
swap newsletters with other groups.
Please send inquiries to their mailing
address at 28111 Imperial Drive,
Warren, MI 48093.
One more time I will ask for
contributions for this column. Due to
the recent snafu with CVACC, I will
not do any further profiles of user
groups unless the information about
the group is supplied directly by the
club itself, and I have the permission
of the club (via written approval of
the club president) to publish a
story. This will probably mean the end
of this column as a regular feature
because of the lack of submissions. If
I am to report accurate and up to date
information on group activities, I
feel that it is the responsibility of
the club itself to provide it so they
cannot come back and say that what was
reported is out of date or incorrect.
Thanks to everyone who is a regular
reader of this column for your
support. Take Care!
[Ed. Mike is referring to an article
preview he wrote on the CVACC a few
weeks back. We made a few errors in
the text and printed a retraction and
a correction notice. If your local
user group would like to supply info
to Zmag for publication, Please send
to:
ZMAGAZINE USER GROUP FOCUS
Post Office Box 74
Middlesex, NJ 08846-0074
or call:
Zmagazine Information Network
(201) 968-8148 300/1200 24 Hrs.
______________________________________
Xx PAY SERVICES
______________________________________
This column will contain information
about the Pay Services and the
services provided and of interest to
Atari computer owners.
For the next few weeks: COMPUSERVE
and in the weeks ahead: GEnie, Delphi,
The Source, Plink and others.
Text in this column is:
Copyright (C) 1987
The ATARI Forums on CompuServe
(GO ATARINET)
and
CompuServe Incorporated
All Rights Reserved
Here are the Atari Users Network menu
to SIGs (Special Interest Groups) for
Atari]
GO ATARINET
CompuServe ATARINET
Atari Users Network
1 What's New in the Atari Forums
2 Atari 8-Bit Forum
3 Atari 16-Bit Forum
4 Atari Developers Forum
5 ANTIC ONLINE (W)
We will span the menus and show you
whats in each:
Enter choice !1
One moment please...
CompuServe ATA-1
THE ATARI USERS NETWORK (SIG*ATARI)
1 ATARI Forum News Highlights
(Updated 09-07-1987)
2 SYSOP Names and User IDs
Enter choice !1
CompuServe ATA-4
WHAT'S NEW IN SIG*ATARI
(September 7, 1987)
FIGHT THE FCC!
As previously reported, the Federal
Communications Commission has issued a
proposal that if adopted could
increase your CompuServe connect fees
by as much as $5 per hour. Unless you
take action now, this interstate
access fee could be in effect by
January 1. CompuServe strongly
opposes the proposal and urges all
subscribers to join us in protesting
the measure by writing directly to
Congress and the FCC by September 24,
the extended deadline for filing
comments.
To help subscribers understand the
proposal and the issues surrounding
it, CompuServe has established an FCC
Information Database. The database
contains a summary of the proposal,
CompuServe's position, a list of
important points to include in your
letter to Congress and the FCC, and a
sample opposition letter.
Enter a GO WRITE or GO FCC command at
any system prompt to reach the FCC
Information Database. Educate yourself
on this most important issue and write
a letter today.
HAVE A QUESTION?
Don't forget that the message board in
all of the ATARI Forums is the best
place to ask any questions concerning
your Atari system or CompuServe. In
addition to the very friendly and
knowledgeable Forum members who want
to help you out, each Forum is staffed
with several Sysops who want to help
you get the most out of CompuServe and
your Atari system!
Leave a message TO: ALL, SYSOP, or to
a specific person. A listing of the
SIG*ATARI Sysop's User ID's is
available by reading the Sysop Roster
Bulletin in any of the Atari Forums or
by typing GO ATA-13.
We are looking forward to hearing from
you!
** The Atari 8-Bit Forum **
(GO ATARI8)
NEW SYSOP
Please join the ATARI 8-Bit Forum in
welcoming Keith Ledbetter back to the
Sysop staff of ATARI8. Keith needs
little introduction to the Atari
community, having written some of the
best and most popular programs
available for the Atari 8-bit
computers as well as being an active
member of the Atari Forums.
Keith will be available to help you
with his programs, your Atari
computer, and CompuServe. SYSOP*Keith
Ledbetter's new PPN is 76701,124. Feel
free to drop him a line in any of the
Atari Forums!
** The ATARI 16-Bit Forum **
(GO ATARI16)
8-BIT EMULATOR CO
The transcript for the ATARI16
conference with Darek Mihocka, author
of the ST Transformer (ATARI 8-Bit
Emulator) is now available in DL 8
under the filename DAREK.CO!
The Atari 16-Bit Forum is pleased to
announce an upcoming conference with
Gordon Monnier of Michtron. The
conference is currently scheduled for
October 4th. Watch the Short Bulletin
for further information!
** ATARI Developers Forum **
(GO ATARIDEV)
The ATARI Developers Forum is where
programmers can talk to others in the
field and exchange tips and ideas as
well as seek programming help!
The Forum has two closed sections for
Developers only. Please see the
Membership Information file in the
Forum by typing MI at any ENTER
CHOICE! or FUNCTION: prompt for
information on how to gain access to
these closed sections.
In addition, two well known Atari
Developers provide online support in
their own section of the Forum:
MAGIC SAC support is available from
Data Pacific's Dave Small [76606,666]
and Dan Moore [74035,243]. If you have
a question about your MAGIC SAC be
sure to drop either of them a line in
message subtopic 5 in ATARIDEV!
SUPRA provides online support in
message subtopic 12. You can write to
them in the Forum at 76004,565.
Last page !
CompuServe ATA-1
THE ATARI USERS NETWORK
(SIG*ATARI)
1 ATARI Forum News Highlights
(Updated 09-07-1987)
2 SYSOP Names and User IDs
Enter choice !2
CompuServe ATA-13
The overall Manager/SYSOP and contract
holder for SIG*ATARI (The ATARI Forums
on CompuServe)is: Ron Luks [76703,254]
Assistant Sysops:
Mike Schoenbach [76703,4363]
Dick Brudzynski [76703,2011]
Dave Groves [76703,4223]
Tom Hudson [76703,4224]
Dan Rhea [76703,4364]
Bill Aycock [76703,4061]
Charles McGuinness [76701,11]
Keith Ledbetter [76701,124]
We start the tour with the ATARI8 SIG.
GO ATARI8
CompuServe ATARI8
Welcome to ATARI 8-Bit Forum,
V.4B(154)
Hello, Ron Kovacs [Zmag]
Last visit: 16-Sep-87 20:15:10
Forum messages: 195698 to 196335
Last message you've read: 196323
Subtopic(s) Selected: All Accessible
No members are in conference.
ATARI 8-Bit Forum FUNCTIONS
1 (L) Leave a Message
2 (R) Read Messages
3 (CO) Conference Mode
4 (DL) Data Libraries
5 (B) Bulletins
6 (MD) Member Directory
7 (OP) User Options
8 (IN) Instructions
Enter choice !1
To: ?
MESSAGE_TO
If you wish to leave your message to a
particular person, enter the
recipient's name and User ID on one
line at the To: prompt. If you want to
address the entire membership, simply
type -All-. Messages left to SYSOP
will be automatically stored for the
Sysop and the sysop will be notified
of the message upon entry.
READ MESSAGES
1 (RF) Forward
2 (RR) Reverse
3 (RT) Threads
4 (RS) Search
5 (RM) Marked
6 (RI) Individual
7 (QS) Quick Scan
8 (BR) Browse
Enter choice !
ATARI 8-Bit Forum
FUNCTIONS
1 (L) Leave a Message
2 (R) Read Messages
3 (CO) Conference Mode
4 (DL) Data Libraries
5 (B) Bulletins
6 (MD) Member Directory
7 (OP) User Options
8 (IN) Instructions
Enter choice !3
Welcome to room 18, Ron Kovacs [Zmag]
Entering conference room...
Key /HELP for assistance
/help
Prefix commands with a -/-
/ROOM # Enter room #
/CHANNEL # Same as /ROOM
/MONIT # # Listen to conversation
in rooms # #
/UNMON # # Cease listening to
conversation in rooms
/TALK # Private talk w/ user #
/BREAK Exit private talk
/NOTALK Suppress /TALK's from
others
/PAGE # Page user #
/NOPAGE Suppress /PAGE's from others
/DISPL inf Control info shown w/
msgs UID or NOUID for
User ID
JOB or NOJOB for user
/STATUS Display room status
/USERS List on-line users
/USERS CO List CO users only
/USERS SIG List SIG users only
/USERS # List users in room #
/USERS TLK List users in /TALK
/WHO Show info about last
sender
/WHO # Show info about job
/WHO #,# Show info about jobs
with specified User ID
/WHO xxx Show info about users
with specified name
-xxx-
/DAY Display time, day and
date
/JOB Displays your user #
/NAME xxx Change name to -xxx-
/HANDLE xxx Same as /NAME xxx
/SCR xyz Scramble on -xyz-
/SMC xyz Scr & Monitor Clear on
-xyz-
/XCL xyz Xmt CLear & monitor
scr
/UNS Unscramble (xmt & rcv
clear)
/SQU xxx Squelch by name -xxx-
/SQU uid Squelch by User ID
/SEND # msg Send -msg- to
specified job # and
restore receiving
/SEND's
/SEND Restore receiving
/SEND's
/NOSEND Suppress receiving
/SEND's
/NOECHO Turn off input echoing
/ECHO Restore input echoing
/EXIT Exit
/MENU Exit
/TOP Go to your TOP page
/MAIN Go to page CIS-1
/GO mm-n Go to Page -mm-n-
/FIND xxx Find topic -xxx-
/OFF or /BYE Log off CompuServe
/VERSION Displays CO version
number
/users
User User ID Nod Rm Name /Area
---- ---------- --- --------------
19 73117,3024 NOL ACCESS
32 76703,4363 LIU SIG
36 72347,3727 WLM ACCESS
44 71777,104 LGV SIG
57 76703,2007 TTO SIG
65 73210,3031 SYR ACCESS
80 70257,2414 SDC SIG
84 71777,2140 GBN 18 Ron Kovacs
/exit
ATARI 8-Bit Forum FUNCTIONS
1 (L) Leave a Message
2 (R) Read Messages
3 (CO) Conference Mode
4 (DL) Data Libraries
5 (B) Bulletins
6 (MD) Member Directory
7 (OP) User Options
8 (IN) Instructions
Enter choice !4
Data Libraries Available:
0 General
1 Games
2 Telecommunications
3 Utilities
4 Graphics/RLE/PICs
5 Application pgms
6 Sound & Music
7 News & Reviews
8 VIP Members DL Area
9 BBS Programs/Info
11 ICD/KYAN/OSS Files
Enter Choice !
ATARI 8-Bit Forum FUNCTIONS
1 (L) Leave a Message
2 (R) Read Messages
3 (CO) Conference Mode
4 (DL) Data Libraries
5 (B) Bulletins
6 (MD) Member Directory
7 (OP) User Options
8 (IN) Instructions
Enter choice !5
BULLETINS
1 Short
2 Regular
3 Conference
4 Data Library
5 Membership Information
6 Sysop Roster
7 New Member
Enter choice !
ATARI 8-Bit Forum FUNCTIONS
1 (L) Leave a Message
2 (R) Read Messages
3 (CO) Conference Mode
4 (DL) Data Libraries
5 (B) Bulletins
6 (MD) Member Directory
7 (OP) User Options
8 (IN) Instructions
Enter choice !6
Member Directory
YOUR CURRENT ENTRY
1 (ADD) Add/Modify
2 (LIS) List
3 (DEL) Delete
SEARCH BY
4 (UID) User ID
5 (NAM) User Name
6 (INT) Interests
Enter choice !2
Ron Kovacs [Zmag] 71777,2140
Zmag Newsletter/Zmag BBS
201-968-8148/Supra HD/
130xe,Avatex
ATARI 8-Bit Forum FUNCTIONS
1 (L) Leave a Message
2 (R) Read Messages
3 (CO) Conference Mode
4 (DL) Data Libraries
5 (B) Bulletins
6 (MD) Member Directory
7 (OP) User Options
8 (IN) Instructions
Enter choice !7
USER OPTIONS
[ ] represents current setting
1 (SM) Stop After Msgs [Always]
2 (CN) Name [Ron Kovacs [Zmag]]
3 (PC) Prompt Character []
4 (ED) Editor [SED]
5 (SU) Subtopics [...]
6 (HI) High Msg Read [196323]
7 (RE) Replies Info [List]
8 (UM) Use Menus [Yes]
9 (TY) Type Waiting Msgs [Yes]
10 (SK) Skip Msgs You Left [No]
Enter choice !
ATARI 8-Bit Forum FUNCTIONS
1 (L) Leave a Message
2 (R) Read Messages
3 (CO) Conference Mode
4 (DL) Data Libraries
5 (B) Bulletins
6 (MD) Member Directory
7 (OP) User Options
8 (IN) Instructions
Enter choice !8
INSTRUCTIONS
Welcome to the online Forum
instructional facility. Please choose
one of the topics listed below. You
may abbreviate topics if you wish. If
you are new here, please choose INTRO.
If you'd like a listing of the entire
online INstructions displayed at your
terminal, enter -...- (three periods,
without the quotes), at the Topic?
prompt. The listing is approximately
20 pages long. Remember to enter
CONTROL-A to stop scrolling and
CONTROL-Q to continue scrolling. If at
anytime during the display you wish to
abort it, press the CONTROL-O key.
After a few seconds delay, you will be
prompted with -INSTRUCTIONS
Subtopic?-.
More information is available for:
INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW
MESSAGES CONFERENCING
LIBRARIES BULLETINS
DIRECTORIES USER_OPTIONS
MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCE_CARD
INSTRUCTIONS Subtopic?
Topic?
ATARI 8-Bit Forum FUNCTIONS
1 (L) Leave a Message
2 (R) Read Messages
3 (CO) Conference Mode
4 (DL) Data Libraries
5 (B) Bulletins
6 (MD) Member Directory
7 (OP) User Options
8 (IN) Instructions
Enter choice !m (Previous Menu)
Exiting at 16-Sep-87 21:24:29
Last message in forum: 196337
Last message you've read: 196323
Thank you for visiting ATARI 8-Bit
Forum
CompuServe ATARINET
Atari Users Network
1 What's New in the Atari
Forums
2 Atari 8-Bit Forum
3 Atari 16-Bit Forum
4 Atari Developers Forum
5 ANTIC ONLINE (W)
Enter choice !
Next week we will continue exploring
the Atari8 Sig.
Special thanks to the SIG SysOps for
their assistance with this column.
______________________________________
Xx COMPUTE OCTOBER 1987
..From Chicago Zmag 9/9/87
______________________________________
Compute October 1987
Back when videogame magazines were all
the rage, I always used to get a kick
out of the -can I use an Atari disk
drive with my Colecovision- letters.
This month's Compute has a letter that
ranks right up at the top. A guy asked
if he could expand his Vic to run
64, 128, Amiga, or ST programs. A 64
or a 128 I might understand, but an
Amiga or an ST? Give me a break.
This month's Compute has a an indepth
look at the Amiga 500. The so called
low end of the Amiga line carries a
price tag of $595 without a monitor.
Oh one other minor detail, it doesn't
have a port to allow the use of a
composite monitor or a TV so you have
to buy the Amiga monitor which runs
for $300.
<grin>
______________________________________
ZMAGAZINE 71 September 18, 1987
(c)1987 Ron Kovacs/Syndicate Services
ATARI (c) Atari Corporation
______________________________________
