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Atari Explorer Online Issue 1992 04
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ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE MAGAZINE
June 14, 1992 Volume 1, Number 4 Issue #92-04
Copyright (c)1992, Atari Computer Corporation
||| PUBLISHER - Bob Brodie, Director of Commuications
||| EDITOR - Ron Kovacs
||| CONTRIBUTING EDITORS - Ed Krimen, Ron Berinstein
||| Z*NET NEWS SERVICE - Ron Kovacs, John Nagy
| | | TABLE OF CONTENTS | | |
/// Publishers Workstation.............................Bob Brodie
FontGDOS commentary and more....
/// The Editors Desk...................................Ron Kovacs
Commentary and Z*Net Newswire
/// The Z*Net Newswire...........................................
Latest Atari and Industry News Update
/// Batman Returns...............................................
An interview with John Skruch
/// AtariWatch 1992 Calender.....................................
1992 Show Schedule Update
/// ISD Announces Calamus Winners...................Press Release
Winners listing for the 2cd Annual ISD contest
/// Perusing Genie......................................Ed Krimen
Genie messages!
/// APB - Accessories-Peripherals Bulletin.............Don Thomas
First part of the Atari Portfolio bulletin
/// Atari MIDI Users Update.............................Ron Stein
Reprint from AtariUser Magazine
/// Lynx Owners Update................................Robert Jung
AtariUser interviews Tom Schenck
/// Commentary On Education and The Computer..........Bob Woolley
User commentary
/// Atari Classics Update............................Ben Poehland
Atari 8-Bit Users update! New Magazine!
/// IAAD Membership Directory....................................
June update!
/// Supra Tech Bulletin..........................................
May 1992 Update
| | | THE PUBLISHERS WORKSTATION
| | | By Bob Brodie, Atari Director of Communications
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
Wow, what an exciting two weeks we've had!
I've been impressed, and amazed with some of the reactions to the things
that we've been doing with Atari Explorer...both the online and the
printed version!!
Preliminary reactions to the exciting May/June issue of Explorer have
been very complimentary. Thanks for taking the time to let us know what
you think.
In this issue of Atari Explorer Online, we give an extra look at the
Portfolio, Atari's amazing pocket PC. Don Thomas, Portfolio Marketing
Manager for Atari Corporation has been putting out the "APB- Accessories
Peripherals Bulletin" for the Atari Portfolio for two years now. This
handy guide is a pocket size reference tool to everything that's
anything for the Portfolio. We've transferred much of Don's information
into ASCII in this issue of Atari Explorer Online. During the weeks
ahead, we will excerpt part of the publication. If you like what you
see here, you can get the real thing by contacting Don Thomas at Atari.
Drop him a line at our main address in Sunnyvale: Atari Corp., 1196
Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale CA., 94089-1302, att: Don Thomas.
Apologies are in order for those that are confused by FontGDOS. I heard
from a number of people that they were having problems getting FontGDOS
to run. Not a landslide of "...it just doesn't seem to work", but more
of "...this is taking more effort than I would have liked." It seems
that the majority of the problems are caused by people not reading the
documentation. Please recognize that when we write documentation, we
have to try to deal with ALL of our customers in the marketplace. That
means the guys that are fully prepared to re-write our OS in optimized
assembly code, and the people that fear they will electrocute themselves
if they turn on their computer. Frankly, it's a tough job writing docs
for such an expansive group. But in view of the HUGE number of
downloads off of GEnie, it's also self-evident that Bill Rehbock and
Mike Fulton are to be congratulated for having done a good job.
The good news is that once people have FontGDOS installed, they're very
happy with the results that they're getting. The new printer drivers
are significantly faster than the original drivers. While I haven't
personally tried it yet, I'm told that the new drivers also work just
great with G+Plus from CodeHead Software.
If you haven't downloaded it yet, check for the file FONTGDOS.LZH on
GEnie.
It's obvious to me that my time for onlines has dramatically diminished.
So I want YOU to help me decide what networks I need to be on. Right
now, I have accounts on GEnie, the FNET, CIS, and Delphi. It's my
opinion that I'm being unfair by having those accounts if I'm not going
to be online there. So this is your chance to guide my decision about
what networks I should be on. I'll be tracking my e-mail in the next
month closely on all of these services, looking to see where the most
activity is. My guess is that it will end up being GEnie and the FNET.
But I don't want to guess! Please send me your feedback on where you'd
like to see me online to the following addresses:
GEnie: BOB-BRODIE CompuServe: 70007,3240 Delphi: BOBBRO
FNET: Bob Brodie at Node 319
I can also be reached via FAX at 408-745-2088, or send me a letter at
the address listed above.
| | | THE EDITORS DESK
| | | By Ron Kovacs
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
In response to some of the comments being spread around during the last
two weeks, there are a few points that require direct attention.
The FontGDOS file we attached to the issue last week WAS NOT the
complete version. The actual file was over 400K in length and
contained all of the printer drivers. The attached file is capable of
being used without a large amount of work, however, we do understand the
confusion.
Thanks for reading!
| | | Z*NET NEWSWIRE
| | | Latest Atari and Industry Update
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
USER GROUP OFFER ON PBS STATION
While user groups across the nation are folding or suffering from
declining enrollment, MilAtari Ltd., the Milwaukee Area Atari User
Group, is making creative efforts to increase their membership roster.
Ten membership packages were donated to the local Public Broadcasting
Network for their yearly week-long television auction. Items for sale
are displayed while a corresponding script is read, and the viewing
audience calls in with their bids. The highest bid takes the item after
a 10 minute period. All ten MilAtari packages sold and the club is now
enjoying a hefty increase in membership. "I feel it is important to
seek out all current Atari owners, rather than move towards a multi-
platform user group. While many users are still complaining about
Atari's corporate polices, and blaming their membership woes on them, we
are putting our energies into promoting ourselves and our favorite
computer, and the results are astonishing. I'd like to think that our
group is a leader in this area." --Michelle Gross, Editor, MilAtari
Limited Edition
FAMILY ROOTS AVAILABLE
Floppyshop recently announced the release of "Family Roots". The
program is designed around a fully functional integrated workbench which
is deal for both the serious and beginner user. The program is
compatible with both high and medium resolutions and run on ALL Atari
ST models. The user creates his or her family tree graphically on the
screen by linking directly between the individuals. The growing tree
can be zoomed, scrolled, altered, scanned, printed and manipulated. The
database function can be viewed instantly. Marriage partner(s),
children and parents are all easily and instantly accessible. The
printing section supports both graphic and text output. Family tree
graphics can be printed as multiple screen dumps or converted into an
ASCII file. Disk output is also available. For more information or to
order a copy of Family Roots, send $24.95 to: Floppyshop, Post Office
Box 273, Aberdeen, AB9 8SJ. A demo disk is available for $1.00.
Postage to Europe $1.50, to USA $3.00. Payment must be made in UK funds
and drawn on a UK bank. Review copies also available by contacting
Steve Delany at (0224) 312756.
SILHOUETTE VERSION 1.37 - NOTES
Two versions of Silhouette version 1.37 have been uploaded to bulletin
boards and online services - an ST and TT version. You must install
GDOS at boot-up in order to run Silhouette. If you already have a GDOS
program installed, Silhouette can share the ASSIGN.SYS file that is
available. Place the files - SILOETTE.PRG, SILOETTE.RSC, HELP.SIL in
the same directory path. The last file is the demo's help file.
Silhoette runs on any ST or TT with 1 MB or more of RAM, and in ST or TT
High Resolution. It will also run on the Moniterm monitor. Graphics
output is in the formats: SGF (Silhouette), GEM, GEM3, EPS, DXF and IMG
bit-image. Graphics input is in the formats: SGF, GEM, GEM3, MacPaint,
IMG, DEGAS, and TINY bit-image formats. Other New Features: Full FSM
support including conversion of FSM fonts to bezier curves, GDOS Print
function directly from Silhouette, Conversion of Ellipses to bezier
curves. Version 1.37 of Silhouette is shipping now at a cost of $94.94
for the ST version and $103.95 for the TT version, plus shipping cost.
Silhouette - $100, Arasbesque + Convector - $250, Avant Vector - $500.
Current registered users can upgrade for $9.00 to the TT version. For
more information, assistance in running the demo program or to purchase
Silhouette: Maxwell CPU, 2124 W. Centennial Dr., Louisville, CO 80027,
(303) 666-7754, M-Sa, 8AM - 5PM
FBI RAIDS ALLEGED PIRATED BBS
FBI agents raided a Boston computer BBS this week suspected of illegally
distributing copyright software to subscribers in 36 states and 11
foreign countries - including Iraq. No arrests were made in the raid on
the Davy Jones Locker BBS in Millbury, Mass., but computers and
telecomunications equipment were seized, along with financial and
business records. The raid was conducted using a search warrant issued
on the basis of evidence gathered by investigators for the Software
Publishers Association. Following the raid, the SPA filed a civil suit
in federal court charging board operators with copyright infringement
and seeking an unspecified amount of compensatory damages. The SPA said
the BBS offered subscribers more than 200 pirated programs, such as
Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Lotus 1-2-3. Even AutoCAD, with a
suggested retail price of $3,500, was among the pirated offerings. The
SPA investigation showed Davy Jones Locker even had beta copies - pre-
release versions of programs sent to colleagues, selected major
customers and reviewers for evaluation and suggestions - of a number of
programs. Even a beta version of IBM's new OS/2 Version 2.0 operating
system was available on the BBS before the final program was available
from IBM. The SPA estimates software pircacy, worldwide, costs the
industry $10 billion to $12 billion a year.
MACRONIX SHIPS NEW FAX MODEM
Macronix Inc. is now shipping its new $695 14.4 Kbps fax/data pocket
modem. The unit is a V.32bis/V.42bis data modem (with MNP2-4 error
correction and MNP5 data compression) and a V.17 Group III (with Class 1
and Class 2) send/receive fax modem. The system comes with MaxTalk fax
software for DOS, Delrina WinFax fax software for Windows and Tradewind
Software COMit data communications software.
MCI'S MCGOWAN DIES OF HEART ATTACK
MCI Chairman William G. McGowan died this week at age 64 after suffering
a heart attack. McGowan underwent a heart transplant in April 1987, but
continued as chief operating officer until last December. McGowan, who
stepped aside as CEO, was replaced by president Bert C. Roberts Jr. MCI
did not immediately named a successor as chairman. McGowan took over
Microwave Communications Inc. from its founder Jack Goeken in 1968 and,
comments The Associated Press, "built it from a firm grown out of
dissatisfaction with AT&T's long distance service between Chicago and
St. Louis into today's multi-billion international long distance
telephone corporation." It was MCI that challenged AT&T's monopoly in a
suit that led ultimately to the breakup of AT&T in 1984.
QUANTUM 80MB/160MB 2.5-INCH DRIVES
Quantum has unveiled two 2.5-inch hard disk drives with either 80MB or
160MB of storage. Evaluation units of the Go- Drive GRS 80 and 160
drives will be available next week. Mass production shipments to OEMs
will begin this summer. Both drives are available with either an
SCSI/SCSI-2 or IDE-AT interface. OEM evaluation units cost $395 for the
Go Drive GRS 80 and $595 for the Go Drive GRS 160.
| | | BATMAN RETURNS - ATARI WELCOMES THE CAPED CRUSADER
| | | An Interview with John Skruch
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
Plug: Batman Returns, starring Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, and
Danny DeVito, opens nationwide, June 19th, at selected theatres near
you! And while you're waiting in line to see Batman, Catwoman, and
Penguin slug it out on celluloid, you can get psyched for the film by
plugging Atari's hottest new property -- Batman Returns for Lynx -- into
your portable game system!
Produced by Atari Entertainment in cooperation with Warner's, Batman
Returns for Lynx will be on dealer shelves the day of the premiere.
Based closely on the plot of the movie, Batman Returns for Lynx is one
of the most complex and realistic video games that Atari has ever
produced. Though hardly larger than a movie ticket, its 256K card
contains detailed animations, backdrops taken directly from the film,
thrilling sound effects and music, and some of the hottest gameplay
that's ever cramped a trigger-finger!
Though full details are still under wraps, we were able to speak with
John Skruch, Director of Entertainment Software Development at Atari's
Sunnyvale headquarters and Producer of Batman Returns for Lynx, about
the intense labor of producing the game in keeping with Warners'
exacting and ambitious specifications.
Atari Explorer: What can you tell us about the scenario of Batman
Returns for Lynx?
John Skruch: Not much! Until the premiere, on June 19th, we're strictly
limited by non-disclosure agreements. Because the game closely follows
the plot of the movie, talking about specifics would let the cat out of
the bag! In fact, because of this close association, we'd like to think
the game and the movie enhance one another, mutually. Though it's not
necessary to see the movie in order to play Batman Returns for Lynx,
many of the subtle fine-points of background, animation,
characterization, and scenario can only be fully understood by someone
who has.
Moreover, in designing the game, we really tried to bring out the major
conflicts in the film -- at least insofar as these can be expressed in a
videogame action format. Thus, somebody who's played the game should be
able to "get into" the movie at a deeper level. Needless to say, we're
real enthusiastic about the film. Our design team is already planning a
field trip to see it on opening night.
AE: What about the game's overall format?
JS: Batman Returns for Lynx is a classic action game that pits the Dark
Knight against his arch-enemies, Catwoman and Penguin, in four,
horizontally-scrolling waves. By "classic," I guess I mean about four
things. First, the game was designed to make use of standard Lynx
control systems, meaning that anybody who's played Lynx versions of
games like Rygar, which involve a realistically-animated figure that
runs, jumps, throws objects, etc., should be able to "play into" Batman
Returns without having to learn anything new.
Second, like all really good action games, we designed Batman Returns
around classic play-elements that will appeal to the intermediate-to-
advanced Lynx gamer. The foundation of the game is the hero's battle
against apparently-overwhelming odds. It's important to recognize and
understand the enemy, and to develop strategies for dealing with each
scenario. And the game requires some learning: there are situations you
can survive one way or another, but if you choose the wrong strategy,
things will backfire, later on. You'll have too few weapons to overcome
a level boss, or too little energy to survive threats you'll encounter,
later in a wave. Overall, it's a difficult game to master. In fact,
review copies of the game will have "trapdoors" built into them, to make
it possible for reviewers to experience each level by deadline time.
Third -- there's Batman. Truly a hero in the classic mold. We've worked
really hard to portray Batman in a fashion consistent with the vision of
the movie, and the classic DC comics. Our animators have worked
overtime to flesh out movement in the game in such a way that some of
Batman's inherent mystery and drama comes across. For example, as
Batman walks, his cape curls around his shoulders and lower legs; when
he leaps, it billows out around him like a pair of wings. The bat
costume is supposed to strike terror into the hearts of criminals, and
we think we've put this idea across, rather well. The end of the game
is also particularly well-done, and well worth the effort it will take
the player to reach it.
AE: Who were the personnel involved in designing Batman Returns?
JS: The programmers were Eric Ginner and Jerome Strach, who programmed
Ms. Pac-Man, Checkered Flag, Shanghai, and, most recently, Rampart. The
visuals team was headed up by Susan G. McBride, who's worked on Klax,
Rampage, Warbirds, and others. Helping her were Melody Rondeau -- a
really able cartoonist -- Eric Elliott, Robb Mariani, Philip Temple, and
Eric Blumrich. Mariani was flown in from Atari's Chicago Entertainment
Headquarters, and Temple and Blumrich were brought in on contract for
the project. All made important contributions. Sound and music are by
Bob Vieira, who's contributed to many of our top-selling Lynx games.
AE: What was the design process like?
JS: We first undertook to do Batman Returns back in September of '91.
But because of the movie's tight production schedule, we didn't get a
preliminary synopsis until November. At that point, we were able to
begin figuring out some conceptual things, and when stills and a
shooting script began showing up in January, we were ready to start
programming. There was some free time early in the production cycle,
but our programmers used the time to program Rampart, so it was win-win.
Once programming started, the only problems we encountered were the
irreducible ones brought on by designing a game based on a movie at the
same time the movie is being made. For example, one of the reasons it
took so long for stills and visual materials to reach us is because,
according to union and individual contracts, each actor portrayed in a
publicity still must approve of its use before the still is distributed.
Other problems were the result of the kind of editing that goes on when
movies are being shot. Editing is an important part of the creative
process -- and it's common, when producing major motion pictures, for
whole scenes to end up "on the cutting-room floor." Every few weeks,
we'd receive another stack of adds and cuts for the shooting script we
were working from. In one instance, we had to design a new wave to
replace one based on scenes that didn't make the final cut of the film.
Because we'd elected to have the game ready by the time the movie was
released, the schedule was so tight that we had to work 12-hour days
during the week, and 10-hour days on weekends, for months. We had to
make special arrangements to keep the air-conditioning at Atari's
Sunnyvale headquarters turned on, over the weekends.
All in all, however, we found the experience of working on Batman
Returns to be totally exhilarating. It's going to be a blockbuster of a
film, and we really feel we've designed a game to do it justice.
| | | ATARI-WATCH 1992 CALENDER
| | | 1992 Shows and Events
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
June 14 - The Second Milwaukee Atari Show sponsored by the Milwaukee
Atari ST User Group (MAST). Hours will be 10 AM to 5 PM at the Bowlero
Red Carpet Lanes in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Admission will be $3, and
information is available from President of MAST, Bruce Welsch at
414-463-9662, P.O. Box 25679, Milwaukee, WS 53225-0679, or GEnie address
R.CARPENTE18. This event taking place this weekend, Please attend!
July 18 - The Blue Ridge Atari Computer Enthusiasts (BRACE) will offer
the Third Annual Blue Ridge Atarifest. The one-day affair will again be
held from 10 AM to 6 PM in the Westgate Shopping Center in Asheville,
North Carolina, off the I- 240 loop at the Westgate/Hilton Drive Exit.
Contact Van Estes, 704-685-8358, or Sheldon Winick of Computer STudio,
704-251-0201.
July 25 - Mid-Indiana ST's MIST Atarifest IV in Indianapolis. An annual
strong midwest "small scale" show, last year's event brought over 500
individuals from surrounding states. Admission is $3. Contact Dan Ward
on GEnie (D.WARD10), by phone at 317-254-0031, or by US Mail at 1752
Alimingo Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46260.
August 15th-16th - The Connecticut AtariFest '92 at the Sheraton Hotel
at Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut. A joint
effort by FACE, STARR, and D-BUG, the sponsorship organization is called
ACT. Contact Brian Gockley, chairman, 18 Elmwood Avenue, Bridgeport, CT
06605, phone 203-332-1721.
August 21st-23rd - Germany's massive all-Atari computer event, the
Dusseldorf Atari Show. New products and trans-oceanic deals mark this
show as the Christmas of the Atari world.
August 20th-30th - The year's biggest (15,000 last year) gaming and
roleplay convention is GENCON, held annually in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at
the MECCA Convention Center. Atari will again be represented by
MilAtari, Ltd., a local user group that operates an all-Atari game area
at the show.
September 12th-13th - 1992's Southern California Atari Faire, also known
as the GLENDALE SHOW. John King Tarpinian is president of The Hooked on
ATARI Computer Knowledge Society (HACKS) and coordinator of the show.
The Glendale Show has had the largest annual attendance of any
continuing show series and is expected to keep that record this year.
For more information about the Glendale Show, contact John King
Tarpinian at 818-246-7286.
September 22nd-25th - The Fall Seybold Show will be another top industry
trade show specializing in high-end publishing. Atari made a major
showing at Seybold last year and got extensive press attention. The
show will be held in San Francisco, California and is not open to the
general public. For more information, contact Atari Corporation.
October 10th-11th - The Washington Area Atari Computer Enthusiasts are
currently planning the 1992 W.A.A.C.E Atarifest, which has traditionally
been the largest East coast Atari show. The '92 event will be held on
Columbus Day weekend, October 10th and 11th, once again at the Sheraton
Reston hotel in Reston, Virginia. Charles Hoffmann is now Acting
President of WAACE Inc., and can be contacted via GEnie at address
S.HOFFMANN, by phone at 703-569-6734, or by US Mail at 5908 Bayshire
Road, Springfield, VA 22152-1146.
November 16th-20th - Fall COMDEX, the biggest computer trade show in the
USA. Atari will again have a major presence at the Las Vegas, Nevada
show.
December - The Northern California Atari Expo has been rescheduled from
July to a date in December to be announced, at the San Jose Exhibit
Hall, 145 W. San Carlos, San Jose, CA. This will be the second major
joint show and the first in two years from ABACUS, SLCC, and Sacremento
ST Users clubs. Contact the Northern California Atari Expo c/o SLCC,
P.O. Box 1506, San Leandro, Ca 94577, or call 510-352-8118. GEnie
Address: M.WARNER8
| | | ISD ANNOUNCES WINNERS
| | | Announcement - Press Release
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
ISD Marketing, Inc. is proud to announce the winning entries in the 2nd
Annual Calamus Family Creativity and Design Contest.
To recapitulate; the entries could have been either text, graphics or a
combination of both. Submission could and did include; business card
designs, logo's, fonts, freehand drawings, posters, illustrations,
cartoons and graphical effects just to name a few examples, using any
one of the Calamus family of products, including, Calamus, Outline Art,
the Font Editor or any combination of the three.
This years contest effectively ran from August 20, 1991 until February
28, 1992 and just about everything that could possibily disrupt
proceedings, did so. Murphy reigned supreme in fact. :-) Finally,
winners were selected from the files uploaded into our Email address on
GEnie at ISD or mailed directly to our offices. The 3 actual judges
this year were: Geoffrey Earle, General Manager of Atari (Canada) Corp.,
Mario Georgiou, ISD's own Art Director and in-house graphic artist
extraordinaire and Jesus Diaz, Art Director of Atari Explorer Magazine.
As stipulated in the original Rules, although the author retains any
copyrights to their entry, all winning files shall be considered
'publicly distributable files' and may be made available for downloading
from CompuServe, Delphi and GEnie. As well, the winning entries will be
published in Atari Explorer magazine, our official magazine sponsor,
with the appropriate Author quoted and the prize won indicated.
*** "Art always comments on both its subject and -- reflexively -- on
*** its medium." Diaz says. "When art is produced on computer, using a
*** sophisticated program such as Outline Art, it always tends to reveal
*** something of the computer and the software, as these shape the
*** artist's vision."
*** "But what surprised us about this years entries" continues Georgiou
*** "is how well-integrated the influences of computer and software
*** tended to be with the overall process of artistic creation."
*** "We think the Atari is a great tool for artists" concludes Geoffrey
*** Earle. (Editor's Note: He is certainly biased but I happen to agree
*** with his conclusion.) :-)
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you
that submitted an entry. This year the entries were truly remarkable in
many areas and I am quite proud to have had the pleasure once again, of
co-sponsoring this contest. I would also like to take this opportunity
to thank John Jainschigg and Atari Explorer, who acted as co-sponsor.
Wait until you see the top 5 winners in the upcoming issue. I think you
will join with me in congratulating their efforts.
And the winners are:
First Prize
Winner of $1,500.00 worth of AGFA Compugraphic fonts for use in both
Outline Art and Calamus, (compliments of ISD) has been won by Dan
Marusich of Absolute Visuals out of Tuscon, Arizona. His logo designs
are simply first class!
Second Prize
Winner of an Atari SLM605 laser printer (compliments of Atari) goes to
Rolf Berger of Images Unlimited in Ottawa, Ontario. Some of you might
already be familiar with Rolf's Acura and F16.
Third Prize
Winner of a complete Calamus SL package (compliments of ISD which I
happen to know he already owns so I will replace it with equivalent
value in fonts and new Calamus SL modules if he so chooses) goes to a
familiar face, Joey (REALM) Sherman, whose "Grog, Bob, and the Almost
Oval-Looking Red Thing with No Real Purpose," a personal favorite of
mine, can only be described as incredible! In fact, it must be seen to
be believed! :-)
Fourth Prize
Winner of complete font packs compliments of and from both Cherry Fonts
and MS Designs, as well as $100.00 connect time usable on either
Compuserve, Delphi or GEnie, (compliments of the respective service) has
been won by Jamie Todd of Chimera. Jamie and his band, Radio Silence,
also use their Atari equipment for music composition and performance.
Fifth Prize
Also Winner of complete font packs, compliments of and from Ms Designs
and Cherry Fonts as well as $100.00 connect time to either Compuserve,
Delphi or GEnie, (compliments of the respective service) goes to Steve
(T-Shirts are my life) Kaleita for his T-Shirt design, ROBOT. Some of
you might be familiar with Steve's entry, in fact, you might even be
wearing it. :-)
All of the above Winners plus the following 5 entries receive a one year
subscription to Atari Explorer Magazine, compliments of Atari Explorer:
Honorable Mention: James Tackett's excellent Clipart font, CLIP001.CFN.
Honorable Mention: "Flowers of the Mind" by Don Harris. WOW. :-)
Honorable Mention: A stylized glider design by Martyn Phillips.
Honorable Mention: Michael Nilsen's entry presents his vision of a city.
Honorable Mention: Robert Gillies submitted an amazing Saxophone Player.
I will upload all of the above entries to the online services. In most
cases you will require either Calamus 1.09, Calamus SL or a Calamus DEMO
version of either to view them. Once again, my thanks to all that
submitted entries to this years contest. Your participation made this
contest a great success for the entire Atari community.
Nathan Potechin
President ISD Marketing, Inc.
| | | PERUSING GENIE
| | | Compiled by Ed Krimen
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
Editor Note: Some messages may have been edited for clarity, correct
spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
A LITTLE FONTGDOS HELP
----------------------
-=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14)
-=> from the "FSM GDOS" topic (18)
Message 8 Sun May 31, 1992
B.POSTON [Barney] at 19:57 EDT
The only doc that was in the full FontGDOS download (file #24310) says
"Our install program will set your system up so that everything will be
placed in the correct location." Hmmm..., in almost 1/2 a meg download
and I didn't get anything called INSTALL.PRG! What do I do now? Barney
Poston
----------
Message 12 Mon Jun 01, 1992
FB [ST Librarian] at 22:18 EDT
Barney, The first thing you have to do is install either the .CPX files
or the .ACC files. Don't put FONTGDOS in the AUTO folder yet though.
Make sure you read the docs because you set up everything from the FSM
Font Manager and the FONTGDOS Printer selector. One writes the new
ASSIGN.SYS and the FSM Font Manager writes the EXTEND.SYS file.
Fred Beckman
ST File Librarian
=======================================
STICK WITH THE ROMS
-------------------
-=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14)
-=> from the "TOS 1.4 Questions" topic (10)
Message 117 Sat Jun 06, 1992
TOWNS [John@Atari] at 19:14 EDT
To remind those that don't know.. There are significant differences
between newer versions of TOS and the older versions. It is actually
possible to cause data damage to your hard disks if you boot an older
soft-loaded TOS from disk.
Please..do yourself a favor. Stick with the ROMs.
-- John
=======================================
DOVER RESEARCH NEWS
-------------------
-=> In the "Hardware" category (4)
-=> from the Dover Research Corp. (AlberTT & ISAC) topic (28)
Message 142 Tue Jun 02, 1992
J.CRASWELL at 19:42 EDT
Whew! Message -o- Ramma. Thanks Jim A. for helping out (as usual!).
The phone number is (612) 492-3913.
Dover Research is really NOT a big company. Just a VERY busy small
company.
My advise on the [NEC] 3D [monitor] is this. Buy the ISAC in 800x600
mode and switch to a 48KHZ monitor when you can afford to do it. The
change to the ISAC is really simple. Just plugged in parts to swap.
LEONARDO is a design of mine that is meant to sell with Lexicor
software. We have made up units that work in VGA speed for our friends
in the software world to develope on.
Currently we are waiting for the release of a super cool chip that will
let us output NTSC and SuperVHS as well as a rock solid VGA screen for
non Video type output. We are also hoping that the software (in the
form of applications and drivers) will all be available at the same time
so that the board won't lack a reason to exist. The VGA only cards
"may" be made available to people who are interested in them when the
software (and the new output) are finished.
We have not released it for a number of technical reasons. The main one
being that I did not approve of the NTSC output that we had on the VGA
only cards. It was pretty sad and we don't want another piece of "JUNK"
for the ST market. I want to put out the best. The Standard for others
to try and match.
=======================================
INTERSECT SOFTWARE IS STILL ALIVE
---------------------------------
-=> In the "Software Library and Other Utilities" category (2)
-=> from the "I'm looking for..." topic (25)
Message 138 Wed May 27, 1992
D.BOWMAN9 [DAVE B] at 21:05 EDT
Hello there all,
Just got off the phone with a spokesman for Intersect Software and
learned of the following:
1. They are still in business and supporting the Atari!!
2. Latest version of Revolver is 1.1 (with MultiTOS coming out do not
expect a newer version)
3. They just got the new version of Lattice C and are rewriting
Interlink to take advantage of all ST/STE/TT (and Falcon?)
resolutions. Will have a Remote answer mode.
4. New address is - 3949 Sawyer Rd., Sarasota, Fl 34233
5. Phone nos.: voice 1-813-828-0130
BBS 1-813-924-4590
800# THEY NO LONGER HAVE
The person I talked to seemed very nice and helpful. Give their BBS a
call and tell them to keep up the work and hope to see another Atari
product out soon.
later, dave b
=======================================
BERNOULLI, BERNOULLI
--------------------
-=> In the "Hardware" category (4)
-=> from the "Removable Hard Drives" topic (55)
Message 168 Sun May 31, 1992
K.FARRELL [Kevin] at 07:32 EDT
Yes, it is possible to use Bernoulli removable drives with the ST. I
currently have two, a 44 meg and the 90 meg. Both are the Bernoulli
transportables. I use the 90 meg version only for hard drive backups.
They are daisy-chained together off of my ICD AdSCSI Plus host adapter.
The 44 megger is older and has an access time of around 54 mS. The 90
is newer and has an access time of around 34 mS. ICD's formatter
formats the cartridges with no glitches.
The transportables are great!!! I use them with my IBM PS/2 at work,
and also with an IBM laptop. I just have to remember which cartridges
are for the ST, which ones are for the IBM, and which ones are for the
Mac (I have a GCR, which also works flawlessly with the Bernoullis).
- Kevin -
=======================================
CALAMUS SL: THE UPS AND DOWNS
-------------------------------
-=> In the "ISD Product Support" category (16)
-=> from the "Calamus S/SL" topic (20)
Message 149 Sat Jun 06, 1992
S.SAMUELS [ICE CREAM] at 07:39 EDT
Lou, "Be patient" ...??? Hell man, I've been patient! I've been
patient for the first release of SL for over a year and 90 days patient
for the upgrade!
It may sound like like heresy to some of you (it would have to me too,
a month ago!), but I'm now looking into a 486 machine. Why? Because
Adobe Illustrator 4.0 for Windows is now released and this month Quark
Express for Windows is being released. AND they both offer cross-
platform-compatible files with their relatives on the Mac platform.
Why? Read the PUBLISH magazine articles about what platform has the
best, most complete program for controling color separations, with
chokes and spreads and UCR.
Go figure....I can't stay in business with telling clients to be patient
while other people can do what they need right now! Corel, Harvard
Draw, Streamline, Postscript, Quark Express, Word Perfect 5.2, Type 1,
True Type, 24-bit true color, Video Capture, 3D-Studio, Image In, Lotus,
Publisher's Prism, etc. and Lino output on 'every corner' in ANY major
city. Think about it folks. Is the question still "Power Without the
Price?" Seems to me the real question is "Power or No Power"...never
mind the price!
ice cream (I really do!)
PS....I know and appreciate Nathan's and Mario's and Lou's noble work
and effort to bring SL up to speed. I'm not angry with any of you.
Please know that! It's just that DMC and Atari has either got to make
some changes and corrections fast if they expect to fly in the face of
the rest of the world of DTP. SL may be the 'only game in town' in
Germany, but that just ain't so in North America. Believe me, I WISH it
were so!
----------
Message 150 Sat Jun 06, 1992
S.RAMIREZ [Sam] at 07:55 EDT
To: Everyone at ISD and others involved in making SL a reality.
I have had Calamus SL since about the first week of May and I just now
completed the tutorial section! Hey! Don't laugh! Remember what
happened to the hare? It's just that I haven't had the time spend in
front of my computer recently.
However I have been able to follow the messages on GEnie since I have
access to a computer and modem at work. I am just now beginning to
understand what it is that people are talking about. I realize that by
completing the tutorial I have learned to use about 1 tenth of 1% of the
features in SL. At this rate, I should become fully SL literate by the
time Color Laser Printers @ 1200 dpi become available at consumer
prices!
Let me just say that I am impressed with the program despite its
apparent bugs and omissions (I say apparent because I have used it so
little that I have hardly experienced malfunctions). Great work [DMC]
and ISD! :^)
It is ironic that while not having had time to play with SL, I have had
learn PageMaker 4.0 for Windows at work. Since I made the mistake of
letting people, at the radio station where I work, know that I was into
DTP my boss figured he'd get PageMaker for the PC for me to do some of
the promotional material. To make a long story not as long, I had to
produce a cover page for a cassette album that we were sending to
listeners who had donated to our station (Non-Profit). I had a whole 2
days of fooling around with PM and unaware of the upcoming task.
I must admit that I find PM a nice program to use. However, I
immediately noticed that it is not as flexible as SL (or 1.09N for that
matter!) nor as configurable. Right now I have about 20 hrs. on PM and
about 2 hrs. on SL. Though I find that PM handles a little smoother I
consider SL to have the edge in control. I know this isn't much to
evaluate these two programs on but it's what I think at this time.
Just let me say once again, "Calamus ist ein schon kuntstwerk."
Sincerely, Sam Ramirez
----------
Message 181 Tue Jun 09, 1992
N.B.GARDNER [BRUCE] at 01:05 EDT
Nathan, I took your advice and ordered a Jim Allen of Fast Technology's
Turbo 030 board to speed up SL. I have had it installed now for just
over a week and would like to give some input to others who are
considering something like this. In short, I almost couldn't be more
pleased with the results. SL is so fast now, that you can easily edit
text right in the window.
I really liked all the features that SL offered over 1.09n, but I seemed
to be constantly using the older Calamus because I just didn't have the
time for the screen updates. SL is much easier to learn just because
everything updates so quickly. On complex screens they are still not
instantaneously redrawn, but are very acceptable.
The board itself is impressive in its simplicity. The hardest part of
installing the board is removing the old 68000 chip. Jim is always just
a phone call away and seems to me to be as helpful and Nathan or Mario.
Bruce Gardner
----------
Message 183 Tue Jun 09, 1992
ISD [Mario] at 12:58 EDT
As we have received many comments on the HP DJ 500C I have made the time
to outline the procedures that I have learned work best for me. If you
follow these steps, you should have absolutely no difficulty using your
HP DJ500C and Calamus SL.
After trying some of the various samples of paper that I have, I
realized that this printer is not really capable of producing the color
black from the CYM color inks used in the unit. (Perhaps a third party
vendor has a better cartridge?) The best approximation I have been able
to achieve is a very dark green color. This is due to the actual
chemical composition of the inks and the reaction that they have when
they are used on certain kinds of paper. The best results have been
achieved using some of the premium clay coated laser papers such as
Hammermill Laser plus. I have also achieved excellent results using
coated stocks such as Chromecoats and a synthetic paper called Kimdura.
These coated stocks should be allowed extra drying times as they do not
readily absorb the ink.
To correctly use Calamus SL with the HP DJ500C the following settings
must be used on the DIP switch banks:
Bank A: Switch 8 in the up (on) position.
Bank B: Switch 2 in the up (on) position.
S.Sanders2:
1. The Mount and Print module will soon be available and is just the
thing for doing print signatures. The module allows you to select a
variety of signature templates. As to availability and price please
look for a product mailout in the near future.
Outline Art II is planned for release later this year. and it will do
color as well as a few other enhanced capabilities.
2. The problems you are having with rasterisation of TIF images is very
much a result of incorrect settings in the raster generator. To
correct this please do the following:
Create one frame of each frame type on a page (text, raster area, line,
raster and vector graphic), then select all frames and execute the
raster generator module. The first dialog will appear. Click on the
frame icon and the second dialog will then appear. Change your settings
to those you have found to be the best for your printer. Once you have
adjusted your settings click on "Done" in both dialogs and then save
your settings for Calamus SL.
All documents you subsequently create will have these new settings.
3. High resolution bureaus require the following information.
a. The type of media to be output; Film or Paper.
b. Resolution; 1270/2540 dpi
c. Treatment or effect; Mirrored and/or inverted. Scale 100%, 200% etc.
d. Include any special fonts not part of the bureaus library.
The Raster generator should be applied to the document to allow the
settings to take effect when outputting at high res. See some of the
sample CRI files that are included on your disk (2540_50.CRI and
2540_60.CRI).
All the Best Mario @ ISD
=======================================
| | | APB - ACCESSORIES * PERIPHERALS BULLETIN
| | | By Don Thomas (Part 1)
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
This, the newest edition of A.P.B., includes several new features. With
the growing popularity of the Atari Portfolio handheld computer, the
demand and use of A.P.B. has increased substantially. Now A.P.B. is
even easier to use as an important Portfolio resource. You will note
that the library of software and peripherals is growing. Atari Computer
Corporation has spent significant time and capital working with third
parties to help produce new products swiftly (sometimes at the expense
of new development on their own). A.P.B. includes most of the known
products available in the United States. See the European Software page
for information regarding international products.
The catalog is now alphabetized for easy reference. New items are duly
noted and a new graphic icon system has been implemented for your
convenience. The back of the book includes the popular tutorials and
tips.
The continued success of this catalog is 100% dependent on your valued
patronage. We look forward to issue new updated issues and discover new
ways to support your long term enjoyment of the Portfolio. Please tell
your friends and business associates how much you can do on an Atari
Portfolio and how much less it cost than the other guys!
'Til next issue . . .
Donald A. Thomas, Jr.
A.P.B. Editor
Many of the products described in this catalog are marked by a graphic
icon. The icon will help to immediately identify whether the product is
a peripheral or software and the type of application. Below is an
enlargement of the icons and their meanings. Note that the designations
refer to what the product includes, NOT what the product requires. For
instance, a terminal program requires a serial interface, but may not
include the interface when purchased. Also note that the designations
of software and peripherals are those which are "run" or are "attached"
directly to the Portfolio. Products which compliment the Portfolio, but
are used on other systems are not illustrated with an icon.
This reprint will continue in future editions....
AC Adapter (HPC-401)
This economical addition to the Portfolio is a must! It pays for
itself. Connect it to the Portfolio at night or while using other
peripherals and extend battery life significantly. Buy two adaptors. .
one for home and one for the office. See your Atari Computer Dealer.
$12.95 each.
ADCALC (ACC-1000)
Here is a powerful print advertising calculator and dataase. Perfect
for media buyers who agonize over "what-if" scenarios and how production
fees influence advertising costs. Includes Co-Op calculator, automatic
dailing, automatic line/inches conversions and much more. ($5.00 DEMO
available on floppy). See your nearest Atari Computer Dealer or call
Artison Software at (209) 239-1552. $149.95
Alpha Paging Interface (SAMpage)
Use the Portfolio to send text messages to alpha pagers. The text
paging interface allows users to send messages using the Portfolio's
built -in auto -dial speaker. After entering the message, the user
holds the speaker to the telephone handset during transmission. The
system features voice prompts for use and notification od successful
transmissions. For more information, call TekNow at (602) 266-7800.
$89.99.
Astrologer (HPC-728)
Now you don't have to worry about missing your morning newspaper to find
out what the future holds for you. Find out what the stars say about
love, wealth, health and pleasure. Available soon!
Atari Explorer Magazine
Keep up with the latest news on Atari products and peripherals. Read up
to date reviews on hundreds of third party software and hardware
products which support all of Atari's extensive line of computers. Each
bi-monthly issue packed with features including the hottest mail order
sources. See your Atari Computer Dealer or call (218) 723-9202 to
subscribe for home delivery. $14.95 per year.
PORTFOLIO TIPS
The Atari Portfolio is a powerful tool. It will grow with your needs
and require only a basic understanding of proper computer care for
trouble-free use. The following are hints and tips for optimum
productivity and enjoyment from your Portfolio computer. Some users may
consider the suggestions as basic computer knowledge. Others will
benefit a great deal as they use the Portfolio more and more.
If you seem to have difficulties with Serial Interface file transfers,
make certain the Serial Interface is initialized. This can be done
within the RS-232 port option in the SET UP menu.
Install peripherals and Memory Cards only while the screen of the
Portfolio is turned "OFF". This avoids occasional electrical static
during installation and better ensures that the operating system of the
Portfolio "knows" that these devices are installed.
If your batteries appear to offer unreliable operation, gently tilt the
Portfolio from side to side. Should you suspect that the batteries may
not be firmly in place, then responsibly bend the positive metal
connector in the battery compartment outward to induce a tighter battery
fit. Some "AA" batteries are slightly different in length depending on
manufacturer and job lot.
When installing batteries in Memory Cards, mark a date eight to ten
months later on the label in pencil. Reference that date for battery
replacement. This timeframe should apply to all size cards.
If using a Memory Card (which is highly recommended), set the size of
your "C:" Drive to 8K. If you plan to use the Calendar/Diary alarm
functions, then set the "C:" Drive to 16K. From that point on, read and
write your data files directly to the "A:" Drive. Refer to the FDISK
command for setting the size of the "C:" Drive.
The Portfolio User's Manual will make no attempt to teach the use of
DOS, Spreadsheets or Word Processing. These subjects sometimes justify
accredited college courses depending on the level of expertise you wish
to apply. It is suggested that users visit their local library or
bookstore for books on these subject(s) if additional information is
required.
Using the Editor, write the following batch file and save it as
A:\AUTOEXEC.BAT. The line: A:\Update requires that an update program be
moved to your RAM card from the FILE MANAGER card. If you do not have
access to the UPDATE.COM program, then omit this command line from your
batch file.
@Echo Off
Prompt $p $
A:\Update
Cls
App
Many Portfolio Users' Manuals contain an error in reference to the
creation of a CONFIG.SYS file. The proper entries are as follows:
FILES=20
BUFFERS=32
COUNTRY=001
If a MEMORY FULL error is encountered, try changing the BUFFERS=32 entry
in the CONFIG.SYS file to BUFFERS=8 and retry the operation without
using the FILE MANAGER environment.
Once low batteries begin to disrupt operations, do not rely entirely on
an AC adapter. It is important to replace bad batteries even if the AC
adapter is being used.
The BATTERY LOW message is reliable only under specific circumstances.
Do not depend on seeing it during the limited time that the Portfolio is
capable of detecting and displaying such a condition.
You may change the battery in the RAM Memory Card without losing the
data saved on the card. To do so, install the Memory Card in a
Portfolio while plugged in an AC adapter. Press a key to turn "ON" the
screen and replace the battery before the screen shuts itself off.
Conservative users may wish to copy the files to the "C:" Drive as a
precaution. The battery used in a RAM Memory Card is a CR2016 and may
be found in most electronics stores. You may prolong the length of time
before the screen shuts "OFF" by occasionally pressing any key.
If you encounter a DEVICE WRITE ERROR while attempting to save a file to
the "A:" Drive, check the write protect switch. Make certain it is in
the "OFF" position. If this error is encountered on the "C:" Drive or
on the "A:" Drive while the write protect switch is "OFF", then there
may not be enough room on the drive for the file. You may salvage most
of your work by deleting small portions of your file as it exists in
memory and making another attempt to save the file. If you installed
the RAM Memory Card while the screen is "ON", the Portfolio may not know
that the card is installed. In that case, try to save the file on the
"C:" Drive. A warm boot may be required if the operating system needs
to be informed that the "A:" Drive is installed.
A DIVIDE BY ZERO or SYSTEM ERROR may occur for a number of reasons. If
encountered, perform a warm boot and make an attempt to copy "C:" Drive
files out to a Memory Card. Even if the operating system appears to be
restored after that, perform a cold boot through the battery compartment
to ensure that the problem has been adjusted internally.
The Portfolio will make every attempt to reload the last file you used
in each application. If an error occurs while the application attempts
to load the last file, delete the PERMDATA.DAT file within the SYSTEM
directory on the "C:" Drive. You may also change your CONFIG.SYS file
to set a lower number of buffers. Performing a warm boot after doing so
may release enough memory to load the data file properly. You may also
attempt to enter the application out of the FILE MANAGER environment as
the FILE MANAGER does require space in RAM.
Many people misinterpret the SAVE YES/NO option when exiting an
application incorrectly. When selecting "YES", the existing file on
disk will be erased and a new file is created. If the file in memory is
incorrect, incomplete or corrupted, the old data will be permanently
lost. It is suggested that you always answer "NO" when exiting
applications to avoid this possibility. To save a file, use the F1
option labeled as SAVE AS and deliberately name the file as you wish.
The F1 window in all applications may also be accessed by pressing the
Atari key.
If you accidentally exit the FILE MANAGER and wish to have it operating
again, turn the Portfolio off, install the FILE MANAGER ROM Card and
type A:\fm at the system prompt.
Avoid entering and manipulating files within the SYSTEM directory on the
"C:" Drive. The only exception is the DIARY.DRY file which must be in
that directory if you wish alarms to sound.
To determine the available space on a Disk, use the DIR command from the
DOS prompt. The CHKDSK command makes many calculations and assembles
groups of numbers which are often confusing.
The "ON" and "OFF" designations of the Portfolio refer to full
operation, not complete power. A Portfolio which is turned "OFF" must
still monitor alarms, data, date and time. This is important to know
for expectations of battery longevity.
The ADDRESS BOOK application may be used as a database for more than
just names, addresses and phone numbers. You may also establish files
for inventories, recipes and other subjects.
If you detect a periodic "blip" across the screen while the Portfolio is
turned "OFF", check the display modes within the SET UP menu. Make
certain they are all set to normal or the batteries will drain at an
accelerated pace.
The Portfolio is engineered to operate and interact with state-of-the-
art peripherals. Sometimes you may experience incompatibility with the
slower responsiveness of battery operated printers or Atari Computer
Corporation may find things in the operating system which can be
enhanced or corrected. A small program exists in the public domain
called: UPDATE.COM. A copy of this file may be found on the FILE
MANAGER/TUTORIAL ROM Card. Later versions may be found on on-line
services and on the Atari bulletin board. If you are experiencing
problems which appear unexplained, obtain the latest version of this
program and run it immediately following a cold-boot. See an earlier
tip for automatically installing the UPDATE.COM program using an
AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
The products and services mentioned in this brochure are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their manufacturers. Prices and descriptions
have been compiled from the most up-to-date materials available, but are
subject to correction or change without notice and may vary by specific
model. Prices indicated are Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Pricing
(MSRP) indicated in U.S. funds and do not include applicable shipping or
sales taxes. Prices may vary when purchased from a retailer. Atari
assumes no liability for the claims of products and services of other
companies. Products manufactured by Atari are protected by the
prevailing warranty at time of purchase. Copyright ½1992 Atari Computer
Corporation.
| | | ATARI MIDI USERS UPDATE
| | | Making MIDI More: Wired For Learning
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
The following article is reprinted in AEO by permission of AtariUser
magazine and Quill Publishing. It MAY NOT be further reprinted without
specific permission of Quill. AtariUser is a monthly Atari magazine,
available by subscription for $18 a year. For more information on
AtariUser, call 800-333-3567.
Since personal computers became popular, they have been heralded as
great teaching aides. A computer is very patient, accurately tracks
your progress, and offers you the convenience of learning at your own
pace in the comfort of your home. The best software can create drills
especially to correct your individual weaknesses.
Previously we've explored MIDI equipment to make music, but this month
we'll take a look at how the built-in MIDI capability of your Atari
ST/TT can be put to educational use.
Your Atari computer is a like having your own private music instructor.
You'll need one or more music lesson programs and some MIDI compatible
music equipment. Actually, an instrument is optional for some of the
lesson software that allows you to use the computer's internal sound
generator and your ST/TT keyboard.
While you're able to use the keyboard and/or mouse to interact with
these lessons, you'll need a MIDI compatible instrument (usually a
keyboard) to gain the full benefit of most lessons. MIDI compatible
keyboard instruments are available for $100 and up from Casio, Kawai,
Yamaha, and many others.
Much of the music educational software currently available is reasonably
priced, especially compared to private lessons. And you can learn and
practice as often and long as you desire. There are programs available
for different levels of musical ability, although most of the programs
tend to focus on basics for the absolute beginner. The more advanced
programs tend to focus on ear training.
Two basic categories of these programs are tutors and drill aides.
Tutors provide education about various musical concepts (e.g., rhythm
patterns, scales, chords, etc.). The graphic displays greatly reinforce
the concepts being presented by showing how the music would appear if
written out (i.e., as in sheet music) and also which keys of a keyboard
are applicable to the lesson. Drill aides facilitate practicing various
musical concepts, such as: rhythm patterns, scales, chords, sight
reading, and ear training. Because your Atari allows for a two-way
connection to an electronic musical keyboard, the computer can issue a
drill to perform, and monitor your performance.
A LOOK AT THE MARKET
MIDImouse Music has developed a set of four individual programs that
combine tutorials and drill aides for beginning and intermediate music
students. Note Wizard, Scale Master, Chord Magic, and Rhythm Time carry
a list price of $69.95, discounted if all four are purchased together.
Each of the programs shares a common user interface and method of
operation with various levels of difficulty; the user must complete
seven exercises in a row in order to successfully complete any exercise.
Each also records statistics for each session with the option to view,
print, or save the statistics to disk so that you can monitor your
progress over time. All of the packages include a built-in MIDI data
recorder, useful but no substitute for a full function MIDI sequencer.
Lastly, each program allows some customizing of its operating parameters
and will operate using either a color or monochrome monitor.
Note Wizard provides instruction for the basics of notation, sight
reading, and ear training. The tutorial section gives a basic
understanding of music notation. The drill section plays sequences of
random notes, and the user must accurately repeat each sequence within
an allotted amount of time. Options include having the notes displayed
in standard notation on the computer screen as the program plays them
(to facilitate sight reading) or not (to facilitate ear training).
Levels of difficulty include more sharps and flats as well as an
expanded range of notes.
Scale Master provides instruction for learning musical scales. The
tutorial section defines a scale and indicates the notes that comprise a
particular scale. The drill section allows the user to select among
several types of scales (e.g., major, minor, blues, etc.). The program
will instruct the user to play a specific scale and will record the time
it takes the user to complete each scale. The levels of difficulty
progress from playing a single octave either up or down to playing two
full octaves up and down.
Chord Magic provides instruction for learning musical chords (a set of
notes usually played together). The tutorial section gives the
definition and construction of various chords. The drill section allows
the user to select among several types of chords (e.g., major, minor,
seventh, etc.). Chord Magic will instruct
the user to play a specific
chord and will record the time it takes. The levels of difficulty are
related to an increasing presence of sharps and flats.
Rhythm Time provides instruction for learning rhythm patterns, and is a
good supplement to Note Wizard as it facilitates in sight reading of
patterns. One unique aspect is a "dictation mode" where the program
will allow the user to design rhythm patterns using the mouse, then play
the resulting pattern. The drill section allows randomly generated
rhythm patterns; as with Note Wizard, the user has the option to sight
read the patterns from the screen or from memory after the program plays
the pattern. Upper levels of difficulty offer increasingly challenging
rhythm patterns.
C-LAB software (developers of Creator and Notator) offers Aura, designed
for a more advanced user. Without any tutorials, Aura offers complete
drills including drills for learning intervals. A unique feature is
Aura's ability to analyze chords; you play any chord and Aura will
provide a set of definitions of the chord. As its name implies, Aura is
predominantly designed for ear training, although it's also useful for
learning and sharpening other musical skills. One of the best
attributes of Aura is its level of customizing; you have the option to
configure a plethora of parameters from basic operations, specific
chords and scales, to create fully customized automated lesson plans.
Aura is one of the most useful, thought-out, and flexible programs that
I've seen. If you have a basic grasp of music theory and want to shape
up your skills, then give Aura a listen.
Although not reviewed in time for this article, Steinberg (developer of
CuBase) also offers a music education program called The Ear.
Additionally, many of the national BBS's (particularly CompuServe and
GEnie) have public domain and shareware offerings including text file
tutorials, and programs.
MIDImouse Music, Box 877, Welches, OR 97067, 503 622-4034
C-LAB Software, 716 Claridge Drive, Pacifica, CA 94044, 415 738-1633
Steinberg - Jones, 17700 Raymer St, Northridge, CA 91325, 818 993-4091
--Ron Stein
| | | LYNX OWNERS UPDATE
| | | A Walk on the Flip Side - AtariUser Interview
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
The following article is reprinted in AEO by permission of AtariUser
magazine and Quill Publishing. It MAY NOT be further reprinted without
specific permission of Quill. AtariUser is a monthly Atari magazine,
available by subscription for $18 a year. For more information on
AtariUser, call 800-333-3567.
[Robert Jung, AtariUser LYNX reviewer, offers this special feature: an
interview with Tom Schenck, staff programmer at Knight Technologies.
This is the software group that did the Lynx games DIRTY LARRY from
Atari, and QIX and THE GUARDIANS: STORM OVER DORIA from Telegames.]
AtariUser: Welcome, and thanks for participating. Why don't you
introduce yourself?
Tom Schenck: Well, I'm 21 years old, and I've been programming since
eight. My father introduced me to computers. He does research for the
Navy. I used to go with him on the weekend, and saw these games with
cool graphics written in Pascal.
Anyway, I've got a beautiful wife, a 7-year old son, and a brand-
spanking new baby daughter. My major influences in life would be
Douglas Adams, Monty Python, Star Trek, and Broderbund.
KNIGHT WORK
AU: Tell me about Knight Technologies. How does the company work?
TS: We're a contract-driven company. We don't do publishing ourselves,
but let others do it for us. Games thus far have been the ideas of
others, or conversions. THE GUARDIANS is our first original title.
That's proving to be fun.
TS: The amount of control depends on whose idea it is. If we come up
with the idea, we have more control of what goes into the game. If
Atari or Telegames [gives] us a design, we have less control.
AU: What are your feelings on the Lynx?
TS: There's no doubt that the Lynx is the most capable portable on the
market. It's got the built-in features that make it very fast
graphically. In fact, we're going to slow down DIRTY LARRY; It goes too
fast now. I would like to see more TV and magazine ads for the Lynx.
There have been suggestions, many good ones. Maybe we'll see some ads
soon.
AU: What else would you like to do with the Lynx?
TS: I would like to work on ComLynx games, since that's really exciting.
The ability to hook 16 lynxes together -- it boggles the mind. I also
would like to see a continuation of original titles; games such as SLIME
WORLD and CHIP'S CHALLENGE are being ported to the Genesis and home
computers. I don't want to see thousands of arcade conversions, though
there are some good arcade games. I would also not like to see a bunch
of Mario games or "me too" games.
AU: Is programming the Lynx different or easier than other video game
systems?
TS: It's one of the lowest cost systems I know of. As far as making
programming easier, what Atari has done is included a large macro
library. To draw an object on the screen, [the programmer gives] a
single "command" and the assembler does the rest. Also, developing on
an Amiga is important. We draw in an Amiga paint program and bring
those images right over. The only adjusting is to account for the LCD
screen.
GETTING DIRTY
AU: Tell us something about DIRTY LARRY: RENEGADE COP.
TS: To start with, DIRTY LARRY is my project; I am the only programmer
on it, and this is my first Lynx game. The original spec called for the
ability to move into and out of the screen, but the problem came when we
added enemies -- The game slowed down and almost crawled to a halt.
Atari and us took a good look and yanked out that bit. I had to kill
part of my baby!
AU: So what can we expect when it reaches the stores?
TS: It's a side-view scrolling game with really cool enemies. My
favorites are the arsonist who [ignites] himself and runs after you, and
one of the henchmen of the drug lord. The action is intense, and each
level is long and hard. The nice thing is the variety of enemies.
We've got a big woman who comes at you with a chain, and a baseball
player who doesn't know what a baseball looks like.
You are going to be amazed at the graphics that are stuck into a two-
megabit (256K) card. If you look close, you might see part of our
office in the City Street section. We had to scrap two levels: one
because of space, and another because it was boring. Amazing enough,
it's turned out to be a better game; the level looked nice, but didn't
fit the story.
GUARDING DORIA
AU: Knight Technology's most exciting project now is THE GUARDIANS:
STORM OVER DORIA. Where did it come from?
TS: We were trying to come up with ideas for our next project after QIX.
We were talking about calling companies offering to do conversions to
the Lynx, and we did call one or two. We started thinking about doing
an RPG, and John [Smedley], the president, brought in his idea from long
ago and far away. We looked it over, made a few changes and many
additions, then sent the proposal to Telegames.
AU: What about THE GUARDIANS is worth special attention?
TS: First, it supports four players [ComLynxed] at once. This is the
first real RPG that allows that kind of action. It's going to be
interesting to see people's reaction to what we've done. Second,
there's TONS of animation and graphics in there. I thought we'd have to
cut back to fit things like plot, purpose, or gameplay. Thanks to a few
tricks, we've managed to not cut anything.
AU: Are there plans for a sequel, or a series?
TS: That depends on the response. So far, it looks real good. In fact,
we had people comment on how good the game was while we were at the
Winter CES, even though it was only half done at the time.
AU: What projects does Knight Technologies have in the future?
TS: Now we're targeting on THE GUARDIANS and the end of DIRTY LARRY.
We'll be getting started on a few others soon, one coin-op conversion
and possibly another original, but we haven't decided between three
different ideas. Ask me again and I'll know, but if I told you now,
I'd have to kill you. Security reasons, you know.
AU: And on that note, thanks for your time.
--Robert Jung
BIO: Robert Jung is a 24-year-old software engineer, longtime video
gamer and die-hard Lynx fan who's bought and reviewed every title ever
made. He can be reached c/o AtariUser, or on the Internet at
rjung@usc.edu.
| | | COMMENTARY ON EDUCATION
| | | By Bob Woolley - San Leandro Computer Club
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
rrrrrrccchhhh.... (that sound you hear is my soapbox being set up)
It must be the time of year - maybe the fact that my daughter is
graduating from college, but I would like to talk about education for a
while here. Specifically, computers in education. You see, one of the
kids we know is graduating and got his own computer as a graduation
present. After eight years of grammar school, four years of high school
and four years of college, it turns out the thing he could use the most
is his own personal computer. Not that his employer won't have one for
him to use..... it is just something he needs to get to know on his
own. His machine, whether it is the same as the ones at work or not -
his personal computer.
About 16 years late, I would say.
Of course, 16 years ago we didn't really have personal computers, so I
guess it is unreasonable to ask why he didn't get one when he started
his public school experience. Not so for those little nippers starting
their education next September. Why aren't they getting a computer
going in, instead of after they get out? Yeah, I want to make little
pocket protector nerds out of every kid in America because that's what I
like to do, right? Maybe hook electrodes right into their neural
"wiring" and fill their minds with "proper thoughts".
***** Try and be objective here, OK? We spend 12 years teaching our
kids decimal arithmetic because that is what they are going to be using
while they are adults. We teach them English because that's what they
will be communicating with as adults. We teach them American Government
because that's the system they will be participating in as adults. What
do we teach them about the tools they will be using as adults (primarily
computers) - zip! Some schools teach a little computers to a few
students, but no comprehensive program exists on a state level or even a
community level of any consequence.
First question out of your head is: what do they need a personal
computer for as adults? I can't honestly be advocating a computer for
everyone - only 1 person out of 100 would do anything useful with it!
How can you be so sure? Using a computer as a tool for 12 years,
learning some simple BASIC programming, being exposed to the internal
workings of your personal computer - do you think you won't have any use
for it afterward? The main reason most people have no use for a
computer is that they don't know how or what to do with it. After 12
years, a major market will exist for all kinds of uses for a computer -
and, everyone will already own one and know what to do with it! Ever
consider what people do at their job? Mail this, FAX that.... Talk to
so and so, write a memo..... Send an invoice, look up a fact.... You
think they won't use their personal computer for any of that? Mail
order something? Balance your checkbook? It's all a matter of how
familiar you are with your machine.
OK. Let's leave that question and talk about what the kids would do
with them first. Maybe your question will answer itself.
Take mundane things, like books. Ever see the typical schoolbook? I'll
bet the average lifespan of a book is maybe 5 years. Just in the first
year or two, notes, highlites, answers, creases, tears,,,, all appear
with grim regularity. In the first few years, before the child can read
well, does a book talk? Suppose you buy 5000 books for your school
district and before you use them all they go out of date? What if the
teacher wants to use just part of a book? Is a book interactive? Can
it clarify or expand a concept on command? Can you give books on the
same subject but with different levels of difficulty to a whole class?
Can you "go to the Library" and get any book from your seat in the
classroom? Can you do all that with a computer? Sure!
How about classroom work? The teacher scanning up and down the aisles,
looking over your shoulder to see if you were doing your work properly
- ready to lend individual assistance to those who might need it.
Homework? All those papers to grade at once from the class? Turn in a
work in progress at regular intervals? Work at the blackboard? Read
someone's paper out loud? Work quietly in a small group? Can all that
be done on a simple network in the classroom? Sure!
From a teacher's perspective, how much time do you think they spend in a
classroom just handing out and collecting papers? Making copies of
classwork? Grading and administrative requirements? What should a
teacher be doing - paperwork? (your computer plugged into the network
before the bell? Are you in class at all? A netmail excuse for
absence?) We had about 30 to 40 kids in classes when I was in school
(oh, so long ago). We still have 30 to 40 kids in a class now! Can't
we do better than that? Is productivity not applicable to the
classroom?
Let's speculate about the activities during a typical school day where
everyone has a computer that they can really use.
- 0800: arrival. Log into network, read announcements, get schedule of
mandatory and optional lectures for the day, and submit all
homework and work in progress.
- 0820: Traditional verbal delivery by instructor. Written notes on
paper or computer.
- 0900: End of first period. 20 minute break.
- 0920: Interactive, city-wide network lecture in advanced topics class.
- 1000: Break.
- 1020: PE in the gym.
- 1200: Lunch/PacMan tournament.
- 1300: Computer Aided Instruction per individual. Homework from
previous day delivered in "mailbox" from instructors.
- 1340: Break.
- 1400: Another verbal lecture.
- 1440: Break.
- 1500: Optional, hands-on labs/clubs. Study hall.
- 1640: School closes.
What is so different with a computer? Well, second period is one thing.
You can't have an advanced topic class where the students are spread all
over a geographic area without some sort of communication network.
Visual images, data and voice can all be transmitted thru the computer
network in both directions. For a physically handicapped child,
participation from home or a special site will appear as normal as any
of his classmates (as will the fourth period discussion). A student's
schedule is not cast in concrete each day - it can be generated as the
student body signs in each morning. Information can be delivered more
quickly thru the network, leaving more break time between each period.
Personal interactions during breaks are as least as important as formal
study in school.
This is all in addition to the normal computer word-processing, database
and graphics functions that you would have in your personal computer.
Maybe 256K of RAM, a 40 meg hard drive and a 640x400x256 monochrome
plasma display. That should be sufficent for the average person's
computer needs thruout school. Not to mention the entertainment. Think
you could have knock yer socks off interactive videos on your CD ROM?
Do you think a professionally done educational presentation wouldn't
be more interesting to students than your average, dry lecture at the
blackboard? Could you send questions to each computer during a test in
a different order to discourage "helping"? So, why doesn't every kid
get a computer in school? Same reason most things aren't done sanely
and sensibly, money and politics.
How about cost? Well, if we look at producing something in large
quantities (millions), we can integrate it down to just a few chips if
it isn't too complex. Just how complex does this educational machine
need to be? It should have some sound capabilities, versatile graphics,
and be fairly fast. It does not need to be able to do super hi-res
graphics, sort megabytes of data, do CAD or anything of that nature.
While any hardware implementation will surely become outdated every few
years, the basic design needs to be no more complex than today's
smaller laptop systems. Memory, storage capacity and the like can be
improved over the years. Clock speed can be increased as the geometry
is scaled downward. Othewise, for purely educational purposes, nothing
extraordinary is required. This would be a base system for every person
educated in this state (country?). You want whiz-bang stuff, buy it
yourself! Maybe hook it up to your HDTV at home, or your virtual
reality station. One thing for certain - with a standard, well defined
system in use in every school, the clone makers will get the price down
to nothing in no time! But, we have to have a standard.
Can you imagine the Great American Marketing Machine reacting to the
proposal that each school child be given a computer? Talk about a
battle royale..... You'd have blood in the streets. The company that
won would make an indecent amount of money while his competition would
just dry up and blow away! Think MS-DOS is a standard? What if every
kid grew up with one? What would anyone buy after using their ABC
machine for 12 years? You talk about a concrete standard. Of course,
everyone and his brother will write software for the thing, which is
good. In fact, the data structure, graphics modes, sound format -
everything will become a standard accross all computer lines. What's
the solution? A committee to build a new standard? Sure. Just what
the Great American Bureaucratic Dragon would love. Take maybe 25 years
and give us all things to all people. Cost maybe 100 trillion dollars
to develop. Why not just use an existing commercial system that is no
longer being actively marketed? Get the owner to place it in the public
domain and allow anyone who wishes to develop hardware and software? It
would have to be well designed, extensible, simple enough to be grasped
by the average person, and very flexible for long life.
Now, what classic computer would fill that bill?
| | | ATARI CLASSICS UPDATE
| | | By Ben Poehland
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
To All the Denizens of The Digest:
Believe it or not postcards from the now-defunct Mail-in Campaign are
still drifting in--- like so many lost snowflakes. Poor Jeff keeps
thinking this thing is all done, then another card appears. Amazing.
Following the Final Report issued by the Campaign Committee earlier this
month, Jeff McWilliams sent all the cards he had received as of that
date to me. I've spent the past several weeks arranging them in
alphabetical order & reading every single one (WHEW!!!). The vast
majority of comments on the cards were overwhelmingly positive - Good
luck, Thank You, Best Wishes, Go Gettum, Bite 'Em in the Leg, that sorta
stuff. Of the 550-odd responses, there were 4 I removed from the
database. I'll share those with you.
One was from a fellow who tried to pad the ballot box by sending 2
cards. OK for banana-republic elections, maybe, but AC doesn't go for
that style of doing things. Another was from someone who said he'd gone
on to a 386. *Sigh*, we can't do much about that. The 3rd was from <an
obviously misguided> individual who said the 8bit was a dinosaur that
should be allowed to die.... GGRRRRRRR!!! And the 4th was from someone
whose usergroup consists of both 8bitters & ST'ers who felt AC would
accomplish nothing but create strife in the larger Atari community &
felt that beefing up the diluted 8bit coverage in all the other mags was
the way to go.
This last point is a legitimate concern, one which I've dealt with
before but will address once again. The diluted coverage scattered
among 3 or 4 magazines is what's killing us. Do the math yourself, it's
murderous. The 8bitter who wishes the most complete coverage would be
compelled to subscribe to AIM, CN, AE, & perhaps an overseas mag like
P-6 or 8:16. The subscriptions amount to upwards of $100! AND EVEN
THEN, you wouldn't get as much coverage as we used to get in a year of
ANTIC! As to AC splitting the community, I don't it will happen. If
Unicorn publishes AC, we already have a plan to share some material with
AIM so that readers already satisfied with AIM (i.e., the straddler
market) won't be forced to make an unhappy choice between AC & AIM. It
is not the intention of AC to compete with AIM or to drain off AIM's
8bit coverage completely. It is anticipated AIM's 8bit coverage will
remain about the same whether AC gets published or not. We do hope that
the *quality* of 8bit material appear in AIM will improve, since it will
draw upon the resources of AC.
My own position in the community has been drawn into question, so
perhaps I should make that position clear. Being an ST owner myself, I
am entirely satisfied with the notion that the two communities should
peacefully co-exist. I am adamant that AC will NOT be a platform for
ST-bashing! Although the two communities have diverged more sharply in
recent years, they still share a common historical ancestry & upon
occasion are still able to contribute to each other in minor ways on
technical issues. However, I do not feel that the 8bit community should
be sacrificed just to keep peace in the family. We have a right to
exist, & I personally am prepared to defend that right against all
comers - ST, Mac, IBM, or whoever. We (AC) will not offend anyone, but
neither will we permit the sheer mass of the larger community to snuff
us out. At least, not if I have anything to say about it! We ask only
for our place in the sun, nothing more. 'Nuff said? OK, on to other
things...
The magazine is slowly coming together. Work on the Publication
Manifest, a documnet describing the organization/function of the
magazine, has begun. We already have several commitments for staff
positions, & even a couple articles ready to go in our flagship issue.
During the next few weeks I'll be making dozens of personal contacts
across the country & around the world (gawd, my phone bill!) to secure
the helping hands we are going to need.
Someone recently mentioned having a list of vendors/developers published
periodically in AC. As some of you probably know, during my tenure at
Current Notes this was one of my pet interests. It is so important I
shall be seeking to fill a staff position for a Resource Editor, whose
primary task will be to investigate new sources & keep us up to date. I
am more dubious of the suggestion to publish names /addresses of
individuals, as that infringes on issues of individual privacy.
However, there WILL ber a "Swap 'N' Shop" column where people can place
private ads, & such info could appear there if that's what people want
to do. One neat thing is, the ads will be FREE to paid subscribers
(subject to certain limitations of course which are still being worked
out).
Keep faith, progress is being made even if it isn't visible. We beg
your patience. All the ingredients are in place, but the dough must be
allowed to rise before we can bake the bread.
Some additional thoughts on the content of AC:
First, I was impressed by the number of people who are relative
newcomers to the 8bits. There is a small but steady influx of new users
into our market, & they are starting from scratch. Atari Classics will
not ignore these people. Classifying the anticipated content of AC
according to degree of difficulty, I'm striving for coverage as follows:
10% of the magazine's content geared toward beginners, 50% toward
intermediate users, & 40% for advanced users. That's not carved in
stone, it depends ultimately on what we receive from authors. I would
like to see a column dedicated to beginning users.
Regarding the subject matter of coverage, according to comments on the
return cards hardware ranks first: hardware tutorials & hardware
modifications. There as also substantial interest in PD software
reviews, the PD market generally, utilities & applications, educational
programs, games, & programming tutorials. That's a lotta bases to
cover. I anticipate that AC will certainly have a stronger hardware
emphasis than ANTIC did, & that its orientation toward the game market
will be weaker than ANTIC's was. My guess is that we'll strive for 40%
hardware coverage, 45% software coverage, & 15% topics of genral
interest. One item in particular that is highly desirable would be a
column on "Computers & The Law", discussing in a general way the issues
of piracy vs. the current state of our market & how they might be seen
in light of the pertinent legal principles involved. If anyone knows a
patent attorney, busines-oriented paralegal, or someone w/experience in
the publishing/software industry, please steer them to me. Even one or
two articles would be most welcome.
AC will be neither a hardware hacker's journal nor a game magazine, but
such coverage as it does offer in those areas will be of high quality.
Those of you who saw the type of hardware projects I present in CN will
have an idea of the quality we shall strive for in AC. Software reviews
will be of similar high quality. I am particularly partial to reviews
where a new program is compared to another- perhaps more familiar- piece
of software, which gives the reader a point of reference.
| | | INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATION OF ATARI DEVELOPERS MEMBER DIRECTORY
| | | Compiled June 7, 1992
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: Most IAAD members support users through the bulletin board
areas on GEnie. References in this file to "Cat" or "Top" refer to the
ST RT bulletin board area; other RTs are designated by name. We welcome
your comments and inquiries!
James C Allen FAST TECHNOLOGY P.O. Box 578 Andover, MA 01810
508 475 3810 (fax) 508 475 3810 GEnie: J.ALLEN27 Cat4 Top11
Todd Bane Soft-Aware Unlimited 334B North Euclid Avenue
Upland, CA 91786 714 985 2348 (fax) 714 982 8409
GEnie: R.SKRALY Cat6 Top4
Steve Barker Flying Pigs Software P.O. Box 688 St. George, UT 84771
801 628 5764 (fax) 801 628 5713 GEnie: STEVE-B
BBS: 801 628 5773
David Beckemeyer Beckemeyer Development Tools P.O. Box 21575
Oakland, CA 94620 510 530 0451 (fax) 510 530 9637
GEnie: D.BECKEMEYER Intrnt: david@bdt.CO Cat2 Top34
Robert M Birmingham 13630 SW 101 Lane Miami, FL 33186-2814
305 385 1942 GEnie: R.BIRMINGHA4 CIS: 73637,1120
Cat25
Dorothy A Brumleve D.A. Brumleve P.O. Box 4195 Urbana, IL 61801-8820
217 337 1937 GEnie: D.A.BRUMLEVE Delphi: DABRUMLEVE
CIS: 71451,1141 Cat29 Top6
Gilbert Callaghan Double Click Software P.O. Box 741206
Houston, TX 77274-1206 713 977 6520 (fax jack) 713 977 6520
GEnie: DOUBLE-CLICK CIS: 75300,577 BBS: 713 944 0108
Cat30
Phil Comeau Phil Comeau Software 43 Rueter Street
Nepean, Ontario Canada K2J 3Z9 613 596 4081 (fax P.C. Soft)
613 825 6721 GEnie: P.COMEAU1 Cat13 Tops7,20
Jay Craswell Dover Research Corp. 321 W. 4th Street Jordan, MN 55352
612 492 3913 GEnie: J.CRASWELL CIS: 73016,27
Craig W Daymon ICD Inc. 1220 Rock Street Rockford, IL 61101
815 968 6888 (fax) 815 968 2228 GEnie: C.DAYMON
ICD RT
John Eidsvoog CodeHead Technologies P.O. Box 74090
Los Angeles, CA 90004 213 386 5789 (fax)
213 386 5735 GEnie: J.EIDSVOOG1 Cat32
Lauren Flanagan-Sellers Goldleaf Publishing Inc.
700 Larkspur Landing Circle, Suite 199 Larkspur, CA 94939
415 257 3515 GEnie: WORDFLAIR Cat35
Rick Flashman Gribnif Software P.O. Box 350 Hadley, MA 01035
413 584 2565 (fax) 413 584 7887 GEnie: R.FLASHMAN
Cat17
David Fletcher Ditek International 2800 John Street, Unit 15
Markham, Ontario Canada L3R 0E2 416 479 1882 (fax)
416 479 1990 GEnie: DITEK Cat6 Top9 / Cat7 Top7
George Geczy JMG Software International, Inc.
892 Upper James Street Hamilton, Ontario Canada L9C 3A5
416 575 0283 (fax) 416 575 3201 GEnie: JMGSOFT
BBS: 416 389 9064 Cat6 Top32
Keith Gerdes Double Click Software P.O. Box 741206
Houston, TX 77274-1206 713 977 6520 (fax jack)
713 977 6520 GEnie: DOUBLE-CLICK CIS: 75300,577
BBS: 713 944 0108 Cat30
Tyson T Gill GT Software 12114 Kirton Avenue Cleveland, OH 44135
216 252 4272 GEnie: T.GILL7 CIS: 73467,777
Cat17
Tom Harker ICD, Inc. 1220 Rock Street Rockford, IL 61101
815 968 6888 (fax) 815 968 2228 GEnie: ICDINC
ICD RT
Doug Harrison 1018 Quail Creek #303 Shreveport, LA 71105
318 869 1292 GEnie: D.S.HARRISON Cat2 Top15
Craig Harvey Clear Thinking P.O. Box 715 Ann Arbor, MI 48105
313 971 8671 GEnie: C.HARVEY BBS: 313 971 6035
Cat2 Top40
John 'Hutch' Hutchinson Fair Dinkum Technologies P.O. Box 2
Los Alamos, NM 87544 505 662 7366 GEnie: FAIR-DINKUM
Cat29 Top4
Hagop Janoyan PDC, Inc. 515 Wing Street Glendale, CA 91205
206 348 4276 (fax) 818 242 5692 or 206 745 5980
GEnie: H.JANOYAN3 or PDC.SW Cat13 Tops12,21,22
Cat10 Top11 / others
Charles F Johnson CodeHead Technologies P.O. Box 74090
Los Angeles, CA 90004 213 386 5789 (fax)
213 386 5735 GEnie: C.F.JOHNSON Delphi: CFJ
CIS: 76004,2232 Cat32
Todd Johnson Cherry Fonts Unit #4, 2250 Tyner Street
Port Coquitlam B.C. Canada V3C 2Z1 213 386 5735 (CodeHead)
GEnie: CHERRY.FONTS Cat32 Top27
Deron Kazmaier Soft-Logik Publishing P.O. Box 290070
St. Louis, MO 63129 314 894 8608
GEnie: DERON.K SOFTLOGIC RT
Gene Kane Xerox Corp 101 Continental Blvd. M/S ESC1-945
El Segundo, CA 90245 310 333 2707 GEnie: GENEXRX
CIS: 70475,440
Alex Kiernan HiSoft The Old School, Greenfield Bedford
England MK45 5DE +44 525 713716 (fax) +44 525 718181
GEnie: HISOFT Cat3 Top11,14,15 Cat2 Top30
Hans-Peter Labude Managing Director ICD Europe GmbH
Postfach 13 17 Am Goldberg 9 6056 Heusenstamm Germany
+49 6104 67581 (fax) +49 6104 6403 GEnie: ICD.GMBH
ICD RT
Paul W Lee Double Click Software P.O. Box 741206
Houston, TX 77274-1206 713 977 6520 (fax jack)
713 977 6520 GEnie: DOUBLE-CLICK CIS: 75300,577
BBS: 713 944 0108 Cat30
Dave Link HiSoft The Old School, Greenfield Bedford
England MK45 5DE +44 525 713716 (fax) +44 525 718181
GEnie: HISOFT Cat3 Top11,14,15 Cat2 Top30
Bob Luneski Oregon Research Associates 16200 S.W. Pacific Hwy
Suite 162 Tigard, OR 97224 503 638 6182 (fax)
503 620 4919 GEnie: B.LUNESKI1 Cat2 Top42
Henry Murphy MS Design 611 West Illinois Street Urbana, IL 61801
217 351 6412 (fax) 217 384 8469 GEnie: H.MURPHY
Cat5 Top2
Tom Nielsen eSTeem, inc. 72 Shades Crest Road Hoover, AL 35226
205 942 8390 (fax) Answ. Serv.: 205 941 4910
GEnie: ESTEEM Cat29 Top7
Dave Nutkins HiSoft The Old School, Greenfield Bedford
England MK45 5DE +44 525 713716 (fax) +44 525 718181
GEnie: HISOFT Cat3 Top11,14,15 Cat2 Top30
W. David 'Dr. Bob' Parks WizWorks! P.O. Box 45 Girard, OH 44420
216 539 5623 GEnie: W.PARKS3 Cat7 Top5
William Penner Medical Designs Software 3235 Wright Avenue
Bremerton, WA 98310 206 373 4840 GEnie: BPENNER
BBS: 206 479 2157
Jay Pierstorff Safari Fonts 606 W. Cross Street Woodland, CA 95695
916 666 1813 (fax) 916 666 1813 GEnie: J.PIERSTORFF
Nathan Potechin ISD Marketing, Inc. 2800 John Street, Unit 15
Markham, Ontario Canada L3R 0E2 416 479 1882 (fax)
416 479 1880 GEnie: ISD CIS: 76004,2246
Delphi: ISDMARKETING Cat16
Roger Richards Synergy Resources 354 N. Bolten Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46219 317 231 4158 (fax)
317 356 6946 GEnie: R.RICHARDS2 Cat2 Top19
George Richardson Merlin Group, Inc. 96 Hoyt Street Kearny, NJ 07032
201 998 0932 (fax) 201 998 4441 GEnie: G.RICHARDSO1
A Ridley Canoe Computer Services GEnie: A.RIDLEY1
Chris Roberts DragonWare Software Inc. P.O. Box 1719
Havre, MT 59501-1719 406 265 9609
GEnie: DRAGONWARE Cat13 Top4
Eric Rosenquist Strata Software 94 Rowe Drive Kanata,
Ontario Canada K2L 3Y9 613 591 1922 (fax)
613 591 1922 GEnie: E.ROSENQUIST CIS: 72711,2503
BIX: e rosenquist Cat17
Scott Sanders Software Development Systems 996 Redondo Avenue, #404
Long Beach, CA 90804 310 987 2205 (fax)
310 595 9799 Orders: 800 237 4SDS GEnie: S.SANDERS2
CIS: 71760,2140 Cat2 Top39
Lee Seiler Lexicor 415 453 0271
GEnie: L.SEILER Cat25
Nevin Shalit Step Ahead Software, Inc. 496-A Hudson Street
Suite F39 New York City, NY 10014
212 627 5830 GEnie: NEVIN-S Cat6 Top23
David M Small Gadgets by Small, Inc. 40 West Littleton Blvd.
#210-211 Littleton, CO 80120 303 791 0253 (fax)
303 791 6098 GEnie: DAVESMALL GADGETS RT
Carl Stanford MS Design 611 West Illinois Street Urbana, IL 61801
217 351 6412 (fax) 217 384 8469 GEnie: C.STANFORD
Cat5 Top2
John Stanley DynaSoft Systems 4157 Lyndale Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55409 612 825 4215
GEnie: JLS Internet: jls@dynasoft.mn.org
Chuck Steinman DataQue Products P.O. Box 134 Ontario, OH 44862
419 529 5197 (fax) 419 529 9797 GEnie: DATAQUE.1
CIS: 71777,3223 Delphi: DATAQUE
Darren Stevens Mind over MIDI Productions
PO Box 56522 Lougheed Mall Postal Outlet Burnaby, B.C. Canada V3J 7W2
604 420 6266 (fax) 604 444 4424 GEnie: MINDOVERMIDI
Cat 10 Top 15
Craig S Thom ICD, Inc. 1220 Rock Street Rockford, IL 61101
815 968 6888 (fax) 815 968 2228 GEnie: CRAIG.S.THOM
ICD RT
David Thompson JMG Software International, Inc.
892 Upper James Street Hamilton, Ontario Canada L9C 3A5
416 575 0283 (fax) 416 575 3201 GEnie: D.THOMPSON66
BBS: 416 389 9064 Cat6 Top32
John Trautschold Missionware Software 354 N. Winston Drive
Palatine, IL 60067-4132 708 359 9565
GEnie: J.TRAUTSCHOL BIX: jtrautschold CIS: 73250,572
Cat8 Top2
Melinda Turcsanyi MUSICODE Software 5575 Baltimore Drive, Suite 105-127
La Mesa, CA 91942 619 469 7194 GEnie: M.TURCSANYI
Ralph Turner Index Legalis Publishing Company
P.O. Box 1822-3 Fairfield, IA 52556 515 472 2293
GEnie: R.TURNER10
Michael B Vederman Double Click Software P.O. Box 741206
Houston, TX 77274-1206 713 977 6520 (fax)
713 977 6520 GEnie: DOUBLE-CLICK CIS: 75300,577
BBS: 713 944 0108 Cat30
Clayton Walnum Taylor Ridge Books P.O. Box 78 Manchester, CT 06040
203 643 9673 GEnie: C.WALNUM1 Delphi: ANALOG4
Chet Walters WizWorks! P.O. Box 45 Girard, OH 44420
216 539 5623 GEnie: C.WALTERS1 Cat7 Top13
Norm Weinress Weinress Consulting 3236 Velma Drive
Los Angeles CA 90068 213 876 7704
GEnie: N.WEINRESS Cat4 Top12
Doug Wheeler ICD, Inc. 1220 Rock Street Rockford, IL 61101
815 968 6888 (fax) 815 968 2228 GEnie: DOUG.W
ICD RT
Steve Whitney 655 South Fair Oaks Avenue, I-103 Sunnyvale, CA 94086
815 968 6888 GEnie: S.WHITNEY Cat13 Top14
Dan Wilga Gribnif Software P.O. Box 350 Hadley, MA 01035
413 584 2565 (fax) 413 584 7887 GEnie: GRIBNIF
Cat17
Paul Wu Omnimon Peripherals, Inc.
One Technology Drive, Bldg 1E, Suite 301 Irvine, CA 92718
714 753 9255 (fax) 714 753 9253 GEnie: WUZTEK.OPI
Delphi: OPI Cat4 Tops12,17,31,32
| | | SUPRA TECH BULLETIN
| | | Important SupraFAXModem V.32bis Information
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
This product is designed to be plug 'n play for most users. However,
some software and computers may have problems properly communicating at
high speeds with our new modem because they were designed without
anticipating this new level of performance. This bulletin is designed
to help you avoid problems and provide more up-to-date information.
Please read it carefully, as it may save you substantial time tracking
down any problems. We will be updating this bulletin as we collect more
current information. The most current data we have is always available
on the Supra BBS at (503) 967-2444. We recommend you use the BBS as
your first source for up-to-the-minute information.
Modem Compatibility
We have tested the SupraFAXModem V.32bis with nearly all major brands of
modems with excellent results. At this time, we have not identified any
major brand that does not work properly with the protocols we support.
If you cannot make a connection, it is possible that the modem uses a
proprietary protocol that we do not support. Some of these include US
Robotics HST, CompuCom, Telebit, and Hayes V Series. You should be able
to communicate with most of these at 2400 bps. Some of these modems
feature "dual-standard" operation, with their proprietary standard as
well as V.32 or V.32bis. However, if the dual-standard feature has not
been configured properly, you may not be able to connect at V.32 or
V.32bis. It is also possible that the remote modem may need a firmware
upgrade if it was purchased more than a year or two ago. Several
pioneers in the high-speed modem business have released multiple
upgrades to fix compatibility problems with early units.
Line Noise Problems
As a general rule, the faster that you are communicating, the better
your phone lines need to be. When you get up to 9600 and 14,400 bps, it
is critical that you have clear lines from end to end. Noise can be
introduced by your local premise wiring, the local or long distance
connection, or at the remote premise. Some problems you may be able to
fix, and some you can not. If you have problems with every high-speed
attempt, you should try using the modem at another location to determine
if that corrects the problem. If so, check your local wiring or phone
system. If the problem occurs occasionally when calling the same
location it is probably a long distance connection problem. You may
want to try a different company or dial the 10288 prefix to get an AT&T
line. If you only have problems when calling one location, it is
probably a problem on their end. The V.32bis specifications state that
modems must be able to shift down or up in speeds when the remote modem
requests it to do so usually in response to line noise problems.
However, initiating this request to change speeds is optional to
implement and is not provided on many modems, including the Supra
FAXModem V.32bis. We will change speeds, we just won't initiate the
process. For some people this may be important and we anticipate
supporting it in a later version of firmware that will be available at
low or no cost. Be sure to send in your warranty card so we have you in
our records. If you anticipate having problems, you can lock the modem
to lower connection speeds by changing its software configuration.
First, issue the AT N to enable specifying the connection rate, Next,
you can issue AT S37=0 to connect at your serial port rate (set rate to
9600 bps for example) or you can set S37 to the maximum desired rate.
Refer to the table on page 53 of the Reference manual for more
information.
Serial Port Speed Problems
Many computers have not been designed for the high-speed performance
requirements of the SupraFAXModem V.32bis. Most computers work
correctly some of the time and there is no set limit at which time you
will have problems. The main problem encountered will be data coming
into the computer faster than it can accept it, resulting in lost data.
Hardware handshaking takes care of some of this, but sometimes the
computer is so tied up with another process that it can't even do
handshaking. With data coming in at speeds to 57,600 bps, the computer
must be very attentive to the serial port. The following describes some
things to watch for and some possible fixes:
Upload/Download Transmission Problems
If your software protocol (Y-Modem, Kermit, etc.) shows lots of blocks
being resent and Receive Error (RE) is never displayed on the modem, you
are probably losing data between the modem and computer not the phone
lines. Since the files you are transferring are probably pre-
compressed, it will be best to set your serial port close to the actual
line speed. We recommend 19,200 bps for most 9600 and 14,400 bps
connections.
Faster UART Chip for PC Compatibles and External Modems
Most older and some newer PCs use the 16450 UART chip for serial
communications. This chip was not designed for today's high speeds and
has a limited memory capacity which simply cannot keep up with faster
PCs and transmission speeds. You can replace this chip with the 16550
UART (which has a 16-byte buffer more suitable for high-speed transfer)
if your existing chip is socketed. In some cases, it may be easier for
you to add a new serial card to your system. This may solve most lost
character situations.
To find out which UART chip your system uses, consult your PC manual or
download and run the diagnostic program IS1655.ZIP from the PC file area
on the Supra BBS.
Flow Control & Hardware Handshaking Cables
This is a detail we can't emphasize enough. Using a cable with "RTS/CTS
Hardware Handshaking" is critical if you plan to communicate at high
speeds. With error correction and data compression, the SupraFAXModem
V.32bis can often send information to the computer faster than it can
accept it. When this happens, the computer will tell the modem to slow
down. Similarly, if a packet is not sent correctly to the SupraFAXModem
and needs to be resent, the modem needs to be able to tell the computer
to wait. This is called "flow control" and helps to prevent data from
being lost because the computer or modem was busy. We recommend you
enable flow control through hardware (with a hardware handshaking cable)
rather than software (using the XON and XOFF characters) because the
results are generally faster and more reliable. If you are using X, Y
or ZModem to transfer data you must use hardware flow control. See
Chapter 2 in the Reference Manual for more information.
One clue to a flow control-related problem will be if you are able to
make a connection but nothing else happens, or if you cannot start the
download/upload process. If this happens, your modem is probably
configured for flow control but your cable or software does not support
it. If you are using a Macintosh computer, it is even more likely that
your cable doesn't support hardware handshaking. Be careful to specify
this when you order a new cable. If you can't find them elsewhere, our
sales dept. has them for $19.95.
Multitasking
Multitasking computers are great in that they allow you to do many
different things while other operations take place in the background.
Although you don't see them in progress, those background operations can
be complex and can sometimes demand too much of your computer's
attention for it to do high-speed communications. Transmissions will be
more reliable in a single-user situation with as few applications as
possible in use. We've identified some specifics which can interfere
with high-speed communications, depending on your platform. This is by
no means a complete list: call the Supra BBS for current details.
Amiga: Workbench 2.x allows transmission rates about 100% faster than
Workbench 1.3 which limits you to 9600 bps reliably. Background tasks,
graphics modes, SCSI interfaces and hard drives all can have an impact
on the actual transmission rate. With WB 2.x, you should be able to
achieve reliable serial port speeds between 9600 and 19,200 bps
depending on CPU model and speed.
Macintosh: AppleTalk/AppleShare (including printing) activity can lower
the transmission rate because it has a higher priority than other serial
communications. Some inits may also cause problems.
PC's & Compatibles: Please see "Faster UART Chip" above. TSR
(terminate stay-resident) programs can also slow the transmission rate.
Windows: Windows 3.0 will often have problems at speeds higher than
19,200 bps. We are presently evaluating the performance of Windows
3.1, which is supposed to correctly support up to 38,400 bps with 16550
UART or 486 CPU.
All Platforms - Displays: If you are downloading text that is displayed
on your screen as it is received, you may have problems with your
computer's display keeping up with the speed of the incoming data. One
way to get better performance is to change your display to a lower
number of colors, or monochrome, so it is more efficient. Whenever
possible, use a file transfer protocol because they do not display all
of the file data to the screen.
All Platforms - Processor Speed: Another general rule is the faster
processor that your machine has, the better it will be for high-speed
transfers. A 68040 or 386/486 machine will probably do better than a
68000 or 80286.
Software Configuration / Compatibility
For the most up-to-date information on specific software settings,
you'll want to call the Supra BBS. The final pages of this bulletin
list the programs and settings we've been able to verify, as of this
printing, for both fax and data software.
Class 2 Fax Problems
If you are having occasional problems with Class 2 fax transmissions,
you may simply need to enable software flow control (AT &K4) with your
fax software. Please see the software configuration section for
specifics. Also, some software better supports Class 1 than Class 2, so
you may want to try switching for best results.
Contacting Supra Corporation
For the most up-to-date information on our products and quickest help,
we recommend calling our BBS. It contains the latest version of this
bulletin along with other useful files. You may also find that other
users have already asked your specific question and the answer's already
been posted. It's a free service that only costs a phone call and is
available 24 hours a day! Most questions should be answered within one
work day of posting. You can also contact Supra via CompuServe, GEnie,
BIX, America Online and AppleLink.
Supra Corporation
7101 Supra Drive SW, Albany, OR 97321
General (503) 967-2400 / Sales (503) 967-2410 / Fax (503) 967-2401
Supra Tech Support (503) 967-2440 8:00am - 5:00pm PST, M-F
Supra BBS: (503) 967-2444 24 Hours
CompuServe 76004,565
BIX SupraCorp
America Online SupraCorp2
GEnie SupraTech
AppleLink D2456
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To sign up for GEnie service call (with modem) (800) 638-8369. Upon
connection type HHH and hit <return>. Wait for the U#= prompt and type
XTX99436,GEnie and hit <return>.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To sign up for CompuServe service call (with phone) (800) 848-8199. Ask
for operator #198. You will be promptly sent a $15.00 free membership
kit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Atari Explorer Online Magazine is a bi-weekly publication covering the
Atari computer community. Material published in this edition may be
reprinted in non-commercial publications unless otherwise noted at the
top of the article. Opinions presented herein are those of the
individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.
Atari Explorer Online Magazine is Copyright (c)1992, Atari Computer
Corporation. Z*Net and the Z*Net Newswire are copyright(c)1992, Z*Net
News Service/Ron Kovacs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Atari Explorer Online Magazine
"The Official Atari Online Journal"
Copyright (c)1992, Atari Computer Corporation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
