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Atari Explorer Online Issue 1992 10
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ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE MAGAZINE
August 1, 1992 Volume 1, Number 10 Issue #92-10
Published and Copyright (c)1992, Atari Computer Corporation
1972-1992 (20 Years Of Service)
~ Editor In-Chief......................................Ron Kovacs
~ Contributing Editor...................................Ed Krimen
~ Contributing Writer...................................Bob Smith
~ AtariUser Magazine Editor.............................John Nagy
~ Atari Corporation....................................Bob Brodie
| | | TABLE OF CONTENTS | | |
||| The Publishers Workstation..............Bob Brodie
Atari Update on Falcon and Atari specifically!
||| Z*Net Newswire.....................................
Latest Industry Update
||| 4th Annual MIST Atarifest Report.....Dr. Paul Keith
Report on last week's User Group Show!
||| Line Noise................................Ed Krimen
Formerly Perusing GEnie - New Name, Same Content!
||| The Wacky World Of ST Gaming...........Eric Bitton
Part 2 of a 2 Part Series
||| Run That By Me, Again!....................Bob Smith
Humor material
||| Run A Better BBS.........................Regen Weed
From the Z*Net Archives!
||| GEnie News Update.............................GEnie
RT news from all over GEnie
||| Connecticut Atarifest Update..........Press Release
Upgrades to be performed at the show!
||| News From The Disktop..................Ron Albright
Z*Net PC second runner up!
||| 38400 Baud For Your HST................Erno Meffert
Upgrade your modem, PIC file attached to issue!
||| Hints and Tips.....................................
Articles from the Z*Net Archives
||| Supporting Shareware................Terry Schrieber
Help support shareware!!
| | | THE PUBLISHERS WORKSTATION
| | | By Bob Brodie
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome Mike and Darren!!!
==========================
We're completing our first week in Sunnyvale with Darren Meer and Mike
Lindsey at the helm of Atari Explorer. Darren is finding his way around
Sunnyvale, and Atari, while Mike has been busy in Oregon finishing up
some details on Atari Advantage. Thanks to all of you that have taken
the time to send along your message of greeting to Darren and Mike, I
know that they appreciate your welcome.
John Jainschigg has completed the last issue of Atari Explorer under his
direction. Many of you have expressed concern about the direction that
Explorer will take without the guidance of John's able hand. I trust
that our selection of qualified ATARI editors in Darren Meer and Mike
Lindsey will go far to allay your concerns. We were attracted to
Lindsey and Meer because of their consistent quality that they have
brought to all of their publications, from Atari Advantage to ST
Informer. Our executives insisted that we obtain people that are well
versed in our platform, and Darren and Mike fill that bill admirably.
We're very excited to have them on the team at Atari. As they get
settled in, they will also be taking over the publishers role of Atari
Explorer Online as well.
Our plans at Atari Explorer Online continue to be something of a "farm"
for writers to brought on board in the printed edition. And we're
looking for writers! Our writers are not compensated by cash, but by
opportunities to review hardware and software, and free online time on
the major networks. Presently, I've allocated three internal accounts
to utilitized by staff writers for Atari Explorer Online. These
accounts are totally free, with no charges at all. You can even be
online during prime time at no charge! If you're interested, please
contact Ron Kovacs, Editor-in-Chief of Atari Explorer Online Magazine.
Please cc: me on the letter as well. Naturally, any material that does
appear in the printed version of Atari Explorer will be reimbursed at
competitive rates. This is a great opportunity for the budding writers
in the Atari Community to begin making a higher profile appearance than
they ever had before. We look forward to hearing from *YOU* !!!
More Winds of Change
=====================
Switching to a corporate viewpoint, we're continuing our efforts at
"right sizing" Atari Corp. Atari Canada is evolving into a sales
office, still headed up by Geoff Earle. All support services will be
handled out of Sunnyvale, as we move to something of an Atari North
America. Current plans call for the Atari Canada BBS to be continued,
under the supervision of yours truly, Bob Brodie. I'm looking at the
BBS now in use in Canada and evaluating how it's being used. If you
have some suggestions for improvements, please drop me a note and share
your thoughts with me about it!
We've completed our port of UNIX to our platform as well. Looking
toward the marketing of the product, present impressions are that we
will have a great text based UNIX to offer to students when Atari System
V is set up on the Falcon 030. But for the full power of UNIX, with a
complete windowing environment, we'd prefer to wait for a 68040 based
machine. Until those products are ready, we're going to table our plans
for UNIX. Since the port is done, and we're in a holding pattern on
UNIX, most of the remaining UNIX staff is no longer with the company.
Project manager Art Pruzynski has moved into a US Sales position, and is
working closely with James Grunke now. Art brings years of computer
sales experience to this position, and his expertise will allow James to
return his focus to his primary strength, the music market. Art will
also be working closely with yours truly, and I'll be making all the
appropriate introductions to bring him up to speed on current events in
TOS side of our business.
National Sales Manager Mike Groh is also no longer with Atari. Mike's
departure followed his recent trip through the southeast of the US,
including an appearance at the Blue Ridge Atarifest in Asheville, North
Carolina. While Mike may no longer work for our company, he still has
the heart of an Atarian. While he was cleaning out his office, among
the first things he secured was his copies of Calamus and Tracker/ST.
"Gotta have it!" says Mike! Sunnyvale employees gathered together on
Friday night to give Mike a good send off at a local jazz club in the
Silicon Valley. Always a bright spot at any gathering of Atarians,
Mike's unique perspective will be missed in Sunnyvale. Best wishes in
the future, Mike!
"Right sizing" efforts are being applied in other areas as well. We're
taking a much smaller group to Germany for the Atari Messe, and may
cancel or modify some other travel plans as well. Every effort is
being made to ensure that all of our efforts are cost effective, and
allow us to visit as many regions as possible. I suspect that we will
not be returning to the same region more than once this year, though.
We'll keep you posted on the status of this important factor.
Falcon 030 update
=================
As predicted earlier in the year, the public unveiling of the Falcon 030
will be at the Atari Messe in Duesseldorf, Germany in late August.
We'll be releasing the specifications on this exciting new unit BEFORE
the show, though. Sam Tramiel has directed me to set up a couple of
online conferences for him to meet the public to share this information
with our anxious userbase. While plans are not concrete yet, we'll be
sure to pass along the date of the conferences as soon as they have been
determined. I expect that to happen toward the end of next week.
We have a number of developer units out in the field already, and the
reports from our registered developers have been very exciting! There
will be a host of applications primed to take advantage of the
capabilities of the Falcon 030! Look for some of these to be unveiled at
the Atari Messe as well!!
We're also on target for our visit to the Boston Computer Society as
well, where we'll have the first public showing of the Falcon 030 in
North America. Set for September 23, at a general meeting of the Boston
Computer Society, this event will signal the start of the Falcon roll
out in the US. Naturally, we'll report on the event fully in Atari
Explorer Online. I'm sure those NOT in the New England area will be
very interested in hearing how the public receives this exciting
product! According to the Boston Computer Society, they are expecting
over 1,000 people for this meeting. Since the hall holds just under 700
people, they are making plans to have monitors in adjoining rooms for
the rest of the attendees.
A New Network!
==============
Bill Scull, sysop of The Twilight Zone BBS (407-831-1613) in Florida has
launched a new BBS network, called AtariNet. Based on the well known
FidoNet standard, the network is up and running now. Give Bill a holler
if your interested in getting in on the ground floor of an up and coming
network! Any BBS capable of handling the FIDO technology is welcome! A
longtime sysop, Bill is well equipped to help you get your system up and
running. I've personally spent many hours on the phone with Bill
discussing the FNET. He's a wealth of information on that front, too.
He can also be reached via the FNET at Node #304.
Don't forget how to contact us!
===============================
Here's how to get a hold of me if you'd like to share your insights
with me:
Atari Corporation
1196 Borregas Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1302
voice: 408-745-2052
fax: 408-745-2088
GEnie: BOB-BRODIE
Delphi: BOBBRO
FNET: Node 319 or Node 706
CIS: 70007,3240
Thanks for reading Atari Explorer Online!!
| | | Z*NET NEWSWIRE
| | | Latest Industry Update
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
25000th FILE UPLOADED
The GEnie ST RT recently received File Number 25,000.
ATARI ADVANTAGE SOLD
Atari Advantage was sold to Castle Publishing in Texas. As we reported
last week, the former editors were hired as editors for the Atari in-
house publication, Atari Explorer Magazine and gave up the Advantage
publication. For more information see the Publishers Workstation column
in this edition of Atari Explorer Online.
COPYRIGHT AGENCY TO COMBAT PIRACY
IPS/Moscow Times - Russia's new copyright agency pledged last week to
combat video, audio and software piracy as control over intellectual
property in Russia continues to weaken in a chaotic market. The RAIS,
the country's first true copyright organization, has been granted
official status by the government and plans to enforce new copyright
legislation. This means Russia is ready to sign the 106 year-old "Bern
Convention," an international agreement on protecting intellectual
property which czarist Russia or the Soviet Union had never signed.
Under RAIS guidelines, Russia's print and broadcast media will be
required for the first time to obtain permission and pay for material.
In addition, copyright protection after an author's death will extend
from 25 to 50 years. As for software, the Russian parliament adopted a
bill last month to outlaw piracy.
CIS OFFER
By tapping into Adnet Online, CompuServe members can browse job
opportunities advertised by hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies. Members
select from more than two dozen categories and then narrow their search
by geographic location. Job listings are available for specific
regions of the United States, as well as for Canada and countries
throughout the world. The Adnet database is updated weekly, and
advertisements generally run for two weeks. CompuServe members
contact employers directly, usually by sending resumes by postal mail
or facsimile. CompuServe members have unlimited access to Adnet Online.
Adnet is one of more than 30 basic services offered to CompuServe
members for the flat monthly fee of $7.95. Members choosing to access
CompuServe's 1,700 other service areas pay $12.80 per hour when using a
1,200 or 2,400 bits per second modem. For more information about
CompuServe or a free introductory membership with a $15 usage credit,
call 800-848-8199 and ask for representative 377.
| | | 4TH ANNUAL MIST ATARIFEST SHOW REPORT
| | | By Dr. Paul Keith, Z*Net News Service Correspondent
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
Close to 500 Atarians crammed into the Castleton Conference Center on
July 25, 1992. This was the fourth annual Mid Indiana ST Atarifest, and
the second year in a row it was held in Indianapolis. I didn't have as
much time to spend at MIST as I would have liked to, so this will not be
as detailed as I would have liked. My apologies to anyone that I may
have overlooked in this report.
The happy throng that attended the MIST Show was decidedly upbeat, with
a strong core of user group people from all over the midwest in
attendance. Vendors reported outstanding sales! D.A. Brumleve was
heard to say that she had recouped her expenses in the first five
minutes of the show! All in all, most developers were reporting
outstanding sales! Vendors exhibiting at the show included WizWorks!,
Dr. Bobware, Clear Thinking Software, CodeHead Technologies, D.A.
Brumleve, Ditek International, Electronic Spinster Graphics, ICD, DMC
Publishing, It's Not A Game Machine (INAGM), Mars Merchandising, Maxwell
CPU, MegaType, Missionware, MS Designs, Rising Star Computers, and Atari
Corp.
This years show featured a Lynx tournament, and ample trading tables for
the user groups attending the show. Show organizers were happily
reporting attendance from Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, Alabama, and
many other states. As other shows have done lately, the seminar
schedule was set to a minimum, with only ONE presentation being given
during the show. Atari's Bob Brodie gave the lone presentation at the
conclusion of the day. MIST Show organizers indicated that they would
have loved to had more, but this years event had less space available
than they'd had in the past, effectively wiping out the conference
space.
The halls of the conference center were packed most of the day, as show
goers enjoyed the presence of the vendors to the utmost. Joining Bob
Brodie in the Atari booth was GEnie Sysop Jeff Williams. Bob and Jeff
were both decked out in non-matching GEnie shirts, and spent their time
explaining the many advantages of being online for less!
Bob laughingly reported that he should have had a button made up saying
"Ask me about the Falcon Computer...NEXT MONTH!" It's clear that the
userbase is VERY anxious to see the Falcon, and many users are looking
to dispell the rumors about the Falcon and replace the rumors with
FACTS! Bob didn't do much to help with that, though. He pretty much
held tight with the information that has been stated before, "a 68030
based system, with DSP, more color than you can see, more sound than you
can hear, in a 1040 case! You'll want more than one!!!" He also
indicated that TT030's were in excellent supply now. The TT030 may also
be up for a price reduction to increase it's competitiveness against the
DOS clones.
Bob did promise that he would be setting dates for online conferences
with Sam Tramiel on GEnie and Delphi in the very near future. This
promises to be a memorable evening, one that all Atarians online should
be sure to take advantage of!! Be sure to watch for the announcements
online and from the Z*Net News Service!
Jeff handled a drawing, as GEnie gave out free online time to lucky
winners at the show. Mario Perdue was staffing the Ditek booth,
showing off DynaCadd on a TT030 running MultiTOS. MultiTOS continues to
evolve since the first North American showing at ACE '92 in Toronto.
Most of the show goers asking about MultiTOS came away with big smiles
on their faces. Looks like Atari has another major upgrade to TOS ready
to launch.
ICD was still clearing out their supplies of 8 bit goodies, better
get'em while you can, gang! ACTION! cartridge, Basic XE, Basic XL, and
other OSS favorites are up for grabs at clearance prices! If you're
still using your eight bit, you should be sure to have ALL of these
priceless programs!
Rising Star was staffed by Doug Hodson and Ginger. They indicated that
software sales had been terrific at the show. Rising Star carries a
complete line of productivity and game titles for the ST from every
major developer.
Branch Always Software, featured company president Darek Mihocka, who as
usual, arrived fashionably late for the show. Darek was showing
GEMULATOR, his emulator for the ST and shooting more video tape for his
GEMULATOR video. The GEMULATOR video is just $5. Availability is Real
Soon Now.
John Eidsvoog from CodeHead Technologies was showing off Calligrapher to
appreciative crowds. The TOS Extension Card continues to be a popular
show item at these events. Reports were that CodeHead sold out of
everything that they brought to the show.
D.A. Brumleve was showing off her software to empower young learners
with her typical gusto. Dorothy reported that this was one of the best
shows ever for her.
User groups from across the midwest were selling used hardware and
software in the center of the aisle, as well as encouraging people to
join their group. Without a doubt, user group support is the backbone
of the Atari Community. User groups appearing at the show included
ASCII, EAUG, CUSTUG, STAR, and LCACE. Show organizers had printed up
T-Shirts for sale that proclaimed "Support? We don't need no stinking
support! Indy Atarifest '92.
Like I stated when I began this report, I really wish I had MORE time
available to soak up all the vendors and events. However, an excellent
time was had by all and next year we hear that there will be a multi-
platform event at MIST. So stay tuned!!
For the lastest Atari News and Computer industry updates, stay tuned to
the Z*Net Newswire from the Z*Net News Service. Z*Net PC a third runner
up in the 1992 Quill Awards of the DPA.
| | | LINE NOISE
| | | Compiled by Ed Krimen
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
(Editors Note: We have changed the TITLE of Ed's column without his
knowledge! :-) )
Some messages may have been edited for content, correct spelling, and
grammar.
TOS 2.06: WHO NEEDS IT!?!
-------------------------
-=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14)
-=> from the "TOS Utilities from Atari" topic (32)
Message 55 Sat Jul 25, 1992
T.GIRSCH [T.J.] at 03:40 EDT
Mark -
Why do I need TOS 2.06? I've personally never had the problem, and I
haven't seen a TOS desktop in almost a year. NeoDesk comes up
automatically at boot, and as far as I'm aware, there's nothing TOS 2.06
does that NeoDesk does not.
Of course, I could be wrong, it happens all the time. 8^)
-TJ
----------
Message 56 Sat Jul 25, 1992
M.FARMER2 [Mark Farmer] at 06:50 EDT
Well I use Hotwire myself so I know what your saying. I just had to
many problems with 1.06 TOS running programs.
----------
Message 59 Sat Jul 25, 1992
S.SANDERS2 [SDS] at 16:01 EDT
T.GIRSCH:
Aside from bug fixes and the new desktop, one thing many users forget
about is features that are added to the OS for programmers to enhance
their applications. My best advice is to upgrade. It ends up helping
everybody.
If you know anything about MS Windows, then you'll know that when
version 3.1 came out you practically _had_ to upgrade from 3.0.
Microsoft added a lot of new features to the OS and developers on that
platform usually abandon older versions as soon as new ones come out.
All users end up benefiting because developers don't have to worry about
backward compatibility.
So what's your point... Right now, Atari developers have to put an
enormous amount of thought and effort into making sure their programs
work with the 10- 15 TOS versions still in use. Many new features which
exist in newer versions of TOS _are not_ taken advantage of because they
wouldn't work on many machines. The more users that upgrade, the less
we'll have to plan on TOS 1.0 users with single-sided floppies and 512k
of RAM.
In the future many of my company's products will only run on TOS 1.4 and
greater and we will be developing 'MultiTOS only' applications.
Hopefully my company and others will release applications of a quality
high enough to justify most users to upgrade so applications as a whole
can be of better quality.
-Scott @ SDS
Member IAAD
----------
Message 64 Wed Jul 29, 1992
GRIBNIF [Dan] at 17:06 EDT
TOS 2.06 is really a lot like 1.4. About the only things it has
added (besides the new desktop) are cookie jar support, a handful of new
AES calls, and support for other CPU's and new hardware (like the FPU,
SCC serial ports, and HD floppy drive.)
The differences between 1.4 and 2.06 at the GEMDOS (the part of the
operating system that does file i/o) level are minuscule. However, if
you still have TOS 1.0 or 1.2, then I do strongly suggest going to 1.4
or 2.06 because there were some major changes made in this area for 1.4.
Of course, NeoDesk will run no matter what TOS version you have, and it,
as always, is far superior to Atari's desktop. <grin>
Dan
======================================
POOF!! NO MORE DEALERS!
------------------------
-=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14)
-=> from the "General Help or Questions" topic (5)
Message 55 Tue Jul 28, 1992
J.MEEHAN3 [>> Joe M << ] at 06:31 EDT
Have you noticed it is becoming more difficult to find an Atari dealer?
Well, I have news for you, buddy. It's getting more difficult to find
any dealer.
The other day I went looking for some chips to extend the memory in my
HP Laser Jet printer. I went to three DOS stores that I had been at
before. Each was closed, or totally gone (like replaced by a Pizza
shop). It seems there is a lot of hard times these days. I had the
same experience on the phone when I tried to find the chips and in two
other states. One store I stopped at was in its last day of going out
of business sale.
BTW the first place I found chips was at Team Computers in Detroit, they
are an Atari dealer. <grin>
>> Joe Meehan <<
----------
Message 56 Tue Jul 28, 1992
D.A.BRUMLEVE [kidprgs] at 11:15 EDT
You know, Joe, I think you are right. Our local paper had an article in
the business section last month in which the demise of three independent
clone stores was lamented. I had relied on one of these stores for my
supply of power cords (where do those things go?) and inkjet cartridges.
======================================
1.44M HIGH DENSITY UPGRADES
---------------------------
-=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14)
-=> from the "High Density Drives / AJAX chip" topic (36)
Message 32 Thu Jul 23, 1992
M.DRYSDALE [Drys] at 06:01 EDT
For those of you just joined the discussion......
EVERY STe (again STe, yes MEGA STe too) is ready for TOS 2.06. Just
remove the old TOS and plug in the new chips. No boards or
modifications are needed. ALL STs can use the Ajax. It is the
replacement for the WD1772 and is in all newly manufactured STs.
EVERY MEGA STe and TT is ready for a 1.44 (or 2.88) floppy drive.
Install TOS 2.06 or 3.06 (TOS 2.05 and 3.05 DO NOT work), the Ajax chip,
a 1.44 (or 2.88) mech, and flip dip switch #7. Yes it will still read,
write, format, 360K (single-sided) and 720K (double-sided) disks as well
as other perverse and extended format disks (IBM, SPECTRE, Mac, Etc).
If you have an ST (the older stuff) or STe, adding a 1.44 floppy will be
much more complex, AND MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE AT ALL. First try the OPI
[Omnimon Peripherals, Inc.] drive product. Or, do all of the above for
the MSTe, hand-wire a switch, and wire for a switchable 8/16MHz signal
for the drive. Of course if you try to read/write a disk with the
switch in the wrong position....fffftt. Best bet: buy a MEGA STe.
Owners of older STs (NOT STe's) who want TOS 2.06, go directly to
Codehead (do not pass GO) and get the TEC board.
Mike Drysdale, TEAM COMPUTERS
If you want to have some fun right now, MEGA STe owners ONLY, flip dip
switch #7 (it's under the hard drive) and go to format.
======================================
DOOMSDAY FOR DEC?
-----------------
-=> In the "Flaming - Debating - Discussions - Rumors" category (18)
-=> from the "Atari 'Falcon' Project" topic (20)
Message 98 Thu Jul 23, 1992
J.ALLEN27 [FAST TECH] at 23:30 EDT
If it makes you feel better, Atari is not the only company to be blind
to great opportunities and market shifts, just look at Wang and DEC.
Hell, DEC was a $12 BILLION company, and they've blown it as bad or
worse than Atari ever did. I know a lot of people around here who doubt
DEC will survive.
----------
Message 99 Fri Jul 24, 1992
M.PERDUE [Mario] at 01:41 EDT
Jim,
I'll bet DEC wishes they had the Lynx to fall back on, huh? :^)
======================================
OUCH! POWER SURGES
-------------------
(Home Office/Small Business Roundtable)
-=> In the "Office Technology, Equipment, and Supplies" category (5)
-=> from the "Power Protection Equipment" topic (29)
Message 6 Mon Jul 20, 1992
K.PHILLIPS4 [Ken P] at 22:19 EDT
Lighting strikes are but one way power surges can occur. They can (and
do) occur every time....
...the electric company opens and closes a switch to reroute power off
lines that are being serviced.
...a car or truck hits a pole with enough force to cause a 'phase-out'
(two lines touch).
...a cat or a mouse scratches itself on two poles in a switch box or a
transformer housing.
Ken
----------
Message 7 Mon Jul 20, 1992
NASS [Joni] at 23:05 EDT
I live here in Upstate New York. Last summer we lost our fax to
lightning that came in via the phone line. It fried it so bad it needed
to be sent back to the company for repair. Luckily it only cost us
$134. So... now, if a storm is moving toward us, I just unplug the
computers, the word processor, and the fax -- just to be sure, even
though I have a line conditioner on one of the computers.
= Joni =
----------
Message 8 Tue Jul 21, 1992
T.DUCHESNEAU [Tom] at 06:06 EDT
Power surges are caused by many other things besides lightning. I just
received the latest issue of the American Power Conversion (APC)
newsletter. It had a very interesting article detailing the wild power
fluctuations during a series of California earthquakes back in April.
The data was captured by APC Power chute software from an APC SmartUPS.
The disruptions went on for several days.
...Tom
----------
Message 9 Tue Jul 21, 1992
T.DUCHESNEAU [Tom] at 06:37 EDT
Joni, you bring up a good point. All electrical connections with the
outside world should be surge protected. Phone lines are a notorious
source of surge damage because people forget about them. Most
manufacturers of surge protection equipment make some models with phone
surge built in.
This is especially important on a network as everything is connected
together and one surge can damage every machine on your network. I have
a customer in Vermont who unplugged every machine on the network because
of a bad thunderstorm, but forgot the ground on the network cable. The
file server disk and disk controller, plus two or three network cards
were damaged.
...Tom
----------
Message 10 Tue Jul 21, 1992
TELASKA [Paul] at 09:38 EDT
The largest, most comprehensive power quality study in history is now
underway; it's a little more than half way through its five year run,
involving sampling points taken at random locations throughout North
America. The partial results now available already make it very clear
that the vast majority of power aberrations originate WITHIN THE USERS'
PREMISES. As equipment becomes more sophisticated (switch-mode power
supplies, SCR dimmers, etc.), it tends to throw unwanted products back
onto the power line where they can then be picked up by nearby users.
This becomes especially critical in large office buildings where the
density of high-tech equipment can be very high indeed.
Of course, not all of these aberrations are necessarily going to be
damaging to equipment. And the damage they do will probably be much
less dramatic and noticeable (at least immediately) than a lightning
strike! However, that makes them all the more insidious, doesn't it.
A little hit here, a little nudge there, and after a while your hard
drive goes south. You think maybe it was "just time for the ol' drive
to go on to Hard Drive Heaven", but the truth is, many of those
"natural" equipment failures are just the result of accumulated trauma
from bad power. Very hard to document on a case by case basis, but very
easy to see statistically when comparing protected vs. non-protected
equipment.
-=[ Paul ]=-
======================================
| | | THE WACKY WORLD OF ST GAMING - PART 2/2
| | | By Eric Bitton
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
The following article is reprinted in Atari Explorer Online by
permission of AtariUser magazine. It MAY NOT be further reprinted
without specific permission of AtariUser. AtariUser is a monthly Atari
magazine, available by subscription by calling (818) 332-0372.
---
Mindscape UK:
This company doesn't actually design anything, they just do marketing
and distribution.
Current stuff: Blue Max: Aces Of The Great War (horrible)
Captain Planet (ack!)
Captive (cool futuristic Dungeon Master)
Knightmare (improved Captive interface, fantasy setting),
Legend (fantasy RPG by the designer of Bloodwych).
In the works: Captive II, Moonstones (fantasy RPG)
Skid Marks (3-D racing)
Ultima VI: The False Prophet.
---
Mirrorsoft UK:
This company is out of business. It belonged to Robert Maxwell's Mirror
Group and crumbled along with the rest of his financial empire. Acclaim
stepped in and bought whatever was left. This is bound to annoy Ocean,
since they relied greatly on games licensed from Acclaim to make their
money, and Acclaim wants to go onto computer software in addition to
console cartridges. Things will get particularly sticky from here, so
pay attention. Here's what's still floating around under the Mirrorsoft
label:
Flight Of The Intruder
Falcon: The Classic Collection (Falcon plus mission disks 1 and 2)
Wolfpack (WWII submarine)
Under the Imageworks label:
First Samurai
Mega lo Mania
Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles: The Arcade Game (the British government
didn't like the connotations of the word "ninja", so it's "hero"
instead).
Under the Mirror Image budget label:
Austerlitz
Bloodwych
Carrier Command
Defender Of The Crown
Federation Of Free Traders
King Of Chicago
Onslaught
Rocket Ranger
RVF Honda
Speedball
Starglider II
Strike Force Harrier
3D Pool
TV Sports Football
Xenon II: Megablast.
Games that were in development for Mirrorsoft and were grabbed by other
companies:
Cannon Fodder (now under Virgin UK)
Fire And Ice (Renegade UK)
Legend (Mindscape UK)
Lure Of The Temptress (Virgin UK)
Games that are still in development limbo:
Alien 3
Battle Of Britain Jubilee (Their Finest Hour with real 3D polygons, from
Rowan "Falcon" Software)
Bill Elliott's NASCAR Challenge
Blade Warrior (that one looked neat)
Drop Soldier
Duster
Mega lo Mania II.
---
Novagen UK:
This company has often been compared to a glacier because, 1) they've
been around forever and, 2) they move very slowly. Some of you 8-bit
users are bound to remember Encounter and Mercenary, sold by good old
Datasoft way back when. Well, both of those made it to the ST, and a
few sequels too! Damocles is in fact Mercenary, redone with 3-D
polygons and a whole solar system to play around in. Backlash is an
Encounter style tank shoot'em'up but without those big columns to avoid.
The newest release is Mercenary III: The Dion Crisis. No more flying
around recklessly in this one, you have to use the mass transit systems
(cabs, buses, commuter ships, spaceships, etc...) and you can interact
with people, sort of. Interesting. In the works: Paul Woakes (the
boss) only knows...
---
Ocean UK:
This is your basic big-time, conversion-releasing, license-grabbing,
behemoth of a software company. They spend big bucks on stuff like The
Simpsons, Smash TV, The Addams Family, Terminator 2, the Robocops,
Darkman, and sometimes, the games are actually playable. Now that their
main source of licenses, Acclaim, has grabbed the wreckage of
Mirrorsoft, Ocean is going to be in a bit of a bind. Heaven forbid they
should actually release original games (he said, tongue firmly planted
in cheek). Anyway, currently out:
The Addams Family (platform)
Epic (Battlestar Galactica all over again)
Ninja Collection (Double Dragon, Dragon Ninja, and Shadow Warriors)
Parasol Stars (Bubble Bobble part 3)
The Rainbow Collection (contains Bubble-Bobble, Rainbow Islands, and The
New Zealand Story)
Robocop 3 (in 3-D)
The Simpsons: Bart Versus The Space Mutants
Smash TV
Space Gun
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
2-Hot 2-Handle (Shadow Warriors Golden Axe, Total Recall, and Ivan
'Ironman' Stewart's Super Off Road)
WWF Wrestlemania.
In the works:
Billy The Kid
Push-Over (platform)
Retaliator II (flight simulator)
SimEarth (from Maxis)
Snow Bros
Wizkid (sequel to Wizball).
Ocean's budget label is called The Hit Squad.
---
Oxford Softworks UK:
This company specializes in classic board games. Out now:
Intelligent Strategy Games (you get chess, bridge, go, backgammon, and
draughts, which is checkers), works in color and monochrome.
In the works: Omar Sharif's Bridge.
---
Palace UK:
Another mixed bag kind of company. Silmarils used to hang out here but
they now have their own company, Daze Marketing UK. Palace is better
known for Barbarian, a game that was banned in Germany because of its
violence: you could decapitate your opponent. Epyx released that game
as Death Sword. Out now:
Boston Bomb Club (Simarils)
Crystals Of Arborea (Silmarils)
Demoniak (text adventure with a few pictures)
Hot Rubber (UK version of Grand Prix 500 II)
Metal Mutant (Silmarils)
Sliders (soccer meets Marble Madness)
Swap (puzzler).
In the works:
Complex
Hostile Breed
Super Barbarian (sequel to Barbarian and Barbarian II).
---
Pocket Power UK:
Super cheap game re-issues in teeny packaging. Most of the games were
designed by Logotron, now defunct. Out now:
Archipelagos
Bad Company
Beyond The Ice Palace
Deflektor
Eye Of Horus
Quadralien
Starblaze
Stargoose
StarRay
---
Rainbow Arts (Germany):
Interesting stuff here:
Logical (puzzler)
Masterblazer (an ST conversion of Lucasfilm's legendary Ballblazer)
Turrican II: The Final Fight (killer platform shoot'em'up).
In the works:
Centerbase (futuristic trade and strategy game)
Fate: Gates Of Dawn (fantasy RPG)
Mad TV
M.U.D.S. (Mean Ugly Dirty Sport)
Rescue On Fractalus (ST version of the classic Lucasfilm fractals-using
flight simulator/shoot'em'up)
Rotator (overhead view tank shoot'em'up)
Transatlantic (shipping simulation)
---
Renegade UK:
Four months before the fateful crash of Mirrorsoft, the Bitmap Brothers
decided to leave Imageworks and start their own company. Pretty lucky
guys, I would say! Aside from Bitmap Brothers designs, Renegade has
also rescued Graftgold's Fire And Ice from the Mirrorsoft wreckage. Out
now:
Cadaver: The Pay Off (scenario disk for Cadaver)
Gods (platform game)
Magic Pockets (a cutesy version of Gods)
In the works:
Bitmap Brothers Volume 1 (Xenon, Cadaver, and Speedball 2)
Bitmap Brothers Volume 2 (Speedball, Gods, and Xenon 2: Megablast)
Chaos Engine
Fire And Ice (cutesy platform game)
Sensible Soccer (which looks good so far)
---
Simulations Canada:
Text-only war games that use the computer as a referee. Latest release:
Pacific Storm: The Solomon's Campaign.
---
Software Projects UK:
Budget stuff. If you had a Commodore C64 and played games like Manic
Miner and Jet Set Willy on it, your ST versions are here!
---
Starbyte (Germany):
So-so games. Out now:
Crime Time (graphic adventure).
In the works:
Crown
Lords Of Doom
The Return Of Medusa
Spirit Of Adventure
---
Storm UK:
Design team The Sales Curve used to work for Virgin, but they decided to
start their own software company. Some of their past achievement
includes the nice conversion of Silkworm. Out now:
Big Run (Jaleco coin-op, pretty bland)
Danny Sullivan's Indy Heat (similar to Super Sprint)
Double Dragon III: The Rosetta Stones
Final Blow (boxing)
Rod Land (this one is a lot better than it looks. I hate the box it
comes in).
In the works:
Asylum
Brute Force
The Lawnmower Man (movie tie-in)
Solar Jetman
---
System 3 UK:
Another company that takes forever to release stuff. Most famous for
their Last Ninja series and the ultra-cool IK+. Out now:
System 3 Premier Collection (Tusker, IK+, Flimbo's Quest, and Ninja
Remix).
In the works:
Changeling
Constructor
International Karate Deluxe
The Last Ninja III
Myth (August)
Silly Putty
Turbo Charge
Vendetta
---
Thalamus UK:
Mostly 8-bit stuff, with the occasional ST game here and there. Out now:
Armalyte: The Final Run (sequel to classic 8-bit game Armalyte, like
R*Type, but a lot tougher).
In the works:
Arsenal F.C.
Restrictor
---
Thalion (Germany):
Company started by a bunch of hackers (or so they say). The first batch
of products wasn't that great. The second batch was a slight
improvement. Out now:
A320 Airbus (simulation of said airliner)
Enchanted Land (platform)
Tangram (puzzler)
Thalion: First Year (Chambers Of Shaolin, Seven Gates Of Jambala, Warp,
and Leavin' Teramis).
In the works:
Dragonflight II (RPG)
Tower FRA (air traffic control)
---
Titus (France) has the dubious distinction of having consistently
released some of the stupidest and worst computer games of all times.
Titles like Crazy Cars, Fire And Forget, Offshore Warrior, Crazy Cars
II/F-40 Pursuit Simulator, Knight Force, Dark Century, Wild Streets, and
Galactic Conqueror (ESPECIALLY Galactic Conqueror!!) send hardened ST
gamers scurrying for cover. Out now:
Blues Brothers (okay platform game)
Crime Does Not Pay (lame)
Duck Tales: The Quest For Gold
Prehistorik
Titus The Fox (platform)
In the works:
Arachnophobia
Battle Storm
The Brainies
Crazy Bikes
Crazy Cars III
---
Trojan UK:
This company sells a light gun that looks suspiciously like the one
supplied with the old Atari XEGS. I tried mine, but it didn't work, so
they must have rewired the plugs. They program their own games to go
with it, and Ocean's Space Gun is the first third party game to use the
gun. Out now:
Cyber Assault (futuristic DM-style shoot'em'up)
The Enforcer (gangster-era shoot'em'up)
Firestar (kinda like Defender)
---
Turcan Research Systems UK:
Peter Turcan has programmed several wargames over the years that were
marketed by Arc UK and PSS UK (a division of Mirrorsoft, so it's out of
business too). These wargames were all text-driven and used a 3-D
display. Instead of clicking on icons, you simply type something like
"move 1st battalion East 5 miles", a rather interesting concept. Since
PSS went down, Mr. Turcan was forced to go his own way. His new one,
Dreadnoughts, uses the same engine as all the other wargames, and deals
with naval combat during World War I.
---
21st Century Entertainments UK:
Oh yeah, sure, games so good they seem to come from the 21st Century, do
tell. Don't be fooled by the shiny new name, this is actually Hewson UK
in disguise. Hit and miss pretty much describes this company. One of
their biggest hit was Nebulous (sold as Tower Toppler by Epyx in the US).
Out now:
Deliverance (sequel to Stormlord, a Hewson game)
Moonfall (very boring)
Rubicon (shoot monsters, nothing special)
In the works:
Nebulus 2 (delayed over and over)
---
UBI Soft (France):
Interestingly varied games, and another really good racer. Out now:
Maupiti Island (graphic adventure with speech by Lankhor)
Ten Great Games (Ferrari Formula 1, Rick Dangerous, Pick'N'Pile, Night
Hunter, Carrier Command, Satan, Superski, Chicago 90, Xenon 2:
Megablast, and Pro Tennis Tour)
Unreal, and Vroom (very nice, very fast Formula 1 racing game by
Lankhor).
In the works:
B.A.T. II (futuristic graphic adventure)
Celtic Legends (fantasy wargame)
Dyna-Blaster/Bomber-Man
Lightquest
Star Rush
---
US Gold UK has been around for a long time and is mostly known for its
average (and sometimes terrible) coin-op conversions, as well as the odd
movie tie-in and original design. They also coded three SSI AD&D
titles: Dragons Of Flame, Heroes Of The Lance, and the more recent
Shadow Sorcerer. Quality varies greatly from one title to the next, so
try before you buy! They also distribute Delphine titles and have a
budget label called Kixx. They used to distribute Millenium (UK)
products, but that company is now with Electronic Arts (UK). Currently
available:
Alien Storm (Golden Axe with aliens)
Bonanza Brothers
Final Fight
Gauntlet III: The Final Quest
The Godfather: Action Game
MAX (Maximum Action Xtra, a compilation containing Night Shift, Saint
Dragon, SWIV, and Turrican II), Mega Twins, OutRun Europa, and Shadow
Sorcerer (SSI).
Coming soon:
Citadel Of The Black Sun
G-Loc (braindead sequel to Afterburner)
Greyhawk
Magic Sword
Menander Brothers
The Quest For Adventure Series #1 (contains Operation Stealth, Mean
Streets, and Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade Adventure Game)
Street Fighter II (the blockbuster coin-op).
Millenium titles currently available:
The Adventures Of Robin Hood
Horror Zombies From The Crypt
James Pond 2: Codename Robocod
For newer titles, see Electronic Arts (UK). Current Delphine titles:
Another World (GREAT! It's like a movie! You gotta check this one out!)
and Cruise For A Corpse.
---
Virgin UK:
In addition to the games released by the US office, there is also Jimmy
White's Whirlwind Snooker, an incredibly sophisticated and eye-popping
snooker simulation; designer Archer MacLean is working on a sequel based
on pool and billiards. Also coming soon is Dune (out for PC and looking
good), Space Shuttle (total 3-D simulation), Lure Of The Temptress
(gives Monkey Island a run for its money), Apocalypse, Cannon Fodder,
Floor 13, and Rookies. Virgin also has two budget game lines: 16 Blitz
and Tronix.
---
Zeppelin UK:
Nothing but budget stuff here. Try before you buy.
Most of the information used in this article came from my monthly
online guide to current and upcoming ST games. I began publishing the
electronic newsletter in May 1989, and while originally called ZENOBOT'S
Guide, it's now the "ST Gaming Digest." It's edited by yours truly, and
is available on GEnie and distributed via several Los Angeles bulletin
board systems: The O'Mayer V (213-732-0229), The Jungle (213-254-9534),
and The London Smog (714-546-2152). Topic 22 in category 9 (games) of
the ST Roundtable (GEnie) is used to handle feedback about STGD.
How to reach the ST game companies (I swear, some of these keep their
address information as a trade secret!):
American companies:
The Avalon Hill Game Company, 4517 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD, 21214,
(301) 254-9200
Digitek, 708 W. Buffalo avenue, Suite 200, Tampa, FL, 33603, (813)
933-8023
FTL Games, (619) 453-5711
InnerPrise Software Inc., 128 Cockeysville Road, Hunt Valley, MD, 21030
(410) 560-2434
Lucasfilm, PO Box 10307, San Rafael, CA, 94912, (415) 721-3300
MegaSoft Entertainment, 137 W. Bay Area, Webster, TX, 77598, (713)
338-2231
Merit Software, 13635 Gamma Road, Dallas, TX, 75244, (800) 238-4277
Microdaft, 1012 S. Main Street, Taylor, PA, 18517
Mindcraft, 2341 205th Street, Suite 102, Torrance, CA, 90501, (310)
320-5215
Psygnosis, 29 Saint Mary's Court, Brookline, MA, 02146, (617) 731-3553
Readysoft, 30 Wertheim Court, Unit 2, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada,
L4B 1B9, (416) 731-4175
Sierra, PO Box 485, Coarsegold, CA, 93614, (209) 683-8989
Simulations Canada, PO Box 452, Bridgewater, NS, Canada, B4V 2X6
Spectrum Holobyte, 2061 Challenger Drive, Alameda, CA, 94501, (510)
522-3584
Sublogic, 501 Kenyon Road, Champlain, IL, 61820, (217) 359-8482
Virgin, 711 W. 17th Street, Suite G9, Costa Mesa, CA, 92627, (714)
833-8710
European companies:
Celebrity Software
Lonsdale House, Woodland Park
Colwyn Bay, LL29 7HA (0492) 531830
Codemasters
PO Box 6
Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 OSH (0926) 814132
Core Design Ltd
Suite C, Tradewinds House, 69/71a Ashbourne Road
Derby, DE3 3FS (0332) 297797
Daze Marketing Limited
Dagmar House, 12 Old Street
London, EC2V OAB
Domark Group Ltd
Ferry House, 51-57 Lacy Road
London, SW15 1PR
Electronic Arts
Langley Business Centre, 11-49 Station Road
Langley, Nr. Slough, Berkeshire SL3 8YN (0753) 549442
Empire Software
4 The Stannets, Laindon North Trade Center
Basildon, Essex, SS15 6DJ (0268) 541126
Gremlin Graphics Software Ltd
Carver House, 2-4 Carver Street
Sheffield, S1 4FS
Microprose
Unit 1, Hampton Road Industrial Estate
Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8LD (0666) 504326
Mindscape International
The Coach House, Hooklands Estate
Scaynes Hill, West Sussex, RH17 7NG (0444) 831761
Ocean Software Limited
6 Central Street
Manchester, M2 5NS (061) 832-6633
Renegade UK
C1 Metropolitan Wharf, Wapping Wall
London, E1 955
Storm (Sales Curve)
Lombard Business Centre, 50 Lombard Road
London, SW11 3SU (071) 585-3308
Turcan Research Systems
83 Greencroft Gardens
London, NW6 3LJ (071) 625-8455
UBI Soft
8 & 10 rue de Valmy
Montreuil Sous Bois, Paris, 93100, France (1) 48-57-65-52
US Gold Limited
Units 2/3, Holford Way
Holford, Birmingham, B6 7AX (021) 625-3366
| | | RUN THAT BY ME, AGAIN!
| | | By Bob Smith
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
Many things happen when you are participate in your chosen career(s).
Some of which are sad, some of which are mundane and some of which are
funny and humorous. They may not be funny at the time, but when you
look back these happenings take on the guise of being extremely comical.
The following quotes are actual statements found on insurance and police
reports where car drivers attempted to summarize the details in the few
words possible.
Sit back and enjoy these humorous quotes and if any of you actually have
experienced these, by all means don't tell anybody.
"Coming home, I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree that
I don't have."
"The other car collided with mine without giving warning of it's
intentions."
"I thought my window was down, but I found it was up when I put my hand
through it."
"I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way."
"A pedestrian hit me and went under my car."
"A truck backed through my windshield into my wife's face."
"The guy was all over the road and I had to swerve a number of times
before I hit him."
"I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law,
and headed for the embankment."
"As I approached the intersection, a sign suddenly appeared in a place
where no stop sign had ever appeared before.
"My car was legally parked as it backed in the other vehicle."
"I told the police that I was not injured, but on removing my hat, I
found that I had a fractured skull."
"The pedestrian had no idea which direction to run, so I ran over him."
"The indirect cause of this accident was a little guy in a small car
with a big mouth."
"An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my vehicle and vanished."
"I saw a slow moving sad faced old gentleman as he bounced off the hood
of my car."
"I was sure the old fellow would never make it to the other side of the
road when I struck him."
"I was thrown from my car as it left the road. I was later found in a
ditch by some stray cows."
"The telephone pole was approaching. I was attempting to swerve out of
it's way, when it struck my front end."
"I was on my way to the doctor with rear end trouble when my universal
joint gave way causing me to have an accident."
"I had been driving for 40 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had
an accident."
"In my attempt to hit a fly I drove into a telephone pole."
While we are on the subject of humor, let me tell you that a lot of
power is needed to generate laughter. In the same vain, there are other
kinds of power producing units. Have you ever had the urge to know
exactly how to upgrade your personal Nuclear Power facility and how it
is built? What follows is an excellent example of what you didn't want
to know.
If you have experienced a power let down with your personal nuclear
reactor then the following information is vital to you. Read it
carefully so that you fully understand it and make sure that you be the
first on your block to have this upgrade. Never suffer from power
shortage again.
Now available, the QBX-1, add on nuclear reactor provides backup power
for as long as 12 years. When the card senses a power failure,
explosive bolts eject moderator and control rods from the reactor's
interior within 20 microseconds, bringing the reactor to its fully rated
output of 20kW in less than a millisecond. Over its 12 year life, the
reactors power decreases by 25% to 15 kW.
Integral heat fins provide convection cooling of the reactor's 500W
power dissipation while the reactor remains in its standby condition.
IF your computer's fans can't furnish 400 CFM of forced air for cooling,
consider buying the manufacturer's heavy water cooling jacket and
stainless steel pump module, which fits conveniently under a desk or
workbench. Latches on each side of the reactor module let you quickly
exchange the radioactive core, should you need to replace it. An
optional circular viewing port of lead glass lets you check the
reactor's internal mechanical assemblies.
To protect users from undue radiation, each reactor includes a shielding
kit, comprising five self-stick lead plates and 20 radiation monitoring
film badges. The lead plates mount inside your computer's enclosure and
reduce the gamma rays that cause soft errors to floppy disk and RAM
data. For further protection, consider buying the manufacturer's 200-
ft extension cords for the keyboard and monitors.
Because the reactor can supply more than enough power for your computer,
you can sell excess power to your local utility company. An add-on
phasing and metering kit (PMK-1) lets you connect your reactor to the
local power grid, Each PMK-1 includes standard power sale contract and
Rural Electrification Board rules and regulations.
Although not required in all localities, each reactor package includes a
standard 23-volume site-evacuation plan. The plan includes blank forms
for you to fill in the name and address of your reactor site and then
mail to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. As an option, the
manufacturer supplies the plans on 22 disks in STWriter format. User
friendly templates let you type in the information so that your word
processor can create a complete, printed document.
Reactor prices start at $2.3 million with delivery expected in seven
years.
Well, there you go, now you can run right out, get in your vehicle and
go straight to the post office to drop your money order in the mail. Oh
yes, don't get hit by any moving houses, trees and above all don't try
and kill any flies.
| | | RUN A BETTER BBS
| | | By Regan Weed, VAUG
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
Really, when you stop to think about it, most BBS's are the same. Most,
if not all, have E-Mail, areas for general information, buy & sell,
files to download, etc., etc.. So what makes one BBS better than
another?
SOFTWARE
A case can be made for the particular BBS software the system is
running. Older programs may not feature much in the way of flexibility,
such as "On-line Games" or " Color".
HARDWARE
Obviously you can do more with a Mega ST2 and 40 Meg hard drive then
with a 1040ST. But, bigger is not always better, and there's more to
running a BBS than having lots of downloads!
SYSOP (Systems Operator)
Each BBS has a different flavor (even with the same software) because of
this person. The SysOp is the catalyst and when you choose one BBS over
another many times it's because of the SysOp. So what do you (the
SysOp) need to do to 'Run a better BBS'? First have a 'message area'
that reflects the interest of most users. If you have a 'general
information' sub-section watch it for trends and open new sub-sections
to fill the needs of your users. If there's a users group in your area,
have a section setup for them to leave club messages. Keep things
current by removing old messages. If things slow down in a message
section start a discussion. If, after a period of time, it's still
inactive, delete that section and try a new subject.
AVOID COMPLAINING
Not enough messages posted, not enough users uploading ect. Once you
start casting blame on your users you'll kill the board, and fast! If
you wish to see more uploads then set a fair upload/download ratio, say
10 to 1. You can't make people respond to a message base or play an
On-line game so don't even try. Some SysOp's limit the users time to
try and get them to do more on their BBS. This is a little like trying
to get blood from a stone - not exactly the way to get a favorable
reaction!
TIPS
Keep your log-on screen messages up-to-date and short (if there's no way
to by-pass it). You have to remember your out-of-town users and their
phone bills!
When you have a limited system for downloads, try rotating half of your
files every two to three weeks.
Don't butt-in. Only use 'Chat' mode when your called or you'll make
your users feel like their every move is being watched.
Try your best and keep in mind.... A good BBS is just as much work as
bad one!
| | | GENIE NEWS UPDATE - ALL AREAS
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
QB1 PRESEASON BEGINS
WHO: New York Jets & Philadelphia Eagles
WHEN: August 1st, 3:00 pm eastern
WHERE: Your ABC station / M1030 or QB1 on GEnie
Please join us as the 1992/93 QB1 season gets underway. Close to 150
NFL & College games will be offered this year and lots of prizes
awarded. The preseason schedule has been posted and pass plans are now
available to make playing on a weekly, monthly, or season basis very
econimical. Visit the QB1 menu page for more details.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ATARI RT NEWS 7.5 (Edited)
NEW FEATURE!!! Darlah's Treat - The Free File Of The Month!
The ST Roundtable is happy to announce a new service to ST Roundtable
members. Introducing "Darlah's Treat," a file that can be downloaded
directly from the main ST Roundtable menu here on Page 475. For free!
Simply select menu item 9 on Page 475 to download the free file of the
month. See Category 1, Topic 12 in the Bulletin Board for more details.
BULLETIN BOARD
Programming support is available in the Atari ST Roundtable's Bulletin
Board. Whether you program in assembly, basic, C or any other
programming language available for the ST/STe/TT you can find help from
the authors, distributors, Atari Corporation, and knowledgeable users.
If you need an answer for something not covered in the current topics
just start a new one in the appropriate Category. Atari ST Roundtable
also provides a confidential category for Atari Association of
Developers (AAD) and Atari Association of Professional Developers please
read Category 3, topic 34 for admittance and qualifying information.
REALTIME CONFERENCE
Atari ST Roundtable is proud to announce the opening of a Sunday Help
Desk to answer your questions on GEnie, Atari ST Roundtable and the line
of Atari computers. Stop in and ask questions or just visit the Atari
RT staff and users. The Help Desk starts at 7:00 pm EST Sunday on page
475;2.
Monday Night Desktop Publishing Real Time Conferences will feature a
number of special guests during the next few months. Drop in and get
the latest info on program features and updates. All conferences begin
at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Monday DTP conferences - Hosted by Lou
Rocha [L.ROCHA1] and Nathan Potechin [ISD], Contact: JEFF.W, L.ROCHA1,
ISD, DARLAH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WRITERS.INK @GENIE
TOM CLANCY
First, mark your calendars for the Sunday, August 30th visit of Tom
Clancy for a special Real Time Conference. The conference will start at
8:30 pm eastern time in the Writers' RTC on page 440. Tom is always an
entertaining and instructional guest (to say the least). Here's your
chance to chat with one of the bestselling authors of all time.
MICHAEL CRICHTON
Next, we've just arranged a Real Time Conference with Michael Crichton,
author of books such as Andromeda Strain, Terminal Man and Jurassic Park
(which is now being made into a movie by Steven Spielberg). Michael was
also the director of the movies Coma and Westworld. The date will be
sometime in November.
HAND ME THE DUSTPAN
And news item #3 is the upcoming cleaning and reorganization of the
Writers' Bulletin Board. The Bulletin Board (BB) will be closed on
August 18th for a complete overhaul. Old Categories will be moved, new
Categories will be created and topics will be zapped or moved. Many of
you will be glad to hear we are adding a new Mystery Category as well as
a Research area and a Category for young writers and students. We are
also expanding out Nonfiction area with new Categories for Journalism
and Technical Writing.
CLEAN SWEEP
The Bulletin Board has gotten very cluttered. Our goal is to set things
up so it's easier to find messages... and easier to discuss subjects. A
majority of topics will be deleted. Some of these will be archived and
saved. However, if there is a discussion you think is a gem, I'd
recommend that you save a copy now. With 100s of topics, there is no
way to let everyone know which ones are going and which ones are staying
(I'm not even sure yet). If a topic was a favorite, we (or you) can
restart it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| | | CONNECTICUT ATARIFEST '92 TO OFFER SYSTEM UPGRADES
| | | Press Release
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
Repair Expert Offers How-To Lesson in RAM, Speed, TOS Enhancements
HARTFORD, Conn. (July 31, 1992) -- Not everybody can afford to buy a
brand new computer system, optical character reader, laser printer or
hard drive, but certain items that are within almost everyone's
budgetary reach can make a big difference in the way their computer
performs.
We're talking, of course, about RAM expansion and accelerator boards for
Atari computers, as well as TOS upgrade kits all of which will be
available at Connecticut AtariFest '92 (CAF) August 15 & 16 at the
Sheraton Hotel at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks. One
special exhibitor will enable you to beef up your computing power on the
spot. In addition to various vendors that will sell their own upgrade
kits, East Hartford Computer Repair will perform a limited number of
upgrade installations at the show.
EHCR owner Tom Allard will offer a few demonstrations designed to teach
the Atari user how to perform an upgrade by installing a board or chip
that means bigger spreadsheets, fewer waits for processing and improved
desktop features. For the klutz who'd prefer not to whip up a serving
of baked circuits and solder surprise, Allard will perform selected
upgrades for ST/Mega/TT and 8-bit Atari computers.
Based on a recent CAF survey of "EarlyBirds" who pre-registered for the
Hartford area show, RAM expansion and accelerator boards will be among
the most sought-after items at the show. When asked what products or
services attendees expect to buy, many identified upgrade kits.
Allard's demonstrations of RAM upgrades and other system improvements
will be announced when the seminar schedule is formally set. When he is
not involved with a seminar, Allard will be on the exhibit floor
performing electronic wizardry on Atari computers ripe for more power.
When possible, East Hartford Computer Repair will perform the upgrades
on the spot. Depending on the complexity of the job, Allard will work
on some units at his shop and return them after the show.
Newell Industries of Wylie, Texas, has donated some of its upgrade
products to Connecticut AtariFest '92 for the seminars. Allard will
install a Newell 1-4 meg upgrade for the 130XE computer which supports
true Antic banking, compatibility with most Atari-based operating
systems and provides more than 8,000 sectors of RAMdisk capacity.
Another demonstration will feature installation of Newell's TAB TOS
Adapter Board, which enables users of old Atari STs to install up to 1
meg of ROM and to replace an older TOS with a newer version (up to
2.06).
Allard reports that East Hartford Computer Repair is experienced with
many upgrades of Atari 8-bit and 16-bit computers, peripherals and
accessories, using the products of Codehead Technologies, Gadgets by
Small and others. A member of the Atari User Group of Greater Hartford
says that Allard, who deals in new and used Atari gear, is the best
source in Hartford for all things Atari and is known for his willingness
to do any kind of upgrade, modification or repair. He is also described
as an avid gamer and solid businessman whose workshop is a gathering
place for Atarians that are members of his extended family.
If you are interested in having Allard perform an upgrade at the show
and want to bring your computer along, contact him directly to discuss
what upgrade you are considering, get a price quote and make an
appointment for Connecticut AtariFest '92. Because of the limited time
available for work during the show, those with confirmed appointments
will be given preference. For security reasons, show organizers cannot
permit visitors to bring their computers onto the exhibit floor without
prior authorization.
For more information about possible upgrades to your Atari, contact
Allard at East Harford Computer Repair, 202 Roberts Street, East
Hartford, CT 06108, or call (203) 528-4448. Allard is also the Sysop of
a BBS at (203) 568-7693. Or you can drop him some E-mail c/o
Connecticut AtariFest '92 (Vice Chairman Doug Finch is 76337,1067 on
CompuServe and D.FINCH7 on GEnie). We will forward it and the rest is
up to you. Connecticut AtariFest '92 offers the upgrade demonstrations
as a educational service to qualified individuals. Installing printed
circuit boards and/or chips requires a degree of experience with
electronic equipment and should not be taken lightly. Making changes
and modifications to your computer can void your warranty, and you
should consult a your dealer, a qualified technician and/or experienced
user before attempting such an activity. You might want one of them to
do the job for you rather than risk serious damage to your computer.
Connecticut AtariFest '92 has arranged these demonstrations, but assumes
no responsibility for business transactions between vendors and show
goers. CAF neither endorses nor discourages modifications to original
products, and will accept no responsibility for problems or damage
resulting from equipment changes made by vendors, their representatives
or attendees that elect to make equipment modifications themselves.
For more information about CAF '92, contact:
Brian Gockley, Chairman Doug Finch, Vice Chairman
Connecticut AtariFest '92 Connecticut AtariFest '92
GEnie: B.GOCKLEY GEnie: D.FINCH7
CompuServe: 75300,2514 CompuServe: 76337,1067
18 Elmwood Avenue 46 Park Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06605 Old Greenwich, CT 06870
(203) 332-1721 (203) 637-1034
| | | NEWS FROM THE DISKTOP
| | | Volume 1, Number 6 - August, 1992
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (C) 1992 Ron Albright
This, and all, issue of "News From The Disktop" is sponsored by the
Disktop Publishing Association and its member publications. "News From
the Disktop" features news, product developments, and other information
of interest to authors, distributors, and readers of electronic
publications. Items presented here serve to inform the public of the
electronic publishing industry which is the authorship and publication
of reading materials in electronic format, rather than traditional,
paper publishing. Back issues may be found on the Disktop Publishing
BBS at 205-854-1660.
The First Annual "Quills" Announced....
The big news this month is, of course, the announcement of the winners
of the First Annual "Digital Quill" awards for excellence in electronic
publishing. After many trials and tribulations - and late entries! -
the awards were announced to world on July 15, 1992. Here are the
winners:
=======================================================================
Regular Computer/Technical Publication
--------------------------------------
- a weekly, monthly or bi-monthly publication that has been in
publication for 6 months or more relating to computers or technology.
=======================================================================
#1 Winner:
"Files and Stuff" newsletter; Henry Barfoot and Lupe Tingle, Editors.
#2 First Runner-up:
"EFFector" (Electronic Frontier Foundation Online) newsletter, Rita M.
Rouvalis, Editor
#3 Second Runner-up:
"Z*Net PC" newsletter, Ron Kovacs, Editor.
=======================================================================
Regular Literary Publication
----------------------------
- a weekly, monthly or bi-monthly publication that has been in
publication for 6 months or more relating to literature, fiction, and/or
poetry.
=======================================================================
#1 Winner:
"Ruby's Pearls," Del Freeman, Editor.
#2 First Runner-up:
"Intertext," Jason Snell, Editor.
#3 Second Runner-up:
"QUANTA," Daniel Appelquist, Editor.
=======================================================================
Fiction Book
------------
- an original (eliminating reprints of the "classics" in digital format)
electronically published novel. Length: 50,000 words, minimum.
=======================================================================
#1 Winner:
"Tavern," Anastasia Smith; Publisher, UserWare (New York)
#2 First Runner-up:
"Southern Discomfort," Del Freeman; Publisher, A.C. Aarbus, (Sanford,
Florida)
=======================================================================
Non-Fiction Book
----------------
- an original non-fiction book in digital format. Length: 35,000 words
minimum.
=======================================================================
#1 Winner:
"Virtual Society," Harvey Wheeler; Publisher, UserWare
#2 First Runner-up:
"Fictional Writer's Primer," Darvin Harfield and Adam Poszar; Publisher,
Rabid Rhino (Huntington, IN)
#3 Second Runner-up:
"A Hitchhiker's Guide to Science Fiction," Ted Husted and Kevin Rhodes;
Publisher, UserWare
=======================================================================
Short Story
-----------
- a single original story appearing either alone or as part of an
anthology or magazine and published in digital format. This category
shall exclude reprints of stories originally published in a paper
publication. Length: 1000 words, minimum.
=======================================================================
# 1 Winner:
"The Woofbard Curse," C.G. Burner
#2 First Runner-up:
"Clarice and the Big Red One," Mary Ellen Wooford
#3 Second Runner-up:
"The Morals of the Ethical Woman," William Slattery
=======================================================================
Publishing software
-------------------
- a software program (Shareware or traditionally marketed) designed for
publishing text and/or graphics and facilitating their distribution and
viewing. Nominations will be accepted from users as well as original
authors.
=======================================================================
#1 Winner:
"DART," Ted Husted, UserWare
#2 First Runner-up:
"Writer's Dream," Jeff Napier, Another Company
#3 Second Runner-up:
"BDEXX," Anthony Hursh, Dead Moose Enterprises
Over fifty entries were received for the various categories with the
"Short Story" category, alone, having twenty works. Judging was done on
a "100 points possible" scoring system. There were 12 judges, selected
from the DPA membership. Selection of judges was based on the members'
qualifications and writing expertise.
Winners will be notified as soon as possible and will receive a
certificate, suitable for framing, for their achievement.
Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to all who submitted for
the awards. We look forward to next years awards and expect to see a
doubling of the entries and a wealth of new publications.
The news was quickly picked up by the wire services. CompuServe's
"Online Today" electronic news service ran a story as did NewsBytes
(which, according to their information, provides "independent computer
and telecommunications news to an estimated 4.5 million readers on major
online networks, via magazines, newspapers, and newsletters, worldwide.)
The full text of these stories can be read on the Disktop Publishing BBS
(205-854-1660).
The press heats up...
If you still believe - as you lie under a rock in the Grand Tetons -
that disktop publishing is not a "hot topic," you need to crawl out and
get to the nearest library. June's ink carried two major pieces on the
growing disktop publishing industry.
First, "Time" magazine's May 18, 1992 issues (page 69) carried "Read A
Good PowerBook Lately?" by Philip Elmer-Dewitt. After discussing the
PowerBook from Apple and its ability to read books from Voyager on disk,
the article close with the following:
"Ultimately, it may be the economics of publishing, not the aesthetics,
that determine what shape literature will take. [Ed. Note: Surprise,
Philip! Economics has dictated what we read for years...]...Old-
fashioned books will probably never be entirely displaced, but as the
cost of digital information continues to fall, and the environmental and
production costs of paper keep rising, the pleasure of buying and
reading a new hardbound volume may someday be limited to the few that
can still afford it."
Next, the venerable June 21, 1992 New York Times ran "The End of Books"
by novelist Robert Coover in their Sunday "Book Review" section. Coover
colorfully recants the premise of electronic publishing in observing
that in the electronic age "you will often hear it said that the print
medium is doomed and outdated technology, a mere curiosity of bygone
days destined soon to be confined forever to those dusty unattended
museums we now call libraries. Indeed, the very proliferation of books
and other print-based media, so prevalent in this forest-harvesting,
paper-wasting age, is held to be a sign of feverish moribundity, the
last futile gasp of a once vital form before it passes away forever,
dead as God." Amen!
After spewing forth such pedantic prose, Coover does get down to
describing the benefits and attractions of electronic publishing. His
discussion centers on hypertext and how it can enhance reading. He
extols hypertext by noting that "true freedom from the tyranny of the
line [and the page] is perceived as only really possible now at last
with the advent of hypertext, written and read on a computer, where the
line in fact does not exist..." Again, waxing eloquent, Coover notes the
following:
"Moreover, unlike print text, hypertext provides multiple paths between
text segments...hypertext presents a radically divergent technology,
interactive and polyvocal, favoring plurality of discourses over
definitive utteranance and freeing the reader from domination by the
author. Hypertext reader and writer are said to become co-learners or
co-writers, as it were, fellow-travelers in the mapping and remapping of
textual (and visual, kinetic and aural) components, not all of which are
provided by what used to be called the author."
When one is able to cut through the prose (which ain't always easy,
folks!), Coover does put forth a lot of information about how it feels
to read and write hypertext documents. He includes a sidebar which
offers a numbers of addresses and contacts for electronic publications.
Alas, the DPA and its members were not included. Still, some
principally academic publications were listed. These included
"Postmodem Culture" (a refereed electronic journal out of the University
of North Carolina), "EJournal" (edited by Ted Jennings at SUNY at
Albany) and "Leonardo" (from the International Society for the Arts,
Science, and Technology [ISAST]). The article spans three full pages
and certainly is a harbinger of future coverage in the publishing
literature about the electronic reading genre. If anyone is interested
in a reprint, drop me a SASE and I will get you a photocopy.
Then, Newsweek's June 29th issue carried "The Literary Circuit-ry" (pp.
66-7) by Michael Rogers. It begins with the following:
"Bibliophiles, take cover: the electronic book is on its way. These
days most books and magazines start out on computer screens. So why not
just eliminate the messy business with ink and save some trees? But
does this mean we permanently trade soothing expanses of cool paper for
glowing phosphors? Perhaps even abandon the pleasure of reading in the
tub, lest literature lead to electrocution? Hardly. No one is about to
replace your dogeared le Carre with an edition that requires four AA
cells (not included). Not yet, anyway. Larry Shiller, president of the
Bureau of Electronic Publishing, says, "Maybe adults don't read on
screen, but their children do. Wait one generation and all the
marketing problems will disappear."
We couldn't agree more! The article itself dealt principally with the
Voyager series of electronic books for the Apple Powerbook line of
computers and a little about IBM multimedia software. There was a nice
photo of a young lady reading a book on a Powerbook by the ocean as two
rollerbladers zoom by. Truly, a picture of the future.
Perhaps the most important for the DPA membership to carry away from the
article was a quote from futurist Paul Saffo. He said: "You can't
outbook the book just by adding electronics. Publishers will need to
offer something books can't." It has been the premise of the DPA that
there is a great of difference between producing a commercially-viable
publication and putting some ASCII text on disk. There must be some
advantage for choosing to use the digital format. Perhaps it is that
the information is time-sensitive and electronic publication is the best
way to disseminate it. Perhaps the material is a reference work that
would benefit from having the facilities of a computer to use it (for
searching, cross-referencing, etc.). Perhaps the document can be
enhanced by applying a hypertext or multimedia interface. Certainly,
financial considerations can play a part. Finally, if disktop
publishing is the only way one can afford to circulate the material, so
be it. But, as Saffo suggests, there has to be an advantage over print,
at least as the industry matures, for electronic publications to be a
success.
What all this means is that when the New York Times and Newsweek catch
wind of something, then it is truly a trend to be reckoned with. And,
for the DPA and its members, it is a trend we were well-aware of all
along. The air around the electronic publishing industry is charged
with excitement and we feel lucky to be a part of it. Time to grab on
and hold tight to the reins. It's going to be some ride!
(Nota Bene: Paul Saffo had a column in the June 7, 1992 New York Times
called "The Electronic Future is Upon Us." In it, he says: "Paper's role
in publishing is a remnant, and the power of choice is on everyone's
monitor." GREAT quote, worthy of someone's business slogan. "The Power
of Choice!")
Still doubt it?...
If you are still one of those who doubts that the market will ever exist
for paperless books and, particularly, if you are one that holds that
the lack of a hardware platform to read books will never exist is
sufficient numbers to provide a market read this:
Linda Rohrbough reported in the July 16 NewsBytes that, according to
market research firm SRI International estimates, palm-top, personal
information appliances, hand-held computers, sub-notebooks, personal
digital assistants, and picocomputers are all names for a computer you
will become increasingly familiar with and, more, you will probably be
carrying around in the next five years. SRI reports that this market
will grow to 17 million units annually by 1995. Market Intelligence
Research says projected growth in this market is expected to reach $50
billion by 1998. Pen computers are expected to grow fastest, company
officers said.
If the market research reports are correct, we should expect to see a
lot of people with these small computers, especially pen-based units, in
the next five years. And, if the market penetration for these machines
is going to be so large, don't you think they might like something to
read off their machines? Write a book and put it out on disk. Just do
it!
Floppyback Scoops Paper Publisher....
The signal that electronic publishing has, indeed, arrived comes from
Floppyback Publishing International (FPI). The small New Jersey
publisher has released information about how the company's imminent
release of the novel "The Angel of Death" caused the books paper
publisher to change the entire schedule and the size of the initial
printing run.
The story goes like this. Author Bruce Gilkin and FPI's Paul Peacock
struck a deal to publish the book on disk (using UserWare's DART
interface) and carried through an active publicity campaign for the
book's on-disk release. Copies of the novel-on-disk were sent
throughout the publishing industry. FPI's campaign for the book, which
deals with Vietnam veteran Bruce Gilkin's experiences with Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder, was so effective it brought endorsements from
Rolling Thunder, Pointman Ministries, the Philadelphia Veteran's Center,
and other large veteran's groups. Due to growing publicity surrounding
the book and the endorsement of the book by a growing number of
veteran's organizations, the book publisher for "Angel" pushed up the
numbers for the initial press run to 100,000, a number almost unheard of
for a novel of this type. Even more significantly, the book publisher
pushed the publication date ahead from one year to just three months.
FPI President Paul Peacock commented on the implications of this
development by noting "There are three significant points here. The
first is that the hardcover publisher brought forward the publication
schedule once they had seen the publicity generated by the diskette.
This can only be good news for authors and publishers. The second point
is that the book is still coming out first in floppyback. I think it's
the first time that a book that's due to come out in hardcover has come
out in floppyback. This demonstrates the maturity of the electronic
media market. The third is that the floppyback is priced at $15 and is
$10 less than the price of the hardcover, but Bruce is not losing out in
any way." Peacock notes that since the cost of producing a book on disk
is so much less than a paper version, the lower price still allows for
a significant profit for both author and publisher.
FPI Inc. is a creator and distributor of floppybacks. Its motto is
"Liberation!" and its mission, according to Peacock, is to provide
authors a means of getting their work into the marketplace directly. "I
am an author myself," he says, "and that's really why I started the
business. Floppyback publishing can be a great way for authors to go."
The floppyback can be ordered directly for $15 in IBM compatible format
by calling FPI order fulfillment at 1-800-526-9153. All major credit
cards are accepted. FPI can be reached at P.O. Box 2084, Hoboken, NJ
07030 or at 201-963-3012. FPI Inc. is a member of the Disktop
Publishing Association.
What this means to authors everywhere is that we now have another weapon
in our armory in the constant battle to get noticed by paper publishers.
If you are having trouble convincing a publisher that your book is
marketable (which, as we all know, is all that really matters to them),
why not put it out on disk? Find a disktop publisher to do it for you if
you don't have the time yourself. Then, market it like crazy and gather
the sales slips, endorsements, and readers comments from the on-disk
version. Show these to the book people. It will give you needed clout
in your negotiations. And, who knows? You may just decide to stay on-
disk and keep more of the profits. Get out that manuscript and get it
out on disk. Just do it!
Z*NET PC newsletter returns...
After a nearly 3 months hiatus, we are pleased to see the return of Ron
Kovacs "Z*NET PC" newsletter back online with a July 27, 1992 issue.
The DPA had received several queries as to the whereabouts of Z*NET from
interested readers and we had contacted Ron earlier on CompuServe. He
explained then that "Things are finally progressing forward. I am
compiling a new staff and revamping the entire magazine. I am focusing
more attention on the Z*Net News Service, which is something I have been
looking to do for some time. Z*Net PC will continue publishing in a few
days and hopefully will begin weekly release thereafter." True to his
word, Z*NET PC, Issue #33 was on CompuServe 7/27/92 (and now on the DPA
BBS). We're glad to see Kovacs and staff, members of the DPA, are still
putting out the same quality news and reviews they have always been
known for. Z*NET PC was "Second Runner-up" in the 1992 Quills.
New Members - Welcome Aboard!
Steven Hudgik, The HomeCraft Small Business Journal (P.O. Box 974,
Tualatin, OR 97062), is the latest member of the DPA family. Steve
describes his activities: "I publish the HomeCraft Small Business
Journal, a on-disk magazine for small businesses. I have two other
publications ready to go as soon as a staff is put together for them."
Good luck, Steve, and welcome aboard the DPA!
Final note...
Now that the Quills Awards are over with, the DPA and its membership are
now in the process of more formally organizing the Association. George
De Bruin and Don Lokke are putting together a committee to formally
define the "Charter" for the DPA. It should include election of
officers and standing committees, dues, definition of purposes, and
other details that are long overdue. I will be stepping down as
Director of the DPA as soon as elections are held and a new slate of
officers are designated by the membership. It's time for us to devote
the next 3 months getting tightly defined and focused and that is what
we are going to do. I challenge each DPA member to join actively in
supporting the process of clarifying our goals and activities. Only by
hearing what you want the DPA to provide for you can we be the service
organization we want to be.
| | | 38400 BAUD FOR YOUR HST
| | | By Erno Meffert
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
Some people using a HST modem on a atari ST wished their computer had a
38400 Baud modem port for optimal arc transmission. A 38400 baud,
locked port can be created with some extra hardware.
I, writer of this document, and artist of the picture (attached to the
this Atari Explorer Issue) will not be responsible for any damage made
to your equipment while building or using this 38400 baud serial port.
The file SER38400.PI3 contains a picture file which gives you some
information, how to create a locked 38400 kbaud rs-232 serial port.
The principal is quite simple. Normally Timer D creates the Baudrate of
the USART in the MFP. In order to give the USART an external clock we
have to disable the connection between the output of timer D (pin 16)
and the receiver/transmitter clock (pin 7 and 10) of the USART. The
easiest way to that is to make a little scratch op the platine.
At this point we have no clock for our usart.To get a new clock signal
we take a clock signal of 2.4576 Mhz (pin 18 MFP) and divide it by 4.
To do this, we use a 4040. The result on pin 7 of the 4040 (614400HZ)
will be our new USART RC/SC. The frequency is this high because the
USART will devide it by 16. Result is a serial port of 38400K Baud.
I hope this explanation will give you enough information to create such
a baudrate (if you need it)
For any problems or information you can contact:
Erno Meffert
postbus 2174
6802 CD Arnhem
Holland
Or using email: QuickBBS ST Arnhem
31-(0)85-644262
Fidonode 2:281/801
| | | HINTS AND TIPS
| | | From the Z*Net Archives
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT YOUR DESKTOP.INF FILE
FROM THE Z*NET BBS
by Richard Guadagno
How to edit your DESKTOP.INF file.
If you want to edit your DESKTOP.INF file, the first thing you must do
is load the DESKTOP.INF file into a Text Editor, or Word Processor. If
you own FLASH from Antic, use it's BUFFER window. FLASH has great
editing features. Once you have the file loaded you must decide what
you want edited.
1. If you want to edit the name of your TRASH CAN, look for the
following line.
#T 04 07 02 FF TRASH CAN@ @
Place your cursor on the @ symbol. Then carefully use the [BACKSPACE]
key to delete the name. Then just type ANY name up to 9 characters,
you want to appear under your TRASH CAN Icon.
2. If you want your 'Installed Programs' to be executed from a folder,
or if you want to install more files. Look for this line. (or one
like it)
#G 03 04 A:\ARCSHL21.PRG@ *.ARC@
#G 03 04 A:\ARCSHL21.PRG@ *.LZH@
Simply edit the line by inserting the folder name. Be sure to use the
backslash '\' like this: A:\FOLDER\FILE.NAME@ Make sure you do not
delete the @ characters. While you are doing this you can easily add
more file extenders. Just copy the lines exactly.
The line that starts with #G is for GEM programs.(PRG, APP)
The line that starts with #F is for TOS programs.(TOS)
The line that starts with #P is for TTP programs.(TTP)
GRAPHICS AND ANIMATION
ANIMATE 4
Ctsy CompuServe Atari Forums
#: 17827 S2/Games 22-Jan-90 11:06:18
Sb: #17801-#ANIMA4.ARC
Fm: SYSOP*Bill Aycock 76703,4061
To: Terry May 75076,3576 (X)
Terry,
I don't have any .DL? delta animations - never seen one, as a matter of
fact - and I suppose a lot of folks are the same way. Luckily, patching
either ANIMATE3 or ANIMATE4 to default to SEQ instead of DL? is very
simple. All you need to do is:
1. Boot with the TinyTool accessory or load it into MultiDesk. (If you
don't already have it, it's TTOOL.ARC in LIB 6 of ATARIPRO.)
2. Go into TinyTool and click on FILE, then load whichever version of
ANIMATE you want.
3. When the little info line says "File offset (beginning=0)":
- for ANIMATE3, type in $4A03
- for ANIMATE4, type in $4A90
and hit return. In a second the file screen will show up, and the
first three bytes displayed will be DLT (for v3) or DL? (for v4).
4. Click on the 44 on the first line, then type in 83 and hit return.
5. Click on the 4C on the first line, then type in 69 and hit return.
6. Click on the 54 (for v3) or 3F (for v4) on the first line, then type
in 81 and hit return.
7. Now the first three characters shown on the upper right should be
SEQ. Click on the WRITE button at the bottom of TinyTool to write
your changes to the file.
8. Ta-daaa! Done!
| | | SUPPORTING SHAREWARE
| | | By Terry Schreiber
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
Most computerists are aware of the many bulletin boards and networks
available with file areas that are classified as Public Domain software.
What most of these users don't know is that some of the software they
regard as free is actually shareware. Shareware is software that has
been released by the developer for you on a try on a limited basis. If
you like the program then you are asked to purchase it or updates by
sending the programmer money. Most developers ask for five or ten
dollars, or even donations, which is not unreasonable for a program
compared to the cost of a software package at your local store.
The problem is that most people are using the software and not
supporting the author. If this continues developers will soon tire of
the hours of work they spend on programming in comparison to the revenue
in return. These programmers are not going to get rich from this
revenue in fact in most cases it doesn't even cover the cost of the
updates and mailing to get the latest revision to you.
A partial solution our users group came up with was to increase the
selling price of all disks and magazines twenty-five cents with this
amount going into a kitty for shareware authors. Each month we will
draw a name and the total will be sent to that developer. This, of
course does not mean that the members can't still kick in what they want
as well sent to the programmer. We are hoping in this way to have not
only the individual registered for updates but the club as well. I hope
this plan meets with your approval programmers.
I realize that this is just another one of those pleas to support
shareware developers, but you should realize that by not paying for a
program that you are using you are as guilty of a crime as software
piracy or theft. There may be a few eyes opened with the last
statement. I'm sure there are programs you use all the time and don't
even think about. Arcshell, Cheetah, Dcopy these are all in the
category of shareware. I wouldn't like to estimate but I would guess at
least ninety percent of the persons using these and other shareware
programs have not paid for them. Prove me wrong! Please!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
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A special limited time offer is available for subscribers to AtariUser
Magazine. The regular $19.95 subscription price is now just $15.00 for
a full year or $25.00 a year for first class mailing. For more
information contact AtariUser at (818) 332-0372. Credit card or billing
is available. This offer available ONLY via US MAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Editorial material, including article submissions, press releases, and
products for evaluation, should be sent to the Z*Net News Service
Post Office Box 59, Middlesex, New Jersey, 08846.
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You can subscribe to the bi-monthly hard copy Atari Explorer Magazine
for $14.95 for 6 issues, $39.95 for 18 issues. Canadian subscribers
should add $5.00 per 6 issues,foreign subscribers should add $10.00 per
6 issues. Checks must be drawn in US funds on a US bank. Send orders
to Atari Explorer, Post Office Box 6488, Duluth, MN 55806. VISA and
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Reprints from the GEnie ST Roundtable are Copyright (c)1992, Atari
Corporation and the GEnie ST RT.
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Atari Explorer Online Magazine is a 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.
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Atari Explorer Online Magazine
"The Official Atari Online Journal"
Copyright (c)1992, Atari Computer Corporation
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