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Atari Explorer Online Issue 1993 12
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:: Volume 2 - Issue 12 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 9 July 1993 ::
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:: ::
:: ATARI .............. News, reviews, & solutions ............ ATARI ::
:: EXPLORER ............ for the online Atari .......... EXPLORER ::
:: ONLINE ................. Community .............. ONLINE ::
:: ::
:: Published and Copyright (c) 1993 by Subspace Publishing ::
:: """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ::
:: Publisher ........................... Michael Lindsay EXPLORER ::
:: Editor .................................. Travis Guy AEO.MAG ::
:: News and Features Editor ............... Ron Kovacs Z-NET ::
:: Assistant Editor GEnie............... Ron Robinson EXPLORER.1 ::
:: Assistant Editor CompuServe......... Albert Dayes AEO.1 ::
:: Assistant Editor Delphi........ Andreas Barbiero AEO.2 ::
:: Atari Asylum ................... Gregg Anderson AEO.7 ::
:: Unabashed Atariophile ..... Michael R. Burkley AEO.4 ::
:: ::
:: Contributors ::
:: """""""""""" ::
:: Peter Donoso, Tim Wilson ::
:: ::
:: Telecommunicated to you via: ::
:: """""""""""""""""""""""""""" ::
:: GEnie: AEO.MAG ::
:: CompuServe: 70007,3615 ::
:: Delphi: AEO_MAG ::
:: Fnet: AEO Conference, Node 706 ::
:: AtariNet: AEO Conference, Node 51:1/10 ::
:: ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Table of Contents
* From the Editors ................................ Bursting at the seams.
* Z*NET Newswire ........................... Atari & IBM Ink Half-Billion
Dollar Deal to OEM Jaguar.
* Dateline: Atari! ...................... Bob Brodie's July 9th GEnie RTC.
* Atari Asylum ...................... Warp 9 benchmarks and compatibility
testing on the Atari Falcon030.
* CartMaster - CartRight ............... Having the cartridge port blues?
Pete Donoso reviews two nifty
hardware solutions.
* AEO Calendar of Events ................ Events, happenings in the World
Atari, and elsewhere.
* Color for your Spectre GCR .......... Tim reports on a SCSI device that
delivers color on mono Macs.
It's Spectre compatible!
* AEO Game Tips ..................... Tips on Lynx games: Batman Returns,
Ninja Gaiden, Shadow of the Beast.
* The Unabashed Atariophile ......... Making friends and getting the best
in PD and Shareware files.
* GEnie News .......................... New files & happenings on Atari's
Official Online Resource.
* Atari's Developer CD-ROM ............. Excellent new developer resource
from Atari. Read this to see
if you qualify for one.
* DevNotes ........................ A focus on Oregon Research's products.
* Developing News .............................. Crazy Dots II Video Card
DSA's DEV_SHELL for GFA
Geneva - Gribnif's Multitasking Environment
WalZ Breakout
Font Sale from Compo
ChroMagic Has New Products
EdHak Update
DMC's Summer Font Sale
* Shutdown ................................................... Talk to Us.
--==--==--==--==--
||| From the Editors ....... Atari Explorer Online: The Next Generation
||| Travis Guy
/ | \ GEnie: AEO.MAG Delphi: AEO_MAG
-------------------------------------------------------------------
It's summer here in North America; time for life to slow down. For
many of us, the heat and humidity sap our strength to the point where
all we want to do is to go on vacation. Heck, even our politicians
look to leave Washington in the summer.
So what more surprising thing could occur than to suddenly see
stirrings... no, make that, suddenly see new life in Atari Corp.?
Here I was, planning to take things easy for a month or so - watching
the Falcon030s arrive and fall into the hands of the userbase. But
Atari had other plans.
Atari's stock, which many took pleasure in laughing at only a scant
few months ago, has managed to bounce upwards on several news items
having to do with Atari's new Jaguar multimedia system. (a.k.a. a
killer home videogame system) First came the announcement, predicted
in the last issue of AEO, of IBM's Charlotte, NC facility OEMing the
Jaguar.
Then came the report that Atari had made arrangements with Time-Warner
for access to Time-Warner's video image library for raw data to be
included in Jaguar games. Ten years ago, a sprite that "morphed"
between a yellow circle and a yellow circle with a missing pie-wedge
ruled the videogame universe. Today, gamers want MPEG decoded captures
of Hollywood stars to glitz up their latest role-playing sci-fi
time-warping murder mystery.
Ten years from now, where will games be? Connected through
"Information Highways" (cable TV?), will we be entering the first wave
of Virtual Reality games? It's a gut feeling on my part, but I'd wager
that a company named "Atari" will be there, making its mark somehow.
Who says there isn't anything new under the (scorching, summer) sun?
Atari news is bountiful these days. Let's go on to this issue's look
at the World Atari. (It's a different world.)
--==--==--==--==--
||| Z*NET Newswire
||| Compiled and Edited by Ron Kovacs
/ | \ GEnie: Z-NET CIS: 75300,1642 Delphi: ZNET
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###################
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#########(( #######
######(( ########## This column contains the latest Atari News
#####(((((((((( ### with an update of the Computing Industry.
###################
//// ATARI SIGNS $500 MILLION CONTRACT WITH IBM - Atari announced
=============================================== last week that it
signed a $500 million multi-year contract with IBM to manufacture the
Atari Jaguar, Atari's 64-bit multimedia entertainment system. The
Jaguar, to be made at IBM's Charlotte, N.C., factory, is an
"interactive" video-game system which features over 16 million colors
and produces three-dimensional shapes. It will be available on a
limited basis in the fall, focusing on the New York market, with a
national roll-out expected next year and a retail price of
approximately $200. The Jaguar will be competing against a much-touted
interactive multiplayer set to be released this fall by start-up 3DO
Inc., expected to cost $700. Atari said the Jaguar project represents
one of IBM's first entries into manufacturing for the mass consumer
electronics market. IBM will assemble the Jaguar and be responsible
for the component sourcing, quality testing, packaging and
distribution. Atari announced plans for the Jaguar on June 3. The game
player will be based on an Atari-designed 64-bit processor and a sound
system based on Atari's digital signal processor.
//// ATARI SHAREHOLDERS REJECT SPLIT - Atari announced the results of
==================================== its annual meeting held on
June 25, 1993, in Sunnyvale. In view of the current trading value of
the common stock, the board of directors recommended that the
shareholders vote against the one for 10 reverse stock split. The
shareholders voted against the proposal. Therefore, no reverse stock
split will occur. In addition, Sam Tramiel, president, demonstrated
game software on the company's new multi-media entertainment system
called the Atari Jaguar.
//// MICROSOFT INTRODUCES ARCADE - Microsoft has introduced Microsoft
================================ Arcade, the newest title from the
entertainment product unit. Microsoft Arcade is an accurate
replication of five of the most popular arcade games from Atari -
Asteroids, Centipede, Battle Zone, Missile Command and Tempest - for
use with the Microsoft Windows operating system. These high-quality
games were reproduced to give users the same look and effects on the
Windows platform that they recall from the original arcade versions.
//// MPEG GAINS SUPPORT - A group of leading consumer electronic
======================= manufacturers and program content providers
announced last week at the Digital World conference that they will
support the distribution of video on Compact Disc. These discs will
use the MPEG 1 standard for the compression of video and audio data.
Further, the manufacturers have agreed to support the Karaoke CD
format proposed by JVC and Philips Consumer Electronics which will
ensure that video CD programs can be played interchangeably on a wide
variety of platforms. Companies supporting the format include
Commodore, C-Cube Microsystems, E-Motions, Goldstar, JVC, Paramount
Home Video, Philips and Samsung. MPEG 1 compression technology allows
74 minutes of VHS-quality video and CD-quality audio to be played from
a Compact Disc. Directory information on video CD format discs is
compatible with both interactive players (such as CD-I, Commodore
Amiga, 3DO, Macintosh, PC-compatibles etc.) and linear play machines
(karaoke or movie players). To support interactive machines, the
directory format is compatible with CD-ROM XA, including all ISO 9660
compatible CD drives.
//// GDI - INDUSTRY FIRST C-TECH - has announced the industry's first
================================ GDI laser printer developed
exclusively for the Windows 3.1 user environment. The C.Itoh ProWriter
CI-4GDI, available OEM as model 1321E, combines high quality, high
performance and low noise in a compact package. It is the first GDI
laser printer introduced to the United States market. List priced at
$999, the CI-4GDI/1321E is also the company's first printer product
designed to comply with the energy requirements established by the
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new Energy Star Program, which
was launched in Washington, D.C., on June 17. Resolution is 300x300
dots-per-inch. A high-speed Centronics parallel interface is standard.
//// NEW JOINT SPONSORED CD-ROM - Apple, Kodak and Sony recently
=============================== announced the release of a jointly-
sponsored CD-ROM title called Open Wider. Created by New York-based
multimedia design company Imergy, Open Wider documents the assembly of
Open, a magazine that explores creativity in the digital age. Open
Wider is an interactive CD-ROM that brings the making of Open to life
while expanding its content through sound, animation, video and still
photography. It is also intended to be an educational tool for
magazine and book publishers, advertisers, and universities, offering
insight into the future of publishing. The three sponsors each played
a key role in the production of Open Wider. All of the photos used in
the CD-ROM were first stored on Kodak Photo CD, then accessed from
Photo CD and incorporated into the CD-ROM. Open Wider was designed and
produced entirely on Apple Macintosh computers. Sony helped in the
final stages by manufacturing the CDs and contributing the jewel case
packaging.
//// PROTECT YOUR KIDS FROM GUNS - A Family of Safety Products
================================ (FSPI), an Atlanta-based company,
has created a new solution to this growing problem of guns using
today's computer technology, packaged in a special enclosure designed
to fit on most handguns, long guns and air guns. TriggerAlarm, the
lead product in the line, combines visual warnings designed to
communicate effectively the potential danger of the gun, along with a
digital alarm system which, when activated, sounds an 85-decibel alarm
which warns the child, or other individual, of the danger, while
alerting the owner and others in the home of the intrusion. According
to a recent General Accounting Office (GAO) report, 31 percent or more
of the accidents with guns and youths could be avoided through the use
of a device which would block access to the trigger and provide
cognitive warnings that communicate the danger effectively.
TriggerAlarm and its companion, TriggerShield, provide both of those
capabilities in a small package which fits on most handguns, rifles,
shotguns, air guns and paint ball guns. TriggerAlarm expands on that
solution by including a full digital alarm system designed to sound if
the gun is tampered with. While limiting accesses and providing
immediate warnings, this system can be easily removed from the gun in
seconds by the educated owner, and is controlled by a two-digit
security code. TriggerAlarm is priced at $29.95, while TriggerShield
is $12.95.
//// WILD TYPE FROM ADOBE - Adobe announced the immediate
========================= availability of Adobe Wild Type, a
package of creative headline typefaces for Macintosh and IBM
compatible computers. Adobe Wild Type font software features nine new
Adobe Original typefaces, including Critter, Cutout, Studz, Rad,
Mythos, Toolbox, Quake, Giddyup and Giddyup Thangs. In addition, the
package has five typefaces adapted from existing Adobe Originals that
complement the Adobe Wild Type fonts. The package is available
immediately for a suggested retail price of $60.
//// TOKENPRINT SHIPPING - Dayna Communications has announced
======================== TokenPrint, a LocalTalk to Token Ring
bridge for connecting LocalTalk printers and other devices directly to
Token Ring networks. TokenPrint will connect up to two LocalTalk
devices to Token Ring, while TokenPrint Plus will connect up to four
LocalTalk devices. With the exception of routers, all types of
LocalTalk devices are supported, including all brands of printers,
network modems and Macintosh computers.
//// IBM ANNOUNCES NEW PENDOS - IBM announced a new version of the
============================= PenDOS system for pen computing. With
this release PenDOS is now available from IBM directly to end-users
for the first time, in addition to being pre-loaded on a variety of
pen- based computers from other vendors. PenDOS Version 2.2 brings a
broad range of pen-based capabilities, including handwriting
recognition in any one of six languages, to DOS applications. PenDOS
is now available to both end-users, OEMs, ISVs and systems
integrators. Single unit end- user pricing is $89. Volume discounts
are available for OEMs.
//// IBM ANNOUNCES PEN FOR OS/2 - IBM's announced Pen for OS/2. Pen
=============================== for OS/2 is a powerful pen computing
system that adds pen capabilities, with handwriting recognition, to
virtually any OS/2, DOS or DOS/Windows application. Pen for OS/2 is
designed for mobile computing environments, where a keyboard can be
impractical, and for collaborative computing on the desktop. It
combines the strengths of OS/2 with full-featured pen capabilities,
including: integrated user-trainable handwriting recognition; a window
which adds handwriting recognition to most non-pen-aware applications;
standard and user-customizable gestures, and a pop-up keyboard.
Included as part of Pen for OS/2 are two applications - Telepen, a
collaborative computing system, and Sketchpad, a freehand drawing
tool. Pen for OS/2 is available now to end-users at a single-unit
price of $89.
//// IBM INTRODUCES PCDOS 6.1 - IBM has introduced PC DOS 6.1, a
============================= full-featured, enhanced version of
the DOS operating system that includes valuable utilities from three
industry-leading vendors. PC DOS 6.1 is a robust product that includes
utilities from Central Point Software for backup, memory management
and scheduling, as well as IBM's AntiVirus technology. PC DOS 6.1 is
the only DOS to ship with pen extensions that enable the use of a pen
instead of a mouse and advanced software supporting PCMCIA cards,
through an agreement with Phoenix Technologies Ltd. PC DOS 6.1
includes proven, data compression technology from Addstor, Addstor's
SuperStor/ DS provides PC DOS 6.1 users with DoubleSpace-compatible
real-time data compression. PC DOS 6.1, which will be generally
available July 26, will ship with a coupon offering users a free
upgrade to the AddStor compression product. PC DOS 6.1 with
compression will be available later this year, once PSP has completed
additional integration and useability testing of SuperStor/DS.
//// WORDPERFECT OFFICE 4 NOW AVAILABLE - WordPerfect Office 4.0 for
======================================= DOS, Windows and Macintosh
began shipping June 4, 1993, and is now available through direct sales
and various distribution channels including resellers, value added
resellers and system integrators. In WordPerfect Office 4.0,
electronic mail, schedule requests and personal calendaring messages
are stored in the same user/message database. By combining the three
elements into one, users are no longer limited to just sending
electronic mail, scheduling appointments or scheduling resources.
Users can now schedule tasks as easily as they send an electronic mail
message.
//// COMPAQ WILL DISTRIBUTE OS/2 2.1 - An agreement was announced by
==================================== Compaq with IBM's Personal
Software Products Division to distribute IBM's OS/2 2. 1 operating
system. Under the agreement, announced at the PC Expo in New York
city, Compaq said the OS/2 2.1 will be available through Compaq's
reseller channels and will be supported on all current Compaq desktop
and server products.
//// WINDOWS WORLD QUICK REPORT - Windows World Expo/Tokyo '93
=============================== attracted 67,418 visitors to the
Nippon Convention Center to see the latest developments in Windows
technology. The exposition and conference, held June 16-18, nearly
doubled its attendance from the previous year (34,036). Interest in
Windows has skyrocketed since Microsoft released the Japanese version
of Windows 3.1 on May 17, 1993. Windows World brought together 119
companies utilizing 59,300 square feet of booth space, a 73 percent
increase in booth space over the previous year. Among the participants
were 58 new companies, including 27 exhibiting companies from
overseas. Show highlights included demonstrations of Windows for
Workgroups, Windows NT, Windows for pens, Video for Windows and
Modular Windows. A "Hands-on Corner" allowed visitors to sample many
new applications installed in Windows. Featured keynote speakers
included Benjamin Rosen, chairman of Compaq Computer, Sam Furukawa,
chairman of Microsoft Japan and Makoto Naruke, president of Microsoft
Japan. Microsoft founder Bill Gates addressed the Tokyo audience by
video.
//// ACCOLADE SIGNS CHARLES BARKLEY - Accolade has signed an
=================================== exclusive, worldwide licensing
agreement with basketball MVP Charles Barkley. Barkley will add his
flashy style and well-known personality to the game by co-designing
and endorsing Accolade's line of action-packed basketball simulations.
The game is scheduled for release on the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis
and IBM PC and compatible computers during the first quarter of next
year.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Dateline: Atari!
||| The July 9 GEnie RTC with Bob Brodie, Director of Communications
/ | \ -----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
<[Host] ST.LOU> Good evening to all our loyal GEnie members and
welcome to the July session of Dateline Atari! with Bob Brodie. I
hope you all had a great holiday last weekend and I am very happy you
all made it back safe and sound. Tonight Bob will bring us up to date
on the industry-setting news about the Jaguar - Atari's 64-bit game
console - and the very promising arrangement with IBM. I am sure we
will also hear the latest on Falcon computers and applications. Of
course, Bob will also be ready to answer any Atari-related questions,
right Bob? So without further ado..... ROUND 10 of Dateline Atari!
with Bob Brodie.
<BOB-BRODIE> Welcome to the July installment of Dateline: Atari!
I trust that you have all enjoyed last weekend's holiday time. My
family and I used it for a much needed "get away" time to step back
from things, and enjoy each others company.
I had hoped tonight to be able to discuss the Atari Jaguar in more
depth than we've done in the past, but I've been unable to hook up
with our technical staff to get the kind of information for you that
I'd really like to have. So, while I'm prepared to field some
questions on the Jaguar, I'll ask you to be understanding if I cannot
be as forthcoming as I had hoped to be tonight.
We gave one of the first demos of the Atari Jaguar at our recent
shareholders meeting, where we showed our stockholders that
"futuristic" style housing, as well as demonstrated some of the
software titles that we're working on. Be sure to check the last
issue of Atari Explorer Online Magazine for all the details on that
meeting...they had an excellent reporter hidden in the crowd! Most of
the details reported by AEO are right on target. Especially of
interest to some of the attendees at the meeting was the fact that the
Jaguar does in fact have a 64 bit data bus.
On the Computer side of our business, we're continuing to get
shipments of the Atari Falcon030 Computer in good quantity. We have
finally seen the first shipments of the 1 meg no hard disk machines,
and the four meg no hard disk units. We're still on back-order for
the ram boards that we're manufacturing, but the developers are
supplying our customers with high quality 3rd party boards. I stopped
by B & C ComputerVisions earlier this week to catch a first hand look
at the RAM Gizmo Board from CHROMagic. This board accepts regular
SIMM modules in it, and looks terrific! The suggested retail price of
the board is $99, without SIMMs. B&C had already installed a 14 meg
upgrade into one of the units that they had for sale, and seemed quite
pleased with the results!
For our part, we have been shipping MultiTOS and SpeedoGDOS. We had
been shipping Atari Works as part of the Falcon030 shipments, but
hadn't gotten the manuals in. There has been a significant demand for
Atari Works, and in our zeal to meet the demand, there was a mistake
made in the final process of preparing the product to be shipped. It
seems that rather than package the 720K floppies that we had
manufactured to go in the stand alone Atari Works package, the units
inadvertendly went out with the High Density floppies that were
supposed to go with the Falcon030. We apologize for the
problems...the stand alone version of Works wasn't really quite ready
to go out the door. We were waiting for the boxes to be
manufactured...and we're a little red-faced about the mistake. Greg
Labrec is hustling to make things right, and I'm sure that we'll have
this straightened out in short order.
Our current inventory situation on the Falcon030 is quite strong, and
our dealer base is still growing, albeit mostly in the music side of
the business. On the computer side domestically, we're pleased that
we were visited by our friends from Holland, Compo Software last week.
They are preparing to bring into the US their high quality PC board,
Falcon Speed, as well as the exciting Overscan product called Screen
Blaster. I expect that they will also be importing in the product
NVDI, a high quality screen re-draw accelerator. They were kind
enough to provide me with copies of these products, and they look
terrific! The Falcon Speed Board is a very clean "plug and play"
type of design, and the Screenblaster plugs in to your monitor port,
and then a cable to one of the joystick ports. Very nice results, and
fully programmable. Be sure to check with COMPO here on GEnie for the
pricing and availability of these products.
I had a lot more to say in my opening remarks, but a hard disk demon
seems to have stricken them from my files.... I apologize for the
problems, why don't we just head to questions Lou, and as usual, we'll
take 'em all on. <grin>
<S.MILLER58> so MT is avail now for the TT?
<BOB-BRODIE> Yes Steve, it is shipping. Works great, I use it
everyday at work.
<S.MILLER58> cool!, how much?
<BOB-BRODIE> STeve, I believe that the MSRP is $69
<Y.SIU> Thanks, one thing that many people are fearing is that Atari
will be concentrating more on the Jaguar and neglect the Atari
Computer's series for a while? I hope that this fear is unjustified.
Also, how long will Atari take to produce an '040 Computer? It
doesn't appear to be planned and this is part of why some of those
fears emerged...also, how supportive is Atari about Atari Clones made
in both Germany and U.S. (unofficial yet)
<BOB-BRODIE> Yat, we've made it very clear that we intend to support
the Falcon for a long, long time. We've indicated to you personally,
repeatedly, that we will not discuss future products that have not
been announced, and that I am an employee of the US, and not preparted
to discuss European issues ...three months running now.
<Y.SIU> It's not about Europe...
<BOB-BRODIE> There is no question that the Jaguar is an important
product for our product line, and that the Falcon is as well. We took
pains at our recent shareholders meeting to showcase both machines to
ensure that our shareholders understood that we are supporting both of
the products to the fullest. The only reason that I can think of that
you are saying that an 040 appears to be unplanned is that we're
unwilling to discuss future products.
<Y.SIU> Ok..thanks, what is Atari's viewpoint about Clone Computers
about Atari?
<BOB-BRODIE> I assure you that as Sam has indicated in the past, the
Falcon is the first in a new family of computers. There will be
updates to the line, and we'll continue to make computers for quite a
while to come. As far as the clones go, we've worked closely with
most of the so-called clones, and they are in many cases just a
repacked Atari.
<PRESS-20> Can you tell us more about the IBM-Jaguar deal, Seems to
me to be one of the most significant developments of the decade for
Atari. An American made entertainment console is going to make a
wonderful Christmas present.
<BOB-BRODIE> The contract is for 30 months, IBM will be sourcing the
parts, doing the Q/A, building and distributing the product from their
warehouse in North Carolina. Can you be more specific in your
question?
<PRESS-20> So question one: any more details? Okay, any chance that
IBM would build Falcons and TTs?
<BOB-BRODIE> Not at this time, we have other contracts in place for
that. In the future, it's a possibility.
<PRESS-20> Any chance that STBooks may make it into production?
<BOB-BRODIE> Right now we're focusing on the Falcon and the Jaguar,
Donovan. We are aware of the demand for the ST Book, but think that
it will need a lot more re-working before it will be ready.
<P-DIRECT> Hello, Bob. Fairly easy question - any news on when the
software for the upgrade cards with the Falcon030 will be shipped?
<BOB-BRODIE> The software is shipping now, Sean. We sent out a
mailing today with the material in it for the dealers.
<J.WHITE99> Since there seems to be a lot of questions tonight
concerning the TTs can you update us on the status of a several week
old rumor of TTs coming into Sunnyvale?
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Jeff, it's not a rumor at all. We're bringing the TT
back into production. We have been told by our corporate officers to
expect TT's sometime next month.
<SAM-RAPP> Hi Bob! I picked up Battle Wheels for the Lynx yesterday!
Great game! Any news on Daemonsgate or others? What about the Joy
stick/pad for Falcon? Same as Jaguar? Available when? My dealer had
no cards for missing Falcon Software! Also, I have had a bad HD in my
Falcon for a month! Why can't Atari Get me a replacement?
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Sam....I agree, Battle wheels is a terrific game.
The next ones that you should expect to see on the shelf are Gordo
106, Lemmings, and then Jimmy Connors Tennis. Sorry, no comment about
Daemonsgate, still in beta. The joystick pad for the Jaguar is the
same unit as for the Falcon, only a different color. Your dealer can
get the cards he needs for the missing Falcon software by contacting
Greg Labrec at Atari for them, or myself.
Re the hard drive, we had a few problems with some hard drives, and
the manufacturers were here at Atari trying to figure out what the
problem was. It didn't make sense to send out more until we
determined what the problem was. There was a concern that it might
have been a software problem rather than a hardware one.
<SAM-RAPP> When on Falcon stick? My HD problem was DEFINATELY
hardware! (bump...grind... etc!)
<BOB-BRODIE> You'll have the Falcon stick when the games that use it
are available, Sam. All of the game manufacturers have them, we won't
be the only ones shipping them...and I know that you think it was a
hardware problem... so did everyone else. :( But there is more to it
than meets the eye and that's why the drive mfgs were called in.
<J.VOGH> Can you describe some Jaguar games and how well suited is
the Jaguar for 2D games like SF2 and sonic? Also, what FCC class is
the new TT?
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi James, take a look at the last Atari Explorer Online
Magazine here in the libraries on GEnie. It has a piece in it about
the shareholders meeting where it talks about the games. They are
truly stunning. The Jag is better than 2D, it is well suited for 3D
games. I'm not sure what class the TT will be in when we get
it...good question. I'll ask!
<J.VOGH> About, the 2D suff, is the Jaguar good at that type of stuff
if that is what you what to do? Parallax scrolling etc.
<BOB-BRODIE> We certainly don't want to restrict the machine in
anyway, James. That's why we've designed it to interact with both
phone systems via modem, and cable TV systems.
<R.ALBRIGHT7> Hi Bob, Do you know of any Falcon-aware games , i.e.,
256 color, 16bit sound, etc., available now, and upcoming? Also,
will there be a change in the TT MSRP with the new shipment, you could
sell some serious units at around Falcon price!. And finally, what is
the best source for apps available for the Falcon, esp. video, maybe
an updated TOS catalog (there was a date on it, suggesting revision.
<BOB-BRODIE> Hey Rob, yes we are indeed aware of some Falcon specific
games. Most of them are coming here from Europe. They look terrific,
and really, really SOUND incredible as well. The DSP is well suited
to the sounds used by many of the leading game developers.
Re the TT, we're going to hold off on any price discussuions on that
until they get in hand.
<BOB-BRODIE> We will be updating our dealers via mailings and faxes
as the new products become available...that's what we did with the Ram
GIZMO and it seemed to work nicely. Our users will continue to get
the latest in news on the exciting new games and other Falcon products
from Atari Explorer Online Magazine, available here on GEnie.
<Y.SIU> Will atari and IBM maybe team up on distributing the Jaguar
i.e. Advertisemsnt?
<BOB-BRODIE> No comment re the developers. Sorry. We plan on doing
our own press on the Jaguar. If you're in the area of the roll out
(New York or San Francisco) I'm sure you'll be impressed with the
results of the TV (yes, television) advertising that we'll have for
the Jaguar. If you are not in those target areas....get cable or read
Atari Explorer Online. They'll probably have GIFs of the ads in their
issue.
<D.MUNSIE> Hi Bob, I'll make these quick...Will the letters IBM appear
anywhere on the packaging? Also how many active users (ST/STe here
in the states now and does Atari encourage ST/STe development still?
Thanks.
<BOB-BRODIE> No. ST development makes no sense at all, not enough
colors, not enough sound. We've said for about three years now that
our developers should be making STE or greater products. Via our
developer newsletter we've provided guidance on programming for
compatibility (authored by Leonard Tramiel no less) and it is an
obtainable goal. I think that the Falcon offers such exciting new
capabilities that it makes sense to program with those in mind. As
far as the number of users, sorry....no comment.
<J.WHITE99> Is there going to be an official attempt to gain some
exposure in popular trades (reviews, comments, honorable mentions,)
like New Media or other cross platform mags - or would it be
appreciated if an anonymous letter to the pubs. suggested that they
investigate the Falcon and or other Products? Has anyone in Sunnyvale
looked at what Cupertino is proposing with the "Cyclone"?
<BOB-BRODIE> Jeff, we have gotten such press in the past, albeit not
in New Media. We have seen write ups in Computer Reseller News, a
very prestigous industry publication. And yes...they are officially
sanctioned actions. I helped. :) New Media is neat, but it's new.
It hasn't even published for a year yet, so let's not annoint it to
the level of the Info World et als just yet.
<R.COOPER2> Bob, I've heard a lot of talk regarding Falcons without
HDs not having the s/w pkgs. Could you comment on this? Is the
software extra for those who don't require the HD space? If so, why
is that? [a soon-to-be Falcon owner :) ] BTW, thanks for taking the
time out to do this. It's appreciated!
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Rob, the Falcons without HDs will ship without
SpeedoGDOS, Works, or Falcon D2D. The reason is that's part of the
incentive to purchase the machine with the HD...that software will be
pre-installed at the Factory (eventually), so there will be no need to
include the floppies with the units. BTW, I enjoy this time, too. :)
<C.ADAMS2> hips in
<BOB-BRODIE> Chris, try it again...
<[CHRIS ADAMS] C.ADAMS2> video?
<BOB-BRODIE> I don't believe you're asking me about my hips.
<[Host] ST.LOU> :-) Maybe inquiring minds WANT TO KNOW! :-_)
<[CHRIS ADAMS] C.ADAMS2> ps, sorry.
<BOB-BRODIE> Where's Ralph???
<[Host] ST.LOU> Hehehe
<[Host] ST.LOU> You should see the /sends I'm now getting ... :-)
<BOB-BRODIE> me too. :)
<S.MERRILL1> What speed does the Jaguar run at?(mhz)
<BOB-BRODIE> Sorry, that's part of the info that I'd hoped to have on
hand, but couldn't get together with our staff to have available for
you tonight. Hopefully, we'll have a full spec sheet available soon.
Look for it in the library, as well as in a future edition of Atari
Explorer Online Magazine.
<PRESS-20> One question: What's the status of Atari Explorer, the
magazine?
<BOB-BRODIE> Still up in the air. We had a proposal to have it done
by Lindsay and company on the outside that looked like it was going to
fly, but was rejected at the last moment. Not sure why.
<Y.SIU> I read in STFormat issue 47 (june 1993) that the 520STFm is
being reintroduced? I hope that isn't true....? Thanks
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Yat, I read that too. Garry Tramiel and I had a good
laugh about it. No, it's not.
<[Robb @ PAC] R.ALBRIGHT7> Bob, I realize it is still early in the
game, but have there been any discussions with developers from IBM/Mac
with established software about porting to the Falcon? Also, do you
have any _names_ of the Falcon games I asked about before?
<BOB-BRODIE> Rob, most of the developers from the IBM/Mac world are
going to want to see better sales of Falcons before they will be
willing to port their stuff. We're continuing to work with our
excellent developers association, The IAAD, to get the highest quality
software produced for our customers, and our machines. We're grateful
that we have such a dedicated organization of professionals to work
with. Re the game titles, hmmmmmm nah. Better not. :)
<ARCHIVIST> Bob, just a little question about the IBM deal. Will
they be making only the basic Jaguar or will they also be responsible
for the add-on's like the CD-Rom, joypad, etc...
<BOB-BRODIE> Good question, Charlie. To be honest, I'm not 100% sure.
But in the past, we've always handed off the entire product line to a
specific manufacturer.
<D.FREELAND> Hi Bob. I just got my F030 about a week ago and after
looking at the machine, SpeedoGDOS and Atari Works, I am sure Atari is
on its way to reclaiming a good portion of the market and attracting
some NEW users to the platform, I was wondering what kind of incentive
is Atari giving to make their programs work on the F030. Also, is
there any truth to the ST Format article that states Atari is
projecting the sale of 100,000 F030's by Christmas?
<BOB-BRODIE> Basically, we're providing developers with an
environment to produce products that are not possible to do on other
machines right out of the box. Like Digital Sound, and other DSP kind
of things. By giving them hardware that they can be creative in, we
feel that we will continue to attract some of the very best/inovative
minds in the world.
Re the ST Format article, I'd rather not comment on that, since I
haven't seen the article in question yet. I enjoy a pretty good
relationship with ST Format, and don't know what their source was, or
their intention...ie UK, Europe, worldwide, etc. ga
<[Chris] C.CASSADAY> The recent upload of the Develper CD ROM info
gives some light to the possibility of new developers coming on board
to the Atari platform. At least it gives the appearance that Atari
recognizes the need to increase developer support in order to attract
those folks... I know personally that Mike Fulton helped me out quite
a bit a few weeks ago when I needed some help.
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Chris, this is a project that we've wanted to do for
a long time. You're right, we're certainly aware of the increase in
support that is needed.
<R.HOUSE4> Three questions Bob - Do you have any information on
'Falcon Speed 486'? Are you aware of any Falcon specific accelerator
boards? Lastly, is there any plans to standardize the look and feel
of Atari specific software packages similar to Windows and Mac
applications to their respective platforms?
<BOB-BRODIE> I personally own a Falcon Speed 286, I've been asked not
to comment on the 486 product at this time. Yes, there is an
accelerator board, I believe it is from Overscan, but not 100% certain
about that. I was told that it was a 48Mhz board.
Re the standardization...that is something that Bill Rehbock took up
once upon a time. It didn't meet with a lot of success. In Europe,
they have an extra key to contend with that tends to mess up some of
the common key combos that we'd like to see. Like using the ALT key
for instance. It's evil. :)
<BOB-BRODIE> But certainly common things, like Control-O to open a
file, that sort of stuff...should come in time.
<C.S.SMETON> Bob, Sales via the Distribution system have almost
reached a stand still. Does Atari have a list of the 140+ Falcon
approved dealers that you can give to developers for direct marketing?
<BOB-BRODIE> Charles, at this point I have been instructed not to
release that list. Sorry. We are discussing other methods with the
IAAD to aid in the sales, like putting them in contact with our rep
firms to ensure that the reps are aware of the third party solutions
that are available on the computer side of the business. Most of them
have a high level of expertise on the music side, but couldn't un-lzh
a file if their life depended on it. Or unzip one, right Jeff?
<C.S.SMETON> Bob, I would not expect a music dealer to un-zip or
un-lzh a file. I just want to directly contact them about our
products. How many of the Falcon ADA dealers are music specific or
music intensive and
<BOB-BRODIE> Charles, understood. My point is that since I cannot
release the list directly, I want to do the next best thing...make
sure that our sales reps can inform dealers of your products in a
proper fashion. It's going to be an educational process for them,
they are largely musically inclined.
<C.S.SMETON> how many are true computer stores? How does a user know
where they can buy a Falcon?
<BOB-BRODIE> The dealers are running about 3-1 Music. A user can
know where to buy one by contacting Atari, or by looking for a
dealer's advertisment.
<DMJ> First, I heard a rumor that one dealer has 500 Falcons. If
this is true, it's good news. I also read the Developer's CD info; it
looks good.
<BOB-BRODIE> Not true.
<DMJ> Not true about the 500 Falcons? Oh well. 50 maybe, not 500.
Sorry. Okay... about how much will the Developer CD cost?
<BOB-BRODIE> Actually, most of the dealers report that their
shipments come in, and go out pretty quickly.
<DMJ> I was wondering how much the developer CD will cost.
<BOB-BRODIE> Sorry for the delay, had to double check with the Dev
guys on that. No price has been announced at this time.
<[DAVE] D.MUNSIE> Bob, as a writer for a European magazine (ST
REVIEW) I have to clarify this. When you said you laughed about the
ST Format article about the re-release of the STFM's are you going on
record as saying there is no truth to that article what so ever? Alot
of people in the media in the UK seem to think it's true.
<BOB-BRODIE> Dave, when I was told about the rumor, I asked my
immediate superior, Garry Tramiel. He is well informed on our
companies plans world wide. He indicated that it was not true.
<ST.LOU> Well Bob it has been another wonderful evening and I would
like to thank you for staying way beyond our usual time. Best wishes
in the days ahead and I hope you get to spend some summer time with
your family!
<BOB-BRODIE> Thanks, Lou. It's always a pleasure to spend this time
on GEnie, our official online service with our users. I really look
forward to this event that we've come to share each and every month
exclusively here on our online network of choice, GEnie!!! I'm off to
a weekend with my family for some of the summer fun, and hope that the
rest of you have a wonderful weekend as well. Good night!!!
--==--==--==--==--
||| Atari Asylum
||| By: Gregg Anderson
/ | \ GEnie: AEO.7
----------------------------------------------------------------
Hi there, I see you've gone and gotten yourself committed. What did
you do this time, get caught talking about Atari computers again?
Anyway, it looks like we'll be sharing a padded cell, these budget
cuts are really getting out of hand. You lucked out this time though,
someone slipped up and left something new in my padded cell today.
Codehead, makers of those tasty little goodies G-Plus, MultiDesk, Warp
9, and many, many, others, let a late beta version of their new
Falcon030 compatible Warp 9 come over for a visit. That's right my
friend, after an uncomfortably quiet two weeks things have started
hopping on the Asylum's Falcon. Needless to say I took advantage of
this to run a few more timing tests on our new Falcon with WARP 9
active in all of them. YES, FALCON WARP 9 IS ALMOST READY FOR RELEASE!
So why didn't I include Warp 9 in the tests last time? Because it
wasn't fair to match ANY Atari system with Warp 9 against one without
it. Warp 9 really does make that much of a difference when it comes to
many graphics and virtually all text operations. To be honest, a non-
Warped Falcon can look pretty sad alongside a Warped MegaSTe when it
comes to running a word processor.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Real World Programs
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Once again G-Plus is used in place of GDOS on the Mega4 and SpeedoGDOS
is active at all times on the Falcon.
Program |--Mono--| Mono Mono |-----------FALCON-----------|
Mega4 MSTe TT 256 16 4 2 STHi
8Mhz 16Mhz 16Mhz 32Mhz |-------Color Modes----------|
//// EasyDraw 3.0
Load & display: 42.5 30.0 ---- --- 27.1 22.5 20.9 20.2 19.4
113k full page: 12.3 8.7 ---- --- 10.2 8.3 7.5 7.1 7.0
//// 1stWord Plus
12 Page Scroll: 62.3 47.4 38.6 31.5* 135.2 70.3 43.1 33.7 32.5
*: 1/2 page size (STe/Falcon sized display) scroll was 26.0 seconds
//// TouchUp 1.84
Load & Display: 8.5 6.0 ---- --- TouchUp runs -- 3.8 3.6
120k full page: 6.7 3.6 ---- 3.5 in Monochrome -- 2.3 1.9
Rotate page 180: 12.7 7.4 ---- 4.4 Modes Only --- 4.5 3.9
(All times in Seconds)
//// AtariWorks WP: Ok, I didn't run a full benchmark test here, so
sue me <grin>. However, I can safely attest that a Warped Falcon is
NOTICEABLY faster than the standard bird. In fact, with Warp 9 active,
its 111 second, 15 page scroll, is over 30% faster than the 167 second
time of the base bird.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Comments
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
[] Graphics drawing: based on the Easy Draw and TouchUp tests a warped
Falcon's graphics remain faster than a warped ST/STe/MegaSTe, though
not by as much as expected. In fact Warp 9's overhead seemed to cause
a slight reduction in performance within these two programs as
compared to a 'clean' system. This is possibly due to the test unit
having an older version of TOS and the fact that I was testing a
'beta' version of Warp 9.
[] TEXT SPEED: In two-color mode a "clean" Falcon is about as fast as a
basic 8MHz ST/STe running with Warp 9. Once warped, however, the
Falcon speeds up quite a bit. Be warned that the 256 color mode
remains a touch slow for comfortable use by fast typists and its color
shift is still very distracting. Even with Warp 9 active, the more bit
planes in use the slower the system seems to run. Let's face it, eight
bit planes of color are a lot to manipulate. When reduced to 16, four,
or even two colors, the Falcon easily outspeeds its base and warped ST
ancestors in almost all areas. By the way, there's word that the new
version of TOS (4.04) may fix much of the color shift problem.
One problem, at the moment anyway, is that the beta Falcon and older
ST/TT versions of Warp 9 are NOT SpeedoGDOS compatible. With the beta
Warp 9 installed, the screen system works fine but there's a conflict
when Speedo tries to print. It in effect crashes when Speedo begins to
print. This is being resolved right now and Warp 9 should soon be 100%
on track. Until then the current Falcon version (which may or may not
ship "as is") and the older ST/TT versions are not Speedo compatible
and you'll need to either turn Warp 9's acceleration off before
printing or just disable it with the Warp.DAT file.
By the way, I found that SpeedoGDOS does impose a small performance
penalty. It's not nearly as bad as the old GDOS but it is there made a
three to five second difference in the FirstWord Plus scrolling tests.
In the next issue of Atari Asylum, I'll post new Falcon-Only test
results with and without Warp 9. These will be on a "clean" system
while the tests in this (and last issue's) article are on a "standard"
Falcon030 with SpeedoGDOS active at all times. Remember, this and the
previous issue's tests were to compare the Falcon to other Atari
systems, not to show software differences within the Falcon line or
Falcon Vs. DOS/MAC/SUN/etc. systems. Anyway, on with the show.....
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Benchmarks
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
ALL TESTS ARE WITH WARP 9 ACTIVE
All Falcon Tests are with SpeedoGDOS Active
//// QuickIndex 2.2
8 MHz 16 MHz 16 MHz 16 MHz 32 MHz
Mega4 MegaSTe |--------Falcon-------ST-| TT
Monochrome Med Res |256 16 4 2 HiRes| HiRes
W9 W9 W9 |>-640 X 480 Modes-< Mode| -----
CPU %% %% %% %% %% %% %% %% %%
Memory 98 139 164 363 409 463 473 476 714
Register 98 202 203 402 402 402 402 402 811
Divide 179 201 203 502 502 504 504 504 1014
Shifts 176 205 207 1708 1737 1737 1737 1737 3534
TOS/GEM %% %% %% %% %% %% %% %% %%
Text 316 452 546 71 225 288 669 683 835
String 1433 2105 3260 83 177 201 271 272 4700
Scroll 139 144 136 16 40 89 181 215 75*
Dialog 528 720 798 207 343 576 720 731 792
*: Keep in mind the TT's scroll test is on the 1280 X 960 monitor so
the test has to cover twice the distance per test as the other
systems.
As with the non-Warp tests the Falcon easily outpaces its forbears in
CPU and RAM related tests. In the TOS/GEM tests the performance
generally depends on the color mode selected. When comparing similar
resolutions and colors the Bird matches or betters the ST/STe in basic
Text and Scroll tests and has similar Dialog results. What's puzzling
is that the String function seems more or less ignored by the Falcon's
Warp 9, at least in Quick Index. I'm not sure why this is the case in
this test as the other tests indicate that Warp 9 does enhance the
Falcon's string function.
//// NBM
Monochrome Mega4 RGB MegaSTe
8 MHz 16 MHz 16Mhz
W9 W9 W9
Math 109% 162% 182%
Memory 109% 141% 153%
DialogBox 303% 414% 453%
Graphics 115% 189% 276%
|-------------Falcon---------ST-| TT
256 16 4 2 HiRes HiRes
Math 177% 220% 239% 249% 251% 336%
Memory 169% 220% 244% 256% 258% 505%
Dialog Box 92% 175% 427% 504% 507% 767%
Graphics 68% 122% 192% 256% 310% 151%
Once again the Falcon generally matches or betters its ST/STe
ancestors and, in graphics anyway, betters the TT in monochrome.
//// PERF (CPU tests ONLY)
Note: I did not include the PERF tests in this as Warp 9 has little
effect on the CPU rating of the Atari computers except for a very small
reduction due to CPU overhead.
//// GEMBENCH II
All gains are measured against an 8Mhz ST system, Note: GEMBENCH II
is restricted to MONOCHROME and 2-Color modes so no color Falcon tests
were possible. However, I did learn that if you avoid the "Blit Test"
you can get GEMBENCH II to run in all "non line-doubled" modes.
Mono Mono Mono 2-Color STHi
|------Mega4------| MegaSTe TT |-FALCON-|
8Mhz 16 MHz 16 MHz 32 MHz 16 MHz
Dialog box 622% 805% 869% 760% 879% 907%
Text 1382% 1836% 1723% 3400% 3494% 3544%
Text Effects 1013% 1427% 1444% 2921% 2672% 2672%
Small Text 617% 866% 948% 2312% 1725% 1752%
Graphics 127% 219% 188% 443% 282% 283%
Windows 249% 292% 400% 500% 286% 286%
Division 135% 169% 181% 813% 465% 465%
Flt Point 119% 180% 192% 486% 240% 241%
RAM Access 98% 164% 172% 777% 367% 374%
ROM Access 98% 162% 170% 709% 438% 402%
Blitting 573% 666% 638% 664% 941% 945%
Scrolling 655% 723% 691% 1371% 1283% 1295%
VDI Inquire 83% 115% 161% 258% 141% 139%
Mono Mono Mono Mono 2Color STHi
8Mhz Mega 16Mhz Mega 16Mhz MSTe TT |--Falcon--|
Graphics 592% 771% 784% 1403% 1302% 1313%
Math/Memory 112% 168% 178% 696% 377% 370%
Average 444% 586% 598% 1185% 1017% 1023%
Once again GemBench II appears to be the most up-to-date benchmark
utility available for any of the Atari computers. It also indicates
that a warped Falcon does gain in almost all test-related functions.
In fact, GemBench II indicates the Falcon is a seriously powerful
little machine.
By the way, did you know you can't turn the Falcon's blitter off?
This is because the Falcon's blitter was designed as an integral part
of the system (rather than an "add on" as it was in the Mega/STe line)
and is far more effective than the old ST/STe blitter. In fact it's so
much more capable that Atari removed the "software blit" routine from
the Falcon's operating system.
So what do these tests tell us? Pretty much the same as last issue's
test showed. That even with Warp 9 active the Falcon's raw performance
is extremely dependent on the graphics mode being used.
On average, and my "real world software" tests tend to support this,
the Falcon generally feels faster in its 256, 16, and 4 color modes
than the Benchmark results indicate. For example, the benchmarks show
the Falcon's 256/16/4 color modes to be much slower than the STe's 4
color mode. Yet the "real world" FirstWord Plus test show the 4 and 16
color mode not that far off the STe numbers. Once in 2 color or ST-Hi
mode the bird enjoys a comfortable advantage over a High-Res ST or
STe. Graphics and CPU intensive tests, such as Calamus and EasyDraw,
support the benchmark results and show the Falcon enjoying a major
advantage over its ancestors, even challenging the TT in some graphics
areas.
As I said at the beginning of this series, the Falcon is NOT a TT and
was never intended to replace Atari's premier graphics workstation.
What the Falcon IS, however, is a flexible, capable, and powerful home
and small-business computer created with an eye towards Multimedia
applications! As such, the Falcon is a very suitable successor to the
STe line and offers a substantial upgrade to it in terms of CPU power,
Video flexibility, and Audio output. It represents a serious try by
Atari to create the perfect small computer and, in fact, it came
surprisingly close. If not for its single-case design, 520-style
keyboard, and present lack of CD-ROM support, it might have achieved
that lofty status.
A lot of folks have been comparing the Falcon's $1299 MSRP with a
heavily discounted 386/486 clone offering a faster CPU with a similar
RAM and Hard Disk configuration. Yes, you can get a clone at about the
same price (or slightly lower) than the Falcon 4/80's list price. But
what are you _not_ getting in that clone?
Aside from the differences between Atari GEM/TOS and Windoze/DOS, and
the general "ease of use" advantages most Atari systems offer, the
Falcon also includes:
[] built-in Digital Signal Processor and DSP-direct port (not even
generally available yet on most clone systems, let alone affordable)
[] built-in analog bidirectional ports
[] built-in cartridge port (more accessible than clone slots)
[] built-in True Color mode ($50-200 extra on a clone)
[] built-in Television/Composite Video output ($200-400 on a clone)
[] built-in SCSI II with DMA support ($150-300 extra on a clone)
[] built-in 16 Bit, CD-Quality, eight channel, DMA, 50Khz, Stereo play
and record capability with ports ($150-250 on a clone)
[] built-in MIDI support ($? on a clone)
[] built-In LocalTalk compatible LAN Port ($120-300 in a clone)
[] 32-bit operating system (Vs. Microsoft's 8-bit DOS)
[] 16MHz data bus (Vs. 8MHz bus on most clones)
Ok, now you add up the numbers. Granted that these are MSRP price
ranges from a clone catalog, but you can see what I mean. The
Falcon030 offers a LOT more in its integrated package than you're
likely to find in most cut rate clones.
Just out of curiosity let's compare the costs of Atari's current line:
TT030 2/50 Falcon030 4/60
MSRP* MSRP*
CPU (2 Meg): $1825 $1299 (4Meg)
2 Meg Upgrade: $175 Included
Drive Kit: Included Included
Hard Drive: Included (50Meg) Included (80Meg)
SVGA Monitor: $399@ $399@
Mono Monitor: $959(19" TTM195) $259 (14" SM147)
4 Meg TT RAM: $299 Not Available
16 Meg TT RAM: $1199 $720 (14 Meg usable)
RGB/Mono 4 Meg Total: $2399/$2959 $1698/$1558
RGB/Mono 8 Meg Total: $2698/$3258 N/A
RGB/Mono 16 Meg Total: $3598/$4158 $2418/$2278
*: It is not Atari's policy to support open advertisement of less than
MSRP on the TT system. However, individual dealers are free to sell
the TT system for less than full MSRP if they wish.
@: Listed price is for a Standard High-Quality 14" SVGA monitor.
Other monitors are available at lower, or greater, levels of price and
quality.
General Note: TT RAM is a MUST for real performance in the TT, without
it you have little more than a faster ST. With it the system sings!
BIG NEWS: Though you may have heard it already, Atari has UPGRADED the
Falcon's base internal hard disk from 60 to 84 MEG without increasing
the price. Thanks guys.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Compatibility List
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
As promised last issue (and on GEnie), anyone that wishes to is
welcomed to submit their compatibility test results to me here on
GEnie (Email: AEO.7). If you do then I'll be glad to post them and
give credit to the submitter. I'll also be using those open tests
results from the various GEnie forums where no specific limitations
have been imposed on using these posts. In each area I posted that I
would be doing this and that anyone who did not wish to have their
results posted here should inform me. Since no one said no I guess
it's safe to go ahead and do it <grin>.
//// AEO.7: [Gregg]:
[] STetris (PD Tetris clone); Nope, refuses to run in any resolution.
[] RISKY (PD European Risk Clone); faster than blazes in two-color and
ST-High modes. If anything, it's almost too fast to play.
[] Drachen (PD European Shanghai Clone); works great in two color mode
but may need to be run on a 'clean' system from the floppy.
[] Cubase 3.02 is Falcon compatible, don't forget your dongle though.
[] AV8B Harrier Assault; You need to go to ST-Low mode but this one
loads and runs without a hitch.
[] Spacewar 2400; Who would have expected it? This old classic from the
files of Antic is Falcon compatible. You've got to use ST-Med mode,
and it locks the system up when you exit, but it runs quite well.
//// The following post is courtesy of Sean Dourgherty, Publisher of
//// the new (and soon to be released) Processor Direct magazine:
"The program Backward, by C. Dupoydauby, is perhaps the best program
capable of extending the compatibility of the Falcon030 with the ST.
Backward offers many options including speed selection for both the
68030 and the BLiTTER, emulation which allows older programs using
digital sound via the Yamaha to work, and even emulation of the ST
RAM bug. Backward is available on GEnie in the ST Roundtable's file
area.
"While the author reports about 70% compatibility, testing of my
software collection allows most every GEM program to work, and better
than 80% of the games.
"Examples that worked after Backward are F-19, Dungeon Master,
Midwinter, SimCity, and Carrier Command (which was notorious for not
working on the STe). On the other hand, programs like Populous and
Infestation fail to work.
"The program is shareware, so if you find this program useful it is
well worth registration as it can literally save half of your software
investment.
"Outside of the use of Backward, most GEM programs will work in the
compatibility modes, and a limited number work in the Falcon modes.
High quality commercial GEM programs (like Calamus SL) and some PD and
shareware GEM (like ST Tools, ST ZIP, 7UP) are good examples."
Thanks for the input, Sean, you fit right in here in the Asylum.
[] C.FLUEGEL[Curt]: Flash 1.6 will run but doesn't use all of the
screen in VGA and freaks out under MultiTOS. KONG.TOS will work on
the Falcon if you use the backward program in default settings.
[] FAIRWEATHER[David]: Band in a Box works on the Falcon but not under
MultiTOS, Alchemy Jr. (shareware MIDI sequencer) works but also not
under MultiTOS, Interlink
works but not under MultiTOS, and Dr. T's
Tunesmith bombs and locks up the Falcon. Typhoon Thompson doesn't
work, Knightmare doesn't work, Aquanaut doesn't work, and Backwards
doesn't seem to help any of them.
[] J.STANFORD2[John@Lexicor]: Phoenix 3D Object renderer works with the
Falcon in all 80 column & greater resolutions and supports previewing
image in true color resolutions. Though it works on MultiTOS you're
better of without it. Cyber Color is also Falcon compatible but not
MTOS compatible. Chronos is NOT Falcon compatible (though an upgrade
is in the works), Prism Paint is Falcon compatible in all paletted
resolutions, not MTOS compatible though. Cyber Sculpt runs fine in
ST-High emulation mode only.
[] B.DEWITT[Nerd Perfect] (Bob deWitt): For those who are interested,
here is a preliminary list of games from my personal collection that
will run on the Falcon. I won't vouch for the absolute accuracy of
this list, but it's better than nothing. I've tried them in ST
compatibility modes and did not use any of the PS ST emulation
programs (such as Backward, Magi, et al). In most cases, those games
that are graphics-intensive run faster (as one would expect). Games
that particularly benefit from this are games like UMS, Total Eclipse,
etc. One of the drawbacks of many of the games I tests, however, is
that they are quite dark (at least on my SC1224), in some cases, so
dark as to be almost unreadable. Anyway, for what's worth:
//// These Work:
SimCity (dark), Wargame Construction Set (very dark), BattleTech, TV
Sports Football, Overlord, Phantasie III (very dark), Demon's Winter
(dark), Hole in One (screen is shifted), Universe 3, Star Raiders,
Zany Golf, Journey to Center of Earth (fast), Dungeon Master, Rogue
(dark), Great Battles (very dark), Oo-Topos, The Pawn, War in Middle
Earth, Civilization (colors are messed up), Shadowlord (dark), Star
Fleet, Elite (dark), Steel Empire (dark), Heroes of the Lance,
Wonderland, UMS II (no color, so is confusing), Battle Zone (dark),
Time Bandits (dark) Borodino (faster), UMS (screen refresh must
faster), Paladin, and Mad Dog Williams (very dark).
//// These won't work:
Gnome Ranger, Universe 2, Barbarian, Mean 18, Quest for the Timebird,
Rock N Roll, Gold of the Americas, Starflight, Debut, High Roller,
TangleWood, Space Crusade, Defender of the Crown, Gridiron, Fighter
Bomber, Falcon, SunDog, StarGlider, Captain Blood, Millennium 2.2,
PowerMonger, Populous 2, Breach, Breach 2, Empire, and Rick Dangerous.
[] J.TRAUTSCHOL[jtrautschold]: Flash II is being upgraded for the
Falcon and MTOS right now and a free online upgrade will be available
when the program is ready. Aladdin won't work on the Falcon for the
same reason that Flash II won't work on the Falcon - the serial port
hardware changes.
[] HUTCH [FAIR-DINKUM]: Crossword Creator II, Word Search Creator,
Puzzle Pack, the Cryptographer, and CyberDrome are all Falcon
compatible.
There's got to be more reports out there folks, so please post them
as you find them.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// TRUE COLOR TESTS
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
(and more mindless Falcon meanderings)
And now for something totally different: Last issue I made a comment
about the lack of a usable 80 column True Color mode on the Falcon's
VGA display and bemoaned its absence. I'd assumed that this was tied
to the fact that the 80 column TC mode was tied to the interlaced
display somehow. With that in mind I commented that since multi-sync
monitors can handle interlaced signals I should be able to use it on
my old NEC. Since then I've had a few "hardware facts of life"
explained to me that I thought I might pass along. The problem in
displaying an 80 column true color picture on a VGA monitor is, in
this situation anyway, due to the different horizontal refresh rates
used by a VGA display and an NTSC TV set, it has nothing to do with
the use or non- use of an interlaced signal.
Say what? That was my initial reaction anyway. It boils down to this;
NTSC Televisions, VCRs, and SC1224/1435s all share a 15.7Khz
horizontal refresh rate (how fast the picture is drawn left to right
on the screen). 15.7Khz is a fairly slow speed and doesn't put too
much demand on the video circuitry to keep it fed with data. Since the
Falcon was designed with Multimedia in mind, it was vital that it
retain this video mode (which costs extra in cloneland).
VGA, however, refreshes at a much faster 31.5Khz (in 640 X 480 mode,
other modes have different frequencies). At this speed the video
hardware in the Falcon is hard pressed to process the amount of data
an 80 column true color display would demand. Though the video
hardware could have been upgraded to produce an 80 column true color
display, doing so would have made the Falcon a lot more expensive and
priced it well out of its intended market. Another consideration is
the cost of the monitor needed to handle the wider bandwidth demanded
of an 80 column TC display. Those things are NOT cheap!
Ok, so I got bored and curious last week (a dangerous combination
around here). I decided to run some impromptu benchmarks in the 40-
column True Color, 256, and 16 color modes. And what did they show?
That the Falcon's graphics are noticeably faster in 40-column mode
than in their 80-column counterparts. Why do I mention this? Can you
say "dynamite games?" I thought you could.
Test Conditions: As Warp 9 does NOT operate in True Color Mode, and
would be of little use in a games environment anyway, the following
tests were performed on a bare system (i.e., no auto/ACC/CPX's
loaded). The 256 Color-80 Column mode is shown for comparison purposes
only. LD is the Falcon's Line Doubling Mode. This presents a 240 line
vertical screen rather than the standard 480 line screen. By the way,
most DOS games run in a 320 X 240 (or less) resolution, this is
especially true of those games that claim '256 colors'.
//// QuickIndex 2.2
(numbers based on a Monochrome ST with TOS 1.4)
Truecolor-40 Column 256 Color-40 Column 256 Color-80 Column
LD Off LD On LD-Off LD-On LD-Off LD-On
Memory: 363% 363% 423% 423% 369% 369%
Register: 406% 405% 410% 410% 406% 406%
Divide: 507% 506% 510% 510% 507% 507%
Shift: 1737% 1734% 1737% 1737% 1737% 1737%
Text: 66% 146% 60% 169% 49% 72%
String: 84% 149% 78% 203% 65% 90%
Scroll: 18% 34% 40% 79% 16% 31%
Dialog: 101% 154% 138% 164% 121% 145%
//// GEMBench II
Truecolor-40 Column 256 Color-40 Column 256 Color-80 Column
LD Off LD On LD-Off LD-On LD-Off LD-On
Dialog Box: 98% will 167% will 111% Will
Text: 224% not 233% not 178% not
Text Effects: 179% run 233% run 183% run
Small Text: 170% 171% 154%
Graphics: 77% 123% 156%
Windows: 71% 186% 100%
Division: 415% 440% 415%
Flt Point: 178% 218% 179%
RAM Access: 271% 328% 269%
ROM Access: 348% 402% 348%
Blitting: crash crash crash
Scrolling: 114% 272% 120%
VDI Inquire: 123% 143% 123%
//// NBM
Truecolor-40 Column 256 Color-40 Column 256 Color-80 Column
LD Off LD On LD-Off LD-On LD-Off LD-On
Math: Bomb Bomb 224% 225% 182% 182%
Memory: Bomb Bomb 222% 222% 172% 172%
Dialog Box: Bomb Bomb 163% 210% 137% 182%
Graphics: Bomb Bomb 110% 185% 62% 107%
//// PERF (CPU Tests)
The PERF benchmark is supposed to test only CPU performance and
totally ignore all video, audio, and support systems. As I mentioned
last issue, this test is very affected by the graphics
resolution/color combination being run and in any event should never
be used to compare the ST/TT/Falcon to any non-Atari system despite
the similarity of the tests (i.e., well known tests in the DOS world).
Also, though the test does run in the 40 column mode it only displays
part of the test result (just the time used during the test rather
than the actual performance results). Because of this I can't list
exact numbers but must, instead, give estimates based on the time
taken for each test.
In any event, the PERF tests indicate that the CPU is slightly more
effective in True Color mode than in 640 X 480 X 256 mode. The most
effective game mode, in this test anyway, appears to be the 320 X 480
X 256 mode. The slowest mode is the 640 X 480 X 256 color VGA mode.
So what do all these odd-ball resolution test tell us? That the
Falcon's True Color and 40-column 256 color "game modes" should
provide for some killer animations and color combinations, much more
so than if the game is written for the 640X480 256 mode.
Well, that looks like a wrap for now folks. If you have any questions
or requests please feel free to pass them on to me here in the Asylum
or to any of my analysts here at AEO. So till next time, try and not
let that straight jacket get too tight.
~~Next issue~~
Falcon-only Warp9 tests, more compatibility reports, and much more.
PS: All MegaSTe, TT, and Falcon tests performed at Asheville's Computer
STudio, thanks again Sheldon.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Cartmaster and Cartright
||| By: Peter Donoso
/ | \ GEnie: EXPLORER.2
----------------------------------------------------------------
Atari computers hold the record in the personal computer market for
offering a user the largest number of port options. Atari's 40 pin
cartridge port is certainly one of the most popular with developers.
It provides a practical way for them to directly address the Motorola
68000 chip with hardware that would otherwise require opening up the
computer and direct wiring to the motherboard. Since it otherwise
remains transparent to the rest of the system until accessed by
running its own related software, leaving a cartridge plugged in
doesn't conflict with other programs. Digitizers, image scanners,
external RAM caches and clocks, Macintosh emulators, diagnostic units,
MIDI port expanders, sample cartridge players and recorders, SMPTE
timecode generators, and key protection cartridges are just some of
the many versatile applications that have been developed in
conjunction with this port.
If you're a MIDI enthusiast, you may own more than one key-protected
program. Maybe you have a small desktop publishing business on the
side that requires scanning in images. Or you may prefer to finish the
work you've begun on your office Macintosh in the comfort of your
home. If you move between any two cartridge-based applications
frequently, you quickly become accustomed to making sure your computer
is switched off before switching cartridges.
This can be a real pain, and, depending on the frequency with which
you swap carts, can also put an undue strain on an individual
cartridge's pins. Although fairly sturdy, pins can still bend, or even
suffer a break to the connector lead within the cartridge
itself - rendering the cartridge inoperable and costly to fix or
replace.
//// Take It To The Cartmaster
Cartmaster, from the people at Wizztronics, provides a clever solution
for this dilemma. The hardware portion consists of a 3 1/2" wide by 5
3/4" deep by 1" high plastic molded box which houses three individual
cartridge ports located on the top, and a fourth cartridge port for
oversize cartridges, located on the left side of the unit. A standard
40 pin connector extends out of the right side and is inserted into
your computer's cartridge port.
Cartmaster utilizes CMOS ICs for low-power consumption, which enables
it to draw upon your Atari's internal power supply for its power
requirements without otherwise overloading it or posing any danger to
your computer. This also has the added benefit of keeping it free of
any external hanging wires or batteries.
A floppy disk is also included with the software that allows you to
switch between any one of the four Cartmaster ports. After accessing
the software, a graphic representation of the unit is displayed. Use
the left mouse button to select the cartridge port you want to
activate by clicking on any of the four buttons arrayed down the right
side of the display, or directly on one of the cartridge slot
graphics.
Once you click on OK, the present circuitry paths are re-routed to the
newly-assigned port. You should take note that switching between
cartridge ports while still within a program that is using a cartridge
port can cause damage to a cartridge, and possibly affect your
computer as well. So make sure you've quit your present application
before making the switch.
That's all there is to it! No need to turn off your computer or pull
anything out every time you want to use your scanner or run your
favorite music program. Simply launch your next cartridge-related
program and get on with your work.
//// Compatibility
There have been one or two other cartridge expanders from our
brethren developers across the waters in Europe, but they have either
since gone out of business or are not compatible with all cartridge
units across the board. The Spectre GCR Macintosh emulator from
Gadgets By Small has been the toughest one to work with. The addition
of the 128K Mac ROM chips within the unit and the particular way in
which it communicates with the CPU has made it a difficult piece to
successfully incorporate into a multi-cartridge control system.
Steinberg/Jones' Midex Plus (which we reviewed in Explorer's
January/February NAMM issue), incorporates multi-cartridge capability
among its other functions, but offers no guarantee that the unit can
be used successfully with anything other than their own family of
music software - each of which will not load successfully without
having its individual cartridge port-based key installed first.
E-Magic (formerly C-Lab) produced Combiner, a stand-alone cartridge
expander, but here again, across-the-board compatibility is
questionable, and it's not certain that E-Magic will continue to
produce this particular unit. Neither unit is compatible with the
Spectre GCR.
Wizztronics set out to built a product which could be used with any
Atari cartridge port-based unit, and were especially mindful of the
problems of including the Spectre GCR among this group. I was
delighted to be able to plug in my Golden Image hand scanner,
Steinberg's Cubase key, Microdeal's Stereo Replay cartridge, and my
Spectre GCR all into my Cartmaster and put each one through their
respective paces. I successfully used all of them without a hitch. I
even plugged in the Midex Plus unit and put it through its various
paces with no problems.
The one piece of hardware that presents a conflict is Migraph's hand
scanner - but not to worry. Those wizzes at Wizztronics have gone to
great lengths to insure compatibility with every major Atari product.
Migraph happens to utilize a two-bit address for sending a command to
turn the scanner on, which also happens to be used by Cartmaster for
its switching routine.
When ordering your Cartmaster, just let them know you want them to
configure the special DIP switch located inside the unit to conform
with the Migraph scanner. If you happen to forget, changing it is
merely a matter of removing the four screws at the base of Cartmaster
and flipping the switch yourself. Use the B version of the Cartmaster
program or accessory and it will work just fine.
Cartmaster works with all presently available versions of TOS, and is
expected to be compatible with the Atari Falcon030 by the time of its
release. Cartmaster is also compatible with E-Magic's Unitor,
Steinberg's 16 bit D/A for Avalon, and both ADAP II and IV keys.
Wizztronics has also recently released a TTP program which lets you
configure which port is being used by which cartridge-related program.
Simply save your configuration and this smart little application does
the rest. Now, whenever you execute any program that requires use of
the cartridge port, the correct port on Cartmaster will automatically
be switched to activate the appropriate cartridge!
Cartmaster is made to exacting specifications, using only the best
quality materials. Gold-plated connectors are used for the edge card
that inserts into your cartridge port and the unit comes with a 90 day
warranty.
//// Stretch Your Cartridge Port
If you own an original Mega ST and have an Atari Megafile hard drive,
a multi-outlet power switch unit, or any other kind of unit that you
have positioned underneath the computer, you have found out that your
cartridge port is now up in the proverbial air. This presents no
problem for a small key, but for larger units such as the Spectre GCR,
a hand scanner or sampling cartridge, having them plugged in and
sticking out in the middle of the ozone without any additional support
puts a considerable amount of stress on their cartridge pins, and is
definitely courting disaster.
If you're going to use Cartmaster, the support factor is an absolute
requirement. You could put something together to prop the carts up,
but that will leave your desk even more crowded. One slip, and you are
going to own a set of very bent, or even broken, pins!
If your counter space is already barely wide enough to accommodate
your 1040 or Mega ST/STE or TT030, there's probably little room left
for a cartridge that will stick out an additional 3 to 4 inches!
Maybe you'd like to get your Cartmaster (or your Midex Plus, or any
other oversized piece of cartridge-based hardware) off your countertop
entirely, and store it out of the way.
Well, Wizztronics has the solution for this too. They offer a
Cartright port extender, consisting of a 10" long ribbon cable that
ends in a solid board with the appropriate 40 pin male and female
connecters on either end. Simply plug the pin connector into your
Atari cartridge port and plug Cartmaster, or any other cartridge-based
peripheral, in the unit's 40 pin female port. Now you can position
your oversized cartridge unit firmly placed on your desk, on a shelf,
under the counterany place that works for you.
Longer cables are available (total length of more than 18" is not
recommended due to a threshold in line noise that tends to cause
problems) at the additional nominal charge of $5. You can also ask for
the part number that corresponds to the right sized plastic housing
box if you feel naked without having the female port encased.
Otherwise, just be careful not to let the port come into contact with
any kind of metal to avoid a possible short circuit. Gluing a piece of
paper to the bottom of the port will insure the leads are shielded
from this possibly happening.
If you've been looking for a way to bring all your cartridge-based
peripherals and keys under one easy-to-manage system, or if you wish
you could take the strain off of that over-sized cartridge connected
to your Atari, I highly recommend checking out Cartmaster and
Cartright, and all the other fine Atari products available directly
from the wizards at Wizztronics.
Cartmaster - Cartright
Requirements: Any Atari ST, STE or TT030 computer.
Copy Protection: None
Summary: Cartridge expansion and extension products.
Price: Cartmaster $199
Cartright Port Expander: $35
Manufacturer:
Wizztronics
P.O. Box 122
Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776
(516) 473-2507
Compatible with all models, all resolutions.
--==--==--==--==--
||| AEO Calendar of Events
||| Compiled by: Ron Kovacs
/ | \ GEnie: Z-NET CIS: 75300,1642 Delphi: ZNET
----------------------------------------------------------------
//// Blue Ridge AtariFest July 24-25, 1993
The Blue Ridge Atari Computer Enthusiasts (BRACE) and Computer STudio
host the Fourth Annual Blue Ridge AtariFest in Asheville, North
Carolina. Saturday show time is from 10am - 6pm and Sunday show times
are from Noon to 5pm. Free booth space is available for Atari
developers. This Atarifest will be taking over the Courtyard Shop
(mall) area at the Westgate Shopping Center (location of Computer
STudio), and also plan on using vacant store spaces for seminar
sessions. Seminars will be 45 minutes in length, and developers are
welcome to conduct a seminar on their product line or approved topic
of their choice (seminars are limited, so first come, first served).
For additional information, please contact: Sheldon Winick on GEnie -
S.WINICK or at the Computer STudio at (704) 251-0201 or contact the
show coordinator Cliff Allen on GEnie - C.ALLEN17 or call (704)
258-3758.
//// IC Card Expo July 27-28, 1993
IC Card Expo at the Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara,
California. Showcasing the latest in PC cards and related products.
Sponsored by IC Card Systems & Design (800-525-9154, 303-220-0600).
//// MIST AtariFest V July 31, 1993
The fifth annual MIST AtariFest will be held on Saturday, July 31
from 10 am to 5 pm at the Best Western Waterfront Plaza Hotel. The
Mid-Indiana Atari ST Users play host to this excellent one day event
with its proven method of success.
This year a new location has been chosen for the MIST, the Best
Western Waterfront Plaza Hotel. Offerring free shuttle service to
Indianapolis International Airport, which is just minutes away, Best
Western is convenient to both air and car travel. Several major
highways allow acces to the hotel for motorists. An assortment of
dining and entertainment choices provide interesting diversions once
the show is complete.
Whether you are a novice or a professional user, there is something
for every Atari enthusiast. Seminars, held throughout the show, can be
attended by guests or show-goers can engage in Lynx or MIDIMaze
tournaments with the best players receiving prizes. Winners of the
raffle can pick up their prizes in a number of shapes, sizes and
purpose.
Hotel reservations can be arranged by calling (317) 299-8400; mention
MIST AtarFest V and take advantage of the discount rate. For single
occupancy. guests may stay in the hotel for $53 or for a double, $59.
Special facilities for the handicapped, non-smokers and small children is
available.
Admission to this show is still only $3.
For more information, send mail inquiries to ASCII, c/o Bill Jones,
6505 West Castle Avenue, Indianapolis, IN, 46241. Or, by phone, call
(317) 856-4260. Online via GEnie, messages may be sent to W.JONES43;
on FidoNet Mail at Bill Jones at 1:231/370.0 or by InterNet/UUCP at
Bill.Jones@f370.n231.z1.fidonet.org.
//// MacWorld Expo August 3-6, 1993
MacWorld Expo at the Boston World Trade Center, Bayside Exposition
Center and sponsored by MacWorld Magazine. This event is titled Boston
'93.
//// Interop '93 August 23-27, 1993
Interop '93 (#2) at the Moscone Center in San Fransisco, California.
//// ONE BBSCON '93 August 25-29, 1993
ONE BBSCON '93 at the Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
This is a four day exposition presented by BoardWatch Magazine. There
will be three days of educational services, a trade show exhibit area
with over one-hundred vendors on hand. For further information on
this event and for registration information contact: Peg Coniglio at
ONE Inc., 4255 South Buckley Road, Suite 308, Aurora, Colorado 80013.
Voice: (303) 693-5253; Fax: (303) 693-5518; BBS: (303) 693-5432.
//// PenExpo August 30 - September 3, 1993
PenExpo - The Pen-Based Computing Conference at the Hynes Convention
Center in Boston Massachusettes. Pen Exposition, Conference, and
Tutorials, Sponsored by Boston University Corporate Education Center
and PEN Magazine.
//// Fed Micro '93 August 31 - September 2, 1993
Fed Micro '93. Fed Micro CDROM and Multimedia Conference & Exposition.
Washington Convention Center, Washington DC.
//// BCS*Pen September 1, 1993
BCS*Pen Monthly Meeting at the Hynes Convention Center. Meeting begins
at 7pm. Topic: "The Market for Personal Information Processors".
Speaker: Donna Dubinsky, CEO, Palm Computing, Co-sponsored with
PenExpo.
//// The Glendale Show September 18-19, 1993
The Glendale Show returns with the Southern California Atari Computer
Faire, V.7.0, in suburban Los Angeles, California. This has been the
year's largest domestic Atari event, year after year. Contact John King
Tarpinian at the user group HACKS at 818-246-7286 for information.
//// MacWorld Expo September 20-22, 1993
The third MacWorld Expo, titled Canada '93 at the Metro Toronto
Convention Centre, sponsored by MacWorld Magazine.
//// Mobile World Expo September 21-23, 1993
Mobile World Expo and Conference at the San Jose Convention Center in
San Jose California.
//// Unix Expo '93 September 21-23, 1993
Unix Expo '93 in New York City, New York at the Javits Convention
Center.
//// Image World October 4-8, 1993
Image World New York, Javits Convention Center, New York City.
//// NetWorld '93 October 5-7, 1993
NetWorld 93, Dallas Convention Center, Dallas TX.
//// Lap & Palmtop Expo October 7-8, 1993
Lap & Palmtop Mobile Computing Expo at the Chicago Mart/Expo Center
in Chicago, Illinois. Exhibitors will show the latest in mobile
computing, software, pen, peripherals and communications from the
industry's leading manufacturers. In conjunction with the exhibits is
the Mobile Systems Solutions Conference series. Featuring over 80
leading industry experts speakers, the conference provides vital
information needed to build or improve your world of mobile computing.
//// PC Expo October 19-21, 1993
PC Expo-Chicago, McCormick Place East, Chicago IL.
//// CD-ROM Expo October 27-29, 1993
CD-ROM Exposition at the World Trade Center, Boston MA.
//// EDA&T Asia '93 October 27-29, 1993
EDA&T Asia '93. The Electronic Design and Test Conference Exhibition
at the Taipei International Convention Center in Taiwan. Exhibit space
is still available. For more information contact: Betsy Donahue,
Chicago, Fax: 708-475-2794.
//// November 1-3, 1993
Online/CD-ROM '93, Washington DC.
//// GeoCon/93 November 7-10, 1993
GeoCon/93, an international conference and showcase for software
products developed outside the U.S. at the Royal Sonesta Hotel,
Cambridge, Mass. The conference program will include three days of
workshops on topics of interest to overseas developers entering the
U.S. market. Workshop presenters will discuss such issues as how to
negotiate distribution and licensing contracts, setting up a business
in the U.S., manufacturing and fulfillment, technical support,
packaging, research sources, and how to market through direct,
retail, and catalog channels. For additional information, contact Tom
Stitt, associate publisher, Soft letter, 17 Main St., Watertown, Mass.
02272-9154; Telephone 617-924-3944; Fax 617-924-7288, or Colleen
O'Shea, director, Soft letter Europe, 2 um Bierg, 7641 Chirstnach,
Luxembourg, Telephone: 35.2.87119; Fax: 35.2.87048.
//// COMDEX November 15-19, 1993
COMDEX Fall '93. Las Vegas Nevada.
//// Mobile '94 March 6-10, 1994
Mobile '94 Conference and Exposition at the San Jose Convention Center.
//// SAC Expo 94 March 12-13, 1994
S.T.A.R (formerly known as SST) proudly announces SAC Expo 94. The
second annual Sacramento Atari Computer Exposition will be held
Saturday and Sunday at the Towe Ford Museum: 2200 Front Street,
Sacramento, California 95818. The Towe Ford Museum was so excited
about the '93 show that they allocated nearly double the space in the
museum for SAC Expo 94. STAR will be mailing vendor packets by
September, if you are a vendor and did not receive a packet for SAC
Expo 93, please contact us so you will not be missed this year. Look
for future press releases containing more details, vendor lists, and
show information. For more information contact STAR at P.O. Box
214892, Sacramento, CA 95821-0892.
//// GEC '94 June 4-11, 1994
GEC '94, Milam ITALY. Centrexpo, Sheila Palka/Delia Associates, PO Box
338, Route 22 West, Whitehouse, NJ 08888; (800) 524-2193, (908)
534-6856 (Fax).
If you have an event you would like to include on the AEO Calender of
Events, please send email via GEnie to Z-NET, CompuServe 75300,1642, or
via FNET to node 593 or AtariNet node 51:1/13.0. International shows
also covered.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Your Spectre GCR can do color.... Now!
||| By: Timothy Wilson
/ | \ GEnie: AEO.8 Internet: WILSONT@RAHUL.NET
----------------------------------------------------------------
BAAUG member Nelson Exum wanted color on his Spectre GCR (Gadgets by
Small). He used a box at work called "Scuzzy Graph" to get color out
of his B/W Macintosh. He wondered if his Spectre GCR would drive it.
The good news is... It DOES!
Scuzzy Graph is a SCSI device made by Aura Systems of Carlsbad, CA.
It intercepts QuickDraw commands (low level drawing routines, much
like VDI) from the Mac with the included software, and creates SCSI
signals that get sent to the Scuzzy Graph. The Scuzzy Graph has VRAM
onboard, along with VGA and RGB connectors, allowing you to hook up
various monitors (NEC, Sony, and Apple are listed in the manual).
Other devices like Scuzzy Graph are becoming availible, used by
PowerBook users with color monitors. Scuzzy Graph is the only one that
I've personally seen work, and cannot give a yay or nay to the other
brands. Prices range from $299 and up for the various brands in
varying configurations.
The problem Nelson first had was that The Link by ICD, and the Atari
DMA port, aren't a true SCSI connection, which "SG" needs. Nelson
solved the problem by using a Megatalk board (Gadgets by Small) The
MegaTalk board has a more true implementation of the SCSI standard.
Nelson has a MegaST 2, The Link was used on the DMA port for a hard
drive and the Megatalk SCSI connector was used solely by the SG.
Since the SG is a SCSI device, it simply resides on the SCSI chain,
along with Flopticals, Hard drives, and what ever else you may have.
I didn't see any slow down while drawing the color screens, as the
monochrome monitor was still availible for use. The SG software
supports both monitors at once, Nelson demonstrated this by dragging a
window from the NEC 3FG to the Atari Monochrome monitor.
The SG software was run in 640x480x8bit mode, a variable "virtual
screen" mode (1024x1024 was demonstrated), and a 1024x768x4bit color
mode are availible. More VRAM can be put into the SG to get higher
resolutions. The SG unit demonstrated was the base model.
The SG software is fully configurable from the Mac Control Panel,
allowing resolution changes, and virtual screen size. A restart was
required for such changes as well.
While only a few programs were run, all of them worked as normal.
Some (Such as Microsoft Excel) didn't recognize, or didn't acknowledge
that color was now availble, and ran in B/W. Cricket Graph, and Delta
Graph ran in color however, with color bars and lines now being shown,
instead of the B/W patterns normally seen.
Nelson gave a possible reason why Excel didn't run in color: Mac's
have a system configuration table that programs can query to find
colors, memory, disks and so on that are connected to the computer. A
Spectre GCR probably registers as a Mac Plus to some applications, and
that means B/W only.
What more can I say? It worked. Spectre GCR fans can rejoice!
Scuzzy Graph
Aura Systems
PO Box 4576
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(619) 438-7730
MegaTalk Board, Spectre GCR
Gadgets By Small
40 W. Littleton Blvd
#210-211
Littleton, CO 80120
(303) 791-6096
--==--==--==--==--
||| AEO Game Tips
||| By: Ron Kovacs
/ | \ GEnie: Z-NET CIS: 75300,1642 Delphi: ZNET
----------------------------------------------------------------
This column contains tips for Lynx Games. If you are NOT interested
in finding out more about hidden tricks or solutions, you might want
to pass on this section now.
Game Tips is a NEW Atari Explorer Online feature that requires reader
assistance. If you have a tip or solution on any LYNX game, please
send them in today. When we collect a few, we will publish them here
for our readers. We will also accept tips and hints for using Atari
software and hardware.
The following tips were captured from Compuserve's Atari 8-Bit Forum.
//// Tips for "BATMAN RETURNS" the game:
----------------------------------------
When you get to the present, wait on the edge till the cyclers jump out.
Then, as fast as you can jump down and walk into the present. You'll
find some good powerups there. Walk for about 2 seconds, then head out.
Another good powerup is behind the traffic light in the first level.
There is some acid in level one in two places: One, jump on the present
and STAY on the left edge. Then, jump left and hit the little acid
vial. The second place is behind the second LAMPOST, when you get to
the fat guys who throw exploding bowling balls at you.
//// Tips for "NINJA GAIDEN" the game:
--------------------------------------
Kill the fat men, and you will get alot farther!!!!!
//// Tips for "Shadow of the Beast" the game:
---------------------------------------------
When you start out, wait for the guy to light the cannon. Then stand
to the left of it and punch. It will shoot and kill the guy. Then
you can pick up his gun!!!!!
--==--==--==--==--
||| The Unabashed Atariophile
||| By: Michael R. Burkley
/ | \ GEnie: AEO.4 Delphi: MRBURKLEY
----------------------------------------------------------------
I once read of an assignment an East Coast college professor gave one
of his classes. While I'm not sure of the exact circumstances I was
told he gave each student a letter and the name of a person they had
never met on the West Coast. The instructions were that the student
was to mail the letter to someone they knew, who would mail the letter
to someone they knew, and so on until someone in the chain would
personally know the adressee and be able to hand-deliver the letter.
How many transfers do you think it took? How many letters got lost
along the way? You would think that with just over 200 million people
in the U.S.A. (this was awhile ago now) it would take an age to track
down a single person and that numbers of the class' letters would be
lost. First, not a single letter failed to reach its destination, and
second, the average number of transfers was only five! That shows how
connected we are to each other. Our circle of potential friends is a
lot wider than most of us think. I wonder if it would take many more
passes to reach just about anyone in the entire world. I doubt if it
would!
One person in the U.S. who has made a friend in Germany is ATARIPOWER7
on Delphi. ATARIPOWER7 has been loading up Delphi with excellent
programs he has gotten from Jens, a new-found friend from Germany. A
short while ago I asked him to pass on to me some of the story behind
those transfers. What he wrote to me could benefit us all, and I pass
it on to you.
From: BOS::ATARIPOWER7
To: MRBURKLEY
CC:
Subj: The ditty you wanted:
Mr. Burkley:
You wanted me to write about how I met Jens Schulz, and began to
receive all that nifty German software from him. Ok, here's how it all
happened:
Last year, during the Summer <Had a new Mega STe> and Fall, I became
aware of the quality and general superiority of German and other
European software, a game Called Brisky, Paula the MOD player,
alternate desktops and word processors and databases, from Germany,
England, the Netherlands, well, I was beginning to feel left out.
Fortunately, Delphi had an occasional visitor, who provided us with a
formal conference, Oliver Steinmeier, writer for Atari Journal. Oliver
printed my name, address and internet address in the final issue of
that magazine, two people contacted me, Jens Schulz, via mail, and
Helmut Schilling, via Internet. Jens has done a remarkable job of
keeping up contact, as a Manager for the Computer Club Elmshorn e.V.
in Elmshorn, Germany, Jens and his Club have quite impressed me. At
the time, some 400 members strong, with 4 ST's and planning a Falcon
for the clubroom.
Jens has sent somewhat more to me than I have sent to him, up to
present, June 15, 1993, he has sent a total of 10 letters to me, with
a total of 13 Diskettes, the last two being high density.
Incidentally, I've only sent high density diskettes, hint hint... :):)
three or four, if memory serves.
Everything I've received from him is in the Database in the ST
Advantage area on Delphi, I'm still looking for at least one person
who will make a hobby of <at own convenience> translating, and the
Library listing for the CCE e.V. is in the ST Advantage databases,
too. No one has taken me up on my offer to work on getting whatever
specific program<s> are wanted.
Anyone wanting me to send Jens any juicy demo's of American products
<current, neat stuff, remember, their level of programming maturity
makes most of us over here look like a bunch of kids fooling around,
no jive, just fact> get it to me! Their library is top heavy with
highbrow stuff like Chemistry, Mathematics, Astronomy, and other
non-game programming. I've sent him the better games I've seen, like
Evader, and Star Trek, the Klingon Wars, and Cold Revenge <Another
Star Trekish game>, Gravitron, ... If memory serves, anyway, I kept no
record of what specifically I sent to him.
I'd like to see us put together a collection/contribution and send
that along to Jens, to thank him and also to inspire him to send even
more of their neat programming. For that matter, I'd think it possible
that if enough interest is out there, that many German shareware
developers would make English versions, or start including English in
their shareware, I would be thrilled to help out with distribution in
any way I could, and the ST Advantage databases would make a fine
point of entry!
AP7
Postscript: Oliver Steinmeier, OCS on Delphi, is, I think, going to
at some point in the future be attending a University in the U.S.
Perhaps he could bring along a carry on bag full of... Nah, too good
to be possible <grin>.
******
If you want to pass a message on to ATARIPOWER7 and don't have access
to Delphi you can send it to me (see my e-mail addresses below). I'd
be happy to pass anything on to him. By the way (or BTW as people
often use), MRBURKLEY (my Delphi address) doesn't stand for Mr.
Burkley, it stands for Michael Richard Burkley! I'm not _that_ stuffy!
And now on to the programs and files (many NASA oriented, I hope you
don't mind!) which I downloaded this week:
[] 1600DESK is SWABS v.1 beta by Scott Ettinger (dated June, 1993).
This AUTO Folder program will allow you to display a 1600 X 603 X 16
colors on your Falcon when using a 1224 color monitor or a VGA
Compatible Multisync (don't use this with a non-multisync VGA
monitor--it might fry it!). This will allow you to make your desktop
314% larger than 640 X 480 (WOW!). Docs included. Delphi.
[] AI_FAQ is a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) from the Usenet on
Artificial Intelligence. Dated May 13, 1993 and written by Mark
Kantroqitz and posted by the Usenet News System. This FAQ is mostly
listings and brief statements about places where AI research is
ongoing. It also has a complete set of rules for the game of LIFE (not
the Milton Bradley version!). GEnie, in the Space and Science area.
[] BATBRAT is a color .SEQ animation by Enrique Fuentes (dated April
26, 1993). Created using Cyberpaint this animation shows a woman
driving down a road. It's night with clouds racing past a glowing
moon. Suddenly, a giant bat appears, rips off the top of the car,
grabs the woman and flys off. Batman drives up in the Batmobile, hops
out of his car and checks the wreckage of the car. Finding no one, he
looks up and sees what has happened. He shoots a line into the air,
entangling the bat, and gets carried off into the sky. The scene ends
with Batman being lowered by the bat into something that looks to be
dangerous (for Batman). A "To Be Continued" message then appears. Use
ANIMATE4.PRG to view. Boston Computer Society's BBS.
[] CANVAS17 is Canvas v.1.7 by John Gymer. Canvas is a complete
graphics development package in a single program. It boasts multiple
work screens, extensive modes and features including a 3D Editor and
Viewer, an advanced _Animation Studio_, up to 4096 colors on-screen at
once (on an STE - 512 on most STs), any resolutions, on-screen HotSpot
zoom and much, much more! Saves files in 14 different formats! You can
print out your files--even in color (on a color printer!). If you've
used Degas or Degas Elite, you will know how the interface of this
program works. Color or mono. Docs, online help, and tutorial
included. This looks like a very comprehensive and useful program. I
recommend it. 533K uncompressed. GEnie.
[] COLRDUMP by Tony Barker of Australia is a SHAREWARE program that
allows you to do a color low-rez screen dump to your color 9 pin or 24
pin printer. Follow the on-screen prompts to configure the print-out,
hit alt./help for the screen dump, and your off! Support SHAREWARE
authors! Boston Computer Society's BBS.
[] CRYPTFAQ is the Cryptography FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) from
the Usenet. Dated May 7, 1993, this FAQ answers all sorts of questions
you might have about cryptography and computers. If you've ever been
interested topics from ciphers to public key cryptography, then this
text file is for you! GEnie, in the Space and Science area.
[] DELTA CLIPPER is a project that will lead to SSTO (Single Stage To
Orbit) spacecraft. On GEnie in the Science area (Category 3, Topic 17)
you will find an ongoing discussion about the Delta Clipper and
related advanced booster development projects. This past week I
downloaded six files containing all the collected messages from this
topic from April 3, 1992 through May 11, 1993. The topic is still
continuing!
[] ELECTRIC is a .PCS 3D color landscape by Dion Kraft. Oranges, reds,
pinks, greens, and yellows stand out over this picture that features a
face pushing up through a floating grid. Lozenge shapes extend off
into the distance and electric arcs pass between the face and the
nearest lozenge. GEnie.
[] EL_CYMB2 is a text file and several DEGAS pictures that detail how
you can build your own crash and ride cymbals for your Alesis D4 or
any other drum module that will accept external piezo electric trigger
drum pads. This is an update of his previous file "DRUM_PAD" and is
much easier to use. Diagrams are in DEGAS .PI3 (mono) format.
Interesting. Some soldering required. By Mark Bombard (dated June,
1993). 101K uncompressed. GEnie.
[] ESSNEWSL is the ESS Amateur Space Program Newsletter (vol. 1 no. 1,
Spring 1993). ESS is the Experimental Spacecraft Society. This
newsletter has some interesting proposals for inexpensive space
missions (a dust collector for the L-5 and L-4 points, a camera probe
to view the Earth/Sun Trojan points, and some others), current status
of JDI-0 (a sub-orbital launch planned for Fall, 1993), and a
bibliography on spacecraft design. A membership form is also included.
Interesting! GEnie, in the Space and Science area.
[] FLARE_EQ is a very interesting article from the GEnie Space and
Science Roundtable Science RTC dated May 30, 1993. The guest speaker
was Lowell Whiteside of the NOAA/National Geophysical Data Center.
This article (in question and answer format) discusses the
correlations between seismic events and solar flares. These
correlations have allowed for accurate forecasts of sizable
earthquakes. I found this fascinating!
[] GVN0392 is the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Network Bulletin v.
18, no. 3, March 31, 1993 from the Usenet. This article discusses
volcanic activity in Russia, Japan, Mariana Islands, the Philippines,
Papua New Guines, New Zealand, Italy, Antartica, and much more. If
you're interested in volcanos, this file is for you! GEnie, in the
Space and Science area.
[] HARDCHOR is the HardChor Hard Disk recorder for the Falcon 030. It
only works on the Falcon, so I can't tell you much about it! It's in
German with no docs. I've been told it doesn't look as nice as
WINREC13 but that it works. Delphi.
[] HS_FIX14 is HS_FIX - the RTS/CTS- HandShake Fix v.1.4 by Pascal
Fellerich (dated 1993). This AUTO Folder program is a freeware patch
for the TRS/CTS bug in TOS 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.62, and the new TOS
2.06 (why haven't they fixed that bug yet!). You don't need this file
unless you have a 9600 or higher baud modem (and use it!). Docs are in
German. Delphi.
[] JEROME is a .SEQ color animation by Enrique Fuentes of Jerome the
Cat floating on a small raft on the sea. He notices a small island up
ahead and paddles towards it. A shark notices him, and catches him,
much to his dismay (whose dismay?--I let you find that out!). Jerome
goes on to explore the island and finds Gilligan and some of his
friends in some cannibals' stew pot! Yikes! "To Be Continued...." Use
ANIMATE4.PRG to view. Boston Computer Society's BBS.
[] KMP is the Kandinsky Music Painter v.0.1 by Clemens von Reusner and
Frank Rein (dated 1989). This program is a graphically oriented music
program that allows you to draw a picture on-screen (with lots of
different drawing tools) and then send that "picture" over to a MIDI
device to be played as music. Numerous sample files included.
Interesting! The program and docs are in German, but it's a fairly
intuitive program. Mono only. STe compatible. Boston Computer
Society's BBS.
[] LIGHTHOU is a very nice .PCS photo-like picture of a shortish
lighthouse standing at the edge of a cliff overlooking a frozen sea.
The picture was originally taken from the shore below the cliff at
some distance from the lighthouse.
[] LONDON is a B&W .PCS picture of London, England. The view is from
the Thames River looking toward The House of Commons (?) and "Big
Ben.".
[] MATHFAQ is the Math Frequently Asked Questions from the Usenet (date
May, 1993). Topics like the status of Fermat's Last Theorem (proofs
of.. almost), a proof of the Four Color Theorem, Digits of Pi, The
Monty Hall problem, Master Mind and other games, and much more are all
discussed. I'd talk about this more, but I don't have room in this
review....GEnie, in the Space and Science area.
[] MC20 is a working demo (or free update if you own the commercial
version!) of MEGA-Check 2 v.2.02 by Chris Muller of Muller Automation
(dated June, 1993). I last reviewed this for v.2.0 not too long ago
(how's that for author's updating their programs!). This version
implements an improved "on-the-fly" data compression which will free
up a lot of your disk space, and fixes some nasty bugs in v.2.0. The
rest of this review is for those of you who don't remember the
previous review! This fully working demo (with only a 30 transaction
limit) will allow you to easily (well, fairly easily!) track your
finances, personal, investment, and business. GEM based, it has
features that I really appreciate. It doesn't require you to learn any
arcane language to use it. It interacts with you in plain English, and
tells you what to do in the same way. Here are just some of it's
features: A built-in alarm that won't let you forget to pay your bills
or create a needed report; fully automated checkbook balancing; prints
out your checks on any printer; add or edit any number of accounts
(limited only by your computer's memory); configurable warnings when
specific account balances get too high or too low (avoid account
charges and limit risks in various investments; run "what if"
projections; track appreciation/ depreciation; add extended notes to
any transaction; built-in address/ phone database; very powerful
report generation--and all in the "background" as well, which
increases your productivity, and extensive on-line help. Color or
mono. ST--TT compatible. Requires at least one meg of RAM. This file
uncompresses to 816K, so you will either need a hard drive or an
extended format disk to uncompress it. GEnie.
Do you like .MOD music files? In the past few months several hundred
have been uploaded on Delphi. This past week a Gross plus amount was
uploaded by ATARIPOWER7. Actually there were one gross (144) plus
three other .MOD files uploaded by him. That was over 10 megabytes of
compressed files (I haven't uncompressed them all yet--or listened to
many of them (where's the time!), but I will!
[] MONUMENT is a .PCS picture of a desert scene. Free standing Buttes,
windbown tumbleweeds, and a lonely tree go together to make this a
very nice picture. Some flickering (more than most, less than others).
[] MVGTIFF is two modules by W.D.Parks (Dr. Bob) for use with his
Multi- Viewer Graphica (MVG) (dated May 23, 1993). The first module
will read a bi-level TIF file into MVG. The second module will write
an .IMG file as a TIF file. The docs say that there is a third program
designed to determine the type of TIF file you have, but it's missing.
Docs included.
[] NBIA0593 is the NBIAP NEWS REPORT, May 1, 1993. This article details
news about the burgeoning impact of biotechnology on our society. It
reviews Congressional hearings on the safety of genetically modified
foods, patent law, cures for plant parasites, grant programs, new
rules for field testing of genetically modified organisms, and much
more. This is another interesting article. GEnie, in the Space and
Science area.
[] NBIA0593 is the NBIAP NEWS REPORT, June 1, 1993. This article
details news about the burgeoning impact of biotechnology on our
society. It tells about the six transenic crops currently being grown,
tells about ABRAC (the agricultural Biotechnology Research Advisory
Committee), the relvance of Agricultural Colleges, a brief review of
"The Dark Side of Molecular Biology," the genetic basic of Insect
resistance to chemical insecticides discovered, and much more. GEnie,
in the Space and Science area.
[] PACMAN is a nicely done color .SEQ animation of a jolly-looking
Pac_Man being chased by those too-familiar hungry ghost monsters.
Don't worry though, PM wins in the end! By Enrique Fuentes. Boston
Computer Society's BBS.
[] PAKAGE is a .SEQ animation by Enrique Fuentes telling the story of a
Package From Space!!! The package lands right near Mel who is sitting
on a park bench enjoying a soda (or Pop, Tonic, or whatever, depending
on where you live!). Mel opens the nicely wrapped package and out pops
a cute little space critter (S.C.)--which promptly eats Mel's nose.
Not liking it, it spits it out and runs off, with Mel in hot pursuit.
The S.C. then proceeds to eat a cat, run into the Atari building and
eat someone "vaguely" familiar, run into Mr. Tramiel's office
and..."to be continued. Color only. Use ANIMATE4.PRG to view. From
TOAD HALL BBS.
[] QUASARFAR is a text file entitled Quasars: Near Versus Far by Tom
Van Flandern (dated April, 1993). The author uses this text file to
argue the premise that Quasars, while ordinarily assumed to be objects
far towards the "edge" of the Universe are actually relatively nearby
objects. Evidence ordinarily used to prove their extreme distance
(large redshifts and others) may be interpreted to prove Quasar's
distance, but that that interpretation is not necessitated by the
data. He seeks to show that by the principle of Occam's Razor, the
evidence points to the nearness of Quasars. Interesting reading. Not
convincing to me, but well thought out, evidenced, and interesting.
Having Quasars "nearby" would certainly cause a paradigm shift in
astrophysics! GEnie, in the Space and Science area.
[] SELECTRC is Selectric¿ Version 1.03 by Stefan Radermacher (dated
March, 1993) This is a feature-full replacement file selector for the
ST/STE/ TT (TOS 2.06, too). A nice interface, with many options and
controls. It includes an .ACC that allows you to call Selectric from
within any GEM program or from the desktop. German Docs included (but
I have confidence in you, you can figure it out). Very well done.
Shareware. Color or mono. TOAD Hall BBS.
[] SPACEFAQ is a text file edited by Jon Leech (dated May 3, 1993) that
contains all sorts of information about space exploration (mostly
NASA). This is full of interesting material like the present location
of the Saturn V plans (at Marshall Space Flight Center on Microfilm),
the effects of the Shuttle on the Ozone layer (minimal), the status of
planetary science, the "Face" on Mars (interesting!), and much, much
more. Recommended. GEnie, in the Space and Science area.
[] SPACE_63 is the text of a letter President Kennedy wrote on
September 23, 1963 to The Honorable Albert Thomas, Democrat of Texas,
who questioned the legality of Kennedy's proposal for a joint lunar
mission with Soviet participation. Kennedy wrote this gracious letter
explaining both the legal aspects of his invitation and its political
opportunities. There is one major typographical error the copyist
introduced in this letter. I'll leave it up to you to find it.
Interesting. GEnie, in the Space and Science area.
[] SPEEDO_1 is the complete text of the Speedo GDOS topic from Nov. 1,
1992 through June 10, 1993 as found on GEnie and the Atari
Roundtables. Speedo GDOS is Atari's newest graphics subsystem
enhancement for TOS, and their replacement of the older GDOS. Now you
can have outline Fonts, graphic rotation, and much more--all with
Speedo GDOS! The conversation is still going on on GEnie!
[] SPORTS is a demo of a diving competition program. You choose your
diving platform (1 meter and 3 meter springboards and the 5 meter
platform). The demo only allows you one style of dive per platform,
but the full game allows a multitude of dives. You control this demo
with the joystick. Unfortunately there is no docs and I can't really
figure out how to use this demo. That hasn't stopped me from trying. I
succeed at times and then wonder what I've done! A demo isn't too good
without docs! It doesn't even tell the full name of the program! Can
anyone give me some clues on how this works? STe and TOS 2.06
compatible. Color only. Boston Computer Society's BBS.
[] SRCHME2 is Search Me v.2.1 by David Becker (dated June 11, 1993).
Search Me 2 is a word search puzzle generator that creates word
searches just like the ones in the newspaper! You can use the dbWRITER
dictionary the dictionary included in this file (a very down-sized
version of the dbWriter dictionary), your own custom dictionary, or
your own list of words. You can save and load puzzles to disk (a dozen
are included), print them out, save them as DEGAS pictures or play
them right on the ST! You will need a monochrome monitor (or a mono
emulator with a color monitor). Word length can be from 2 to 15
letters with up to 78 words per puzzle allowed. Now include special
characters in your puzzles! GEM based, with a new custom grid
interface, this program is very easy to use. Docs included. Thanks to
D.B. for another great program in a great series of programs. This
version fixes a bug in v.2.0 that prevented the printing of some
loaded games. GEnie and Delphi.
[] STRANGE is a text file by Kevin Krisciunas entitled "Strange Cases
from the Files of Astronomical Sociology" dated May 27, 1993. The
author, and astronomer himself, wonders "if the term "eccentric
astronomers" is repetitively redundant. Do astronomers become
eccentric as a result of environmental factors such as sleep
deprivation and jet lag, or do inherently eccentric people go into
this business so as to have somewhere to fit in, sort of?" This text
file details some of the ways some famous astronomers have been, well,
"eccentric." Amusing (and true!). GEnie, in the Space and Science
area.
[] STS57KIT is the Press Kit for the Space Shuttle Mission STS-57
(dated June 1993). Endeavor and her six-person crew will run
experiments designed by students, operate a payload which may improve
crystal growth techniques and demonstrate possible on-orbit refueling
techniques. It will also rendezvous with and retrieve the European
Space Agency's European Carrier (EURECA) satellite is scheduled to
take place on the fourth day of the mission. NASA is also leasing
space to a privately- developed mid-deck augmentation module known as
SPACEHAB. The primary objective is to support the agency's commercial
development of space program by providing additional access to
crew-tended, mid-deck locker or experiment rack space. This access is
necessary to test, demonstrate or evaluate techniques or processes in
microgravity. Lots of other interesting material as well. GEnie, in
the Space and Science area.
[] SUPERCON is a text file by Loren Petrich entitled, "What Is
Superconductivity?" I found this file both well written and accurate.
The author defines his terms, briefly yet clearly describes both the
theorical and practical aspects of both low and "high" temperature
superconductivity, and leaves me wanting to read more. GEnie, in the
Space and Science area.
[] WATERMUS is a MIDI (.MID) file of Handel's water music. Handel has a
distinctive style in his music which I like very much. Boston Computer
Society's BBS.
[] WIRES is a digitized sound sample (.SPL, ST Replay?) of "Curly" of
The Three Stooges.
I hope the above keeps you all busy for some time! Remember
ATARIPOWER7's request for files to pass on to Jens in Germany. I also
know that he's looking for people to do translation work. Would any of
you German speakers out there care to help out! Let me know. We're all
in this together, remember!
One final reminder: While I usually only mention one place where a
file may be found, most files find there way around to many different
services. Keep looking for your favorites, and you'll find them. It
wouldn't hurt to sign up on Delphi or GEnie, either!
All of these files can be found on one or more of the following
on-line services: GEnie (M.BURKLEY1), Delphi (MRBURKLEY), The CodeHead
BBS (213 -461-2095), Toad Hall (617-567-8642), and The Boston Computer
Society's Atari BBS (617-396-4607) (Michael R. Burkley). You don't
need to pass a letter on to someone to pass it on to me. Just drop me
a line at any of the above addresses!
Michael lives in Niagara Falls, NY. He is a former Polyurethane
Research Chemist and is presently the pastor of the Niagara Presbyterian
Church.
--==--==--==--==--
||| GEnie Atari ST RoundTable News
||| Courtesy: GEnie Atari ST RT (with thanks to John Hartman!)
/ | \ GEnie: J.G.H.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Atari RT Weekly News 7.1
= REAL TIME CONFERENCES =
Dave Small of GADGETS BY SMALL will be the guest at the July 7th
RTC. He will discuss Spectre GCR version 3.1 and other GBS
products. Join us at 10 pm EDT, July 7th.
-----------------------------------
Dateline Atari! with Bob Brodie has been rescheduled to
July 9th at 10:00 p.m. EDT due to the holiday weekend in
the U.S. and Canada.
------------------------------------
ST INFORMER/CURRENT NOTES RTC Wed., 14th July at 10 p.m (EDT).
Meet some of your favorite Atari authors and columnists!
Many of CN's/ST Informer's regular columnists will be available
to answer your questions or comments. CN will be offering a FREE
one year subscription as a DOOR PRIZE!!!
-------------------------------------
Clear Thinking RTC with Craig Harvey on the 21st July at 10 p.m. EDT
Craig will discuss version 3.0 of EdHak. DOOR PRIZE - EdHak 3.0!!
-------------------------------------
= ATARI RT LIBRARY =
= RTC TRANSCRIPS =
------------------------------------------------------
28966 BRODIE10.ARC X ST.LOU 930605 17280 638 13
Desc: Falcon and Jaguar News from Bob!
28731 TRACET_2.ARC X BRIAN.H 930514 11520 76 13
Desc: Trace Technologies 12 May 93 RTC
28679 BRODIE9.ARC X ST.LOU 930509 14336 501 13
Desc: May Dateline Atari! with Bob Brodie
28678 MISSIONW.ARC X BRIAN.H 930508 13184 116 13
Desc: Missionware (Flash II) RTC 5May93
28588 ABC_SOLN.ARC X BRIAN.H 930430 13440 73 13
Desc: 28 Apr ABC Solutions RTC
28525 PMC2.ARC X BRIAN.H 930424 12416 92 13
Desc: PMC RTC 21April93 with Oscar & Darek
28484 OL3_RTC.ARC X ST.LOU 930420 14336 96 13
Desc: Outline Art Conference
------------------------------------------------------
= LAST MONTH'S PRESS RELEASES =
-----------------------------------------------------
29252 FONTSALE.TXT X POTECHIN 930705 1152 44 14
Desc: DMC PROFESSIONAL FONT SALE
29229 PR_7293.TXT X N.LANGDON4 930703 1280 71 14
Desc: SST name change and SAC Expo 94
29224 ZOCRA793.TXT X C.BUCHANAN3 930702 768 35 14
Desc: Zocra Technologies has Moved!
29188 IBM_JAG.TXT X BOB-BRODIE 930701 3456 468 14
Desc: Press release on IBM/Atari Alliance
29184 GEBETA.TXT X GRIBNIF 930630 1536 49 14
Desc: Geneva Beta Announcement
29183 GEDESC.TXT X GRIBNIF 930630 2304 45 14
Desc: Geneva - Brief Description
29182 GENEVA.TXT X GRIBNIF 930630 9088 52 14
Desc: Geneva Press Release
29171 CRAZYDOT.TXT X GRIBNIF 930629 2432 66 14
Desc: Crazy Dots II Video Card Press Rel.
29153 GIZMO.TXT X J.COLLINS22 930628 2944 108 14
Desc: Info on simm ram board for Falcon!
29148 RST_20.ZIP X N.BAKER4 930627 6272 18 14
Desc: New distribution for RATSoft/ST BBS!
29143 CNEWS__3.LZH X PMC.INC 930627 7168 114 14
Desc: CompuNews Issue 3: Stay informed!
29123 DEVSHELL.TXT X D.MUNSIE 930626 6016 61 14
Desc: Press release: DEV_SHELL for GFA.
29117 FONTPACK.TXT X COMPO 930625 3200 113 14
Desc: Speedo and Type 1 Font Packs
29090 ED3PRESS.TXT X C.HARVEY 930622 3328 94 14
Desc: Release of EdHak 3.0 !
29083 5N1FOR4.TXT X V.VALENTI 930621 1152 51 14
Desc: Try'em before you buy'em!
29064 MIST_5.LZH X W.JONES43 930619 6912 28 14
Desc: Map and info on AtariFest V Indy
29047 BLUERIDG.TXT X S.WINICK 930617 8064 36 14
Desc: Blue Ridge AtariFest Press Release
29039 FIESTAMP.LZH X C.CASSADAY 930615 58496 10 14
Desc: IMG, PgS, ASCII directions to Fiesta
29025 MIST_5.TXT X W.JONES43 930612 2688 47 14
Desc: Press Release for MIST AtariFest V!
29021 CUTPRICE.TXT X J.EIDSVOOG1 930612 1280 443 14
Desc: CodeHead Cuts Prices!
29019 GLMPR318.LZH X R.FAULKNER4 930611 19328 134 14
Desc: GEnieLamp Press Release
29007 KCSHOW5.LZH X B.WELSCH 930610 15104 38 14
Desc: Kansas City Atarifest Press release
28967 JAGUAR.TXT X BOB-BRODIE 930605 3200 529 14
Desc: Press Release for Atari Jaguar!!!
28964 GLMPR317.LZH X R.FAULKNER4 930605 15744 122 14
Desc: GEnieLamp Press Release
28959 DTPOFFER.TXT X POTECHIN 930604 11904 178 14
Desc: Pagestream to Calamus SL Offer
28948 KCSHOW5.ASC X B.WELSCH 930603 2560 40 14
Desc: Kansas City AtariFest Press Release
28944 LASTCALL.CT X B.GOCKLEY 930602 1920 29 14
Desc: It's Almost Showtime In For CT Fest
28940 PMC_MTN.TXT X PMC.INC 930602 4608 139 14
Desc: PMC Has 105MB Removable Mountains
28931 IAAD_DIR.ARC X DABRUMLEVE 930601 7680 68 14
Desc: IAAD Member Directory as of 6/1/93
28908 OBURST.TXT X F.PAWLOWSKI 930530 4352 72 14
Desc: OutBurST now for Canon Bubblejet
-----------------------------------------------------
= LAST MONTH'S DEMO RELEASES =
------------------------------------------------------
29226 SCRLTHUN.LZH X STEVE-J 930703 33664 27 10
Desc: Scrolling Thunder demo text viewer
29212 MC20.LZH X C.MULLER3 930702 246528 43 10
Desc: The Ultimate Finance Manager
29128 RENT_PRO.ARC X HITECH 930626 659072 5 10
Desc: Rental Point-of-Sale. New V5.22!
29091 ED3DEM.LZH X C.HARVEY 930622 40192 70 10
Desc: EdHak 3.0 Demo, but still useful.
29001 EMDEMO11.LZH X S.GARRIGUS 930609 27904 50 10
Desc: EmailMan Version 1.1 - SRG Software!
28985 MARCEL_D.LZH X MARCEL.CA 930607 70016 123 10
Desc: DEMO OF MARCEL v2.1 WORD PROCESSOR
28925 UK_DEMOS.ZIP X L.SMITH70 930601 529152 93 10
Desc: Four Falcon030 truecolor demos
28867 NSP_DEMO.LZH X STEVE-J 930529 182784 45 10
Desc: No 2nd Prize motorcycle racing demo
------------------------------------------------------
= LAST TWO WEEK'S TOP 10 DOWNLOADED PROGRAMS =
------------------------------------------------------
29124 WARP.LZH X T.DAVIS36 930626 4864 246 2
Desc: V1.1 of Warp EOS Module!
29094 GVIEW224.ZIP X B.BEAUCHEA 930623 292352 216 28
Desc: Latest version of Gemview V2.24
29197 JURASSIC.LZH X BAGET 930701 42624 203 8
Desc: jurassic park computer interface
29059 WRAP.LZH X T.DAVIS36 930619 3456 182 21
Desc: A screen saver of Wrap 9!
29167 DCLOCK1.LZH X AEO.5 930628 51584 169 2
Desc: Excellent clock desk accessory!!
29145 MSA_II_3.LZH X E.JOLLEY 930627 24320 156 40
Desc: Magic Shadow Archiver II, v2.3
29058 VIEWER3D.LZH X OFFY 930619 15616 120 2
Desc: Text viewer using 3-d buttons
29127 GLOSSARY.ZIP X H.CARSON1 930626 78592 108 21
Desc: Complete Atari Glossary & Viewer!
29092 GER2EN30.ZIP X B.BEAUCHEA 930622 218112 105 2
Desc: Version 3 of the German translator
29166 AUTORAIS.LZH X AEO.5 930628 3584 88 2
Desc: Tops window under mouse.
------------------------------------------------------
= LAST MONTH'S TOP 10 DOWNLOADED PROGRAMS =
------------------------------------------------------
28983 D1034-10.LZH X ORA.TECH 930607 237696 349 2
Desc: Diamond Edge 1.03/1.04 to 1.10 Patch
29049 LGSEL18D.LZH X CODEHEAD 930618 33920 280 2
Desc: Little Green Selector v1.8D
29124 WARP.LZH X T.DAVIS36 930626 4864 246 2
Desc: V1.1 of Warp EOS Module!
29094 GVIEW224.ZIP X B.BEAUCHEA 930623 292352 216 28
Desc: Latest version of Gemview V2.24
28965 SILKBT2.LZH X M.SLAGELL 930605 2432 211 2
Desc: SilkBoot 2, freeware HD boot delay
29197 JURASSIC.LZH X BAGET 930701 42624 203 8
Desc: jurassic park computer interface
29059 WRAP.LZH X T.DAVIS36 930619 3456 182 21
Desc: A screen saver of Wrap 9!
28994 HDX503.ZIP X B.REHBOCK 930609 75008 174 2
Desc: Latest HD Utilities for Falcon030!
29167 DCLOCK1.LZH X AEO.5 930628 51584 169 2
Desc: Excellent clock desk accessory!!
29033 LITTLNET.ZIP X A.FASOLDT 930615 16256 163 2
Desc: Freeware ST/TT networking software
------------------------------------------------------
--==--==--==--==--
||| Atari Developer CD-ROM Announcement
||| By: Mike Fulton
/ | \ GEnie: MIKE-FULTON CIS: 75300,1141 Delphi: ATARITECH
----------------------------------------------------------------
This file may be freely distributed & reprinted provided it is complete
and unedited.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Mike Fulton, Atari Developer Support
To: Atari Developer Community & Atari Programmers everywhere
Atari Developer CDROM
---------------------
Atari is currently in the production stages of creating a Developer
CDROM disc that will be offered to both new and existing developers.
The initial release is slated for the developer conference that is going
to be held on Friday, September 17, 1993 in Glendale, California, the
day before "Atari Computer Faire, Version 7.0" starts (AKA "The Glendale
Show").
Once the initial version of the disc has been released, we expect to
have updates a couple of times a year with new material and any
necessary corrections. Once you've purchased the disc, you'll be able
to get the upgrade discs at reduced cost. (Exact pricing information
for the disc and/or updates is not available at this time, but it
should be pretty reasonable.)
Since not all developers will already be using a CDROM drive with their
system, we plan to include a floppy disk that will have the necessary
CDROM driver software to allow them to access the disc once they have
connected a CDROM drive to their computer.
===========================================================================
Here's a preliminary outline of what we hope to include on the disc:
(This is still preliminary subject to change without notice, of course!)
===========================================================================
* All of the current versions of all of the programs and files in the
Atari developer's kit, plus additional related items not included in
the regular kit.
* Atari Falcon030-specific developer's tools such as the DSP
Assembler, Linker, and Debugger
* Current release of SpeedoGDOS outline font scaler
* Current release of MultiTOS multitasking operating system
* Atari Works -- integrated word processor, spreadsheet, database
* Programs that currently ship with Atari computers such as the
Falcon030 (but which work with older machines) that not everybody
may have, such as:
CalAppt -- Calendar/Appointment Book/Address Book
Procalc -- Calculator Accessory (with number-base conversions)
Talking Clock -- STE/TT/Falcon030 Talking Clock Program/accessory
Accessory Games -- Breakout, Landmine
Audio Fun Machine -- Assign sounds to keystrokes & system events on
STE/TT/Falcon030
* Online Documentation -- The disc contents will be described in an
online hypertext format. Additionally, at least some of the regular
developer's documentation will also be available in hypertext
format. (With more to come on future updates.)
Imagine being able to look at a function reference of all the
functions described in the GEMDOS manual. You click on
"Fsfirst()" and get a description of that function. While you're
looking at that, you start to wonder what the rules for legal
filenames are, so you click on "Filename" and see a description
of what constitutes a legal filename.
* Demo programs -- graphics demos, sound demos, etc. For all
machines, especially the new Atari Falcon030.
* Sample source code -- for new TOS features, from past developer
newsletters, and so on.
===========================================================================
Aside from all of the above, there are three additional categories of
files that we would like to include. These categories all depend to a
large degree on submissions from the Atari Developer community.
===========================================================================
* Public-domain & shareware development tools, utilities, & source
code.
We would like to include as much public domain and shareware
stuff as we can. We want development tools, utilties, sample
source code, and anything else that is programming-related. For
example, we would like to include things like the GNU GCC
compiler (C & C++) and other GNU tools, and possibly other PD or
shareware compilers as well.
We would like to include just about any kind of developer
oriented program, but we do have a few basic guidelines about the
submissions that we would like to follow:
1) The software should be compatible with both SpeedoGDOS and
MultiTOS. By 'compatible' I mean it doesn't crash or
mess up the display in some fashion. Taking advantage of
either SpeedoGDOS or MultiTOS is not required, although it
is certainly welcome.
If you have something that you might like to submit, and
you aren't sure how it behaves with SpeedoGDOS or
MultiTOS, please just go ahead and submit it. We will be
testing submissions as much as possible before including
them. Include information for any compatibility problems
you already know about.
If you know for a fact that your submission doesn't work
with SpeedoGDOS and/or MultiTOS, but feel that other
developers will still find it quite useful, then let us
know about it and perhaps we'll make an exception here and
there (pun absolutely intended! ;^).
In most cases, incompatibility problems with SpeedoGDOS
and MultiTOS are easy to fix, because they are usally
caused by one of a small handfull of programming errors.
If you make your submission, it may be the case that we
can point out what's wrong and you will be able to fix it
without too much trouble.
One problem that some programs have regarding MultiTOS is
that they don't do their console & screen I/O in a
consistent manner. They mix up BIOS, GEMDOS and GEM calls
all together. For example, they might use Bconin() to
get keyboard input and then they'll use v_gtext() to
output information to the screen. Or they'll use
evnt_keybd() or evnt_multi() to get their input, and then
use Bconout() or Cconws() or some other such BIOS or
GEMDOS call to do their screen I/O.
This doesn't work too well with MultiTOS where programs
generally don't own the whole system and have to share
the keyboard and display screen with other programs.
If you're going to do be a GEM program, then you should do
all of your screen & console I/O through GEM. If you're
not a GEM program, then you should do all of your console
& screen I/O through the BIOS and GEMDOS. Pick one or the
other and stick with it.
2) The submission should have at least minimal documentation,
preferably in English. If complete documentation is only
available in another language, then we'll have to judge
how difficult the program is to figure out and use
without documentation.
Submission Guidelines
---------------------
* If something is clearly marked as being public domain, you
do not have to be the author to submit it.
* On files marked "Public Domain", if there is a notice about
distibution restrictions of some kind, then the author may
have misunderstood what "public domain" means and we'll try
to contact them to straighten things out and make sure they
don't have a problem with us including their stuff on the
CDROM.
(Legally speaking, once something has been released into
the public domain, the author has given up the rights to
put any restrictions on it of any kind. Free Software and
Public Domain Software aren't the same thing.)
* If something is marked as being shareware, you do not have
to be the author to submit it, but you must include all of
the appropriate files including the information on how to
contact the copyright holder so that we can contact them to
obtain permission if necessary.
* If something has a copyright notice, but is marked as being
freely distributable, you do not have to be the author to
submit it, but you must include all of the appropriate
files.
* If something has a copyright notice, and is not marked as
being shareware or as being freely distributable, before
submitting it, please send email with whatever information
is available for the program, but not the program itself.
===========================================================================
* Demo versions of commercially available software
We would like to include disabled demo versions of commercially
available software. For example, if we weren't including a fully
working version of Atari Works, we might instead include a demo
version that would let you load and edit files, but not let you
save or print (or would print with a special "DEMO VERSION" box
on top of the regular text).
We would like to concentrate on developer-oriented & power-user
software such as programming languages and utilities, program
shells, disk utilities, and so forth. However, if space
permits, we may be able to include a few more end-user oriented
demos. If you would like to make such a submission, let us know
and we'll try to get it on the disc if possible. A CDROM holds
about 600mb and while that may sound like a lot (and is!) it can
still get filled up very quickly.
It is strongly recommended that demo versions have their disabled
sections completely removed, not simply disabled. If your demo
version isn't supposed to be able to print, then take the printing
code out completely rather than simply jumping past it. If you
don't take such steps, then somebody may figure out how to
re-enable the disabled sections of the program.
===========================================================================
* Locked (password encrypted) versions of shareware and commercially
available software
To go along with the demo versions mentioned above, it would be
great if we could include actual working versions of some of
these products. Let's use Hisoft's Lattice C as an example:
Suppose that there was a demo version on the disc that would
let you create source code files up to 5K long and compile
them. But you couldn't save the files, and you could only
have 1 object module, and the resulting program would say
"COMPILED WITH DEMO VERSION OF LATTICE C" several times
whenever you ran it, and only work right if the Lattice C
integrated environment had passed it a special code on the
commandline when it ran.
Such a demo version would give the user a reasonable chance
to see the program and decide if they like it or not, but
without making the demo version useful in its own right.
So now a user sees the demo version and says "Wow, this looks
pretty cool, and I'd like to buy the real thing." So they
call up the publisher, which would be Oregon Research here in
North America, or HISOFT in the U.K. and Europe, and they say
"I have the Atari Developer CDROM and I want to purchase
Lattice C".
At this point, the publisher would take down the user's
credit card number, and say "What's the serial number for
your CDROM?" and the user would tell them, and then they
would be given a special password that can be used to install
a fully working version of the program onto their hard disk
from the CDROM. Some documentation would be included online,
and the user would get a regular set of manuals in the mail a
few days later.
This is good for the user: he gets to try out the software
before he buys it.
This is good for the publisher: you save some money because
you don't have to pay for fancy packaging, floppy disks, or
even for manuals if you can manage to get it all in online
form. You can sell the password at a discount compared with
the regular price, and still make more per package than you
normally do (since there is no distributor or dealer discount
involved).
This is good for the user: he gets to save a little money
and gets to install the software from CDROM instead of having
to do it from floppy disks.
This is good for the publisher: You've got direct advertising
of the most effective kind aimed at the users who are going to
be most interested in this kind of product.
How does it work? Will it be secure?
Each CDROM will come with a floppy disk that is serialized.
Included on this disk will be an installation program shell
that will be used to install the locked software after a user
has purchased the password. This will be something that
Atari will put together that works as follows:
The user will run the shell, and their serial number will be
displayed on screen. They'll give this number to the
publisher, and the publisher will use a special program or
spreadsheet or otherwise figure out what the password needs
to be, and give the user this password.
Now the user can tell the installation shell what they want
to install. They'll point at the desired item and then the
shell will execute an installation program that the publisher
will create. The CDROM serial number will be given to this
installation program. Then the publisher's install program
will get the password from the user and combine it with the
CDROM serial number to generate a decryption code. Then the
install program will use this code to decode and install the
program.
There's more detail here than I'm giving, but I'd rather
discuss it only with those developers who are making a
submission. I think the basic idea that's important to get
across is that it will be at least as secure as your basic
floppy disk release. Plus, the resulting installed programs
can be marked in such a way that you'd be able to figure out
the serial number from the CDROM they were installed from.
Time permitting, there will probably be an Atari supplied
installation program that is capable of working in this
fashion, and it will be made available to those developers
who are interested.
===========================================================================
For the most part, we would like to avoid the use of file-compression
utilities such as ARC, LHARC, ZOO, or ZIP. We would prefer to have
files on the CDROM in an uncompressed format that is ready to use.
(The encrypted fully working versions of commercial software would be
an exception here.)
However, if we have so many submissions that we run out of room, some
material may be placed onto the disc in an archived format. We plan to
include the various file compression utilities on the disc, however, so
the user will be able to decompress anything on the disc without needing
to get anything like a decompression program from some other source.
===========================================================================
Please keep in mind that this is a developer-oriented CDROM, not aimed
at the average end-user. There will probably be some sharp edges
to watch out for, although we'll try to make everything as easy to
figure out and use as possible.
If you want to submit an encrypted version of your software, please
contact me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE so that we can get things worked out as
early as possible.
In order to be included on the initial release of the disc, submissions
must be received before the deadlines given below. Submissions made
after the deadlines will be included if possible, but will most likely
be held over for the next update of the disc.
The deadline for all submissions except encrypted versions of commercial
programs is August 7. The deadline for encrypted versions of working
programs is August 21. The CDROM will be going to production
approximately the first week of September.
If there is some special reason you cannot make either deadline, please
contact me as soon as possible so that we can make special arrangements
if possible.
Your Submissions Are Welcome!
Send submissions, questions, comments, etc. to Mike Fulton at:
Mailing Address: EMAIL:
Atari Corp. GEnie = MIKE-FULTON
Attn: Mike Fulton Delphi = ATARITECH
1196 Borregas Ave. Compuserve = 75300,1141
Sunnyvale, CA 94089 Internet = 75300.1141@compuserve.com
Atari BBS (408) 745-2196 (Log on with
name of "Atari Dev1" and use "DEVONE"
for password, send email to "Mike
Fulton". You won't be able to read
messages or download files with this
account, but you can upload and send me
email.)
--==--==--==--==--
||| DevNotes: Oregon Research
||| Courtesy: Oregon Research
/ | \ GEnie: ORA.TECH
----------------------------------------------------------------
Oregon Research began six years ago with the introduction of the
finest personal computer ever produced: the Atari ST. We are dedicated
to bringing Atari ST users only the finest software available for the
platform. Quality Software that matches the quality hardware. Our
flagship product Diamond Back II personifies that dedication with
continual development for five years and ready to undergo another
major upgrade to Diamond Back 3 in a few months.
We combine the dedication to high quality software with a dedication
to premier software support. We are always here to assist you with
getting more out of your software purchase and answer any questions
you may have. The initiation of online product support on CompuServe
strengthens that dedication.
The people that you are likely to encounter when seeking product
support include:
Specialties
Bob Luneski Disk Utilities, Lattice C, Devpac 3
Rob Albright HiSoft Basic 2, Graphics, Harlekin, Disk Utilities
Alex Keirnan of HiSoft will also be available for questions regarding
Lattice C and Devpac 3
With the exciting new developments in the platform with the
introduction of the new Falcon030 we look forward to another six years
of serving the Atari ST community.
For more information contact:
Oregon Research
16200 S.W. Pacific Hwy., Suite 162
Tigard, OR 97224
Telephone: (503) 620-4919 1:00PM - 5:00PM M-F Pacific Time
FAX: (503) 624-2940 24 hours a day
Ultimate Virus Killer
---------------------
Virus Detection - Virus Destruction - Virus Prevention - Disk Repair
There are nearly 70 types of virus prevalent on the Atari ST. With
this package you can detect, destroy, and protect yourself from virus
attack, leaving your valuable software safe. The Ultimate Virus Killer
is the ULTIMATE tool to protect your Atari ST computers from virus
infection.
Regular Updates Ultimate Virus Killer is upgraded on a regular basis
(approx. every 3 months) so you can always be sure to have the best
possible protection for your Atari ST. Included with the package is a
comprehensive manual that includes a description of every known Atari
virus.
Ultimate Virus Killer RetaIl price: $29.95
TruePaint
---------
TruePaint is a paint package for the 90's. With its easy to use paint
commands, ability to run in any resolution on any ST/TT/Falcon,
flexible animation features and number of supported image file
formats, TruePaint is a must for any user of an Atari computer
TruePaint retail price: $79.95
Tempus 2
---------
Programmer's Editor The original Tempus was famous for its speed of
operation and the wide range of editor facilities. Tempus 2 extends
these features adding many new commands together with a full range of
keyboard shortcuts and installation options. Tempus has evolved to be
the most comprehensive and powerful editor for the ST.
Tempus 2 Retail Price: $59.95
ProFlight
---------
ProFlight is the Panavia Tornado flight simulator for your Atari ST/STE/
TT computer. Based on extremely accurate flight equations which map the
behavior of this complex fighter very closely, ProFlight is not only a
realistic simulator, but is also simple, and fun, to fly.
ProFlight retail price: $49.95
Lattice C
---------
Lattice C 5.5 is a versatile and powerful development system for the
popular C programming language. The system is features a flexible
integrated programming environment producing the best code of any Atari
C compiler. In the development of Lattice C 5.5, the emphasis was on
producing a package that could be easily used by the novice as well as
the seasoned expert. Flexibility for the user is essential if such a
goal is to be attained and this has been achieved at all levels of the
development cycle resulting in an easy-to-use and extremely powerful
collection of programming tools - the ultimate C system for the Atari
ST/STe/TT/Falcon!
Lattice C retail price $279.95
KnifeST
-------
KnifeST is the ultimate disk editor for the Atari ST. KnifeST is all
you need to recover files that you thought you had lost. KnifeST works
with Atari ST and IBM PC format disks, reading your disks at the logical
sector, cluster and file level. KnifeST can even edit non-ST disks that
can be physically read by the ST e.g. those of the Archimedes & Sinclair
QL because it performs physical editing of floppy disks with sector &
track read.
KnifeST retail price: $49.95
HighSpeed Pascal
----------------
HighSpeed Pascal is the leading Pascal development system for your Atari
ST/STE/TT and Falcon030 computers. Designed to be compatible with the
hugely successful Turbo Pascal 5.0 on the PC, HighSpeed Pascal is packed
full of features that make it simple for everyone to learn and use.
HighSpeed Pascal retail price: $169.95
HiSoft C
--------
Learn C The Easy Way. These days you'd have to bury your head in the
sand to avoid hearing about the programming language - "C". Now you can
learn C the easy way, using the HiSoft C Interpreter. Because this is
an interpreter, not a (more usual) compiler, it lets you develop, debug
and test programs quickly and easily in a simple environment.
HiSoft C Retail Price: $99.95
HiSoft Basic 2
--------------
HiSoft BASIC has become the standard language for many Atari ST owners
over the past few years. With it's combination of advanced, structured
language concepts and a flexible, interactive user interface, HiSoft
Basic 2 has proved to be invaluable tools for all Atari ST users, from
the novice to the expert programmer.
HiSoft Basic 2 retail price: $139.95
Harlekin 2 - Personal Time Manager and all in one ACC
-----------------------------------------------------
The Manager At the heart of Harlekin is the Manager. This is a diary/
time management system that is incredibly flexible and powerful. Based
around the concept of a note which is created by the built-in editor,
the Manager lets you assign dates, times, priorities, icons, keys and
alarms to each note thus allowing you to organize appointments,
schedules, important events etc. in a clear,coherent manner.
Harlekin 2 Retail price: $99.95
FTL Modula-2
------------
Modula-2 Compiler FTL Modula-2 for the Atari computers makes programming
enjoyable yet fast. It's easy to learn, quick in use, and extremely
powerful, producing small, native code files. FTL Modula-2 gives you
speed, convenience and versatility. It compiles over 6000 lines a
minute, handles complicated real-world programs and knows how to search
your disks for its files. It's understandable, not daunting. FTL lets
you think about the program, not just the compiler!
FTL Modula-2 retail price: $159.95
Diamond Edge
------------
Your disks and disk drives are frequently used and rarely appreciated;
that is, until something goes wrong. Diamond Edge is a complete set of
disk management, optimization, diagnostic, repair, and data recovery
tools for use with any floppy or hard disk. Whether recovering from a
catestrophic disk crash or optimizing your drive for increased
performance, Diamond Edge is an essential tool for all Atari owners.
Diamond Edge Retail Price: $69.95
Diamond Back II
---------------
Diamond Back II is the most complete hard disk backup and restore
program available for the Atari ST/STE/TT range of computers. Diamond
Back II provides a true file backup at image backup speeds with more
power and flexibility then all of the other backup programs combined.
COMING SOON DIAMOND BACK 3! Exciting new enhancements include SCSI Tape
backup, Full Windowed interface for background backups under Multi TOS,
DSP compression!
Diamond Back II Retail Price: $49.95
Devpac Version 3
----------------
Devpac 3 includes a new multi-window editor which has been designed to
be easy-to-use, using sub-menus and pop-up menus for swift selection.
It offers a powerful editing environment with bookmarks for remembering
key positions, mouse block-marking, complete window flexibility,
extensive user configuration and full integration with the other Devpac
programs.
Devpac 3 retails price: $149.95
DATAlite 2
----------
DATAlite is a sophisticated, powerful program providing real time online
data compression for floppy and hard disks! Amazingly fast you won't
ever know it's installed, DATAlite transparently doubles the storage
size of your disks!
DATAlite 2 retail price: $79.95
--==--==--==--==--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// More Crazy Dots from Gribnif
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Gribnif Software is proud to announce the immediate North American
release of their newest addition for the Atari MegaST, MegaSTE, and
TT/030. Developed by TKR in Germany, the brand new, Crazy Dots II -
Video Display Card. Crazy Dots II has the following capabilities:
[] Programmable screen resolutions up to 1,664 x 1,200.
[] True-Color display capability (giving you up to 16.7 million colors
to choose from!).
[] Virtual display support (display a resolution higher than the
physical screen resolution) with hardware panning (no software
slowdown).
Crazy Dots II also offers the following advantages:
[] Optional, 24 bit color, accelerated "NVDI" based screen driver,
which gives you a SUBSTANCIALLY faster display than any other video
card.
[] Uses any standard VGA monitor (the better the monitor, the higher
the maximum resolution that you can display).
[] Internal expansion slot with its own output socket for future
upgrades.
[] English language software with an English (written by us) manual.
[] 1 Megabyte of Video RAM.
The Crazy Dots II is a custom card, specifically designed to fit right
into your Atari's expansion slot. Two versions are available:
//// MegaBus
For the Classic MegaST, includes a "pass-through" for the optional math
co-processor.
//// VME
For the MegaSTE and TT/030 models.
The Crazy Dots design has already established itself, for the past two
years, as the leading video display card for the Atari. Used by
hundreds of satisfied customers, Crazy Dots gives you a fast,
customizable, high resolution display.
Crazy Dots II carries a suggested retail of $799.95. Dealer discounts
are available. To place and order, or for more information, please
contact:
Gribnif Software
P.O. Box 779,
Northampton, MA 01061-0779 U.S.A.
Tel: (413) 247-5620 (10am to 6pm, Eastern Standard Time)
Fax: (413) 247-5622 (24 hours a day)
GENIE: GRIBNIF
CIS: 75300,1131
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// DEV_SHELL - GFA BASIC Developer's Shell
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
DSA, the developers of the popular GP_EDIT LIBRARY and the creators of
the GP_GRAPHICS ENGINE are proud to announce the immediate availability
of our latest GFA programming tool, The Developer's shell for GFA BASIC
programming.
DEV_SHELL is an interactive programming shell that totally replaces the
MENU.PRG that came with your original GFA BASIC program disk. DEV_SHELL
uses a splendidly easy 3D button point and click interface that allows
you to edit and compile your programs easier than ever before.
What makes DEV_SHELL so powerful is that the interface has been
streamlined to provide a fast and effecient enviroment. The last thing
you want to do in a shell is have to go through different menus or a
cumbersome config process. Virtually all of DEV_SHELL's features are
easily accessible from one user screen.
Here are some of the reasons why you'll appreciate DEV_SHELL.
[] Custom configure up to 5 GFA SOURCE files per config file
[] Load & save different .DVS configurations. (DEV_SHELL config file)
[] Organize your config files by subjects! (Games,utility,etc..)
[] Each .GFA source file has it's own set of compiler options.
[] Include up to 5 different .OBJECT files for linking.
[] Quick compile option. (Just like the old MENU.PRG.)
[] Execute 8 of your favorite tools with the click of a button.
[] Further install & execute up to 5 function key programs.
[] Runs in all three ST\STe resolutions automatically...without tricks!
[] Advanced WAIT (Insert disk) support included for floppy users.
[] Access to ACC'S and disk operations, Copy, Move, Kill, View.
[] 100% TOS compatible from 1.0 to 2.06.
INSTALL DEV_SHELL AS AN APPLICATION!
If your desktop supports it you can install DEV_SHELL as an application.
Then when you double click on a .GFA source file it will first load you
into the INTERPRETER and then after you exit the INTERPRETER you will
ready to compile from within DEV_SHELL! A real time saver for quick bug
fixes and updates.
Included with the DEV_SHELL retail package is:
//// DEV_XREF
A cross reference program that allows you to get access to program
information when it comes time to debug your code. You can even
optimize certain sections of your code.
//// DEV_DEBUG.LST
This is a real time debugger that you merge into any GFA BASIC 3.5/3.6
source code. At the press of a key sequence you can gain access to a
debugging menu from within your GFA source code running in INTERPRETER
mode. Print out variables, set break points, change program speed, etc.
A VITAL tool for novice and pro users alike.
And as a special bonus for purchasing DEV_SHELL we have included a vast
collection of PD & SHAREWARE GFA source code and utilities. Over 1.5
megs of data compressed in .LZH format. Novice users and pros alike
will enjoy browsing through the library. Of special note is a
collection of comments taken from the early days of GFA programming.
DEV_SHELL has a suggested retail price of only $29.95. Available
through fine Atari dealers everywhere or you may send a check or money
order for $29.95 in US funds to:
DSA
Attn: DEV_SHELL
5601 Ammons
Haltom City, TX 76117 USA
TX residents please add 7.5% tax.
Please allow 7-10 days for your package to arrive. As long as you are
in the USA or Canada we will pay shipping. Other countries please add
shipping costs.
FOR A LIMITED TIME....A SPECIAL DISCOUNT OFFER!
For owners of other programming shells for GFA who would like to upgrade
to the newer DEV_SHELL all you have to do is rip out the cover from your
manual and mail it to us with your order and you can take an additional
$5.00 off your order! So your final cost is only $24.95 and we'll still
pay your shipping and handling as long as you are in the USA or Canada.
This special discount offer will expire August 1st, 1993.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Gribnif Announces Geneva
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
After almost two years of development, Gribnif Software is proud to
announce their newest software offering for the Atari ST, STE, TT/030,
Falcon, and compatibles. "Geneva" is a Multitasking Application
Environment (Multitasking AES) that allows any Atari to:
[] Multitask unlimited GEM applications
[] Load and unload unlimited desk accessories
[] Put applications and accessories to "sleep", keeping them from using
valuable CPU time, temporarily closing all their windows.
[] Run MultiTOS applications (it supports the new AES 4.0 calls)
Geneva also adds the following features to the Atari:
[] Task Manager
for total control of all applications and accessories
[] Tear-off menus
drag any drop-down menu into its own window
[] 3-D buttons and 3-D window gadgets
easily customizable
[] Keyboard control of drop-down menus
similar to Windows, "walk the menus" of any application
[] Ability to run singletasking applications
for applications that are not multitasking compatible
[] Enhanced compatibility when compared to Atari's MultiTOS
special flags let you run even the most troublesome programs
[] Keyboard control of window gadgets & dialog buttons
keyboard equivalents for dialog & alert buttons, plus the ability to
assign keyboard equivalents to window gadgets
[] Ability to change mouse shapes, including mouse animation support
[] MiNT compatibility for MiNT applications
multitask TOS programs, run MiNT-specific applications, requires either
freeware or commercial version of MiNT
[] Enhanced file selector
with powerful pattern matching, file searching, renaming, deleting, dual
column display, and multiple file selection
When compared to Atari's MultiTOS, Geneva offers the following
advantages:
[] Smaller memory requirements (less than 125K of RAM when active)
[] Faster application speed, mostly due to Geneva not requiring MiNT
loaded to multitask GEM applications.
[] Faster window redraw and window gadget operation, due to Geneva's
faster AES code.
[] Higher compatibility with older applications, thanks to Geneva's
special application flags and support for singletasking applications
If you do NOT have MultiTOS, Geneva offers you:
[] A very easy and fast way to multitask unlimited GEM applications,
subject to available memory.
[] The ability to load and unload unlimited desk accessories as you
need them, subject to available memory.
[] The ability to run AES 4.0 (MultiTOS) applications.
[] An inexpensive way to give your computer a whole new look & feel,
including 3-D buttons, tear-off menus, multitasking, keyboard
control, and much more.
If you DO have MultiTOS, Geneva offers you:
[] A faster AES which offers several new features, including tear-off
menus, keyboard controls, faster windows, and higher compatibility.
[] Higher compatibility, thanks to Geneva's special application flags
and support for singletasking applications.
[] The ability to not have to run MiNT, therefore giving you: A faster
way to multitask unlimited GEM applications, subject to available
memory. The ability to save substantial amounts of memory. Even
higher compatibility with non-MiNT compatible applications.
What Geneva does NOT include:
[] Geneva does not include or require a "desktop". The built-in ROM
desktop is not compatible (if we could make it so, we would). But,
a desktop is not required. You can launch programs and accessories
directly from Geneva's Task Manager.
However, for convenience, a desktop replacement is recommended. Geneva
will work most MultiTOS compatible replacement desktops and file
launching shells.
Also, a patch is included with Geneva that upgrades NeoDesk 3 to version
3.04, allowing it to work correctly with Geneva.
We recommend the soon to be released NeoDesk 4 desktop replacement,
which will include many new multitasking oriented features, window
menus, true color support, and will take full advantage of Geneva's
power and capabilities.
Currently, Geneva does not include MiNT, the TOS enhancement written
by Atari for use with MultiTOS. However, Geneva is fully compatible
with MiNT, allowing you to run MiNT applications and multitask TOS
applications. Geneva is compatible both with the freeware version
of MiNT and Atari's commercial version.
Release Dates & Prices:
"Geneva" is slated for release in North America around September 1st,
1993. Foreign versions, including a German version, will be available
shortly thereafter.
"Geneva" will be available commercially from your local dealer for
$99.95 and will include the new "NeoDesk 4" desktop replacement.
"Geneva" will also be available by itself (without NeoDesk 4) for
$69.95. NeoDesk 4 will be available separately for $69.95.
For more information, contact:
Gribnif Software
P.O. Box 779,
Northampton, MA 01061-0779 U.S.A.
Tel: (413) 247-5620 (10am to 6pm, Eastern Standard Time)
Fax: (413) 247-5622 (24 hours a day)
GENIE: GRIBNIF
CIS: 75300,1131
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Dance to the WalZ
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Welcome to the world of WalZ Breakout. One of the most addictive
breakout games ever devised. So sit back and get comfortable before
you play this game. You might not be moving from you computer for a
while, because once you start breaking bricks, you'll be hooked!
WalZ will challenge your reflexes and resolve in a test of
coordination and quick thinking. However, the greatest challenge of
all will be keeping yourself from playing it again and again!.
* Over 25 Levels of Play!
* Works on all ST/STE/TT and FALCON COMPUTERS!
* DMA sound! (Not available on ST computers)
* Full GEM Compliance!
* MultiTOS Aware!
* Never The Same Game Twice!
Suggested Retail Price: $29.95
In Stock and Available from your Local Dealer!
If your dealer does not have WalZ in stock! Have your Dealer contact
Pacific Software Supply immediatly. (800-327-0425 DEALERS ONLY).
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// New Fonts Available From Compo
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Compo Software has announced the immediate availability of four typeface
collections including selected typefaces from the Bitstream Typeface
Library. Each typeface is supplied in both Bitstream Speedo and
PostScript Type 1 formats for compatibility with many applications and
operating environments. Use the Speedo fonts with SpeedoGDOS on your
Atari computer, or with Bitstream's Facelift on a PC. Use the Type 1
fonts with PageStream, CompoScript, and other applications on your
Atari, or with Adobe Type Manager on a PC. These typefaces are of very
high quality and contain extensive kerning and hinting data. Our four
font packs and their contents are as follows:
Decorative Newsletter
-------------- --------------
Caslon Openface ITC Garamond Book
Cloister Black ITC Garamond Book Italic
Compacta Light Futura Book
Compacta Roman Futura Book Italic
Orator 10 Pitch Baskerville Roman
Bitstream Cooper Black Baskerville Italic
Freehand 575 Baskerville Bold
Copperplate Gothic Bold Baskerville Bold Italic
Revue Zapf Humanist 601 Roman
VAG Rounded Zapf Humanist 601 Italic
Orbit-B Century Schoolbook Roman
Windsor Outline Century Schoolbook Italic
Headlines Styles
------------- ----------
Franklin Gothic Condensed Revue
Franklin Gothic Extra Condensed Blippo Black
Franklin Gothic Roman Exotic 350 Demi Bold
Franklin Gothic Gothic Italic Incised 901 Black
Broadway Orbit-B
Bitstream Cooper Black PT Barnum
Swiss 721 Condensed
Swiss 721 Bold Condensed
Compacta Roman
These font packs are available now from COMPO Software or your favorite
dealer. Retail prices are: Decorative Font Pack (twelve faces) -
$99.95; Newsletter Font Pack (twelve faces) - $99.95; Headlines Font
Pack (nine faces) - $79.95; Styles Font Pack (six faces) - $49.95. To
order or request typeface samples, please contact COMPO Software,
104 Esplanade Avenue Suite 121, Pacifica, California 94044, 415-355-0862
Fax: 415-355-0869
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Chromagic Announces Products
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Chromagic Software recently announced Pianistics 1.20, a GEM based piano
instruction program for the Atari. Pianistics is a tool to aid in the
technical mastery of scales/chords and gives insight into jazz
improvisation, chord substitution and other applications of music theory
as well as provide performance/dexterity drills. Chromagic also
announced Gizworks Ram Gizmo, a ram expansion board for the Falcon030
that uses standard SIMM memory modules. The board plugs into the
Falcon030's internal ram expansion socket (no soldering required) and
fits neatly inside the case. It allows the use of 256k, 1 Meg, or 4 Meg
SIMMs to achieve memory configurations of 1, 4, or 14 megabytes. For
more information contact Chromagic Software Innovations, 516 North
Jackson, Joplin, Missouri 64801, (417) 623-7393.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Edhak Releases Update
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
A demo of Version 3 of Edhak is now available on GEnie, Delphi and
CompuServe, filename ED3DEM.LZH, which is fully functional except for
saving files or new configurations. EdHak 3 still lists for $29.95.
Registered users of versions 2.30-2.37 can upgrade for $10. For prior
versions, the upgrade fee is $15, which includes the printed manual of
v 2.3. EdHak 3.0 also comes with a new version of Diary, the handy
note taker, that is written totally in assembly language and takes up
22K of RAM. Diary now even includes EdHak's unique "Kwiksend"
function (send a block to another open application) and EdHak's
interface for use as an editor for other applications (such as used by
QuickCIS, the CompuServe navigator). For programming info on this
interface contact Clear Thinking, 2753 Plymouth Rd, Suite 137, Ann
Arbor, MI 48105. Modem (Clear Thinking BBS): 313-971-6035, Voice:
313-971-8671
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// DMC Announces Summer Font Sale
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
DMC Publishing is proud to announce a mid-summer madness sale on
original typesetters fonts, licensed from the AGFA Compugraphic, URW,
Linotype and Berthold type foundries. Effective immediately, until
August 31, 1993, purchase any 10 typefaces for US $100.00 or $125.00
Canadian. This reflects a substantial savings of more than 60% off
the regular excellent value. That's right, you pick and choose from
any font family, from any group. Examples of all AGFA Compugraphic,
Linotype, URW and Berthold fonts are available for your previewing
pleasure in our library #30 in the Atari Roundtable on GEnie. For
further information, please do not hesitate to contact DMC directly.
We will be pleased to answer any questions you might have. DMC
Publishing, 2800 John Street, Unit 10, Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R
0E2, Tel: (416) 479-1880, Fax: (416) 479-1882, GEnie: ISD,
Compuserve: 76004,2246, Delphi: ISDMARKETING
--==--==--==--==--
|||
||| Shutdown ............................ Power off, EXIT, BYE, Logoff
/ | \ ------------------------------------------------------------------
We welcome feedback from all of our readers; feedback both positive
and negative. Whatever you think of our efforts, we sincerely would
like to know. Our EMail addresses are sprinkled throughout each
issue - with the new Internet gateway into GEnie, you can reach us
through the Internet also. Append "@genie.geis.com" to any of our
GEnie addresses.
Until the next issue of AEO, I remain,
Your Editor
Travis Guy
Internet: aeo.mag@genie.geis.com
--==--==--==--==--
(This issue printed on recycled photons)
--==--==--==--==--
DNFTEC
--==--==--==--==--
Atari Explorer Online Magazine is a bi-weekly publication covering the
Atari computer community. Material published in this issue may be
reprinted under the following terms only: articles must remain unedited
and include the issue number and author at the top of each article
reprinted. Reprint permission is granted, unless otherwise noted at the
beginning of the article, to registered Atari user groups and not for
profit publications. Opinions presented herein are those of the individual
authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the staff, or of the
publishers.
--==--==--==--==--
Atari, ST, Mega ST, STE, Mega STE, TT030, Atari Falcon030, TOS,
MultiTOS, NewDesk, BLiTTER, Atari Lynx, Atari Jaguar, Atari Portfolio,
and the Atari Fuji Symbol are all trademarks or registered trademarks
of Atari Corporation. All other trademarks mentioned in this issue
belong to their respective owners.
--==--==--==--==--
Atari Explorer Online Magazine
"Your Only Independent Atari Online"
Copyright (c) 1993, Subspace Publishers
* * *
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:: Volume 2 - Issue 12 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 9 July 1993 ::
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