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Z*NET Online Magazine Issue 517
=======================================================================
////// // // ////// ////// Z*Net Atari Online Magazine
// / /// // // // ---------------------------
// /// // // // ////// // April 27, 1990
// / // /// // // ---------------------------
////// // // /////// // Issue #517
=======================================================================
(½) 1990 by Rovac Industries, Inc.
Post Office Box 59
Middlesex, New Jersey 08846
Z*Net Online BBS: (201) 968-8148
Publisher-Editor: Ron Kovacs Associate Editor: John Nagy
=======================================================================
CompuServe 71777,2140 GEnie Z-NET
=======================================================================
<*> CONTENTS <*>
----------------
- THIS WEEK
.......................................................Ron Kovacs
- Z*NET NEWSWIRE
Atari and Industry Update........................................
- MIDWEST ATARI SWAPFEST FIRST REPORT
Review and report......................................Joe Julian
- MIDWEST ATARI SWAPFEST REPORT
Review..............................................D.A. Brumleve
- ST STACK
PD Update.............................................Alice Amore
- UK TOP 20
Top 20 selling games...................................Jon Clarke
- PD SHAREWARE STOP
Review and listing of new titles.......................Mark Quinn
- SOFTWARE THEIVERY
Commentary..........................................D.A. Brunleve
- MEMORY UPGRADES
......................................................Jack Burkig
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
<*> THIS WEEK by Ron Kovacs
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The staff thanks everyone for the nice comments about the articles we
published last week. John Nagy's article brought the most postive
comments and he appreciates the positive comments.
Robert Ford and Jon Clarke are now part of the growing Z*Net staff.
Robert will assist with our monthly newsletter as UG Coordinator and Jon
Clarke will be a regular contributor reporting on Atari in New
Zealand/Australia/UK.
Articles this week have been contributed by Dorothy Brumleve, Jon
Clarke, and Newswire material typed by my wife Lisa. Now all I have to
do is get my son and daughter into typing and reporting and we will have
a complete family newsletter. Since the kids are under 5, it will be a
few years!
Robert Ford and others are at PACE reporting for ZNet. Look for a full
report next week right here!
Issue #2 of the Mechanics Online Magazine has been released and
available on the Z*Net BBS and the Racing Forum on CompuServe. Enter
Go Racing, then Data Library 16 to read this issue.
Z*NET DOWN-UNDER
* (gossip in the market this week ) *
* What happened to the "TT" that did not turn up?
* The TT has been in production in Taiwan since March 1990.
* When your Atari "TT" monitor dies , did you know you can use a "VGA"
multi-standard monitor.
-----------------
DO NOT USE "BIG SCREEN" WITH 'TEMPUS II' ON A TOS 1.4 BASED MACHINE.
IT CRASH'S AT 200 LINES......<ahhhhhhh>
-----------------
Z-Net in the [N]ews Section added weekly
Name : STaTus BBS
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Software: MichTron Version 3
Phone : +64-9-606067 node 1
: +64-9-608485 node 2
Speeds : 300/300 1200/1200 1200/75 2400/2400 , v21,v22,v23,v22bis
Modems : Netcomm 1234sa and Netcomm 24/24
Computer: Atari Mega 2
Storage : 100 megs on Hardisk
: 550 megs on CDAR504 CD_ROM
Files : latest PD sourced UK,Europe,USA,NZ
Sysops : Stu Lees, Atari Developer
: Jon Clarke, Atari Users Association
// An Official Atari Users Association Support BBS //
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
<*> Z*NET NEWSWIRE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
QUICK ST 2.1
Darek Mihocka will debut the latest upgrade to Quick ST 2.0 at the
weekend PACE show. Version 2.1 speeds up GDOS by 300% and will display
the ST system font 50% faster over Turbo-ST Version 1.8. Turbo-ST was
recently upgraded to verion 1.8 from the previous 1.6 revision level.
MIHOCKA IN CONFERENCE
Darek Mihocka will be in conference next Wednesday in the GEnie ST
Roundtable. The conference will begin at 10pm EDT, 7pm PDT. The topic
will of course pertain to the new release of Quick ST 2.1 and other
topics.
MARK WILLIAMS STATEMENT VIA ATARI
Atari Corporation has contacted the Mark Williams Company concerning
their support for the Atari ST Computers. The following is their
statement: Last week, issue number 416 of CPU News Wire Online Magazine
printed a story entitled "Mark Williams Co. Kisses Atari Off" in the CPU
NewsWire Confidential. In it, an unamed source within Mark Williams
Co. was attributed with the statement that Mark Williams Co. had "...no
intentions of providing any further upgrades for the Atari ST market."
This is incorrect. Mark Williams Company is fully committed to the
Atari ST marketplace, and looks forward to both additional upgrades for
our existing products, as well as ports of future products, such as
Coherent. Mark Williams Company regrets any problems this
misinformation may have caused. Robert Schwartz, President, Mark
Williams Co.
COMMODORES AMIGAVISION SYSTEM
Commodore introducded a new powerful multimedia authoring software this
week in New York. The system can be used to create applications ranging
from complex business presentations to daily courseware. AmigaVision,
significantly expands the multimedia market by providing an easy-to-use
and affordable method for business, education, government and consumer
users to develop new applications by creatively combining graphics,
text, video and audio components. Shipping is expected to begin in May.
The system will be bundled with all Amiga 2000 and 3000 series machines.
For existing owners, AmigaVision is available at Authorized Commodore
Amiga Resellers for a suggested retail price of $149.
APPLE REDUCES PRICE
Apple announced today, APril 27, 1990 that it will lower the suggested
retail prices of the Macintosh Portable and the Macintosh Portable 1MB
Memory Expansion Kit. Feedback has revealed that the Macintosh
Portable is being purchased by different companies and individuals, but
especially by large organizations that require a full-function desktop
computer. The Portable is also often taken home for evening or weekend
work by individuals who like the ability to take their computing
environments with them to work anywhere in their homes.
TWELVE-YEAR-OLD ARRESTED
A 12-year-old boy hacked into the electronic files of TRW Corp., a
credit-rating giant, and lifted credit card numbers that were then
posted on computer bulletin boards and widely used for purchases and
telephone calls. The boys mother told UPI that the boy spent four to
five hours each weeknight and up to 14 hours a day on weekends at his
computer. She said she was pleased her son stayed at home. The boy was
charged under Michigan law with computer fraud and financial transaction
fraud, cracked TRW security through a Detroit-area branch and pulled
card numbers from personal credit histories. He was released to his
family.
3M INTRODUCES ELECTRONIC HALFTONE SYSTEM FOR PRINTERS
3M, supplier to the printing industry, unveiled a new system that will
revolutionize the way printers make color proofs, the step in the
printing process that verifies the quality of color reproduction. The
3M Digital Matchprint brand color proofing system is the first fully
automated system that lets printers make high-resolution color proofs
electronically, and faster than with any other system. One of the
challenges for printers is to accurately produce on press the original
color of photos. Color proofs, such as those made by the Digital
Matchprint system, give printers and their customers an opportunity to
see what the finished job will look like before the presses start
rolling, the system makes a halftone proof for four magazine-size pages
in 16 minutes. With film, the time required to make such a proof can
vary from 45 minutes to two hours.
ACTIVISION UNVEILS GAMES
Activision will announce new video games for three video game systems,
including the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Nintendo Game Boy, and
the Sega Genesis. This announcement will take place at the June CES
show. Activision will preview two new games that advance some of the
most popular video game categories. Two of the titles will transport
players out of this world and into strange and unusual galaxies: One
features fast-action racing in space-age vehicles, and the other much-
anticipated game lets players explore one of the largest selections of
planets with a surprising number of levels, the likes of which have
never before been seen on the NES. Also at CES, Infocom will show its
first title for the NES, "Tombs and Treasure."
FALCO UNVEILS VIDEO DISPLAY TERMINAL
Falco Data is introducing a new series of video display terminals
incorporating an industry-first user interface which adds a DOS
application feel and dramatically improves the terminals' ease of
configuration and windowing capability. Falco Data provides a full
spectrum of video display terminals and systems products including
computers, monitors and LAN workstations.
US SPRINT LINK WITH INTERNET
US Sprint announced this week a commercial electronic messaging
interconnection with Internet data networks serving more than a million
users in U.S. government agencies, the military, universities and
corporate research and development centers. The interconnection will
improve communication between Internet users, enable them to communicate
by electronic mail with vendors and suppliers, and provide access to
delivery options that include facsimile, telex and postal service hard
copy. The interconnection will allow approximately 2-million Internet
users in 35 countries access to the full capabilities of SprintMail.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
<*> MIDWEST ATARI SWAPFEST - FIRST REPORT by Joe Julian, LCACE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Midwest Atari Swapfest '90 began at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 22,
1990. A bright and sunny sky greeted the attendees and participants of
the 'fest at the Diplomat North Banquet Hall in Gurnee, Il. The
swapfest was sponsored by the Lake County (IL) Atari Computer
Enthusiasts and MilAtari Ltd., from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Other area
Atari user groups also participated in the show, including the Rockford
(IL) Atari Computer Club, Greater Chicago Atari Computer Enthusiasts,
Quad City Atari Computer Club, T.U.G. (The User Group) and S.C.A.T.,
also from the Chicago area.
The action was fast and furious at the trading tables which were set up
as early as 9:30 by the respective user groups. Many of the best deals
were snatched up by the eager shoppers hunting for software and hardware
at bargain prices and it was not unusual to wait several minutes before
being able to reach the target table and have a clear view of the wares
which were displayed!
A number of commercial vendors also attended the swapfest. Computer
Cellar, from St. Charles, IL, offered an impressive stock of Atari
hardware for sale. Included were the Atari Mega 2 and Mega 4 computers,
SM124 monochrome monitors, SC1224 color monitors, SLM804 laser printers,
the tremendous Viking 19" monochrome monitor, and the very popular LYNX
game system. Mars Merchandising, Lombard, Il, displayed a vast array of
ST and 8-bit software along with many other much-needed items for the
Atari user. C.S.A. Limited had both 8 and 16 bit software at truly
bargain basement prices. Kolputer Systems also had a large amount of
software to peddle. The latest version of the most popular games and
utilities were in no short supply at this booth. System Solutions, West
Chicago, IL, were showing their new rack-mounted Atari ST systems.
Displayed was a Mega 2 mono system with two 3 1/2 drives and a 30-meg
hard drive all very neatly encased in a very robust aluminum case.
Fleetwood Mac is currently touring with one of these rack units, and as
Henry Bahr from System Solutions states, "...they're roadie proof!".
Alongside System Solutions were two musicians, Richard Russom and Larry
Richardson, who are affiliated with SCAT. These guys had one heck of a
MIDI system playing some heavy duty tunes. The sound was great and the
keyboard work very polished; showing to all that the Atari computer
system is to be reckoned with in the music field.
There was also someone who I consider to be a MAJOR software developer
for the ST system at the swapfest. That developer was none other than
Dorothy Anderson Brumleve. You probably know her as D.A. Brumleve. She
is the author of the very well-known KIDPRGS that your young children
and mine have spent many an hour enjoying. She was demonstrating and
selling very respectable quantities of three of her programs. These
were Kidpainter, Super Kidgrid, and Kidpublisher Professional. Each of
these excellent programs for children was available for $25.00 each or
$65.00 for all three. A bargain.
Far and away the crown jewel of the Midwest Atari Swapfest was Bob
Brodie. He is the user group representative for Atari Corp. Mr. Brodie
brought with him quite an array of Atari hardware for hands-on
demonstration. First there was a STacy 4 with 4-meg of Ram, one 3 1/2"
drive, a built-in 40-meg hard drive, and a back-lit mono monitor. TOS
1.4 was also included in this machine. Hooked up to the STacy was a
Megafile-44 hard drive and a Spectre GCR Macintosh emulator.
I spent about 30-40 minutes with the STacy 4 at the Atari booth trying
to get a feel for the machine and compare it to the prototype I saw at
the World of Atari show in Dearborn last year. My first impressions
were that there was a drastic improvement in the video display. The
current back-lit screen is much improved over the prototype display
shown last year. I had no difficulty in viewing the display, even while
standing and at odd angles. The screen refresh rate was not noticeably
unlike that of my ST and the display was sharp, clear, and easy to read.
The STacy keyboard is outstanding!! Without a doubt, this is the very
best very best keyboard I have ever typed on with an Atari label affixed
to it. The Stacy is currently being shipped, although in limited
quantities, and retails for about $2895 in the above configuration
(Megafile-44 and Spectre GCR excluded, of course).
Also shown by Mr. Brodie was an 4160 STe. This machine looked identical
to a 1040 ST with a few extra ports. There are two additional joystick
ports along the left side of the unit, an RF modulator port for a TV in
the rear, stereo output jacks, and a blitter chip. TOS 1.6 is the
operating system. Rather impressive demos with stereo sound and
dynamite graphics were running. Alas, I spent so much time with the
STacy, I didn't have an opportunity to get a hands on impression of the
STe. Mr. Brodie did say that the 4160 name was not slated for sale in
the U.S. He said the name 4160 is used in-house to identify how much
RAM is installed in a particular machine. As the STe uses SIMMs instead
of DRAM for memory and SIMMs are easily user upgradable, it would make
no sense to offer a 1-meg, 2-meg, and a 4-meg computer. Mr. Brodie
advised that to upgrade from one meg to 4-meg all one would have to do
is open the case, remove a shield, and plug in the new SIMM strip(s),
then close up the case - easier than adding a board to an IBM clone.
The STe was just approved by the FCC, but no retail pricing is known at
this time; the buzz said late June ship.
The aforementioned Megafile-44 hard drive was also shown. This is a
removable media 44-meg, 28ms access time hard drive which uses the
Syquest removable cartridge. It is said that the Megafile drives will
accept an additional fixed hard drive and that the rails are already in
place. I did not see the interior of either of the drives at the show,
so am unable to confirm this, although I did see two drive lights on
each of the drives. This drive is supposed to be available at a retail
price of $1100.00 but I wonder at the wisdom of this price point, as at
least two third party developers are offering Syquest drives for about
$899.00.
The Portfolio hand held computer made a side appearance; Much has been
written in recent weeks on the Portfolio and I will not repeat it. Mr.
Brodie did say that there are some new DOS utilities available for the
Portfolio for $79.95.
DataQue Systems of Ontario, OH was kind enough to send the Turbo 816
enhancement for the 8-bit systems for demonstration, even though they
were not able to attend in person. This speed demon uses the power of
the 65C816 processor and a custom OS to bring previously unheard of
performance within the reach of existing 8-bit Atari systems. The Turbo
816 suffered from a lack of demo software to show off its potential.
At 1:00 in the afternoon I attended a talk given by Mr. Brodie. He was
introduced to the crowd by Michelle Gross from MilAtari Ltd. He said
that plans were in the making for 520stfm's to be sold with a bundled
software package for $399.00. This is to be in the mass marketer type
of store (Sears was mentioned) and was geared towards those individuals
who look to purchase a computer but have never set foot in a computer
store before. Once these purchasers of an ST see the advantages of the
system, they will (the plan goes) visit their ST dealer for additional
hardware and software that the mass marketer does not supply.
In answer to the inevitable question concerning the lack of advertising,
Mr. Brodie showed a video which was shown in the New York area during
the past holiday season. This video was for the LYNX game system rather
than for the ST or Mega or any upcoming computer line.
In answer to questions concerning hardware shortages, Mr. Brodie said
that it was believed that Goldstar artificially induced the monochrome
monitor shortage, and that when other manufacturers were mentioned to
them, ie: JVC and Sony, Goldstar suddenly was able to supply Atari with
monitors. Although 1040 ST's are in short supply, 520 ST's and Mega 4's
are in the warehouse and should be readily available.
What impressed me most about Bob Brodie was his sincerity. There was a
"no BS" attitude about him. Comparing Mr. Brodie to Sig Hartmann, whom
I met in Detroit last year, Sig was a salesman, a huff and puff and blow
your doors down kind of a guy, all the while holding a Portfolio above
his head saying, "Don't forget to buy one." Ask Bob Brodie a question,
get an answer, no huff and puff. I like that and I think that it speaks
well for the man.
Finally, I would like to personally thank Atari for allowing Bob Brodie
to attend our swapfest. I also extend a very special thank you for the
XEP-80 interface with Atariwriter software donated to the raffle which
was won by Thomas J. Bartlett of Chicago, IL, and for the grand prize,
a Megafile-44 hard drive, which was won by Gerard Toussaint of McHenry,
IL. I also thank the vendors who so graciously donated items for door
prizes that were appreciated by so many. But most of all I thank those
who donated their time and supreme effort to bring forth the first
Midwest Atari Swapfest, for without your hard work and effort it would
not have come to pass........
Mark Lacine, Mars Merchandising,
"...A jammin' show! I wouldn't have missed it."
Ray McAlpin, Apple Annie,
"...A great show!"
Larry Grauzas, Pres. L.C.A.C.E.,
"...A tremendous success."
D.A. Brumleve,
"...Very worthwhile...Great enthusiasm...Better than
W.O.A. Annaheim..."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
<*> MIDWEST ATARI SWAPFEST Reported by D.A. Brumleve
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A few years back, there was a major effort by a coalition of Chicago-
area users groups to present a large-scale Atari show. That effort
failed, members lost money, the show did not take place, and
participants were very discouraged. It took a while to build up the
courage to try it again. One group has taken the lead by putting on a
multi-group "swap meet", a small-scale show which might serve as a test-
case to indicate whether or not they might be capable of putting on a
larger World-of-Atari-type event in 1991. The plan was to host a small
show to generate enthusiasm and develop inter-group spirit, and to
provide some visibility to the many Chicago-area Atari dealers and lots
and lots of bargains to the show-goers.
From 10am to 4pm on Sunday, April 22, the efforts of the Lake County
Atari Computer Enthusiasts (LCACE), and especially of club officers
Larry Grauzas, Mike Brown, John Schultz, and JJ Johnson, paid off in the
form of the Midwest Atari SwapFest. The SwapFest was held in the
banquet room of the Diplomat, a restaurant associated with a Days Inn
hotel in Gurnee, northwest of Chicago. A room at the Days Inn was made
available for seminars. Exhibition tables were arranged in a pattern of
concentric squares in the banquet room. 8-bit and ST user groups
brought their used software and group library disks to sell. Among the
groups participating were LCACE, MilAtari Ltd. (Milwaukee), SCAT
(Southern Chicago and suburbs), RACC (Rockford), and GCACE (Chicago).
Members of CRAG (Calumet IN Region Atari Group) distributed copies of
their newsletter. The Rockford group passed out pocket protectors
emblazened with their logo. Other exhibition booths included my own
(D.A. Brumleve), Kolputer Systems, Computer Cellar, CSA, Apple Annie,
No Frills Software, Paper Express, and Mars Merchandising. Not all of
Chicago's Atari dealers were represented; I was surprised at the absence
of Digital World, Coz Computers, Guitar Shack and Software Plus. Some
of the booths focussed on one or another aspect of computing;
particularly noticable was the MIDI area, which entertained show-goers
with music and other noises throughout the day. All Atari products were
represented in the booths. Most of the groups supported both the ST and
8-bit user, and dealers also had products related to the Portfolio,
Lynx, and game machines.
Atari Corp. had a booth manned by User Group Coordinator Bob Brodie,
Jeff Williams, who is an ST RoundTable sysop on GEnie, and Mike Groh,
Atari's Chicago-area dealer representative. Bob brought along the Lynx,
Portfolio, STe, and STacy for the enjoyment of attendees. The STe's
sound capabilities were demonstrated through the use of stereo speakers
and a special demo program designed for the STe. Bob presented two
seminars to packed audiences.
Did I say "packed"? The seminar room was not the only area that was
packed. Organizers had anticipated only a few hundred attendees, but
wound up selling over 1000 tickets! The concern was expressed that the
Fire Marshall might close the place down, it was so well-attended. The
aisles were crowded with enthusiastic bargain-hunters throughout most of
the day. Around 3pm, the crowd began to dwindle, but this was
fortuitious and appropriate in a way, as several vendors had sold out of
their wares and were packing up to go home! Attendees came from as far
away as Downstate Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan.
As a vendor, I found that my demonstration computer was in almost
constant use. Many children attended the show with their parents.
Several children came back to use one program or another again and
again. My hopping disks, as usual, "sold" like hotcakes, with some
greedy little ones taking several apiece. (Maybe they knew they'd be
losing a least some of them in short order.) I made few sales, but
those who did buy in every case took advantage of the "show special"
($65 for Kidpainter, Kidpublisher Professional, and Super Kidgrid), so
for once I actually made a profit (!) at an Atari show. Next to my
display sat a box of flyers from M-S Designs. This is a company that
Henry Murphy and Carl Stanford have established for the marketing of
their Calamus fonts. Mike Groh was demonstrating Calamus in the Atari
booth, so he disseminated many of these flyers from the Atari booth
also.
Door prizes were presented to winners of a ticket-drawing at intervals
throughout the day. At the end of the day, Bob Brodie of Atari offered
a MegaFile 44 as a gala door prize.
Vendors and users agreed that this show was a terrific success. In
spite of its limited intentions, attendance was substantial and
enthusiastic. I hope that the organizers have sufficient momentum to
pursue a major Chicago-area Atari show in the very near future!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
<*> ST STACK by Alice Amore
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some recent upgrades:
ASCIIVIEW.ARC v. 3.50
Programmer: David M. Seberg
* SHAREWARE *
============================
A replacement for the Show-Print-Cancel function on the GEM desktop.
Now much faster, with keyboard equivalents, plus other improvements.
CARDFILE.ARC v. 1.4
From: GT Software
Working Demo
=====================
Cardfile is a database/dialer/address book/appointment scheduler in a
desk accessory. Demo is limited to 10 index cards.
CV2IMG12.ARC v. 1.20
Programmer: Craig W. Daymon
* SHAREWARE *
============================
Converts the gamut of picture formats (DEGAS, NEO, Mac, Art, Doodle,
Spectrum, TINY, and others) to uncompressed .IMG format.
IG213.ARC v. 2.13
Programmer: Larry Mears
* SHAREWARE *
========================
Instant Graphics! is an online graphics terminal for any BBS. Includes
.EMU file for InterLink. Lots of new features including MIDI support.
IGS_PRO6.ARC v. 1.6
Programmers: Moody & Rau
* SHAREWARE *
========================
Full-featured graphics editor for Instant Graphics! (see above) The
excellent tutorial was written by S. Turnbull.
MMM.ARC v. 1.50
Programmer: David M. Henry
* SHAREWARE *
===========================
Do-it-all MIDI program. MIDI Music Maker plays MS, MS '88, MCS, EZ-
Track, Format 0, Format 1, SID, AMS, MMS, and Orch.-85/90 files.
OSCAN_60.ARC v. ?
Programmer: Bradford W. Mott
=============================
Modification of OVERSCAN.PRG. This version works at 60Hz instead of
50Hz.
PILEUP21.ARC v. 2.1
Programmer: Russell Moll
* SHAREWARE *
=========================
Pile Up, a Tetris clone, will now run with TOS 1.4. Written and
compiled in STOS. Source code is available.
PRHP14.LZH v. 1.4
From: Kepco International
==========================
For the HP DeskJet and DeskJet+. Prints in portrait or landscape, draft
or LQ. Prints back-to-front with header, line numbers, more.
RLSGD_10.LZH v. 1.0
Programmer: Jeffrey Kinzer
===========================
Now displays and saves up to 1600 (huh?) DEGAS, NEO, or TINY pictures
on-screen at once.
SMRTDAT2.ARC v. 3.2
Programmer: David Becker
=========================
SmartDate allows setting of the system date at boot-up. Keeps current
if you set it once every 24 hours. Bugs removed.
STKR_206.ARC v. 2.06
From: Strata Software
======================
This patch program will update v. 2.00-2.05 to v. 2.06. STalker is a
commercial (accessory) terminal/background program.
STNO_103.ARC v. 1.03
From Strata Software
======================
This patch program will update v. 1.00-1.02 to v. 1.03. STeno is a
commercial (accessory) text editor.
STVI395.LZH v. 3.95
Programmers: Tony Andrews/Ric Kalford
=====================================
Several fixes/improvements have been added to this impressive UNIX-style
VI text editor. Also supports Minix, MS-DOS, and OS/2.
STVI395S.LZH v. 3.95
Programmers: Tony Andrews/Ric Kalford
=====================================
Contains the C source code for STeVIe, version 3.95. See description of
STeVIe, above.
STWEL3_8.ARC v. 3.8
Programmer: Bruce Noonan, M.D.
===============================
ST Writer Elite. Now compatible with the STe, Moniterm monitor, and all
versions of TOS.
STW38G_S.ARC v. 3.8
Programmer: Bruce Noonan, M.D.
===============================
The German and Spanish versions of ST Writer Elite, v. 3.8. Compatible
with the STe, Moniterm, all TOS versions.
SWTCHREZ.ARC v. 2.0
From: ML & ML Software
=======================
Creates low res and medium res DESKTOP.INF files and switches between
them easily. Can assign AUTO/.ACC files to specific resolutions.
TCCOMP40.LZH v. 4.0
Programmer: John Hickey
* SHAREWARE *
========================
Creates DO files for use with FLASH! to help automate the process of
file selection and downloading on GEnie. ZModem/ARC/LZH supported.
UNLZH161.ARC v. 1.61
Programmer: John Harris
* SHAREWARE *
========================
Lightning-fast extractor for .LZH files. Handles multiples, separate
folders, scrolling, searching, more.
SHEET32P.LZH v. 3.2
Programmer: Chor-ming Lung
Working Demo
===========================
Demo of Sheet 3.2, a spreadsheet/database manager/graphics generator/
BASIC interpreter. Demo is full-featured but memory is limited to 19K.
SHEETDOC.LZH v. 3.0
Programmer: Chor-ming Lung
===========================
Documentation for SHEET. If you already have the documentation for
version 3.0, you don't need this file.
SAMPLES.LZH v. ?
Programmer: Chor-ming Lung
===========================
A varied sampling of SHEET files. Use with SHEET32P.LZH. If you have
the older SAMPLE files, you will still need these newer ones.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
<*> THE UK TOP 20 GAME TITLES Compiled by Jon Clarke
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Top 20 Games titles.
------------------------
The Gallup Software Chart.
--------------------------
For the Month Of April 1990, United Kingdom.
--------------------------------------------
======+======+======================================+==================
This | Last | Title (Company) | Comments
======+======+======================================+==================
1 2 Choas Strikes Back (Mirrorsoft) FTL's new entry
2 New Operation Thunderbolt (Ocean) Arcade conversion
3 1 Bomber (Activision) Vector Grafix
4 9 Advanced Ski Simulator (Code Masters) Good simulator
5 3 Chase HQ (Ocean) Like 'Out Run'
6 5 Batman: The Movie (Ocean) Great graphics
7 New Player Manager (Anco) Soccer simulator
8 New Rainbow Islands (Ocean) NZ Story type
9 7 Gouls and Ghosts (US Gold) Addictive
10 6 Hard Driving (Domark) Driving simulator
11 New Captain Blood (Smash 16) An absolute must
12 12 Extra Time (Anco) Soccer simulator
13 New Future Wars (Palace) Graphics adventure
14 8 Gazza's Super Soccer (Empire) Soccer simultor
15 4 Ghostbuster 2 (Activision) Like the movie
16 16 Kick Off (Anco) Soccer realism
17 18 TV Sports Football (Mirrorsoft) Sports simulator
18 19 Robocop (Ocean) Like the film
19 New Drakkhen (Infogames) Could be a classic
20 13 Treasure Island Dizzy (Code Masters) Remember Dizzy?
* Please note not all this software is in release in the USA at this
time.
* Also, the United Kingdom distributors differ from those in the USA.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
<*> PD/SHAREWARE STOP by Mark Quinn
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(Editors Note: The following files are available on the pay services.)
File name: MENUMSTR.ARC Author: Michael Allen
Program name: Menu Master File type: Utility (*Shareware*)
=======================================================================
Of interest to ST joystick jockeys everywhere, MENU MASTER organizes two
or more games into -- you guessed it -- menus. Used with StartGem (an
earlier upload) or Rainbow TOS, the program creates low or medium
resolution data files appropriate for the resolution of the games being
played.
Setting up the menus is as easy as using your favorite file selector.
The author states that, "This menu does not work on all programs, but it
works on most games."
I found the menu screens to be a bit bland, but the program works.
Quinn's Quickies"
CHNGSIZE.ARC
Increase storage capacity on floppies by 10K.
FB_DEMO.LZH
World War II strategy game demo. It's the Germans against the Soviets.
FINALCUT.ARC; FCSONG.ARC
The first archive contains a demo of FINAL CUT, a 16-track MIDI
sequencer. The second contains four sample song files for use with the
program.
GEOGRA.ARC
Shareware version of GEOGRAPHY TUTOR, by ASDE. A graphical tutor/drill
for European countries and capitals.
GRAMSLAM.ARC
A demo of a shareware grammar checker. Can be run as a TTP program,
with Gulam, or its own shell. Demo version has one-third of the
phrases that the fully working version has.
HEADLINE.ARC
Produces offbeat headlines, the type you'd see in the tabloids at the
supermarket. Produces some WEIRD stuff.
HERO_IID.LZH
Demo of a shareware dungeon exploration/adventure game. Looks great.
JRSBEAT.LZH; JR_SONGS
Songs created with QUARTET. Sampled digital four-channel sound, played
through the monitor speaker. Not top forty material.
MATCH3.ARC
A children's version of Concentration, with pictures. Includes sound.
RENAME_X.ARC
Update. Renames thirteen kinds of files, and can re-rename them.
Useful for saving memory.
SAT310.ARC
Update. "The Satellite Prediction Program". Nice working and looking
interface. MANY improvements.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
<*> SOFTWARE THIEVERY by D.A. Brumleve
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Commentary
How it hurts every ST and every ST owner in North America
A few days after the Anaheim World of Atari show, where CodeHead
Software offered version 2.0 of MultiDesk for the first time, Charles F.
Johnson posted a message on GEnie. Charles had sold many copies of
MultiDesk during the show, but it seems that the program has received
an even wider distribution than he had imagined: Charles has found
version 2.0 of MultiDesk on a major pirate BBS in the southern
California area. The day he checked the board (just two days after the
show), thirty-two pirates had already downloaded his program from the
board! Of course, the distribution doesn't stop there; each downloader
also is likely to upload the program to yet another BBS somewhere. And
so on and so on...
Now, people who know MultiDesk will also realize that almost anyone who
has it will use it. This is a wonderful desk accessory organizer that
not only lets you sneak around the 6-accessory limit but also enhances
your computing experience in many other ways. Certainly, anyone who
would spend time downloading it from a bulletin board must be considered
a potential purchaser. And so, CodeHead had lost no fewer than thirty-
two sales and probably hundreds or even thousands more simply because a
thief purchased that initial copy at the WOA.
This same scenario is repeated time and time again after a release of
any good program. Pirate bulletin board systems are a major enabler of
this theft, but so is the fellow who borrows a program from his user
group library and copies it for his own software library or the one who
sells his original copy and keeps the backups for continued use.
The problem is a tough one for the ST market because it is especially
small. If a company is likely to sell 100,000 copies of a particular
program, and 10% of those copies are stolen rather than bought, the
company has still sold 90,000. But in the ST market, particularly if
sales are limited to North America, a top-notch application that
"everybody" wants is not likely to sell over 5,000 copies, and lesser or
more narrow applications may sell fewer than 1000. If 10% of those
copies are stolen rather than purchased, the piracy has a greater effect
on overall earnings. 10% is a very low figure for top-notch, must-have
programs. It's more likely that a major application may have five
illegal copies for every purchased copy. So if a developer sells 5,000
copies, another 25,000 are likely to be pirated and used illegally.
This means that the developer receives only a sixth of the earnings to
which he is entitled. How many people would accept 1/6th of their
earnings as full compensation for their work?
Many otherwise honest people justify piracy by condemning the high
prices of commercial software, so let's take a look at that software
dollar. A typical program in the ST market sells for $39.95 ($40)
retail. The software dealer buys the program from a distributor at
approximately 40%-45% off the list price, so the dealer would pay
perhaps $24 for a $40 program, and sell it at whatever markup he could
manage. Any profit he makes over the price he paid must cover his rent,
utilities, employee paychecks, etc. The software distributor, in turn,
has bought the program from the developer or publisher at about 45%-55%
off list price, so the distributor might pay the developer $20 for a $40
program. The intrinsic value of the contents of the package is
typically around $5, but the developer has to pay for packaging,
postage, support lines, advertising, etc. I'm not counting here all the
endless hours that go into the development of a program. Nathan
Potechin of ISD reports that the four years of development of DynaCADD,
the CAD package that rivals and exceeds the capabilities of AutoCad,
have cost over $100,000! A programmer's time is worth money, and when
he writes a program, he hopes to be compensated not only for the actual
value of the package's materials and advertising, bookkeeping, mailing,
and other expenses, but also for his time in development. The end
result is that the developer receives very poor compensation for his
programming efforts unless many, many copies of the program are actually
sold. In a small market, every pirated copy has a greater effect on the
total sales; the more copies are pirated, the poorer the compensation
for the developer. The developer, in the case of the ST, is unlikely to
be some huge anonymous conglomerate with 10,000 employees. Instead, the
developer is a real person like Charles F. Johnson, like you or me. A
pirate's decision to steal effects Charles' ability to buy a new car or
make do with the old one, go to a movie versus watching the VCR, eat
steak or hamburger, go to an Atari show or stay home, support the ST or
the IBM...
Yep, programmers are leaving the Atari market right and left as they
notice the comparatively windfall profits available elsewhere. Over the
past year, several companies that were ST-only have expanded to support
other machines. This shouldn't be regarded as "growth"; these companies
who continue to sell programs for the ST while offering them to larger
markets are, in fact, using the larger markets to support their lagging
ST sales. In reference to DynaCADD, Nathan Potechin says that "[Piracy
and slow sales have] left us with no other alternative but to release
the program on other computer platforms, based on economic reality."
Other companies that have been ST-only are leaving the ST altogether.
Interlink, for example, announced this month that they will not be
releasing Masterlink, widely regarded as potentially the most extensive
ST telecommunications package. Word Perfect is not pursuing an update
to the current IBM version. Companies like this, for whom the ST has
never been a priority, are refusing to upgrade releases or port their
new titles to the ST, citing slow sales as the reason. "Slow sales" are
far slower thanks to ST pirates.
It's worth noting here that using shareware without paying for it is
tantamount to piracy. Many shareware authors report astoundingly low
contributions. When 1,000 copies of a program have been downloaded from
a national information service (and then passed on to 1000 local
bulletin board systems and downloaded by many users on each...), and the
shareware programmer receives a total of $30 in "contributions", the
programmer is not encouraged to improve his program or publish others.
ST shareware programs don't merely rival commercial applications--they
_are_ commercial applications, and must be respected as such if we are
to hope for further try-before-you-buy offerings.
Now, as stated above, a typical program for the ST market is $39.95. If
that seems like a lot, try shopping for IBM software, a market in which
a software package may easily sell for more than the computer itself!
ST users are very fortunate that powerful software for our machines is
incredibly cheap compared to other brands. We are also fortunate that
a wealth of high-quality public domain programs is available for nearly
any computing need. We don't "have" to steal; if we can't afford to buy
a program, we can use a public domain alternative. It's actually
possible to build a powerful software library using only public domain
applications. Just ask any user group librarian.
Laws are designed to discourage dishonest people from doing the wrong
thing. Dishonest people tend to flaunt the law if they think they won't
get caught. There are laws against software piracy in the US. When
programmers find a pirated copy of their software, they know that copy's
history. They know what day they put the original disk (from which the
copy was taken) in shrink-wrap; they know what distributor they sold it
to; they may well know who bought it and took it home to share illegally
with others, his name, address, etc. Pirates can be identified, they
can be caught, they can be prosecuted or sued, and they can be punished
with imprisonment, impounding and disposal of equipment, and heavy fines
or compensation for the programmer.
Many have written articles to beg pirates not to steal programs for the
sake of decency. I'm not going to do that, nor will I whine or cagole
or threaten. Instead, I'm going to appeal to self-interest, your self-
interest and pirates' self-interest, because piracy is a threat to the
self-interest of every ST owner in the US, pirates included.
We all have a tremendous investment in our machines. New software is
the lifeblood of the machine. I can write my own new software, and if
all the ST developers departed to greener pastures tomorrow, I'd still
have something new and interesting to do with my hardware. Most people,
however, do not program. Most are completely dependent upon
professional developers for continually greater power and ever more fun
with their computers. If the ST developers stop producing new programs,
most of us will have to be content with the software we already have.
Our "investment" in our hardware will not be returned if we try to sell
our equipment. Like the TRS-80s and Commodore 64s, we'll be listing
Mega2s in the News-Gazette want-ads for $75 (with printer!). That
prospect is mighty grim as far as I'm concerned, but it's a likely
scenario, unless we can keep programmers like Charles F. Johnson in
business.
What do we get for our software dollar when we do buy a program?
Purchasing software provides users with a manual, an indispensible aid
for extensive applications. If you'll remember to send in that
registration card, you'll find a helpful and informed employee at the
end of the phone line when you call for support. If you send in the
card, you'll also be on their mailing list; you'll hear about it first
when an update to your copy becomes available and you'll receive
notifications of new offerings from the company from time to time, and
sometimes discounts will be available. If the disk gets fried, the
company has a backup waiting for you. If your new word processor won't
print on your printer, the company will prepare a driver especially for
you. All of this--and more!--is available to legitimate purchasers of
commercial software. One more thing is available to software
purchasers: the hope of new offerings from the same developer.
If your pal is downloading software from a pirate BBS, he isn't doing
you and your ST any favor. Let him know that. It's in the best
interest of all ST owners to discourage pirating. I know you don't
consider yourself a pirate; I sure don't, but I nevertheless have found
in my extensive software library several programs which have not been
purchased. Most I don't use and I'm reformatting without regret. One I
have used almost every day. Looks like it's time to buy that one...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
<*> "SAY MISTER, WHERE YOU GOIN' WITH ALL THAT MEMORY?" by Jack Burkig
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Reprinted from the April 1990 Edition of The Puget Sound Atari News
A few months ago I bought an ICD hard disk system for my 1040ST, and I
have spent a good deal of my computer time since then trying to figure
out how to use all that memory (49 megabytes) to best advantage. Now I
have, with the much needed help of the people at the local Atari dealer,
increased the RAM on my machine to 4 megabytes and I am again trying to
figure out how best to use all of that memory. My initial reasons for
both increases were not very sensible.
It was pretty much a case of "nothing is too good for my favorite toy",
although in both cases I convinced myself that with Spectre GCR
available I would need extra disk and RAM if I wanted to find out about
the marvels of Hypercard and/or Mathematica. Generally speaking, I
could live pretty comfortably in the ST program world without these
enhancements, but the Macintosh emulation is virtually unusable without
at least two disk drives, Hypercard can barely scrape along with 1 meg
of RAM, and Mathematica (which I do not yet have) requires a minimum of
2 megabytes. This is an account of what I have done so far.
I divided the hard disk into 8 partitions, 7 for various categories of
function in the ST world, and one for the Macintosh. The hard disk
partitions are C, D, E, F, G, H, and I for the ST; and a separate one
for the Macintosh. The first partition, C (Computer), is the boot
partition, and contains a variety of system related programs such as
Hotwire, Multidesk, Universal Item Selector, a variety of Desk Accessory
programs etc. More about these later.
The next partition, D (Drawing), I cleverly assigned to art and drawing
programs such as DEGAS Elite, CAD 3D etc. Partition E (Education), I
assigned to various educational programs such as language study, a
general list creation program and the like.
Partition F (Fooling Around) is a sort of scratch pad, used for
dearchiving public domain and magazine disks prior to deciding whether
they are something I want to keep on tap for quick access. In that case
they would be moved to another partition and deleted from partition F.
This partition should also be useful as a temporary store if I start to
suffer from fragmentation problems in other partitions.
Partition G (Games), is a pretty big one, even though I am not much of a
games player. It is nice, though, when my kids or other games players
in the family visit. Partition H (Helping Hand) I used for what people
call productivity programs, such as ST Writer, a spread sheet, a
database and so forth.
Next, partition I (Intelligence), is devoted to computer languages and
other programs related to programming. The Macintosh space would have
been partition J, but does not show up on the ST desk top display.
Finally, Icon K was assigned to Ram Disks... I use Maxidisk, a West
German ram disk program which stores data in compressed form, can be
started after boot up, has assignable size, and will survive a warm
boot. With this sort of division, it is pretty easy to figure out which
partition is likely to have the category of program I want to use, and
once I click on the appropriate icon the directory will appear and I can
easily find what I want. That should have been enough, and it cost very
little in terms of RAM overhead. But I wanted fancier stuff, so I
started installing various neat utilities and accessories, either
commercial or public domain.
The core programs for all of the user convenience stuff are the
Universal Item Selector III, and the Codehead programs Desk Manager,
HotWire, and Multidesk.
1. Universal Item Selector
==========================
This is a very flexible file selection and file handling utility from A
& E Software in Grants Pass, OR. It permits immediate access to the
files on any disk drive from inside an application, or from the desktop
if the included desk accessory is installed. In my opinion its only
weakness is that you cannot run a program from the desk top through it.
However, when used with Hotwire, this reservation no longer holds, since
the "Running Man" icon in Hotwire calls up the item selector, which can
then be used in a series of mouse clicks to direct you to the desired
file, and then to run it.
2. Desk Manager
===============
This is a shareware program from Codehead Software which permits the
selection at boot up time of the programs in the Auto folder which will
be run automatically, and which accessories in the root directory will
be installed at boot up time. The main reason for making such a
selection is that some auto programs and accessories are not compatible
with certain others, or certain application programs, and Desk Manager
makes it possible to work around these incompatibilities with a minimum
of fuss. It is extremely useful if you insist on having practically all
of your applications on the hard disk. In the long run, however, I have
found that simply leaving the hard disk turned off and running the
program from the floppy is less of a hassle. I think this is perhaps a
matter of individual taste, and the complexity of the user's system.
Flight Simulator II (my original reason for buying the 1040ST), for
example, is not compatible with the Universal Item Selector, but the
item selector is really not needed at all when I play with Flight
Simulator.
3. Hotwire
==========
This a Codehead Software program which makes it extremely easy to run
your favorite applications. You can configure it so that you can run
an application with a single key stroke, using a designated "hot key",
from the desk top or from the Hotwire menu. The program can be arranged
to leave you either at the desk top or in the Hotwire menu at boot up
time. If you choose to have the Hotwire menu come up, you can run your
application with either the hot key, or by clicking on the menu item.
In addition there are a variety of other functions available from this
menu by clicking on one of the several icons at the bottom of the
screen. For my taste the "Running Man" is probably the most useful,
since it permits you to call up the item selector, trace through to any
chosen program and run it, all with a series of mouse clicks. You can
also access Multidesk through an icon in the Hotwire menu. This permits
you to run any one of a practically unlimited number of desk accessories
without changing file name extenders, rebooting, etc.. Since the basic
machine only permits six desk accessories, this is a great convenience.
There is also an icon for Maxifile, a file handling utility from
Codehead, which can be used with their item selector (Little Green
Footballs) for all sorts of file handling and manipulation. I have not
used this at all, so I don't know how it compares to Universal Item
Selector III.
My principal complaint about Hotwire is that you must exit it in order
to access the accessories installed on the desk top. This is a fairly
trivial problem, but mildly irritating at times. A second problem I
have had is the inability to change resolution without rebooting. I
don't know if this is operator trouble or a weakness of the program. It
is simple to do a reboot, either cold or warm from Hotwire, using the
Control-Alternate-Delete and Right Shift keys, and it is simple to
direct it to boot in low resolution by touching the L key before the
program runs.
4. Multidesk
============
Another Codehead program which permits running any accessory after boot
up time. See the Hotwire discussion.
There are a number of utility programs which I have installed in the
Auto folder, and which remove many of the annoyances of the unmodified
ST operation:
1. Mouse Accelerator permits change of the amount you must move the
mouse to move the cursor across the screen. I find very little
penalty in accuracy of positioning, and with the accelerator
installed I almost never run off the edge of the mouse pad and have
to reposition the mouse, as I used to do regualarly before the
accelerator. Very useful. A public domain program from Atari.
2. File Spy is a program which permits you to view .DOC files and to
direct them to the printer in background. Unlike the desktop "SHOW"
function, you can step backward and forward a screen at a time, or go
to the start for finish of the file at will. In addition, it
presents a readable file in any resolution. The awkward appearance
of files displayed with the "SHOW" function in low rez is a major
annoyance of the standard operating system. Unfortuantely, File Spy
does not work with .TXT files, and I suppose the same is true of
other files with special control signals buried in them, but this is
nevertheless an extremely useful utility, and I use it a lot.
3. MACMENU is a PD utility which modifies the way the system responds
when the mouse cursor approaches the menu bar at the top to the
screen. In the standard operating system it is very easy to
overshoot and cause the drop down menu to appear when you don't want
it. With MACMENU installed you must click the right mouse button to
allow the cursor to move into the menu bar. I personally find this
much preferable, though it takes a little getting used to at first.
There is also a screen dump program for my 24 pin printer and a print
spooler, as well as other goodies. As the number of "conveniences" of
this sort built up, I began to run into "NOT ENOUGH MEMORY" messages
every once in a while, especially with the RAM disk active. So now that
the RAM has been increased by 3 megabytes I do not expect to see that
message any more, and perhaps I will find it convenient to keep the RAM
disk and a few more accessories a little closer to instant use, even
though they were pretty handy before.
When I got the upgrade kit (Z RAM) I intended to install it myself, and
indeed I did get things disassembled and the two and a half meg upgrade
working. But I did it with a lot of bent pins and great nervousness,
and when the four meg part failed to work my nerve failed and I packed
things off to Cimarron computer to see if they could rescue me from my
folly, and they did.
If you do decide to try it yourself, a pin straightener is almost an
essential tool, and you should be aware that the MMU socket is very
easily damaged. My advice is that if you don't have steady nerves, pay
the computer shop to do it for you. I tell myself that I would have
done better to wait for the STe, but it is too late now!
In summary, I can say that all that memory can make your use of the
computer easier and more fun, but only if you spend a lot of time
adapting it to your own style of doing things. Also, with the fancy
utilities, you are likely to have an occasional failure with bombs which
is hard to understand. Using Hot Wire, and running CAD 3D2, for
example, I always get four bombs when I quit the program, and rebooting
is necessary.
=======================================================================
=======================================================================
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=======================================================================
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Copyright (c)1990 Rovac Industries, Inc..
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