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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 01 Issue 24
Volume 1, Issue 24 Atari Online News, Etc. August 13, 1999
Published and Copyright (c) 1999
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- CC: Classic Chips
With Contributions by:
Kevin Savetz
Fred Horvat
Keita Iida
To subscribe to A-ONE, send a message to: dpj@delphi.com
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To download A-ONE, set your browser bookmarks to one of the
following sites:
http://people.delphi.com/dpj/a-one.htm
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http://a1mag.atari.org
Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi!
http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari
=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0124 08/13/99
~ HTML to Text Converter ~ People Are Talking! ~ ST CAD 1.5 Out
~ Sony & EA Nab Pirates ~ AMD's 650Mhz Athlon ~ Gameday 2000
~ Sega: Bernie Stolar Out ~ CGExpo - Intellivision ~ Worms: Armageddon
~ Red Hat at LinuxWorld! ~ Mitnick Case Dropped! ~ 'Web Car' For 2000
-* Cleveland Freenet To Close! *-
-* Postal Service Okays Online Stamps! *-
-* Microsoft's "Hack This" Challenge Cracked! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Happy Friday the 13th!!
I think both Joe and I are starting to feel bouts of age! <g> Here we both
are, on vacation, and we're complaining of time passing by quickly. He's
right, of course. Well, sort of. We've grown. We've left behind those
years of adolescence where we had few responsibilities other than what we
were asked to do around the house to earn that allowance; or perhaps a few
other "odd jobs" to earn a few extra dollars.
Now, we have jobs, families, and other responsibilities that take away much
of what we'd like to call leisure time. When people ask me what I did on
vacation, they usually look at me oddly when I tell them: "Nothing, I just
relaxed." Oh sure, I do stuff around the house. But to me, that is
relaxation, most of the time. Sure, I like to travel, but I feel that that
type of vacation is more stressful in many instances. If you've paid for a
vacation, you're trying to make sure you got your money's worth. Go there,
do this, see that. Probably fun, but I couldn't do it all the time.
So what's this have to do with Atari computing? Well, nothing, exactly.
But I do equate my overall view of vacations to using Atari computers. Both
are enjoyable and relaxing. Today's PCs are more like being at work,
causing stress. They're just as fun.
Until next time...
Cleveland Freenet and Atari SIG Closing
The Cleveland Freenet will be closing down for good September 30, 1999.
The above sentence was something I knew one day would happen but never
wanted to really admit it. The world pioneer in Freenet's, free Internet
access and more after 20 years will be closing due to becoming obsolete
or so what Case Western Reserve University says.
I don't remember the full history from the beginning so I will not try to
tell it here. I became a member in May of 1985 and had a great ride with
the Cleveland Freenet. I received free Internet E-mail and access to the
Internet or what it was 14 years ago.
It was fun reading through the Usenet and browsing the Web with Lynx or
Gopher in ASCII. The system was extremely easy to use in it's time and to
this day the ease of use still exceeds current offerings. On the Cleveland
Freenet one still does not have to worry about E-mail Virus's because mail
is ASCII only. It was often imitated but never exceeded. Apple even
imitated the community look and feel many years ago when they offered their
own online service.
But another sad note one of the worlds oldest and longest running Atari
forums will also be closing down as part of the Freenet. The Atari SIG
has been there from the very beginning as being one of the Freenet's
first SIGs. Thousands of Atari fanatics have been through that SIG and
it still is in use today and is still quite popular. It used to be one
of the premiere Atari SIGs on the Net. They even for a couple of years
published an online magazine called CAIN (Central Atari Information
Network) that I was fortunate to be part of. CAIN even had Cleveland's
largest ever Atari Show in 1994. For anyone interested in viewing the
Atari SIG on the Cleveland Freenet on last time or for the first time
Telnet to freenet-in-c.cwru.edu once connected as a member or guest
from any menu type "go atari" and enjoy. There are 10 years of various
Atari online magazines posted there and in some areas archived reviews,
messages and more.
I could go on and on about my experiences with the Cleveland Freenet but
I don't want to bore any of you. If you have any comments feel free to
E-mail me or the Atari SIG. We'd love to hear from you.
Other places to go for Atari information, news, support and more.
www.delphi.com/atari/messages <= Delphi still has ASCII besides browser
access
Compuserve Atari Computers keyword "Go Club"
Compuserve Atari Video Game Systems keyword "Go VGCentral"
www.atari.org
www.ataricentral.com
Plus many more places that www.atari.org has links to.
Fred Horvat
Cleveland Freenet Atari Portfolio SIGOP
E-mail aa778@cleveland.freenet.edu
Other E-mail addresses till September 30, 1999
Personal Freenet E-mail Account : ap748@cleveland.freenet.edu
Atari SIG Account E-mail : xx004@cleveland.freenet.edu
My new E-mail Address : fmh@netzero.net
ST CAD 1.5 Beta
A beta version of the forthcoming version 1.5 of ST-CAD by Matthias Krutz
is now available on the author's website. You might check it out to find
some remaining bugs or simply to test out the preview.
http://home.t-online.de/home/MKrutz/
HTML2TXT Version 2.0 Released
Version 2.0 of the HTML to text converter HTML2TXT has been released,
featuring a faster conversion engine and a brand new user-interface.
http://user.tninet.se/~jyc891w/software/html2txt/
RegisterWare
HTML Conversion Utility For the Atari ST
Version 2.0
HTML2TXT is an application used for converting HTML files into standard
ASCII text files. Unlike similar programs that only strip out the HTML
tags, HTML2TXT actually interprets the tags and format the outputted text
files accordingly.
As of version 2.0, the program can also be used to perform other tasks,
such as converting text files between Atari and PC character sets, or
optimizing HTML files by removing unnecessary line-breaks.
New features in version 2.0:
* Better user-interface
There's not a trace of the old keyboard-based user-interface
in this version. It has been replaced with a new, modern
interface that makes use of new multi-tasking features such
as iconification, BubbleGEM, and online help via ST-Guide.
* Saved configuration
Configurations and batch-lists are now automatically saved,
which saves you a lot of work if you're repeatedly doing the
same thing.
* Increased HTML support
The program has been completely rewritten, and now produces
much better results when converting HTML files into text
files. It now has full support for lists and indentations,
and it recognizes the CSS property text-align and will
format text accordingly. Width and align properties of <HR>
tags are now used. There's still no real TABLE support, but
the program will now turn tables into lists, which increases
read-ability at most times.
* Conversion options
The new settings you have to make at the beginning of the
program enables HTML2TXT to be used for other purposes than
just converting HTML files to text files.
* Batchlist editor
HTML2TXT now has a real batchlist editor with save / load /
merge features!
* Increased speed
The new version performs around twice as fast as the old
one!
The options window lets you use HTML2TXT for other purposes than converting
HTML files into text files.
Registering HTML2TXT is completely free of charge!
HTML2TXT is now equipped with a real batchlist-editor!
HTML2TXT should work on any Atari ST compatible computer.
My email address: thomas.sahlin@home.se
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Well, I'm coming up to the end of my
vacation quickly now and I've spent the last three hours wondering where
the heck all the time went.
To be fair, I didn't actually DO a heck of a lot during the past two
weeks. This has been more of a "quiet time" vacation for me. As I said a
few issues ago I need THREE weeks just to recover from the two weeks of
work that came before my vacation, so I'm in an honest-to-goodness "R&R
deficit".
Perhaps it's just because I'm getting older, but it seems that time
really does go faster now. Days, weeks, and months seem to fly by and
years past seem like only yesterday. I can remember the first time I
interacted with a computer quite clearly. It was back in '79, when I was
waiting for a friend to finish up in the computer lab so that we could
go and have lunch. He wasn't quite ready and, since there was an empty
chair in front of one of the college's three Apple ]['s, I sat down and
just stared at the nine inch monochrome monitor with its blinking
cursor. My interest piqued, I opened the programming manual that was
sitting next to the machine, and commenced to type in several
interesting-looking commands.
By the time my friend had finished with his project, I had constructed a
simple program that drew mesmerizing shapes on the screen until you
pressed a key. Everyone else in the lab thought it was quite the piece
of work, but I realized that, to be anything more than a curiosity, both
a program and a computer would need to be quite a bit more advanced than
what sat before me. Although a high 'coolness rating' was more than
enough for me, I knew that in the real world you had to scale things to
the lowest common denominator which, in this case, would be people who
weren't technically oriented.
A year or so later, I got my first computer... a Timex/Sinclair ZX81. I
was intrigued by the low price of the unit, and the relative power it
provided. Loose connections and a limited built-in programming language
soon convinced me to look elsewhere. Commodore was continuing to advance
after the success of its Vic-20 with the C-64. Not much easier to use or
much more powerful, I decided to forsake the 64 for a new machine that
had been hyped by a local dealer. Billed in computer magazines as the
"Jackintosh", the 520ST seemed like a major breakthrough. My funds were
low however, and by the time I had enough saved up to buy the 520 the
1040 was available. I was completely happy with the machine, if not the
company that had produced it. You see Commodore, under Jack Tramiel, had
kept me waiting for half a year for a disk drive for the 64. Even though
I had vowed never to purchase another "Tramiel computer", the ST was
simply too good to pass up.
That first ST lasted me a good long time, and only fell by the wayside
when a lightning strike destroyed several components. During that time,
PCs became more than IBM had envisioned, Apple had alienated many with
its high prices, and jumping from last year's model to this year's
became the order of the day. Since I'm notoriously... shall we say
frugal?... purchasing a new machine that often was never even considered.
I was able to find various upgraded Atari computers for next to nothing,
and ended up with various STs, STEs, a Stacy, Mega ST, Mega STE, and
finally a TT. The TT and Stacy still get strenuous workouts, while the
others have become transplant donors for friends' machines as they too
succumb to the ravages of time.
Now I've got a top of the line, state of the art laptop PC with more
memory than all of my other computers combined (the video memory alone
is twice the maximum allowable memory for an ST). It's a marvel of
engineering and foresight. It's assured that the machine will become
difficult to use within a year and a half, and in dire need of
replacement within two years.
I'll probably still be using the TT when that happens and, the way time
seems to be passing more and more quickly, I'm glad of that. I guess
it's my own little version of "fighting the future".
Well, that's it for my version of "A Brief History of Time". Let's get
on with what's being said on the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Phantomm asks:
"[I] Need some info on the MegaSTE.
1. Are there any upgrades that will allow more than 4 megs in a MegaSTE?
2. Is TOS 2.06 the highest version one can use in the MSTE?
3. Does one have to set any DIP switches or software settings to allow a
DS external disk drive to work on a MSTE if you have a stock internal
HIGH Density disk drive?"
Claes Holmerup tells Phantomm:
"I believe there have been some memory upgrades, but I'm afraid they
don't work well with all programs. Unfortunately, I can't remember any
manufacturers of such things - maybe someone else?
Yes - as far as I know, TOS 2.06 is the highest that can be use in a
Mega STE.
I believe it's dipswitch 6 or 7 that should be changed (it's only one
switch you have to change) to double sided disks. You can easily see if
it's the right one by choosing to format a disk. You'll see an option
extra for HD formatting... Do the switching when the computer's turned
off - and then boot up again to check if it was the right one.
Most SCSI-1, SCSI-2 and Fast SCSI-2 should work. Use HDDriver to get the
best compatibility, as many other drivers don't support drives that are
too big... Avoid drives with bus arbitration!
There are a couple of chips involved with floppy drive control, but
mostly it's the WDC1772 and the DMA controller. Check out the schematics
at... (searching old mails...) ah - found it:
http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/quadra/455/
As i recall it, the schematics are saved in some PC picture format, but
there are tons of graphic converters out there."
Joe Villarreal adds:
"A DS external drive will work just fine on the Mega STe. I replaced
the DS DD drive mechanism in Master 3S external drive with a high density
drive mechanism. It's been working great for several years; it's now
connected to my TT."
Phantomm asks Joe:
"I also have a external Master 3S. With the High Density Mechanism you
replaced in yours, you still only get the standard DS/DD, Right?
And when replacing Atari DS/DD drive mechs with High Density ones, Is
there any brand or type that is better to use or do all of them work
fine?"
Joe replies:
"No. It works great as a high density drive. Of course, the Mega Ste
needs to support high density drives. Some older ones don't.
The Master 3S had a Teac DS/DD drive mechanism. I found a Teac high
density drive mechanism at a local computer store for $45; I could of
found one cheaper mail order though. It was a perfect fit in the Master
3S."
Our old friend Ronald Hall asks for advice about keeping his Mega in
tip-top shape:
"Okay, since yesterday, my 1987 Mega ST 4 (Tos 1.04/Adspeed) has
developed a problem that I've not encountered before. (BTW, this is the
Mega that runs DarkForce! so its been operating near continuously for
nigh on 4-5 years now). Anyway, if I insert a floppy disk (any floppy -
I've tried several including new and old ones), the computer immediately
resets and cycles between accessing the floppy and resetting in a
never-ending loop.
Is it time for a floppy disk drive replacement? <smile> If so, should I
try to get a new one from some place like Best Electronics or would I be
better off trying to find the same kind of drive in an old beat-up 1040
somewhere (cheap)? Thanks for any help! ;-)
Note that this is not critical - the Mega is still running my BBS, hard
drives and CD-ROMs work just fine...just no floppy."
John Kolak tells Ronald:
"I've seen this before, but can't recall the cause. Best is rather
pricey, so if you can sacrifice a 1040 for the floppy, much better, or an
SF314. The slanted face plate with the large center ejector is somewhat
less common though."
Ronald tells John:
"Yes, I've noticed that Brads' prices are a little bit on the high side
sometimes. I've actually got a couple of 1040's lying around (for spare
parts), so sometime this weekend I'm going to pull one of those floppies
and swap out. Thanks for the advice!"
Daniel Dreibelbis tells Ronald:
"Actually, you could try to get ahold of a Sony hi-density unit and use
that in the Mega - I believe that Ken, the TAF president, installed one
of these in a 1040 and it works great, the button even matches up with the
holes on the body so you won't have to carve up the front."
Ronald does some sleuthing work and tells Daniel and John:
"Okay, after stripping the PS and floppy drive from an older 1040STf, and
swapping back and forth with my problematic Mega's PS and FD, I have
found that my problem is indeed, the power supply. The old PS had brown
marks/burnt smell on the yellow colored tower (transistor, I guess? It
had wire wrap). Anyway swapping floppies didn't make any difference,
but swapping PS's did. So now I'm going to order a Mega ST PS from Best
Electronics. I'd use the 1040's, but it doesn't have the fan attachment,
and I figure a new one is the best way to go.
PS DarkForce will still be accessible, running on a 4 meg 1040STe, just
slower... (the Mega runs at 16mhz)."
Terrence Redding asks for info on emulators:
"I still like to use a statistics program called bSTat and would like to
be able to take it with me when I travel. I have PowerPC, and would like
to install STe emulation software.
What is available - and what is considered the easiest to install and
use?"
"Steve" tells Terrence:
"I don't know about bSTat, but try MagiC Mac, PowerST, or NoSTalgia."
Terrence replies:
"I have NoSTalgia 0.6 PPC, and PowerST 0.2 both installed and running.
I was surprised they ran so slow. May be if I run them out of a RAM disk
they will speed up.
It seems to me, about three years ago, I tried an emulator on my PowerPC
that actually had a higher bench mark speed then the Mega STe I run at
home.
bSTat is a statistical analysis program, written in basic, that produces
a nice set of graphical outputs, which then should be printable from the
Mac PowerPC. I like using it for both marketing studies and some basic
learning theory research that I publish from time to time."
Steve asks Terrence:
"Slow? What kind of Mac are you running again? These emu's run (at least)
at full STfm speeds for me."
Daniel Dreibelbis tells Steve:
"I believe that he has an older 100mHZ PowerPC Mac; according to the
review of NoSTalgia in AC last year it really runs its best under a G3
system. Only MagiCMac is designed to run at blazing speed under as little
as a 680x0 system..."
Dan Schoengarth posts:
"I asked this question awhile back but, didn't get the answer for what I
was trying to do.
I have a TT with 160meg hard drive. Now I want to add another 160 meg
hard drive to the TT. Here is where I think I confused everyone. I
bought a new SCSI (24" double header ribbon cable). I want to hookup
both drives on the same ribbon cable. The second drive will receive its
power from another source. Both drives will be on the same cable that is
connected to the TT motherboard.
How do I get this to work? is there a special length of cable needed to
do this? can it be done?
I have tried everything. Maybe its my terminations I have the TT and the
last drive terminated."
I jump in and tell Don:
"I'm not sure about the TT, but on Mega/MegaSTe computers you cannot
attach a second drive to the internal host adapter.
It's more advisable to put the second drive in an external case and use
the SCSI port on the TT to connect it up. The SCSI port does not need a
host adapter, and the connection is rock solid on my TT. I know that this
isn't the way you want to connect it, but it's probably the most reliable
and easiest.
Maybe someone else will jump in here and have better news for you."
Louis Holleman does just that when he posts:
"Nope, you haven't tried everything, it would have started to work then.
<smile>
Now I wonder what you mean by "both drives will be on the same cable that
is connected to the TT mb"
Right, this is possible, then remove the termination from the first drive
on the cable and enable termination on the last drive on the cable. You
gotta adapt the cable for that, since it has only one connector...
A more convenient way is making use of the external SCSI socket on the
backside of the casing. I gather your first HD sits inside. You just leave
it there (PS is there any room for your 2nd drive inside???). Also leave
it terminated. Next hook up your 2nd drive to the SCSI socket. In that
case the 2nd drive needs to be terminated as well and you have to remove
the internal terminators in the TT.
I got the impression you want to use the internal flat cable to hookup 2
drives. In fact you only need to add another connector.
To summarize: as soon as you start using the SCSI outlet on the TT
combined with an internal HD on the flat cable you have to remove the
internal terminators from the motherboard. If you use only an internal HD
on the flat cable the terminators should stay in.
On one flat cable you can connect many devices. The physical last one on
the "chain" needs termination, the others don't. Now that's the theory,
but some TT's apparently develop strange habits with termination, so if
it doesn't work, you gotta use the "trial-and-error" method... which
should start by putting back the internal TT terminators once you removed
these."
Roger Cain adds:
"Dead right, Louis. I have one internal HD and a whole bunch of SCSI
devices external the last of which is terminated. This configuration goes
MAD unless I put back the internal bus termination. Don't ask me why!!
The laws of physics don't seem to apply here. <smile>
Louis tells Roger:
"Yes, that's what I heard too. I've got one internal Quantum terminated,
and another Quantum, a Seagate, a Syquest removable and CD-ROM
externally, the CD-ROM is terminated as the last one and the internal
terminators removed. Works flawless from day 1.
I seem to recall that Dennis Vermeire once wrote he had 2 TT's (I even
believe he said identical ones) where on set 1 he had to remove the
terminators and exactly the same setup on set 2 he had to put them back
in... Then there's the stuff from people who needed an extra active
terminator on the end since "term enable" on the last drive wouldn't
work... So go figure! Just now I read from Ronald that some TT's won't
allow for more than 1 device on the internal flat cable. If you look at
it that way it's still an ACSI bus."
Jos Vlietstra adds:
"I can tell you that it's possible to hook two hard disks on the internal
SCSI flat cable ! I have in my TT Tower a Seagate Barracuda SCSI 3 as first
drive on the internal flat cable, this cable had a loose end, so my dealer
terminated this end with a passive terminator. Yesterday I removed this
terminator and hooked a Seagate ST3620N on this loose end .I removed the
resistor terminators on this drive, but I'm certain that doesn't
matter..What matters is Term Power and my both hard disk have this
option....cause months ago I hooked my Mustek scanner to this loose end
and after that I tried my CDROM player but NO, SIR !! That doesn't work
because these devices have no Term Power.
Now these two Seagates work wonderful together and I have 2.6 Gb
altogether....
On my SCSI external port I have my CDROM Pioneer drive and after that my
scanner. The last one has a terminator on its second SCSI outbus. All
works flawlessly !I only want to use my ACSI/DMA bus and my Link adaptor,
that combination works only for my hard disk with Term Power, but the
solution which I described above is much more smoother and uses less
cable!"
Jo Vandeweghe adds:
"My TT WoodTTower has :
- 3 hard disks
- 1 Syquest 44
- 1 Pioneer CD ROM
connected to the scsi flat inner cable ... they all work perfectly. And
sometimes I hook up my Microtek E3 scanner to the external scsi port with
absolutely no problem ....
May I add that I have a laser printer SLM605 connected to the ACSI port?"
**[Editor's note: I'll tell ya folks, sometimes I just love being
proven wrong!
On the subject of coercing Alexander Clauss into continuing to upgrade
CAB, Matthias Jaap posts:
"I guess many of you are too much CAB-centered. Ok, CAB is a fine
browser but there are others as well. Maybe Oxo will get their browser
working some day and Jens Heitmann has just released a JavaScript enabled
WWW browser. Why doesn't anybody support them? Both have published many
fresh-ups and updates this year and they deserve support and feedback!
They still care about the Atari platform and have ASFAIK no plans to port
their software to another platform.
I can't blame Alexander for moving to the Mac platform. iCAB has
excellent chances to be the "Opera for Mac" and even if only a few
percent of Mac users buy his browser he will probably earn more money
with iCAB than with CAB.
In my opinion, it is important for the Atari WWW browsers to keep up with
the latest Web developments. Right now only LoA does this by implementing
JavaScript 1.1 and HTML 4/CSS support is announced. If you find bugs in
WenSuite or Light of Adamas report them to the programmers! Remember that
they can be disappointed too if everyone mentions only CAB as THE Atari
web browser."
Katherine Ellis tells Matthias:
"Well, you are right.
However it is clearly obvious to me that if i can not use the browser,
there is no way to do anything here. Just using the old CAB is my only
solution.
I certainly don't want to trade my mintnet for any other stack available
on atari. Might as well change computer in this case. Everything i have
is based around mintnet, OR using gluestik, all the STiK applications.
There are so many things that it would be totally ridiculous (for me at
least) to even try anything else.
I do think though that for some ST users with TOS 1.4 or such, with
little ram or speed, Light of adamas or whatever wensuite might fit
better to their needs.
Adamas sure looks good, dithering is quite good in 16 col, (don't know
yet in 256 or TC mode), possibility to switch palettes, javascript
support, neat I guess (can't try), some many double redraw (need to check
that out). Some clicks are only taken if the frame has been activated,
rather strange. Few glitches like that, I would put adamas ahead in some
ways of CAB. But really is not too fair to CAB as I know how/when CAB
crashes. WIth adamas, the demo version is so crippled, that can't test a
whole lot.
What i've noticed also with ADAMAS, it is less html code error tolerant
than CAB. Like, a frame not having a <title>blahfoo</title> adamas
will freak out and gives some html code instead of the output. Same for
colors, if you use #white or white only, adamas is very picky. That is,
in a way good, but is not possible in the world we are leaving in. html
is a very popular language in which ANYONE basically can write in,
mistakes WILL happen, and between netscape and IE, trying to define the
standards, can't rely on anything really. So gotta be as tolerant as
possible. CAB does a pretty good job at that...
I think we are way too spread right now in some ways. And Adamas with
ANOTHER stack is certainly not helping. What do they expect? All of use
drop our current stack? whatever that is, STIK, STING, MiNTNET, iconnect,
etc etc.
It seems that adamas is not as popular as it should be. Maybe has to do
with the little I said right above.
Tell me, how good are javascript or html4/css if no one really can use
efficiently adamas?
In my eyes/dreams:
The kick-ass browser for atari would be close to CAB, but supporting
extended VITAL feature a multitasking OS has to offer.
Handling several connections at the same time for multiple download in
the html document, (just like any other browser on other platforms),
decompressing displaying pictures/documents as they get downloaded
(streams/background processing). Now that is the essence of
interactivity. CAB by itself, visually is ok/good enough.
What I can tell you is that i always wait after CAB to finish display
some things, formatting etc etc. If it has background processing, and
multiple connection, it would be SOOOOOO FAST. I mean, screw all the
javascript, g2players and all the extra things like that, if the engine
is not good, can't do much.
But of course, this is/was impossible because CAB had to be compatible
with TOS 1.04 (or so), no for multitasking OS user, you can forget about
it. 2) also impossible I guess coz Alex would have had to choose between
magic type of threading or the MiNT way. which needless to say are not
100% compatible. So I guess, in doubt, he choose the singletos way. By
the way, is anyone willing to sell a copy of MagiCMac to me that they're
not using? I just bought a Quadra 950 three weeks ago and I really need
to set this thing up so I can use Edith and a number of other utilities
I'm missing."
Martin "Nightowl" Byttebier adds his thoughts:
"If the Adamas people want support then they should learn to listen to
people.
At the Neuss fair I have talked to the authors. I've told him that
Adamas won't work in True color on my Hades. Their answer was, It should
work, take a look at your system, probably there is something wrong.
Well, I don't like this kind of attitude at all. In my humble opinion,
people who are reacting like this don't deserve feedback.
The Wensuite people deserve feedback as they listen to what people have
to say. Wensuite is really making progress. They are working on javascript
too. If I may believe the author they are trying to implement MiNTnet
support.
Once Wensuite or Draconis comes with MiNTnet support I will try the
packages again but as long as they only work with their own TCP/IP stack
I refuse to work with it.
For the moment Cab is still the best Atari browser."
Well friends, this week's column has gotten a good deal longer than I
had planned on. I'll end it here and hope to see you again next week
when we can all get together and listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
Mac Emulators for the PC?
The Truth about Mac Emulation
By: David K. Every
Copyright 1999
www.Mackido.com
Reprinted with permission
There is a Mac Emulator out, called Gemulator, that seems to be getting
some attention (and I'm getting email questions about) -- and the
creator is making some pretty fantastic claims. So I'm going to try to
clarify (express my opinions) based on what I know about computers and
emulators. I'm using that particular product as the example, because it
seems to make the most fantastic claims, but the application of this
information is intended to be broader (and applied logically, where
applicable, to any Mac emulators running on the PC).
I have not actually run the Gemulator, but I have seen some other
emulators, so I'm doing this based on logic, reason and mathematics (and
using the companies own numbers) -- and I am trying to do a little fact
checking and counter-balance.
The info about the product (at Gem98Pro) makes some implications about
performance. If you go to the benchmark page, you get the claims:
- for Pentium processors, the rule of thumb is simple: take 1/2 the
clock speed of your Pentium to get the approximate 68000 and 68030
emulation speed. So for example, a 233 MHz Pentium based computer will
run about 3 to 4 times faster than a Mac IIci computer.
- for Pentium II and Pentium III processors, which have the larger 512K
cache and improved designed over standard Pentium processors, the rule
of thumb increases to about 2/3 the clock speed. In other words, a 300
MHz Pentium II emulates the equivalent speed of about a 200 MHz 68030. A
400 MHz Pentium II has been benchmarked to run at about the speed of a
280 MHz 68030.
This is a pretty extreme claim, and one that I doubt would hold up in
the real world. But then again, this guy says things like the emulator
has ROM support for the "Atari Macintosh SE" -- and here I didn't think
Atari ever made Macintosh SE ROMS. Even the implication of speed is
sloppy, that it is between a "68000 and 68030 in speed" at the same
clock rate -- which is quite a spread. That is like saying it is
somewhere between a Ferrari and a Yugo in the 1/4 mile. Even the
bar-graph link on the page goes to the wrong place (I found the proper
link anyway at: http://www.emulators.com/images/w51count.gif). So I
think the guy is more sloppy than malicious.
Methodology
The guys methodology for performance testing is very weak. He used one
Application -- Microsoft Word 5.1, and did one command set (repagination
and word count). For that very limited set he got results like:
1.MacIIcx - 1:04 - (16 MHz 68030)
2.Quadra 610 - :21 (25 MHz 68040)
3.PentiumII/233 - :18
4.PentiumII/400 - :11
5.PentiumIII/550 - 0.08
Now once again, the guy is sloppy. "0.08" seems to mean 8/100ths of a
second, but I suspect the author means 0:08 seconds. His little typing
error just accidentally implies a 100:1 error in his favor.
The real problem is that no single benchmark is valid -- especially
Microsoft Word on the Mac! And I suspect that if we normalize the data
(by sampling many different Word tests), we would see results far lower
than 3:1 in performance between a IIcx and a Quadra (or Pentium II) --
which immediately brings up the suspicion of "cherry picking" and using
an extreme example to mislead people (see dirty marketing). More
important than that, Microsoft programs are infamous for being slow and
inefficient programs on the Mac -- and the low speed of Word's
performance has flagged some design problems with the code to begin with.
So using one sample is bad enough -- but choosing a bad single sample is
much worse. One of the most obvious indicators that something is wrong is
just comparing a the Quadra to the MacIIcx -- a machine that is 50%
faster in processor clock speed (and a bit more for FP functions and
because of a cache) should not be over 3 times faster in the real world
just doing a word search or repagination. That just doesn't happen
normally, under regular circumstances and with equal amount of
optimization or design. So we already see that the sample (Word 5.1 on a
030) is severely misrepresentative of the "real world" and most 68030 to
68040 differences won't be near the 3:1 that this example shows.
So this whole example, and the claims made based on it, seem to me to
sound like, "A Yugo is as fast as a Ferrari in the 1/4 mile..." assuming
the quarter mile is vertical and they are both dropped flat off a cliff.
Probably not an untrue statement, but it doesn't exactly mean what many
people will think it means.
More than that, when we start to do the math (the other way), we can see
more realistic results. A 233 MHz Pentium II can emulate a 68040 series
Mac just a little faster than 25 MHz. Though I believe that they
strategically chose one of the few '040 models that didn't have a
floating point unit built in for a reason. Either way, this is like a
9:1 ratio in clock adjustment (pentium to 68000) -- which means it takes
roughly 9 (or more) Pentium instructions to emulate a single 68000
instruction.
Actually, it is probably quite a worse, since the cache, bus speed, and
superscaler capabilities of the Pentium, mean it is probably executing
more like 15-25 instructions per single 68000 instruction completed
(when compared to a 68040). Which makes far more mathematical sense
because of the richer registers and better instruction set of the 68000
(compared to an x86 Pentium).
So when you compare the authors "2/3rds the clock speed" claim you will
be somewhat mislead. I see that it is more like a 1/9th the clock speed
(sans FPU) -- or that he roughly overrated his claims by 6 times. In the
real world, and under more serious tests, I doubt even that claim would
be lived up to in all (or even most) cases. Of course, as I mentioned
before, I think he was just using sloppy methodology.
The Sweet Spot!
Now in the real world, there is something else -- real world usability
and what I call "the sweet spot". Let's say it is the threshold where
most machines in use are running at (in performance). It is also where
most software writers will target as their "low end machines" -- and is
the minimum required performance that their newest software will need to
still be usable at. So you will at least that class of emulator
performance in order for the emulator to be really useful for new Apps.
For a PC this is probably a 120 - 133 MHz Pentium. DOS, Win31, Win16
Apps, and the huge legacy of market (and volume of machines) actually
holds this number back, and keeps it from advancing quickly. Too many
companies have mountains of older machines, and software companies are
sensitive to that.
For a Mac lets put this at about 150 - 200 MHz 604. Apple has pushed
theirs forward quite a bit because of the really high volumes of iMacs
and the upsurge in sales, pushing for PPC support only, and so on. So
many software writers are willing to push a little more. On top of that,
Apple is dropping support for non-PPC machines (and even non-G3
machines) in the future -- which also helps push the sweet-spot up, and
gets software companies (and Mac owners) thinking forward.
If you only care about legacy apps (older programs) -- then you can go
back further in performance for the sweet-spot. And if you really care
about scroll and kill games (action games, not strategy or tactic ones,
and especially 3D games) or graphics and desktop publishing App (like
what you'd want to run Mac Apps for) then you need to go quite a bit
forward (and towards faster machines).
Now, the problem is that the Gemulator (or most of the Mac Emulators on
PCs) are only running at levels acceptable for older Legacy Apps -- and
are well below the sweet spot! While the PC Emulators on the Mac are
actually achieving or above the sweet spot, and are acceptable for many
new Apps.
The performance demands of newer apps are likely to exclude these older
Mac emulators -- making them much less valuable. In fact, many Apps
(especially any games) are becoming PowerPC only, and all those are
excluded from 68000 emulators for technical reasons as well as
performance reasons. You can't even run the latest versions of the OS on
those Mac-Emulators. You can at least get into the System8 realm, which
isn't too bad -- yet even then, the sweet spot for the OS performance
itself is well above the 25 MHz 68040 level -- so the OS feels bogged
down on these older machines (and emulators). So there isn't that much
compatibility and the performance isn't up to par for most people -- and
you aren't very close to the sweet spot at all. This level of emulator
has a very limited purpose, but it is no where near a replacement for a
modern Mac.
On the other hand, compare this to the PC emulators that run on the Mac.
I have a Pentium 200 (w/MMX), and VirtualPC, and I almost never have to
boot my PC for anything. In fact, I haven't even had it hooked up to a
monitor in 6 months (I alternate between 2 or 3 monitors on my main Mac,
and only devote one to the PC when I have to). On my 366 MHz G3 (which
is still a generation back from being a cutting edge machine), the
Virtual PC and Physical PC are close enough in performance for most
things (though the real PC is faster than the virtual one, especially
for games). But in fact, the Virtual PC adds lots of functionality (and
is probably MORE compatible) than the real one -- and easier to operate,
easier to fix, faster to boot, and has many other little advantages that
I like. It is well above (or at least at) the sweet spot for everything
except scroll and kill games -- and the Mac has more than enough of
those to keep me busy. While the Mac emulators on the PC can't approach
the simplicity or feature set of a real Mac.
What about the PPC?
When you think about it, this performance comparison is somewhat
embarrassing to the Pentium. The PowerPC emulator on an 8100/80 was
faster than a 25 MHz 040's at 1/3 the clock speed of the PentiumII! And
that was a few generations back in processor design! Ouch, that's gotta
hurt. But, I don't suppose the Gemulator-guy will run the ad that
implies, "3 times slower than the PPC is at the same task", even though
it would probably be no less representative of the truth.
The PPC has an unfair advantage -- not only in more registers and a more
modern design, but Apple optimized many OS routines for the PPC
directly. So not only does the PPC do a better job of 680x0 emulation
(and have a DR- Compiler), it also does a much better job of running
Applications (because many of the most often used System calls are
native).
Another way we can look at all this (as in the sweet spot and what
emulators give you) is as a matter of time. How recent of a machine can
it emulate? How far behind (in years) are you?
The 1994 PowerMac 8100/80 could probably emulate the 68000 apps as fast
(or near to it) as what a 1998 based top of the line PC does with an
emulator -- and may actually threaten a top of the line 1999 class PC.
This gives the Mac like a 3 - 5 generation advantage, or 4-5 year
advantage. Or in other words, what the Mac could do in 1994 the PC can
finally do now. That isn't very impressive if you ask me.
In fact, the 68030 machines were first released in 1988 and the 68040's
are from 1991. What these new Mac emulators give you is the ability to
mimic circa 1991 style machines (a little faster in best case scenarios,
but probably slower in worst case scenarios). This is a full 7 or 8
years late to the party. And even that isn't fair because the 1991
Quadra700 had an FPU (Floating Point Unit) which wasn't touched in the
comparison (probably for reasons).
Now let's compare these timelines to the PC Emulators on the Mac! The PC
emulators are easily able to emulate 1995 class machines, and arguably
1996 class machines (or even some 1997 low-end machines) on top end
Macs. Which all means that the PC emulators on the Mac are many
generations and many years closer to the leading edge -- and much more
valuable, compatible, advanced, and useful!
Conclusion
The whole point of this article is not to bash the "Gemulator", or other
Mac Emulators for the PC. In fact, if I wanted to give a modern PC the
convenience of a legacy Mac (which they still haven't achieved on their
own), then these emulators are probably a step in the right direction.
But they are nowhere near the level of usability or convenience or
performance of real legacy Mac -- not to mention a real modern Mac. The
Gemulator still has most of the flaws of a PC (because it runs on a PC),
and can't fix anything with that! And these emulators can require all
sorts of ugly-hacky things like digging up old Mac ROMs and adding a
card to get them to work (thus filling up one of your few slots that may
be left open on a PC), and so on. It all hits me as a "non-elegant"
solution, that works, but doesn't fill much of niche, and doesn't solve
anything I want to do or make me more productive.
The Mac and PC emulators are in two different classes. The Mac Emulators
(for the PC) are valuable only if you are running really old legacy
apps, and you don't need modern compatibility or performance -- and all
this is valuable only if you can't buy a used or new Mac. So the only
advantage for the PC is if you have absolutely no choice to run a Mac at
all. While the PC Emulators (for the Mac) allow you to run much more
modern apps, at a much more acceptable level, with more compatibility
and may actually add features and functions to the PC in the process. In
fact they are so good that many people can forgo buying a PC and replace
it with a virtual one, and decrease their maintenance cost and increase
their productivity (even if they aren't running quite as fast, they may
get more done).
So the Mac emulators (for PC) is nothing more than a Mac-Minus. They try
to be as good as an older Mac, and don't quite cut the mustard (in
performance or compatibility), but they are better than nothing (I
suppose).
Compare this to PC emulators (for Macs), which are more like PC-Plus.
They add functionality, can be more compatible and do more than a real
PC, they hit the sweet-spot (or get closer), they perform much more
adequately than Mac Emulators, and can actually replace a modern PC in
the real world for many things.
http://www.MacKiDo.com/Myths/Emulators.html
Created: 07/04/99
Updated: 07/26/99
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - Classic Gaming Expo This Weekend!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Sega's Bernie Stolar Is Gone!
'NFL Gameday 2000'! 'Worms 64'!
Sony & EA Fight Piracy! Smurfs!?
Time Loop! And much more!
->From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Well, the Classic Gaming Expo '99 show is happening this weekend in Las
Vegas. If you're interest in electronic gaming, especially that of
yesteryear, this is the show to attend. It all started with Nolan
Bushnell's 'Pong' (I wonder if he'll attend?!) and is still going strong
with the PlayStation, Dreamcast, N64, and the new machines to come.
I've always been a fan of games. I still enjoy a good game of pinball. I
started out playing with the ancient 5-ball manual-ball machines and was
amazed when the technology brought us better electronics and automation.
The graphics of my day were pictures painted on the background; and they
evolved to all kinds of electronic graphical wonders. I still own an old
pinball machine, "Sunset", which is probably gathering dust at my parents
home in Maine. One of these days, I have to get that machine up here!
Then Atari and others moved on to such electronic wonders as Space Invaders,
Missile Command, Centipede, Donkey Kong, Asteroids, and many others. The
arcade games were terrific. Then they brought the arcade to our homes with
the Atari 2600, Intellivision, ColecoVision, and others. Today's console
systems are so much more sophisticated! But you know, many of today's
systems are bringing back the classic games, with some being updated, to
today's systems. Makes you think how much of an impact these games of yore
influenced us.
So, if you'd like to get a feeling of gaming nostalgia, the CG Expo is the
place to be. And if you can't make it, look to A-ONE to provide a number of
show reports in upcoming issues. I'm looking forward to them also.
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Sega of America President Departs
Sega of America has parted ways with Bernie Stolar, its president and chief
operating officer.
Sega announced Wednesday that Toshiro Kezuka was now vice chairman and COO
of the company, replacing Stolar.
Sega would only say that despite Stolar's departure, plans for the
company's next-generation Dreamcast game console were still on track.
Stolar's leaving also marks a fundamental change in the corporate
structure: Sega of America no longer has a president. According to Sega,
the president position once filled by Stolar is no longer necessary. As COO
of the company, Kezuka will completely assume Stolar's responsibilities.
The new company officer previously held the post of president of Honda
France. He joined Sega Enterprises in 1995 and worked in domestic sales and
distribution.
Earlier this year, Kezuka moved to Sega of America and was named deputy
chairman of the company.
A Sega spokesperson said: "Kezuka's knowledge of the European and Japanese
markets make him the ideal COO for Sega. He will help improve Sega become a
more global company."
Other than the basic facts, Sega was mum on the deal. A release issued by
Sega firmly states that, "It is Sega's policy not to comment on personnel
decisions."
Under benign conditions, companies normally announce the departure of a
high-ranking official and that person's future professional plans.
Considering that the company did not divulge details about Stolar's abrupt
departure, it appears that Stolar was terminated, and at least one
unofficial source has confirmed that Stolar's position was indeed
terminated.
Departure of Sega US Chief Surprises Wall Street
The abrupt departure of Bernard Stolar, the U.S. chief of Japanese video
game maker Sega Enterprises Ltd., took Wall Street by surprise on Thursday
since it came just weeks ahead of the critical U.S. launch of its Dreamcast
game console.
``I was surprised, and I think a lot of people were. It seems like an odd
time for it to happen," said Kelly Henry, an analyst at International Data
Corp. in Mountain View, Calif.
But most analysts said they did not believe that Stolar's departure as
president and chief operating officer would hurt the launch of Sega's next
generation video game console system since all of the marketing pieces were
in place for the launch on Sept. 9.
Still, Stolar's departure was considered unusual because of the timing and
since the company offered no explanation. Sega of America Inc., the U.S.
unit of Tokyo-based Sega, issued a terse statement late Wednesday evening
saying that Toshiro Kezuka, who joined Sega of America as deputy chairman
earlier this year, was named vice chairman and chief operating officer.
``Effective Aug. 11, 1999, Bernard Stolar is no longer with Sega of America
Inc. It is Sega's policy not to comment on personnel decisions," the
company said in a statement.
``The statement was really cold," said John Davison, Editor-in-Chief of
Electronic Gaming Monthly, a trade publication. ``There was none of that,
'We thank Bernie for his work' stuff."
Stolar had been very visible in recent weeks, promoting Dreamcast. He held
teleconferences to discuss the hefty $100 million marketing campaign, give
updates on record pre-orders, and announce developments such as a recent
deal with AT&T Corp.
In May at E3, a big U.S. gaming trade show, Stolar hosted a press
conference, where he showed some new Dreamcast games.
``We are on such a roll right now that nothing will stop this juggernaut,"
said a Sega spokesman. ``This won't affect the launch, and this won't
affect Sega Dreamcast down the road."
Dreamcast, which was launched in Japan last year, is key to Sega's comeback
hopes in the video game industry. Sega, barely the No. 3 maker of video
game consoles, seeks to regain lost market share from Sony Corp. , which
dominates the industry with its Playstation, and No. 2 Nintendo Co. Ltd. .
``They have a one-year window to make it happen before Sony and Nintendo
come in, and then the competition at that point is really going to be
fierce," said Larry Marcus, an analyst at Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown.
``Sony's support is huge ... If they are not firmly entrenched in one year
they are going to be in trouble."
Sony and Nintendo both have new-generation video game consoles that are
expected for the holiday shopping season. Sega can claim to be out first
with an Internet-enabled video game console, a built-in 56k modem, and the
eventual ability to play games with other players over the Internet.
Analysts speculated that one of the causes of Stolar's departure could have
been a conflict or a personality clash with Japanese management at the
parent company.
``Lots of people had speculated that Bernie was going to leave, it was just
a matter of when," said James Lin, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan. ``I'm
surprised that he left before the actual launch. It's not going to have any
impact on the success of Dreamcast because the retailers are locked and
loaded."
Early last week, Sega said pre-orders for the Dreamcast had surpassed
expectations, with 200,000 pre-orders from retailers six weeks ahead of the
launch.
Infogrames Attacks Nintendo 64 and GameBoy Color With Worms: Armageddon
Cult Favorite Will Hit Stores In The New Millennium
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out ... of Nintendo 64 and GameBoy
Color in the year 2000 when Infogrames North America releases Worms:
Armageddon, the latest chapter of the popular Worms series. The game
packs all the strategy and action of a sophisticated war scenario into a
fun-filled, hilarious and sometimes misguided battalion of angst-ridden
worms.
As in previous versions of the Worms family, Worms: Armageddon is a
turn-based strategy game, where teams battle across bizarre, randomly
generated landscapes or finely crafted custom designed levels. Players have
a set time in which to make a move with their army of worms before the game
automatically switches to the next team, giving the players time to conjure
up their next maneuver by choosing from a nearly endless arsenal of madcap
weapons. One of the new features of the game includes multi-player support
where up to four teams can battle it out on the same machine or solo
players can play against the computer. In addition, no game of Worms:
Armageddon is ever the same, making game-play virtually endless.
In 1995, Team 17 created the first edition of the Worms' saga and have been
growing its fan base ever since. Now console gamers can experience the
wacky world of Worms as well.
``Initially Worms: Armageddon appears to be a rather simple game, however,
it in fact is one of the best strategic and unpredictable games on the
market," said David Riley, director of marketing for Infogrames North
America's I-Motion Studio. ``Bringing Worms to Nintendo 64 and GameBoy
Color will only increase its following. It's addictive, hysterical
entertainment."
Worms: Armageddon for Nintendo 64 and GameBoy Color are slated for release
in the second quarter of 2000 and will surely be a welcome addition to the
Worms family.
Infogrames North America's Addictive Puzzle Game, Time Loop, Heads
to the PlayStation and Game Boy Color This Holiday Season
Puzzle game fans of all ages rejoice! Get ready to spend hours of addictive
fun with Time Loop, coming from Infogrames North America for the Sony
PlayStation game console and Nintendo Game Boy Color this holiday season!
Time Loop is an entertaining game of skill and strategy that's hard to put
down. How long can you last?
Time Loop requires players to protect the center of the ``loop" from a
never ending flow of brightly colored balls which feed onto a spiral-shaped
belt that converges in the middle. If a ball reaches the center of the
loop, the game is over. Players aim a rotating turret and shoot a ball into
a chain of balls. In order to eliminate balls and relieve pressure from the
constantly converging chain, players must create combinations of three
balls of the same color, or more. Special bonus balls used to challenge the
player at different levels, such as smart bombs, tornadoes, a clock timer,
and bumble bees can be used to destroy all the balls on the screen of the
same color. This allows for unique gameplay throughout the various levels.
``Skill and strategy are required in order to excel at this amazingly
addictive puzzle game," said Rick Reynolds, director of product marketing
for Infogrames North America's I-Heroes Studio. ``Its simple gameplay
providing hours of fun makes it a must-have holiday buy for gamers of all
ages."
Time Loop features three modes of play: Panic mode, a continuous game where
players see how many stages can be completed; Stage Mode, a timed game
where players must complete the game in stages, resulting in a time bonus
award based on how fast a stage is cleared; and Vs. Mode, a two-player
head-to-head battle. Vs. Mode uses split-screen play on the PlayStation,
whereas two Game Boys are required for two-player mode utilizing a link
cable.
Developed in Japan by the Mitchell Corporation, Time Loop supports Dual
Shock controllers on the PlayStation and is dual compatible for both
regular Game Boy and Game Boy Color.
NFL GameDay 2000 Redefines Football Videogame Category
989 Sports, the makers of the best-selling football videogame franchise for
the PlayStation game console, announced that the all-new NFL GameDay 2000
will be available this week.
Licensed by the NFL and PLAYERS INC, NFL GameDay 2000 features all 31 NFL
teams, more than 1,500 players, 1,240 new plays created by real NFL
players, all-new 3D graphics, a revolutionary Telestrator, announcers Dick
Enberg and Phil Simms, and 200 new motion capture moves from 13 NFL
players.
``Consistently, the NFL GameDay series is the football videogame choice
for NFL players because of its realistic gameplay and unbelievable
graphics," said Jeffrey Fox, vice president, marketing, 989 Studios.
``This year, we have taken NFL GameDay 2000 to the next level by
incorporating extensive input from nearly 45 NFL players, including more
than 1,200 plays drawn by NFL players. Plus, now there is a Training Camp
Mode to practice plays, and a GM mode to manage your team over multiple
seasons."
NFL GameDay 2000 features the most realistic 3D players ever to grace the
PlayStation, each one scaled to actual size, weight and body style. All-new
stadiums are detailed to perfection, including field wear and tear, and
animated backgrounds. An updated TV-style presentation incorporates
dramatic camera angles as well as new commentary by world-renowned
sportscasters Dick Enberg and Phil Simms. Plus, for the first time ever in
a sports videogame, gamers can enjoy auto instant replay with the aid of an
on-screen Telestrator.
NFL GameDay 2000 reflects the trends and schemes of the NFL with actual NFL
player input -- from motion capture animations to plays designed by real
NFL players. Players motion captured for NFL GameDay 2000 include a virtual
who's-who of All-Pros, including Bengals QB Akili Smith, Jaguars WR Jimmy
Smith, Vikings DT John Randle, Raiders WR Tim Brown and CB Charles Woodson,
New York Giants CB Jason Sehorn, and Buccaneers FB Mike Alstott and LB
Hardy Nickerson. Authentic playbooks, taken from NFL teams, were created
for NFL GameDay 2000 with the help of more than 30 players such as Broncos
RB Terrell Davis, Packers WR Antonio Freeman, Falcons CB Ray Buchanan,
Raiders DT Darrell Russell and Chiefs WR Derrick Alexander -- just to name
a few. Plus, NFL GameDay 2000 has more than double the amount of plays of
NFL GameDay '99.
NFL GameDay 2000's cutting-edge technology translates into jaw-dropping
graphics that capture the power and athleticism of the NFL. New animations
include gang tackles, low- and high-wrap tackles, drag downs, shoves,
upended tackles, across-the-body and ``shoestring" catches, sideline
``tip-toe" catches. For the first time, players can break ankle tackles
and drag would-be tacklers on second and third efforts.
New artificial intelligence (AI) has players reacting just as they do in
the NFL. Read and Attack AI has offensive players reading the defense and
making adjustments on the fly, while Pre-Snap AI(TM) allows the defense
to make line shifts based on the offensive formations. The new ``Play As
Any Skill Player" feature lets the gamer become the quarterback, running
back, wide receiver or tight end with the press of a button. Gamers can
throw cut blocks as a tight end for a running back, or, as a receiver,
signal the quarterback to throw the ball.
The new ``GM Mode" lets the videogamer play in multiple seasons as a
coach, player or general manager. Gamers can control the everyday
activities of a team over several seasons. State-of-the-art ``Training Camp
Mode" lets the gamer sharpen his skills and increase his knowledge of
various offensive and defensive playbooks. The revolutionary ``Play
Editor" lets the gamer design his favorite plays and save them to a custom
playbook. Players can also direct how and where each player will move by
assigning individual routes, blocking schemes and defensive alignments and
assignments. And, NFL GameDay
2000 has refined the ``Create Player"
feature, allowing gamers to customize a player's physical appearance,
salary and mental makeup.
NFL GameDay 2000 features league MVP and two-time Super Bowl champion
Terrell Davis on the package.
NFL GameDay 2000 Key Features:
-- All-new 3D player and stadium models and motion captured
animation from 13 different NFL players, including Charles
Woodson, Akili Smith, Jimmy Smith and Mike Alstott
-- World renowned sportscasters Dick Enberg and Phil Simms provide
new play-by-play and color commentary
-- All 31 NFL teams (including the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee
Titans) and more than 1,500 NFL players all scaled to actual
height, weight and body style
-- 1,240 new plays designed by more than 30 NFL players containing
the latest trends, formations and plays
-- Revolutionary Telestrator provides incredible TV-style instant
replay with insight and analysis from Phil Simms
-- In-depth NFL player ratings and updated 1999 team rosters,
including rookies, free agent signings and trades
-- Gamers have the ability to import senior college players from 989
Sports' college football videogame NCAA GameBreaker 2000
and have them play with the pros in NFL GameDay 2000
-- State-of-the-art "Training Camp Mode" lets the gamer sharpen his
skills and increase his knowledge of various offensive and
defensive playbooks. Players actually wear practice jerseys and
shorts
-- New In-Game Help Menus assists new users who are unfamiliar with
the in-game controls
-- Team match ups that detail offensive and defensive strengths and
weaknesses
-- New artificial intelligence (AI). Read and Attack AI has
offensive players reading the defense and making adjustments on
the fly while Pre-Snap AI has the defense making line shifts
based on the offensive formations
-- New "GM Mode" lets the gamer be the coach, player or general
manager over multiple seasons, operating with a salary cap
-- Create, draft, sign, trade and release players and free agents --
just like a real GM
-- Play as a quarterback, running back, wide receiver or tight end
with the new "Play As Any Skill Player" feature
-- Design plays and save them to a custom playbook with the
revolutionary "Play Editor"
-- Create a player with the updated "Create Player" feature --
customize a player's physical appearance, salary and mental
makeup. Multiple weather conditions and player injuries affect
gameplay
-- Highly detailed player attributes have players performing to
their real abilities. Terrell Davis jukes and spins, Jerry Rice
elevates over defenders to make acrobatic catches and Randall
Cunningham has a gun for an arm
-- New Throwback Uniforms lets the gamer relive the past with a
favorite team
-- Comprehensive season statistical tracking -- for either a team or
a player
-- Game play modes include preseason, 1999-2000 NFL season play,
playoffs, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl
-- Includes every past Super Bowl team such as the '75 Steelers, '85
Bears and '94 Forty Niners
-- Four playing perspectives and a free-floating 3D TV-style
presentation
-- Four levels of difficulty -- Rookie, Veteran, All-Pro and Hall of
Fame
-- Complete substitution capability
-- Officially licensed by the NFL and PLAYERS INC
NCAA GameBreaker 2000 Tackles PlayStation College Football Competition
989 Sports announced that NCAA GameBreaker 2000, the popular college
football videogame for the PlayStation game console, will be available
this week.
NCAA GameBreaker 2000 boasts all 114 Division I-A teams and exclusive
features such as the ability to draft players into NFL GameDay 2000 and
play-by-play from college football broadcasting legend Keith Jackson.
For the first time in a 989 Sports videogame, gamers will be able to save
senior players from an NCAA GameBreaker 2000 season and draft them into the
NFL by downloading into NFL GameDay 2000 -- 989 Sports' best-selling pro
football videogame franchise on the PlayStation game console. And, while
Pac-10 fans can only enjoy limited play calling from legendary college
football announcer Keith Jackson, NCAA GameBreaker 2000 lets gamers hear
Jackson call the plays in every Division 1-A game.
``NCAA GameBreaker 2000 has many unique features that really bring the
realism of college football directly into the hands of the videogamer,"
said Jeffrey Fox, vice president, marketing, 989 Studios. ``No other
college football videogame provides the realism, emotion and pageantry like
NCAA GameBreaker 2000."
Gamers can choose from all 114 NCAA Division I-A teams and battle for the
National Championship while competing against conference foes. A fast and
fluid style of gameplay is the backbone of NCAA GameBreaker 2000, including
an extensive playbook with plays designed by actual college coaches, such
as UCLA Bruins head football coach Bob Toledo. The new practice field
``Play Editor" feature lets users easily create and customize their own
offensive and defensive playbooks.
NCAA GameBreaker 2000 features entirely new animations, including: ball
carriers stumbling and extending for the first down, facemask-grabbing, and
players strapping on chin straps and pounding teammates' shoulder pads. The
gamer can even control player celebrations and show-off animations, but
beware of the 15-yard penalty that could be imposed for un-sportsman-like
conduct. NCAA GameBreaker 2000 also features all-new gameplay modes like
``Career Mode," which enables the gamer to assume the duties of a head
coach, coordinator or assistant in an attempt to guide his team to the
National Championship.
NCAA GameBreaker 2000 has all the features gamers have grown to love.
``Blue Chip Recruiting" returns as a key feature, enabling users to
heavily recruit at both the high school and junior college level. Total
Control Passing allows gamers to under-throw or overthrow receivers in
any direction while the all-new ``Max Pro" feature allows the user to
order running backs to stay in and block. And, in NCAA GameBreaker 2000,
gamers can even compete for the Heisman Trophy, Sears National
Championship Trophy, All-America Team and Freshman of the Year.
NCAA GameBreaker 2000 features former UCLA Bruins QB Cade McNown on the
package.
NCAA GameBreaker 2000 Key Features:
-- All 114 NCAA Division I-A teams and stadiums, plus more than 60
classic teams from the past
-- New "Career Mode" enables the user to assume the duties of a head
coach, coordinator or assistant in leading a run at the National
Championship
-- TV-style presentation with legendary college football announcer
Keith Jackson
-- New practice field "Play Editor" feature enables users to create
and customize their own playbook
-- NFL GameDay 2000 compatible -- users will be able to save senior
players from an NCAA GameBreaker 2000 season and import them into
NFL GameDay 2000
-- All-new gameplay animations include players stumbling and
extending for the first down, grabbing facemasks, cut blocks,
strapping on chin straps and pounding one another's shoulder pads
-- New "Max Pro" feature allows the user to order running backs to
stay in and block or go out for a pass
-- All 3D polygonal players scaled to actual height and weight
-- "Blue Chip Recruiting" feature allows gamers to sign top recruits
and build powerhouse teams
-- 21 different bowl games, including the Rose Bowl, and lets
players compete for the Heisman Trophy, Sears National
Championship Trophy, All America Team and Freshman of the Year
-- Utilizes motion capture animation of former college standouts and
current NFL Pros, including Akili Smith, Charles Woodson, Tim
Brown, Chad Brown, Mike Alstott, Jason Sehorn, Hardy Nickerson,
Ryan Leaf, Christian Fauria, Jimmy Smith and Lamont Warren
-- Authentic college play formations designed by college coaches,
such as UCLA Bruins coach Bob Toledo
-- Gamer can control celebration and show-off animations
-- Authentic college fight songs and drums provide the most
realistic college football environment
-- True-to-life "GameBreakers" can change the outcome of a game
every time they touch the ball
-- Supports the Dual Shock Analog Controller for the
ultra-realistic experience
-- Total Control Passing allows players to overthrow or under-throw
receivers, depending upon coverage
-- Wind, snow and rain all affect gameplay, while uniforms show mud
and grass stains depending on field conditions
-- Tracking of game and full season statistics in every major
category
Infogrames North America Brings the Lovable
Characters From Pen Pen to the Sega Dreamcast
Popular Japanese Game To Hit the US Market In
Time For September Dreamcast Launch
Somewhere in the universe, it is said that there is a planet called the
``Iced Planet'' - it's covered with ice and snow and it's where the lovable
penguin-like creatures called Pen Pens live. Infogrames North America, a
leading publisher of entertainment software, announced today that it will
bring Pen Pens to the Sega Dreamcast on 9/9/99, the highly publicized
launch of Sega's new next generation console.
Pen Pen TriIcelon, a new character-based arcade action game, pits the
Pen Pens against other bright and colorful characters in a triathlon of
activities, including belly-surfing, ice-walking and swimming. Choose from
seven whimsical characters including a hippo, octopus, bird, shark, walrus,
dog, and of course, the penguin. Pen Pen TriIcelon includes 12 beautifully
detailed racing circuits with brilliant weather and lighting effects that
take advantage of the Dreamcast hardware.
``Pen Pen TriIcelon is laugh-out-loud fun for kids of all ages," said Rick
Reynolds, director of product marketing for Infogrames North America's
I-Heroes studio. ``It's a completely original game unlike anything on the
market today."
Instantly accessible game controls let you jump, swim, skate, and belly
surf in three different types of races: easy, middle and long. The easy
Icelon has three areas of ice-walking, belly surfing and swimming with no
obstacles and easy opponents. The middle Icelon includes three areas of
ice-walking, belly surfing and swimming with various obstacles and good
opponents. The long Icelon has four areas of ice-walking, belly surfing,
swimming and another form of skating with plenty of obstacles and strong
opponents. As players win races, they are awarded with items to dress up
Pen Pen in various attire which sometimes enhances the character's speed or
attacking abilities, such as flippers for swimming or a hard hat with a
light for attacking.
With Pen Pen's entree onto the Dreamcast, American gamers can now enjoy the
same zany characters that have taken Japan by storm. With up to four-player
support, gamers can compete against each other for exciting multiplay
action.
Infogrames Brings PlayStation Gaming Fun to a
Younger Generation With The Smurfs
Infogrames North America announced today that it is bringing the popular
cartoon, The Smurfs, to life in a new PlayStation adventure game. Children
ages 5 and up will experience smurfy fun this winter with Hefty Smurf,
Gargamel, Papa Smurf, Smurfette and introducing virtual Baby Smurf, who
requires extra special care to keep him happy.
One of the first PlayStation games dedicated to a younger generation, The
Smurfs is being designed to entertain young children for hours using the
fun-filled atmosphere of Smurf Village. The game is divided into two parts
- an initiation stage for the PlayStation beginner and a more complex stage
for those ready for a challenge.
The beginner stage introduces virtual Baby Smurf to the Smurf family giving
youngsters the responsibility of nurturing and caring for him as they would
a little brother or sister. And, as all new babies do, Baby Smurf needs
food and entertaining so players must keep him happy by searching for
bottles and rattles placed throughout the forest. As the player becomes
more experienced, he or she can move on to a more challenging level of play
in the second section of the game which requires the mighty skills of Hefty
Smurf to save his fellow Smurfs from Gargamel's Gorgs.
``The Smurfs is perfect for the video game beginner because of its easy to
learn format and parent friendly nature," said Rick Reynolds, director of
product marketing for Infogrames North America's I-Heroes Studio. ``In the
past, children had to wait until they were older to begin playing console
games because of the lack of appropriate games available, and those with
older brothers and sisters are envious of the numerous game titles their
siblings have to choose from. The Smurfs fits the bill for both children
and parents."
Developed by Heliovisions, The Smurfs is a single-player game with the
capability to save at different levels of play with a memory card. The
Smurfs will be available in retail outlets nationwide for the holiday
season.
MPH=BPM in Wipeout 3
Psygnosis Pioneers Another Music-Forward Step for the Videogame World
Wipeout, the videogame brand that pioneered the use of credible licensed
music in video games, takes music in games to new levels with the
soundtracking of its latest release, Wipeout 3 for the PlayStation game
console.
In its continued efforts to create a cutting-edge cultural synergy in their
game design and development, Psygnosis appointed British DJ/Producer
phenomenon Sasha as the musical director for the project.
Having licensed tracks by hi-profile artists for its previous titles,
Psygnosis wanted to take the relationship between music and videogaming one
step further, by making the game's soundtrack a truly integral part of the
development process. To this end, Sasha worked closely with the team at
Psygnosis, selecting tracks, composing, producing and overseeing the
development of the soundtrack.
As part of the soundtrack's development, Sasha composed five original
tracks exclusively for the game. Each track is titled after one of the
eight teams in the game, Auricom, Goteki 45, Feisar, Icaras and Pirhana.
Wipeout3 has exclusive rights to these tracks. Sasha's recently released
single ``Xpander" is also included on the Wipeout 3 soundtrack.
``It makes sense that the sort of music coming from the DJ culture would be
the first soundtrack to a video game," said Sasha. ``When you're spinning
at a club, in a sense you are soundtracking the evening. What you play is
directly related to what happening on the dancefloor. Soundtracking any
other visual is very similar."
Sasha also worked with groundbreaking international artists to incorporate
licensed tracks into the game, including the Chemical Brothers. The
Chemical Brothers contributed tracks to the very first Wipeout game,
teaming up with Psygnosis to pioneer the use of licensed music for
soundtracks in 1995 and again for Wipeout XL. Their track ``Under the
Influence," from their ``Surrender" CD will be included on Wipeout 3.
Orbital, who also contributed to the game's first incarnation, is back with
``Know Where to Run." And Wipeout XL contributors Underworld are back with
``Kittens." Wipeout newcomers include Paul Van Dyk and The Propellerheads,
who pitch in respectively with ``Avenue" and ``Lethal Cut." New to the
states, MKL has two tracks featured, ``Control" and ``Surrender."
The Wipeout brand has received accolades and fans for its convergence of
cultural references in the game. The Wipeout game graphics and brand logo
are created and developed by underground design legends, The Designers
Republic. In 1995, Psygnosis took the gaming world by storm combining for
the first time, cutting edge music from bands such as Chemical Brothers,
Orbital and Leftfield, with intense adrenaline pumping game play.
When the sequel Wipeout XL was announced, a number of high-profile artists
approached Psygnosis requesting to be included on the game's soundtrack.
The final lineup featured tracks from Future Sound of London, Underworld,
the Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Fluke & Daft Punk. The soundtrack from
Wipeout XL was released on Astralwerks Records.
``Since we're based in the UK where the DJ culture revolution began, it was
natural for us to want to include the music that we listened to while we
were developing the game. Especially since there is that connection between
the speed of the music and the speed of the game it was a very symbiotic
relationship," said Enda Carey, Central Product Development Manager for
Psygnosis. ``To be able to take this one step further to actual
soundtracking was very important for us, since we've been pioneering music
in video games for so many years."
A special music marketing program designed to celebrate the release of
soundtracked Wipeout 3 and the history of the brand was created by
Psygnosis in cooperation with MFPR, LLC.
The focal point of the campaign is the MPH=BPM logo inspired by MFPR, LLC.
and specially-designed by The Designers Republic. The logo signifies the
relationship between the ``Beats Per Minute" in dance music and the
``Miles Per Hour" of videogame racing. The program will also include
music-oriented consumer-based advertising, as well as special events and
online promotions.
Wipeout 3 is the ultimate, hi-speed, adrenaline-pumping, anti-gravity
racer. Utilizing full hi-res mode throughout, Wipeout 3 includes eight new,
highly detailed, polished tracks set in varied areas of a futuristic city.
The game also offers all new craft design with 3 new teams in addition to
the five available in Wipeout XL and six new weapons with five of the best
retained from its predecessor.
An improved progression system ensures that Wipeout 3 will be accessible
enough to make newcomers feel right at home, yet still represent the most
extreme futuristic arcade-racing experience that hardcore fans could ever
wish for. Wipeout 3 is currently under development in the Psygnosis Leeds
studio and is scheduled for release in the U.S. in late September.
Psygnosis has created more than 130 titles across numerous game genres to
critical acclaim. Best-selling titles include the Wipeout series,
Formula 1, one of the world's most popular racing brands, the Destruction
Derby franchise, the Lemmings puzzle game series, and other highly
acclaimed brands including G-Police, Colony Wars and Rollcage.
Electronic Arts and Sony Computer Entertainment
America Nab Internet Pirate Ring
Declaring war on a major Internet pirate ring that illegally uploaded,
traded and distributed copies of their software, U.S.-based Electronic Arts,
the industry's largest entertainment software publisher, and Sony Computer
Entertainment America, the company behind the PlayStation game console, the
world's best-selling videogame system, recently filed suit against certain
alleged members of the ring in the U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of California. Among other claims, the complaint asserts the
defendants infringed the copyrights and trademarks of the two companies
through the copying and distribution of software owned by Electronic Arts
and SCEA.
United States Marshals and lawyers for the companies recently conducted a
court-sanctioned seizure and impounded evidence at the location of a
participant of the group that calls itself ``Paradigm." During the
seizure, a computer, hard drives, CDs and other items related to the
illegal operation were impounded by the Marshals. The complaint further
notes that the seizure, as well as the investigation which preceded it,
produced a significant amount of evidence against members of the worldwide
ring located in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the
Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Russia and other locations.
The evidence identified by true name and location dozens of participants in
the distribution of pirated software belonging to the companies.
While SCEA and Electronic Arts plan to continue the civil case against the
pirates, they also continue to cooperate with law enforcement in the United
States and will be turning over evidence to authorities in several of the
other relevant countries for possible criminal action against the group's
members.
``Putting an end to software piracy is a top priority for our industry,"
said Ruth Kennedy, senior vice president and general counsel, Electronic
Arts. ``Electronic Arts and SCEA believe that the break up of pirate
Internet rings like this will be key to our success in combating the rising
problem of Internet piracy. This action is part of our ongoing plan to find
and prosecute these thieves."
``Piracy of packaged entertainment software last year amounted to over
US$3.2 billion worldwide for our industry alone. Electronic Arts alone lost
more than $400 million. Internet pirate rings like Paradigm contribute to
these losses by uploading games where the industrial pirates in places such
as Asia or Russia can download them, turn them into copies of packaged
goods and rush them to the street -- sometimes even before we get the
legitimate goods to market," Kennedy noted. Pre-release or day-of-release
software is highly prized by pirate Internet rings, that compete for
``points" in the pirate community by being the first to ``release" an
illegal version of the product, often with copy protection and other
content removed.
Both companies praised the recently announced criminal ``I.P. Initiative"
by federal authorities including the Department of Justice, the FBI, and
U.S. Customs, which as its goal has increased criminal prosecutions of
pirates of intellectual property.
According to Riley Russell, vice president of legal and business affairs,
Sony Computer Entertainment America, ``We will work diligently to ensure
that these counterfeiters are fully prosecuted and that others who think
Internet piracy and `trading' is acceptable will think again." Russell
noted that last year alone, counterfeiting cost SCEA and Electronic Arts
losses of several hundreds of millions of dollars around the globe.
Other Internet rings besides Paradigm that are also believed to be involved
in the pirating of entertainment software include groups calling themselves
``Razor 1911," ``Class," ``Origin," ``Hybrid", ``Divine",
``Fairlight" and others, with members based in the United States and in
many other countries around the world. The companies are confident evidence
developed in the current case as well as continuing efforts by the
entertainment software industry will result in additional civil actions and
criminal prosecution of members of these groups in the future.
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
CGE - Intellivision
INTELLIVISION LIVES! AGAIN
Those wild and crazy Blue Sky Rangers are at it again! Come see what
they have up their sleeves at this year's Classic Gaming Expo!
In addition to their charming personalities and lots of guaranteed
laughs, this is what you'll find in the Intellivision Productions booth:
Take a walk down memory lane and play PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED games for
Intellivision, Atari and Colecovision -- on the original console systems!
PREVIEW Intellivision Lives! Vol. 2. This beta version of the second
CD-ROM, which features 30 Intellivison games produced by Imagic and
Activision, will be available for your viewing pleasure.
Ever want to play Intellivision games on a Sony PlayStation game console?
Well now is your chance to PREVIEW Activision's Intellivision Classics for
the PlayStation, which features 30 of your favorite Intellivison games.
And of course, we'll have Intellivision Lives! Vol. 1 for those of you
who have been in a cave and have yet to see the original interactive
CD-ROM that is full of games and industry history.
1999 Classic Gaming Expo
The Plaza Hotel
Las Vegas
August 14-15, 1999
Intellivision Productions, Inc.
www.intellivisionlives.com
For Immediate Release
August 10, 1999
Contact Keita Iida, John Hardie and Sean Kelly
info@cgexpo.com
408-983-0953, 516-568-9768
http://www.cgexpo.com
NEW PRODUCTS TO BE UNVEILED AT CLASSIC GAMING EXPO '99
VALLEY STREAM, NY -- World premieres, exclusive products and sneak previews
will be in abundance at Classic Gaming Expo '99(tm). The event will be held
in the heart of downtown Las Vegas on Saturday and Sunday, August 14 and 15
at Jackie Gaughan's Plaza Hotel.
"The diversity of products that will be debuted at the event is mind
boggling," commented Keita Iida, co-promoter of Classic Gaming Expo '99.
"This is the only show where attendees can witness new games for the Atari
2600, Game Boy Color and PlayStation, all under one roof."
Leading interactive games publisher, Hasbro Interactive, will demonstrate
upcoming Atari titles for PlayStation and PC. Among the playable demos
expected to be showcased at CGE'99 include modern remakes of "Pong",
"Missile Command" and "Q*Bert". Hasbro also plans to stage a Pong
tournament and prizes will be available to the victors.
Telegames, the renowned publisher of video games across all major
platforms, will be offering a "souped-up" version of the Atari 2600 classic
"Yars' Revenge" for Game Boy Color for sale for the very first time. The
Texas-based company also plans to launch "Hyperdrome" for the Atari Lynx
color handheld machine at the event. Additionally, by popular demand,
Telegames has manufactured a limited new run of "Iron Soldier II" and
"Worms" for the Atari Jaguar that will be offered for sale at CGE'99.
In addition to having its recently released "Intellivision Lives"
compilation for the PC, Intellivision Productions will be demonstrating
several unreleased and unfinished games which were developed at Mattel
Electronics in the early 1980s. Due to licensing restrictions, the games
were not included in the "Intellivision Lives!" CD-ROM, but they will be
set up for everyone to try out and play.
Among the notable titles include Adventures of "Tron", "Rocky & Bullwinkle"
and "Yogi's Adventure" for Intellivision. Also shown will be "Anteater" and
"Masters of the Universe: The Power of He-Man" for the Atari 2600.
CGE'99 will also mark the world premiere of new Atari 2600 games. Two new
cartridges, "Merlin's Walls" and "Pesco", make their worldwide debut and
will be on sale at the event. A special limited run of cartridges for each
game will have color cartridge labels and a professional color box -- sold
exclusively at the show. (At last year's event, Ebivision's special edition
of "Alfred Challenge" reportedly sold out in less than two hours.)
Atari Lynx and Jaguar publisher Songbird Productions plans to unveil
several new games at the event. The Minnesota-based company will be
exhibiting its upcoming Jaguar titles "Protector" and "Skyhammer," along
with "Lexis" and "Crystal Mines II: Lost Caverns" for the Atari Lynx. The
latter two cartridges, including the recently introduced "Ponx", will be on
sale.
CGE'99 attendees will witness the introduction of two video documentaries,
"Stella At 20: An Atari 2600 Retrospective" by Cyberpunks Entertainment and
"Once Upon Atari" by HSW Productions. Produced by Glenn Saunders, Stella
At 20 consists of interviews with the founders of Atari, its original
engineers and famous programmers who gathered together to look back on the
system that transformed the home videogame industry. In addition to the
video, Cyberpunks plans to re-release its successful "Stella Gets A New
Brain" CD for Windows, a complete compilation of Starpath Supercharger (a
2600 add-on) at CGE'99.
"Once Upon Atari," a series of video documentaries which chronicles the
exploits, intrigues and atmosphere of Atari in the early days of
videogames, was produced by famed Atari 2600 designer Howard Scott Warshaw.
Production of the second episode of the video was recently completed and
will be available for sale. (The first edition was featured on PBS and will
also be on hand at the event.)
CGE Services Corp. has entered into a 5-year exclusive deal with
McGraw-Hill to reprint the long sought-after book "Zap! -- The Rise And
Fall Of Atari." The reprint will be premiered at CGE'99 and will be
offered to attendees at a discounted price.
Conceived and coordinated by three of the individuals responsible for
organizing last year's highly successful "World of Atari" show, Classic
Gaming Expo(tm) is the industry's only annual event that is dedicated to
celebrating the roots of electronic entertainment, bringing together
industry pioneers, gaming enthusiasts and the media for the ultimate in
learning, game-playing and networking. Classic Gaming Expo is a
production of CGE Services, Corp. (www.cgexpo.com)
System-X Gaming Magazine
Posted by System-X Gaming staff (spider-th064.proxy.aol.com)
August 11, 1999
We are proud to announce to all of you about our new magazine, "System-X
Gaming." This magazine is dedicated to the Atari and NUON video game
community. Our magazine will include editorials, reviews, previews, etc.,
on the Jaguar, Lynx, NUON, classic Atari platforms, the new Atari, Atari
arcade, emulation, and more! We hope you will check out our magazine. To
subscribe or to just buy 1 issue, please go to our web site,
www.systemxgaming.cjb.net. Please don't mind our temporary web site. We
will launch our new and improved web site in a week from now.
System-X Gaming magazine will be displayed at the Songbird Productions
booth at the Classic Gaming Expo '99 in Las Vegas. If you are attending the
expo, please check us out at the booth, including all the other great
products displayed there.
The magazine:
This magazine is headed for the interest of the Atari Community. We want to
make a magazine that would be specifically Atari and NUON related. We were
just tired of always seeing bad reviews of Atari products in old magazines.
Same with NUON. How can you give a product bad reviews if it hasn't even
been released? There just isn't any magazines around that does support
those names. We plan to do so. We hope you will check out our magazine for
yourself. What other magazine has editorials about the Jaguar underground,
BJL, the 2600, the upcoming NUON, and so on?
How we started:
One day, a friend named Justin and I were at my house just talking. We were
discussing how we would wish there was a magazine that was related to
things we were interested in, Atari, NUON and everything in between. We
knew it wasn't going to happen any time soon. That's when the idea popped
up. We will start a magazine that will be specifically for that subject! We
thought that would be a great idea, and a lot of hard work. But the idea
was worth it. We hope you will feel the same way when you read our magazine
for the first time.
What can you expect:
You can expect to be satisfied when you read our magazine for the first
time. Why don't you buy an issue and see for yourself? Unless you rather
buy a magazine that talks about the systems you aren't interested in. Then
this magazine isn't for you. If you do want to read a magazine that does
interest you, then this magazine is for you. Please check out System-X
Gaming magazine for yourself.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
AMD Betting On 650MHz Athlon Chip
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. will at long last become the top performer in
the processor market with Monday's release of the 650MHz Athlon chip.
The Sunnyvale, Calif., chip maker will finally outdistance its arch rival
from Santa Clara, Intel Corp. At least for now.
Athlon, on paper, meets or exceeds Intel's Pentium III chip in megahertz,
graphics performance and floating point performance.
Althon will come out at 500MHz, 550MHz, 600MHz and 650MHz, making it the
fastest available chip in the PC market. Intel currently offers 450MHz,
500MHz, 550MHz and 600MHz Pentium III chips. Athlon will sport a 200MHz
front side bus, versus Intel's 100MHz bus, and an extended multimedia
instruction set, which mirrors the Pentium III's Streaming SIMD
Instructions, but takes it a step further with five extra extensions aimed
at applications such as digital signal processors for soft modems.
"We knew as a company that we couldn't continue to just fit into the value
space long term," said Steve Lapinski, director of product marketing in
AMD's computational products division.
Athlon is not just AMD's bid to move upstream. It's a make or break product
for the company.
"It doesn't take examining three years of financial statements to see that
at the rate they're going they're going to run out of cash," said Mike
Feibus, a principle at Mercury Research Inc., in Scottsdale, Ariz.
But it's a long, arduous journey to get from where it is now, a player in
the market for consumer PCs with a 12 percent market share, to a real
challenger to Intel's lock on the corporate market. AMD ended 1998 with an
11.9 percent market share, captured 13.6 percent in the first quarter of
1999 and then slipped to 12 percent in the second quarter.
"For all of AMD's talk, for the next nine months Athlon is a high-end
consumer product," Feibus said. However, "I think they have a decent chance
of cracking the corporate market at the end of 2000. All the ducks are in a
row now. They just need to deliver and keep delivering."
Delivery is just part of the plan. AMD has created a four tiered branding
strategy for Athlon.
Athlon will begin as a high-end chip targeted for use in PCs purchased by
consumers and small businesses. AMD plans, however, to move up market with
the launch of two new Athlon brands, Athlon Professional and Athlon Ultra,
for the corporate market in the fourth quarter. Finally, it will also cover
its traditional territory with Athlon Select, a low-cost Athlon offering
for the sub-$1,000 market, due next year.
Two top-tier PC makers, IBM and Compaq Computer Corp., will use Athlon,
according to AMD. They will begin shipping new PCs in their respective
consumer PC lines Aug. 16.
PCs based on the 500MHz Athlon chip will start as low as $1,299 and scale
in price to about $1,999 for a model based on the 600MHz chip.
At least one other major PC maker, Gateway Inc., plans to support Athlon as
well, sources said.
But it's the intangibles that may come back to haunt AMD.
"We're looking forward to [Athlon]," said a source at Gateway in North
Sioux City, S.D. However, "Things have wavered a bit, because we're
wondering if they have their [ducks] in a row."
Despite its concern, Gateway will likely offer the Althon in its Select
line of PCs for consumers and small businesses, sources said. The company
currently ships AMD's K6-III processor in the Select PC line.
"What I really don't like about K7 [the code name for Athlon] is that it's
not a proven technology to corporate users," said Al Peng, a top executive
with Taiwanese motherboard maker AOpen. "What really amazes me is that AMD
keeps talking about K7 as a mission critical platform."
Corporate users, in order to buy Athlon, will need to get over a general
perception that AMD chips are not fully compatible with the Windows
operating system. And that's a risk, as far as PC makers are concerned.
"To date, the price difference [of AMD chips] does not offset the risk,"
said another source at a top-tier PC maker selling to large corporations.
"If they're going to make it, they need to make it compelling to the OEMs."
The risks are production capacity and performance. AMD has run into
production snags with K6-2, which limited the availability of the chip. The
aforementioned production snags have lead to short supply of top clock
speed-rated versions of the chip.
Production, "isn't going to be an issue, because of the two mega-fabs,"
Lapinski said. AMD will manufacture Athlon in two different fabrication
plants, its Fab 25 in Austin, Texas, and its Fab 30 in Dresden, Germany.
Fab 30 is equipped to move Athlon from a 0.25-micron manufacturing process
to 0.18, which will help the company continue to improve its speed. This
transition will happen in the fourth quarter. Around the same time, AMD
will offer a 700MHz version of the chip.
He admits, however, that AMD has at times been a "step behind" with K6-2.
But, "With Athlon strategy that goes away. We definitely have enough
headroom on this to hit the frequency marks and execute on the schedule."
The very PC makers that offer AMD chips to consumers could be holding it
back on the corporate side, Feibus said. "The corporate product line
managers have been really reticent to take the plunge. They want to see
some kind of a track record," he said.
AMD realizes "there is a lot of work to be done," Lapinski said. "We've
done 16 to 17 focus groups. We're looking at their care-abouts," such as
service and support.
AMD is also preparing a broad reaching strategy to offer Athlon to
corporations in high performance desktops, workstations and servers and
later in sub-$1000 PCs.
AMD will have to do engineering work as well. The AMD Athlon chip set, Peng
said, has more than 60 errata, each one requiring a workaround. Errata,
when not addressed, can sometimes cause problems with the operation of a
PC. Athlon also requires a relatively complex and expensive six-layer
motherboard, he said.
Despite those challenges, "The K7 Platform will be solid by October or
November," Peng said at which point it will be a good bet for small and
medium business buyer.
With the branding strategy in place and its chips powering PCs at 650MHz
and faster AMD feels that it can capture 30 percent market share by 2001.
"That's an aggressive goal," Feibus said. "But it's not out of the realm of
possibility."
Despite its plans to debut Athlon Select for the sub-$1,000 market, AMD
will continue to advance its K6-2 and K6-III chips. The K6-III, for
example, will move to a 0.18-micron manufacturing process in the fourth
quarter. The chip, code-named Sharptooth, will run at 500MHz and faster.
Red Hat IPO To Be The Buzz Of Linux Show
When devotees of the Linux operating system gather for another big trade
show this week, the IPO of the biggest company in this quirky community,
Red Hat Software Inc., is sure to be the biggest buzz of the show.
Whether the timing is coincidental or not is unclear, but Red Hat, the
biggest distributor of the alternative Linux operating system, is expected
to go public Wednesday, the second day of LinuxWorld, depending on the
increasingly rocky stock market conditions and the volatile IPO market.
``I think the deal will go and will work, provided the market is supportive
of the pricing," said David Menlow of the IPO Financial Network based in
Millburn, N.J. ``It does appear to be the best IPO of the week."
Red Hat has filed to raise at least $60 million, via six million shares, at
a price range of $10 to $12 a share, with tech banking stalwart Goldman
Sachs as the lead underwriter.
Sources expect the deal to be priced Tuesday night, and the stock to trade
Wednesday under the symbol RHAT on the NASDAQ.
Indeed, everyone in the Linux community will be closely watching the first
public offering of a burgeoning market that has developed around an
operating system that was developed by Linus Torvalds -- then a student
programmer in Finland and now an industry celebrity -- and given away over
the Internet.
Red Hat, based in Durham, N.C., is the largest distributor of the Linux
operating system, selling packaged versions of Red Hat Linux on CD-ROM
discs, in computer stores with manuals. The company also provides service
and support for Linux users.
In the past year, Linux has taken the corporate computing world by storm,
as it made major inroads in the Web server and e-mail server markets,
displacing Microsoft Corp.'s Windows NT. International Data Corp. said that
in 1998, Linux was the fastest growing operating system for servers.
Red Hat's investors include a line-up of technology giants who are
supporting Linux -- Compaq Computer Corp., Dell Computer Corp., Intel Corp.,
International Business Machines Corp. and Novell Inc.
``We wish them success. It shows the viability of the Linux marketplace,"
said Lonn Johnston, vice president of North American Operations at
TurboLinux in Brisbane, Calif., a Linux distributor based in Asia. ``What
could be a better example of corporate acceptance than selling yourself to
the public."
But Red Hat always seems to incur the wrath of some in the closely-knit
Linux community, which is made up of thousands of far-flung programmers,
who hack Linux code in their spare time for free, as part of the open
source community, or increasingly, for pay at a company developing Linux
products or supporting the software with services.
And its IPO is no different. Ironically, in an attempt to give back to the
programmers who spend their free time or long nights improving Linux, Red
Hat angered more developers in what many see as a botched attempt to
include them in an offering limited to friends and family to buy the stock
pre-IPO.
Red Hat issued a ``personal invitation," in the form of an e-mail,
inviting hundreds of Linux developers to participate in its public
offering. Red Hat said the stock distribution would be handled by E+Trade
Group Inc. and that the participants had to establish an active trading
account with E+Trade. A financial background questionnaire was required.
``People were being denied access to the IPO based on the 'eligibility
criteria,"' C. Scott Ananian, a graduate student at the Laboratory for
Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote in a
recent article on Salon.com, describing his disappointing experience.
Many other disgruntled Linux programmers complained in postings on the
slashdot.org Web site, saying they were refused stock because they were
novice traders or lacked any assets.
``Isn't it ridiculous to 'invite' a bunch of Linux geeks to buy Red Hat if
only experienced traders are eligible?" read one posting on Slashdot.org,
a ``News for Nerds" Web site.
E+Trade officials in Menlo Park, Calif., did not return calls seeking
comment and Red Hat officials refused to comment, citing the IPO quiet
period.
``I think Red Hat did what it thought was the best approach," said Art
Tyde, co-founder of LinuxCare Inc., a San Francisco-based company providing
Linux support.
``I think there are better ways to do it," he said, adding that one idea
would be to give a chunk of stock to an organization devoted to free
software development.
Microworkz.Com To Offer Free Internet Access
Microworkz.com, maker of $199 devices used to access the Internet, Friday
said it would offer free Internet access to U.S. personal computer users
starting Oct. 31
The Seattle-based firm, which makes the $199 iToaster, said that through
its deal with AT&T Corp., it will offer 150 hours a month of access up to
speeds of 56 kilobits per second, the fastest dial-up modem now generally
available.
The offering will start with current Microworkz computer owners on Aug. 21.
Users will also get around-the-clock telephone technical support, an e-mail
account for the storage for personal Web pages, the company said.
Microworkz joins others, such as Netzero, in offering free Internet access.
Gateway Inc., the No. 2 direct seller of PCs, also offers Internet access
for its customers through its own Internet service provider.
Microworkz said it will support the free access by banner advertisements
that will pop up when a Web browser is opened and will remain open for as
long as the user is connected. Those who do not want to see the ads can pay
$11.99 a month to Microworkz.
The plan follows a Tuesday announcement that Microworkz would resell AT&T's
Internet service by paying AT&T a projected $300 million to package its
Internet service with the Microworkz iToaster.
Voters May Decide Internet Fight
A group led by a Boston venture capitalist has proposed a November 2000
ballot question that puts Massachusetts in the forefront of a national
debate over who gets access to high-speed Internet networks.
The question, if passed, would force cable companies to open their
high-speed Internet access systems to competitors, including Internet
service providers such as America Online.
Cable companies, led by MediaOne Group Inc., which AT&T has purchased, have
so far refused to provide that access. They say they've spent billions of
dollars on fiberoptics networks and should decide who uses them.
J. Christopher Grace, a former official with the Boston Redevelopment
Authority, believes the government should give Internet providers access to
the faster systems so they can compete with the cable services. The
Internet providers argue cable companies should be treated like telephone
companies and be required to open their networks to local competitors.
The cable company systems are up to 50 times faster than the standard
telephone lines used by most Internet providers.
Officials in Florida and Oregon have already mandated cable companies to
provide ``open access," and have been challenged in federal court.
The question will be put to Massachusetts voters if Attorney General Thomas
Reilly decides the state constitution allows voters to decide the issue.
Then, Grace and his supporters would have to collect 57,100 signatures to
forward the question to the Legislature. If the Legislature fails to pass
the measure, they will have to collect another 9,517 signatures.
Grace, who has sold a business to America Online, said the company is not
behind his campaign.
``What we are trying to do is open up the service piece so innovation can
flourish, so there is competition for customers and service and price
competition as well," Grace told The Boston Globe.
Christopher Wolf, a Washington attorney who leads a group called Hands Off
The Internet, whose membership includes AT&T, said companies lobbying for
``open access" are ``just trying to free-ride on the infrastructure that
was paid for by others."
He added that people who subscribe to Internet cable services can switch to
Internet providers like America Online whenever they want.
Michael Morris, a vice president for government affairs at AT&T, told the
Boston Herald he doubts the state will decide the open access question
because it's ultimately a federal issue.
Postal Service OKs Online Stamp Sales
Stamps.com Inc. and privately held E-Stamp Corp. said Monday they have
received approval from the U.S. Postal Service to sell stamps on the
Internet.
The move marks the first time in 80 years that the federal agency has
allowed a company to offer a new form of postage to customers.
In separate statements, Stamps.com and E-Stamp said they were the only two
companies to receive regulatory approval for online postage sales.
Using the Stamps.com service, customers can log onto the company's Web site
and print stamps with an ordinary laser or ink jet printer, requiring no
hardware.
The Santa Monica, Calif.-based company said it will start offering the
service next month. It concluded a 12-month test in Washington, D.C.,
Hawaii and California. (corrected)
San Mateo, Calif.-based E-Stamp said online postage is available to
consumers immediately. Its service requires software and a small device
about the size of a roll of stamps that connects to a personal computer.
Once connected to the E-Stamp Web site, consumers can buy postage using a
credit card and download up to $500 of postage. Using the hardware,
customers do not have to stay logged onto the Web site to print stamps.
Other companies have offered postage services meant to cut the trips that
businesses and consumers make to post offices. Pitney Bowes, for example,
offers postage by phone for businesses.
Student's Software Aces Microsoft
David beat Goliath again, this time online.
A free system developed by New Mexico Tech graduate student Cort Dougan
continued running under repeated attacks from Internet intruders after a
Microsoft computer had repeated software failures during an impromptu
computer security competition this week.
Dougan said he's not a part of the security challenge, but will be involved
in fixing or diagnosing any security flaws the contest uncovers.
The battle began Tuesday, when Microsoft challenged crackers - people who
use the Internet to break into other people's computers - to break into a
computer running a test version of its new Windows 2000 operating system.
Windows is the core of Microsoft's business and Windows 2000 is the latest
version of its operating system.
Within hours, a Wisconsin company also challenged crackers to break into a
computer running LinuxPPC, a version of a free operating system that runs
on Macintosh computers.
Microsoft's computer crashed at 10:45 a.m., then crashed again and again.
The Mac, running on Dougan's software, continued operating Thursday.
A Microsoft spokeswoman blamed the crashes on storms and electrical outtages
Tuesday in the Seattle area, where the computer is located.
But a log posted on the computer showed at least nine crashes caused by
problems with Microsoft software, not the weather. Questioned about that,
the spokeswoman said the computer was expected to be off line for some
periods of time ``as customer feedback is assessed and integrated into the
system."
She also acknowledged crackers repeatedly attacked the computer, but said
company officials did not give her further information on the effect of
those attacks.
The Linux computer logged 6,755 individual attackers by midday Thursday but
continued running, said Jeff Carr, president of the Wisconsin company
sponsoring the LinuxPPC challenge.
Linux and Windows are computer operating systems, the underlying software
that handles a computer's housekeeping chores, such as moving data around,
printing and displaying information on the screen.
Finnish computer programmer Linus Torvalds decided to create his own
operating system in 1991. The result came to be known as Linux, and
Torvalds not only gave it away for free, but also gave away the underlying
source code, the written instructions that make it work.
By giving away the code, Torvalds encouraged people to tinker with it and
improve it. Since then, Torvalds and programmers around the world,
communicating largely through the Internet, have steadily advanced Linux,
adapting it to run on more types of computers and adding new features.
Dougan rewrote Linux to run on Motorola's PowerPC chip, which runs
computers by Macintosh and IBM.
Linux has grown in popularity, but its sometimes hard-to-use features have
made mainstream users slow to adopt it. So companies have sprung up,
including Carr's LinuxPPC Inc., that sell prepackaged CD versions easier to
install on personal computers.
L.A. District Attorney Drops Mitnick Case
The Los Angeles district attorney gave Kevin Mitnick a birthday present
Friday, dropping its six-year-old computer hacking case against the
convicted hacker.
That development could speed the release of the 35-year-old, removing an
obstacle that could have prevented Mitnick from going free from federal
prison soon after he is formally sentenced Monday in an unrelated federal
case.
"We're ecstatic," said Carolyn Hagin, one of Mitnick's attorneys in the
state case.
Deputy District Attorney Daniel Bershin said he dropped the state case
because it had been "mischarged."
In 1993, the district attorney charged Mitnick with one count of illegally
accessing a Department of Motor Vehicles computer and retrieving
confidential information. The problem with that charge is that Mitnick,
posing as a Welfare Fraud investigator, simply picked up a telephone on
Dec. 24, 1992, and duped an employee accessing the DMV computer for him.
"Since Mitnick did not personally connect to the DMV computer, but either
he or someone else communicated with the DMV technician via a telephone
conversation," Bershin wrote in his motion to dismiss the case, "it would
be difficult to prove that Mitnick gained entry to the DMV computer, or
that he instructed or communicated with the logical, arithmetical or memory
function resources of the DMV computer."
Bershin also confirmed at a July 28 hearing what many of Mitnick's
supporters have been claiming for years: that their martyr has been the
target of overzealous prosecution.
Bershin first informed Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Leland
Harris of the district attorney's intention to drop the case at the July 28
hearing, a position that caught Harris off guard.
As early as July 7, Deputy District Attorney Larry Diamond -- who had
originally handled Mitnick's case -- was vigorously arguing against any
reduction in Mitnick's $1 million bail pending trial.
"So I'm curious as to why all of a sudden between July 7 and July 28 we
have this radical change in position," the judge asked of Bershin.
"Well, I think to be quite candid, the answer, or course, is Mr. Diamond,"
Bershin said. "I know that Mr. Diamond has wanted to handle this matter
personally for a long time ... and I know that Mr. Diamond personally
believes that Mr. Mitnick has been skating through the system for a long
time and has a great interest in him."
At that July 28 hearing, Harris refused to dismiss the case, saying to do
so would be "a radical jump off the precipice to move to dismiss at this
time." He ordered Bershin to submit a written motion to dismiss, which
Harris granted Friday.
Harris' action clears the way for Mitnick's freedom. He is due to be
sentenced in federal court for several hacking charges he pleaded guilty to
in March. His attorney in the federal case, Donald Randolph of L.A.'s
Randolph & Levanas, said he will ask Central District Judge Mariana
Pfaelzer to order Mitnick into a halfway house after formally sentencing
him to 68 months in prison.
Randolph said he is optimistic Pfaelzer will grant the request, but if she
doesn't Mitnick is set to go free sometime in January.
Still at issue is the amount of money Mitnick must repay in restitution.
His victims, including several high-tech giants such as Sun Microsystems
and Motorola Corp., say that Mitnick's hacking cost them millions of
dollars in compromised intellectual property.
Federal prosecutors are seeking $1.5 million in restitution. Mitnick,
through Randolph, argues that he is leaving prison broke and that
conditions of his probation, once he is released, severely restrict his
access to a computer, the only way he knows how to make a living.
Pfaelzer has indicated that she will order Mitnick to make some
restitution, which she is scheduled to decide Monday as well.
Mitnick was arrested in 1995 after a high-profile, two-year, electronic
manhunt for him.
Computer Hacker Mitnick Sentenced
Computer hacker Kevin Mitnick, who admitted a multimillion-dollar crime
wave in cyberspace, has been sentenced to three years and 10 months in
prison and ordered to pay a token amount of restitution.
Mitnick, the only computer hacker to make the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list,
was arrested in 1995 in North Carolina after a spree that made him a hero
to fellow hackers world wide.
As part of an earlier plea agreement, U.S. District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer
sentenced Mitnick to three years and 10 months in prison. With credit for
time served, he will be eligible for parole in one year.
That parole will last three years, Pfaelzer said, and until it's over
Mitnick is to keep his hands off anything computer-related.
Pfaelzer told the 36-year-old Mitnick in strong terms Monday that he must
pay $4,125 in restitution to various companies, though she doubted he will
be able to earn more than minimum wage.
``Just so we have an understanding, Mr. Mitnick, this is a token
restitution order and you will be required to pay it. Do you understand?''
the judge asked.
``Yes, I understand it,'' answered Mitnick.
Mitnick's victims included such companies as Motorola, Novell, Nokia and
Sun Microsystems, and the University of Southern California. He was accused
of breaking into a North American Air Defense Command computer, although
that allegation was never proven.
Mitnick admitted in March that he broke into the computers of several
high-tech companies, stole software and installed programs that caused
millions of dollars in damage. He pleaded guilty to five felony counts as
part of the deal.
Prosecutors had asked that Mitnick be ordered to pay $1.5 million, claiming
his notoriety and skills would eventually allow him to earn money through
book, film or TV contracts.
Defense lawyer Donald Randolph proposed his client be committed to a
halfway house or rehabilitation center because of Mitnick's ``obsessive
behavior.'' The judge refused.
During his incarceration and while on parole, Mitnick is prohibited from
having access to anything that can be used for Internet access - including
computers, software, hardware, cellular telephones and televisions.
He is also prohibited from working as a consultant to any firms with access
to computers, and may not obtain access codes, encryption data or any
altered telephone equipment.
Young computer aficionados crowded the courtroom to show their support for
Mitnick.
A 17-year-old, who would only identify himself by his computer call sign
``Whippet,'' said he believed Mitnick was wrongfully locked up. He said he
understood Mitnick's motivation as a hacker.
``It's kind of like an adventure,'' he said. ``You're just exploring. It's
nothing malicious. It's like playing a sport, pushing yourself as far as
you can go.''
Microsoft Case Summaries Expected
The next important step in the government's antitrust case against
Microsoft Corp. happens early this week when the judge receives hundreds of
pages of documents largely summarizing months of courtroom arguments.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ordered the sides to present by
Tuesday their versions of the facts of the case, one of the final steps
toward a possible verdict.
Jackson, who planned an unorthodox appearance in Atlanta on Monday at a
panel discussion with lawyers for Microsoft and the government, could
decide the case late this year or early in 2000 - unless off-and-on
settlement negotiations succeed.
Since the trial began last October, the sides have met several times
outside the courtroom, including once in early June. Future talks are
anticipated this summer, but outside legal experts consider settlement
unlikely.
The antitrust case, which accuses Microsoft of illegally wielding monopoly
power in the software industry to crush potential rivals, has been on
hiatus for seven weeks, since courtroom testimony ended June 21.
Microsoft said its court filing this week will focus on what it considers
the government's failure to prove that the company's actions hurt
customers, which would be necessary to support a guilty verdict.
The company apparently hopes to capitalize on a potentially embarrassing
slip by government witness Franklin Fisher, an economist. Fisher told
Justice lawyer David Boies in January that Microsoft's behavior ``on
balance" hasn't harmed consumers ``up to this point."
Fisher caught himself moments later and amended his answer to explain that
he believed consumers eventually would feel an impact.
Microsoft strongly disagrees, said a company lawyer who outlined arguments
in Microsoft's court filing on the condition he not be identified.
Essentially, Microsoft will reassert that it's not an entrenched monopolist
in the fast-paced technology industry.
It will argue it didn't illegally discourage the nation's largest computer
makers and Internet providers from distributing Web-browsing software
manufactured by rival Netscape Communications Corp., recently bought by
America Online Inc.
The government improperly focused on a few manufacturers of computer
operating-system software to illustrate Microsoft's dominance, the company
contends. Proving a company wields monopoly power is essential to winning
an antitrust case.
But Microsoft said it will argue it doesn't charge prices as high as a
monopolist would, and its massive spneding on research and development of
new software ``makes no sense if Microsoft had durable monopoly power,"
the lawyer said.
Microsoft wants the judge to consider an array of fledgling technologies as
its competition - including new types of software and devices developed by
America Online and others. It hopes to show that even though its flagship
Windows software runs most of the world's personal computers, Microsoft's
future influence is far from certain.
In another of its arguments, Microsoft will challenge the government's
allegation that it included browsing software free in Windows in 1995 to
undermine Netscape.
Government lawyers, citing e-mails, contend Microsoft spent hundreds of
millions of dollars to develop its Internet software but gave it away only
after Netscape emerged as a threat to Windows sales.
The Justice Department's lawsuit quotes Microsoft's senior vice president,
Paul Maritz, saying: ``We are going to cut off (Netscape's) air supply.
Everything they're selling, we're going to give away for free."
Maritz denied making the comment, and on Sunday, The New Yorker reported,
in its edition on newsstands Monday, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates'
reaction to the alleged quotation:
``A great lie! An unbelievable lie. Did anyone utter those words? Our
e-mail, every piece of it, has been searched.
``I wish we had found somebody who said it. Then we could take him out, and
we could hang the guy, then we'd say OK, mea culpa. We found him - the guy
who said, `I'll cut off your oxygen."'
The judge will give the two sides one month to review each other's
documents, then make revisions to their own filings and return them Sept.
10. Courtroom arguments are set for Sept. 21.
Microsoft, Government To Take Next Step In Trial
Microsoft will say this week that 76 days of testimony in its antitrust
trial have proven that consumers enjoy the
benefits of vigorous competition
between its Web browser and one offered by Netscape.
In its proposed findings of fact, due to be presented to the trial judge
Tuesday, the software giant will maintain that it continues to face
challenges in a swiftly changing industry, a lawyer working for the company
said in an interview.
The U.S. Justice Department and 19 states, on the other hand, are expected
to assert there is ample support in the voluminous testimony and exhibits
for their charge that Microsoft holds monopoly power in personal computer
operating systems.
The government contends Microsoft Corp. used that monopoly power to bully
its way to dominance in the Internet browser market over Netscape, which
was sold to America Online Inc. after the trial started last year.
A person close to the plaintiffs said the Web browser market ``has been
tipping toward Microsoft," but the Microsoft lawyer said there is
``vibrant competition" in the browser market.
The government will argue that Microsoft choked off Netscape's avenues of
distribution on its way to dominance.
Microsoft disagrees.
``Our view is that the channels of distribution in this instance were wide
open," a Microsoft lawyer said of the competition for Web browsers.
A lawyer sympathetic to the government's views said Microsoft cut vital
channels for Netscape's distribution, such as exclusive distribution with
new computers.
The lawyer likened the situation to cutting off air travel from the East
Coast to California -- there are many other ways to go but they are
impractical for most business people.
Such arguments will run into the hundreds when the findings of fact are
submitted to the judge Tuesday. Each finding will be backed with citations
to the mountains of testimony and exhibits presented at trial.
The Judge could wind up with more than 1,000 pages of filings to read, and
even more once each side submits replies on Sept. 10.
Federal District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson will use the proposed
findings of fact as the first step in deciding what was proven at trial.
Overall, the government is expected to say that Microsoft illegally tied
its Windows operating system to its Web browser software, that it
threatened competitors and customers -- such as computer makers -- and that
the result was injury to consumers and the impairment of competition.
Microsoft has repeatedly focused on AOL's acquisition of Netscape, saying
that it helps prove that Microsoft faces new competition and the
irrelevance of the government case.
``I think AOL represents a competitive threat to Microsoft," the lawyer
for Microsoft said.
In recent weeks skirmishes have broken out between the leading software
firm and the No. 1 online service on several fronts.
Microsoft has been trying to get an agreement on a single instant messaging
standard while AOL has been seeking to protect its lead in that business by
changing its code as fast as Microsoft engineers figure a new way to
achieve compatibility.
Then, in a move undercutting AOL's pay-for-access business model, Microsoft
let it be known it was considering offering cheap or free Internet access
to boost its own flagging MSN online service.
Microsoft's view is that AOL and other ``portal" services, which provide
the first screen a user connected to the Internet sees, ``represent a
platform challenge," a Microsoft lawyer said.
Instead of running word processing and other applications from an operating
system, computer users could run them directly from the Internet, he said.
The government says such competition may exist one day, but for now
Microsoft holds monopoly power. Computer makers -- or the public -- have no
mainstream operating system alternative and must accept Microsoft's prices,
the government said.
Judge Says Limits Kept Microsoft Case Short
The government's complex antitrust suits against International Business
Machines Corp. and AT&T Corp. stretched on for years, but limitations on
witnesses, a firm trial date and other measures kept the Microsoft Corp.
trial to only 76 trial days, the presiding judge said Monday.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, who is presiding over the
Microsoft case in Washington, D.C., told a session at the American Bar
Association annual meeting that he had studied other long running antitrust
cases in order to avoid the ``Vietnam morasses" that caused the delays.
``Whatever was done in those cases was something I was going to try and
avoid," he said. The IBM case lasted from 1969 to 1982 and the AT&T case
from 1974 to 1982. The Microsoft trial began in October 1998, and testimony
ended in June.
Jackson said one of the key elements to avoiding delay is to set a firm
trial date, which is ``the be-all and end-all to bring a case to
conclusion." He said cases should not be allowed to get stuck indefinitely
in the discovery of evidence phase.
``Allowing it to wander ...just virtually guarantees that it is not going
to come to fruition anytime soon."
The judge was part of a panel discussion on the antitrust trial as a
government enforcement tool. The session was held at the ABA's annual
meeting here.
Much of the discussion focused on the Microsoft antitrust case, which was
brought by the federal government and 19 states. They alleged Microsoft
abused monopoly power it held in operating system software for personal
computers in order to crush rivals in the Internet browsing software
business.
The bench trial before Jackson ended in June and Tuesday lawyers are
scheduled to file their ``findings of fact" of what they believe had been
proven during the proceedings. Lawyers said during the ABA panel discussion
that a ruling is expected by the end of the year.
Jackson was asked if antitrust cases are more complex and harder to control
than other types of civil litigation.
``Antitrust cases are by nature more complex than most other civil
litigation," he said, but he added there are opportunities in other types
of cases to ``delay" and "obstruct."
``Complex litigation is in and of itself a species of litigation that
requires special protection," Jackson said.
He recalled a case from the 1980s, when the government sought an order
forcing a recall of General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM - news) front wheel drive
cars because of a suspected brake locking problem. Jackson said it was as
complicated as any case he had ever overseen. He said the government
contended it was prepared to bring in thousands of witnesses. ``I told them
'Pick your 10 best witnesses.'
``In many respects I drew upon my experience in that case in doing certain
things I did in this (Microsoft) case," Jackson said. In the Microsoft
case, Jackson limited the witnesses to 12 testifying for each side.
The discussion drew a great deal of attention because Jackson and lawyers
from both sides of the litigation were participating on the panel. However,
they did not discuss substantive parts of the case.
U.S. Says Trial Shows Microsoft Abused Monopoly
The U.S. government said Tuesday that the Microsoft antitrust trial that
began last October had shown the software giant had engaged in a broad
pattern of unlawful conduct to thwart competitors.
The comments came in proposed findings of fact sent to District Judge
Thomas Penfield Jackson by the U.S. Justice Department and 19 states.
Microsoft is expected to submit its proposed findings later Tuesday.
The government said the evidence had demonstrated that "Microsoft has
engaged in a broad pattern of unlawful conduct with the purpose and effect
of thwarting emerging threats to its powerful and well-entrenched operating
system monopoly."
It said the most prominent of these threats came from competing Internet
browsers, particularly the browser produced by Netscape, because they had
the potential to become a platform on which user applications would run,
eroding Microsoft's monopoly.
Jackson is due to issue his findings of fact late September or October
after hearing additional written and oral arguments. After that will come
conclusions of law and finally a determination of what remedies are needed
to correct any violations Jackson finds.
The government filing drew on 76 days of courtroom testimony that concluded
in June, thousands of e-mails and pre-trial testimony that included a
three-day videotaped deposition by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.
Microsoft Says U.S. Fails To Prove Trial Claims
Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday the U.S. government had failed to prove its
claims against the software giant in the antitrust trial that began last
October.
In its proposed findings of fact to the trial judge, Microsoft said the
Justice Department and 19 states had failed to show that the company had
the power to raise prices or exclude competitors without harming itself.
Earlier Tuesday, the government proposed that the trial showed Microsoft
had engaged in a broad pattern of unlawful conduct to thwart competitors,
particularly rival Internet browser maker Netscape.
But Microsoft said the government had failed to show that Netscape was
thwarted from distributing its browser. ``Quite to the contrary, Microsoft
proved ... that Netscape has enjoyed massive distribution of its Web
browser software to consumers," Microsoft said.
In a summary of its filing to District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson,
Microsoft said the government had not shown that Microsoft's actions hurt
consumers.
Jackson is expected to issue his findings of fact in late September or
October after hearing additional written and oral arguments. After that
will come conclusions of law and if Microsoft is found liable, Jackson may
hold further hearings to determine what remedies are needed.
Microsoft Filings Raise Conflict
The Justice Department used its final arguments in the Microsoft trial to
present its most comprehensive rebuttal yet to claims that the $10 billion
sale of the software giant's rival, Netscape Communication Corp.,
undermines the government's antitrust case.
The federal government and 19 states suing Microsoft devoted an entire
section of their 776-page court filing Tuesday to deflect criticisms that
Netscape's purchase by America Online Inc. makes the antitrust claims moot.
Microsoft said the sale proved that competition was healthy in the
high-tech industry, but the government argues that Netscape Communication
Corp.'s purchase merely illustrates the effects of Microsoft's aggressive,
predatory tactics.
``AOL's acquisition of Netscape itself evidences the harm to Netscape's
browser business caused by Microsoft's predatory campaign," the government
said. ``Netscape was acquired because it had been damaged by Microsoft's
campaign."
U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, who is considering the case
without a jury, will base his verdict on the arguments, along with those
filed by Microsoft. Earlier in the trial, Jackson said he found AOL's
alliance with Netscape as possibly ``a very significant change in the
playing field."
In its 450-page filing, Microsoft repeatedly denied it was a monopolist and
rejected allegations that it ``has engaged in a broad pattern of unlawful
conduct."
Defending itself against a central claim by the government, Microsoft
argued that it built its Internet browser software into Windows - its
dominant computer operating system - for free, to help consumers use the
Web more effectively - not to force out of business Netscape, which was
selling similar browser software separately.
``Microsoft's actions have produced higher quality Web browsing software
and operating systems at lower cost to consumers, thereby contributing to
the explosive growth of the Internet," the company said.
Microsoft also said the government failed to prove it blocked Netscape from
distributing its Internet software from more than 40 percent of consumers,
a condition Jackson had established in an earlier ruling. It also argued
that the $10 billion Netscape-AOL alliance ``provides new avenues for the
widespread distribution of Netscape's Web browsing software."
The antitrust lawsuit, the company said in a summary of its filing, was
``largely a vehicle for Microsoft's competitors to attack Microsoft rather
than compete in the marketplace."
The lengthy filings largely repeat claims made in earlier legal documents
and over 76 days of courtroom testimony, but Jackson will base the first
phase of his two-part verdict - expected later this year - on these
arguments.
``They're the foundation for everything," said Rich Gray, an antitrust
lawyer in San Jose, Calif., who has been following the trial closely.
``They're critically important. If (the sides) can't tell their story
forcefully at this stage, then they're in trouble."
The first phase of the judge's ruling is expected to foreshadow the
eventual second part of his verdict, which probably will come early next
year unless the sides settle.
The judge's factual findings also are particularly important because
appellate courts rarely challenge a trial judge's decisions on the facts of
a case, but typically focus on his application of the law. Experts predict
the Microsoft case to wind through appeals courts for years.
The judge's factual findings will be ``much more difficult for Microsoft to
attack on appeal," said Robert Taylor, another antitrust lawyer in
California's Silicon Valley.
GM Plans 'Web Car' for 2000
General Motors Corp. plans to offer voice-activated Internet access in a
car by the end of next year as part of a campaign announced Tuesday to
transform the world's largest automaker into a ``global e-business
enterprise."
GM has formed an independent unit called ``e-GM" to coordinate and expand
its global electronic commerce activities, with a focus on making it easier
for consumers to buy new vehicles online and to package them with an array
of on-board services via satellite.
Within five years, in-car services such as Internet access and CD-quality
satellite radio broadcasts could generate revenues for GM in the range of
$4 billion to $6 billion annually, said Ron Zarrella, president of GM's
North American operations.
GM will begin test-marketing a car - probably a Cadillac - with World Wide
Web access in the fall. The ``Web car" will be offered nationally by late
2000. Web access will be provided through GM's OnStar system, a
satellite-based navigation, security and aid service introduced in 1996
through Cadillac.
OnStar, through its service center, can provide directions, track a car
that's stolen, unlock a car when the keys are left inside, and summon an
ambulance if necessary after an air bag deploys. The subscription costs
about $17 or $33 a month, depending on the level of service.
The system is offered today on 31 of GM's 77 models; there are 75,000
customers. GM has ambitious plans to expand OnStar to most of its fleet,
making it standard on some models, with a goal of signing up 1 million
subscribers by the end of next year.
GM is betting heavily that OnStar will give it a major competitive
advantage over other automakers as its cost comes down and its services
expand. Over the next five years, GM plans to invest more than $1 billion
in OnStar and other e-commerce activities, Zarrella said.
Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG are working on similar systems, but
spokesmen said the companies were not prepared to say when, or if, they
would offer on-board Internet access.
Scott McNealy, chairman and chief executive of Sun Microsystems Inc., said
putting Internet access in a car is a wise move for GM because it has such
a large, captive audience: millions of commuters who spend an average of
80 minutes a day in their GM cars.
``The kind of eyeball hours per day that General Motors captures would make
NBC or Fox quite jealous, and it's an untapped market," McNealy said.
GM recently commissioned a group of experts from inside and outside the
company to study about 500 leading Web sites and recommend an e-commerce
strategy, which was presented to GM's automotive strategy board.
``That report got everybody excited," GM President G. Richard Wagoner Jr.
said. ``We said we wanted to go at this thing, and we wanted to go at it
hard."
Wagoner said the Internet offers a way to attract young consumers even
before they're old enough to drive.
``They think about the world differently and they're going to be our
customers," he said. ``We don't have a choice but to get in the game big
time. We think it's got a high payoff and we need to do it."
The automaker already is heavily involved in Internet commerce through its
BuyPower car buying Web site and more than 100 other company Web sites. But
executives said they are committed to making GM a true Web-based company,
expanding its Internet use to reduce costs in manufacturing, distribution,
sales and service.
George Colony, president of the Internet-research firm Forester Research
Inc., estimated GM could save 5 percent to 10 percent of the cost of
building a car if it aggressively uses Internet technology in dealing with
suppliers and elsewhere in manufacturing and distribution.
The emphasis on e-commerce means GM will have to increase its efforts to
recast a corporate culture that for decades was complacent and plodding.
``We want to change GM from being an automotive company that moves on an
automotive time frame, to an automotive company that moves on an Internet
time frame," said Mark Hogan, who will head the new unit. ``To do that, we
have to have our employees think about things completely differently than
the way they think about them today."
=~=~=~=
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