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GEnieLamp Online Magazine Issue No.2.37
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~ HOT FILES, HOT MESSAGES! ~
~ CARE & FEEDING OF YOUR SLM804 ~
~ ONLINE SUPPORT:A CODEHEAD VIEW ~
~ GEnie AT ITS BEST:ST ALADDIN 1.40 ~
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
December 1, 1991 ~ A T/TalkNET OnLine Publication ~ Issue No.2.37
////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Publisher/Editor ................................... John F. Peters
Co-Editor ........................................ Darlah J. Pine
Technical Editor ................................ Jeff Williams
TX2 Editor ..................................... David Holmes
[IDX] """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
~ WHAT'S HAPPENING ON GEnie? TAKE A LOOK! ~
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
FROM MY DESKTOP ......... [FRM] HEY MISTER POSTMAN ...... [HEY]
Notes From The Editor. Is That A Letter For Me?
HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM] F.Y.I. .................. [FYI]
Follow The Bouncing Cursor! Online Support:A CodeHead View.
FOCUS ON ................ [FOC] DEALER VIEWPOINT ........ [DLR]
Bytes & Pieces:Free Macs? [*]Care & Feeding/Your SLM804.
TELETALK ONLINE ......... [TEL] ST ELSEWHERE ............ [ELS]
Getting Your Money's Worth. Other Areas Of IntereST.
THE ONLINE LIBRARY ...... [LIB] HACK'N ATARI ............ [HAC]
[*]PS'S: HOT FILES! Down To The Wire.
ST ALADDIN ONLINE ....... [ALD] LINKING UP WITH LYNX .... [LYN]
GEnie At Its Best. Atari Handheld Power!
LOG OFF ................. [LOG]
GEnie Lamp Information.
~ GEnie LAMP AND TX2: SEE THE DIFFERENCE! ~
[REA] """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
READING GEnie Lamp GEnie Lamp has incorporated a unique indexing
"""""""""""""""""" system to help make reading the magazine easier.
To utilize this system, load GEnie Lamp into any ASCII word processor
or text editor. In the index you will find the following example:
HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM]
[*]GEnie Fun & Games.
To read this article, set your find or search command to [HUM]. If
you want to scan all of the articles, search for [EOA]. [EOF] will take
you to the last page, whereas [IDX] will bring you back to the index.
TX2 FORMAT What are you missing when reading the ASCII version of
"""""""""" GEnie Lamp? EXCITEMENT! Whenever you see a [*] in the
index or in the article header, that indicates that the article contains
TX2 graphics and/or pictures. To see the graphics, you will need the
following files:
LMP_237.LZH GEnie Lamp in TX2 format
MINTX22.LZH Mini-version of TX2 Viewer (File #20441)
MESSAGE INFO To make it easy for you to respond to messages re-printed
"""""""""""" here in GEnie Lamp, you will find all the information you
need immediately following the message. For example:
(DARLAH, CAT6, TOP1, MSG:58/M475)
_____________| _____|__ _|___ |____ |_____________
|Name of sender CATegory TOPic Msg.# Page number|
In this example, to respond to Darlah's message, log on to page
475 enter the bulletin board and set CAT 6. Enter your REPly in TOPic 1.
A message number that is surrounded by brackets indicates that this
message is a "target" message and is referring to a "chain" of two
or more messages that are following the same topic. For example: {58}
[EOA] """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE /////
/ "One of the strengths of the IAAD is its diversity. It's /
/ pretty darn hard to come up with a consensus, but it also /
/ means our brainstorming sessions yield quite a variety of /
/ ideas to choose from. The bickering you may see out here /
/ now and then between closely-competing developers has /
/ little to do with the IAAD's goals and procedures. In the /
/ IAAD, the focus is on what we have in common in terms of /
/ goals and problems -- and solutions!" /
/ -D.A. Brumleve, Member, IAAD /
/////////// D.A.BRUMLEVE, CAT26, TOP3, MSG:65 /////////////
[EOA]
[FRM]//////////////////////////////
FROM MY DESKTOP /
/////////////////////////////////
Notes From The Editor
"""""""""""""""""""""
By John Peters
[GENIELAMP]
o TOP OF THE PAGE: Random Ramblings.
o THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW: RoundTable Happenings.
o HOT SPOTS: Where The Action Is.
o IT CAN'T WAIT: Hot Info!
TOP OF THE PAGE ROUNDTABLE NEWS! We will be running a contest here in
""""""""""""""" the ST RoundTable starting December 1st. Details are
sketchy, but I do know that there will be TONS of prizes given out.
You'll want to get in on this one...the top GRAND PRIZE will be an ATARI
ST NOTEBOOK!!! Watch the RT bulletins for the latest updates - it's
gonna be one exciting winter here in the ST RoundTable!
Need a compressor/extractor? A new library is currently under
construction which will contain all the extractors and compressors
currently available for the ST. (Yea!) It's online now and new files
are being added daily. From the library menu, use option #8 and set the
library number to 40.
The big news this issue is the Chicago Atarifest which was held
last weekend. From Dorothy Brumleve...
>>>>> I want to thank the folks from LCACE, the legions of volunteers
""""" from other participating clubs, and Atari for the Chicago
ComputerFest this weekend! It was a very unusual fest indeed...So what
was different, you ask?
I'll tell you! First of all, the show had been promoted to the
general public, and at least a portion of the general public showed up!
There were radio ads and promotions (Lynx give-aways) before the show.
Many devoted 8-bit, ST/TT, Portfolio, and Lynx users did come, but we
also met many people who didn't know Atari made computers, who came to
find out about desktop publishing in general, to play in the game
contests, etc. Since non-users did come, I think it's safe to assume
that other non-users also heard the ads and thus grew in Atari
awareness. There are pros and cons to a mixed audience such as this,
but it was most gratifying to see new users walking off with a Discovery
Pack or Family Curriculum bundle.
Did I say "bundle"? Sure did! Atari brought their new hardware/
software bundles (adopted from Atari UK) for participating dealers to
sell in their booths. I was disappointed that the STBook was not yet
ready for sale, but they did have one for show-goers to play with in the
professional display stand area. This area used the same workstations
that have adorned the Atari displays in professional trade exhibitions
such as Comdex and CEPS. Various professional "solutions" were shown
there.
Most fests I've been to offer demonstration-type seminars: a
developer presents his product(s) to the audience, takes questions from
the audience, sings Neil Young tunes, and provides insights on his
experience in the Atari marketplace. This show had seminars like those,
but it also had training workshops, opportunities for people to gain
skills in a hands-on situation with an expert teacher. In this case,
the training sessions dealt with desktop publishing with Calamus and
PageStream. These classes were so popular that they even had to add an
additional session of the beginning PageStream class! I wish I had been
free to attend one myself. While I have seen the opportunity for edu-
cation at other shows, especially WAACE, this is the first time I've
seen it formalized in the form of workshops. It would be great to see
more of these kinds of seminars covering a wide variety of interest
areas.
Atari brought truckloads of equipment, and part of this included
Atari-related paraphernalia. I'm a paraphernalia freak myself. I
collect buttons and patches and stickers and mugs and balloons and pins
and pens and hats and anything that has the Atari logo. While the show-
goers weren't treated to quite _that_ much variety, there were two kinds
of shoulder patches, balsa planes, copies of Atari Explorer...Plenty of
"free" stuff for the price of admission. (For a small fee, I picked up
a nifty Atari pin at the EAUG user group booth, too.)
Atari brought an amazing amount of equipment for use by developers,
for sale by dealers, and for door prizes. This is the first time I
remember a grand prize as exotic and expensive as the TT. But it's also
the first show I remember at which 8-bit XEs were given away as prizes
courtesy of Atari. Atari had cleared a warehouse of all sorts of 8-bit
equipment, and devoted 8-bitters had a veritable feast.
Atari and the IAAD debuted a joint venture at this show.
Participating IAAD members had contributed information on their products
which was published by Atari (via Atari Explorer) to help inform the
public on software and hardware products available to support Atari's
ST/TT series. These brochures were available at the main entrance and
at the Atari Explorer booth.
It really was a show for "firsts". Greg Pratt spoke at the banquet
Saturday night. Now, I admit it's probably _not_ the first time Greg
Pratt has given a speech, but it's the first time _I've_ heard him give
one, and that was surely true also for most of the people in the room.
It was also the first banquet I've attended that was preceded by a fire
drill, complete with alarm and yellow-coated firemen.
OK, it wasn't the first show at which the MidWest Atari Regional
Council had been mentioned. In fact, back at the MIST show in
Indianapolis in the summer, MARC organizers had been in evidence. They
had held a meeting for interested groups at that time. But the Chicago
ComputerFest was the first show at which this new coalition of users
groups in my area offered their "MARC Excellence Awards"! Nifty plaques
were awarded to the CodeHeads, Double-Click, and SoftLogik.
Congratulations to the _excellent_ winners! [Say, any group in our
general midwest region who is interested in learning more about MARC,
please contact H.VIZE (Hank) or W.LORING1 (Bill) here on GEnie.]
There were disappointments (no remote control in my hotel room!),
glitches, no-shows, but my overall impression of the show is one of
warm enthusiasm. Over half the members of my own user group attended,
and all were glad they had. One of our main MIDI-enthusiasts spent
Saturday talking to Roland's representatives. One member won a t-shirt
from OPI. Another won one of those Atari XEs _and_ a computer toolkit.
One brought his family and concentrated on the gaming areas. Another
friend claimed to have seen and done _everything_; I don't really think
this was possible. ;-)
I brought my sister along to this show as I sometimes do. She's a
computerphobic from way back, but she really got into this show. She
strutted around in her ComputerFest shirt, helped me lug my equipment,
attended the banquet and _enjoyed_ it! I had my educational consultant
on hand tending my booth, so I was free to do some shopping myself.
While I'm on this subject, I should mention the well-planned show
program. The LCACE desktop publishers did a fine job, from the color
scheme selected (blue on gray) to the arrangement of the segments.
Believe me, my ad's appearance on the inside front cover has no bearing
on this judgment. ;-)
I debuted my Learning Games Packet, a collection of 10 mainly pd/
shareware instructional programs. I also debuted my fuji rubber stamps
in the guise of "instant tattoos". We offered a one-time tatooing free
of charge; to maintain the effect, customers would just have to shell
out for the actual rubber stamp. Didn't sell very many of 'em, but I
sure did see a lot of skin!
Weird, fun show! Thanks to Mike, Larry, JJ, Joe, and all the LCACE
and other volunteers! Thanks to Mr. Pratt (somehow, I just can't quite
say "Greg" here ;-), Bill, Bob, John J. and all the Atari crew! Same
time, next year?
--D.A. Brumleve
Member, IAAD, speaking for herself but just pointing that out
in case somebody wonders what the IAAD is and wants to ask me
(D.A.BRUMLEVE, CAT11, TOP10, MSG:366/M475)
WANT TO KNOW MORE? Check out CAT 11, TOP 10. MSG:{366}, the latest
"""""""""""""""""" Z*Net/STReport and be sure to check out the RTC
conferences that were held live on both days ctsey. Z*Net.
No. File Name Type Address YYMMDD Bytes Access Lib
----- ------------------------ - ------------ ------ ------- ------ ---
21676 CHI_RTC1.ARC X ISD 911123 9984 193 13
Desc: Chicagofest RTC 11/23/91
21690 CHI_RTC2.ARC X ISD 911125 11904 133 13
Desc: Live RTC from Chicago AtariFest
[*][*][*]
To the Bulletin Boards!
>>> THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
ATARI NEWS John Townsend of Atari Corp. says that when it comes to the
"""""""""" gripes, complaints and suggestions in regard to TOS and how
you would like to see it improved, Atari _is_ listening. If you have
something to say you'd like to see in the next version of TOS, post your
suggestion in CAT18, TOP9. MSG:{102}.
>>>>> Bill Rehbock writes that there are still plans to bring Ultra-
""""" Script up to date. He hopes that he will be looking for beta-
testers in February and it will be released in the 2nd qtr. of '92.
(CAT5, TOP14, MSG:{38}
>>>>> Bill Brodie reports that the new ST bundles are in the warehouse
""""" and that they are shipping them _now_. Not wanting to reinvent
the wheel, the bundles have been brought over from the Atari UK where
they have proven themselves to be great sellers. (CAT18, TOP5, MSG:{159}
>>>>> Bob Brodie states that they are currently seeking permission to
""""" upload the latest version of HDX to the ST library.
>>>>> MIDI-TASKING is, for all practical purposes, dead. However,
""""" Atari is looking at "other, more systemic solutions to multi-
tasking." No comments as to when, where and how much etc. (CAT14,
TOP13, MSG:{76}
Dave Small reports that the SST is _days_ from shipping. The SST
had been delayed due to a batch of bad chips, but now that the good
chips have starting coming in it just a matter of installing and testing
the boards. Thankfully, the chips are socketed! (CAT4,TOP44, Msg:(208}.
Although you won't find an Atari dealer on every corner, (or every
city, for that matter) things are slowly improving. Until then, why not
have an official Atari store right here on GEnie? Sheldon Winick, who
owns and operates the Computer STudio in Asheville is checking into the
legalities and feasibility of setting up such an operation. (CAT14,
TOP14, MSG:{112}.
The CodeHeads are excited! (And when the CodeHeads are excited, it
means good news for STers!) The CodeHeads recently received the
developer's documentation for MegaPaint. The external module capability
allows John and Charles to add features to a program that they didn't
write. Charles has already written four modules for loading Degas
compressed, Tiny pics, calling MaxiFile and a menubar access module.
Is it the cold? For some reason the programming BBs have really
taken off lately. If you would like to get in on the action, check out
CAT3. Currently, the hot topics are: TOP5, TOP12, TOP14 (HOT!), TOP28
and TOP31.
SLM804 owners can catch some helpful hints on cleaning and caring
for their printer. CAT14, TOP11, Msg:{92} (Also see, DEALER VIEWPOINT
for a indepth article on Feeding and Caring for your SLM804).
A GDOS, G+DOS, FSM_GDOS debate is starting to take off in CAT14,
TOP18, Msg:{151}. Which is better? Well, from the messages posted so
far, surprisingly so, FSM_DOS may not be for you. Check it out before
you buy.
More FSM_GDOS news... Branch Always Software, makers of the popular
screen accelerator, Quick ST is asking that those people who are having
problems with Quick ST and FSM-GDOS to leave GEmail to BRASOFT. They
will GEmail you the bug fixed version. (CAT2, TOP13, MSG:{237}
>>> BULLETIN BOARD HOT SPOTS <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
[*] CAT18, TOP9, MSG:{34}.....Suggestions for the next TOS.
[*] CAT26, TOP3, MSG{37}......STReport, Lh5 or ARC?
[*] CAT14, TOP4, MSG:{207}....Phantom Typist.
[*] CAT18, TOP9, MSG:{47}.....DC Stuffer or MultiDesk, Which was first?
[*] CAT18, TOP9, MSG:{59}.....Rude or just being misinterpreted?
[*] CAT26, TOP9, MSG:{49}.....Publishing article when author is unknown.
[*] CAT30, TOP12, MSG:{63}....Buying/Selling on GEnie.
>>> BULLETIN BOARD OFF-TOPICS <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
[*] CAT32, TOP5, Msg:{261}....Punctuation rules/English rules.
[*] CAT11, TOP10, MSG:{291}...Favorite Pizza Parlors in Chicago.
[*] CAT14, TOP30, MSG:{10}....Smoking (Humans, not computers :-).
[*] CAT16, TOP2, MSG:{110}....Saturday Night Live.
[*] CAT18, TOP8, MSG:{69}.....Performance cars.
[*] CAT14, TOP3, MSG:{135}....Japanese guilty/unfair trade strategies?
[*] CAT14, TOP14, MSG:{96}....College Football.
[*] CAT18, TOP5, MSG:{185}....President Carter, one of the greats?
[*] CAT7, TOP29, MSG:{52).....Hubble Institute goes with GIF format.
IT CAN'T WAIT DEPARTMENT Finally, M.U.L.E. for the ST? No, but close
"""""""""""""""""""""""" (and maybe even better!). Bullfrog, the
ever-popular programming group of such classics as Populous and
Powermonger are planning on releasing a 8 player game which is loosely
based on the all-time Atari favorite, M.U.L.E. Dubbed B.O.B., the
first reports on this game state that it is considerably more complex
then M.U.L.E. as it features over 30 cities, each containing hundreds of
buildings which can be explored by your cyborgs for new technologies and
chips. B.O.B. will be released in the U.K in April, 1992 for the PC,
Amiga _and_ the ST (!!!). $59.95 US
Now that _IS_ good news!
Take care...
John Peters
[GENIELAMP]
////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
/ "'Stuff' happens? Hmm...That's not what happens around here! /
/ You're lucky it's just stuff." /
///////////// D.A.BRUMLEVE, CAT11, TOP10, MSG:289 /////////////
[EOA]
[HEY]//////////////////////////////
HEY MISTER POSTMAN /
/////////////////////////////////
Is That A Letter For Me?
""""""""""""""""""""""""
o ATARI ODDS & ENDS
o WHAT'S NEW?
o ATARIAN MINDS WANT TO KNOW
o HOT TOPICS!
o MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT
>>> ATARI ODDS & ENDS <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
LEXICOR CLASSES SOON! OK here is the latest on the class:
"""""""""""""""""""""
I have several applications and will be calling tomorrow, after that I
will leave my recommendation with Darlah. Once she has accepted a
candidate, there will be some time frame for training the new LEXICOR
SYSOP. When Darlah is ready then I will set up the class.
We have a series of six topics which start with simple animation
basics, then basic 3D modeling, and finally the creation of a scene from
the current motion picture film TERMINATOR II.
From this point depending on demand and interest the class can
continue.
The current format of the class, it a tutorial on line, open
discussion of the lecture and then home work which will be in the
Lexicor LIB.
The work is not intended to be program specific, how ever because
there are so few animation applications it may seem we are just touting
Lexicor products. We don't mean the class to be used that way and will
encourage all to use their favorite application or any application that
is handy.
There is no requirement to hand in the home work, but if you do I
will review it and give you a personal private assessment of your work.
If any one has suggestions or comments, this is the place to voice
them. Our class can be as good or as poor as you make it. There is a
lot we can cover and much to learn, it is really up to all of you as to
how this resource is used. -Lee
(L.SEILER, CAT25, TOP6, MSG:25/M475)
TOS 2.06? I just had a chat with Bill Rebock last week. Tos 2.06 DOES
""""""""" NOT EXIST outside of Atari and it will be a while before it
gets out. Bob and John have enough stuff to deal with, they don't need
people screaming about a Tos that is on sale in Germany, that ISN'T.
(J.ALLEN27, CAT31, TOP2, MSG:25/M475)
1.4 MEG FLOPPY & SPECTRE A company called Peripheral Land Inc. (PLI)
"""""""""""""""""""""""" makes a couple of 1.4 meg SCSI floppy drives
for the Mac. I have been curious as to whether these SCSI devices would
work OK with MegaTalk and today I got my answer...you bet your sweet
pippy they do!
PLI offers two SCSI drive models:
o The TURBO FLOPPY 1.4 - This SCSI floppy drive can read, write and
format 1.4 meg floppies ONLY.
o The SUPER FLOPPY 1.4 - This SCSI floppy drive reads, writes and
formats 400, 800 *and* 1.4 meg floppies.
Today I received a SUPER FLOPPY 1.4 evaluation unit (yes, I have to
send it back) to test with MegaTalk.
Hooking up the Super Floppy was a breeze. Simply plug in the AC
adapter, and plug the SCSI cable into the back of the MegaTalk and I was
done. I then powered up Spectre, booting from HD as normal. At the Mac
desktop I inserted the provided 1.4 meg PLI disk and...IT WORKED!! Just
for fun, I drug the PLI disk icon to the trash can and the Super Floppy
automatically ejected the PLI disk!! Kind of neat to see something
attached to my ST actually EJECT a disk like a "real" Mac!
The PLI disk contains a small INIT file that you can put in your
system folder to improve performance of the Super Floppy. This INIT is
*not* a required item. The Super Floppy works fine...without ANY soft-
ware needing to be booted. The INIT just seems to speed things up a
bit. Even without the INIT the Super Floppy's performance seemed the
same as a regular Mac drive.
I tested the drive's performance with Spectre by formatting several
disks (both 800K and 1.4 meg). I copied multiple files to and from the
floppies. From floppy (Spectre format disk) to floppy (PLI disk) and
back. From HD to PLI...etc. It worked flawlessly!
If anyone is interested in more information about the PLI drives
they can be reached at:
Peripheral Land Inc.
47421 Bayside Parkway
Fremont, CA 94538
(415) 657-2211
The sales person that helped me was Marty. If you call, please
speak to him and tell him you saw this message.
The Turbo Floppy 1.4 retails for $399. (I've seen in advertised for
$309). The Super Floppy 1.4 retails for $499.
Fun stuff! -Mark (STACE, CAT8, TOP8, MSG:1, M690)
>>> WHAT'S NEW? <<<
"""""""""""""""""""
WIZWORKS NEWS FLASH! <dit dit dit dah dit dah dah dit dit dit>
"""""""""""""""""""" For all owners of Modules Disk#2: We have an
'addendum' for ya! Let me 'splain:
After prodding from user who was really impressed with PageStream
2.0's ability to handle 256-color PCX's and a bit disenchanted with
PCXFloyd in comparison, we re-wrote it. Well, actually we wrote a new
one from scratch. It doesn't use the Floyd process. Instead, it
manufactures a large image almost the same way that PageStream does;
quadrupling the original in both dimensions. This allowed us to have
much greater control over the grey levels and to produce a hardcopy that
equals, if not surpasses, that in PGS.
We still allow user control of brightness, YIQ/AVG selection and
also color adjustment for RGB values.
The trade-off: The resultant image is 16 times the original
dimensions. A PCX of 640x400 converts to 512,000 bytes <whew! pretty
hefty!>. But it looks GREAT!
This new module is called PCX256 (notice there's no mention of
'Floyd') and is now included on Modules Disk#2. PCXFloyd is still there
too but we think that it'll be seldom used once you see this module's
stuff.
"Ok, Doc. I'm impressed. How can I get this new module?"
Funny you should ask... I was just getting to that ;-)
All registered owners of MODS2 (Modules Disk#2) can get it for the
price of shipping/handling/disk/etc. Let's make it easy and say: $2.00
"Wow, Doc! Only $2.00? Are you sure? Man, that's a great deal!"
Yeah, I'm sure. Only $2.00. I just want to cover my costs on
this, that's all. (like I'd said: It's NOW on Modules disk2 anyway)
For those of you who don't own Modules Disk#2, all you have to do
is buy Modules Disk#2 to get this new module.
Module disk#2 includes: Merge_Img & MIMG Image mergers, Margins,
Slanters, Write/read TIF and several Floyd-type importers (IMG,PNT,WWW
and PCX)
Where? WizWorks!
PO Box 45
Girard, OH 44420
216 539-5623
How much? Only $29.95 (Now can you beat that!) -Bye: Dr. Bob
(W.PARKS3, CAT7, TOP5, MSG:161/M475)
NEW SOZOBON C In case you haven't checked for new files lately,
""""""""""""" Sozobon C 2.0 is in the library. There are three arc-
hives: binaries, docs, and sources. This is an official release from
Sozobon, Ltd.
The new version fixes some bugs and introduces a new object module
format that allows for unlimited external identifiers.
The original Sozobon object module format is compatible with the
old Digital Research/Alcyon C compiler, which restricts external
identifiers (variables and function names) to eight significant
characters.
MINT AND SOZOBON: I've been rooting around in the MiNT library
sources, and Eric Smith has sent me a replacement for dstart.o that is
derived from the MiNT library. Eric's dstart.o (and a couple of
companion modules for dlibs.a) implements the Atari standard ARGV method
of passing extended arguments on a command line. It also fixes a dLibs
bug that provides an incorrect environment pointer (the third arg to
main()), and it implements the ANSI-standard atexit() facility.
MiNT, in case you don't know, is a multitasking replacement for
portions of TOS. It provides for full preemptive, time-sliced multi-
tasking, with a single foreground program (even GEM!) and several back-
ground processes.
You don't have to use the MiNT library to write a program that can
run in the background under MiNT, but the MiNT library provides a lot of
advantages over dLibs. It's far more complete, and it provides for
multitasking internally. The MiNT library is derived from dLibs,
various other public-domain sources (including Henry Spencer's string
library), some free Berkeley Unix code, and original code by Eric Smith
and other contributors. It's intended for use with the GNU C compiler.
I'm still a long way from completing a Sozobon version... it's a
good project for anybody who wants to learn more than they ever intended
about C libraries.
(S.YELVINGTO2, CAT3, TOP5, MSG:120/M475)
NEW FROM THE CODEHEADS Hi everyone! I've just finished uploading the
"""""""""""""""""""""" demonstration version of the GENUS Font Editor
for Calamus Fonts and Vector Graphics. The file is called GEN_DEMO.LZH,
and it will be available as soon as our kindly and sensitive sysops have
time to clear it for the public.
A text file is included in the archive, to get you started by
explaining some of the basic GENUS concepts. This is a font editor like
you've never seen, folks. Its interface is reminiscent of Avant
Vector's, especially in how it manages to meld incredible flexibility
with sheer "transparency." What I'm trying to say is, it quickly
becomes second nature, and even _a_real_joy_, to create and edit fonts
-- a task which has traditionally been about as much fun as oral
surgery. Gregg Rodgers has done something wonderful here, and if you've
ever wanted to rearrange a font, or add a special "foreign" character,
or swap characters from two fonts .... GENUS is the program for you.
If any of this interests you, take a look at the demo and see for
yourself why Todd Johnson (creator of the Cherry Font collection)
chooses GENUS as his typeface creation tool, and why GENUS has been such
a hit in England and Germany. - Charles
(C.F.JOHNSON, CAT32, TOP27, MSG:6/M475)
>>> ATARIAN MINDS WANT TO KNOW! <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
(Facts, Fiction & Maybe)
KAOS RELEASED! The official KAOS is on sale in Germany, finally. They
"""""""""""""" sell a rom image that you must make into eproms.
(J.ALLEN27, CAT18, TOP9, MSG:98/M475)
FLASH II Although I haven't been able to test Flash II on a TT yet,
"""""""" I'm told by the authors that it works in all TT resolutions.
My TT is being shipped as we speak, so I should have first hand know-
ledge soon. As far as the ST is concerned, it works in both medium and
high rez.
Flash II is totally VDI compliant. It uses no Line A calls (if
that's what you were wondering about!)
Flash II does have the look and feel of Flash to a certain extent.
There are so many new features to Flash II though that obviously many
things have changed. However, the basic user interface remains the
same. You can shift between the editor and terminal screens using the
right mouse button and activate macros and internal commands from the
terminal mode by hitting the "insert" key as in the older Flash's.
-John T. (J.TRAUTSCHOL, CAT11, TOP10, MSG:296/M475)
DYNACADD 3.0? The release of DynaCADD 3.0 is totally unrelated to
""""""""""""" Calamus SL. DynaCADD is a Ditek Int'l product. To be
quite honest, DynaCADD 3.0 is at the very least _months_ away. We just
release version 2.0 :-) Sheldon, Nice try! :-)
(DITEK, CAT16, TOP3, MSG:71/M475)
MONITERM FILES CHAPTER 11 For those of you who haven't heard, MoniTerm
""""""""""""""""""""""""" filled for Chapter 11 Nov. 11th, and laid
off 22 percent of their workforce. Being a local company, this was
reported in the local paper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
This doesn't mean Moniterm is out of business, as they _are_ going
to try to make a go of it, however rumors of a buy-out are floating
around. (C.GRIMSBY, CAT4, TOP25, MSG:71/M475)
TIGERCUB UPGRADE? I use TigerCub and I am very satisfied with it. It
""""""""""""""""" is probably the best sequencer made for any computer
under $100. The only thing I find that is displeasing is the fact it
only supports 12 tracks. The people at Dr. T are now thinking about
adding more. (E.BAIZ, CAT10, TOP7, MSG:1/M475)
NOT ONE, BUT TWO! I got information from CyberCube Research the other
""""""""""""""""" day. They actually have *two* boards. The CyReL
Sunrise and the CyReL Skyline. They both seem to be very similar,
except that the Skyline is a RISC-based board. If you want more infor-
mation, I strongly suggest you contact CyberCube. Oh, they also have a
stereo sampler for the ST->TT030 called the Targon 284. It supports
sampling speeds from 1Hz to 660kHz (not a typo on my part). Their
number in Canada is 416-882-0294, and their fax number is 416-886-3261.
I had trouble getting them the first time on their voice line. I
received the information in a little over a week.
(E.KRIMEN, CAT4, TOP35, MSG:128/M475)
>>> HOT TOPICS <<<
""""""""""""""""""
G+PLUS OBSOLETE? Bill, "FSMGDOS completely obsoletes G+Plus..."? I
"""""""""""""""" beg to differ. For people with limited memory, who
can't afford the 200K or so that the FSMGDOS program uses, and are
satisfied with GDOS bit-map fonts, G+Plus is still a very viable
alternative. G+Plus is _much_ more economical in its memory
requirements.
And there are still several popular GDOS programs that do _not_
work with FSMGDOS. Timeworks Desktop Publisher is one of them; but by
using G+Plus with the Timeworks Laserwriter installation and Ultra-
script, anyone can get Postscript-quality output _without_ wasting all
the memory that FSMGDOS requires -- _and_ without having to give up
Turbo ST or Quick ST.
I still use G+Plus myself, not FSMGDOS. I simply can't afford to
throw away the 200K that FSMGDOS requires; if I install it on my system,
then I can't print from Calamus without disabling most of my TSRs and
DAs.
Personally, I find it very disappointing that FSMGDOS uses still
_another_ proprietary font format (that isn't even compatible with
Imagen's earlier UltraScript fonts!) instead of genuine PostScript Type
1 fonts, too. PostScript Type 1 is a universal standard -- I simply
can't understand why this fact was ignored during the development of
FSMGDOS. - Charles
(C.F.JOHNSON, CAT14, TOP18, MSG:147/M475)
>>> MESSAGE SPOTLIGHT <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Atari-ST RoundTable
Category 18, Topic 8
Message 66 Sun Nov 17, 1991
D.A.BRUMLEVE [kidprgs] at 13:00 EST
Wally, I think it's important, when you feel you've been
mistreated, to bring that feeling to the offender's attention. This is
especially true in online communications, which have been shown again
and again to lack the ability to convey full emotional meaning. In
fact, I think that's one of the points of this Topic (correct me if I'm
wrong, Bill): what you say in writing -- even with <grins> and ;-)s --
doesn't always convey what you mean or the attitude with which it is
said.
Even people who are acutely aware of this inadequacy can write
ambiguous posts which offend some, amuse others, and inform still
others. The writer is not the best choice for proof-reader of his own
words. Many times I've written things that I didn't see as the least
bit ambiguous that have been taken wrong by the recipient. I suspect
that most online unhappiness comes from misunderstanding rather than
from blatant disagreement...And then there are the posts that leave
nothing to the imagination. If somebody says my product sucks <just try
this>, most people won't wonder if it sucks well or poorly. ;-) No big
ambiguity there. ;-)
Anyway, when I have a problem with something someone's written, I
try to make that problem known (in GEMail or here) and get straight
whether I've really been insulted or whether I've simply misunderstood.
I appreciate it when others do the same with regard to my own posts.
I don't want people to think I've insulted them when I haven't meant to,
or to think I haven't insulted them when I have meant to.
No offense intended,
Dorothy
[*][*][*]
While on GEnie, do you spend most of your time downloading files?
If so, you may be missing out some excellent information in the Bulletin
Board area. The messages listed above only scratch the surface of
what's available and waiting for you in the bulletin board area.
If you are serious about your Atari, the GEnie Lamp staff strongly
urge you to give the bulletin board area a try. There are literally
thousands of messages posted from people like you from all over the
world.
/////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE /////
/ "Hey, what a fun topic! Anyone else notice how frisky the /
/ Californians get when the Santa Anna's are blowing?" /
//////////////// MUSE, CAT66, TOP9, MSG:66 /////////////////
[EOA]
[HUM]//////////////////////////////
HUMOR ONLINE /
/////////////////////////////////
Follow The Bouncing Cursor
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
By John Jainschigg
[EXPLORER]
(Singin):
(bass, drums, Strat guitar w 200 msec delay, compression, and a
little midrange distortion, synth tone on low A)
Oh, we're goin' to Chicago ...
To the big Atari fest ... Oh, we're goin' to Chicago ... (horn sting...
Bap!)
To the big Atari fest ... (smooth Alto swell ...) Oh, we're goin' to
Chicago ...
Even though we need a rest ... (more assertive alto swell)
(Honkytonk piano cuts in)
Yeah, we're gonna get there Friday ...
To help Bob set up the booth ... (double horn stings ... Bap! Bap!)
(Altos swing back, sixes to m-sevens) Yeah, we're gonna drag
equipment ... Dang, it's gonna be uncouth ... And we ain't lookin'
forward to it ... As we used to, in our youth.
(Full ensemble cut-in. Alto solo)
Then on Sat-ur-day mor-ning ...
We'll put on our suit and tie ... And we'll go down on the show
floor ... And the fans will give a cry ... Yeah we'll do it for
Ex-plor-er ... (And for our piece of the pie) ...
Damn, I wish we had a mar-ket ...
'Bout four million would be nice ... If we had, we'd sell some
sys-tems ... And some monitors and mice ... We'd even-tually hit
sat-ur-a-tion ... Then we'd double up the price ...
We'd be rich as old Cro-e-sus ...
We'd buy cars and houses too ... And they'd put us in the movies ...
Not just Ter-min-a-tor 2! ... Yeah, if we only had a market ...
Then I wouldn't sing the blues!
(Guitar solo -- I know you've been waiting for this, so I'll crank
it up, and do my Robin Ford imitation.)
See you all in Chicago: The city of broad shoulders, stockyard to
the world ... (EXPLORER, CAT14, TOP30, MSG:28/M475)
[EOA]
[FYI]//////////////////////////////
F.Y.I. /
/////////////////////////////////
Online Support: A CodeHead's View
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
By John Eidsvoog
[J.EIDSVOOG1]
>>> ONLINE SUPPORT: A CODEHEAD VIEW <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Let's try to put this whole subject of repetition in perspective.
When you ask a question in a developer's support area and receive an
answer, it may seem like a very personal one-on-one exchange. But you
must realize that there are _thousands_ of people in the same room with
us "hearing" every word that's written as clearly as if we were wearing
wireless mikes. (If you think I'm exaggerating, try doing an "ATTend"
in our Category some time. Be prepared to spend a lot of time waiting.
I haven't done this for about a year, but the last time I did, there
were over 2200 different attendees within the last 30 days.)
If someone asks, "Hey CodeHeads, I'm confused about ________; how
does that work?", I've been known to take a lot of my time composing a
tutorial well over a hundred lines detailing an explanation in a way
that may even be better than the manual. This in turn takes a lot of
time by those 1000s of people who read it, some of whom are interested,
some of whom are not.
Now if someone else asks a similar question ten messages later,
it's simply not fair to all of the readers to repeat a long explanation
like that. GEnie is not a personal information machine where you punch
a button and get exactly what you want (sometimes you get it, sometimes
you don't). It is our job to try and impart information to the masses
in the most _concise_ form we can, because there are a lot of man-hours
consumed reading every word that's written.
If I respond, "X, I've just left a long detailed explanation on
that very subject about a dozen messages back. If you would, please go
back and find it there.", that's exactly what I mean; no more, no less.
But depending on the mood of the reader, and his tendency to read
between the lines, he may interpret it in any number of ways.
In his head, he might hear me saying, "X, for crying out loud,
I'm tired of repeating myself over and over again. The least you could
do is pay attention and read what I write. I'm not going to repeat
myself and that's TOUGH! Go find it yourself!"
Or he might hear me saying, "Gee X, you're in luck. I just left a
long message covering that very subject a little ways back. I'd hate to
take everyone's time by reposting it. I'd really appreciate it, pretty
please with sugar on top, if you'd be a doll, and go read the messages
about a dozen before this one. It would save everyone here _so_ much
time and money. Thanks, I'm sure everyone would appreciate it."
Neither of these forms of the message are what I said. The first
one is. There was no hidden message there, only the desire to be
concise and save time.
The information provided by CodeHead and other developers on GEnie
is completely _free_. You may be paying GEnie for the privilege of
_accessing_ this information, but you're not paying for the information
itself. We don't get paid for the numerous hours we spend each week
supporting our products; it's a gift to our users. There's no one at
the CodeHead door charging admission, or even checking your ID (although
it may sometimes seem like it <grin>). All you have to do is realize
that we are not anyone's personal servants, but are here providing a
service for _everyone_. There's a lot of information here for the
taking, but you have to make a little effort on your own to capture it;
it's not mailed to your door.
I hope that this will help some of you understand our point of view
and philosophy for on-line support.
////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ///////
/ "I had to rebuild 20 megs worth of database programming and /
/ records. When working on a 6 year old 4.77MHz PC, you take /
/ lunch whenever time allows. <don't know if I should "grin" /
/ here or not - it was mentally exhausting work. I never /
/ thought that PC's were that tedious before> But now!!!!! /
/ The good news! I get to send them my bill! <evil smirk>" /
/////////////// W.PARKS3, CAT7, TOP5, MSG:174 ///////////////
[EOA]
[FOC]//////////////////////////////
FOCUS ON... /
/////////////////////////////////
BYTES & PIECES: Free Macintoshes
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Al Fasoldt
[A.FASOLDT]
>>> BYTES & PIECES <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""
Here's another column I wrote for publication Oct. 27. It's one of
three I write for the newspaper.
This can be ported to other electronic systems if it remains intact
and if the copyright notice is retained. Hardcopy rights are NOT granted
without express permission. -Al
Newspaper column, "Bytes & Pieces," for Oct. 27, 1991.
By AL FASOLDT
Technology Editor
Syracuse Herald-Journal
Copyright (C) 1991 Syracuse Newspapers
There was bedlam in Reston, Va., a small suburb of Washington,
D.C., a few weeks ago. A man at the front of a conference room at the
Sheraton was passing out free Macintoshes - hundreds of them.
It was Dave Small at his best. Small, the inventor of the plug-in
device that turns ST computers into Macs, told the crowd of ST users at
a computer fair that he wanted to thank them for helping make his
unusual product a success.
And he then reached into a large box and tossed $300 Spectre 128
emulator cartridges out to his fans. The crowd reacted like pigeons
that hadn't been fed for weeks, grabbing the palmsize devices as they
sailed across the room.
I was in the audience, returning with my wife, Nancy, from our
honeymoon in the mountains. I didn't catch an emulator (somebody along-
side me did a flanking maneuver and deflected the one that was coming my
way), but I did get to see Dave Small and his miracles in action.
The first, of course, is his Mac emulator. With the ST's larger
screen size than the standard Mac, an ST-Mac is a beauty to behold. Two
million STs have been sold worldwide, and thousands upon thousands of
them turn themselves into Apple Macintoshes every day at the click of a
mouse.
The second was something he calls the SST. It's an ST that runs at
40 megahertz. It's faster in every way than Apple's most expensive
Macintosh, and a lot cheaper, too.
Dave Small is one reason the ST hasn't disappeared from the
American market. The company that makes the ST, Atari, had nearly
abandoned the U.S. market for Europe, but Small and a few others have
helped keep interest alive here.
It's paying off. An advanced ST, called the TT, is now available
to consumers in this country, and the company is taking orders for a
note-book-size ST, too. A pen-based ST notebook computer is expected
out next year.
The crowd in Reston gave the TTs that were being demonstrated there
high marks. But they gave their biggest thanks in the cheers that went
out for Dave Small.
After all, it's not every day that you can get a free Macintosh
just by attending a lecture.
(A.FASOLDT, CAT18, TOP2, MSG:73/M475)[EOA]
[EOA]
[DLR]//////////////////////////////
DEALER VIEWPOINT /
/////////////////////////////////
[*]SLM804 Care & Feeding
""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Sheldon Winick
[S.WINICK]
>>> THE CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR SLM804 LASER PRINTER <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Periodically, questions arise in the GEnie roundtables concerning
poor printing quality and other problems with the Atari SLM804 Laser
Printer. Now that these systems have been around for several years,
some of the used ones are finding their way into the hands of new
owners, who sometimes are acquiring them without the benefit of an
owner's manual or personalized instruction to their proper care and
maintenance.
In order to maintain high quality printing, a basic understanding
of the laser printer is necessary, especially with regard to proper
maintenance. The laser printer operates much like a dry paper copy
machine, except that instead of optics reading a hardcopy original, the
original is generated by the computer. Basically, the image is created
by a laser light beam projected onto the light sensitive drum, which in
turn is used to attract the toner onto the paper to match the pattern
created on the drum. Now, I realize this is a very simplistic
explanation, but it should be sufficient for a basic understanding of
the concept. What this article will primarily be concerned with is how
to maintain the system to keep it running and serviced properly.
Maintenance involves basic cleaning of the system periodically,
adding new toner when necessary, and replacing the residual toner
container, drum, cleaning pad, drum charger and paper charger.
Occassionally, if print quality deteriorates between scheduled
maintenance cycles, it may be necessary to do a little additional
cleaning and adjusting.
First, we should look at expected maintenance. Whenever the system
needs new toner, a thorough cleaning should be done. Atari's Toner
Refill Kit includes not only a new toner cartridge, but also a
replacement felt cleaning pad, cotton swab for cleaning the charger
wires, and a new residual overflow container.
A brief word of warning -- several portions of the inside of your
SLM804 get extremely hot during normal operation and can cause a severe
burn. Do not service the laser printer when it is hot. Before
servicing, turn the system off and allow it to cool for at least 2 hours
or so. It is also a good idea to unplug the system from the electric
service during cleaning operations.
In order do this regular maintenance properly, it will be necessary
to remove the drum assembly. The drum assembly consists of the drum
unit and the toner hopper assembly which hangs onto the drum carriage.
The whole assembly is easily removed as a single entity. But first a
word of warning --- the drum's green coating is light sensitive. That
means it must be protected from exposure to unnecessary light. Bright
room lights or sunlight will destroy the drums ability to work properly
and retain the pattern projected on it by the laser light beam. So, DO
NOT EXPOSE THE DRUM TO BRIGHT LIGHT!
Whenever you have to open the SLM804's case, it's always a good
idea to first dim the room lights as much as possible. To service the
system, you will need to remove the drum assembly and store it safely
in a lightproof container. To get to the drum, you will need to push
back the blue release button on the side of the laser printer while you
lift the top release and open the case. The blue release button will
release the drum assembly and allow it to remain in the lower part of
the case for easy removal. Not pushing back on the blue release button
while opening the case will keep the drum/toner hopper assembly in the
top half of the system -- useful if you need to clear a paper jamb, or
for periodic cleaning of surfaces along the paper path.
Remove the drum assembly by grasping it with the metal handle at
the top of the assembly and lifting the entire assembly straight up
until it is clear of its cradle before removing it from the case. Be
very careful to not scratch the drum surfaces on any of the metal
assemblies inside the case. Wrapping the drum with the black bubble
wrap that it originally came in will also protect it from being
accidentally scratched as well as from light exposure. A corregated
cardboard box will work fine for temporarily protecting the drum
assembly while you're servicing the laser printer.
Once the drum is safely removed and stored, you can turn all the
lights back on. Look around the inside of the laser printer and
familiarize yourself with where everything is located. Look at how the
paper path flows through the system. Any residual toner or dirt must
be removed from all interior surfaces. A soft, lint-free cloth
slightly moistened with alcohol will work fine for basic cleaning. A
cotton swab moistened with alcohol works good for getting into the
creases and crevices.
If you're replacing the toner cartridge with a new one, you should
also remove and discard the old residual toner container. It is located
on the right side of the system near the top half hinge. The new Toner
Kit also contains a cap or tape cover to seal the top opening of the old
container to keep the excess toner in the old container when you discard
it.
Do NOT reuse the overflow toner from the residual toner container
-- it will probably be contaminated. After removing it, be sure to
clean any toner that may have found its way onto the plastic or metal
surfaces around the container. Remember, any dirt or toner residue
left inside the laser printer case can easily find its way onto
critical surfaces or your copy paper and cause poor quality printing.
If you find the residual toner container filling up between toner
refills, you're probably have the density control (on the back of the
SLM804) turned up too high. Adjust it down as light as possible while
still being able to get a solid, bold print.
You will want to make sure the residual toner container isn't
allowed to completely fill up or overflow. If you find yourself over-
toning between cartridge replacements, you should remove and empty the
residual toner container. Be warned, though, that the toner is really
messy. It will be extremely difficult to clean it out of anything it
comes in contact with. So be real careful not to let it get onto your
clothing or spill onto the carpet.
The felt cleaning pad is another item included in the new Toner
Kit. Between changes, you can also remove the unit and reverse the felt
pad to use the other side. The cleaning pad consists of the felt pad
and a plastic assembly with finger grab for easy installation and
removal. It is easily lifted out of its slot for servicing. It is
located just about as far back inside the laser printer as you can
reach. The felt pad wipes against the fuser roller to keep it clean.
Whenever you service the system, you should remove the cleaning pad
and manually clean the fuser roller with a clean, lint-free cloth
slightly moistened with alcohol. Your only access to the fuser roller
will be through the cleaning pad slot. Space is tight, but keeping the
fuser roller clean is necessary to maintain good print quality and
ensure proper bonding of the toner to the paper. To rotate the roller,
you will have to pull up on the outside toner hopper belt. After
cleaning, reinstall the wiper pad.
The drum and paper chargers must also be kept clean, and replaced
whenever you replace the drum. Both items are included with Atari's
Drum Replacement Kit. Both consist of a thin charger wire encased in a
metal housing with plastic end caps. The drum charger is located in
the top part of the case and can be spotted by the green alignment dot
which matches up with the green dot on the connector plug. The drum
charger serves to electrostatically charge the drum to attract the
toner. Any dirt on the wire will affect its ability to provide the
drum with the proper charge.
The paper charger is located in the bottom part of the case and can
be identified by the red alignment dots on the charger assembly and its
connector plug. The paper charger serves to electrostatically charge
the paper to attract the toner.
Both the drum and paper chargers are easily removed by grasping the
plastic tab on one end (opposite side from the colored alignment dots)
and sliding the charger assembly away from the alignment dot connectors
until it releases, then lifting the assembly out. Reverse the
procedure for reinstalling them. The wires in both chargers should be
carefully cleaned at every toner refill, or whenever servicing is
necessary. Use the cotton swab to clean the wires by gently running
along the wires. Be very careful to not break the wire -- it is very
thin.
The drum/paper separator should also be cleaned whenever you
service the laser printer. The drum/paper separator is the thin, clear
plastic band on the left underside of the drum. It's function is to
separate the paper and the drum after the toner is applied. Use the
cotton swab to wipe off both sides of the plastic band. Be very
careful to not break or otherwise damage the plastic band. It is also
very thin.
Next, pull open the back cover of the laser printer to get access
to the rear paper guide and press roller. Use a clean, lint-free cloth
moistened with alcohol to clean all surfaces inside the back cover.
The back cover serves to guide the paper around and turn it through
the ejection chute at the top of the printer. Any dirt on the inside
rear cover can affect the cleanliness of your prints.
Just inside the rear cover you will see a metal paper guide which
is spring loaded and covers the press roller. Grab the small finger tab
and pull back on the paper guide to gain access to the press roller.
Use a clean, lint-free cloth slightly moistened with alcohol to clean
the press roller. You should be able to manually rotate the press
roller to get to all surfaces for cleaning. Space is very tight, and
those of you with very small fingers will have a definite advantage in
this process. When cleaning the press roller, be very careful you don't
accidentally damage or dislodge any of the small springs which hold the
metal paper guide in place.
Anytime you find print quality deteriorating on the SLM804, it may
be necessary to perform a general cleaning and maintenance. Poor
quality printing on your SLM804 can be the result of any number of
things. First things to check for are clean charger wires, DRY paper
and toner (high humidity in the atmosphere can really destroy your print
quality, big time!). And remember, the drum is light sensitive. Do NOT
expose it to bright room light!
Remember that a thorough cleaning of the system is a good idea
periodically. It should be done at least at every toner refill, or any
time the print quality shows signs of deterioration. The toner
cartridge should provide about 3000 copies, depending on how much
graphics and solid black areas you use. You should expect to replace
the drum about every 3rd toner cartridge. Exposure to bright light will
greatly shorten you drum's life expectancy. General fading of the print
is a symptom of a worn out drum.
The toner cartridge is installed in the toner hopper assembly,
which in turn hangs onto the drum housing. To change the toner cart-
ridge, open the case while holding back on the blue release tab to allow
the drum/toner hopper assembly to remain in the bottom half of the case.
Release the toner cartridge by sliding back the plastic retainer tabs on
both sides of the cartridge. Lift the old cartridge straight up and
out, and discard it. Be careful to not get any residue toner on your
clothing or other surfaces which may be permanently damaged by the black
powder.
Before inserting the new toner cartridge, be sure to clean all
surfaces on the outside of the hopper casing which may contain toner
residue. Be especially careful to clean the metal contacts on the right
side of the hopper assembly. Gently shake the new toner cartridge from
side to side (not up and down) to loosen the toner powder, and drop it
into place in the hopper. Snap the retainer clips back into place to
lock the cartridge firmly onto the hopper assembly. Then untape the
clear plastic tab from the top of the cartridge and pull it completely
out (pull up and to the right) to release the toner into the hopper.
Many people recommend using "Starter Toner" about every 3rd toner
cartridge, and regular "Refill Toner" at other times.
The Starter
Toner is formulated slightly differently to make it adhere better to
the distribution roller at the base of the toner hopper and hold a
thick build up of toner around the roller. Any time you remove the
drum/hopper assembly, be very careful to not accidentally scrape off
any of the toner from that distribution roller.
Well, there you have it. A brief tutorial on the Care and Feeding
of your SLM804 Laser Printer. With proper care, the system should give
you many years of faithful service.
Happy (Atari) Computing.
Sheldon Winick (GEnie Address: S.WINICK)
Computer STudio (Asheville, NC)
[*][*][*]
Sheldon owns and operates Computer STudio, a full-service
Atari dealership in Asheville, North Carolina. In addition to
(Atari) computing, other interests include motorcycling,
skiing, camping and hiking. He is also Newsletter Editor for
the Blue Ridge Atari Computer Enthusiasts (BRACE) and was past
president of that user group. Sheldon is also a registered
architect, and operated his own architectural office between
1971 and the time he turned his computer hobby into Computer
STudio in 1988. He still does architectural work for select
clients, and currently has work in progress in Florida, North
Carolina and Colorado. His current architectural drawings are,
of course, being prepared on his Atari based CADD system,
using DynaCADD software.
[EOA]
[TEL]//////////////////////////////
TELETALK ONLINE /
/////////////////////////////////
Getting You Money's Worth
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
IS IT WORTH IT? My husband spent nearly $2000 on a Kawai K5 synth,
""""""""""""""" brought it home, and started working on voice
librarian software for it. No sooner had he finished this shareware
program than Kawai _discontinued_ the model. Subsequent models have
used other voices and his software is therefore not usable with them.
The K5s remaining in dealer showrooms are running around $800...
Is this a disaster? Well, if he'd really expected to make money on
his shareware program, I guess it could have been. But the reality is
that he's had well over $2000 worth of enjoyment from this gizmo. If he
does decide to sell it, any compensation he receives will be gravy.
When I buy something, I expect to get my money out of it _while_ I
use it, not later when and if I sell it. If I make an improvement to my
home, I do so not to raise the value of the property (though it may
have that effect as well), but to _enjoy_ the improvement. You have to
figure that something used will sell for less than something new.
As usual, we can blame Atari here if we want to. If Atari had been
sensitive to the needs of used hardware sellers, they could have held
back on improvements to new machines. If they were, for example,
selling the original-case 520 with single-sided drive TODAY, our used
520s would be worth a lot more than they are in a market with 1040STes,
MegaSTes, and TTs. If they'd never come out with a double-sided drive,
you could easily sell a used ss drive for close to retail. If they'd
never upgraded TOS, a TOS 1.0 machine would fetch more than it does on
the used hardware market. Yep, it's Atari's fault. Dang improvements,
anyway.
I spent $1000 on my first 520ST, and since then we've added a
double-sided drive and 1-meg upgrade and 20-meg HD. Our son has used it
all along. I suppose our total hardware investment has approached
$2000. $2000 for 6 years of service and counting. Looks like a great
deal to me. Now, if this same machine had kicked off on the Tuesday
after we bought it, _then_ I might feel ripped off. But as it is, if we
_give_ it away today, it will have paid for itself many times over.
(D.A.BRUMLEVE, CAT18, TOP10, MSG:7/M475)
RIPPED OFF? MAYBE NOT! Purchasing and selling software and hardware
""""""""""""""""""""""" through GEnie can be a very trying and nervous
venture. The fear of not getting paid when you send that program off is
very real. The fear of not getting the program you paid for is also
very real. Problems arise when the 'jilted' party takes their complaint
to the 'public' without exploring all available avenues.
Recently, I purchased a program from someone here on GEnie. He
sent the program to me on good faith and he almost posted a "watch out
for Mr. ______" notice here because I did not pay promptly. The reason
I did not pay promptly was because the ceiling in my apartment collapsed
and I had to move out. My computer was inaccessible for over a week and
when I finally got back to it, his message inquiring as to why I had not
paid him yet was waiting for me. I immediately got back to him, and
after explaining my situation, he was paid in full.
My experience is to show an example...which was much like Ron's
explanation. This message is an effort to prevent bad reputations from
starting when they were not deserved.
If you have not received payment/program and the other party
'refuses' to answer your E-mail, do not assume he/she is ignoring you.
Certain 'emergencies' may be happening in a person's life which may make
an immediate response impossible, such as a hard drive or power supply
blowing up and the weeks it may take to fix. Many people may not be
aware, but there is an option in GEnie Mail which allows you to check to
see if a letter has been received by the person you sent it to. In my
case, and I assume in Ron's case as well, I could not get to the
computer and therefore had not gotten my messages. A simple check in
the Mail pool would have shown that I hadn't gotten the mail yet.
This is just one example, and just because a letter hasn't been
received doesn't mean the other party is innocent, but remember that in
America, persons are innocent until proven guilty - and a bad rap
placed on this board can go a long way to hurt a person, especially when
it was not deserved. People are always joining and ignoring topics, and
an apology three days later may never be seen by some people.
This is just a simple reminder to think twice before you accuse.
Try ALL possible options before you act. An innocent party may thank
you for it, and the rest of us can be more sure of who we're dealing
with.
Thank you.
Live And Direct,
Rod Martin, Network 23 Software
(R.MARTIN22, CAT27, TOP3, MSG:46/M475)
////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE /////
/ "Yippeeeee! Let's raid the Mac RT!" /
/////////////// SFRT-ASST, CAT16, TOP2, MSG:132 ///////////
[EOA]
[ELS]//////////////////////////////
ST ELSEWHERE /
/////////////////////////////////
Other Areas Of IntereST
"""""""""""""""""""""""
By Terry Quinn
[T.QUINN1]
>>> THIS TIME - HOW NOT TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT! <<<
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The Jerry Pournelle RT (Page 245) on GEnie is something really
unique among the offerings of not only GEnie but of any commercial
information utility. To this writers knowledge, it is the only
roundtable devoted to the writings and thoughts of a single individual -
Jerry Pournelle! (surprise! surprise!). The fact is, very few
individuals have the time, intellectual depth and general ability to
communicate to make such a roundtable successful. Even the indomitable
(some say overinflated) Rush Limbaugh doesn't rate this honor either on
GEnie or on C!S where his home base is.
Most readers are familiar with Jerry's writing in the computer
arena and they won't be disappointed with the offerings here. You can
read about such technically oriented topics as the DES (Data Encryption
Standard) algorithm, computers from the Atari TT-030 to the Sinclair Z-
88, and related topics like the management of companies like Atari and
Commodore. Unlike his writing in magazines like BYTE, everything is
neatly categorized so you can limit your reading to just those topics
you are interested in.
Since Jerry has at one time been an active research scientist, you
would also expect this RT to have a strong science component. Sure
enough - if you want to learn the latest on such topics as Cyberspace,
Nanotechnology or Quantum mechanics, you will generally find a learned
discussion of these matters taking place here. In fact, if you have
kids of High School age (or a bit younger if they are bright), this RT
can be a valuable educational resource.
Where this RT really gets fascinating is when you explore such
topics as Nuclear Power, Global Warming and the Ozone hole. It quickly
becomes obvious that both Jerry and those who like to hang out here
don't care about being "Politically Correct" and have little patience
for "Political Science" in which no empirical facts matter when it comes
to making decisions. If you ever wondered what the television news (or
your local newspapers for that matter) are not reporting on these
topics, here is a good place to find this information. Just one little
problem though - if a student (in High School or whatever) has a
"politically correct" teacher this information can be real dangerous
when it clashes with views perpetuated in the "predominant media
culture".
This RT even has a major category labeled "Government, Politics and
the Law" where topics not even related to science and technology are
discussed in great depth. The insights gained by following discussions
in such areas as the meaning of the Second Amendment's "Well Regulated
Militia" phrase, the political economics of a capital gains cut and
Clarence Thomas cannot be obtained anywhere else on any service, let
alone GEnie. The only caveat is that most discussions take place on a
sufficiently high intellectual level that most individuals who aren't
used to thinking for themselves cannot grasp what is really going on.
Is this RT worth a visit? Yes - but! If you like intellectual
wrestling matches involving complex issues, this one is worth hanging
out in but if you are the sort of individual who forms opinions based
on the CBS evening news and heresay, don't waste your time. You'll
probably lose interest in a hurry.
BTW - Jerry Pournelle's RT is one of GEnie's *Basic services so
taking a look won't really cost you anything.
[EOA]
[LIB]//////////////////////////////
THE ONLINE LIBRARY /
/////////////////////////////////
Get It While It's Hot!
""""""""""""""""""""""
by Mel Motogawa
[M.MOTOGAWA]
>>> P.S.'s <<<
""""""""""""""
You'll notice that P.S.'s is now more informative. I've used the
GEnie file descriptions to give you about the most information possible
short of downloading the file. Any comments of my own are included in
italics (TX2 version only!) after the file description. If you see
(LH5) after a filename, and before the archive size, be sure to use the
latest version of Thomas Quester's Lzh201X series to extract the file.
The following files are only a small sample of what's available for
downloading in the ST Roundtable file library. Enjoy!
[*][*][*]
#21688 SILKFNT.LZH 7424 SilkFont changes the system font. Works
""""""""""""""""""""""""" from the AUTO folder.
----------
Not recommended for TT/030 (though it works, just leave the screen a
little screwy....) Use UNLZH.PRG to extract.
>>>>> Of interest, in the doc file, is mention of a program from the
""""" author that will allow the old Mitsubishi digitizing tablet from
QMI to work on the TT/STe rather than just TOS 1.00 and 1.02.
#21687 LZH201I.LZH 66304 LHarc version 2.01I. Everything's in
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" German. Works fine from ARC Shell 2.6
though.
-----------
Please note above the EVERYTHING IS IN GERMAN! The docs, the
messages, etc. Use UNLZH.PRG to extract.
>>>>> The latest Quester lzh program for extracting any LH5 files from
""""" the file library. Also works on regular lzh files.
#21670 MINT091B.ZOO 131840 This is the latest, greatest, most
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" usable/stable version of MiNT (Mint is
Not Tos) the multi-tasking kernal for the ST. It provides much of the
functionality of Unix (given the right shell) including the ability to
run multiple tasks (including 1 GEM program). This version has been
extensively re-written, has a new, even more powerful shell from Allan
Pratt, should reduce the internal memory overhead and implements
kernal-level support for symbolic links and Minix (tm) file-systems.
>>>>> A Zoo 2.1 file using the newer Comp. 2 compression. Use Zoo 2.1
""""" to extract. (File #20514 ZOO21.ARC)
#21652 FLOWER.LZH (LH5) 379904 This is a Flower in the TMS Cranach
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Studio native file format ESM.
Please use the latest LZH extractor. You must have the TMS Cranach
Studio DEMO version, file # 21650, in order to view, manipulate and edit
this image. Those of you with TT's are going to love this program and
this file. :-) Remember, this is simply a sample image. The TMS
Cranach Studio program is the necessary prerequisite. Enjoy!
#21650 STUDIO.ARC 458240 This is the English language DEMO version
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" of TMS Cranach Studio. All features work
except save and output. 600 x 350 Min. REZ. This program provides in-
credible electronic scanning, editing and manipulation, in 24 bit, which
must be seen to be believed. I have not yet released it (manual under
translation/re-write) but the program itself is solid and a welcome
addition to the ISD product line-up. I have uploaded the DEMO so that
you can see what the Cranach Studio program is capable of accomplishing.
I will start a topic in my own Category 16 once we ship. In the
meantime, enjoy a glimpse into the future. Please use ARC602 to
extract. TOS 1.2 or greater.
>>>>> I'm including a screenshot in the mono issue to give you an
""""" idea of the main screen since many may not download the file due
to its size. The ST mono screen does no justice to this program, check
it out on a TT. The flower from file #21652 is being displayed.
#21648 COALSCAN.ARC 55552 This is one ARC file that contains demos
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" (and text) for both Coalesce and ScanLite.
Coalesce is the 'Fastest-Scrolling, Fastest working' Image merger in the
ST arena. Designed explicitly for merging two half-page scans into 1
full page. (Coalesce is included with "The Tray" (tm) from WizWorks! or
separately. ScanLite is Scan-n-Save software that runs as a program or
as an accessory. Configurable scanbuffer and communicates with other
applications (such as Coalesce) allowing you to scan from within that
'ScanLite-Compliant' app. ;-) ScanLite works with the GeniScan/ST,
GoldenImage, Migraph and GoldenImage hand-scanners! Whoooowheeeee! Use
ARC602ST.TTP (#13310) to extract.
>>>>> If you're into hand scanning, you need these programs! A
""""" screenshot in color and mono shows Coalesce booted with ScanLite
being used.
#21641 GEN_DEMO.LZH 71680 This is a demonstration version of Code-
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Head Software's new font editor for
Calamus typefaces, GENUS. (The "Save Font" function is disabled.) A
text file is included which contains all the info you need to take the
demo for a test drive. Have a look; you'll quickly see why GENUS is the
font editor of choice for the top Calamus type designers.
-----
Use latest version of UNLZH.PRG or other .LZH extractor.
TESTED->TOS 1.4 MONO ONLY!
#21637 STKR3DMO.ARC 124416 Here it is! This is the demo version of
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Eric Rosenquist's STalker 3, now being
sold by Gribnif Software. Several features are disabled in this demo,
and use is limited to about 30 minutes. It works on all versions of TOS
(TT/ST/STe), in any resolution 640x200 or greater.
------
Use ARC602ST.TTP (#13310) or other current ARC utility to extract.
TEST->TOS 1.4/1.0 COLOR/MONO 4MEG
>>>>> A great terminal program that can also be used as a desk
""""" accessory. (A screenshot is included in the color issue.)
#21615 RESISTR.ARC 12800 This is a new version of the electronic
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Resistor calculator. It is a full GEM
application and works on 1.4 color or mono. Also works on any Atari.
This program calculates the value of electronic resistors. A must for
the electronic hobbist.
---------
TT Compatible.
#21604 CAL_602.LZH 73984 Maintenance update 6.0.2: Cal, corrects
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" several problems with events at importance
level zero, some edit screen changes; Calshow, corrects problem with max
number of events to show, some ACC logic. Cal 6 lets you look at any
month/year, and schedule events by date, position, or every so many
days. All new screens, more room to describe each event, cyclic events,
save/load/merge events, keyboard shortcuts, auto conversion from
previous versions, more!
----
Please use the latest version of UNLZH to extract.
SysOp note: Will work on a TT.
#21603 WHATIS51.LZH 12032 New version! WHATIS 5.1 identifies over
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 100 types of files - ARCs, LHarcs, PRGs,
pics, ACCs, animations, etc... no more "what kind of file is this?"
problems! Runs as a PRG or an ACC (just rename the file) on any ST/TT in
any rez. Short docs included in the archive. All the features of
earlier versions, plus adds FSM-GDOS outline fonts, font metrics, and
width table files to the list.
----
Please use the latest version of UNLZH to extract.
SysOp note: Works great on a TT.
#21595 CWCIIDEM.ARC 80768 This ARC file includes a fully functional
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" DEMO version of the New Crossword Creator
II... the fastest, easiest-to-use, and most complete crossword puzzle
program ever developed for Atari computers. This DEMO is identical to
the full commercial release version except that the user is limited to a
maximum of five words. Extensive on-line help is included to get you up
and running fast! Complete ordering information is included in this ARC
file or you may order directly from Fair Dinkum Technologies by calling
(505) 662-7236 ... only $24.95 + $2 s&h, Visa * M/C accepted too.
----
Will work on a TT in ST rez.
>>>>> I found it intriguing to watch the program figure out where the
""""" words should go. Looks like a powerful and fun program. I
checked this out in mono only.
#21587 REACT2.ARC 40832 This is an Excellent Strategy Game! If
""""""""""""""""""""""""" you've played REACTION and liked it then
you'll love the Sequel! Reaction II now has Improved graphics (is this
possible?), Multiple Playing Levels, Multiple Difficulty Levels. TT030
Compatible in ST LOW. Color Monitor Required. Use ARC602ST.TTP (#13310)
to extract.
#21583 MPNTDEM2.ARC 274432 This is the second part of the free demo
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" of CodeHead's amazing graphics tool,
MegaPaint Professional. The complete demo is divided between two
archives. This archive contains dozens of optional support files to
help you get more out of the demo. They cannot be used unless you have
the files in the archive MPNTDEMO.ARC. Use ARC 6.02 to decompress the
folders and files directly into your MEGPAINT folder.
#21581 MPNTDEMO.ARC 348160 This is the free demo of CodeHead's
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" amazing graphics tool, MegaPaint
Professional. The complete demo is divided between two archives. This
archive contains the minimum configuration of files required to run the
demo. The archive MPNTDEM2.ARC contains dozens of optional support
files to help you get more out of the demo. At least one meg of memory
and monochrome capability required. Unarc with ARC 6.02.
-----
TESTED->TOS 1.4
>>>>> Incredibly fast in many areas. Vast in scope. A necessity if
""""" you're into power graphics. (A screenshot is included in the
TX2 mono issue.)
#21575 MEGACHEK.LZH 179840 Version 1.0c of MEGA-Check. This version
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" fixes all known bugs and adds the "Legal
Amount" feature for printing checks in any printer. All current
validation files will work with this version. MEGA-Check requires 1+
meg of RAM and has 190+ commands and functions like a hierarchical
"account structure", high-speed menus and dialogs, report our money
outlets and 7 keep track of paying your bills. Balancing checkbooks,
printing checks and paying bills is no sweat for MEGA-Check. A sample
file is included. Includes both the color and monochrome versions.
---------
TT Compatible in ST Med/High Resolutions. Use UNLZH.PRG to extract.
#21574 AMAZE.ARC 19584 Amaze is a random maze generator and solver.
"""""""""""""""""""""""" It runs in any resolution. You can try to
solve the mazes yourself on the computer, print them and challenge your
friends and family, or show off your ST or TT by putting it into the
self running demo mode. This new version leaves wrong decisions shaded
when it solves the mazes. This program is free from Tyson Gill at GT
Software. Enjoy!
-----------
TT Compatible. ALL RESOLUTIONS SUPPORTED!
Sysop Note: Truly an amazing program!
>>>>> You can create mazes that will take forever to figure out, or
""""" use a smaller maze for a more sane evening. Very enjoyable.
#21573 DMJ_GIF3.LZH 194944 The all-new, long awaited DMJ GIF v3.0 is
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" here! Features include decreased
conversion time, up to 500% faster than v2.0 !! Also, you can convert
batches of GIFs at a time. Just start it and let it go. You can also
convert GIFs to Degas and other formats. Full docs included.
Shareware, $15.
---------
Use UNLZH.PRG to extract.
TT Compatible. ST MEDIUM RESOLUTION ONLY!
>>>>> Appears to be plenty powerful with many options. (A screenshot
""""" is included in the color TX2 issue.)
#21570 STAR2000.LZH 169088 This is the next yearly update of Star
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 2000: a freeware subset of Star Base
(from Debonair Software, who else is foolish enough to write programs
for such a small market!). NOT just a demo! The subset has 2000
brightest stars, 100 deep sky objects (NEW!), planets, on-line help and
else. (Well, we also have fixed one bug from the last year, but we won't
tell what it was.) Runs on any monitor, any ST or TT. If your interest
in astronomy is more casual, Star 2000 will meet your needs (otherwise
you'll be back to get Star Base). Recommended: senior high, amateur
astronomers, armchair Universe explorers.
#21565 SUBCAL20.LZH 129152 This is the next yearly update of
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Sub_Cal: a freeware subset of El_Cal (NOT
just a demo!). The new features include systems of differential
equations (with or without plotting) and unit conversion. The "old"
features are: expression evaluation, definite integrals,
differentiation, equation solving in intervals, linear and nol-linear
equation systems and linear algebra, function optimization (general),
function plotting, simple statistical operations (data manipulation,
mean, s.d.), histogram fitting (to ANY distribution function),
polynomial regression, fitting points with a curve (any), and whatever
else. To put modesty aside: nothing comes close. Recommended: from
senior high to postgrad.
#21535 EDMSHLL2.LZH 42240 EDM SHELL 2.00 by David Holmes. This is a
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" new version of an easy-to-use shell for
handling ARC, LZH, ZIP, and ZOO functions. It has been designed for use
by both beginners and advanced users. Everything is already set-up for
basic use, but it is also very versatile and configurable. Its editable
command lines ensure future compatibility while providing maximum
flexibility. It can now convert a file from one compression type to
another. Uses the remarkable new EDM interface. Shareware.
----
Please use the latest version of Unlzh to extract. Will not work on a
TT.
>>>>> Very good looking in mono or color. The Convert option is
""""" handy when converting from one format to another. (A screen-
shot of the main screen is included in the TX2 mono and color issues.)
#21531 SOFSAAS.LZH 17792 SON OF S.A.A.S. (Still Another Archive
"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Shell) This program is designed to extract
archived (or 'compressed') files with a minimum of intervention from the
user. Select the compressed files with TOS wildcards (such as *.LZH)
and all the files that match the wildcard will be extracted to separate
folders to the path you select. SON OF S.A.A.S. allows you to have your
Atari ST/TT do the work, while you relax! Works with nearly any .TTP
archive utility, which you must supply. All resolutions. Yes, it works
with Quester's Lharc. Freeware from DO NOT STAMP Software.
----
Please use the latest version of Unlzh to extract. Will work on a TT.
#21530 NBM11.LZH (LH5) 26112 NBM, v1.1 - replaces the previous
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" beta version here NBM allows you to
test the speed of your machine. 5 tests are performed and timed,
totalling less than 3 minutes. You can then compare your results to
other machines of different configurations, and/or print your results.
No tests have changed. New comparison results have been added.
----
Please use the latest version of Questor LZH to extract.
SysOp note: Will _not_ work on a TT.
>>>>> Also includes a preliminary version of a graphics benchmark
""""" involving text, lines and objects.
[*][*][*]
Mel Motogawa has been hooked to his ST since 1986 and when not
online, enjoys reading every ST mag he can lay his hands on.
"After years of just reading messages and garnering infor-
mation, I decided it was time to break out. Don't be a lurker
forever, get the most out of the ST Roundtable. Ask questions
online or answer the ones you can. Share the wealth!"
//////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE /////
/ "WHY WON'T IT WORK? WHY WON'T IT WORK? WHY WON'T IT WORK??? /
/ (screaming, pulling out hair, throw a general-all-purpose- /
/ GFA Basic-tantrum)" /
////////// PRINCETON-U, CAT22, TOP3, MSG:149/M475) //////////
[EOA]
[HAC]//////////////////////////////
HACK'N ATARI /
/////////////////////////////////
Down To The Wire
""""""""""""""""
o INSTALLING QUANTUM 105LPS DRIVE IN STACY
o PROPER JUMPER SETTINGS FOR THE 720K TEAC
o OMNICHROME W/ 3RD PARTY RAM UPGRADES
INSTALLING QUANTUM 105LPS DRIVE IN STACY I have been down this road
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" before, and also have had
problems, but they can be overcome, and yes indeed, this combination
works just fine. (I am writing this on such a setup) I did my upgrade
last May, so excuse me if some of the details are a little fuzzy.
1. Stacy wants no parity on the drive. Take off the jumper for
parity.
2. The terminating resistor pack should be left in. My original
Conner drive didn't have this, but any other drive I tried needs
this in for use with Stacy.
3. Check your power supply voltages with the drive connected and
running. The Quantum takes a higher current draw than the
original Conner. (mine puts out a fair amount of heat after
running for a while) The power supply on the Stacy has an
adjustment for voltage output.
4. Make sure that your cables and connectors are 100% (try another
cable if need be) Your problem sounds like it could be caused
by an intermittent or bad connection. (I ran into a problem
like this with an extension cable I built to allow checkout
of the replacement drive outside of the Stacy.)
I did my formatting on a TT using the current HDX software, and did
not have to customize the wincap file. Later I re-partitioned to get a
different configuration than the default after running the format
utility. Hope this helps. -Bernie
(B.NEMETH1, CAT14, TOP29, MSG:181/M475)
PROPER JUMPER SETTINGS FOR THE 720K TEAC
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
. . D0 (JUMPER HERE FOR DRIVE 'A')
. . D1 (JUMPER HERE FOR DRIVE 'B')
. . DC (JUMPER FROM THE RIGHT PIN HERE)
. . RY (TO THE RIGHT PIN HERE SO THE JUMPER IS VERTICAL)
. . NO JUMPER
. . NO JUMPER
Make sure the appropriate drive select signal is routed from the ST
to the appropriate pin on the 34 pin connector of the TEAC. PIN 10 =
drive A PIN 12 = drive B. -Mark
(M.DODGE2, CAT4, TOP14, MSG:107/M475)
OMNICHROME W/ 3RD PARTY RAM UPGRADES Using OmniChrome with third party
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" RAM upgrades that plugs into the
Shifter socket will add very little height since the plug itself is
about the same height as the Shifter chip. The Shifter chip is trans-
planted onto the OmniChrome board which sits next to the metal can that
houses the Shifter chip. Let me see if I can draw this...
|---------------------------------|
| +-------+ +---------+ +---------| <- top view of a 1040STfm
| |Power | |OmniChrom| | Disk ||
| | Supply| + ==== + | Drive || ==== <- Shifter chip
| +-------+ +--||||---+ +---------|
| |||| | * Drawing is not to scale.
| ==== |
+---------------------------------+
Well, I am not an ASCII artist. But that is approximately what it
should look like installed in a 1040STfm.
For the DTP folks, the OmniChrome is switchable to 16 colors which
will speed up screen refresh by 2 times. Please be aware that the
screen refresh time we are talking about is the amount of time it takes
for a frame of graphics to be updated in the video buffer. The Omni-
Chrome will always output to the monitor at 60Hz. (We choosed 60
because 70Hz monitors are more expensive) -Paul Wu, Opi
(WUZTEX.OPI, CAT4, TOP32, MSG:73/M475)
[*][*][*]
PLEASE REMEMBER! You are responsible for any damage or liability when
"""""""""""""""" you make any modifications or upgrades to your
equipment. Also keep in mind that opening your computer may void your
guarantee. If you are unsure of your ability to take on a hardware
project, find someone who isn't.
[EOA]
[ALD]//////////////////////////////
ST ALADDIN ONLINE /
/////////////////////////////////
GEnie At Its Best
"""""""""""""""""
By Mike Squire
[M.SQUIRE]
>>> GETTING THE MOST FROM ST ALADDIN 1.40 <<<
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The READ.ME file for the new ST Aladdin v1.40 indicates that the
following new features have been added since v1.30:
o Add Topic button to mail display/rt display
o Improve the filename munging routine to better convert GEnie
names to 8.3
o Add support for ZMODEM mail
o Add support for RAM dialog
o Add quoting feature
o Add Abort on Disk Full during autopass
Some additional detail concerning these additions follows.
The new "Topic" button may be viewed from either the Mail viewing
screen or the Roundtable message viewing screen. It is the next-to-last
button on the button bar and performs the same function as selecting
"Mark-Reply OldTopics" from the Roundtable menu bar does. CodeKeys
users should take note of this feature as it may be used to improve the
speed of one's macros (e.g., a macro for Ignoring a Topic Permanently).
The new "improve the filename munging routine to better convert
GEnie names to 8.3" is used in conjunction with RoundTable libraries
frequented by other than ST users. Its purpose is to have Aladdin auto-
matically convert odd filenames which do -not- use the 8-letter maximum
filename/3-letter maximum file extension convention to a filename that
the ST can use. For example, if one downloads file #3060 from the
Science Fiction/Fantasy Roundtable entitled "INTERVIEW.R_A.TXT", Aladdin
will download the file as instructed and change the file title to
"INTRVWR_.TXT" prior to storing it on disk.
The new "Add support for ZMODEM mail" refers to the fact that ST
Aladdin v1.40 now allows users to download files, attached to GE Mail
messages, using Zmodem protocol instead of Xmodem protocol which, in
turn, means that you will download the file faster and with less connect
time (and cost). In order to get this to work on your system, however,
it will first be necessary to go to page 1000 and select Option 6 to
reestablish with GEnie that you are an Aladdin (v1.40) user and have
GEnie modified your account accordingly. After having done so, GEnie
will thereafter automatically select Zmodem downloading whenever you
choose to download a file attached to a GE Mail message.
The new "Add support for RAM dialog" refers to a button found on
the "Get Messages..." selection on the Roundtable menu bar. On the Get
Messages selection box that appears, there is a new pick, RAM NOR, which
stands for Read All Messages - No Reply, in addition to the BRO NOR
(Browse Messages - No Reply) which appeared there in previous versions
of ST Aladdin.
The new "Add quoting feature" refers to the new selection available
under the Edit menu bar, "Paste Quote" (Alt-Q). Let's say you're
reading a message and decide to reply to it and, in doing so, wish to
repeat some of what that person said in order to refresh their memory of
what they said so that your reply makes sense. While reading their
message, press Alt-C to "copy" that entire message to Aladdin's clip-
board. Press "R" to Reply (or click on the Reply button) and then,
instead of pressing Alt-V to Paste the clipboard contents to the message
(as in previous versions of ST Aladdin), press Alt-Q instead to Paste
Quote and each line of text in the clipboard will be preceded by a
space and a greater than symbol. For example, using Paste Quote will
yield text that looks like this:
>to Paste the clipboard contents to the message (as in previous
>versions of ST Aladdin), press Alt-Q instead to Paste Quote and each
>line of text in the clipboard will be preceded by a space and a
>greater than symbol. For example, using Paste Quote will yield text
>that looks like this:
Finally, the new "Add Abort on Disk Full during autopass" is just
what it says - a safety feature that safely aborts a download operation
when there is no longer any room on the destination disk for the file to
be downloaded to. When this occurs with the new version of ST Aladdin,
you will momentarily have garbage printed to your terminal screen until
Aladdin issues a break to GEnie, the downloading operation of the file
will stop, and your autopass operation will continue as if you have had
sufficient disk space for the file and the download of it had been
successful.
I hope that this additional information will help you to get more
enjoyment out of the new ST Aladdin v1.40. ... Mike Squire
(M.SQUIRE, CAT6, TOP13, MSG:1/M475)
[EOA]
[LYN]//////////////////////////////
LINKING UP WITH LYNX /
/////////////////////////////////
Atari Handheld Power!
"""""""""""""""""""""
o NEW GAMES!
o ODDS & ENDS
"Although many Lynx games are conversions of Tengen games,
Tengen has no hand in programming the Lynx versions. The
Lynx versions are handled by Atari's staff and that's just
fine by me. For example, Klax on the Lynx is regarded as the
best version over the Tengen produced Genesis and T-16 versions."
(C.SMITH89, CAT36, TOP6, MSG:188/M475)
>>> NEW GAMES! <<<
""""""""""""""""""
ATARI LYNX IS HOT! I went to my local Toys R Us (Seattle area) to see
"""""""""""""""""" if they had any new Lynx games and I found that
they had four! Pac Land, Viking Child, Hard Drivin, and Robotron 2084.
The local Software Etc. also had the Lynx II and Lynx carts after not
having them for about six months.
(B.REEVES2, CAT36, TOP2, MSG:174/M475)
BILL AND TED SHIPPING Just heard today out at the fest: Bill and Ted
""""""""""""""""""""" began shipping today (they had final production
carts available for play) and Awesome Golf moves out Monday or Tuesday.
As for Midimaze on the Lynx, their US marketing director said that they
already have a lot of stuff they're working on but when they hire on
some more development staff they'll be able to work on more projects
(maybe Midimaze). (C.SMITH89, CAT36, TOP2, MSG:173/M475)
HARD DRIVN' TOO! I was talking to the woman who runs the computer
"""""""""""""""" store where I buy most of my Lynx games. She talked
to her distributer today and Hard Drivin' is shipping.
(C.SMITH89, CAT36, TOP2, MSG:168/M475)
STUN RUNNER! S.T.U.N. Runner is out! What an AWESOME game. The best
"""""""""""" new Lynx game since KLAX. It has the sound of the arcade
game, and it has the SPEED. Rather than create the tunnels using math
intensive procedures, they used the Lynx's scaling. The lines aren't as
smooth as the arcade game's, but the game plays VERY WELL. The speed
makes up for the blocky shading.
(M.KENNEDY3, CAT36, TOP23, MSG:1/M475)
>>>>> Yeap! S.T.U.N. Runner is out!!! I just got it today at my
""""" local Electronics Boutique!. The game is an almost exact
replica of the arcade, and yes, it is fast! The digitized speech is
very good and very clear. As M.Kennedy3 mentioned, the speed makes for
the blocky shading. Right now I'm just getting used to the controls,
but it is definitely an extremely well done replica of the arcade
version. WOW! Now I have my two most favorite video games: Robotron
and S.T.U.N. Runner (Robotron first both in the arcade and on the
Lynx!!!). In anycase, great job Atari/Tengen. Ok, so, where is NFL
Football! (hehe!) (R.MUNOZ, CAT36, TOP23, MSG:3/M475)
>>>>> Go out and get S.T.U.N. Runner. It is a truly AWESOME Lynx
""""" Game. Then ask your friends with Game Boys over and show it to
them. heh heh heh. Seriously though, S.T.U.N. Runner is out and it is
incredible! Two thumbs up!
(D.ENGEL, CAT36, TOP5, MSG:252/M475)
>>> ODDS & ENDS <<<
"""""""""""""""""""
NEW LYNX PACKAGE OUT A friend of mine manages one of the Babbages in
"""""""""""""""""""" Dallas and they have just gotten the new packages
in. He said they are awesome and only $125. They are selling the old
deluxe system for 114.95. SSI is writing for the Lynx?!? YEAAAAAAAAA!!
Now if only Lucasfilm, Origin, and Sierre would follow. On a sadder
note, Toys r us just put out their new ad. It includes the Game Gear,
Game Boy and Turbo Express, but no Lynx! This seems to be typical. The
Game Gear is skyrocketing in sales, at least around here, and that is
unfortunate, because compared to the Lynx, its a rip-off. I still think
Atari needs to put more into it. The sad thing is that when Atari does
something they do it very well! (magazine supplements, packaging,
pricing, etc). If they would at least put kiosks in the stores. Atari
really has something to brag about in the Lynx, they need to stop being
modest. (J.SAINT, CAT36, TOP5, MSG:249/M475)
HATE THE POSTERS? Picked up 2 pieces of info from the Atari Lynx
""""""""""""""""" seminar today (actually I picked up more but you'll
have to read APE to find out the rest). If you don't like the poster
instructions you'll be pleased to hear that Atari is going back to
manuals. If you do like the posters you'll be pleased to hear that
Atari will also be including a poster with the manual.
>>>>> Over in the Scorpia Games area, there was some scoffing on the
""""" possibility of Eye of the Beholder coming to the Lynx (not
enough memory in the carts etc.). Eye is being programmed by SSI for
the Lynx and it will be 4 or possibly even 6 megabits.
(C.SMITH89, CAT36, TOP5, MSG:248/M475)
THE DREAM MACHINE? The Jaguar SHOULD come with eye phones. Virtual
"""""""""""""""""" reality technology will be the next great
technological innovation that changes the way we live (like the auto-
mobile, the telephone and television). Even if the Jaguar doesn't have
eye phones and telegloves as standard equipment, making it available as
a fairly low cost add-on (say $600) would be a MAJOR coup for Atari.
This technology is very expensive right now, however the first company
to make it accessible to the general public would be in a position to
lead the pack in what will eventually become a multi-billion dollar
industry.
Ed, I know you were kidding when you brought this topic up, but if
we are going to speculate on the specification of a machine that doesn't
even exist yet, why not make a few suggestions for REAL innovation? 64
bit RISC processors are the minimum necessary to implement this kind
of technology. So if Atari is indeed using a 64 bit processor they
should really look into this. Using liquid crystal color displays,
which are becoming cheaper every day, it could be done. (I'm only
talking 1" to 2" size here.) The biggest barrier to affordable cost
might be the positional sensors, I think they are quite expensive now
but it is possible to reduce the cost of everything eventually.
Anyway we are talking BIG money for the company who can bring
virtual reality to the general public. Atari probably isn't that
company but it is nice to dream. And the the first large scale
entertainment application of this type of technology will probably come
in the form of a theater or interactive videogame such as the ones they
now have in England where the equipment costs are quite high but people
pay admission or a per game charge.
(B.REEVES2, CAT36, TOP20, MSG:193/M475)
HOW MANY? Concerning Lynxes sold, the number was around 650,000 in
""""""""" June. They project they'll have sold 1 million by the end
of this year. (C.SMITH89, CAT36, TOP5, MSG:242/M475)
//////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE /////
/ "Now, Windows on a _486_ - this is another matter. <smile>" /
/ (JWEAVERJR, CAT18, TOP16, MSG:138) /
/ /
/ "Yeah, John.. just goes to show that if you throw enough /
/ hardware at something, it will eventually work fast. :-)" /
/ (TOWNS, CAT18, TOP16, MSG:140) /
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
[EOA]
[LOG]//////////////////////////////
LOG OFF /
/////////////////////////////////
GEnie Lamp Information
""""""""""""""""""""""
o COMMENTS: Contacting GEnie Lamp
o GENIE LAMP STAFF: Who Are We?
o WITH A LITTLE HELP: GEnie Lamp Writers
o CONTRIBUTORS: This Issue
o WRITERS: Writing For GEnie Lamp
o HOT OFF THE PRESS: When And Where?
COMMENTS? If you would like to ask a question, leave a comment or just
""""""""" drop in and say hi, you can contact us in CAT 34 in the ST
bulletin board area. If you prefer to remain private, send your GEnie
Email to GENIELAMP$ on page 200, or leave a message to one or more of
the following addresses:
GEnie LAMP STAFF
""""""""""""""""
o John F. Peters [GENIELAMP] Publisher/Editor
o Darlah J. Pine [DARLAH] Co-Editor
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U.S. MAIL
"""""""""
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Colorado Springs, CO 80915
ATTENTION WRITERS Have you ever thought about writing an article?
""""""""""""""""" Well, here's your chance. WRITERS.ARC File #17920
located in the GEnie Lamp library, #35 is a short text file that will
give you information on our polices, what we are looking for and how to
go about writing and submitting your article for possible publication in
an upcoming issue of GEnie Lamp. Whether you are interested in taking
on one of the columns now found in GEnie Lamp, starting a new column, or
just submitting a one time article, we want to hear from you. So, take
a quick look, fire up the word processor and get busy on that article!
HOT OFF THE PRESS GEnie Lamp is published on the 1st and the 15th of
""""""""""""""""" every month for our Atari ST RoundTable members on
page 475, option 5. If you prefer to download your issue of GEnie Lamp,
you will find the current issue as well as all the back issues on page
476, in the GEnie Lamp library, #35. GEnie Lamp is also distributed
on electronic bulletin boards worldwide. (If your favorite BBS doesn't
have it, upload it!)
DON'T FORGET! GEnie Lamp sisters issue, GEnie Lamp [PR] is released
""""""""""""" every Friday night here in the ST Library, #35. In
GEnie Lamp [PR] you will find all the latest press releases,
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\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
Material published in this edition may be reprinted under the
following terms only. All articles must remain unedited and
include the issue number and author at the top of each article
reprinted. Reprint permission granted, unless otherwise noted, to
registered Atari user groups and not for profit publications.
Opinions present herein are those of the individual authors and
does not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or staff of
GEnie Lamp. We reserve the right to edit all letters and copy.
Material published in this edition may be reprinted only with the
following notice intact:
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
(c) Copyright 1991 T/TalkNET OnLine Publishing, Atari Corporation,
GEnie, and the Atari RoundTables. The Atari RoundTables on GEnie
are the *official* information services of the Atari Corporation. To
sign up for GEnie service, call (with modem) 1-800-638-8369. Upon
connection type HHH. Wait for the U#= prompt. Type: XJM11877,GENIE
and hit RETURN. The system will then prompt you for your information.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////////////////////////
[EOF]
