Z*Magazine: 3-Sep-92 #210
From: Atari SIG (xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 10/09/93-04:47:32 PM Z
From: xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Atari SIG)
Subject: Z*Magazine: 3-Sep-92 #210
Date: Sat Oct 9 16:47:32 1993
| (((((((( | Z*Magazine International Atari 8-Bit Magazine
| (( | ---------------------------------------------
| (( | September 3, 1992 Issue #210
| (( | ---------------------------------------------
| (((((((( | Copyright (c)1992, Rovac Industries, Inc.
| | Post Office Box 59, Middlesex, NJ 08846
| (( |
| (((((( | CONTENTS
| (( |
| | * The Editors Desk..........................Ron Kovacs
| ((( ((( | * Z*Net Newswire......................................
| (((( (((( | * Lynx Owners Update.....................Clinton Smith
| (( (( (( (( | * The 12-Volt 8-Bit........................Jeff Golden
| (( (( (( | * 2600, Where Are You?......................Tim Duarte
| (( (( | * Growing Up With Atari......................Bob Smith
| | * Z*Net Newswire Extra................................
| (( | * Cleveland Free-Net.....................Press Release
| (( (( | * Dusseldorf Report..........................John Nagy
| (((((((( |
| (( (( |
| (( (( | ~ Publisher/Editor..........................Ron Kovacs
| | ~ Contributing Editor......................Stan Lowell
| (((((((((( | ~ Contributing Editor........................Bob Smith
| (( | ~ Contributing Editor..................Michael Current
| (( ((((( | ~ Z*Net Newswire Service.........Ron Kovacs, John Nagy
| (( (( | ~ Z*Net New Zealand.........................Jon Clarke
| (((((((((( |
| |
|-------------| $ GEnie Address..................................Z-NET
| ONLINE | $ CompuServe Address........................75300,1642
| AREAS | $ Delphi Address..................................ZNET
| | $ Internet/Usenet Address................status.gen.nz
|-------------| $ America Online Address......................ZNET1991
|-------------|
| Z*NET | * Z*Net News Service.....(FNET 593).....(908) 968-8148
| SUPPORT | * Z*Net:Golden Gate......(FNET 706).....(510) 373-6792
| SYSTEMS | * Blank Page.........(8-Bit FNET 9002)..(908) 805-3967
=======================================================================
* Z*NET NEWSWIRE
=======================================================================
ATARI DEVELOPER CONFERENCE HELD
Atari held a developer conference in London with over 120 developers in
attendance on June 27, 1992. Attendance at the confernce was by
invitation only which included staff from Atari Sunnyvale including Sam
Tramiel, Bill Rehbock and John Skruch. In addition to the Atari
personal, a few experts where brought along to discuss features of the
Atari Falcon and specific information on programming the DSP. Reactions
from the intense one day affair were positive and widly enthusiastic.
While some were not Atari developers, the features of the new machine
captured the imaginations of all.
NAGY MIFFED ATARI MUM
In Issue #826 of ST-Report contained defamitory information about
AtariUser Editor in Chief John Nagy and Atari Corp.. Nagy called the
editor of the publication to complain and request removal of the issue
from all the distribution services, later a new issue was released minus
the offending comments. The file however generated over 355 downloads
on GEnie alone before the replacement was uploaded. Nagy was pleased
with the action taken, however, officials at Atari Corp had no comment
on the matter.
SPA SETTLES ACTION
The Software Publishers Association and Consolidated Micro Services
announced the settlement of a copyright infringement suit brought
against Los Angeles area computer dealer Consolidated Micro Services and
its owner, Gary Johnson, by SPA members Fifth Generation Systems, Lotus,
Microsoft, Novell, and WordPerfect. As part of the settlement of the
suit, CMS agreed to make a contribution to SPA's Copyright Protection
Fund and to distribute a policy against unauthorized copying or
distribution of software to all CMS employees. Since 1988, the Software
Publishers Association has filed over 150 lawsuits on behalf of its
members and obtained numerous search and seizure orders against
businesses, computer dealers, bulletin board services, and educational
institutions that have violated its members' copyrights. The SPA's
anti-piracy hotline, 1-800-388-7478, accepts calls reporting software
violations.
PC/TELEVISION SHIPS
50/50 Micro Electronics announced this week Wednesday that its PC/
TELEVISION" product is now shipping. PCT is a new add-on board for
IBM-compatible computers that incorporates a 119 channel tuner capable
of handling VHF, UHF and cable TV frequencies. Standard cable TV
coaxial cable can be connected directly to the card as well as an
external TV antenna. Other input devices can include a VCR, laser disc
player, a video camera or an internal private broadcast TV cable. The
product is compatible with all IBM XT/AT (286/386/486) style computers
and runs under MS-DOS 3.1 or higher.
MAXTOR INTRODUCES NEW PRODUCT
Maxtor has introduced the MXT-340, an inch-high drive with 340-megabytes
of formatted storage capacity. The MXT-340 uses the same components and
features the same fast seek times and data transfer rates as its parent
drives, the inch-high MXT-540 and the full-height MXT-1240, which
provide 540MB and 1.2 gigabytes of formatted storage capacity,
respectively.
ATARI WITHDRAWS APPEAL
Nintendo and Atari Corp. announced that Atari has withdrawn its appeal
of a jury verdict and judgment in favor of Nintendo in Atari's antitrust
case against Nintendo, which was recently tried in Federal Court in San
Francisco. Nintendo will not proceed with its request to recover
certain court costs from Atari.
(Editors Note: The following item produced for the Z*Net Newswire was
NOT discussed with Atari directly. This feature is an independent
column. Comments and views presented here are those of the Z*Net News
Service and does not reflect the views of Atari Corporation.)
IN SEARCH OF THE ATARI FALCON 030
Even though no official word is available, even though Atari has
maintained a lid on details, and even though some leaks claim that the
new computer to be unveiled this fall won't bear the name FALCON, the
rumor mill has provided ample pseudo-information on what is expected to
be a remarkable machine.
Atari held an invitation-only Falcon developer conference in London on
June 27th, attended by over 120 developers. Sam Tramiel, Bill Rehbock,
and John Skruch were among those attending the conference for Atari. In
addition to the Atari personal, a few experts were brought along to
discuss features of the Falcon and programming the Digital Signal
Processor. Reactions from the intense one day affair varied from the
positive to the wildly enthusiastic. A number of the developers that
attended are not currently working on Atari platforms, but the
demonstrations and discussions appear to have convinced all of them to
either reconsider their position or to immediately add Atari to their
development programs.
Sam Tramiel has planned to reveal the Falcon technical details in live
conferences on the GEnie and Delphi telecommunications networks in early
August. This will be in preparation for the huge Dusseldorf Atari Messe
("fair") in Germany, August 21-23, where the public should see the
Falcon for the first time. Commercial availability for the units is
projected for later this fall.
A first look almost came early, through the efforts of Atari Advantage
Magazine. An exclusive Falcon story, complete with photographs of the
outside and even the motherboard of the Falcon, was planned for their
June issue. However, delays in production caused that issue to become
the June/July issue, and then negotiations with Atari Corp regarding
non-disclosure matters caused the photographs to be dropped and the
printing to be further delayed until late July. The photographs will
instead be featured in an upcoming issue of Atari Explorer (see related
story, below). The Atari Advantage Falcon article remains generally
complete, and is recommended reading, even getting "thumbs up" from
Atari officials. The Falcon issue should be available at Atari dealers
well into August.
Speculative Specs
The Falcon 030 (it may still be called something else when released, but
this name is now seeming to stick) will feature a 68030 running at
16mHz, be in the 1040-style one piece cabinet, and feature "more colors
than you can see, more sounds than you can hear", and use a Motorola
Digital Signal Processor DSP 56001 (like in NeXT). It will have an
updated TOS operating system that will include MultiTOS multitasking.
That much is official. The rest is via leak and speculation, and as
such, subject to change.
MultiTOS was developed by ATARI Corp. in cooperation with Eric Smith of
the Mathematics Department at the University of Western Ontario. Eric
designed the multitasking kernel called MiNT, which forms the basis for
MultiTOS, a combination of ROM code in the TOS and extensions on disk.
Message pipelines exist between parallel running applications, allowing
controlled interaction of simultaneous processes in different windows.
Old-standard desk accessories now unnecessary due to CPX modules and the
ability to run programs simultaneously, in effect, making every
application work like an accessory. Under MultiTOS, if one of many
parallel running applications should crash, the others remain protected
and safe. A more limited version of MultiTOS for older ST computers is
expected to be available as software.
According to the Atari Advantage Falcon story, the Falcon case will be a
dark grey, similar to the color of the Portfolio and STacy. It will
feature an STe/TT compatible LAN port plus and industry standard SCSI II
peripheral port, stereo microphone and headphone jacks, STe extended
joystick ports, a DSP port, and a built-in speaker. This last item is
important as the Falcon will be able to use standard high resolution
color multisync monitors which typically have no audio. Older Atari
monitors will also be usable with an adaptor. Broadcast quality TV
compatible video is offered with built-in genlock and "true color"
32,768 color capacity plus a variety of other modes (including all ST
modes).
Sound? Yikes. Sixteen-bit digital record/playback in resolution up to
50 kHz (better than an audio CD) in up to eight channels, with direct-
to-hard-disk recording, with a DSP port allowing digital audio transfer
rates of up to a megabyte per second. And STe 8-bit and ST three-voice
sound will be supported, making the Falcon as close to 100% backwards
compatible as possible.
Also in the copyrighted Advantage article are observations of on-board
sockets that appear ready for addition of alternate CPU devices, such as
PC or MAC emulators. With the dramatic speed and PC compatible video,
emulation should be a snap. Other internal items included a fan and an
internal hard disk--a 2.5" 40 meg unit in the one Advantage cracked
open. A daughter board held 16 meg of RAM in a plug-in module.
Price? It is rumored that the Falcon 030 will start at under $700.
ATARI EXPLORER TAKES ADVANTAGE
Atari Advantage has ceased publishing operations after only three
issues, as the publisher and editor have been hired to take over
production of Atari's in-house magazine, Atari Explorer. Mike Lindsay
and Darren Meers are relocating to Sunnyvale to pilot the glossy bi-
monthly Explorer after their short but well-received stint producing
their own Atari magazine. According to Lindsay, many subscriptions were
either not billed or charged in anticipation of the move. Paid
subscribers will be given options on conversion to a subscription to
Atari Explorer.
Lindsay and Meers were part of ST-INFORMER for four years, and both left
Informer in January 1992 over a dispute regarding ownership and control.
Their own magazine, Atari Advantage, had established a respectable
circulation, but Atari Corp. elected not to bring Advantage in-house as
an additional magazine.
The naming of editorial staff for Explorer ends months of conjecture
about who would take over for John Jainschigg. John declined to move to
Sunnyvale from his New York offices where he produced Explorer for the
last two years.
Bringing Atari Explorer to the home offices is part of an overall
consolidation of executive effort and attention at Atari. Overseeing
the magazine operation will be Atari's Bernie Stolar.
(Editors Note: Since this story was written, Atari Advantage Magazine
has been purchased by Castle Publishing in Texas and will be edited by
Neil Simon.)
LYNX GOES WEST
As Atari gears up for the Jaguar game console to be released in 1993,
the Lombard Illinois offices of Atari Entertainment are being relocated
to Sunnyvale. Home of the Lynx development team, Lombard will remain
open as a programming center, but sales, marketing, and support for the
Lynx and soon the Jaguar will be part of the California operation under
the guidance of Bernie Stolar. Leaving Atari are Larry Seigal and Dana
Plotkin, who did not wish to relocate.
ATARI IN FORBES
The August 3, 1992 issue of Forbes Magazine recounts the Atari story in
a two-page article called "Cheap Didn't Sell" by Dyan Machan. The famed
business/industry reporting magazine blames Atari's troubles on the
Tramiel family's penny pinching. Machan claims that second-quarter 1992
financial statements (unavailable at press time) will be far worse than
the first quarter when Atari lost $14 million on $44 million in sales.
Further, the article says that Jack Tramiel has personally taken over
day-to-day operation of the company, moving his son Sam out of his
former office. The article does mention the new line of Falcon
computers and the Jaguar game console, but speculates that Atari has
less than half of the cash needed to perform an appropriate roll-out of
the new products. Atari officials aren't happy with the Forbes
article's tone, but some observers are saying, "Any press is more press
than we have had. A lot of readers will discover that Atari is not
dead, at least."
NEW SUPERBASE COMING
Superbase database systems for the Atari have been acquired by Oxxi Inc.
who now offer upgrades for the popular line of software. The charge to
upgrade either version of Superbase Personal to SB Pro 3 is $85,
available only through Oxxi. The upgrade includes full product, manuals
and all. A new product, Superbase 4, is expected in the near future.
Oxxi Inc., P.O. Box 90309, Long Beach, CA 90809-0309, USA, FAX (310)
427-0971.
NEW HOST BRINGS CD, FLOPTICAL TO ATARI
ICD Inc. has announced a new host adaptor that will enable standard ST
computers to use industry standard SCSI devices, including hard drives,
CD ROM drives, and flopticals designed for IBM, MAC, and Amiga. Pricing
has not been announced, but "The Link" will be a self-powered molded
cable-box affair that will connect to Atari's DMA (ACSI) port and plug
directly to standard 50-pin centronics style SCSI ports, giving instant
and complete access to virtually any peripheral using SCSI, with up to 8
devices at one time being supported. Better yet, MS-DOS formatted
devices will read and write directly and transparently from the ST
without modification, using ICD's driver software. CD-ROMs are now
supported through The Link's extended SCSI commands, with a re-written
MetaDOS driver to support the SCSI-2 standard for CD-ROM players. The
ICD Link will be premiered at the Atari Messe in Dusseldorf, Germany in
August. ICD is taking orders now with shipments expected in mid-August.
For further information, contact Thomas Harker at ICD by phone (815)
968-2228 extension 120, or FAX (815) 968-6888.
CD's, PHOTOS, AND ATARI
Atari's been dodging the CD-ROM technology for almost three years, and
now it looks like the wait might pay off. New CD technology is becoming
available that makes most older disk players obsolete. The Kodak Photo
CD system provides a way for consumers to have their color photographs
printed to a CD in resolutions exceeding all but the most sophisticated
computers and monitors. But the new format can't be read by many
current CD player drives. The new system is called Mode 2, XA, multi-
session capable. If you are buying a CD ROM, look for those
specifications to preserve your value. New format drives might be
readable using the ICD LINK (see story above) or by using ICD's revised
MetaDOS on a TT or Falcon.
PHOTO CD CONVERSION FOR ATARI
Picking up the torch of CD photos and accessibility to quality color
conversions of photographs, Randall Kopchak of It's All Relative is
offering to make ST-readable STe Spectrum format files of any photograph
on a Kodak CD for only fifty cents each (PC standard GIF files will be
made at $1 each). The first ever published STe conversion is of a
fountain in Keiner Plaza in Saint Louis, Missouri, and shows dramatic
detail in the water and sky. Originally shot on standard film, it was
converted to CD by Kodak, stored in 24-bit RGB at a resolution of 2048
by 3072 pixels. Kopchak says that when Atari settles on the CD driver
systems, his company will offer a direct view software system for the
Kodak CD's. In the meantime, the company does offer software to convert
CD photographs to GIF format via "Virtual BookMaker PC", available for
$25, and requiring a 386 or better PC with VGA or better, 2 meg or
better memory, XA CD ROM drive, running Windows 3.1 or higher. For
processing CD's to regular computer disk files, enclose the required
payment plus $3 per order for postage and handling, and send your Kodak
CD to Randall Kopchak, It's All Relative, 2233 Keeven Lane, Florissant,
MO 63031, (314) 831-9482, GEnie address: GREG, CIS address: 70357,2312.
ATARIUSER REDUCES SUBSCRIPTION RATE
AtariUser Magazine, a monthly Atari publication with coverage of the
entire Atari line of computer products, has announced a promotional
price cut in their home subscription rates. New and renewal subscribers
can take a $5 discount and pay just $15 for one year, 12 issues of the
magazine with standard 3rd class delivery. A new offering of FIRST
CLASS DELIVERY is now also available for only $5 more than the standard
rate, or $25. "We had complaints from parts of the country where 3rd
class takes three or more weeks to deliver," said AtariUser Editor John
Nagy, "and since we publish our issues in real-time rather than
'newsstand time', our August issue is shipped July 30. That allows us
to include news we receive as late as July 24. But it means that a few
subscribers get the August magazine on August 24." Dealers and user
groups are shipped their copies of AtariUser via UPS, which takes about
one week to cross the USA. The FIRST CLASS HOME DELIVERY OPTION will
allow home subscribers to get the magazine within three days of printing
at a total yearly (12 issue) subscription rate of $25. The $15 standard
and $25 First Class subscription rates will be good for orders received
by October 1, 1992. For this promotional rate, payment must be included
(by check, money order, or VISA/MASTERCARD number and signature) and
orders may ONLY be by mail. Be sure to include your complete address
and phone number. Send your order to QUILL PUBLISHING CO., 113 W.
College Street, Covina, CA 91723-2008.
I DON'T LIKE YOUR TONE
It can happen to you: replace your toner in your Atari SLM laser printer
(or others!) and suddenly you get light print with streaks. You can
keep increasing the toner darkness dial inside the SLM until it's all
the way on, to the point of spooning toner onto the drum, and your
printouts are still light and streaky. Woe is you, you need an
expensive new drum. NOT. Although it is a little known fact, all toner
is not created equal--even name brands. Differences between production
runs, age, storage, etc. can each affect the quality of the toner, and
your new toner may be the culprit. Before you shell out for a drum,
replace the toner again with a fresh box, bought somewhere or sometime
other than the first box. You are likely to find, once the new toner
circulates, that your printer is happy again. And you can't lose if the
drum is to blame after all, just use the replaced toner later. But
store it carefully--its a mess.
=======================================================================
* LYNX OWNERS COLUMN By Clinton Smith
=======================================================================
The following article is reprinted in Atari Explorer Online by
permission of AtariUser magazine. It MAY NOT be further reprinted
without specific permission of AtariUser. AtariUser is a monthly Atari
magazine, available by subscription by calling (818) 332-0372.
LYNX BRIEFS
~ Look for unexpected fun in the new Lynx game TOKI (reviewed last
month in AtariUser). On level 3, a bug in the program (rather than an
intentional "Easter Egg" surprise) allows you to go through the ceiling
and bypass part of the game. It can make the game crash or distort the
display if you do go exploring. This might be fixed in a later
production run, making this a limited-time passport to the unknown!
~ As summer approaches, video game companies start dropping their prices
and the competition starts to heat up. This year is no exception.
Turbo Technologies started out by packing Bonk's Revenge with the
Turbografx-16 and slashing the price of their CD-Rom peripheral to an
amazing $150. Sega made their move next by dropping the price of
Genesis to $130, and were quick with a commercial that touted their
price advantage over the $180 Super Nintendo system. This would have
been a real coup if Nintendo hadn't dropped their price to $150 at the
same time. Who's going to be the winner? The game buying public.
LYNX SURVIVAL - The Essentials
What Lynx accessories and games are absolute necessities for Lynx
fanatics? AtariUser asked me to come up with some suggestions for you.
Accessories
The Lynx is a compact portable system, but if you plan to have your
essentials with you, a carrying case is a must. Atari's kit carrying
case is readily available and does the job nicely. However, if you can
find someone who has one of the modular Realm cases, see if they'd be
willing to part with it. The costs for making the cases was too much
for Realm to absorb and attempts to do a new case haven't panned out, so
they're something of a collector's item.
If you're planning on doing any outdoors Lynx play, you'll need a sun
screen. These handy items from Atari are very affordable (only $5) and
are available in versions for the original Lynx and the new smaller Lynx
(the original models are starting to get scarce so if you need one, be
sure to pick one up).
If you don't feel like buying tons of AA batteries to keep your Lynx
running you have two excellent options. If you're in range of a power
outlet, the AC adaptor will provide you with continuous power and tons
of playing time. But you're probably saying, "Clint, the Lynx is
supposed to be portable. What if I want to play a long time while I'm
on the move?" No problem. With the newly released Lynx battery pack
and 6 D batteries, you can go portable for 30 straight hours and play to
your heart's content.
Games
Best Puzzlers: If you want brain-twisting, you have 2 terrific choices.
Chip's Challenge was one of the first Lynx games and is still regarded
as one of the best (since its debut on the Lynx it's found its way onto
most computer platforms and the NES). Crystal Mines 2 is much newer but
is just as addictive. Fans of the classic Boulder Dash will be pleased.
Best Shooters: Want something less cerebral with more firepower? Blue
Lightning is a jet jockey's dream that makes excellent use of the Lynx's
scaling abilities. If you like the scrolling-power up-bosses type of
games then Zarlor Mercenary delivers. Expect to invest some time before
you see the final boss.
Best Run and Jump: This category has become a staple thanks to the Mario
Brothers, and the Lynx has a real standout with Scrapyard Dog. It has
lots of gameplay and plenty of hidden stuff to keep you interested.
Best Multi-player: Think you might run into some fellow Lynx
enthusiasts? The Lynx was built with multi-player fun in mind and it
has 2 real standouts. Slime World was the first game that really showed
just how good multi-player action could be (up to 8 people can join in).
Feel like a little dogfighting between friends? Then you need Warbirds.
Players take to the skies in World War 1 biplanes in a contest to see
who's the real ace.
Best Arcade games: Need some arcade action without the quarters? Tackle
the classic reflex tester Klax (regarded by many to be the best
conversion available). Martial arts more your speed? Then take on
Ninja Gaiden which is a tremendous mimic of the arcade game. An arcade
game that few thought could be done justice on any home system (let
alone a portable system) was the popular Stun Runner. Guess what? The
folks at Atari somehow pulled it off and it's very impressive.
Best Sports games: As I write this, we're still waiting for the flood of
new sports titles but there are now two goodies for sports fans.
Checkered Flag brings you formula 1 racing action and lets 6 people
compete against each other. If you fancy a round of golf, Awesome Golf
lives up to it's name. It's easy to grasp and quite challenging.
BIO: Clinton Smith lives for his Lynx. His APE NEWSLETTER is published
5 times a year now. Contact Clint at APE, 2104 North Kostner, Chicago,
IL 60639, or on GEnie at C.SMITH89.
=======================================================================
* THE 12-VOLT 8-BIT By Jeff Golden
=======================================================================
Who says, "You can't take it with you". With the aid of the following
modifications, it is possible to power your 800XL or 130XE from the car
battery without affecting its 120VAC operation.
You can take along your favorite computer games for those long road
trips, and if you are into writing travelogues, you can take along your
TextPro disk and take notes along the way.
Now that your car has some programmable "computer smarts", how about
getting carried away with a monitor-based instrument panel and a voice
that nats at you when you forget to check the oil. Add in those
instruments that you have always wanted, like a low oil sensor or a
miles-per-gallon meter. This isn't as silly as it might sound. A 600XL
with some cartridge software and a few extra sensors could do all that.
Let me hasten to add a disclaimer at this point. If you manage to zap
your computer, burn up the car, run off the road, or achieve some other
undesirable result after following these instructions, we cannot assume
any responsibility. You are strickly on your own.
The modifications have been tested and work on my equipment, but because
of the wide variety of 8-bit devices and user skills, there is no way
that we can assure you that the changes will work on your equipment.
Let me caution you that any connections to the car's electrical system
should be properly fused and to check all voltages and polarities with
a VOM before you connect any equipment. Futhermore, you should check
the equipment for signs of overheating, particularly during the first
hour of use, and never leave the equipment unattended while it is
plugged into the electrical system.
Do not operate or connect the equipment after it has been subjected to
rain or condensation.
Powering up the computer: The 800XL and the 130XE are powered with 5.18
volts of DC that is fed into the computer by means of a 7-pin male DIN
plug. There are two ways of providing this 5VDC from your car battery.
The easy way is to obtain and modify one of the early XL power supplies,
(the black and white XL supply that can be taken apart). The other, and
more expensive way, is to make your own 12VDC power supply which is
actually easier done than said. (The old cliche reversal is
intentional).
If you have one of the old style XL power supplies, you can modify it in
the same manner that is described below for the 1050 disk drive,
otherwise we will need to replace the AC power supply brick with a
similar sized brick that reduces the 12-15 volts of car power to 5
volts. This is easily accomplished by wiring a simple voltage regulator
circuit and mounting that circuit in a ventilated plastic box. (See the
wiring diagram).
Radio Shack has the perfect power supply box for this purpose, and it is
highly recommended. (270-287). This box will insulate the heat sink
both thermally and electrically. (The heat sink is charged at +5 volts).
The other parts are also available from Radio Shack with the exception
of a heavy duty heat sink.
The regulator will generate about 10-15 watts of heat that must be
carried away from the regulator chip to prevent it from destroying
itself. You may be able to buy a heavy duty heat sink at an electronics
store, or you may want to fabricate one from heavy aluminum scrap. I
used an aluminum bar 18" X 1" X 1/8". The bar was folded accordion
style to fit into the case. The regulator chip was fastened to the
center of the bar with heat sink grease in between and no insulators.
My regulator chip was mounted vertically with the pins projecting
upward. The regulator mounting screw was also used to mount an L-shaped
bracket which in turn was used to support a small circuit board above
the heat sink. A coaxial jack was fastened to the case for the 12VDC
input. A 2-conductor 18ga lamp cord and a DIN plug were run out the
other end of the case for the 5V output.
Be sure to check your DC-converter brick for proper voltage and polarity
before connecting it to the computer. The output should be between 5.15
and 5.25 volts at the DIN plug.
Powering up the 1050: This one is easy. All that we have to do is
mount a 12VDC input jack on the 1050 case and then let the regulators
inside the 1050 take care of the rest. See diagram. No circuit
cutting or switching is necessary and the 1050 will still run under AC
as well as DC. Wire the DC jack to the plus and minus poles of the AC
rectifier as shown. The DC jack can be double-checked by connecting the
1050 to AC power in the normal way and then checking the empty terminals
of the DC jack for approximately 11 volts of DC with the expected
polarity.
Warning!! Plugging AC into the DC jack could damage the electrolytic
capacitors and other components. I recommend covering up the DC jack
with a piece of tape whenever the drive is not being used in the car.
Atari uses a negative signal ground which corresponds nicely with the
majority of cars which also use a negative ground. To minimize possible
shorts to the car body, I connected the negative DC line to all of the
outer (exposed) rings of the coaxial DC plugs and connected the positive
DC line to the center tips.
Plug the TV monitor and the computer into the cigar lighter using a Y
adaptor. (AC/DC TVs usually come with a lighter cord). Using the
lighter socket enables the driver to easily disconnect the system when
parking the car, and it also enables the easy removal of everything
when the vacation is over. Cigar lighter plugs can be bought with
built-in fuse holders. The computer/disk drive combo needs a 5-amp
fuse. It only draws about 2 amps, but there is too much of a voltage
drop across a fuse that is smaller than 5 amps.
Operational notes: Disk boot errors may occur when the car's engine is
not running. Startng the car generates a higher voltage that should
take care of the problem. Also any dirt in the cigar lighter can cause
similar problems. Run the engine when you want to use the computer.
Otherwise the combined current of the TV and computer may be enough to
run the battery down in the middle of your Donkey Kong game.
One Final WARNING! It is illegal to operate a TV in the front seat of a
vehicle. Put the whole thing in the back where it is impossible for the
driver to see and/or assist in its operation. Even folks with the best
of intentions will find it impossible to resist the need to twiddle the
knobs when the kids are having difficulties. It could be your last
twiddle.
Here are the detailed directions for modifying a 1050 disk drive. This
also applies to modifying the "old" style 800XL supply.
1. Open the case and locate the four rectifier diodes. These are small
black cylinders, 1/2" long by 3/16" diameter, mounted on the circuit
board right next to each other.
BACK OF 1050
-----------------------------------
A.C. !
------- ! -------
*--! diode !---*---! diode !--*
!
! ------- ------- !
! !
! ------- ------- !
*--! diode !---*---! diode !--*
! ---- -- ! ------- !
! ! !
! A.C. !
! !
(-) minus DC plus DC (+)
2. Using care, use your voltmeter to determine the plus and minus
poles of your rectifier diodes. These are labeled (-) and (+) in
the above diagram, but could be different on your machine.
3. Wire a coaxial power jack to the plus and minus poles of the
rectifier. The jack leads can be easily soldered to the appropriate
diode leads. Do NOT attempt to run the wires under the board.
There isn't enough room and the sharp pins will pierce the
insulation.
Connect the minus lead to the outer ring of the jack and the plus
lead to the center tip.
4. Mount the jack. I enlarged the hole in the 1050 case where the
drive select switches are and mounted the input jack there. Tape
the jack wires to the tall capacitor to prevent them from draping
across the 1050 heat sink.
5. Reassemble the case and check out your work by plugging in the A.C.
transformer. You should see a DC voltage of the correct polarity on
the empty 12VDC jack.
If you have one of the old style XL power supplies, you can modify it in
the same fashion as the above 1050 modification. The regulators in the
XL supply will properly reduce the 12VDC to the 5VDC needed by the
computer and the change can be made for the price of a jack and a piece
of wire. I mounted my 12VDC input jack between the leads coming out of
the old power supply.
If you have to build your own supply then use the following wiring
diagram:
--------
! !
+12VDC ! LM317T ! +5.18VDC
*---*----! !----*------*----*
! IN! !OUT ! ! (+)
! ! ! ! ! DIN
! -------- Z !
! ! ADJ Z 220 !
! ! Z OHM !
! ! ! !
! ! ! !
! *---------* === 1.0
! ! ! uf
! ! !
! Z !
=== 0.1uf Z 680 !
! Z OHM !
! ! !
! ! !
*---*------------------*------*----*
-battery (-)
DIN
Just in case the above diagram does not survive the file transmission
and is out of alignment, the negative ground line is common across
both the input and output voltages.
The +12VDC input connects to the IN pin of the LM317. The 0.1uf
capacitor connects between the IN pin and ground. The 1.0uf capacitor
connects between the OUT pin and ground. The 220 Ohm resistor connects
between the ADJust pin and the OUT pin. The 680 Ohm resistor connects
between the ADJust pin and ground. The +5.18VDC output is present on
the OUT pin.
As you can see, the circuit is a very simple one. About the only place
you can go wrong is in identifying the IN, OUT, and ADJ pins of the
LM317. Refer to the back of the package for the pin locations. They
are numbered in an odd fashion.
The wiring for the DIN jack is shown on a label on the Atari Power
Supply. Compare the voltages with a voltmeter between the Atari supply
and your new supply. It is easy to get confused about which end of the
connector you are looking at. It is also easy to short out and destroy
a power supply, so be careful with your test leads around the metal
collar of the DIN plug.
I used 2-conductor 18ga lamp cord for both the input and output lines
on my supply. Using an input jack on the computer power supply allowed
me to bring the power from the cigar lighter out to three identical
5.0mm O.D. coaxial plugs, one for the TV, one for the 1050, and one for
the new 800XL supply.
Now, a few words on choosing a portable AC/DC TV to use as a monitor.
Don't expect much from a TV while on the road. About the time someone
gets interested in a program, you usually drive out of the station's
range, and they don't have many stations out there in the boonies. Try
to get a TV with an all-channel scan feature. This will enable you to
find all of the available stations when you are far from home.
A TV weather report now and then could save you a lot of trouble on the
road. One way of beating the lack of stations is to buy a set with a
built in video tape player.
As to size: A 9" set with a tape player looks pretty small in the store,
but it is a real monster inside of your car. Hopefully you have a motor
home, or at least a van, otherwise you may want to get a 5" set.
Well that should just about do it. By now you should be out there in
the car playing Donkey Kong. Just remember, "Don't leave home without
your joystick"!
Parts List:
2 274-1567 DC Power Plugs
2 274-1565 DC Power Jacks
1 274-335 Fused Lighter Plug
1 270-1535 Lighter Plug Y-Adapter
12 feet of 18ga 2-cond. lamp cord
The above parts are all that you need if you can modify the old style
XL supply. If not, you need the following additional parts:
1 276-1778 LM317T voltage regulator
1 272-1432 0.1uf capacitor
1 272-1434 1.0uf capacitor
1 271-1313 220 Ohm resistor
1 271-021 680 Ohm resistor
1 276-159 Dual printed circuit bd.
1 276-1372 Heat Sink Grease
1 NA at RS Heavy duty heat sink
(See text above)
1 270-287 Power Supply Case
1 274-029 7-pin DIN Plug
You will need some small nuts and bolts to fasten the parts together.
The screws that come with the DC Jacks are a little too short to be used
in this application.
Enjoy.
=======================================================================
* 2600 WHERE ARE YOU? by Tim Duarte
=======================================================================
The following article is reprinted in Atari Explorer Online by
permission of AtariUser magazine. It MAY NOT be further reprinted
without specific permission of AtariUser. AtariUser is a monthly Atari
magazine, available by subscription by calling (818) 332-0372.
How were you first introduced to Atari? Most Atari users will answer
this question the same way, tracing their roots to the early days of
video games. You may have played one of those early Atari Pong machines
on your television set. You may remember a few game variations, but the
systems were very limited. The game ROMs were built-in, making it a
dedicated video game system.
The 2600 - The King of Video
The Atari Video Computer System (VCS), later known as the Atari 2600 as
well as the Sears VCS, turned many people on to video games, too. The
2600 was a dream come true for many wanna-be owners who shied away from
the dedicated Pong systems. Since the game ROMs were now stored in
cartridges, it opened up a whole new world of video games that offered
color and variety.
As many of us upgraded and became excited about the potential of
computers, the 2600 and other cartridge-based game systems seemed to
become forgotten and obsolete. Game software for Atari computers (then
the 8-bit 400 and 800) began to flourish on cassette tape and floppy
disk, as well as ROM cartridges. Some owners decided to sell their
system, others stored it away in a cellar or an attic, and despite it
all, some remained loyal. Underneath the success of home computers, the
cartridge-based game market has remained alive.
Atari released a number of systems to the gaming public. The most
popular, perhaps in all video game history, is the 2600 game system.
Millions of these systems have been sold since its introduction in 1977.
It also has an impressive library of games that some fans have
calculated to number near 500. To keep the 2600 from obsolescence,
Atari planned an expansion kit called The Graduate. It was a keyboard
add-on unit that transformed the 2600 into a home computer. The product
was never released.
In 1982, Atari released the 5200 game system, which was based on the
same internal components as the Atari 400. The system looked great on
paper, but it didn't catch on with the general public. It didn't have a
large selection of games to choose from, and the joysticks were odd and
very easy to break. Still, the 5200, which offered graphics that
compared to arcade versions, was well-received among many game players
who chose not to upgrade to the home computers.
The 7800 - the Super Machine that Almost Was
The later Atari 7800 game system tried to make up for the mistakes that
the 5200 made. Without a need for adapters, the 7800 runs its own
cartridges and is compatible with the hundreds of cartridges that were
made for the 2600 and the dozens for the 5200. The joysticks were an
improvement on the standard Atari joystick, and the games created for
the 7800 were even of a higher quality than the games for the 8-bit
computers. This system has a lot of potential, but it never seemed to
catch on like the 2600 did.
Atari then released the XE Game System. The XEGS is essentially a 65XE
8-bit computer in disguise. It came packaged with a light gun and tried
to contend with the 8-bit Nintendo and Sega Master System. The XEGS
came in third place out of the three and could not attract a large
number of consumers who were impressed with the more detailed graphics
(but inferior processing power) of Nintendo systems.
We could consider the ST computers as part of the game evolution, but
for our purposes here, we're really dealing with the machines that Atari
intended to be "game machines," not computers. And for home consoles,
Atari fell off of the crest of the game wave.
Of course, the next step was the remarkable LYNX, and Atari has rumored
first a PANTHER and now a JAGUAR advanced game console, to be released
sometime next year. Details are absolutely unavailable, and it's
thought that even Atari hasn't decided what features will be in the
final system.
But the "classic" Atari gaming community has survived through all of
this. For a number of reasons, price and performance among them, many
users are regaining interest in the older Atari systems. In these days
of 16-bit Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, the Atari systems remain in
the shadows, but won't go away. Longevity speaks for itself, and the
2600 has been around for 15 years!
And Yet It Lives...
Only months ago, Atari released some hot new games for the 7800 -- Alien
Brigade, Basketbrawl, Motor Psycho, Midnight Mutants, Planet Smashers,
and Ninja Golf, to name a few. Four titles -- Ikari Warriors,
Motorodeo, Sentinel, and Xenophobe -- were also released for the 2600
system. And there's a huge variety of game cartridges available for all
four Atari systems.
The 2600 is popular in other countries, including England, Belgium,
Australia, Japan, and Algeria. I recently acquired Klax for the Atari
2600 from a friend in Belgium. Oddly enough, even while releasing new
titles, Atari decided not to release Klax in the U.S.
Unfortunately, as of Christmas 1991, Atari decided to discontinue the
XEGS, 2600, and 7800 systems. Much inventory was sold to Consolidated
Stores/Big Lots Stores, who have been selling brand new games at bargain
prices -- $1 to $3 each. How can you go wrong at this price? Atari
still has some games in stock, but not at such discounted prices.
So, you've just bought a 2600, or you dug your 5200 out of the attic, or
were given a 7800 system. You're itching to blast some Space Invaders
out of the sky, or play a few rounds of Pac-Man. Where do you start?
Most toy stores and video games stores have phased out their supply of
"older" products, so if you find a nearby store that has a selection of
Atari games, consider yourself lucky. Otherwise, here are some mail
order companies that sell 2600, 7800, 5200, and XEGS game cartridges and
accessories through the mail:
Atari Entertainment
500 Waters Edge, Suite 310
Lombard, IL 60148 (708) 629-1386
Best Electronics
2021 The Alameda, Suite 290
San Jose, CA 95126-1127 (408) 243-6950
Computer/Electronics Source
41-30 70th St.
Woodside, NY 11377-3952 (718) 426-9614
Telegames USA
Box 901 Lancaster, TX 75146
(214) 227-7694 (214) 218-5800 (24-hour order/info line)
Starbase Atari Computers
2369 Austin Highway
San Antonio, TX 78218 (512) 590-7122
Pleasant Valley Video
8141 Pleasant Valley Road
Camden, OH 45311 (513) 787-3682
Video 61
22735 Congo St. N.E.
Stacy, MN 55079 (612) 462-2500
These companies are a good starting point, but you don't have to rely on
mail order companies to find games for your Atari systems. Atari games
are also popular items at yard sales, flea markets, rummage sales,
computer swap meets, thrift shops, pawn shops, and more. Try scanning
the "for sale" classified ads of your local newspaper and online
bulletin board systems. I've been trading games all over the United
States and I'm building quite a large collection of games.
Even though the 2600, 7800, 5200, and XEGS are no longer being
manufactured, it doesn't mean the users who play these game systems will
go away and vanish.
Some folks regard the Atari game system as an ideal system for beginners
and youngsters, while others are attracted to the economical and
affordable prices of the systems and game cartridges when compared to
Nintendo. Atari systems are fun, simple to use, innocent, and fast. No
waiting for a disk to load into memory--just pop in a cartridge and
play.
Classic Game Support Groups
Personally, I'm a big fan and supporter of the 2600. Two years ago, I
began research and wrote letters to other fans, and I discovered I was
not alone. There's many video gamers out there who support the Atari
machines and show a lot of excitement about them. There is definitely a
need for the formation of clubs or user groups for these machines.
In that vein, I started my own newsletter specifically to support the
Atar VCS line. "The 2600 Connection" newsletters average 8 to 16 pages,
but they contain lots of interesting and useful information that you
won't find in the professional magazines. Each contain game reviews,
game solutions and tips, letters and questions, classified ads, and
more. I've produced 11 bi-monthly issues of The 2600 Connection so far.
A six-issue subscription is $6, and samples are available for $1 each.
Write to me at:
Tim Duarte
P.O. Box 3993
Westport, MA 02790
If you send a check, make it to me by name, as my publication has no
bank account. Like most of the amateur press, I support the community
on a break-even basis at best. But it's great fun!
[Look for Tim's roundup of "Amateur Press" publications that support all
of the Atari lines of computers in an upcoming issue of AtariUser - Ed.]
=======================================================================
* GROWING UP WITH ATARI By Bob Smith
=======================================================================
I have read many articles and magazines on computers, everything from
building a mainframe to programing your cat's feeding time. Seldom have
I read how someone has progressed through the ranks from pure novice to
actual productive use. Hopefully, I'll convey some of that here.
About six or seven years ago, we were having Thanksgiving dinner with my
wife's family. The usual topics were discussed and as the dinner wound
down, my brother-in-law, who is heavily involved with computers as his
vocation, started to discuss a home computer that he had just bought for
about $800. My father-in-law was captivated by this conversation and I
just sat there, drinking my coffee, wondering how I was going to
gracefully leave the table so I could get back to the major professional
football game on TV. The two of them were throwing around terms such as
ROM, RAM, disk drive, etc., etc., and I was at a complete loss.
Well, my wife, not to be outdone purchased the same type of computer
that my brother-in-law had purchased previously. That was my Christmas
present that year, the very first time that I had an up close and
personal visit with a home computer. Oh, I didn't mention that these
fine pieces of equipment, which could not do much in my eyes at that
time were Atari 800's.
On Christmas morning, I looked at this monster and wondered what in the
blazes I was going to use it for. Little did I know, years later that I
would be so addicted to these wonderful machines that I would not only
have a house full of them, but that I would use these Atari computers in
one form or another in my business.
As my father-in-law started to learn to use his, I couldn't help but be
a little curious about what he was doing and I started to read. I
learned what those silly terms of ROM and RAM meant, learned how to
change the cartridge in my trusty 800 and what basic and machine
language meant. Now please don't misunderstand me, I am in no way any
type of genius but the ways of computing were starting to make some
sense to me.
To this I give full credit to that wonderful gentleman, my dad-in-law.
Why? Well, he just kept having me do all of the grunt work, like
turning on the computer, looking stuff up in the various owner's manuals
and programming books that we had.
I want to jump ahead a few years now to when I starting to do basic
programing and word processing. My professional business is consulting
and employee benefits, which entails a lot of proposals and
presentations. At the time, all of this was being done on the old
typewriter and very slowly at that. I started to wonder, why not try
the old 800 in a business setting. I took stock of the available
programs available and settled on AtariWriter and several public domain
database programs. This was going to be a one machine experiment in the
office for one week. We had a particularly difficult proposal to do and
what better way than to try the computer in this situation.
I spent approximately 4 hours doing various formats for this proposal
and then discarding them. The major drawback was the 40 column screen,
but with a little practice, that drawback was overcome. Finally after
several attempts a proposal format was designed and used with great
success. The young lady that was working with me at the time bluntly
said that using the computer was the only way to go and she would never
again use the old typewriter. To this day, that poor typewriter sits
in a closet covered and holding up a pile of old forms.
From that one week experiment, which has never ended, we have progressed
to using multiple 8 Bit computers in our office. We now use 130XE's
with a variety of disk drives and printers. One question I'm frequently
asked is why not upgrade.......the answer that is given, is that a
business must watch its expenses and if the current equipment is doing
the job, why change. We have offices in other states and the same
philosophy is true there as well. We do almost all of our operations
from accounting to proposal preparation on these wonderful 8 bit
machines. Oh yes, we did get the client that we did that very first
proposal for.
As I started to use the computers in business, several events occurred
almost simultaneously. I became involved with the Mid-Florida Atari
Computer Club and was given a 520 ST.
Here I was just starting to feel very comfortable in my 8 Bit world,
using my computers in business, learning to program, etc. and along
comes a good friend, misguided, but non-the-less a good friend and tells
me he is going into the world of another computer and would I like this
poor 520ST. Well, being the gracious person that I am and not wanting
to hurt his feelings, I said OK. Not long after that, he arrives at my
home with several boxes and various cables, power supplies, disks and
other things.
I took a look at this and suddenly had a great deal apprehension and
fear. Why fear? Well, having just gotten comfortable and on a first
name basis with my 8 Bit equipment, what was I going to do with this
monster and where was I going to put it.... I didn't verbalize my fears
to my friend, not wanting to insult him in anyway, so I just put the
boxes in my den in one corner and went on with my happy computer life
and promptly forgot about the ST and all of the related boxes, cables,
disks, and other parts.
About this time I had joined The Mid-Florida Atari Computer Club and met
many experts in the ST field. One of these people by the name of
Tipton, who subsequently became a very good friend, came to my home one
day and noticed the ST monitor sitting very forlonely sitting on my
desk. It was only there for lack of any other place to put it and he
asked me about it. I explained the circumstances on how I came have it
and all of it's related parts. He looked at me with a gleam in his eye
and said "let's fire it up". I replied, "no thanks, I really don't want
to unpack everything". I really knew that if I did start to play with
it, I might not want to stop, having previously experienced that with my
trusty 8 Bit equipment.
But Dave, being of the persuasive type that he is, talked me into just a
'quick' bootup and then I could shut it down and put it away. As you
have probably guessed, from that inauspicious beginning, it has grown on
me to the point that the 520 ST now sits side by side with my 8 Bit and
is used for many tasks, not the least of which is my fetish for modeming
and Bulletin Boards. I still have a very long way to go, but there are
a lot of excellent programs available for the ST and it is still
supported rather well. Atari Corporation sure does know how to make an
excellent platform. Oh yes, I never did get even with Dave for getting
me hooked on the ST, but I guess I am really greatful.
As I had briefly mentioned before, I got involved with the Mid-Florida
Atari Computer Club (M.F.A.C.C.) very innocently. I was invited to
attend a meeting by a member named Carolyn Hoglin. Some of you may know
the name from the articles that she has published in the late Antic
Magazine and other newsletter publications. I attended this meeting and
found many kindred spirits of the Atari world. I was rather quiet at
first as I didn't want to open my mouth and show how dumb or naive I
really was about computers, but these people put me at ease and included
me in the meeting without making me feel like an outsider.
I joined immediately and got somewhat involved in that first year, but
little did I know that I would become totally immersed in the Club and
some of the people who have since become good friends. Finding people
with a very common interest can be difficult, if not impossible, but
here I was among a whole nest of them and I was as happy a computer with
a brand new 100 megabite harddrive.
As a direct result of being in the Club, I was and still am a part of
the Newsletter staff. I have learned a great deal on how a newsletter
is put together and the tremendous effort and hardwork that goes into
it. I was elected president for three straight terms and as you read
this, I have just finished that third year. The club has been the
catalyst for meeting some of the finest people that I have met in many
years, such as Bob Brodie of the Atari Corporation. That's an entire
story in of itself and I'll cover that in the final installment of this
trilogy in the next edition of Z*Magazine!
=======================================================================
* PERUSING THE INTERNET Compiled by Michael Current
=======================================================================
Reprinted from the Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG
From: aa399@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Len Stys)
Bad news for Atari Classic fans...
Taken from Part-Time
Title: bearer of bad?
Author: Jim Treber
To: All
Posted: Tue 23-Jun-92 at 5:56:00pm
Replies: 0
Origin: Mouse Bbs - Node #3 South Bend, In
Recently there was a write-in campaign to ralley support of an all 8-bit
Atari magazine, The Atari Classics. The effort seems to have been in
vain. Unicorn Publications, to where the campaige was directed, says it
is definitely not going to split off what little 8-bit coverage it now
offers to create Atari Classics, although would continue serving the 8-
bit community as long as 8-bit users express interest. Various opinions
all have valid points. Unicorn believes it is better to have more
interaction between St and 8-bit owners, not less and it is better to
treat St and 8-bit owners as equals rather than act if neither exists in
the same reality. There are just not enough developers and advertisers
to support separate magazines. How many 8bit only/16bit only
publications have gone under in just the past year? Unicorn's Aim
presently carries both St and (some) 8-bit articles and disk of the
month for both.
--
Michael Current, Cleveland Free-Net 8-bit Atari SIGOp
-->> go atari8 <<--
The Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG is the Central Atari Information
Network
Internet: currentm@carleton.edu / UUCP: ...!umn-cs!ccnfld!currentm
BITNET: currentm%carleton.edu@{interbit} / Cleveland Free-Net: aa700
------------------------------
Date: 26 Jun 92 21:20:26 GMT
From: kithrup!hoptoad!wet!ekrimen@uunet.uu.net (Ed Krimen)
Subject: Atari Explorer
To: Info-Atari8@naucse.cse.nau.edu
In article <92177.125634JJMCWILL@MTUS5.BITNET> JJMCWILL@MTUS5.BITNET
(Jeff McWilliams) writes:
>For those off you who don't subscribe to AIM, I've taken the liberty
>of typing in the recent issue's editorial article, since the news
>contained therein effects us 8 bitters as well as other Atari
>supporters.
> We feel Atari execs are making a bad decision by moving Explorer
> to Sunnyvale. It is very possible that Explorer won't last long in
> the political tug-of-war at Atari. If Explorer ceases publication, it
> will be a very sad day for all Atarians. It will be taken as a sign
> that even a glossy magazine supplemented by Atari itself can't make it
> any longer in the ever-shrinking Atari computer market.
While I agree with the rest of Bill and Pattie Rayl's editorial (there
wasn't much to disagree with actually), I must pick on this little
section.
It amazes me, even though I do it sometimes, that they can criticize an
Atari action even though they don't know all that's going on. There was
a definite reason for Atari moving Explorer to Sunnyvale and many
suspect it is to gain greater control, lower cost, and it even makes
sense to have the house mag run from headquarters.
I like John Jainschigg a lot. I'm sorry to see him leave the magazine,
since he did an excellent job. I worked with him on an editor/author
basis and he is one cool dude. :^) I worry what will become of Explorer
after John's last issue, but I know that Bob Brodie and others at Atari
will do their best to fill the position.
> As you may or may not recall, Ron Kovacs of Zmagazine recently
>entered into a cooperative effort with Atari Explorer to produce Atari
>Explorer Online magazine. (see Zmag207 on the Atari Archive for
>details.) Is anyone receiving Zmagazine or AEO these days?
>
>Jeff McWilliams
YES! There have been four issues of AEO so far, and they're only
distributed bi-weekly. The next one should be out this weekend. I
believe they're distributed on Usenet/Internet via the same mailing list
which distributed Z*Net. Unfortunately, I don't know what the mail
address is to get a subscription; hopefully someone else can help us
out.
--
||| Ed Krimen
||| ekrimen@wet.com or ekrimen@wet.UUCP or hoptoad!wet!ekrimen
/ | \ E.KRIMEN (GEnie)
------------------------------
Date: 27 Jun 92 23:53:46 GMT
From: portal!cup.portal.com!Rick_Michael_Cortese@uunet.uu.net
Subject: Atari Classics: not to happen?
To: Info-Atari8@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Well, Soap Box Attack so you can hit stop reading anytime. Patty Rayl
addressed this & the demise of another ST only mag in the latest issue
of AIM. When I read about the demise of the 'other' ST mag I was
touched by how sensitive & rational her comments were. On reading the
Classic comments; I was a little upset. AIM is right in their covering
all Atari products, but the 1st and last shot for exclusion was NEVER
fired by 8-bitters. All you have to do is read this forum to figure out
we have everybody from 2600 to ST, IBM, etcetera in here. Go to the
freaking ST sig & mention anything but an ST & see what happens. It
almost make me embarassed to own an ST! You get comments like
[obsolete, get a ST, get out of this sig]. Patty's right in that the
Atari community is all things Atari & common interest such as people
dropping by to ask about what modem to buy for their clone, but 1/2 of
the ST users have serious emotional difficulty with anything other then
an ST. You don't really have to worry about an 8-bit mag being split
off AIM. As I see it, one of two things will happen:
1) ST users complain about to much Lynx, 8-bit, etc news & leave.
2) The ratio of 8-bit to ST submissions will go up to the point where it
will seem like an 8-bit mag.
We really need to get rid of about 1/2 the ST users out there. They're
causing 90% of the problems in the Atari world. Sheesh! Even Bob
Wooley owns & works on an ST! Does that stop him from being a Club
pres & doing 8-bit stuff? He works on IBM mainframes for a living. he
could just say anything with less then a 64 bit data buss sucks, but he
doesn't. I know from my own point of view, anybody that wants to be
here is welcome.
It would be great to see if any other SIG could make that boast. Right
now if you look at AIM the article break down goes something like: 60%
ST software review 30% 8-bit umbrella [soft/hard/tutorial] 10% general
[lynx, portfolio, news] I wish Atari Corp all the sucess in the world,
but it'd be interesting to see if new software for the ST dries up what
they'll have to talk about.
The only mistake Jeff & Ben may have made was not waiting until the ST
letters to the Editors asking to drop 8-bit coverage piled up. Well,
FLAME OFF!
------------------------------
Date: 29 Jun 92 22:00:21 GMT
From: SMITHKLINE.COM!poehland%phvax.dnet@ucbvax.berkeley.edu
Subject: ATARI CLASSICS UPDATE
To: Info-Atari8@naucse.cse.nau.edu
************************ A T A R I C L A S S I C S
***********************
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The last Update was posted to the Net around the end of May but many
people did not see it as I was experiencing difficulty with my USENET
connection, so it went directly to naucse then out to the Internet. My
apologies. I will try to bring everyone up to speed on the past 7
week's developments.
Following the official close of the mail-in Campaign on May 2 &
subsequent dissolution of the Campaign Committee, Jeff McWilliams
shipped me all the cards he had received as of the first week of May.
(During the first week of June he also sent me a 2nd shipment of cards,
consisting of late returns/stragglers.)
The final count of returned cards was just under 600, the number 580
comes to mind.
I spent a couple weeks sorting all the cards into alphabetical order,
reading all the comments on every single one, and taking notes. Jeff
McWilliams also sent me a copy of the Campaign database; at the moment
there is a problem with merging in the final batch of respondents but he
is working on that & expects to have it squared away soon.
With notes in hand, during the last week of May I commenced work on AC's
Publication Manifest, a document that describes in detail our proposal
for the organization and functions of the magazine. This turned out to
be a non-trivial task. It took 5 weeks. My barber noted an unusual of
grey hair on my head...
The Manifest was completed June 28. It was submitted to Unicorn
Publications early today for their consideration. There has as yet been
no response, but of course it's very early & the Manifest runs 38K of
text, so it will take them awhile to digest it all. With the submission
of this document to Unicorn, the pledge made by the Campaign Committee
to submit our ideas to them has been fulfilled. The ball is now in
their court, we are awaiting a response, & we naturally are very
anxious. The next few weeks will no doubt be very critical to the birth
of AC, as delicate political and financial arrangements are debated
until both sides achieve a resolution of their respective concerns.
At the moment I am very optimistic that a positive resolution of
concerns will be obtained, leading to production of the Premier Issue of
Atari Classics.
Within the past few weeks a few irresponsible individuals have taken the
proposals set forth in the Campaign literature, allowed their paranoid
fears to run rampant, and expressed their concerns directly to Unicorn.
If these people had instead expressed their concerns directly to the
Chairman of the mail Campaign, Jeff McWilliams, he could have dispelled
their fears in short order. The main thrust of the concern seems to be
loss of 8bit coverage in AIM by splitting it off as suggested in the
Campaign letter.
Individuals who own both 8bit & ST machines are not happy about this, &
Unicorn has strongly rejected the idea of removing 8bit coverage from
AIM.
This issue was a subject of considerable discussion within the Committee
even while the Campaign was in progress, & by the time the Campaign
ended we had pretty much arrived at the same conclusion ourselves: i.e.,
that there should be continued 8bit coverage in AIM pretty much as it
has been, perhaps with a certain amount of shared material between the
two publications. This would satisfy the demand for an 8bit-only
publication while not forcing those who are satisfied with AIM in its
present format to make an unhappy either/or type of choice. So, in
effect, we of the Atari Classics movement are in agreement with the
position taken by Unicorn & tend to view the recent hubub as much ado
about nothing. I would point out that whereas the number of these type
negative responses to the Atari Classics effort is fewer than 10, I
maintain it is a decidedly minority opinion compared to the nearly 600
positive- even rabid- responses the Campaign garnered.
Recent posts to the Net seem to suggest that Unicorn's rejection of
splitting off 8bit coverage into AC constitutes a rejection of the
entire Atari Classics movement. Not true! In their response per the
June AIM, Bill & Pattie made their position clear & left the door open
for the exploration of possibilities related to our effort. As far as I
am aware, relations between AC & Unicorn remain cordial, both parties
have contined to express interest in discussing proposals, & we have
exploited the open door by finally submitting our detailed plans for
their consideration.
Dealing with this tempest-in-a-teapot has had the effect of siphoning
off my time & energy that should have been devoted full-time to AC. It
strikes me ironic that so far the greatest threats to the success of
this admittedly shaky enterprise have arisen from the ranks of the 8bit
community itself.
Idle & irresponsible speculation will only damage our cause. I urge
everyone to please exercise restraint & be patient. Have faith that we
are doing the best we can to fulfill the promise of the Campaign & bring
into being a unique user-based 8bit-only publication. These are very
very anxious & critical times for all of us who support the movement.
I said this before, I'll say it again:
"The dough must be allowed to rise, before we can bake the bread."
- BEN POEHLAND
The Alchemist
------------------------------
Date: 29 Jun 92 20:23:36 GMT
From: microsoft!hexnut!darekm@uunet.uu.net (Darek Mihocka)
Subject: Atari Explorer
To: Info-Atari8@naucse.cse.nau.edu
In article <92177.125634JJMCWILL@MTUS5.BITNET> Jeff McWilliams
<JJMCWILL@MTUS5.BITNET> writes:
> We've recently heard that Atari Explorer is about to be
> moved "in-house". John Jainschigg has shared with us his
> thoughts against moving out to Sunnyvale (into what some
> have called "the pressur cooker"). It is his decision to
> not accompany Explorer to Atari Corp. He will do only one
> more issue from New York.
What's the difference? Atari Explorer is ALREADY a puppet of Atari Corp,
whether located in Sunnyvale or New Jersey. The way they take two years
to review a product, or the way they rip off their advertisers by
accepting payments for advertising space in non-existant issues sounds
a lot to me like the same kind of incompitency that plauges Atari Corp.
I'm still trying to recover money from them for an ad that was to have
appeared in a non-existant issue from last year! I keep getting the
same kind of "the check is in the mail" runaround that I'm more than
used to getting from Atari Corp. Interestingly enough, Atari Explorer
deposits its checks not in New York or New Jersey, but directly into
Atari US Corp's account at the Wells Fargo bank in Sunnyvale. After 6
months of phone calls and promises, I am now told that I need to resolve
the problem with the folks in Sunnyvale. So as far as I'm concerned, it
doesn't matter whether Atari Explorer is located in Sunnyvale, New York,
or Upper Tibet, they are still just a useless propoganda machine for
Atari Corp.
BOYCOTT ATARI EXPLORER! Support AIM, ST Informer, Current Notes, Atari
User, Atari Advantage, PSAN, and all of the other publications that
actually do something constructive.
- Darek Mihocka
------------------------------
Date: 30 Jun 92 21:01:09 GMT
From: mnemosyne.cs.du.edu!isis.cs.du.edu!brayl@uunet.uu.net (Bill Rayl)
Subject: Atari Classics: not to happen?
To: Info-Atari8@naucse.cse.nau.edu
I'm sorry guys, you'll have to forgive me if I mis-read your thoughts
about this issue.
I'm a little confused. People have cited our June issue, and the
comments in it about the Atari Classics campaign. I don't see how that
leads to the idea of no 8bit only publication. What Bill and I were
saying is how we feel AIM represents a lot of varied readers, so we
would not be willing to turn AIM into an ST only mag. AIM coverage
would continue as it has over the last several years, picking up
Portfolio and Lynx along the way.
One person was upset over the languag we used. That is understandable,
since we a little surprised at the kit when we saw one (after the
campaign was over), when the kit said we would split AIM up. We were a
little taken aback at the presumptions it seemed the campaign was
taking! :) Bill and I sent off a letter very similar to the nots in AIM
to Ben and Jeff, explaining our thoughts on the whole subject. Ben got
back to us, explaining how that phrasiology (sp?) happened to get into
the kit, and that en and Jeff felt very much as Billand I did/do.
(please forgive the typos -- I'm typing faster than the net can handle,
it seems)
So, everything is fine.
I just got Ben's maifest today, and we'll be getting back wih him as
soon as we look it over and make our suggestions/changes.
Again, if I misunderstood the messages, please forgive me, since I'm
relatively new to the UseNet. In fact, we made an effort to get on the
net because of the Atari Classics discussion/campaign.
Pattie Rayl (Unicorn Publications)
------------------------------
Date: 30 Jun 92 21:27:38 GMT
From: mnemosyne.cs.du.edu!isis.cs.du.edu!brayl@uunet.uu.net (Bill Rayl)
Subject: Atari Explorer
To: Info-Atari8@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Ed,
I don't completely understand your criticism of what Bill and I said in
the Editorial Rampblings for June. Granted, there may be times when no
one can no the actual reasons Atari does stuff unlss they work in
Sunnyvale (and not even then, in which case, you'd have to look in Sam
or Jack's mind!).
However, I think we have a better than average chance of figuring what
those reasons could be. I guess the biggest complaint would be, If it's
not brroken, why mess with it?
You say Atari would gain more control over Atari Explorer by moving it
in house. Atari officials (mostly Bob Brodie, I think) already ok each
and every page of AE efore it's printed. To me, that's a lot of control
already.
You suggest Atari could save money. Atari Explorer isn't printed in NY,
but PA. If atari kept the same printer, and there's no reason to think
they'd change, thre's no savings there. Sure, they wouldn't have to pay
John, but in exchange, they have to pay someone who lives in CA, with a
very high cost of liivingrate. Moving AE inhouse also means Atari has
to get new art directors and graphics artists, which John already had on
staff, not to mention new support personnel like an advertising persons.
And, adding those new people are all on the assumption Sam's willing to
pay for new employees when there've been big layoffs. The gossip going
around now is that Sam's not even willing to authorize the salary for
an editor, and I know one person can not put out an Atari explorer
alone.
My view is clear: I think AE should be left in John Jainschigg's hands.
If any one else would like to get me on the soap box, please join in!
*huge grin*
Pattie Rayl (Atari Interface)
------------------------------
Date: 11 Jul 92 05:29:01 GMT
From: (Jeff McWilliams)
Subject: Opened my Atari 800... Fast Chip... Floating Point ?
To: Info-Atari8@naucse.cse.nau.edu
Chu,
Yes, Newell Industries still sells two Operating system ROMS, the
Omniview 256 and the Omnimon XL. The first has a built in 80 column E:
handler, similar to what you get when running vt10squared, Omnicom, or
Kermit65. It also has a built in Ramdisk handler for Newell 256K
upgrades, and a monitor program called ATRMON, which was used for
running CPM on the ATR8000 in 80 columns.
My friend uses it for his ATR8000 is CPM every now and then and he
really likes it. The Omniview 256 also uses the older 800 version of
the OS, to solve those compatibility problems with some software. It
also can automatically copy the OS into the RAM under the OS ROM area,
for whatever reason you would want to do this.
The Omnimon XL chip is also an 800 OS, and has a very nice machine
language monitor/debugger built in.
The address phone number is as follows:
Newell Industries
P.O Box 253
Wylie, TX 75098
214-442-6612
Jeff McWilliams
------------------------------
=======================================================================
* Z*NET NEWSWIRE EXTRA
=======================================================================
GLENDALE ATARIFEST UPDATE
The show will be held Saturday and Sunday, September 12-13, 1992 at the
Glendale Civic Auditorium, 1041 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale, CA. Hours
are 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturday and 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday.
General Admission is $6.00 per person with a two day pass costing only
$10.00. If you plan on attending and you live outside of Southern
California you may get FREE admission by sending a self-address-stamped
#10 envelope to H.A.C.K.S., 249 N. Brand Bl. #321, Glendale, CA 91203
and get a one day pass for two. SASE must be received by 9/4/92 to
insure delivery.
For those of you who will be needing lodging we have made arrangements
with the Burbank Hilton. Regular rates are $119.00 per night but if you
mention ATARI you will get a room for $65.00 per night, single or double
occupancy. Executive suites are also available for a per night charge
of $95.00. Reservations may be made by calling the Hilton at 800-643-
7400 (in California), 800-468-3576(inside the USA) or at 818-843-6000
(outside the USA). The guaranteed reservation cut-off date is August
20th. If you are quoted another rate ask for Roy Butler, Sales Manger.
This year The Glendale Show will be holding Desk Top Publishing Classes.
There will be a $25.00(US) fee for these hands-on classes. DMC (ISD)
will be holding Beginners and Advanced classes for owners and
prospective owners of Calamus SL. Classes will be held on Saturday and
Sunday. Classroom size is limited. Make your reservations by sending
a check for $25.00(US) payable to H.A.C.S.K., 249 Brand Bl. #321,
Glendale, CA 91203. Be sure to state the preference of day and class
level. A confirmation will be sent, ten days prior to the show, by
return mail stating which class you will be enrolled in. Enrollment in
the classroom will also entitle you to admission to the rest of the show
for the day of your class. Registration must be postmarked by 9/1/92.
Look for our full-page advertisements in upcoming issues of AtariUser
and Atari Explorer magazines. If you have any questions send mail to
H.A.C.K.S., 249 N. Brand Bl. #321, Glendale, CA 91203 or leave GEmail to
John.King.T or call John King Tarpinian at 818-246-7276. List of the
exhibitors and demonstrators for the THE GLENDALE SHOW
ATARI CORPORATION THE COMPUTER NETWORK COMPUTER SAFARI
OREGON RESEARCH ASSOCIATES FAIR DINKUM TECHNOLOGIES
CLEAR THINKING D.A. BRUMLEVE SUDDEN INC.
MICRO CREATIONS BRANCH ALWAYS MID-CITIES COMP-SOFT
FREEZE DRIED SOFTWARE McDONALD & ASSOCIATES WINTERTREE SOFTWARE
BEST ELECTRONICS JMG COMPO
ICD S.D.S. CODEHEAD
FAST TECHNOLOGIES LEXICOR MIGRAPH
DRAGONWARE GENIE ISD/DMC
BECKEMEYER BIO ILLUSTRATIONS GRIBNIF
ST INFORMER MAGAZINE ATARI EXPLORER MAGAZINE Z*NET
ATARIUSER MAGAZINE ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE
Plus demonstrations by:
BAREFOOT SOFTWARE STEINBERG/JONES DIGITAL F/X
GOLDLEAF SOFT-LOGIK
USER GROUP BOOTHS:
A.C.A.O.C. SOUTH BAY A.C.E. NOCCC-ST SIG
R.A.M. L.O.C.H. ACE
H.A.C.K.S. (host club, no booth)
GCR OWNERS REJOICE - MacSEE from Reeve Soft
Will every GCR user who has had problems moving files between their ST
and Mac-emulation partitions, please raise your hand. Just as I
thought, there are lots of us. We move between the ST world and the Mac
world and struggle to transport files easily and quickly between the
two. Transverter is "okay", but it only works with MFS formatted disks
and partitions ... and as you well know, EVERYTHING is in HFS format!
But now you have an alternative!
I was just given a pre-release copy of a new program for the Atari ST
and TT systems. The program is called "MacSEE" and is created by Reeve
Soft. Simply put, the program allows you to move files between your ST
and a Macintosh (or GCR/Mac-emulated partitions) with complete ease and
efficiency. MacSEE lets you --
* Read Macintosh (HFS & MFS) volumes with your Atari ST or TT
* Write to Macintosh volumes with your Atari ST or TT
* Read and write 800K Spectre-format disks & 1.44-megabyte disks
PLUS, MacSEE supports --
* MacBinary and translated modes
* Spectre format hard disk partitions
* Macintosh format hard disk partitions
And MacSEE can be used on a wide range of removable devices, including
SyQuest hard disks.
After using the program for a few hours, I found it to do everything it
promised ... and flawlessly! It's completely GEM-drive, so all you do
is "click" through the choices, select the file you want moved from a
standard item selector window, and BOOM -- Done! No fuss, no strain, no
pain ... just simple efficiency. And in comparison to Transverter,
MacSEE is a speed demon! Hard drive partition to partition copying took
no time at all. Partition to floppy was just as fast a copying a
standard ST file.
Distribution and technical support for MacSEE is being handled by:
Compu-Seller West
220 1/2 West Main Street
St. Charles, Il 60174 (708) 513-5220
To order your copy of MacSEE, or for more information, call CompuSeller
West at 708-513-5220 and ask for Don Bahr. Tell him "Monochrome Steve"
sent you!
CHICAGO COMPUTERFEST '93 CANCELLED
Chicago ComputerFest by Atari 1993, a continuation of the successful
cooperative venture between the Lake County (Illinois) Atari Computer
Enthusiasts and Atari Corporation, planned for May 15 and 16th 1993 at
the Ramada Hotel O'Hare has been cancelled. Director of Communications,
Bob Brodie, stated that he expected to only make show appearances for
the remainder of 1992, for which Atari has already purchased non-
refundable discount airline tickets for him. LCACE enjoyed the
partnership with Atari to bring major Atari-oriented developers and
vendors to the Midwest, and is disappointed that Atari is apparently
unable to commit support of this event. LCACE is uncertain if they will
organize a local-oriented show such as the two shows prior to the 1991
ComputerFest.
KAO UNVEILS NEW BRANDED DISKETTE PACKAGING
Kao has unveiled its new branded diskette packaging which is intended to
enhance the company's strong and growing position in the branded
diskette market. Kao's new tiered packaging approach clearly
differentiates diskette capacity for the user. The double-density
diskettes, in silver packaging, are designed for users requiring a
standard-density product; the high-density diskettes, in gold, have
twice the storage capacity of the standard-density diskettes. The new
packaging features a "100 Percent Certified" seal, highlighting that
each diskette is individually tested for error-free performance. Each
diskette package also features a "Made in the USA" or "Made in Canada"
logo emphasizing that the diskettes were produced locally.
OS/2 2.0 SURPASSES ONE MILLION
IBM announced that its new software product, OS/2 Version 2.0, has
vaulted past the one million shipment mark. Historically popular with
corporate users, early indications are that OS/2 is also gaining
widespread acceptance in the end-user community as a result of its
power, reliability and ease-of-use. To commemorate their on-going
support and commitment to OS/2, Caterpillar was presented with the one
millionth copy at the Windows & OS/2 Show at Boston's World Trade
Center, August 18-21. Between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31, 1992, users who call
the 1-800-3-IBM-OS2 phone number can purchase OS/2 for the following
prices: Windows upgrade $79; DOS upgrade $99 and first time buyers $149.
OS/2 is an advanced 32-bit operating system that supports DOS, Windows
and OS/2 applications in a single package.
ADOBE SHIPS 22 NEW TYPEFACE PACKAGES
Adobe announced the availability of 22 new typeface software packages
from the Adobe Type Library, including new packages from leading type
foundries such as Linotype, Monotype and Berthold. All packages can be
purchased from Adobe Authorized Dealers or through Font & Function,
Adobe's type catalog. Customers interested in the Adobe Type Library
should contact Adobe at 800-83-FONTS.
NEW EPSON ACTIONPRINTER
Epson has announced the ActionPrinter 2250, a 9-pin version of its
ActionPrinter 3250. A unique feature is a covered printhead that keeps
noise in while keeping dust, food or sticky fingers out. Operating at
a quiet 50 decibels minimizes disruption to meetings and phone calls.
At a suggested retail price of $199, it provides the sharpest possible
near-letter-quality output at draft speeds of up to 240 characters per
second. Users have a choice between Roman and Sans Serif fonts with
graphics resolution of 240 x 144 dots per inch. Epson's industry-
standard control language for 9-pin printing, ESC/P, ensures widespread
compatibility with popular software. Information about the product,
including reseller locations, can be obtained by calling 1-800-922-8911.
=======================================================================
* CLEVELAND FREE-NET ATARI SIG Press Release
=======================================================================
You may have heard about the Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG, or you may
even have a Free-Net account that you don't use much. Now is the time
to visit the Atari SIG and see what you're missing! The SIG has been
reorganized, bringing even more information to you and making it even
easier to access and share. The Atari SIG continues to support ALL
Atari systems: 8-bit, ST/TT, Portfolio, and Lynx. The Cleveland Free-
Net Atari SIG's 8-Bit Computers Support Area is GROWING!! Where better
to get together with fellow 8-bit Atari users? Where is there a more
extensive collection of information invaluable to any 8-bit user? The
Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG is THE 8-bit Atari information resource!
The new Atari SIG debuts on July 20, 1992. Information on how to join
in this expanding 8-bit user community is included later in this
document.
First, here is an overview of the Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG's Main
Menu:
<<< THE ATARI SIG >>>
(go atari)
1 About the Atari SIG
- A text-file containing general information about the Atari SIG
2 SIG Menu Outline
- A map to help guide you through the extensive Atari SIG menus
3 Atari News...
- An area devoted to bringing you the latest news in the Atari world
4 General Bulletin Board
- A place for discussion among all SIG members
5 8-Bit Computers Support Area...
- See below! Once you explore here, you may never want to leave!
6 16/32-Bit Computers Support Area...
- The area for ST/TT users
7 Portfolio Support Area...
- The area for Portfolio users
8 Lynx Support Area...
- The area for Lynx players
9 Wanted & For Sale Board
- A place to buy and sell Atari equipment of all kinds
10 Voting Booth...
- A place for SIG members to make their voices heard
11 Atari Library...
- A vast store of general Atari information
12 Help-Line (Q & A)
- A place to challenge the SIGOps with technical questions
13 SIG Directory Services...
- The names of all SIG members can be found here
Now, let's take a look at the new, expanded 8-BIT COMPUTERS SUPPORT
AREA:
The 8-Bit Computers Support Area has something for everyone, from the
new owner to the experienced and advanced user and programmer of the
8-bit Atari computers. Here is a small overview of each section and its
contents:
1. About this Support Area
- What you are reading now.
2. The 8-Bit Atari Computer
- A fairly detailed historical description of the 8-bit Atari
computer, along with a brief overview of what makes the system so
popular.
3. FAQ List
- The Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ) list which is posted
periodically to Usenet's 8-bit Atari newsgroup, comp.sys.atari.
8bit.
4. 8-Bit News
- The place to find the latest announcements in the 8-bit Atari
world.
5. Bulletin Board
- A general discussion board just for you and your fellow 8-bit
Atari users!
6. Programming Forum...
Led by the Atari SIG's programmer-in-residence, Peter Haller
The 8-bit is still a popular choice among programmers. The 8-bit Atari
computers allow for a level of control over the hardware that is both
straight-forward and powerful. Even though these machines have gone out
of production, the dedicated user base support these machines. This
forum is for those programmers - both novice and the die-hard hackers
- to share secrets, ideas, problems, and remember the 'good ol'e days'.
The 8-Bit Programming Forum is broken down into the following areas:
1. About this Forum - You're reading it!
2. 8-Bit Programming FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) List - the name
says it all! This will hopefully release the open forums from the
simple and common questions that newcommers have. This list will be
updated at the beginning of every month.
3. Resource Center - This is where you will find code samples, helpful
hints, and the best PD development tools info, among other things.
Post your neat little hacks in here for all to enjoy. If a group
project ever gets started, then this is where all the code will be
placed. This is a moderated area, so we can keep it clean. This
newsgroup may eventually expand into a submenu depending on the
amount of information it contains.
4. 8-Bit Hacking Board - This is the catch all area. Any programming
related questions - from BASIC to Assembly - will be fair game here.
This area is unmoderated, so watch the language.
5. The Asylum - Grab a Jolt and call up Dominos! This is the General
Programmers Forum of the Atari SIG. All programmers are welcome.
Take a browse, flame at your machine, or just listen in on Atari
related programming subject. This is totally and completely
unmoderated, so if you can't take it...
6. Product Summaries - A place for 8-bit users to share shorter product
summaries which make obtaining a new product that much less of a
hassle
7. Product Reviews - One of the biggest assets of the 8-bit area. This
board holds reviews of many of the most popular products available
for the 8-bit Atari (and some of the duds too). Check here before
making your purchase, or write reviews for the SIG for the benefit of
others.
8. Tips & Tricks - A place for you to share those neat little things
you've discovered while using your computer that make the system even
more enjoyable.
9. File Area... The 8-Bit File Area is here to make it as easy as
possible for you to upload and download public domain and shareware
files to and from the Internet's Atari Archive, located at the
University of Michigan. Here is a small overview of each section and
its contents:
1. About this File Area
- What you are reading now.
2. How to Send & Receive Files
- Instructions for how to transfer files between your 8-bit Atari
and your Free-Net account.
3. BART Instructions
- These are the instructions for using BART - the file-server used
to retrieve files from the Archive to your Free-Net account. Also
included is the address to which you can send files to contribute
to the Archive.
4. File Listing
- The listing of 8-bit Atari files available from the Archive.
5. Atari File Request Board
- A place for you to ask your fellow SIG members for help in
locating desired PD or shareware files that are not available on
the Archive.
6. Atari File Help Board
- A place for you to discuss any problems you may have in
transferring files between the Atari Archive, your Free-Net
account, and your Atari computer.
11. Info-Atari8 Digest
- The Internet's comp.sys.atari.8bit echo - this is the place to
read it!
12. Z*Magazine
- Your source for the one and only International Atari 8-Bit
Online Magazine. This immense resource will eventually hold the
ENTIRE, 210+ issue library of Z*Magazine, the grandfather of all
Atari online magazines, going back to May 1986. Where else can
you find a resource like this?
13. 8-Bit Computer User Directory
- Be sure to add your name to this directory and be counted as one
of the many 8-bit Atari users of the SIG.
The Atari SIG also periodically takes advantage of the Free-Net's
conferencing ability to hold real-time, online Atari conferences.
Recent conferences included a chat with the Moderatator of the
University of Michigan Atari Archive, Jeff Weiner.
In addition, the Cleveland Free-Net provides Internet mail access, plus
full access to Usenet, including the newsgroup comp.sys.atari.8bit.
About the Cleveland Free-Net, and How to join:
The Cleveland Free-Net is the primary system in the ever-expanding NPTN,
the National Public Telecomputing Network. Get in on the action in this
futuristic network! Here's how to access the Cleveland Free-Net: With
modem, dial (216) 368-3888, 300/1200/2400 bps Or from the Internet,
telnet freenet-in-b.cwru.edu (129.22.8.75). When connected, you may
either browse the system, or you may apply for your Cleveland Free-Net
account. Application is easy, and of course it's free! Finally, type
"go atari"!!!
For more information on the Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG, write to:
The Atari SIG
P.O. Box 364
Mentor, OH 44061 U.S.A.
or Internet e-mail to
xx004@cleveland.freenet.edu
See you on the Free-Net!
| | | DUSSELDORF REPORT
| | | Story by John Nagy, Courtesy AtariUser Magazine
| | | ----------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c)1992, AtariUser Magazine. MAY NOT BE REPRINTED WITHOUT
WRITTEN PERMISSION OF QUILL PUBLISHING.
Atari's Newest Machine is introduced in German Atari Fair
The floor of the world's largest annual Atari fair had "Falcons all over
the floor of the show, in almost every booth," according to Nathan
Potechin of DMC Publishing, Inc., who gave AtariUser eyewitness accounts
during the show. Other estimates said that about 20 Falcons were
roosting throughout the sprawling conference center. Many show-goers
thought they were looking at regular 1040's since the Falcons on display
were not black as originally thought.
The Dusseldorf, Germany locale for Atari Messe was again inundated with
Atari--the huge trade show spans roughly four football fields of floor
space. Nathan reported that the show this year (August 21-23) is
similar in size and attendance to last year's event, which brought
30,000 of the faithful to visit 180 vendors.
The announcement of the Falcon 030 was the first order of business at
Dusseldorf. The crowds knew what they were coming to see after months
of nearly-accurate profiles of the coming machine were offered by most
of the Atari media, and the excitement was high as they saw it
firsthand.
However, numerous reports have been made by developers and attendees
that indicate that the Falcon is not quite ready to fly. While many
existing software products are said to run flawlessly and swiftly,
reports of spectacular crashes when running software already loaded on
the demo units hard drives blemished the premier.
In any case, many vendors at AtariMesse had new applications that
exposed the power and features that are new on the Falcon 030. DMC
Publishing (Calamus) again had the largest booth on the floor, spanning
4,000 square feet with about 40 people working in it alone. Other large
booths included TMS, Matrix, 3K, and Maxxon. Many new products were
shown, and AtariUser will report on them in detail in our next issue.
Prices and Plans
The "base" Falcon 030 will retail for $799 in the USA in a one-megabyte
configuration. The next option up the scale will be a four-megabyte RAM
Falcon with 65 megabyte hard drive at $1,399. Availability in the US is
slated for "October" in limited quantities. The FCC type acceptance for
domestic sales is not yet in hand, but is predicted to be a sure thing
this time, due to extensive tests done in-house at Atari.
Marketing plans for the new machine in the USA were also revealed in
Germany. Sam Tramiel told dealers and developers at Atari Messe that
the US launch will be via regional marketing build-ups. Individual
regions of the USA will be targeted, one at a time, with major "dog and
pony shows" to both woo and educate computer dealers. Significant co-op
advertising money will be offered to dealers who join in the roll-out.
Once enough regions are served by a new operating dealer network, Atari
will launch a national advertising campaign.
Industry observers suggest that this plan will make the most of Atari's
cash and production resources. By serving a small but growing dealer
network with product, on-board Falcon dealers can be more assured of
delivery of product during the build-out stages of the plan. Dealers
will help and be helped in promotional costs, enabling Atari to make a
bigger splash in smaller ponds with less of their own money, and
allowing Atari's resources to go towards increasing production of Falcon
computers. As production and sales increase, so will revenues with
which to attack new regions. Meanwhile, Falcon specific software will
mature and present a solid base for the later national marketing
efforts, to come in 1993.
The Word on the Bird
Atari's CEO Sam Tramiel made conference appearances on the GEnie and
Delphi telecommunication networks the week before AtariMesse, giving the
fans worldwide a chance to "talk" to him "live." Communicating via
modem to the conferences, the audience could ask questions directly of
Sam and the Atari technical team, and get answers in real time. The
result was the best look we've had to date at the intention and
potential of Atari and the new Falcon.
The corporate view of the Falcon 030 is that it exceeds all of the
multimedia expectations of the computer buying public, while being an
exceptional value as a home computer system. Sam took fire on the
conferences over the 1040 style case, which is seen by some as a curse.
Sam reiterated the Atari position that the Falcon 030 is the consumer/
introductory unit of a new series of computers, and alluded to a 68040
to come, but would say no more.
Conversely, Sam Tramiel said of sales and advertising of the current
line of Atari computers: "We felt that the present ST/STE family was not
strong enough to market in the US. We have been waiting for this new
product, and we do plan to support it and market it in the US. It will
be a hard battle, but we will put a good effort behind it." He added
that the STe and especially the TT lines will continue to be produced
and supported.
More:
||| MultiTOS is a combination of rom and disk based software. Most well
written applications seem to work fine. MultiTOS will be available
as an upgrade for the TT030 and future 68030 and above machines.
||| Bundled software will be packaged with the Atari Falcon030 will
include games written especially for the Atari Falcon030, including
LandMines and a BreakOut kind of game. There will also be a Rolodex
type of application called Cal/Apt, a calculator application called
ProCalc, and a Talking Clock desk accessory.
||| New STe compatible analog joysticks will have 15 buttons, with three
fire buttons and a 12 key keypad.
||| A true expansion bus via a direct processor slot with all of the
necessary data and control lines to allow plugging in optional third
party coprocessor boards. This will allow more complete PC and Mac
emulators, for example.
||| According to Sam, there are some 30 new developers that are
producing software for the Atari Falcon. Several of the developers
are also NeXT developers.
||| Contrary to a few scare rumors, the MIDI and cartridge ports are
still standard. However, there is no external floppy connector for
a second disk drive, and no ACSI/DMA port for Atari brand hard
drives and laser printers. Sam explains that Atari opted for the
industry standard and faster SCSI II. Third party companies have
developed converter boxes to allow the SLM printers to connect to
the Atari Falcon 030.
Memory Matters
The Falcon 030 can have 1, 4 or 14 megabytes of RAM. The memory is
addressed continuously, and any application or MultiTOS can see all the
memory at once. Memory upgrades will be through a "Atari Falcon" ram
board. There are no memory controllers on the board like on the TT, and
Atari's pricing on the RAM will be "very competitive." The RAM in the
Falcon is 32-bit wide, and the limited total RAM configurations allow
faster memory access than other multiples.
Why 14 instead of 16 or more megabytes? In order to maintain a high
degree of compatibility with ST software, a 16 meg window was maintained
despite the ability of the 68030 chip to "see" far more memory. The top
two meg of the 16 meg a 68000 is capable of addressing are mapped as I/O
device handling areas, so they are not used by the Falcon either. The
result is a lot of RAM that is used just like ST memory instead of the
switching scheme used in the TT.
Sightings
The Atari Falcon030 will work with any VGA, or Atari ST Color Monitor...
SC1224 or SC1435. The 16 bit True Color (non-palette) mode will work in
640 x 480 interlaced on a TV or ST style monitor. A special cable will
let you use an older ST monitor. True Color will also work in 320 x 480
on VGA monitors. The BLiTTER Chip has been sped up to 16 MHz to handle
the extra bandwidth and does double duty for fast hard drive access.
The Falcon 030 is easily "Genlockable" for multimedia and TV use; a
cheap third-party external device is required to strip the sync from the
external signal.
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