ST Report: 06-Apr-90 #414
From: Phillip M. Chow (aa400@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 04/14/90-02:05:36 PM Z
From: aa400@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Phillip M. Chow)
Subject: ST Report: 06-Apr-90 #414
Date: Sat Apr 14 14:05:36 1990
*---== CPU NEWSWIRE ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
_____________________________________
from
STR Publishing Inc.
""""""""""""""""""
April 06, 1990 No.4.14
=======================================================================
CPU NewsWire Online Magazine?
featuring
STReport ~ Online
__________________________
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida
32205 ~ 6672
R.F. Mariano
Publisher - Editor
_________________________________________
Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EDT
BBS: 904-786-4176 12-24-96 HST/14.4
FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EDT
_________________________________________
** F-NET NODE 350 ** 500mb Online **
STR'S owned & operated support BBS
carries ALL issues of CPU/STR Newswire
and
An International list of private BBS systems
carrying CPU NewsWire for their users enjoyment
__________________________________________________________________
> 04/06/90: CPU Newswire? #414 The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine!
----------------------------
- The Editor's Podium - CPU REPORT - CPU STATUS REPORT
- THE ICD ADVANTAGE!! - TURBO ST 1.80 - SUPERCHARGER
- Online Today - TAF Report - Tracker/ST
- PCD2 NOW WHAT?! - Modula 3 - CPU CONFIDENTIAL
---===*** EXPLORER DARED ATARI TO ACT!! ***===---
---===** HOTWIRE - MULTIDESK 2.0 DEBUT AT WOA! **===---
---====*** WOA - ANAHEIM THIS WEEKEND! ***====---
==========================================================================
CPU NEWSWIRE?
"Only UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
-* FEATURING *-
Current Events, Up to Date News, Hot Tips, and Information
Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
==========================================================================
CPU/STR's support BBS, NODE # 350 invites systems using Forem ST BBS to
participate in Forem BBS's F-Net mail network. Or, Please call # 350
direct at 904-786-4176, and enjoy the excitement of exchanging ideas about
the Atari ST computers through an excellent International ST Mail Network.
==========================================================================
AVAILABLE ON: COMP-U-SERVE ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ BIX
==========================================================================
> The Editor's Podium?
The World of Atari Show is a go for this weekend in Anaheim
California. The show's roster reads like a who's who of the Atari
community, alas, there are those of us who must keep the wheels turning
and the info flowing. <sigh>
I would've liked to have attended this particular show, if for nothing
else than, to be an observer of the ever present politics in the atari
arena. The weekend promises to be a very interesting one in terms of
"power plays" and "hipshots". Oh, how I would love to publicize the
whole story about the outrageously vicious games being played behind the
scenes by a few "self appointed guardian angels" who think they have
influence and are trying every devious means imaginable to destroy the
reputation and success of one very well liked individual. I put this
information here for all to see as a warning to the few erstwhile,
egotistical maniacs who would think they wield enough "behind the scenes
influence" to cause the dismissal, or worse, of this very popular
individual. This an open warning to the co-conspirators that if
<anything> derogatory happens to this person as a result of their
efforts.. The entire course of events; FROM COMDEX/FALL '90 up to and
including this weekend will be completely EXPOSED. The time has come for
the users to know about and really have a say so concerning the people in
the Atari community they must deal with, directly or indirectly, on an
almost daily basis.
Petty power plays by short sighted people have no place in the multi
million dollar industry Atari is involved in and as such, Atari absolutely
must divorce itself from these devious, demented, self centered people on
the outside who seem to delight in trying to perversely influence the
corporate activities of Atari. Sure, the execs at Atari still have the
choice to either ignore this nonsense or as is the case in most instances
attempt to quell the uproar by eliminating the cause. In this case, that
type of action would be exactly what the perpetrators wish to have occur.
Hopefully, Atari will see through this facade of "helpfulness" and judge
it for what it really is .. meddlesome trouble, a TROJAN HORSE.
The show this weekend should be a good time for all in attendance.
STReport, in keeping with its tradition of good service, will carry
reviews, news and coverage of the show on a full incoming basis.
Thanks for your support,
Ralph.......
**********************************************************************
:HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
_________________________________
To sign up for GEnie service: Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.
Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
Wait for the U#= prompt.
Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN.
**** SIGN UP FEE WAIVED ****
The system will now prompt you for your information.
THE GENIE ATARI ST ROUNDTABLE - AN OVERVIEW
___________________________________________
The Roundtable is an area of GEnie specifically set aside for owners and
users of Atari ST computers, although all are welcome to participate.
There are three main sections to the Roundtable: the Bulletin Board, the
Software Library and the Real Time Conference area.
The Bulletin Board contains messages from Roundtable members on a variety
of Topics, organized under several Categories. These messages are all
Open and available for all to read (GEnie Mail should be used for private
messages).
If you have a question, comment, hot rumor or an answer to someone else's
question, the Bulletin Board is the place to share it.
The Software Library is where we keep the Public Domain software files
that are available to all Roundtable members. You can 'download' any of
these files to your own computer system by using a Terminal Program which
uses the 'XMODEM' file-transfer method. You can also share your favorite
Public Domain programs and files with other Roundtable members by
'uploading' them to the Software Library. Uploading on GEnie is FREE, so
you are encouraged to participate and help your Roundtable grow.
The Real Time Conference is an area where two or more Roundtable members
may get together and 'talk' in 'real-time'. You can participate in
organized conferences with special guests, drop in on our weekly Open
COnference, or simply join in on an impromptu chat session. Unlike
posting messages or Mail for other members to read at some later time,
everyone in the Conference area can see what you type immediately, and can
respond to you right away, in an 'electronic conversation'.
**********************************************************************
> CPU REPORT?
==========
Issue # 61
----------
by Michael Arthur
Remember When....
Microsoft told Micrografx Inc., a major Windows software company,
that it would be virtually impossible to design a Porting Tool to convert
MS-Windows programs to OS/2 Presentation Manager?
And remember when, after Micrografx had introduced such a tool
(called Mirrors) and had shown some of its source code to Microsoft for
evaluation, how Microsoft and Micrografx got into a controversy because
some of Mirrors' source code reportedly appeared in a Beta-version of a
Windows/PM Porting Tool that Microsoft was developing?
CPU INSIGHTS?
============
Motorola/Hitachi Suit: Stay on 68030 Injunction, and Quick Appeals
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Recently, the U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas, ruled that the
hardware memory management unit in Motorola's 68030 microprocessor
infringed on US Patent #4,646,271 (owned by Hitachi), and that Hitachi's
H8/532 microcontroller infringed on several of Motorola's US patents. In
this decision, Motorola and Hitachi were ordered to stop marketing and
selling their respective chips in the US until the conflicting patents
expired. Motorola also had to pay Hitachi a $500,000 fine, while Hitachi
was ordered to pay Motorola $1.9 million for patent infringement. Given
that Hitachi's '271' patent doesn't expire until the year 2004, this could
have caused many problems for Motorola, which reportedly makes up to
$100 million dollars in revenue from 68030 sales.
However, the Court has recently decided to lift the ban on sales of
the 68030 microprocessor, pending an appeal of the decision. However,
Hitachi is continuing another lawsuit, charging that part of Motorola's
88000 line of RISC processors infringes on the '271' patent. Curiously,
Motorola and Hitachi had previously maintained a 11 year business
relationship. It seems that the results of a 1986 Cross-licensing Pact
between the two companies caused much internal controversy....
> CPU MacNews? Apple shines again....
===========
Apple Victorious: Judge Dismisses Much of Xerox/Apple Suit
-----------------------------------------------------------
A U.S. District Court in San Francisco has recently dismissed five
of the six charges that Xerox brought up against Apple in early December,
concerning the validity of Apple's copyrights on the Lisa/Macintosh
GUI (Graphical User Interface). Xerox had charged that Apple illegally
incorporated features of Xerox's Star GUI into the Mac and Lisa's user
interfaces, and sought over $150 million dollars in damages.
In the lawsuit, Xerox tried to prove that Apple both copied several
ideas from the STar GUI (including the concept of Icons), and gained
unauthorized access to Xerox's secrets when it hired several Xerox
employees (such as Alan Kay). However, Apple contended that it had
not engaged in these practices, and successfully that only the way ideas
are implemented were copyrightable. Interestingly enough, another factor
was the fact that Xerox had waited several years until filing their
charges against Apple....
Xerox will be appealing this decision, but its appeal will be
delayed until the remaining Lawsuit (which seeks a declaration that Xerox
is the sole owner of its Star GUI copyrights) is resolved. Interestingly
enough, it seems that the Apple/Microsoft lawsuit is before the same judge
as this case....
Disinfectant 1.7, Mac Virus Protectors, and the ZUC Virus
---------------------------------------------------------
Here is an essay from the makers of Disinfectant, a Public Domain
Virus Protector for the Macintosh, which both details the changes made in
Version 1.7 of the program, and gives some interesting insights into the
symptoms and effects of the newly discovered ZUC Virus:
Disinfectant 1.7
================
April 2, 1990
Disinfectant 1.7 is a new release of our free Macintosh virus
detection and repair utility. Version 1.7 recognizes the new ZUC virus.
Thanks to Don Zucchini and Francesco Giagnorio for discovering and
reporting this new virus.
The ZUC Virus
=============
The ZUC virus was first discovered in Italy in March, 1990. It is
named after the discoverer, Don Zucchini. ZUC only infects applications.
It does not infect system files or data files. Applications do not have
to be run to become infected. ZUC was timed to activate on March 2, 1990.
Before that date it only spread from application to application. After
that date, approximately 90 seconds after an infected application is run,
the cursor begins to behave unusually whenever the mouse button is held
down. The cursor moves diagonally across the screen, changing direction
and bouncing like a billiard ball whenever it reaches any of the four
sides of the screen. The cursor stops moving when the mouse button is
released. The behavior of the ZUC virus is similar to that of a desk
accessory named Bouncy. The virus and the desk accessory are different,
and they should not be confused. The desk accessory does not spread, and
it is not a virus. ZUC does spread, and it is a virus.
ZUC has two noticeable side effects. On some Macintoshes it causes
the desktop pattern to change. It also often causes long delays and an
unusually large amount of disk activity when infected applications are
opened. ZUC can spread over a network from individual Macintoshes to
servers and from servers to individual Macintoshes. Except for the
unusual cursor behavior, ZUC does not attempt to do any damage. Vaccine
(a Virus Protection program for the Mac) is not effective against ZUC.
GateKeeper 1.1.1, however, is effective against ZUC. ZUC does not change
the last modification date when it infects a file, so you cannot use the
last modification dates in the Disinfectant report to trace the source of
a ZUC infection.
Other Changes in Version 1.7
============================
Some people have used ResEdit to add a copy of the standard system
WDEF 0 resource to Desktop files in an attempt to inoculate their disks
against the WDEF virus, even though we do not recommend this practice.
Version 1.6 incorrectly reported that such Desktop files were infected by
an unknown strain of WDEF. This problem has been fixed in version 1.7.
Some of the nVIR clones have offensive names. These names appeared
in plain text in various resources in Disinfectant version 1.6, and caused
concern for some people who discovered them using ResEdit or a file
editor. Version 1.7 encodes the resources so that the names do not appear
in plain text.
Version 1.6 contained an error which could cause crashes, hangs,
unexpected error messages, or other unusual behavior in some
circumstances. The error is corrected in version 1.7.
How to Get a Copy of Version 1.7
================================
Disinfectant 1.7 is available now via anonymous FTP from site
acns.nwu.edu [129.105.49.1]. It will also be available soon on sumex-aim,
rascal, comp.binaries.mac, CompuServe, Genie, Delphi, BIX, MacNet, America
Online, Calvacom, AppleLink, and other popular sources for free and
shareware software.
Macinstosh users who do not have access to bulletin boards,
networks, user groups, or online services may obtain a copy of
Disinfectant by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope and an 800K
floppy disk to the author at the address below:
John Norstad
Academic Computing and Network Services
Northwestern University
2129 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208
CPU INSIGHTS?
============
SPA Presents Awards for Outstanding and Innovative Software
-----------------------------------------------------------
The Software Publisher's Association has recently announced the
winners of its annual Excellence in Software Awards, which were chosen
from a list of 370 nominated programs in over 25 categories. Among the
winners were:
- Hewlett Packard's New Wave GUI - Best Design Achievement
Best Business Application: Graphical
Display Orientation
- Sim City, the City Simulator - Best Simulation Program
Best Entertainment Program
Best Curricular Program
- Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia - Best School Producticity/Creativity
(CD-ROM) Program
Best New Use of a Computer
Interestingly enough, both Alan Kay and Steve Jobs tied for the SPA
Lifetime Achievement Award, while the NextStep Software Development Team
also won the Andrew Fluegelman Achievement Award....
But ponder, if you will, these questions:
1) Given the currently precarious situation over Motorola's right to
sell the 68030, should Atari place a higher priority on developing the
ATW, and on making a 68040-based version of the TT?
2) All but two elements (overlapping windows is one) of Apple's lawsuit
against Microsoft have been dismissed from court. Given Apple's
recent gains in the Xerox/Apple suit, what will be the result of these
lawsuits about Graphical User Interfaces on the industry?
> CPU STATUS REPORT? >>> LATE BREAKING - INDUSTRY WIDE NEWS <<<
=================
- Minneapolis, MA CRAY RESEARCH BUYS MAKER OF CRAY-COMPATIBLE SYSTEMS
---------------
Cray Research has recently signed a proposed agreement to purchase
Supertek Computers Inc., a minisupercomputer company. In the deal, this
company, who makes the S-1, a Cray-compatible minisupercomputer, will
become a subsidiary of Cray Research. Cray will now use this system to
enter the minisupercomputer marketplace, and is in the process of porting
its Unix-based UNICOS operating system to it. Cray Resarch has also
announced its intention to continue investing 15 percent of its revenue
into Research and Development....
Interestingly enough, Supertek also has been developing a system
which was compatible with Cray's newest Y/MP Supercomputer. And while
this product won't be available until 1991, Cray Research will reportedly
be introducing a low-end version of the Cray Y/MP. This model, while
having a speed of only 500 million floating point operations a second (or
10 - 20 percent of the Y/MP's processing speed), will cost much less in
terms of both its list price, and its installation and maintenance costs.
- Pittsford, NY MICROLYTICS INC. ANNOUNCES "INSIDE INFORMATION"
-------------
Microlytics Inc., will soon be releasing a Desk Accessory for the
Macintosh called "Inside Information", which is touted as a new way of
classifying languages. This product is actually a hierarchical dictionary
which organizes words in the English language in Topic-related Categories,
such as Nature, and Science & Technology. "Inside Information", has a
database of over 65,000 root words, which are organized in 20 subclasses,
125 Categories, and 700 Subcategories. With this system, one will be
able to simply type in a definition or topic, and the system will display
words that are classified under the given subject.
This product will be available in May for the Macintosh, but is also
being ported to Microsoft Windows, Unix, and OS/2. Cost: $120.00....
- Seattle, WA HIGH-SPEED GRAPHICS BOARD DEVELOPED FOR NEXT COMPUTER
-----------
In a Research project at the University of Washington, 20 Graduate
Students have developed a new Graphics Processing Board called the UWGSP3,
which supports a 1280*1024 resolution with a display of over 16 million
simultaneous colors. The UWGSP3 uses a 50 MHZ TI 34020 Graphics Processor
in tandem with four TI 34082 Floating Point Graphics Coprocessors (which
aid in performing mathematically intensive graphics operations), and is
capable of achieving speeds of up to 160 MFLOPS. It can also internally
store up to 161,000 images, using 16 Megs of RAM for a Frame Buffer. Now
being licensed by several companies, this product will also be sold as a
32-bit Color Board for the NeXT Computer. Cost: Unknown, but said to be
around $10,000 per unit....
- Sydney, Australia BORLAND TO OPEN AUSTRALIAN OFFICE
-----------------
PC software publisher Borland International has announced its
intentions of establishing a regional office in Australia, using the name
of Borland Pacific. Following his visit to Australia in October 1989,
Borland President Philipe Kahn is decided that the positive activity in
the region justified an intensified and more fully involved presence by
Borland.
Up till now, Borland products have been made available by a number of
distributors in Australia, but over the past couple of years Tech Pacific
has successfully distributed and supported the range of products offered.
therefore, Tech Pacific will remain an integral part of the distribution
chain for Borland. Perhaps, with the opening of this office in Australia
along with the already open offices in the UK, the english language
version of Turbo C for the ST will be forthcoming at an accelerated pace.
______________________________________________________________
> WOA ANAHEIM STR FOCUS? Where the action is....!
=====================
WORLD OF ATARI SHOW -> ANAHEIM, CA.
===================================
WORLD OF ATARI
==============
APRIL 7 & 8 1990
WORLD OF ATARI will be held at the Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim
California, on April 7th and 8th. For Reservations, Car Rentals and
Airline tickets, call: 1-800-842-9034. The hours of the show are 10 am
till 6pm on Saturday, the 7th and on Sunday; 10am till 5pm. Admission is
$5.00 per day or $7.00 for both days.
Atari Corporation will feature their full line of products. And of
course, many of the companies we are all familiar with will be displaying
their latest products.
Exhibitor Listing;
-----------------
Atari Computer Best Electronics
Beckemeyer Development Brumeleve Software
Carter Graphics Blue Chip Software
Computer Games + Codehead Software
Double Click Software BRE Software
Gribnif Software Soft-Logik
Gadgets by Small DataFree Industries
FAST TECHNOLOGY ICD INC.
JRI Inc. ASDE Software
Imagen Corporation LucasFilms Software
Maverick Creations Migraph Inc.
Megamax Inc. MichTron Inc.
Mid-City Compu-Soft Micro Creations
Prospero Software Sierra Online
Seymor/Radix Slicc Software
Softrek Marketing San Jose Computer
Talon Technology Word Perfect Corp.
Wuztech Inc. Sprokits Computer
Strata Software STV
Zubair Interfaces
plus many more...
__________________________________________________
> HOTWIRE 2.0! CPU/STR FOCUS? MULTI-DESK 2.0! WOA INTRO
==========================
Happy Birthday HotWire!
"""""""""""""""""""""""
ANNOUNCING: HotWire 2.0 from CodeHead Software!
It's been a year since HotWire was introduced at the '89 Anaheim World
of Atari Show. In that time HotWire has undergone some radical changes
(in fact, it's been almost completely re-written!), and has been
transformed from a unique menu program to a complete alternate operating
system for any model of Atari ST.
When teamed up with MaxiFile and MultiDesk, HotWire 2.0 provides a true
alternative to the GEM desktop (not just a prettied-up imitation of it),
with unique and extremely powerful file manipulation and program
execution features unequaled by any other product on the market.
HotWire 2.0 is now a full GEM program with a menu bar...which means you
can get at all of your desk accessories (not just the ones loaded into
MultiDesk) at any time. You can even page through your menus while a
desk accessory is open on screen, as well as run installed programs and
access any of HotWire's many features.
Here's what HotWire 2.0 can do for you:
o Run any ST program instantly no matter where it's located on your
system, simply by pressing a "hot" key...even while you're at the GEM
desktop!
o Reliably auto-start any ST program at bootup on any version of TOS.
o Hard disk users: no more wading through folders to find programs.
With HotWire, no program is more than a mouse-click or keypress away!
o Floppy disk users: just pop your program disk in the drive and hit a
key. No more waiting for floppy drives to spin and desktop windows
to open.
o Build menus of up to 54 entries including all your most commonly-used
programs. Load new menus with a single keypress or mouse click.
o Choose from among over 400 possible "hot" key combinations.
o HotWire has a seamless interface with CodeHead's MaxiFile, the
ultimate file maintenance tool!
o Ledger function records the time spent in programs of your choice, also
showing the total elapsed time since you began working.
o Passwords may be used to restrict unauthorized access to programs and
data files.
o On-screen digital corner clock, that can be automatically turned off
for certain programs if you choose.
o Runs perfectly well in all three ST resolutions!
o If you choose to install HotWire as a resident program, you can
summon up the HotWire Menu any time you're on the GEM desktop simply
by clicking the right mouse button or by typing Shift-Help.
o Use "headings" to customize the look of each menu to your own taste.
Easily move, copy, or delete menu entries to group them as you desire.
o Documents can be installed in the HotWire menu! Simply click on the
data file you want; HotWire will start up the appropriate program
and load that document automatically.
o Command lines can be easily entered and saved with your menus to
provide unlimited possibilities for customizing your operations.
o Programs can be chained or looped so that the next program
automatically runs when you quit the current one.
o Unlike other shells, HotWire works correctly with all programs, just
like the GEM desktop.
o Special features, including environment parameters, make HotWire an
excellent shell for developers no matter what programming language you
use. We use HotWire exclusively at CodeHead Software to develop all
of our products.
o Written in 100% assembly language for optimum speed and efficiency.
----------------------------
NEW FEATURES IN HOTWIRE 2.0!
----------------------------
o A GEM menu bar with access to all HotWire functions and installed
desk accessories! Equivalent key commands for all menu items.
o Install MultiDesk Setup Files in the HotWire menu allowing you to
automatically load certain accessories for certain programs.
o Call MultiDesk as a program simply by clicking on an icon!
o New Screen Saver program, HotSaver, communicates with HotWire clock
and ledger files for accurate time tracking.
o Configurable corner clock with CapsLock indicator! Show time in 24-
or 12-hour format, with or without seconds, and even switch to a date
display if you wish. Turn clock on/off at ANY time. A clock setting
program is also included with HotWire.
o Set up to EIGHT ALARMS that will go off at any time, not just in a
GEM program (like most other alarm programs). Each alarm has its own
34-character message that will be displayed when it goes off. Even
set alarms to repeat every day at the same time if you wish!
o New PROGRAMMABLE command line options let you build your own shells
for programs like ARC and LHARC.
o Fully compatible with Atari's new STe computer!
o New headings box allows use of entire character set in menu titles.
Headings can now be displayed in inverse video.
o Free RAM display, current date display (includes the day of the week)
and controls for the blitter and zoom boxes.
o And let's not forget...a new look for the 90s!
HOTWIRE + MAXIFILE = THE ULTIMATE DESKTOP ALTERNATIVE!
------------------------------------------------------
The CodeHead integrated system continues with MaxiFile which is
available at the press of a key or by clicking on its icon. MaxiFile is
the ultimate file maintenance tool, offering all the file features of
the ST's desktop plus many, many more...some of them never before
offered anywhere. It runs as either a desk accessory or a program, and
has a seamless interface with HotWire that actually allows you to run
programs and start documents from within MaxiFile! MaxiFile must be
seen to be believed.
ALSO ANNOUNCING MULTIDESK 2.0!
------------------------------
Rounding out the system is CodeHead's famous MultiDesk which allows you
to load up to 32 desk accessories at any time. And now we have a brand
new version of MultiDesk as well!
MultiDesk 2.0 now allows you to clear individual or selected
accessories. Many other features have been added such as automatic
expansion of the MultiDesk buffer to fit a new accessory, configurable
warnings, automatic enable of Thunder.ACC, quick-shrink to 1K, a title
display of the current setup, and a special interface with HotWire. We
also have a new manual that explains all of the latest features.
---\\\+///---
You can upgrade your existing HotWire or MultiDesk to version 2.0 by
sending your original master disk plus $7.50 (for each program) to:
CODEHEAD SOFTWARE
P.O. Box 74090
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Phone: (213) 386-5735
FAX: (213) 386-5789
A note from the CodeHeads:
The new versions of MultiDesk and HotWire will be released for the first
time at the Anaheim World of Atari show this weekend, April 7th and 8th.
If you're coming to the show, make sure to stop by the CodeHead booth.
And if you already own HotWire or MultiDesk, make sure to bring your
original master disks so you can upgrade to the new versions. The
special upgrade fee for the show will be $5.00 (for each product)...save
$2.50 off our usual upgrade price! Hope to see you there.
CodeHead Software
Charles F. Johnson
John Eidsvoog
_________________________________________________________
> TURBOST 1.80 CPU/STR InfoFile? "THE SOFTWARE BLITTER"
=============================
SUCCESS STORY
=============
by Dick Biow
I think I've found more satisfaction writing manuals, advertisements,
and news releases for Wayne Buckholdt's and Jim Riffe's Turbo ST program
than from most similar jobs I've done. In part, this is because Wayne is
fun to work with, and in part it's because I was invited to become part of
a success story in a field where success is far from automatic. But
mostly it's because of what we learned about how to make money selling
software. Where did we make out okay, and where could we have done better?
Hindsight is easy, and it's also fun, so let's use hindsight to re-shape
the experience of Softrek, publisher of Turbo ST, into a set of rules that
might help all software writers and investors -- including ourselves -- to
improve profits.
1. Know your market. The typical ST owner is motivated by a desire to
"catch up" with what he hoped he was achieving when he bought his ST.
He's *highly* motivated, in fact he's rather angry because, for
example, he was led to expect that Atari would sell him a "blitter"
chip to speed up his ST's operation . . . and he got left holding an
empty blitter socket. Wayne Buckholdt happened to come out with the
right product at the right time: a "software" blitter that did most of
what Atari's blitter would do and a lot it wouldn't do, thus
satisfying what marketing people call "a real felt need." So . . .
knowing the market is necessary, and being lucky doesn't hurt a bit.
2. Control the timing of publicity. A beta version of Turbo ST was
described in a magazine about a month before the commercial version
was ready, and an unsuppliable demand created embarrassment. Yes, we
made clear that only beta versions were available at the time of the
article. But customers didn't care -- they wanted the commercial
version and they wanted it *now*. Oversensitized by years of
vaporware announcements by you-know-who, some ST users flipped their
impatience our way. This didn't do any serious harm in the long run,
but handling it was a distraction from other work -- an impediment to
concentration.
3. Understand the primary purpose of a manual. (Almost nobody does,
especially teachers of writing skills.). What does a potential
software buyer usually say just before he pulls out his credit card?
Right! "Let me see the manual." So the primary purpose of a manual is
to SELL the SOFTWARE! If it doesn't sell the software in the first
two pages, the rest of the manual will probably never get read. We
must tell the user, right at the beginning, what this software will do
for *him*, and how happy this will make him, and how easily he can
make the software perform. Only then should technical directions
commence. Now -- just reach for a typical ST manual and what do you
find in front? "I would like to express my eternal gratitude to my
wife Gertrude and brother Lemuel for . . ." (Yawn) Or we read,
"Please take into consideration how terribly hard we worked on this
program and how piracy starves our lovely children." ("Gosh, I'm all
choked up; I can't read through my tears!") Remember the immortal
words of Oscar Hammerstein: "There is no limit to the number of
people who will stay away from a lousy show."
4. Acknowledge deficiencies in the hardware manufacturer's marketing
competence. You have to ask yourself, "Would I let Atari's sales
people sell *my* product? Would I let Jack Trammiel join *my* sales
team?" After that -- no excuses! If we fail to set realistic goals,
or if we fail to move our goods, it's our own fault.
5. Support your product. (I sure was wrong about applying this command!)
Whenever a registered user phoned us with installation or operational
problems, Wayne himself would help him get squared away. I objected:
"We can't afford to waste our main programmer's time on the phone," I
said, "You should be isolated." But Wayne turned out to be right.
People are willing to pay fair prices for good software, but they feel
such payments entitle them to professional guidance when needed. (And
if they can't get the program working, they feel it's over-priced no
matter how little they might have paid for it.) Atari users are
vocal: walk that extra mile for them and they'll praise you in public,
in club meetings and on bulletin boards. This gives your product a
credibility that ten pages of your *own* boastful claims could never
earn.
6. "Early to bed, early to rise;
"Work like hell, and advertise."
-- So wrote Daniel David Palmer, Canadian inventor of Chiropractic
Medicine. I hate slogans as much as you do, but if one has to have a
slogan, this should be it. You simply can't win a place for your
product in today's markets without advertising, as Atari's top
management has recently learned at enormous cost, through losses of
sales and investor confidence. The argument against software
advertising typically runs, "We're unique. We don't need to
advertise, because we don't have any competitors." Wrong! The money
you want me to spend for your product could buy a couple of high-class
dinners, or a dress for a little girl, or -- a million things a
software salesman never thinks of, and every one of that million is a
competitor. No matter how unusual your product, no matter how
excellent, nobody really *needs* it; nobody's going to die without it.
But there are ways to make somebody *want* it . . .
7. Know how to write entertaining promotional material; then publishers
will let you mention a few attractive features of your product to the
public. For example:
Since Turbo ST first appeared, users have been urging us to come out
with a second, extra-cost version that would speed up graphics -- not
just text. Well, we've added graphic enhancements to our latest
version, but we haven't increased the $49.95 list price nor the $5
upgrade price. If you want to try out the new 1.8 version of Turbo ST
on your favorite programs, download TURBOSTC.ARC if you use a color
monitor or TURBOSTM.ARC if you use a monochrome monitor. The demo
versions of Turbo ST are full working versions that run for 15 minutes
each time you boot your computer and should be available this weekend
on GEnie and shortly thereafter your local bulletin board.
More boasting: graphic support by Turbo ST 1.8 includes polygon and
line drawing in all screen resolutions, polygon fills in all
resolutions, icon and pixel drawing in all resolutions. and high speed
circle drawing on all monochrome and Moniterm monitors. As for text-
scrolling speedup, what takes 11.5 seconds on a 1040 ST and 9.5
seconds on a stock Mega ST, takes only 6.7 seconds with Turbo ST 1.8.
This represents 19% improvement over Turbo ST version 1.6 and a 40%
improvement over Atari's blitter. (Who needs a blitter chip? Who needs
an STe? Don't trade up, just speed up with Turbo ST Version 1.8.!)
You can order Turbo ST 1.8 from your favorite local or mail-order
dealer, or you can purchase it for $49.95 direct from Softrek, PO Box
5257, Winter Park FL 32792, Telephone (407)-657-4611. Registered users
can upgrade by sending your original disk plus $5.00 to Softrek, or
free of charge from local dealers who participate in the upgrade
program [dealer update disks will be mailed within two weeks].
A FEW CANDID COMMENTS CONCERNING THE NEW TURBO ST 1.80
Conf : Atari Technical
Msg# : 1233 Lines: 4 Read: 3
Sent : Apr 2, 1990 at 9:47 PM
To : ALL
From : ED KRIMEN at Fuji BBS, Node 512 - Chico, CA
Subj : Turbo ST 1.8
I got it today! It's sweet! The off-hand noticable difference is that it
speeds up the drawing of the dialer on Interlink. It speeds up the
drawing of UIS III also. I don't have Quick ST 2.0 so I can't do any
comparisons.
Conf : Atari Technical
Msg# : 1232 Lines: Extended Read: 4
Sent : Apr 2, 1990 at 9:10 AM
To : ALL
From : SYSOP WAYNE at STATUS - Node 300 Ct
Subj : QST II Vs Turbo ST 1.6/1.8 UPDATE!!!
I got my upgrade to TurboST 1.8 in the mail the other day. There are
some pretty impressive advances in some areas. Here's the updated
comparison file.
/B = Blitter on, otherwise it's off
Benchmark Mono Mono/B Med Med/B Low Low/B
=======================================================================
Tos Txt 100% 110% 100% 107% 100% 114%
Tos String 100% 106% 100% 105% 100% 110%
Tos Scroll 100% 132% 100% 128% 100% 127%
Gem Dialog 100% 133% 100% 129% 100% 148%
TST 1.6 Mono Mono/B Med Med/B Low Low/B
=======================================================================
Tos Txt 314% 314% 337% 337% 436% 436%
Tos String 1255% 1255% 1420% 1420% 867% 861%
Tos Scroll 144% 144% 140% 140% 134% 134%
Gem Dialog 260% 271% 201% 240% 199% 264%
QST II Mono Mono/B Med Med/B Low Low/B
======================================================================
Tos Txt 325% 325% 348% 348% 263% 263%
Tos String 1271% 1271% 1524% 1524% 475% 475%
Tos Scroll 134% 134% 131% 131% 129% 129%
Gem Dialog 255% 260% 231% 240% 111% 174%
TST 1.8 Mono Mono/B Med Med/B Low Low/B
======================================================================
Tos Txt 326% 326% 354% 354% 454% 454%
Tos String 1347% 1347% 2073% 2073% 1997% 1997%
Tos Scroll 136% 139% 133% 135% 132% 134%
Gem Dialog 284% 299% 285% 275% 216% 269%
Using both at the same time, all the numbers except for GEM Dialog are the
same as TST. For GEM Dialog the numbers are between 5-15% higher than
whichever is highest in each category.
As you can see TST 1.8 has made some impressive increases. All areas
where 1.6 was lagging behind QST II have been sped up, and it now
surpasses QST II in all categories that either program has an affect on in
the Quick Index program.
__________________________________________________________
> ONLINE TODAY CPU/STR OnLine? The wires are hummin'!
============================
by Oscar Steele
Welcome back, and thanks for joining us. The ST sections on the
networks such as GEnie or Compuserve are huge places, most of you already
know that. Thus, I'd like to begin with GEnie's Atari ST Roundtable and
move on to include other networks in the coming weeks. This week we'll
meet GEnie's SysOp's and get a feel for who they are and what they're
about.
I was lucky enough to have Darlah J. Pine (better known as DARLAH),
the Chief SysOp, and Jeffrey J. Williams (JEFF.W), one of Darlah's
Assistant SysOps answer a few questions.
1. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A SYSOP?
Darlah:
I've been a SysOp for 4 years.
Jeff:
I've been a SysOp on GEnie for 1T'S THE MOST COMMON QUESTION YOU'VE BEEN ASKED?
Darlah:
"Can I get access to Cat 21?" Next one is "I am having problems
uploading or downloading."
Jeff:
"Will you give me access to Category 21?" (The Game Category in the
Bulletin Board that contains explicit help and solutions to games for
the ST.)
3. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TIME TO BE ON GENIE?
Dashort period of time. It is one of the most quiet
times of the day.
My second favorite time is at conference time as it gives me the
opportunity to chat with everyone.
Jeff:
My favorite time to be online on GEnie is on Wednesday evenings!
That's when the weekly RTC's (RealTime Conferences) are held. Each
Wednesday evening at 10pm EST.
4. WHAT DOup the Discover magazine yesterday and was amazed to see
Atari all over the entire back cover. Things are starting to happen.
I see exciting things in Atari's future. I feel a bit sad when I see
some not hang on as I feel a certain closeness to all the folks that
participate in the GEnie Atari areas. GEnie's area has grown 60% in
one year. This is amazing in itself. We have become very popular.
Atari computers were selling or at least modems were.
Jeff:
Let's narrow this question down to what do I think about Atari's
current -online- situation. I think Atari has some wonderful folks
online on on GEnie. I'm very glad that we have folks like John, Bob,
Elizabeth, Dan, and Allan online. As wonderful as these folks are, I
would still love to see someone who could answer marketing and policy
questions. The technical support online is excellent, but there are
lots of non-technical questions that can't always be answered by our
Atari friends.
5. WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
Darlah:
I live in Connecticut right near the New York border.
Jeff:
I live in Arlington Heights, ILLINOIS. It's a northwest suburb of
Chicago.
6. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW OR MUSIC?
Darlah:
TV?? What is that?? Actually I am more serious about that than you
probably realize as I very rarely get the opportunity to sit down and
enjoy a TV show. GEnie takes up a big chunk of my life. Music is
another story. I love it and one does not have to find the time to
watch it. I just got back from an Eric Clapton concert. It was
fantastic. I enjoy a great variety of music from Michael Bolton,
Allanah Myles, Journey to such things as WhiteSnake. I couldn't name
you every CD or tape or vinyl I own. Over the years I have slowly
built up the collection.
Jeff:
I usually listen to talk radio, so I don't keep up with a lot of
current music, but I like rock and roll (the good old fashioned kind),
the Beatles, Roy Orbison, James Taylor, and lots of others. My
favorite TV shows are Star Trek: The Next Generation, Night Court,
LOUISIANA Law, It's The Garry Shandling Show, and Murphy Brown.
7. ARE YOU MARRIED?
Darlah: I am separated and soon to be divorced (finalized).
Jeff: Single.
8. HOW OLD ARE YOU?
Darlah:
My age is 34.
Jeff:
37. March 18, 1954. Please, no gifts costing more than $1000.
<grin>
9. GIVE A SHORT AUTOBIOGRAPHY ABOUT YOURSELF.
Darlah:
Hmmm... this is a hard one. I have down everything from working as a
line person to being a plumber and owning a plumbing company to this.
My 1st computer I purchased was an Atari 400 and it was never the same
since. :-) I have always been in a service type business; thus, GEnie
is an extension of it. I enjoy the opportunity to help others in
something we mutually enjoy.
Jeff:
I grew up all over the place. Started out in Chicago, then spent most
of my school life in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (a wonderful little town in
a beautiful setting... it sickens me that so many neo-nazis and white
supremisist hate groups have chosen to make Idaho the base of their
operations), then a brief stint in Seattle, back to Idaho again, a few
years in Denver, and finally back to the Chicago area, where I
finished high school. After school, I got a job with A Very Big
Insurance Co in August of 1985. I still use that very same 520ST, but it
is now rigged with 2.5 Meg of RAM, a Tweety Board, and a Turbo 16. My
particular interest is telecommunications (gee, what a surprise!), but
I use the ST also for word processing a lot and, yes, I like to play
some games when I have the time. I like -anything- from Sierra
Online. But my current game pla through Chip's Challenge.
Some of these questions got a bit personal, and I offered them as
optional. But, as I had hoped, both Darlah and Jeff answered all the
questions. That's the great thing about the GEnie SysOps, you get to feel
like you really know them when you talk to them during conferences or when
leaving/getting mail.
Darlah was VERY busy this week because of her stint at the World of
Atari show in Anaheim (it's not exactly in her backyard). But she took
the time to answer my questions. I've noticed she does that a lot - she
takes the time, whether it's to help a new user or fix something that
needs a fixin. New users have something to look forward to on GEnie, that
homey feel that older users have grown accustomed to. A BIG THANK YOU to
Darlah and Jeff!
Hopefully, next week, I'll begin to dissect the GEnie message base and
download section to show you the what's and where's of GEnie. We'll also
be taking a look at GEnie's weekly conferences. Hope to see you next
week!
__________________________________________________________
> MODULA-3 CPU/STR InfoFile? A NEW PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
==========================
The Olivetti Modula-3 Distribution
----------------------------------
Modula-3 [1] is a new programming language that adds objects, threads,
exceptions and garbage collection to Modula-2. We are developing a set
of tools to support software development in Modula-3. Our intent is to
make the tools widely available and we plan to distribute them during the
third quarter of this year.
Tools
-----
The Modula-3 tools are built from a collection of packages, written
mostly in Modula-3 but including some C, which are integrated by the use
of an abstract syntax tree (AST) as the intermediate representation of
compilation units. The AST is defined in terms of Modula-3 object types
and the majority of the tools operate directly off this representation.
We are actively developing a variety of tools to support Modula-3
development. However, in order to make a basic system available quickly,
not all of these tools will be provided in the first distribution. The
initial set will definitely contain the following:
* A compiler that translates from Modula-3 source to object code,
by way of C source as an intermediate step. Our use of C is quite
high-level, hence there is a close similarity between names and types
in the Modula-3 and C domains. This makes it possible to debug via
the generated C code. The compiler is structured such that it is
easy to replace the C code-generator with an program with the target machine linker.
* A 'makefile' generator for Modula-3 libraries and programs.
Other tools that we are working on and will include in the distribution
if they are solid enough, include the following:
* A tool to generate Modula-3 code to save and restore data structures
from persistent storage in a type-safe manner.
* A tool to build skeleton modules from interfaces.
* A pretty printer for Modula-3 source.
* A Modula-3 interpreter, operating off the AST.
* A tool to build interfaces and modules from a generic specification.
* A source-level debugger with a point and show interface.
* An interactive compiler tool that monitors changes made to source
files and performs recompilations automatically. This replaces the
use of 'make' and provides a fast compilation environment.
* A remote procedure call stub generator.
Run-time Library
-----------------
The distribution will contain a library suitable for typical systems
programming applications. We are taking a simple approach to the basic
run-time environment to avoid creating unnecessary obstacles to
portability. The only significant run-time support is the garbage
collector, which is by Boehm and Weiser [2]. The library will contain a
number of modules (30 or so), some completely portable and some that are
operating system dependent. It includes an IO system, based on an
extensible set of stream classes.
Tool Portability
-----------------
We are developing the tools to run on Sun-3 hardware under SunOS
3.5/4.0 and on DEC VAX running Unix(*) BSD 4.3. We expect that
portability of the tools to other Unix targets will be straightforward,
since we make little or no use of facilities that pose portability
problems. Porting it to other operating systems will require more work,
but the changes should be well localized.
References
----------
[1] The Modula-3 Report,
L. Cardelli, J. Dohnaue, L. Glassman, M. Jordan, B. Kalsow,
G. Nelson, DEC Systems Research Center, Palo Alto, CA and
Olivetti Research Center, Menlo Park, CA, Aug 88.
[2] Garbage Collection in an Uncooperative Environment,
Hans Boehm and Mark Weiser,
Software, Practice and Experience, Sep 88, pp. 807-820.
How to reach us
---------------
If you would like further information, or would like to receive a copy of
the distribution software, please send e-mail to modula-3@stl.olivetti.com
(or modula-3@oli-stl.uucp). Or write to us at:
Olivetti Software Technology Laboratory
2882 Sand Hill Road, Suite 115
Menlo Park, CA 94025
USA
The Modula-3 Tools Project Team
-------------------------------
The distribution software is being developed by David Chase of Olivetti
Research Center, Mick Jordan, Trevor Morris and Marion Sturtevant of
Olivetti Software Technology Laboratory.
(*) Unix is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories.
__________________________________________________________
> SUPERCHARGER! CPU/STR FOCUS? The _PREMIER_ IBM Emulator
===========================
TALON.TECH posts;
I have been very busy at Talon Technology and could not get the time
to get on-line until now. I now have made plans to be on every couple of
days to answer any technical or other questions.
There seems to be just a little confusion over just how much the
SuperCharger costs. Before I answer that, let me give you just a little
bit of back ground on SuperCharger (SC). We have received FCC class "A"
approval on SuperCharger. This means it can be sold as a commercial or
business device. What does this mean to the end user? You must be able to
show that you would use SC in a commercial or business environment. If
you would like to see if you would qualify to buy our present version of
SC please give me a call at Talon Technology (619-792-6511).
Because of FCC class "A" restrictions and other reasons SuperCharger
is NOW available with 1 meg of Ram for $450.00. Because a large number of
PC's are used for business purposes, the FCC class "A" restriction will
not prohibit a good number of Atari ST/Mega users from being able to buy
the current version of SC.
We are earnestly seeking a FCC class "B" approval. A FCC class "B"
approval would allow us to sell to the end user with no restrictions. Our
best estimate is 6-8 weeks before we get FCC Class "B" approval.
New Stuff
=========
A new update of SuperCharger Software will now allow you to use the
idle memory in SUPERCHARGER AS A RAM DISK for your Atari ST/Mega. Now
when your not using your SC, you can access the idle memory and configure
it as a ram disk.
The new version of software will allow you parallel process several
SuperChargers. You could have two or more SC's placed in series through
the DMA. You would then be able to run more than I will give
you more details later when the documentation is fully translated.
The new software will not be shipped with the current version of
SC's but will be available as an upgrade. We will release the upgrade as
soon as testing and the translation of the manual is done.
The VGA card is still two to three months away (this is a
disappointment to us too), but wi >Richard Betson
>Talon Technology Inc.
>(TALON.TECH)
An excerpt from the latest info file from Talon. Folks, they are
supporting this new SUPERCHARGER with every possible effort.
- The serial port of the ATARI is now supported as COM2: under
MS-DOS and can be used accordingly.
- SETVIDEO.EXE is used to switch to HERCULES mode when a high
resolutiion monitor (SM124 or Multisync) is connected to the
ATARI.
The " / " key above the numerical keypad will toggle the display
in graphic mode between the lefthand, centred and righthand
view.
The graphic mode can be selected from inside MS-DOS with the
SETVIDEO program at any time between CGA und Hercules.
- Some programs might have problems when in Hercules mode, if
the GRAFTABL.COM program has been run from inside of the
AUTOEXEC.BAT. This is not a SuperCharger specific problem.
Removing the GRAFTABL.COM from the AUTOEXEC.BAT will fix it.
- The new version of SC_INST.TOS has an option for inverse
video at start up.
- The screen can be inverted at any time by pressing
Alternate - S - A.
- In order to use the DOS-SHELL in DOS 4.01 you have to copy
the DOSSHELL.BAT from the Utility-Disk to the DOS-Partition
(or the Boot-Disk). The DOS-SHELL is invoked by typing DOSSHELL.
- ATARIDR.SYS can only work withn MS-DOS compatible FAT and
sector formats. If you use partitions larger than 16 MBytes or
smaller then 4 MBytes you may receive an error message.
To avoid this we recommened that you use only partitions between
4 MBytes and 16 MBytes in size.
The MS-DOS partition can be as small as 1 MByte but should not
exceed 16 MBytes.
- You should not use the ATARI C: partition as your MS-DOS
boot partition. You will not be able to autoboot TOS.
- If you have an older version of the SuperCharger software,
you should NEVER mix versions. This will result in a possible
malfunction.
- If you have problems using the SuperCharger with your harddisk, use
ABIO_CON.TOS instead of ABIO.TOS.
Toolbox Version 1.30
====================
This folder should contain the following files:
- README.1ST : This Text.
- RAMDISK.ASM : V30 source code for SC_RAM.TTP
- RAMDISK.BIN : V30 binary include file for SC_RAM.TTP
- SCTB.PRG : Resident Toolbox Program.
- SCTB_INC.S : General Include File for Toolbox application programs
- SC_RAM.TTP : Sample application program for the SuperCharger Toolbox
'SuperCharger as Ramdisk for the Atari'
- SC_RAM.S : 680===================
you should perform the following steps:
o Start SCTB.PRG to load the resident Toolbox. This program may be
placed in the AUTO folder.
o Double click on SC_RAM.TTP
o If no special options are required, simply press RETURN. See above,
command line syntax.
o The ramdisk will display a signon message, saying under which drive
ulator at WOA in Anaheim this weekend, if you go
to the show, please, make it your business to visit the Talon booth and
see this jewel in action....
_______________________________________________________
> PCD Now What? CPU/STR FOCUS Dealers are taking deposits?
============================
DJ.REES posts;
To whom it may concern:
I have had my PC-Ditto II working now for about 3 weeks with the new
pals installed and here is what I have found:
I had to have a socket installed for the 68000 as the tech said to
solder the clip on properly he would have to remove it from the Mega
motherboard. It would only work reliably after I had the clip soldered
onto the 68000. Before that sometimes it would lock up at the Hit Return
for DOS prompt and sometimes it would work. I am considering having a
socket installed in my 1040 so I can move PC Ditto to my other computer
when necessary. Most programs seem to work but a few I have tried do
not.
My main reason for running PC Ditto II was to run the IBM version of
FoReM Professional BBS program and Binkleyterm a Fidonet mailer program
without having to shell out thousands for a 286 or 386 machine.
Unfortunately, neither of these programs will quite work because I
seem to be having trouble getting the COM1 port to work at full speed.
Both of these programs require a fossil driver for the COM port. I have
tried 2 different versions of fossil drivers and one of them will not
work at all and the other works normal for about 4 lines of text and then
slows down to a snails pace. Once the slowdown occurs it only sends out
about 1 character per second to the modem. Even though the screen from
the sysops point of view is several lines ahead and waiting for a
keypress in response to a prompt. And if you press a key on the console
it speeds up the output to the modem for as long as you are pressing
keys.
But both of these programs work ok when used from just the keyboard end
of things. Also I purchased Gem 3.1 to use in PC mode and it just locks
up with a white screen and a flashing cursor at the top left corner of
the screen when trying to boot Gemvdi.exe. And last but not least Turbo
ST 1.6 will lock up my computer if I try to boot it as a accessory in
native ST mode. Just locks up the computer with a all white screen.
Thanks in advance for looking into these problems for me.
DJ Rees
BOOJIBOY posts;
Well, it has been over three weeks and my PC Ditto II is still going
strong. As previously noted, I have a Mega 2 with a Rev. 5 board.
J.Allen, there is one thing I would like to know. Exactly how does one
attach a 74HCT08 between the blitter and the clip? Do you solder it
between the top of the clip corresponding to pin 13 and the daughterboard
pin that is soldered there? If so, what pins of the 74HCT08 get soldered
and to what?
My Spectrum pictures still look fine. Prodigy is still very buggy. I
have no luck at 2400 baud, but at 1200 baud I have had limited success. A
couple of times I was able to stay on for an entire session and log off.
I strongly suspect that this is software related, as opposed to hardware
since it is inconsistent. Perhaps PCD2 doesn't communicate too well with
the modem. What do you think A-G? Anyway, I also have Spectre GCR and the
latest version of the software, Version 2.65 i.d. from 0,0 to something else? I can't format using DOS. I try
the command FORMAT C:/S, it asks for the drive's volume name and since I
am unable to supply any it refuses to format. Other than that, I have
the ultimate home computer. Runs ST, Mac, DOS, for under $2,000.00!!!
S.E.SIMON posts;
Avant-Garde, I too have not yet received my PC Ditto II. Is there a
pingham, Mi. 48009 #011373
P.ANTHONY posts;
More on my problems with the modem...I was mistaken when I said
Prodigy didn't echo the characters to the screen when the computer stopped
sending characters to the modem. I also did some counting and I found
that after 114 to 117 key presses, the computer stops sending the key
presses to the modem. On the off chance that my pey have no
problems with terminal emulators and PC Ditto II?
Thanks, Perry
BOOJIBOY posts;
P.ANTHONY I have problems running Prodigy and other terminal software.
I suspect it is a BIOS problem, which is software related. Hopefully A-G
will have a \ software fix for this. Prodigy does work better at 1200
baud than 2400. Tomorrow I leave for Anaheim. See you all there at the
World of Atari Show!
__________________________________________________________
> ICD ADVANTAGE + CPU/STR InfoFile? Another quick look....
================================
In March 1990, ICD introduced three new SCSI Host Adapters for the Atari
ST and MEga computers. They include new software and all support the full
SCSI command set.
1) Advantage Micro ST - designed for the Mega with an internal hard
drive. The smallest Atari Host Adapter in existence at about 2.7 by 1.3
inches. Includes a power up delay circuit for autobooting inside your
Mega. Drive bracket and cables are included as well as software and
manual.
2) Advantage ST - Full SCSI, 48 ma drivers, Dual mode DMA daisy-
chaining, parity bit support, and very small size. Includes software,
manuals, molded 3 ft. DMA cable.
3) Advantage Plus ST - Same as above but with real-time clock and the
larger footprint of our old ICD ST Host Adapter.
Our new Advantage ST software works with all ICD ST Host Adapters and
includes excellent support for removable media drives (Syquest), high
speed caching, Up to 128 paritions per system, each being up to 500
Megabytes and a desk accessory which allows swapping and selecting of
these partitions. Up to 14 partitions can be active at once. Of course
autobooting and Atari 3.xx format structure is supported.
Folks, ICD will also be exhibiting at WOA this weekend, stop by their
booth and see the new goodies on display...
_____________________________________________________
> CHOOSING A LANGUAGE CPU/STR InfoFile? An interesting list...
====================================
Selecting a Programming Language Made Easy
==========================================
Daniel Solomon & David Rosenblueth
Department of Computer Science, University o2L 3G1
With such a large selection of programming languages, it can be
difficult to choose one for a particular project. Reading the
manuals to evaluate the languages is a time-consuming process. On
the other hand, most people already have a fairly good idea of how
various automobiles compare. So in order to assist those trying to
choose a language, we have prepared a chart th - A Model T Ford. Once it was king of the road.
FORTRAN IV - A Model A Ford.
FORTRAN 77 - A six-cylinder Ford Fairlane with standard transmission
and no seat belts.
COBOL - A delivery van. It's bulky and ugly, but it does the work.
BASIC - A second-hand Rambler with a rebuilt engine and patched
upholstry. Your dad bought it for you to learn to drive.
You'll ditch the car as soon as you can afford a new one.
PL/I - A Cadillac convertible with automatic transmission, a two-
tone paint job, white-wall tires, chrome exhaust pipes, and
fuzzy dice hanging in the windshield
C - A black Firebird, the all-macho car. Comes with optional
seat belts (lint) and optional fuzz buster (escape to
assembler).
ALGOL 60 - An Austin Mini. Boy, that's a small car.
Pascal - A Volkswagon Beetle. It's small but sturdy. Was once
popular with intellectuals.
Modula II - A Volkswagon Rabbit with a trailer hitch.
ALGOL 68 - An Astin Martin. An impressive car, but not just anyone
can drive it.
LISP - An electric car. It's simple but slow. Seat belts are not
available.
PROLOG/LUCID - Prototype concept-cars.
Maple/MACSYMA -All-terrain vehicles.
FORTH - A go-cart.
LOGO - A kiddie's replica of a Rolls Royce. Comes with a real
engine and a working horn.
APL - A double-de of
passengers to the same place all at the same time. But, it
drives only in reverse gear, and is instrumented in Greek.
Ada - An army-green Mercedes-Benz staff car. Power steering,
power brakes and automatic transmission are all standard.
No other colors or options are available. If it's good
enoug==================================
There's a lot of truth to this list. I thought everyone might enjoy it
since we seem to be spending so much time comparing programming languages.
Doc Holiday...
________________________________________________________________
> TRACKER ST!! CPU/STR InfoFile?
=============================
TRACKER/ST
==========
Tracker/ST is an exciting new productivity package for the Atari ST,
which combines mailing list, mail merge, and person-tracking features in a
single integrated software solution. Fully GEM based for ease of use,
Tracker is the ideal program for anyone who does mailings on a regular
basis, or who needs to keep track of people for any reason. Some of
Tracker's powerful features include:
>>> Powerful and easy to use mail merge. Merge letters to
everyone or set up exact criteria for a merge. Powerful GEM
text editor _built in_ with automatic reformatting (no need
to press the F10 key), bold, italic and underline
attributes, etc.
>>> Computer aided entry saves you thousands of keystrokes when
entering names--up to 10,000+ keystrokes saved for every
250 names you enter into Tracker/ST.
>>> Sixteen preset label formats for single, 2 or 3 across
labels, and laser printed labels (with _no_ label
creeping). Edit these and add your own for custom label
formats.
>>> One-step "subscription aging" command automatically tracks
remaining time in a membership or subscription. Great for
groups with memberships that need to be adjusted on a
weekly, monthly, or annual basis.
>>> Full GEM interface with drop down menus, click on buttons
and keyboard commands for ultimate ease of use.
>>> Unique "Quick Letter" option for those occasions when you
need to send a single "almost form letter." Great for
business reply mail and followup letters.
>>> Unlimited notes for each person in your Tracker/ST files.
Notes are not limited to a few characters or words.
>>> Category, rank, source and I.D. fields to help you identify
each entry in your list.
>>> Full reports to screen and printer, including easy to use
sorting, filtering, grouping, counting, and summarizing. No
need to use complicated "dot prompts" or learn a confusing
database language.
>>> Import and export names in ASCII and Tracker/ST formats.
>>> Easy transfer of names from all popular ST data management
packages into Tracker/ST.
>>> Number of names limited only by disk space.
>>> Comprehensive manual with full tutorial and complete index.
Manual is spiral bound.
>>> Installs easily on your hard drive--not copy protected.
Tracker/ST is perfect for businesses of all types, religious and
school organizations, theater and music groups, photographers, freelance
writers and artists, clubs, newsletter publishers, salesmen and
saleswomen, etc.
Tracker/ST will run on any Atari ST with one megabyte of RAM and a
double sided disk drive. The program runs in medium resolution color and
high resolution monochrome, and also completely supports the Moniterm
large screen monitor. A hard drive is recommended.
Tracker/ST is available NOW.
See your local dealer or send a check
or
money order for $79.95 to:
Step Ahead Software, Inc.
496-A Hudson Street Suite 39F
New York City, NY 10014
For more information;
Please call:
Step Ahead Software
at
212-627-5830
during normal East Coast business hours.
___________________________________________________________
> ERROR CODES CPU/STR InfoFile? What they all mean..
=============================
Conf : Atari Technical
Msg# : 1310 Lines: Extended Read: 1
Sent : Apr 5, 1990 at 6:54 PM
To : XORG
From : LORD WASTERAM at RAM Wasteland
Subj : Re: <1227> TOS error codes
Ever wondered what those TOS error messages and 'bombs' on your
monitor signified? Below is a letter, originally written by Darryl May,
that John Townsend of Atari posted on GEnie in January to provide some
answers. This letter also appeared in the June 1988 issue of _Current
Notes_ (122 N. Johnson Rd., Sterling, VA 22170).
Dear ATARI customer,
The following is an official list of the errors that can appear
while you are operating your ST computer. This first list gives you
the GEM error messages:
Error description GEM Error code
=========================================
OK (no error)....................0
Fundamental error................1
Drive not ready..................2
Unknown command..................3
CRC error........................4
Bad request......................5
Seek error.......................6
Unknown media....................7
Sector not found.................8
No paper.........................9
Write fault.....................10
Read fault......................11
General error...................12
Write protect...................13
Media change....................14
Unknown device..................15
Bad sectors on format...........16
Insert other disk...............17
Invalid function number.........32
File not found..................33
Path not found..................34
No handles left.................35
Access denied...................36
Invalid handle..................37
Insufficient memory.............39
Invalid memory block address....40
Invalid drive specified.........46
No more files...................49
Range error.....................64
Internal error..................65
Invalid program load format.....66
Those bombs that appear on your screen are error messages from
the 68000 micro-processor.
Number
Description of bombs
===========================================
......1
Bus Error........................2
Address Error....................3
Illegal Instruction..............4
Zero Divide......................5
CHK Instruction..................6
TRAPV Instruction................7
Privilege Violation..............8
Trace............................9............14
Uninitialized Interrupt Vector..15
[unassigned, reserved].......16-23
Spurious Interrupt..............24
Level 1 Interrupt Autovector....25
Level 2 Interrupt Autovector....26
Level 3 Interrupt Autovector....27
Level 4 Interrupt Autovector....28
Level 5 Interrupt Autovector....29
Level 6 Interrupt Autovector....30
Level 7 Interrupt Autovector....31
Trap Instruction Vectors.....32-47
[unassigned, reserved].......48-63
User Interrupt Vectors......64-255
Darryl May
Tech Specialist
After having received a number of requests pertaining to the meaning
of the number of bombs noticed on the screen from time time, we bring to
an excellent list provided through the FNET....
_________________________________________________________
> Stock Market ~ CPU NewsWire? Watchin' the Sheckles Grow!
===========================
THE TICKERTAPE
==============
by Michael Arthur
Concept by Glenn Gorman
On Monday, Atari Stock went up 1/8 of a point, and up another 1/8 of a
point on Tuesday. Atari Stock stayed even on Wednesday, but shot up by
5/8 of a point on Thursday, and stayed even on Friday. Finishing up the
week at 6 1/2 points, Atari stock has gone up 7/8 of a point since the
last report.
Apple Stock was down 2 points from Friday, March 23, 1990.
Commodore Stock was up 3/8 of a point from 3/23/90.
IBM Stock was down 1 5/8 points from 3/23/90.
Stock Report for Week of 3/26/90 to 3/30/90
_________________________________________________________________________
STock| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
Reprt|Last Chg.|Last Chg.|Last Chg.|Last Chg.|Last Chg.|
-----|------------|-------------|-------------|------------|-------------|
Atari|5 3/4 + 1/8|5 7/8 + 1/8|5 7/8 ---- |6 1/2 + 5/8|6 1/2 ---- |
| | | | | 74,200 Sls |
-----|------------+-------------+-------------+------------+-------------|
CBM |8 1/4 --- |8 3/8 + 1/8|8 3/8 ---- |8 3/8 ---- |8 5/8 + 1/4|
| | | | | 50,200 Sls |
-----|------------+-------------+-------------+------------+-------------|
Apple|42 1/4 --- | 42 - 1/4|41 1/4 - 3/4|41 1/8 -1/8|40 1/4 + 1/8|
| IBM |104 1/8 |104 1/2 +3/8|105 7/8 | 106 + 1/8|106 1/8 +1/8|
| -7/8| | +1 5/8| |1,426,000 Sls|
-----'-------------------------------------------------------------------'
'Sls' refers to the # of stock shares that were traded that day.
'CBM' refers to Commodore Corporation.
'----' means that the stock's price d__________________________________________________
> TAF SHOW CPU/STR Spotlight? A look at the TAF show
==========================
To :ST.REPORT
Sub: TAF show
Ralph, just got back from the Toronto show. It was another packed
show. They estimate about 2000 people went through. Atari Canada was
showing off some new color moniterm-like monitor. 16 colors o all
time low of $690 ($580 US) which is an _amazing_ deal. My booth was
packed all day, and we did quite well sales wise. There were some other
pretty amazing deals. Hopefully WOA will be at least as good.
DM
---====\\\+///====---
THE 1990 CANADIAN ATARI USERS CONVENTION
TORONTO, ONTARIO, APRIL 1, 1990
99
:M
AAI=
MQ
I1 ==Q!M=I =UQ
I=5]%th a disk full of PD software was going for $750
and most dealers had a good supply of Lynx along with the usual 4 games.
There was at least one Supercharger MS-DOS emulator in a 1 meg version on
display, but only orders were being taken at the show, as well as a good
supply of PC-Speed and Megafile 44's at several booths. Atari Canada had
a large well stocked display in the center and showed everything from the
full PC line (including the 20 MHz 386), to the CD-ROM, Lynx, Stacy and
Megafile 44. ISD was very evident in the Atari booth and was featuring
Calamus DTP as well as their new Outline to crowds that were amazed by
the possibilities. They also had a Mega 4 with a math co-processor and
Turbo 16 board using Image Systems colour video board hooked up to a NEC
D5 multisync monitor running the newest version of Dynacadd. All of
this was being printed on a Roland Size E colour plotter and has to be
one of the best setups available on any machine. Ask anyone who saw it.
Developers such as Strata with STalker, Gribnif with NeoDesk, ASDE
with Geography Tutor, Branch Always with QuickST II, and D.A. Brumleve
with her kids' programs were doing and excellent business as well as
getting a chance to talk to the people using their products. A full
slate of seminars in 2 adjoining rooms gave many of the developers and
distributers a chance to demonstrate and talk about their products. In
addition, Atari Canada's featured guest was Bob Brodie and he lived up to
the rave reviews he has gotten from previous visits he has made in the
US.
While this show may not have been as large as some of those south of
the border, it certainly was as successful and the support given by Atari
Canada, not only in attending with a very professional booth, but in
ensuring a good supply of the newest product was available, made everyone
who attended feel that the Atari is a computer with a future.
Terry Webb
National Capital Atari Users Group, Ottawa, Canada.
________________________________________________
> CPU NEWSWIRE CONFIDENTIAL? Sayin' it like it is.....
=========================
- Mendham, N.J. *** EXPLORER DARED ATARI TO ACT! ***
-------------
Incendiary statements like these appear in Betsy Staples editorial;
"Certain managers in Sunnyvale, apparently feeling little obligation
to pay for the printing of the last issue they had chosen to
discontinue, ignored the bill for an unconscionable period."
Additionally she wrote;
"We are simply trying to minimize the damage done to our dealers and
our advertisers by one penny pinching sycophant in Atari's accounting
department."
This relates to the Atarian magazine, a nice idea that never got off the
ground. It seems the printer decided to hold the production and release
of Explorer up until he was paid for the work done on the Atarian, when
payment was not forthcoming, the new Explorer was forced to wait in thme arrangements were made for payment, production resumed
on Explorer but once again problems arose.. the delivery of Explorer was
then...
"Only to be brought to a screeching halt when the agreed upon payment
was not received on schedule".
The following also points out the frustration felt by Staples and Ahl; We
quote from the Staples editorial;
"Several calln a few brownie points with the rabidly anti-
FedEx Tramiels or, perhaps, to such people petty nastiness is its own
reward--had dropped the envelope containing it into the chaotic
maelstrom that is the first class mail stream during the weeks before
Christmas."
While the entire matter truly appears to blown totally out of proportion
by Atari's gross over-reaction in smooth
sounding 'as a matter of fact' type press release saying in so many words,
"we are re-organizing and re-locating Explorer". This leaves this reporter
breathless. The deed was clear cut and simple, Atari was shocked and
angered because of Explorer hanging out Atari's dirty laundry for all the
world to see. Atari reacted accordingly ..or rather, overreacted.
Of course, Davindow and downstairs side windows. David actually lived out the role of
David and Goliath by taking on Atari's Mr. L. Hmmm a bit cryptic but
when one reads further;
"I was sick and tired of taking heat from a certain un-named member of
the ruling clan at Atari Corp. --call him Mr. L-- who regularly rants
and raves about things that appear in this column."
Moving rputer World in England.
Specifically, he objected to my saying that the LCD screen doesn't
reproduce all PC graphics correctly. A fact subsequently verified by
two other publications. I remarked that I wouldn't have to publish
test results from other magazines if Atari would simply lend the
editors of its own magazine -ie, us- a Portfolio on which we could run
re not going
to get one'".
Having been there ourselves a number of times, the dialog sounded vaguely
familiar except, in our case, it came from the commander of the now very
famous, "ill-fated and circling" Aircraft Carrier. Certainly a good
majority of the userbase would very much like to see Explorer restored to
its true form and not evolve into a very typical company rag.... Displays
of rabid temper tantrums do nothing but detract from the overall
productivity of any company. And we wonder why ALL the products are
late??
______________________________________________________
> Hard Disks CPU/STR InfoFile? Affordable Mass Storage....
===========================
NEW PRICES! & MORE MODELS!!
============================
ABCO COMPUTER ELECTRONICS INC.
P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32236-6672
Est. 1985
_________________________________________
Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EDT
BBS: 904-786-4176 12-24-96 HST
FAX: 904-783-3319 12 PM - 6 AM EDT
_________________________________________
HARD DISK SYSTEMS TO FIT EVERY BUDGET
_____________________________________
All systems are complete and ready to use, included at NO EXTRA COST
are clock/calendar and cooling blower(s).
-ALL ABCO HARD DISK SYSTEMS ARE FULLY EXPANDABLE-
(you are NOT limited to two drives ONLY!)
(all cables and connectors installed)
RUGGED, RELIABLE SEAGATE HARD DISK MECHANISMS
* ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY * OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS *
* ICD ADVANTAGE HOST ADAPTERS *
* SCSI EMBEDDED CONTROLLER MECHANISMS *
51mb #SGN4951 529.95 65mb #SG60101 669.95
80mb #SGN296 759.95 100mb #SG84011D 939.00
>>ALL ABCO DRIVES ARE HIGH SPEED UNITS<<
CALL FOR SUPER SAVINGS ON ALL OUR OTHER CUSTOM UNITS
FROM 30mb
============================================
:IMPORTANT NOTICE:
============================================
TAX REFUND SPECIAL OFFER!
=========================
ORDER YOUR HARD DRIVE NOW AND GET A SECOND COMPLETE UNIT!
****** for $50.00 LESS! ******
That's right! A custom two for one sale.
Buy with a friend and save money!
CALL TODAY and ORDER YOURS!
--==*==--
SHIPPING AND INSURANCE INCLUDED
-offer good for a limited ti
- ICD Mass Storage Utility Software - 3' DMA Cable
- Fan & Clock - Multi-Unit Power Supply
(1) 44 MB Syquest Cart.
Completely Assembled and READY TO RUN!
in a shoebox OR under monitor cabinet
As of 3/90 NOW ONLY __$865.00__
*** SPECIAABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
SPECIALLY PRICED $1539.00
* SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
- Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
50mb SQG51 $1279.00 30mb SQG38 $1199.00
65mb SQG09 $1339.00 85mb SQG96 $1399.00
LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS
***** COMING SOON! INSITE FLOPTICAL DRIVE *****
August-September, 1990
20 MB 3.5 FLOPPY DISK MASS STORAGE OPTICAL DRIVE!
uses standard 3.5" floppy disks and Floptical disks
Will access and read your present library of floppys
$789.95 approx.
CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE
Listed above are a sampling of the systems available.
Prices also reflect various cabinet/power supply configurations
(over sixty configurations are available, flexibility is unlimited)
*** ALL Units: Average Access Time: 24ms - 34ms ***
ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> SUPERCHARGER - PC-DITTO/II - SPECTRE/GCR
LARGER units are available - (special order only)
NO REPACKS OR REFURBS EVER USED!
- Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets - TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets -
Keyboard Custom Cables Call for Info
ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED
-* 12 month FULL Guarantee *-
(A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)
QUANTITY & USERGROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!
_________________________________________
DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!
please, call for details
Personal and Company Checks are accepted.
ORDER YOURS TODAY!
904-783-3319 9am - 8pm EDT
_______________________________________________________________
> A "Quotable Quote"?
=================
THE WIND-UP DOLL OF THE WEEK....
"You wind it up and it befriends you and eats your lunch...
..then, when you protest, threaten----------------------
CPU/STR? "Your Independent News Source" April 06, 1990
16/32bit Magazine copyright = 1990 No.4.14
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
the editors, staff, CPU? NEWSWIRE? CPU/STR? or CPU Report?. Reed. All reprints must
include CPU NEWSWIRE, CPU/STR or CPU Report and the author's name. All
information presented herein is believed correct, the editors and staff
are not responsible for any use or misuse of information contained herein.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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-----------------------------------------
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