ST Report: 23-Sep-94 #1039
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 10/11/94-03:48:32 PM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 23-Sep-94 #1039
Date: Tue Oct 11 15:48:32 1994
SILICON TIMES REPORT
====================
INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
=============================
from
STR Electronic Publishing Inc.
September 23, 1994 No. 1039
======================================================================
Silicon Times Report
International Online Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
R.F. Mariano
Publisher-Editor
-----------------------------------------
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______________________________________________________________________
> 09/23/94 STR 1039 "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
"""""""""""""""""
- STR INDUSTRY REPORT - MAC OS Made Over - Picture Pub 5
- GUS, A Review - QEMM & CDROM - Designer 4.1
- Canon Rebate Details - WP & WIN Resources - Internet Info
- GEM DeskTop Explained - People Talking - Jaguar NewsWire
-* HP DEBUTS NEW COLOR LASER! *-
-* IBM TO DROP $100 MILLION ON PC ADS *-
-* MS DEBUTS BACKOFFICE *-
==========================================================================
STReport International Online Magazine
The Original * Independent * Online Magazine
-* FEATURING WEEKLY *-
"Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information
Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
==========================================================================
STReport's BBS - The Bounty BBS, invites all BBS systems, worldwide, to
participate in the ITC/PROWL/USENET/NEST/F-Net/Fido Mail Networks. You
may also call The Bounty BBS direct @ 1-904-786-4176. Enjoy the wonder
and excitement of exchanging all types of useful information relative to
all computer types, worldwide, through the use of excellent International
Networking Systems. SysOps and users alike worldwide, are welcome to join
STReport's International Conferences. ITC Node is 85:881/250, The Fido
Node is 1:374/147.3, Crossnet Code is #34813, and the "Lead Node" is #620.
All computer platforms and BBS systems are invited to participate.
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CIS ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ BIX ~ PROWL ~ ITC ~ NEST ~ EURONET ~ CIX
USENET ~ USPOLNET ~ CLEVELAND FREE-NET ~ INTERNET ~ FNET ~ AOL
==========================================================================
COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME
to the Readers of;
STREPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY!
CALL: 1-800-848-8199 .. Ask for operator 198
You will receive your complimentary time
and
be online in no time at all!
"Enjoy CompuServe's forums; where information is at its very best!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> From the Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""
As fate would have I guess it was "my turn in the barrel this past
week. You see, Florida is known for its storms and numerous lightning
strikes. Need I say more? The system now has a new modem, hard disk, and
a fresh supply of tranqs for the operator. Many things are new and neat
this week. The new software that's been hitting the lines since Seybold
has been amazing. Be sure to read about Picture Publisher and Designer
4.1 from Micrografx. You'll be amazed. The hardware that's coming on the
scene is "sinfully mahvelous"! One gig IDE drives that will work just
fine with the older BIOS is the "order of the day" as far as Western
Digital is concerned. Not only does it do the job, its plenty fast too.
In the next few week's we'll explore a number of the newer goodies
that are just now hitting the marketplace. Many of the items were only
wishes a year ago. This year's Comdex promises to present an unbelievable
amount of new software and hardware. Much of it is already hitting the
shelves.
Thank you for your support!
Ralph....
Of Special Note:
----------------
STReport will be branching out further to Internet's userbase in the
very near future. We've received numerous requests to receive STReport
from a wide variety of Internet addresses. As a result, we're putting
together an Internet distribution/mailing list for those who wish to
receive STReport on a regular basis, and we'll UUENCODE each issue and
mail it to you.
If you're interested in being added to our mailing list, please, send
your requests to either "dpj@delphi.com" or, RMARIANO@DELPHI.COM. Look
for mailings to begin by October first. We are also considering a number
of Internet ftp sites in which to post our issues for as well. Whatever
we can do to make STReport available to you. we'll try it!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport's Staff DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU!
""""""""""""""""
Publisher -Editor
""""""""""""""""""
Ralph F. Mariano
Lloyd E. Pulley, Editor, Current Affairs
Section Editors
"""""""""""""""
PC SECTION AMIGA SECTION MAC SECTION ATARI SECTION
---------- ------------- ----------- -------------
R.D. Stevens R. Niles J. Deegan D. P. Jacobson
STReport Staff Editors:
"""""""""""""""""""""""
Michael Arthur John Deegan Brad Martin
John Szczepanik Paul Guillot Joseph Mirando
Doyle Helms Frank Sereno John Duckworth
Jeff Coe Steve Keipe Guillaume Brasseur
Melanie Bell Jay Levy Jeff Kovach
Marty Mankins Carl Prehn Paul Charchian
Contributing Correspondents:
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Tim Holt Norman Boucher Clemens Chin
Eric Jerue Ron Deal Mike Barnwell
Ed Westhusing Glenwood Drake Vernon W.Smith
Bruno Puglia Paul Haris Kevin Miller
Craig Harris Allen Chang Dominick J. Fontana
IMPORTANT NOTICE
""""""""""""""""
Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
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STReport, with its policy of not accepting any paid advertising, has over
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we shall always keep our readers interests first and foremost. With the
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publishers etc., know exactly where the information about their products
appeared. In closing, we shall arduously endeavor to meet and further
develop the high standards of straight forwardness our readers have come
to expect in each and every issue.
The Staff & Editors
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> STR INDUSTRY REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
"""""""""""""""""""
IBM/POWER-PC/PC SECTION (I)
===========================
Computer Products Update - CPU Report
------------------------ ----------
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Issue #39
Compiled by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
******* General Computer News *******
** Microsoft Introduces BackOffice **
BackOffice, a new integrated information system, has been introduced
by Microsoft Corp., aiming to make it easier for businesses to make
decisions, deliver goods and reduce costs.
Reports say BackOffice was one of several announcements made at the
Windows World trade show by Microsoft Chairman/CEO Bill Gates and Vice
President Jim Allchin of Microsoft's business systems.
Reports say the system includes Microsoft Windows NT Server operating
system Version 3.5, SQL Server Version 4.21 database management system,
SNA Server 2.1 for connectivity with for IBM enterprise networks,
Systems Management Server 1.0 and Microsoft Mail Server 3.2. BackOffice
runs on computers built around Intel x86 and Pentium microprocessors as
well as RISC designs.
Microsoft also introduced:
-:- SNA Server Version 2.1 for the Windows NT Server operating system
Version 3.5.
-:- SQL Server Version 4.21a, the newest release of its client-server
database server for PC networks.
-:- A simplified approach to licensing client-server software.
-:- Systems Management Server Version 1.0 for the Windows NT
operating system Version 3.5.
** Verbatim, Sanyo Set CD Venture **
Verbatim Corp. and Sanyo Laser Products Inc. say they have agreed to
form a joint venture that will create one of the largest independent CD-
ROM and audio CD producers in North America.
The companies note that Sanyo's Richmond, Indiana-based CD manufac-
turing plant will be augmented by Verbatim's optical disk technology and
sales and marketing expertise. In addition, Verbatim will contribute an
undisclosed amount of cash for capacity expansion at the Sanyo Verbatim
facility.
** PC-Install Gets Instant Access **
20/20 Software has introduced an "instant access" capability for new
customers who need the company's PC-Install program immediately.
The company notes that PC-Install provides developers and corporate
users with an easy and professional way to distribute and install
software and data files. It adds that the use of a program like PC-
Install can eliminate the need for highly skilled end users or on-site
technical assistance when files are distributed and installed on remote
computers that are stand-alone or networked systems.
The new Instant Access allows potential customers who are also
CompuServe members to purchase PC-Install directly from 20/20 Software
and have it sent to them within a few minutes. The company notes that
the complete PC-Install program can be transferred via CompuServe Mail,
in most cases in less than 15 minutes.
The new Instant Access to PC- Install is available now. It can be
ordered via 20/20 Software's toll-free telephone number, 800-735-2020,
and requires a valid credit card and access to CompuServe.
The Instant Access to PC- Install for Windows is priced at $179,
which includes a mailed copy of the program as well as delivery via
CompuServe.
** Alps Targets Peripherals Market **
Alps Electric USA Inc., a major supplier of products to some of the
world's largest computer companies, says it will introduce a new line of
Alps-branded peripherals.
The new peripherals, including pointing devices, keyboards and key-
pads, will be launched in October with a national advertising campaign.
The line will feature Alps- branded products, designed for the small
office/home office market, in point-of-sale packaging. The new focus
will include national distributors, large computer chain stores, and
computer superstores.
** Matsushita Develops New CD-ROM **
A new CD-ROM player that can record data on special disks has been
developed by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.
Matsushita officials said the device can store up to 650MB of data on
an erasable disk. Of course, conventional CD-ROMs are pre-recorded by
manufacturers and can't be altered by consumers.
"Matsushita said the new system, called PD, uses new, recordable op-
tical disks. A laser records and reads data from the disks," reports
say. "It is selling prototype players for $1,000 and recordable disks
for $100."
Spokesman Toshiyuki Nakahara said those prices likely will come down
as volume increases, adding that Matsushita expects to market consumer
versions in Japan and overseas next spring.
** GDT Buys Printer Software **
GDT Softworks Inc. a Canada-based printer driver manufacturer, says
it has purchased MacPrint, a competing Macintosh-to-PC printing program,
from Insight Development Corp.
GDT says the move is designed to solidify its position in the
Macintosh-to-PC printing market. GDT says it will support MacPrint users
by offering them an upgrade path to its own PowerPrint software.
"The acquisition does not leave current MacPrint users in the lurch
because we are offering them an affordable upgrade to our diverse family
of PowerPrint products," says Jim McIntosh, president of GDT.
MacPrint users can upgrade to PowerPrint for $75. MacPrint users
requiring LocalTalk network connections can upgrade to PowerPrint/LT for
$200.
The retail prices of PowerPrint and PowerPrint/LT are $149 and $299,
respectively.
** Compaq Offers New Contura **
The new Contura 400 family of notebook PCs, the next generation of
Compaq Computer Corp.'s notebook line, has been announced at the
company's Houston headquarters.
The new line includes two 486DX2/40-based color models, one active-
matrix and one advanced passive-matrix.
Compaq Vice President Hugh Barnes, general manager of the firm's
portable PC
division, said all models feature an industry-standard NiMH battery that
lasts 3.5 to 5.5 hours in typical use, a status panel showing current
battery life and other notebook conditions, two PCMCIA slots for
enhanced functionality and communications capability and 4MB of memory
(upgradeable to 20MB).
Also, a center-mounted matte trackball just below the space bar
allows users to keep their hands on the keyboard as they use the
pointing device, UPI says.
The Contura 400 weighs 5.9 pounds and has a new attachable handle for
easier carrying. Also, a new keyboard tilt feature provides a four-
degree angle tilt, making typing easier and more comfortable, and the
palm rest at the base of the keyboard also enhances ease-of-use and
comfort. Prices range from $2,599 to $3,299.
** HP Lowers Prices on Color Printers **
New color inkjet and laser printers at sharply lower prices are being
announced this week by Hewlett-Packard Co.
The HP DeskJet 540 inkjet printer for the home is priced at $300,
with an optional $45 color package, while for the corporate market the
company is offering the new HP Color LaserJet at about $7,300. The
inkjets will be in stores Oct. 6 and the laser printer will be available
in February.
The HP Color Laser Jet produces two pages per minute when printing
full color documents, compared with 10 pages per minute in monochrome.
** IBM to Spend $100 Million on PC Ads **
The Wall Street Journal reports the computer maker will spend $20
million to promote the Aptiva models, which are meant to replace the
four-year-old PS/1 line and are due out this week.
The paper notes the Aptivas are priced from about $1,200 to $2,600,
excluding monitors, and all include a CD-ROM drive, sound equipment and
software.
The WSJ says IBM will consolidate its PS/2 and ValuePoint brands into
a line called "IBM PC," which will get $80 million for advertising.
** Hitachi Supplying Sub-Notebook **
Hitachi Ltd. is set to supply its first sub-notebook computer, a
486SX machine equipped with an 8-inch color screen, to an unspecified
U.S. firm on an OEM basis.
Hitachi predicts annual sales of 20,000 of its Flora 1010MA model.
** Radio Shack Gets Advantage PCs **
AST Research Inc. reports that Radio Shack will carry its Advantage!
line of family- oriented personal computers in its stores nationwide.
AST notes that the move is a part of its ongoing relationship with
Radio Shack. AST is the retailer's number one PC supplier. It is also a
part of Radio Shack's new personal computer strategy to carry name-brand
PC products.
** Mac Operating System Made Over **
The Apple Macintosh operating system is getting a make-over, a new
name and a new logo.
"The operating system will be known as Mac OS," say reports from
Apple's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters, and "the logo, a blue rectangle
showing a smiling face and the words 'Mac OS,' will appear on Apple's
products and literature."
Apple officials said the Mac OS designation will apply to future
versions of the operating system, while the company's new operating
system, Macintosh System 7.5, will continue to be known under that name.
"The new Mac OS logo is based on the 'Happy Mac' icon but adds a
profile so the face is at once seen from the front and the side."
** Apple to License "Mac OS" **
Apple Computer Inc. this week announced a high-stakes licensing pro-
gram for its "Mac OS" that reverses a long-standing company policy to
keep the Mac operating system proprietary.
Reports say that Apple hopes the new strategy of licensing the Mac OS
will help the company recoup market share at the rate of 1.3 percent
annually.
"We set aside a war chest to effectively go out and market the Mac
OS," said John Mracek, director of OS platform marketing.
Although Apple will not yet name the vendors, Mracek said the company
has already negotiated licensing agreements in the United States and
overseas. In addition, PC vendors will be announcing Mac OS products in
the second half of 1995.
** Microsoft Readies Price Plan **
Microsoft Corp., seeking to boost its sluggish corporate sales, will
try a new pricing structure when it launches the latest version of its
high-end Windows NT operating system.
Under the new pricing strategy, Microsoft will charge program users a
set price for each server and client on a network.
Sources note that the simplified pricing scheme, which generally will
result in price cuts, will be announced at an industry conference in
Dallas on Wednesday, where Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates will discuss
the company's vision of enterprise computing.
While Microsoft dominates the PC software market, it has had far less
success selling into the corporate market, where rival Novell Inc. holds
a commanding lead in network solutions.
** New Storage Technology Makes Debut **
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. has developed an ultra-high
density data storage method that's capable of storing a two-hour movie
in 0.2 square centimeters of space.
The method uses an "atomic force microscope probe" to increase
storage density to several thousand times the capacity of conventional
optical disks.
Commercial applications are still years away, but that the technology
but would be ideal for multimedia, medical X-rays and other areas
requiring high density data storage.
A 3.5- inch disk using the technology could store 6,000 times the
capacity of a conventional 5- inch compact disk. The method requires
only minute power consumption. One battery could supply sufficient power
for as long as 20 years.
** Superchip to Decipher Genetic Code **
Scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago say they
have created a "superchip" that will rapidly speed up deciphering of the
human genetic code and eventually could help doctors treat congenital
diseases before they develop.
The 1-inch-square chip will be capable of decoding the chemical
sequence of hundreds of genes at once, officials say.
Argonne, whose work was paid for by the U.S. Energy Department, is
one of 350 labs involved in the $3 billion Human Genome Project, a
worldwide effort to locate and describe the function of each of the
100,000 genes found in a human cell.
Hyseq Inc., a Sunnyvale, California, biotechnology company, has the
patent to make the chip and expects to have "sequenced," or identified
the specific order of the DNA within each of 15,000 genes, by 1997. In
the last 20 years, only 5,000 genes have been sequenced worldwide,
according to Hyseq researcher Radoje Drmanac.
** Allen Sells America Online Stake **
Billionaire Paul Allen, who made his fortune co-founding Microsoft
Corp., now has sold his entire stake in America Online.
Allen, who at one point owned about 1.4 million shares of the Vienna,
Virgina, online services company or about 25%, last week had cut his
stake to 7.87% from about 9.7%t previously, according to a Securities
and Exchange Commission filing. He sold the rest of his shares this
week.
Allen has recently acquired a majority interest in Ticketmaster, the
computerized ticketing service, and in a virtual reality headset company
called Virtual Vision. He also is chairman of software publisher
Asymetrix Corp. and owns the Portland Trailblazers, a National
Basketball Association team in Portland, Oregon.
_____________________________________
> CANON'S FIRST! STR FOCUS!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
CANON'S FIRST EVER PC REBATE!
=============================
Receive $50 when you purchase a Canon PC and printer at the same time.
Beginning September 15, 1994, until December 31, 1994, purchase a Canon PC
and a Canon printer at the same time and be eligible for our $50 rebate.
Choose any model including our newly introduced desktops, minitowers,
MultiMedia, MultiMedia minitowers, notebooks, subnotebooks, and our
exclusive notebook and Bubble Jet printer-in-one, the Canon NoteJet.
Here's the Canon Innova PC line-up:
Innova Desktop Series (2 models): High performance, generous 420 megabyte
harddrive, Pentium upgradeable, fax modem & Eclipse software, EPA energy
star compliant, with compact design & compact price Innova Mini Tower
Series (3 models): High power performance with fastest Pentium processors
available, highly expandable with six drive bays, Local Bus Video and
pre-loaded with software Innova Media Series (2 desktop models & 5
minitower models): Entry level to extremely powerful MultiMedia PC's,
Sony dual-speed CD ROM, 16-bit sound card, Sound Blaster, stereo speakers,
MultiMedia library including Compton's Interactive MultiMedia , Mayo
Family Health Clinic, AAA Trip Planner, MultiMedia software Mozart Sound &
Sound Impressions, MultiMedia titles include award-winning 7th Guest,
Digiclips, and pre-configured with MS-DOS, Windows, Claris Works,
CompuServe, Eclipse Fax Innova Book 150C (3 models): High performance,
built-in MultiMedia ready digital audio, dual passive or active matrix
color, Local Bus Video with Widows Accelerator, two PCMCIA slots and long
lasting battery Innova Book 10/10C (2 models): High performance & fast
speed in a very compact design, monochrome or dual scan color screen,
comes with external floppy & carrying case, pre-loaded with MS-DOS &
Windows, PCMCIA slot Innova NoteJet (3 models): High performance notebook
and Bubble Jet printer in one compact design (weighs 8.8 pounds including
battery), large monochrome or dual scan color screen, two PCMCIA slots,
pre-loaded with MS-DOS & Windows, printer has 360X360 dots per inch
resolution, handles letter and legal size paper-plain or bond paper, even
transparencies
Combine any of these with one of our award winning Bubble Jets or proven
technology laser beam printers. With the recent price reduction, Canon
printers are now more affordable than ever. (See "Huge Price Cuts on All
Canon Bubble Jets & Scanners")
This $50 rebate applies to all new product purchases made in the United
States. It does not apply to Canon authorized or non-authorized
resellers. The offer expires December 31, 1994; all claims must be
postmarked by January 31, 1995.
To receive a $50 rebate you'll need your product receipt showing both the
PC and printer purchase and a completed rebate coupon. If you have access
to a fax machine you can get a rebate coupon faxed immediately by calling
our automatic fax-back number 800-526-4345. Call the Canon Computer
System's Dealer Referral number 800-848-4123 to have a rebate coupon
mailed or to have rebate questions answered. You can also call the Canon
Dealer Referral number if you'd like product literature mailed or the
name, address & phone number of your local dealer.
____________________________________
> Frankie's Corner STR Feature
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The Kids' Computing Corner
--------------------------
GUS GOES TO CYBERTOWN
=====================
by Frank Sereno
Last week I had promised to review some shareware packages. Two
things changed that plan. First, I need more time to do research and
playtesting on the shareware packages. Second, STR carried news that
Creative Labs would be involved with the future distribution of the
Gus/Cybertown series of programs. I feel a review of Gus Goes to
Cybertown was more relevant considering those facts.
Gus Goes to Cybertown by Modern Media Ventures is a multimedia
learning experience available on a CD-rom containing both Windows and
Macintosh versions of the program. The Mac version requires a 256-color
display, System 7.x, four megs of ram and a CD-rom drive. For IBM
compatibles, this program requires Windows 3.1 or later, a 386DX-25 or
greater CPU, 256 color VGA display, four megs of ram, and a mouse. A
sound card is recommended.
This program was playtested on a 386DX-40 machine running with eight
megs of ram and a Sound Blaster Pro audio card. Installation consisted of
running the SETUP.EXE file on the CD-rom which automatically transferred
necessary files to the hard drive and then created a program group and
icons for Gus. The program does alter your CONFIG.SYS file but it does
make a backup of the original.
Double-clicking on the GUS icon begins the game with a short animated
title sequence, then a screen offering various options. In the center,
Gus the dog sits on a park bench. In the upper left quadrant is an icon
for leaving Cybertown while in the upper right quadrant is an icon for
entering Cybertown. In the lower left quadrant is an icon for getting
audible help while in the lower right are buttons for adjusting the
difficulty level. Below Gus is an icon for viewing the credits for the
program.
Clicking on the icon for entering Cybertown brings up the main
interface. In the center of the screen is a park bench where Gus sits
with a young friend. Behind them, across a street, are four storefronts.
Beside them is a small sign denoting "to the park." These are the five
main play environments of Cybertown. These are Addie's Market, Cybertoys
Toy Shop, Benny's Pet Shop, Lulu's Laundry and the Park. Other objects on
the main screen are "hot" and will start fun and informative animations
when clicked upon. For example, clicking on the traffic signal will start
an animation in which a Cyberbuds explains that one should always wait for
the green and check both ways before crossing a street. In the upper
right corner of all screens is a help icon in the form of Gus's face.
Clicking on that icon will bring up a choice of two icons. The first is
another picture of Gus for audible help. The second is a picture of the
Cyberbuds which activates the Bud's Meter, which graphically indicates the
Cyberbuds which the child has found in each environment. In the upper
left corner of all screens is a red door icon for exiting that screen.
The main objective in each environment is to find the three hidden
Cyberbuds by clicking the mouse on various objects in each screen. Hidden
within most of the five environments are additional learning games which
are activated by clicking on the correct object in the screen. Other
objects are linked to humorous animation sequences. There are three
levels of difficulty for finding the Cyberbuds. Once all fifteen
Cyberbuds have been found, the child will be rewarded with an animation
featuring all the characters in the game.
The first store is Addie's Market. The child can click on dry goods
on the shelves or produce in the bins. Clicking on the "Today's Specials"
bulletin activates the Shopping List Game. In level one, the child
browses through shelves for a match to a displayed picture. Clicking on
the icon in the lower left corner changes the game level. On the second
level a word is displayed and the child must find the object which matches
the word.
The next store on the street is Cybertoys Toy Store. Many objects
hold surprises for your child. Clicking on each book starts a different
full motion video. The jukebox allows the child to choose from three
different songs for his listening pleasure. Clicking on the spaceship
leads to the game of Alphabet Asteroids. A letter or object will be shown
on a panel on the spaceship and the child must find the matching letter
from those displayed on several asteroids. In level one, an object and
its spelling are shown and the child must find the first letter of the
word. In the second level, again the object and word are displayed but
now the child must choose all the letters for the word in the proper
order. In the final level, only the picture of the object is shown and
the child must spell out the word correctly by shooting the asteroids in
the proper order. This activity will teach letter and word recognition
plus spelling. And the final activity hidden within the Toy Store is the
Digital Photo Puzzle and it is accessed by clicking on the triangle on the
drawing on the table. This game has two levels. The first requires
clicking and dragging the simple geometric shapes to their matches within
a rectangle. Upon matching all the objects, a digital image will be
shown. In the second level, the puzzle is a jigsaw puzzle using complex
polygons which are interlocked.
The third store is Benny's Pet Shop. By clicking on the castle in
the aquarium, the child accesses the bubble count game. The scene
switches to inside the aquarium. A fish with a number upon its side near
the castle can be clicked upon to change the difficulty level of the game.
There are four levels. On the bottom of the screen is a row of the
numbers one through ten. The various levels of this activity teach
counting, addition and subtraction. In the first level, a single fish
blows bubbles and the child must choose the correct answer. Incorrect
answers will cause the program to eliminate answers until only the correct
response is left. When the correct answer is given, the fish will cycle
rapidly through many colors. On the second level, two fish blow bubbles
which must be added or counted to find the correct number. On the third
level, the two fish blow numbers (but no bubbles) which must be added.
The final level requires that the child do a subtraction problem placed on
the screen by the two fish.
The next shop is Lulu's Laundry. The hidden game is Dress for the
Weather and it is accessed by clicking on the window. This game is played
by clicking on Gus's body parts to cycle through seasonal clothing until
he is wearing something appropriate for the scene shown on the screen.
When Gus is properly dressed, cheers will erupt and a short video is
shown.
The final environment is the park. Gus stands in the park and
various objects from this time are shown in the scene. On the lower right
portion of the screen, a time line is displayed which is divided into
eleven time segments. Click on a time segment and Gus will be
transformed into a character of that time and he will speak about that
era. Clicking on the other objects on the screen and they will be changed
to something corresponding with that period. This is a fun way to learn a
bit about history but remember to find those Cyberbuds!
The graphics are fairly good with lots of color and variety. In most
of the animations, the characters' lips did not sync with the audio and
some animations were a bit slow on an MPC Level One machine. Sounds are
quite good. Each screen is entered and exited to the strains of an
original acoustic folk song, the kind that young children love so well.
Sound effects, though sparely used, are crystal clean. The interface is
very easy to use and the audible help is quite good. This program does
not use negative feedback and the positive feedback seems appropriate.
The game manual is very short but it is very thorough. Play value is only
fair since the game changes little from play to play but it will take
several plays to find all the secrets in each environment. Educational
value is good. Children should learn to count and spell, and maybe one
or two safety tips. Bang for the Buck is good. You can pick up Gus Goes
to Cybertown for under $20.
Kids' Computing Corner Ratings
Graphics ................. 7.5
Sounds ................... 8.5
Interface ................ 8.0
Play Value ............... 7.0
Educational Value ........ 8.0
Bang for the Buck ........ 8.0
Average .................. 7.83
Thanks for reading!
___________________________________________
> QEMM & CDROM STR InfoFile
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
INFORMATION ABOUT USING A CD-ROM DRIVE WITH QEMM
================================================
OVERVIEW
--------
In general, CD-ROM drives should present no problem for QEMM users. As
with almost all pieces of hardware, however, there are a few details to
consider when installing a new CD-ROM drive or when installing QEMM on a
system which has a CD-ROM already. This document offers suggestions for
configuring QEMM and your CD-ROM drive for best results.
CONFIGURING QEMM WITH A CD-ROM DRIVE
------------------------------------
Refer to the documentation for your CD-ROM drive to determine if it uses
addresses between 640K and 1MB for a ROM or RAM buffer. In most cases,
QEMM can detect ROMs and EXCLUDE those addresses automatically. RAM
buffers are somewhat more difficult for QEMM to detect; these should be
specifically EXCLUDEd on the QEMM386.SYS line in the CONFIG.SYS file. If
your documentation is unclear on this issue, or if you are having
difficulty determining what addresses your drive is using, try the QEMM
Analysis procedure as described in your QEMM manual, or refer to
Quarterdeck Technical Note #219, "Using QEMM-386's Analysis Procedure"
(EXCLUDE.TEC).
Many CD-ROMs are Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) devices, and many
SCSI controllers access data through a technique called "bus-mastering".
Again, refer to the documentation that came with your drive. If your
controller is bus-mastering, refer to Quarterdeck Technical Note #121,
"QEMM: Using Bus-Mastering Devices" (BUS-MAST.TEC).
Bus-mastering conflicts often result in a system crash when accessing the
bus-mastering device. As described in BUS-MAST.TEC, the best solution is
to obtain a VDS driver from the manufacturer of that controller. If you
are attempting to access the SCSI device under Windows Enhanced mode,
loading SMARTDRV low may provide a temporary workaround. Otherwise, if
you are not attempting to access the SCSI device under Windows Enhanced
Mode, adding the DB=2 parameter to the QEMM386.SYS line in your
CONFIG.SYS file may provide a temporary workaround until a VDS driver is
provided by the manufacturer.
MICROSOFT CD-ROM EXTENSIONS TO DOS
----------------------------------
Most CD-ROM drives use the Microsoft CD-ROM Extensions to DOS. They
typically use a TSR called MSCDEX.EXE to provide these services. Users of
MS-DOS 6 or later should use the MSCDEX.EXE driver that was included with
that version of DOS. Users of Novell DOS 7 can use the NWCDEX.EXE
driver, which utilizes Novell's DPMS memory.
MSCDEX takes two parameters that affect how much memory it uses: /M:XX
and /E. The /M:XX parameter, where XX is some number, allocates memory
for buffering I/O. Each buffer uses about 2,067 bytes of conventional
memory. If you use the /E parameter on MSCDEX it will load these buffers
into expanded (EMS) memory, using about 2,457 bytes of expanded memory
and about 20 bytes of conventional memory per buffer. QEMM users will
thus benefit by more than 2K per buffer by loading the MSCDEX buffers
into expanded memory.
Versions of Optimize prior to the one included with QEMM 7.03 may fail to
load MSCDEX high. This may be due to older versions of MSCDEX
inaccurately reporting their initialization size during the Optimize
process.
If you have this problem, there are a few potential workarounds. The
first is to acquire the latest version of MSCDEX from the manufacturer of
your operating system or CD-ROM drive. Another workaround may be to
reduce the initialization size of MSCDEX; you can do this by adding the
/M:4 parameter to the MSCDEX line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Another
option, which will work if the previous suggestion does not, is to inform
Optimize that the initialization size of MSCDEX is larger than Optimize
is led to believe. After the Analysis phase of Optimize is complete
(after the first reboot), you will see the screen titled "ANALYSIS
COMPLETE". Select "O" for Options, and then select Option "2".
You can now modify the data that was collected during Optimize. Change
the initialization size of MSCDEX to 80K (81920 bytes), as in the
following example. Once you have made that change, press <Enter> to
accept it. Press <Enter> again to continue with Optimize. MSCDEX should
then load high.
Program Try to Load Squeeze Initial Final
High? Frame? Temp? Size Size
ADRIVER.SYS Y - - 10698 9975
ANSI.SYS Y - - 6544 2724
BANANA.SYS Y - - 13392 6224
MSCDEX.EXE Y - - 81920 16160 <---
MOUSE.COM Y - - 27965 17435
The values listed above are fairly typical of MSCDEX as of this writing.
If MSCDEX refuses to load high after Optimize is run, increase these
values in 5K or 10K increments until MSCDEX loads high. Smaller values
may work, especially if you have added the /M:4 parameter to MSCDEX.
Current versions of MSCDEX seem to do well with 24K initial size and 17K
final size; you may wish to try these values first.
MITSUMI CD-ROM DRIVES THAT UTILIZE THE MTMCDAE.SYS DRIVER
---------------------------------------------------------
MTMCDAE.SYS is a popular driver that provides an additional method for
creating CD-ROM buffers. It creates buffers via the CD-ROM device driver
in the CONFIG.SYS file, and uses the same /M:XX syntax that is used by
MSCDEX.EXE. The buffers can be loaded into extended (XMS) memory by
adding the /X parameter to MTMCDAE.SYS. There is no clear advantage to
creating CD-ROM buffers via this driver rather than MSCDEX, or to
creating buffers with both.
In the following example, 64 buffers of approximately 2,500 bytes each
have been created. The addition of the /X parameter allows these buffers
to be loaded into extended memory. The MTMCDAE driver, however, is
loaded into conventional memory, unless it has been loaded high by
Optimize.
DEVICE=C:\CDROM\MTMCDAE.SYS /D:MVCD001 <other parameters> /M:64 /X
ID:CR QEMM: Using QEMM with a CD-ROM Drive
Quarterdeck Technical Note #261 Filename: CDROM.TEC
by Michael Bolton CompuServe: CDROM.TEC
Last revised: 9/9/94 Category: HW
************************************************************************
* Trademarks are property of their respective owners. *
*This technical note may be copied and distributed freely as long as it*
*is distributed in its entirety and it is not distributed for profit. *
* Copyright (C) 1992-94 by Quarterdeck Office Systems *
************************ E N D O F F I L E *************************
_____________________________________________
> MICROGRAFX NEWS! STR InfoFile
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
MICROGRAFX PICTURE PUBLISHER 5.0 CONTINUES TO DEFINE
INNOVATION IN IMAGE EDITING
COMMAND LIST PROVIDES MAXIMUM PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH INFINITE UNDO
Richardson, Texas (September 15, 1994) -- Micrografx Inc. (NASDAQ: MGXI)
today announced the immediate availability of Micrografx Picture Publisher
5.0, the latest version of its award-winning Windows-based image editing
software. Announced at Seybold Fall 1994 in San Francisco, Picture
Publisher 5.0 is the ideal solution for PC-based photographers, graphic
designers and desktop publishers.
In addition to Picture Publisher 5.0's feature-based innovation, the
company also announced plans to offer a CD-ROM version of the product for
the introductory price of $149.95 until Dec. 31, 1994. This is a full
version of Micrografx Picture Publisher 5.0, including all online help and
clipart images. The printed documentation is also available to users for
an additional $29.95.
The foundation of Picture Publisher 5.0 is an innovative concept: Command
List. This intelligent macro provides productivity-enhancing benefits
such as Infinite Undo and Command Layering - which allows rearranging
and editing of all commands applied to an image. By giving digital
photographers and graphics professionals complete creative control over an
image, Micrografx Picture Publisher 5.0 has once again raised the bar for
innovation in image editing.
By integrating a drag-and-drop Clipboard Browser and Customizable
Toolboxes, Micrografx Picture Publisher 5.0 continues to be the
easiest-to-use image editor for Windows.
"Micrografx Picture Publisher 5.0 continues the tradition of a strong
balance between image editing power and intuitive ease-of-use," said J.
Paul Grayson, President and CEO of Micrografx. "We've refined and added
many features to Picture Publisher, while ensuring it continues to run
quickly on 386 and 486 machines."
Command List Benefits
---------------------
In providing peak productivity through technical innovation, Micrografx
has implemented an intelligent macro called Command List. By
transparently attaching an ASCII file to the Picture Publisher file
format, the macro records all commands applied to the image - with no
unique memory demands. The Command List provides the following benefits:
o Infinite Undo - unlimited undo capability for all commands within
Picture Publisher
o Command Layering - ability to rearrange, edit all commands that are
applied to an image
o Low-Rez Post Processing - work quickly on a low resolution proxy,
then apply functions to high resolution
o Full Macro Facility - save and replay any set of steps
Ease-of-Use Enhancements
Comparative reviews in computer publications have consistently recognized
Picture Publisher as the easiest-to-use image editor, and Picture
Publisher 5.0 continues to be even easier-to-use and learn with:
o Bubble Hints - visual, yellow-colored "pop-up" menus to describe
icons
o Power Right Mouse Button Support - instant access to functions from
right mouse button
o Customizable Toolboxes and Workspace - create and save any tool, menu
or macro in floating toolboxes
o Extensive Hot Keys - virtually all menus have hot keys for faster
access and use.
o Enhanced Visual Previews - larger, more accurate previews during
effects and color balance
o Interactive, CD-ROM-based On-Line Tutorial - speeds initial learning
and on-going use
Improved Performance
--------------------
Optimized for Windows 3.1 (or WFWG 3.11), Picture Publisher 5.0 has been
architected to excel on 486-based PCs with 8MB of RAM. Unlike competitive
products requiring high-powered Pentium systems with at least 16MB of RAM,
Picture Publisher performs exceptionally quickly in lower-powered
machines.
Leading Industry Standards
--------------------------
As a leading technology provider, Micrografx is the first image editor to
offer extensive OLE 2.0 support including drag-and-drop and in-place
activation. OLE 2.0 provides a tremendous improvement in productivity by
allowing users to bring compelling graphics to other applications such as
spreadsheets and databases.
In addition to OLE 2.0, Picture Publisher 5.0 fully integrates the Kodak
PRECISION Color Management System. This color management system ensures
color fidelity from scanner, to monitor to printer.
The Best Value in Image Editors
-------------------------------
Micrografx Picture Publisher 5.0 is available now and retails for $595 SRP
for the diskette version * $200-$300 less than competing products. A
CD-ROM only version is also available for $395 SRP. A special
introductory price of only $149.95 for the CD-ROM version will be offered
through December 31, 1994.
Registered users of previous version of Picture Publisher (including LE
versions) can upgrade to Picture Publisher 5.0 for $99.95 for the CD-ROM
only version, or $149.95 for the diskette version.
System Requirements
-------------------
386 PC (486 recommended), 4MB RAM (8MB+ recommended), hard drive, Windows
3.1 or higher, DOS 5.0 or higher, mouse, VGA or better display. Note:
CD-ROM drive required to access additional of photos, Kodak PRECISION
Color Management System and on-line tutorial.
Micrografx Designer 4.1 Technical Edition
=========================================
Information on Designer 4.1 Technical Edition (TE)
This message outlines product strategy and direction regarding Micrografx
Designer and hopefully answers some questions that have been posted
recently. I will attempt to keep the marketing rhetoric to a minimum and
provide information as candidly as possible so you can understand the
reasons behind the release of Designer 4.1 TE.
Quick Background Overview (Designer 4.0 to 4.1 TE):
The release of Designer 4.0 (last year) represented a major step from
Designer 3.1 . A major new interface, a major new code base and many,
many new features. Although great in many ways, Designer 4.0 also created
some unhappy customers. Many of you have voiced your concerns on this
forum.
Through comments from people like yourself and through our research, it
was clear that Designer 4.0 did not achieve its mark. We needed to
regroup and ensure we were providing the right solution to our target
audience.
The strategy behind Designer 4.1 TE was a two part process: One,
determining who our target audience was and then secondly, ensuring we
were providing the right features that solved their
needs.
Although a "minor" (point) release, Designer 4.1 TE represents a "major"
release in providing what our customers have asked for: speed, quality and
functionality.
Also, the "Technical Edition" or "TE" in the product name was used to
highlight the technical orientation of Designer and catch the eye of
people needing a technical illustration tool. It is the next version of
Designer (ie. from 4.0 or 3.1, people should upgrade to 4.1 TE) and there
are no plans for other "editions".
The Designer 4.1 TE Target Customer:
As a long time product in Windows, many different types of customers
bought and used Designer over the years: engineers, desktop publishers,
home computer enthusiasts, professional artists, and occasional drawing
users to name but a few.
As we researched our user community to determine what was required moving
forward, we found that the majority of Designer users from around the
world were either technical illustrators or engineers. Furthermore, as we
researched emerging growth opportunities in the Windows illustration
category, we discovered a great opportunity for technical illustration
(for a more complete explanation, see the Jesse Berst column in the PC
Week June 27 issue, but in summary Jesse states "Micrografx found an
unexploited market").
As the software industry evolves, companies will continue to succeed based
on their abilities to understand and deliver appropriate products to their
target customers. Micrografx is no exception. The release of 4.1 TE
represents a clear focus on this technical illustration target customer.
Does this focus mean it is not good for desktop publishers, or for the
graphic artist? Not at all. Many of the same features technical
illustrators need are what desktop publishers or graphic artists use.
However our marketing message and focus will be aimed at the technical
illustration market.
New Functionality
-----------------
The target audience asked for 3 main items: improved performance, specific
functionality and a quality product. Designer 4.1 TE provides all of
these.
Improved Performance:
---------------------
Designer 4.1 TE is significantly faster than 4.0. Customers will see
noticeable speed improvements in key areas. One is initial start up. To
give you an example, on a 486/33 with 8 MB RAM, initial start up time has
improved almost 20% over 4.0a.
Further items that have been significantly improved include text redraw
that is faster, gradients that draw faster, screen redraws that are more
"intelligent" (and faster) and the return of a number of the Designer 3.1
keyboard shortcuts and commands (e.g., Print View command, all commands
available for right mouse button, and opaque text to name a few). In
fact, a number of our own employees who tried 4.0 (and went back to use
3.1) are now using 4.1 TE since the performance is so much better.
Another way we have improved performance is eliminating the 3D code from
Designer 4.1 TE. Unfortunately, the current state of Windows 3.1 (a
16-bit operating environment) does not lend itself well to working quickly
with 3D. In fact, as many of you know, we delivered a 32-bit graphics
engine with Designer 4.0 in an attempt to rectify some of the limitations.
Unfortunately, this did not work as well as we would have liked.
Furthermore, when we researched 3D use amongst our users, we found very
little use of 3D. And when we asked if they would give up 3D to get a
speed improvement, an overwhelming majority said yes. So based on this
feedback and the resulting speed improvements, 3D was removed from
Designer 4.1 TE.
Specific Functionality
----------------------
There are a number of enhancements in Designer 4.1 TE that will be a
welcome addition to our customers. Listed below are the key highlights.
Import/Export Filters
---------------------
Designer 4.1 TE's import and export filters have gone through a complete
overhaul and now support over 40 import and export filters. Perhaps not a
"glamorous" feature on the surface, it is an essential feature addition.
Enhancements includes a new DXF filter that supports layers (in and out,
keeps layer information in tact), a new CGM filter, a brand new IGES
import filter and significant improvements to our EPS filter. All created
knowing corporations need to seamlessly transfer data in and out of
graphics programs.
Also added was a new PageMaker 5 filter. Now Designer files can be placed
in PageMaker 5 for great looking technical documentation or desktop
publishing work.
ClipArt Manager
---------------
A new "drag and drop" clipart manager provides quick visual thumbnails of
the 1500 clipart symbols (10,000 more are on CD-ROM). And many of these
symbols are specifically targeted for technical illustration.
Additionally, we have licenced and provided 500 (of the 1500) specific
TechSymbols from a company that specializes in technical symbols. Also,
this new ClipArt manager takes up much less workspace, has configurable
thumbnail sizes and helps you quickly get the clipart piece you want.
New Easy-to-Access Status Bar
-----------------------------
Designer 4.1 TE has a new expanded status line, it introduces quick one
button access to what used to be hard to access elements (fill colors,
line styles, snap points, etc). And the new way to add colors to palettes
is real fast and easy. New detailed selection information is also
displayed on the status bar. The status bar can be displayed as a single
line or two lines of information or turned off altogether.
New Dimensioning Tool
---------------------
Easy to use and create dimensioning lines that retain "associative" status
when resizing an object. The new dimension lines can be horizontal,
vertical or aligned and you have full control over automatic extension
lines and gaps as well as arrow heads, fonts, unit of measure and
amount of displayed precision.
Ease of Use -- CD-ROM-based Training/Tutorial
---------------------------------------------
To assist in learning Designer 4.1 TE, it comes with a new interactive,
on-line CD-ROM tutorial. Old and new customers alike will be up and using
new Designer 4.1 TE quicker than ever before.
Other ease of use features include bubble hints that pop up next to all
buttons in Designer 4.1 TE and a floating hint window that contains
context-sensitive hints on what buttons and dialogs do as well as step by
step instructions for using Designer 4.1 TEs tools. Of course, these
features can be easily turned on or off.
New Text along a Curve
----------------------
Now creating text along a path (curve) is easier and faster than before.
A completely new interface makes creating and editing text more intuitive
to new and old customers. Included are many predefined placements for
open and closed shapes as well as interactive placement.
When interactively editing the placement of text along a curve, a new
ribbon is displayed that contains buttons to control the direction,
offset, and formatting of text placed along a curve.
Quality Improvements
--------------------
To be accepted in corporations and by users around the world, software
must be reliable. Although some of our competitors continue to release
significantly buggy code, it is not acceptable for Micrografx and our
renewed focus on customer satisfaction to release anything less than fully
tested software. Once again, Designer 4.1 TE will stand out with its
quality. As some of our QA group said, 4.1 TE is "10 times better than
4.0".
In Summary:
-----------
Designer 4.1 TE represents a complete commitment to our customers to
deliver what they have asked for. Designer 4.1 TE delivers a product that
will rank as one of the fastest in its category. It provides essential
new functionality to ensure our customers can perform their jobs easier,
faster and with more accuracy. And finally, it is a quality product that
users can depend on.
This release is not just a bug fix as some folks have suggested. Yes it
does fix bugs. But it also provides the additional functionality and
speed that our customers have requested The value that is delivered with
Designer 4.1 TE is well worth the upgrade price of $49.95 ($149.95 for
Designer 3.x users).
I encourage you to try Designer 4.1 TE. Only after you use Designer 4.1
TE will you share my belief that this is one of the best products
available in the Windows market today.
I look forward to comments and will be on the forum over the next few days
to answer questions.
Grant Wickes
Vice President - Professional Graphics
Micrografx
****
Contact: Katrina Krebs Dave Walters
Company: Micrografx, Inc. Alexander Communications
Phone: (214) 994-6247 Phone: (404) 325-7555
MCI: 636-1653 MCI: 323-0259
CompuServe: 72662,1175
Founded in 1982, Micrografx is the international leader in creativity
software for personal computers. Micrografx creates, publishes and
markets applications that enable and enhance visual communication and
creative expression in the mainstream business, home and professional
creativity markets. Driven by customers * from children who play with
Micrografx Crayola Amazing Art Adventure to corporate managers who rely on
ABC FlowCharter * Micrografx provides tools for visualizing the future.
The companys U.S. operations are based in Richardson, Texas with a
satellite office in San Francisco. International locations include Canada,
the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, the Netherlands and
Japan.
_______________________________________________
> QEMM & GAMES STR InfoFile
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
CONFIGURING QEMM FOR BEST RESULTS
WITH TODAY'S COMPUTER GAMES
OVERVIEW
--------
You just went to your local software retailer and purchased the hottest
new game off the shelves. You've been reading about how great this new
game is for the past month. The reviews have said the sound reminds you
of the latest action blockbuster movie, and the graphics are so detailed,
you'd swear it was real. You open the box, and the cover sheet says:
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS-
Processor: 386 or better
Operating System: MS-DOS 5 or later
Memory: 4 Megabytes RAM
Video: VGA
Disk Space: 10 Megabytes
Pointing Device: Mouse
OPTIONAL-
CD-ROM
Sound Card
Joystick
Fifteen minutes later, after installing the game, plus the special sound
and graphic options, you try to start the game up. Your screen flashes,
and instead of being presented with the opening graphics, you see a
little black and white message that says "Not enough memory." "What do I
do?" you ask yourself. Solving problems like these is the topic of this
technote.
Q. WHY WON'T MY GAMES RUN?
A. Today's games are pushing the limits of what they want from a system.
Many actually require a minimum 386SX or faster machine, 2MB of RAM,
and VGA graphics. They also want most (if not all) of conventional
memory so they can dazzle you with the newest set of thrills.
Requirements of 610K or more of free conventional memory are becoming
more commonplace. QEMM can easily free up well over 620K of
conventional memory on most systems, even after loading the drivers
and programs that you like to have at your fingertips. Note that most
of the current game publishers recommend not loading very many TSRs,
and some games will not run with *ANY* memory manager at all.
Q. WHAT DO I DO?
A. What you should do is create a "bare system", also known as a "clean
boot". A bare system is one in which you load only the TSRs and
drivers absolutely necessary to run the game in question, and nothing
else. This will ensure that the game will not only have the memory
that it needs to run, but that the chances of another program or TSR
interfering with the game are minimized.
What will be discussed below is how to create a clean boot floppy, or
a multiple configuration if you are using DOS 6.x. A clean boot
floppy will allow you to insert a floppy disk in the A: drive, boot
the computer, and load a configuration from the floppy that is optimal
for the games that you are using. Users of MS-DOS 6 and PC-DOS 6 can
alternatively set up a "multiple configuration" that allows different
configurations to be chosen when booting the computer (thus, placing a
floppy in the A: drive is not necessary). Please note that QEMM 7 is
required to fully support multiple configurations.
CREATING A BOOT DISK
--------------------
To create a game boot disk, you do the following:
1) Find a blank, unformatted floppy that'll fit in your A: drive, or a
floppy disk containing nothing you wish to save.
2) Label this floppy disk "GAME FLOPPY".
3) From the DOS prompt, type the following:
FORMAT A: /S <Enter>
This will format the floppy disk, as well as making it bootable.
4) After the format is complete and you are back at a DOS prompt, type:
COPY C:\CONFIG.SYS A:\ <Enter>
COPY C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT A:\ <Enter>
A: <Enter>
5) Edit your A:\AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
a) DOS 5 users will be able to type EDIT AUTOEXEC.BAT and <Enter>
b) DOS 3 or 4 users will need to use their favorite text editor or
EDLIN.
c) DR-DOS users will be able to type EDITOR AUTOEXEC.BAT and <Enter>
6) Make the following changes:
a) Insert the letters "REM " (the word REM followed by a single
space)in front of every line EXCEPT the following:
CD-ROM (commonly MSCDEX.EXE)
Mouse (commonly MOUSE.EXE or MOUSE.COM)
Sound (most likely statements that start with the word SET
and/or the lines that are added by your Sound board.
Common ones are SBCONFIG and MVAUDIO.)
Path (usually looks like PATH=C:\DOS;C:\ ...)
Prompt (usually looks like PROMPT $P$G)
Joystick (if you need a driver to run your joystick)
b) On the line that reads MSCDEX.EXE, if there is an /M:xx, make
sure that the number is less than 15 (/M:15). If it is not,
please feel free to change it. Then, if there is not a /E
on that line please add one.
EXAMPLE: MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /V /M:4 /E
c) Save the file and exit.
EXAMPLE:
Before
===================================
@ECHO OFF
SET TEMP=C:\TEMP
SET NU=C:\NU
SET NORTON=C:\NORTON
REM THE "CHECK" LINE BELOW PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SAFETY FOR STACKED DRIVES
REM PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE IT
C:\STACKER\CHECK /WP
PROMPT $P$G
PATH=C:\PROAUDIO;C:\QEMM;C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS;C:\FUSION;C:\STACKER;C:\;C:\MOU
SE
SET MOUSE=C:\MOUSE
C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DOS\MOUSE.EXE
C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DOS\SHARE.EXE /L:500 /F:5100
C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /M:20
SET BLASTER=A220 D1 I5 T3
IMAGE
C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DRIVERS\FASTLNK.EXE /Q
After
===================================
@ECHO OFF
SET TEMP=C:\TEMP
SET NU=C:\NU
SET NORTON=C:\NORTON
REM THE "CHECK" LINE BELOW PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SAFETY FOR STACKED DRIVES
REM PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE IT
C:\STACKER\CHECK /WP
PROMPT $P$G
PATH=C:\PROAUDIO;C:\QEMM;C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS;C:\FUSION;C:\STACKER;C:\;C:\MOU
SE
SET MOUSE=C:\MOUSE
C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DOS\MOUSE.EXE
REM C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DOS\SHARE.EXE /L:500 /F:5100
C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /M:4 /E
SET BLASTER=A220 D1 I5 T3
REM IMAGE
REM C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DRIVERS\FASTLNK.EXE /Q
7) Edit your A:\CONFIG.SYS file.
a) DOS 5 users will be able to type EDIT CONFIG.SYS and <Enter>
b) DOS 3 or 4 users will need to use their favorite text editor or
EDLIN.
c) DR-DOS users will be able to type EDITOR CONFIG.SYS and <Enter>
8) Make the following changes:
a) Using the REM command, remark out all lines except the following:
DOSDATA.SYS
QEMM386.SYS
DOS-UP.SYS
SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM
FILES
BUFFERS
CD-ROM Driver
(commonly DEVICE=C:\CDROM\MTMCDAE.SYS)
Sound Driver
(commonly DEVICE=C:\MVSOUND\MVAUDIO.SYS)
Disk Compression Drivers
(commonly DEVICE=C:\STACKER\STACHIGH.SYS
DEVICE=C:\STACKER\STACKER.COM
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\ST-DBL.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\DBLSPACE.SYS)
EXAMPLE:
Before
=======================================
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\DOSDATA.SYS
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM X=B000-B1FF R:1 ST:M
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\DOS-UP.SYS @C:\QEMM\DOS-UP.DAT
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:1 C:\QEMM\QDPMI.SYS SWAPFILE=DPMI.SWP SW...
DEVICE=C:\STACKER\DPMS.EXE
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\STACKER\STACHIGH.SYS
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\CD-ROM\TSLCDR.SYS /D:MSCD001 /P:3 /S:330
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:1 C:\DRIVERS\SPEEDVID.SYS /VGA
FILES=40
BUFFERS=25
LASTDRIVE=Z
STACKS=0,0
SHELL=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.COM /R:2 C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM /P /E:512
After
=======================================
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\DOSDATA.SYS
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM X=B000-B1FF R:1 ST:M
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\DOS-UP.SYS @C:\QEMM\DOS-UP.DAT
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:1 C:\QEMM\QDPMI.SYS SWAPFILE=DPMI.SWP SW...
DEVICE=C:\STACKER\DPMS.EXE
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\STACKER\STACHIGH.SYS
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\CD-ROM\TSLCDR.SYS /D:MSCD001 /P:3 /S:330
REM DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS
REM DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE
REM DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:1 C:\DRIVERS\SPEEDVID.SYS /VGA
FILES=40
BUFFERS=25
LASTDRIVE=Z
STACKS=0,0
SHELL=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.COM /R:2 C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM /P /E:512
b) If any of the following parameters are on the QEMM386.SYS line,
please remove them:
ST:M ST:F XST=C000 XST=E000 XST=F000
Please add the following parameters to the QEMM386.SYS line:
DMA=128 RH:N SH:N XBDA:L
Example:
(Before) DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM ST:M XST=C000 R:1
(After) DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM DMA=128 RH:N SH:N XBDA:L
R:1
c) Save the file and exit.
9) Type the following:
C: <Enter>
CD\QEMM <Enter>
Optimize /B:A /NOST <Enter>
This will begin the Optimize process, which will provide as much
conventional and upper memory as possible. When asked, select
"Express Optimize" to speed the Optimize procedure up.
10) You are finished with this part - go to the ** CONCLUSION **
section at the end of this technical note.
CREATING A MULTIPLE BOOT CONFIGURATION
--------------------------------------
*** NOTE: THIS SECTION IS FOR PC-DOS & MS-DOS 6.x SYSTEMS ONLY ***
MS- and PC-DOS 6 support multiple configurations, which allow you to
choose which group of drivers you would like to load. QEMM 7 fully
supports multiple configurations; this section is intended to help you
create one quickly and painlessly. If you need any additional
assistance, contact the manufacturer of the DOS that you are using.
To create a game configuration, you need to do the following:
1) From the DOS prompt, type the following:
C: <Enter>
CD\ <Enter>
EDIT AUTOEXEC.BAT <Enter>
This will allow you to edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the boot drive.
2) Add the following lines at the very top of this file:
GOTO %CONFIG%
:NORMAL
3) Go to the bottom of your AUTOEXEC.BAT (hit the down arrow until you
are at the end of the file) and add the following lines:
GOTO END
:GAME
4) Do the following
a) Using Copy and Paste, copy the following lines from your NORMAL
configuration (everything between the :NORMAL line and the GOTO
END line) to the GAME configuration (below the :GAME line):
CD-ROM (commonly MSCDEX.EXE)
Mouse (commonly MOUSE.EXE or MOUSE.COM)
Sound (most likely statements that start with the word SET
and/or the lines that are added by your Sound board. Common ones
are SBCONFIG and MVAUDIO.)
Path (usually looks like PATH=C:\DOS;C:\ ...)
Prompt (usually looks like PROMPT $P$G)
Joystick (if you need a driver to run your joystick)
EXAMPLE:
GOTO %CONFIG%
:NORMAL
@ECHO OFF
SET TEMP=C:\TEMP
SET NU=C:\NU
SET NORTON=C:\NORTON
REM THE "CHECK" LINE BELOW PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SAFETY FOR STACKED DRIVES
REM PLEASE DO ONT REMOVE IT
C:\STACKER\CHECK /WP
PROMPT $P$G
PATH=C:\PROAUDIO;C:\QEMM;C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS;C:\FUSION;C:\STACKER;C:\;C:\MOU
SE
SET MOUSE=C:\MOUSE
C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DOS\MOUSE.EXE
C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DOS\SHARE.EXE /L:500 /F:5100
C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /M:20
SET BLASTER=A220 D1 I5 T3
IMAGE
C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DRIVERS\FASTLNK.EXE /Q
GOTO END
:GAME
@ECHO OFF
SET TEMP=C:\TEMP
REM THE "CHECK" LINE BELOW PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SAFETY FOR STACKED DRIVES
REM PLEASE DO ONT REMOVE IT
C:\STACKER\CHECK /WP
PROMPT $P$G
PATH=C:\PROAUDIO;C:\QEMM;C:\DOS;C:\WINDOWS;C:\FUSION;C:\STACKER;C:\;C:\MOU
SE
SET MOUSE=C:\MOUSE
C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DOS\MOUSE.EXE
C:\QEMM\LOADHI /R:2 C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /M:4 /E
SET BLASTER=A220 D1 I5 T3
GOTO END
:END
REM -- END OF MULTI --
b) On the line that reads MSCDEX.EXE, if there is an /M:xx, make
sure that the number is less than 15 (/M:15). If it is not,
please feel free to change it. Then, if there is not a /E on
that line please add one.
EXAMPLE: MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /V /M:4 /E
c) Go to the very end of the AUTOEXEC.BAT
d) Hit <Enter> a couple of times to make a blank line and add the
following line:
:END
e) Save the file and exit.
5) Edit your CONFIG.SYS file by typing the following:
EDIT CONFIG.SYS <Enter>
6) Type the following as the first lines in your CONFIG.SYS:
[menu]
menuitem=NORMAL, Normal Configuration
menuitem=GAME, Games Configuration
[NORMAL]
7) Go to the bottom of your CONFIG.SYS file. (Press the down arrow
until you get to the bottom of the file) and type [GAME] <Enter>
8) Do the following:
a) Copy the following lines from your Normal Configuration:
DOSDATA.SYS
QEMM386.SYS
DOS-UP.SYS
SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM
FILES
BUFFERS
CD-ROM Driver
(commonly DEVICE=C:\CDROM\MTMCDAE.SYS)
Sound Driver
(commonly DEVICE=C:\MVSOUND\MVAUDIO.SYS)
Disk Compression Drivers
(commonly DEVICE=C:\STACKER\STACHIGH.SYS
DEVICE=C:\STACKER\STACKER.COM
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\ST-DBL.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\DBLSPACE.SYS)
EXAMPLE:
MENUITEM=NORMAL, Normal Configuration
MENUITEM=GAME, Games Configuration
[NORMAL]
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\DOSDATA.SYS
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM X=B000-B1FF R:1 ST:M
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\DOS-UP.SYS @C:\QEMM\DOS-UP.DAT
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:1 C:\QEMM\QDPMI.SYS SWAPFILE=DPMI.SWP SW...
DEVICE=C:\STACKER\DPMS.EXE
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\STACKER\STACHIGH.SYS
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\CD-ROM\TSLCDR.SYS /D:MSCD001 /P:3 /S:330
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:1 C:\DRIVERS\SPEEDVID.SYS /VGA
FILES=40
BUFFERS=25
LASTDRIVE=Z
STACKS=0,0
SHELL=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.COM /R:2 C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM /P /E:512
[GAME]
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\DOSDATA.SYS
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM X=B000-B1FF R:1 ST:M
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\DOS-UP.SYS @C:\QEMM\DOS-UP.DAT
DEVICE=C:\STACKER\DPMS.EXE
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\STACKER\STACHIGH.SYS
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\CD-ROM\TSLCDR.SYS /D:MSCD001 /P:3 /S:330
FILES=40
BUFFERS=25
LASTDRIVE=Z
STACKS=0,0
SHELL=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.COM /R:2 C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM /P /E:512
b) If any of the following parameters are on the QEMM386.SYS line,
please remove them:
ST:M ST:F XST=C000 XST=E000 XST=F000
Please add the following parameters to the QEMM386.SYS line:
DMA=128 RH:N SH:N XBDA:L
Example:
(Before) DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM ST:M XST=C000 R:1
(After) DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM DMA=128 RH:N SH:N XBDA:L
R:1
c) Save the file and exit.
*** For further information on creating Multiple Boot Configurations
***
*** please refer to your DOS 6 Manual
***
9) Type the following:
CD\QEMM <Enter>
Optimize /NOST <Enter>
Select the Games Configuration followed by the Express Optimize
option.
10) You are finished with this part - go to ** CONCLUSION **.
** CONCLUSION **
You are now ready to play!
Q. My game says it *STILL* does not have enough memory. What do I do now?
A. At this point, re-run Optimize. When it asks to do Stealth testing,
hit <Enter> for Express Stealth Testing. Do not be too concerned with
the strange things that may appear on your screen. After Optimize is
complete, run the game. If you experience any conflict, the
STEALTH.TEC technote in the \QEMM directory will help you fine tune
Stealth for your configuration.
** SPECIAL NOTE - KNOWN INCOMPATIBILITIES **
The following games are known to be either incompatible with QEMM, or
require special handling. Some games will not run with any memory
management software because the game designers are taking memory
management into their own hands.
Tornado (by Spectrum Holobyte) - Do not load COMMAND.COM or Stacks high.
Links386 (by Access) - Make sure you are using their latest version,
QEMM 7.04 (or later), and add VS:Y to the end
of the QEMM386.SYS line in your CONFIG.SYS.
DOS4GW v1.9 Extended Games: Rebel Assault, SimCity 2000, DOOM. The
DOS-Extender these games use does not function properly with AMI BIOS
systems using the Hidden Refresh option. For the games to function
properly, disable this option, or obtain the latest release from the game
manufacturer.
Comanche (by NovaLogic) - Will not run with any Expanded memory manager
by design. You must use HIMEM.SYS or equivalent
XMS manager only.
ID:QG Using QEMM with Games
Quarterdeck Technical Note #284 Filename: GAMES.TEC
by Michael Bryant II CompuServe: GAMES.ZIP
Last revised: 9/14/94 Category: QEMM
************************************************************************
*This technical note may be copied and distributed freely as long as it*
*is distributed in its entirety and it is not distributed for profit. *
* Copyright (C) 1994 by Quarterdeck Office Systems *
************************ E N D O F F I L E *************************
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
:HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
_________________________________
Set your communications software to Half Duplex (or Local Echo)
Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.
Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
Wait for the U#= prompt.
Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN.
GEnie Information copyright (C) 1994 by General Electric
Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
___ ___ _____ _______
/___| /___| /_____| /_______/ The Macintosh RoundTable
/____|/____| /__/|__| /__/ ________________________
/_____|_____|/__/_|__|/__/
/__/|____/|__|________|__/
/__/ |___/ |__|_/ |__|_/____ Managed by SyndiComm
/__/ |__/ |__|/ |__|______/
An Official Forum of the International Computer Users Group
*** STReport available in MAC RT ***
ASCII TEXT
for ALL GEnie users!
MAC/APPLE SECTION (II)
======================
John Deegan, Editor (Temp)
> HP COLOR LASER!! STR InfoFile
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
HP COLOR LASERJET PRINTER DATA SHEET
====================================
MODEL NUMBER
C3100A HP Color LaserJet Printer
SERIAL NUMBER
Located on back of printer above power cord receptacle
or on the Self Test printout.
PRINTER DESCRIPTION
The HP C3100A HP Color LaserJet printer provides
300 dots per inch resolution plus built-in
Resolution Enhancement technology (REt), for black
and white printing only, with a throughput of up
to 10 pages per minute for black and white and 2
pages per minute for full color documents. It has
the ability to scale fonts, hot I/O's, dual bin
input, PCL 5 Language with Color Extension, and
the HP-GL/2 enhancement for plotter output. It
also has an optional rear feed tray.
PRINTER FEATURES
PCL Printer Language PCL Level 5 with color
extension
Interfaces Bi-tronics parallel
Optional I/O (MIO) Yes
Status Checking for HP Optional
3000
Video I/O No
AppleTalk I/O Optional
Font Cartridge Slots 2
Total Memory 8 MB
Fonts Per Page Limited Only By Memory
Downloadable Soft Fonts Limited Only By Memory
Macros/Forms Limited Only By Memory
Forms Overlay Yes
Rules, Gray Shades, Yes
Patterns
Character Height Limited Only By Memory &
Page Size
Duplex No
Auto Font Rotation Yes
Macro Cartridge Support Yes
Page Count Yes
RESIDENT FONTS
The HP C3100A Color LaserJet printer contains the
following resident Intellifont and TrueType typefaces
with the following styles and stroke weights:
Intellifont Typeface
Albertus Medium, Extrabold
Antique Olive Medium, Italic
Clarendon Condensed
Coronet
Courier Medium, Italic, Bold, Bold
Italic
Garamond Antiqua, Cursiv,Halbfett,
Kursiv Halbfett
Letter Gothic Medium, Italic, Bold
Marigold
CG Omega Medium, Italic, Bold, Bold
Italic
CG Times Medium, Italic, Bold, Bold
Italic
Univers Medium, Italic, Bold, Bold
Italic
Univers Condensed Medium, Italic, Bold, Bold
Italic
True Type Typeface
Arial Medium, Italic, Bold, Bold
Italic
Symbol
Times New Roman Medium, Italic, Bold, Bold
Italic
Wingdings
Bitmapped Typeface
Line Printer Medium (16.66 pitch)
Note The HP Color LaserJet printer
automatically rotates fonts to
the orientation specified.
Thus all fonts (resident,
cartridge, SIMM, and soft) can
be printed in portrait,
landscape, reverse portrait,
and reverse landscape.
CARTRIDGE FONTS
The HP Color LaserJet Printer will accept all HP
cartridge fonts. Language Cartridges such as the
Epson/IBM Emulation Cartridge and the PostScript
Cartridges do not work in this printer.
MEMORY (RAM) EXPANSION
Any combination (up to 4 SIMM boards total) of the
following optional SIMM memory may be installed:
C3130A 1 Mb SIMM 1,024 Kbytes
C3131A 2 Mb SIMM 2,048 Kbytes
C3132A 4 Mb SIMM 4,096 Kbytes
C3133A 8 Mb SIMM 8,192 Kbytes
C3146A 16 Mb SIMM 16,384 Kbytes
OPTIONAL MEMORY REQUIREMENTS
Full-page (letter-sized) 150-dpi graphics None
Half-page (letter-sized) 300-dpi graphics None
Full-page (letter-sized) 300-dpi graphics None
Full-page (legal-sized) 300-dpi graphics None
TEXT AND GRAPHICS RESOLUTION (DPI)
TEXT RESOLUTION WITH STANDARD MEMORY
Text 300 x 300 Dots Per Inch (DPI)
GRAPHICS RESOLUTION WITH STANDARD MEMORY:
75 dpi Full-page
100 dpi Full-page
150 dpi Full-page
300 dpi Full-page
PERFORMANCE
Black and White Printing Up to 10 ppm
Full Color Printing Up to 2 ppm
Color Transparencies Up to 1 ppm
First-Page-Out Speed (after receipt of data)
Black Text Printing 25 seconds
Full Color Printing 42 seconds
Warm-up Time 3 minutes or less
Duty Cycle Up to 15,000 pages
per month
PAPER HANDLING
Standard Input Tray 1
Capacity (Letter Paper Tray 250 Sheets
- Regular Paper)
Capacity (Transparencies, 50 Sheets
Letter/A4 size only)
Standard Output Trays 2
Upper Tray Capacity- face 100 Sheets
down (correct order)
Lower Tray Capacity- face up 50 Sheets
(reverse order)***
Optional Standard Input Trays 6
Capacity (letter) 250 Sheets
Capacity (legal) 250 Sheets
Capacity (Executive) 250 Sheets
Capacity (tabloid) 250 Sheets
Capacity (A4) 250 Sheets
Capacity (A3) 250 Sheets
Optional Rear Feed Unit 1
Letter/A4/Executive 250 Sheets**
Transparencies (Letter/A4 50 Sheets
size only)
Manual Feed Option* 1
Letter/A4 Single Sheet
Executive Single Sheet
Legal Single Sheet
Tabloid (B-size)/A3 Single Sheet
Job Offset No
Maximum Paper Size 11" x 17"
Minimum Paper Size 7 1/4" x 10 1/2"
The HP Color LaserJet Printer does not support printing
of envelopes or labels.
* Manual Feed is available through the Optional Rear
Feed Unit only.
** 250 sheets or 1", depending on paper weight and
type.
*** Transparencies exit through the Lower Output Tray.
PAPER SPECIFICATIONS
Paper Cassette 20 to 24 pound (75.2 to
90.2 g/m sq)
Caliper (thickness) 3.0 to 7.0 mils
Moisture Content 4.7% +/- 1% by weight
Smoothness 100 to 190 Sheffield
Acid Content 5.5 pH minimum
Grain Long Grain
Fusing compatibility - must not scorch, melt, offset
material or release hazardous emissions when heated to
392 deg. F (200 deg. C) for 0.2 second.
Finishing (Cutting Dimension Tolerance & Angle) - Cut
sheet to within +/- 0.03 inch (0.8 mm) of nominal,
corners 90 deg.+/- 0.2 deg square.
Ash Content - Not to exceed 10% or contain large
amounts of clay or talc.
Furnish (Composition) - 100% chemical wood pulp and/or
cotton fiber.
SPECIAL PAPER
Transparencies Supported HP Overhead transpariencies
only (Part No C2934A Letter
C2936A A4)
NOTE: For additional information
concerning paper
specifications, refer to the
LaserJet Printer Family Paper
Specification Guide (5002-
1801).
PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Width 23.7 in (620 mm)
Depth (body,with trays 21.5 in (490 mm)
installed)
Depth (w/optional rear feed 24.6 in (625 mm)
unit)
Height (printer only) 14.9 in (375 mm)
Height (w/optional rear feed 17.9 in (378 mm)
unit)
Weight (with developers,toner 108 lbs (46.5 kg)
and options)
TONER
The HP Color LaserJet Printer Toner Imaging System uses
four (4) toner containers and a Toner Collection Kit.
Cyan C3102A
Magenta C3104A
Yellow C3103A
Black C3105A
Toner Collection Kit C3120A
(includes a Toner Collection
Box, Ozone Filter, and Toner
Cleaning Cloth.)
ELECTRICAL
C3100A #XXX - 115 Volt printers
Voltage 115 V to 127 V +/- 10%
Frequencies 50 or 60 Hz +/- 3%
Power Consumption at 115 V AC
Printing (average) 520 Watts
Standby (average) 135 Watts
Power Save mode 40 Watts
Highest one second average 14.0 Amps
RMS
C3100A #XXX - 220 to 240 Volt printers
Voltage 220 V to 240 V q 10%
Frequencies 50 Hz +/- 3%
Power Consumption at 220 V AC
Printing (average) 520 Watts
Standby (average) 125 Watts12
Power Save mode 40
Highest one second average 7.1 amps
RMS
ENVIRONMENTAL
Temperature (Operating) 50-83 deg. F (10-28
deg. C)
Humidity (Operating) 20-70% Relative
Humidity
Altitude (Operating) 0-10,000 ft (0-3,100 m)
Acoustics (Printing Maximum) 6.8 Bels
Acoustics (Standby Maximum) 5.4 Bels
WARRANTY
1 year parts and labor, onsite, from the original date
of purchase. All original consumables have a 1 year
warranty. Additional purchased consumables have a 90
day warranty. The HP Color LaserJet has an optional
Support Pack which can be purchased to extend the
warranty to three years.
SAFETY (UL, CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT)
UL 1950 listed; C-22.2-950 certified; complies with IEC
950/EN 60950, FCC Class B certified, CISPR-22 level A,
Product CDRH certified Class 1 Laser Product(safe for
office/EDP use). NOM IEC. See User's Manual for more
detailed information.
MANUALS
C3100-99001 HP Color LaserJet User's Bundle, which
includes:
1) HP Color LaserJet Printer Getting
Started Guide
2) HP Color LaserJet Printer User's Guide
3) HP Color LaserJet Printer Refernce
Manual
5961-0701 Technical Reference Bundle, which includes:
1) PCL 5 Printer Language Technical
Reference Manual;
2) PCL 5 Comparison Guide;
3) Printer Job Language Technical
Reference;
4) PCL 5 Printer Language Technical Quick
Reference Guide.
5) The PCL 5 Color Technical Reference
Manual
C3100-90916 The HP Color LaserJet Printer Service
Manual
C3119-90900 The Rear Feed Unit Installation
Instructions
C3112-90901 The Postscript Simm Installation Guide
C3112-90902 The Postscript Technical Reference Manual
PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated
which may be registered in certain jurisdictions.
Copyright Hewlett-Packard Co. 1994
This information is subject to change without notice and
is provided "as is" with no warranty.
Hewlett-Packard shall not be liable for any direct,
indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages
in connection with the use of this material.
**********************************************************************
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
=================
STReport International Online Magazine is available every week for your
reading pleasure on DELPHI. STReport's readers are invited to join DELPHI
and become a part of an extremely friendly community of enthusiastic
computer users there.
SIGNING UP WITH DELPHI
======================
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DELPHI services via a local phone call
JOIN --DELPHI
--------------
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At Password: type STREPORT and press RETURN.
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-----------------------------
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Who is eligible to take advantage of the plan? Any DELPHI member in good
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It's easy to join. If you meet the eligibility requirements, you can apply
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TRY DELPHI FOR $1 AN HOUR!
For a limited time, you can become a trial member of DELPHI, and receive 5
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Then, just answer the questions and within a day or two, you'll officially
be a member of DELPHI!
DELPHI-It's the BEST Value and getting BETTER all the time!
************************************************************
ATARI/JAG SECTION (III)
=======================
Dana Jacobson, Editor
> From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
There's an old New England saying that states: "If you don't like
the weather, wait a minute!" You could almost swap the topic for Atari
computing news this past week. During the last few weeks, I've really
been discouraged with the amount of interesting news that's been
available. As I mentioned a week or so ago, the Atari support staff
for STReport is minimal, so there's not a real lot of time for original
articles - especially at the level which I would like to see each week.
Essentially, I rely on being able to gather up as much news as possible
from the various sources available to me - Compuserve, Delphi, and the
Usenet (with the Internet coming shortly). I spend most of my week
editing and re-formatting the items that I find so that it looks and
reads more easily for our readers.
So, what happened this week? Well, on Monday I received my
upgrades for NeoDesk 4 and Touch-Up 2.5. Then on Tuesday, I received
the beta version of Flash 2.3! I also received my order of tapes for
my tape back-up unit that I desperately needed, but that was just the
icing! Now if I can find some time to test these new items and put
them to good use!
But, it's also been an interesting week for news. We've got some
informative articles for you this week such as Internet newsgroup
information, CD-ROM info, DESKTOP.INF finally really explained, and a
lot more! I hope that you find these articles as interesting and
informative as I have. I know that I will be filing away a few of them
for future reference!
As mentioned last week, we announced an E-Mail distribution
service for our Internet readers, via Delphi's E-Mail system. The
response to a few messages posted in the Usenet Atari newsgroups on
Tuesday resulted in almost 50 "sign me up" messages in two days! The
response has been terrific so far; and I hope to be able to put the
initial distribution list together a week earlier than expected in
order to satisfy this early response. So, I'm hoping that this will be
accomplished during this weekend.
Thanks to the few of you who sent me E-Mail with birthday
greetings - where the &$#@* did you get the information????? I turned
40-something a few days ago - a few less hairs and somehow a lot of new
grey ones!
Well, let's get down to the really important stuff and on with the
news!
Until next time...
Delphi's Atari Advantage!
TOP TEN DOWNLOADS (9/21/94)
(1) DC XTRACT PLUS 2.2C (6) DL VIEWER
(2) GEMVIEW 3.06 *(7) TURBOGIF 1.3
(3) JENS SENDS GIF VIEWER *(8) PUNT II
(4) THINGY SCREEN TOY *(9) JENS SENDS PATIENCE
(5) LHARC VERSION 3.10 *(10) TELECOMMUNICATIONS UTILITIES
* = New on list
HONORARY TOP 10
The following on-line magazines are always top downloads, frequently
out-performing every other file in the databases.
STREPORT (Current issue: STREPORT 10.38)
ATARI ONLINE (Current issue: AEO: VOLUME 3, ISSUE 11)
Look for the above files in the RECENT ARRIVALS database.
_______________________________________
> C.S.A.S. Intro! STR InfoFile! - Mini Internet Tutorial!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Introduction to comp.sources.atari.st
From: Annius Groenink <avg@cwi.nl>
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 1994 10:17:18 GMT
Submitted-by: avg@cwi.nl (Annius Groenink)
Posting-number: Volume 8, Info 2
This article is posted regularly. It gives a short introduction to
comp.sources.atari.st and describes how to submit sources or digressions
to the group.
I am always looking for suggestions on how to improve the usefulness of
the newsgroup, and can be contacted at the following internet address:
avg@cwi.nl
Annius Groenink, Moderator.
ABOUT comp.sources.atari.st
The moderated usenet group comp.sources.atari.st contains publications
or announcements of sources and texts about programming for Atari TOS
computers. The publications on comp.sources.atari.st may be freely
distributed as long as modifications are documented and the original
authors are mentioned.
THIS IS A MODERATED GROUP. YOU CANNOT POST TO IT BY YOURSELF. Read the
instructions below for submitting material intended for publication on
comp.sources.atari.st.
SUBMITTING SOURCES OR DIGRESSIONS FOR PUBLICATION
Items intended for posting or queries and problem notes should be sent
to avg@cwi.nl. If you are on a UUCP-only site, you can send them to
uunet!cwi.nl!avg.
If you want verification of arrival, say so at the beginning of your
submission, or in a cover note. I try to verify that a program works,
and if I can't get it to work, I may hold up posting it for a couple of
days. Please note that, except in rare cases, software without
documentation will not be published. The backlog from receipt to posting
varies from one to four weeks depending mostly on the set of submissions
currently in my queue.
If you are submitting both sources and binaries, PLEASE send the two
separately. If I have to separate your sources from your binaries by
hand, your submission will most likely sit on the back burner for a
while, or be rejected outright.
Sources can be submitted in ASCII form, but for large packages, a ZOO 2.1
archive encoded using Dumas uuencode is preferred.
Please include a description of your program at the top of your article.
Look at old issues of comp.binaries.atari.st for examples of the sorts
of descriptions I'm looking for. In general you should indicate what the
program does, on what types of Atari TOS computers, whether your program
requires a certain amount of on-board memory, a hard disk or a certain
screen resolution. If necessary, I may rewrite or add to this
information in order to make the postings to the group more uniform. I
can't check your submission in all possible configurations, and see what
works and what doesn't. Without a description, your submission is likely
to be rejected.
THE STRUCTURE OF COMP.SOURCES.ATARI.ST ARTICLES
There are two types of articles in comp.binaries.atari.st: "information
postings" and "sources". The source postings are also called "Issues".
For a while, 'announcements' were also accepted, but there is now a
dedicated group, comp.sys.atari.announce, for that purpose. The type of
a posting can be distinguished by the subject line:
Subject: v02INF1: Introduction to comp.sources.atari.st
This first word in the title identifies this as the first info posting
of volume two. Similarly, the subject line shown below:
Subject: v06i081: godsrc -- Universe simulator
identifies this as the 81st source article in Volume 6. Large sources
are broken up into smaller pieces, and have subject lines that look like
this:
Subject: v06i088: decbustr -- VMS clone in ST-LOGO, Part03/08
Certain information about the system configuration required to use the
program is given on the keywords line.
Keywords: MWC, Megamax, 1meg, high
This means that the program compiles with Mark Williams or Megamax C,
requires at least one meg of RAM and only runs in high resolution.
Following is a list of keywords; new ones may be added as needed. They
are mostly self- explanatory.
Alcyon - Alcyon C (included with Atari developer's kit)
MWC - Mark Williams C
Megamax - Megamax C
Laser - Laser C
Lattice - Lattice C
C - Any C compiler
OSS - OSS Personal Pascal
BASIC - ST BASIC (this is not a joke!)
uuencode - program is uuencoded (uudecode required to unpack)
arc - program is archived (arc required to unpack)
zoo-high - program is archived (Zoo 2.1 required to unpack)
lharc - program is archived (lharc required to unpack)
high - high resolution
medium - medium resolution
low - low resolution
1meg - needs 1 meg of RAM
The References: line, if present, points to the previous part of a multi-
part program, so that newsreaders (trn, nn, etc.) which can follow
threads will recognize a large program as a single thread.
The first few lines of an article are auxiliary headers that look like
this:
Submitted-by: david@bdt.UUCP (David Beckmeyer)
Posting-number: Volume 6, Issue 80
Archive-name: micro-rtx
The "Submitted by" is the author of the program. If you have comments
about the sources published in comp.sources.atari.st this is the person
to contact. When possible, this address is in domain form, otherwise it
is a UUCP bang path relative to some major (backbone) site.
The second line repeats the volume/issue information for the aide of
notes sites and automatic archiving programs.
The Archive-name is the "official" name of this source in the archive.
Large postings will have names that look like this:
Archive-name: desktop/part01
REPORTING AND TRACKING BUGS AND PATCHES TO POSTINGS
Most of the time, bugs and updates will be posted to comp.sys.atari.st.
Sometimes, "official" updates from the author will be posted submitted
to comp.sources.atari.st so that they are archived with the sources.
Since there is no easy way to apply source code patches on the ST,
changes to a program often result in a whole new version being posted.
To report bugs, contact the person listed in the Submitted-to header.
Often there is a contact address in a README file, too. I do not
maintain the sources I moderate, so don't send your bug reports to me.
--
Annius V. Groenink | avg@cwi.nl | Private/Edith/ZFC:
CWI, Kruislaan 413 | A.V.Groenink@zfc.nl | P.O. Box 12079
1098 SJ Amsterdam | Room M233 ext. 4077 | NL 1100 AB Amsterdam
The Netherlands | Phone: +31 20 592 4077 | Phone: +31 20 695 9901
>OCR 1.3! STR InfoFile! - Optical Character Recognition updated!
""""""""""""""""""""""
OCR V1.3 - Optical Character Recognition for Atari ST/STE/TT/Falcon
Available at:
ftp.uni-kl.de /pub/atari/misc/ocr13.lzh
ftp.isbiel.ch atari/diverses/ocr13.lzh
ftp.cnam.fr /pub/Atari/Text/ocr13.lzh
atari.archive.umich.edu atari/Applications/Other/ocr_13.lzh
Features of OCR 1.3:
- FREEWARE
- RSC files in English, German, French, Dutch included.
- DOCs in English, German.
- Supports GDPS scanner drivers.
- It works in any resolution (>=496x200).
- Hypertext On-line help is available using ST-Guide or 1st-Guide.
- It works under MTOS, MagiC (=Mag!X), Geneva (not tested).
- Windowed dialogs.
Author:
Alexander Clauss
Stresemannstr. 44
D-64297 Darmstadt
-- Germany --
email: aclauss@rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de
>MULTIGEN Genlock! STR InfoFile! - MULTIGEN Genlock specs!
New to the Delhi scene, Atari dealer Frank Succardi provides
members with the vital stats:
Here is the spec sheet on the MULTIGEN Genlock. If you have any
questions, please drop me a line at (505) 474-2861 or
FSUCCARDI@DELPHI.COM or FSUCC1004@SANTA-FE.CC.NM.US.
Features:
o Genlock Overlay Facility
o RGB, S-Video, and Composite/PAL Outputs
o S-Video and Composite Inputs
o Simultaneous Monitor/TV Output
o Supports PC, MAC, ST/MEGA, Falcon030, Archimedes
o Supports up to 640x480 Resolution in 256,000 Colors
o Computer Fade Facility
o Overscan/Underscan
o Flicker Reduction Feature
The MultiGen is a true scan converter. There is no need for
additional driver software, or internal installation. Simply plug it
in to your computer's display output port. It's light weight and
small size also make it ideal for use with a laptop.
The MultiGen has three output signals. RGB allows high-quality
computer output to TV's and projectors with a 21 pin SCART connector.
The output is comparable video recorder.
The S-Video output is suitable for both TV's and VCR/Camcorders with
S-VHS or Hi-8 inputs. The composite video output can be connected to
standard VCR's and monitor-TV's. The S-Video gives the best display
results.
Video can be input to the unit via S-Video or Composite connections.
The MultiGen is used not only as a scan converter, but a genlock
too. It allows you to overlay computer graphics onto live video. Use
video input from a camera or a pre-recorded tape. Overlay graphics such
as titles or animations.
The MultiGen uses flicker-reduction circuitry to help eliminate the
'flicker' associated with fine-line graphics. This is a real benefit
when using CAD packages or programs within WINDOWS.
The MultiGEn can display the video image in overscan or underscan
mode, and is built to maintain the proper aspect ratio.
There are two types of computer fade. When using the MultiGEn to
overlay a computer title on a video, the fade will dissolve the title
into the video image. When outputting a computer image direct to video,
the image will fade to black.
The Multigen supports 320x200, 640x350, 640x400, 720x400, 640x480
in up to 256,000 colors, or standard 525/625 non-interlaced RGB. All
resolutions maintain proper aspect ratio.
Pretty impressive, huh? Especially when you consider the, price,
$695 retail, $665.99 our price. Drop us a line if interested.
Happy Genlocking!
Frank Succardi
Owner, CyberTech Computers
**********
[Editor's note:] In my quest to learn more about the various possible
add-ons for my system, I have been considering a CD-ROM. After reading
a number of related messages in various places, and seeing a few at the
recent CT AtariFest, I decided to ask for more info. It's All
Relative's Greg Kopchak has been informative in the past, so I asked
him for more info dealing with CD-ROM players and available CDs for the
ST. Greg was kind enough to post an elaborate description so I thought
that I'd pass this info along to our readers. Personally, I'm getting
more excited about the prospects!
Here's the latest CD list you were asking about. All the CD's listed
are Atari ready and are very functional on Atari machines. Each disc
contains hundreds of megabytes of data and can keep you busy for
days.
Winning Pictures MPC - Kodak Photo CD
GEMini CD - Atari shareware
Public Domain and Shareware Volume 1 - German Atari shareware
Public Domain and Shareware Volume 2 - German Atari shareware
GIF's Galore
Space and Astronomy
The Travel Adventures Disc
Fractal Frenzy
Clipart Cornucopia
Visions ** NEW Super collection of royalty free stock images
Sentimental Wings ** NEW Must have disc for aircraft fans - images
info and more
QRZ ham radio CD ** Call letters and ham radio info
Project Gutenberg
Internet Info ** NEW over 12,000 files gathered from the internet
ExtenDOS 1.21
ExtenDOS Pro ** NEW Latest and greatest version of ExtenDOS
Audio CD Master version 3.1
Photo Show
Photo Show Pro version 2.2
Photo Show animation module - ** NEW add FLI graphics to your Photo
Show Pro scripts
Photo Show STe ** NEW View Photo CD on the STe machines too
View_PCD
Leave e-mail to GREG (Delphi) here for more information on any product
and to get a copy of our latest newsletter. Write It's All Relative,
2233 Keeven Lane, Florissant, MO 63031 USA.
Here is the additional information on our new CD offers............
Visions CD Rom
The Visions CD rom is a collection of 500 great photographs from
the Preferred Stock photo archives All images are royalty free
and come in 640 by 480 and 800 by 600 resolutions. The images are
categorized into subjects are varied as: animals, art,
backgrounds, churches, fractals, holidays, plants, Eastern US,
Western US, seasons, still lifes, and ray traces.
Visions has a retail price of $39.99
Sentimental Wings
Sentimental Wings looks at the aircraft that helped set the pace
of the future, from the beginning of the Cold war through the
fall of the Soviet Union.
You get dramatic full color 24 bit images, performance data, and
historical information surrounding the development and production
of the aircraft.
Images were taken by long time aviation buff, Fred Lloyd, and
have not been previously published. They are all new.
You'll see pictures of such classics as the P-51, Mustang, P-40
Warhawk, the F-1xx series including the F-100, F-101, F-102, F-
105, F-106, SR-71 Blackbird, U-2 spy plane, B-47, B-52, the
Phantom F-4,and more.
All images are in GIF,TIF, JPG, and BMP formats for easy viewing
with your favorite image viewer. The CD is dated June 1994.
Sentimental Wings has a retail of $39.99.
QRZ Ham Radio
The QRZ Ham radio Cd rom, version 3, has the most up to date US
FCC ham radio license information with 643,000 names, addresses
and call signs.
Included are 115,000 call signs from the UK, Italy, and England.
USENET Ham Radio News archives
WAV files for TNC testing
QRZ Ham Radio has a retail of $29.99.
Internet Info
The Internet Info CD contains a sample of the wealth of
information available on the Internet. The Internet is a network
linking thousands of universities, research labs, and high tech
companies throughout the whole world. The Internet has been
called the "Information Superhighway".
You get 12,000 documents about computers and networks:
Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ's)
Internet FRC's and IEN's
Computer security documents
Internet network maps
Usenet technical discussions
Ftp sites and descriptions of the files they contain.
Extensive bibliographies and technical book reviews
Documents and standards from IEEE, ISO, NIST, and ANSI plus more
Internet Info has a retail of $39.99
It's All Relative offers all the above CD's at $10.00 off the
suggested retail price.
Write Randall Kopchak, It's All Relative, 2233 Keeven Lane,
Florissant, MO 63031 USA. All orders are shipped postpaid,
worldwide.
___________________________
> Atari Desktop Explained! STR InfoFile! - Everything You Ever Wanted to
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" About Your DESKTOP.INF file,
and more!
ATARI TOS DESKTOP
SURVIVAL KIT
***********************
A GUIDE TO THE DESKTOP.INF AND
NEWDESK.INF FILES
by Thomas J Hopper
CONTENTS
--------
Legalities - Rights, etc.
Welcome - An introduction of sorts
DESKTOP/NEWDESK Basics - Get to know the INF files
Editing the INF File - Basics about editing the INF files
The Keyboard and Installing Apps - Keyboard functions
Neat Hacks - Some suggestions
INF File Composition - Explanation of INF file structure
Annotated NEWDESK.INF file - A real-life example
LEGALITIES
----------
I make no warranty as to the usefulness or accuracy of this document.
copyright = 1994 Thomas J Hopper
This file may only be distributed in its entirety and at no charge.
No portion of this document may be distributed for profit without the
explicit permission of the author.
WELCOME!
--------
There are lots of things you can do with the new Atari desktops (and
with the old ones!); almost as much as with a replacement desktop like
NeoDesk? from Gribnif Software! Unfortunately, the manuals Atari
gives us with the computers don't tell you about all of these great
features. I will try to rectify this deficiency.
I have compiled as much information on the NEWDESK.INF file that I
could, and thrown in some info on TOS 2.06. This file focuses on
Atari's NEWDESK.INF file, and in particular on TOS 2.06, since they
are what I have. If you don't have TOS 2.06, don't worry; most of the
really useful info in here is applicable to *all* versions of TOS, and
some info specific to TOS 4.0x is included, too. I have tried to
point out where information may be specific only to certain versions
of TOS. With this as a reference, you should be able to modify your
DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF file to do almost anything with your desktop!
I have learned all of this partly through trial and error, and partly
through discussions on online services. A lot of the information came
to me by way of the NEWDESK topic on GEnie in the Atari Roundtable.
GEnie, by the way, is an excellent source of information and support
for the Atari line of computers; being the only official online Atari
service, there are more Atarians there than anywhere else. I highly
recommend this service. I suppose I should state that I have no
connection with GEnie other than as a satisfied user. Another
excellent source of info and programs is the Internet, where Atarians
from all over the world can (and do!) converse and share programs.
If you find that something is wrong, please let me know! If you see
something I missed, or if you think I should include some information
that isn't in here, let me know that, too. And of course, suggestions
are always welcome. When contacting me, include your machine type,
TOS, GEM, AES, MiNT, and MultiTOS versions (whichever apply). This
will help me decipher different, unknown parameters. If you don't
know some of this information or don't have MiNT or something, don't
let that stop you from contacting me! But please, try to include at
least the TOS version (TOS date will suffice, if necessary; just give
me the copyright dates in the "Desktop Info..." menu). Also include
your name and some way that I can get in touch with you, such as email
address or postal address.
I can be reached at:
GEnie T.HOPPER
Internet hopper_t@msupa.pa.msu.edu
or
Thomas Hopper
2910 BeauJardin #203
Lansing, MI, USA 48910
DESKTOP/NEWDESK BASICS
----------------------
The DESKTOP.INF and NEWDESK.INF files in Atari computers contain all
the information your computer needs to configure itself. It contains
all the names, positions and (for appropriate TOS versions) icon
numbers for your desktop icons. It stores all the info on Installed
Apps, desktop icons, and window positions (even for windows that have
been closed!). If you leave a window open when saving the desktop,
the location, current directory, and file mask (for those versions of
TOS that support masks) are saved. It stores info on whether or not
the key click and system bell are turned on, the repeat rate for key
clicks, mouse double click rate and tracking rate, current resolution,
keyboard shortcuts for menu items (in TOS >= 2.0x), and lots more. In
short, it stores every piece of information that you can configure
from the desktop or the standard Atari Control Panel.
When you boot up your machine, the computer loads in auto programs and
then reads the DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF (hereafter referred to collectively
as simply "INF") file for information on resolution, windows, etc. If
you have Atari's Control Panel (or a replacement), the key repeat
rate, printer and serial port configuration, and other information is
also loaded from the INF file and configured.
To change the INF file, you need simply alter a setting from either
the Control Panel (not the extensible control panel, however) or one
of the desktop menus, and then select "Save Desktop." If you do this
several times and display the INF file after each save, you will get a
feel for which changes to the desktop correspond to changes in the INF
file. Before doing this, of course, make a backup of your original
INF file by renaming it to DESKTOP.INX. This way if you somehow
"break" the INF file, you can always be sure to have a working one
handy.
You can view the file directly from the desktop; the INF file is
simply an ASCII file! This means that not only is everything in the
file plainly visible from the desktop, but you can load it into just
about any word processor, text editor, or DTP program and edit it by
hand. This has the advantage of allowing you to make certain changes
that the desktop doesn't allow for. If you're really familiar with
the INF file, you can also make multiple changes in much less time
than it would take you from the desktop. The editor, however, must be
able to load and save files in ASCII format, and it must not strip
trailing spaces from lines (more on this in a moment).
One important bit of information to know and understand when editing
the INF file is how TOS reads and applies the information in it.
Not surprisingly, the INF file acts as a filter, through which TOS
sifts programs and files to apply various actions (running files,
assigning icons, etc.). What *is* surprising is that these filters work
in reverse order from what you see in the INF file. The *last* entry
in the INF file is the *first* filter applied! The way this works is
as follows:
For icon assignments, TOS reads from the end of the file to the
beginning, comparing each file in a directory to each filter (icon
assignment) until a match is found. When TOS finds a match, it
moves on to the next file. So if you have a program SQUISHII.APP,
and assign an icon to it, that assignment should go toward the end
of the file, that way it will be filtered out early on. If you
have an icon assignment like #I xx xx xxx @ *.*@ @ *below* the
assignment for SQUISHII.APP, then SQUISHII.APP will be filtered out
at the *.* (and assigned that icon) rather than at #I xx xx xxx @
SQUISHII.APP@ @ . Hence, you would never see the special icon you
assigned to SQUISHII.APP. This is important to understand, for two
reasons. The first is that when editing the INF file, you want to
work down the file from most general to most specific; getting this
order wrong will give you results other than what you wanted. The
other reason is that when you make an icon assignment from the
desktop, it is saved at the end of the INF file. If you were to
make lots of assignments, then do a generic (*.*) icon assignment,
all your files would use the generic icon (until you edited the INF
file to have *.* be the last filter applied).
For program assignments, TOS reads the INF file in the same way as
for icons, and applies filters in the same way. When you double
click on a file (whether it's executable or not), TOS starts
looking for matches from the bottom of the INF file and works its
way to the top. If you were to install a program VIEWER.APP for
file type *.*, this assignment would be saved at the end to the INF
file, and hence be the first filter TOS saw; all files, no matter
what type they were, would cause VIEWER.APP to run and they would
be loaded in to it. This is true even for PRGs, APPs, TOSs, etc.;
in the INF file, these are just treated as applications installed
with no file type. As with icons, if you edit the INF file make
sure you work from most general at the top of the INF file to most
specific at the bottom.
EDITING THE INF FILE
--------------------
Before you begin editing your INF file, make sure that you have a
backup of you current, working version! It is possible (and fairly
easy, really) to change the INF file so that the computer will become
"confused" and not boot!
Probably the first thing to remember when editing your INF file is
that NEWDESK.INF can't be larger than 4kb (4096 bytes), and starts
causing trouble with the system around 3900 bytes. Similarly, the
DESKICON.RSC can only be 64kb (65536 bytes). The newer DESKICON.RSC
(the color icon resource for TOS 4.0x and up) can be larger than this,
though I don't know if there is a limit. If you try to exceed the
limit, you'll get "Out Of Memory" errors and lots of headaches.
On earlier versions of TOS (less than 2.0x), the limit on DESKTOP.INF
is even more restrictive; it can't be larger than 1kb (1024 bytes)!
However, you also don't have a lot of icon assignments eating up that
space, so it's a fair trade.
One excellent way around this is to have a directory full of different
INF files; a specific one for each task. If you put only those
application and icon assignments necessary for a particular task, you
should have no problem avoiding the size limit. To switch between INF
files, then you can just install either Charles F Johnson's shareware
product Desk Switch 1.1 or Klaus Pederson's public domain Load Inf as
the application for file types of *.INF. That way, when you want to
change to a different task, just double click on the appropriate INF
file, and away you go with all the key assignments, installed apps,
desktop icons, and icon assignments you want for that task.
Another way around this is to get a program like GEMRAM, which loads
GEM into RAM, and the program Shell Buffer (SHBUFxxx.PRG), which lets
you configure the allowed size of the INF file.
Both solutions should work great on any Atari, and both have their
advantages and disadvantages. Give them both a try and see which
works best for you.
Something else to keep in mind when editing your INF file is that TOS
expects to find certain formats at certain locations in the file.
Line #d, for instance, has to have a certain number of spaces in it
since TOS looks roughly 124 bytes into the INF file for the next line
(#Z if you have TOS >=1.04 and a program set to auto boot, or #K for
the menu key equivalents). That number for the bytes, incidently,
also includes carriage returns (EOL characters). Before changing your
desktop file, be sure you know *exactly* how many spaces belong in
line #d; the wrong number can produce unpredictable results and fatal
errors. To find out, of course, just load the file into a text editor
that doesn't strip trailing spaces (Word Writer, Alice, Everest, and
tons more) and start counting!
Most other lines (but not all of them) in the INF file require a
trailing space, so if you edit your file be sure to know which ones
need a space and which ones don't.
What this all means, of course, is that if you edit your DESKTOP.INF
or NEWDESK.INF file make sure you're using an editor that doesn't
strip trailing spaces, and which saves files as ASCII text. And, as
always, KEEP A BACKUP OF YOUR ORIGINAL INF FILE!
THE KEYBOARD AND INSTALLING APPS
--------------------------------
With the newer TOS versions, you can open a drive into a window by
pressing <Alt> and the drive letter. If you want to open a drive into
the current top window, you don't have to close the window and then
open the drive; just hold down <Cntrl> and press the drive letter!
The window will automatically be changed to the root directory of
whatever drive you selected.
With TOS versions 2.0x and up, Atari has made it possible to assign a
keyboard equivalent to any of the desktop menu items. That way you
can select a file and hit "I" to get info on it. Unfortunately, the
mneumonics can get pretty complicated, since there are also items that
could use "I" like "Show as Icons" and "Install Icon." "D" could be
used for "Sort by Date," "Delete," and "Install Devices." The
desktop appears to only allow normal characters (capital A through Z)
for these assignments, which gets pretty limiting. Luckily, you can
also use control-key combinations! When changing the menu assignments
in the Desktop Configuration menu, just hold down the <control> key
while pressing your key. Now, instead of accidently deleting a file
by pressing "D," you can assign <cntrl><delete> (or <cntrl><D>, if you
prefer) to "Delete," and never have to worry about accidentally
deleting a file!
Take note! If you use a control-key combo for a particular menu item,
that combo will no longer be available for normal desktop usage. For
instance, if you assign <cntrl><D> to "Show by Date," <cntrl><D> will
no longer be used to open drive D into the currently active window,
instead it will be used to delete selected files.
Remember:
Alternate + (A-P) = Open the drive's directory into a window
Control + (A-P) = Open the drive's directory in the active window
You can get all of the normal Desktop key commands by pressing <help>
while at the Desktop.
Not only can you assign a key combo to "Delete," you can also remove
the trash icon completely, and free up space for more important icons!
Just select the Trash icon and then the menu item "Remove Icon." In
fact, since TOS versions 2.0x and up allow you to open drives by
pressing <alternate> and the drive letter, you can remove all the
drive icons, too, and replace them with programs, folders, and files!
If you need to actually see what's on drive D, just press <Alt><D>.
Something users of *any* TOS version can do is install more than one
document type for an application! To do this, first install the
application for one of the file types you want. Then load the
DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF file into an ASCII editor. Make a copy of the
installed application line, making sure to keep all the copies
together with the original in the .INF file. It will look something
like:
#Y FF 04 000 C:\path\GEMVIEW.GTP@ *.PI3@ @
Then rename the installed file type ("*.PI3") to whatever other file
type you want. Make sure to keep all of these lines together. After
doing this a few times, you might have the following lines in your
..INF file:
#Y FF 04 000 C:\path\GEMVIEW.GTP@ *.PI?@ @
#Y FF 04 000 C:\path\GEMVIEW.GTP@ *.PC?@ @
#Y FF 04 000 C:\path\GEMVIEW.GTP@ *.GIF@ @
Editing your INF file manually like this is the only way to install
one application for more than one file type, since using "Install
Application" from the desktop will just overwrite any previous
assignment, rather than adding to it.
Of course, instead of installing an application for a particular
extender, you might try editing the lines for a particular *prefix*!
You could do something like:
#G 03 04 000 C:\UTILS\FILE_VIE.WER\AV380.PRG@ READ*.*@ @
So that whenever you double clicked on a file like "READ.ME", ASCII
View 3.80 would be run and the file loaded into it for viewing!
In fact, you can replace the Desktop's boring old [ SHOW | PRINT |
CANCEL] by installing an application for all file types. Be careful;
since this works as a catch-all, you have to make sure that such an
installation is the *last* line TOS checks when you double click.
That means it has to be the first application line in the .INF file
(remember, TOS uses the DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF file as a sort of filter,
working from the end of the .INF to the beginning. Basically, the
place to install an app like this is the line just before the *.APP,
*.PRG, *.TOS, etc. is defined. See the annotated INF file below for an
example.
NEAT HACKS
----------
In any version of TOS you can, of course, change the name of any
desktop icon to anything you want. This is true of the Trash can,
which can be renamed HAZARD or whatever you want. It's also true of
any programs or folders you put on the desktop (in TOS >= 2.0x); Just
look at the line of the INF file where that file/folder appears. It
will look something like:
#X 07 01 7B FF C:\UTILS\VIEWERS\VIEWER.PRG@ VIEWER.PRG@
The name seen on the desktop will be "VIEWER.PRG." You can change
this to "SEE IT!" just by changing the line to something like:
#X 07 01 7B FF C:\UTILS\VIEWERS\VIEWER.PRG@ SEE IT!@
Of course, as I said above, you don't really need the trash or drive
icons on TOS >= 2.0x, so why not just get rid of them? You can free
up tons of space on the desktop for commonly used programs, files, and
folders. It also has the nice side-affect of freeing up space in your
INF file, allowing you to have a few more lines of icon or application
assignments. This is a great tip for people who use Desk Switch or
Load Inf; you can replace the drive icons with INF file icons,
allowing you easy access not to your drives but to the work you need
to do.
One feature that deserves to be recognized, though it isn't a hack, is
the drag and drop feature of TOS >= 2.0x. With this feature, you can
put your commonly used programs on the desktops and then just drag the
file you want to work on over the app (until the app is highlighted),
then "drop" the file. This has the advantage of requiring fewer steps
to get working, as well as not requiring you to install the
application in the INF file, thereby saving a few bytes of space.
Create INF files specific to programs, put them all in a common
folder, and use Desk Switch or Load Inf to switch between them. You
can have a DTP.INF, WORDPROC.INF, GEMDRAW.INF, DEGAS.INF, TELECOM.INF,
UNARC.INF, etc. This frees up a lot of space in any particular INF
file. And with each INF, each type of file used with that task can
have its own unique icon, so it's easy to distinguish file types, and
you can also have all the installed application info you want! Using
just one INF file really limits you in what you can do, so make more!
Reset your keyboard-equivalents for the desktop menus so they make
sense! Use normal keys for one menu, and <cntrl>-key combos for the
other. You can even try <shft><cntrl>-key combos. Require two keys
to be pressed when deleting or formatting.
Get a resource editor (like MKRSC; this works with TOS 4.0x icons) and
build your own icons, then assign them by hex number to files in your
INF file.
Put a folder on the the desktop and save the INF file. Then edit the
INF file so that the line containing that folder begins with #X
instead of #V. Now when you double click on the folder, the default
document displayer is run, and the contents of the folder are loaded
in a batch mode. This is an excellent way of viewing new pictures or
text files! You can even use masks to control what sort of files load
in. Of course, your viewer has to be capable of processing batch
jobs.
Make yourself a blank icon (no mask, nothin'). You can now assign
short notes to the name of the icon, such as Fkey assignments, short
reminders, and whatnot. If you have TOS >= 2.0x, you can put these
"sticky notes" on the desktop, too. They are easily editable from the
desktop.
INF FILE COMPOSITION
--------------------
Below is a (fairly) complete explanation of the lines in the
DESKTOP.INF or NEWDESK.INF files. Some parameters only apply to
specific versions of TOS. Compare what's below to what is already in
your .INF file, and if it's not already there, DON'T ADD IT! TOS
expects certain lines to have a particular format, and adding to these
lines can confuse TOS and give you headaches. On the other hand,
deleting things can have the same effect, so don't do that either.
Where a description is given by "bits," the following procedure will
produce the needed hexidecimal number:
start with the high bit (e.g. bit "7"), and begin writing down
the desired configuration as a binary number (1's and 0's) from
left to right. Unlisted bits should not be changed. When the
number is complete, convert it to hex. Any decent calculator
will do this without a fuss.
For example: For the "Other configuration parameters" (see
below), I want bit 4 set to "filname," so I write a 0; bit 3 I
want set to "top window", so to the right of the zero I write
another 0; then bit 2 I set "size to fit" on, so I write a 1 to
the right of bit 3; bit 1 is not listed so I write a 1 (since
that's what it was originally); finally bit 0 I want set to
"sort on," so I write a 0. The resulting number is "00110." I
set my calculator to "bin" and plug this number in, then convert
it to hex (by changing the calculator mode to "hex"). The
resulting number, which goes in the fourth column of line #E is
06.
If you aren't familiar with doing this, I suggest you try it out a
couple times and compare it with what's already in your desktop file.
Don't try changing anything until you are confident you can get it
right! Wrong values can do unpredictable things to your system,
including causing it to crash!
I have been unable to determine the usage of some bits. In these
cases, I list the bit with a question mark and give the current value
in my NEWDESK.INF file. Yours may be different, so check it and use
whatever your INF file uses. To check it, convert the current hex
value to binary: the rightmost number is bit 0, the digit to the left
of that is bit 1, and so on. Converting hex 06 to bin is 110: bit 0 =
0; bit 1 = 1, bit 2 = 1, bit 3 = 0 (not shown), and bit 4 = 0 (also
not shown).
And remember, if you find you've made a mistake, just delete the
broken .INF file and re-load the old version that you backed up.
All "@" symbols must be followed by a space.
Keyboard equivalents (available on TOS >= 2.0x)
#K xx xx xx xx ... @
next 28 columns = hexidecimal value of kbd equiv. (00 = none)
next 2 columns = 00
next column = Video prefs. key (not on all TOS versions)
last column = @
Video settings (some features not available on some versions of TOS)
#E PR BR xx OP LD CM xx xx xx...
PR = Preferences (Confirm file copy, delete, and overwrite; display
options)
bit 7: show files as
1 = show as text 0 = show as icons
bits 6,5: sort
00 = by name 01 = by date
10 = by size 11 = by type
bit 4: confirm deletes
1 = yes 0 = no
bit 3: confirm copy
1 = yes 0 = no
bit 2: ?
0
bit 1: ?
0
bit 0: confirm overwrites
0 = yes 1 = no
B = Blitter
1 = on 0 = off
R = Resolution #
1 = ST Low or RGB 320 x 200
2 = ST Med or RGB 640 x 200
3 = ST Hi or RGB 640 x 400
4 = Falcon 80 col x 240 or 480
5 = TT monochrome(?)
6 = Falcon 40 col x 240 or 480
OP = Other configuration parameters
bit 4: Input parameter (from "Desktop Config")
0 = filename 1 = pathname
bit 3: Default directory (from "Desktop Config")
0 = Top Window 1 = Application
bit 2: Size to fit
0 = off 1 = on
bit 1: ?
1
bit 0: Sort on, off
0 = Sort on 1 = Sort off
LD = Line Doubling or Interlace
00 = Line Doubling or Intlace off
01 = Line Doubling or Intlace on
CM
bit 7 - ST Compatibility:
0 = non-compatible; 1 = ST compatibility on
bit 4: Hardware Select
0 = RGB mode 1 = VGA mode
bit 3: number of text columns
0 = 40 columns 1 = 80 columns
bits 0-2: number of available colors
000 = 2 colors
001 = 4
010 = 16
011 = 256
100 = Truecolor mode
Desktop & Window settings
#Q xx xx xx xx DC WB
D = Desktop Background Pattern
0 = transparent 1 = Pattern #1
2 = Pattern #2 ... 7 = Solid
C = Desktop background color
0 = Color #1 1 = Color #2
A = Color #10 ... F = Color #16
W = Window Background Pattern
0 = transparent 1 = Pattern #1
2 = Pattern #2 ... 7 = Solid
B = Window background color
0 = Color #1 1 = Color #2
A = Color #10 ... F = Color #16
Installed Applications have the following info
#n 04 04 000 C:\path\progname@ *.*@ @
Where #n is any of the following:
#G for GEM prg
#Y for GTP prg
#P for TTP prg
#F for TOS prg
The first 04 is the prg icon. Changing this has no effect
The second 04 is the document icon. Changing this has no effect.
Both of these should be set to the same value.
000 contains the following information :
First Digit - Number Meaning
0 Default Directory = Top Window
Parameter = Filename Only
1 Default Directory = Application
Parameter = Filename Only
2 Default Directory = Top Window
Parameter = Full Path
3 Default Directory = Application
Parameter = Full Path
Second and Third Digit = Function key assignment F1 to
shiftF10:
00 = no assignment 01 = F1
0A = F10 0F = F15
10 = F16 14 = F20
Following this is the full path and file name, followed immediately by
an "@" symbol. After the "@" is a space followed by the installed
document type (if any), followed by a second "@". Next comes another
space followed by any parameters that are to be passed to the program
(for GTP or TTP programs). Finally comes another "@" and a space.
For example,
#P FF 04 009 C:\PATH\VIEWER.TTP@ *.*@ @
would install the program VIEWER.TTP as the default document displayer
(this then supercedes the desktop [ SHOW | PRINT | CANCEL ]). This
line also sets VIEWER.TTP to run when F9 is pressed. There are no
parameters passed to this program.
Default window icons-
Example: #G 03 03 000 @ *.PRG@ @
First column = type
#I = specific file or file type *
#N = non-specific file *
#D = folder
#G = Gem app
#Y = GTP app
#P = TTP app
#F = Tos app
second column = default icon # for #G, #F, #Y, #P
New default icon can be installed for app type by changing this #
third column = default icon # for #N, #D
New icon can be installed for non-prg files by changing this #
Both the second and third column should contain the same hexidecimal
number.
fourth column - function key assignment. Leave at 000 (no assignment)
fifth column - @ filename.ext@ @ wildcard
* #I assigns an icon to the specified file or file type. It does not
assign an action.
#N assigns an icon to the specified file or file type and specifies
it as a non-executable file. If the line
#N 0B 0B 000 @ *.*@ @
appears below the default lines for APP, PRG, etc. (i.e.
#G 03 FF 000 *.APP@ @ @
#G 03 FF 000 *.PRG@ @ @ etc.),
programs will not execute when double-clicked on.
Desktop Icons-
Example: #X 08 02 18 FF C:\UTILS\VIEWER\VIEWER.PRG@ SEE IT!@
first column = type
#M = Storage Device
#T = Trash
#O = Printer
#X = Application
#V = Directory
second column = horizontal position in icon widths
third column = vertical position in icon widths
fourth column = Hex value of Icon number in DESKTOP.RSC
fifth column = FF (function unknown)
sixth column = Device ID (A-P) or space
Finally: full path and filename@ icon label@ (for a file or folder)
Device name@ @ (for a device)
Annotated NEWDESK.INF File:
---------------------------
#a000000
Stores serial communication info. Not very important since
the terminal program alters this info anyway.
#b000000
Printer Configuration:
digit \ setting 0 1
1 dot matrix daisy wheel
2 black & white color
3 1280 dpl 960 dpl
4 draft final
5 parallel serial
6 continuous single sheet
#c7770007000600070055200505552220770557075055507703111103
Color palette settings, mouse double-click response, key-click, bell
sound, key delay and key repeat rate.
#d
Reserved. Needs to have roughly forty-seven spaces since GEM looks
roughly 124 bytes into the file for the next line.
#Z 01 F:\RUNPROG\PROGRAM.PRG@
Program to Auto-run at bootup. Does not apply to TOS earlier than
1.04.
#K 4F 49 53 1F 46 20 43 00 41 4D 00 09 14 0E 04 13 05 0F 00 00 00 01
00 12 00 52 00 44 00 00 @
Keyboard assignments for desktop menu items. (should all be on one
line)
#E 50 13 00 06
Default screen resolution; window sorting method; show as icon
or text; confirm copies, deletes, etc. Second digit of the second
byte is for screen resolution: 13 = blitter on, ST High rez.
#Q 41 00 43 40 43 40
#W 00 00 02 07 4B 11 00 F:\RUNPROG\*.PRG@
#W 00 00 16 02 35 0B 00 @
#W 00 00 2E 0E 22 0A 00 @
#W 00 00 00 0C 21 0C 00 @
#W 00 00 00 04 4C 0C 00 @
#W 00 00 02 0D 4C 09 00 @
#W 00 00 0E 0F 2A 09 00 @
#W 00 00 06 01 34 09 00 @
Default window locations, sizes, and open directories and masks.
#P 03 04 000 C:\UTILS\FILE_VIE.WER\GUCK18\GUCK.TTP@ *.*@ @
This line installs Guck as the default file viewer. When the file is
double clicked on, TOS checks all the #G, #P, #Y, and #F assignments
below, and if the file doesn't match any of those, Guck is run and the
file is loaded in. Notice that it is the first assignment in the INF
file, and hence the last assignment TOS checks. If you moved this one
down a few lines (say, underneath #F 03 04 000 *.TOS@ @ @ ), you'd
never get any programs to run; everything (except the .INFs and
archives) would be loaded directly into Guck!
#G 03 FF 000 *.ACC@ @ @
- This line lets you run an ACC as a program, if the ACC is capable of
it,
by double-clicking on the ACC in any window.
#G 03 FF 000 *.APP@ @ @
#G 03 FF 000 *.PRG@ @ @
#Y 03 FF 000 *.GTP@ @ @
#P 03 FF 000 *.TTP@ @ @
#F 03 04 000 *.TOS@ @ @
#G 03 A0 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\STZIP26\STZIP.PRG@ *.ZIP@ @
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\TWOINONE.PRG@ *.ARC@ @
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\TWOINONE.PRG@ *.LZH@ @
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\TWOINONE.PRG@ *.ZOO@ @
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\TWOINONE.PRG@ *.ARJ@ @
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\LOADINF\LOADINF.PRG@ *.INF@ @
Executable programs and programs to run when files with the
appropriate mask are opened. The second two digits of the third
column of numbers ("00" of the "200") is the hex number of the
function key assignment. "0A" would be F10.
Other parameters (for GTP or TTP) can be included before the last "@".
#D 0A 0A 000 @ *.*@ @
Default folder icon
#I 0B 0B 000 @ *.*@ @
Default file icon
#I 0C 0C 000 @ *.PR?@ @
#I 11 11 000 @ *.AC?@ @
#I 2E 2E 000 @ *.CPX@ @
#I 3A 3A 000 @ *.TTP@ @
#I 0D 0D 000 @ *.TOS@ @
#I 39 39 000 @ *.APP@ @
#I 39 39 000 @ *.PRG@ @
#I 12 12 000 @ *.ACC@ @
#I 52 52 000 @ READ*.*@ @
#I 52 52 000 @ *.ME@ @
#I 2C 2C 000 @ *.INF@ @
#I 13 13 000 @ *.RSC@ @
#I 3B 3B 000 @ DC*.*@ @
#I 1B 1B 000 @ *.HLP@ @
#I 6F 6F 000 @ G+*.*@ @
#I 3C 3C 000 @ DATADIET.*@ @
#I 46 46 011 @ WORDUP.PRG@ @
#I 49 49 004 @ QVIEW.PRG@ @
#I 51 51 000 @ SUPER*.PRG@ @
#I 63 63 002 @ PGS2.PRG@ @
#I 70 70 000 @ WARP9_ST.PRG@ @
#I 73 73 000 @ DFORMAT.PRG@ @
#I 3D 3D 00A @ SQUISHII.APP@ @
#I 6D 6D 001 @ TWOINONE.PRG@ @
File icons and function key assignments. Notice these act as filters
also, and hence files are applied from the bottom up. For example,
SQUISHII.APP is assigned icon 3D, but a file called SQUID.GHU doesn't
match any filter, it would be assigned the default icon 0B.
#D 4E 4E 000 @ TELECOMM@ @
#D 3E 3E 000 @ AUTO@ @
#D 37 37 000 @ CLIPBRD@ @
#D 53 53 000 @ ACCS@ @
#D 55 55 000 @ CPX@ @
#D 35 35 000 @ TEXTE@ @
#D 36 36 000 @ BILDER.PAD@ @
#D 36 36 000 @ MYDRAW@ @
#D 36 36 000 @ META@ @
#D 36 36 000 @ GRAPHICS.Z@ @
#D 4F 4F 000 @ GAMES@ @
Folder icon assignments. Again, assignment is from bottom to top.
#M 00 00 00 FF A FLOPPY DISK@ @
#M 01 00 02 FF C BOOT@ @
#M 02 00 02 FF D PUBLISHING@ @
#M 03 00 02 FF E FILES@ @
#M 04 00 02 FF F PROGRAMMING@ @
#M 05 00 02 FF G GRAPHICS@ @
#M 06 00 02 FF H TELECOM@ @
#M 05 01 05 FF M RAM DISK@ @
Drive icon, letter, position, and label assignments.
#O 06 01 08 FF PRINTER@ @
Printer icon, position, and label assignment.
#T 07 00 09 FF GARBAGE@ @
Trash icon, position, and label assignment.
#X 07 01 7B FF C:\UTILS\RECV_CAN\RT.PRG@ TRASH CAN@
Executable file on the desktop. Icon, position, and label assignment.
#V 04 01 3E FF C:\AUTO\SUPERBT\*.INF@ DESKTOP@
Directory folder on the desktop. Position, icon, pathname, and label
assignment.
COMMENTS
--------
Notice if a file is clicked on and is not a *.INF or one of the
listed archival types, TOS then checks to see if it is either TOS,
TTP, GTP, PRG, or APP (in that order), and if so executes it. If it
is not one of these, the remaining installation for types *.*
"catches" it, so GUCK will be run and the file will be loaded in.
This then replaces the desktop [ SHOW | PRINT |CANCEL]. Remember
that each of these acts as a filter and that TOS applies them from
*bottom* to top; so when you double-click on a file, TOS first checks
to see if it is *.INF, and if so runs LOADINF.PRG, then it checks for
type *.ARJ, then... through the executables (TOS, TTP, GTP, PRG, APP
in that order), and finally if the file wasn't one of those, TOS type
*.* (that's everything left) is loaded into GUCK.
*******************************END OF FILE***************************
-/- Long-lost Jules Verne Novel Found -/-
A long-lost novel written by science fiction author Jules Verne
that predicted the invention of faxes, underground railways, cars and
the electric chair was published today for the first time.
Reuter correspondent Lee Yanowitch reports from Paris, France that
the novel, "Paris in the 20th Century" was written more than 130 years
ago and contained prophetic predictions of modern technology and the
effect it would have on society.
Set in 1963, the story is a gloomy tale of a young poet who becomes
a homeless vagabond in a society dominated by finance and technology.
The manuscript was rejected by Verne's publisher, Pierre-Jules Hetzel,
because it was too far-fetched to be believed.
Imagining the fax and the telephone, Verne wrote: "Photo-telegraphy
allowed any writing, signature or illustration to be sent far away, and
any contract to be signed at a distance of (12,400 miles) ... Every
house was wired." When Verne tried to sell the book in 1863, his
publisher rejected it, writing in the manuscript's margin, "My dear
Verne, had you been a prophet, no one today would believe your
prophecy."
Unknown to Verne's descendants, the manuscript was locked in a safe
of bronze, steel and cement. "When (Verne's son) Michel died in 1925,
he left this (1,980 pound) safe to his children. But no one wanted it.
Everyone thought it was empty and useless," the writer's great-grandson
Jean Verne, told the newspaper InfoMatin. It was thought to have been
destroyed in World War II until the stack of neatly hand-written pages
was found by Jean Verne in 1991. Experts in Paris confirmed it had been
written by Jules Verne.
The book was published today in French by Editions Hachette-Le Cherche
Midi. Negotiations for the rights to foreign language editions are
currently underway.
Verne's other books include "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," "Journey
to the Center of the Earth" and "Around the World in Eighty Days."
JAGUAR SECTION
==============
"Three months and counting..."
> From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
It won't be long before we start to see Christmas sales flyers and
holiday paraphernalia on sale at our favorite stores and malls. There's
been an extremely loud silence from Atari lately. One can only hope
that the silence is due to the fever pitch of preparation resulting in
getting the purported numbers of new games out in time for this holiday
season. Rumors have been mentioned of a press release coming from
Atari telling us of the official release of Alien vs. Predator to
production, along with news of other games soon to follow. Knowing
that Atari really wants to make this holiday season a great success, my
theory is that Atari is building up the public's anticipation and
exploding with a terrific holiday push. The downside to this,
potentially, is that users, current and potential, are getting
impatient. Yes, it's easy to say that it all will have been worth the
wait, but that doesn't help the gaming community now. Hopefully, this
news is imminent and we'll have something concrete to look forward to
in a few weeks.
We haven't received our copies of AvP yet, but hope to have it
shortly. We're also expecting our review of Brutal Sports Football
very soon along with our continuation of our developer spotlight
series. I expect that we'll be extremely busy within the next few
weeks with all kinds of interesting new items.
My disappointing news of the week deals with our "Promote the
Jaguar" photo contest. As you may remember, we started this contest
about two months ago. We offered all kinds of terrific prizes
including a Jaguar in-store promotional banner, teeshirts, and a "Jag
Rules" rubber stamp. Well, I must say that disappointment understates
my reaction to the response. We got exactly ZERO entries for this
contest!! We'll be discussing the possibility of running another
contest in the near future. Meanwhile, the banner remains in my study,
tempting me to hang it up and display my favorite game console!
Until next time...
________________________________
> Activision Re-vitalizes Games! STR NewsFile! - Activision to re-do
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Atari 2600 games for
the PC market!
LOS ANGELES -DJ- Activision Inc. (ATVI) plans to introduce personal
computer versions of games it originally designed for the Atari 2600
system.
These games were previously only available for play on Atari Corp.'s
(ATC) Atari 2600, a video game system popular in the early 1980s.
In a press release, the company said it will distribute compilations
of popular Atari 2600 titles, including ''Pitfall!,'' ''River Raid'' and
''Chopper Command,'' on either floppy disc or CD-ROM for about $29.95 at
retail.
The first compilation, slated for a February 1995 introduction, will
include 10 games.
(END) DOW JONES NEWS 09-20-94
4:12 PM
As a follow-up, a couple of notable comments from Compuserve users:
The headline for that article is "Activision to release Atari video
games for PC."
I presume a Jag version is likely if they do any console versions. A
rep from Activision said the other day that the Jag is an active part
of *all* their future plans.
-/- Computer Games Addictive for Kids -/-
It's 4 p.m. on a school day. Do you know what your kids are doing?
If they're playing computer games, you might want to switch off the
machine and encourage them to play outside, do their homework or even
watch television. Computer games can be as addictive for children as
alcohol and gambling can be for adults, according to a study by
researchers at England's University of Plymouth.
Reuter correspondent Maggie Fox reports from Cambridge, England that
a survey conducted by researchers Mark Griffiths and Catherine Hilton
of 147 11-year-old boys and girls found that 48 percent played computer
games most days.
"It's the excitement that's keeping the kids going," said Griffiths,
an expert in gambling addictions.
The children were asked seven questions that could indicate
addiction, including whether they played daily, whether they played for
three or more hours at a time, whether they sacrificed other activities
and whether they became restless if they could not play. More than
one-third of the kids answered "yes" to four or more of the questions.
However, Griffiths told Reuters that the most important factor is
something he calls salience. "Even if they are not playing it, they are
thinking about it," he said. "They also show tolerance -- having to
play more and more."
Griffiths explained that some kids play the games for stimulation,
while others do it to escape. "It's a mood modifier," Griffiths said.
"The reinforcement is their own excitement, which they get partly by
high scores," he said. "And if you nearly win, it is almost as exciting
as if you do win."
From CIS' Jim Ness:
-------------------
Following is text I received from Dave Davis [74274,2511] of Bits of
Fun, a mail order house which handles Jaguar and Lynx items. I had
requested info on the Pro Stick, a new controller for the Jaguar, and
here's what I got. For price and delivery, please contact Dave or your
personal favorite Jaguar dealer.
**************************************************************
JAGUAR SUPER PRO-STICK CONTROLLER
The Super Pro-Stick Controller has been rated "The best controller ever
RELEASED" by EGM magazine Feb 94 issue. It is the ultimate joystick and
pushbutton unit available. In the turbo unit rapid fire and slow motion
are available for use as needed.
What you get: 1 standard Jaguar controller which has been modified to
accept input from the Super Pro-Stick controller which is also included.
How it works: The Super Pro-Stick unit controls the Jaguar control pad
functions using the Super Pro-Stick Joy Stick and the A,B,C fire control
buttons. The Super Pro-Stick unit is connected to a standard Jaguar
controller by a 2 Foot hard wired cable. All controls and buttons of
the Jaguar control pad function normally and the Jaguar controller is
connected to the Jaguar as usual. With the Pro-Stick Turbo unit you can
put the Jaguar into slow motion and set any of the A, B, and C buttons
to rapid fire as needed.
**************************************************************
NEW FOR THE ATARI LYNX!
SUPER OFF ROAD - A four player, comLynx version of the
classic, racing game from Tradewest, Inc. Experience
the thrills of off-road racing with all-out, dirt
grinding, high gear competition. Watch out for mud
holes, jumps, and other obstacles as you negotiate 32
stadium off-road tracks. PROM version only. MSP $39.99
BUBBLE TROUBLE - Where you must guide your hermetically
sealed space bubble thru perils during the exploration
of strange, new worlds. Look out for a variety of space
aliens just aching to puncture your bubble and devour
your being. Hundreds of new adventures await your
power-ups. PROM version only. MSP $39.99
-/- Virtual Reality: More R&D Needed -/-
The National Research Council has concluded that unless the U.S.
government aggressively pursues now-lagging technology needed to create
virtual reality applications, people won't be able to use it effectively
in their work.
Associated Press correspondent Lauran Neergaard reports from
Washington, D.C. that there is a large gap between the expectations
for virtual reality and the machinery that will make the futuristic
concept possible.
"With the limited technology that is currently available, there is a
tradeoff between realistic images and real-time interactivity," said
Dr. Nathaniel Durlach of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
who chaired the NRC study.
The entertainment industry is the only area that is actively
exploring virtual reality, including interactive television and 3-D
games. However, the research being done for entertainment is not of
the caliber and quality that needs to be performed for virtual reality
to be used in medicine and other fields.
"In entertainment, it doesn't have to very good, it just has to be
real-time interactive," explained the NRC's Anne Mavor, who directed
the study. "But if you use this to operate on a person, you would want
the image to be pretty clear."
AP reports that the NRC has grand ideas for the potential of virtual
reality: A medical student touches a beating human heart and cuts it
open. A program that Superman would call X-ray vision lets her watch
how well the heart pumps in an ordinary person going about his daily
business. She performs surgery using a telerobot that doesn't have the
hand tremors of mere mortals and can move with the heartbeat so patients
don't need their hearts stopped for surgery.
In addition to medicine, virtual reality could be used to explore
outer space more economically and develop new manufacturing processes.
However, the technology scientists need to develop these and other
applications isn't available and won't be anytime soon unless the
government begins a major program to push it along, insists the NRC.
> Jaguar Online STR InfoFile Online Users Growl & Purr!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
...in the mailbag
Does STReport have any advance preview reviews coming up this week?
I mean with all these games ready to hit production and one already
there you would think that someone at STReport (how do you like the
little plugs every couple of lines) would know exactly whose butt (oops
I mean backside) to kiss to get a copy of Maybe AvsP or one of the
others. I could see them not wanting to give you one that hasn't
reached production but why Not give the Fine People of the STReport
(G another plug for you guys but only since you guys do more coverage
in one issue than EGM has done in the last 3 months) a copy of AvsP
which could no longer possible change since it is in production.
See you should not have put down the music in Wolf 3D which was very
in keeping with the tone of the game. Great (or should I say Grating)
background music just to keep your nerves frazzled, your skin crawling
and your head jumping as those confounded NAZIs kept jumping at us from
everywhere.
From the Usenet:
A post from Id Software
From: John Carmack <johnc@idcube.idsoftware.com>
Date: 16 Sep 1994 06:09:46
Wow, there is a lot of rabid advocacy in this group... I hope this
isn't a really bad idea to poke my head in here. Please, please,
please do not send me mail arguing something I say here.
DOOM is almost done. Music and modem code is about all that's
left. Its good.
To address the two main topics of discussion:
Is the Jaguar doomed?:
This christmas will tell. If atari sells close to their estimates,
they will be a serious market target for next year.
I really don't think 3DO will bury the jag. Its too expensive, and
it doesn't have a technical edge to make up for it.
The sega 32x is a nice machine, and they are shipping good numbers
for christmas. It is less powerful than the jaguar is when really
pushed, but it is easier to get things going at a decent speed.
The sony psx and the sega saturn will both cost $100 to $200 more
than the jaguar (CD machines). They are both more powerful (to a
greater or lesser degree), but neither one will have a wealth of
games when they debut.
The ultra-64 is over a year away. It will probably be damn good, but
a year is a long time.
3D engines:
For 24 bit parallax scrolling graphics, the jag will outperform a
pentium, but it is only about as powerful as a low end 486 for
texture mapped games. Its not really an apples to apples comparison
because of the parallel nature of the jag, but that is a fair
approximation.
The jaguar CANNOT make a fully textured, full screen, full resolution
game that runs at 30 fps. The bus will simply not take that many
accesses. The 64 bit bus will let you do really fast shaded
polygons, but texture mapping is done a single pixel at a time.
DOOM had to be significantly reworked to get good performance, but it
wasn't designed from the ground up to take advantage of the Jaguar.
If I was designing a game from scratch for the Jag (I'm not), I would
target 20 fps with a 256*180 view window in 16 bit color as a
reachable goal. Doom runs 15 fps at 160*180 because the basic design
is non-optimal for the jag's characteristics. I wrote it for the pc.
There are a lot of tradeoffs you can choose. AVP made very different
choices than I did. They have a lot more pixels on the screen, but
it runs slower (about 12 fps) and the engine is a lot more limited.
The engine is essentially the level of Shadowcaster on the pc (90
degree walls, transparent segments, floor/ceiling texture mapping,
strictly diminishing lighting and a rear clipping plane). They chose
to use higher resolution bitmaps, so they have less variety.
John Carmack
Id Software
From CIS' 'Net surfer, Dimitri LaBarge:
Since someone already kindly posted John Carmack's fascinating post on
Doom and the Jaguar, I'll not post or summarize it here. However, it
should be noted that many of the specs he bandied about, like the Jag's
ultimate potential and the AvP frame rate, have either gone unverified
or are subject to fierce debate. An excellent post, but as always with
something that has yet to be proven, view it with a dispassionate eye...
Now a little third party news from Beyond Games. First, a *slight* bit
of a bummer. Battlewheels will not be out this year, but sometime early
next year. Beyond Games is currently choosing from a variety of
approaches to make a real killer of a game. They are *not* just going
to shine up the Lynx version with a few new graphics and shove it out to
the market for a few quick bucks. They are seriously reworking the game
so that it takes maximum advantage of the Jag. And yes, it will be Jag
Network and modem-compatible. (YES!!!!) So, while it won't be here
this year as hoped, it should be an excellent, well-though out game.
Also from Beyond Games, word on Ultra Vortex. Don't depend on the
SCES video footage--the game has been reworked 110% since then and
looks hotter than ever. Be on the lookout for new screen shots in the
next few weeks. And Beyond Games has reaffirmed that the Jag is their
machine of choice, though they probably will port Ultra Vortex to the
3DO some time after it's been available to the Jag (an interesting
comment: the designers say the 3DO is the *only* other machine that
could possibly handle UV at all, and the 16-bitters don't have a hope
of it. This is a game designed to maximize next-generation potential).
The Jag is the machine that gives them the most flexibility to do what
they want to do.
Anyway, that's it for now!
Dimitri
_______________________________________
> ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
=====================
On CompuServe
-------------
compiled by
Joe Mirando
73637,2262
Hello again friends and neighbors. Well, it's been quite a week for
me. Sunday morning, while bouncing my two year old nephew around, I
wrenched my back... but good! For most of the past week I've been flat on
my back. I've had back problems for years but this time scared me because
I have intense pain running down the entire length of my right leg. Of
course the medical profession's first two lines of defense are surgery and
medication. I'm opposed to surgery unless there is no other choice and,
at this point, I'm not sure that there is no other option. I've therefore
succumbed to the second line of defense: medication. I can't remember
what is in this little cocktail, but it seems to affect my head more than
my back. While I still have major pain in my back and leg, I just watched
the text on my monitor fall off the screen one letter at a time. Then I
realized that I wasn't using a screen saver.
I'm just glad that during my "convalescence" I was able to "compute".
I asked my wife (in a very nice voice) to bring my Stacy and portable
modem into the bedroom. Once I convinced her that she wasn't going to
break anything by lifting the case up onto the bed, I set everything up
and tried to access CompuServe. After about 10 minutes of cursing at
STalker, Flash II, Storm, the phone company, and Practical Peripherals, I
realized that I couldn't connect because we don't have a phone line in the
bedroom (something which I'll be fixing as soon as I get back on my feet).
At any rate, I was able to sit long enough to get the info for this
column, so you'd better read it! (big grin). Well, let's get to it...
From the Atari Computing Forum
==============================
Rob Rasmussen tells us:
"I just got a Syquest removable 105 hard drive that I connected to my
Falcon's SCSI 2 port. I hope it doesn't require a Link. How do I get
the Falcon to recognize the drive? All I have are the Atari hard disk
utilities that came with the Falcon. When I run AHDI.PRG it hangs when
it gets to the Syquest, I guess because it hasn't been formatted yet.
But how can I format it when the Falcon doesn't recognize it's there? I
want it to install the SCSI drive but not mess with the IDE internal
drive already installed. Any help is appreciated."
Brian Gockley tells Rob:
"There are a couple of things you might need to do. First of all, some
Syquests are finicky about whether or not the platter is spinning. Try
it both ways. Also, there is a file that is in the Atari HDX Utilities
called ALLDRIVE. Wha it is is a replacement SHDRIVER.SYS that
recognizes non contiguous ID #s. The old version would stop looking if
there was a break. If your Syquest is #3 and your internal drive was
#1, then this would help.
You shouldn't need to run AHDI anyway, since the Falcon is already
using SHDIVER.SYS to find it's internal drive. AHDI.PRG is the manual
version of the booter, SHDRIVER.SYS is the automatic version. If you
have SHDRIVER.SYS on your disk, then it should find the Syquest without
a Link."
Rob asks Brian:
"Are you talking about the removable cart? I assume it's spinning when
I put it in and don't know how to make it not spin except turn off
power. It didn't come with much instruction, for does the Falcon manual
address this.
There is a SHDRIVER.SYS on my C drive. I want to partition the
Syquest, like drives H,I,J,K. It is set for SCSI device 0. Since its
the only scsi device I have, I guess I don't need ALLDRIVE. How do I
get to the place where I partition and name the drives?"
Brian tells Rob:
"I'd try Alldrive and see what happens, if it doesn't work, it surely
won't hurt anything. Do you have an ALLDRIVE folder?"
Rob tries it out and tells Brian:
"Thanks, it works now! Yes, HDX.PRG was the one to use when I finally
_could_ use it. Apparently I had the device number dip switch set
wrong, and didn't realize how the switch in the front works. I still
don't know why the Syquest has this swing-type switch, why not just an
on/off button? As I said, the doc doesn't mention anything about this,
though I called Toad yesterday which helped. Isn't the platter in the
cart either spinning or off? Also, I guess these removables don't have
to be 'parked.' The Syquest has to be scsi device #0, but the internal
drive is a different #0.
Apparently the HD cartridges (I got 4) were already formatted by Toad,
but when I try to partition it, an alert tells me "This dik was
formatted by a previous version of HDX. Please reformat." Too bad it
doesn't recognize the older format. When my Falcon boots, it shows
"AHDI 6.05C", which is what the Computer Studio where I got Falcon
formatted the internal drive with. The version of AHDI in my Atari
utilities is 6.04, with HDX 5.02. So all these version numbers are a
little confusing, especially when some are not compatible. I don't have
ALLDRIVE, but there is a SHDRIVE.SYS with the utilities. Maybe that is
the one that allows non-contiguous drives? There is a file called
WINCAP. Anyone know what this is?"
John Damiano tells Rob:
"I have a couple of Syquest 44's ..they are wonderful. The lever type
switch locks the cartridge in place and opens the cover on the cart I
think. I just leave it a cart in there all the time. I power down with
it still in place with a Master switch on a power switchin system...in
other words...I don't even throw that lever switch unless I am going to
change carts (seldom). If you do..make sure the thing has stopped (no
lights/noise) before you try to pull it out. I can't help you with the
SCSI since I use a Link to run mine with a couple of Mega ST's. Its
nice to know I can just pull the Link and put in on my clone anytime as
a SCSI device though. Good luck with it..glad you got it all going."
Rob tells John:
"Thanks, those are things I had wondered about. The Syquest power
switch is inconveniently located on the back panel, so I'll look into a
power strip. Is your Mega ST also on the power strip? The info I have
does say the Syquest should be powered up before turning on the
computer. A few times I have forgotten to turn it on first, so booted
up without it, then rebooted.
Heh, I saw yesterday where there's a new Saturday morning cartoon show
for computer-literate kids called...Reboot.
I may leave one cart in the Syquest at least for awhile too, until
Ifigure the right scheme I need to use for backing up the internal HD.
I also want to use it for HD recording with the Musicom 2 program I
just got. Toad said it is fast enough."
John tells Rob:
"Yep..they are pretty fast devices I think. I got some dogs the first
round but Syquest sent me all new units and they have been perfect.
They do need to come up before the ST but I have a prg. in there that
delays the ST so the HD's can come up to speed. I just turn
everything on at once. ...Its working ok for me."
Rob asks:
"What program in the Atari hard disk utilities do I use to get my
Falcon to recognize the Syquest removable HD that is connected to it's
SCSI 2 port? Toad, where I got it from, said ICD utilities are better,
but that it can be done with the Atari utilities. Is the SCSI device (I
only have this one) supposed to be a different device # than the
internal IDE drive?
I don't see how to format or give drive letter names to Syquest
partitions. The Falcon may be recognizing it but I can't get at it. I
have a SHDRIVER.SYS on my C drive which installs my internal drives
fine, and I don't want to mess that up by trying to install the
Syquest."
Mike Mortilla tells Rob:
"I have 2 Syquests on my STf via the Link and use their software.
Unfortunately, you need the Link to run the progs.
I know that doesn't help at all. But at least you know that if the
Syquests work on my dinosaur <g> they'll work on your Porsche..."
Andy Grist tells us:
"I have just become the proud owner of a US Robotics 14400bps Fax
Modem, when compared to my old 1200 its amazingly fast !!
So I can take full advantage of its facilities I'm looking for a PD or
Shareware Fax transmission software - all I seem to be able to find in
my usual FTP archives are in German and having been educated in England
I only speak English :-)
Does anyone know of any - or failing that a good Commercial product
available in England."
Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Online Magazine tells Andy:
"Straight Fax v2.x is the Commercial Fax software to get."
Andy asks Albert:
"Any idea if its available/supported in the U.K or will I have to get
from the Statesby mail order."
Albert tells Andy:
"NewStar technologies is the developer of the product and the author
is in this forum from time to time. I don't know what the distribution
is like outside of the US. <g> Probably all US dealers stock the
product so it shoud not be a problem getting it from the US if you
cannot find it over there. Toad Computers in the US is one place that
has the product."
Barbara Weinmann posts:
"Hello out there in Atari land.
I have two Atari ST 520's and haven't used them in about six years.
I'd like to get one up and running to have as a backup for my ibm clone
which is having intermittent problems. I'm wondering how much it would
cost me to get up and running with the equipment I have, providing it
all still works. If it all still works, I might be willing to buy a
hd. It would be REALLY hard to depend on my floppies after using a hd.
(Probably I should spend the money on making sure my clone doesn't get
sick, <G> but it would be nice to have my ST in working condition.)
I haven't used my Atari's in so many years, I haven't the faintest
idea how to get one of them up and running again. Never knew too much
anyway, my son always set up everything for me.
Now it is time to become a bit more independent. Son is going to be
out of state frequently. If my clone gets sick, 'm in big trouble if I
can't get onto CIS (where all the help is.)
Now,I have not been using my Ataris for about six years. My son
originally introduced me to the 8 bit Atari when he was a teen ager
many years ago. We both LOVED the Atari. My son learned much of what
he knows by using the Atari. I still have my old 8 bit, 850, and RANA
tored safely away and wouldn't part with it, even though I don't use
it.<G>
One of my 520's was upgraded to 1 meg. (thought that was a lot at the
time.<G>) I have two SF 314 floppy drives and one SF 354 floppy drive.
I have an Avotex 1200 modem, don't know if it still works.
Question: 1) my US Robotics modem for my clone is 14.4, COULD I USE
THAT with an ST??? It's an external. 1200 seems so slow now, but
it might do for an emergency if I can't use the Robotics.
A week or so ago, someone told me that everything is much cheaper for
the Atari now. I was told that I could get a hd very inexpensively.
That would be great if it is true.
Question 2) How much are Atari hd's running now?
Question 3) Are there any automatic navigators for CIS which I could
get online, inexpensively? I know there used to be one, but I've
forgotten and I'm sure there is something new by this time.
question 4) Does one use CIM on the Atari, or something else? (I
prefer an automatic navigator, and use OzCis on my clone.)
Am I correct in thinking that I can't dl a com program or anything
else on my ibm clone, and then use it on the Atari."
Mike Mortilla tells Barbara:
"Welcome back to Atari! <grin>
I don't know what may have happenedto your ST since it went into
hibernation, but if it wasn't damaged and was working when you put it
away, it should work again.
I'll assume you know how to hook up the hardware...(the monitor goes
into the monitor jack, the disk drive goes into the disk drive
jack...etc).
If you put a disk in the main drive, it should speed up booting. If
you can find the manual that would help too.
QuickCIS (QCIS) is used to navigate on CIS and in available in the
libraries here.
You may well be able to use an IBM style disk in te ST. You can't run
IBM programs without a special prog, but the later model STs can
readIBM disks. Whether or not you can is dependent on the OS you're
under, but that can be upgraded. At least TOS 1.4 is recommended.
As for the HD, you will either need to buy a HD for your ST or buy The
Link or similar device to hook up a SCSI drive.
In addition to you questions here (which I know others will answer
....<right guys?>... I'd suggest calling TOAD computers at
1-800-HIT-TOADfor their newest catalogue.
You might be able to find a whole ST system usedhere (with a HD) for
what you might expect to pay for JUST the HD!"
Simon Churchill tells Barbara:
"1) The US Robotics 14.4 modem does not realy worry what it is
connected to and as long as you have a lead from your serial port
(farthest way from the pwer switch, 25 way 'D') then it will work
o.k. once you have the software. I.e. QCIS etc...
2) In the U.K. I would expect to pay about L300 for a 170Mega Byte
Complete drive. The price has droped like a stone and I will be
getting one soon when I get a tower case.
3) Answered by someone else.
4) Again pass. 8-)
You can download any file onto any machine. If it's a text file,
document file, picture file or sound file then you can use it on any
machine once unpacked. (Most files are packed in some way on CIS.) But
and here is where thing's get fun, any executable file downloaded on
any machine can be used ONLY on the machine which has the operating
system to execute it. I.e. a 'TOS' or 'PRG' can only be used on an ST,
But a 'COM' or 'EXE' can only be used on an IBM or clone. (For those
who are picky - This applies unless you have a hardware emulator
fitted to your machine for another machine.)
Hope that help's and welcome back to the Atari forum. The more the
merrier is what we say.............."
Simon Moore asks:
"Has anybody here managed to access the Internet using an Atari ST? If
anybody has could you please let me know what is needed to let me do
this from England."
Dazzz Smith tells Simon:
"You need to join a Network provider like Demon to get full Net access
however you can get the benefits of Internet access from places that
offer Net access without a SLIP connection.
CIX is one, it offers TELNET, FTP, GOPHER, USENET etc, as well as its
own conferences. Plus the ST OLR software is second to none.
There are other choices as well.
Look out for a sample issue of .net magazine, gives you lots of details
there."
Sysop Jim Ness tells Dazzz:
"This is a good place to mention that CIS currently offers USENET
access, and has announced that Telnet and FTP will be here before
year's end."
Christian Roth asks Jim:
"Where do I have to search for the internet access? Do I need to have
special software for accessing internet through CompuServe?
BTW, why doesn't the cis magazine mention anything of that news?"
Jim tells Christian:
"You can GO INTERNET to get to the main menu, but remember that right
now only USENET access is offered. GO USENET skips the INTERNET menu.
This is new enough that it will probably appear in the next CIS
Magazine.
The new service is supported for standard terminal programs, as well
as WinCIM and its siblings."
Michael Evans posts:
"I have a Gasteiner Hard disc which usually works fine. Every so
often, however, when you boot up, it comes up with a message at the
bottom right hand corner of the screen -
" Read failed # 0018/00"
All the icons then come up as usual but when you try and run a program
on the hard disc the following message comes up -
"Data on the disk in drive C: may be damaged - cancel or retry"
There is then nothing you can do. It happened yesterday and try as
hard as I could nothing could get the thing to work properly. This
morning it is fine again without me having done anything.I have tried
using Diamond Edge to check the hard disc and the program tells me that
there is nothing wrong with it."
Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Online Magazine asks Michael:
"Have you tried reformatting the hard drive?"
Michael tells Albert:
"I've tried reformatting the drive before but the problem still comes
back. At the moment its working fine and so I'm not keen to go to all
the trouble of reformatting and restoring all my data. Could a fault on
the actual lead to the hard drive or the socket where you plug it in
cause this?"
John Devlin asks:
"Does anyone know of any problems why when upgrading the internal 40Mb
HD on a Mega STe.
A friend has tried three SCSI HD's in the machine and none of them are
recongised by the ST ?
We have checked and made sure all the connections are correct.
Any help would bemost greatfully received."
Brian Gockley of ST Informer Magazine tells John:
"I assume that you are booting the new drives without any other hard
drives hooked up to te external port? If a drive were hooked up extern
ally and was set to the same LUN# then you would not find the right
drive.
There sould also be a problem with termination, cable reversal, or who
knows what else!"
John tells Brian:
"There is only one HD connected, the new one, which my friend is
trying to uses to replace the old 40Mb.
We have check for Termination. Cable reverse ?, don't think so,
because when we try the old 40Mb it works first time everytime."
Brian tells John:
"All I can tell you is it _ought_ to work!
There, now don't you feel better?"
John tells Brian:
"My friend has spent almost seven week in all sending Hard drives back
and forth to the retailer, thinking they where sending him faulty
goods."
Albert Dayes asks John for more information:
"What software are you using? Atari's, ICD's or Supra's, etc? Did you
disable parity on the hard drive? Does it work with other host
adapters like ICD's?"
John tells Albert:
"We have tried Atari's & ICD's software to attempt to carry out a
format, but it simply does not recognise the HD.
When the new HD is fitted onto the SCSI of his PC we have no problems
formating the HD."
Andreas Rosenberg asks John:
"Who are the manufacturers of the new SCSI drives you like to connect
to your STE? I've read about some differences in the drive state after
a reset (or power on). Some drives get into a 'UNIT ATTENTION' state
and only accept a 'REQUEST SENSE' command in this state. The HD-driver
or any HD-FORMAT Software usually send a 'READSECTOR' or 'MODE
SENSE'/'MODE SELECT' command. Some Seagate and Quantum drives react
this way. But there should be a jumper to disable this 'feature'. You
should check your data sheets. Also have a look at the id number of
your new SCSI drives. ATARI's HD software stops scanning for further
drives if an id doesn't respond. So if your new drive is set to ID#1 or
higher it won't be recognized, because ID#0 does not exist."
Mitch Brown tells John:
"If the drive is a Quantum (the type I have), you might have to
dissable parity. The only way to dissable it on a Quantum (much to my
surprise) is through software. There is a program that Quantum has on
their BBS that will do it, but you must call a technician to get it."
Well folks, that's about it for this week. Tune in again next time
and be ready to listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> A "Quotable Quote" ...and the faithful wait.
"""""""""""""""""
"But the Atari Jaguar, the world's first 64-bit multimedia home
entertainment system, already is available. "By Christmas 1994, Jaguar
fans will be playing 30-50 new game titles on their 64-bit systems while
our competitors continue to play catch up and beg their followers to be
patient," said Sam Tramiel, Atari president and chief executive officer.
"It's nice to know American companies are once again leading the way in
technology."
.. Atari Corp. 8/29/94
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> DEALER CLASSIFIED LIST STR InfoFile * Dealer Listings *
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ---------------
ABCO Incorporated
=================
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
Est. 1985
1-904-783-3319
1994 SUMMER SPECIALS NOW IN EFFECT!
EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND!!
---------------------
ABCO manufactures custom storage devices!
TEN PERCENT OFF (10%) with this ad (clip)
INTEL 32 BIT 486/66, VLB w/Math CoProcessor
8MB ram upgradable to 64MB 1MB SVGA VESA VIDEO CARD
Sound Blaster Compatible Stereo Sound Card
DOS 6.2 - Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Included
256K CACHE - 1.44/1.2 FLOPPY Drives, Mouse & 101 deluxe Keyboard
340MB IDE hd - 2 SERIAL, 1 PARALLEL, 1 GAME PORTS
250W POWER SUPPLY TOWER SYSTEM - 14" SVGA 1024x768, NI 28dpi Monitor
66Mhz, S&H Incl 1295.00 - 695.00 with order, Checks OK, balance COD
Other higher powered packages available or, design your own!
100Mhz - Pentium Call for value added pricing!
Call: 904-783-3319 Anytime, Voice Mail
=====******=====
Syquest Removable 200mb 449.95 SCSI Drives(Priced Right!)
All Size Platters Available 200mb (84.95)
One Platter included with each Drive free!
Bernoulli! Call for Prices!
Diamond Computer High Speed Video Cards w/1-2mb VRAM
Greatly Enhances Windows SPEED and EFFICIENCY
Diamond High Performance Sonic Sound Cards Available
Soundblaster Cards and compatibles 8 & 16 bit
Creative Technologies' Sound Blaster 16 SCSI
&
Sound Blaster * AWE 32 * SUPER Sound Card
Media Vision Line - True Multi-Media
IDE Super IO cards & 16550 UART 2 & 4 Port Cards
SCSI ADAPTER CARDS & SCANNERS COLOR & MonoChrome
Call: 904-783-3319 Anytime, Voice Mail
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
COMPUTER STUDIO
===============
WESTGATE SHOPPING CENTER
40 Westgate Parkway -Suite D
Asheville, NC 28806
1-800-253-0201
Orders Only
1-704-251-0201
Information
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
EAST HARTFORD COMPUTER
======================
202 Roberts St.
East Hartford CT. 06108
1-203-528-4448
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
MEGABYTE COMPUTERS
==================
907 Mebourne
Hurst, TX 76053
1-817-589-2950
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
SAN JOSE COMPUTER
=================
1278 Alma Court
San Jose, CA. 95112
1-408-995-5080
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
CompuSeller West
================
220-1/2 W. Main St.
St. Charles, IL., 60174
Ph. (708) 513-5220
FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
(DEALERS; to be listed here FREE OF CHARGE, drop us a line in Email.)
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport International Online Magazine
-* [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport *-
AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE ON OVER 70,000 PRIVATE BBS SYSTEMS
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STR Online! "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" September 23, 1994
Since 1987 copyright (c) 1994 All Rights Reserved No.1039
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
All Items quoted, in whole or in part, are done so under the provisions of
The Fair Use Law of The Copyright Laws of the U.S.A. Views, Opinions and
Editorial Articles presented herein are not necessarily those of the
editors/staff of STReport International Online Magazine. Permission to
reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Reprints
must, without exception, include the name of the publication, date, issue
number and the author's name. STR, CPU, STReport and/or portions therein
may not be edited, used, duplicated or transmitted in any way without
prior written permission. STR, CPU, STReport, at the time of publication,
is believed reasonably accurate. STR, CPU, STReport, are trademarks of
STReport and STR Publishing Inc. STR, CPU, STReport, its staff and
contributors are not and cannot be held responsible in any way for the use
or misuse of information contained herein or the results obtained
therefrom.
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-----------------------------------------
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